Reasons to be cheerful

[pastoralguy]

... was played, or wasn't played?

Radio 3 isn't available on Freeview after 5 p.m. in Scotland as it, and 4 other stations have to make way for BBC Alba.

Sorry if I was unclear. What I meant to say was that a day didn’t go past without at least one movement of Mozart’s wonderful clarinet concerto being played.

Not sure about the Freeview thing but we do receive Radio3 24/7 in most of the civilised parts of Scotland. However, the Radio3 signal can be very unreliable in the remote areas.

[gurnemanz]

I find that I am coming round to listening far less often to the random playlist type of programming. This applies to the internet stations like YLE Klassinen and a lot of R3, including TTN. Most of the time I listen to the music which I have chosen rather than someone else's playlist. I have quite recently become an adherent of Spotify where I can choose anything I like, not only classical. I have thousands of CDs (which I have now stopped buying), some not played for years and much downloaded material and am constantly discovering new stuff.

Radio 3 is my friend (hence my presence hereabouts). The Radio 3 programmes I mainly listen to are those with some sort of context or structure or individuality - actual concerts, song recitals, CotW, Private Passions, In Tune, Words and Music, BaL, even Jules and Tom.

With R3 and other sources I have plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

[smittims]

Quite so. Like you, I accept that there is much good in life today, including a lot of Radio 3 . But that doesn't mean we have to be complacent about the decline of its qulity nor reluctant to complain about it..

[AuntDaisy]

it was I think a repeat from last September - I find TTN to be about 75% repeats - I tend to listen to the chamber-music-heavy editions (having any organ music at all is a rarity)

Spot on, a repeat of 24/9/2023. It's funny, I was thinking that, recently, there seemed to be fewer TTN repeats.
You're also right that the Cavalli has been on before, e.g. 2/2/2007, but I must have missed it.
There used to be the occasional Organ recitals, e.g. 28/8/2014, 21/1/2011 or 15/9/2010, but they do seem to be rare now.

Anyway, I'm just very grateful for TTN.

[french frank]

I find that I am coming round to listening far less often to the random playlist type of programming. This applies to the internet stations like YLE Klassinen and a lot of R3, including TTN. Most of the time I listen to the music which I have chosen rather than someone else's playlist.

You know what you are, don't you? A typical listener to the Third in the days when they anticipated an audience of 'selective and attentive' listeners, and consequently the number of listening hours 'consumed' per week was very low. Now it's a specific goal to keep the audience tuned in for as long as possible.

[LMcD]

Sorry if I was unclear. What I meant to say was that a day didn’t go past without at least one movement of Mozart’s wonderful clarinet concerto being played.

Not sure about the Freeview thing but we do receive Radio3 24/7 in most of the civilised parts of Scotland. However, the Radio3 signal can be very unreliable in the remote areas.

It's only a problem if you're staying in a Scottish hotel which, like most hotels, offers Freeview and you've not brought your own radio with you!

[cloughie]

The title of this thread is unashamedly borrowed from Ian Dury. The evolution of R3 shows it is run by Blockheads. When I look at had what has happened ti R3 I think What a waste. I want more conductors to Hit me with your rhythm stick in full works - instead we seem to be more influenced, and the way the Proms are going, by Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

[AuntDaisy]

Originally posted by pastoralguy: "Not sure about the Freeview thing but we do receive Radio3 24/7 in most of the civilised parts of Scotland. However, the Radio3 signal can be very unreliable in the remote areas."

It's only a problem if you're staying in a Scottish hotel which, like most hotels, offers Freeview and you've not brought your own radio with you!

Here in the (uncivilised) Forest of Dean, our DAB, FM & TV (aerial) reception is terrible - Internet radio & FreeSat are the only reliable choices.
I can just about get a DAB radio to work if it's balanced on the top part of the bathroom window; and in some parts of the garden, if it's not misty / wet.

[LMcD]

The title of this thread is unashamedly borrowed from Ian Dury. The evolution of R3 shows it is run by Blockheads. When I look at had what has happened ti R3 I think What a waste. I want more conductors to Hit me with your rhythm stick in full works - instead we seem to be more influenced, and the way the Proms are going, by Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

That's very Handsome of you, guv'nor.

