Trypod - Music Matters

Every few days I’m posting about a podcast that I listen to and that I’d recommend you trying out.

Look, Music Matters, from BBC Radio 3 is an intelligent summary of what’s happening in the world of classical music. It’s up to date, fresh and interesting. What it’s good at is producing thoughtful and lively interviews with those at the cutting edge of the classical music scene. Laughter and surprising answers are fairly common in interviews, rather than the plodding solemnity you hear is some other programmes.

It’s fairly obvious, but a common factor in the podcasts I’ve been mentioning is the character of the host, or hosts. With Music Matters, the main host is Tom Service. He’s extremely knowledgeable and a serious academic but his style is open and this helps him get the best out of his guests. His interview with the violinist, Paul Robertson, which was recorded in Robertson’s last few months, was palpably emotional, and all the better for it. Sure, Tom has a tendency to start too many sentences with the word ‘look’, which feels a little odd on the radio, but he’s a gift to a show like Music Matters.