[Mirror Image]

Well that's too bad about Georgia (USA), it's a bit surprising since the USA is such a leader in producing first rate performers of classical music. They should really showcase their local talent, as we do here in Australia on classical radio. I think maybe here in Australia we're spoilt for choice, no matter what type of classical you like - orchestral, opera, instrumental, chamber, different periods, repertoires, performers - there's sure to be some radio program that caters for your taste. As I said, I like that program which showcases C20th music, but they have programs dealing in the same way with early music, Baroque, Romantic, etc. I suppose we're lucky here in Australia, even though the former Howard government made huge budget cuts to the Australian Broadcasting Authority, they seem to have weathered the storm (thank goodness for that)...

Well, at least you have something to listen to that plays a wide variety of classical music and just doesn't cater to the uneducated masses who think Beethoven was the only composer that ever lived.

I kind of got burned out on radio many years ago. I used to listen to radio a good bit going to and from work, but now I don't even turn it on. I just can't bare it. I just bring my MD player or Mp3 player with me now. I find that listening to some Hindemith in the car really soothes the soul.

 

[Guest]

Beethoven wasn’t the only composer that lived, but they don’t come much better for me, particularly his St Qts.
I have been d/l some recordings from the UK that are taken from digital radio from all over Europe, not only are they excellent audio quality but the music itself is from some of the best composers and artists, the venues being mainly festivals and concerts, last one was of works for Bass Viol and Harpsichord by : Couperin, Marais, Telemann and Bach, this is the sort of thing that very rarely gets onto our Radio Stations.

 

[Mirror Image]

Beethoven wasn't the only composer that lived, but they don't come much better for me, particularly his St Qts.
I have been d/l some recordings from the UK that are taken from digital radio from all over Europe, not only are they excellent audio quality but the music itself is from some of the best composers and artists, the venues being mainly festivals and concerts, last one was of works for Bass Viol and Harpsichord by : Couperin, Marais, Telemann and Bach, this is the sort of thing that very rarely gets onto our Radio Stations.

I enjoy Beethoven's symphonies, concerti, and overtures, but that's about it. I don't make it a habit to listen to Beethoven, because there so many other composers whose music I feel is sadly neglected.

For me, they don't come much better than Ravel, but this is just my own personal preference.

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

There are reasons why Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are as popular with the classical music crowd as they are and in no way does it prove any degree of superiority if one prefers a less-well-known composer. I personally listen to Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart... as well as Brahms, Schubert, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky (etc...) on a fairly regular basis. Of course I recognize that even they have works that are underrated or largely ignored on the usual radio stations or with those who are not particularly passionate about classical music. Yes, Bach's Brandenburg's are played to death... but how often do they play the Partitas and Sonatas for Solo Violin, the alto Cantatas (35, 169, 170), or even the Well Tempered Clavier beyond a single selection? We continually get Schubert's 8th Symphony and the Trout Quintet (to say nothing of Ave Maria) but how often is the Winterreise played... or his masses? One can find a great variety of less-well-known works by some of the largest figures as well as within the oeuvre of the less-well-known composer.

 

[Mirror Image]

There are reasons why Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are as popular with the classical music crowd as they are and in no way does it prove any degree of superiority if one prefers a less-well-known composer. I personally listen to Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart... as well as Brahms, Schubert, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky (etc...) on a fairly regular basis. Of course I recognize that even they have works that are underrated or largely ignored on the usual radio stations or with those who are not particularly passionate about classical music. Yes, Bach's Brandenburg's are played to death... but how often do they play the Partitas and Sonatas for Solo Violin, the alto Cantatas (35, 169, 170), or even the Well Tempered Clavier beyond a single selection? We continually get Schubert's 8th Symphony and the Trout Quintet (to say nothing of Ave Maria) but how often is the Winterreise played... or his masses? One can find a great variety of less-well-known works by some of the largest figures as well as within the oeuvre of the less-well-known composer.

Yes, but Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, etc. can be explored in a myriad of different ways. There are so many recordings available of these composers. I enjoy diving into the unknown. I'm not afraid of getting my feet wet so to speak.

My whole thing, and this will continue to be my thing, is that I'm more interested in finding lesser-known composers. Thank goodness for Naxos and Chandos continue to push the envelope and getting these neglected and obscure composers music heard.

I have found some remarkable music that the average classical listener will never hear unless he/she is willing to get outside their comfort zones and explore something new.

I mean not many people know who Doreen Carwithen is, but I would have never known unless I was curious. She's a great composer, by the way, only composed a few works, but they are all high quality.

