New BBC4 Series on the Symphony

[Michael]

For those who have access to the BBC 4 digital channel, Simon Russell Beale is presenting a new series, starting on Thursday, 3 November at 9pm, charting the history of the symphony, and beginning with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
This symphony season carries over onto BBC Radio 3, the following day at 2pm, when there will be the launch of a month of programmes featuring performances of more than 60 works.
This same Friday (4th Nov) will see the repeat on BBC4 (television) of the acclaimed drama/documentary "Eroica" at 7.30pm. (If anyone hasn't seen this last item and has access to this digital channel, I urge you not to miss it.)

[Chris]

Yes, "Eroica" is very good. Definitely watch it if you can!

[Peter]

For those who have access to the BBC 4 digital channel, Simon Russell Beale is presenting a new series, starting on Thursday, 3 November at 9pm, charting the history of the symphony, and beginning with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
This symphony season carries over onto BBC Radio 3, the following day at 2pm, when there will be the launch of a month of programmes featuring performances of more than 60 works.
This same Friday (4th Nov) will see the repeat on BBC4 (television) of the acclaimed drama/documentary "Eroica" at 7.30pm. (If anyone hasn't seen this last item and has access to this digital channel, I urge you not to miss it.)

Thanks Michael - I shall be watching on Thursday!

[Wyresider]

If it's available on `retroplay' (I ditched my TV licence (why are we using an American spelling checker?) a few months ago) I will certainly watch it! Thank you for the info!

(And I'll be very happy to see `Eroica' again, if it's available.)

[Michael]

More on the above:

http://www.newsonnews.net/bbc/12416-...is-autumn.html

[Peter]

A bit of a disappointment this I thought - enjoyable snippets though from the Orchestra of the age of enlightenment and Mark Elder.

[Michael]

A bit of a disappointment this I thought - enjoyable snippets though from the Orchestra of the age of enlightenment and Mark Elder.

I hope you watched "Eroica" - if you haven't seen it already. It started about an hour ago on BBC 4. It's available on DVD, or you can see it here (with Spanish subtitles):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3PzPKD5ACA

[Peter]

Yes I watched it again - Frank Finlay as Haydn was the star for me with the best line of the whole thing 'after today, nothing is the same again'. or something like that! Wonderful performance and like Jordi Saval's it shows what can be done with smaller forces. It has to be born in mind though that at the first public performance a larger orchestra of around 55 players was used.

[Michael]

Funnily enough, that Haydn "quote" is the one thing that jars on me in the whole film. It smacks too much of that famous (apocryphal) line from an old movie of the fifties: "Men of the middle ages! Prepare to fight the Hundred Years War!"

[Peter]

Funnily enough, that Haydn "quote" is the one thing that jars on me in the whole film. It smacks too much of that famous (apocryphal) line from an old movie of the fifties: "Men of the middle ages! Prepare to fight the Hundred Years War!"

The thing that jarred most with me was the depiction of Ries as a simpering idiot!

[Chris]

The thing that jarred most with me was the depiction of Ries as a simpering idiot!

Definitely.

Best line? "HORNS!"

[Michael]

What about "piss off!" (It's there!)

[Chris]

What about "piss off!" (It's there!)

I thought that was pretty odd, actually.

I also especially like the part were Beethoven is coming up the stairs and hears the orchestra playing the Mozart serenade and starts laughing. It's like he's thinking "You people have no idea what you're in for..."

[Michael]

Chris, when B is washing himself in the opening scene he hums a tune to himself once or twice. It's very clear but I haven't a clue what it is - I can't relate it to anything in the Eroica.
I was wondering if anybody knew it? (If anything, it's like a phrase out of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!)

[Peter]

What did you think of the symphony series Michael? I thought it was a real whistle stop tour - so much was missed out, for example no mention of Sturm und drang - hopefully the next one will be better. I seem to recall a rather good series some 20 years ago about the symphony?