I went looking for performances of the Sibelius 7th on You Tube.I found a performance from the 2013 Proms with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Daniel Harding. Unfortunately the video includes the intro' by the ineffable, dreadful, asinine Katie Derham.
Having commented on Sibelius's later silence as a composer Ms Derham says:
"You know, I always think that it is amazing that Sibelius, who most active as a composer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, should have lived long enough to hear Elvis Presley".
...and with that thought in one's mind begins one of Sibelius's most profound,beautiful and moving compositions
Am I alone in finding this woman and her ignorant comments insufferable?
And another,definite.No! Katie Derham,and her like,is one of the reasons I don't listen to Radio 3 anymore,unless it's something I've seen in the listings,or been alerted to,and wish to record! Yuk!! ::) I had a friend,when I was a youngster,who used to torture me with his massive Elvis collection. Now,I'm in my fifties,I quite enjoy the odd,more up-tempo Elvis hit,
if caught accidentally on the radio. I'm not a fan,though. I think he was massively overrated and his slow numbers were dreadful! If you like that sort of thing,I think there were better rock and rollers! (I remember quite enjoying watching Chuck Berry,at Xmas,I think?!) I suppose it's just that,from this distance in time,whatever I think of him,he just seems a bit better than the people they call pop stars,now! Fair play! :o ;D The nearest Sibelius got to rock being granitic monoliths like the Seventh. Mind you the idea of Sibelius sitting listening to Elvis in his armchair does evoke amusing mental pictures! Sibelius rocking around the clock!! ;D (The clock strikes two,Sibelius two.....doop-doop-shooboodi-wap!!) ;D ;D (Bill Haley,of course)
Can we avoid pursuing the imagine which you (and, of course, I too) conjured up ;D It is too preposterous ::)