The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[peterthekeys]

SK sends me spare, but I’m willing to endure or indeed ignore her if she gets lots of new listeners in. Not sure there’s much evidence of that though.

Me too - can't bear her. BBC4 have just started doing a series about composers of African descent. I would have liked to follow it. But SK's co-presenting it - so as far as I'm concerned, it's a no-no (don't particularly want to spend several hours resisting the temptation to throw a brick at the telly).

There's been a recent discussion on the Essential Classics thread about Andre Previn. One of his great qualities was his ability to talk about classical music without any pontification or dumbing-down. Same goes for Leonard Bernstein. SK should take note (some hope).

[peterthekeys]

It's all very sad, Nick. As far as I'm concerned, Radio 3 ceased to exist some while ago. Listening on the radio at home to its vaunted 'live music' concerts and recitals is not so greatly different from listening at home to my CDs. I have no patience to pick over the dross for such gems as may still be heard, and haven't listened to any radio now for years. It's gone the same way as television for me. For those for whom it provides joy and entertainment, it serves a purpose.

I have to agree re. R3. Never imagined that I'd ever say it - in the 70s and 80s, I used to listen to R3 all day and was devoted to it. Also agree re. TV to some extent: out of the BBC channels, the only one which I watched regularly was BBC4 - but the number of repeats has become ridiculous (motto for the channel: "BBC4 - seen it before"). And the endless padding with TOTP and East Enders episodes is just nauseating. In desperation, I've been investigating some of the commercial channels - Smithsonian is sometimes interesting (best to record programmes so that the interminable commercial breaks can be skipped quickly).

If I listen to anything other than my own CDs these days, it's usually Audiophile Classical:

http://stream.psychomed.gr/webstream%20classical.html

Just music - whole works - and not even any announcements (occasional requests for donations). Heavy focus on neglected composers and works - often some real treasures (lots of Raff - he was a very interesting composer). Give it a try.

[gurnemanz]

It's all very sad, Nick. As far as I'm concerned, Radio 3 ceased to exist some while ago

I joined this board thinking it was for friends of Radio 3 and such utterances trotted out with tedious and depressing frequency tend to make me want to clear off.

It seems a pity to decide to miss the Nielsen Composer of the Week and the current superb live Wigmore lunchtime recitals. My cheese sandwich has just been accompanied by Beethoven's last Quartet from the Albions and am looking forward to Bostridge with Imogen Cooper in Beethoven Lieder tomorrow. Just starting now is the ongoing afternoon sadness of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra concerts.

[antongould]

I joined this board thinking it was for friends of Radio 3 and such utterances trotted out with tedious and depressing frequency tend to make me want to clear off.

It seems a pity to decide to miss the Nielsen Composer of the Week and the current superb live Wigmore lunchtime recitals. My cheese sandwich has just been accompanied by Beethoven's last Quartet from the Albions and am looking forward to Bostridge with Imogen Cooper in Beethoven Lieder tomorrow. Just starting now is the ongoing afternoon sadness of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra concerts.

Please don’t clear off gurnemanz ...... you are with some friends .....

[french frank]

I joined this board thinking it was for friends of Radio 3 and such utterances trotted out with tedious and depressing frequency tend to make me want to clear off.

Sympathy appreciated. Yes, it was the Friends of Radio 3 forum, but hasn't been for a few years now, when FoR3 disbanded and gave up defeated.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I joined this board thinking it was for friends of Radio 3 and such utterances trotted out with tedious and depressing frequency tend to make me want to clear off.

It seems a pity to decide to miss the Nielsen Composer of the Week and the current superb live Wigmore lunchtime recitals. My cheese sandwich has just been accompanied by Beethoven's last Quartet from the Albions and am looking forward to Bostridge with Imogen Cooper in Beethoven Lieder tomorrow. Just starting now is the ongoing afternoon sadness of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra concerts.

Agreed - there is some superb stuff around . The Wigmore concerts , the ROH gala on Saturday night, the LSO relay the other night . R3 in my biased opinion is one of the great things about this country. If you don’t listen to R3 at all how can you be ina position to criticise it?

