Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Barbirollians]

This morning Radio 3 was still tuned in on my radio after last night's Chailly concert.

I had the serious misfortune to catch ten minutes or so of this programme. It was like the worst sort of dumbed down schmaltz on Classic FM.

Rob Cowan whilst highly knowledgeable comes across as oily and irritating and there was an absurd " Who am I " segment - with Stephen Johnson doing his impression of the Mystery Voice from I Am sorry i have't a clue and then all manner of gooey e-mails read out about Rossini .

What is this trash doing on radio 3 ?

[arancie33]

Goodness, two whole hours and no reply. All frightened by criticism of the blesséd Rob I'm afraid. Have no fear, Barbirollians, I'm with you 100%. That programme is just awful and should be consigned to CFM, except they probably wouldn't take it as they have better standards of chat and repartee.

[mercia]

so good to see a new thread on this topic
and such a wide variety of interesting opinions to tap into
it couldn't have arrived sooner

[arancie33]

so good to see a new thread on this topic
and such a wide variety of viewpoints to tap into
it couldn't have arrived sooner

Well, if we keep banging away perhaps someone will get the message - even sarcastic comments are grist to the mill.

[Frances_iom]

What is this trash doing on radio 3 ?

Wright wants, or has been told to get, the onetime R2 audience - guess this is a sub CFm-lite group - I commented a couple of years ago that RC would do well on hospital radio, sounds as tho RW has put him into a tailor made slot - only on Sats is there anything worth listening to on R2.5 pre noon

[teamsaint]

have to agree. RC is a wonderfully knowledgeable man, and i love his enthusiasm......but there is no edge at all. Just too cfm now.
just let him play his favourite stuff for 3 hours. Easy.

[amcluesent]

I feel embarrassed for the man, unlike the vulgarian Trelawny you feel Cowan knows how shaming R2.5 is.

[Wallace]

There is a positive aspect to the pre-noon dumbing down. It is so awful and so depressing to listen to that I have decided to enhance my CD collection so I can listen to music the car. I just bought the complete Beethoven string quartets by the Artemis Quartet. The recordings are a delight and I have begun what is proving to be a real education. Without the advent of the drivel that is now broadcast from 0630 to mid-day I would not have done this. Well done Radio 3. One less listener to the station (in the morning anyway) but one happy Wallace!

[VodkaDilc]

There is a positive aspect to the pre-noon dumbing down. It is so awful and so depressing to listen to that I have decided to enhance my CD collection so I can listen to music the car. I just bought the complete Beethoven string quartets by the Artemis Quartet. The recordings are a delight and I have begun what is proving to be a real education. Without the advent of the drivel that is now broadcast from 0630 to mid-day I would not have done this. Well done Radio 3. One less listener to the station (in the morning anyway) but one happy Wallace!

I have revived my Michel Thomas German Course to listen to in the car. Thanks to Mr Wright I might be able to listen to Bach and Wagner without a translation to hand in a few years!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Goodness, two whole hours and no reply.

That could because we've all switched off from morning listening now that Radio 3 has become so utterly crass at this time.

My question to Roger Wright is: "What is the point in having 2 x Classic FM?"

[DracoM]

Exactly- Radio 2.5.
No wonder the commercial stations are incensed.

[Nick Armstrong]

This morning Radio 3 was still tuned in on my radio after last night's Chailly concert.

I had the serious misfortune to catch ten minutes or so of this programme. It was like the worst sort of dumbed down schmaltz on Classic FM.

Rob Cowan whilst highly knowledgeable comes across as oily and irritating and there was an absurd " Who am I " segment - with Stephen Johnson doing his impression of the Mystery Voice from I Am sorry i have't a clue and then all manner of gooey e-mails read out about Rossini .

What is this trash doing on radio 3 ?

I set out this morning during the infantile "Who am I?" bit - that MUST be junked, it's an insult. But then as I got underway, Rob started to talk about the Neilsen Second Symphony... He was talking about all the movements, but nonetheless I was fearing we'd only get one. No - the whole thing, a most agreeable accompaniment to the ride to work

That's the way to do it - the programme isn't beyond redemption, because Rob knows his stuff. Just get rid o the damned teasers and celeb chats (which make Cowan, Johnson et al sound ill at ease and ridiculous - an insult to them as well as to listeners) and let them PLAY THE MUSIC!!!!

[teamsaint]

I set out this morning during the infantile "Who am I?" bit - that MUST be junked, it's an insult. But then as I got underway, Rob started to talk about the Neilsen Second Symphony... He was talking about all the movements, but nonetheless I was fearing we'd only get one. No - the whole thing, a most agreeable accompaniment to the ride to work

That's the way to do it - the programme isn't beyond redemption, because Rob knows his stuff. Just get rid o the damned teasers and celeb chats (which make Cowan, Johnson et al sound ill at ease and ridiculous - an insult to them as well as to listeners) and let them PLAY THE MUSIC!!!!

and bring back the rucksack !!

[Barbirollians]

If they want Radio 2.5 why not put it on Radio 2 and get Richard Baker or David Jacobs to present it and call it More Melodies for You or Your Hundred Best Tunes.

Joking apart it seems to be no coincidence that this has occurred after the end of classical music on Radio 2 .

[Frances_iom]

Joking apart it seems to be no coincidence that this has occurred after the end of classical music on Radio 2 .

R1 + R2 decided to chase the younger audience - R1 for teens and R2 for the mid20's (remember maturity comes much later than in past and these strata of society have generally high levels of spending on inessentials and are thus chased by marketeers)- thus we saw Kershaw dumped onto R3 in the 1st clear out of R1, now the older listeners of R2 are being 'dumped' onto what was R3 - I presume the BBC needs to ape the commercial stations in order to gain respectable listening figures to keep the bean counting politicians happy.