The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[antongould]

A most handsome array of emoticons! Vent that spleen! Purge that rage! If only my poor radio knew how close it comes each day to being hurled against the wall.

But we better hush now, or antongould will get all weepy on us.

As if.....sadly haven't heard today's - Lady G had a full schedule for me - but I did listen E2E yesterday and enjoyed it.
New, to me at least, composers and IIRC, RVW, Walton, Arnold and Bruckner, yes the usual Breakfast Bruckner but enjoyable to me at least. Nobody denies there is a playlist of sorts - I'm not saying I agree with it but it it causes such angst and you know you are going to hit it there is the off button and / or the Mercs Eastenders methodology.

[Oliver]

Ah, Danse Macabre....the piece that drove me to register for this forum.
I emailed Breakfast on three occasions, asking why it was so often played. My guess is fifteen times this year.
Automated responses followed but no explanation. A few weeks ago, after yet another exposure to those damn dancing skeletons, I emailed again. An hour later, to my astonishment, there they were again, this time on my car radio.
I began to wonder whether the producer was playing a trick (a belated Hallow'een one, perhaps?) so I pointed this out in yet another email: more in the spirit of amusement than anger, you understand.
I then received another automated email advising me to make a formal complaint to the BBC. Astonishing.
On the credit side, those skeletons have remained quietly in their graves for a number of weeks now....I think.

[Thropplenoggin]

Ah, Danse Macabre....the piece that drove me to register for this forum.
I emailed Breakfast on three occasions, asking why it was so often played. My guess is fifteen times this year.
Automated responses followed but no explanation. A few weeks ago, after yet another exposure to those damn dancing skeletons, I emailed again. An hour later, to my astonishment, there they were again, this time on my car radio.
I began to wonder whether the producer was playing a trick (a belated Hallow'een one, perhaps?) so I pointed this out in yet another email: more in the spirit of amusement than anger, you understand.
I then received another automated email advising me to make a formal complaint to the BBC. Astonishing.
On the credit side, those skeletons have remained quietly in their graves for a number of weeks now....I think.

Just goes to show how much they value interactivity. If you'd been writing about a skateboarding dog whose tail wags every time 'Danse Macabre' comes on, I'm sure you'd have been invited on air to discuss it. In fact, why not use this as a ruse to get invited on, then start singing 'dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones'.

Please continue to be a thorn in their side.

[Nick Armstrong]

those damn dancing skeletons....

(On the credit side, those skeletons have remained quietly in their graves for a number of weeks now....I think.)

Only to be replaced by damn dancing cowboys (plus dancing Hungarians and Slavonics)

Welcome Oliver

[eighthobstruction]

Ah, Danse Macabre....the piece that drove me to register for this forum.
I emailed Breakfast on three occasions, asking why it was so often played. My guess is fifteen times this year.
Automated responses followed but no explanation. A few weeks ago, after yet another exposure to those damn dancing skeletons, I emailed again. An hour later, to my astonishment, there they were again, this time on my car radio.
I began to wonder whether the producer was playing a trick (a belated Hallow'een one, perhaps?) so I pointed this out in yet another email: more in the spirit of amusement than anger, you understand.
I then received another automated email advising me to make a formal complaint to the BBC. Astonishing.
On the credit side, those skeletons have remained quietly in their graves for a number of weeks now....I think.

In the days of the BBC Jazz Mb's we used to write in about the number and prominence of Women Jazz Singers (and not particularly good ones at that) on Jazz Line Up....there was then increase upon increase....

[Suffolkcoastal]

Unfirtunately we've had the 'Dancing Bones' again in the last week, Oliver, I'll check my spreadsheet but I think its been 11 or 12 times this year so far. The Slavonics have dropped off a bit in number in the last few weeks (cue memo from the Dear Leader to make sure that a daily Slavonic Dance for the next month is programmed to makem up for this), instead R3 has gone completely over the top with Dancing Hungarians, there has also been an upsurge in chunks from Swan Lake, Nutcracker and Peer Gynt so far this year as well as a notable increase in light stuff from a certain J Strauss II and Gershwin.