[antongould]

In the old days, the Third Programme was on air for just a few hours a day, and even when 'classical' music was given more airtime it was periodically elbowed aside by cricket and, on one occasion, a complete reading of election results. Radio 3 is now available 24/7, and we can listen to it live, record it or catch up, and can also tune into classical music stations around the world. I can't, for the life of me, believe that that's a bad thing. Radio 3 is no longer the only, or even the main, dish on my musical menu, but still offers some tasty titbits and nourishing main courses and I hope to remain a Friend as it seeks - not always wisely perhaps - to adapt to the new world of broadcasting in which it needs to operate. Progress has always something of a two-edged sword, hasn't it?

I too totally agree

[french frank]

I can't, for the life of me, believe that that's a bad thing.

That's because you enjoy what's being currently fed to you. If you're turned off by most of it, yes, you do think it's a bad thing. More gruel. Many (most?) other BBC radio listeners also have a lot, and ever more, on BBC radio to enjoy. Why should only listeners who take the arts seriously enough to want to listen to high quality classical music/arts programming, seriously presented, be the ones to be deprived? Ooh, look! Quick! There's a superb Radio 3 concert ...

[LMcD]

That's because you enjoy what's being currently fed to you. If you're turned off by most of it, yes, you do think it's a bad thing. More gruel. Many (most?) other BBC radio listeners also have a lot, and ever more, on BBC radio to enjoy. Why should only listeners who take the arts seriously enough to want to listen to high quality classical music/arts programming, seriously presented, be the ones to be deprived? Ooh, look! Quick! There's a superb Radio 3 concert ...

I don't feel deprived, nor do I believe I'm being spoon fed. .

[Ein Heldenleben]

I don't feel deprived, nor do I believe I'm being spoon fed. .

Nor me . There’s plenty of high quality extended music on Radio Three. The live Maria Bastishvilli piano recital last night being an outstanding example .

For me to go to the concert would have cost
£83 train
£120 hotel
£10 tubes and incidentals
£50 meals minimum
£40 ticket

plus two days not really able to do any work other than emails. The phone reception on our train service is poor.

…..and the sound was better than in many seats in the hall

Over the years Radio 3 has saved me tens of thousands of pounds !

and that recital is only one of half a dozen excellent extended pieces of music in the last week including 2 Mahler symphonies and opera and A Bruckner symphony.

almost makes up for Walking The Dog.

[french frank]

I don't feel deprived, nor do I believe I'm being spoon fed. .

That merely means you and I have different requirements. People who are satisfied with what they're getting from Radio 3, by definition don't feel deprived. Those who are no longer getting what they used to enjoy feel deprived.

But as I keep saying, it isn't what either you or I 'want' from Radio 3: it's about what it should be providing that it no longer does: for example, seriously presented classical music with informative musicological insights, serious literary and drama content.

[LMcD]

That merely means you and I have different requirements. People who are satisfied with what they're getting from Radio 3, by definition don't feel deprived. Those who are no longer getting what they used to enjoy feel deprived.

But as I keep saying, it isn't what either you or I 'want' from Radio 3: it's about what it should be providing that it no longer does: for example, seriously presented classical music with informative musicological insights, serious literary and drama content.

I consider myself very fortunate in that I'm able to listen to, or watch, what I want to hear, or see, when it suits me. Radio 3 still offers plenty of what I consider to be nourishing and sometimes challenging works, but I readily accept that I am now expected to be a bit more organized, plan ahead and exploit the various options open to me. I wouldn't like to go back to the days when we were faced with the ultimate Hobson's choice, namely 'take it or leave it' .Overall, I would say we are much better served than in the past, albeit it no longer by Radio 3 alone. As far as musicological insights go, I found last night's Wigmore Hall pianist's comments very helpful and insightful. On a good night, the interval discussions during the Proms can also be very informative, a couple of prime examples being Simon Heffer and David Owen Norris talking about Vaughan Williams and Elgar respectively.

Perhaps I'm just too 'relaxed' for my own good.