World Requiem - giving the poor thing a chance


A poorly Jessica Duchen writes this morning about John Fould's World Requiem - Tragic but true: after all that fuss, the piece didn't float my boat. It wouldn't, of course - I am allergic to much of the English choral tradition and to most concert requiems, and it possessed the qualities I'm least comfortable with in both. Still, it seemed worth giving the poor thing a chance. Perhaps it was bound to disappoint after the massive build-up we all gave it (except for Pliable, who saw this coming a mile off. Chapeau, mon ami. I stand by my insistence that it should be heard before being slagged off, but now it's fair game).

Jessica, thank you. You are a lady, and I value debate above everything else. Incidentally, I had heard the choir rehearsal sequences before posting the Peter J. Pirie quote. But having listened to the BBC Radio 3 broadcast last night I fear that the critics will be less kind than you or Peter Pirie. Get well soon.
Image is not Fould's World Requiem, but it is the Albert Hall. Credit Cornish Federation of Male Choirs. 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 errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk

Comments

Pliable said…
Now talking of programming mistakes I made one as well yesterday.

Takemitsu's From me flows what you call Time was a daft choice by me for the Overgrown Path webcast.

The wide dynamic range and extended low level passages just weren't suitable for internet streaming. The silence detector kicked in several times, and I don't think the station was very impressed.

Bad call by me, but I do want to experiment with this project rather than just playing Beethoven symphonies.

To cap it all I had a Radio 3 style finger problem with the opening link. Then I dashed home to listen to the World Requiem ...

But it will get better next week. No level problems with John Sheppard's Western Wind Mass or Edmund Rubbra's Fifth Symphony. I know, the programme is pre-recorded.
Pliable said…
It's OK guys, it will sell:

(Chandos Records Limited) [Label IP Address]

England, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1 returning visit

Date Time WebPage
12th November 2007 09:54:08 www.google.co.uk/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=review of fould%27s requiem&meta=&btnG=Google Sea
theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/11/world-requiem-giving-poor-thing-chance.html

12th November 2007 09:55:22 theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/11/world-requiem-giving-poor-thing-chance.html
theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/11/unremarkable-and-commonplace-work.html

12th November 2007 09:56:30 theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/11/unremarkable-and-commonplace-work.html
theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/search/label/chandos

12th November 2007 09:57:57 www.google.co.uk/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=review of fould%27s requiem&meta=&btnG=Google Sea
theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/

12th November 2007 10:00:57 www.google.co.uk/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=review of fould%27s requiem&meta=&btnG=Google Sea
theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/11/world-requiem-giving-poor-thing-chance.html
Jessica said…
Thank you! Keep up the great blogging.
Pliable said…
There is a linked thread to the World Requiem.

Beware of any composer who is in to Theosophy.

Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the Cenotaph. His wife was an advocate of Theosophy.

His daughter, the composer Elisabeth Lutyens, was scathing about Theosophy and blamed it, partly, for her own, and her mother's, emotional problems.

http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/01/walking-with-stravinsky.html
Unknown said…
I've added some thoughts here (sorry to put these links in: there don't seem to be automatic pingbacks between my blog and OAOP!):

http://davidderrick.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/requiems/
JMW said…
Cyril Scott was into Theosophy too, but his music is still good!
Unknown said…
Scriabin above all.

Recent popular posts

David Munrow - more than early music

Master musician who experienced the pain of genius

Soundtrack for a porn movie

Classical music has a lot to learn

All aboard the Martinu bandwagon

Is syncretic music the future?

Albert Baez, scientist, pacifist and parent

Classical music should exploit its healing power

The Berlin Philharmonic's darkest hour

Classical music's biggest problem is that no one cares