Sky Arts 2

[Mr Pee]

I recently took the plunge with Sky TV, having resisted thus far -( it was the promise of Formula 1 in Hi-Def that finally persuaded me)- and I am hugely impressed with the range of programming on Sky Arts 2. Since the magic box was installed last week, I've watched 3 or 4 of Michael Tilson Thomas's programmes in which he analyses and rehearses various classical works, I've been deeply moved by "Knowledge is the beginning", the award-winning documentary about the West-East Divan Orchestra, I've watched the entire "Nutcracker" from Covent Garden, as well as a number of Barenboims ongoing masterclasses and performances of Beethoven Piano Sonatas.

Then there was Maxim Shostakovitch conducting the LSO in his Dad's 5th Symphony, followed up by a documentary on the composer...the list goes on! From the days when I would scan the Radio Times in vain for anything worth watching, I'm now spoilt for choice.

I just wish I'd gone for it before. All this and Formula One in High Definition to boot!

[John Wright]

Yes Mr Pee, Sky Arts 2 (245) is brilliant. I remember watching a great staging of Handel's Giulio Cesare on Sky Arts 2, last year. And yes Michael Tilson Thomas's programmes are excellent.

Recently though it's been too much Barenboim and Lang Lang for me, maybe cos I switch on to it same time again and again

[Petrushka]

The problem is - well, my problem anyway - is one of time. I have thousands of CD's crying out to be played, dozens upon dozens of books piled up to read, DVD's, concerts, horse races etc, etc that I couldn't possibly include yet more pressure on my leisure time even though this has looked attractive for some time.

A line has to be drawn somewhere!

[VodkaDilc]

I must agree with Mr Pee and the others. It was reading about the original version of Sky Arts (Artsworld, founded by Jeremy Isaacs) that persuaded me to take out a Sky subscription some years ago. It was good, but came at £6 a month, on top of the cheapest Sky subscription. Then, after various financial crises it was taken over by Sky and became free as part of a package of channels - and without advertising! Some contributors to these boards criticise the fact that many of its broadcasts are bought from elsewhere; this does not bother me in the slightest, as long as we see them. The range, as others have written, is amazing. Boulez discussing his chamber piece, Sur Incises, at peak time on the BBC channels? Somehow I think it's unlikely.

[Mr Pee]

Yes Mr Pee, Sky Arts 2 (245) is brilliant. I remember watching a great staging of Handel's Giulio Cesare on Sky Arts 2, last year. And yes Michael Tilson Thomas's programmes are excellent.

Recently though it's been too much Barenboim and Lang Lang for me, maybe cos I switch on to it same time again and again

Mention of Lang Lang reminded me - I also watched "Dragon Songs", the film about his tour of China, which again was fascinating. I did enjoy the Chinese intruments, and that footage of him playing the piano at the age of 5 was astonishing!

I do sympathise, Petrushka- it is hard to fit everything in. The good thing with the Sky+ box though is you can record straight onto the hard disc and then watch at leisure.

[Stunsworth]

I'm a Vigin media cable customer, and they only supply the channel in standard definition. I have read that they will eventually take the HD feed, but don't know the timescale.

The only negative I can think of is the number of repeats. However that does mean that if you miss something, it will appear again before too long.

BBC 1 shows F1 in HD, but if your area hasn't 'gone' HD that won't help.

[amateur51]

And how much does it cost to access these packages, I wonder?

At a time when the BBC is having to cut back because of this Government's attitude to it and its craven attitude to Murdoch Empire, I think it's a bit rich to give Murdoch a free ad on a message board apparently devoted to the BBC

I'd gladly pay money NOT to have Formula 1 available - oh I already do!

It's called the BBC Licence Fee - £150 approx and no formula 1 - a veritable bargain

[Mr Pee]

amateur, I pay 19.50 per month, plus an extra 10 for the Hi-Def option, and as far I'm concerned it's worth every penny.

By the way- this is not a free ad for Murdoch, it's just a simple expression of how much I've enjoyed the superb coverage of Classical Music on Sky Arts 2; and since the BBC axed their own message boards at extremely short notice, I think it's a bit rich to expect me tailor my posts to suit them. If they managaed to show over a year the amount of classical music performance and documentaries that I've enjoyed courtesy of Sky over the last 10 days, then I might be singing their praises instead of their competition. Instead they waste a small fortune on a pointless and counter-productive move to Salford. Not much sign of cutting back there.

