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Bryn
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« Reply #15 on: 18:30:50, 05-11-2007 » |
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It's broadcast on R3 'The Choir' programme Sunday, 18:30 to 20:00
What, like here? |
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Antheil
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« Reply #16 on: 18:53:28, 05-11-2007 » |
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It's broadcast on R3 'The Choir' programme Sunday, 18:30 to 20:00
What, like here?Yes Bryn, like there, which is what I said, innit? I'm looking forward to it. |
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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
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harrumph
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« Reply #17 on: 11:49:10, 06-11-2007 » |
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Thank you, Antheil! It never occurred to me that it might be a live broadcast  Since it is, I'll stay at home to record it for further hearings rather than go to the Albert Hall... you've saved me the price of a ticket, the Tube fare, and the aggravation of dealing with the Albert Hall booking system  |
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« Last Edit: 11:53:32, 06-11-2007 by harrumph »
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Bryn
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« Reply #18 on: 19:47:32, 06-11-2007 » |
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Thank you, Antheil! It never occurred to me that it might be a live broadcast Since it is, I'll stay at home to record it for further hearings rather than go to the Albert Hall... you've saved me the price of a ticket, the Tube fare, and the aggravation of dealing with the Albert Hall booking system Well, with Radio Times saying it is live, and the online schedule saying it is a BBC recording, it's hardly surprising that folk might get confused, is it? What a shame they are not televising it on BBC2 or 4 in tribute to those it remembers. |
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« Last Edit: 20:16:38, 06-11-2007 by Bryn »
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #19 on: 11:37:23, 10-11-2007 » |
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I'm very curious about this piece and its odd history. I'm looking forward to seeing how it compares with Britten's War Requiem.
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richard barrett
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« Reply #20 on: 11:54:16, 10-11-2007 » |
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I heard a bit of it on the radio yesterday - not enough to come to any conclusions of course - and it sounded to me somewhat vague in the manner I know from other works of Foulds, a composer whose work never quite lives up to the expectations I have for it. I think I'll give it a listen though-
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George Garnett
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« Reply #21 on: 21:25:18, 11-11-2007 » |
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What's the verdict, people? I'm very sorry, I hate saying things like this, but I'm afraid I found it almost completely scuppered by the soprano's really dreadful wobble. I tried, I tried, but it just got so much in the way that I was cringeing in expectation of its reappearance even when she wasn't singing. Sorry, that's very ungracious of me, but there it is. As a result I couldn't really give it a fair hearing but it certainly sounded well worth putting on so thank you BBC and all involved for making the effort. I was also fighting against the feeling that it was all a bit too water-colourish and scented to be my natural cup of tea but that's a personal taste thing rather than a comment about its quality. The Trinity Boys Choir were good in their bits |
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« Last Edit: 22:44:20, 11-11-2007 by George Garnett »
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BobbyZ
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« Reply #22 on: 21:41:23, 11-11-2007 » |
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Way back at the dawn of these boards, I started a thread called Voice-o-phobia. A condition that I have partially cured myself of but I suffered a severe relapse listening to A World Requiem this evening, when the soprano singing was exactly the sort of thing I had in mind. There seems some dispute on the R3 Choir board as to which of the ladies was the worse culprit but both spoiled it for me. The work as a whole sprawled a bit for me and seemed unfocused but I wouldn't mind listening again with a copy of the text to read ( and different sopranos ! )
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Dreams, schemes and themes
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #23 on: 21:53:52, 11-11-2007 » |
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I didn't hear it I'm afraid but having spent some time living with singers I know the Sort of Thing you're talking about... A lot of the problem, alas, is that the singer is doing what they need to do to be heard in the hall. A substantial vibrato is often part of that package - one is so to speak punching the note repeatedly rather than producing the peak volume continuously. And the pitch fluctuation is part of that process. In the hall that can come across simply as an exciting sound, especially when the singer is in the right volume relationship with the orchestra. When the same singer then has a microphone under their nose, that can come across simply as a dreadful wobble. Of course when the singer simply has a dreadful wobble that can come across as a dreadful wobble too.  |
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richard barrett
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« Reply #24 on: 21:54:59, 11-11-2007 » |
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the feeling that it was all a bit too water-colourish and scented to be my natural cup of tea but that's a personal taste thing rather than a comment about its quality. That was my feeling too, though with one thing and another I didn't manage to hear it all and I didn't manage undivided attention for most of what I did hear. It sounded like a diluted version of something that could have been much stronger and more direct, but I've had that experience with Foulds before. |
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HtoHe
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« Reply #25 on: 21:55:33, 11-11-2007 » |
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The work as a whole sprawled a bit for me and seemed unfocused but I wouldn't mind listening again with a copy of the text to read ( and different sopranos ! )
That was my feeling, too, BobbyZ. The work seemed rather too long but might not have done so if I'd been following the text and known what was being sung. Did my ears deceive me or were people cheering at the end? Of a Requiem? |
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #26 on: 21:59:26, 11-11-2007 » |
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I agree it was sprawling and unfocussed. The second half sounded rather more interesting than the first. Agree too about the female soloists, which was a pity because the men were good, AND I could hear their words. It was very difficult to tell what the point of it was when we didn't have the words, and couldn't hear many (most) of them. I heard a lot of Gerontius in the music, but was less sure of other influences - I don't think it was very original, though, except perhaps in concept.
It was probably quite exciting to be in the Albert Hall, with so much going on, but I don't feel particularly keen to hear it again, except to satisfy my curiosity about the text.
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Bryn
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« Reply #27 on: 22:14:33, 11-11-2007 » |
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Well, I went to the RAH to hear it. It soon became clear that it was not the problems of staging it that had prevented its being performed since the '20s. The problem was that it just isn't much good. Never mind the Theosophical influences either. It just isn't much good. (Did I mention I thought it wasn't up to much?).
As to the Chandos SACD release. It is to be of tonight's performance. I somehow doubt that its 2 channel stereo layer will be much better then the broadcast (just a bit[sic] better defined). The surround will not add much as it was the waffting down from the Gallery of their sound that was the main aspect of the boys choirs and separate bands in the first half.
I certainly will not be bothering with it again. Still, I did get an £18 ticket for £12 from a Foulds enthusiast, who was likewise disappointed with the work.
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MabelJane
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« Reply #28 on: 23:44:21, 11-11-2007 » |
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I heard the broadcast this evening and agree about the woefully wobbly soprano - a great shame - but thought the choral singing, especially by the boys, was very good. I didn't have any idea of what to expect but often noticed an Elgar-like wash of colours - and even heard some Puccini (Tosca) at one point! I was relieved not to hear any of the oft-mentioned quarter-tones Foulds was apparently fond of. (Or did I merely fail to detect them  ) |
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Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.
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Bryn
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« Reply #29 on: 23:56:52, 11-11-2007 » |
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I heard the broadcast this evening and agree about the woefully wobbly soprano - a great shame - but thought the choral singing, especially by the boys, was very good. I didn't have any idea of what to expect but often noticed an Elgar-like wash of colours - and even heard some Puccini (Tosca) at one point! I was relieved not to hear any of the oft-mentioned quarter-tones Foulds was apparently fond of. (Or did I merely fail to detect them ) Well quarter-tones were certainly in there during the section with the slow portamenti.  |
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