@Geri We knew that when they stole billions from us to enrich their mates during the pandemic (and after).
@davidpnice Do write about your extensive classical music knowledge. There is little point in trying to change a society if we do not know what riches it may hold
Geri xx
@Geri I don't know what that's a response to, but it looks a bit patronising to me.
@davidpnice sorry, I was being sincere and was responding to your extensive bio
@Geri OK, accepted, thanks. I like the discussions I have on here, having accepted that classical music will never be part of them. I save that for my blog (which runs the gamut) and, obviously, for the Zoom courses, Arts Desk and other freelance work. I do want to learn other points of view, though. And I only engage with folk with whom there's plenty of political and ethical overlap.
@davidpnice What do you make of Sibelius, his Karelian Suite, in particular ?
@Geri Sibelius is some kind of essence for me. The Karelia Suite is good light music - he hardly ever wrote a dud movement - but the symphonies and tone-poems are something else. And universal, too, though Germans still seem to have trouble with their unorthodox forms.
The Malcolm Sargent version of the Karelia was used as the theme tune to the news and current affairs programme "This Week".
He had it played much faster than most conductors as it is rumoured, he wanted to finish the recording session and get away to meet up with one of his many lovers!
@Paulos_the_fog @davidpnice I love tidbits like this xx
Allegedly, Sir Malcolm Sargent was a bit of a 'lad'! Amongst his many lovers were members of the royal family!
@Paulos_the_fog @Geri Probably wouldn't have survived the #MeToo era. Not that much interested in him as a conductor, but he did an awful lot. Back to Sibelius!
@davidpnice @Paulos_the_fog Oh, the recordings were fantastic BTW I played then whilst making notes for a talk I had to do.
Thank you very much x
@Geri @Paulos_the_fog I'm glad. This afternoon I reviewed a remarkable new CD with Janine Jansen playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto - possibly most hair-raising finale ever - and Prokofiev VC 1 with the equally outstanding Klaus Mäkelä. Worth splashing out on.
@davidpnice @Paulos_the_fog is this on your blog too?
@Geri @Paulos_the_fog No, it will appear in the July issue of the BBC Music Magazine.
@Geri @Paulos_the_fog By the way, if you want to watch the entire Europe Day 2020 concert - a total stunner, IMO - it's here: https://www.facebook.com/EPinUK/videos/europe-day-2021-concert/804004866988324/
I don't think he would have fallen foul of "me too" as his lovers were all very willing participants including the royals.
@Paulos_the_fog @Geri Funny, though, I can't get interested in Sargent's love life.
@Paulos_the_fog @davidpnice gosh do we know whom