Lyric fm's Breakfast show presenter - Marty Whelan.

Onthe3rdDay

Have to say at this stage that I'm out and not in a HeidiHeidi way, I am going to try to avoid temptation...for at least a week.

So to HeidiHeidi, jmcc and others that appear to be somewhat normal (more normal than me anyway) A very good evening.

And to Yvonne23R a very good night!

yosser hughes

At the end of the day, RTE/Lyric is spending taxpayers money to fulfill a function nobody asked it to. The entire entity is losing money and that tab is picked up by the taxpayer, most of whom earn a lot less than the people RTE employ.
It exists for the benefit of its employees and not for the public.
There is nothing that could be described as public service about Marty Whelan's show. So why is it there? I can only conclude that it exists purely to provide this man with a wage.
Some people are obviously happy with that. Happy to doff the cap and praise those they see as their 'betters'.

Yvonne23R

jmcc wrote: »

Your words. Your phrasing. It was a computer program that analysed your posts. It is remarkable how such things work.

Poor Billy Barrie.

Really? Wouldn't that require some level of knowledge beyond CD covers?

Regards...jmcc

I think your machine - and I've never heard of a machine that could do that - is flaky. In any case I speak exactly the same way as my husband I'm told so I don't think there is any difference between the two genders of people. If I was talking about football or something like that or plumbing or higher maths I could understand it possibly.

What the Marty Whelan show (radio) does is give a springboard to other talents to get a bit of exposure and a springboard for ordinary people (like me!!! ) to get a bit deeper up the road in classical-crossover-jazz music and so on.

On Bach and the other serious composers, Badinerie and the Bumble Bee are good because they are short and can be a filler coming up to a programme point. The Minute Waltz is a bit of a flop as that though because it runs over time in most recordings.

SaveOurLyric

Its International Day of Happiness.

Treat yourself if you missed this morning's show :
http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/marty-in-the-morning/

Yvonne23R

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

The nit pickers may crib about Marty's pronunciation (we can't all be up to the level of polyglots like George Hamilton), and he wears his erudition so lightly, that one can easily be forgiven for not knowing what a highly regarded authority on Puccini he is. A fine treat in store for the Berlin group.

I think they will be really lucky. I'm trying to swing it to get on both tours, but budgets being what they are.

SaveOurLyric

Yvonne23R wrote: »

I think they will be really lucky. I'm trying to swing it to get on both tours, but budgets being what they are.

Whats the opera for the Verona one ?

jmcc

Yvonne23R wrote: »

I think your machine - and I've never heard of a machine that could do that - is flaky.

Not a machine - a computer program. Based on your words, phrases and style of your posts, there is a 61.53% possibility (based on a limited sample of text) that you are posting in a male manner. Males and females have different writing styles.

In any case I speak exactly the same way as my husband I'm told so I don't think there is any difference between the two genders of people. If I was talking about football or something like that or plumbing or higher maths I could understand it possibly.

You burble along in quite the same manner as Marty.

The Minute Waltz is a bit of a flop as that though because it runs over time in most recordings.

Perhaps your beloved Marty could explain. Just in case he cannot, the word 'Minute' is not a minute as in timing but rather minute as in small. Kind of like the 100 Years War (1337 to 1453), catgut, Panama hats etc.

Regards...jmcc

Yvonne23R

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

Whats the opera for the Verona one ?

The opera we are going to is "Romeo & Juliette" in Gounod's version. It's a bit heavy and not as well known as the usual Puccini or Verdi (like Aida or the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco).

Here's some useful information if you're coming too with the Travel Department who are very good organising everything half board.

Marty Whelan will give his lecture on the opera in a room in the Arena earlier in the day, to "set the scene" and help us get more out of it than we could otherwise. It's going to be sung in Italian rather than in Shakespeare's original version, because that's the language of opera - as Marty pointed out before Tosca last year. Not that Tosca is by Shakespeare you understand. But you can't go wrong with the bit of Puccini either.

http://www.traveldepartment.ie/itinerary-details/lake-garda-venice-and-the-verona-opera-4-star-including-gounods-romeo-and-juliet/672

Let me know if you manage to go. It's lovely to meet Marty informally out there too over dinner or the bit of lunch. He has a word for everyone without an inch of snobbery. He's exactly in real life as he is on the radio in fact or on TV. Except taller, of course.

Yvonne23R

jmcc wrote: »

Not a machine - a computer program. Based on your words, phrases and style of your posts, there is a 61.53% possibility (based on a limited sample of text) that you are posting in a male manner. Males and females have different writing styles.

You burble along in quite the same manner as Marty.

Perhaps your beloved Marty could explain. Just in case he cannot, the word 'Minute' is not a minute as in timing but rather minute as in small. Kind of like the 100 Years War (1337 to 1453), catgut, Panama hats etc.

