[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I do find the next 100 selections interesting. I would not have thought that an average group of listeners would select PENDERECKI, K - Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, STOCKHAUSEN, K - Helicopter String Quartet, or CRUMB, G - Black Angels in any list. I'd be shocked if the station ever played those works. Presumably there are a modest number of listeners who have significantly "expanded" tastes but listen to that station for lack of something "better".

Actually I remember ABC broadcasting "Black Angels" on a couple of occasions.

 

[12425]

Like all lists, it's something to take with a bucket of salt.

From what I gather, the process was similar to ABC's other '100 Projects' in that the list was completely controlled by listener voting. I mostly agree with mmsbls that the list, with its heavy bias for 20th century Romantic spillover, is the list of a mainstream audience. However, the fans are dedicated enough to vote just as we might in the other periods - it's not all Symphony No. 5 and Danse Macabre - so I do think the list is somewhat indicative of both a lack of exposure to new music (radio's fault) and an unwillingness to seek it out (audience's fault).

I've seen some people elsewhere saying that the station basically has a duty to educate their listeners with more difficult 20th century music, but I think that's a bit high-and-mighty, "Here, listen to this because it's good - I don't care if you don't like it." The radio station is not oblivious to the bias of the list either, as they had a programme discussing exactly that. Remember that, like any other station, its primary purpose is entertainment, and we ought to direct any criticisms to a wider cultural problem with engagement in the arts than at any specific broadcasters.

 

[Guest]

I actually agree with that comment, Polednice. We need to be doing more in our schools to get kids into better quality entertainment and media - you know, the type that doesn't numb your brain. Reading? God forbid: get them away from the I-phones and other media; this won't happen without a big fight!!

I just can't believe behaviours today. Every single day on the public transport here in Vienna people are literally shouting at each other on their phones. When they aren't ringing (and those annoying ring-tones!!), they are staring at them, checking them or playing with them. When they shout so loudly I often say to my husband, "they think they're talking into a tin attached to a piece of string!".

It's all a bit of an empty dream people have bought into in their millions.

 

[GraemeG]

CoAn, the passing of Martin Hibble still saddens, although Bob Maynard remains broadcasting, after all these years.
I don't think ABC-FM is quite so bad as you make out, although I'm less happy about them playing so many 'bits and pieces' in the morning and drive slots. I heard the back third of Capriccio Espangol the other day; it's one thing to play an isolated symphonic movement, another to excise a 'bleeding chunk' of something.
I have little time for Nicholson in general; the rest are OK except for the rather unpleasant timbres to the voices of Julian Day & Christopher Lawrance.
For those outside Australia, it's Oz version of NPR/BBC; and they do have at least some programmes of new music, they do play operas complete, they do some focussing on Australian stuff too. It's a hell of a lot better than you'd get out of any commercial enterprise, that's for sure.
cheers,
GG

 

[HarpsichordConcerto]

My radio listening is perfectly inversely correlated with the amount of CD recordings I have. When I was first discovered classical music in my early teens, I listend to a lot of ABC Classic FM, and it was a very good source of discovering and listening to classical music, by building awareness of repertoire and of course, the performing artists. Now, with a lot more experience and recordings, I don't listen to classical radio much anymore. What music I want, I buy and attend concerts for the experience instead. Maybe when I'm driving/travelling, I might have the radio on, and that's about it. The vast amount of recorded music on CD and now on Blu-ray/DVD just kills the mostly 5 minute snips they air on radio.

