The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[Suffolkcoastal]

Andy, it's not broadcast as often as you may think, only 7 times, that surprised me too.

[salymap]

The sad thing is that on switching R3 on just before 7am and hearing Bach's Orchestral Suite no 2 my reaction was "Oh no". I love it but not as often. Breakfast now playing "Sheep may safely graze............

[mercia]

not just a bleeding chunk of the Elgar String Quartet but a fade-in for the last 2 minutes of the last movement
well I guess he had 2 minutes to fill, so why not?

Rob's having problems with the word Glagolitic this morning which unfortunately is the subject of his quiz question

[Suffolkcoastal]

That just about sums up Elgar's treatment on R3 so far this year. Only one broadcast of his symphonies (on TTN) and ignoring many of the large scale works, except to play the odd chunk. The majority of Elgar played this year has been of the 'lighter' variety. A perfect demonstration of the path down which R3 is determined to tread.

[AndyJW]

Widor toccata

Thanks for the info, Suffolkcoastal. Perhaps it has also been on 'Classical Collection'

Andy

[Norfolk Born]

I can honestly say that I never get irritated by anything that happens during 'Breakfast', and very rarely while 'Classical Collection' is on the air.
This may - possibly - be due to the fact that I haven't listened to the former for ages and listen increasingly rarely to the latter.
The earliest I'm likely to tune in to Radio 3 these days is at 1.00 p.m. if I like the look of the lunchtime concert.
Some days, I don't tune in at all.
A sad state of affairs, and arguably a drastic solution, but I doubt if I'm alone in adpoting it.

[Panjandrum]

I can honestly say that I never get irritated by anything that happens during 'Breakfast', and very rarely while 'Classical Collection' is on the air. This may - possibly - be due to the fact that I haven't listened to the former for ages and listen increasingly rarely to the latter.

Perhaps you would care to listen to both programmes throughout, and then tell us whether you have retained your enviable sang-froid?

[Stillhomewardbound]

I doubt that I've had a moan about the Breakfast show in almost six months now, so I feel I deserve this thread as necessary therapy.

The 'project' appears to be complete now and a vast CD library at the BBC obviously gathers dust while the morning programme seems to be sourced from a small box of 'Your Greatest Classical Bits' compilation CDs.

Meantime, a big highlight of the morning seems to be the news headlines which are frequently trailed and aniticipated. 'Coming up in ten minutes ... the News' ... 'that was the news ... and more news in half and hour', 'Well, after the news.'

Presentation wise, Sara More-Pietsch-continues-to-speak-someone-else's-words-without-pause-variation-or-change-of-emphasis-so-that-title-orchestra-conductor-artist-newsupnext-irrelevant-filling-all-run-one-into-the-other-in-a-fairly-meaningless-dribble-very-like-one-of-those-conversations-you'll-hear-on-the-train-when-someone-just-goes-and-on-all-yackyackyackyack-about-their-terrible-day-and-how-incredibly-unfair-life-is-and-shall-we-shopping-at-the-weekend-so-I-can-get-those-new-hair-extensions.

Thank goodness for Rob Cowan who can speak old school stylie even if it is just to gush about how marvellous everything is. Much less talk of the old ruck sack these days. Too busy trailing the next news break, I suppose.

Okay, rant over, and please don't have a pop at me for being unkind, beastly or negative. As I've said, I've held me tongue for quite long enough so I feel I deserve this special and contained moment of ire.

See you in another six months, doctor!

[Suffolkcoastal]

I wonder how long it will be before the Breakfast team release some CD's in the manner of CFM? I expect it will be something like a 10 CD box set of 'Breakfast Time Favourites' with a pictures of a smiling Rob and Sara on the front, with a note for listeners assuring them that there isn't any scary music included, introductions to each piece from Rob, Sara, Martin and Katy, a free gift of a signed rucksack from Rob with the first 1000 copies purchased, and even an online interactive copy so you can download news bulletins and trailers at your leisure to give it that extra special Breakfast touch. This will soon be followed by an 'Essential Classics' boxed set along similar lines.

[Panjandrum]

I wonder how long it will be before the Breakfast team release ... a free gift of a signed rucksack from Rob with the first 1000 copies purchased, and even an online interactive copy so you can download news bulletins and trailers at your leisure to give it that extra special Breakfast touch.

You've forgotten the following: "selection of listeners' favourite texts - including the dog that barks at Wagner, and the canary who cheeps to Walton"

Be careful what you wish for SC.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Yes you could download a selection of your favourite texts on the downloadable version of even choose a presenter or mix and match presenters. The CD box set insert will also come complete with various errors in the manner of the R3 website.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I was on the lines of having 100 bonus tracks to download which consist of your favourite presenters reading out a selection of texts sent in during the last couple of years, and a choice of presenters for each CD, so you could choose Rob for CD 1 and Katy for CD 2 etc.

[Black Swan]

I doubt that I've had a moan about the Breakfast show in almost six months now, so I feel I deserve this thread as necessary therapy.

The 'project' appears to be complete now and a vast CD library at the BBC obviously gathers dust while the morning programme seems to be sourced from a small box of 'Your Greatest Classical Bits' compilation CDs.

Meantime, a big highlight of the morning seems to be the news headlines which are frequently trailed and aniticipated. 'Coming up in ten minutes ... the News' ... 'that was the news ... and more news in half and hour', 'Well, after the news.'

Presentation wise, Sara More-Pietsch-continues-to-speak-someone-else's-words-without-pause-variation-or-change-of-emphasis-so-that-title-orchestra-conductor-artist-newsupnext-irrelevant-filling-all-run-one-into-the-other-in-a-fairly-meaningless-dribble-very-like-one-of-those-conversations-you'll-hear-on-the-train-when-someone-just-goes-and-on-all-yackyackyackyack-about-their-terrible-day-and-how-incredibly-unfair-life-is-and-shall-we-shopping-at-the-weekend-so-I-can-get-those-new-hair-extensions.

Thank goodness for Rob Cowan who can speak old school stylie even if it is just to gush about how marvellous everything is. Much less talk of the old ruck sack these days. Too busy trailing the next news break, I suppose.

Okay, rant over, and please don't have a pop at me for being unkind, beastly or negative. As I've said, I've held me tongue for quite long enough so I feel I deserve this special and contained moment of ire.

See you in another six months, doctor!

I have been off ill this week and have not had a listen. But I agree with the sentiments of this quote from last week. I listen to breakfast from 7-9. My only disagreement is about Rob Cowan. I cannot take his continual gushing and requests for texts, emails, etc. And am not sure I find Sara more platable. Ok for me as with the quote gush over. As my friend often says vote with your feet and I've reset the clock radio to another station other then R3.

John

[vinteuil]

As my friend often says vote with your feet and I've reset the clock radio to another station other than R3.

John

... the sad truth is that more and more of us - who used to be "loyal listeners" - are doing this. R3 is losing its core vote.

[Panjandrum]

My only disagreement is about Rob Cowan. I cannot take his continual gushing and requests for texts, emails, etc.

Agree about Cowan. He's been given far too easy ride by some members of this community. He used to be a fine presenter in the dim and distant past when he alternated with Jonathan Swain on "CD Masters". He seems, however, to have embraced the dumbing down at the core of the new Radio 3 with ill concealed zeal. Btw, someone needs to tell him that incessant repetition of the Slavonic Dances will make even the least critical and inattentive of the neophytes reach for the remote.