# BBC Radio 3: The Spirit of Schubert



## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

A whole week dedicated to nothing but Schubert. A whole week where I won't be listening to Radio 3.

They've done this before with Mozart.

I'm a fan of some of the programmes on R3 and find it usually fills its niche rather well, but stunts like this are going overboard.

I suppose there is always Radio 6 Music to fall back on (next months ...Celebrates Dance Culture should be good) but no other station covers the ground of the Late Junction, Jazz on 3, World on 3 and Hear & Now.

What are your opinions of this Schubert celebration?


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## Polednice (Sep 13, 2009)

I'd personally relish a Schubert celebration, but I'd also hate a Mozart one. Because of that, I think it's wiser just to stay clear of uninterrupted marathons of a composer's entire oeuvre. It will necessarily mean that lots of people will tune out; the variety isn't what a radio station should offer; and there's no escaping that lots of composers wrote uninteresting pieces.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Polednice said:


> I'd personally relish a Schubert celebration, but I'd also hate a Mozart one. Because of that, I think it's wiser just to stay clear of uninterrupted marathons of a composer's entire oeuvre. It will necessarily mean that lots of people will tune out; the variety isn't what a radio station should offer; and there's no escaping that lots of composers wrote uninteresting pieces.


Harumph. Your complaint only makes sense if you normally listen to the station umpteen hours a day. If you actually do something else most of the time (like study maybe), checking in once in a while to find out if the work that's playing suits your fancy... oh hell, I can't go on.

Sheez.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

The "composer of the week" thing they do on Radio 3 annoys me, primarily because if it's Mozart or Bach or any go-to big name of that ilk you'll hear practically nothing but pieces by that composer, but when the composer happens to have been active mostly after 1900 you get about five pieces spread out over the entire week. They even did this with Stravinsky.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Every time I've tuned in its been a song (logical enough considering how many he wrote) or an opera. Both cause me to immediately change station. I don't mind some of his solo piano music but I must just be unfortunate enough to catch the vocal.

I'm not knocking Schubert here (a little maybe), I think an entire week of any composer would be equally offputting, but you can turn on Classic FM and expect to hear Schubert or Mozart at some point during the day. Where else can you listen to (and learn about) the music they play on Hear & Now, Late Junction etc?


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Crudblud said:


> The "composer of the week" thing they do on Radio 3 annoys me, primarily because if it's Mozart or Bach or any go-to big name of that ilk you'll hear practically nothing but pieces by that composer, but when the composer happens to have been active mostly after 1900 you get about five pieces spread out over the entire week. They even did this with Stravinsky.


I listened to the Reich and Glass programmes and found them interesting because they interviewed the composers about the music and the events in their lives surrounding the creation of the music. I wasn't really bothered about the music because I was familiar with them already, but I still heard some stuff that was new to me and that I enjoyed.

They do seem to feature one of the _big names_ every few months (even weeks sometimes) though.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

A to Z, a week is too much, even for the Beeb.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

This is a hot topic on *for3.org* as well. I'm not a regular listener of *Radio 3* and this is why. Even if *Schubert* was my favourite composer (he's not by any means) I could not stand a week of nothing but one composer. It's just laziness on the *BBC*'s part. The *BBC* is publicly funded so I for the life of me can't see why they don't take a risk and try something fresh and innovative.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

In agreement that a week of anything would be far too much. I need some variety.

I would not listen to it if it always seemed to be lieder or opera, only orchestral or piano music interests me at random.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

I already knew about this months before. It's a pity that we don't have (and will never be) have this kind of programming here in our country. I envy our British members. I'm a Schubert fan, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to really appreciate his lesser known works.

 Oh..


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Yes... be careful what you wish for when worry that the masses might turn out. You'll up with American radio driven wholly by the market.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

peeyaj said:


> I already knew about this months before. It's a pity that we don't have (and will never be) have this kind of programming here in our country. I envy our British members. I'm a Schubert fan, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to really appreciate his lesser known works.
> 
> Oh..


