Alphabet associations - I

[Angle]

an innocent Manchester John ? Cannot recall anything of Barbirolli's.

[Norfolk Born]

I don't think its length is the reason for it being a concert rarity. It's hardly shorter than the Ravel Left-Hand concerto, is it? And that crops up on concert programmes. Indeed I just looked on the Fleischer disc and the Ravel is 19 mins while the Britten is 25 minutes - perfectly standard concerto length I would have thought.

You make a good point. Perhaps 'Diversions' is not considered a weighty enough work to occupy a slot that some might wish to reserve for more 'serious' works for piano and orchestra. Perhaps its very name works against it - performers and programmers are no less irrational than the rest of us. I wonder how often the Strauss Burleske is programmed? Interestingly, the Ravel Concerto in G is, depending on the performer, slightly shorter than the Britten, yet is programmed fairly regularly.
Interesting though this topic is, I must temporarily leave it to deal with a translation of a patent application dealing with metal-containing crystalline silicates - ah, the glamour! the glamour!
Corrie-related footnote: If Fizz and her baby Hope have received as many presents as Fizz claims, should the infant not be renamed Charity?

[rubbernecker]

I think it was Rodney Friend who played the Britten with Pritchard on CfP

I grew up with Britten's Diversions played by Julius Katchen with Sergiu Commissiona, I think

Rodney Friend, sorry I knew when I posted that I had doubts, thinking was it Hugh Bean?

These are the four recordings of Diversions I have:
Katchen with Britten (mono only, he didn't record it in stereo although it was reissued on CD with the stereo Prince of the Pagodas)
Fleischer with Commissiona, Baltimore SO (a dreadful recording issued in the UK on Peerless, my warped copy of which was how I got to know and love it, despite all the odds)
Fleischer with Ozawa on Sony (the best, imho)
Donohoe with Rattle

Feeling a little jaded this morning after all the culinary indulgence and the fact we managed to demolish a whole bottle of Sloe Brandy, alarmingly easily, before moving on to Sloe Gin.

[Anna]

we managed to demolish a whole bottle of Sloe Brandy, alarmingly easily, before moving on to Sloe Gin.

I didn't make any Sloe Gin last year, never heard of Sloe Brandy, do you make it yourself or is it a commercial product? Sounds rather nice (in moderation!)

[rubbernecker]

The first Manchester John to spring to mind is Barbirolli

John Ireland was born in Manchester....?

[rubbernecker]

I didn't make any Sloe Gin last year, never heard of Sloe Brandy, do you make it yourself or is it a commercial product? Sounds rather nice (in moderation!)

The exquisite Brandy was a commercial product, from the intriguingly named company Sloe-Motion (although the name did have a certain overtone this morning). It was actually a christmas present from my brother in law. The Gin was home made by me, a little 'green' in comparison.

[Simon]

Anton is steaming along steadily with one third of the answer (Angle's original shot was on target there) ... rubbers has also got the composer right for a second third... keep at it, mes braves!

[Anna]

So, as I am a little confused ....... We have Billy Joel and John Ireland and still need to find a musical London John? Barbirolli was born in London but it's not him? And is the I that links them a composition?

[rubbernecker]

John Ireland wrote Ex Ore Innocentium for treble voices and piano, and we have Innocence by John Tavener (born Wembley)

[Angle]

I don't want to quibble but John Ireland was born near Manchester in Altrincham, Cheshire. It is a municipal borough in what used to be Greater Manchester, hand-bagged as an Authority some years ago.

John Ireland wrote "Ex Ore Innocentium" (treble voices and organ or piano) which, I suppose links with the mention of Innocent earlier on. I forget by whom and now I have to go, not to return until evening.

It's another lovely day on the banks of the Mersey.

[Simon]

Sorry Angle - I always thought that Ireland was a Manchester boy - didn't know it was Altrincham. But it's close enough!

Anyway, you've all got it. Innocent/ce it is. Ex Ore Innocentium by Ireland, Innocence by John Tavener (London) and An Innocent Man by Billy Joel, born in the Bronx.

Well done.

Simon

(And another lovely day on the banks of the Wye!)

[rubbernecker]

It's a passable day here in the Black Mountains and I am just about to go on a long cycle ride hopefully to expel the remainder of the poisons from my system. Will pass by the theatre in Brecon and book seats for the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet who are coming next month.

Thanks for the enjoyable I, It strikes me Anton or Angle should compose a J...

[Anna]

(And another lovely day on the banks of the Wye!)

What you doing on the Wye Simon? Having a holiday? Lovely here as well although rather hazy.

Well, I think rubbers gets the J then for two out of three. Edit: crossposting again!

[antongould]

I think J belongs to rubbers too!

[Simon]

What you doing on the Wye Simon? Having a holiday?

Well, I'm off work for sure, having been away and working all the time. But hardly a holiday - it's Bakewell market day, so the banks of the Wye are adjacent.