Originally posted by Flay
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23.1.2012 - Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) [REPEAT]
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amateur51
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Originally posted by Anna View PostPears had a very odd voice I think.Last edited by JimD; 28-01-12, 20:34.
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amateur51
[QUOTE=JimD;125582][QUOTE=Anna;125484] Pears had a very odd voice I think.
At the risk of flogging a dead horse, Pears' voice may be 'odd' or an acquired taste, but his was intensely musical and thoughtful singing. It'll do for me, compared with various stud tenors one could name.
I had a good friend telling me the other night that he couldn't bear Britten's [vocal] music because it was always written with Pears' voice in mind, which voice he loathes. When you're up against that sort of thing, it's best to leave as quietly as you can, shaking your head in sorrow & put on a Britten/Pears CD
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Originally posted by amateur51 View PostGenuine question: was it really a matter of of Britten's not being nice or was it more a matter of his being unable/unwilling to deal with conflict?Last edited by Mary Chambers; 28-01-12, 19:44.
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amateur51
Originally posted by Mary Chambers View PostI'd say it was definitely the latter, though 'niceness' isn't really a quality I'd expect in a creative genius. I've been observing Britten's character (from a safe distance!) for years, and one of his failings was an inability to tell people to their face that they had to go. Sometimes Peter had to do the telling, sometimes they were simply dropped without explanation. This was virtually always for artistic reasons, but it was hurtful. On the other hand, there were plenty of people who were not dropped, and he had life-long friends who were outside or peripheral to the music world - Ludwig and Peg Hesse, for example, and the artist Mary Potter. He was also generous with money, and good to his surviving family.
Britten's 'thin skin' is a constant reference it seems to me but I'm not sure I know what the International Unit of skin thickness is
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Originally posted by Mary Chambers View PostI'd say it was definitely the latter, though 'niceness' isn't really a quality I'd expect in a creative genius.
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austin
[QUOTE compared with various stud tenors one could name.[/QUOTE]
For what it's worth, I thought Mark Padmore's singing of "Still Falls the Rain" in Friday's Lunchtime Concert was exquisite - still available to listen again.
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