The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

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  • Serial_Apologist
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 37589

    Canons were all right when Webern used them...

    Comment

    • Ferretfancy
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 3487

      I once worked on a programme about the time the Germans shelled Scarborough during WWI. Over an aerial shot of the town, and for reasons known only to the higher lunacy, the director decided to use the opening of Mahler's 5th to accompany it. However, in his view the splendid climactic crash wasn't strong enough, so we dubbed in a canon shot on top of Mahler's allegedly tame orchestration.
      Unfortunately, I can never hear the piece now without a sneaking suspicion that Gustav might have approved !

      Comment

      • Eine Alpensinfonie
        Host
        • Nov 2010
        • 20570

        I listened to this programme again this morning. (More fool me.)

        It made me realise just how difficult it must me for the presenters. Clemency Burton-Hill is a highly intelligent woman who has been reduced to being required to deliver a sycophantic, patronising and utterly embarrassing script that she would probably never have dreamt up in a month of leap-days.

        "Hello; thank you for joining me, Clemency Burton-Hill"
        (We haven't joined you. You're on your own Clemency. Just you and a microphone, perhaps with a technician lurking around.)

        "Text me - Clemency Burton-Hill."

        "This is Clemency Burton-Hill, your Breakfast Host this morning and all this week."

        "I'm going to hand you over to Rob Cowan for "Essential Classics", so it's goodbye from me, Clemency Burton-Page, until tomorrow when I hope you'll join me again."




        Have you noticed the pattern here? The name of the presenter is repeated ad nausiam throughout the programme, the assumption being that the person sitting in the chair with the cosy chat is more important than the music.
        Last edited by Eine Alpensinfonie; 02-01-14, 17:01.

        Comment

        • french frank
          Administrator/Moderator
          • Feb 2007
          • 30235

          Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
          Have you noticed the pattern here? The name of the presenter is repeated ad nausiam throughout the programme, the assumption being that the person sitting in the chair with the cosy chat is more important than the music.
          But it is a truth universally acknowledged in the media world (if not in small isolated communities elsewhere) that radio IS about presenters not music. We are battling against the tide of populism to try and claim otherwise.
          It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

          Comment

          • amateur51

            Originally posted by Ferretfancy View Post
            I once worked on a programme about the time the Germans shelled Scarborough during WWI.
            Blimey Ferret! - well I must say you do look a lot younger than that

            Comment

            • cloughie
              Full Member
              • Dec 2011
              • 22114

              Originally posted by Oliver View Post
              Let me get this off my chest.... it's 0845 on Boxing day and we've just heard 1812 yet again. The reason? the cannons weren't loud enough (according to a listener) in the previous (and recent ) performance.
              Reminds me of the review of the LAPO Mehta LP - not a record for small machines or semi-detached houses.

              Comment

              • Eine Alpensinfonie
                Host
                • Nov 2010
                • 20570

                Originally posted by french frank View Post
                We are battling against the tide of populism to try and claim otherwise.
                Sad but true.

                Comment

                • Suffolkcoastal
                  Full Member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 3290

                  We did get one more interesting listener request at the weekend for some Kalliwoda, who representation on R3 these past few years has been almost exclusively confined to the occasional repeat of a Morecau de Salon for Oboe on TTN, and got a movement from one of his quartets. When are we going to get one of his symphonies complete. I'll repeat that they are very good works and a couple of them among the better examples of the form from the early romantic period.

                  Comment

                  • Crowcatcher

                    After listening to New Generation Artists on Monday evenining I "accidentally" caught the first few minutes of the Urban Prom intrduced by Clemency Burton-Hill and was absolutely horrified at her approach and attitude - obviously one of RW's darlings!
                    Reflects why I no longer listen to Breakfast.

                    Comment

                    • Black Swan

                      Well I caught just a brief bit this morning. They have a new reason to Tweet/Txt/Email for 2014.

