The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[Norfolk Born]

It's a little-known fact that Sibelius had a library of books dedicated to popular singers. He certainly had two on Ella.

[barber olly]

Strauss/Rosenkavalier, Kodaly, The Laughing Policeman, Arensky, Purcell: after that it's hard to think of anything that would constitute a 'surprise' ...

Anyone catch a weekend presenter's comment that, since Sibelius didn't die until 1957 'he will have listened to Elvis'?

[Wife to 90-year-old Sibelius: 'Jean, drop what you're doing and come quickly, they're playing Elvis on Radio 1.'
With apologies to Barry Fantoni]

Sorry to be pedantic but Radio 1 did not exist in 1957. Turning the tables, however, had Elvis embraced Sibelius we may have had the Finnish Trilogy or even Gracelandia!

[french frank]

Gracelandia!

It's a little-known fact that Sibelius had a library of books dedicated to popular singers. He certainly had two on Ella.

Well, yes, Ella, Elvis, y'know ... Actually, Ella's recordings go back to 1936 when JS was a mere septuagenarian ...

I do have a certain 'sympathy' with, or understanding of, the thought: 'Wow! Sibelius didn't die until 1957 and I'd always imagined him as one of the old classical composers.' Not sure that I would expect an R3 presenter to have one of those 'wow' moments though!

[salymap]

I shall never forget the headlines, in more than one paper of the day.....'Sibelius dies as Sargent conducts his 5th Symphony'. MS, who was actually a very good Sibelian, was conducting I think, on Finnish Radio at the time. KCII would know.............where is he?

[Bax-of-Delights]

When Rob announced that he was looking for suggestions for "happy" records today my mind immediately turned to "The Laughing Policeman" and then I thought "Nah, R3 would never play that!"

Oh, how wrong could I be. Welcome to Uncle Mac's (Rob's) Children's Hour everyone.

Also good to hear our Sean banging out Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet once again. and thrice

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

neither know nor care if Sibelius knew Elvis, but if i hear that march one more bl**dy time i will happily introduce the whole production team to both of them ....

[Frances_iom]

Also good to hear our Sean banging out Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet once again. and thrice

playlists are cheaper than researchers - after all it's drive time and the audience is supposed to be concentrating on driving not listening to the show.

Re Breakfast I now tend to switch off after 10mins (even quicker on weekends) - probably excellent hospital style radio but not what interests me.

[Nick Armstrong]

Particularly awful selection of music on breakfast today, until I switched back on in the middle of the Heiliger Dankgesang from LvB Op 132. Given the time I suspect we have John Sessions to thank for this? (Didn't hear him on Monday)

[aeolium]

You could have heard op 132 in its entirety in yesterday's Lunchtime Concert. Forget Breakfast - it really is a complete waste of time.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep can only agree aeolium, this am the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba used to announce the anniversary of GFH's death .... hackneyed and inappropriate

[salymap]

My thought too Calum. There must have been a lot more appropriate Handel but not on the LIST, perhaps.

[Norfolk Born]

We play lots of little pieces
That would really not be missed
But pieces that last longer
Are never on the list.
(You know the tune )

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

yep can only agree aeolium, this am the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba used to announce the anniversary of GFH's death .... hackneyed and inappropriate

Which anniversary was this?

[LeMartinPecheur]

I shall never forget the headlines, in more than one paper of the day.....'Sibelius dies as Sargent conducts his 5th Symphony'. MS, who was actually a very good Sibelian, was conducting I think, on Finnish Radio at the time. KCII would know.............where is he?

Can't pretend to KCII's depths of knowledge but apparently we must acquit Sargent of killing Sibelius!

According to Tawaststjerna, on 19/9/57 Sib spoke by phone to Sargent. His wife Aino was concerned that he went early to bed, not listening as usual to the late-night news. He had a cerebral haemorrhage at the lunch-table the following day. Aino thought of putting on Sargent's broadcast of the 5th on the radio as Sib lay in bed unconscious, but didn't. He died an hour later at 9.15pm.

[salymap]

Can't pretend to KCII's depths of knowledge but apparently we must acquit Sargent of killing Sibelius!

According to Tawaststjerna, on 19/9/57 Sib spoke by phone to Sargent. His wife Aino was concerned that he went early to bed, not listening as usual to the late-night news. He had a cerebral haemorrhage at the lunch-table the following day. Aino thought of putting on Sargent's broadcast of the 5th on the radio as Sib lay in bed unconscious, but didn't. He died an hour later at 9.15pm.

Orchestral players,not always being the most sensitive of souls, made much humour out of it at a later Sargent rehearsal I was present at. He was actually quite friendly,it seems,with several great composers as they didn't have the hang-ups about MS that players did.He was probably thought more of abroad, as a musician, than at home.