Reasons to be cheerful

[oddoneout]

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.

If you are dependent on linear R3, as I am, the output is still Hobson's choice - the difference being that what is being presented on the take it or leave it basis is very different. The difference for me is that leave it is the default setting due to the changes in what is on offer.The proliferation of alternative music sources and the development of Sounds has, in my opinion, helped to disguise or distract from what has happened to R3. If chat'n'bits aren't your thing then find an online alternative, if the fragmented and disarranged afternoon offering is frustrating then curate a better version via Sounds. But that's just the performed music - where is the rest of it? Welcome as performer insights in the course of a concert are, they are not the same as a series or regular slot. The closest I get now is the EMS. There is much being made of the Modernist series that's due sometime soon, which may provide something along those lines, but that's only one bit of the several hundred years of musical activity available for examination - and seems to be the only such exercise for the whole year.
And that's before any consideration of other arts related matters for which R3 is supposed to exist.
I accept that I am an anomaly, but even if Sounds actually produced sound for me there wouldn't be much, apart from some evening concerts, that I would want to use it for. The thought of having to fiddle around to reconstruct deconstructed Classical Live offerings simply doesn't appeal.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I totally agree. I well remember those summers of cricket when the normal output of Radio 3 was considered disposable and replaced by ghastly giggling commentary. The world has changed. Those who want something approaching the old Third Programme can easily find Yle Klassinen and a host of others. And BBC Sounds is just as easily accessible. But please don't axe the drama because new plays and new interpretations of old plays can't readily be found.

The cricket was a mild irritant in a way, but I would happily return to what we had then. The world has indeed changed. In the case of Radio 3, it has gone from something truly fantastic to something mediocre and often embarrassing. The occasional giggling of cricket commentators has been replaced by frequent giggling by commentators trying to matey and cool. Let’s not pretend it’s okay. From my perspective, it isn’t. All we are left with is a slightly improved version of Classic FM.
Radio 2 used to have a programme called “Your 100 Best Tunes”, broadcast for one hour every Sunday evening. That's now moved to Radio 3 and occupies most of every day.
How will the BBC be able to justify Radio 3 when it’s seen to be a clone of CFM?

[french frank]

Radio 2 used to have a programme called “Your 100 Best Tunes”, broadcast for one hour every Sunday evening. That's now moved to Radio 3 and occupies most of every day.

It's an interesting point. There were people on this forum who 'discovered' classical music through the old 'Your 100 Best Tunes'. But the move was from R2 to something 'better' in terms of classical music. As R3 imports more from R2 (and CFM) there is one R3 audience that gets pushed off the edge with nowhere else to go. And new R3 listeners shouldn't even aspire to something 'better' because there's nowhere else to go for them.You've reached the peak, folks. (If eventually weighed in the balance and found wanting.)

Although they do say De gustibus non disputandum, I like discussing relative tastes, in particular to reflect on the difficult question of Why do I like A and not B, while you like B rather than A?There might be something in considering why I wonder about the question in the first place and other people don't.

[gurnemanz]

The cricket was a mild irritant in a way, but I would happily return to what we had then. The world has indeed changed. In the case of Radio 3, it has gone from something truly fantastic to something mediocre and often embarrassing. The occasional giggling of cricket commentators has been replaced by frequent giggling by commentators trying to matey and cool. Let’s not pretend it’s okay. From my perspective, it isn’t. All we are left with is a slightly improved version of Classic FM.
Radio 2 used to have a programme called “Your 100 Best Tunes”, broadcast for one hour every Sunday evening. That's now moved to Radio 3 and occupies most of every day.
How will the BBC be able to justify Radio 3 when it’s seen to be a clone of CFM?

Not much there with which I am in accord, either content or manner of expression

[Ein Heldenleben]

Another reason to be cheerful . That lovely Mozart Piano Concerto ( 24 in C minor ) just played and conducted by Ryan Wrigglesworth and The BBC SSSO on In Concert.
He played his own cadenzas and is clearly a major talent. With RVW Symphony No 4 to come it’s another strong evening concert.

