BaL 13.02.2021 - Stravinsky: Pulcinella

[Pulcinella]

Is it just me or is the reviewers sound quality not good?

Not just you!
Presumably live, therefore, as surely they would have re-recorded otherwise?

[Ein Heldenleben]

He’s probably using a Mike plugged into a computer / iPad at home and it’s all happening via IP. I think He’s too close to the Mike hence the slightly poor speech quality though it could be an internet problem.

[PHS]

Is it just me or is the reviewers sound quality not good?

Sorry - reviewer's!

Need coffee!

Thanks for replies.

[Simon Biazeck]

Head mic. too close to the mouth?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

First of all, my thanks to Pulcinella (the forumist) for anticipating the possibility that both the full ballet and the suite would be discussed.

The twofer format at its most extreme today. Jonathan Cross seems to find it difficult to get a word in at times, and even then there’s a feeling that he’s just doing as he’s told!
That said, there’s much of interest here and plenty of contrasting examples.

[underthecountertenor]

Not just you!
Presumably live, therefore, as surely they would have re-recorded otherwise?

I’m pretty sure from the way Andrew McGregor introduced it that it isn’t live. My impression is that they’ve recorded the remote BaLs recently to avoid breakdowns. I doubt that a slight problem with sound quality would suffice to justify a re-take, especially if it wasn’t easily fixable.

[cloughie]

Despite the low tech mic - a good BaL methinks!

[Bryn]

A low-cost BaL for me, though I will be streaming the St. Paul/Hogwood (ballet, not suite) later. I really did not like what I heard of the Chailly.

[Pulcinella]

Despite the low tech mic - a good BaL methinks!

Andrew has just apologised for the poor sound quality.
I don't think that the Hogwood suite (the recommended version) is on Decca, though; that's his full version.
We'll have to see what the website says later.

PS: The Hogwood suite is (or at least was) on Arte Nova:

https://www.discogs.com/Stravinsky-Malipiero-Britten-Spiri-Kammerorchester-Basel-Christopher-Hogwood-Klassizitische-Moderne-/release/14530338

[Bryn]

No, indeed, it's on the Arte Nova label:

[Ein Heldenleben]

Head mic. too close to the mouth?

Yes that’s what I thought - it had that breathy “bandits at 12.00 o’clock WingCo” quality so familiar from war films about the RAF .Could be wrong though. It’s amazing how a decent Mike - even a cheapish gaming Mike improves the quality of those oh so fascinating zoom meetings . Amaze your colleagues and buy one,...

[visualnickmos]

Appears to be more chat on here about the sound 'quality' than the subject in question; that said, I was not at all taken withe 'winner' - far too tepid, and lacking character. Lots of "plinkety plink..."

Boulez is the one I'm going to investigate. Have Abbado, and one or two suites.

[Belgrove]

Overall a disappointing BAL despite the predictable outcome for the ballet version. AM’s contributions were pointless. What was of principal interest were the comments on the origin of the numbers other than those by Pergolesi. But the choices of excerpt seemed odd in constructing an overall case for recommendation. Both examples of the Craft were (justifiably) dismissed, so why include them? Tomlinson’s lumbering singing on the Salonen immediately ruled it out. Stravinsky’s version with the Columbia orchestra is of more than the implied historical interest. He’s quite extreme with the tempi, and the singing of George Shirley and Donald Gramm is among the best committed to disc. No need to bother with the recommendation for the suite, and the Abbado is on the shelves anyway.

[Bryn]

Appears to be more chat on here about the sound 'quality' than the subject in question; that said, I was not at all taken withe 'winner' - far too tepid, and lacking character. Lots of "plinkety plink..."

Boulez is the one I'm going to investigate. Have Abbado, and one or two suites.

Eh? Abbado was the 'winner'.

[Pulcinella]

Overall a disappointing BAL despite the predictable outcome for the ballet version. AM’s contributions were pointless. What was of principal interest were the comments on the origin of the numbers other than those by Pergolesi. But the choices of excerpt seemed odd in constructing an overall case for recommendation. Both examples of the Craft were (justifiably) dismissed, so why include them? Tomlinson’s lumbering singing on the Salonen immediately ruled it out. Stravinsky’s version with the Columbia orchestra is of more than the implied historical interest. He’s quite extreme with the tempi, and the singing of George London and Donald Gramm is among the best committed to disc. No need to bother with the recommendation for the suite, and the Abbado is on the shelves anyway.

That was pretty much my reaction, especially in the case of giving a second Craft excerpt. And I found the jumping between suite and ballet confusing rather than helpful. In admitting that they are two different pieces (as the reviewer did) it seemed odd to lump them together the way he did.