Traditionally, as it were, Radio 3 announcements (what we're playing next) and back announcements (what we've just played) consisted of composer, work and artists. Artists, if a chamber work, would include the name of the ensemble, plus supernumeraries if any (The Amadeus Quartet with Heinrich Schiff, Cello); for orchestral works both orchestra and conductor would be credited.
My R3 listening these days is proscribed
and my main source of data is Through the Night, perhaps a special case. However my impression is that this tradition is crumbling a little. This is not to complain, so much, as to raise an important issue in the hope that both apparatchiks and continuity announcers may, occasionally, read the views expressed on the forum.
The announcement (as described above) often gives way to something like 'And here's Schubert, writing in a different kind of three-four time' - and nothing else. Or there is more information than this about the work, but nothing on the performers.
With back announcements, I have the impression that artists are not always credited in full: for example, the orchestra credited but no conductor.
With R3 output directed increasingly to casual listening, it seems to me important that a full (traditional) announcement and back-announcement should be maintained whenever possible, so that if the listener has to check out (eg to leave for work) or switches on in the middle of a piece, the full performance data are available.
In principle it seems to me that artists should always be credited in full: they are the ones, after all, providing the musical experience. On the other hand - here I'm thinking of TTN - do we need to know the names of the four Rumanian musicians, whom we've never heard of, and likely will never come across again?
My R3 listening these days is proscribed
and my main source of data is Through the Night, perhaps a special case. However my impression is that this tradition is crumbling a little. This is not to complain, so much, as to raise an important issue in the hope that both apparatchiks and continuity announcers may, occasionally, read the views expressed on the forum.The announcement (as described above) often gives way to something like 'And here's Schubert, writing in a different kind of three-four time' - and nothing else. Or there is more information than this about the work, but nothing on the performers.
With back announcements, I have the impression that artists are not always credited in full: for example, the orchestra credited but no conductor.
With R3 output directed increasingly to casual listening, it seems to me important that a full (traditional) announcement and back-announcement should be maintained whenever possible, so that if the listener has to check out (eg to leave for work) or switches on in the middle of a piece, the full performance data are available.
In principle it seems to me that artists should always be credited in full: they are the ones, after all, providing the musical experience. On the other hand - here I'm thinking of TTN - do we need to know the names of the four Rumanian musicians, whom we've never heard of, and likely will never come across again?
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