EXCITING TIMES AT AZPM

posted to From the General Manager by Laura McKee

As we move into fall, many exciting opportunities are coming to AZPM. Up first is the premiere of the new children’s television series called The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, starting Monday, September 6th on both PBS-HD Channel 6 and PBS KIDS. Yes, this is the beloved character from Dr. Seuss that we all grew up adoring, and that we hope will inspire a new generation of children to keep learning. Rumor has it that Mrs. Seuss reported that Dr. Seuss was very specific that he would only allow PBS to make his books into a television series because he trusted the quality of PBS. The programs will focus on science education and is voiced by award-winning actor, Martin Short. Catch it weekdays at 7:30 a.m. on PBS-HD Channel 6, and again at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on PBS KIDS.

You’ll also want to see some of the amazing program specials from Sept. 4-12 during the second part of our Hot Summer Nights membership campaign on PBS-HD Channel 6, especially Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air and Landscapes of Enchantment, the latter of which highlights interpretations by ten of the most important landscape painters in New Mexico. And my personal favorite, Carole King and James Taylor Live at the Troubadour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Los Angeles club in 2007. For the most current program times, visit our schedules page here.

And if you weren’t able to make it out to some of the great classical music community concerts in recent months, no worries. You can have a front row seat right from your living room or in your car on Classical KUAT-FM 90.5. as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. – “Vive la France!" concert; an all-French composer program with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Cockrell conducting, with The Arizona Choir and The University of Arizona Symphonic Choir under the direction of Elizabeth Schauer; recorded May 2, 2010 at Centennial Hall.

Sunday, Sept. 12 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. - "Due West and Other Directions," Arizona Repertory Singers with director Jeffry Jahn; recorded April 25, 2010 at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church.

Sunday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. - "Basically Baroque" University Community Chorus & Orchestra, conducted by Elizabeth Schauer and Heather Zosel; recorded April 25, 2010 at Crowder Hall.

Finally, as you may have read in the newspaper recently, AZPM and the City of Tucson are discussing a possible merger between AZPM and Channel 12, the cable television station currently operated by the City, which would incorporate Tucson12 into AZPM. Both entities feature a staff of Emmy-Award winning producers and are designed to provide public services. AZPM approached the City to consider this opportunity as a way to achieve significant cost savings and improved distribution for Tucson12 and to potentially increase local program offerings for the benefit of our combined viewers and listeners. Stay tuned!

Jack Gibson

CHITCHAT NEWS

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

There’s a recent trend in NPR newscasts that disturbs me a little, even though there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. Have you noticed that, increasingly, the anchors, instead of switching to recorded items filed by field reporters, are sitting there and interviewing the reporters live? The same information still comes through, but in a subtly different way.

The cynic in me says that they’re just padding for time; the anchor takes five or 10 seconds (a significant period in a four and a half minute newscast) asking a question that wouldn’t need to be asked if the reporter were just delivering the info on his or her own.

The alarmist in me is worried about the apparent influence of cable news channels, which are dominated not by straightforward, factual news reports but by shows in which pundits sit around trading opinions (and often highly uninformed opinions). NPR is beginning to follow suit, with its field reporters cast now as pundits. Yes, they’ve done the research and interviews to prepare for their reports, but why are they being interviewed rather than going directly to experts in the field? Does NPR believe that its audience won’t sit still for a straightforward news item, instead demanding that it be “discussed,” even if the discussion takes only 45 seconds? Come on, guys—save that for long-form shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered. During the top-of-the-hour news, you need to be making better use of every precious second.

CD REVIEWS: BEETHOVEN, SHOSTAKOVICH, HAYDN

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

Apropos of nothing, here are some items I found on my computer just now, reviews I wrote about a year ago for Fanfare.

BEETHOVEN String Quartets: No. 8; No. 9, “Razumovsky” • Qrt Italiano • PENTATONE 5186 176 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 70:27)

PentaTone has a history of cherry-picking items from old quad Philips cycles without reissuing every recording in the original series (possibly, in some cases, because the whole series was not recorded quadraphonically). So it’s heartening to see that the label has at least brought out the Italiano Quartet’s full traversal of Beethoven’s “Razumovsky” quartets. An earlier disc, which I reviewed in Fanfare 32:5, coupled Op. 59 No. 1 with the last of Beethoven’s Op. 18 works. What I wrote about that release holds true for this one: “The readings are poised and flowing, sensitive to a variety of articulation, attacks, and details of dynamics, but not as hyperdramatic as many more recent efforts. Without underplaying the scores, Quartetto Italiano provides interpretations that should be very appealing to listeners who find even the finest contemporary efforts (Emerson, Prazák) to be excessively intense and nervous.” With flexible phrasing, lucid voicings (listen to the clarity of the lines in the finale of Op. 59 No. 2), and unfailing warmth (hear the full tone and weight of that quartet’s Allegretto, offset by crisp attacks), these polished, incisive performances remain attractive more than 35 years after they were recorded. This four-channel reissue presents the musicians on a wide stage from close perspective. Dare we hope that PentaTone will at least complete the Italiano’s Middle Quartet series, even if not committing to the entire cycle? James Reel

