Classical Live is changing its tune

[Roger Webb]

Absolutely phenomenal performance, but as with so much of 'modern popular music' it highlights the performer while submerging the contribution of the composer - secondary (because dead). Sic transit classical music! Sic semper classical music. No?

Yes, always has been........

Item. Beethoven the arch showman did similar in his many appearances in competition with other composers - there is no more contempt for one performer shown to another than the Daniel Steibelt incident!

Item. Liszt the superstar performer, although often showing respect for some of the composers he pillaged, nevertheless rather thought he was the centre of the universe whilst seated at the keyboard!

[Ein Heldenleben]

That was me - she has the most amazing technique....although I expected more disapproval of the arrangement on the Forum!

Well I hated it - particularly the distortion. Absolute musical sacrilege. Not sure how difficult it is on the electric guitar which is considerably easier than the classical acoustic . I did notice she was using that unorthodox right hand fret depressing technique. I’d rather hear Jan Ackerman belt out a proper rock solo frankly.

The finale of the Moonlight was once a Grade 8 piano piece - and a very hard one at that. Trills on the octave played by the weaker fourth and fifth fingers , scales that don’t lie under the hand , and chordal passages tiring for young hands.

Leave Beethoven to the instruments it was written for …

[Roger Webb]

Well I hated it - particularly the distortion. Absolute musical sacrilege. Not sure how difficult it is on the electric guitar which is considerably easier than the classical acoustic . I did notice she was using that unorthodox right hand fret depressing technique. I’d rather hear Jan Ackerman belt out a proper rock solo frankly.

The finale of the Moonlight was once a Grade 8 piano piece - and a very hard one at that. Trills on the octave played by the weaker fourth and fifth fingers , scales that don’t lie under the hand , and chordal passages tiring for young hands.

Leave Beethoven to the instruments it was written for …

Yes, the 'distortion' is the sustain pedal...it can cover a multitude of sins, but is needed in this instance to enable the 'tapping' you observe (the right hand fretting, which allows for the speed needed to play that fast). I wouldn't say the electric guitar is 'easier' than the classical guitar - I now only play classical guitar, which is the instrument I have been instructed in, but I have also played the electric guitar (after a fashion!) as I have worked in music stores selling electric guitars and amplifiers (as well as electronic organs and keyboards).

There are not many classically trained guitarists who can master the techniques required to play electric guitar (John Williams proved that point!!) - they usually just try to play in the same way as on an acoustic (Spanish) instrument. That said there are very few good 'rock' guitarists, who have cultivated their own style, who can play classical guitar convincingly. One such I mentioned the other day and gave a link to his solo album on Qobuz, and that is the guitarist Steve Hackett. He has a phenomenal technique on electric guitar, but, and this was news to me a few years ago, he is a very good classical guitarist (and arranger/transcriber - his arr. of Bach's Chaconne fron the 2nd Violin Partita in Dmin is astonishing....and his playing of other pieces, including his own compositions, masterly.

https://open.qobuz.com/album/da9n7shg96ffc

By the way I find 'technique' fairly boring, including the clip of the girl playing the Beethoven, all the guitarist I admire...classical, jazz, rock, bring something else to the table, so that you notice the artistry not how fast they can move their fingers!

[smittims]

There was a delightful 'blooper' in yesterday's programme when Elizabeth Alker twice named the soloist in Adrian Sutton's violin concerto as 'Fenella Fielding' , correcting it later to 'Fenella Humphreys'. I wondered if she'd been 'set up' as a practical joke by someone who guessed she would not remember the 1960s Tv actress and her hot chocolate advert ('The drink that's as warm as mink').

But maybe it was a Freudian slip, as the concerto in question was as sweet and cosy as any of Cadbury's products.

[LMcD]

There was a delightful 'blooper' in yesterday's programme when Elizabeth Alker twice named the soloist in Adrian Sutton's violin concerto as 'Fenella Fielding' , correcting it later to 'Fenella Humphreys'. I wondered if she'd been 'set up' as a practical joke by someone who guessed she would not remember the 1960s Tv actress and her hot chocolate advert ('The drink that's as warm as mink').

But maybe it was a Freudian slip, as the concerto in question was as sweet and cosy as any of Cadbury's products.

Carry On Fiddling!

[Serial_Apologist]

Carry On Fiddling!

Or even robbery with violins.

[Pulcinella]

Snippet mania is getting dishonest now. Yesterday afternoon at about 1528 Busoni's version of Bach's Toccata Adagio and Fugue was announced, but we heard only the adagio, no toccata , no fugue and yes, Busoni did transcibe the whole lot, as played by Artur Rubinstein in a memorable HMV recording. Afterwards it was again named as if it had been the full work. The 'thousands of new listeners' must be getting very misinformed at 'the home of classical music'.

We had Perahia playing the Emperor concerto on my way driving over to Leeds this morning: except we didn't.
At least after the excerpt had finished Georgia did acknowledge that it was only the last movement.

Is it any wonder that modern audiences clap at the end of each movement of a work these days? They probably think it's all over (whereas we fear that the mania itself is pretty much all over the network).

[LMcD]

Or even robbery with violins.

Very good!

[oddoneout]

A treat in the Wigmore slot today - Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque playing Biber.

[Roger Webb]

A treat in the Wigmore slot today - Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque playing Biber.

Yes, promoting this new release no doubt.....

https://open.qobuz.com/album/dhviitydl61xc

Biber's 'Harmonia Artificiosa' is included in the Brecon Baroque Festival this year....we haven't decided whether to go this year yet - the Monmouth and Brecon Canal has extremely low levels, and we're waiting to see if arriving by boat will be possible.

[LMcD]

Yes, promoting this new release no doubt.....

https://open.qobuz.com/album/dhviitydl61xc

Biber's 'Harmonia Artificiosa' is included in the Brecon Baroque Festival this year....we haven't decided whether to go this year yet - the Monmouth and Brecon Canal has extremely low levels, and we're waiting to see if arriving by boat will be possible.

I wonder if Brecon Baroque have ever appeared at Beacon Hall.

[Roger Webb]

I wonder if Brecon Baroque have ever appeared at Beacon Hall.

Reminds me of the dragon's head that was made in England for a production of Siegfried and shipped to Beirut instead of Bayreuth!

[vinteuil]

I wonder if Brecon Baroque have ever appeared at Beacon Hall.

... or indeed Braccan Heal, dear to Bryan late of this parish

.