Music Map

[Wigmore fan]

I was interested in the greater amount of time devoted to, for example, Private Passions, and the new Music Map (Sunday 7 April). This is a good thing on the one hand as it allows for more play-time with better attention given to particular selections - so it's less like Desert Island Discs. Alas, in giving these and other such programmes more time, I was upset to find some successful programmes such as Record Review Extra and Inside Music had been wiped out altogether while others have had their air-time reduced. For example, Record Review is heavily cut to help give room for these new programmes and their additional play-time (a great shame).These various points have been raised by others.
Music Map felt a bit like inventive mind over matter, and a tenuous concept, the sort of thing one might try to 'sell' to a controller. However, the selection of music and greater amount of time to hear each piece was very good. Sarah M-P provided a very beautiful play-list inspired by Debussy, perhaps a complex task to compile all the albeit subjective "sound" connections. I didn't feel convinced by the soundscape "map" but maybe that didn't matter in this case. It is interesting to discover how musicians hear other music and how it may aid their inspiration but an in-depth analysis of just one piece would be more interesting from that point of view such as a careful analysis of a single composition's structure and theme. Episode 1 of Music Map is nevertheless a hard act to follow and I look forward to hearing what's next.

[smittims]

Thanks for this summary. If and when I have time (I'm still catching up with last night's Aleko) I think I'll give Music Map a listen. I had decided it wouldn't be for me, as I'd written it off as an 'educational ' programme for beginners, the sort of thing I might have listened to with advantage in the 1960s (cf Antony Hopkins or Alec Robertson Introduces... if anyone remembers that) but which provoke impatience in me now.

I must admit though that I'm allergic to Sarah Walker's voice. She often sounds to me as if she's trying to stop herself from bursting out in a fit of giggles. Maybe someone once advised her to 'put a smile' in her voice and it's stuck.

[oddoneout]

Thanks for this summary. If and when I have time (I'm still catching up with last night's Aleko) I think I'll give Music Map a listen. I had decided it wouldn't be for me, as I'd written it off as an 'educational ' programme for beginners, the sort of thing I might have listened to with advantage in the 1960s (cf Antony Hopkins or Alec Robertson Introduces... if anyone remembers that) but which provoke impatience in me now.

I must admit though that I'm allergic to Sarah Walker's voice. She often sounds to me as if she's trying to stop herself from bursting out in a fit of giggles. Maybe someone once advised her to 'put a smile' in her voice and it's stuck.

Different Sarah for Music Map...
I didn't listen to the first one as I have insufficient interest in/liking for the piece in question, but today's is more appealing, if I'm around to listen.

[smittims]

Ah, my mistake, thanks. My aopolgies to both Sarah's.

[LMcD]

I happened to hear the introduction to Music Map which, according to SM-P, is a 'show'.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I happened to hear the introduction to Music Map which, according to SM-P, is a 'show'.

Couldn’t find the Music Map thread as so posted my comment under the first vaguely relevant one…

[oddoneout]

I happened to hear the introduction to Music Map which, according to SM-P, is a 'show'.

Yes, there is a considerable gap between what it was described as in the "refresh" promo, and what is actually dished up. For me it is even more of a disappointment than the previous "Inside Music", which did on occasion deliver something of merit, and if not a fairly inoffensive(if rather pointless) listen. Silly I know, and at my age I ought to know better, but I did hope Music Map, even if the promo was over-egged, might provide me with at least a few useful insights into particular pieces of music.

[french frank]

Yes, there is a considerable gap between what it was described as in the "refresh" promo, and what is actually dished up. For me it is even more of a disappointment than the previous "Inside Music", which did on occasion deliver something of merit, and if not a fairly inoffensive(if rather pointless) listen. Silly I know, and at my age I ought to know better, but I did hope Music Map, even if the promo was over-egged, might provide me with at least a few useful insights into particular pieces of music.

Have all the decent producers resigned/taken retirement?

[oddoneout]

Have all the decent producers resigned/taken retirement?

Or perhaps they are like regulators - they exist, in order to tick a box, but have no powers to do the job?
Which I should add isn't to imply anything about the abilities of said people - my comment relates to whether they are able/allowed to demonstrate those abilities these days.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Or perhaps they are like regulators - they exist, in order to tick a box, but have no powers to do the job?
Which I should add isn't to imply anything about the abilities of said people - my comment relates to whether they are able/allowed to demonstrate those abilities these days.

There are plenty of excellent producers around as some of the better programmes on Radio 3 demonstrate . But they work to a brief . These things go in cycles thirty years ago Birt decreed an end to popular lightweight TV current affairs (That’s Life , Nationwide ) and demanded more issue based analytical, issue based journalism . Those who didn’t like the idea left or went to more free and easy depts , the rest took out Economist subscriptions.
I guess thirty years ago R3 producers largely put together extended gramophone record sequences or produced lengthy recordings and IIve concerts - now it’s putting together two to three hour presenter led magazine programmes. Both have their differing demands.

[french frank]

There are plenty of excellent producers around as some of the better programmes on Radio 3 demonstrate .

The better 'R3 programmes' appear to grow fewer and fewer, though. I have no comment to make about the 'programmes on R3'.

[vinteuil]

... to grow fewer and fewer, though

a pedant worries - can you "grow fewer"? Doesn't seem to be what 'growing' entails...

.

[AuntDaisy]

a pedant worries - can you "grow fewer"? Doesn't seem to be what 'growing' entails...

A Dymock poet...
The melancholy of having to count souls
Where they grow fewer and fewer every year

[vinteuil]

A Dymock poet...
The melancholy of having to count souls
Where they grow fewer and fewer every year

... thanks for that : nice.

(I still hae me doots... )

.

[vinteuil]

A Dymock poet...
The melancholy of having to count souls
Where they grow fewer and fewer every year

... of course it's interesting to think what one might mean by 'souls'.

If one believes in a 'soul' in any religious sense, then that soul doesn't disappear at death, so the census-taker will always have the same number of 'souls'.
The poet is either being euphemistic, not wanting to say 'fewer people living', or he is confessing his unbelief but remaining coy - 'soul' sounding more genteel than 'body'...