The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[french frank]

I also notice the presenter justifying the playing of cheap film music by saying "thanks to all of you who requested Ennio Morricone". Which also opens the doors to a self-fulfilling prophecy where people think they can start badgering R3 for the most mundane film soundtracks.

Classic FM Hall of Fame composer - someone writes on their website that The Mission music is her favourite-of-all piece of music - her daughter walked down the aisle to it...

It's simply very, very sad that Radio 3 is now actively trying to reach the same vast populist expanse occupied by Classic FM. What John Tusa in 2005 called 'the flight from intelligence'. (He also said back then 'The BBC uses presenters based on "their ability to convey enthusiasm rather than knowledge"'...)

[doversoul1]

ff

It's simply very, very sad

Yes, I feel almost past being angry.

[old khayyam]

What John Tusa in 2005 called 'the flight from intelligence'. (He also said back then 'The BBC uses presenters based on "their ability to convey enthusiasm rather than knowledge"'...)

Excellent! Makes me feel a lot bit better to know people with a modicum of influence are speaking out. It does, however, leave me wondering where and to whom he said it..

[french frank]

Excellent! Makes me feel a lot bit better to know people with a modicum of influence are speaking out. It does, however, leave me wondering where and to whom he said it..

Unfortunately, it was six years ago and the BBC took no notice whatsoever even of someone like John Tusa - indeed they extended the practices from mainstream television to the once respected Radio 3. Identical methods. Blinkered, market-oriented methods.

[A few years back a friend invited me to her house to see a television programme about Tyntesfield House - a local stately pile which the National Trust had paid out its biggest sum to obtain for the nation. I was transfixed at the amount of time I was expected to watch Dan Cruikshank gesticulating in the most bizarrely eccentric, scarcely human, fashion when what I wanted to be looking at was the artefacts in the house, preferably with a quietly informative commentary. I could hardly believe that that sort of performance would be included in a serious arts programme on the BBC. I suspect it's gone downhill since then.]

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep it has do not waste time on the hyped 'The Code' ....lightweight and penny dreadful ... endless minutes of visuals and unexplained functions, pi i etc ...

[gurnemanz]

All these comments confirm my decision not to tune in any more. The excessive blabber between music can only be there to make the presenters justify the money they are paid. In order to play only short items they are frequently reduced to mutilating works and perverting the composer's intention by playing an isolated movement. They must know that this is a dubious practice but it now seems to be completely acceptable. They did this the last time I listened and I felt so sold short that I got out the CD to finish the work off.

[MickyD]

What I personally find so ironic about all this is that we are lucky enough to live in the very best of times for rare recorded repertoire from many excellent independent companies; Radio 3 should be revelling in this and allowing us to sample such pieces but instead we are just getting all the old stock familiar fare.

[french frank]

Radio 3 should be revelling in this and allowing us to sample such pieces

That's the key, isn't it? And the height of excitement for Breakfast is the 'surprise' when they pop a Frank Sinatra track into the playlist

[Suffolkcoastal]

What I personally find so ironic about all this is that we are lucky enough to live in the very best of times for rare recorded repertoire from many excellent independent companies; Radio 3 should be revelling in this and allowing us to sample such pieces but instead we are just getting all the old stock familiar fare.

Exactly MickyD, it is also interesting now how closely the overplayed pieces match the pieces in CFM's Hall of Fame.

[mangerton]

yep it has do not waste time on the hyped 'The Code' ....lightweight and penny dreadful ... endless minutes of visuals and unexplained functions, pi i etc ...

Quite. An Open University programme which explained pi. I think I was about 11 when I learned about pi.

[Serial_Apologist]

[A few years back a friend invited me to her house to see a television programme about Tyntesfield House - a local stately pile which the National Trust had paid out its biggest sum to obtain for the nation. I was transfixed at the amount of time I was expected to watch Dan Cruikshank gesticulating in the most bizarrely eccentric, scarcely human, fashion when what I wanted to be looking at was the artefacts in the house, preferably with a quietly informative commentary. I could hardly believe that that sort of performance would be included in a serious arts programme on the BBC. I suspect it's gone downhill since then.]

The main difference that you would notice today is that presenters of programmes of this kind now occupy most of the frame for most of the time, thereby blocking out whatever it is they are describing.

S-A

[old khayyam]

I can think of 2 or 3 points here:

Hasn't it always been the case that 'automatic' radio stations save on the cost of paying presenters? A station with no 'celebrities' on air, that plays mainly the music of dead composers, is surely the most cost-effective proposition. If they carry on down the current route they'll be forking out millions for the R3 equivalent of Sir Terry Wogan KBE or something.

Re TV: Just to play devils advocaat for a moment, did we not used to have the animated arms of Dr Magnus Pike distracting us left, right, and centre? I dont remember him being all that reverential for his subject, or was he just for children?

And how do we stand on Brian Sewell?

[Norfolk Born]

[QUOTE=old khayyam;70849]I can think of 2 or 3 points here:

Hasn't it always been the case that 'automatic' radio stations save on the cost of paying presenters? A station with no 'celebrities' on air, that plays mainly the music of dead composers, is surely the most cost-effective proposition. If they carry on down the current route they'll be forking out millions for the R3 equivalent of Sir Terry Wogan KBE or something.

Re TV: Just to play devils advocaat for a moment, did we not used to have the animated arms of Dr Magnus Pike distracting us left, right, and centre? I dont remember him being all that reverential for his subject, or was he just for children?

And how do we stand on Brian Sewell?[/QUOTE]

Carefully, and at least four at a time?

[meles]

08:34 today - Ennio Morricone. I like the music of Ennio Morricone but it has no place on R3. Well, yes it does; but then i'll have to allow the Star Wars theme on principle, which is wrong.

I also notice the presenter justifying the playing of cheap film music by saying "thanks to all of you who requested Ennio Morricone". Which also opens the doors to a self-fulfilling prophecy where people think they can start badgering R3 for the most mundane film soundtracks.

Ah - you fail to understand. It's a classic film score. And Radio 3 is about classical music.

[antongould]

In no way trying to take over Suffolkcoastal's mantle I have analysed the Breakfast Monday to Friday playlists for 21 days of Breakfast in July. The results are, to me at least, interesting - so as it's been a long week what about a quiz?

What was the average length of the pieces played
a) 5.25 mins
b) 6.34 mins
c) 6.90 mins

How many composers featured
a) 156
b) 191
c) 213

Who was the most played composer

a) J S Bach
b) Chopin
c) Mozart

How many pieces were played more than once
a) 2
b) 5
c) 10

Which composer was not played in July
a) Wagner
b) Bruckner
c) Nielsen