There are ways of getting the *iPlayer* abroad. My boyfriend has my laptop set up so I can listen/watch the *iPlayer* when we are in *Paris*. I'll ask how he does it and get back to you.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

You can listen to *Radio 3* here I think? *American* members let me know if it works please. It's not quite got the bells and whistle of the *iPlayer* but I will ask him about it as soon as I see him today.


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

@*Peeyaj* : Just go here and listen for free. I'm outside the UK and can listen to it 24 hours a day (I think).


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

EDITED, double post. Internet connection (?) is to be blamed!


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

*@Lenfer and eorrific*

Thanks for the links.. By the way, I'm from the Philippines. I hope it would work.

edit: It works!! Thank U.. ^_^ Listening to *Death and the Maiden Quartet.*, 2nd movement. My favorite string quartet. )


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

The String Quintet in C Major, D.956 is next..Probably the greatest chamber music ever written.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

eorrific said:


> @*Peeyaj* : Just go here and listen for free. I'm outside the UK and can listen to it 24 hours a day (I think).


I knew there was away. If you can get the _iPlayer_ though it's like an "on demand" service even if you miss something you can play it again for up to a week sometimes a month with TV shows.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

ARGUS.
Your post on the BBC's Schubert week was misleading and ill-informed,you gave completely the wrong impression.
I wonder if you are aware how fortunate we are in the UK compared with other places as far as classical music is concerned.
The week has not consisted of record after record played by moronic presenters making inane remarks as Classic FM, all interspersed by equally inane adverts.
The week has consisted of concerts, discussions, forums and eminent guest speakers.
Today (Friday) alone included a discussion as to his behaviour ,particularly when he discovered he had syphillis. A psychologist explained that he was a manic depressive and that you can see the result of this plus his anger at the bad medical news in some music. The A Minor Piano Sonata was mentioned particularly which gets fairly crazy at one point.
There was a perfomance of "Die Schoene Muellerin" from a concert given in Edinburgh.
A performance of his abandoned seventh Symphony by the Ulster Orchestra cond. Stuart Bedford and the Symphony No.10 (completed Newbould) by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra cond.Sir Charles MacKerras.
A concert of contemporary artists from across other genres reinterpreted some of Schubert's great songs.
As for your comments on opera as far as I can see "Fierrabras" was presented on Saturday conducted by Abbado.
On Thursday you could hear the Singspiels "Die Verschworren" and "Der Vierjaerige Posten". Not particularly OTT I wouldn't think.
Imagine what Schubert fans around the world must have felt if they were unable to tune into this festival .
I have never seen anything like this anywhere before, so stop moaning.


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## Chris (Jun 1, 2010)

I have enjoyed the blanket Schubert. They played a string quartet catalogued D18 during the week. Presumably a very early work but highly listenable. These Radio 3 marathons will work as long as the featured composer is someone like Mozart or Schubert. I don't think I could cope with a week of Louis Gottschalk or Stockhausen.

This morning there was a bit about how his syphilis was treated. That put me off lunch a bit.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Chris said:


> I have enjoyed the blanket Schubert. They played a string quartet catalogued D18 during the week. Presumably a very early work but highly listenable. These Radio 3 marathons will work as long as the featured composer is someone like Mozart or Schubert. I don't think I could cope with a week of Louis Gottschalk or Stockhausen.
> 
> This morning there was a bit about how his syphilis was treated. That put me off lunch a bit.


I could manage a week of Gottschalk but Stockhausen---forget it!!


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

moody said:


> ARGUS.
> Your post on the BBC's Schubert week was misleading and ill-informed,you gave completely the wrong impression.
> I wonder if you are aware how fortunate we are in the UK compared with other places as far as classical music is concerned.
> The week has not consisted of record after record played by moronic presenters making inane remarks as Classic FM, all interspersed by equally inane adverts.
> ...


Calm down, dear.

