François-Xavier Roth's Heroic Eroica

[jayne lee wilson]

Hurwitz truly is atrocious .

All that comes across from his clever-clever putdowns is - self-adoration; Narcissism.

If you try to write about music (or anything artistic) always be at your most self-critical when you are most pleased with yourself - most especially with the colourful phrase you just wrote in critical dismissal....

It is always so much easier to complain or to criticise than to praise.....to criticise, unless done carefully with specific reference (sometimes even then), is usually to boost your own ego and diminish The Other ; to praise is to recognise the otherness of people, another separate identity, with different, challenging or even threatening, ideas and values.

[Braunschlag]

Depends how you look at it. He’s provocative for sure, but good fun, and in many cases near the mark….

An irritation at times but he’s thrown up a few ideas and recommendations which have been excellent. He does seem to have a huge collection and I’m convinced he knows his recorded music very well. Near the knuckle at times but at least he doesn’t fall into the trap of praising everything - some recordings are duds and I find myself in agreement many times.

[visualnickmos]

Depends how you look at it. He’s provocative for sure, but good fun, and in many cases near the mark….

Agreed.

[visualnickmos]

His Fifth was lambasted in Fanfare a few months back, with Jordi Savall’s new cycle being praised to the skies by the same critic. I do hope that Savall manages to finish his cycle. A Sixth from him is a very tempting proposition

Because, it is quite frankly total crap! The 7th, no better. The guy's having a laugh.

[Tony Halstead]

Because, it is quite frankly total crap! The 7th, no better. The guy's having a laugh.

Sorry, but I think I've lost the plot. What is 'quite frankly total crap'? and which guy is having a laugh?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Sorry, but I think I've lost the plot. What is 'quite frankly total crap'? and which guy is having a laugh?

I interpreted that as Roth . Fuunliy enough the 5th got a play on Radio Three recently . The final movt proved just how conductor proof the music is . I quite enjoyed it - it seemed to have within bar accelerandos and rits almost reminiscent of a Padarewski Chopin performance after one too many vodkas,

[visualnickmos]

I interpreted that as Roth . Fuunliy enough the 5th got a play on Radio Three recently . The final movt proved just how conductor proof the music is . I quite enjoyed it - it seemed to have within bar accelerandos and rits almost reminiscent of a Padarewski Chopin performance after one too many vodkas,

Which of course is exactly what Beethoven intended!

[Barbirollians]

Hurwitz’s reviewing style is poisonous and self-regarding. Generally, if he hates something I will like it.

[Bryn]

Hurwitz’s reviewing style is poisonous and self-regarding. Generally, if he hates something I will like it.

Generally, yes, I would concur, which makes it all the more annoying when he manages to assess something as being of the same high quality as I do.

[Barbirollians]

Generally, yes, I would concur, which makes it all the more annoying when he manages to assess something as being of the same high quality as I do.

Rather Iike Sir Les Patterson's amazon reviews.

I don't go along with the critical adoration for Roth and Les Siecles - some of their recordings I have enjoyed and I liked much of the Eroica . I found the Symphony Fantastique really dull however. Hurwitz is way over the top.

[Pianoman]

Hurwitz’s reviewing style is poisonous and self-regarding. Generally, if he hates something I will like it.

Well he likes Barbirolli (or some of it anyway).

[HighlandDougie]

Because, it is quite frankly total crap! The 7th, no better. The guy's having a laugh.

Without checking earlier posts, I would suggest that the subjects of Nick's opprobrium are the recent Teodor Currentzis/Anima Aeterna LvB 5th and 7th, rather than anything from F-X R. The latter's recording of the 7th has not yet appeared on CD to my knowledge. But Nick may wish to confirm/deny my surmise.

[cloughie]

Without checking earlier posts, I would suggest that the subjects of Nick's opprobrium are the recent Teodor Currentzis/Anima Aeterna LvB 5th and 7th, rather than anything from F-X R. The latter's recording of the 7th has not yet appeared on CD to my knowledge. But Nick may wish to confirm/deny my surmise.

Currentzis seems to enjoy indulging, maybe even leading, the ‘hipp gone too far’ genre.

[MickyD]

Interesting to see that Christophe Rousset and his Les Talents Lyriques have recently been giving some Beethoven concerts in Europe....I wonder if they will be recording any of them.

[gradus]

Well he likes Barbirolli (or some of it anyway).

Yes he seems to have become a Barbirolli fan although highly critical of the Halle in its fifties guise -'a community orchestra' with acidic oboes, poor string ensemble and wayward brass, 'fourth rate' was the epithet of choice. He praises the Mahler 6 recording with the New Philharmonia but pulls apart the Berlin Phil recording of the ninth. From memory I had thought that the BPO had highly regarded JB and regretted that they had such little time with him.