Scelsi, Cage and Cardew

[Zytnia]

I admire Bernas' eloquence and enthusiasm

But it wasn't in evidence on this occasion, at least as far as the Cardew and Cage were concerned. Tilbury and Griffiths had more useful things to contribute. Did we really need three commentators?

[Quarky]

"I don't see as 'negativity' any productive reaction" - yes, agreed completely hackneyvi.

The limitations of these boards in expressing listeners' views on music are particularly apparent when discussing "new" music.

Falling far behind the likes of Bryn, Roehre, MrGongGong in appreciating music, nevertheless I know what I like, and also like expressing views, as this process increases appreciation of the music.

Cage? Bryn sometime ago recommended Barton Workshop recordings, which give a good view of his music. Perhaps he can be viewed as an extension of the Webern approach. But in any event it is a mistake I feel to expect too much of his music - it's enjoyable for what is, although listeners hooked on Brucknerian cathedrals of sound, may be repelled.

Saunders? Listened to Prehear the other week, but I can't remember much of it. I had difficulty with her works played at the Proms over the past year or two, but there is quite a selection on Youtube, some of which are much more approachable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtV0dL2jEHw

[Schrödinger's Cat]

Not so much complicated and convoluted, S's C. You have to enter so much essentially irrelevant information before you get to alert them to the actual problem. Perhaps they should consider introducing a system where frequent users could short cut to the crux of the issue. Anyway, if you want last night's H&N at 320kbps AAC-LC, a PM to me should do the job in the short term.

Thanks for the offer Bryn but prog now at 320Kbps.

Complaining about low bit rates via Twitter is another route, which johnb has been trying - it will probably produce results more quickly as it's visible to more people.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Saunders? Listened to Prehear the other week, but I can't remember much of it. I had difficulty with her works played at the Proms over the past year or two

How many "works" of hers have you heard, Oddy? There's only been the one (sneaked in a couple of years ago by a German conductor and orchestra when the Proms organizers weren't looking): Traces which I thought was the best "premiere" of that Season.
I loved her Violin Concerto, too: not as much as some of her other works (yet!), but a superb, tender and powerful piece.

Best Wishes.

[Quarky]

Well that is a surprise - I was familiar with the performance of Traces - Proms 2009, but I thought there had been more recent performances of her works. Maybe I was confusing with the Huddersfield Festival 2010, where she was composer in residence, and some of this may have been broadcast on R3.

In any event I see she is teamed up with Dvorak and Tchaikovsky at a "family" concert in 2012:

Dvořák, Rebecca Saunders and Tchaikovsky with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Friday 10 February 2012, 7.30pm Barbican, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
part of the 2011-12 Season and BBC SO Family Music Intro series
Book tickets Tickets £30 £25 £20 £15 £10
Dvořák Carnival Overture
Rebecca Saunders Still UK premiere
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor
Lionel Bringuier conductor
Carolin Widmann violin

So perhaps this is an accolade of the musical establishment that Rebecca has truly arrived.

[hackneyvi]

I loved her Violin Concerto, too: not as much as some of her other works (yet!), but a superb, tender and powerful piece.

Best Wishes.

Off the back of the Pre-Hear concert, I've ordered a Kairos CD of Saunders' orchestral works which should be here in a day or two. Her concerto has really lodged itself in my mind - in part, I think, because Birtwistle and Charlotte Bray have also produced such vivid and interesting and feeling music. But I love the orchestration, love the pace of it and the way the orchestra 'beats' and over all of it, the movement of the violin from those very dry, abrasive sounds to something progressively more full and almost soaking in song.

3 terrific violin concerti in a single year (and all of them saved to my hard drive). Quite some year, that!!

[RobertLeDiable]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/31/bbcsso-brabbins-review