So what DO we like?

[Guest]

Not sure if this is the right place to start this thread but, given how much negative comment (much of it fully justified) R3's output engenders, I was wondering which parts MBers still consider worth listening to. Put another way, I suppose, what is it about R3 that makes it the sort of station we would like it to be?

The Proms are an obvious starting point and so, for me, are the live opera broadcasts from the Met. I'd also include Cotw, CDR/BaL, Discovering Music, Private Passions and Late Junction, all of which remain intelligent and informative as well as entertaining and none of which seem to have been "got at" by the marketing men.

What do other MBers think?

[Don Petter]

From the seven you select I would only go out of my way to hear three: CDR, CotW (depending on the composer) and Private Passions (which doesn’t always last the course, depending on the subject and their choice of music).

There are other items to which I listen, usually when in the car. These would be mainly recitals or concerts, among which I wouldn’t differentiate the Proms, which I always find over-hyped (something that tends to put me off rather than the reverse).

[vinteuil]

Using Don's phrase, I wd only "go out of my way" to hear CD Review/Building a Library - Composer of the Week - the Early Music Show - Private Passions - evening concerts - Night Waves - and in each case, only if the music/performers/subjects were of particular personal interest. Aeolium made a very telling point on another thread, when indicating that many R3 listeners had by now acquired well-stocked CD collections, and wd only turn to R3 when it offered something new, special, particularly excellent.

[antongould]

I'm pleasantly surprised Private Passions seems to be on everyone's must listen list up to now. Surprised because of the embargo on "bleeding chunks" which seem to be an oft quoted requirement of Breakfast etc.

[Norfolk Born]

Private Passions, Jazz Record Requests, Late Junction (until I fall asleep), CotW (some weeks), Classic Collection (less and less). That's about it.

[french frank]

As this is part of the Classical Forum, perhaps this isn't the place to mention Drama on 3, The Essay and the Sunday Feature which, with the proviso vinteuil mentions (the subject being of 'particular personal interest' - which it often is), seem to me to have kept up a very serious and imaginative output.

[Don Petter]

I'm pleasantly surprised Private Passions seems to be on everyone's must listen list up to now. Surprised because of the embargo on "bleeding chunks" which seem to be an oft quoted requirement of Breakfast etc.

By its very nature, this programme will have to involve some bleeding chunks from time to time. After all, it is only an upmarket Desert Island Discs. (Other programmes which are complained about in this context are not restricted by this format.)

I could listen to Michael Berkeley at any time, and I think he does epitomise what R3 should be all about. Having said that, I didn't find today's guest, Douglas Gordon, or his choices, very interesting, and had we not been on the way home in the car the programme would have been terminated. We would have missed the F-D/Moore Erlkonig at the end though, which would indeed have been a pity.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Jazz Library is the best jazz prog on UK radio by a mile .... and Julian Joseph does the occasional good JLU; but the rest of the jazz programming is not up to standard, and at a lousy time so i would like much less amateurish and naive jazz programmes NPR leaves R3 cold ...

Lunchtime Concerts often give me great pleasure .... otherwise as listed above ..

[doversoul1]

The EARLY MUSIC SHOW. DC Reviews. I usually enjoy the New Release slot. I wouldn’t mind if this were much longer. I find Lunchtime Concert often very good. I can’t say I’ll go out of my way to listen but I am very glad that TTN is there.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In simple terms, I like most things on Radio 3 that are broadcast from 12.00 noon onwards (Monday-Friday) and from 9.00 a.m. onwards on a Saturday. Sundays are a problem. I rarely listen, since the listings give almost no indication of what is to be played.

[teamsaint]

Breakfast..by far the best show anywhere at that time of day.

most of the daytime programming.

The only place you can hear generally good music, without having to put up with endless mindless chat between tunes.

[MickyD]

I own up to a bit of bias because of my personal musical tastes, but I really do think that The Early Music Show is a model example of R3 programming. Informative but thanks to the talents of the presenters, never stuffy or dull, which proves that it is perfectly possible to educate and entertain at the same time.

[3rd Viennese School]

Hear and Now
Discovering Music (unless its Handel or Operas or Handel Operas)
Performance on 3 first half (second half can sometimes be xxxx!)

Used to follow composer of the Week when it was a good one but they changed the times.

3VS

[Old Grumpy]

Breakfast (no I'm not a producer)
CD review
Early Music Show
In Tune
Choral Evensong
Jazz Record Requests
Jazz Line Up
Jazz on 3 (occasionally)

[kuligin]

Programmes I actively seek to listen to

1 Record Review
2 Composer of the Week except where it is some one I know I can not stand such as Duke Ellington or Satie
3 Opera on 3 except again for certain repertoire mainly verismo. Sadly the Met programmes tend to repeat the same operas and even cast year on year, so I prefer the Thursday programmes but can not always catch them
4 Live concerts

I never listen much on Sunday, nor to Breakfast and its sequel, and even find the Early Music Show too gushing so it will come as no suprise that I dont listen between 5 and 7 pm either. Dont listen to Jazz, World Music or Choral Evensong except when its Vespers