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphonies: No. 1; No. 15 • Valery Gergiev, cond; Mariinsky O • MARIINSKY 0502 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 75:52)

Valery Gergiev’s Mariinsky (formerly Kirov) Orchestra is the latest major ensemble to venture into the marketplace with its own label. As the World War II gas-rationing billboards asked, is this trip really necessary? Yes, there is a need for this disc’s companion release, Shostakovich’s opera The Nose, but the item at hand suggests that we’re also in for yet another half-hearted Shostakovich symphony cycle.

Gergiev and this orchestra recorded Shostakovich’s middle symphonies for Philips, mostly in SACD, not many years ago, so perhaps that’s why they’re working on this home-grown series from the outside in. Here, the Mariinsky sounds like a very good but overworked or underrehearsed orchestra, with the performances coming across best in the passages that demand little more than Gergiev’s ruthless efficiency. Yevgeney Mravinsky, a conductor whom Gergiev sometimes calls to mind, could also be ruthlessly efficient, but Mravinsky’s performances had an intense focus—and, usually, sufficient elasticity—that made them captivating rather than merely overwhelming. Here, the loud stuff and the fast stuff have undeniable impact, but much else about these scores remains unsaid.

Through the course of these two symphonies, Gergiev shows absolutely no sense of humor, which makes for dreary Shostakovich. In the first symphony’s first movement, the little waltz subject has no real character, certainly no lilt. The Allegro is too fast to be either funny or mordant. The slow movement has insufficient tension. The first movement of the 15th falls flat; the allusions to William Tell lack the requisite nose-thumbing. That symphony’s later, more serious passages are merely delivered, not experienced.

The surround recording is derived partly from concert performances, so the audio engineering is fairly close to evade audience noise, and probably doesn’t provide a full sonic picture of the orchestra’s new hall. Even so, the treatment of the orchestra is flattering and realistic.

Interpretively, none of the available SACD recordings of these symphonies are ideal. Good Mahler conductors are often good Shostakovich conductors, too; interestingly, Gergiev has proven to be uneven in both. If Michael Tilson Thomas or Benjamin Zander or David Zinman were to launch a Shostakovich cycle, that would be something to get excited about. Gergiev’s cycle, judging from this first release, is not. James Reel

HAYDN Die Schöpfung • Colin Davis, cond; Sally Matthews (Gabriel, Eve); Ian Bostridge (Uriel); Dietrich Henschel (Raphael, Adam); London SO and Cho • LSO LIVE 0628 (2 hybrid multichannel SACDs: 102:49) Live: London, 10/6-7, 2007

Colin Davis’s natural flair for Haydn is well known from his classic Philips account of the “London” Symphonies on Philips, and now he applies it to one of Haydn’s two great late oratorios, the German version of The Creation. If you know Davis’s symphony recordings, you won’t be surprised by the great character of the orchestral playing here, and not just in the fanciful, imitative “animal music” of Part 2, where you’ll find such delightful details as a prominent, flowing bass line in the whale aria. Davis remains conscious that this is a Classical work requiring some poise, not a Baroque extravaganza, so his reading is not given to extremes, but it possesses an unfailing vivacity. Just listen to the splendid burst of primeval light at the end of the first chorus, following a suspenseful delivery of the “Representation of Chaos.” The London Symphony Orchestra is working with slightly reduced forces, about 60 players on modern instruments, which seems about right, for Haydn had a big band at his disposal by the standards of his time. The chorus seems just a bit too large, in that some of its text gets swallowed, but overall the singing is as lithe and rhythmically precise as necessary. Among the soloists, soprano Sally Matthews indulges in more fluttery vibrato in her bird aria than is really necessary, but she does handle her coloratura material with aplomb. Tenor Ian Bostridge is self-recommending; as always, he delivers real insights into his text with ravishing sound—he never has to choose between interpretation and beauty of tone. Baritone Dietrich Henschel is a far more restrained interpreter, but he gets the job done, and with a more appealing sound than he musters for William Christie’s recording on Virgin. Unusually for an LSO recording from the Barbican, this one has a bit more elbow room than usual. The sonics are bright and clear and close but not spotlit, and not as desiccated as most recordings from this source, and they allow the performers to work within a very wide dynamic range.

