Annoying R3 Trailers

[AuntDaisy]

Look out for an upcoming Sunday evening feature 'The Great Nightingale Scandal' starring controversial musicological detective Ludwig van Cluedoh, who will, I understand, be played by Tom Service. After hearing all the evidence, listeners will be invited to text /call /email to tell us whether or not (and why) they agree with his conclusions.

Auntie may, or may not, have a recording of the actual Nightingle Cello broadcast, but there is a first-hand account from Beatrice Harrison in the archives.

Sound Archive "BEATRICE HARRISON", 21402. TX Home Service 23/2/1955, RX 4/1/1955

Story of the first broadcast by the nightingale, to her cello accompaniment. Recorded at her home at Nutfield, Surrey.
Sd.1. Describes how she used to play her cello in the garden at night and how on one occasion a nightingale echoed her playing. Gardener said cello had brought nightingale back after many years absence. World wide broadcast eventually arranged. Describes difficulties on the night.." rabbits nibbling wire..donkey knicking over engineers and microphone"..nevertheless broadcast successful.
Sd.2. Tells of meeting with King George V few months later at H.M.V.; his congratulations on "encircling the Empire with her cello." Enormous sale of records and corresponding increase in income. Thousands of letters: visitors from all over the world; stories of their questions. Still corresponds with some of them.

Parts of this were used in Scrapbook for 1924

Interestingly, this 1955 broadcast refers to / uses HMV B2853 & HMV B2470.

[Roger Webb]

Look out for an upcoming Sunday evening feature 'The Great Nightingale Scandal' starring controversial musicological detective Ludwig van Cluedoh, who will, I understand, be played by Tom Service. After hearing all the evidence, listeners will be invited to text /call /email to tell us whether or not (and why) they agree with his conclusions.

I once challenged T Service after he had made the oft repeated (by BBC presenters) claim that Debussy wrote/orchestrated/'finished' La Mer at the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne. He didn't reply, unlike Martin Handley (who lives near Eastbourne) when I pointed out the same mistake, and he argued the toss, adding further spurious claims - Debussy tied himself to a mast in a storm (he was probably thinking of Turner!)....Debussy wrote 'Minstrels' in Eastbourne ( no he didn't).

It makes such a good story but......to the British only! I went to the exhibition and series of lectures at Debussy's birthplace in St-Germain-en-Laye called 'Sous l'ombre des vagues', the subject about the influence of the sea on Debussy. At no point did anyone mention Eastbourne!

There's no doubt that Debussy stayed at the Grand Hotel (room 200) and that he took the finished score of La Mer to correct the proofs and that while there he wrote a replacement movt. for Images bk 1 and called it 'Reflets dans l'eau', (curiously this is never mentioned!), and probably bought his Blüthner piano there, but that's it.....what a shame!

[LMcD]

I don’t think the birdsong is fake . It has too many of the “plosive “ sounds that nightingales make - that must be almost impossible to initiate . Equally it doesn’t sound awfully like the nightingales I’ve ever heard but then I guess their songs vary a lot . One thing that’s always struck me is how poor the cello playing sounds given that she was a leading professional. Often wondered whether that’s thanks to the rudimentary recording. On a general point I don’t think mixing birdsong and classical music works - they don’t fit musically or in terms of tuning and they just get in the way of each other.

It works for me in Rautavaara's 'Cantus Arcticus'

[Roger Webb]

It works for me in Rautavaara's 'Cantus Arcticus'

One of my least favourite works! However, at least Respighi used a gramophone record of a real Nightingale in his Pines of Rome....I think many orchestras now have a digital copy of the original which they play through the PA system.

[Serial_Apologist]

I don’t think the birdsong is fake . It has too many of the “plosive “ sounds that nightingales make - that must be almost impossible to initiate . Equally it doesn’t sound awfully like the nightingales I’ve ever heard but then I guess their songs vary a lot . One thing that’s always struck me is how poor the cello playing sounds given that she was a leading professional. Often wondered whether that’s thanks to the rudimentary recording. On a general point I don’t think mixing birdsong and classical music works - they don’t fit musically or in terms of tuning and they just get in the way of each other.

Well, I would have to disagree, citing Jonathan Harvey's "Bird Concerto with Pianosong", in which sampling and other electronic means are used in conjunction with acoustic piano and orchestra in combination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4Y8i1PuYM

[Nick Armstrong]

I'm really enjoying the new In Tune trailer, for the moment at the end where Sean says 'In Tune, with me, Sean Rafferty', and KD comes in with 'AND ME, Katie Derham'. The way she says those two words is... to die for!

[LMcD]

Perhaps she was coached by Liz Truss.

[Serial_Apologist]

Perhaps she was coached by Liz Truss.

Ah - upheld by the National Truss!

[Sir Velo]

I'm really enjoying the new In Tune trailer, for the moment at the end where Sean says 'In Tune, with me, Sean Rafferty', and KD comes in with 'AND ME, Katie Derham'. The way she says those two words is... to die for!

How apt that she should have appeared on Pointless Celebrities (sic).

[hmvman]

..However, at least Respighi used a gramophone record of a real Nightingale in his Pines of Rome....I think many orchestras now have a digital copy of the original which they play through the PA system.

I wonder if they use a 'cleaned up' digital copy. I understand that in the original 1924 performance the gramophone was positioned behind a heavy curtain so as to reduce the record surface noise. That may also have been in Respighi's mind when he scored the accompaniment for strings and harp.

[LMcD]

Ah - upheld by the National Truss!

'Hey Liz - did you know they call you a national tr....... 'Yes, I KNOW!'

[Roger Webb]

I wonder if they use a 'cleaned up' digital copy. I understand that in the original 1924 performance the gramophone was positioned behind a heavy curtain so as to reduce the record surface noise. .

A Cedar Dehisser can work wonders. When EMI released all of Elgar's electrical recordings on (gold) CDs the difference between these and the LP boxes was amazing. And of course playing it through the PA system gives more flexibility with level vis-a-vis the orchestra.....well, more than opening and closing a velvet curtain!

[kernelbogey]

I wonder if they use a 'cleaned up' digital copy. I understand that in the original 1924 performance the gramophone was positioned behind a heavy curtain so as to reduce the record surface noise. That may also have been in Respighi's mind when he scored the accompaniment for strings and harp.

Presumably all will be revealed on next Sunday evening's broadcast.

[Nick Armstrong]

But you are paying enough attention to them, irritating or not, to notice them. And for the BBC, that is one hundred and EIGHTY!.

Just ask yourself what your least favourite ads on telly are, and I bet you can remember almost every silly word / move that makes you grind teeth - result? Advertisers chortle, you NOTICED it, And that's all they want.

A classic non-R3 example this week concerning the ad for Apple’s new iPad Pro:

https://youtu.be/ntjkwIXWtrc?si=0r6xjsXFNuFDNWwf

An apology & removal from TV transmission…

https://youtu.be/dO2M30zAXuc?si=SbZCDRpMrtIOQgao

… but you can bet your life they’re rubbing their hands at the furore

[LMcD]

A classic non-R3 example this week concerning the ad for Apple’s new iPad Pro:

https://youtu.be/ntjkwIXWtrc?si=0r6xjsXFNuFDNWwf

An apology & removal from TV transmission…

https://youtu.be/dO2M30zAXuc?si=SbZCDRpMrtIOQgao

… but you can bet your life they’re rubbing their hands at the furore

A crushing defeat for Apple.