Philip Pickett jailed for rape

[David Ayers]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31550251

[papsrus]

From the report: "After he was convicted, Pickett's defence team tried to delay sentencing to accommodate his commitment to arranging three music festivals."

That takes some gall.

An 11-year sentence seems rather light as well. I assume they have early release in the UK also (prison overcrowding, etc.), so he may not even serve that much time.

This Jimmy Savile sounds like a piece of work, too.

[Larry Kart]

First Robert King, now Pickett. FWIW, I've heard that William Christie's behavior toward members of his HIP ensembles can be off-the-charts abusive, though not sexually abusive AFAIK. And how eager is Egarr? Quite clearly there's something askew about the HIP movement. But then the late Johannes Somary ran into big trouble along these lines, and Somary wasn't into HIP.

[papsrus]

First Robert King, now Pickett. FWIW, I've heard that William Christie's behavior toward members of his HIP ensembles can be off-the-charts abusive, though not sexually abusive AFAIK. And how eager is Egarr? Quite clearly there's something askew about the HIP movement. But then the late Johannes Somary ran into big trouble along these lines, and Somary wasn't into HIP.

Wasn't aware of any of this. But I am astonished that King in particular was A) handed such a light sentence upon conviction; and B) that writers such as this one seemed more concerned with the fate of the King's Consort and his recordings than the victims, going so far as to say that society should extend artists sympathy when they are convicted of such crimes. The writer -- James Fenton -- was relieved that the judge didn't bar King from working with children in the future, as this would rob us of some future artistic works.

I'm finding it difficult to reconcile the crime here with the punishment (3 1/2 years for King). Even more confused by the sympathy extended to him by the writer linked above. I assume Fenton was not alone, or at least elicited some nods of agreement in certain circles.

Am I missing something?

[David Ayers]

Re. the sentence, in the UK tariffs are often lower anyway than the US, but in the case of these so-called 'historic' offences sentencing has to reflect the sentencing guidelines which applied when the offences were committed. Still seems low to me, but anyway.

Re. King's defenders - who knows? I do remember when the whole Jimmy Savile thing started in this country that the famous UK publicist Max Clifford appeared on TV trying to talk down these 'historic offences'. I found that very suspicious, and sure enough before very long this guy Clifford was charged and found guilty of similar offences. I'd say anyone defending these guys is taking the risk of attracting suspicion.

The facts on Savile were known to the press for decades, btw: I asked a journalist for the leading UK tabloid, The Sun, in about 1988 what they knew about Savile - which means I knew enough from rumour to ask - and he told me they had all the 'dirt' on Savile but their editors would not let them run the story - he was too popular.

Incidentally, folks outside the UK maybe won't know this but there is a stack of figures from the already tawdry British TV showbiz of the 1970s and 1980s who have ended up on charges for sex offences. We are all waiting to see who will come next. It is all older guys at the moment, but I also suspect that some younger guys from more recent decades will go the same way.

Edited February 20, 2015 by David Ayers

[Chuck Nessa]

Lovely.

[romualdo]

Re. the sentence, in the UK tariffs are often lower anyway than the US, but in the case of these so-called 'historic' offences sentencing has to reflect the sentencing guidelines which applied when the offences were committed. Still seems low to me, but anyway.

Re. King's defenders - who knows? I do remember when the whole Jimmy Savile thing started in this country that the famous UK publicist Max Clifford appeared on TV trying to talk down these 'historic offences'. I found that very suspicious, and sure enough before very long this guy Clifford was charged and found guilty of similar offences. I'd say anyone defending these guys is taking the risk of attracting suspicion.

The facts on Savile were known to the press for decades, btw: I asked a journalist for the leading UK tabloid, The Sun, in about 1988 what they knew about Savile - which means I knew enough from rumour to ask - and he told me they had all the 'dirt' on Savile but their editors would not let them run the story - he was too popular.

Incidentally, folks outside the UK maybe won't know this but there is a stack of figures from the already tawdry British TV showbiz of the 1970s and 1980s who have ended up on charges for sex offences. We are all waiting to see who will come next. It is all older guys at the moment, but I also suspect that some younger guys from more recent decades will go the same way.

eg Rolf Harris, Paul Gadd (aka Gary Glitter)

both have been getting mucho coverage here in Astralia, esp our Antipodean ambassador, Rolf (even though he was born in the UK)

[MomsMobley]

First Robert King, now Pickett. FWIW, I've heard that William Christie's behavior toward members of his HIP ensembles can be off-the-charts abusive, though not sexually abusive AFAIK. And how eager is Egarr? Quite clearly there's something askew about the HIP movement. But then the late Johannes Somary ran into big trouble along these lines, and Somary wasn't into HIP.

I trust you have good sources on William Christie? I've only heard the opposite but that's regarding his music & decades of intrepidness... This is somewhat surprising to the extent Christie an American exile because of Vietnam but... if it takes a little whip to make Les Arts superior to whomever, say, Leonhardt, McGegan, Kuijken etc... so be it: for his Purcell, Lully, Charpentier, Rameau, even Mozart (excellent Seraglio & Zauberflote) alone, Christie can kick anyone he wants in the shawm. He wasn't a slouch harpsichordist either though I think he's largely been surpassed, not least by Rousset and Sempe.

