Is Radio 3 ignoring the great composers?

EVERY morning, I look through the Radio 3 pages in the Radio Times looking for the great names, particularly Bach and all the other wonderful composers of that era — Purcell, Handel, Telemann, Vivaldi, Boccherini and Monteverdi and the great music of the following century. Often, none is mentioned. All we get is modern composers whose works are unlistenable. Who cares about a week of women composers? How thankful I am that I have a large CD collection, the only problem being that I’m disabled and have to keep getting up to change the discs. Is the BBC trying — as usual — to appeal to the younger generation? If so, the music being played on Radio 3 will put them off for life. Mrs AILEEN IRELAND,

Crowborough, Sussex. AS A regular Radio 3 listener, I can’t agree that it broadcasts mediocre music at the expense of the greatest composers (Letters). Tasking any radio station with pleasing all its listeners is an impossibility. I agree that listeners want the finest music of the greats — but who these are is a matter of opinion. Radio 3 offers a huge range of music by well known composers. The alleged 16 hours of music without Bach, Handel, Schubert or Mozart included Handel’s O Ruddier Than The Cherry (Acis and Galatea) presented on Breakfast by Martin Handley, and Daniel Barenboim was heard playing Mozart’s piano sonata no 11. During Saturday Classics, Rob Cowan featured a sonata by J.S. Bach, and Through The Night with Jonathan Swain contained works by Bach, Mozart and Schubert. It’s important that young artists are heard and Radio 3 gives them this opportunity, in addition to playing established favourites every day.

EVELYN GOTTLIEB, Harrow, Middx.