Proms Extra (with Katie Derham)

[teamsaint]

A music forum is the perfect place to discuss not discussing music.

IMVHO.



( Slightly losing interest in the Jimmy Mac's new work.....think he has been reading up on Schnittke)

[alycidon]

Moi Aussi!

Thanks, EA. I feel much better now!

[french frank]

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!

I don't mind advanced musicology - such as is sometimes beyond my comprehension. But that has to be the purpose of the programme. If it's a performance I don't see there's a lot more to say except Who, What and, occasionally, When.

Much of the BBC presentation is filling the on-air vacuum with appropriately vacuous chatter.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Much of the BBC presentation is filling the on-air vacuum with appropriately vacuous chatter.

Exactly. It's actually rather embarrassing.

[Nick Armstrong]

I am perfectly capable of making my own judgments about a work, and find any narrative annoyingly invasive.

A breathtaking little instance of the odd approach of the "presenters" was Soylent Green (or whatever her name is - the soprano who suddenly emerged from nowhere to be everywhere since the 'Classical Voice' weeks) - in her introduction to the Boulez just as the conductor was about to raise her baton, Ms [insert colour] said:

"Enjoy, and see what you make of it"...

The banal command to "enjoy" I suppose isn't completely inconsistent logically with the generous offer to make up one's own mind.. but it got a from me

[muzzer]

Was this after ten minutes of telling you how fabulous it was? "Look, we must have a licence fee with which to pay people enormous salaries, and here's another great piece of music we've selected" etc. OT but after seeing Jo Whiley at Glastonbury ask one act about what he thought of the "enormity" of the crowd I googled her pay. Nuf said. Grrrr. More morning tea needed

[Sir Velo]

A breathtaking little instance of the odd approach of the "presenters" was Soylent Green (or whatever her name is - the soprano who suddenly emerged from nowhere to be everywhere since the 'Classical Voice' weeks) -

Ah yes, the former beauty queen and crossover star as her publicity blurb puts it -IOW, ideally qualified to present, er sorry, "curate" the proms for us.

[Stanfordian]

I don't mind advanced musicology - such as is sometimes beyond my comprehension. But that has to be the purpose of the programme. If it's a performance I don't see there's a lot more to say except Who, What and, occasionally, When.

Much of the BBC presentation is filling the on-air vacuum with appropriately vacuous chatter.

Hiya french frank,


Yes, it is often sick bag time!

I wonder actually how young, how experienced, the Radio 3 producers are ? I doubt they are the same age of the audience demographic.

[ahinton]

I don't mind advanced musicology - such as is sometimes beyond my comprehension. But that has to be the purpose of the programme. If it's a performance I don't see there's a lot more to say except Who, What and, occasionally, When.

Much of the BBC presentation is filling the on-air vacuum with appropriately vacuous chatter.

I wish that this was not true. It is, though.

[johnn10]

Proms Extra 8 August

Am I alone in thinking that Kiri Te Kanawa looked rather uncomfortable for much of this Proms Extra. Full marks for Katie Derham (or my likely, the producer), though for diplomacy for mentioning that she had sung at the Last Night without adding that this was a one-off Last Night appearance which took place 23 years ago and that she had not performed at the Proms since. Good to have her on, but it might have been better for all concerned if it had been for an edition with a stronger emphasis on singing.

It seems odd to me that even when there was not a live sports event to cover, that this programme was scheduled to end ten minutes after the start of the evening Prom which , as we are always being told , would be broadcast live. (at the end of the concert last nigth we were even told that Mark Elder had been conducting it live)

[DracoM]

I'm afraid KD is a real turn=off for me. Her bumptious, mememe . self-promoting style, mispronunciations in titles / compositions, and the CFM way she makes such a meal of pronouncing 'foreign' composers / musicians as if 'abroad' was always France.

[johnn10]

I'm afraid KD is a real turn=off for me. Her bumptious, mememe . self-promoting style, mispronunciations in titles / compositions, and the CFM way she makes such a meal of pronouncing 'foreign' composers / musicians as if 'abroad' was always France.

Yes, KD very annoying when she reads out the cast lists from operas and half giggles at some of the names she stumbles over. Surely we have got beyond the "aren't foreigners funny" phase? Apparently not. Is there really nobody else in the whole of the BBC who is available to do it properly?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is there really nobody else in the whole of the BBC who is available to do it properly?

Perhaps this is the problem. The BBC employs staff to do particular jobs - e.g. news reader - and then when there isn't enough work in their specialism, sends them to do something else they may not really be cut out for.

[Serial_Apologist]

Perhaps this is the problem. The BBC employs staff to do particular jobs - e.g. news reader - and then when there isn't enough work in their specialism, sends them to do something else they may not really be cut out for.

Given that much radio news these days consists in soundbites and "Yes well I'm afraid we've run out of time", you could well be right.

[meles]

Nice work if you can get it.