BaL 22.04.17 - Mahler: Symphony no. 2

[pastoralguy]

I have to say that Mrs. PG and are enjoying this BaL which I recorded on mini-disc this am. Obviously, Andrew and the reviewer have a good rapport.

[pastoralguy]

Surely all this surgery must be conspicuous. I'll have to listen to it more intently.

I seem to recall being told that Nigel Kennedy's first recording of the Elgar violin concerto with Handley and the LPO had 60 edits in the first movement alone.

[visualnickmos]

I seem to recall being told that Nigel Kennedy's first recording of the Elgar violin concerto with Handley and the LPO had 60 edits in the first movement alone.

I wish I hadn't read that! Maybe whoever told you got it wrong.

[Richard Barrett]

It just, to me, felt uninvolving and anonymous and I couldn't think why until I learnt that in the first movement alone there were over 200 edits.

This is generally how I feel about Rattle's recordings however few or many edits there are. But I should add that recordings ofter contain far more edits than people might think, since the advent of digital recording and editing, where it's very easy to edit in a completely undetectable way, if you have the time and patience. "200 takes" doesn't necessarily mean that the music was recorded discontinuously in small chunks, which might end up sounding artificial, although again it might be very hard to tell; it's much more likely to mean 200 alternations between a handful of takes of a complete or almost complete movement.

[pastoralguy]

I wish I hadn't read that! Maybe whoever told you got it wrong.

Sorry but it was a member of the orchestra.

[pastoralguy]

This is generally how I feel about Rattle's recordings however few or many edits there are. But I should add that recordings ofter contain far more edits than people might think, since the advent of digital recording and editing, where it's very easy to edit in a completely undetectable way, if you have the time and patience. "200 takes" doesn't necessarily mean that the music was recorded discontinuously in small chunks, which might end up sounding artificial, although again it might be very hard to tell; it's much more likely to mean 200 alternations between a handful of takes of a complete or almost complete movement.

I've always held a dream that I could record the Beethoven concerto! Practice a few bars then record them. The following day record another few bars. And so on and so on, Until, eventually, my recording would be on the shelves. (Fray Bentos label). Ok, it would cost a fortune and the orchestra would be SEVERELY cheesed off but the world would be given the opportunity to compare my interpretation with Heifetz, Menuhin, Oistrakh etc.

Hmm. ..

(Perhaps a bit of pitch correction...)

[Ein Heldenleben]

200 edits in the sense of patching in 200 alternate takes (or indeed flipping between ,say , four whole movement takes 50 times ) sounds a bit pointless to me. If it needs that amount of work something has gone wrong. I wonder if the 200 figure refers to small adjustments in a multi - mic balance post recording , or editing out extraneous sounds - that sounds perfectly credible. Also I would wonder whether the orchestral musicians would be in at the edit which usually takes place some time after main recording . Anyway ....still reeling from the early ejection of Tennstedt.

[BBMmk2]

BBM: LSO or CSO? I have a long liking for the former (though perhaps 'natural' wouldn't be my very first choice of adjective!). I don't know the latter.

LSO, the Decca two-fer with No.1!!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

LSO, the Decca two-fer with No.1!!

That's the RIGHT kind of twofer.

[visualnickmos]

Sorry but it was a member of the orchestra.

Ah well - c'est la vie!

[Richard Barrett]

Ah well - c'est la vie!

But if you can't tell, what does it matter?

[Pulcinella]

But if you can't tell, what does it matter?

Perhaps because it shatters the illusion -- probably unjustified, as we all know about studio versus live -- of a real (actual) 'performance'?
Still great recordings to have, though (both the Mahler and the Elgar).

[BBMmk2]

That's the RIGHT kind of twofer.

The best version of the Mahler 2 and possibly the 1st, as well, imo. EA.

[Mal]

I guess the reviewers didn't want to miss the the right parties with Rattle rolling back into town. The funeral march should be a juggernaut tearing your soul and the world apart. With Rattle/CBSO it's tea and fussy little cakes after the burial. Klemperer (Philharmonia) EMI provides the requisite magnificence. How on earth could the reviewers not mention Klemperer? Rattle churns out an awful Mahler 3 as well, there Horenstein (LSO) is required. To give Rattle/CBSO their due, their 7 isn't bad.

[Mal]

“Well, thank God that’s over. A most terrible BaL don't you think?”
“Yeah, it has been, erm….you know, excruciating..… and yeuh, hopelessly misguided yer know.”

:)

"Forget about it... Let's have a cup of tea, all that banging and crashing of plates has made me a bit peckish"
"Oh rats... with all this chatting and chumming and clattering... we forgot to mention Klemperer."
"That's all right mate, we can keep him as our own private little secret..."
"Yeah, the frizzy haired one & his Brum band are good enough for the plebs who listen to this..."
"But those know it alls in the forum will tear us a new one."
"Pah who listens to them, ..."