Spring programming on R3

[french frank]

News of music and speech programmes in prospect, including days devoted to Ravel and Dylan Thomas, and a new Shakespeare production - Antony and Cleopatra with K. Branagh.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/r3-spring.html

"Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms, comments: “Never has there been a clearer example of the distinct proposition that BBC Radio 3 offers its listeners than in the presentation of our spring season line-up featuring music premieres, broadcast firsts, live events and learning activity."

Upping its game?

[johnb]

BBC Radio 3 broadcasts classical music and the arts in three dimensions.

[Honoured Guest]

... in three dimensions, through radio, live events and context.

My bolds and underlines. The "three dimensions" are here explained! The spring highlights do seem to include more "context" than of late.

[Thropplenoggin]

Music And The Jews: Sunday 9-Sunday 23 March

Norman Lebrecht presents a three-part series about the complex relationship between music and Jewish identity. Spanning thousands of years, from King David and the creation of the Psalms, to composers writing today including Steve Reich and Robert Saxton, Norman uncovers a wealth of fascinating stories about the role music has played at some of the key points in Jewish history.

The acclaimed Ladino singer Yasmin Levy explains why music and memory became so intertwined when the Jews were expelled from Spain at the end of the 15th century, and rabbi Shlomo Levin tells the amazing story of how a marching tune sung by Napoleon and his troops in 1812 became a integral part of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jewish people.

In programme two we hear from some of the most successful women singing in Israel – and indeed on the world stage – today, including Myriam Fuks and Achinoam Nini, and Norman looks at why Jewish women have had such a huge impact on music over the past half century.

Programme three takes as its starting point the moment at which the Jews were finally able to enter the Western classical music tradition in a professional capacity, and Norman investigates the idea of a “Jewish thumbprint” in the music of Mendelssohn and others. Leading Israeli composer Noam Sheriff and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas talk about why Mahler’s Jewishness speaks so strongly to them through his symphonies, and Michael Grade explains how the Jewish art of being one step ahead impacted so strongly on the entertainment industry in the 20th century.

[mercia]

"proposition" seems an odd word - do we have to formally accept this proposition before it can go ahead ?

did he mean "programming" ?

[Honoured Guest]

Or did he mean what he said, that BBC Radio 3 is here wooing its listeners?

[french frank]

"proposition" seems an odd word - do we have to formally accept this proposition before it can go ahead ?

did he mean "programming" ?

Don't know what it means here, but the R3 service licence describes classical music as its 'central proposition'. I think it's probably a technical term in the marketing world.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Ravel day will be one to ignore, not that I dislike Ravel, I like quite a lot of his music, but he is already considerably overplayed on R3, with half a dozen of his works in the regular warhorses, plus he's already had a very strong showing this month. Bartok day, now that would have been far more interesting and worthwhile. As for the rest, unless Breakfast, Inessential Classics and Out of Tune are axed, and discovering music restored, I don't think there's that much of interest.

[french frank]

Ravel day will be one to ignore, not that I dislike Ravel, I like quite a lot of his music, but he is already considerably overplayed on R3, with half a dozen of his works in the regular warhorses, plus he's already had a very strong showing this month. Bartok day, now that would have been far more interesting and worthwhile. As for the rest, unless Breakfast, Inessential Classics and Out of Tune are axed, and discovering music restored, I don't think there's that much of interest.

I have put up a post on R3's Facebook page to the effect that a one-day event on the lines of the Janáček Day in 2004 would be an interesting idea - investigating the life, the times, and looking at some of the less well-known works, could be quite interesting (preferably on a Sunday). If it turns out to be Breakfast, Essential Classics, Composer of the Week, Ao3, In Tune &c and a sequence of over played recorded pieces ...

So, we shall find out.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Janacek day sounds enticing ff, like Bartok considerably underplayed on R3. Ravel's output actually isn't very large, and many of these works are also not long either, the two one-act operas and Daphnis & Chloe are by far his longest works. So the inevitable old warhorses Alborado, La Valse, Mother Goose, Tombeau de Couperin, Bolero & Rhapsodie Espagnole will probably get prominent billing. Ravel is also very popular with CFM by the way!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Gateshead International Jazz Festival on Radio 3: Saturday 12 April

Alyn Shipton will present Jazz Record Requests from the Gateshead International Jazz Festival at 11am on Saturday 5 April at The Sage, Gateshead. Special guests Jason Yarde and Andrew McCormack will discuss their own favourites and play some live requests.

we are most grateful for these favours

[french frank]

Ravel is also very popular with CFM by the way!

As it appears to be the 139th anniversary of his birth and the 77th of his death, I suppose it's quite lucky that his actual birthday - 7 March - falls in this year, 2014

[What are they doing with CDR, I wonder aka?]

[johnb]

Janacek day sounds enticing ff

The Janacek Day was, IMO, one of the best things R3 has done.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Pity I missed it, but there's no excuse not to do a Bartok day.

[DracoM]

'Proposition' is the new 'offer'. Rubbish marketing terms for what is in effect merely the slightly different arrangement of their schedules. Makes it sound portentous as if they are starting everything from scratch.


As if.