R3 Presenters at Concerts

[aeolium]

Some time back, before the return to live evening concerts, there was quite a lot of complaint on these boards (and their BBC predecessors) about the lack of atmosphere at deferred broadcasts where a concert would often be introduced from the studio. I never really minded that style of presentation, or indeed the concept of deferred broadcasts provided the music from the concert was broadcast in its entirety and in its proper order. But listening to some recent live concerts, including for instance the one from today's Afternoon on 3, I found the presentation style really grating, with the presenter onstage and discussing works in a not especially informative way with a performer. If this is to become the norm, then I have to say I would rather go back to just having works introduced briefly from the studio. The evening live concert also often has an interval in which more music is broadcast which seems to me to distract from the intensity of the live event.

[PatrickOD]

I heard bits of this Ao3 concert, aeolium. Grating is right.
In defence, as the concert was near home for me, the presenter was caught between two stools. On the one hand he loves his classical music and I've seen and heard him do some sterling stuff on different occasions. On the other, he is caught up in this awful 'friendly' style of presentation which seems to go down well here - familiarity, colloquialisms, jokes, fear of 'getting above yourself'. Pervasive and creeping, I'm afraid, and very obvious in the concert you refer to. Should, and could, have done better. Classical music is just one of his duties.

[DracoM]

Radio 2.5.

[aeolium]

I didn't really want to point the finger at this presenter or indeed any individual presenter, PatrickOD, as I'm sure they are only doing what they have been asked to. It's more the policy, which is not satisfactory for the listener at home and must be quite tiresome for many of the audience at the concert (as well as being potentially embarrassing for the performers who get dragged into these introductions). I don't think this is what people were thinking of when they called for the return of live concerts with presenters at the concert.

[salymap]

What a muddle the afternoon concert today looked in the Radio Times. Headed 'Live, with Katie Derham from Belfast', with the Ulster Orchestra, it then veered off to the BBCSSO with Volkov, went back to Ulster for some well played Mozart and Haydn, then Mozart symphony 39 with the BBCNOW with Richard Hickox..

I could only listen to the last three works but surely there must be a better way of showing it in the RT.
A patchwork Quilt of a concert.

[Don Petter]

We were out in the car today, and, having enjoyed the latter part of the Dvorak Op.97 quintet, happily waited for the start of the Ao3 concert. At least we were post-noon, so it should be reasonably adult fare. However, after what presumably was only about half of a cringe-making introduction (managing to bring in among other things, Lady Gaga and pink carpets) we could no longer wait for any musical content, and on went a CD. R2.5 indeed.

[Richard Tarleton]

with the presenter onstage and discussing works in a not especially informative way with a performer. If this is to become the norm, then I have to say I would rather go back to just having works introduced briefly from the studio. The evening live concert also often has an interval in which more music is broadcast which seems to me to distract from the intensity of the live event.

My first experience of this new style of presentation was at a BBC NoW concert in the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea earlier in the year - La Bott did the announcements from the stage and interviewed Francois Xavier Roth about the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra - as you say not informative, and I can't think why they want to do it. It must be terrible for some performers, though perhaps they aren't forced to do it. I'm fully expecting it when I go to hear the BBC NoW's perf. of Bruckner 7 later this month, which must be part of the Symphony series.

By way of complete contrast I watched a concert on Sky Arts the other night - no announcements at all, just titles on screen to announce the works. It was Mahler 10 1st movement, followed by Das Lied von der Erde, with BPO/Abbado, von Otter and Kaufmann - the latter in superb form. No idea when it was recorded but so what. Bliss. No announcer talking over the applause to tell us how good it was - just a concert. Less is more, Roger.

[amcluesent]

The prattling and wee chats with the conductor, soloist, a passing young musician of the year, celebridee chef etc. etc. is appaling. Just another example of how 'wrecker' Wright has managed to impose CFMlite sensibilities onto what was once the flagship of R3.

Soon the audience will be asked to use their mobis for an interval 'your call' on how the felt about the music played and to come.

At the end of every piece I have to leap for the volume control. Music played at realistic levels makes the bellowing oaf Trelawny pass the pain threshold. I'm sure he has a contract clause when stipulates he must be mixed at ffff to shout over everyone and everything.

[Chris Newman]

Most of the weekly (Please note BBC) TV performances by L'Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France come without introduction of any sort. To my knowledge the BBC has been stuck with the announcer at concerts given in their studios such as Maida Vale or Cardiff since before I first began going in 1968. The disease seems to be spreading to the major concert halls.

[Frances_iom]

We were out in the car today, and, having enjoyed the latter part of the Dvorak Op.96 quintet, happily waited for the start of the Ao3 concert. At least we were post-noon, so it should be reasonably adult fare. However, after what presumably was only about half of a cringe-making introduction (managing to bring in among other things, Lady Gaga and pink carpets) we could no longer wait for any musical content, and on went a CD. R2.5 indeed.

it was a locally based presenter - maybe Lady Gaga is big there (the Irish were always keen on bacon) - he would have been better 'employed' on R1 or just about R2 - however I've now heard a worse presenter than KD so suspect R3 has even further to descend

[Don Petter]

it was a locally based presenter - maybe Lady Gaga is big there (the Irish were always keen on bacon) - he would have been better 'employed' on R1 or just about R2 - however I've now heard a worse presenter than KD so suspect R3 has even further to descend

It's the way that he tells 'em!

[VodkaDilc]

Soon the audience will be asked to use their mobis for an interval 'your call' on how the felt about the music played and to come.

.

I heard two of the younger cast members from Downton Abbey ("a popular television drama, I believe, m'lud") being interviewed on the radio yesterday. (The Irish chauffeur and the maid who was married as her husband died, for those who might be interested). The subject of commercial breaks interrupting the drama was raised. The maid explained that her friends did not find them an irritant; in fact it gave them the chance to 'tweet' their views while the adverts were on!

Let's not give R3 ideas!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Look at the Radio 3 listings for any concert and the presenter comes at the top, as though he/she is the most important thing. A classic case of the tail wagging the dog.

[aeolium]

I am currently listening to the first concert in this morning's TtN - given by Trio Ex Aqueo in Barcelona, and presented by John Shea. That's the way to do it. Concise, to-the-point information before each item, with applause following. You could allow for a more extended introduction for a live concert, but I don't think many would complain about deferred broadcasts if they were as well presented as this (well, these are deferred broadcasts, and TtN is regularly praised).

[RobertLeDiable]

Music played at realistic levels makes the bellowing oaf Trelawny pass the pain threshold. I'm sure he has a contract clause when stipulates he must be mixed at ffff to shout over everyone and everything.

I've just come across this offensive little outburst, and I feel compelled to point out that a)speech levels on Radio 3 always come across as being louder than the music, because of the extremely wide dynamic range of the music, and b) the presenter's voice level is set by the engineer and he is only speaking at the level requested. Why he deserves to be branded a 'bellowing oaf' by some anonymous prat with a keyboard defeats me.