[Zucchini]

Just goes to show how much they value interactivity...Please continue to be a thorn in their side.

I think Oliver & others would be better off Tweeting the presenter with a courteous question. At least it will be seen by followers. Emails & fountain pens don't work.

I basically agree with Anton & Mercia - if you know so much that you've outgrown Breakfast & don't like its presentation, find something you like in the remaining 150hrs of weekly programming - or play some CDs or go for a walk. Accept that other listeners are reasonably happy & that you're the odd one out.

It's like school: when you outgrow primary school you move to secondary school. When you outgrow that maybe you go to college or get a job.

If you've outgrown Breakfast & Radio 3, leave your place for someone else to experience the pleasures of dicovering new music & new performers -& look back with thanks & affection, not resentment. The "school" will update its curriculum regularly, but not to suit you at the expense of other people's lifestyles & enjoyment.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I basically agree with Anton & Mercia - if you know so much that you've outgrown Breakfast & don't like it's presentation, find something you like in the remaining 150hrs of weekly programming - or play some CDs or go for a walk. Accept that other listeners are reasonably happy & that you're the odd one out.

Typo, my little courgette-y one? Missed out "million" between "one" and "out"?

It's like school: when you outgrow primary school you move to secondary school. When you outgrow that maybe you go to college or get a job.

If you've outgrown Breakfast & Radio 3, leave your place for someone else to experience the pleasures of dicovering new music & new performers -& look back with thanks & affection, not resentment. The "school" will update its curriculum regularly, but not to suit you at the expense of other people's lifestyles & enjoyment.

An "argument" that's often been raised on these Threads many many times before. Two responses from me - 1) For the past three years, I have been playing Bach Cantata CDs as my breakfast listening, hearing the Breakfast programme only on my car radio on my way in to work - and even then for only as long as I can bear the prattle; longest on record so far, seven minutes. 2) It would be nice if the Breakfast "curriculum" were "updated regularly" instead of regurgitations of the same old pieces with the same out brain-dead chatter.

But at least we agree that the current Breakfast "tone" is suitable for Primary school age listeners.

[Lancashire Lass]

But it's not that we've outgrown R3.

The problem is that R3 has become increasingly infantilised, so that for much of the day it is a completely different radio station from the one we all used to love.

[Thropplenoggin]

I suppose old age is known as 'the second childhood'. Perhaps I just need to give it another 50 years before I'm ready for 'Breakfast' in its current format.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Its not just Breakfast that is a no go area, inessential classics and the Rafferty & Klein show are too, so that's 7.5 hours of music programming per week day that is 'out of bounds'. If you take out the late evening programming which is non-music and if you don't like the Late Junction format or type of music, you're left with the afternoon and evening concerts which are hit and miss and TTN to listen to on iplayer, though even that is now invaded more frequently by the warhorses.

[doversoul1]

It's like school: when you outgrow primary school you move to secondary school. When you outgrow that maybe you go to college or get a job.

No, it certainly is not. Radio 3 is not meant to be outgrown by its listeners. It is / should be the station for life. That is the essential difference from CBeebies.

[Serial_Apologist]

No, it certainly is not. Radio 3 is not meant to be outgrown by its listeners. It is / should be the station for life. That is the essential difference from CBeebies.

The other point being that those who now complain about Breakfast etc are we who once benefitted by R3 being a quality station presenting challenging and informative programming, and who thus have something to go on, whereas those coming new to the station today are being provided with no such primer.

I sometimes have to ask myself if Anton has actually ever heard those works mentioned by Suffolkcoaster, or those parts of the works seldom or ever played.

[mercia]

orchestras obviously can't be programming Copland otherwise he would turn up in the R3 live evening concerts
and looking at the Proms archive he hasn't been programmed much there either
so perhaps Radio 3 is simply reflecting the wider musical world as regards Copland

[Serial_Apologist]

orchestras obviously can't be programming Copland otherwise he would turn up in the live evening concerts
and looking at the Proms archive he hasn't been programmed much there either
so perhaps Radio 3 is simply reflecting the wider musical world as regards Copland

A bucking cowboy-eyed musical world view...