Buying a record against your prejudices

[Barbirollians]

I have recently purchased the heavily praised Chandos disc of Delius concertos - with Little/Watkins and Andrew Davis .

None of these three are anywhere near my favourite musicians . Davis strikes me as rather bumptious ( possibly from his Last Night speeches ) and I have really not liked his Elgar especially his recording of the Violin Concerto with Ehnes , Watkins gave a performance of the Elgar Concerto to open the Proms the other year that struck me as bland and emotionless and my last encounter with Little in a concert hall was a Lark Ascending in which there appeared to be intonation problems ( though I enjoyed much of her earlier recorded work) .

I decided that I should buy it against my prejudices . I am rather glad I did . All three strike me as much more to my taste in Delius than in Elgar.The Double Concerto strikes me as a complete success from first note to last , in the Violin Concerto there is a sense of structure that other performances don't have and Little is in good form - I don't think it quite a match for either Pougnet or Ralph Holmes who both play much more dreamily and beautifully to my ears ( I don't know the Sammons ) . As for the Cello Concerto Watkins has restored much of what was cut when the concerto was revised in 1932 (with Delius's approval ) . I have not sat down and compared it with the standard edition as played by Du Pre to see what has changed but it is a very good performance - if not quite as glorious as her version.

Highly recommended - anyone else bought a record against their prejudices and been pleased to have had them confounded ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some of my prejudices are much too strong. I don't think I could ever buy a Norrington recording when there was a JEG alternative.
I did once have an aversion to Klemperer's slow tempi and that is probably why I have only one of his recordings (his earlier Missa Solemnis).

However, apart from the above, I would never not buy a recording just because of the name on the cover.

[Ferretfancy]

Barbirollians

That's quite a coincidence, as I also bought the new Chandos, and have decided not to keep it. Frankly, I wondered at the time why I did get it, since I already have the earlier Little version with Mackerras, and the Pougnet as well. I love the music of Delius, but the concertos do not do very much for me, so why buy yet another version? My reason for not keeping the new version is partly due to the rather characterless playing, but also because I find the recording rather boomy and lacking in real clarity, especially where the top end of the cello register is concerned. It's a shortcoming that I find with quite a few Chandos recordings, they used to have space and detail in excellent balance but seem to have lost the trick.

[Alison]

I'd nominate Simon Rattle's Nutcracker.

Not at all the vain micromanaged egotrip suggested by my prejudices.

In fact, a superbly played and characterised account. Just very enjoyable !

[Barbirollians]

How interesting . I have only listened to it so far in my office which has a rather limited old mini system and perhaps those recording faults will only show up downstairs on my main system.

I do think the Double Concerto the most successful of the recordings on the disc. I don't find the playing lacking in character but as I stated above - I do think Holmes and Pougnet and Du pre have the edge.

I would very strongly recommend the Holmes/Handley on Unicorn Kanchana if you can find a copy and in its original incarnation it came with the Suite and Legende too.

[barber olly]

Some of my prejudices are much too strong. I don't think I could ever buy a Norrington recording when there was a JEG alternative.
I did once have an aversion to Klemperer's slow tempi and that is probably why I have only one of his recordings (his earlier Missa Solemnis).

However, apart from the above, I would never not buy a recording just because of the name on the cover.

Surely there are works that revel in slow tempi and need Otto's touch eg Eroica. I think I now have problems with Norrington - he seems to have got worse since he went to Stuttgart, his LCP stuff was fine, and I have a blank with Harnoncourt.

[DublinJimbo]

I don't think I could ever buy a Norrington recording when there was a JEG alternative.

Not if I were offered the Euromillions jackpot without even buying a ticket would I ever permit anything by Roger Norrington to sully my music collection. My friends in a music group I belong to know by now not to mention RN's name in my company (they now resort to the code name 'The Poisoned Pixie', which I permit without becoming apoplectic).

