Welcome to my 8th annual review of ‘Classical Music’ on Radio 3. For details of how this is done/calculated please see the earlier reviews. I have though made some changes in the way the information is presented:
• The raw data with the actual number of pieces/chunks instead of rounding to the nearest 5.
• As the survey is now in its 8th year, I thought it would be more useful to show the total average per composer over the previous 7 years in comparison, instead of the percentage difference from the previous 2 years’ figures.
• I’ve kept the composer list to those with 50 or more pieces/chunks broadcast, however if you would like the figures for 2016 for other composers, as well as their average from the previous 7 years I will be happy to supply them.
Though I cannot guarantee that the figures for each composer are 100% accurate as I’m not perfect and can miss the odd piece/chunk, I would say that it’s around 99% accurate and I use the same method each year to try and maintain consistency of approach.
The first full year of the new Controller made this an even more interesting year than usual and one that was eagerly anticipated. Though there have been a few more interesting ideas, the overall results didn’t change substantially from previous years. A point of particular concern was a further 9% increase in the number of non-classical works in predominantly classical programmes/slots and now accounting for over 5% of the total pieces/chunks broadcast in predominantly classical slots. There was also a further increase by 3% in traditional/folk/world music. The overall number of pieces/chunks on R3 was very similar to 2015. Warhorse totals too remained fairly similar to the last couple of years with some flunctuation. We’re still getting Slavonic & Hungarian Dances roughly every 3 days on average and Debussy Preludes & Schubert Impromptus every 4 days on average, and Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloe was considerably overplayed.
Anniversary Composers
Rather disappointing really. Satie faired quite well, as did Dutilleux, G Butterworth & Reich in his 80th Birthday year. Granados was only fractionally up and the totals for Sterndale Bennett, Reger & Ginastera were very disappointing. Busoni fared even worse and has had better years. Babbitt was given but brief acknowledgement and the treatment of Kalliwoda & Englund was insulting.
Winners and losers
Some surprises with some of the major composers, Mozart, Brahms & Chopin a fair bit down on the last couple of years and major decreases in the amount of Grieg, Sibelius & Richard Strauss, also another particularly poor year for Rossini & Monteverdi, though the latter’s may be compensated with this year’s 450th birth anniversary. The French quartet favoured by RW; Debussy, Ravel, Faure & Poulenc maintained strong showings, especially the former. There were also good years for Robert Schumann, Gershwin, Janacek, Villa-Lobos & Tchaikovsky as well as a recovery for Britten after two relatively poor years and Bartok at least maintaining a healthy presence after his decline under RW.
Women Composers
The continued focus on women composers this year again produced a very mixed bag; with Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn & Barbara Strozzi being favoured in particular.
Composers by Region
Scandinavian composers had an exceptionally poor year all round, by far the worse year since I began my survey in 2009. Russian composers generally did ok, with increases in Prokofiev & Shostakovich, as well as Tchaikovsky, but Mussorgsky doing less well & Weinberg returning back to relative obscurity after 2014 seemed to promise an increase in interest. Eastern European composers roughly remained on par with a welcome increase in Enescu. The same French composers as usual did well, the others as usual had poor years. British music was very much hit & miss, some previously neglected composers having a welcome increase in representation, whilst others remained in the doldrums again. American music remained, with the odd composer/work exception, rather poorly represented.
Continued below:
• The raw data with the actual number of pieces/chunks instead of rounding to the nearest 5.
• As the survey is now in its 8th year, I thought it would be more useful to show the total average per composer over the previous 7 years in comparison, instead of the percentage difference from the previous 2 years’ figures.
• I’ve kept the composer list to those with 50 or more pieces/chunks broadcast, however if you would like the figures for 2016 for other composers, as well as their average from the previous 7 years I will be happy to supply them.
Though I cannot guarantee that the figures for each composer are 100% accurate as I’m not perfect and can miss the odd piece/chunk, I would say that it’s around 99% accurate and I use the same method each year to try and maintain consistency of approach.
The first full year of the new Controller made this an even more interesting year than usual and one that was eagerly anticipated. Though there have been a few more interesting ideas, the overall results didn’t change substantially from previous years. A point of particular concern was a further 9% increase in the number of non-classical works in predominantly classical programmes/slots and now accounting for over 5% of the total pieces/chunks broadcast in predominantly classical slots. There was also a further increase by 3% in traditional/folk/world music. The overall number of pieces/chunks on R3 was very similar to 2015. Warhorse totals too remained fairly similar to the last couple of years with some flunctuation. We’re still getting Slavonic & Hungarian Dances roughly every 3 days on average and Debussy Preludes & Schubert Impromptus every 4 days on average, and Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloe was considerably overplayed.
Anniversary Composers
Rather disappointing really. Satie faired quite well, as did Dutilleux, G Butterworth & Reich in his 80th Birthday year. Granados was only fractionally up and the totals for Sterndale Bennett, Reger & Ginastera were very disappointing. Busoni fared even worse and has had better years. Babbitt was given but brief acknowledgement and the treatment of Kalliwoda & Englund was insulting.
Winners and losers
Some surprises with some of the major composers, Mozart, Brahms & Chopin a fair bit down on the last couple of years and major decreases in the amount of Grieg, Sibelius & Richard Strauss, also another particularly poor year for Rossini & Monteverdi, though the latter’s may be compensated with this year’s 450th birth anniversary. The French quartet favoured by RW; Debussy, Ravel, Faure & Poulenc maintained strong showings, especially the former. There were also good years for Robert Schumann, Gershwin, Janacek, Villa-Lobos & Tchaikovsky as well as a recovery for Britten after two relatively poor years and Bartok at least maintaining a healthy presence after his decline under RW.
Women Composers
The continued focus on women composers this year again produced a very mixed bag; with Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn & Barbara Strozzi being favoured in particular.
Composers by Region
Scandinavian composers had an exceptionally poor year all round, by far the worse year since I began my survey in 2009. Russian composers generally did ok, with increases in Prokofiev & Shostakovich, as well as Tchaikovsky, but Mussorgsky doing less well & Weinberg returning back to relative obscurity after 2014 seemed to promise an increase in interest. Eastern European composers roughly remained on par with a welcome increase in Enescu. The same French composers as usual did well, the others as usual had poor years. British music was very much hit & miss, some previously neglected composers having a welcome increase in representation, whilst others remained in the doldrums again. American music remained, with the odd composer/work exception, rather poorly represented.
Continued below:
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