Saturday Classics/Inside Music

[antongould]

The thing about the programme is that it has a focus and the single movements, alternating with full works, fit in and amplify the wider subject. That seems to me to be why they work. You can go on to explore, in your own time, within that context.

Completely agree - is this a first??

[Wallace]

Where it is possible to play only extracts, the full works could be played on Through the Night which of course could then be listened to again on the iplayer. By accident I recently stumbled across several hours of back to back full works on TtN from a then Composer of the Week. No adverts or trails for it so very few of those who listened to CotW would have heard it...which was a shame.
I listened to the Finzi songs again on the way home tonight. Marvellous. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[french frank]

Completely agree - is this a first??

A scholar and an aesthete! I'm sure if we talked things through we would agree on everything

[antongould]

A scholar and an aesthete! I'm sure if we talked things through we would agree on everything

a very fair description of yourself but agreeing with a pleb be careful.......

[Anna]

CotW is Walton (another repeat) next week...which confirms my suspicion that the idea, over four weeks, might be to attract listeners who have been enjoying Saturday Classics while it is featuring British music.

At least the Walton has had a 2 year gap since it was first broadcast ........ unlike this week's Elgar. I confess I've never been a fan of 'British' music but, again I confess, I've never really heard much of it. I haven't been impressed with all of it (last week's edition seemed far too folk-songsy for my taste but there again, glad I heard it) and the next instalment probably has too much Quilter (for me) and yet again Elgar but I see there John Ireland, Grace Williams and a George Dyson Sweet Thames Run Softly which is unknown. Would have liked a bit more Peter Warlock to be honest.

[Norfolk Born]

At least the Walton has had a 2 year gap since it was first broadcast ........ unlike this week's Elgar. I confess I've never been a fan of 'British' music but, again I confess, I've never really heard much of it. I haven't been impressed with all of it (last week's edition seemed far too folk-songsy for my taste but there again, glad I heard it) and the next instalment probably has too much Quilter (for me) and yet again Elgar but I see there John Ireland, Grace Williams and a George Dyson Sweet Thames Run Softly which is unknown. Would have liked a bit more Peter Warlock to be honest.

Witch Warlock would you like, my dear....?

[Norfolk Born]

Well, Simon Heffer's 4-week stint has come to an end, and I for one found it very enjoyable. I didn't like everything he played, and wouldn't expect to, but I made some valuable discoveries, the latest being the Elgar songs with orchestra. It was also good to hear different recordings of already familiar works. I thought Boult's Parry was stunning. I hope Mr H is given another season before too long.

[antongould]

Just finished listening to Heffer 4 and like most hereabouts have really enjoyed it. I too feel he and his producer should be asked back to go further with British music. What about other features on say Russian, American etc. music with appropriate presenters e.g. caliban and Suffolkcoastal?
I also listened to the younger Lloyd Webber's programme on 4 forgotten cello masters and thought that very good too. Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere but my time on these boards is somewhat limited at the moment.

[doversoul1]

I agree with everyone here that the presentation format is exactly what we want. However, I’d say SH could do with a course of voice training. He sounds as if he were a 14-year old who has just been given something to read out in front of an entire school. I am aware that apart from those ‘magazine’ programmes, which I have long given up, all presenters read scripts but you could picture them speaking to an audience rather than their eyes glue to the script.

Also, I think two hours of solid British music is too much of an acquired taste (it is after all refers to the works from a fairly limited period of time) to be a regular programme. It will be much better, now that all that has been ’discovered’, these works are played simply as a piece of music throughout the day and a week. This will give a lot more people a chance to hear it.

[Norfolk Born]

Honestly - some people are NEVER satisfied!

[amcluesent]

I liked the two programmes Tasmin Little presented. Her presenting style is as Radio 3 *should*, not all shouty and jumping in the instant the music finished. Good choice of pieces too.

[Anna]

I liked the two programmes Tasmin Little presented. Her presenting style is as Radio 3 *should*, not all shouty and jumping in the instant the music finished. Good choice of pieces too.

I could not hear it last Saturday, today I liked the Ravi Shankar — Swara-kakali. Not sure about anything else.

[cloughie]

Looks like today's Saturday Classics is a good idea badly designed. Jolly Jim presenting Great conductors - all good conductors, no doubt all good performances. Where does it all fall down - the delivery in R3 populist CFM house-style BCs.

[VodkaDilc]

I did email them after the 2nd SH programme. No reply/acknowledgement as yet.

It's an indication of how rarely I now listen to R3 that I have been searching this thread to find out who/what SH is. The presenter perhaps? If so, it's a new one on me.

My R3 listening is now mainly Saturday mornings (Sky plussed when I'm out). For the rest of the time the CD player and the piano get far more use than ever. The "New" R3 is not for me. Should I be resigning from FofR3, since I am certainly not a friend of this mish-mash!

(In reply to the "Is CD dead?" thread - No!!)

[Bax-of-Delights]

SH = Simon Heffer who presented 3 (or was it 4) programmes on British music of the 20th century. SH's strenth may lie in his written word rather than in his radio presentational skills but the programmes made for interesting listening.