BaL 22.05.21 - Shostakovich: Piano Concerto no. 2

[edashtav]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO7sKJrzVC0

Spot on, Petrushka, I love Harry’s music, and, I have to admit, I’ve ‘blossomed’ like one of the harpists.

[edashtav]

Sounds like the mother of all fires! I guess you’ll never listen to Shost PC in the same light again!

have I been ‘gaslighted’? I’m unsure because I’ve failed to keep up with the 21st century’s meaning of that verb.

[LMcD]

have I been ‘gaslighted’? I’m unsure because I’ve failed to keep up with the 21st century’s meaning of that verb.

I had to look up the definition of this term, which apparently relates to a dastardly husband's treatment of his wife in the 1938 play 'Gaslight' (filmed in 1944).

[edashtav]

I had to look up the definition of this term, which apparently relates to a dastardly husband's treatment of his wife in the 1938 play 'Gaslight' (filmed in 1944).

[Barbirollians]

And ironically didn’t the makers of the Hollywood version of “ Gaslight” with Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten try and gaslight the original film with Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard from 1940.

[visualnickmos]

A positve of BaL, despite the format, is that one can glean even from brief samples, or verbal indications, whether one is interested such sample. Case in point, is that I "rushed out and bought" The Shostakovich / Cluytens version, to add to my existent Shostakovich piano concertos.

[Nick Armstrong]

A positve of BaL, despite the format, is that one can glean even from brief samples, or verbal indications, whether one is interested such sample. Case in point, is that I "rushed out and bought" The Shostakovich / Cluytens version, to add to my existent Shostakovich piano concertos.

Absolutely... of all the extracts played, I found those by DSCH/Cluytens held my attention much more than others.

I found the phone-in style, very subjective commentary almost completely unhelpful, but as usual was happy to hear illustrations from various versions.

[Goon525]

The Giltburg currently being imported from QOBUZ. Not the easiest to find via their appallingly bad search engine. Best to search for "Shostakovich piano concertos string quartet".

I’ve only managed to listen to this BaL this afternoon, and have postponed reading the comments here to avoid ‘spoiling the result’! But I just searched on Qobuz for ‘Giltburg Shostakovich’ and the required result came up first and instantly. Don’t know what the problem is?

[Goon525]

On the subject of the rotten microphone, haven’t we now reached the point in easing of lockdown where two people could be in a studio together recording the ruddy thing properly?

[Cockney Sparrow]

My concern is that poor "mobile phone mic" quality sound input from reviewers and contributors will become the new normal, because we've learnt to accept it*, in these extraordinary times.

* or rather maybe, the broadcaster thinks they now have a fair chance of getting away with it..........

[BBMmk2]

Absolutely... of all the extracts played, I found those by DSCH/Cluytens held my attention much more than others.

I found the phone-in style, very subjective commentary almost completely unhelpful, but as usual was happy to hear illustrations from various versions.

Looks like I’ll have to buy this one! I never thought of André Cluytens being an interpreter of Shosta’s music.

[Ein Heldenleben]

My concern is that poor "mobile phone mic" quality sound input from reviewers and contributors will become the new normal, because we've learnt to accept it*, in these extraordinary times.

* or rather maybe, the broadcaster thinks they now have a fair chance of getting away with it..........

I hope not - if anything the second live review of choral music was even worse. A shame because much of the music had been so well recorded . I don’t think this BAL was done on a mobile phone (on 3G/4G that is ) - there was a much wider frequency response than on mobile. It sounded like an acoustic / poor mic placement problem possibly compounded with a broadband problem . I think the problem is that the broadcasters are saving a fortune by doing zoom interviews on telly and , on radio using home internet for what used to be done from remote radio studios or by paying for the contributor to travel. Quite a lot of live radio was presented during lockdown by using an app called Lucie Live - either on an iPad or computer with a professional microphone and quite a bit of work was put into creating a decent acoustic at home . But most people would need help setting this up - particularly the reverse feed of the programme and, in the case of presenters , talkback from the studio end .
Providing you’ve got curtains , carpets and soft furniture creating a decent acoustic shouldn’t be too hard . But not every one has - offices are absolutely hopeless.
In sum I suspect FaceTime/Zoom contributions may well be one legacy of the whole saga.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Looks like I’ll have to buy this one! I never thought of André Cluytens being an interpreter of Shosta’s music.

He also did an excellent Symphony No 11, now on Testament https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No...s=music&sr=1-6

[prb]

He also did an excellent Symphony No 11, now on Testament https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No...s=music&sr=1-6

It's cheaper direct from Testament, as that one has £6 postage added (in the UK, anyway).

[Bryn]

It's cheaper direct from Testament, as that one has £6 postage added (in the UK, anyway).

A different, "Past Classics", transfer is to be found on QOBUZ.