Grasshopper

Of course, not having Internet at home is quite a drawback: one misses discussions like this one, interesting but actually triggered by my excessive generalization. I occasionally hear "Il terzo anello" on Radio 3, and I have extended the impression it gives me, of sterile academia for initiates, to the entire network, which apparently, as Hal points out, also hosts programs that present "serious" music in a not-so-serious way. This is also what I'm trying to do in my own small way here, always including some "earthy" notes to help us understand the human side of classical composers, who are all too often regarded as sacred and incorporeal monsters. Poetarainer encourages me to persist because sometimes seeds sprout in the most difficult soils: I hope he is right, though with my colleague (forty-two, not a child) who is infatuated with Renato Zero, and if she hears me listening to a Brahms symphony in the background she exclaims "Listen to that little tune!" with the air of Vispa Teresa, it seems like a tough battle, a very tough one.

I listen to them from time to time as well, those snobbish folks from Radio 3, and I didn’t want to argue at all: I was saying that for me you’re preaching to the converted. It’s obvious that being a snob is always better than being an idiot; let’s say that the ideal would be to use a refined language but not too much, and above all, not to take oneself too seriously. Then, for the lobotomized, there’s no hope: they will continue to indulge in Sanremo or Max Pezzali; perhaps, however, there might be a chance to draw some uncertain person, discontent with the background noise surrounding us, towards what Pollini calls "art music," contrasting it with "commercial music." Of course, if you offer a people for whom Brahms is already "cerebral" Berio or Stockhausen, then you can't complain if only 3% (or 5%? And how are these percentages measured?) of this cunning breed, which considers using the brain an unnecessary effort, takes the trouble to discover, practically without any guidance, the most valuable heritage of music.

Here, things are exaggerated... there’s another Polish gentleman whom they want to make a saint right away, and who just left this world two years ago... I wouldn’t want to enter into unwanted conflicts that are beyond my reach. Poet, you’re hitting an open door: of course the broadcasters from Radio 3, who are erremosciuti and sottonasopuzzuti (what a beautiful neologism), are better than the brainless DJs from other stations. What bothers me is that in a country that already sees everything related to Culture as smoke in the eyes, more than these "professorini" who dispense knowledge for those within their circle, we need communicators capable of presenting so-called "serious" music as something perfectly enjoyable for anyone with a bit of sensitivity, as it actually is. It doesn't take three degrees to appreciate a symphony by Tchaikovsky; it’s no coincidence that it has been scientifically proven that cows, among which only a few can boast a medium-high educational qualification, produce more milk if classical music is played in the barn.

The Livornese incipit piqued my curiosity (tegame? tegame tussaratè, matrangolo e bottino, dè!) and as I read this torrential introduction of a musician completely unknown to me, the first (or the second? or both?) theatrical live performance of Ivano Fossati flashed to mind, which I jealously keep in my frail musical memory. "On classical guitar... Armando Corsi!"... (clap clap) And what a contribution he makes in that moment to Ivano's already well-established band, now far from playing mundane rock. There's also the "Sonatina" mentioned here. I didn't know he dabbled in his own work. Curiosity to satisfy as soon as possible. Tegame though...

Unexplainable gap for a gaberian like me, but I still don't have it. I join Davejongilmour in saying that this review exponentially increases the desire to fill it. I see that after the "bastardone" (by the way, what happened to him?) another subject has appeared, perfectly consistent with the nickname he chose: "faccioschifo". Genius!

For Gershwin, I found myself debating which shelf in my "CD wall" it should belong to: for me, it can comfortably sit in the classical section, even if the boundary with jazz, which has drawn on countless of his themes, is very close. The 5 goes to the overall work of this great musician, not so much to the Greatest Hits that I don't know (and anyway, like Stoopid, I'm against the compilations of classical authors, of which I prefer the complete works). Excellent review, which for me would have been even outstanding without the schematic "track-by-track," which is nonetheless accurate and thorough.

Well, I don’t know. I have a live recording from '76, but it doesn’t even have a hint of it. As venerable as I am, I was too young at the time to verify it firsthand.

Hugo, if I understand correctly, for you it’s enough to read "Elton John" to charge in headfirst and shoot a couple of shots like 'I don't care. It doesn't matter to bother reading what’s written, which maybe at least in part you could even agree with... Who knows!? There’s nothing forbidden, do whatever you want!

The ever-sharp TinyBanks, whom I've already tried twice to spell correctly without succeeding.

As the ever sharp TiniBanks said, I've really ventured into a minefield: Elton John is a person you either adore or hate deeply. In my case, I appreciated what he composed in the early '70s, but I find him a rather questionable character, with all the clichés of the spoiled billionaire diva. But since I've made this quite clear in the review, I have the suspicion that there are people who don’t even bother to read and directly spew their venom for old Reginald, dragging me into it even though I’m not even a relative of his (if I were, I’d probably be living off his wealth), as Hugoniot does. To Denvernuggets, I would like to say that Bisius is a trickster: he once told me he would put my image next to that of the Madonna, except that my image, at least here on debaser, is the one on the reviewer profile, meaning a pig. He shouldn't be taken too seriously: it's clear there’s no stain to wash away, nor does the debaser regulations, as far as I know, impose any torture on those who give me a low rating, even though that does happen quite rarely. Maybe a reason would be appreciated, that's all.