[french frank]

Not much there with which I am in accord, either content or manner of expression

You must be a very happy person You have a lot of what you like.

I often toy with the suggestion of the late (of this forum) Sydney Grew who proposed banning the use of all forms of the first person, which would preclude people, of whatever persuasion, from expressing opinions based merely on their personal preferences. Too many would be permanently silenced, I imagine. But bethink ye all.

[pastoralguy]

Another reason to be cheerful . That lovely Mozart Piano Concerto ( 24 in C minor ) just played and conducted by Ryan Wrigglesworth and The BBC SSSO on In Concert.
He played his own cadenzas and is clearly a major talent. With RVW Symphony No 4 to come it’s another strong evening concert.

[LMcD]

Another reason to be cheerful . That lovely Mozart Piano Concerto ( 24 in C minor ) just played and conducted by Ryan Wrigglesworth and The BBC SSSO on In Concert.
He played his own cadenzas and is clearly a major talent. With RVW Symphony No 4 to come it’s another strong evening concert.

Hear! Hear!

I presume he opened the concert with the Mozart so that we would appreciate all the more the contrast between the Britten and the Vaughan Williams in the second half.

Was it Hans Keller who said that 90% of the audience at a concert had no idea of what was really going on? Perhaps, as Beecham said, they were simply enjoying the noise it made. I don't believe that my appreciation of such a wonderful work would be any the greater for knowing precisely how Mozart managed to create it - I'm just very grateful that he did. Quite often, after hearing a favourite work a few times I start to notice certain features, devices, call them what you will, and I derive some additional satisfaction from these modest additions to my understanding of 'what's going on'.

It's nice to know that there at least two very happy persons participating in this discussion.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Hear! Hear!

I presume he opened the concert with the Mozart so that we would appreciate all the more the contrast between the Britten and the Vaughan Williams in the second half.

Was it Hans Keller who said that 90% of the audience at a concert had no idea of what was really going on? Perhaps, as Beecham said, they were simply enjoying the noise it made. I don't believe that my appreciation of such a wonderful work would be any the greater for knowing precisely how Mozart managed to create it - I'm just very grateful that he did. Quite often, after hearing a favourite work a few times I start to notice certain features, devices, call them what you will, and I derive some additional satisfaction from these modest additions to my understanding of 'what's going on'.

It's nice to know that there at least two very happy persons participating in this discussion.

The Britten is a wonderful piece . The sheer melancholy in the last song arrangement,

[LMcD]

The Britten is a wonderful piece . The sheer melancholy in the last song arrangement,

BBCSSO on top form again. I hope everybody got home safely.
I thought the essay that followed at 9.45 was absolutely fascinating, embracing as it did the shoes of a 1-year-old child who lived in Vindolanda, the Holocaust and global warming.

[french frank]

There’s plenty of high quality extended music on Radio Three. The live Maria Bastishvilli piano recital last night being an outstanding example .

I'm not sure that you're making your point here. You pick on a single example about which there would be little dispute around here that it was excellent. There would be no respectable argument for complaining about the Batsashvili recital on R3, even if one was not fond of solo piano works, or Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms. But one live recital from Wigmore highlights the fact that the lunchtime recitals have been almost wiped out - except for the Wigmore Monday recital. So be grateful, by all means, and it's being so cheerful as keeps us going after all.

All you're doing is exchanging, mainly with LMcD, examples of another performance/work that was excellent. You have a long way to go to demonstrate that there is 'plenty' of this during R3's daytime schedules 06.30-19.30. And most of that arrives unannounced. 'Plenty' of CFM-style music - and tonight you can even hear the 29th performance in the last year of The Lark Ascending, and other CFM favourites.

[LMcD]

I'm not sure that you're making your point here. You pick on a single example about which there would be little dispute around here that it was excellent. There would be no respectable argument for complaining about the Batsashvili recital on R3, even if one was not fond of solo piano works, or Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms. But one live recital from Wigmore highlights the fact that the lunchtime recitals have been almost wiped out - except for the Wigmore Monday recital. So be grateful, by all means, and it's being so cheerful as keeps us going after all.