Anyway, I enjoy learning new things and learning about new composers. My latest discovery has been Korngold, Alwyn, Arnold, and Myaskovsky. Even though I've heard of these composers before, I never heard their music and quite frankly I'm still in shock.

 

[Guest]

You can listen to some free snippets on this link:

Doreen Carwithen

 

[Mirror Image]

You can listen to some free snippets on this link:

Doreen Carwithen

That's the recording I own. Richard Hickox, LSO, Chandos. It's fantastic. They can also go to Amazon and hear snippets:

http://www.amazon.com/Carwithen-Pia...dm_cd_album_lnk?ie=UTF8&qid=1251091475&sr=1-1

 

[Artemis]

I would say that listening to a good classical music radio station is a very sensible and efficient way to broaden one's interest in the subject in terms of both gaining exposure to lesser well known composers and generally acquiring useful information on classical music. It is far cheaper and has a much higher probability of success than merely taking pot luck buying CDs of unknown composers from Naxos etc.

Although this thread started out with a complaint against one aspect of Classic FM's programming, on the whole many people find this UK station to be just fine for their needs. These are people who presumably like their classical music in small bite-sized doses, which concentrates on the popular snippets end of the market, and where the music comes bundled with lots of chatter and adverts.

To complain about any of aspect of the CFM package is generally a waste of time. It has all be said many times before but nothing ever changes. And nothing will change as it has obviously been found to be a winning formula for a large segment of the classically interested population. The simple fact is that some listeners outgrow CFM and a few sometimes become vociferously quite hostile to a music source which they probably once admired but which no longer meets their newly-acquired tastes and preferences.

Personally, I hate CFM and its approach, but I don't have to look far to find a much better alternative as provided by the BBC's Radio 3. This is not 24 hour classical music as some programmes are devoted to jazz, world music, general arts discussions. In the main, however, there is a hefty classical music element, which is set out in an advert free environment by various presenters who are all generally very good. The variety of classical music material played is far more inspired than that on CFM. Although I have very many CDs I tend to listen to Radio 3 a good deal more. For example, right now we're in the middle of the 2009 Proms season, and there's lots of good live music to listen to every day.

 

[Mirror Image]

I would say that listening to a good classical music radio station is a very sensible and efficient way to broaden one's interest in the subject in terms of both gaining exposure to lesser well known composers and generally acquiring useful information on classical music. It is far cheaper and has a much higher probability of success than merely taking pot luck buying CDs of unknown composers from Naxos etc.

I do a lot of research on a composer that I newly discover before I make any purchases. Perhaps radio where you live has some great stations, but I have to rely on my own instincts, composer's biographies/explanations about their music, other people's opinions (both professional and amateur), and the small sound samples that are provided on various websites (Amazon, eMusic, CD Universe, etc.) in order to make a well-informed purchase.

I'm happy to report that I have only been disappointed in 2 or 3 of my purchases and if you ask me that's not bad at all.

 

[Sid James]

I would say that listening to a good classical music radio station is a very sensible and efficient way to broaden one's interest in the subject in terms of both gaining exposure to lesser well known composers and generally acquiring useful information on classical music. It is far cheaper and has a much higher probability of success than merely taking pot luck buying CDs of unknown composers from Naxos etc...

I agree with this. I especially like to listen to classical radio to broaden my horizons, get away a bit from the era I collect most, the C20th. I don't mind it if they play the more popular works of some composers, like Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, because I don't own these on disc, and they're great pieces of music. There's only one piece I really can't stand in the history of music, Saint-Saen's Organ Symphony. But apart from that, I'm pretty flexible, & interested in well or lesser known composers & their works. Radio is a great (the cheapest) way to get access to this regularly. So I'm a big fan. I don't like only getting snippets of larger works, so I tend not to listen to the breakfast show in which they tend to do this. It's all about being selective...

I sometimes wish, though, that they'd play more of the avant-garde stuff - Varese, Ligeti, Stockhausen, Penderecki, that type of thing. Usually, to hear these, I have to buy a disc, but that's ok, since I love this type of music...

 

[Guest]

Personally, I hate CFM and its approach, but I don't have to look far to find a much better alternative as provided by the BBC's Radio 3. This is not 24 hour classical music as some programmes are devoted to jazz, world music, general arts discussions. In the main, however, there is a hefty classical music element, which is set out in an advert free environment by various presenters who are all generally very good. The variety of classical music material played is far more inspired than that on CFM. Although I have very many CDs I tend to listen to Radio 3 a good deal more. For example, right now we're in the middle of the 2009 Proms season, and there's lots of good live music to listen to every day.

