Building a Library - General Discussion

[Goon525]

Surprisingly, not. I just flipped through the current issue, and only Natasha Loges jumped out at me. As Mike Aldren suggests above, they seem to have honed in on academics to right the male/female balance.

[BBMmk2]

I think, I have become rather fed up with this programme. I haven’t listened to now, two programmes.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Just an observation; there isn't much actual discussion about the piece in question, on this thread, the winner, others in the running - or not, etc, etc.
It seems to be going off on all sorts of tangents.

I think it was a fair expectation we would/should get that from the BAL itself. However, we should recognise we need to relinquish that expectation nowadays. What used to be a useful, authoritative survey of a work (at least as a starting point) is no more. Occasionally, as an outlier, something comes along as reminder of what we have lost (Elgar Violin C - whatever one thinks of Owen-Norris). We now have a DJ spinning some discs with someone, very often from the BBC roster (ex New Generation, etc) with some comments or observations.

Its like morning radio generally, its worth isn't sufficient to command full attention, and time is better spent reading The Gramophone where the kind of people we need for the declared purpose of a BAL may still be found - informing, educating.

[Nick Armstrong]

That pretty much sums it up for me, CS

[Parry1912]

What used to be a useful, authoritative survey of a work (at least as a starting point) is no more.

I used to think BAL was the best thing in the BBC’s output. Now, not so much

[french frank]

What used to be a useful, authoritative survey of a work (at least as a starting point) is no more.

That pretty much sums it up for me, CS

I used to think BAL was the best thing in the BBC’s output. Now, not so much

I think, I have become rather fed up with this programme. I haven’t listened to now, two programmes.

Those who disagree will … disagree. But it seems to me it's just a recognition that R3 can't serve two distinct classical audiences simultaneously. And the audience it wants is the one it believes it's catering for. To its credit, I think it probably does believe it can serve two audiences, but one is definitely getting the ever shorter straw. That's in my opinion, of course. I realise there are some who believe it's getting better.

[Edgy 2]

Not listened to BAL for years, used to be essential listening for me at one time.
In fact I can't remember the last time I listened to anything on Radio 3 live.
I tend to cherry pick full works on i player from through the night, afternoon, evening and lunchtime concerts ( although the afternoon programming seems to be going downhill fast)
Nor even sure I'm a friend of R3 anymore, so many better listening alternatives

[french frank]

Nor even sure I'm a friend of R3 anymore, so many better listening alternatives

It needs to be pointed out (to some, at least ) that the Friends of Radio 3 were never a Radio 3 Appreciation Society. They were a 'critical friends' group which expected something more rigorous, less 'audience-friendly' than recent controllers have visualised. There was never any argument that some listeners prefer 'audience-friendly' listening, which made the protests progressively less like to succeed.

[Alison]

Yes, the afternoon concert programming is bewildering.

I cant imagine ANY audience that would find this satisfying.

Something for another thread!

[gurnemanz]

Yes, the afternoon concert programming is bewildering.

I cant imagine ANY audience that would find this satisfying.

Something for another thread!

This one.

A pity since R3 from 12 to 7pm is when I most often tune in "live".

[Cockney Sparrow]

Not even sure I'm a friend of R3 anymore, so many better listening alternatives

Interesting point - as friend is without the capital, it occurs to me, similarly, that eventually Radio 3 will have no real listener constituency willing to fight for its continued existence. It will be a Classic/Crossover listening channel as a bolt on tool (marketing dept) to promote the BBC Orchestras (Big £££) the Proms (big £££) and other initiatives (New Generation, Easy listening podcasts (recycled from or filling the mid night space)). Its the professional musicians and broadcasters who will have the biggest interest in the continuation of the service

They are relying on building an audience from the Youth they are reaching out to - but I'm not sure those they do reach would care - enough - about what they've found. Not like the value I owe and have placed on the Radio Three I found when I was about 18 and after, hooked by the world of serious, classical music and the authoritative material put out all the time, every day, with weekly highlights like Interpretations on Record, Building a Library and Discovering Music.

If its not to be delivered in reverent, sepulchral (=elitist) tones, they need to find a way of keeping the value of Radio Three's output in terms of informing, educating as well as entertaining. But I agree, time to be even more selective and take advantage of those many other sources of good music.

Time and time again the BBC has proved its arrogance and how it is deaf to all criticism. I suppose vote with one's feet is an effective solution (for me on all mornings now......Martin Handley excepted, whilst he's there; maybe half listen to Record Review on catch up - skip the useless parts - whilst doing DIY, whatever). BTW, I'm glad that when I eventually get to the point of not listening to Radio 3 at all, I will still be eligible for membership of this Friends forum.

[cloughie]

Building a library is certainly not what it was BUT there is no other R3 programme that stimulates as much discussion on the forum.

[Edgy 2]

It needs to be pointed out (to some, at least ) that the Friends of Radio 3 were never a Radio 3 Appreciation Society. They were a 'critical friends' group which expected something more rigorous, less 'audience-friendly' than recent controllers have visualised. There was never any argument that some listeners prefer 'audience-friendly' listening, which made the protests progressively less like to succeed.

I used to be a friend as well as a Friend

[Edgy 2]

Building a library is certainly not what it was BUT there is no other R3 programme that stimulates as much discussion on the forum.

A lot of that discussion consists of complaining about the programme though

[Keraulophone]

it seems to me it's just a recognition that R3 can't serve two distinct classical audiences simultaneously.

...so provide a current BaL-style programme to serve one audience and a separate Interpretations-on-Record-style programme to satify the other audience.

Reminds me of a cartoon on the Radio Times letters page of a tenor in full voice with a knob on his jacket labelled 'Brow': he was able to twiddle it between High and Low.