The SACD competition at this writing consists of Ivor Bolton on Oehms Classics, which I have not heard, and a good period-instrument version on Naxos under Andreas Spering, who is more given to extremes and less comfortable with subtle nuance than Davis. I would not hesitate to recommend this LSO Live production to anyone looking for a modern-instrument performance of Die Schöpfung in either multichannel or conventional stereo sound. James Reel

LAST OF THE ARMCHAIR THRILLERS

posted to Inside TV by Susie Hernandez

Miss Marple kicked off the Armchair Thrillers series this summer. Sherlock Holmes wraps up the series this week! Then comes the real mystery...what is happening this fall?

The last week of August marks the end of the Armchair Thrillers that aired all summer weekdays following Ballykissangel. We would love to know which thrillers were your favorites so we can bring more of the same next summer.

This coming weekend also marks the end of the summertime Saturday Night lineup. Did you enjoy MI-5? We hope many of you discovered a new show to love. As promised, we are bringing back some beloved BritComs (British Comedies) and introducing you to some new programs.

First, let me go over the daytime lineup starting Monday, September 13th. The mystery of what’s replacing the Armchair Thrillers each day is now revealed!

@ 1 PM --Ballykissangel (aka BallyK).

@ 2 PM --Lark Rise to Candleford! Program Notes: The series is a costume drama set based on Flora Thompson’s semi-autobiographical novels. Set in the small Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighboring market town of Candleford towards the end of the 19th century. (In Season Two, episode 17, the date carved on the new clock tower in Candleford is 1895.) The series chronicles the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen, and gentry, observing the characters in loving, boisterous, and competing communities of families, rivals, friends, and neighbors. The narrative is seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), as she leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her cousin, the independent and effervescent Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha), who is Post Mistress at the local Post Office in Candleford. Through these two characters, viewers experience the force of friendship as Laura and Dorcas see each other through the best and worst of times.

@ 3 PM --Are You Being Served?. Are You...? is no longer on Saturday nights but we were able to acquire it for daytime broadcasts only.

@ 3:30 PM --One Foot in the Grave! Program Notes: The BBC sitcom series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson), and his long-suffering wife, Margaret, (Annette Crosbie), in their battle against the trials of modern life. After being forced to take involuntary early retirement, the series followed Victor's various efforts to keep himself busy, whilst encountering various misfortunes and misunderstandings. The series was set in a typical suburban household in a suburb of London based on Luton (although was largely filmed on location in Dorset). However, despite its traditional production, the series subverts its domestic sitcom setting with elements of black humor and surrealism.

So there’s the daytime lineup!

As part of my job, I watch a lot of programs throughout my day. Despite the hours of viewing every week, would it surprise you to know I watch a lot of TV when I get home? I loved the Saturday night lineup this summer and will definitely consider changing it up for next summer!

Starting September 18th, here's what's going on this fall for Saturday Night:

@ 8 PM --Keeping Up Appearances. Folks, I’m thinking of putting this one on the shelf. Thoughts? The show is up for contract. What to put at the beloved 8 PM slot? I expect many colleagues to come to my office about this idea. Everyone loves Keeping Up Appearances!

@ 8:30 PM --As Time Goes By. We have a few more plays before the contract is up.

@ 9 PM --Monarch of the Glen. Folks liked the earlier timeslot! I’m keeping it there.

@ 9:50 PM --After You’ve Gone! Immediately following Monarch of the Glen we will be premiering this new comedy! Program Notes: Starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Celia Imrie, Dani Harmer and Ryan Sampson, After You've Gone was created by Fred Barron, who also created My Family. When his former wife Ann goes to Africa to help out following a natural disaster, Jimmy Venables, a handyman, has to move back into the marital home to look after his two children, Molly and Alex. Jimmy's opinionated widowed former mother-in-law Diana Neal, who has always disliked Jimmy, decides to help him out.

@ 10:30 PM --The saucy Vicar of Dibley! Tell all your pals! The Vicar is back after a long hiatus!

What’s new with Sunday?

@ 8 PM --Masterpiece Theater.

@ 9:30 PM --Sherlock Holmes. (Sometimes early or late depending on Masterpiece’s length)

@ 10:20 PM --MI-5! Immediately following Sherlock Holmes, typically MI-5 will air at 10:20 PM.

