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

[Karafan]

There's a much more general point to be made here about Radio 3's attitude to pre hi-fi recordings (ie roughly everything before the mid 1950s). They won't have them except in very rare, special occasions. So they allowed Andrew McGregor to interview me about Nellie Melba's first recordings from 1904 a few years ago, but it was clearly felt that they were taking a big risk. Simply getting one or two complaints has them running for cover.

And it's clear, as others have said here, that transfer technology and skills have improved immeasurably over recent years, so 78s (for example) sound far better than they did.

The blanket ban on old recordings means that music-lovers, teachers and students have no chance of hearing the greatest recorded performers of the past on the radio - among them Patti, Melba, Tetrazzini, Leider, Caruso, Melchior, Paderewski, Kreisler, Rachmaninov, Elgar, Nikisch ... Busch ... . At least, nowadays, we and they can go to YouTube, where transfer skills range from the excellent to the dire.

It's disappointing that so many on these boards seem to share Radio 3's prejudice and lack of courage in this area.

Bring back 'Vintage Years'!

[DracoM]

Or CD Masters with Cowan and Swayne. They often disagreed, courteously, but had excellent material to reinforce their points.

[verismissimo]

Or CD Masters with Cowan and Swayne. They often disagreed, courteously, but had excellent material to reinforce their points.

But neither Cowan nor Swayne typically stray before the mid 1950s. And that can often lead to the impression that that period was some kind of Golden Age, whereas I now feel that it was a period drenched in vibrato and slow tempos!

[DracoM]

True. But it's a start, or a model for what might be?

[Sir Velo]

Never heard of this Swayne. Might it be

[verismissimo]

Never heard of this Swayne. Might it be

It's a possibility, Sir V.

[ostuni]

Confusion with Giles of that ilk?

[DracoM]

Apols: Mis-spelling. Mea culpa.

[DracoM]

Should we be expecting some kind of explanation / apology for the fudge between Belcea / Busch?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Should we be expecting some kind of explanation / apology for the fudge between Belcea / Busch?

Morally, yes - realistically????

[DracoM]

I have contacted RR. Had the usual auto-reply.
Would love to know what Stephen Johnson thought!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have contacted RR. Had the usual auto-reply.

Ditto with Sunday Morning here - got the "Many thanks - Your comments have been passed on to the the Production Team (as we like to call our waste paper bin)." I got exactly the same message five days later when I re-posted to ask what was the Wast ... Production Team's response.

[Richard Tarleton]

Yes I don't think they take replying very seriously. I challenged RR over a remark by Tom McKinney (misquoting Julian Bream) on the John Williams box set review last year, they said they'd check with Tom the next time they saw him. Well they've seen him since then. If they had a proper system they wouldn't need reminding (which I can't be bothered to do).