Worse news still?

[ardcarp]

I am still staggering at the news, and have only just brought myself to comment. With others, I thank you Catherine, especially for your excellent EMS broadcasts. I have to say...

But Radio 3 has changed a lot over the decade

...says it all. Not sure I shall be a regular CFM listener, but I'll drop in now and then to see how you're doing!

[Miles Coverdale]

I can't help thinking forum members are a fickle lot. Can you imaging the outcry if R3 said it was planning a three-year series which set out to answer such questions as 'what exactly is "classical music"?' and 'how did Beethoven manage to compose music when he was deaf?'. They'd have been heaping scorn on the very idea quicker than you could say 'dumbing down'.

[ardcarp]

CFM was founded on the principle of making 'classical' music accessible to the 'ordinary listener'. What's wrong with that? That R3 should be making a pathetic attempt to steal their ground annoys most of us, and I suspect you, MC. Are you suggesting we should censure CB for jumping ship? She knows what CFM is all about so there is no hypocrisy on her part. I feel no sense of hypocrisy in wishing her well and thanking her for intelligent and often witty presentation of EMS over the years. Looking on the bright side, maybe she'll 'dumb up' CFM.

[jean]

The sad thing is that whatever the new series turns out to be, and however well it's done, it won't be the Early Music Show.

[MrGongGong]

I can't help thinking forum members are a fickle lot. Can you imaging the outcry if R3 said it was planning a three-year series which set out to answer such questions as 'what exactly is "classical music"?' and 'how did Beethoven manage to compose music when he was deaf?'. They'd have been heaping scorn on the very idea quicker than you could say 'dumbing down'.

Quite

and to the Beethoven "question" ?
I always wondered how you could think of music that you can't hear ?
Seems strange to me I mean, I NEVER think about music when it's not actually playing
Extraordinarily I have discovered that there are even people who can imagine what pizza tastes like when they aren't actually eating it

The EMS (it's only recently that I realised it wasn't a weekly celebration of the VCS3 ! ) is a bit of a sad loss........ there are precious few good communicators in music (and not always the ones that we assume IMV) and this seemed (though not really my "world") to be one of those.

[MrGongGong]

.

duplicate post ...... please delete (but keep the EMS )

[amateur51]

CFM was founded on the principle of making 'classical' music accessible to the 'ordinary listener'. What's wrong with that? That R3 should be making a pathetic attempt to steal their ground annoys most of us, and I suspect you, MC. Are you suggesting we should censure CB for jumping ship? She knows what CFM is all about so there is no hypocrisy on her part. I feel no snese of hypocrisy in wishing her well and thanking her for intelligent and often witty presentation of EMS over the years. Looking on the bright side, maybe she'll 'dumb up' CFM.

Well said, ardcarp!

[french frank]

I can't help thinking forum members are a fickle lot. Can you imaging the outcry if R3 said it was planning a three-year series which set out to answer such questions as 'what exactly is "classical music"?' and 'how did Beethoven manage to compose music when he was deaf?'. They'd have been heaping scorn on the very idea quicker than you could say 'dumbing down'.

Actually, I was thinking the exact reverse! Although, as I've said, Classic FM has the more suitable audience for such a series already while Radio 3, on the whole, doesn't, the very concept of a 150-part series over three years is exactly the sort of programming Radio 3 should do - instead of cramming 150 hours worth into one week of saturation coverage which no listener is likely to be able to listen to in its entirety - thus losing the whole point of 'every note'.

Just what is the point of Radio 3 broadcasting 'every note that Beethoven wrote' in such a way that listeners won't realistically be able to hear it? A series over 3 years, one year or six months, where listeners can make their traditional 'appointment with radio' every week (and with iPlayer if they have to miss an episode, is exactly the way to treat subjects seriously.

And, with all due respect to Sue Perkins, I'd rather have Catherine leading me through 'Everything you wanted to know about the symphony' than humorous Sue with Tom Service giving us a 20-minute burst for a week or two during the concert interval.

To get back to the original point, that seems just like those who were cheering 'Thank goodness Radio 3 got Roger Wright rather than Roger Lewis who went to Classic FM. Just Look what he did there!' The point is that Roger Lewis did exactly what was right for Classic FM, building on its existing success. There's no reason to think he would have done the same job if he had been appointed to Radio 3. This new series will be - let's hope - exactly right for Classic FM and may Catherine gain oodles of new fans!

[amateur51]

Actually, I was thinking the exact reverse! Although, as I've said, Classic FM has the more suitable audience for such a series already while Radio 3, on the whole, doesn't, the very concept of a 150-part series over three years is exactly the sort of programming Radio 3 should do - instead of cramming 150 hours worth into one week of saturation coverage which no listener is likely to be able to listen to in its entirety - thus losing the whole point of 'every note'.

