.. in praise of live classical music

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

a blog by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood on how classical led him to love live performance

as an ex hi fi bo i completely agree with his remarks on the qualities of live performance

[Zucchini]

so do i

[gradus]

Me too, I guess that relatively few people ever hear acoustic music live, still fewer symphony/chamber orchestras, more's the pity.

[jayne lee wilson]

Sorry, but I've never seen more nonsense per paragraph in an article about live and reproduced music in a very long time. Ah, so Ligeti and Penderecki always sound harsh through speakers do they? Strange I never noticed that...

Some of us have little or no access to live music for various reasons (not to mention the dread dullness of mainstream rep. at concerts..). Oh WHAT a shame we can't enjoy recordings at home, feeling guilty as Maestro Greenwood puts us in our place. Yet another prime example of black&white thinking - the dichotomy of extremes fallacy applied to the ultra-faux "live vs recorded debate"...

Is that a sour note to come back on? It was meant to be! (Would love to know what Nevalti thinks of Johnny G...)
Hope to have more positive things to say about the Glory that is Recorded Orchestral Music soon...

**ps... digital music is certainly NOT just 1s and 0s. The HiFi buff had one over the "Legendary" Rock Producer there...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Is that a sour note to come back on?

Depends which system you listen to it on Welcome back!

[Nick Armstrong]

...

[french frank]

feeling guilty as Maestro Greenwood puts us in our place

To be fair (yes, welcome back ), I doubt he's even aware of 'our' existence. It just seems to me that he speaks with the zeal of a recent convert who has made new discoveries - and, btw, just read one or two of the comments beneath his piece . He's broken in to a world which, for various reasons, has greeted him with open arms and given him unprecedented opportunities to extend his musical skills.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well i do think that recorded sound through hi fi or fm broadcast lacks the experiential qualities of live performance in classical works & jazz; and that indeed much contemporary music [Heinz Holliger: Studie über Mehrklänge (1971) für Oboe solo being heard live last week - stunning] is best to my ears in live performance

[EdgeleyRob]

Sorry, but I've never seen more nonsense per paragraph in an article about live and reproduced music in a very long time. Ah, so Ligeti and Penderecki always sound harsh through speakers do they? Strange I never noticed that...

Some of us have little or no access to live music for various reasons (not to mention the dread dullness of mainstream rep. at concerts..). Oh WHAT a shame we can't enjoy recordings at home, feeling guilty as Maestro Greenwood puts us in our place. Yet another prime example of black&white thinking - the dichotomy of extremes fallacy applied to the ultra-faux "live vs recorded debate"...

Is that a sour note to come back on? It was meant to be! (Would love to know what Nevalti thinks of Johnny G...)
Hope to have more positive things to say about the Glory that is Recorded Orchestral Music soon...

**ps... digital music is certainly NOT just 1s and 0s. The HiFi buff had one over the "Legendary" Rock Producer there...

Quite.

[teamsaint]

I cant see that his comments make much sense for most people , most of the time.

Great if you can take a year out to play and work with highly trained classical players, not so great if you grab a few precious hours listening after work or whatever, on the best kit you can sensibly afford.
And live music is great, (and has always been a big part of my life) but it is almost always under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, and has to be enjoyed for the moment, and not against some ideal standard.
IMHO.

Incidentally, i love radiohead, and have never had the chance to see them in decent conditions, or at a sensible price.

[Beef Oven!]

I cant see that his comments make much sense for most people , most of the time.

Great if you can take a year out to play and work with highly trained classical players, not so great if you grab a few precious hours listening after work or whatever, on the best kit you can sensibly afford.
And live music is great, (and has always been a big part of my life) but it is almost always under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, and has to be enjoyed for the moment, and not against some ideal standard.
IMHO.

Incidentally, i love radiohead, and have never had the chance to see them in decent conditions, or at a sensible price.

I think the point is that he's extremely enthusiastic, and his energy is to be welcomed. So what if he miffs a few HI-FI anoraks, anyway?

[teamsaint]

I think the point is that he's extremely enthusiastic, and his energy is to be welcomed. So what if he miffs a few HI-FI anoraks, anyway?

The point that i got out of it is that he is talking, (enthusiastically, )from a particularly rarified position, which doesnt relate to the possible range of experience for most people, most of the time.

I dont suppose any self respecting hifi anorak would give two hoots anyway.

[Beef Oven!]

The point that i got out of it is that he is talking, (enthusiastically, )from a particularly rarified position, which doesnt relate to the possible range of experience for most people, most of the time.

I dont suppose any self respecting hifi anorak would give two hoots anyway.

Most 'successful' musicians talk from a rarified position, don't they?

Isn't that last bit a bit of an oxymoron, of sorts?

[teamsaint]

Most 'successful' musicians talk from a rarified position, don't they?

Isn't that last bit a bit of an oxymoron, of sorts?

Yes you are right, they are talking from a rarified position. But listening to and enjoying music involves compromise for most people, most of the time, and I dont think he is allowing for that.
Most people aren't Hifi anoraks, in any case, they just want to enjoy music the best they can. Probably a good thing for Radiohead that their huge fan base didn't employ similar criteria when deciding whether to buy a Radiohead CD, attend a gig, or do something or listen to something else completely.

And

Yes,definitely probably.

[MrGongGong]

Sorry, but I've never seen more nonsense per paragraph in an article about live and reproduced music in a very long time. Ah, so Ligeti and Penderecki always sound harsh through speakers do they? Strange I never noticed that...
.

He is confused and talking bollocks IMV

Sad that Jonathan Harvey isn't around to sort him out