The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[french frank]

After 9.00 a.m. we had the presenter "justifying" Roger Norrington's Mozart 40. Why? Let the music speak, rather than giving pre-conceptions - "this isn't everyone's cup of tea".

After 9am today? That sounds like the same presenter who introduced one piece on Classical Collection:

"I’ve chosen a short piece by Anton Webern. Now, before you decide to bring forward that trip to the shops, or tend to the herbaceous border, let me reassure you that this is early Webern, and not the slightest bit scary..." (It was Im Sommerwind).

Has the BBC dumbed down its audience, or has the audience dumbed down the BBC, I wonder ?

[Don Petter]

Sure nothing is going to be everyone's cup of tea?

But at least they have, for once, admitted that everything they play is not 'all things to all men'.

[JanH]

All true, but I wish the presenters would stick to the music and not prattle on about what someone else might think. It's like people who spend their lives trying to be popular.

After 9.00 a.m. we had the presenter "justifying" Roger Norrington's Mozart 40. Why? Let the music speak, rather than giving pre-conceptions - "this isn't everyone's cup of tea".

The main problem is that all these 'presenters' think that they are celeberities........the whole thing is ridiculous. When I was young people were 'famous' if they had done something of note, now it seems to me just doing one's job is cause for celebration..and a huge financial bonus. Humph! And the last thing I would do is cross the river and peer at an annoucer in a red box....gawd help us!

[french frank]

But at least they have, for once, admitted that everything they play is not 'all things to all men'.

That doesn't differ much from the BBC's standard mantra, used for decades when anyone complains of anything: "You can't please all the people all the time."

[Serial_Apologist]

After 9am today? That sounds like the same presenter who introduced one piece on Classical Collection:

"I’ve chosen a short piece by Anton Webern. Now, before you decide to bring forward that trip to the shops, or tend to the herbaceous border, let me reassure you that this is early Webern, and not the slightest bit scary..." (It was Im Sommerwind).

Has the BBC dumbed down its audience, or has the audience dumbed down the BBC, I wonder ?

To be fairer than fair, Radio 3 announcers have done this is the past, too. I had a reel-to-reel from around 1968 of an announcement for "'A Prayer for Peace' by Hanns Eisler. Eisler studied under Schoenberg, but don't let that worry you, this is a tonal piece". maybe someone else on high has heard it too, and thought: Ah! Just the precedent we were looking for to vindicate our present policy by reference to past practice!

[Don Petter]

"I’ve chosen a short piece by Anton Webern. Now, before you decide to bring forward that trip to the shops, or tend to the herbaceous border, let me reassure you that this is early Webern, and not the slightest bit scary..."

This brings back to me a story from my late brother, who had been to a concert (which could have been a Prom in 1957, with Basil Cameron, but I'm not sure).

After much continuing applause, and possibly several encores, the conductor eventually announced 'If you don't stop applauding and go home, we'll play the Petrassi again!'.

[french frank]

To be fairer than fair, Radio 3 announcers have done this is the past, too. I had a reel-to-reel from around 1968 of an announcement for "'A Prayer for Peace' by Hanns Eisler. Eisler studied under Schoenberg, but don't let that worry you, this is a tonal piece". maybe someone else on high has heard it too, and thought: Ah! Just the precedent we were looking for to vindicate our present policy by reference to past practice!

It doesn't make it necessary: who exactly do they think they're talking to?

It's like Blue Peter where the audience are adults too.

[cloughie]

After 9.00 a.m. we had the presenter "justifying" Roger Norrington's Mozart 40. Why? Let the music speak, rather than giving pre-conceptions - "this isn't everyone's cup of tea".

What did you expect him to say 'Bryn on the R3 forum will enjoy this even if you other philistines don't?'

[Honoured Guest]

1970s announcer Patricia Hughes - at a time when announcers just read scripts, operated some of the machinery and had no part in any programme-making decisions - gleefully recounted, after her retirement, how she once back-announced an especially abrasive edition of Music in our Time, a weekly hour of contemporary music, with: "And now for some music." It's a funny story but it demonstrates to me how much better it is, in principle, for Radio 3 to have generally replaced announcers with broadcasters who can personally introduce the music.

[Old Grumpy]

1970s announcer Patricia Hughes - at a time when announcers just read scripts, operated some of the machinery and had no part in any programme-making decisions - gleefully recounted, after her retirement, how she once back-announced an especially abrasive edition of Music in our Time, a weekly hour of contemporary music, with: "And now for some music." It's a funny story.

Agreed

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... but it demonstrates to me how much better it is, in principle, for Radio 3 to have generally replaced announcers with broadcasters who can personally introduce the music.

In principle, yes, but what we have instead is a matey chat about pop-ups, internal adverts, texts, e-mails, dedications, inaccurate introductions and "broadcasters" seemingly incapable of speaking in sentences with subject-verb-object and something resembling punctuation. No, Mr HG, it hasn't improved; it has deteriorated significantly. And when do they ever talk about the actual music?

[Honoured Guest]

In Tune presenters, particularly Suzy Klein, often give guests an opportunity to talk about the music, its composition and its performance. Some guests are better than others! Sean Rafferty does seem much less sincere in his conversation - just going through the motions, not really wanting a serious response. I think that the presenters of Jazz on 3, Hear and Now, Late Junction usually talk about the music and set it in context very well. I hardly ever listen at all to the mid-evening Live in Concert, but I would hope that the music there is well presented. Obviously (to me) there is much talk about the music in Composer of the Week! Breakfast is intended to be an occasional programme, listen as you munch or shave or drive, and I can't really get at all worked up about the state of its musicological spine.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

1970s announcer Patricia Hughes - at a time when announcers just read scripts, operated some of the machinery and had no part in any programme-making decisions - gleefully recounted, after her retirement, how she once back-announced an especially abrasive edition of Music in our Time, a weekly hour of contemporary music, with: "And now for some music." It's a funny story but it demonstrates to me how much better it is, in principle, for Radio 3 to have generally replaced announcers with broadcasters who can personally introduce the music.

Yes - when I read S_A's story about the "don't worry, it's tonal" announcer, I immediately thought of PH (who could be patronizingly acidic). I also agree with your comments about the commentary on Hear & Now, Late Junction, Jazz on 3 and Composer of the Week - and the superiority of Suzy Klein over SR (which is faint praise, but not meant to be damning).



No; no sarcastic "comeback": I'm delighted at the opportunity to be able to agree with you.

[Pulcinella]

Would that the `broadcasters' (sorry: to me they are announcers!) DID actually introduce the music.
How often are we told, for example, how many movements there might be in a piece (not all concertos have three; not all symphonies have four) or what their tempo indications are?
Of course I don't imagine we get more than one movement on `Breakfast' anyway: like others I gave up listening long ago.

[Serial_Apologist]

Dates, when were compositions completed and/or first performed - that's what's mostly missing in announcements these days - even on COTW.