Page 7 - BBC Music (January 2020)
P. 7
Viennese publisher responsible Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci was
for bringing us Mahler, screened from 9.20-10.30pm,
Schoenberg, Webern, Bartók, with Eugene Goossens
Stockhausen, Birtwistle, conducting the Covent Garden
Ligeti, Feldman and Boulez. English Opera Company. The
Since the 1970s, spectralism time slot would suggest that
has opened our ears to the this performance was uncut
higher frequencies of pitched (or not significantly cut.) It’s
sound and has enabled a link a shame you didn’t spot the
to the sound world of electro- BBC’s primacy in this matter!
acoustic ‘music’. I imagine Damian Rogan, London
that the great music of the The editor replies: We want
future will continue this line of to investigate this one further.
research and investigation, by Though you are right that
using the new tools available the Radio Times includes
through ever new possibilities Pagliacci in its listings for
provided by the fast developing that day, reference books and
technologies. Old style websites – including the Grove
instruments might still be Dictionary of Music – are
involved – but maybe not. strangely silent on the matter.
Vic Hoyland, Any information from readers
Emeritus Professor, The would be much appreciated.
University of Birmingham
First-class Planets
Morton who? In December (Letters), you
With regards to your 50 asked for suggestions of who
Greatest Composers of All Time should be honoured in the
(see also Letter of the Month), Royal Mail’s issue of new
those ‘in’ and those ‘out’ of British stamps. I propose
the list suggest a temporal Holst for his ever popular
bias. Knussen, Birtwistle, The Planets, and also The
Morton Feldman and Varèse Lark Ascending by Vaughan
in; Handel, Mendelssohn Williams, which in its current
and Berlioz out. The old sore working for solo violin and
surely applies: Feldman will be orchestra received its first
remembered when Handel is performance almost a 100
forgotten… but not until! years ago, in 1921.
Pelham Gore, Lancaster Richard Kierton, via email
The editor replies: Hopefully,
this month’s Composer of the Local patch
Month feature (see p54) may In your Christmas issue, you
help to give you a rosier view show a photo of the choir of
of Feldman! St Mary’s Merton in what you
say is its magnificent church.
Opera firsts In fact, it is not the Merton
Your Christmas issue church but Bristol Cathedral.
Timepiece feature says that Francis Clark, Ilford
Humperdinck’s Hansel and The editor replies: You are
Gretel made TV history right. As Bristol Cathedral
in December 1943 as the is just a couple of hundred
first opera to be shown in of yards from BBC Music
its entirety on television. Magazine’s offices, we really
However, a search of BBC should have known better.
Genome’s archive of the To make up for it, we’ll be
Radio Times reveals that on making a team visit to Choral
Wednesday 5 October 1938, Evensong some time soon.
