Through the Night

[oddoneout]

And in looking at the 1922 First Night, it might be borne in mind that back in the early days the aim was to 'create an audience' for classical music by easing listeners in with some lighter fare. Having created that audience and catered for it over many decades the strategy now seems to be to wander around picking up listeners anywhere and cater for ever wider tastes: all things to all people. That may have its downside for the musical descendants of the original 'created audience'.

It mirrors the business approach that will spend resources chasing new customers, while ignoring those it already has, even if that means losing them. I don't have an issue with pieces of "non-core R3" material appearing in the output, not least because it is a chance for me to hear things I otherwise wouldn't*, but putting on whole concerts/programmes of such material solely with the aim of catching a different, possibly preferred, audience, no.

*I prefer to at least hear an example of a music type before putting it in the "not interested" box, so the insertion approach(whether R3 core or not) is of some use. I realise a single piece may not be representative, but I can't/don't want to listen to everything in quantity!

[smittims]

You seem more fair-minded than I. Maybe because of age or long experience, I automatically exclude from my prospective listening whole genres of music, on the basis that life is too short for anything but things I know are valuable. Within the core-classical scene I'm willing to give a fair hearing to unknown composers. Sometimes it's been rewarding (Alexander Moyzes) sometimes a a waste of time (Judith Weir) : swings and roundabouts.

But the changes to the Proms over the last 10 -20 years have drastically reduced my listening to them . Fifty years ago I listened to every Prom. Now only a few selected ones.

[oddoneout]

You seem more fair-minded than I. Maybe because of age or long experience, I automatically exclude from my prospective listening whole genres of music, on the basis that life is too short for anything but things I know are valuable. Within the core-classical scene I'm willing to give a fair hearing to unknown composers. Sometimes it's been rewarding (Alexander Moyzes) sometimes a a waste of time (Judith Weir) : swings and roundabouts.

But the changes to the Proms over the last 10 -20 years have drastically reduced my listening to them . Fifty years ago I listened to every Prom. Now only a few selected ones.

Oh, I don't necessarily spend much time on it, but a piece between other things I want to hear works quite well, if it's not too long, and if I don't like it then what follows I know will "take away the taste"! I don't go looking for unknowns either, although in due course when I am set up for proper listening via online sources that may well change, not least as I am finding the R3 concert offerings less and less interesting. Like you I listen to fewer Proms, but that's not all down to the insertion of "other musics", a lot of it is to do with not being interested in a lot of the standard repertoire - it didn't interest me much years ago but I listened, but now I just can't be bothered at all. Trouble is that's the stuff that now seems to get trotted out. As I've said many times before, and as the comments on here highlight, there is a lot of music out there that we just don't seem to get on R3 now, although I think it hasn't always been the case that programmes are so limited to just a few composers with insertion of contemporary offerings of varying worth to give the superficial appearance of variety. Even in the current straitened times I'm not convinced that all the music making in this country is so narrow, and even if it were the case then widening the net to recordings from other countries could(should in my view) be used to offer something different.

[DracoM]

<< But the changes to the Proms over the last 10 -20 years have drastically reduced my listening to them >>

Smack on the mark.

[Pulcinella]

<< But the changes to the Proms over the last 10 -20 years have drastically reduced my listening to them >>

Smack on the mark.

Here too.

[Serial_Apologist]

Here too.

And here!

[Jonathan]

Likewise.

[kernelbogey]

Here too. A day or two out rather than a summer holiday...

[AuntDaisy]

Wot no Susan Sharpe.

The current block of 14 TTNs are, with the exception of one, presented by Danielle Jalowiecka.
What happened to alternation? I'm missing Catriona Young's mellifluous tones already.

[oddoneout]

John Shea has been on duty - I heard him a couple of nights ago.

[AuntDaisy]

John Shea has been on duty - I heard him a couple of nights ago.

Apologies oddoneout, I wasn't clear - it's the two week block that started at 1am today with "Grieg and Shostakovich from Lugano" presented by Danielle Jalowiecka.

[oddoneout]

Apologies oddoneout, I wasn't clear - it's the two week block that started at 1am today with "Grieg and Shostakovich from Lugano" presented by Danielle Jalowiecka.

Ah right - it did cross my mind later that you might have meant that - looking ahead rather than what had been.

[kernelbogey]

My guess is - without evidence - that Danielle asked, or was asked, to play herself in, as it were, by doing half-time duty. Possibly too, Catriona wants to reduce her commitment to the programme.

I'm an admirer of Danielle, and agree with some that her TTN style is a little... how shall I put it?... abrupt.

I've particularly enjoyed John's announcements, since I've been awake at night a lot lately, and as he has a neat way of merging a bit of background with the bones of announcing what's next. DJ hasn't quite mastered (mistressed?) this technique- but I'm confident that she will.

[AuntDaisy]

"...beginning now with the chap who eventually got the job."
From this morning's TTN - great choice of opening music.

[kernelbogey]

Danielle's developing her own style, easing into a more relaxed presentation, I thought.