Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Ein Heldenleben]

Tom McKinney gushed loud and long concerning the playing of the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth. As well he might.
The problem was he immediately followed this recording of one of the most heart-wrenching movements with that one-trick pony composer, Scott Joplin and his Elite Syncopations (in truth any and all Joplin’s work sounds exactly the same. I curse “The Sting” for bringing this third-rater back into circulation).
As an example of cloth-eared juxtaposition it is hard to describe and the sad part is that the presenter obviously couldn’t see it.

I enjoyed the Musica Aeterna / Currentzis Pathetique so much I’ve just listened to the whole performance on Qobuz! Presumably the rasping sound on the final movt is his breathing? Much of the extraordinary effect is close micing of the strings that brings a lot of orchestral detail to the fore particularly seconds and viola parts that usually get obscured .It won’t be to every ones taste but I liked it.
I agree re the juxtaposition . Very grating …

[oddoneout]

Tom McKinney gushed loud and long concerning the playing of the final movement of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth. As well he might.
The problem was he immediately followed this recording of one of the most heart-wrenching movements with that one-trick pony composer, Scott Joplin and his Elite Syncopations (in truth any and all Joplin’s work sounds exactly the same. I curse “The Sting” for bringing this third-rater back into circulation).
As an example of cloth-eared juxtaposition it is hard to describe and the sad part is that the presenter obviously couldn’t see it.

I find it happens less often than I would have expected given the quantity of material involved. The big offenders are more likely to be the adverts - and I'm not sure how much, if any control presenters have over which will appear, perhaps the best they can do is make a slight gap before pushing the intrusion button?

[Frances_iom]

... The big offenders are more likely to be the adverts - and I'm not sure how much, if any control presenters have over which will appear...?

My guess is none - they seem directed by a higher authority as a campaign for that week's selected targets - there is no doubt a focus group somewhere but they now infest all BBC radio - some on R4 seem to be strictly timetabled with jarring cuts to existing interviews to allow for these adverts. In many ways R4 news has lost much of its programme integrity in the need to include pseudo news slots pushing the selected target of these adverts - there seems also be be a growing pussy footing around US politics with several of the interviewees on the Trump side spouting nonsense just like the spokespeople for Putin etc but without being called out for it.

To return to the music - the cause for complete works has been lost years ago - from the age of the walkman onwards listening to music requires little effort or equipment - anything so cheaply available rapidly loses any value being just something to mask other noises.

[cloughie]

I find it happens less often than I would have expected given the quantity of material involved. The big offenders are more likely to be the adverts - and I'm not sure how much, if any control presenters have over which will appear, perhaps the best they can do is make a slight gap before pushing the intrusion button?

Surely the producer is the programme’s timekeeper and should combine this with a bit of sense and sensibility could adjust juxtapositioning. What annoys me intensely is when I’m listening to an interesting discussion or interview on Radio Cornwall the presenter says ‘I’m going to break now for some music - plays something fairly dreadful from the playlist which has no relevance to the interviewee and more than likely I’ll turn off or switch to R3 and they’ve lost another listener.

[cloughie]

The bridge from Breakfast to Essential Classics this morning according to Georgia was the 3rd movement of Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony!

[hmvman]

The bridge from Breakfast to Essential Classics this morning according to Georgia was the 3rd movement of Saint-Saens 3rd Symphony!

I think it was Petroc's link but, yes, I was rather taken aback by that one!

[kernelbogey]

Thought I'd cross-post this, from the Breakfast thread:

A piece in the Guardian today suggests that radio audiences are moving their listening to later in the morning. If true, this might explain Essential Classics's popularity, though I didn't find the argument convincing. I look forward to m'learned friend's comments on RAJAR figures anon.

[french frank]

There you go. I'd so lost interest in R3 that I hadn't even kept up with the release dates

One of the reasons that Essential Classics is now, according to the figures I've seen (they're not publicly released ), the programme with the widest reach is that it is now 3 hours long - the first R3 programme ever to cover the entire morning from 9am - 12. All things being equal, the longer the programme the more listeners it gets as people tune in and tune out during the course of the programme.

