"The pretentious of some people who believe that high art is the only art." This has made me just realise for the first time (and I've been performing G & S for 34 years (!) and have only just taken part in a production of 'Patience') that as well as the aesthetic movement, Gilbert could well have been having a dig at those who turned (and still turn) up their noses at operetta... I love Michael Ball!!
He got in trouble for this particular performance. The Proms that year had a lot of less "classic" content and some people complained bitterly that the standards were "sliding". That's the "stick" they were subjected to, as he mentions in the introduction. It's also why he very deliberately did this piece just to twist the knife a bit. Lol. A very G and S thing to do. As you can imagine, the snotty people didn't like being made fun of, and the complaints got shriller. Delightful!
I first saw "Patience" at about 50 years old and enjoyed Bunthorn, but only recently, at 79, have realized what a role he is. As a 10 year old I played "Koko" in (an edited) school production of "The Mikado" --- apparently chosen for this because of a modest talent plus clear diction. Would that I might have done Bunthorn instead. It would have been a perfect fit for me......in so many ways.... and for many years: ""If this young man expresses himself in terms too deep for me, Why, what a very singularly deep young man this deep young man must be!"
Michael Ball was excellent singing this particular song from “Patience”. I haven’t heard it for years, but hope to this week at Waterperry Gardens, nr Oxford.
I liked the Australian version too. But I do think Michael altered that coda at the end for the better. And I'm usually hostile to people who mess with melodies .
Michael Dimps Ball can sing anything his weight gain was because he had stopped Smoking he's great looking now he was so funny singing this song well done Michael😀😀😀
The jury is out on this (pun intended). A certain vocal inflection he does was funny in one place. It was not in the 34 other places he did the exact same thing. Basic musicianship lacking, or he would understand this principle. Still, generally entertaining, but never forget that it is a GOOD melody. Without that, we would not be listening to it at this late stage in the failing course of Gentile Christendom.
So... this song shits on standards that are old and refined, yet we celebrate this song because it is old and refined in contrast to our modern culture, which typically shits on all the standards old and refined? Self-awareness: zero.
This song shits on people who *pretend* to only like old and refined culture because it makes them seem "deep" and "cultured". We celebrate this song because it's fucking good. Your awareness of literally *everything*: zero.
Frankly he should avoid this kind of music. He's a pop singer and this repertoire requires classical training and shouldn't be vocally amplified. Awful
