Is it just me?

[Guest]

Am I the only one to become so profoundly exercised about a new (to me) recording of the Chaconne from the Bach second Partita which has had some unbelievably tacky orchestration added in the expectation of making a few bob from the dumbed-down market to which Classic FM seems to appeal and from which the Third Programme or whatever it's called nowadays appears determined to carve a large slice when they are not playing the loony stuff which used to be restricted to after 10pm and which drives me either to switch off altogether or tune to Classic FM the banality of which which in itself generates additional irritation to a point where I can hardly draw breath . . . .

Surely, it can't be just me. Can it?

[Mr Pee]

Calm down, dear.

[ardcarp]

Am I the only one to become so profoundly exercised about a new (to me) recording of the Chaconne from the Bach second Partita which has had some unbelievably tacky orchestration added in the expectation of making a few bob from the dumbed-down market to which Classic FM seems to appeal and from which the Third Programme or whatever it's called nowadays appears determined to carve a large slice when they are not playing the loony stuff which used to be restricted to after 10pm and which drives me either to switch off altogether or tune to Classic FM the banality of which which in itself generates additional irritation to a point where I can hardly draw breath . . . .

Surely, it can't be just me. Can it?

Are you referring to:

BACH: Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D minor BWV1004; ‘Ach Herr lass dein lieb Engelein’ from St John Passion BWV245; Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV4; ‘Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt’ from Cantata No. 4; ‘Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden’ from St Matthew Passion
Grace Davidson (soprano), William Gaunt (baritone), Gordan Nikolitch (violin), Tenebrae, London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, Nigel Short (conductor)

..as featured on CD Review on Sat a.m. ?

If so, the additions were vocal (by Tenebrae) and based on someone's surmise that Bach might have had some chorale tunes in mind when writing that Partita movement.

I suppose one could diss this sort of thing as being 'popular' but I must say I found it quite interesting and much more musically literate (and less naff) than that thing with the Hilliards and the saxophone.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Are you referring to:



..as featured on CD Review on Sat a.m. ?

If so, the additions were vocal (by Tenebrae) and based on someone's surmise that Bach might have had some chorale tunes in mind when writing that Partita movement.

I suppose one could diss this sort of thing as being 'popular' but I must say I found it quite interesting and much more musically literate (and less naff) than that thing with the Hilliards and the saxophone.

Is this the same 'arrangement' as on the ECM Morimur CD by Christoph Poppen and four solo singers from 2001?

[Cornet IV]

Hello ardcarp.

I think it was on a Saturday morning that my senses were assaulted but I didn't listen for sufficiently long to hear the credits. It certainly was BWV1004 but I don't remember any singing and quite definitely (and equally mercifully), there was no saxophone.

It might provide a clue but I think the same, or an adjacent programme, contained Adam's "O Holy Night" by the incomparable Jussi Bjoeling, although it was not the 1944 Danish recording which I think was his best.

I've taken a couple of pills, so now feel much calmer.

As an aside, I have no quibble with being "popular" - indeed, I'm all for it. But usually popular becomes a synonym for vulgar and that's something very different; you know, The Three Tenors sort of thing and that really gets me going but I see I've run out of pills so better quit while I'm still ahead. I think . .