But a prejudice which I might let slide? Not easy (the older one gets the deeper the entrenchment). I have been known recently to tolerate Mitsuko Uchida despite years of thinking of her as The Ice Maiden, and perhaps it's time to consider a re-evaluation. Perhaps.

[Parry1912]

Some of my prejudices are much too strong. I don't think I could ever buy a Norrington recording when there was a JEG alternative.

At the risk of being controversial, I much prefer Norrington's LCP Beethoven 9 to Gardiner's. With Norrington I get of sense of just how far Beethoven was pushing the medium whereas Gardiner's seemed superficial.

[Bryn]

At the risk of being controversial, I much prefer Norrington's LCP Beethoven 9 to Gardiner's. With Norrington I get of sense of just how far Beethoven was pushing the medium whereas Gardiner's seemed superficial.

Gets worse, I would pick Norrington's later set with 'his' Stuttgarters over the LCP surveys (CD and television). Though all three over JEG's CDs (not that this should be seen as 'dissing' the latter. I still find time to listen to it now and then; just not now). However, the Krivine arrived this morning. Much enjoying the 8th at the moment, having been quite bowled over by the 7th (replete with conjectural contra bassoon part).

[amateur51]

For years I allowed myself to be wary of the playing of Wilhelm Kempff, an attitude informed by one of Gramophone's critics, I think.

Then someone recommended his 1950s mono Beethoven piano sonata cycle and I bought it against my 'better' judgement & was bowled over by it. His Brahms Ballades, his Brahms piano concerto no 1 with Konwitschny, his Liszt Legends, even his Chopin I now treasure, along with his more predictably wonderful Schumann, Schubert and Mozart.

Silly me then!

[Barbirollians]

Interesting that there is no reference to a purchase of a Norrrington record and being converted ! I would put in a good word for his Symphonie Fantastique with the LCP a record I have a soft spot for .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've mentioned elsewhere that I bought Horst Stein's Eine Alpensinfonie with quite low expectations. It turned out to be number 1 out of 55

[jayne lee wilson]

Poisoned Pixie? Ice Maiden?!...

The problem with playing games with names is, you condition your own future responses.

I too love Norrington's Stuttgart Beethoven (crowned by one of the all-time great 9ths!), chose it on a recent Beethoven thread with Szell as a more trad alternative...

Those here somewhat prejudiced against Norrington should hear his Stuttgart set of The London Symphonies - you might be surprised how much you enjoy it, if you allow it within the borders of your preference...

Not if I were offered the Euromillions jackpot without even buying a ticket would I ever permit anything by Roger Norrington to sully my music collection. My friends in a music group I belong to know by now not to mention RN's name in my company (they now resort to the code name 'The Poisoned Pixie', which I permit without becoming apoplectic).

But a prejudice which I might let slide? Not easy (the older one gets the deeper the entrenchment). I have been known recently to tolerate Mitsuko Uchida despite years of thinking of her as The Ice Maiden, and perhaps it's time to consider a re-evaluation. Perhaps.

[jayne lee wilson]

...the innocent ear can really surprise you too. Watching the "Eroica" film on BBC4 recently I was impressed with the very stripped-down HIPS performance of the piece - turned out to be JEG/ORR... not something or someone I would normally make a bee-line for. I used to think of him as "the strict schoolmaster" or "bloody timebeater" as Furtwangler had it of Toscanini, and then his Missa Solemnis caught this sneering rabbit in its headlights! Later heard a lovely live Haydn 93 with the VPO. Still have my reservations, but now I know he can do it.

[Chris Newman]

Those here somewhat prejudiced against Norrington should hear his Stuttgart set of The London Symphonies - you might be surprised how much you enjoy it, if you allow it within the borders of your preference...

Sir Roger, Sir Colin and Sir Thomas are the favourites for the London Symphonies in my household. They are all very different but that is half the fun.

I often play Sir Roger's DVD of King Priam by Sir Michael Tippett. I like his Czech music too.