 

[12425]

CoAn, the passing of Martin Hibble still saddens, although Bob Maynard remains broadcasting, after all these years.
I don't think ABC-FM is quite so bad as you make out, although I'm less happy about them playing so many 'bits and pieces' in the morning and drive slots. I heard the back third of Capriccio Espangol the other day; it's one thing to play an isolated symphonic movement, another to excise a 'bleeding chunk' of something.
I have little time for Nicholson in general; the rest are OK except for the rather unpleasant timbres to the voices of Julian Day & Christopher Lawrance.
For those outside Australia, it's Oz version of NPR/BBC; and they do have at least some programmes of new music, they do play operas complete, they do some focussing on Australian stuff too. It's a hell of a lot better than you'd get out of any commercial enterprise, that's for sure.
cheers,
GG

From what I've heard (and to what extent such a comparison even makes sense) ABC-FM seems more to fall somewhere in between the UK's BBC Radio 3 (flagship arts programmes with, gasp!, full works) and Classic FM (dire commercial station).

 

[quack]

I'm certainly interested in hearing a Didgeridoo concerto. That is how I take such lists, not as definitive truth on a subject but as a way of filling gaps in your knowledge, particularly as it has a local bias.

 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

CoAn, the passing of Martin Hibble still saddens, although Bob Maynard remains broadcasting, after all these years.
I don't think ABC-FM is quite so bad as you make out, although I'm less happy about them playing so many 'bits and pieces' in the morning and drive slots. I heard the back third of Capriccio Espangol the other day; it's one thing to play an isolated symphonic movement, another to excise a 'bleeding chunk' of something.
I have little time for Nicholson in general; the rest are OK except for the rather unpleasant timbres to the voices of Julian Day & Christopher Lawrance.
For those outside Australia, it's Oz version of NPR/BBC; and they do have at least some programmes of new music, they do play operas complete, they do some focussing on Australian stuff too. It's a hell of a lot better than you'd get out of any commercial enterprise, that's for sure.
cheers,
GG

What?!? Christopher Lawrence's voice is great for afternoon listening!

 

[Sid James]

...
I do find the next 100 selections interesting. I would not have thought that an average group of listeners would select PENDERECKI, K - Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, STOCKHAUSEN, K - Helicopter String Quartet, or CRUMB, G - Black Angels in any list. I'd be shocked if the station ever played those works. Presumably there are a modest number of listeners who have significantly "expanded" tastes but listen to that station for lack of something "better".

They do have one program of new music on their analogue station, it's late at night I think on weekends. There is also one such program on their digital station and I think it's more in-depth. It's the same with the other Classic FM stations here, 2MBS, 3MBS, 4MBS, etc. But yes, they do not cover much new music, or even much post-1945 music, except the rehash things like Arvo Part and these "Holy Minimalists" which seems to be their definition of "new music" full stop, which I think is a distortion of the truth, it's a kind of myopic view, put it that way.

But they do have good programs. I rarely listen, but they do broadcast concerts from here and abroad regularly, in full. It's always interesting to hear interpretations of different works, even though they are just the usual things, mainly. & also the commentary and often taped interviews with the musicians during interval.

& a good program on Saturday mornings is with Graham Abbott, who is himself a musician (many of the presenters are or where from that background). He analyses a piece in depth, eg. a symphony or string quartet, and then it is played in full. Even as a reasonabley seasoned listener, I get something out of his program, when I do get around to listening to it...

 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Don't you mean Graham Abbott? I thought he did Keys to Music on Saturday mornings.

Oh, you've changed your post.

 

[Sid James]

Don't you mean Graham Abbott? I thought he did Keys to Music on Saturday mornings.

I think you're right, yes it's Mr. Abbott and I will change my post, thanks...

 

[science]

Thanks for that list man!

 

[Sid James]

^^You're welcome Science. I put this thread up because I know a number of members here like these things. Eg. comparing them to the ones you have generated on this forum.

& additionally this thread has bought some worthwhile discussion of ABC Classic FM, and radio broadcasting of classical music in general. It is interesting & of some value.

I think it's good in a way for them to have done a "top 100" of 20th century classical music. Past top 100's have been interesting to listen to, the top 100 symphony a few years back was pretty good, even for me.

Generally I'm not a list person but I am interested in them but in a less in-depth way. I am not very systematic, I just do things my own way, but I admit it's been a few decades for me being into the classical, on and off, and my parents were involved with this music, so I didn't have to start entirely from scratch, etc...

