Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Nick Armstrong]

the suet pudding version of Breakfast's Seven Up syllabub.

It's ok after 10:30....

(And welcome to VW II, if he's still around - I knew his dad)

VM, fm... Meldrew, not Williams...

I do tend to agree with Victor about RC - his agonies with French were amusing to start with but he made such a hash of Augustin Dumay the other day (it was completely different before and after the piece) that I'm starting to wonder if he's doing it deliberately.

[french frank]

It's ok after 10:30....

But 'checking' means listening to the whole shebang. If you can be persuaded that 'after 10.30' is a different programme ...

Why don't they make that official and call it something else?

VM, fm... Meldrew, not Williams...

Can't even plead that they're close together on da keyboard!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Sitting on the wrong side of the table, frenchie?

[french frank]

Sitting on the wrong side of the table, frenchie?

[Victor Meldrew II]

The trouble is that I am getting really annoyed with most of the presenters, apart from Donald MacLeod. They are so gushing and "la-de-da"(Suzy Klein, Clemency B-H, etc.) and as for Petroc Trelawney..........grrrrr!!
Christopher Cook is ok though. Unfortunately, this type of over-friendly presentation spills over into Proms performances, many of which are much too painful to watch. Katie Derham, one of the newbies, "sybillates"
far too much!

[Lento]

Is there any chance that this programme has been going for long enough for someone at the BBC to decide to "refresh" the schedule (in an improved way, of course), or am I just hoping?

[french frank]

The entirely unofficial and without influence listener survey by FoR3 concluded: "We suggest a serious rethink of the morning schedule."

Essential Classics is an independent production to a format laid down by Radio 3. It will have been commissioned for a certain number of programmes and the producers will have been making arrangements to fulfil their brief. The original brief was for September 2011-September 2013, and Classic Arts were engaged to produce it from September 2011. As far as I can see, Classic Arts are still producing it. Did they get another two years? - in which case that will take them up to next September.

[James Wonnacott]

I do have to say that I am now completely fed up of hearing Rob Cowan........he's almost omnipresent and suffers from catarrh too often!
We did have a discussion on Facebook a while ago about various aspects of Radio 3 and then he made a really odd comment, meant to be
a joke but which I found quite off-putting. Basically, if I didn't like Radio 3 and where it was going............!
His "...and a very warm welcome" and various MIS-pronunciations are getting tedious. I wish Radio 3 was like the old days, where an announcer
would simply introduce the music, not give you a lengthy preface on WHY I should like this performance.
I prefer to listen to concerts of whole works not bleeding chunks but even then, I have to listen to a long preamble before the music begins.
It's all "me, me, me" with many presenters.
But please, give RC a rest............i've had enough!

Couldn't agree more. As far as I'm concerned RC is second only to Roger Wright in his efforts to destroy Radio 3. I couldn't listen in the week if I wanted to as I'm at work but on a Sunday morning if RC is on the it's the ipod for me. The simpering voice, the "one of MY favourites", the "VERY warm welcome". He may well have an amazing knowledge of classical music but as an presenter he is irritating in the extreme!

[doversoul1]

The entirely unofficial and without influence listener survey by FoR3 concluded: "We suggest a serious rethink of the morning schedule."

Essential Classics is an independent production to a format laid down by Radio 3. It will have been commissioned for a certain number of programmes and the producers will have been making arrangements to fulfil their brief. The original brief was for September 2011-September 2013, and Classic Arts were engaged to produce it from September 2011. As far as I can see, Classic Arts are still producing it. Did they get another two years? - in which case that will take them up to next September.

What do independent productions do? Do they write the scripts for the presenter to read? Do they select the music? I assume things like choosing the guest and negotiating the fees are their jobs but how much input do they have on the content / quality of the final product?

[Bryn]

The entirely unofficial and without influence listener survey by FoR3 concluded: "We suggest a serious rethink of the morning schedule."

Essential Classics is an independent production to a format laid down by Radio 3. It will have been commissioned for a certain number of programmes and the producers will have been making arrangements to fulfil their brief. The original brief was for September 2011-September 2013, and Classic Arts were engaged to produce it from September 2011. As far as I can see, Classic Arts are still producing it. Did they get another two years? - in which case that will take them up to next September.

Possibly only a name change, but Essential Classics in no longer a Classic Arts production. It is now Somethin' Else entirely. Has been for some time now, as I think may have previously been raised here.

[french frank]

Possibly only a name change, but Essential Classics in no longer a Classic Arts production. It is now Somethin' Else entirely. Has been for some time now, as I think may have previously been raised here.

I do remember you saying something about it, now you mention it, Bryn. But I checked and found several 'Classic Arts' producers involved since September 2013.

Will investigate further >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Bryn]

I do remember you saying something about it, now you mention it, Bryn. But I checked and found several 'Classic Arts' producers involved since September 2013.

Will investigate further >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Classic Arts and Somethin' Else do appear to be separate enterprises. Perhaps Rob and Sarah were 'TUPEed' over from one to the other as some point.

I did find this amusing, however.

[arancie33]

I don't want to get involved in the criticisms of the blesséd RC but I do long for the day when he causes a scandal - say, attributing a recording by Klemperer to Karajan. Then we could call it "Cowangate"

I'll get me coat.

[french frank]

Reason: Cocked up Smilies!

Bryn -
Vairy inter-resting ....

[seabright]

Couldn't agree more. As far as I'm concerned RC is second only to Roger Wright in his efforts to destroy Radio 3. I couldn't listen in the week if I wanted to as I'm at work but on a Sunday morning if RC is on the it's the ipod for me. The simpering voice, the "one of MY favourites", the "VERY warm welcome". He may well have an amazing knowledge of classical music but as an presenter he is irritating in the extreme!

I do sometimes wonder if some, or indeed all, of these presenters have life-time contracts with the BBC. For example, I don't know for how many decades Andrew McGregor has been presenting CD Review but surely there was a time in the distant past where the presenters were changed after a year or two. Those days appear to have gone.