Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[antongould]

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

Found Andrew's wonderful thing .... But it seems you have to wait overnight for it to work ...... Usual length of works 7/8 minutes but 4 over 10 minutes, nothing over 20.

Other complete works - to my untutored eye - were Saint Saens Septet Op. 65, Schubert SQ No.15 and LVB 32 variations in C Minor.

[french frank]

Found Andrew's wonderful thing .... But it seems you have to wait overnight for it to work ...... Usual length of works 7/8 minutes but 4 over 10 minutes, nothing over 20.

Other complete works - to my untutored eye - were Saint Saens Septet Op. 65, Schubert SQ No.15 and LVB 32 variations in C Minor.

The difference is between 'complete' works (the majority are) and 'full-length' works - certainly in excess of 30 minutes. In the past, a work like Dvořák's cello concerto (40 mins+) found a place - announced in advance at a particular time to allow people to tune in specially (I though just one work was a bit miserly. A three-hour programme could surely find time for two or three, rather than NONE).

[Stanfordian]

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

Hiya LMcD,

You're not wrong. On R3 we have become thankful for small mercies.

I heard CFM play just a portion of the ubiquitous Adagietto from Mahler 5 the other day. One of the stations favourite works too. The four pieces that I'm aware of most on CFM are:

Farewell to Stromness - Peter Maxwell Davies
The Armed Man - Jenkins
Adagietto from Mahler 5
The Lark Ascending - Vivaldi

For me only the later stands up to repeated hearings on this scale.

[Rolmill]

Hiya LMcD,

You're not wrong. On R3 we have become thankful for small mercies.

I heard CFM play just a portion of the ubiquitous Adagietto from Mahler 5 the other day. One of the stations favourite works too. The four pieces that I'm aware of most on CFM are:

Farewell to Stromness - Peter Maxwell Davies
The Armed Man - Jenkins
Adagietto from Mahler 5
The Lark Ascending - Vivaldi

For me only the later stands up to repeated hearings on this scale.

Good to see CFM broadening its range with previously undiscovered gems

Playing a 'bleeding chunk' from the Mahler is taking the Michael, though - let's hope R3 doesn't spot this!

[Serial_Apologist]

The Lark Ascending - Vivaldi

"Le vierge, le Vivaldi, et le bel aujourd'hui"

[antongould]

The difference is between 'complete' works (the majority are) and 'full-length' works - certainly in excess of 30 minutes. In the past, a work like Dvořák's cello concerto (40 mins+) found a place - announced in advance at a particular time to allow people to tune in specially (I though just one work was a bit miserly. A three-hour programme could surely find time for two or three, rather than NONE).

Is this your wish and/or the way it was ..... ???? I have played about a little on Google and found some CD Masters playlists from February/March 2007 ...... a bit of a thankless task as not many will open - but of the 5 I could, each day there were 8 pieces in 2 hours. As you say there was always a piece over 30 minutes (31,48,31,33,33) - taking out the Big Yin that leaves 7 pieces at 12 minutes a pop on (the dreaded) average .......

[antongould]

Is this your wish and/or the way it was ..... ???? I have played about a little on Google and found some CD Masters playlists from February/March 2007 ...... a bit of a thankless task as not many will open - but of the 5 I could, each day there were 8 pieces in 2 hours. As you say there was always a piece over 30 minutes (31,48,31,33,33) - taking out the Big Yin that leaves 7 pieces at 12 minutes a pop on (the dreaded) average .......

....... and no Rhaposody in Blue ..... !!!!!

[Stanfordian]

Good to see CFM broadening its range with previously undiscovered gems

Playing a 'bleeding chunk' from the Mahler is taking the Michael, though - let's hope R3 doesn't spot this!

Good joke, eh!! My mate and I are having a good laugh seeing who would be first to point it out!

[french frank]

Is this your wish and/or the way it was ..... ????

I was thinking about how Essential Classics was when it began. CD Masters and Classical Collection were never 3 hours long.

A regular feature of Essential Classics was the "full length" piece, published in Radio Times each day. I know this because a friend who had Radio Times checked every day to see whether it was something he wanted to hear and switched on specially for it. He couldn't stand the 'bitty' works on Breakfast or the guests, brianteasers &c on EC.

Here, for instance, was Dvořák Cello Concerto which - I've just checked on Andrew's system** - was the entire work. As I said, I thought it was a bit miserly to have only one full-length work in 3 hours. But that was better than none. (But it's 'my wish', if you like to put it like that, that Radio 3 ought to break in its 'new listeners' by expecting them to listen to a concert-length work).

** 12 01:49 Franz Liszt
Rhapsodie espagnole, S254
Performer: Georges Cziffra

13 02:02 Antonín Dvořák
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104
Performer: Alisa Weilerstein
Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic
Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek

14 02:42 César Franck
Fantaisie in C
Performer: André Isoir

[Andrew Slater]

I was thinking about how Essential Classics was when it began. CD Masters and Classical Collection were never 3 hours long.

Here, for instance, was Dvořák Cello Concerto which - I've just checked on Andrew's system** - was the entire work.

Playlist also available here without a password:

https://www.radio-lists.org.uk/r3/r3.php?source=3p_2017-06-10.html#prog_2017-06-12_09:00

[LMcD]

"Le vierge, le Vivaldi, et le bel aujourd'hui"

You're in good company (I think). The BBC's Arts Editor Will Gompertz, when asked on 'Pointless' to name an Italian composer beginning with V, famous for the Four Seasons, came up with - yup - our old friend Joe Green.

[Serial_Apologist]

You're in good company (I think). The BBC's Arts Editor Will Gompertz, when asked on 'Pointless' to name an Italian composer beginning with V, famous for the Four Seasons, came up with - yup - our old friend Joe Green.

Anyone who models his hair and spectacles on Michael Foot has got to be suspect!

[LMcD]

I've always thought that the excellent David Sillito would do WG's job much better (and possibly cost licence-payers a fair bit less?)

[Barbirollians]

I caught a bit of this programme this morning as I turned the Radio on and it was still on R3 rather than R4 and it seemed to me as if Ian Skelly was taking the Mickey out of the playlist nonsense.

[antongould]

I caught a bit of this programme this morning as I turned the Radio on and it was still on R3 rather than R4 and it seemed to me as if Ian Skelly was taking the Mickey out of the playlist nonsense.

He takes the Mikey out of everything but does occasionally seem to appreciate some of the playlist suggestions and saves them for later programmes ......