The Essay

BBC Radio 3
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The Essay

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

  1. 6 NOV

    Mamoru Samuragochi

    Phil Hebblethwaite examines five classical musical hoaxes and controversies, from the early twentieth century to the modern day. These are origin stories that have fooled and perplexed some of the greatest experts. In an age of misinformation, when faking it has never been more prevalent, the series unravels the stories of some of the most brazen and confounding composer controversies. What is the appeal of engineering a hoax? And why do we fall for them so easily? It’s a journey that raises questions about scholarship, authenticity and our faith in expert opinion. Mamoru Samuragochi became famous in the 2000s as the ‘Japanese Beethoven’ – a deaf composer whose music touched millions of classical fans and crossed over to a mainstream audience by being used in computer games. But was Samuragochi actually deaf and was he even composing his own works? In his last essay in the series, Phil considers the impact of hoaxes on our trust in authenticity and celebrity. Written and presented by Phil Hebblethwaite Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Joanne Rowntree Researcher: Heather Dempsey Studio Engineer: Dan King A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  2. 6 NOV

    Joyce Hatto

    Phil Hebblethwaite examines five classical musical hoaxes and controversies, from the early twentieth century to the modern day. These are origin stories that have fooled and perplexed some of the greatest experts. In an age of misinformation, when faking it has never been more prevalent, the series unravels the stories of some of the most brazen and confounding composer controversies. What is the appeal of engineering a hoax? And why do we fall for them so easily? It’s a journey that raises questions about scholarship, authenticity and our faith in expert opinion. More than 20 years ago, critics began to acclaim the recordings of the pianist Joyce Hatto. One described her as the greatest living pianist. When the fraud was later revealed, it turned out to be one of the greatest instances of plagiarism in the history of the record industry. Phil explores the story of a digital deception. Written and presented by Phil Hebblethwaite Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Joanne Rowntree Researcher: Heather Dempsey Studio Engineer: Dan King With thanks to Nicholas Cook and Jessica Duchen A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  3. 6 NOV

    The Lost Haydn Sonatas

    Phil Hebblethwaite examines five classical musical hoaxes and controversies, from the early twentieth century to the modern day. These are origin stories that have fooled and perplexed some of the greatest experts. In an age of misinformation, when faking it has never been more prevalent, the series unravels the stories of some of the most brazen and confounding composer controversies. What is the appeal of engineering a hoax? And why do we fall for them so easily? It’s a journey that raises questions about scholarship, authenticity and our faith in expert opinion. Thirty years ago, the classical music world hailed the discovery of six lost Haydn sonatas. Only it soon turned out that they probably weren’t written by Haydn at all, and the finger of suspicion was pointed at an obscure German musician. In this third essay of the series, Phil explores the fallout from the scandal. Can a work of art still have value if it's not authentic? Written and presented by Phil Hebblethwaite Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Joanne Rowntree Researcher: Heather Dempsey Studio Engineer: Dan King With thanks to Michael Beckerman and Frederick Reece A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  4. 6 NOV

    Albinoni's Adagio

    Phil Hebblethwaite examines five classical musical hoaxes and controversies, from the early twentieth century to the modern day. These are origin stories that have fooled and perplexed some of the greatest experts. In an age of misinformation, when faking it has never been more prevalent, the series unravels the stories of some of the most brazen and confounding composer controversies. What is the appeal of engineering a hoax? And why do we fall for them so easily? It’s a journey that raises questions about scholarship, authenticity and our faith in expert opinion. The second essay explores the story of one of the most widely recognised pieces in classical music - Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor. But was Albinoni even involved with the composition of the work? Phil gets to the bottom of a story that has perplexed classical scholars for years and asks how much authenticity actually matters. Written and presented by Phil Hebblethwaite Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Joanne Rowntree Researcher: Heather Dempsey Studio Engineer: Dan King With thanks to Michael Talbot, Donald Greig and Frederick Reece A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  5. 6 NOV

    Fritz Kreisler

    Phil Hebblethwaite examines five classical musical hoaxes and controversies, from the early twentieth century to the modern day. These are origin stories that have fooled and perplexed some of the greatest experts. In an age of misinformation, when faking it has never been more prevalent, the series unravels the stories of some of the most brazen and confounding composer controversies. What is the appeal of engineering a hoax? And why do we fall for them so easily? It’s a journey that raises questions about scholarship, authenticity and our faith in expert opinion. In the first essay, Phil tells the story of Fritz Kreisler - the virtuoso violinist who passed his own works off as compositions by forgotten Baroque composers. It took 30 years before the hoax was revealed. How did Kreisler manage to fool so many people for so long? Written and presented by Phil Hebblethwaite Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Joanne Rowntree Researcher: Heather Dempsey Studio Engineer: Dan King A Loftus Media Production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  6. 6 NOV

    5. Rebecca Toal and Hattie Butterworth

    Kate Kennedy meets musicians who, like her, had to stop playing after injury and reconsider their relationship with their instruments. We all know that listening to music can have a positive impact on wellbeing and mental health. But what about the performer? The truth is, for anyone wanting to turn professional, this is a highly competitive and pressurised environment often driven in part by fear and anxiety. It's a problem that can have a disproportionate effect on young people - which is why trumpeter Rebecca Toal and cellist Hattie Butterworth started their podcast, Things Musicians Don't Talk About, to try to break the taboo of not acknowledging the difficulties with mental illness that many musicians face. They talk to Kate about their personal experience of 'the system' for training musicians that can so easily break down, often resulting in crippling anxiety and burn-out. Obsessive behaviour and eating disorders are not uncommon as people try to gain some control over the endless cycle of practice and performance. By creating the podcast, Rebecca and Hattie have found a creative way to use their experiences to forge a new and less damaging path for themselves, but also to help others by sharing musicians' experiences honestly. Presenter: Kate Kennedy Producer: Erika Wright Production Coordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Healing Musicians is a TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 3

    14 min

  7. 6 NOV

    4. Ludwig Quandt

    Kate Kennedy meets musicians who, like her, had to stop playing after injury and rethink their lives. As principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic for three decades, Ludwig Quandt performed with conductors Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle until an injury unrelated to performing nearly ended his career. He reveals what being forced to confront silence means for a musician's relationship with their instrument and the innovative solution he found on the other side of the world from an unlikely source. Presenter: Kate Kennedy Producer: Erika Wright Production Coordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Healing Musicians is a TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 3

    14 min

  8. 6 NOV

    3. Robin Graham

    Kate Kennedy meets musicians who, like her, had to stop playing after injury and rethink their lives. What does being forced to fall silent mean for a musician's relationship with their instrument? Robin Graham reached her dream as the first woman to earn a principal French horn position in a major American orchestra by audition. She shares her story of how painful injury caused her to leave in 2003 and the grief at being unable to play in the centre of a big orchestral sound. Presenter: Kate Kennedy Producer: Erika Wright Production Coordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Healing Musicians is a TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 3

    13 min
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About

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 3
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2024
  • Episodes
    1.1K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2024
  • Show Website
    The Essay

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