Just what is the point of Radio 3 broadcasting 'every note that Beethoven wrote' in such a way that listeners won't realistically be able to hear it? A series over 3 years, one year or six months, where listeners can make their traditional 'appointment with radio' every week (and with iPlayer if they have to miss an episode, is exactly the way to treat subjects seriously.

And, with all due respect to Sue Perkins, I'd rather have Catherine leading me through 'Everything you wanted to know about the symphony' than humorous Sue with Tom Service giving us a 20-minute burst for a week or two during the concert interval.

To get back to the original point, that seems just like those who were cheering 'Thank goodness Radio 3 got Roger Wright rather than Roger Lewis who went to Classic FM. Just Look what he did there!' The point is that Roger Lewis did exactly what was right for Classic FM, building on its existing success. There's no reason to think he would have done the same job if he had been appointed to Radio 3. This new series will be - let's hope - exactly right for Classic FM and may Catherine gain oodles of new fans!

And well said french frank too!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Ardcarp and frenchie make valid points, of course, but they don't really address the point that I think Miles was making - that there are some of us who have frequently raged in despair about the dying of the light of R3 on these Boards, but who seem to be suggesting that we might turn our allegiences to ClassicFM because of Catherine Bott's new series there (I 'fess up: mea culpa). All praise due (as ardy and frenchie rightly point out) to CFM for living up to its remit - but there's nothing there in this new series that matches what those of us whose imaginations and enthusiasms were inspired by the pre-1995 Radio 3 could regard as meeting the standards we expect.

[amateur51]

Ardcarp and frenchie make valid points, of course, but they don't really address the point that I think Miles was making - that there are some of us who have frequently raged in despair about the dying of the light of R3 on these Boards, but who seem to be suggesting that we might turn our allegiences to ClassicFM because of Catherine Bott's new series there (I 'fess up: mea culpa). All praise due (as ardy and frenchie rightly point out) to CFM for living up to its remit - but there's nothing there in this new series that matches what those of us whose imaginations and enthusiasms were inspired by the pre-1995 Radio 3 could regard as meeting the standards we expect.

And making it three-in-a-row is ferney - well said too!

[Pegleg]

I've got CB withdrawal symptoms already, it's so sad to hear she is departing R3.

Just what is the point of Radio 3 broadcasting 'every note that Beethoven wrote' in such a way that listeners won't realistically be able to hear it? A series over 3 years, one year or six months, where listeners can make their traditional 'appointment with radio' every week (and with iPlayer if they have to miss an episode, is exactly the way to treat subjects seriously.

Exactly. That will be 9pm on a Sunday now, and CFM have a "listen again" facility.

[french frank]

Ardcarp and frenchie make valid points, of course, but they don't really address the point that I think Miles was making - that there are some of us who have frequently raged in despair about the dying of the light of R3 on these Boards, but who seem to be suggesting that we might turn our allegiences to ClassicFM because of Catherine Bott's new series there (I 'fess up: mea culpa). All praise due (as ardy and frenchie rightly point out) to CFM for living up to its remit - but there's nothing there in this new series that matches what those of us whose imaginations and enthusiasms were inspired by the pre-1995 Radio 3 could regard as meeting the standards we expect.

Well, I took the main point to be that we would rage if such a basic series were on Radio 3 (to which I would say, not necessarily: Radio 3 could do a quirky 'Things you never knew' series). It remains to be seen what Catherine and CFM will make of the remit.

But if people opt to switch to Classic because Catherine is a much respected presenter whom they will miss, that doesn't seem fickle at all, though it may well be they will not continue to listen throughout the 150 weeks. No doubt that this won't be to the level that 'matches the expectations' of Radio 3 listeners but we are right to rage - on behalf of coming generations - that Radio 3 isn't doing that either.

[doversoul1]

Ardcarp and frenchie make valid points, of course, but they don't really address the point that I think Miles was making - that there are some of us who have frequently raged in despair about the dying of the light of R3 on these Boards, but who seem to be suggesting that we might turn our allegiences to ClassicFM because of Catherine Bott's new series there (I 'fess up: mea culpa). All praise due (as ardy and frenchie rightly point out) to CFM for living up to its remit - but there's nothing there in this new series that matches what those of us whose imaginations and enthusiasms were inspired by the pre-1995 Radio 3 could regard as meeting the standards we expect.

Those of us who have said we would/might tune into CFM are not ‘turn our allegiances to Classic FM’. Nothing of that sort. We simply want to her ‘our Catherine’ in her pastures new. The fact that the station happen to be CFM is irrelevant (I don’t think a few of us tuning in will make much impact on the rating, if any)

[mercia]

hopefully KD brought some loyal listeners with her in her move