The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[teamsaint]

Free Thinking is surely tautology ?

[french frank]

That may be its raison d'etre but does that mean that no other kind of music can feature? At all? Ever?

How about: as often as classical pieces are included in the other stations' playlists? Or even in jazz programmes and World on 3?

[Ein Heldenleben]

How about: as often as classical pieces are included in the other stations' playlists? Or even in jazz programmes and World on 3?

As that would mean never I would regard that as sensible policy.....

[oddoneout]

As that would mean never I would regard that as sensible policy.....

I can understand the wish for 'other' music not to be too prominent on the R3 airwaves, but total exclusion I don't understand. As I understand it some rather well known 'classical' composers seem to have listened to folk, jazz and popular music and, shock horror, allowed same to taint their music.
FF I'm afraid I'm of the 'two wrongs don't make a right' school of thought; if other stations are not playing occasional R3 fare and that is considered to be a negative, then for R3 to play the same game is also wrong. The core offering needs to be improved but as far as I'm concerned any improvement wouldn't also involve exclusion of 'other' music.

[french frank]

The core offering needs to be improved but as far as I'm concerned any improvement wouldn't also involve exclusion of 'other' music.

I think you might have more of a point if Radio 3 didn't already play 'other musics' - in fact taking up the late night schedule almost completely nowadays, as well as with JRR. I would have no objection to an extension of jazz and world (Late Junction I think a typical late night 6 Music programme - I'd prefer jazz and world to occupy thos slots, but those who like it won't agree!)

[Ein Heldenleben]

I can understand the wish for 'other' music not to be too prominent on the R3 airwaves, but total exclusion I don't understand. As I understand it some rather well known 'classical' composers seem to have listened to folk, jazz and popular music and, shock horror, allowed same to taint their music.
FF I'm afraid I'm of the 'two wrongs don't make a right' school of thought; if other stations are not playing occasional R3 fare and that is considered to be a negative, then for R3 to play the same game is also wrong. The core offering needs to be improved but as far as I'm concerned any improvement wouldn't also involve exclusion of 'other' music.

When I'm not out working as a freelance or working from home I pretty much have Radio Three on all day. It's quite astonishing the amount of chat and non-classical music on the station . I am a huge Jazz and rock fan but there is so little classical music in the mainstream media we can't afford to lose any slots to blather and bands......

[peterthekeys]

When I'm not out working as a freelance or working from home I pretty much have Radio Three on all day. It's quite astonishing the amount of chat and non-classical music on the station . I am a huge Jazz and rock fan but there is so little classical music in the mainstream media we can't afford to lose any slots to blather and bands......

On my recently-acquired Auna Connect CD internet radio, I can get R3 (along with all the splendid alternatives to R3 - Audiophile Classical is my current favourite.) The display on the Auna box shows a description of what is being played - except for R3, where it just displays: "The home of classical music". I keep thinking that it might be interesting to raise a complaint to the advertising standards and practices people.

[peterthekeys]

This morning

I despair sometimes.

Unfortunately this morning, for some reason, my internet radio decided to wake me up with the R3 breakfast show. Soon, there was the "collage" of bird song interspersed with pieces of music. Sometimes in the past, this has been rather good (often including the stunning birdsong recordings by Chris Watson.) This morning, it was based on a recording of birds at dawn in India. After a song by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, they ended with Holst's "Neptune".

Why? What has Holst's "Neptune" conceivably got to do with birdsong in India? Ironic given that Holst wrote a vast amount of music based on Sanskrit poetry and Vedic philosophy: the third number from his third set of choral hymns from the Rig Veda ("Hymn to Vena - the sun rising through mist") would have been an infinitely more appropriate choice.

I can never decide whether it's lack of imagination by the programme planners, or a kind of terror that if they don't give listeners more of what they've already heard, they'll start to go elsewhere. (If so, then at least in one case - me - it's been exactly the opposite.)

[cloughie]

I think you might have more of a point if Radio 3 didn't already play 'other musics' - in fact taking up the late night schedule almost completely nowadays, as well as with JRR. I would have no objection to an extension of jazz and world (Late Junction I think a typical late night 6 Music programme - I'd prefer jazz and world to occupy thos slots, but those who like it won't agree!)

I would see 6 Music as the natural habitat of World music. Lovers of music other than Classical are over-blessed by the BBC with R1/R2/6Music and a fair chunk from local radio also from the many independent radio stations. Classical is being eroded and dumbed down. Hands off and leve the bleeding chunks to CFM and let us have our Real R3 back. I cannot understand how and why R3 has been lost to those who love it.

[Frances_iom]

I cannot understand how and why R3 has been lost to those who love it.

because those now running medjah, often 'graduates' of the soft subjects, grew up with no or very little introduction to classical music and now merely assume that those who appreciate it are the over 60s 'elite' with whom they have few shared interests - from the late 60s thru the 70s it was usually the mathematicians and hard scientists who supported classical concerts at university.

[teamsaint]

No wonder so many good contributors leave this forum.

[DracoM]

[DaisyDog]

Cloughie:Oh yes, I am very much of that persuasion too. Give us our old and much loved Radio 3 back please and do stop this endless tinkering with it. There will always be listeners craving good classical music. It is an essential and life affirming necessity to many.

[jean]

...from the late 60s thru the 70s it was usually the mathematicians and hard scientists who supported classical concerts at university.

An odd generalisation, and not my experience!

[alycidon]

Well, I’ve been dipping in to R3 occasionally recently and it seems to be getting worse. What’s all this interaction with the great British public? It really irks me!