Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well. Who'd a thought it?


An indication that these pieces are chosen before the show and the hope is that someone emails or texts in the "correct" answer. And an imaginary name and email can always be shoe-horned in if no-one suggests the chosen one.

Too cynical?

My thoughts exactly. It fits in with the Radio 3 Facebook bot.

[underthecountertenor]

Ah, we've hit the motherload with the "follow on" feature. What could come next after Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours"?

There can be ONLY one response.

Allan Sherman. Come on in, your time is NOW.

I had naively hoped that, this one being not on Rob Cowan's watch, we would be spared the Sherman (another of his obsessions, along with ancient TV theme tunes). But no. Suzy gave the impression that she had been inundated with demands for the damned thing, and even told people off for suggesting that it would only be remembered by older listeners. Apparently her two children know every word by heart. Perhaps Rob popped round to teach them. One can but imagine how the Hours must Dance by in perpetual delight in the Klein household.

[underthecountertenor]

Well. Who'd a thought it?


An indication that these pieces are chosen before the show and the hope is that someone emails or texts in the "correct" answer. And an imaginary name and email can always be shoe-horned in if no-one suggests the chosen one.

Too cynical?

I made this suggestion some pages back, and it was at that time suggested that, having been bitten on the backside by various competition scandals in the past, the BBC would never allow it. And that the suggestion had been raised, and indignantly denied, on air by Suzy or Rob.

But the evidence piles up.....

[underthecountertenor]

Thinking about it further, I wonder whether this is in fact part of some great Pavlovian experiment being conducted by the BBC, along the following lines:

Every time Rob plays the Dance of the Hours (and he does it often enough), he mentions (and then plays) the Sherman.

After some years of this, Suzy plays the Dance of the Hours without mentioning the Sherman, and the researchers sit back and count off the number of listeners who tail-waggingly email, tweet and text saying 'YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT WITH THE SHERMAN'.

Incidentally, in her pre-show chat with Petroc, Suzy patronisingly said that we would know the Dance of the Hours even if we didn't think we did, thereby provoking in me the Pavlovian reaction of speechless, foaming rage.

[french frank]

I made this suggestion some pages back, and it was at that time suggested that, having been bitten on the backside by various competition scandals in the past, the BBC would never allow it. And that the suggestion had been raised, and indignantly denied, on air by Suzy or Rob.

But the evidence piles up.....

You realise they just look in here so that they can do what they know will provoke outrage, don't you?

I know this because I once wrote something scathing here AND emailed in to accuse the programme of … something, and I had a very indignant reply from the producer saying it had been nothing of the sort, very indignant at what I had suggested here

[vinteuil]

I had naively hoped that, this one being not on Rob Cowan's watch....

... it used to be the case that when I opened the new Radio Times I wd utter a silent prayer - "Let it not be Rob: Cowan... ".

I see I shall have to add further names. Not that the prayers were often efficacious...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I made this suggestion some pages back, and it was at that time suggested that, having been bitten on the backside by various competition scandals in the past, the BBC would never allow it. And that the suggestion had been raised, and indignantly denied, on air by Suzy or Rob.

But the evidence piles up.....

Have Suzie and Rob ever considered going into politics?

[french frank]

Suzy patronisingly said that we would know the Dance of the Hours even if we didn't think we did

Suzy has obviously taught her children the hilarious words to the Sherman song: but would she have known which classical piece it was based on if someone hadn't told her? After Dvořák's Ma Vlast, that confident air of knowing more than her listeners - even about the Alps - begins to crumble

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

After Dvořák's Ma Vlast

AND Debussy's Bambi!

[french frank]

AND Debussy's Bambi!

At least Rob holds his own most of the time when it comes to music - even if his foreign language pronunciation is execrable rather often.

[LMcD]

I'm eagerly awaiting a chance to nominate Ken Dodd's 'More Than Love' and 'Nutrocker' by Bee Bumble and the Stingers. Nor is it an 'Ill Wind' for admirers of Flanders and Swann.

[Stanfordian]

At least Rob holds his own most of the time when it comes to music - even if his foreign language pronunciation is execrable rather often.

I agree there is a lot worse than Rob Cowan on R3.

[french frank]

I emailed the programme to ask what was the rationale for a classical music station suggesting a good follow-up to the Ponchielli would be 'Hello Muddah, hello Fadduh'? [Don't tell me: it's Ho! Ho! Ho! time ]

Actually, having listened to a clip, I wouldn't be 100% sure that Suzy wasn't trying to make the best of an embarrassing moment

[antongould]

I agree there is a lot worse than Rob Cowan on R3.

IMVVHO " ... not a lot ... "

[Stanfordian]

IMVVHO " ... not a lot ... "

Hiya antongould,

My list of worse presenters would be quite a long one. I suppose its down to personal taste.