The new schedule - Saturdays and Sundays

[Quarky]

What has been very noticeable is the deafening silence from the Opera Buffs on this new schedule, from which I conclude:
1. They are far too well mannered to voice their displeasure in public;
2. Opera Buffs do not subscribe to this forum; or
3. Very few actually listen to Saturday Night Opera.

[Bryn]

What has been very noticeable is the deafening silence from the Opera Buffs on this new schedule, from which I conclude:
1. They are far too well mannered to voice their displeasure in public;
2. Opera Buffs do not subscribe to this forum; or
3. Very few actually listen to Saturday Night Opera.

4. They'll wait until it actually happens, being far too busy listening to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

[Frances_iom]

I'm happy to lose the all-American duo and the stupid backstage interviews - the Met tended to be the old chestnuts - I'm on record on suggesting that much more use should be made of the EBU with opera relays from various Eurpoean houses but RW seems to have a thing against European involvement - however it is just another step along the conversion of R3 into an easy-listening station for what I have seen described in another context as the 'idiotcracy' who think everything should be immediately accessible without any effort on their part

[french frank]

What has been very noticeable is the deafening silence from the Opera Buffs on this new schedule, from which I conclude:
1. They are far too well mannered to voice their displeasure in public;
2. Opera Buffs do not subscribe to this forum; or
3. Very few actually listen to Saturday Night Opera.

Well, there will be an alternative Opera on 3 on Mondays, so, as Frances_iom suggests, there may be no regrets that the Met operas are being dropped. It will depend what Mondays offer. I can't believe it will be the most interesting productions from Europe.

It does take the Live in Concert slot, but if it will instead be Opera on 3 it could be Met recordings rather than live anything ... And Saturday evenings will still feature opera from time to time. Position therefore unclear.

From what Mark was saying, I might have been wrong in thinking syndication made LftM cheap. His comment from the US was: "Hasn't that been on the cards for some time - cost cutting. At least there was a campaign here to help local stations that take it fund it. It's expensive."

[Quarky]

It seems I'm not alone in finding the hyper-enthusiasm of the "American Duo" very irritating. That and the "old chestnuts" was the reason I stopped listening.
There is the occasional Opera on Hear and Now. But logically Opera should be broadcast on TV. Some hopes!
Roll on the day Radio 3 goes Multimedia.

[aeolium]

One other point about the opera changes is that pretty well all the Met Saturday matinee operas, the ones R3 used to take, are now being broadcast live to cinema so those interested in them can go and see them not just hear them on R3 (though of course at a cost of £15 or so). I won't be unhappy at the dropping of the Met transmission on R3 if we get a more varied mix of operas from the European houses, and the switch from Saturday to Monday is of no concern for me.

[gurnemanz]

I have never liked Words and Music in that evening meal time slot. I always used to listen to it when it was on late evening but have rarely heard it since it changed. They seem to have tinkered with it and made it slightly earlier but this is still an inconvenient, in-between slot, as far as I'm concerned. I was hoping they might move it back.

[Petrushka]

Why have a 'schedule' in the first place? Yes, I know it's said to make it easer for new entrants to navigate their way round the station but is there any evidence for this or, indeed, that it is having the desired effect?

There could be an interesting concert on a Monday evening when the slot is taken by opera and the same in reverse of course. In these days of easy recording and I-player it seems a nonsense to fit all that Radio 3 has to offer into a straitjacket. Flexibility and fluidity within the 'schedule' would be much more to my taste and, I suspect, to most on here. It is my belief that new entrants would also appreciate flexible scheduling just as I did when I first started listening to R3.

In any case, when do these changes take place?

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

What has been very noticeable is the deafening silence from the Opera Buffs on this new schedule, from which I conclude:
1. They are far too well mannered to voice their displeasure in public;
2. Opera Buffs do not subscribe to this forum; or
3. Very few actually listen to Saturday Night Opera.

I'm waiting to find out whether the Met broadcasts are being scrapped completely or whether there will be delayed broadcasts on Mondays. I agree that the presentation from the Met leaves much to be desired, but they do allow the opportunity to hear some of the finest singers in great operas. I catch cinema relays where possible, but would be saddened to lose the Met on Radio 3.

However, as others have pointed out, it would also be wonderful to hear more European opera broadcasts - the Salzburg Festival would be a good starting point.

[Black Swan]

I prefer to see opera as well as hear it so I also am in favor of more televised Opera. I being an expat. grew up on the MET broadcasts so I find them less offensive than other members of this board. There is allot of blather but we will/would get the same if the ROH had a similar program.

[french frank]

Some other clues (I think) in view of general listening habits:

Saturday

1pm-2pm: TEMS is dropped and the Wigmore repeat/Lunchtime Concert moves an hour earlier. This is better for the recital.

2- 4: Saturday Classics moves an hour earlier: this is slightly worse.

4-5pm: The new film music programme is slightly better placed - into the run-up to JRR. So they have high hopes, especially, no doubt, with the pan-BBC promotional campaign for Radio 3/film music going on. [I assume they couldn't get Tommy Pearson/he didn't want to come/they wouldn't have him because he has, at times been a bit disrespectful. This was his specialism whereas Matthew Sweet is a 'film critic': not clear whether he had previous interest in the music side or has any music qualification of any kind.

One point that, given the possibility of variations in the schedule, isn't quite clear: Hear & Now is extended, but there seems no slot for Pre-Hear (JL-U moved down to post JRR), so this could be giving with one hand and taking away with the other. I don't know.

[french frank]

Further news of commissioning for 2014-15:

"Radio 3 will not be commissioning the Music Feature in this round."

I assume that's the excellent Saturday morning strand. Back to an extended CD Review, I suppose.

[Sir Velo]

Further news of commissioning for 2014-15:

"Radio 3 will not be commissioning the Music Feature in this round."

I assume that's the excellent Saturday morning strand. Back to an extended CD Review, I suppose.

Or, perhaps it means that Music Matters will be on every week?

[french frank]

Or, perhaps it means that Music Matters will be on every week?

Yes, another alternative. Whichever is cheaper perhaps?

[Sir Velo]

Matthew Sweet is a 'film critic': not clear whether he had previous interest in the music side or has any music qualification of any kind.

Matthew Sweet hosted rather a diverting little Proms Plus discussion on the musical depiction of Space in films, and, periodically, discusses premieres of operas and other matters of musical moment in Night Waves. I like him. He is an intelligent and thoughtful presenter, who allows guests time to develop their ideas without allowing his ego to dominate.