Saturday Classics

[french frank]

Starting today, 3pm-5pm

"A personal view of classical music from a range of presenters launches with Gareth Malone, star of BBC 2's BAFTA Award Winning 'The Choir'. In the first of four programmes, Gareth explores the many aspects of a subject close to his heart - 'musical youth'. Featuring two hours of great music including Mozart, Schubert, Verdi, Chopin and Elgar."

No playlist yet. Gareth Malone will be presenting the first four programmes in this new series. Other (musical) celebrities to follow.

The main issue for many of us will be, not whether it is 'high-quality' and 'distinctive' but what knowledge level it assumes. It may be yet another two hours aimed at the 'potential' new audience (I wonder where else it's being trailed?); it may be a good 'work-out' with some interesting music and comment.

[Nick Armstrong]

Starting today, 3pm-5pm

"A personal view of classical music from a range of presenters launches with Gareth Malone, star of BBC 2's BAFTA Award Winning 'The Choir'. In the first of four programmes, Gareth explores the many aspects of a subject close to his heart - 'musical youth'. Featuring two hours of great music including Mozart, Schubert, Verdi, Chopin and Elgar."

No playlist yet. Gareth Malone will be presenting the first four programmes in this new series. Other (musical) celebrities to follow.

The main issue for many of us will be, not whether it is 'high-quality' and 'distinctive' but what knowledge level it assumes. It may be yet another two hours aimed at the 'potential' new audience (I wonder where else it's being trailed?); it may be a good 'work-out' with some interesting music and comment.

It seems at first sight like yet another unsatisfying portion of "Private Passions - lite" spread thin with a patronising garnish

[mercia]

my Radio Times says we'll get Chopin's Raindrop Prelude, Mendelssohn's 1st Piano Concerto and Elgar's Dream Children today

[french frank]

It seems at first sight like yet another unsatisfying portion of "Private Passions - lite" spread thin with a patronising garnish

I do have a lot of time for Gareth Malone and think he's done some good work on educating the musically uneducated on television.

The main point is whether he's been drafted in to do the same on Radio 3 (four weeks on Radio 3 so much cheaper than four weeks on BBC Two). It'll be about tone and depth (or lack of). I haven't prejudged on this one.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I haven't prejudged on this one.

I'm afraid I have, but I very much hope I'm wrong.

[Nick Armstrong]

I do have a lot of time for Gareth Malone and think he's done some good work on educating the musically uneducated on television.

The main point is whether he's been drafted in to do the same on Radio 3 (four weeks on Radio 3 so much cheaper than four weeks on BBC Two). It'll be about tone and depth (or lack of). I haven't prejudged on this one.

I heard about 10 minutes and was pleasantly surprised, he seemed to be doing rather well, unobtrusively delivering a themed programme. I wonder if he is being groomed for full time 'presenting' at a later stage...

[Chris Newman]

I do have a lot of time for Gareth Malone and think he's done some good work on educating the musically uneducated on television.

The main point is whether he's been drafted in to do the same on Radio 3 (four weeks on Radio 3 so much cheaper than four weeks on BBC Two). It'll be about tone and depth (or lack of). I haven't prejudged on this one.

I thought his work with schools especially at Glyndebourne was excellent and I love watching his programme on sea shanties when it gets revived (I have a fondness for CH's clog dancing series too). I would be worried about Gareth becoming a "full-time" presenter as it would be a waste of his obvious musical talents. Imagine how much more musical in outlook Britain might be today if in the 1960s the BBC had seen fit to let Russell Burgess free on the TV and Radio waves in the way that Gareth appears these days. Instead it was Eric Robinson on BBCTV whilst Andre Previn on ITV was still a bit formal.

[mercia]

crikey, did we just go straight from Delius into Stravinsky without a pause?
oh, it was a quiz, silly me

[Anna]

crikey, did we just go straight from Delius into Stravinsky without a pause?
oh, it was a quiz, silly me

Indeed we did mercia, it was part of the Guess what it is Competition (but don't phone in, it's just for fun)

Now, I like Gareth Malone a lot, I've seen all his tv programmes about his work with young people and have been impressed but I'm afraid this programme doesn't do anything for me. Ok, it's themed on youth but who is it aimed at, because although it's fairly pleasant to listen to on a rainy afternoon all the music is so familiar, I haven't learnt anything about how/why they composed so young, what the reactions were and now he said that here's a game he plays when he's teaching youth groups (7 year olds he added later) - listen and see if you can tell when this piece is going to end. If he had added the word children onto the end of his sentence I wouldn't have been surprised.

Having said that, I'd rather listen to this programme than to Breakfast.

[french frank]

Proof of the pudding ...

My concern is that people are chosen firstly for being good 'communicators' and, especially for young people, that matters. But I don't see a lot in Gareth's CV - no more than for Aled Jones - that he has a wide knowledge of the repertoire. I would suggest that for Radio 3 programming the emphasis should be on being able to tell a somewhat more knowledgeable audience things that they don't already know. Fun and games aren't necessary.

[Andrew Slater]

It's clearly another CFM-like programme, designed to bring in new listeners rather than to persuade existing listeners to listen longer. Those listener hours are going to suffer!

[Frances_iom]

It's clearly another CFM-like programme, designed to bring in new listeners rather than to persuade existing listeners to listen longer. Those listener hours are going to suffer!

the theming seemed somewhat weak, however my immediate reaction was that it was a somewhat extended children's hour program aimed at say 7 to 9 year olds - his voice and delivery were fine but can't see it being a regular listen for me.

[Norfolk Born]

the theming seemed somewhat weak, however my immediate reaction was that it was a somewhat extended children's hour program aimed at say 7 to 9 year olds - his voice and delivery were fine but can't see it being a regular listen for me.

Same here.

[Chris Newman]

It rather reminds me of a mixture of the late lamented David Munrow's children's programme laced with the one that only ran for a very short time on R3 with Ant and Dec, who bless 'em, tried their best but were treading water and script reading which is not their forte. Overall, not patronising but rather dated.

[french frank]

Well, it does come over to me as being 'entry level' stuff, in terms of the music and comment. I think R3 would claim this is being 'distinctive' from CFM, and 'high-quality' in having grrrreat music. And up to a point, I suppose it is. But it's all pretty soporific.

I just don't think there's a proper critical basis to two hours of 'My Favourites Pieces' whoever the presenter is, and with Simon Russell Beale, John Wilson and Alison Balsom up ahead I don't look forward to the next few weeks with much enthusiasm.