Regards...jmcc

I have no idea what you mean about catgut or hats. I'm trying to stick to the facts here.
:cool:

Calina

Yvonne23R wrote: »

The opera we are going to is "Romeo & Juliette" in Gounod's version. It's a bit heavy and not as well known as the usual Puccini or Verdi (like Aida or the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco).

Gounod? Heavy?

I don't think I'd agree.

Yvonne23R wrote: »

It's going to be sung in Italian rather than in Shakespeare's original version, because that's the language of opera - as Marty pointed out before Tosca last year.

The original lyrics/libretto for Gounod's Romeo and Juliette were in French, not English. The language of opera is not uniquely Italian either. There are quite a few great works in French and German too. You seem to be quite narrow minded if you accept soundbites like "language of opera" being Italian.

Yvonne23R wrote: »

Let me know if you manage to go. It's lovely to meet Marty informally out there too over dinner or the bit of lunch. He has a word for everyone without an inch of snobbery. He's exactly in real life as he is on the radio in fact or on TV. Except taller, of course.

I'm not sure I'd agree with the taller bit either.

jmcc

Seems to be a lot of borderline commercial promotion of the Martydom Opera trips.

Regards...jmcc

Yvonne23R

Calina wrote: »

Gounod? Heavy?
I don't think I'd agree.

The original lyrics/libretto for Gounod's Romeo and Juliette were in French, not English. The language of opera is not uniquely Italian either. There are quite a few great works in French and German too. You seem to be quite narrow minded if you accept soundbites like "language of opera" being Italian.

I'm not sure I'd agree with the taller bit either.

I was told here that Gounod wrote Faust and you can't get heavier than that!

The lecture pointed out last year and everyone knows that Italian is the language of opera. Of course that doesn't mean that there aren't other languages that operas were written in. The Merry Widow for example was written originally in German and Carmen was originally written in French, although hardly anybody seems to know that. But the tall and the short of it is that operas were written Italian because then Italian was the international language of music back then. And it's easier to sing Italian than any other language because it is made up mainly of vowels a,e,i,o,u. German doesn't work because it's full of consonants - b,c,d etc.

Marty Whelan stood about nearly a full head higher than my husband last summer and he's five-seven. So I think we can all agree that he is tall.

HeidiHeidi

Yvonne23R wrote: »

I was told here that Gounod wrote Faust and you can't get heavier than that!

The lecture pointed out last year and everyone knows that Italian is the language of opera. Of course that doesn't mean that there aren't other languages that operas were written in. The Merry Widow for example was written originally in German and Carmen was originally written in French, although hardly anybody seems to know that. But the tall and the short of it is that operas were written Italian because then Italian was the international language of music back then. And it's easier to sing Italian than any other language because it is made up mainly of vowels a,e,i,o,u. German doesn't work because it's full of consonants - b,c,d etc.

Marty Whelan stood about nearly a full head higher than my husband last summer and he's five-seven. So I think we can all agree that he is tall.

WTF?

Even by your standards, that's a fairly bizarre thing to say. A linguist, as well as an opera (almost) expert, are we?

SaveOurLyric

Yvonne23R wrote: »

The opera we are going to is "Romeo & Juliette" in Gounod's version. It's a bit heavy and not as well known as the usual Puccini or Verdi (like Aida or the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco).

Ripper !
Have seen the DiCaprio film which was very operatic itself. Bit daunting though if its heavy and so a bit surprised Marty would choose it. But I'm sure he knows what he is doing, he knows his audience so well. Tried to listen to a performance of Nabucco a couple of years ago and apart from the chorus (which is really great!) I have to say, by my standards, the rest of it was certainly pretty heavy. But would love to give R&G a go if I can and I am sure the pre-performance briefing from will ensure everyone has a chance of getting through it and enjoying parts.

SaveOurLyric

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

WTF?

Even by your standards, that's a fairly bizarre thing to say. A linguist, as well as an opera (almost) expert, are we?

Not sure why thats bizarre, linguist or not. I all types of music, not just opera, Italian (and French), just sound better then German (which can sound pretty ugly at times, even in Schubert or Brahms). English is not much better than German. I think most people would agree with this.

jmcc

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

Not sure why thats bizarre, linguist or not. I all types of music, not just opera, Italian (and French), just sound better then German (which can sound pretty ugly at times, even in Schubert or Brahms). English is not much better than German. I think most people would agree with this.

Answering from the wrong account again?

Regards...jmcc

SaveOurLyric

jmcc wrote: »

Answering from the wrong account again?

Regards...jmcc

Just making the point to Heidi that its widely known that Latin based languages are easier to sing in and sounds better to most people that German based languages. Would you not agree ?

jmcc

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

Just making the point to Heidi that its widely known that Latin based languages are easier to sing in and sounds better to most people that German based languages. Would you not agree ?

A rather simplistic view that ignores the possibility that it might be easier to sing in a language if one is a native speaker. But then how many people actually speak any Latin languages or even German?

