Is it Essential?

[clive heath]

Was that a gentle slap on the wrist from cloughie for criticising a presenter or for being too sensitive? My more serious point is that this presenter is IMV being unprofessional, good breath control and/or good microphone technique should be a prerequisite for the job. I know we are aware of grunters and hummers ( e.g. Sir Colin, Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson) and there were the sniffers of old (Ida Haendel, William Pleeth if memory serves) but I find SW less ignorable and maybe I'm alone in this. If so, sorry I spoke.

By the way did I mishear or was the third movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony started (this was in Breakfast) somewhere after the start ??

[JFLL]

Surely the 'Essential' part of the programme is the limbo between, say, 11.15 and 12.00 which for some reason they don't want us to know about. I sent an email to RC a few weeks ago:

"Dear Rob Cowan,

Could you please try and get the BBC to list the music played in the 'limbo'
betwen the 'Essential Classic' at 11:00 and the end of the programme at
12:00? I just walked in and you were playing what I think is the Mendelssohn
Second Piano Trio. [Postscript -- it was , and in a recording with Oistrakh
and co. that I didn't know.]

For me, and probably many others, this slot is often the real highlight of
the programme (sometimes of the whole day), and yet the music played is
never listed in Radio Times and often (as today) not even on the webpage of
Essential Classics. I'm sure you realize that there are many music-lovers
who wait switch on the radio only when there is something they want to
listen to, but it seems sometimes that today's Radio 3 perversely ignores
their wishes by not advertising important items in advance. I cannot believe
that you and Sarah Walker are happy with the website (not to mention Radio
Times) ignoring your carefully-chosen selections!

Best Wishes, and may you be allowed to carry on slipping in these classics
of the recorded repertory"

I just got a standard reply saying :

" Many thanks for your reply which has been passed onto Rob, Sarah and the team.

We receive many emails, and do take note of all your comments. Your email will be read in due course, and you will receive a personal reply if one is needed."

and then a lot of irrelevant stuff about brainteasers and such twaddle. No proper reply received as yet, needless to say.

And thery're still at it - now playing Mozart's Quartet K. 589, with not a word on the website about it.

Postscript: Now playing Chausson's Poeme --- also not listed anywhere in the schedules.

P.P.S. Today (Thursday) it's Fauré's second piano quintet -- another essential classic if ever there was one.