Would anyone here be interested in a Schubert String Quintet blind listening test?

[kea]

I've been planning this on another board for some time, and it probably won't get started for significantly more time due to real life stuff, but was curious to see if anyone here might be interested in participating.

The details:
- Schubert's D.956 is a piece some of you have probably heard of before.
- Listening will proceed in a round based format—I'm currently thinking of starting with the 3rd movement, moving on to the 2nd movement for round two, the 1st movement for round three and then the entire piece for selected finalists. "Losers" will be eliminated after each round. Similar to the Radio France thing.
- Total number of recordings: somewhere between 24 and 32, most likely. These will be divided up into ~4 groups.
- What participants have to do: Listen to the movements or clips in your group, once or multiple times as the fancy strikes you, and then indicate what you thought of each one (voting "yea" if you liked it, "nay" if you didn't, "meh" if it was competent but didn't move you), going into as much or as little detail as you like.
- When this will happen: I don't expect to start before July.

Any comments, questions, suggestions etc would be appreciated.

[richardfinegold]

I've been planning this on another board for some time, and it probably won't get started for significantly more time due to real life stuff, but was curious to see if anyone here might be interested in participating.



The details:
- Schubert's D.956 is a piece some of you have probably heard of before.
- Listening will proceed in a round based format—I'm currently thinking of starting with the 3rd movement, moving on to the 2nd movement for round two, the 1st movement for round three and then the entire piece for selected finalists. "Losers" will be eliminated after each round. Similar to the Radio France thing.
- Total number of recordings: somewhere between 24 and 32, most likely. These will be divided up into ~4 groups.
- What participants have to do: Listen to the movements or clips in your group, once or multiple times as the fancy strikes you, and then indicate what you thought of each one (voting "yea" if you liked it, "nay" if you didn't, "meh" if it was competent but didn't move you), going into as much or as little detail as you like.
- When this will happen: I don't expect to start before July.

Any comments, questions, suggestions etc would be appreciated.

Sounds like it would be fun, but I have a lot going on at that time and couldn't commit to devoting time to listening.

[Pabmusic]

I don't entirely follow this, but I'm game.

[kea]

Sounds like it would be fun, but I have a lot going on at that time and couldn't commit to devoting time to listening.

No worries; these tend to be run in a rather informal fashion with people dropping out or joining in as they have time, as rounds can extend to several weeks depending on how busy people are. You'd be welcome to participate in one of the later rounds if your schedule permits.

[amateur51]

I don't entirely follow this, but I'm game.

You get some beer and I'll focus on snacks, Pabs - I'm game too kea

[Pabmusic]

You get some beer and I'll focus on snacks, Pabs - I'm game too kea

Sounds good to me, Ams. What's yours?

[richardfinegold]

You get some beer and I'll focus on snacks, Pabs - I'm game too kea

Well, now that I know there will be sustenance to fortify my in my labors, I guess I'll make the time .

[kea]

Cool—I'll update with more information closer to the time, as I attempt to figure out the best way to run this thing. Stay tuned.

[teamsaint]

You get some beer and I'll focus on snacks, Pabs - I'm game too kea

Its already sounding rather like the world cup.

I am happy to be on the bench in case anybody wants me.


EDIT: just went to my big box of schubert, and guess which was the very first CD in the box?.....
Spooky......

[kea]

Right so I'm currently planning to start this comparison on Thursday or Friday of this week, if any of you brave volunteers are still interested (or if any new people want to join—the more participants, the merrier) and/or still have time.

Meta stuff:
The main thread will be on the Good Music Guide forum, but links will be distributed by private message and people are of course welcome to post their impressions here or send them to me (I'll also copy GMG's comments over for the benefit of interested observers, assuming l'institutrice doesn't object ;) ).

Comparison stuff:
As each group will include eight recordings in the first round, I concluded the entire third movement wouldn't be practical. Instead you will be hearing the exposition of the first movement (w/o repeat). Otherwise everything proceeds as outlined above, with one addition: if a particular recording stands out to you as exceptional, you may award it a distinction, to make it stand out from the mere "yeas".

Questions, etc, again are welcome.