Lunchtime Melange

[aeolium]

There seems to have been a change in the format of the lunchtime concert (Wigmore recital excepted) last week and this week, in that each broadcast concert is composed of a selection of works from different concerts. Last week, there were extracts from concerts from the 2011 Bath Mozartfest, and this week there are selections from festivals in the south-west.

I'm not sure whether this heralds a change in policy re the lunchtime concert or simply a temporary arrangement. It may be that the producers feel that since they cannot fit a complete concert into the lunchtime slot they have to 'mix and match' through the week. The effect though is to make the lunchtime concert more like most of the rest of the R3 schedule in being simply a succession of unrelated works put together in a magazine type programme, rather than a single planned event, with one performer or group of performers.

I am glad that R3 is broadcasting music from last year's festivals, but I would prefer the lunchtime concert to be just that - a concert as it was originally devised and not a selection of works from different concerts. If this means running on until 2.30 or so, then why not? There is nothing particularly distinguished in the Ao3 programme (which is also usually a selection of unrelated works) that requires it to start at 2.

[cloughie]

There seems to have been a change in the format of the lunchtime concert (Wigmore recital excepted) last week and this week, in that each broadcast concert is composed of a selection of works from different concerts. Last week, there were extracts from concerts from the 2011 Bath Mozartfest, and this week there are selections from festivals in the south-west.

I'm not sure whether this heralds a change in policy re the lunchtime concert or simply a temporary arrangement. It may be that the producers feel that since they cannot fit a complete concert into the lunchtime slot they have to 'mix and match' through the week. The effect though is to make the lunchtime concert more like most of the rest of the R3 schedule in being simply a succession of unrelated works put together in a magazine type programme, rather than a single planned event, with one performer or group of performers.

I am glad that R3 is broadcasting music from last year's festivals, but I would prefer the lunchtime concert to be just that - a concert as it was originally devised and not a selection of works from different concerts. If this means running on until 2.30 or so, then why not? There is nothing particularly distinguished in the Ao3 programme (which is also usually a selection of unrelated works) that requires it to start at 2.

I was quite amused (bemused) to see a billing of the 2011 Bath Mozartfest and a programme containing no Mozart!

[Don Petter]

I was quite amused (bemused) to see a billing of the 2011 Bath Mozartfest and a programme containing no Mozart!

I heard a trail for this and thought just the same thing!

[johnb]

I was bemused when I saw the listings for the Bath (and then this weeks) LTCs. I would infinitely prefer selected concerts to be broadcast whole or, if necessary to fit into the schedule, with one or two pieces dropped. My impression is that there is an increasing tendency for this type of mix and match programming in the LTC slot and I feel it is a truly dreadful idea.

[french frank]

This is presumably the result of the cuts. Delivering Quality First () specifies 'Broadcast around 25 per cent fewer live and specially recorded lunchtime concerts'.

Additional thought: perhaps extracts don't cost as much in rights as full recitals? I'll have a chance to clarify that next week.

[aeolium]

Additional thought: perhaps extracts don't cost as much in rights as full recitals? I'll have a chance to clarify that next week.

But the strange thing is that in the case of the Bath Mozartfest concerts, the whole recital was broadcast - it was just done over four separate programmes. There seem to have been three concerts used for the lunchtime programmes (check the Bath Mozartfest programme which is still on their website): a piano recital by Grace Francis; a song recital by Mark Padmore, with accompaniment by Richard Watkins and Julius Drake; and a cello and piano recital by Steven Isserlis and Denes Varjon. I think all of the works in the Grace Francis and Isserlis/Varjon recitals were broadcast, and all of the Padmore recital apart from some Schubert songs.

It's just all very disjointed and lacks the integrity (and associations) of a recital where works have been put together for a purpose. For instance in the Padmore recital, the Schubert works, particularly Auf dem Strom, would have reflected the influence of Beethoven's songs and especially An die ferne Geliebte.

More like Delivering Quality Street than Delivering Quality First

[french frank]

I will ask why the lunchtime programme needs to be edited to finish on the dot of 2pm. The 1pm - 4.30pm slot could be arranged to suit the music.

The FoR3 response to "DQF" said that the 25% cut in the live lunchtime concerts need not necessarily affect quality. I think that would be so if they dug out some archive recitals. But I will make the point that listeners do appreciate the concept of 'the recital' rather than individual pieces of music.

[johnb]

I will ask why the lunchtime programme needs to be edited to finish on the dot of 2pm. The 1pm - 4.30pm slot could be arranged to suit the music.

Going by my experience over the last year the LTC slot has not been fixed to 1 hour but has varied between 60 and 80 minutes. Perhaps the schedulers (and/or RW) have changed their policy.

[cloughie]

Going by my experience over the last year the LTC slot has not been fixed to 1 hour but has varied between 60 and 80 minutes. Perhaps the schedulers (and/or RW) have changed their policy.

Probably because of needing to finish Ao3 by 4.30 (3.30 Wed). Personally I'd have just cut 30 mins (or even 90) from In Tune.

[EdgeleyRob]

Hopefully lunchtime is not heading the same way as 06:30 til 12:00

[johnb]

Probably because of needing to finish Ao3 by 4.30 (3.30 Wed). Personally I'd have just cut 30 mins (or even 90) from In Tune.

But the LTC regularly overran by up to 20 minutes and Ao3 adjusted its programme accordingly. Bear in mind that the running times of the recorded LTCs will be known well in advance, giving amble opportunity for Ao3 to be tweaked.

[aeolium]

I suppose the fact that R3 have effectively got 4 'concerts' out of 3 is one way in which they could be meeting the DQF 25% reduction target. I'd rather they just replaced the lunchtime concert on one day with an extended Ao3 (or something else) and played the full concerts on three other weekdays with reduced Ao3 programmes, and the Wigmore concert making up the Monday lunchtime concert. The mix-and-match 'concert' is really altering what the lunchtime concert has stood for over a long period of time.

[Quarky]

I would prefer the lunchtime concert to be just that - a concert as it was originally devised and not a selection of works from different concerts. If this means running on until 2.30 or so, then why not? There is nothing particularly distinguished in the Ao3 programme (which is also usually a selection of unrelated works) that requires it to start at 2.

Agreed. Lunchtime concert of Chamber Music is for me one of the high spots of R3 output during the day. In fact, as far as I am concerned, it could go on all afternoon.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

.... and on occasion even longer Oddball ....