Musical performers to avoid

[gurnemanz]

Interesting - I have always found Tebaldi rather perfect but she leaves me cold all too often . I find I am admiring the singing rather than being moved .

Callas is said to have commented: What a lovely voice, but who cares?

[Nick Armstrong]

I also find her uncontrolled vibrato rather tedious and off putting, and the intonation problems she has because of this, is unfortunate.

Agreed. I think that's my problem with Ms Belcea as well, hence the issues with the quartet.

[Belgrove]

Mitsuko Uchida I'm afraid. A good pianist no doubt, but it's her ludicrous face pulling. I got a rather infantile fit of the giggles at a recital and had to spend the entire first half staring into my lap, thinking of something else. No point in staying so I left at the interval, not least for fear of spoiling the rest of the recital for those around me. Now the mere mention of her name provokes the same irrational response.

And Roger Norrington, for making the National Youth Orchestra play like a scratchy school band when doing Mahler 1 at The Proms in 2004.

[Lento]

Well, for me, it's Daniel Harding.

I thought his performance of Elgar 2 at the Proms last year with the LSO would never end! Perhaps someone knows whether it did?

[teamsaint]

Mitsuko Uchida I'm afraid. A good pianist no doubt, but it's her ludicrous face pulling. I got a rather infantile fit of the giggles at a recital and had to spend the entire first half staring into my lap, thinking of something else. No point in staying so I left at the interval, not least for fear of spoiling the rest of the recital for those around me. Now the mere mention of her name provokes the same irrational response.

And Roger Norrington, for making the National Youth Orchestra play like a scratchy school band when doing Mahler 1 at The Proms in 2004.

Interesting comment about Uchida.
It rather takes us into the territory , much beloved of literary theorists, of what the reader/listener brings to the performance.
The death of the author? If Rumpole's experience with Cargill is anything to go by, it's possibly the death of the audience.

Having seen one or two interviews with Uchida where ,despite being interested in her views, I had the distinct impression that she regarded anybody listening as being quite a number of notches below her intellectual level, I have had to work hard at giving her playing the respect that I am sure it deserves. And my comments aren't meant to suggest that she doesn't have interesting things to say about her music , and playing, or that she is not an charming warm, and engaged person !!

In general, I do find that professional players are not the most enlightening speakers about the music they are playing, but there may of course be good reasons for this, and many honourable exceptions.

[Richard Tarleton]

Callas is said to have commented: What a lovely voice, but who cares?

Callas seems to have had two modes when it came to talking about her female colleagues/peers - patronising (Sutherland) or bitchy (Tebaldi). That's when it wasn't open war (Cossotto). All to distract from her own vocal inadequacies.

[Roslynmuse]

Martha Argerich always seems determined to get the performance over with as quickly as possible, she even plays fast music too quickly. I bet she would perform the Minute Waltz in 60 seconds!

And are we allowed to mention Lang Lang?

Ah, I'm not alone! I've been listening over the weekend to the 'Great Pianists' (Philips) quartet of Argerich CDs. The concertos - no problem (Ravel G - although the 2nd mt was fairly flowing compared to some, at least the 3rd wasn't the all-too-usual breakneck race to the finish), Liszt 1, Prokofiev 3, Rachmaninov 3 (some speedy moments but all in all one of the best performances of a concerto I often find rather dreary up to the last three minutes or so); but almost all of the solo playing was so fast - sometimes ridiculously so - I found it really hard to keep my mind on the music rather than the playing. Chopin 3rd Sonata (although the slow mt was lovely), Polonaise-Fantaisie, 2nd and 3rd (especially) Scherzos, Preludes Opp 28 and (especially) 45, Mazurkas Op 59; only the Op 53 Polonaise was taken at 'usual' speed. Schumann G minor Sonata - impossible and meaningless. I haven't attempted Liszt B minor Sonata yet.

Lang Lang - well, I've avoided him since his travesty of Tchaik 1 at the Proms, maybe 2002/3? Colleagues tell me he's capable of great things, but life's too short to investigate. Someone mentioned Paul Lewis; I can't put my finger on why I don't like his playing (admittedly I've only heard him in concertos, not solo rep - Beethoven and Mozart), but I don't. I don't like Murray Perahia's Chopin or Kissin's Schumann but admire them in other composers (but Kissin never seems at home in concertos, at least to me).

[Ferretfancy]

One Gramophone reviewer ( Alec Robertson perhaps? ) when discussing the Callas recording of Carmen, said that her singing sounded as if she had her head in a jug!

My inexplicable aversion is to Emma Kirkby, I don't question her fine talent, it's just something in the voice that sets my teeth on edge. Nobody so far has mentioned the Sadista Sisters, Otherwise known as the Labeques. With them it's a matter of 'press the button and away they go!' Truly awful.

The comments about Martha Argerich are very interesting. For me, it's often a case of a passionate temperament running away with the music, but some of her recordings, especially those from Lugano, are marvellous. She does trot out Prokofiev 3 rather too often!

[visualnickmos]

...... I don't like Murray Perahia's Chopin........

I find his Mendelssohn piano concertos very matter-of-fact and monotoned to the point of quite boring, (CBS, ASMF/Marriner) compared to the vibrancy and vif of Rudolf Serkin's (Sony, Philadelphia/Ormandy) which are dazzling.

I don't know or own any Perahia Chopin, so can't comment.

[Mary Chambers]

Mitsuko Uchida I'm afraid. A good pianist no doubt, but it's her ludicrous face pulling. I got a rather infantile fit of the giggles at a recital and had to spend the entire first half staring into my lap, thinking of something else.

I rather agree. The only time I've seen her live was in Die Schöne Müllerin with Ian Bostridge. She drew far too much attention to herself one way and another, with face-pulling and also mouthing (probably singing) the words. She was enjoying herself, but she wasn't being considerate towards the singer or the audience. It was very off putting.

[Dave2002]

And I've always found recordings by Sir Charles Groves rather dull but I never saw him conduct at a live concert.

I saw him often - solid and competent I'd say. John Pritchard, his predecessor with the RLPO had more flair IMO.

Sometimes plain is OK though, and I think there are some decent recordings by Groves - they won't make your hair stand on end, or have you leaping from your chair, but that may not always be appropriate.

[DublinJimbo]

When it comes to conductors the execrable Roger Norrington tops my list, with Christoph Eschenbach doing his best to steal the crown.

Pianists: Mitsuko Uchida, most definitely, but also Lang Lang (she because of her hyper-exaggerated facial expressions; he for those also, but mainly for the waving around of the hands and arms).

[rauschwerk]

Nobody so far has mentioned the Sadista Sisters, Otherwise known as the Labeques. With them it's a matter of 'press the button and away they go!' Truly awful.

I spring to their defence, citing their Fauré/Ravel/Bizet recital (1987-1991) and their Brahms Hungarian Dances (1981), Perhaps they have become more manic in recent years.

I nominate Glenn Gould and take cover.

[Barbirollians]

I spring to their defence, citing their Fauré/Ravel/Bizet recital (1987-1991) .

Lovely record my tape snapped I played it so often.

[hmvman]

John Pritchard, his predecessor with the RLPO had more flair IMO.

I'd agree with you about that. I saw JP conduct Brahms' 2nd in York Minster as part of the 1984 York Festival. It was a thrilling performance and I recall that the applause went on for a long time.