The Making of Music on BBC

Subject: The Making of Music
From: danensis
Date: 28 May 07 - 12:29 PM

The BBC are broadcasting a new series "The Making of Music". The blurb is ambigous ""Music springs from our history – as well as from original minds – and it's in our bloodstream. Delving into the tradition, and trying to explain how it came to be what it is, has been exhilarating and exciting" and continues "The first half of the series leads up to the BBC Proms and takes the story from the plainchant of monks in the Dark Ages through the troubadours and princes of the middle ages to Renaissance courts and cathedrals." Promising so far, but it goes on to say "It charts the birth of opera in Florence, the musical explosion of grandeur in the court of the Sun King, the genius of Bach in Leipzig and Handel in London". After the Vienna of Haydn and Mozart comes the rumble of revolution across Europe, Beethoven and the birth of the Romantic imagination. Schubert and the virtuosi including Chopin, Paganini and Liszt lead to the confident era summed up in Britain by the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Does this mean its going to be another programme of music from foreign composers and lets ignore the real music of the people? Music for the nobs not the plebs?

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 28 May 07 - 03:03 PM

This is to be presented by James Naughtie and sounds brilliant.
What reason is there to be:

(a) xenophobic and
(b) such an inverted snob?

Church, court, stage, dance and drawing room/chamber music through the ages has always been drawn on and adapted by pub musicians, got mixed in with trad and has, in many cases, more or less become so.

There are two kinds of music: good or bad.
The first endures, the other doesn't.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 May 07 - 03:18 PM

Wonder if that Countess Richard has an opinion on this?

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 28 May 07 - 03:20 PM

CR agrees with me.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 May 07 - 03:22 PM

Funny, don't see her around any more!

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 28 May 07 - 03:26 PM

She's on a Trip To The Lakes.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 May 07 - 05:51 PM

Diane Easby has said it all.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: Sttaw Legend
Date: 28 May 07 - 05:55 PM

Oh I think she is Greg

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: danensis
Date: 29 May 07 - 04:28 PM

The BBC - funded by the British licencepayer - spends a small fortune on music that was sponsored by the aristocracy, who made their money by exploiting the working classes. Therefore the music was paid for by the majority, who were precluded from hearing it.

The BBC now have a whole channel devoted to "classical" music, desppite a tiny proportion of the population attending classical music events, and another devoted to black music, despite an equally small minority being black. There is a channel devoted to "popular" music, though most of that is given over to ego building by the presenters. I just think that if a series is going to be about the history of music, then it should be about all music. What is good to one person is not to another, but one cannot deny the enduring legacy of non-classical music.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 29 May 07 - 04:46 PM

I see you didn't bother to read my initial reply about how musicians take what they want, leave what they don't, and make it their own. Music (especially in sessions) is actually very democratic and always has been.

What is this 'whole channel' at he BBC 'devoted to classical music'? You are surely not talking about R3? Why exactly then are all these so-called 'Friends' constantly whingeing about how much world and trad is in the schedules?

A tad racist too. There shouldn't be 1Xtra because not many people are black? Where ever do you live FFS? And who said you need to be a particular colour to listen to it?

'Classical' music is simply one segment in the timeline of musical history. What this series intends to include is a great deal more. Maybe you won't like all of it. I probably won't either. But I intend to learn about musics about which I don't know enough and possibly change my mind about some.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: Folkiedave
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:06 PM

Only two sorts of music - good and bad.

Mind you I shall ask James Naughtie's invite to the Folk Awards to be withdrawn if there isn't a nod towards folk music.

Do we know from "somewhere" the contents already? I have heard the trailer which seems to indicate there isn't much folk in it, but that is all.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:12 PM

The Making Of Music

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:28 PM

All such programs must be limited in their objectives. The first sentence of the statement linked above makes it clear that the subject is the history of classical music.
Unstated, but obvious, is that coverage is limited to music history in the 'Western' world, i. e. Asia is not covered. In the sense of classical, there is little from other areas that has not build upon the European foundation.

In view of the stated (and necessary) limits, the brief outline of purpose and coverage promises an interesting series.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: Folkiedave
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:31 PM

Looks interesting to me.

It would be nice for them to do the same with folk music - somehow I don't see it happening.

Personally I don't listen to much classical music unless it is live.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: GUEST
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:31 PM

Diane Easby - I like the way that person thinks, whoever she/he/it is.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: GUEST,Edthefolkie
Date: 30 May 07 - 06:37 AM

Why is Danensis using an upper class aristocratic dead language like Latin for a pseudonym?

Judging by the tone of his/her Dave Spart-esque posting I count as a class traitor because I paid for my daughter to learn the violin and play in a symphony orchestra, and I really ought not to listen to R3 in the car.

Off now me duck - gorra get me moleskin trousers & snap tin & go dahn pit. 'Opefully Ah'll see daylight afore t'elitist programme on t'goggle box.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 04:50 AM

The Making Of Music (detailed website)

. . . starts this afternoon on R4 at 1545 to 1600 followed by an hour of music related to each edition on R3 and continues for six weeks.

Today's music includes the St Matthew Passion, during the playing of which the phone will stay unanswered.

Subject: RE: The Making of Music on BBC
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 07 Jun 07 - 05:13 AM

Three days into this series, music has so far included the troubadours, travelling musicians who wrote and played secular music in court, and that of Hildegard of Bingen who is also featured in a Woman's Hour item to be transmitted shortly.

All on the replayer.