Critics choice

[Don Petter]

Also, waiting for Caliban's comments. I need to listen to the program as well. I wasn't really interested in most of the disc's reviewed. I in interested in the Schumann Death and the Maiden Quartet CD.

I only heard a section in the middle during a car journey, including the Stravinsky Violin Concerto, which I found to have rather too much emphasis on the portamenti for my taste. I then got bogged down with the number of times HS was saying 'kind-of', and found myself waiting for the next occurence rather than listening to what she had to say.

[silvestrione]

I only heard a section in the middle during a car journey, including the Stravinsky Violin Concerto, which I found to have rather too much emphasis on the portamenti for my taste. I then got bogged down with the number of times HS was saying 'kind-of', and found myself waiting for the next occurence rather than listening to what she had to say.

Yes, I found myself thinking, surely there's an editor there who's going to tell her to stop that...I think she did do it less as the programme went on.
I don't think it's a trivial point: on radio you just can't have distracting mannerisms like that.

[BBMmk2]

Any boarders bought the Rite of Spring Anniversary box set?

[rauschwerk]

Oh dear. The 658,000th recording of the Brahms symphonies, the 28,356th of Winterreise..... .

Has no contemporary music been decently recorded this year? Don't these people like jazz?

[french frank]

she has her views (and prejudices) like everyone else

Haven't heard this so can only comment on what has been said here: 'criticism' does not mean saying what you like or don't like. I would expect serious criticism to be balanced so that, if you don't like/get something and if you say so, that should be followed by an alternative view to put your own 'prejudice' into perspective. Others, I'm sure, would take the other point of view as regards a programmes that was not primarily regarded as 'criitical'...

Nevertheless, a spontaneous throwaway comment is understandable if not valid .

[pastoralguy]

Any boarders bought the Rite of Spring Anniversary box set?

Oh yes! Alas, it's still in its plastic wrapping but I do feel a 'Rite' fest coming on!! (Neighbours cry of ' no, no' to be heard from great distances!)

[Stunsworth]

Any boarders bought the Rite of Spring Anniversary box set?

Just in case anyone is interested it's available to stream on Qobuz...

http://www.qobuz.com/album/various-artists-stravinsky-le-sacre-du-printemps-100th-anniversary-collectors-edition/0002894783729

You can also buy it as a download for 150 Euros.

[HighlandDougie]

'criticism' does not mean saying what you like or don't like. I would expect serious criticism to be balanced so that, if you don't like/get something and if you say so, that should be followed by an alternative view to put your own 'prejudice' into perspective.

Absolutely - to quote a definition of criticism, "(the) analysis and judgement of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work". Any credible reviewer on 'Building a Library' should be able to provide such an analysis which, by and large, I find to be the case. That includes Harriet Smith talking about the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto where she made clear her view that it was a young man's work of which performances had become slower and slower over the years, giving it a grandiosity (rather than grandeur) which she felt detracted from its overall impact. Clearly there are many people who don't agree with her view but, having taken the 1930's Backhaus recording as a yardstick (fastish), she then used other slowish recordings (Curzon springs to mind) to illustrate her point. Describing her as, "a cretin", was, though, taking matters a bit far: she may be annoying ('kind of' gets right up my nose too) but she isn't a congenital idiot. That remark was, I think, made by someone who hadn't actually heard the programme which rather begs the question of why they made the comment in the first place.

On a Christmas round-up, I think it perfectly reasonable for people to be a little less 'critical' and to expose their prejudices: a good proportion of posts on this board would, after all, fall into that latter category.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Dougie - good post with which I agree up to the point where you say

On a Christmas round-up, I think it perfectly reasonable for people to be a little less 'critical' and to expose their prejudices: a good proportion of posts on this board would, after all, fall into that latter category.

... the comments on this Board are not made by people paid by the BBC, nor would they influence a larger readership making choices about which CDs they might purchase. I don't think that the professional critics gathered for the annual round-up should be accorded the luxury of "prejudice" at this of all times.

[Thropplenoggin]

Absolutely - to quote a definition of criticism, "(the) analysis and judgement of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work". Any credible reviewer on 'Building a Library' should be able to provide such an analysis which, by and large, I find to be the case. That includes Harriet Smith talking about the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto where she made clear her view that it was a young man's work of which performances had become slower and slower over the years, giving it a grandiosity (rather than grandeur) which she felt detracted from its overall impact. Clearly there are many people who don't agree with her view but, having taken the 1930's Backhaus recording as a yardstick (fastish), she then used other slowish recordings (Curzon springs to mind) to illustrate her point. Describing her as, "a cretin", was, though, taking matters a bit far: she may be annoying ('kind of' gets right up my nose too) but she isn't a congenital idiot. That remark was, I think, made by someone who hadn't actually heard the programme which rather begs the question of why they made the comment in the first place.

On a Christmas round-up, I think it perfectly reasonable for people to be a little less 'critical' and to expose their prejudices: a good proportion of posts on this board would, after all, fall into that latter category.

I also found the 'cretin' comment banal (and excessive) for precisely the reasons you give.

[HighlandDougie]

Dougie - good post with which I agree up to the point where you say


... the comments on this Board are not made by people paid by the BBC, nor would they influence a larger readership making choices about which CDs they might purchase. I don't think that the professional critics gathered for the annual round-up should be accorded the luxury of "prejudice" at this of all times.

FHG

On re-reading my somewhat crabbit post (apologies, FF) you are quite right. I don't think that anyone should be peddling prejudices, least of all on Radio 3. And I unreservedly withdraw my comments about boarders - prejudices "non", enthusiasms "oui". How else would I have discovered Malipiero and Tcherepnin this year, not to mention Richard Barrett's rather wonderful "Dark Matter". And my journey through jazz (on which I know zilch) shamelessly listening to what Stanfordians has posted as recent listening.

HD

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[teamsaint]

FHG

How else would I have discovered Malipiero and Tcherepnin this year, not to mention Richard Barrett's rather wonderful "Dark Matter". And my journey through jazz (on which I know zilch) shamelessly listening to what Stanfordians has posted as recent listening.

HD

oh I'm glad its not just me shamelessly plundering other peoples experience and knowledge !!

"Dark Matter" is still something i need to properly get to grips with.
And Malipiero remains stubbornly on the back burner for now, but soon, soon....

(Stan's Jazz recommendations are terrific,for a jazz numpty like me ).

[Barbirollians]

Harriet Smith's comments about Brahms' symphonies deserved a proper challenge . They may have been heavy and turgid performances about but that could hardly be properly be directed at Bruno Walter's cycle , or the gloriously clear eyed Boult , the affectionate Halle/Loughran or the LSO/Jochum recordings all of the 1960s and 1970s.

My immediate response to the extracts from Chailly's Third was how much more exciting it sounded under Walter and Furtwangler. The opening of the latter's DG Third from 27.04.1954 was such a revelation when I bought it I found myself playing the first minute or so time and time again .

[BBMmk2]

Just listening to Haitink's live recording on YouTube of Mahler's 9th/RCO, 2011. this is the recording for me!