The Classical Voice: 15 June - 4 July

[doversoul1]

BBC Radio 3 celebrates all aspects of classical singing across three weeks of special broadcasts, in a special season of programmes focusing on The Classical Voice on 15 June - 4 July, including a three-day residency in Cardiff.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/radio-3-the-classical-voice?lang=cy

Kiri Te Kanawa seems to be the main guest rather than the honourably one.

Did you know that we were listening to one of the programmes of the project?
On CD Review (Saturday, 9am-12.15pm) as part of the Classical Voice season, Building a Library puts the spotlight on Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse

Apart from the Early Music Show and the BaL we’ve already had, plus a couple of cursory nods to Bach (JS) and Handel, there is no chant, no polyphony (apart from being included in the EMS), no motet, no madrigal, no chamber or secular/sacred cantata, and no Baroque opera. I expect all these will be scattered through Breakfast, Essential Classics and In Tune but I don’t quite fancy sitting through to find out.

Still, I shall look out for some interesting discoveries, and I think this is much better programming than all those fests we had in the last few years.

Incidentally, how does this fit in?
Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein (4 July, 9am-12pm).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So far, it's been yet another gimmick.
In Essential Classics this morning, SW was dropping in the statutory number of "Classical Voice Season" references in order to reach the required total by 12.00 noon. Or so it seemed.

A great deal more gushing seems to emerge when singers are involved, though I may be influenced by the gushometer of the Cardiff Singer Final.

DS is right her hypothesis of how it is being done. Why don't they show a bit of backbone for once and do something radical - like dropping Essential Classics/In Tune/Saturday Classics, for the duration, and replacing them with some really interesting programmes about the Classical Voice?

[Serial_Apologist]

So far, it's been yet another gimmick.
In Essential Classics this morning, SW was dropping in the statutory number of "Classical Voice Season" references in order to reach the required total by 12.00 noon. Or so it seemed.

A great deal more gushing seems to emerge when singers are involved, though I may be influenced by the gushometer of the Cardiff Singer Final.

DS is right her hypothesis of how it is being done. Why don't they show a bit of backbone for once and do something radical - like dropping Essential Classics/In Tune/Saturday Classics, for the duration, and replacing them with some really interesting programmes about the Classical Voice?

Indeed; for starters, wouldn't it be nice (for people such as myself) to learn something about how the bel canto style of operatic singing came about, when, and for what reasons?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've got a little muddled about the Law concerning Classical Voice Season.

Are we still allowed to hunt them with dogs?

[french frank]

DS is right her hypothesis of how it is being done. Why don't they show a bit of backbone for once and do something radical - like dropping Essential Classics/In Tune/Saturday Classics, for the duration, and replacing them with some really interesting programmes about the Classical Voice?

I'm not sure it's so much about backbone as money. Just producing the same programmes as usual but including a few 'seasonal' pieces so that you can mention 'the Season' doesn't cost any more than producing the normal programme. Yes, some dedicated programmes on, erm, The Voice would have been great but at a few £1,000s per hour I suppose they have to stick to the routine at a few £100s.

[doversoul1]

I’m not sure it’s so much about money as the will to do it properly. It would have been no extra cost to include carefully programmed features in the regular programmes. Essential Classics would have been an ideal place, yet what do we have? One song lasting less than five minutes under the heading of ‘Five Reasons to Love Countertenor’. Are they being funny or what?

And did Dame Kiri offer Radio3 free service while she is here for the Cardiff job?

[french frank]

It would have been no extra cost to include carefully programmed features in the regular programmes.

My point is that it does cost more. Once you start asking people to do any kind of focused research, it takes more time and they have to be paid for it. That's why playing CDs is the cheapest form of music radio and features are expensive.

And did Dame Kiri offer Radio3 free service while she is here for the Cardiff job?

Well, given everything was already available on site - 'studio', equipment, Dame Kiri I suspect many guests are flattered to be asked and it's good publicity for them …

[doversoul1]

My point is that it does cost more. Once you start asking people to do any kind of focused research, it takes more time and they have to be paid for it. That's why playing CDs is the cheapest form of music radio and features are expensive.

But surely the two presenters of Essential Classics are more than capable of selecting vocal works and playing in some cohesive order to make a meaningful feature without doing any special research? Lunchtime Concert, Afternoon on 3 and Live on 3 are the matter of simple selections. Unless it needs people with intelligence instead of the regular computer programmers.

Well, given everything was already available on site - 'studio', equipment, Dame Kiri I suspect many guests are flattered to be asked and it's good publicity for them...

I imagine many currently active performers would but would Dame Kiri still need publicity on Radio 3? It looks to me more like Radio3 making a use of a big name in order to placate those grumpy old listeners (or that’s what they think. Huh).

[Honoured Guest]

And did Dame Kiri offer Radio3 free service while she is here for the Cardiff job?

She is Patron of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World so I assume this is honorary, unpaid and not a "job".

She said on last Friday's In Tune that she would only act as Patron if she were able to contribute to the event in a range of ways, and I presume that her broadcast appearances were a part of her Patronly presence.

Are you suggesting that, as the Patron of a BBC event, she should waive the usual broadcasting fees?

This Forum is bitchy beyond belief (the Three B's).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This Forum is bitchy beyond belief (the Three B's).

Clearly a misplaced suggestion. The contributors to this thread so far (other than you and I) are among the most level-headed and reasonable people I would ever hope to meet.

[doversoul1]

What I am saying is that BBC / Radio3 should have learned by now not to spend its precious resource on famous persons, as they rarely make a decent presenter, or even an interesting guest.

[Nick Armstrong]

1 July! So only a few days to go before the Voices stop....

Or reduce in number at least. I'm really fed up of it just being an excuse to churn out more bleeding operatic chunks than usual.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Maybe we'll have The Classical Scrape next (devoted to string playing) followed by the Classical Hoot and the Classical X-factor (for wooden tuned percussion).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Maybe we'll have The Classical Scrape next (devoted to string playing) followed by the Classical Hoot and the Classical X-factor (for wooden tuned percussion).

Classical Skin: four months of drummers and drumming. Radio Three - on air, online, on yer mobiile and on yer nerves.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Classical Skin: four months of drummers and drumming. Radio Three - on air, online, on yer mobiile and on yer nerves.