I don't think I was misleading or ill-informed at all. Was it or was it not a week where the only music aired was composed by Schubert?

I said a week dedicated to any other single composer would likely be as bad, it just so happens the BBC chose Schubert.


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## Petwhac (Jun 9, 2010)

I'm of the opinion that it is a little over the top to have nothing but Schubert for a whole week. I am a great admirer of Schubert (as any sensible music lover must be) but perhaps the Beeb could have heavily featured him all week instead of excluding everything else.
Having said that, Radio 3 alone would be worth the licence fee. Imagine a world with only Classic FM! Shoot me now.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Petwhac said:


> I'm of the opinion that it is a little over the top to have nothing but Schubert for a whole week. I am a great admirer of Schubert (as any sensible music lover must be) but perhaps the Beeb could have heavily featured him all week instead of excluding everything else.
> Having said that, Radio 3 alone would be worth the licence fee. Imagine a world with only Classic FM! Shoot me now.


I wouldn't mind if they filled all the usual classical programmes with Schubert (so about 90% of the schedule) if they left the Late Junction, world, jazz and talk programmes alone (basically everything between 10pm and 1am).

But yeah, the BBC stations are, for the most part, infinitely better than any of the commercial stations.


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## Andy Loochazee (Aug 2, 2007)

The Beeb (Radio 3, that is) did a similar thing in mid-2005 for Beethoven. It was called the "Beethoven Experience" and lasted for 6 days featuring nothing other than Beethoven's music. Later in 2005 they did the same thing for Bach, but that event lasted for 10 days in the run-up to Xmas. In January 2011 they did the "Mozart Experience" involving 12 days of Mozart's music and nothing else. 

Hence there's nothing unusual about Radio 3 devoting its network exclusively to the works of a famous composer. Evidently, the Beeb has a very high regard for Schubert to place him after the three aforementioned composers. 

I haven't a clue which composer, if any, they might do next, but I bet it's not Wagner as his music is not sufficiently varied to generate much interest among the normal crowd of classical music listeners. With someone like Schubert, on the other hand, there's plenty of material in various styles to provide variety. My guess would be that it might be Brahms or Tchaikovsky but I suspect they would collapse the whole thing to about 3-4 days, as there just isn't the same volume of material to play. 

As for the past 8 days of Schubert, I've quite enjoyed it on the whole. I listen to Radio 3 mostly in the mornings and evenings, and in my opinion the programmes have been a lot better than the usual standard that R3 has recently fallen in to. Regular listeners to Radio 3 will be aware that it has come under critcism of late for amending the style/presentation of its flagship morning programmes in order to compete with the (trashy) Classic FM station. The focus on Schubert over the past 8 days has in fact caused Radio 3 to sharpen up its act considerably, with far less focus on the usual guff, quasi-news, silly quizes etc that the presenters have been told to ramble on about in between snippets of music. 

In between the music, the commentary and expert analysis by various performers and musicologists on Schubert's works that has been provided at various junctures has been far more interesting and informative than anything one normally finds on internet forums - by miles.


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## Andy Loochazee (Aug 2, 2007)

Lenfer said:


> This is a hot topic on *for3.org* as well. I'm not a regular listener of *Radio 3* and this is why. Even if *Schubert* was my favourite composer (he's not by any means) I could not stand a week of nothing but one composer. It's just laziness on the *BBC*'s part. The *BBC* is publicly funded so I for the life of me can't see why they don't take a risk and try something fresh and innovative.


Why do you refer to it as "laziness"? I don't understand this comment at all. I would have thought it takes a lot more effort and planning to put on an 8-day single composer-fest than it does to push out the usual run-of-the-mill materiial across the usual spectrum of composers.

You suggest that because the BBC is publicly funded it should try something "fresh and innovative". This kind of thing, focusing on a major composer every once in a while, is fresh and innovative enough for me. I find it very educactional and gives me an opportunity to fill the gaps in my collection and knowledge. Obviously you have something else in mind, so perhaps you could clarify what it is?


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