@ 11:30 PM --After You’ve Gone. The repeat allows Sunday night viewers a chance to catch it and those who missed the Saturday broadcast a chance too!

At midnight there will be an encore of MI-5!

Have you ever wondered why we air things at 10:20 or 9:50?

Most US produced shows are very close to one hour for PBS. The BBC generally has shows a little shorter which means we have to fill in the time. A 9:50 start time for a show means we scheduled a program to air immediately following another program with no breaks. As you know, we don’t have commercials but we do have short promo breaks informing you of shows airing next week or a PBS spot we typically have to air. We sometimes omit these breaks in order to capture the viewer watching the show that just ended.

In the case of Sherlock Holmes, many of those viewers may not know of MI-5. If we air five or eight minutes of promotions, thank you’s, etc in between Sherlock and MI-5 to round out the start time, those Sherlock viewers may turn away and miss one of the best drama spy shows currently on TV (in my opinion).

It’s easier to remember that a show starts at the top of the hour or at the half hour mark, and it looks nicer on a TV schedule. It’s a rarity that we will start a show at an odd time. Now you know why we would do such a thing!

As always, I welcome your questions and comments. I may just write a blog about it!

Stay tuned,

Susie the TV Programmer

TEACHOUT DOESN'T GET IT

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

As you know if you even glance at arts-related headlines online, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s former classical music critic, Donald Rosenberg, lost his suit against the paper, which he filed in response to being reassigned after a string of negative reviews of the Cleveland Orchestra’s music director, Franz Welser-Möst. I haven’t commented on the situation because seemingly everyone else in the arts world already has, usually in support of Rosenberg. But I can’t help pointing out the sheer idiocy of one remark in Terry Teachout’s discussion of the situation in the Wall Street Journal:

When the critic of a one-paper town decides that (in Mr. Rosenberg's words) "mediocrity takes up residence … when Welser-Möst is on the podium," and when his reviews of the orchestra's concerts consist in large part of variations on that grim theme, the editors of his paper have to ask themselves a tough question: At what point does so oft- repeated an opinion become predictable and redundant?

No, the editors have to ask no such thing. Was Rosenberg supposed to write the occasional favorable review just for the sake of variety, even if he continued to believe that the performances were mediocre? (It’s not without reason, by the way, that during his years in London Franz Welser-Möst had picked up the nickname “Frankly Worst Than Most.”) Rosenberg’s job was to report and analyze what he heard, and it was the conductor’s and the orchestra board’s responsibility to ask why the performances had become predictable and redundant. Teachout, of all people, ought to know that.

ARTS AND ECONOMICS DON'T MIX

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

John McKay, in the Financial Times, offers a nifty analogy that demonstrates the folly of all those studies promoting the economic benefits of the arts:

Many people underestimate the contribution disease makes to the economy. In Britain, more than a million people are employed to diagnose and treat disease and care for the ill. Thousands of people build hospitals and surgeries, and many small and medium-size enterprises manufacture hospital supplies. Illness contributes about 10 per cent of the UK’s economy: the government does not do enough to promote disease. Such reasoning is identical to that of studies sitting on my desk that purport to measure the economic contribution of sport, tourism and the arts. These studies point to the number of jobs created, and the ancillary activities needed to make the activities possible. They add up the incomes that result. Reporting the total with pride, the sponsors hope to persuade us not just that sport, tourism and the arts make life better, but that they contribute to something called “the economy.” The analogy illustrates the obvious fallacy. What the exercises measure is not the benefits of the activities they applaud, but their cost; and the value of an activity is not what it costs, but the amount by which its benefit exceeds its costs.

Read McKay's brief article in full to see where he's going with this. I wrote something along the same lines six years ago in the Tucson Weekly, decrying such economic-benefit studies as a dangerous commodification of culture:

But what happens when local politicians and bureaucrats—and voters—buy into this, and then the local economy enters another of its periodic slumps? Betrayed, they will cry, "The arts didn't save us after all!" And so culture, being proved useless, will be defunded to levels even lower than the current embarrassing local norm of less than $2 per capita (which is way behind not only Seattle and Sacramento, but even Flagstaff). The backfiring economic-development argument will kill arts funding faster than any right-wing crusade against obscenity in the art museum. This is not a profitable course to pursue.

And lo, it has come to pass. The Tucson Pima Arts Council and Arizona Commission on the Arts have been defunded to the point at which they might as well not exist, for the negligible good they can now do for the state’s arts organizations.

If you’re interested, you can read my old commentary in full here.