Antony Hopkins CBE RIP

[Stillhomewardbound]

Mea Culpa on that 'H'. I think the theme was begun first elsewhere by Roehre and the two threads have been merged but with my title standing.

Could those that can, remove my errant 'h' from the title?! TVM.

(ps. sorry ... think it had already been sorted. What can I say? It's be a long day.)

[decantor]

RIP indeed - though my main sentiment is one of gratitude. The sound of his voice was somehow both authoritative and inviting - the mark of a natural guide and mentor. I recall being quite upset when his verdict on some piece of Britten was at variance with my own. I also remember watching him at the piano on TV, talking about the Davidsbündlertänze: he admitted that he still could not play parts of them despite investing four hundred hours in practice.

A sad loss, maybe, but a life worthily spent in enriching the musical scene.

[Stillhomewardbound]

I think, a reminder also, of our latter-day confusion with the specialist, or the expert, as we might say, being the ideal exemplar of a given form.

As decantor recalls there were parts of the repertoire that Hopkins simply failed to master but it was never a impediment to his being an exponent of those great works.

If you take the likes of Huw Wheldon, really, he was expert at nothing at all but he was an amazing and spirited advocate.

What we greatly miss in our contemporary times are good explainers, strong storytellers. Those that can reduce the complicated to the simple while never regarding their audience as simpletons.

[DublinJimbo]

I have two of his books - Talking about Music (Symphonies, Concertos, Sonatas) and The Dent Concertgoer's Companion, both illustrated with many music examples just as his talks were

Is it the first of those which includes a magnificent analysis of the Berg violin concerto? I remember reading that before ever hearing the work itself and eventually going on to the actual music on the strength of what I'd read. Despite the book's being a treasured possession I lent it to a friend and never saw it again.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Dublinjimbo ... My regret about the books I've lost through lending to others is only tempered by the knowledge that I have in the Library (says she!) the guilty secret of volumes leant to me that that I have failed to return.

Anyway, you can reacquaint yourself with Talking About Music for just £2.80 + via Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/0330248243/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

[mercia]

Is it the first of those which includes a magnificent analysis of the Berg violin concerto?

not in the Talking About Music volume but there is one in the Concertgoer's Companion.

I wonder if R3 will repeat any of those programmes by way of tribute. They linked a Ravel talk on Ravel Day.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01tdwhk (starts 20 seconds in)

[french frank]

Nice to see the news is today (7.30am) being displayed on the Front Page of BBC News Online (and, yes, it is clear that he was a broadcaster and composer, not an actor).

[kernelbogey]

Like others, I remember with fondness and respect his Talking About Music broadcasts, which were an important part of my musical education from Radio Three and its predecessors. What I remember most was how good he was at a striking opening to his talks so that you were hooked from the first, and more likely to pay attention (a skill Alastair Cooke also employed). He also had a beautiful speaking voice and impeccable microphone technique.

The broadcast that most affected me was that on Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, telling the story of its genesis and first performance, which has always remained with me.

[jean]

I keep thinking of his wonderful sense of humour and those Liverpool concerts, but there's nothing preserved online as far as I can see.

...I also remember watching him at the piano...

One of his party tricks was to sit backwards on the piano stool, facing away from the piano, and play perfectly with his hands behind him.

[Ferretfancy]

I keep thinking of his wonderful sense of humour and those Liverpool concerts, but there's nothing preserved online as far as I can see.


One of his party tricks was to sit backwards on the piano stool, facing away from the piano, and play perfectly with his hands behind him.

He always recorded his Talking About Music in a tiny studio at 1a Portland Place, sitting at a rather small grand piano ( boudoir grand? ) with a big AXBT microphone, "the" BBC microphone. As a very probationary technical operator I was lucky enough to sit in on some of those sessions. He was a charming courteous man who responded happily to any musical questions.
Some may remember a sort of Hoffnung Concert he arranged at the ROH back in the early 60s, doing a wonderful operatic diva skit amongst other gems.

There have been too many great losses to music recently.

[amateur51]

A consummate broadcaster, educator of the uninitiated, and above all a born-communicator, he always seemed to me to be a well-informed friend.

for the life of me I can't understand why the BBC doesn't re-broadcast often everything they have of his in their library. It's not going to go out of date after all.

Bravo AH and thanks for all the illumination!

[Don Petter]

I presume these five short talks are still available:

http://hopkins.eavb.co.uk/

I mentioned (and bought) them when we were celebrating an earlier birthday here.

[Roehre]

.....

for the life of me I can't understand why the BBC doesn't re-broadcast often everything they have of his in their library. It's not going to go out of date after all.....

too elitist

[french frank]

too elitist

May not be too far wrong. When asked why they didn't broadcast repeats of some of the legendary classic dramas, with star performers, there was a vague explanation that what was all right THEN wouldn't be quite right for NOW.

[ahinton]

May not be too far wrong. When asked why they didn't broadcast repeats of some of the legendary classic dramas, with star performers, there was a vague explanation that what was all right THEN wouldn't be quite right for NOW.

"Vague" enough, presumably, to obviate any perceived necessity for explanation of such a stance?...