Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[cloughie]

Well, it could have been eight symphonies, 23 string quartets, the single movement of a piano concerto, four viola sonatas and a 10' by 8' painting of the Egyptians Crossing the Red Sea … Plus a seven volume novel entitled Where Have The Years Gone? That sort of thing

Ken Dodd’s lonely world!

[Serial_Apologist]

And this, in turn, reminds me of the audience member coming out at the end of another Rossini opera and saying "Well, if that's a Semiramide, I'm glad we didn't get a whole one."

Oh that reminds me of a workmate who one day told our office that he'd obtained an Afghan Hound. After a few moments' pause, one of the women asked, "Why not a whole one?"

As you were...

[cmr_for3]

I have to say I'm a fan of Ian Skelly. Rather good in the slot. Iplayer Radio does make a difference to one's listening habits though. I have found myself picking out Afternoon Concerts of interest. Having no classical knowledge really to speak of I have been going by location and have rather enjoyed the Verbier/Swiss Concerts!

[french frank]

I have to say I'm a fan of Ian Skelly. Rather good in the slot. Iplayer Radio does make a difference to one's listening habits though. I have found myself picking out Afternoon Concerts of interest. Having no classical knowledge really to speak of I have been going by location and have rather enjoyed the Verbier/Swiss Concerts!

Loads of Skelly fans here, too. But not for the programme. The success of a Radio 3 programme shouldn't rest with the popularity of its presenter, style, tone &c. It should be with the sound musical basis - including, in a 3-hour programme, several full length works.

[antongould]

Loads of Skelly fans here, too. But not for the programme. The success of a Radio 3 programme shouldn't rest with the popularity of its presenter, style, tone &c. It should be with the sound musical basis - including, in a 3-hour programme, several full length works.

Nitpicking surely ...... He played the full length of Rhapsody in Blue last week .......

[Serial_Apologist]

Nitpicking surely ...... He played the full length of Rhapsody in Blue last week .......

How kind of him...

[Nick Armstrong]

I have to say I'm a fan of Ian Skelly. Rather good in the slot. Iplayer Radio does make a difference to one's listening habits though. I have found myself picking out Afternoon Concerts of interest. Having no classical knowledge really to speak of I have been going by location and have rather enjoyed the Verbier/Swiss Concerts!

Me too but the ghastly format keeps me away.

Like you, iPlayer Radio is much used - the lunchtime concerts last month from Verbier and LSO St Luke's (Michael Collins) much listened to here in the mornings... and Tom Poster's Mendelssohn from Hay last week...

I wonder if the ease of side-stepping dross is part of why they foist it on the airwaves - on the basis that if you don't like the twittering bleeding chunks, you can just find something else that's preferable.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Nitpicking surely ...... He played the full length of Rhapsody in Blue last week .......

... shorter than many symphony movements.

[cloughie]

Me too but the ghastly format keeps me away.

I wonder if the ease of side-stepping dross is part of why they foist it on the airwaves - on the basis that if you don't like the twittering bleeding chunks, you can just find something else that's preferable.

...and you can't polish a tur...key!

[hmvman]

... shorter than many symphony movements.

I must admit I was surprised (and not a little niggled) last week when he played only the first movement of an early Haydn symphony the whole of which would only have been 20-25 minutes duration.

[french frank]

Nitpicking surely ...... He played the full length of Rhapsody in Blue last week .......

Yes - but played on the triangle?!

And by "full-length" I meant more than 20 minutes. Not just "the whole piece".

[Sir Velo]

.. He played the full length of Rhapsody in Blue last week .......

Its first outing in all of um, er ...a day?

[cmr_for3]

Me too but the ghastly format keeps me away.

Like you, iPlayer Radio is much used - the lunchtime concerts last month from Verbier and LSO St Luke's (Michael Collins) much listened to here in the mornings... and Tom Poster's Mendelssohn from Hay last week...

I wonder if the ease of side-stepping dross is part of why they foist it on the airwaves - on the basis that if you don't like the twittering bleeding chunks, you can just find something else that's preferable.

I think you could be right. I've been looking at old radio 3 listings from previous decades on GNOME and it does depress me to see the way in which the station has been "modernised" ie you had "Morning Concert" as opposed to a breakfast show, which is much like radio one...

[LMcD]

I must admit I was surprised (and not a little niggled) last week when he played only the first movement of an early Haydn symphony the whole of which would only have been 20-25 minutes duration.

I suppose we should be grateful that he played the whole of the movement.....

[french frank]

Eighteen pieces in 180 minutes today, that's - um - 10 minutes(?) average, minus 2 or 3 minutes for the chat. Too exhausting, even though the individual works were better than usual (though the Defunct Infant isn't the most imaginative choice). Short of signing in to Andrew's Workaround (and I'd have to look for the link) I'm not sure how long any of the pieces were.

[That said, he played the whole of the Mzt Oboe 4tet K370 (apparently) - though that is under 20 mins long