Meanwhile I am still waiting the WGBH announced Michel Plasson with Oslo Philharmonic playing Saint-Saëns’ Third. It had to be yeastoday, according to WGBH site, but never materialized…

I would rather go for open rehearsals then Friday evenings. Rehearsals might be phenomenally eventful; in addition knowing that they are broadcasted the musician might “animate” the show… In past some rehearsals were pressed on records and I have many of them. Love to listen them and I think if rehearsals to offer on radio under a proper sauce then they might be very dramatic, not to mention very educational.

Thinking further about the ignorant neglect the WGBH administration in respect to the live Friday broadcasts the famous story about Mravinsky and his performance of the Bruckner Seventh comes to my mind. Mravinsky was preparing his Leningrad Philharmonic for months to play the Seventh. During the last day rehearsal the things suddenly “click” and the orchestra played the entire work from beginning to end with unseen force. There is a film out there were the musicians from Leningrad Philharmonic who played the work testify that they never experienced such an impact from music in their lives. What Mravinsky does then? He cancels (!!!) the next day concert with the most stunning and astonishing excuse I ever heard in music history. Mravinsky insisted that the magnitude of artistic presentation his orchestra had last night DOES NOT HAPPEN TWICE – so there is no reason to spoil what was done. Thinking about our situation in Boston – would it possible that today Friday matinee concert will be THE PERFORMANCE that would worth to remember to the rest of our lives? Was it the very same concert that the WGBH administrators decided “was not worthy to broadcast”? Who the hell they think they are?!

After W. Bush many people mentioned a need to establish a mandatory IQ test for US president. Don’t you think that it would worth to have the people who in charge 99.5 All-Classical to have ANY remote understanding of what they are dealing with? Are they qualified? Was the Mr. DeVany DC station’s success derived from the fact that he personally has own appreciation of classical music and was able to navigate the needs of own station SENSIBLY?

BUT just about the only times I give up the reading and the writing and the eating, to lay back and just listen, are those live BSO broadcasts when the band is hot. And they’re hot on Fridays as much as on Saturdays.

In fact I’d go for encouraging GBH/CRB to broadcast the Friday *evenings* as well!

I think the article is a bit shallow. I am glad for WETA and for Mr. DeVany and I am envy that WETA is trying to play during prime-time live events. Still, just because we would like WGBH to do something similar we shall not lose our critical senses and to prostitute ourselves on our interest in classical music. People do not “switch the dial because music ended”. People do not do it vice-versa as well. People DO SWITCH THE DIAL when the CONTENT of programs moves from higher quality to lower quality. So, I think the reporter who interviewed Mr. DeVany had to do assessment of the WETA’s programs quality and to correlate it with the figures of contributions – this would give more interpretable data then just the generic attribute everything to the format change.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with talk format if it done with respect to the station’s main ploy and with good radio “artistism”. There were moments where I was so fascinated with WBUR programs that I was not able to get out of my car listening. There was a moment where I was driving RT90, all the way west, and there was a phenomenal WBUR program on Sunday afternoon about some kind old abandoned house. I was so captivated with it that when I felt that I was going further away west and was losing WBUR signal I exited the mass pike, drove atop of some local heel and was sitting there for good 15 minutes listening the story. When I drive from NY then last exits of RT 84 are not only the geographical gates to Massachusetts but it is also where the WBUR/GBH coverage picks up and this is where I feel that I am getting back home. For some it might sound a bit crazy but this craziness of local listeners is what the local stations live and die for.

So, I see no problems with ether musical or talk formats if it done properly and at demanded level. The 99.5 is all-classical station but I see no problems if 99.5 devoted an hour or two per day for good interviews or commentaries of interesting people about classical music. I would love to see 99.5 not only sell the pop classical tune but to SELL INTEREST to classical music. That how you get new young listeners. It is all depends how it is done and with what level of respect to the subject… The GBH has good and capable people work for them and good other resources. Apparently all that WGBH lacks is a will of upper management…