Sam Jackson's reply

[Ein Heldenleben]

Further points made by the controller, for information and comment:

In the last week, I’ve announced a new, forty-part series devoted to Modernist composers of the late 20^th century, inspired by the centenary of the birth of Pierre Boulez next year. Later this week, we will broadcast Gabriela Montero’s rarely heard Latin Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. And this coming weekend, the award-winning war reporter Janine di Giovanni joins Clive Myrie to recall the significance of Schumann’s Kinderszenen in her own life when reporting upon the plight of orphaned children in Sarajevo. These are just a few examples of what I would argue is exactly the kind of informed, serious and intelligent output which should always remain central to Radio 3. What’s more, the station is a broad church: there can and should be room for a variety of different broadcasters, formats and music within the panoply of what Radio 3 has to offer.

1 Excellent re the series on Modernists

2. On Gabriela Montero I know nothing, but I note that she follows in Mozart's footsteps, improvising to order (I forget the exact format he adopted, but it's somewhere in his letters).

3.The Janine di Giovanni programme may be veryinteresting but the 'what this music means to me' approach is not one that attracts me personally.

4. This may be 'informed, serious and intelligent output' but these are hardly the kind of programmes that are central to Radio 3 (unless perhaps they are timed to be on at midday?)

5.My reaction is that referring to Radio 3 as a 'broad church' is a) a cliché b) an assertion c) lacking any precise meaning as it applies to R3. We learn that R3 should be 'informed, serious and intelligent'; but what does 'a variety of different broadcasters' mean? To include people who aren't very informed (I decline to comment on seriousness and intelligence). One criticism is that there isn't a huge variety of formats - acres of R3 are presenter-led snippets. And the panoply of what R3 has to offer is precisely what I would like to see defined.

Gabriela Montero is no Mozart . She is a very good concert pianist but her improvisations are not in the same league as the sort of material jazz pianists like Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Bill Evans turned out nightly. I’m always struck how the new Radio 3 hypes certain individuals and ignores others.

[Serial_Apologist]

I know the one you mean. I saw it several times before I could even work out what it was about but I too can't remember now!

It doesn't help either that nowadays there are no breaks between TV adverts, so that one no longer knows which one one is watching. Presumably the time allowed (is it 3 minutes with extra added on time for trails?) for these consumer temptation teasers means they have to cram in as much product propaganda as possible, and breaks take up too much valuable time.

[LMcD]

[QUOTE=french frank;n1320431] 'a variety of different broadcasters'

Presumably the hope is that a variety of different broadcasters will appeal to a variety of different listeners.

[french frank]

Gabriela Montero is no Mozart . She is a very good concert pianist but her improvisations are not in the same league as the sort of material jazz pianists like Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Bill Evans turned out nightly. I’m always struck how the new Radio 3 hypes certain individuals and ignores others.

Gabriela Montero has been played more than a dozen times in the last 12 months (an R3 'discovery', I presume). The 'rarely heard' Latin Concerto was performed this week, andalso last April (3rd movt) on 'Essential' Classics.

[smittims]

Unsuk Chin is getting a lot of air-time just now, quite unjustified in my opinion. And not long ago JEG was the only Bach conductor for Radio 3 (after a spell of Suzuki-only). I sometimes wonder if they've done a sort of 'job-lot' agreement.

[LMcD]

Unsuk Chin is getting a lot of air-time just now, quite unjustified in my opinion. And not long ago JEG was the only Bach conductor for Radio 3 (after a spell of Suzuki-only). I sometimes wonder if they've done a sort of 'job-lot' agreement.

Don't forget the accordionist!

[AuntDaisy]

Don't forget the accordionist!

Petroc informed us this morning, that French manufacturers are in decline - I think he referred to them being "squeezed"
There were two left, now just one (& they're Italian) - due to cheap Chinese imports - whihch lead to Kreisler's "Tambourin Chinois".

[vinteuil]

Petroc informed us this morning that French manufacturers are in decline - I think he referred to them being "squeezed"
There were two left, now just one (& they're Italian) - due to cheap Chinese imports ...

... yes : end of an era -

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/disparition-du-plus-vieux-fabricant-francais-d-accordeons-la-manufacture-correzienne-maugein-20240927

[AuntDaisy]

... yes : end of an era -

https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/disparition-du-plus-vieux-fabricant-francais-d-accordeons-la-manufacture-correzienne-maugein-20240927

Thanks for the link vinteuil. I listened to the article - is that an artificial French voice?
I can't imagine what Amélie or Yann Tiersen (recommended by a French friend) would be like without them.

[Pulcinella]

The Times has this article:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/61500f54-8939-435e-81f8-2dd758e08dc2?shareToken=1624710f362749f1206dd96a5b9440e7

[french frank]

How times change. I was checking on something else and came across this from Wiki.
" Curran[DG in 70s] had earlier dismissed any suggestion that Radio 3's small audience was a consideration: "What is decisive is whether there is a worthwhile audience, and I mean by worthwhile an audience which will get an enormous satisfaction out of it." "

Thank you for finding that one, ooo. I knew it but wouldn't have known where to find it now. I've just found a good 1996 review of The Envy of the World, and to quote the reviewer (Claire Harman): "Most recently, controllers of Radio 3 seem obsessed with reaching a "wider audience", though the early programme makers thought in purely qualitative terms." Purely qualitative terms. Ah, yes . Many other good quotes here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/third-but-not-seen-1314730.html

[oddoneout]

Petroc informed us this morning, that French manufacturers are in decline - I think he referred to them being "squeezed"
There were two left, now just one (& they're Italian) - due to cheap Chinese imports - whihch lead to Kreisler's "Tambourin Chinois".

The Guardian had an article about it a few days ago. In the course of looking for that I came across this:

https://www.accordionists.info/threads/france-closes-last-accordion-maker-shop.13411/

Haven't read through as it has an unacceptable cookie policy, but the opening posts suggest a certain amount of - erm- differing interpretation/opinion.

Ironic in a way after the increase in accordion presence on R3.