Through the Night

[kernelbogey]

I have said this many times but what makes TTN so enjoyable for me is not because it's all music and little talk, but it is presented by exceptional radio broadcasters. It is quite amazing how they choose words and use their voices so effectively, and tell us so much in so few words.

As an occasional insomniac, I listen 'live' during wakeful periods and am often lulled to sleep. The 'middle of the night' period seems to be the time when obscure modern east European composers are featured. I agree with those who have enjoyed their 'TTN discoveries'.

[doversoul1]

The time markers (or whatever they are officially called) have disappeared from iPlayer pages. Is Radio3 too busy working on musicals and club dance party to continue its essential job? It’s bad enough to see that the Early Music Show has been put aside until September.

[Nick Armstrong]

For nocturnal Ravellians: an interesting leap back in time tonight with this bit of history

1:50 AM
Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937)
Piano Concerto for the left hand (1929-1930)
Paul Wittgenstein (piano), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bruno Walter (conductor) (MONO)

... to 2:06 AM

[doversoul1]

Tuesday 8 September

An hour of organ music by:
Clérambault, Louis-Nicolas (1676-1749)
Martinson, Joel (b.1960)
Sawa, Marian (1937-2005)
Borowski, Felix (1872-1956)

…plus a few familiar names. It sounded like a very enjoyable parallel universe to the Proms.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b068sjxm

[Pabmusic]

For nocturnal Ravellians: an interesting leap back in time tonight with this bit of history

1:50 AM
Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937)
Piano Concerto for the left hand (1929-1930)
Paul Wittgenstein (piano), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bruno Walter (conductor) (MONO)

... to 2:06 AM

We are asleep. Our Life is a dream. But we wake up sometimes, just enough to know that we are dreaming.

[Ludwig Wittgenstein]

[greenilex]

Would like to add my voice once again to the TTN encomia...and yes, I almost always take a siesta, so frequently find myself listening in the small hours, and very enjoyable and serendipitous I usually find it.

Lovely jubbly vocab, ain't it?

[Nick Armstrong]

I have said this many times but what makes TTN so enjoyable for me is not because it's all music and little talk, but it is presented by exceptional radio broadcasters. It is quite amazing how they choose words and use their voices so effectively, and tell us so much in so few words.

Would like to add my voice once again to the TTN encomia...and yes, I almost always take a siesta, so frequently find myself listening in the small hours, and very enjoyable and serendipitous I usually find it.

[Roehre]

..

I have said this many times but what makes TTN so enjoyable for me is not because it's all music and little talk, but it is presented by exceptional radio broadcasters. It is quite amazing how they choose words and use their voices so effectively, and tell us so much in so few words.

[Bryn]

Not with any aim to denigrate the fine presentation recorded in advance for TtN, that is a very different job from presenting in real time.

[ahinton]

Not with any aim to denigrate the fine presentation recorded in advance for TtN, that is a very different job from presenting in real time.

It is indeed, but should that fact be taken as any kind of excuse for the adoption of one set of presentational standards for TtN and quite another for those morning programmes that attract so much opprobrium?

Come to that, might it be a good idea for R3 to set presentation of TtN as a kind of example of a training ground for its presenters? Anyone for TtN presented by Katie Burton Klein free of the fripperies and wordy inconsequentialities that all too often besmirch certain other R3 programmes, for example?

[Dave2002]

Not with any aim to denigrate the fine presentation recorded in advance for TtN, that is a very different job from presenting in real time.

Not only that, but there are different "presentations" for all the countries which take this particular musical selection.

[Lat-Literal]

In answer to the question posed, I do occasionally, but not all through the night. In days when I used to listen more frequently to an "old fashioned" radio I may have left R3 on and fallen asleep, and slept through most of it. Nowadays it takes more effort - involving getting up and making a cup of tea or coffee, or even having a (very) early (pre-) breakfast, and either listening on headphones if there are others around and asleep, or putting the kitchen radio on if I'm alone.

I suppose some people may work through the night - something which I've not done formally for many, many years, and if the music helps and doesn't distract others, then maybe listening to TTN is possible, though could interfere with work.

One can wonder who this programme is aimed at - though maybe it doesn't actually cost much to produce, and there are some lovely surprises to be heard.

Perhaps it's only provided for insomniacs!

How about others?

I have only ever listened to it in real time. It is the one music programme I can listen to when on my own during the night as the rest is a bit too harsh. My preference in those hours is for non-news speech. I like "Outlook" and "The History Hour" on the BBC World Service, a bit of 4 Extra even if it is very hit and miss, the world football phone-in on Saturday morning on 5 Live, I don't mind its "jukebox" thing on Sundays and I've very much enjoyed the grammar phone-in with Nevile Gwynne on occasional Monday mornings:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/9987974/The-glamour-ofgrammar-an-object-lesson.html

[Quarky]

It is indeed, but should that fact be taken as any kind of excuse for the adoption of one set of presentational standards for TtN and quite another for those morning programmes that attract so much opprobrium?

Come to that, might it be a good idea for R3 to set presentation of TtN as a kind of example of a training ground for its presenters? Anyone for TtN presented by Katie Burton Klein free of the fripperies and wordy inconsequentialities that all too often besmirch certain other R3 programmes, for example?

This raises some issues I have been turning over in my mind. It's not just styles of presentation, it is the type of music associated with individual presenters. All in my view of course, but the type of music played by Jonathan Swain on TtN tends to be much more safe and conservative, than the more interesting stuff played by Katrina Young.

There are some other programmes where this issue arises, in particular Late Junction, where music played by Waxy Maxy and Hildegard-Nesset can be brilliant (e.g. recent vocal version of a Stockhausen piece), whereas Nick Luscombe and Mara Carlyle are dull in general and gets switched off immediately.

As regards Breakfast, Essential Classics, etc, I have just given up with them and assume that the music and the styles of presentation are not directed at me.

I don't know whether others agree with me, nor what the solution is, apart from putting everyone on Zero Hours Contracts (if they are not already).

[Beresford]

If you like the Debussy Cello sonata, the performance on TTN last Monday 7th September by Ola Karlsson is one to savour.

[Serial_Apologist]

Was anybody listening at about 1.30 this morning? At the end of Mozart's Haffner Symphony it was announced that the Magic Flute overture would be performed as an encore from the same concert. What I am quite certain was then played was in fact the Marriage of Figaro overture. I leapt out of bed and grabbed RT to check. Sure enough, Overture: Die Zauberflote is what is indicated.