 

[science]

Yeah, things like that help me a lot. Introduce me to new stuff.

 

[Guest]

GraemeG, yes I detest those snippets as well!! Martin Hibble was great - a 'bon vivant', which ultimately killed him at 54 years of age. He had a heart attack as he was about to step into the shower!! My friend, the broadcaster, told me that. Yes, ABC-FM does provide some good programs - as you, Harpsichord Concerto and Sid have all suggested - and one can 'cherry pick' these. The overseas concerts are always good. But, I'm simply saying it was hugely better in the earlier days when full works were the order of the day, no 'breakfast' snippets, "Swoon" pieces or such-like. I guess my tastes and needs have changed too over the years. The new music has always been well represented with the offerings of... (oh, I've forgotten his name - he's an Australian composer and works at the Canberra School of music)..VINCENT PLUSH. (Senior's moment!). Also, Graham Abbott is one hell-of-a-broadcaster/performer/musician. I listen to his programs on my computer.

As I write this I'm looking on Arte channel a broadcast (via ORF) of a concert in the Musikverein which had me in the audience in May this year - Buchbinder and Beethoven Piano Concerto #5 where he conducted from the keyboard the Vienna Philharmonic. Sad to say, I'm leaving Vienna in 8 days.

 

[HarpsichordConcerto]

I liked Simon Healey (or however you spell his name), mainly because I remember he used to (or maybe still does) broadcast more entire large scale Baroque pieces during Friday evenings (late), including Baroque opera and oratorios etc. He quited liked Handel's music.

 

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Wow how long ago was that? I don't remember that ever happening.

 

[Guest]

Yes, Simon Healy did this. I met him in 1988 when I went over to the Adelaide Festival and I bought him a bottle of wine to thank him - taking this out to the Collinswood studio. He doesn't drink!! Anyway, he ran a program on Friday night especially dedicated to the baroque, of which he is a specialist. That was in the 80's and to the late 90's. Don't know what he's doing now as I don't really listen that much. Occasionally I'll hear him on a regular broadcast presenting overseas concerts.

My friend (whose name I won't mention) who was a presenter on that network was one of the few with a really good sense of humour. In his lunchtime programs he'd play comedy skits - "Gerald the Gorilla" and such like, as well as the music of Dire Straits. I don't think management liked it!! He also used to make me laugh referring to the French composer Jacques Ibert as "Jackie Bear"!! Yes, he could be an iconoclast. I used to ring him regularly and ask him to play this or that. He's a music critic these days and feels the same way about ABC-FM as I do.

I've looked at your profile, ComposerofAvantGarde, and I wish I had a student like you when I taught Advanced and Extension English in NSW (until 2007).

 

[Lunasong]

If you'd now like to vote for my radio station's Top 100 list (not just 20th century), you can vote for up to 10 pcs and rank them. You will be asked for contact info, but I have never gotten a phone call or junk mail/email from them. They've had the vote open for a couple weeks now and it closes tomorrow (about 36 hours). Perhaps we can sway the vote a bit!
http://dpr.org/contact-10favorites.htm

The music from the votes will be played on the station, which has a weblink, between Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
I have the lists from the past four years and am going to take a bit of time today to compare them to ABC's before posting them.

 

[Lunasong]

Here's what my comparison is:
There are 30 works on the ABC top 100 list that made the Top 100 of my radio stations 2010 list, and 2 additional works were in the 101-200 list.
Three pieces made my list which were not on the ABC list at all (feel free to correct me if I missed them)
Hanson - Symphony # 2 "Romantic"
Copland - Symphony #3
Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Weber

It's interesting to see how this list changes from year to year as I think it has some dependence on what the local arts community has programmed during the previous year.

Lists:
2010 1-29
30-61
62-96
97-100 + selections made in 2007-2009
selections made in 2007-2009
selections made in 2007-2009