University Challenge

[Nick Armstrong]

I agree it is a sort of repertoire piece....but not one which, to the non-specialist musician, cries out 'BIZET'.

Agreed, I was rifling through Offenbach, Massenet &c. &c. in the brain before remembering what it was just before Paxo announced it...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Agreed, I was rifling through Offenbach, Massenet &c. &c. in the brain before remembering what it was just before Paxo announced it...

Yes, I thought the suggestion of "Delibes" wasn't a bad shot.

[Vile Consort]

Einstein seems to have had a lot of musical ability.


Which reminds me of the story where Einstein was playing quartets one evening. He kept missing his entry in th last movement of a Haydn quartet. After the fourth attempt the 'cellist turned to him in exasperation and said "your trouble Alfred is that you can't count"!

I read yesterday that it was Fritz Kreisler who said that to him.

[Keraulophone]

Einstein seems to have had a lot of musical ability... "your trouble Alfred is that you can't count"!

Albert was the music-loving physicist who taught himself the violin. Alfred was the musicologist and Mozart specialist. They may have been distant cousins, but it's uncertain.

Didn't you mean Albert?

[ardcarp]

Organ music on University Challenge

On one of the Christmas alumni editions of University Challenge had a question about the organ music played before King's Carol Services. I was a bit astonished that no-one could identify Bach as the composer of the starter question (they didn't even have to name the piece) though I suppose Brahms, Franck and Mendelssohn were trickier. Is this the first time organ music has featured on U.C.?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04ww16l/university-challenge-christmas-2014-episode-4

...about 14' 30" in.

[Dave2002]

I started with Bach, but then was not sure. It wasn't a piece I recognised, so wavered towards Brahms. I didn't know the other pieces either, but I did identify all the composers correctly.

I don't remember organ music on this series of programmes before.

[Nick Armstrong]

On one of the Christmas alumni editions of University Challenge had a question about the organ music played before King's Carol Services. I was a bit astonished that no-one could identify Bach as the composer of the starter question

So was I ! Also that they thought the 'Belgian' composer was Messiaen - odd mistake to make if you know who Messiaen was and presumably have some idea what his music is like - i.e. totally unlike Franck's!

[mangerton]

So was I !

Indeed. I too was rather taken aback by the failure to mention Bach, even on the basis of "If in doubt, say 'Shakespeare' or 'Hamlet' and at least then there's more than a sporting chance."

[Dave2002]

Indeed. I too was rather taken aback by the failure to mention Bach, even on the basis of "If in doubt, say 'Shakespeare' or 'Hamlet' and at least then there's more than a sporting chance."

Quite. Since there often seems to be some judicious guessing for many of the questions, guessing Bach for the starter would seem to give a greater than evens chance of success. i realised that I also wavered towards Mozart for the starter - his pieces for mechanical clock sound a bit like that one - the slowness of the piece and also the (lack of quick) responses put me off!

[Vox Humana]

"Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B minor is in the repertoire of the organ played at the beginning of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the chapel of King's College, Cambidge." So it's all on a flash drive? My world has just crumbled.

[Keraulophone]

Hope It's not an IBM - then their world would have crashed!

[recalling NDdeP]

[mercia]

in the long broadcasting history of the 9 L&C I don't suppose we've ever heard the music that comes before the service begins (?)

[greenilex]

I am beginning to think we are all on a flash drive.

[ardcarp]

That's a bit deep for a Monday morning?*!

[VodkaDilc]

On one of the Christmas alumni editions of University Challenge had a question about the organ music played before King's Carol Services. I was a bit astonished that no-one could identify Bach as the composer of the starter question (they didn't even have to name the piece) though I suppose Brahms, Franck and Mendelssohn were trickier. Is this the first time organ music has featured on U.C.?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04ww16l/university-challenge-christmas-2014-episode-4

...about 14' 30" in.

I saw this too. I don't think I've seen University Challenge since the 1960s and since then it seems to have changed channels and chairman. I received an email to say that my old college was featuring in the Christmas series, so I've watched each episode. The lack of knowledge in the organ round was astonishing. I knew the Bach and the Brahms and could make a good guess at the other two (how many Belgian organ composers would be well-known enough to feature in a quiz like this?), so I was amazed at the cluelessness of most of the contestants.

The same has applied to numerous other questions. It's not just the young who seem to lack a general knowledge now; many of these people were almost as old as me.