Building a Library - General Discussion

[aeolium]

How's your French aeolium?

Not good enough, I fear, Caliban Now if it were German....

Sometimes I have listened to BaL when the reviewer has not revealed the performer in advance of the extract, and have thought 'that sounds pretty good', only for it to be followed by a dismissive comment from the reviewer picking out the faults - generally in performances by less famous names/orchestras. There must be a huge temptation for the reviewer to be seduced by the big names, and in better known works it must be very hard for a reviewer to forget his or her own longtime favourites (I know I would find it hard). I'm sure a lot of people would find their preconceptions shaken by blind listening.

[Nick Armstrong]

Don't tease us ! Which one did they go potty about was it Fournier/Szell ???

I've just listened to the end: yes! It was Fournier/Szell which they thought was head and shoulders above the rest.

Capuçon/Järvi came in second, some way behind...

So blind tasting in this instance led to the same result as BaL's 'eyes open' supermarket sweep....

[amateur51]

I've just listened to the end: yes! It was Fournier/Szell which they thought was head and shoulders above the rest.

Capuçon/Järvi came in second, some way behind...

So blind tasting in this instance led to the same result as BaL's 'eyes open' supermarket sweep....

I've been listening to a lot of Fournier's performances of late and he really is a wonderful discovery, and he worked with some outstanding artists too - 3 sets of Beethoven cello sonatas, for example, with Schnabel, Gulda and Kempff

[Barbirollians]

His recordings of the Bach Cello Suites are much my favourite.

[pastoralguy]

His recordings of the Bach Cello Suites are much my favourite.

[amateur51]

His recordings of the Bach Cello Suites are much my favourite.

[pastoralguy]

One of the saddest sets in my cd collection is a rare Phillips recording of Fournier playing the Brahm's sonatas with Jean Fonda. They were recorded in 1984 and are pretty poor. (Not just my opinion - a couple of pro 'cellist players agree with me).

He was obviously at the end of his career and it's a shame to listen to him struggling.

[Karafan]

Perhaps another thread on "recordings worth another listen" would be worthwhile to remedy this. For my money it would include the Levine Aida with Millo; the Votto Boheme with Poggi; the Sinopoli Carmen with Larmore; the Leinsdorf Forza with Tucker; the Muti Rigoletto with Dessi; the Leinsdorf Butterly with Moffo - but not perhaps the Moffo Thais!

Martin_opera: Did Leinsdorf record Forza with Tucker? I thought that was Schippers on RCA. I'd be interested to know if Leinsdorf had recorded it though - do you have any details please?

Thanks

Karafan

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Well, good for you. I have three questions:-

1) How many hours did that take you?

2) What would that make your fee at what you consider a reasonable hourly rate?

3) How much can the BBC afford for a 45 minute radio programme?

I'm willing to bet that there's a huge discrepancy between (2) and (3)!

1. Difficult to quantify - I worked on it over 3-4 months.

Yes, there is a huge discrepancy between (2) and (3), but not in the way you may imagine, rauschwerk.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

In short, aeolium, the blind listening approach has many advantages

Caliban, you may be interested that I refer to Le jardin/ La tribune in my IRR review of Shostakovich Piano Concertos, which I reviewed 'blind' this month.

[PJPJ]

Like a few members here, I listen to the France Muqisue programme Le Jardin des critiques which, like its even better predecessor La Tribune des critiques de disques, which features 'blind listening'. This is frequently fascinating and I wish there were a UK equivalent. (Discussing the idea with Rob Cowan once, he was extremely enthusiastic, but doubted whether many critics would be willing to take part, given the massive 'egg on face' potential for savaging a recording 'blind' you had perhaps previously praised in print!) .......

The French critics don't seem to mind taking the risk of egg on face. If you'd praised something the previous day and slated it the next, you could be considered a little eccentric, but, frankly, having a different opinion years later shows that you're a normal member of the human race. I really do hope Rob Cowan manages to find another three music critics out of the many who write and broadcast in Britain willing to carry this through. How much courage does it take?

[martin_opera]

Martin_opera: Did Leinsdorf record Forza with Tucker? I thought that was Schippers on RCA. I'd be interested to know if Leinsdorf had recorded it though - do you have any details please?

Thanks

Karafan

Of course he didn't! I was foolishly mixing up the RCA Leinsdorf Ballo with the Schippers Forza. You are correct - Schippers' Forza. Thanks for spotting.

[Nick Armstrong]

Caliban, you may be interested that I refer to Le jardin/ La tribune in my IRR review of Shostakovich Piano Concertos, which I reviewed 'blind' this month.

thanks! I shall peruse!

[amateur51]

One of the saddest sets in my cd collection is a rare Phillips recording of Fournier playing the Brahm's sonatas with Jean Fonda. They were recorded in 1984 and are pretty poor. (Not just my opinion - a couple of pro 'cellist players agree with me).

He was obviously at the end of his career and it's a shame to listen to him struggling.

Thanks for this, pastoralguy - it won't put me off but I'll not pay too much if I see them available second-hand

Fournier also recorded Brahms cello sonatas in 1965 with Rudolph Firkusny and it is these recordings that are available in this boxed set:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/DG/4775939

[visualnickmos]

The French critics don't seem to mind taking the risk of egg on face. If you'd praised something the previous day and slated it the next, you could be considered a little eccentric, but, frankly, having a different opinion years later shows that you're a normal member of the human race. I really do hope Rob Cowan manages to find another three music critics out of the many who write and broadcast in Britain willing to carry this through. How much courage does it take?

This really is a fascinating and absorbing programme - when I remember to tune in! Surely there must be some ongoing research by the Radio 3 "controllers" and programme makers that would suggest that this format can work and be popular and successful - not replacing BaL - lord, no! But as a totally separate programme.....