BaL 2.06.18 - Schumann: Symphony no. 4 in D minor

[Mal]

I want a box set with a magnet. Might stop those CDs rattling

[visualnickmos]

I enjoyed this BaL. Lots of examples, and good to hear 'personal' views of the reviewer. A good job, well done. I was very taken with the extracts of Bernard Haitink's recording. One for the back-burner of desire.

Excellent 'first choice' one for the main course, I think! First time I'd heard DB in Schumann, and wow - loved it.

[Beef Oven!]

I enjoyed this BaL. Lots of examples, and good to hear 'personal' views of the reviewer. A good job, well done. I was very taken with the extracts of Bernard Haitink's recording. One for the back-burner of desire.

Excellent 'first choice' one for the main course, I think! First time I'd heard DB in Schumann, and wow - loved it.

I enjoyed it very much too - excellent presentation. I think BaL is the best thing R3 does! But I realise that's a very narrow viewpoint!

First time hearing Barenboim in Schumann for me too and I loved what I heard. I must make sure that I tune in when it's played in full (Monday?).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was really looking forward to this, but then it turned out to be a twofer.

- there was a much more useful and informative BaL in there trying to get out.

I'd never heard the Barenboim before, either - pretty damn fine. I sha'n't be bothering with Rattle or Harnoncourt.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

First time hearing Barenboim in Schumann for me too and I loved what I heard. I must make sure that I tune in when it's played in full (Monday?).

I don't think that they do that any more - it moved to Sunday mornings for a couple of years, then was ditched completely.

[Beef Oven!]

- there was a much more useful and informative BaL in there trying to get out.

I'd never heard the Barenboim before, either - pretty damn fine. I sha'n't be bothering with Rattle or Harnoncourt.

You might want to consider that BaL is not aimed at music teachers. The BaLs over the past twelve months have been of a very high quality and very useful to the non-expert (except a few single-handed programmes which were very poor). There's something very infantile about bleating every time a BaL turns out to be a twofer and it introduces a negative dynamic into what very often is an interesting discussion thread. R3 is very happy to programme them and they won't go away.

[Beef Oven!]

I don't think that they do that any more - it moved to Sunday mornings for a couple of years, then was ditched completely.

I'm out of date. I rarely ever needed to tune in because I either own the recommendation or buy it. Also, sometimes I don't care for the recommendation, so it's not an issue.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You might want to consider that BaL is not aimed at music teachers.

I might - but as I'm not a Music Teacher, I might then move on to more interesting considerations.

There's something very infantile about bleating every time a BaL turns out to be a twofer.

In the same degree about bleating about the bleating.

R3 is very happy to programme them and they won't go away.

R3 may be so happy with itself - I'm not, and my expressions of disappointment won't go away for as long as the Forum is happy to accommodate them. This is something you're going to have to get used to reading - or ignoring - BeefO.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm out of date. I rarely ever needed to tune in because I either own the recommendation or buy it. Also, sometimes I don't care for the recommendation, so it's not an issue.

Yes - but was occasionally invaluable; hearing the Blomstedt Bruckner #3 on New Year's Day, 2017 really brought out the overview of the work that the excerpts from the BaL hadn't done justice to.

But BaLs are frequently more useful for me for the opportunity to hear excerpts from recordings that are then "rejected", than for the final "winner".

[Beef Oven!]

We all know where we stand on this issue, we've been over it enough times. It's a shame that we have to signal our dislike every single time rather than agree to disagree and diplomatically leave it at that.

[Pianoman]

I haven't listened to the BAL yet, but I'd forgotten I had the Barenboim tucked away as download. It's very impressive, probably as good a 'big band' Schumann as you're likely to get. I think I'd forgotten it because of a few niggles with DB's phrasing in places (the 2nd and Rhenish, if memory serves) rather like he's done in other recent discs (Elgar...) but I shall re-visit with renewed enthusiasm, especially as his orchestra are truly world class.

[verismissimo]

Was there any kind of outcome re performances of 1841?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

We all know where we stand on this issue, we've been over it enough times. It's a shame that we have to signal our dislike every single time rather than agree to disagree and diplomatically leave it at that.

It's a bit more than that - at least sometimes. Occasionally, we do get "lurkers" from the BBC viewing the Forum, and there have been occasions in the past where we have been invited to share opinions expressed here with Alan Davey. Just as with the debates about the morning programmes, it's helpful on those occasions to pass on the fullest range of views expressed here - and this can't be done if expressions of support and disappointment/disapproval aren't made clear on the Forum.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Was there any kind of outcome re performances of 1841?

The "runner-up" was Harnoncourt's recording of the 1841 version.

[Beef Oven!]

It's a bit more than that - at least sometimes. Occasionally, we do get "lurkers" from the BBC viewing the Forum, and there have been occasions in the past where we have been invited to share opinions expressed here with Alan Davey. Just as with the debates about the morning programmes, it's helpful on those occasions to pass on the fullest range of views expressed here - and this can't be done if expressions of support and disappointment/disapproval aren't made clear on the Forum.

Surely there is a better way to give the feedback. And the "lurkers" will have picked up on the fact that twofers are leading the single handed BaLs 4-1 in the gold standard stakes over the last 12 months!