Over-praise on R3 concerts

[Rcartes]

I've been bothered for a while by the reactions of the announcers to so many R3 concerts, in that there's a tendency to over-praise a performance even when it was a fairly mundane one. This came to a head for me yesterday with Ian Skelly's comments on the lunchtime concert we'd just heard, Gershwin tunes by the Julian Bliss Septet: "terrific", he claimed, one not to be missed.

In reality, it was very ordinary throughout. The final number, Air Mail Special, was especially so, as is immediately apparent if you listen to the Benny Goodman Sextet version, with Charlie Christian, Goodman himself, Cootie Williams - and the incomparable Dave Tough (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKElqOE4CpA).

The Bliss version was innocuous enough, perfectly pleasant listening - in one ear and out the other - but essentially musical wallpaper, and definitely not worth the praise heaped on the performance by the announcer and Ian Skelly.

Is anyone else concerned by these essentially boosterish comments?

[Beresford]

I suspect it's just Marketing, and that the presenters are told to praise whatever has just been broadcast.
I long for the day when the presenters are allowed to say what they really think about the items. Also I long for the day when trails are banned, as they are a type of advertisement. Can't see either of them happening soon.

[DracoM]

'Fraid you're only too right.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I remember an encore played after a final concerto performer by a retiring pianist. It was a great pity for the player, but it was riddled with errors, yet the Radio 3 presenter told us all how “amazing” it was (evidently supposing the listeners were stupid).

[LHC]

I remember an encore played after a final concerto performer by a retiring pianist. It was a great pity for the player, but it was riddled with errors, yet the Radio 3 presenter told us all how “amazing” it was (evidently supposing the listeners were stupid).

Unfortunately, this is hardly a new phenomenon. For as long as I can remember, the end of every proms concert has been greeted by the announcer as if it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, no matter how mediocre the actual performance was. A particularly egregious example that sticks in the mind was when what seemed to me to be a very dull performance of Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony conducted by Kurt Masur (who was sadly by that time a shadow of his younger self), was greeted by an outburst of over the top enthusiasm by Charles Hazlewood. “Wow” he exclaimed, “one of the greatest performances” he continued. At which point I gave up and switched off.

[gurnemanz]

It is misguided, futile and irksome, but we do know that these overpraising adjectives are nearly always empty of meaning, so we can just let them wash over us. Unfortunately, it deprives the presenter of the opportunity of using these extravagant words meaningfully when they might be genuinely justified. In this respect it is a bit like grade inflation in school and university exams.

[edashtav]

'Fraid you're only too right.

Encore une fois!

[french frank]

As I understand it radio presenters, even on Radio 3, aren't even credited with being music critics. A comment on the audience reaction is about as far as they need objectively go (as long as the audience is ecstatic, of course). It's not even particularly relevant that they enjoyed it. As was said, it's part of marketing: boosting enthusiasm to persuade the audience they thought it was great too. Unfortunately, I suspect market research shows that it does work with some audiences.

[Serial_Apologist]

As I understand it radio presenters, even on Radio 3, aren't even credited with being music critics. A comment on the audience reaction is about as far as they need objectively go (as long as the audience is ecstatic, of course). It's not even particularly relevant that they enjoyed it. As was said, it's part of marketing: boosting enthusiasm to persuade the audience they thought it was great too. Unfortunately, I suspect market research shows that it does work with some audiences.

The longer we comment the less the experience a young inexperienced audience has by which to judge.

[gradus]

I'm not too bothered by a spot of enthusiasm from radio presenters, in fact I prefer to hear it and I can't imagine that it really does any harm; on most occasions I tend to share the reaction.

[oddoneout]

Unfortunately, this is hardly a new phenomenon. For as long as I can remember, the end of every proms concert has been greeted by the announcer as if it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, no matter how mediocre the actual performance was. A particularly egregious example that sticks in the mind was when what seemed to me to be a very dull performance of Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony conducted by Kurt Masur (who was sadly by that time a shadow of his younger self), was greeted by an outburst of over the top enthusiasm by Charles Hazlewood. “Wow” he exclaimed, “one of the greatest performances” he continued. At which point I gave up and switched off.

I would tend to agree in relation to broadcast of recorded music, and the presenter input has got increasingly excessive at the likes of Proms concerts but there is the issue of "being there" which can complicate matters in some cases. There have been exchanges on the forum about differing opinions depending on whether listeners were present for the concert or were listening at one remove. A combination of liking the piece in question, being present for a live performance(possibly by notable participants), and not being required to present a post-performance critical analysis will muddy the waters.
The OTT element seems a feature of life in general now; nothing is allowed to be good/acceptable/satisfactory or the obverse, it must all be the HD colour saturated extremes of existence. Hyperbole or evisceration.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Funny you should raise this but Jonathan Bliss’s jazz work has always left me completely cold.It’s not that it doesn’t swing - it does but it’s all a bit cold blooded . A bit noodly / tootly if you know what I mean .I think he’s got a very good guitarist and pianist though. The pianist in particular played a beautifully shaped solo on the penultimate piece and the guitarist created a very nice groove . Tricky because the instruments can cut across each other.

[Rcartes]

Funny you should raise this but Jonathan Bliss’s jazz work has always left me completely cold.It’s not that it doesn’t swing - it does but it’s all a bit cold blooded . A bit noodly / tootly if you know what I mean .I think he’s got a very good guitarist and pianist though. The pianist in particular played a beautifully shaped solo on the penultimate piece and the guitarist created a very nice groove . Tricky because the instruments can cut across each other.

Agreed, "noodly/tootly" is about it really. And the pianist was OK but I wasn't overimpressed: no real variation, I felt, just filling in the notes and leaving no spaces: as I said earlier about the group as a whole, in one ear and out the other, but without touching the brain in between.

[Stanfordian]

Superlatives abound and some presenters are far more toe-curlingly gushing than others.