Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Bryn]

Can I just point out, in defence of 'Essential Classics', that they've just played the WHOLE of the Ritual Fire Dance from 'El Amor Brujo'.

[cloughie]

In HMV at the weekend - I see an Essential Classics series - Warner - a lot of EMI stuff, but also some Warner reissues from their various labels. The brochure that goes with them seems to major on the works rather than telling you which recordings.

[underthecountertenor]

Perhaps it was left up to Will Gompertz to approve the script.....

[Rcartes]

I've had a bit of a rest from "Essential Classics" for a month or two, hoping they'd changed the presenters. Well, they have, but not for the better.

But the real problem is the terrible Classic FMisation of the playlist, with fragments torn out of whole works. So today, for example, we got at the end of the programme, the Battle of the Ice from Alexander Nevsky, the Troika from Liet Kije, the second movement of the Archduke Trio, the second movement of Ruth Gipps' horn concerto and the second movement of Fields' piano sonata No 4.

Why? Do they think listeners are so damned stupid or possessing of limited attention spans that they can't cope with more than a few minutes' music at a time without some feeble, wittering comment from the presenter? I can put up with this stuff, just, in "drivetime" programmes, mainly by giving that slot a miss, but not for the rest of the morning and it's just unlistenable.

Now I shall go and kick the dog in a rage - well, I would if I had a dog.

[Stanfordian]

I've had a bit of a rest from "Essential Classics" for a month or two, hoping they'd changed the presenters. Well, they have, but not for the better.

But the real problem is the terrible Classic FMisation of the playlist, with fragments torn out of whole works. So today, for example, we got at the end of the programme, the Battle of the Ice from Alexander Nevsky, the Troika from Liet Kije, the second movement of the Archduke Trio, the second movement of Ruth Gipps' horn concerto and the second movement of Fields' piano sonata No 4.

Why? Do they think listeners are so damned stupid or possessing of limited attention spans that they can't cope with more than a few minutes' music at a time without some feeble, wittering comment from the presenter? I can put up with this stuff, just, in "drivetime" programmes, mainly by giving that slot a miss, but not for the rest of the morning and it's just unlistenable.

Hiya Rcartes,

Now I shall go and kick the dog in a rage - well, I would if I had a dog.

No doubt this approach is considered to be widening the appeal of the station.

[Rcartes]

And another thing whilst I'm on dog-kicking mode: what's happened to the early-evening repeat of Composer of the Week? It seems to have vanished so that they can extend the wittering of In Tune by half an hour and add in the silly In Tune Mixtape, which seems to be another excuse to play some totally unrelated bits but with the advantage that there's no wittering between them. Grrrr!

At this rate, I shall have to go out to boot the neighbour's dog into the middle of next week....

[french frank]

Coincidentally, I was/am just studying the playlist. Had not noticed the Gipps was a single mvt, so thank you. Still, 1812 Overture was complete (about 15 mins and seemed to be the featured piece - what other pieces would you suggest to follow it?), Wirén's Serenade for strings. Plus a Danny Kaye novelty, gabbling the names of Russian composers, music - such as it was - attributed to Kurt Weill.

The only 'feature'of Essential Classics which lifted it above the banal used to be the 'full-length piece'. eg Dvorak's Cello concerto - ALL 40 minutes of it.

Now the 'full-length' piece isn't longer than 20 minutes. But we have to remember that Radio 3 is targeting people who are coming (hopefully) to classical music via pop radio, who appreciate chummy presenters and aren't up for anything demanding or too informative.

I've had a bit of a rest from "Essential Classics" for a month or two, hoping they'd changed the presenters. Well, they have, but not for the better.

But the real problem is the terrible Classic FMisation of the playlist, with fragments torn out of whole works. So today, for example, we got at the end of the programme, the Battle of the Ice from Alexander Nevsky, the Troika from Liet Kije, the second movement of the Archduke Trio, the second movement of Ruth Gipps' horn concerto and the second movement of Fields' piano sonata No 4.

Why? Do they think listeners are so damned stupid or possessing of limited attention spans that they can't cope with more than a few minutes' music at a time without some feeble, wittering comment from the presenter? I can put up with this stuff, just, in "drivetime" programmes, mainly by giving that slot a miss, but not for the rest of the morning and it's just unlistenable.

Now I shall go and kick the dog in a rage - well, I would if I had a dog.

swas a

[teamsaint]

And another thing whilst I'm on dog-kicking mode: what's happened to the early-evening repeat of Composer of the Week? It seems to have vanished so that they can extend the wittering of In Tune by half an hour and add in the silly In Tune Mixtape, which seems to be another excuse to play some totally unrelated bits but with the advantage that there's no wittering between them. Grrrr!

At this rate, I shall have to go out to boot the neighbour's dog into the middle of next week....

Its got so bad, the dog has started kicking me.

[DracoM]

Means another half hour of KD...............which makes it an instant turn-off for me. How can the Beeb get it so wrong?
Or is KD too precious to ditch?
I'd love to have been a fly on't wall at the WIA-style bijouette meeting that sorted [ha!] the R3 p.m. schedule.

[Rcartes]

Coincidentally, I was/am just studying the playlist. Had not noticed the Gipps was a single mvt, so thank you. Still, 1812 Overture was complete (about 15 mins and seemed to be the featured piece - what other pieces would you suggest to follow it?), Wirén's Serenade for strings. Plus a Danny Kaye novelty, gabbling the names of Russian composers, music - such as it was - attributed to Kurt Weill.

The only 'feature'of Essential Classics which lifted it above the banal used to be the 'full-length piece'. eg Dvorak's Cello concerto - ALL 40 minutes of it.

Now the 'full-length' piece isn't longer than 20 minutes. But we have to remember that Radio 3 is targeting people who are coming (hopefully) to classical music via pop radio, who appreciate chummy presenters and aren't up for anything demanding or too informative.swas a

One thing, Frank, is that it used to be the practice to play the recording chosen in Building a Library the previous Saturday. This week it would have been Vivaldi's La Stravaganza, but it was nowhere to be seen (heard). I wonder why?

And I take Stanfordian's point about widening the audience, but if there are so many of these bits instead of proper performances, the incoming yoof will never get to hear them. A taster is one thing, but when it becomes most of the blasted meal, it rather loses the point, don't you think?

[cloughie]

Its got so bad, the dog has started kicking me.

...and me - and I haven't got a dog!

[Bryn]

One thing, Frank, is that it used to be the practice to play the recording chosen in Building a Library the previous Saturday. This week it would have been Vivaldi's La Stravaganza, but it was nowhere to be seen (heard). I wonder why? ...

The spinning of the BaL 'winner' was moved to Sunday Morning but was recently abandoned altogether. However, Doc Walker did play Bach's Harpsichord Concerto BWV 980 after La Stravaganza Op. 4/1 (RV 381).

[gurnemanz]

I'm afraid I've now written off Radio 3 before 12 noon. After that it's fine by me. Always try to listen to Lunchtime concert - especially song recitals.

[Rcartes]

I'm afraid I've now written off Radio 3 before 12 noon. After that it's fine by me. Always try to listen to Lunchtime concert - especially song recitals.

Yes, and Afternoon Concert still maintains very good standards, with presenters like the excellent Penny Gore doing their job of properly introducing works without the irrelevant drivel and verbal gurning that some of the morning presenters employ.

[LMcD]

I'm afraid I've now written off Radio 3 before 12 noon. After that it's fine by me. Always try to listen to Lunchtime concert - especially song recitals.

On your own head be it! You're currently missing the (whole of the) 4th movement of Prokofiev's 7th symphony.......