Bach trumps Telemann at the "New" WQXR

[A. Joseph Ross]

On 1 Oct 2009 at 15:11, Laurence Glavin wrote:

> Just to be clear:  Telemann is NOT some avant-garde composer of recent
> vintage, but a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach (late 1600s to
> mid-18th Century); Telemann was a more famous composer when both were
> alive, but the T-man's reputation declined as JSB's star rose
> (unfortunately for him, long after he could profit from the
> adulation). So the point the NYT was making is similar to what I've
> said right along: playing obscure-and-forgotten-18th-Century-dreck by
> deservedly-obscure-and-forgotten- composers is NOT good programming
> policy.   

On the other hand, WCRB in recent years has been known to play works 
by William Herschel, an 18th century musician and astronomer whose 
main claim to fame was the discovery of the planet Uranus.  A more 
obscure 18th century composer I can't think of.

> The article goes on to quote statements from Christopher
> Bannon, listed as program director of the sister stations.  I wonder
> if his expertise is in news/talk programming as opposed to
> classical-music, because some of the statements don't make sense. 

It's not clear just what "Back trumps Telemann" means.  He also said 
that radio trumps internet, yet the station will have an internet 
stream.  So perhaps "Bach trumps Telemann" only means that there will 
be a lot more Bach than Telemann, not that there will be no Telemann. 
Time will tell.

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
 92 State Street, Suite 700                   Fax 617.507.7856
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