The 2024 Survey of Classical Music on R3

[Suffolkcoastal]

Here’s my 2024 Survey of Classical Music on Radio 3, the 16th I’ve undertaken. 2024 was another very depressing year for me personally and to see R3's ever continuing slide towards CFM oblivion hardly is doubly depressing.
The percentage of full & larger scale works broadcast continues at abysmal levels. The total number of complete symphonies broadcast for example continues to decline still further from even last year's record low.
As last year, the narrowing of the variety of works by certain individual composers continues. Certain pieces getting played ever more often, my 'warhorse' list having record numbers of works having a record year. Especially noticeable is the increase in many CFM favourites, such as 'Walking the Dog' & film scores by John Williams & John Barry. A Schubert Impromptu or Dvorak Slavonic Dance on average every 3 days, a Vivaldi Season at least every 4 days on average, over 60 broadcasts of the Grieg Holberg Suite either complete or as a movement.

A certain trend/policy, that continues is also resulting in many composers whose music deserves to be heard, being ever more sidelined. The figures tell the story.

As usual, a list of all composers with 50 or more pieces/chunks broadcast is in the thread below. As last year the *against a composer indicates the highest number of pieces/chunks by that composer since I began my survey in 2009, ! against a composer the lowest so far. The now majority play list format programmes again resulted in even more composers having record numbers of bits & pieces broadcast since 2009. If there are any composers who did not reach the 50 threshold, that you would like to know the figures for, then as usual please let me know & I can provide them.

The Symphony figures will follow tomorrow.

Position	Composer	Number of pieces / chunks
1	BACH J S	1821
2	MOZART W A	1633
3	BEETHOVEN	1176
4	SCHUBERT	1127
5	BRAHMS	842
6	HAYDN F J	841
7	HANDEL	759
8	DEBUSSY	724
9	CHOPIN	715
10	DVORAK	707*
11	TCHAIKOVSKY P I	642*
12	VIVALDI	630*
13	MENDELSSOHN FELIX	626
14	RAVEL	593*
15	SCHUMANN R	581
16	GRIEG	466*
17	RACHMANINOV	442
18	ELGAR	437
19	SIBELIUS	434
20	PURCELL H	424
21	VAUGHAN WILLIAMS	411
22	SAINT-SAENS	403*
23	FAURE	391*
24	BRITTEN	386
25	LISZT	378
26	STRAUSS R	331
27	SHOSTAKOVICH	289
28	HOLST G	264*
28	STRAVINSKY	264
29	GERSHWIN	257
29	TELEMANN	250
30	PROKOFIEV S	245
31	PUCCINI	231*
32	WAGNER R	230
33	BRUCKNER	226*
34	COLERIDGE-TAYLOR S	224*
35	BYRD	223
36	POULENC	217
37	SCARLATTI D	213
38	BACH C P E	207
39	VERDI	201
40	STRAUSS J II	198*
41	MAHLER G	192
42	PRICE FLORENCE	188*
42	ROSSINI	188
43	BERLIOZ	183
44	MONTEVERDI	181
45	RAMEAU	178
46	SCHUMANN C	170*
47	SMETANA	156*
48	BIZET	154*
49	STANFORD	149*
50	MENDELSSOHN FANNY	148*
51	RIMSKY KORSAKOV	147*
52	BARTOK	146!
53	WILLIAMS JOHN	145*
54	CHAMINADE	143*
55	RESPIGHI	141*
56	WEBER C M VON	139
57	BERNSTEIN L	137
58	WALTON W	134
59	COPLAND	132
59	GLASS P	132
60	FARRENC L	129*
60	PART	129
61	TALLIS	124*
62	BEACH	122*
62	SHAW CAROLINE	122*
62	DOWLAND	122
63	JANACEK	121
64	CORELLI	118*
65	ARNOLD M	116
65	GRAINGER P	116
66	PIAZZOLLA	115
66	SATIE	115
67	DELIUS	112
68	SAINT-GEORGES	111*
68	NIELSEN C	111
69	KORNGOLD	108
70	BRUCH	106*
70	GIBBONS O	106*
70	SMYTH	106*
70	SCHOENBERG	106
71	GABRIELI G	105
72	WHITACRE E	104*
73	STILL W G	102*
73	FINZI	102
74	BORODIN	100*
75	KREISLER F	97*
76	BOULANGER L	96
77	BINGEN HILDEGARD OF	93
77	FALLA	93
78	PEJACEVIC	92*
78	ALBENIZ	92
78	KODALY	92
79	SULLIVAN	91
80	OFFENBACH	89
81	TAILLEFERRE	88*
81	GOUNOD	88
82	BARBER S	86
82	GLUCK	86
83	KHACHATURIAN	85*
83	BRIDGE FRANK	85
83	MACMILLAN J	85
84	ADAMS J	83
85	COATES E	82*
86	BOCCHERINI	81*
86	RICHTER M	81
87	COUPERIN F	80
87	GLAZUNOV	80
88	MORRICONE	77*
88	PALESTRINA	77
88	VILLA LOBOS	77
89	PAGANINI	76
90	MUSSORGSKY	74
91	GIPPS	73
92	IRELAND J	72*
92	DELIBES	72
93	VICTORIA	70
94	HAHN R	69*
94	HOWELLS	69
95	WARLOCK	67*
95	CHABRIER	67
95	FRANCK C	67
95	RODRIGO	67
95	WALLEN E	67
96	JENKINS K	66*
96	BUXTEHUDE	66
97	IVES C	65
97	MESSIAEN	65
97	PARRY H	65
98	BONIS M	64
99	RUTTER	63*
100	HOWELL D	62*
100	GLINKA	62
101	ALBINONI	61*
101	HUMMEL J N	61*
101	STROZZI B	61
101	SUK	61
101	WEIR J	61
102	KATS-CHERNIN	60*
102	BUTTERWORTH G	60
103	MARTINES M	59*
103	LULLY	59
103	SCRIABIN	59
103	WILLIAMS GRACE	59
104	BUSONI	57*
104	MARTINU	57
105	TIPPETT	56
106	JACQUET DE LA GUERRE	55*
106	ADES	55
106	BONDS M	55
106	WOLF H	55
107	LASSUS	53
108	ALFVEN	52*
109	BACEWICZ	51
109	MASSENET	51
110	BAX	50
110	BIBER	50

