Tom Courtenay is ...

[Stillhomewardbound]

... currently presenting a most enjoyable selection of pieces on Saturday Classics. Very Radio 3 of old!!

[Anna]

Totally agree - I was worried as it's under the Sound of the Cinema banner and he started with Dr. Zhivago (tbh I didn't know he was in in) but it's a good programme, very enjoyable, good mix of non-film music.

[Dave2002]

Anna

Courtenay = Pasha Antipov / Strelnikov. Maybe you should watch it again - I think it stands a few repeats.

[Norfolk Born]

I, too, quite enjoyed his selection, but thought there were too many 'bleeding chunks' torn from major works. This, and the frequent reminders of his name, led me to believe that it was meant to serve as an 'entry level' programme - in which case I hope it succeeded.
If you take the 'Radio Times', you will have noticed (and if you don't, you may well have suspected, or deduced) that Essential Classics is now officially segmented - or do I mean fragmented:
0900 Essential CD of the Week
0930 The daily brain teaser
1000 Artist of the Week
1030 Guest of the Week
1100 Host's Essential Choice
On Mondays, there is also the Building a Library recommendation
This week, the essential choices - which occupy the longest segment - could fairly be described as 'risk-averse': Brahms 2nd piano concerto, Britten Serenade, Mozart 'Prague' symphony, Schubert 'Unfinished'.

[french frank]

This, and the frequent reminders of his name, led me to believe that it was meant to serve as an 'entry level' programme

Correct. I've just located an online document (2011) for Radio 3 which says:

"Notable Service Developments

Develop the station's accessibility: The station has continued to develop its accessibility particularly through Breakfast, In Tune and Saturday Classics. BBC Radio 3 is introducing listeners to some of the most seminal pieces of the 20th century in Hear and Now."

Hmm, Breakfast 16 hrs 30 mins per week, In Tune approx 10 hours per week, Saturday Classics, 2 hours per week; Hear and Now 1-2 hours per week (hardly on the same plane?). Just enough to fool people that it's providing serious, challenging programmes.

[AjAjAjH]

I was worried as it's under the Sound of the Cinema banner

Worried!?

So what was wrong with the Sound of the Cinema?

I found it thoroughly enjoyable and taking my daughter to 'Music of the Cinema' concerts was her way into 'Classical' concerts.

[french frank]

So what was wrong with the Sound of the Cinema?

I found it thoroughly enjoyable and taking my daughter to 'Music of the Cinema' concerts was her way into 'Classical' concerts.

I'd say there was nothing wrong with the idea per se. But three weeks of saturation coverage so that whatever time you turned on you could be pretty sure film music was being discussed was what was wrong. That was longer than Beethoven, Bach, Schubert or Mozart got for their 'special events'.

But you're on the right lines: it was aimed at people who are not 'the station's natural listeners' according to the event's architect. Even so, a three-week saturation season for people who aren't natural Radio 3 listeners does prompt certain questions. Like, would Radio 4 put on three weeks of 'The Beautiful Game' for people who like football?

[Norfolk Born]

I'd say there was nothing wrong with the idea per se. But three weeks of saturation coverage so that whatever time you turned on you could be pretty sure film music was being discussed was what was wrong. That was longer than Beethoven, Bach, Schubert or Mozart got for their 'special events'.

Quite....and IMHO the choice of John Williams as Composer of the Week merely served to prove that regurgitation pays off.