And I'm very sorry to dissapoint you, but Formula One IS on the BBC, as it has been for the last couple of years. If you turn to BBC 1 next Sunday morning at 8am, you'll be able to watch the Malaysian Grand Prix. Go Lewis!!

[amateur51]

amateur, I pay 19.50 per month, plus an extra 10 for the Hi-Def option, and as far I'm concerned it's worth every penny.

By the way- this is not a free ad for Murdoch, it's just a simple expression of how much I've enjoyed the superb coverage of Classical Music on Sky Arts 2; and since the BBC axed their own message boards at extremely short notice, I think it's a bit rich to expect me tailor my posts to suit them. If they managaed to show over a year the amount of classical music performance and documentaries that I've enjoyed courtesy of Sky over the last 10 days, then I might be singing their praises instead of their competition. Instead they waste a small fortune on a pointless and counter-productive move to Salford. Not much sign of cutting back there.

And I'm very sorry to dissapoint you, but Formula One IS on the BBC, as it has been for the last couple of years. If you turn to BBC 1 next Sunday morning at 8am, you'll be able to watch the Malaysian Grand Prix. Go Lewis!!

So that's £354/annum compared to £150 for BBC which gives you all the radio services too.

Apologies for getting the F1 wrong - but I'm glad to be paying nothing extra to avoid watching F1 which is a pale shadow of what motor racing used to be anyway.

Give me Hawthorn, Fangio, Moss, Hill, Clark & Stewart any day :OK:

Young Lewis is a very handsome lad, I'll grant u, Mr Pee

Excellent taste!

[gurnemanz]

If you like watching cricket, tennis or football you can't avoid forking out large amounts to Murdoch nowadays, but you do get the very good Sky Arts thrown in. My wife is German and we also have an Astra dish. You can receive most of the channels free to air, including Sat3, ZDF Theaterkanal and the Franco-German Arte which all have a good range of arts programming with frequent opera.

[Freddie Campbell]

...I also enjoy Sky Arts 2(&1 for Art Programmes) despite Repeats!

[Mr Pee]

...I also enjoy Sky Arts 2(&1 for Art Programmes) despite Repeats!

I'm hoping they'll repeat their broadcast of the Fura Del Baus Ring Cycle, which they showed a a few years ago! In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the Met's Peter Grimes, La Boheme and Lohengrin, all of which are due to be shown in April.

[Richard Tarleton]

I have been enjoying Sky Arts 2, especially since getting Sky+HD a few weeks ago - it's worth it just to see the grain on the violins and cellos. If this sort of music programming was available on BBC I'd be delighted, but it isn't.

I have no interest in buying the sports packages, much to the amazement of the salespeople who ring up at regular intervals. But the music programmes are excellent. I've been watching the Barenboim masterclasses. Fascinating. The thoughtful chap who played the fugue from the Hammerklavier, and Shy Wosner, were excellent. Lang Lang and David Kadouch weren't. The Palestinian guy was interesting, though it looked as if there were deep-seated issues with his technique.

Lang Lang is actually touring the Appassionata at the moment, along with Prokoviev 7 and Ibéria. Seeing him learning it did not inspire confidence.

[Panjandrum]

The thoughtful chap who played the fugue from the Hammerklavier.

Presumably Jonathan Biss? Btw it's Shai (sic) Wosner. I fully endorse the views that Sky Arts 2 is filling the gap ignominiously left by the BBC. Whatever happened to the much vaunted promise that BBC4 would be a beacon for the arts? Now all it ever seems to show are downmarket forays into how "we" used to go caravanning in the seventies.

[amateur51]

Presumably Jonathan Biss? Btw it's Shai (sic) Wosner. I fully endorse the views that Sky Arts 2 is filling the gap ignominiously left by the BBC. Whatever happened to the much vaunted promise that BBC4 would be a beacon for the arts? Now all it ever seems to show are downmarket forays into how "we" used to go caravanning in the seventies.

The Barenboim masterclasses in question are presumably those available on DVD from Amazon, available to purchase for far less than a monthly bung in Rupe's billfold.

Shai Wosner was also nurtured by BBC as one of Radio 3's New Generation Artists. Remind me of the artists that Sky has nurtured?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daniel-Barenboim-Beethoven-Masterclasses-DVD/dp/B000W1V5OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302119902&sr=1-1

Sky is broadcasting commercially available DVDS. Do you really want to pay quite a lot of money to a broadcaster who does that?

Meanwhile BBC 4 brought you the world premiere of Turnage's Anna Nicole