[french frank]

Very many thanks Suffy for your continuing hard work. As usual, it all takes some digesting.

[smittims]

I found this fascinating; I'm full of gratitude for this herculean task. No surprise to see Florence Price ahead of Berlioz, Rossini and Monteverdi, and Caroline Shaw ahead of Delius, Nielsen and Schoenberg, but I was struck by the figure for Khachaturian. one would have thought him an ideal 'CFM3' composer.

I'm guessing Judith Weir is a reduction from last year, not to mention previous years. I had sensed she was getting less air-time.

No hurry, but if possible I'd be interested to see figures for Rawsthorne and Havergal Brian. I noted only one short piece by Rawsthorne, the title music from The Cruel Sea, chosen probably because it was less than 3 minutes long.

[french frank]

The one thing that may distort the figures from year to year is whether the composer has been the subject of a CotW or an anniversary of some sort. I suspect that there are many 'big name' composers who have become 'great' because they have been played for decades/centuries and their works are therefore very familiar. It's akin to preferring a recorded performance known and listened to since childhood to a brand new one by an unfamiliar name (they don't play the work 'properly').

[mopsus]

I found this fascinating; I'm full of gratitude for this herculean task. No surprise to see Florence Price ahead of Berlioz, Rossini and Monteverdi, and Caroline Shaw ahead of Delius, Nielsen and Schoenberg, but I was struck by the figure for Khachaturian. one would have thought him an ideal 'CFM3' composer.

I suspect Schoenberg was only as high as he was because it was his anniversary year, thus earning him a COTW and a handful of Proms performances.

[LMcD]

Brucknerphiles might be a bit disappointed to see him come only 33rd in his anniversary year, but might also welcome this as evidence of mercifully few broadcasts of single movements or - even worse - extracts from movements.

[french frank]

I suspect Schoenberg was only as high as he was because it was his anniversary year, thus earning him a COTW and a handful of Proms performances.

