Cure for Tchaikovsky fatigue

My July 2006 tribute to Ruth Schonthal still attracts a lot of readers. So here, as a counterbalance to BBC Radio 3's current Tchaikovsky overload, is a rare opportunity to hear Ruth Schonthal's music on one European radio station that is still not afraid to challenge its listeners.

Amsterdam based Stads FM broadcasts a weekly programme hosted by Patricia Werner Leanse and devoted to women composers and performers. Patricia, who is seen in my header photo, is a mezzo soprano from California. She has lived in the Netherlands since 1989, and also writes for the influential Dutch magazine "Opzij". Her recent recording of the complete vocal music of Marjo Tal with pianist Patrick Hopper (BVHaast # 0302) received considerable attention in Holland.

Radio Monalisa is webcast at 18.00h to 9.00h European Standard Time on Thursdays, and on February 15th broadcasts Ruth Schonthal's 1976 Four Epiphanies - follow this link.

Elisabeth Lutyens is another composer who has featured recently on Radio Monalisa. Now read about her walking with Stravinsky.
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The arts are about controversy

The danger of all arts broadcasting is that everything is treated as equally important, with a permanent mood of celebration. No one on BBC Radio 3 ever says that some composers are second rate, or that some writing is vapid and some poetry gobbledegook: everything is presented with equal reverence, as if it all had profound importance. You would never believe from listening to Radio 3 that the arts are as much about controversy as about achievement. When I began as Controller there were very few lighter moments on the network, and far too many dull hobby-horses being ridden. The Music Department was particularly susceptible to that favourite feature of the gramophone industry, 'the complete works' - all the quartets, all the sonatas, or whatever. Anniversaries were relentlessly celebrated ...

John Drummond recalls his time as Controller of BBC Radio 3 in the 1980s in his autobiography Tainted by Experience (Faber, ISBN 0571200540). And plus ça change, today BBC Radio 3 starts a celebration of Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky that plays all their music in a week, at the expense of anything else. The BBC's Tchaikovsky Experience is fronted by 'classical jock' of the moment Tom Service, and the nearest it comes to controversy is the chance to vote online for your favourite piece from the Tchaikovsky Top Ten, after listening to a 60 second download of the 1812.

Now try this cure for Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky fatigue.
Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk