Thread: Audiophile, Music Lover, and obfuscation (Now here to free up the Korngold thread for Korngold)

Posts: 34
Page: prev 1 2 3 4 next

Post by seth July 8, 2010 (11 of 34)
Everyone always wants the best possible sound, but that's not always possible (up until a decade ago no one was making DSD surround sound recordings). But it doesn't take the best possible sound to communicate an artist's interpretation and subtle mannerisms. The genius of Toscanini, Casals, Gould and Callas has never been in question because of the limited fidelity of their recordings. Having a buying embargo against an artist because of the sound quality of their recordings places recording quality above artistry and great music making.

Post by tailspn July 8, 2010 (12 of 34)
But not above the utmost realization of those artists, which until recently, were intended for live performance. I agree with Bruce, the recording quality to me is a key ingredient to the full appreciation of the genius those artists contributed.

Post by jdaniel July 8, 2010 (13 of 34)
Look, no one thrills to a well-reproduced bass drum more than myself and my SACD collection is growing. : ) But what do you do when Schnabel's '30's Beethoven is (still) infinitely more fascinating and "right" than any on SACD? IMHO. Banish Schnabel??? The sheer force of his personality and ideas transcends reproduction issues.

By "local event" vs forward movement I mean: how long does a conductor or soloist (dare) linger over a beautiful moment before moving on...without destroying the overall balance? To me, this is the stronger part of the magic, along with "proper reproduction of timbre, etc.

Pacing the first mov't of Elgar's #1 is notoriously-difficult to get right, for instance. So is Wagner's Tristan: how infuriating that my favorite, Furtwangler's exquisite Tristan, is in (glorious) mono, but I get over myself and succumb.

"Slakin's/Susskind's St Louis forces were/are "beautifully-reproduced" by the Vox engineering team--astonishingly-so--but oh so boring. Mehta's famous LAPO "Planets," Spano's Berlioz....

Post by Windsurfer July 8, 2010 (14 of 34)
jdaniel said:

But what do you do when Schnabel's '30's Beethoven is (still) infinitely more fascinating and "right" than any on SACD? IMHO. Banish Schnabel??? The sheer force of his personality and ideas transcends reproduction issues.

Why do you think that anyone is suggesting BANISHING Schnabel? I frankly have little interest there because I have heard some Schnabel I find that the personality, and frankly the music tend to get lost in the sonic mud that invariably accompanies Schnabel. For me I have to work too hard to hear Schnabel play Beethoven - I have to fill in too many blanks. For me Igor Tchetuev has all the personality and magic necessary for me to be deeply affected by his performances - to succumb to the magic of Beethoven's creations.

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 1 - Igor Tchetuev

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 - Igor Tchetuev

Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 3 - Igor Tchetuev

I had a friend in high school who once admitted to me that maybe he preferred some old highly distorted LPs and was afraid to hear the same music in an undistorted version because it would come across as smaller. This hero worship of performances past, this denial that anyone today can do nearly as well is something I find horribly tiresome. Do you guys love the music or some idol(s) from the past

I do not deny that some performances are much more arresting than others. Its just that I would MUCH rather go to a live concert with today's artists than stay home listening to stereo from the 50s and 60s or worse mono from earlier. Even stereo from this century.

The nearness to reality of modern multi-channel recordings properly reproduced is phenomenal. And to reiterate, for me a live concert is ALMOST always better than any recording. The single exception I can recall is a performance in the Troy Music Hall of Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the fields. Should have been a winner but Bell IS boring.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Piazzolla - Lara St. John

breathes a life into the old warhorse that is astonishing!

Post by wehecht July 8, 2010 (15 of 34)
As we've discussed before in this forum most recording artists are ignorant or dismissive of audio quality. But to cite just one notable exception, Angela Hewitt was outspoken in her endorsement of sacd and most of her sacd era recordings were issued in that format until Hyperion pulled the plug. As it happens I think Ms. Hewitt is a great pianist. What am I to do, stop buying her recordings because Simon Perry has made an atrocious decision? As General Anthony McAuliffe so famously said: "NUTS". Anyone else is free to reach the opposite decision, but if they think that by doing so they will influence Mr. Perry in anyway they are simply deluded. In the meantime I think I'll go and put Ms. Hewitt's wonderful remake of the WTC (rbcd only) in my player and be transported

Post by wehecht July 8, 2010 (16 of 34)
jdaniel said:

Look, no one thrills to a well-reproduced bass drum more than myself and my SACD collection is growing. : ) But what do you do when Schnabel's '30's Beethoven is (still) infinitely more fascinating and "right" than any on SACD? IMHO. Banish Schnabel??? The sheer force of his personality and ideas transcends reproduction issues.

Philosophically I agree but since I find the Brautigam set on BIS even more compelling I'm not forced to make the choice. I now play Schnabel (and Goode), far less frequently than I used to.

Post by mahlerei July 8, 2010 (17 of 34)
windsurfer

As 'horribly tireseome' as those who insist that if it isn't on SACD it doesn't exist or isn't worth listening to? Yes, I know the feeling.

And you are moving the goalposts, introducing the question of live concerts. That is another issue entirely. We are talking about recordings here.

Post by flyingdutchman July 8, 2010 (18 of 34)
wehecht said:

Philosophically I agree but since I find the Brautigam set on BIS even more compelling I'm not forced to make the choice. I now play Schnabel (and Goode), far less frequently than I used to.

Nah, I play all the old recordings just as much, sonic mud and all.

Post by Cherubino July 8, 2010 (19 of 34)
wehecht said:

As General Anthony McAuliffe so famously said: "NUTS".

My father was with General McAuliffe when he gave that answer. In more ways than one, they, and those like them, made it possible for us to devote so much time and energy "discussing" these far less weighty matters.

Post by wehecht July 8, 2010 (20 of 34)
Cherubino said:

My father was with General McAuliffe when he gave that answer. In more ways than one, they, and those like them, made it possible for us to devote so much time and energy "discussing" these far less weighty matters.

How true. My uncle was wounded at the Bulge, and a couple of years ago I learned that my father was part of the crew that loaded the first atomic bomb on to the Enola Gay, something he had never talked about till a producer from CBS radio tracked him down. I'm afraid he wasn't a very good interview as he refused to say much more than that he had done his job. But then that's pretty much all most of the WW II vets I've talked to say about their service. Quiet heroes all.

Page: prev 1 2 3 4 next

Closed