Speech Radio You Have Listened To Lately

[Jonathan]

Thank you for confirming the wisdom of our decision to turn it off after about 40 seconds!

We just heard that this was in the Friday 6.30pm comedy slot, noted the subject matter and said "no thanks!"

[LMcD]

We just heard that this was in the Friday 6.30pm comedy slot, noted the subject matter and said "no thanks!"

The 6.30 p.m. Radio 4 slot is sometimes occupied by programmes I would hate to miss, notably 'The News Quiz', John Finnemore and 'Dead Ringers', but it's all too often the home of (to me) very Unfunny stand-ups who seem to feel the need to SHOUT A LOT or really lame sitcoms.

[Jonathan]

Indeed, I couldn't agree more.

[gurnemanz]

I'm enjoying Toby Jones reading the Neville Cardus biography on Book of the Week - Manchester Guardian's cricket correspondent and music critic, a formidable combination. I checked his Desert Island choice. A nice playlist:

Robert Schumann
Fantasia in C major
Soloist: Vladimir Horowitz

Liebestod (from Tristan und Isolde)
Soloist: Kirsten Flagstad Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Clarinet Concerto in A major
Soloist: Jack Brymer Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Thomas Beecham

Castaway's Favourite
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major
Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

Gustav Mahler
Das Lied von der Erde (Song of the Earth)
Soloist: Kathleen Ferrier Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Bruno Walter

Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 in B minor 'Unfinished'
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Bruno Walter

Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Classical'
Orchestra: NBC Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

Richard Strauss
Im Abendrot (from Four Last Songs)
Soloist: Lisa Della Casa Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Karl Böhm

[eighthobstruction]

I listened to the first episode of five of a new series on Radio 4, Sats at 12.30 pm, Lobby Land, purporting to be a comedy about a certain Sam Peakes, who is '... trying to make sense of the madness engulfing British politics" (This week's Radio Times, P127), but, missing an open goal opportunity, managing to be nothing of the kind, staged in front of an audience of trained fleas. What a load of dross. Thanks goodness it's only on for five weeks.

....verey unusual for them to put an untried sitcom on the Friday slot.....codswallop/dross....

[Bryn]

....verey unusual for them to put an untried sitcom on the Friday slot.....codswallop/dross....

Apparently, there was a previous series, starting in June last year. I am usually an avid listener to the Friday 6.30 pm comedy but quite missed that run. Lucky escape?

[Belgrove]

I'm enjoying Toby Jones reading the Neville Cardus biography on Book of the Week - Manchester Guardian's cricket correspondent and music critic, a formidable combination....

Indeed so. Cardus on Music (Ed Donald Wright) is worth seeking out, being a selection of his writings on composers, individual pieces, conductors and performers. Cardus on Cricket is also a gem. He wrote beautifully.

[LMcD]

I'm currently enjoying Michael Pennington reading extracts from 'Philip Larkin: Life, Love and Art' on BBC Sounds.

[gradus]

I'm enjoying Toby Jones reading the Neville Cardus biography on Book of the Week - Manchester Guardian's cricket correspondent and music critic, a formidable combination. I checked his Desert Island choice. A nice playlist:

Robert Schumann
Fantasia in C major
Soloist: Vladimir Horowitz

Liebestod (from Tristan und Isolde)
Soloist: Kirsten Flagstad Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Clarinet Concerto in A major
Soloist: Jack Brymer Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Thomas Beecham

Castaway's Favourite
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4 In B Flat Major
Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

Gustav Mahler
Das Lied von der Erde (Song of the Earth)
Soloist: Kathleen Ferrier Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Bruno Walter

Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8 in B minor 'Unfinished'
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Bruno Walter

Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Classical'
Orchestra: NBC Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Arturo Toscanini

Richard Strauss
Im Abendrot (from Four Last Songs)
Soloist: Lisa Della Casa Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Karl Böhm

Great performances all, mostly in poor recorded sound but who really cares.

[Bella Kemp]

Radio 3 Breakfast is largely speech nowadays, the wittering, texting, tweeting, emailing, simpering, giggling, gasping all taking precedence over the music.

So true. Is all this speech because they are so scared that the music might be thought elitist? When wittering about tonight's prom, Suzie Klein put on a silly mock-serious voice when saying that Schoenberg's Five Orchestral Pieces would be included. Don't worry about it folks!

[johncorrigan]

If you like quizzing and useless facts, can I recommend Paul Sinha's General Knowledge on R4. Too much to take in in one half hour, but I found the series most entertaining.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008hxl#play

[Bella Kemp]

Radio 4Extra is full of gems. Their re-broadcasting of old sitcoms from decades ago is a delight. Marriage Lines is one to look out for - wonderfully scripted and mildly humorous it also serves as a reminder how appallingly right wing, homophobic, classist and patriarchal society was in the 60s. Today's Tories (or perhaps I should say now the Tories up to about six months ago) appear like radical lefties in comparison!

[gradus]

Alexei Sayle is back on R4; at last something worth listening to in the 6.30pm 'comedy slot'.

[Wychwood]

Radio 4Extra is full of gems.

And one thing that strikes me about these vintage productions is their technical excellence: whatever the background music or the sound effect, you can still hear every word.

[eighthobstruction]

Alexei Sayle is back on R4; at last something worth listening to in the 6.30pm 'comedy slot'.

....no....