I need to check up these days but as far as I remember R3 had always had pretty hefty morning audiences with more retired people listening. The slot inherits some of the Breakfast audience as they only have to go on listening for 5 minutes and then switch off. Breakfast doesn't really inherit much from TTN.

As far as the Guardian article goes, I doubt much can be learnt about R3 - James O'Brien has had a lot of publicity lately and that will have attracted a lot of listeners. R3's overall figure failed to reach 2m last quarter, and the Breakfast figure has been better - much better in the days of Morning on 3 when it was the 3-hour programme.

My memory is that CD Masters also had very good listening figures considering the likely audience. The slot had to 'increase its accessibility', via Classical Collection and Essential Classics, quite a lot to outdo CDM!

[Ein Heldenleben]

There you go. I'd so lost interest in R3 that I hadn't even kept up with the release dates

One of the reasons that Essential Classics is now, according to the figures I've seen (they're not publicly released ), the programme with the widest reach is that it is now 3 hours long - the first R3 programme ever to cover the entire morning from 9am - 12. All things being equal, the longer the programme the more listeners it gets as people tune in and tune out during the course of the programme.

I need to check up these days but as far as I remember R3 had always had pretty hefty morning audiences with more retired people listening. The slot inherits some of the Breakfast audience as they only have to go on listening for 5 minutes and then switch off. Breakfast doesn't really inherit much from TTN.

As far as the Guardian article goes, I doubt much can be learnt about R3 - James O'Brien has had a lot of publicity lately and that will have attracted a lot of listeners. R3's overall figure failed to reach 2m last quarter, and the Breakfast figure has been better - much better in the days of Morning on 3 when it was the 3-hour programme.

My memory is that CD Masters also had very good listening figures considering the likely audience. The slot had to 'increase its accessibility', via Classical Collection and Essential Classics, quite a lot to outdo CDM!

Radio 3 down Q3 to Q4 from 1.6%to 1.4% share in TSA but level with last measured Q4 in 2019
Radio Cornwall massively up Q3 to Q4 16% to 22.8%
Radio 1 and 2 up slightly
Radio 4 down more than slightly..

[french frank]

Radio 3 down Q3 to Q4 from 1.6%to 1.4% share in TSA but level with last measured Q4 in 2019
Radio Cornwall massively up Q3 to Q4 16% to 22.8%
Radio 1 and 2 up slightly
Radio 4 down more than slightly..

I wasn't quite sure about what to make of Q3's figures, but it seems the 'modified survey methodology ... should be considered when making comparisons ' this time too.

I think cloughie has quite a large family. Plus Petroc. Not sure what's happened to the usual RAJAR thread

[kernelbogey]

Radio Cornwall massively up Q3 to Q4 16% to 22.8%

Cloughie switching on and off again repeatedly?

[Serial_Apologist]

Cloughie switching on and off again repeatedly?

[french frank]

I found this thread (latest post first) about the demise of Classical Collection (Essential Classics' predecessor) interesting. And so many of the 'whingers' have now departed it's not surprising that today's listening figures suggest that recent strategies have resulted in as many people leaving as are discovering a new source of listening. Radio 3 'redefining its audience' again? If so 3/10 - must try harder.

[cloughie]

Cloughie switching on and off again repeatedly?

Radio Cornwall is not what it was - the music gets worse so it is now ‘off’ more than ‘on’ and I now listen much more to R3 of a morning - I continue a lifetime trait of going against the trend!

[cloughie]

Eric Whitacre: Leonardo dreams of his flying machine was the Starter for the playlist this morning. I thought the ideal follow on was RVW’ A vision of aeroplanes’ as apparently also a few others but Tom McKinney said the producers were concerned over the length of work - now 9 and a half minutes doesn’t seem over the lengthy but what do I know - instead he included the Lakme Flower Duet and a couple of popular flying machine works by Bagel and Ron Goodwin. - ah well no accounting for taste!