Regards...jmcc

SaveOurLyric

jmcc wrote: »

A rather simplistic view that ignores the possibility that it might be easier to sing in a language if one is a native speaker. But then how many people actually speak any Latin languages or even German?

Regards...jmcc

Agree to disagree I guess. But we are dragging off topic a thread whose aim is to celebrate and spread the word on a great broadcaster widening the audience for fine music.

SaveOurLyric

Interesting thread running here on what the plan people of Ireland like in classical music. This is Marty's audience and one he caters for very well by the looks of it:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057172354

jmcc

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

Interesting thread running here on what the plan people of Ireland like in classical music.

But not quite the schlock played on Mediocrity In the Morning, is it?

This is Marty's audience and one he caters for very well by the looks of it:

No it is not. He's just a failed 2FM DJ who is trying desperately to reinvent himself as something he quite clearly is not. The general consensus from the plain people of Ireland and those who really do know is that he is not an "expert" on Opera. As for the pretentious douchebaggery about the "plain" people of Ireland, the "plain" people of Ireland couldn't really give a damn. The plain people of Ireland don't listen to Mediocrity In The Morning. People will remember Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Morricone and others. But will anyone remember Whelan for great musical or operatic works?

Regards...jmcc

Calina

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

Interesting thread running here on what the plan people of Ireland like in classical music. This is Marty's audience and one he caters for very well by the looks of it:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057172354

I'm getting tired about comments about the plain people of Ireland.

SaveOurLyric

Calina wrote: »

I'm getting tired about comments about the plain people of Ireland.

An update of "let them eat cake" ?
Lyric is for everyone. Even the plain people of Ireland. This fact seems to irk our more select RIAM and TCD Music grads.

jmcc

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

An update of "let them eat cake" ?

For us "plain" people of Ireland it is. While overpaid failures like your beloved Marty get bailouts and dig-out jobs, the poor, "plain" people of Ireland have to pay that extortion called a "licence" fee.

Lyric is for everyone.

Seems to be being used as a dumping ground for failures rather than a showcase of knowledge and talent.

Regards...jmcc

Yvonne23R

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

An update of "let them eat cake" ?
Lyric is for everyone. Even the plain people of Ireland. This fact seems to irk our more select RIAM and TCD Music grads.

That's it in a nutshell. And already today we've had Lehar, John Rutter, Karl Jenkins and a piece of piano music. And more to come.

DownBeaten

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

An update of "let them eat cake" ?
Lyric is for everyone. Even the plain people of Ireland. This fact seems to irk our more select RIAM and TCD Music grads.

But which Lyric, Yvonne?

The one represented on weekday mornings from 7 to 10: Presenter-centric, MITR crap, verbal diahrrea, etc.

The rest of the day: Presenters who know something about the genre they play and know that people listen to a station like Lyric for the MUSIC and not to hear their verbal flatulence.

Yvonne23R

DownBeaten wrote: »

But which Lyric, Yvonne?

The one represented on weekday mornings from 7 to 10: Presenter-centric, MITR crap, verbal diahrrea, etc.

The rest of the day: Presenters who know something about the genre they play and know that people listen to a station like Lyric for the MUSIC and not to hear their verbal flatulence.

You could be at the opening night of the Wexford Opera Festival with Marty Whelan if you enter his competition (and win) today. Tickets plus an overnight in Wexford for two at the Gala Opening hosted by Marty Whelan.

Did you notice that Ireland's premier classical and opera music festival respects what the Marty Show does for music in Ireland. Maybe us lesser people should take a leave out of their book, and do the same. With Marty Whelan opera appeals to those who are well up in it as well as the plain people of Ireland.

This is what Lyric FM should be about - linking all kinds of people to all kinds of music.

pinkypinky

I heard approximately 60 seconds of MW this morning around 9am. It solely consisted of some awful story about people called Daphne, Myrtle and Soledad. There was no music. It seemed to have no relevance to music, let alone classical music. Appalling.

Yvonne23R

pinkypinky wrote: »

I heard approximately 60 seconds of MW this morning around 9am. It solely consisted of some awful story about people called Daphne, Myrtle and Soledad. There was no music. It seemed to have no relevance to music, let alone classical music. Appalling.

I missed that but I disagree. I only caught hour one because I'd to get to the station.

The last thing I heard was a bit of Strauss the Younger - his French polka. But I really enjoy the continuing story of Daphne, Myrtle and Soledad. It's so true to life that it reminds me of John McGahern or Maeve Binchy at their bests. There's usually music in them too always, as far as I remember. I heard one of the stories last week that I loved, but I can't remember what it was about.

twinklerunner

pinkypinky wrote: »

I heard approximately 60 seconds of MW this morning around 9am. It solely consisted of some awful story about people called Daphne, Myrtle and Soledad. There was no music. It seemed to have no relevance to music, let alone classical music. Appalling.

I tuned in to Lyric at one stage this morning and Mart (as he refers to himself) was playing the theme from The Flintstones