'Panic' played by John Harle and Paul Clarvis

Ann Robinson on BBC 'Points of View' presents an unusual postbag of comments about Harrison Birtwistle's masterpiece. John Harle, saxophone, Paul Clarvis, drums, with BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• John
• Harle
• Paul
• Clarvis
• BBC
• Symphony
• Orchestra
• Sir
• Andrew
• Davis
• Harrison
• Birtwistle

[faucetatjune]

Why do you assume that music should be "pleasant", that "cacophony" is a bad thing, that "rubbish" isn't a meaningful artistic material? Music, like poetry and painting, in today's world, has to take its measure from the real world,-- which is full of the unpleasant, the cacophonous and the rubbishy whilst refusing simply to be identical to that world.

[TheBlackPage1]

Stupid idiots can't appreciate the genius of Birtwistle then!

[MrJonodaman]

i have a labrador and he quite enjoyed this MUSIC as did I. Paul clarvis is one of my role models. The dog also likes a good spot of charlie parker.

[HeyItsFritz]

Can't say I liked this very much

[peter92305]

I am not a lover of atonal dissonant music. All i ask is a tune that i can happily whistle on my way to work. I struggled somewhat with this both trying to identify the main theme and indeed, staying in key. As a connoisseur of classical music, i did detect a few wrong notes in the performance but to the untrained ear, it was probably fine. It is true that in moments of quiet reflection, Delius or Vaughan Williams may seem inappropriate, but is this really an acceptable antidote?

[usefulmusic]

@fremsley001 A sensible choice. What the public and critics don't realise, but orchestral musicians know from experience is that a) Birtwistle does not know how his music sounds and b) it is so badly written for the instruments that a lot of the time musicians play something (anything) else.

[fremsley001]

I was sorely tempted to go to that concert, but eventually went for the more attractive offer of snorting polonium whilst having my testicles removed with a blunt hacksaw.

[GayGeisha]

Don't waste your time on these neanderthals. To me, John Harle is one of the greatest sax players of his generation. He plays with such skill, you can feel his passion. And anyway, it's purile to judge the aesthetic value of a piece of music based on a 20 second clip.

[steehumlous]

Sorry guv. Not for me.

I prefer something a bit more tuneful like that geezer Schoenberg .

At least you can tap your feet to him...

[wenger1972]

I remember watching this drivel and the Prommers went nuts.

Everyone in my family just looked at each other and said what the f*$%*$&g hell was that.

Birtwistles "Mask of Orpheus" is on BBC4 right now and this is just as incomprehensible....

[japanesesweet]

There are some pieces by Birtwistle which i love eg. Silbury Air and CAMP.

`Panic` is a bit of a mess -best to concentrate on some of his stronger pieces.

[hankmobley]

Fuckin orrible ,