BaL 21.01.17 - Beethoven: String Quartet no. 12 in E flat, Op. 127

[Mal]

I don't know - but I would imagine that items and timings are sorted out well in advance, and that the 44 second time difference between the two performances alters everything!

There's so much waffle on the beeb that they could easily handle this time difference by deleting, or adding, waffle.

[DracoM]

So does that mean that they had already decided that the Belcea was going to be SJ's choice........?

SJ has every reason to be absolutely furious. How dare they do this!?

[Mal]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of whose recommendation it actually was, The Busch recording did nothing for me, despite having been expertly cleaned up, it still sounds like an old recording (ie accoustically dreadful). I didn't like the style of playing at all - all that sliding around - most unpleasant.

Pity the Alban Berg Quartet got relatively short shrift. For many, I'm sure, including me, they were/are a bit of a benchmark. Although having said that, I was getting a little too used to their set (LvB SQs) and quite fancy at some stage acquiring another. I was rather impressed by the extracts from the Takacs... Save up a few more centimes, I suppose.....

But you weren't making the choice...

The Busch sounded acoustically "good enough" to me, and an excellent choice. I have the Busch on Dutton (which also sounds "good enough" to me ...) Having just listened to the Belcea version full on Sunday morning I'm even more sure the Busch really is the worthy winner, and should be highlighted as such!

I got rid of my Alben Berg (studio version) of the late quartets because it was acoustically dreadful - much worse than the good cleaned up mono of my Busch.

P.S. Jolly did make a mention of the Busch after the Belcea full performance on Sunday, saying the Belcea was the "modern pick", and the Bush "the historical pick", but didn't spell out that the Busch was the actual overall winner! Nor did he say why the Belcea was played instead. Copyright? Chums in the Belcea?...

P.P.S. I do agree with you on the Takacs, I prefer it to the Belcea, and after this BAL I'm very happy to own the Takacs and Busch. No other centimes need be spent, I feel :)

[DracoM]

I think SJ has every right to be livid about this re-writing of history. Belcea is indeed a good performance, but it is NOT what SJ chose as his top choice.
And, yes, personally I'd go with Takacs or Berg, but SJ didn't.

What a blight on the integrity of Radio 3.

[pastoralguy]

This is turning into as big a scandal as when Ida Haendel was overlooked for her recording of the Britten violin concerto! So, now we have op. 127 gate to add to Ida gate!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

There's so much waffle on the beeb that they could easily handle this time difference by deleting, or adding, waffle.

I agree entirely - my comment in the post you quoted was meant to be dripping in irony. For all my preference for the Belceas (and others), the Busch Quartet was the Chosen One, so should have been played this morning.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I think the "short shrift" given to the ABQ was entirely justified by the excerpt that SJ played. Whatever its other merits (which were mentioned earlier in the review) an entire passage played with the wrong rhythm rules it out as a serious contender in this work.

[Bryn]

Definitely live.

I think the music played may possibly be pre-recorded.

[pastoralguy]

I think the music played may possibly be pre-recorded.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is there are BBC contact to comment on Buschgate?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Is there are BBC contact to comment on Buschgate?

sundaymorning@bbc.co.uk

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

sundaymorning@bbc.co.uk

Thanks!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Looking at the Sunday Morning website, I noticed that the Belcea Quartet recording is from the ZigZag label - the only Amazon Belcea recording is from Alpha Classics/outthere. Are thses different performances, or have alpha taken over zigzag? (Or renamed themselves to get higher billing in the directory of record labels?)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

James Jolly compounded the scandal with a terminological inexactitude (aka a lie), saying the Belcea Quartet was "the Library Choice".