Cheggars Drinks Pop

This evening sees what might be termed 'Morse without Morse' on ITV: 'Lewis'.

Inspector Morse was always one of my favourite TV shows. The epic two hour format was criticised by many as being too long - but I would have preferred they were even longer! I would have liked them to be four hours long! For the same reason I cannot understand why people criticise Wagner operas or Bruckner symphonies for being too long. Especially dear Bruckner - what heavenly length! I personally think that Eastenders, Changing Rooms and Celebrity Toilets From Hell et al. are all about 30 minutes too long! But I digress! Anyway, I shall be casting myself as possibly the worst TV critic since Jimmy Greaves appeared on the TV-AM settee next to Anne Diamond in 1984, and writing a review of 'Lewis' on this very Blog (which I am aware nobody reads, but nevermind!)

I had to admonish a certain gentleman in Blogland, who launched an attack on dear Mozart's reputation, claiming that he was 'overrated'. Now I do concede that there is a nauseating sort of Daily Mail / Classic FM attitude to Mozart (and classical music in general) which I do share a dislike of - that is, people pretending to think that Mozart was a 'genius' because it sounds good at their dinner-parties etc (and witness those ghastly CDs which claim that one's baby will grow up to be like Einstein if they listen to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik etc as babes). However, that it is not Mozart's fault, and the vast majority of music lovers have a truer and fuller appreciation of Mozart's achievements, especially in the fields of the Piano Concerto, Chamber Music and Opera.

Here endeth the first lesson.


On this day:

In 1523: Nothing happened.

In 1981: Deidre Barlow poured Mike Baldwin a large Scotch for the first time.

In 1951: Sir Winston Churchill retired from politics to set up an Insurance company.

In 1986: David Icke had to be restrained by BBC staff after being found in a delirious state, attempting to pick grapes from David Vine.