BaL 20.01.24 - Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor Op. 129

[richardfinegold]

Am I the only person who finds the Schumann ‘cello concerto just a little bit dull?

So add me to the chorus. I like Schumann in general, but I never liked the Cello Concerto to the point where I needed several versions. It does sort of have a ‘lone troubadour in the wilderness’ rhapsodic quality that I like, but the first movement runs out of interest about halfway through. I do like the cello concerto much more than the VC

[Parry1912]

Am I the only person who finds the Schumann ‘cello concerto just a little bit dull?

Seems that quite a few agree but I love it.

[DracoM]

Dull, dull, DULL!

[CallMePaul]

Hi Paul, only just noticed this. You don't need to download to a portable device. You can download to a computer and link it to a DAC (there are very high quality ones around that handle up to DSD512 for a few hundred quid). That way you can also stream, although unfortunately you can't stream DSD at present.

Thanks for this Rob. Not sure that I want to spend on a DAC right now and would need some dealer assistance. However, it does irritate me that so many reviewers recommend a download rather than something available as a CD. The trend towards downloads is, I think, powered by the pop market (especially for singles). I recall the MD of Presto saying on Record Review not so many moons ago that CDs accounted for over 70% of his company's sales. As Presto is the UKs biggest retailer of classical and jazz recordings, perhaps the companies should cater for their market?

[Barbirollians]

Its not dull in the Isserlis recording or du Pre for that matter IMO

[Goon525]

There is NO trend towards downloads - they are a negligible part of the market. Overwhelmingly the largest part of the market is streaming, miles ahead of CD and vinyl (and, god help us, cassettes!). This is slightly less true for classical, where CD is still important, albeit secondary. And just a reminder that you don’t sacrifice sound quality with streaming - indeed with Qobuz you likely get quality superior to CD.

[Retune]

I think we can take it as read that streaming is now the dominant method of music distribution. But in that funny little niche outside the streaming world (especially relevant to those building a library rather than a playlist), downloads are increasingly important. Plenty of popular music never gets a CD release (sometimes even when it makes it to vinyl), so a download is the only digital copy you can keep. This is not as common in the classical world, but less mainstream records even from major artists can be download only (e.g. the Yuja Wang Verbier albums). But the really big change is in the back catalogue, which is central to BaL. Many CDs are only pressed once and then quickly disappear, but the album remains available as a download. The record companies have probably calculated that most physical sales will happen soon after release, making a repress hard to justify unless the CD is selling very well indeed. We also don't seem to be seeing so many of the mid or low price re-releases that were once the staple of the price-conscious collector (remember the Penguin Guide to Bargain CDs?). Once a CD is gone, it's gone, except perhaps some copy hawked by a chancer on ebay at 5x the original price, or included as disc #17 in that 50 CD retrospective box. The upside is that the back catalogue is larger and more readily available than ever before if you don't mind downloads.

[gurnemanz]

There is NO trend towards downloads - they are a negligible part of the market.

That may be so but of Alpie's list of over 100 available recordings of the Schumann Cello Concerto, nearly half are asterisked as download only.

I don't very often buy the BaL recommendation. On the rare occasions that I do, it would nowadays be a download rather than a CD (lack of shelf space). I will often listen to a stream of the BaL winner, but in so doing I do not have the feeling of acquiring it for my 'library'. Also, I am anorakish enough to find it useful to add downloads to my existing database of CD recordings.

[Alison]

Is it just my imagination or does this occur more often when the reviewer is a woman?

You beat me to this remark, Duncan. Definitely!

[silvestrione]

Its not dull in the Isserlis recording or du Pre for that matter IMO

I agree. I like it, rather than love it, and have enjoyed it in concert, and on my 'live' CD of Du Pre at 18 yrs old! I very much enjoyed the extracts from Isserlis. I agree about A McG too dominant this time.

[richardfinegold]

That may be so but of Alpie's list of over 100 available recordings of the Schumann Cello Concerto, nearly half are asterisked as download only.

I don't very often buy the BaL recommendation. On the rare occasions that I do, it would nowadays be a download rather than a CD (lack of shelf space). I will often listen to a stream of the BaL winner, but in so doing I do not have the feeling of acquiring it for my 'library'. Also, I am anorakish enough to find it useful to add downloads to my existing database of CD recordings.

Downloads have suffered even more than CDs due to streaming but they do seem to occupy a disproportionate amount of these BAL lists. It probably doesn’t cost the record companies much to maintain the download site once they have digitized a recording, whereas keeping CD inventories can be ruinous

[Barbirollians]

A new one on me from finally starting on the Pierre Fournier Icons box is his account with the Philharmonia/ Sargent . A wonderful record - right into my top three now and far far from boring.

[LMcD]

Downloads have suffered even more than CDs due to streaming but they do seem to occupy a disproportionate amount of these BAL lists. It probably doesn’t cost the record companies much to maintain the download site once they have digitized a recording, whereas keeping CD inventories can be ruinous

I gather that Chandos downloads may soon become a thing of the past.

[richardfinegold]

I gather that Chandos downloads may soon become a thing of the past.

How so?

[LMcD]

How so?

The company has announced that download purchases will end on October 25th and the service as a whole on November 29th, the main reason being the continuing decline in the popularity of downloads. There has been some discussion of this on the 'Lost record shops' thread.