Musicians' heavy breathing and sniffing...

[pastoralguy]

I'm listening to the new cd of the Brahms violin sonatas played by Leonidas Kovakos and Yuja Wang Decca. It's very interesting music making, (as one would expect from these two terrific artists), but the superb sound quality really catches the violinists heavy breathing and sniffing! The notes say the disc was recorded between Christmas and New Year 2013 so perhaps he had a cold.

I suppose my question is that, with modern recording techniques, should these extraneous noises be edited out? Normally, it doesn't bother me but this is REALLY intrusive!

[gurnemanz]

I only saw Claudio Arrau once - RFH in the 1970s, I think - and have a strong recollection even many years later of some vitruoso pianism but also quite noisy heavy breathing and sniffing.

[Roehre]

Pablo Casals recordings.......

[Petrushka]

They say you can hear Sir Colin Davis and Sir john Barbirolli singing along to the music but confess I've never noticed it.

PG, if it really is that intrusive I'm surprised the recording was passed for issue. Perhaps it worked out cheaper to issue the disc rather than cancel the sessions and try again another time or, then again, perhaps no-one noticed...

[Parry1912]

They say you can hear Sir Colin Davis and Sir john Barbirolli singing along to the music but confess I've never noticed it.

You've not listened to Sir Colin on headphones, then.

[Petrushka]

You've not listened to Sir Colin on headphones, then.

No, never listen to anything on headphones, don't like them. It's probably just as well I don't have to worry about neighbours.

[pastoralguy]

PG, if it really is that intrusive I'm surprised the recording was passed for issue. Perhaps it worked out cheaper to issue the disc rather than cancel the sessions and try again another time or, then again, perhaps no-one noticed...

Mrs. PG was horrified by it. I initially played the disc on my Quad system but it's just as noticeable on my PURE bedside radio. Very strange.

[Serial_Apologist]

The American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett's recordings are notorious for his orgasmic grunts and cries, especially in his unaccompanied solo performances, and particularly at moments of, to me, simulated "inspiration", though these thankfully are mostly blunted in his group work by others' contributions. It is very off-putting.

[MrGongGong]

The American jazz pianist Keith Jarrett's recordings are notorious for his orgasmic grunts and cries, especially in his unaccompanied solo performances, and particularly at moments of, to me, simulated "inspiration", though these thankfully are mostly blunted in his group work by others' contributions. It is very off-putting.

Jarrett without the grunt is like fruitcake without cheese

[Bryn]

Jarret without the grunt is like fruitcake without cheese

Or indeed fried bread without marmalade. That very fine pianist Jonathan Powell in not averse to singing along either. One comes to accept it as being as much of the performance as the incidental sound of the keys, dampers, pedals and creaks of the piano stool.

[Barbirollians]

Mrs. PG was horrified by it. I initially played the disc on my Quad system but it's just as noticeable on my PURE bedside radio. Very strange.

No sniffing on the Suk/Katchen !

[Honoured Guest]

... and farting and belching ...

[Bryn]

... and farting and belching ...

Let's leave the brass section out of this.

[Chris Watson]

I record (once a year, thankfully) for a producer who edits out the sound of the singers' breaths because he doesn't like the sound. I won't type the word that describes what I think of him.

[richardfinegold]

No sniffing on the Suk/Katchen !

Or Suk/ Panenka