Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[underthecountertenor]

uct yes! I was listening as I cycled in to work, and passers-by in the park were treated to a number of suggestions none of which I can repeat here due to the law on defamation.

[amateur51]

Not being a listener to the morning schedule, (and therefore a bit of an interloper in this thread), having caught the very end of EC this morning I had the definite feeling that RC didn't believe a word of what he was saying in his closing invitation to listeners to "keep on writing in" etc. Psychologically it must be agonizing for the likes of him and SW to have to keep up this kind of regular insincerity on air, having in the past been rightly respected for their knowledgeability in serious music, and one can only guess that the only reason they carry on is in some hope of a change of regime at the top that will restore their integrity and respect.

I share that hope S_A, and I suspect that many on here do too

[HARRIET HAVARD]

This programme is well past its sell by date. Desert Island Discs section with its boring guests. The banal quiz. Yuck. The whole thing needs some new, but above all, educted blood.....

Wonder if Herbie Goldberg is available???

[HARRIET HAVARD]

The "quiz" section, and banal "desert island discs" section of this show tells you all you need to know about the audiance they are now aiming for- and, no doubt, are now getting.

[HARRIET HAVARD]

I realise that times are hard, but it would seem that this show only has about one hundred discs to call on, most of which have the feel of coming from easy listening compilations. Maybe we should have a whip round and get them some more- just as long as we don't let anyone within the organisation make the choices. Wonder if Herbie Goldberg is doing anything right now?

[Domeyhead]

I realise that times are hard, but it would seem that this show only has about one hundred discs to call on, most of which have the feel of coming from easy listening compilations. Maybe we should have a whip round and get them some more- just as long as we don't let anyone within the organisation make the choices. Wonder if Herbie Goldberg is doing anything right now?

:-) I don't know if Herbie is a contributor to this forum but he does seem to be Rob Cowan's biggest fan!

[cloughie]

The "quiz" section, and banal "desert island discs" section of this show tells you all you need to know about the audiance they are now aiming for- and, no doubt, are now getting.

I repeat ditch 'em and bring back CDMasters. Are you listening Roger Wrong - no it's not in your DNA!

[french frank]

:-) I don't know if Herbie is a contributor to this forum but he does seem to be Rob Cowan's biggest fan!

I think not, but he did contribute to the old BBC messageboards back in the early days. I'm quite surprised that he isn't joining the protesters. But as Cloughie says - it's about DNA: some people are party animals, some aren't. It doesn't make them bad people!

My feeling is that if Herbie's answers keep getting read out, it would indicate that the producer has very few replies to choose from. That, and the programme's recent 'Twitterchat', where something like half the tweets could be identified as coming from BBC radio people - plus the little listener activity on Facebook and blog, does point to the fact that 'interactivity' is not popular: they only have to have about 6 responses from an audience of half a million to keep up the pretence.

[Honoured Guest]

Richard Bacon, postponed by paternity.

[french frank]

Richard Bacon, postponed by paternity.

That must be why they have James May on again. Quote from last time:

Extract from Essential Classics, 2 May 2012, interview with James May:

SW How could Radio 3, for instance, tap into the audience of Top Gear?

JM Well, yes, the audience of Top Gear is very big and very varied and it’s global. So I don’t know. I don’t really want Radio 3 to change if I’m honest. I’ve always said it’s one of the things that will survive a nuclear holocaust because, obviously, cockroaches, which we all know about, the Fiat 500 and the Roberts radio. And out of that will be coming Radio 3 and there will still be someone trying to explain what Scriabin is about ... You have to be so careful with this sort of thing. You want to make it popular but you don’t want to diminish it. Listen to it if you’re interested. If you’re not interested, find something else.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Great quotation, frenchie. James May is no mean Musician - in one of his documentaries, he wrote a (quite decent) piece of mock-Beethoven piano Music in order to explain how it was "pants" compared to the real thing, giving a quick outline of what the real thing did that was so extraordinary. Considering the programme wasn't about Music, it was an excellent bit of information for anyone unfamiliar with the ideas, and very well communicated.

It's no doubt uncharitable of me - and, of course, I have no evidence to support what is a personal (and probably mean-spirited) viewpoint - but I couldn't help thinking that should such anyone whose interests might have been piqued by the programme have wished to follow up their curiosity by tuning in to R3, they would have been almost instantly put off by the inane wittering and messages from sad tessors wishing to communicate how the Cappriccio Espagnol was their pet goldfish's favourite piece of Music!

[Honoured Guest]

.

[James Wonnacott]

<rant>
I had a week's holiday to do some decorating last week with only a radio for company (didn't want to get the portable CD player full of dust) and am almost hoarse with shouting at the thing!
RC's inane nonsense about tweets and emails and his giggling "guest":- I have to confess that when he was on about how best to treat his cold I sent a text saying "try not to talk"
Then, later in the day another couple of hours of SR umming and aahing his way through In Tune- I'm glad to get back to work and my internet radio.
The weekend was no better:- "Private Passions" seems to attract more and more boring guests with less and less musical taste, then there's that dreadful film music nonsense, The Choir handed over to that tweeting schoolgirl- There's only Choral Evensong left.
I'm afraid I hardly listen at all any more.

</rant>

[Domeyhead]

In case anyone was worried, Herbie Goldberg got the Brain Teaser right this morning.

[HARRIET HAVARD]

In case anyone was worried, Herbie Goldberg got the Brain Teaser right this morning.

Do you think Herbie has inside Knowledge? Maybe one morning they could give the only clue as the word "the". What are the chances that Herbie would still get the right answer? Maybe it's because Radio3 has gone so far down the pan that is making me so cynical