Radio 3 USA Road trip

[french frank]

I gather this has more to do with the Kennedy Center's policy changes in what it wants to fund than with politics (according to them), but there are two versions:

“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/10/politics/washington-national-opera-leaves-kennedy-center

[LMcD]

It'll pass me by, I'm afraid. As noted above, the BBC couldn't have chosen a more impropitious week for this jaunt in terms of the prevailing mood music, or "optics" in politico-speak. Excellent selection of Weber, Stamitz, Halfvorsen, on YLE Klassinen this morning, BTW.

That's true, but it's worth pointing out that these programme are live, which in theory gives them an opportunity to at least allude to the contrast between the American Dream and current events. I happened to tune in while preparing lunch yesterday and found myself listening to a mind-numbing10 minutes or so during which Georgia Mann was given a demonstration of what some clever clogs at the MIT can do to the human voice. I'm afraid it all brings to mind a book I read recently about British tourists in Germany in the 1930s.

[Ein Heldenleben]

That's true, but it's worth pointing out that these programme are live, which in theory gives them an opportunity to at least allude to the contrast between the American Dream and current events. I happened to tune in while preparing lunch yesterday and found myself listening to a mind-numbing10 minutes or so during which Georgia Mann was given a demonstration of what some clever clogs at the MIT can do to the human voice. I'm afraid it all brings to mind a book I read recently about British tourists in Germany in the 1930s.

I don’t think comparing the US currently to Germany in the thirties is an appropriate parallel. There has long been violence in American political life and this week’s events do not herald the rise of fascism. Its unhelpful hyperbole that simply confirms to the Trumps of this world that what they are doing is right:

[LMcD]

I don’t think comparing the US currently to Germany in the thirties is an appropriate parallel. There has long been violence in American political life and this week’s events do not herald the rise of fascism. Its unhelpful hyperbole that simply confirms to the Trumps of this world that what they are doing is right:

I was referring more to the disinclination of some visitors to address or at least acknowledge certain aspects of the countries which they are visiting.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I was referring more to the disinclination of some visitors to address or at least acknowledge certain aspects of the countries which they are visiting.

A lot of those 30’s visitors were of course great admirers of what the Germans had achieved and said so
I don’t think R3 are doing that!
The problem with this Road Trip (that term is always a good indicator of superficiality) is that they’re just interviewing people who have similar world views I.e, dislike or indeed hate the current administration. They’re basing themselves with the local public radio people - who face huge cuts in funding. None of this is tackled - fair enough R3 isn’t a current affairs station - but it creates a weird feeling of unreality with references to “troubled times “ and “ division .”
It all demonstrates why a very ex- BBC manager and journalist hated anniversary programmes and thought them the laziest form of journalism and he was largely speaking right. This could have been an opportunity to tackle what’s really happening politically in the US but it just hasn’t happened.

[LMcD]

A lot of those 30’s visitors were of course great admirers of what the Germans had achieved and said so
I don’t think R3 are doing that!
The problem with this Road Trip (that term is always a good indicator of superficiality) is that they’re just interviewing people who have similar world views I.e, dislike or indeed hate the current administration. They’re basing themselves with the local public radio people - who face huge cuts in funding. None of this is tackled - fair enough R3 isn’t a current affairs station - but it creates a weird feeling of unreality with references to “troubled times “ and “ division .”
It all demonstrates why a very ex- BBC manager and journalist hated anniversary programmes and thought them the laziest form of journalism and he was largely speaking right. This could have been an opportunity to tackle what’s really happening politically in the US but it just hasn’t happened.

Perhaps Justin Webb might fill in the gaps later in his series - he was, after all, the BBC's North America Editor for some years and is currently a presenter of Americast.
I can't help wondering what Alistair Cooke would have to say about today's USA.

[Roger Webb]

I can't help wondering what Alistair Cooke would have to say about today's USA.

Whatever he did say would be eloquent, perceptive and always entertaining.....I never missed 'Letter from America'.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Whatever he did say would be eloquent, perceptive and always entertaining.....I never missed 'Letter from America'.

I must be the only person who thought them unlistenable . Always started with a long preamble / anecdote before getting to the point. And always a tiny bit smug . But the real problem was they gave a false impression of the US . It was the East Coast liberal , post war view. We and the Americans have so much in common etc. - shared heritage. Trouble is even in the sixties (when I lived there briefly) it was only a partial view of a very complex and divided society. That said they were very well written and he was a consummate broadcaster.

[Roger Webb]

I must be the only person who thought them unlistenable . Always started with a long preamble / anecdote before getting to the point. And always a tiny bit smug . But the real problem was they gave a false impression of the US . It was the East Coast liberal , post war view. We and the Americans have so much in common etc. - shared heritage. Trouble is even in the sixties (when I lived there briefly) it was only a partial view of a very complex and divided society. That said they were very well written and he was a consummate broadcaster.

Well I never thought his anecdotal raconteur style was ever going to tell me everything about the USA - a country I'd been fascinated by since young, and read a wide range of literature about.....but to this day haven't visited - despite having relatives there!

I think I was mainly entertained rather than informed by his broadcasts.

[mopsus]

I must be the only person who thought them unlistenable . Always started with a long preamble / anecdote before getting to the point. And always a tiny bit smug .

No - I tried a number of times and had the same reaction as you.

[vinteuil]

No - I tried a number of times and had the same reaction as you.

... and eminently caricaturable - the Alan Whicker of the radio waves


.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Well I never thought his anecdotal raconteur style was ever going to tell me everything about the USA - a country I'd been fascinated by since young, and read a wide range of literature about.....but to this day haven't visited - despite having relatives there!

I think I was mainly entertained rather than informed by his broadcasts.

He was certainly a first rate broadcaster.

[Ian Thumwood]

It struck me as intriguing that JW appeared to zoom into Sousa. Sousa seems to be really of his time and maybe reflecting , rightly or wrongly America's imperialist ambitions in the same way as Elgar in uk. I understand the comments about liberal views but i feel US is special because Sousa and other formal styles were also being matched by the emergence of Ragtime at the same time. Just feel.that the non classical / formal developmemts which ran parallel is what makes American musuc special. Same things happening in South America too at the same time.

[richardfinegold]

I cannot see how music will not radically change in the face of Trump's New Amerika. There is a brilliant opportunity for Radio 3 to cover this, not least with how the Kennedy Centre scenario is playing out.

You do realize that there are plenty of venues for music to be played outside of the Kennedy Center? The Politics around one venue doesn’t effect the actual distribution of performances in a country of over 350 million

[smittims]

Ian, for the Nth time , Elgar does not reflect imperialist ambitions. This fallacy was effectively quashed in 1961 with the Huw Weldon/Ken Russell film, which you would benefit from watching.