Far too much Schubloke

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Badmoodbear and others have to be careful not to end up blaming the composer for R3 saturation treatment. Who DOES "merit" such an approach? Did you, in all honesty, listen to much more of the Bach, Beethoven or Mozart "integrales"?

I've played a fair bit of Schubert this week - but off CD, mostly piano music of my own choice - I adore his music with a passion, and often choose it as getting-up or going-to-bed music, on any given day or week. He was one of the very greatest of composers, from whom music poured bountifully out, and was only just reaching maturity when he died. Of all early deaths, his was one of the saddest. He can take a lot of exclusive listening, but not for days without any break or change - no composer can. It's just a bad idea, and I'm always disappointed when R3 do it yet again.

Exactly my attitude in all respects, jayne.

[french frank]

It's just a bad idea, and I'm always disappointed when R3 do it yet again.

Talking about the Beethoven, Bach and Mozart marathons, RW wrote: "What all these programming initiatives have in common is that they are all different ways in which to draw attention to what Radio 3 does on a daily basis."

In many ways the Schubertathon has been the most ambitious in its programming variety, especially the digital stuff. But I really do get the impression that it is a huge, glorious way of communicating with the outside world in the hope that the outside world will take a bit of notice. It's not primarily a music festival for music lovers, many of whom have just switched off. It has some interesting gimmicks and some tired old tat.

[John Skelton]

On the songs, specifically: over time there could have been some wonderful programmes that included performances of all of them: looking at the context of Schubert's circle of friends, the poets he knew as well as those he didn't know personally but set (Susan Youens' has done some brilliant work on Schubert's poets and on Winterreise); other song writers; the political context of the work, etc. That, for me, would be taking the extraordinary music of Schubert seriously. To look at the great instrumental works together with what was happening in Viennese musical life, and with Schubert's responses to Beethoven's music.

To look at Winterreise together with Romantic figures of the solitary, the wanderer, the outside society / beyond life and death (Wordsworth's solitaries). To consider Schubert's music as something other than another spin of the cultural jukebox.

[JFLL]

Talking about the Beethoven, Bach and Mozart marathons, RW wrote: "What all these programming initiatives have in common is that they are all different ways in which to draw attention to what Radio 3 does on a daily basis."

I can see two glaring fallacies in this, if by 'initiatives' he is referring to the week-long 'celebrations' such as the Schubert this week:

(1) they're not different ways of doing it, they're all the same – saturation coverage with not a single note of any other composer's music

(2) they're not 'what Radio 3 does on a daily basis', because what Radio 3 does on a daily basis is play a balanced mixture of music from different composers of different eras, without (so far, thank the Lord) all the gimmickry of 'Schubert labs', 'dedications', 'remixes' and all the rest of it

So how can it possibly be of relevance? Or is Radio 3 from now on to have one week exclusively of Schubert, then have another week of only Brahms, and so on?

[Bryn]

I've played a fair bit of Schubert this week - but off CD, mostly piano music of my own choice - I adore his music with a passion, and often choose it as getting-up or going-to-bed music, on any given day or week. He was one of the very greatest of composers, from whom music poured bountifully out, and was only just reaching maturity when he died. Of all early deaths, his was one of the saddest. He can take a lot of exclusive listening, but not for days without any break or change - no composer can. It's just a bad idea, and I'm always disappointed when R3 do it yet again.

Oh how I echo these sentiments. I too have listened to much Schubert via CDs in recent days, especially the later piano works (mainly Brendel, Lupu and Staier). That said, I am saving the Spirited survey for later listening at my own pace.

[Vile Consort]

Or is Radio 3 from now on to have one week exclusively of Schubert, then have another week of only Brahms, and so on?

No that's just being silly. Alphabetical order is the way forward. The year would start with Truid Aagesen on 1st January each year and end with Rudolf Zwintscher and Josef Benedikt Zyka a year later. Repeat each year. Major composers, naturally, would be played for several days on end. Telemann would probably take up an entire fortnight, to be followed not long after by a fortnight of Vivaldi.

Seriously, it would make some programmes far more interesting for at least part of the year than they are now. The down side is that Breakfast will play only The Lark Ascending on 5, 6 and 7 December each year and only Eine Kleine Nachtmusik through the whole of August.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

The down side is that Breakfast will play only The Lark Ascending on 5, 6 and 7 December each year and only Eine Kleine Nachtmusik through the whole of August.

Just those days instead of every one for the rest of the year?

[Carmen]

Talking about the Beethoven, Bach and Mozart marathons, RW wrote: "What all these programming initiatives have in common is that they are all different ways in which to draw attention to what Radio 3 does on a daily basis."

In many ways the Schubertathon has been the most ambitious in its programming variety, especially the digital stuff. But I really do get the impression that it is a huge, glorious way of communicating with the outside world in the hope that the outside world will take a bit of notice. It's not primarily a music festival for music lovers, many of whom have just switched off. It has some interesting gimmicks and some tired old tat.

So the whole thing has simply been one big marketing ploy? Whatever happened to "public service broadcasting" for which we, the public, are forced to pay? Time for RW to go (along with a few of his new-style 'presenters').

[MrGongGong]

So the whole thing has simply been one big marketing ploy? Whatever happened to "public service broadcasting" for which we, the public, are forced to pay? Time for RW to go (along with a few of his new-style 'presenters').

"Forced"???

[Carmen]

Quite right, I was thinking of the TV licence. Notwithstanding that, the BBC does pride itself on its "public service" remit, which, I would have thought, is far from the marketing ethos of R3's current head.