Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Ein Heldenleben]

On the hyperbole front you missed "fantastic " , "brilliant " and "iconic" . Please can the latter only be used in connection with Greek or Russian icons or , if you prefer, eikons.

[Bax-of-Delights]

On the hyperbole front you missed "fantastic " , "brilliant " and "iconic" . Please can the latter only be used in connection with Greek or Russian icons or , if you prefer, eikons.

I am firmly of the belief that there is a well thumbed "hyperbole" dictionary in use at R3. KD used to keep it in her locker but now it sits in the canteen next to the baked beans and prune juice.

[french frank]

On the hyperbole front you missed "fantastic " , "brilliant " and "iconic" . Please can the latter only be used in connection with Greek or Russian icons or , if you prefer, eikons.

No one yet offered 'awesome'? All this apart, are presenters not allowed to praise a piece of music or performance? And if they are, what epithets would be suitable?

Not that, in general, I'm not (or wasn't) equally exasperated by the inference that everything Radio 3 broadcast to its audience was amazingly fabulous, and some presenters seemingly have to speak in clichés because they never have anything original to say.

[Bax-of-Delights]

No one yet offered 'awesome'? All this apart, are presenters not allowed to praise a piece of music or performance? And if they are, what epithets would be suitable?

The trouble is that it is not at all discriminating. That Bruckner 9th in the Proms puffed up thus by R3 Prom scriptwriter: Amsterdam's mighty Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is regularly named as one of the world's finest orchestras. Did not SK describe it as "fantastic"?

Mighty. Finest. Fantastic.

But served up a total dud.

[Barbirollians]

I think my original title should be restored ! The forum's view appears to be this is dumbed down Classic FM stuff and even worse after the revamp than before - where is the continuing debate ?

[french frank]

discriminating

That requires a level of knowledge not always present.

[Richard Tarleton]

I think my original title should be restored ! The forum's view appears to be this is dumbed down Classic FM stuff and even worse after the revamp than before - where is the continuing debate ?

I was thinking of perhaps "Essential Classics - the One Step Forward Two Steps Back thread" but it's getting a bit long.

[Serial_Apologist]

All this apart, are presenters not allowed to praise a piece of music or performance? And if they are, what epithets would be suitable?

"Forceful", "Revelatory", "Galvanising", "Deeply felt", "Clarity", "The music's coherence and sense of direction was well brought out", "A piece well chosen and executed for the times we are living through", etc etc?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was thinking of perhaps "Essential Classics - the One Step Forward Two Steps Back thread" but it's getting a bit long.

"Essential Classics! - YAY!!" ?

[french frank]

"Forceful", "Revelatory", "Galvanising", "Deeply felt", "Clarity", "The music's coherence and sense of direction was well brought out", "A piece well chosen and executed for the times we are living through", etc etc?

Well, they won't be able to use those now without being unoriginal Perhaps they'll think of different ones: disturbing, tempestuous, with a tincture of foreboding …

[Andrew Slater]

I think he can only be on holiday as the commissioning brief definitely said he would be continuing but the BBC would welcome suggestions for the second presenter to form a 'diverse' team. So a woman then, and preferably younger than Rob to be really diverse. But R3 had the final say. Any indications of a younger woman to partner Sean on In Tune?

From the Radio Times website for Monday, 2nd October, for Essential Classics:

Rob Cowan takes listeners through the morning with the best in classical music. 9.30 Rob explores potential companion pieces for Brahms' Academic Festival Overture. 10.10 Time Traveller. A quirky slice of cultural history. 10.50 As part of the BBC Opera Season, leading British mezzo Christine Rice talks about her cultural influences and inspirations.

Strangely, the RT listing for In Tune on that (or the following) day provides no information as to the presenter, whereas the listing for the previous Friday mentions Sean Rafferty:

A lively mix of music, chat and arts news, with guests including conductor Peter Oundjian, as he embarks on his final season at the helm of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and impersonator-turned-pianist Alistair McGowan, who performs live. Including 5.00, 6.00 News.

and from 7pm:

A specially curated playlist, featuring favourites together with lesser-known gems, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.


The following, from the Radio Times website for Sunday 1st October, for Sunday Morning might also be of interest, as the programme's been mentioned higher up the thread:

Sarah Walker joins Sunday Morning with a varied selection of music, including Prokofiev's Classical Symphony, opus 25, and Vivaldi's Flute Concerto The Goldfinch. There's also lighter fare from Sidney Torch and Percy Grainger, and a focus on the great guitarist Julian Bream. At 11.15, she introduces a new feature, Sarah's Sunday Escape, with dream-like music to take one's mind off the pressures of the day, and this week it is the Rose Adagio from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.

[french frank]

So it is settling into a new 'formula' with the Time Traveller - not sure what this was but I'd got the possibly false impression that something to do with a 'traditional sailor's hornpipe' was the music for that when I was checking iPlayer for something else. It reminded me of La Bottine Souriante who used to be a favourite and which I particularly disliked.

Sarah's Sunday Escape does sound like the usual attempt to 'personalise' the programme for a reason I simply can't grasp. All these features strike me as twee and slightly stodgy middle-aged items.

The 7pm thing must be the In Tune Mixtape item, also announced. Proof of pudding.

[french frank]

One movement of the Waldstein? Surely in a 3 hour programme they can manage a complete Beethoven piano sonata.

Just looking back at 29 June 2015, Kreutzer sonata, timed as 42 minutes.

[Lat-Literal]

So it is settling into a new 'formula' with the Time Traveller - not sure what this was but I'd got the possibly false impression that something to do with a 'traditional sailor's hornpipe' was the music for that when I was checking iPlayer for something else. It reminded me of La Bottine Souriante who used to be a favourite and which I particularly disliked.

I'm for Genticorum myself.

Less obvious* - I'm very keen on less obvious.

Violon Guérisseur - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuw9...=RDkqcMMS045yA

La Bibournoise live - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh_3...=RDkqcMMS045yA

(*Contemporary, rangy, a tad idiosyncratic and often overlooked)

[oddoneout]

I think my original title should be restored ! The forum's view appears to be this is dumbed down Classic FM stuff and even worse after the revamp than before - where is the continuing debate ?

Bit difficult to have a debate when all the participants are of the same mind?