The choices made by R3 seem a mix of social politics and the need to entertain people who know little about 'classical music' (sorry!). But I would disagree with any suggestion that only some acknowledged 'best'/'greatest' composers should be given airtime, since I doubt there would be much of a consensus as to what different people actually wanted to hear. It would be impossible to select an educational radio station's programming on the basis of the opinion of individuals as to who is worthwhile and who isn't.

[Ein Heldenleben]

The choices made by R3 seem a mix of social politics and the need to entertain people who know little about 'classical music' (sorry!). But I would disagree with any suggestion that only some acknowledged 'best'/'greatest' composers should be given airtime, since I doubt there would be much of a consensus as to what different people actually wanted to hear. It would be impossible to select an educational radio station's programming on the basis of the opinion of individuals as to who is worthwhile and who isn't.

That “ selection through opinion “ is pretty much how the BBC works in areas like news , current affairs and docs. It might be the opinion of a small group of people : say a Channel controller , exec producer and editor but it’s all opinion. It always amazed me just how much power I had as a series editor and how little interference I as subjected to . I literally had a blank slate . People would come up with ideas or I would but it was nearly always individuals making decisions - it wasn’t democratic or decision making by team. That’s just a recipe for chaos. I suspect R3 producers work to broad guidelines of what’s appropriate for each slot but the music selection is uo to them, Certainly some episodes of sequence programmes are more adventurous than others,

Funny thing is that Arnoldian sense of selection through the consent of the learned as to the “best “ is pretty much what informed decision making in Radio 3 / Third programme for decades. Of course that was partly driven by prevailing opinion about say - English Pastoralism v Second Viennese School . But one thing that would have united producers is the indifferent quality of many of the names on Suffolk Coastal’s list.

[Serial_Apologist]

That “ selection through opinion “ is pretty much how the BBC works in areas like news , current affairs and docs. It might be the opinion of a small group of people : say a Channel controller , exec producer and editor but it’s all opinion. It always amazed me just how much power I had as a series editor and how little interference I as subjected to . I literally had a blank slate . People would come up with ideas or I would but it was nearly always individuals making decisions - it wasn’t democratic or decision making by team. That’s just a recipe for chaos. I suspect R3 producers work to broad guidelines of what’s appropriate for each slot but the music selection is uo to them, Certainly some episodes of sequence programmes are more adventurous than others,

Funny thing is that Arnoldian sense of selection through the consent of the learned as to the “best “ is pretty much what informed decision making in Radio 3 / Third programme for decades. Of course that was partly driven by prevailing opinion about say - English Pastoralism v Second Viennese School . But one thing that would have united producers is the indifferent quality of many of the names on Suffolk Coastal’s list.

Much though elitism has been attributed to the trusted intuition of those in relatively privileged positions, such as yourself, with regards to their selectivity - and which for some in those positions might well have reflected their background and education. Retrospectively, in the light of falling standards, we can I think argue that the present lot's forbears, however ineluctably, fostered an ethos of curiosity in anyone (of any background) in search of a broadening and enriching awareness of "the creative spirit": one whose awakening potential was actually inclusive, because literally anyone could imbibe cultural product, as near to authentic as interpretation allowed, on the radio, un-nobbled by commercialised values, and at no personal financial expense. It may have been regarded and treated as an extra-curricular adjunct to the free educational egalitarianism of the postwar period. I don't know how unique the UK was in this respect - I do remember in France, as a teenager in the early 60s, hearing mixed programmes of classical pieces (possibly offcuts!) and jazz on their networks. Possibly they had learned at Auntie's knee? It seems clear from the recommendations of foreign broadcasters posted on this forum that others have picked up the flag of excellence once championed by the BBC.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I found this fascinating; I'm full of gratitude for this herculean task. No surprise to see Florence Price ahead of Berlioz, Rossini and Monteverdi, and Caroline Shaw ahead of Delius, Nielsen and Schoenberg, but I was struck by the figure for Khachaturian. one would have thought him an ideal 'CFM3' composer.

I'm guessing Judith Weir is a reduction from last year, not to mention previous years. I had sensed she was getting less air-time.