I also listen to Radio 3 on the Internet Radio and find it to be excellent, a little like our own "Concert FM" + a host of other stations from around the world,

 

[tahnak]

That's very true, but I think that what people object to is the idea that Classic FM is putting forward an image of classical music as background muzak.

I have heard this phrase 'background muzak' after 32 years. Brings back memories of when I was a student in Glassboro, New Jersey and used to feel sick of the muzak playing in pipes all over the malls and radio stations - one place I really liked was when it is played for the inmates in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and poor Mantovani was made the torchbearer of 'Muzak' along with Glenn Miller and his band.

Talking of relaxation and classical music not being relaxing, it is how 'relaxing' is interpreted on a particular day or part of the day and the mood you are in. If you are agitated then even the Great gate of Kiev from Mussorgsky's Pictures or the Adoration of the Earth from Stravinsky's Le Sacre Du Printemps is also complementing and relaxing.

And arguments apart, it has been proved medically and scientifically, that strings and woodwinds particularly make flowers grow faster in unison and also cows give more milk while listening to classical in the context of what I have written. It is now quite famous that there are Mozart CDs out specially for babies to relax and while they suckle.

I will go one step further in proclaiming that good orchestral and chamber ensemble music or even solo instrument recitals are worthy offerings to the Creator of the Universe and the jing bang and the pop fizzes and the ugly pub and disco hoots are sufficient for Lucifer and Hades.

 

[Guest]

I would suggest that 90% of slow movements are relaxing

 

[nickgray]

I would suggest that 90% of slow movements are relaxing

90%? I'd argue that no more than 70(+-5)%.

 

[Guest]

90%? I'd argue that no more than 70(+-5)%.

Well I am certainly not going to argue over what relaxes me may not relax you, I personally find Bach Fuges, Toccatas etc very relaxing. Just out of curiosity which slow movements do you find not relaxing?? I will give them a hearing

 

[Mirror Image]

Well I am certainly not going to argue over what relaxes me may not relax you, I personally find Bach Fuges, Toccatas etc very relaxing. Just out of curiosity which slow movements do you find not relaxing?? I will give them a hearing

The first movement of Myaskovsky's Symphony No. 25th is an adagio and it's not relaxing. It's heartbreaking more than anything. Much like the third movement (Romanza) of RVW's 5th symphony. Very emotional for me.

 

[Sid James]

I'd say that many slow movements of C20th works in particular are not what you'd call relaxing. I was just listening to Nielsen's Symphony No. 4 'Inextinguishable' last night, and the unclear tonality in particular makes that slow movement appear to be pretty unsettling to me. That's just one example, but there are doubtless many others out there, eg. Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Bartok, not to speak of Berg, Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Gubaidulina, etc...

 

[Mirror Image]

I'd say that many slow movements of C20th works in particular are not what you'd call relaxing. I was just listening to Nielsen's Symphony No. 4 'Inextinguishable' last night, and the unclear tonality in particular makes that slow movement appear to be pretty unsettling to me. That's just one example, but there are doubtless many others out there, eg. Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Bartok, not to speak of Berg, Lutoslawski, Penderecki, Gubaidulina, etc...

That's true it seems the C20th adagios, andantes, lentos, etc. are quite unsettling. I definitely agree with this. I'm listening to the Alwyn's "Lyra Angelica" right now and the first movement is an adagio, nothing relaxing about this, it's almost just too beautiful to be relaxing, but there are parts where it gets louder and a bit more aggressive, definitely not a "relaxing" movement at all.

 

[kg4fxg]

Relaxing

I guess it depends on how you define relaxing?

Often, and many of us here would object if classical music was considered relaxing in the same way as what is termed "Elevator Music".

I have used my obsession with classical music to de-stress from work. It is wonderful to have something else that interests me besides work. I had a job awhile back that was terrible and about the only thing that got me through this was classical music.

I often listen to classical music before I fall asleep via my iPod. My wife reads, I read too but find it difficult to read in bed. We don't watch TV. Just not in the habit of turning it on and now I can't without a converter box.

Yes, some classical music maybe relaxing and other pieces just the opposite. I like to listen to Vivaldi in the morning when I drive to work. I have 1128 pieces by Vivaldi as my iTunes library tells me. Remember that each movement is one of the 1128. His music has such drive, I can't think of the correct word but such forward pushing motion. It really wakes me up.

 

[Guest]

I know what you mean kg4fxg, relaxing does not mean sighing in extacy or nearly nodding off at least not to me. At the end of a stressful or very busy day I find sitting down with a glass and listening to virtual any CD in my modest collection will wipe the cares and frustrations away, be it a rousing orchestral piece or a St Qt they all do the trick.