'Teodor Currentzis's recordings of Mozart operas have redefined music...'

[Thropplenoggin]

A hyperbole-fest from James Rhodes in The Guardian today: https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-mozart-operas

I don't know the Greek conductor's recordings but I find overweening hyperbole such as this hard to stomach:

'There are no other recordings where I know, just absolutely know, that this is how the composer himself would have heard it while he was writing it down.'

[ahinton]

A hyperbole-fest from James Rhodes in The Guardian today: https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-mozart-operas

I don't know the Greek conductor's recordings but I find overweening hyperbole such as this hard to stomach:

'There are no other recordings where I know, just absolutely know, that this is how the composer himself would have heard it while he was writing it down.'

Ah, yes; we're in "what the composer intended" territory again.

Ahem...

[Cockney Sparrow]

Perhaps we should give James Rhodes a break - he's been through a lot. Although media attention seeking, if it wasn't him it would be someone else.

He advocated Currentzis's recording of Mozart Requiem on a Saturday afternoon prog when I was driving. A very different presentation, worth a listen even if I wouldn't have it as my considered first choice (fails at the 1st hurdle, he doesn't have Margaret Price) . (As an aside, I think I could sing** the Mozart/Sussmayer Requeim from memory - which is saying something as I normally refuse to try to memorise music).

** (Bass, chorus, that is).

The Currentzis Mozart Requiem is available on Naxos Music Library (quite possible the Moz. operas too, depends if on the same label) - in post #21 (4th paragraph before the end) :

)http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7506-Online-Naxos-music-library/page3"]http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7506-Online-Naxos-music-library/page3"])http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7506-Online-Naxos-music-library/page3

[french frank]

I can understand James Rhodes having a strong fellow-feeling towards Currentzis (having looked through a couple of interviews and reviews). He's young, brimming with confidence in his musical abilities and his ability to attract an enthusiastic following of, particularly, young people. He has his own fresh approach, a seeming insistence on finding a slightly unconventional interpretation that's his own.

But after listening for a while to the Mozart Requiem I felt it was lacking in, erm, gravity. Sudden loud crashes and pianissimos but I had this vision of suggesting perhaps it needed a bit more… weight, perhaps; and getting the reply, Why? Nobody's died.

Maybe the fresh approach succeeds with other works but I wasn't tempted to explore further.

[Richard Barrett]

A hyperbole-fest from James Rhodes

I saw that this morning and thought of posting about it here but then a feeling of profound disgust came over me. Now I think Currentzis' recordings of Mozart's operas are quite good and it's heartening to see that it's still possible for him to put the amount of time and effort into making a good recording as in the "old days", but there is really no excuse for this kind of writing. It's supposed to be all new and down with the kids, but its unreflective hero-worship comes straight out of the 19th century.