No hurry, but if possible I'd be interested to see figures for Rawsthorne and Havergal Brian. I noted only one short piece by Rawsthorne, the title music from The Cruel Sea, chosen probably because it was less than 3 minutes long.

Judith Weir is indeed a reduction from last year. The totals for Brian are 5 & Rawsthorne 2. Neither of these composers have ever each 50 pieces in a year since I started in 2009. The number of composers of note that haven't reached the 50 is very large indeed. Indeed Rawsthorne's overall total across the 16 years hasn't reached 50 either.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Much though elitism has been attributed to the trusted intuition of those in relatively privileged positions, such as yourself, with regards to their selectivity - and which for some in those positions might well have reflected their background and education. Retrospectively, in the light of falling standards, we can I think argue that the present lot's forbears, however ineluctably, fostered an ethos of curiosity in anyone (of any background) in search of a broadening and enriching awareness of "the creative spirit": one whose awakening potential was actually inclusive, because literally anyone could imbibe cultural product, as near to authentic as interpretation allowed, on the radio, un-nobbled by commercialised values, and at no personal financial expense. It may have been regarded and treated as an extra-curricular adjunct to the free educational egalitarianism of the postwar period. I don't know how unique the UK was in this respect - I do remember in France, as a teenager in the early 60s, hearing mixed programmes of classical pieces (possibly offcuts!) and jazz on their networks. Possibly they had learned at Auntie's knee? It seems clear from the recommendations of foreign broadcasters posted on this forum that others have picked up the flag of excellence once championed by the BBC.

I don’t think it’s elitism. You either think somethings are better than others or you don’t. You either think there are facts or that there are “alternative facts ,” We now have a media world largely unmediated by editors or publishers and the results are all around us, The irony is that for years we had the bosses above us praising social media , citizen journalism et al and the upshot all too predictably is Timmy Robinson, Musk and the rest of the motley crew. A few dodgy composers on Radio 3 is the least of our problems.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Judith Weir is indeed a reduction from last year. The totals for Brian are 5 & Rawsthorne 2. Neither of these composers have ever each 50 pieces in a year since I started in 2009. The number of composers of note that haven't reached the 50 is very large indeed. Indeed Rawsthorne's overall total across the 16 years hasn't reached 50 either.

That’s incredible. He’s “better” than quite a few on the list.

[french frank]

You either think some things are better than others or you don’t.

But you, whoever 'you' may be, may think differently from another 'you'. If you're only interested in the "best", stick to JS Bach and don't bother with Mozart, Sibelius or Weinberg. Life has its lights and shades. When it comes to facts, the only facts are that Listener A thinks Mahler is better than Bruckner, and Listener B thinks Bruckner is better than Mahler. More widely, opinions and preferences aren't facts.

[Ein Heldenleben]

But you, whoever 'you' may be, may think differently from another 'you'. If you're only interested in the "best", stick to JS Bach and don't bother with Mozart, Sibelius or Weinberg. Life has its lights and shades. When it comes to facts, the only facts are that Listener A thinks Mahler is better than Bruckner, and Listener B thinks Bruckner is better than Mahler. More widely, opinions and preferences aren't facts.

Thing is I was talking about running a radio or tv station and every day some one has to make a judgement about what is worth running. I’m not sure by the way whether Bach is better than Mozart - but I’m absolutely convinced they are better than Caroline Shaw. So indeed are the people running R3 as they run the former duo 10 times more often .

[french frank]

Thing is I was talking about running a radio or tv station and every day some one has to make a judgement about what is worth running. I’m not sure by the way whether Bach is better than Mozart - but I’m absolutely convinced they are better than Caroline Shaw. So indeed are the people running R3 as they run the former duo 10 times more often .

Well, I suppose I would make a comparison with the What are you reading now? thread. Half the time I think what a load of trivial modern bilge. Why would anyone choose to waste their time reading that sort of stuff when there are writers who are incomparably better? And then I say that it's because they enjoy it and they're the ones reading it, not me. And if someone thinks Caroline Shaw, Judith Weir, Dorothy Howell or Florence Price have anything to offer some people, what relevance has it that others think they shouldn't be given airtime because there are far better composers than them?