Proms Extra (with Katie Derham)

[Sir Velo]

Two editions of this show down, and I can't see we've had any comments on this flagship discussion programme.

This Saturday's show (guests Barbara Hannigan, Joby Talbot and Andrew Gourlay) focussed heavily on the BBC's mission to widen the appeal of the Proms. KD was clearly up to the task, demanding each of the guests whether it wasn't great to have spontaneous applause between movements (citing the reaction to Jupiter). This was followed by the longest item on the show - no, not the Prokofiev cycle of all five concertos or the Boulez celebrations but the Ibiza prom. Barbara Hannigan clearly hadn't read the script with her own admission that the Ibiza prom "did nothing for me". La Derham grinned between clenched teeth and then changed tack to argue that these days it was all about interaction between audience and performer, implying that the paying public were at least as important as the music. BH again countered, recounting how she had been bothered by a member of the audience sticking an iphone in her face to film her in a performance of Lulu, and how this had now gone too far with audiences increasingly showing a lack of respect for musicians and fellow audience members alike.

In among the dross, the only moderately redeeming elements were the feature on the BBC SO and its approach to Boulez, and Owen Norris' frothily lightweight "Behind the Score". Will it be better next week? Not sure I'll be tuning in to find out.

[mercia]

I'm sure Owen Norris is a busy man (isn't he a full-time university lecturer ?) but I would like him to have his own TV programme sitting at the piano explaining the nuts and bolts of music. I wonder if the BBC get any feedback on his little two-minute spots - is he seen as just an eccentric sideshow ?

[Sir Velo]

I wonder how many viewers thought that Saturday's reference to Holst weaving the letters of his own name into the score of Uranus was an original DON apercu? Perhaps a tad disingenuous of Norris not to advert to previous scholarship on this.

[Frances_iom]

is this KD program on the goggle-box ? must admit I turn off KD on all occasions when I encounter it but presume, like Klein, she is a paid BBC hack front-person and is there merely to push the current line so why the surprise?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

is this KD program on the goggle-box ? must admit I turn off KD on all occasions when I encounter it but presume, like Klein, she is a paid BBC hack front-person and is there merely to push the current line so why the surprise?

I don't think the two should be lumped together in this way. One is highly qualified musically. The other is more of a "fan". Both are employed by the BBC as presenters, so they will be expected to toe the party line - there the similarity ends.

[teamsaint]

I don't think the two should be lumped together in this way. One is highly qualified musically. The other is more of a "fan". Both are employed by the BBC as presenters, so they will be expected to toe the party line - there the similarity ends.

Ok,give up, which is which ?

( Highly qualified?)

[Pianorak]

must admit I turn off KD on all occasions when I encounter it

Ditto and the same for Suzy Klein. Irritating beyond words is irritating beyond words, "highly qualified musically" or not.

[Frances_iom]

I think that one key factor is that I (and I suspect many others) used to view R3 as an offshoot of academia in which those presenting the material were disinterested (old sense usage) and their opinions trusted on the basis of past experience + knowledge but now the Beeb is entering upon its commercial incarnation we must now expect that all comments are there mainly (if not entirely) to plug the current management line - rather like the Daily Wail used to plug Fascism prewar.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ok,give up, which is which ?

( Highly qualified?)

Suzy Klein - First Class Honours Degree in Music from t'University of Oxford.

Katie Derham - Degree in Economics from the Polytechnic of the Fens. (Came Fourth in BBC2's Maestro in 2008.)

[teamsaint]

Suzy Klein - First Class Honours Degree in Music from t'University of Oxford.

Katie Derham - Degree in Economics from the Polytechnic of the Fens. (Came Fourth in BBC2's Maestro in 2008.)

Does a first degree put one in the "highly qualified "bracket these days?

( still contemplating your thoughts/questions about the artists intentions from that DSCH thread,BTW).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Does a first degree put one in the "highly qualified "bracket these days?

For R3, yes.

( still contemplating your thoughts/questions about the artists intentions from that DSCH thread,BTW).

Yes - thinking of starting a Thread and quoting jlw and rfg's posts at the start.

Warning: the first post will be a LONG one!

[teamsaint]

For R3, yes.

look forward to the intentions thread.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Suzy Klein - First Class Honours Degree in Music from t'University of Oxford.

Katie Derham - Degree in Economics from the Polytechnic of the Fens. (Came Fourth in BBC2's Maestro in 2008.)

Exactly - and Suzy can be a very good when presenting music TV documentaries. It's pity, and no fault of hers, that she has the Ann Robinson smirk.

[alycidon]

I've never understood why there has to be so much talking about music. It just irritates me, because I am perfectly capable of making my own judgments about a work, and find any narrative annoyingly invasive.

I suppose that makes me an arrogant Philistine!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I suppose that makes me an arrogant Philistine!

Moi Aussi!