All you're doing is exchanging, mainly with LMcD, examples of another performance/work that was excellent. You have a long way to go to demonstrate that there is 'plenty' of this during R3's daytime schedules 06.30-19.30. And most of that arrives unannounced. 'Plenty' of CFM-style music - and tonight you can even hear the 29th performance in the last year of The Lark Ascending, and other CFM favourites.

I don't recall suggesting that there's 'plenty' of good stuff between 06.30 and 19.30. In any event, the past few days have been more than satisfactory.

Monday's Lunchtime Concert
Monday's Evening Concert
Tuesday's Evening Concert
Tuesday's Essay
Wednesday's Evening Concert
Thursday's Evening Concert
Thursday's Essay

Busy as my mornings and afternoons usually are, I still find time to tune into yle Klassinen (oh yes, and to catch up with the rest of the world as I work my way through Line of Duty. The finale to Series was quite something).

Must go, as they say - time for one of my regular visits to the Care Home.

[Pulcinella]

The Britten is a wonderful piece . The sheer melancholy in the last song arrangement,

Interesting that it's one of few pieces of Britten that Bernstein recorded: maybe even the first recording?

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8506191--britten-the-young-persons-guide-to-the-orchestra-op-34-four-sea-interludes-op-33a-passacaglia-op-33b

[LMcD]

It's an interesting point. There were people on this forum who 'discovered' classical music through the old 'Your 100 Best Tunes'. But the move was from R2 to something 'better' in terms of classical music. As R3 imports more from R2 (and CFM) there is one R3 audience that gets pushed off the edge with nowhere else to go. And new R3 listeners shouldn't even aspire to something 'better' because there's nowhere else to go for them.You've reached the peak, folks. (If eventually weighed in the balance and found wanting.)

Although they do say De gustibus non disputandum, I like discussing relative tastes, in particular to reflect on the difficult question of Why do I like A and not B, while you like B rather than A?There might be something in considering why I wonder about the question in the first place and other people don't.

I had to look up 'De gustibus ..' as it inexplicably didn't crop up in Latin For Today, Cicero in Verrem or Caesar's Gallic Wars.

I've learned to follow 'what's going' in examples of theme and variations, starting with Elgar's Enigma and moving on to Mozart (especially K491) via Heaven knows how many takes on La Folia. I can also recognize the return of phrases/passages/motifs in, for example, Elgar's 1st Symphony, and K551. I like Elgar for all sorts of reasons, some of them purely musical and others of a more personal reasons. I also happen to think that he serves as a constant reminder of what we have lost as a nation and what we must struggle to preserve. I also Iike Mozart because he unfailingly lifts my spirits. I would like to think that both Sir Edward and Wolfgang Amadeus would find that a comfort - there are worse reasons for being remembered - revered, even.

I would never be so arrogant as to assume that I'd reached the peak of anything, and still hope to beat my (and Morse's) record for completing The Times crossword. I've even started to get an inkling of why Michael Berkeley rates J S Bach as the greatest of all composers - there's hope for me yet!

[french frank]

I don't recall suggesting that there's 'plenty' of good stuff between 06.30 and 19.30. In any event, the past few days have been more than satisfactory.

I was responding to Ein Heldenleben and quoting him, not you, as should be clear if you check back I've just rechecked that point (again) and I seem to be correct.

Monday's Lunchtime Concert
Monday's Evening Concert
Tuesday's Evening Concert
Tuesday's Essay
Wednesday's Evening Concert
Thursday's Evening Concert
Thursday's Essay

If that satisfies you for a 24/7 (168-hour) radio station it only indicates that you don't rely on the station as much as Radio 3 listeners used to. And were able to. Doesn't it?

Whereas you can bog off to Lucy Worsley Investigates or Neil Diamond in Concert if you're tired of R3.