Music Matters - Radio 3

[Llongyfarchiadau]

I am unfamiliar with the programme because I don't normally listen to Radio 3 this early on a Saturday. However, I was making a car journey so the radio was on.

The programme included interviews with gender non-conforming and transgender opera singers. The final interviewee (35:15) used phrases such as 'misgendering someone is an act of violence', and 'authentic true self'. I'm not sure why but this surprised me. I do know that on the feminism boards posters often report that some transgender people say these things but didn't expect to hear it said in a mainstream setting.

I am just reporting what I heard. I do hope that this post is not offensive to anyone.

And what was the relevance to music of these remarks, I wonder? Or is it just a reflection of the super woke people in media these days?

Just listening to it now.

There is an operatic convention of "trouser roles" where male characters are sung by a mezzo soprano or a contralto. Many composers have written these roles.

Many of Handel's arias are sung by female sopranos and male counter tenors. Lascia ch'io Pianga or Ombra ma fui for example.

I'm not sure how being transgender has much bearing on opera where the requirement is to be able to sing the role. I doubt many trans women are capable of being the Queen of the Night or trans men Méphistophélès.

I have to say I got bored and switched off. I've been to 2 Scottish opera performances and 2 Royal Opera screenings this year with several other performances lined up. I'm really not interested in what the gender identity of the singer is provided they can sing the role and are passibly convincing lookswise in the part.

Radio 3 have form on this. The usually excellent Words and Music a few weeks ago was 'I Contain Multitudes' on 'fluidity of gender and sexuality' with readings by the lacklustre Travis Alabanza. It was embarrassing.

Travis Alabanza was on Radio 3??

The BBC are losing the plot at the minute, not just on trans stuff.

BBC Radio has form for this. BBC Radio 6 had a piece celebrating the music of women and transwomen not so long ago. Yup, that was the grouping.