Royer v. Royer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31fTGxg9Qg8

Edited February 21, 2015 by MomsMobley

[JSngry]

Gary Glitter, for real?

Not sure if baseball is ready for this.

[David Ayers]

Gary Glitter, for real?

Not sure if baseball is ready for this.

Hasn't it been mostly withdrawn? I don't think I've heard it in recent years at the odd Padres game or two I get to each year.

[king ubu]

... even Mozart (excellent Seraglio & Zauberflote)

Very much agree there!

As for media coverage of those Beeb child molesters, sure. Plenty of it here.

[Larry Kart]

First Robert King, now Pickett. FWIW, I've heard that William Christie's behavior toward members of his HIP ensembles can be off-the-charts abusive, though not sexually abusive AFAIK. And how eager is Egarr? Quite clearly there's something askew about the HIP movement. But then the late Johannes Somary ran into big trouble along these lines, and Somary wasn't into HIP.

I trust you have good sources on William Christie? I've only heard the opposite but that's regarding his music & decades of intrepidness... This is somewhat surprising to the extent Christie an American exile because of Vietnam but... if it takes a little whip to make Les Arts superior to whomever, say, Leonhardt, McGegan, Kuijken etc... so be it: for his Purcell, Lully, Charpentier, Rameau, even Mozart (excellent Seraglio & Zauberflote) alone, Christie can kick anyone he wants in the shawm. He wasn't a slouch harpsichordist either though I think he's largely been surpassed, not least by Rousset and Sempe.

Royer v. Royer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31fTGxg9Qg8

Can't find my sources for Christie's nastiness right now, except one in which he was rude to a journalist -- a badge of honor many would say. Never heard a bad Christie recording with Christie on the podium and have heard many excellent ones. Like him as a harpsichordist on the Handel Violin Sonatas he did; much better than the set with Andrew NManze and (I think) Richard Egarr. Have fallen out of love for the most part with Rousset as a harpsichordist (his Forqueray set was virtually clueless compared to the one by Blandine Rannou, though I do like Rousset as a conductor. Sempe I like a lot.

[MomsMobley]

Can't find my sources for Christie's nastiness right now, except one in which he was rude to a journalist -- a badge of honor many would say. Never heard a bad Christie recording with Christie on the podium and have heard many excellent ones. Like him as a harpsichordist on the Handel Violin Sonatas he did; much better than the set with Andrew NManze and (I think) Richard Egarr. Have fallen out of love for the most part with Rousset as a harpsichordist (his Forqueray set was virtually clueless compared to the one by Blandine Rannou, though I do like Rousset as a conductor. Sempe I like a lot.

Gotcha LK. And of course Christie such an institution in France few early musicians would want to cross him but musically at least, the results are mostly exemplary. I still rate Rousset pretty well; his Couperin especially stands, I think, and fwiw, though I do enjoy Blandine Rannou greatly, I do recall that Forqueray set as being quite idiosyncratic-- and perhaps revelatory for being so? Agree with Rousset the conductor, have been a fan since the mid-90s when I stumbled upon his recordings of Handel "Scipione" and Jomelli "Armida Abandonata" on the FNAC label.

Do you know the Ketil Haugsand Forqueray set on Simax?

Edited February 22, 2015 by MomsMobley

[Larry Kart]

Moms -- whose Forqueray set was idiosyncratic, Rannou's or Rousset's? Dumped the latter, but IIRC it was like being hit over the head with lumpy sack of something or other, over and over. In part that's because the works themselves are so bass-heavy (transcriptions/adaptions of works for viol de gamba), but compared to Rannou, Rousset approach seemed almost sadistic; I felt, after hearing her recording, that Rousset deeply disliked this music and just wanted to dispose of it/ kick it into the crapper ASAP. I'll listen to Haugsand vis-a-vis Rannou when I get a chance.

[Larry Kart]

Moms -- Compared Haugsand and Rannou's "La Mandoline" and discovered that what Rannou had done was to go back to the viola da gamba and harpsichord continuo originals and make her own transcriptions for the harpsichord! How different what she came up with is, she doesn't specify (though she speaks in general of the kinds of changes she made and why), but subjectively and IMO the results are terrific -- and whether it's because of her re-transcribing or just her interpretive approach in general, she a fair bit lighter on her feet rhythmically than Haugsand. I can certainly imagine that what Rannou did here would inspire controversy. OTOH, IIRC the transcriptions were not the work of Forqueray himself but of his son (though perhaps that issue is not settled), and the younger Forqueray was felt by some to not have been a composer in the same class as his father.

BTW, speaking of bizarre works of latter-day transcription, check out Reger's piano four-hands transcriptions of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti and his Orchestral Suites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHwuGVQlQ98&spfreload=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7nTfXargjM&list=PLiJnN4bTWJ125gpqktRwnc2Bw6nJwbW7h&spfreload=10

[mikeweil]

... Quite clearly there's something askew about the HIP movement. But then the late Johannes Somary ran into big trouble along these lines, and Somary wasn't into HIP.

I've heard similar things about teachers and directors from the non-HIP scene. If so, consider that all mentioned are British.

Consider all the cases of abuse coming to light in recent years in all types of school systems. It's the power over people, not the musical ideology.