The 'oh no not another thread' thread

[kernelbogey]

[...] I now find her style totally offputting - unlike SR where total avoidance generally means missing little of any significance [...] Possibly age has something to do with it not having been brought up with commercial radio.

[Suffolkcoastal]

The important point was raised by BoD (re the Mighty Handful), yet another gaffe from a R3 presenter. Firstly KD simply doesn't have enough knowledge to be a R3 presenter (and if the mistake was in her script she should have had enough knowledge to question it), secondly if the mistake was in the script then the researchers are totally substandard and should have their employment promptly terminated. It seems that general shoddiness is now an acceptable part of R3.

[Norfolk Born]

Talking of mispronunciation, on yesterday's BBC 'Breakfast' Susannah Reid managed to pronounce 'Musikverein' as 'Musikferien' which, if it means anything, means 'music holidays'. It's always tricky trying to spell out what one believes to be the correct pronunciation of foreign words, but I would offer 'Muzeekfairine' ('ine' as in 'nine', main emphasis on the 'ee').

[Bax-of-Delights]

The important point was raised by BoD (re the Mighty Handful), yet another gaffe from a R3 presenter. Firstly KD simply doesn't have enough knowledge to be a R3 presenter (and if the mistake was in her script she should have had enough knowledge to question it), secondly if the mistake was in the script then the researchers are totally substandard and should have their employment promptly terminated. It seems that general shoddiness is now an acceptable part of R3.

Quite so, suffolk.
I don't care if it was KD or anyone else making the bloop the bottom line is that either she doesn't know or her script-writers didn't know (and she didn't spot the mistake). At what level of ignorance should we just shrug and say "it doesn't really matter" (often invoked by those who attack grammar as unnecessary or outdated) and conflate one Russian composer with a bunch of others who had actually formed their Mighty Handful before he was even born?
That KD is paid a quarter of a million pounds a year for her efforts will be much appreciated by the others in the R3 stable who do know their stuff but do not have the photogenic qualities which, it would appear, are pre-requisite in RW's wonderful R3-land.

[John Ward Moorhouse]

Quite so, suffolk.
I don't care if it was KD or anyone else making the bloop the bottom line is that either she doesn't know or her script-writers didn't know (and she didn't spot the mistake). At what level of ignorance should we just shrug and say "it doesn't really matter" (often invoked by those who attack grammar as unnecessary or outdated) and conflate one Russian composer with a bunch of others who had actually formed their Mighty Handful before he was even born?
That KD is paid a quarter of a million pounds a year for her efforts will be much appreciated by the others in the R3 stable who do know their stuff but do not have the photogenic qualities which, it would appear, are pre-requisite in RW's wonderful R3-land.

well, she's back and already ruining my afternoon. I've waited years to spend all day listening to my (beloved) R3 and it's turned into my worst nightmare. Smiley Katie, with her execrable pronunciation - the school ma'am we call her, with her " this is how you WILL pronounce it" as she bends her lovely vowels around the respective named members of the Skampas, repeatedly - for good measure. Slipped up though when it came to Alexander Nevsky, and it was ground opening time when she came to Turgenev. BBC has a pronunciation unit; why doesn't she use it? Still, every newscaster, everywhere, cannot get right Medvedev. Is this the reason the Dimitri Alexev had an addityional e put into his name all those years ago, I wonder.

[Word]

'Moorehouse' is spelt with an 'e'.

[french frank]

'Moorehouse' is spelt with an 'e'.

So is Worde

[Word]

So is Worde

An interesting link

[Panjandrum]

I caught up with Tuesday's Afternoon on 3. The presenter, whom I shall not name, informed us that Lutoslawski had had a rough time initially getting accepted; "one of his teachers accused him of writing ugly music." Apparently, however, this was "not so" according to our sage, as the Symphonic Variations would demonstrate in a performance "which I would say is full of aplomb".

Later, we were enlightened by the fact that Chopin, mirabile dictu had composed both of his piano concerti by the age of 21; "we seem to have an unusual number of prodigies on today's show" was the insightful comment which succeeded the performance.

Do the producers and presenters ever stop to think whether their audience may have heard these works before, and that such remarks are ineffably banal? It seems to me that the presentation is pitched at the lowest level for a hypothetical listener who regards any piece of 20th century music (let alone C21) as intrinsically "difficult", and needs to be coaxed into listening. Some little bait is needed; "it's surprisingly tuneful"; "colourfully orchestrated". If all else fails - "it's a short work".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do the producers and presenters ever stop to think whether their audience may have heard these works before, and that such remarks are ineffably banal?

No.
Nor do they seem to realize that, for many(/some) listeners who don't know the works, this risible sub-Blue Peter patronizing presentation style is the very thing that puts them off listening to R3 entirely.

It seems to me that the presentation is pitched at the lowest level for a hypothetical listener who regards any piece of 20th century music (let alone C21) as intrinsically "difficult", and needs to be coaxed into listening. Some little bait is needed; "it's surprisingly tuneful"; "colourfully orchestrated". If all else fails - "it's a short work".

[JFLL]

And the mispronunciations continue. Introducing the violinist Veronika Eberle on the lunchtime recital yesterday, KD pronounced her name throughout as though it was French Éberle, with the stress on the second 'e'. Since Veronika Eberle is German, I presume her name is pronounced in the normal German way, with the stress on the first 'E'. Why don't these announcers (sorry, 'presenters') check with someone who knows the language? Highly unprofessional, and a bit of an insult to the artist. Calling her 'Veronika' (cringe) doesn't make up for it.

[Auric]

I've taken to pressing the mute button whenever KD presents Afternoon on 3 otherwise I just end up shouting at her presumptions, endless banalities and her excruciating attempts at over-correct pronunciation. The only downside is knowing how long to keep the volume muted as I have on occasions inadvertantly returned to normal volume only to find she is still droning on....

[Nick Armstrong]

I've taken to pressing the mute button whenever KD presents Afternoon on 3 otherwise I just end up shouting at her presumptions, endless banalities and her excruciating attempts at over-correct pronunciation. The only downside is knowing how long to keep the volume muted as I have on occasions inadvertantly returned to normal volume only to find she is still droning on....

Not usually around for Afternoon on 3 but caught some this afternoon Her presentation style is truly awful, isn't it!

[Panjandrum]

Interesting that Derham was paid £200k p.a. to boost the ratings.

[Norfolk Born]

Interesting that Derham was paid £200k p.a. to boost the ratings.

I didn't know morale in the Navy was THAT low.