George Lloyd, anyone?

[aeolium]

I wonder why British music is seldom taken seriously outside these shores?

Of course there are exceptions. Personally I love Dowland, Purcell, Byrd, Tallis, Dunstaple, Gibbons, Pelham Humfrey. I don't like Elgar or Vaughan Williams, nor particularly Tippett or Britten, but I recognize the respect with which they are held by people whom I respect.

Perhaps one explanation might lie in the extent to which national characteristics within the music predominate over trans-national characteristics and also the extent to which music of a particular period follows or departs from continental style (e.g. the relative lack of interest in , or at least compositional adoption of, atonalism in the inter-war period in Britain). Before the later nineteenth century there was much more in the way of a common musical language across Europe but differences increasingly emerged based on national styles.

But the others we have been offered this month? Where but in Britain would anyone be interested?

Why does that matter? We are in Britain! If you look at any list of composers by nationality - Russian, Hungarian, Czech, Finnish etc - you will see quite a number that you have probably never heard of and whose music you have probably never heard here. That does not mean that they will be unknown in their own country where their music may well be played at concerts or broadcast on radio. Are we to avoid listening to some British composers simply because they are ignored elsewhere in Europe? Is it possible that such music has a specific attraction to quite a lot of people here precisely because of those national qualities and affinities which simply do not touch or interest those in other countries?

The whole point is that people here ARE interested and it is after all the BBC. I hope we would not rebuke Finnish national broadcasters for playing too much music by their less well-known composers.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

"...please do not ... post messages which are designed to be provocative..."



In mischievous, sweeping mood today, vinbritannique?

Vinny does have to put up with people who say they don't like the harpsichord. (I'm not one of them, though I have extreme reservations about early pianos.)

[Nick Armstrong]

Vinny does have to put up with people who say they don't like the harpsichord.

Easy, Vinny....

[BBMmk2]

I do rather like GL'sSymphony No.10(No0vemeber Journeys, for brass Ensemble and also this has been transcribed for brass band by Dr Robert Childs.

[ardcarp]

I 'caught' a bit of the Piano Concerto No 1 in the car today. It was enjoyable and well-crafted, but I doubt I would have guessed it was GL without the slight clue of his being CotW. Isn't that rather the point? Nothing to do with being British or not 'grown up'. Just not a distinctive voice.

[Serial_Apologist]

I 'caught' a bit of the Piano Concerto No 1 in the car today. It was enjoyable and well-crafted, but I doubt I would have guessed it was GL without the slight clue of his being CotW. Isn't that rather the point? Nothing to do with being British or not 'grown up'. Just not a distinctive voice.

[EdgeleyRob]

Some wonderful posts on here,many thanks everyone.
I guess GL's music will continue to divide opinion.

[BBMmk2]

Nothing wrong with a good tune!

[Podfather]

Next week is not just Ravel - No La Valse, and quite relevant to this discussion, contributions by Florent Schmitt and several minor French composers contemporary to Ravel. Music from Severac, Ladmirault, Absil, Delage and Inghelbrecht. I wonder how often they get played on French radio.......

[Nick Armstrong]

...Severac, Ladmirault, Absil, Delage and Inghelbrecht. I wonder how often they get played on French radio.......

Indeed, good point... and furthermore, I wonder how far they pass the "Vinteuil Test" for

ghastly mediocrity

But for the odd exotic whiff of absinthe, Gauloises and garlic, I suspect they inhabit a similar territory to Balfour Gardiner, Dyson, Musgrave and Bowen... Being British or French seems to me to have very little to do with it.

A year or two ago, I chased down some of the oeuvre of Théodore Dubois, an important contemporary / teacher of all sorts of people like Fauré, Ravel, Dukas &c.

His work sadly scores high marks on the 'Ghastly Mediocrity' chart... ... and is a damn sight worse than most of what 'British Music Month' has offered

(I still want to explore the output of Albéric Magnard, though )

[Serial_Apologist]

Next week is not just Ravel - No La Valse, and quite relevant to this discussion, contributions by Florent Schmitt and several minor French composers contemporary to Ravel. Music from Severac, Ladmirault, Absil, Delage and Inghelbrecht. I wonder how often they get played on French radio.......

I imagine quite a bit more frequently than here - or at least that would have been the case at one time, having as a youngster devoted quite a bit of time twiddling the medium and shortwave dial and coming across the kinds of music represented by these kinds of composers, though my French was not sufficient to decipher who they actually were. My view is that the general prejudice against French music in this country - manfested iimss by absence of its discussion on this board - is probably down to paucity of broadcasting. The British music "brigade" would be surprised if not shocked by how much vermouth there is in their national musical aperatif.

[ahinton]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]I suspect they inhabit a similar territory to Balfour Gardiner, Dyson, Musgrave and Bowen... Being English or French seems to me to have very little to do with it.

Especially in the context of Musgrave, who is neither!

(I still want to explore the output of Albéric Magnard, though )

You will not be disappointed! There's not many works but he was one of the most important French composers of his time.

[Nick Armstrong]

Especially in the context of Musgrave, who is neither!

Fair point well made !! I had succumbed to Andy-Murray-itis!

[Podfather]

Here's a good starting point Caliban

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=magnard&oq=magnard&gs_l=youtube.3..0l6.593.2668.0.3011.7.7.0.0.0.0.202.717.4j2j1.7.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.jNyWMnWxRk8

[Nick Armstrong]

Here's a good starting point Caliban
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...be.jNyWMnWxRk8

Murky buckets, Podfather

And I know you've been around since earlier this year, but since I haven't before: let me say Welcome! Please do keep posting! I have a feeling you have much to teach us! I like your moniker too