[Frances_iom]

my own approach is not worthwhile listening before noon nor for most of the weekend - if they would only cease the adverts or even have the continuity announcer read or ad lib from some prepared script of that day's plugs I might be more tempted not to switch off once I heard what I switched on for - but there are certain voices that I can't stand TS is one, KD another and there is someone on weekends that sounds totally out of her depth.

[LMcD]

Me too - can't bear her. BBC4 have just started doing a series about composers of African descent. I would have liked to follow it. But SK's co-presenting it - so as far as I'm concerned, it's a no-no (don't particularly want to spend several hours resisting the temptation to throw a brick at the telly).

There's been a recent discussion on the Essential Classics thread about Andre Previn. One of his great qualities was his ability to talk about classical music without any pontification or dumbing-down. Same goes for Leonard Bernstein. SK should take note (some hope).

I thought the Klein/Henry programme was a one-off.

[french frank]

If you don’t listen to R3 at all how can you be ina position to criticise it?

I didn't actually criticise anything at all that Radio 3 is doing now. I merely expressed the view that the kind of station I used to enjoy listening to ceased some while ago. I have heard nothing to suggest that it has reverted to its previous style - and thank goodness, some will say, but it happened to suit me. I don't expect it to have suited everyone. I could elaborate on the various things which are not to my taste, but won't since people would rather not hear them expressed here - yet again, apparently. But it was never about individual programmes.

The fact is that there is a great deal of music in all sorts of places now, and I seek it out elsewhere. I am not surprised that there are many who find a great deal of enjoyable and worthwhile programmes to listen to on R3. But currently I have no need to seek out those particular programmes.

I'm not criticising: I'm saying it's not for me. I don't fancy eating snails either, but for those who enjoy them, please continue to do so. There is surely room for all points of view here?

And by the way, the Friends of Radio 3 was never an Appreciation Society. It's taken me more than 20 years to finally give up listening - thankfully at a time when there have never been so many alternatives on offer.

[oddoneout]

my own approach is not worthwhile listening before noon nor for most of the weekend - if they would only cease the adverts or even have the continuity announcer read or ad lib from some prepared script of that day's plugs I might be more tempted not to switch off once I heard what I switched on for - but there are certain voices that I can't stand TS is one, KD another and there is someone on weekends that sounds totally out of her depth.

A few days ago - it might have been the weekend as I think it was Martin Handley - I did hear that approach being taken. Unfortunately it didn't seem to reduce the advert count, but be in addition to it, so even more airtime frittered away to no good purpose.

[LMcD]

'Breakfast' is going to feature a different young artiste every day this month. If I tell you the overall title is '31 Under 31' ..... Currently on air: a Venezuelan male soprano singing 'Non sara poco' from Handel's 'Atalanta'. Tomorrow we'll hear a young recorder player.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Me too - can't bear her. BBC4 have just started doing a series about composers of African descent. I would have liked to follow it. But SK's co-presenting it - so as far as I'm concerned, it's a no-no (don't particularly want to spend several hours resisting the temptation to throw a brick at the telly).

There's been a recent discussion on the Essential Classics thread about Andre Previn. One of his great qualities was his ability to talk about classical music without any pontification or dumbing-down. Same goes for Leonard Bernstein. SK should take note (some hope).

What I find so irritating about SK if her patronising and judgemental manner, both in the way she talks about the music and the way she addresses the listeners. I can’t imagination her attracting any new listeners.

[Nick Armstrong]

What I find so irritating about SK if her patronising and judgemental manner, both in the way she talks about the music and the way she addresses the listeners. I can’t imagination her attracting any new listeners.

She definitely joined the “Not In This House” list some time ago, for those reasons.

[cloughie]

She definitely joined the “Not In This House” list some time ago, for those reasons.

On the occasions I listen I feel she’s only going through the motions, with little enthusiasm or real attempts to engage the audience - surely there are others who could do a better job, but the formula is not particularly good and rather tired.

[Nick Armstrong]

I feel she’s only going through the motions

I know exactly what you mean