I Love Classical Music

I am in Italy at the moment, and have been listening from time to time to RAI’s classical music radio channel. It is wonderfully old-fashioned! Nothing but classical music - complete works, not excerpts - with at the beginning and end an announcer, speaking slowly and clearly, telling you what the music is/was and who the performers are/were. None of the guff you get on Radio 3 and Classic FM.

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

I avoid Classic FM, ,or any commercial station, because I can't be bothered with the ads, though I know it is the only way it can fund itself. Also because the listings in [i]Radio Times [/i]show it rather too unadventurous, sticking to the tried and found safe. It's all good music but the format and play-lists on commercial stations have to please their sponsors.

That's a bit harsh on Radio Three though. It [i]does[/i] play complete works, and many of them; but it also plays a huge amount of music that is new, even avant-garde, sometimes commissioned; or very early, or by the less-familiar composers - music no-one else will broadcast because they want only the familiar.

It's also actively helping support working composers and musicians, which I doubt Classic FM can do.

I wonder if the RAI is doing so - from what you say it might be in its remit.

MartinII · 70-79, M

@ArishMell I agree about Classic FM, which also rarely plays whole works. Radio 3 generally plays whole works between 1300 and 1630 and 1930 and 2130. None in the morning (don’t know about the middle of the night). Nearly half a century ago I used to listen to Radio 3 between 0700 and 0800 before going to work. If I was lucky, I might get, say, a Mendelssohn overture, a shortish concerto and a Haydn symphony before I had to leave to catch the train. Bliss!

Your points about new music etc are well-taken, though whether this is an appropriate use of TV licence-payers’ money is a topic for another day!

ArthurP · 80-89, M

It can easily be listened to anywhere in the world via its streaming service. I agree; it is a classic classical service. There are a number of web sites which consolidate the many Classical music radio stations world wide. For different reasons, many of them put R3 and Classic FM to shame.

JoBlak · M

Thank you for telling me about this station.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

Radio Three does play complete works, admittedly not in every programme; and I like its general style of treating its listeners as intelligent people.

I don't like what it's done to Late Night Junction though, cutting it from 3 to just 1 edition a week.

Effloresce · 26-30, F

I love that 🎶

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