The 2015 Survey of Classical Music on Radio 3

[MrGongGong]

Aaah yes the old "test of time" nonsense where Elvis is considered "better" than Byrd
what nonsense and false everything

Most works of genuine quality will emerge to achieve greater popularity eventually.

So HOW do you know this? (unless you have listened to all the works you don't know exist? in which case ......)

but even then they still have to convince significant numbers from the grave!

There's no "convincing" to be done at all.

[MrGongGong]

Treason GG - you could be (in your own words) a DEAD MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does that mean I become a "real" composer then?

[Serial_Apologist]

A decomposer.

[french frank]

A decomposer.

I'd put it slightly differently: the composers/works that are perceived to be most popular will tend to get played more often. But what Suffy's figures show is the real imbalance. Beethoven 7 played 17 times? Mozart's Jupiter played 15 times? Sibelius 5 played 17 times?

[cloughie]

Does that mean I become a "real" composer then?

I suspect that you will remain surreal.

[MrGongGong]

I suspect that you will remain surreal.

Hope so

[Suffolkcoastal]

What has continued under the new regime, is some composers/works come in clusters, you'll get 3 or 4 broadcasts of a piece within a few days then that piece/composer will disappear for a week or two. TTN is still partially hampered by the continual recycling of a certain number of works in the same performances, some of which have been recycled for over 10 years. The warhorses remain strong, with certain of them being more prominent than others from year to year. The R3 website remains an appalling shambles and is a disgrace. Personally I'd be more than happy to look after it, the CFM website is far more professional and accurate, the one CFM thing R3 should seek to emulate it doesn't! Would be great if just once a week, say on a Saturday afternoon for 3 hours, a programme could be devoted to the works of lesser known composers and rare works by better known composers. This could at least go some way to help broaden some of the repertoire currently offered. I'd gladly volunteer to put together the programme and do the research!

[P. G. Tipps]

What has continued under the new regime, is some composers/works come in clusters, you'll get 3 or 4 broadcasts of a piece within a few days then that piece/composer will disappear for a week or two. TTN is still partially hampered by the continual recycling of a certain number of works in the same performances, some of which have been recycled for over 10 years. The warhorses remain strong, with certain of them being more prominent than others from year to year. The R3 website remains an appalling shambles and is a disgrace. Personally I'd be more than happy to look after it, the CFM website is far more professional and accurate, the one CFM thing R3 should seek to emulate it doesn't! Would be great if just once a week, say on a Saturday afternoon for 3 hours, a programme could be devoted to the works of lesser known composers and rare works by better known composers. This could at least go some way to help broaden some of the repertoire currently offered. I'd gladly volunteer to put together the programme and do the research!

I meant to add my expressions of admiration at the most interesting research you have already undertaken, Suffolkcoastal.

Furthermore, I refuse point-blank to refer to you as 'Suffy' ... we are not all Gary Linekers.

Formidable effort, sir!

[Pabmusic]

Wonderful, quite wonderful.

[P. G. Tipps]

Aaah yes the old "test of time" nonsense where Elvis is considered "better" than Byrd
what nonsense and false everything

It is indeed nonsense and 'false everything' to compare 'Elvis' with 'Byrd' as it would be to place The Beano alongside The Financial Times, Mr GG.

One must be very careful to compare 'like with like', you see.

So HOW do you know this? (unless you have listened to all the works you don't know exist? in which case ......)

Even you could hardly ever achieve that, MrGG ...

It is indeed sad if some composer's worth has never been recognised. Sadly, the same applies in all walks of life and occupations. There will always be unfair losers as well as winners. By all means continue your advocacy on the behalf of the former once you discover who they are!

Fortunately, most of us manage to find enough pleasure in our limited life-spans exploring the output of composers which has already been noticed and duly recognised by others.

There's no "convincing" to be done at all.

Oh yes there is!

[Vile Consort]

Missed that one
Many apologies

But I think the point still stands (NOT that there's anything wrong with the music by the rest of them)

That being that case, what exactly IS your point?

[MrGongGong]

That being that case, what exactly IS your point?

That most of the music played is by dead men.
There's some great music written by dead men
There's some great music written by dead women
There's some great music written by live men
There's some great music written by live women
Here's some music made by insects

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZBnXf2FfJc

[Vile Consort]

Ah. Then I must have been mistaken in thinking you were not the sort of person to waste his time making vacuous statements.

[Richard Tarleton]

All great music is written by live men or women. Dead men don't write music.

Some of them have died since writing it. Some are still alive. Britten and Arnold (both of whom I saw perform) or Shostakovich and Lutoslawski (both of whom I saw at performances of their works) have all died since. Why this bothers you I'm not sure, but I'm sure you'll tell me

[Daniel]

That being that case, what exactly IS your point?

MrGG can of course speak for himself, but it seems to me the point was that it appears from the list there wasn't a lot of music being played on R3 by living composers, which seems a valid point. Though I notice that Sc says the list is of 'composers who had more than 50 pieces/chunks broadcast on Radio 3 in 2015', so I don't know how many living composers are lurking in the less-than-50 shadows.

Thanks, Sc, for those comprehensive lists, very interesting.