Presentation

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... I may of course need psychological help but I find both Derham (gushing - we're so cultivated, are we not?) and Service (stand back musicians, performers all, while my formidable brain and hyper-rapid delivery conveys the essence of this chap Beethoven, who will surely benefit from my glittering exposition) too much to bear. Tonight, after a sublime performance of Prokoviev 3rd concerto, Service realising none of us were up to listening properly, explained how the performer seemed to be plunging deep into the innards of the piano, excavating the profundities you guys were too slow to perceive. Were there really strong men before Agamemnon?

When J.K. Rowlind created the character of the self-promoting buffoon, Gilderoy Lockhart, she must have had similar people in mind.

[Nick Armstrong]

Should we merge the "Presentation" and "School of gush" threads? They seem to cover identical ground!

[kernelbogey]

I do find TS very unsuitable as a Proms presenter. His gabbling narrative is hard to follow; his post-Turnage exegis was unnecessary, opinionated and over-detailed.

Please let us make up our own minds about the music and its performance! ('I'm sure the audience felt/enoyed/appreciated [insert a TS opinion here]'.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I do find TS very unsuitable as a Proms presenter. His gabbling narrative is hard to follow; his post-Turnage exegis was unnecessary, opinionated and over-detailed.

I felt much the same way. The work itself I found very moving. Then TS began . . .

[johnb]

I do find TS very unsuitable as a Proms presenter. His gabbling narrative is hard to follow; his post-Turnage exegis was unnecessary, opinionated and over-detailed.

Please let us make up our own minds about the music and its performance! ('I'm sure the audience felt/enoyed/appreciated [insert a TS opinion here]'.

TS is an excellent Proms presenter. The problem is all those pieces of music that Radio 3 insists on playing but which interrupt his inspired flow. (I'm sure that TS would agree.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

TS is an excellent Proms presenter. The problem is all those pieces of music that Radio 3 insists on playing but which interrupt his inspired flow. (I'm sure that TS would agree.)

He had a field day at the first Saturday Matinee Prom. While the stage was being reset, TS talked about how he was "having to fill in" until everything was ready. I don't know why he thought he needed to say anything.

[Flosshilde]

He had a field day at the first Saturday Matinee Prom. While the stage was being reset, TS talked about how he was "having to fill in" until everything was ready. I don't know why he thought he needed to say anything.

Possibly so that people wouldn't think there had been a break in transmission, or that their radio had broken, or so they wouldn't re-tune if they'd just switched on & been met by silence (it's happened to me). Of course, they could just play some recorded music, or loop the applause after the previous piece

[kernelbogey]

....his post-Turnage exegis was unnecessary, opinionated and over-detailed....

The Guardian (i know, I know) makes a big thing of the distinction to be drawn between news and opinion. I wish R3 presenters would make a similar distinction.

E.g. facts: The hall is full; the orchestra are still coming on to the platform; this work was commissioned by the BBC; the concerto has three movements marked [etc]; the crtic Hanslick wrote [etc] and so on and so forth.

Opinion/observation: I enjoyed that; I can see that the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace; I think we may be in for an encore [try not to adopt disingenuous tone of voice].... and so on and so forth.

R3 please take note?

[Flosshilde]

Presenters aren't reporters.

(What's the difference between "the orchestra are still coming on to the platform" and "the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace"?)

[doversoul1]

Presenters aren't reporters.

(What's the difference between "the orchestra are still coming on to the platform" and "the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace"?)

Something like; ‘the orchestra are still coming on to the platform’ is an impersonal observation and has no implications but ‘’the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace" adds (or enforces) value that the performance was wonderful?

As kernelbogey says, the BBC really should make it clear that presenters are not commentators or reviewers. Not so long ago, Radio3 presenters were able to fill in a long gap with appropriate and interesting information about the music, as some still can.

I don’t think R3 presenters are reporters, as they are not there to report what is happening/has happened but to present / inform, based on their knowledge, about the music that is about to be played or has just been played but without their own opinions.

[ed.] perhaps this should be on the presenter thread.

[Beef Oven!]

The Guardian (i know, I know) makes a big thing of the distinction to be drawn between news and opinion. I wish R3 presenters would make a similar distinction.

E.g. facts: The hall is full; the orchestra are still coming on to the platform; this work was commissioned by the BBC; the concerto has three movements marked [etc]; the crtic Hanslick wrote [etc] and so on and so forth.

Opinion/observation: I enjoyed that; I can see that the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace; I think we may be in for an encore [try not to adopt disingenuous tone of voice].... and so on and so forth.

R3 please take note?

Surely those are objective facts not opinions?

And the first two of the examples of 'facts' that you give are 'observations', too. And you don't want observations (?).

[Flosshilde]

Something like; ‘the orchestra are still coming on to the platform’ is an impersonal observation and has no implications but ‘’the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace" adds (or enforces) value that the performance was wonderful?

But if that's what they are doing then to say so is simply to report what is happening - an impersonal observation. It indicates that they were both pleased with the performance (or are they not allowed to indicate an opinion? Perhaps the audience should keep quiet too, & not even applaud after the piece is finished). It says nothing about the opinion of the presenter (who could say, or think, "I've no idea why they are so self-congratulatory, as I thought it was pretty rubbish).

I don’t think R3 presenters are reporters, as they are not there to report what is happening/has happened but to present / inform, based on their knowledge, about the music that is about to be played or has just been played but without their own opinions.

Expressing their own opinion could be part of informing the audience about the music that has just been played?

[Stanfordian]

Surely those are objective facts not opinions?

And the first two of the examples of 'facts' that you give are 'observations', too. And you don't want observations (?).

Hiya Beefy,


This is exactly what I don't want:

Opinion/observation: I enjoyed that; I can see that the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace; I think we may be in for an encore [try not to adopt disingenuous tone of voice].... and so on and so forth.

I find the gushing nonsense coming out of the BBC presenters embarassing. It's a culture that runs right through the BBC and devalues the programmes.

[Beef Oven!]

Hiya Beefy,


This is exactly what I don't want:

Opinion/observation: I enjoyed that; I can see that the soloist and conductor are both smiling and exchanging an embrace; I think we may be in for an encore [try not to adopt disingenuous tone of voice].... and so on and so forth.

I find the gushing nonsense coming out of the BBC presenters embarassing. It's a culture that runs right through the BBC and devalues the programmes.

Then you had better stay away from TV football commentary

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Expressing their own opinion could be part of informing the audience about the music that has just been played?

Probably not, and for much of the time, it's unlikely to be their opinion - more the patronising gush that would appear to be part of their job description.