                      Clemency Burton-Hill presents a New Year's Day edition of Radio 3's Breakfast programme plus a new Breakfast feature highlighting listeners' favourite British music.

                      Evidently, they will compile a comprehensive playlist of British Music from information provided by the listeners...

                      What next? I am thinking guest stars participating in the program as famous composers?


                      Arrgghhhh

                      Comment

                      • Serial_Apologist
                        Full Member
                        • Dec 2010
                        • 37589

                        Originally posted by Black Swan View Post



                        Evidently, they will compile a comprehensive playlist of British Music from information provided by the listeners...
                        I'm willing to bet that if we were to flood their polls with works by Lutyens, Maxwell Davies, Birtwistle, Barrett, Finnissy and Ferneyhough, they wouldn't get included for broadcast.

                        Comment

                        • Eine Alpensinfonie
                          Host
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 20570

                          Originally posted by Black Swan View Post
                          Well I caught just a brief bit this morning. They have a new reason to Tweet/Txt/Email for 2014.
                          Maybe, since they are so interested in what the listeners think, the BBC will consider starting an online Radio 3 Messageboard? I'm surprised they haven't thought of this one before.

                          Comment

                          • french frank
                            Administrator/Moderator
                            • Feb 2007
                            • 30235

                            Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
                            Maybe, since they are so interested in what the listeners think, the BBC will consider starting an online Radio 3 Messageboard? I'm surprised they haven't thought of this one before.
                            What we do know is that the R3 boards were never for the listeners: they were to 'feed' content into the programmes - the reason why, initially, there was no board for Choral Evensong - no opportunity to use the content in broadcasts; and why the first Sunday Morning programme had its board closed fairly rapidly - comments were too rude to be used.

                            Hence Facebook and Twitter are ideal: they provide just enough well selected material to read out on air. Again, these aren't provided for listeners and they are much more effective than the messageboards for providing R3 advertisements, and a promotional opportunity for all the people who appear in broadcasts - or would like to appear. Just be nice and complimentary ... It makes perfect sense when you realise the management thinking behind it all.
                            It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                            Comment

                            • Bax-of-Delights
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 745

                              Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                              I'm willing to bet that if we were to flood their polls with works by Lutyens, Maxwell Davies, Birtwistle, Barrett, Finnissy and Ferneyhough, they wouldn't get included for broadcast.
                              I've already suggested Matyas Seiber...

                              Actually I don't think R3 need go to all the bother of collating the "100 Best Pieces of English/British music" over the next year. With my Petulengro powers I can provide the list right now:
                              VW: Lark Ascending
                              Elgar: Cello concerto
                              Arnold: English Dances
                              Arnold: Scottish Dances
                              Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance Marches
                              Parry: I was glad
                              Britten: Four Sea Pictures
                              Bax: Tintagel
                              etc etc etc....

                              you get the drift - the pieces that get played and replayed all the time on Breakfast/Essential Classics.
                              Simples. Job done. A suitably heavy cheque can be sent to Bax Towers.

                              And that "Musical Map of Britain" - now consigned to the dustbin. Whatever use was it and did anyone ever have need to reference it?
                              O Wort, du Wort, das mir Fehlt!

                              Comment

                              • alycidon
                                Full Member
                                • Feb 2013
                                • 459

                                I've sounded off before about Breakfast, but more recently I have found it completely unlistenable-to because of all the chit-chat that goes on. It's not just Breakfast, either - every other daytime programme on R3 has turned into a talking shop, and just an ego-trip for the presenters IMO.

                                My hearing is such that when I have the music at a comfortable level, I then cannot understand any speech whatsoever, so my frustration must be obvious. OK, so I could just play CDs, and that is what always happens, but it is nice to be able to listen to choices made by someone else, to have some variety, but if only they could cut out the senseless chit-chat all the time.
                                Money can't buy you happiness............but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery - Spike Milligan

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