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Discussion: Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 - Latry, Eschenbach

Posts: 34
Page: 1 2 3 4 next

Post by seth December 23, 2006 (1 of 34)
Pre-order this without hesitation. The program is by no means original, but the concert was spectacular. All the pieces received very fine performances, especially the Toccata Festiva, which had people shouting and wooting at its conclusion. You really cannot go wrong having Latry as the organist.

Post by rosenkavalier817 February 1, 2007 (2 of 34)
seth said:

Pre-order this without hesitation. The program is by no means original, but the concert was spectacular. All the pieces received very fine performances, especially the Toccata Festiva, which had people shouting and wooting at its conclusion. You really cannot go wrong having Latry as the organist.

Thanks for the recommendation. I preordered through Amazon.

Post by akiralx February 2, 2007 (3 of 34)
Though David Hurwitz reports that the Saint-Saens is marred/distinguished by some very slow and fast tempi?

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=10739

Post by Windsurfer February 2, 2007 (4 of 34)
akiralx said:

Though David Hurwitz reports that the Saint-Saens is marred/distinguished by some very slow and fast tempi?

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=10739

Does anyone know whether Hurwitz listens to these as SACDs or Redbook? If SACDs, does he listen in stereo only or in 5 channel? He states "while I have no doubt that the performance must have been impressive heard live,... "

I say if your audio system is up to it and the disc is as well recorded as some other Ondines, then listening in multi-channel, the performance should be impressive heard in your listening room also!

Bruce

Post by seth February 2, 2007 (5 of 34)
akiralx said:

Though David Hurwitz reports that the Saint-Saens is marred/distinguished by some very slow and fast tempi?

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=10739

I don't remember anything being wrong with the tempos. I guess you have a different perspective when you're listening with the timings and comparing them to other recordings.

Seeing that the whole review rips into Eschenbach, I wonder how much of that is really just Hurwitz trying to reassure himself and others that the Orchestra made the right decision to part ways with Eschenbach after only five years.

Hurwitz also makes no mention of Latry who is clearly the hero in the Barber (the work has extensive solo moments, including a solo part just for his feet at the end), as well as in the Poulenc.

Post by terence February 2, 2007 (6 of 34)
mmm - i guess we'll all just have to listen to the disc and see if hurwitz is over-stating his objections.

to be fair to him, although it's not clear in this case, he usually DOES i think listen in multichannel where he can, and comments on it - one of VERY few critics to do so (there are virtually none at all in the UK).

in his review he also makes the following interesting observation on current conducting talent:

"Between the mindlessly pedantic "authenticists" and the narcissistic micro-managers, good, solid generalists with the ability to give freshly idiomatic performances of a wide-ranging repertoire seem ever more difficult to find".

i think he has a real point here.

Post by seth February 2, 2007 (7 of 34)
terence said:

"Between the mindlessly pedantic "authenticists" and the narcissistic micro-managers, good, solid generalists with the ability to give freshly idiomatic performances of a wide-ranging repertoire seem ever more difficult to find".

i think he has a real point here.

I think it's more like that conductors fail to convey any sense of authority and justification in their gestures. The best conductors of the past were not "solid generalists," but their interpretations sounded intuitively right -- the music benefited from them. Listening to a "solid generalists" would be pretty boring since there would be no surprises. You'd know exactly what to expect and you'd always get that.

Post by bissie February 5, 2007 (8 of 34)
Windsurfer said:

Does anyone know whether Hurwitz listens to these as SACDs or Redbook? If SACDs, does he listen in stereo only or in 5 channel? He states "while I have no doubt that the performance must have been impressive heard live,... "

I say if your audio system is up to it and the disc is as well recorded as some other Ondines, then listening in multi-channel, the performance should be impressive heard in your listening room also!

Bruce

Let's put an end to that discussion, shall we?
David Hurwitz does listen to anything that is multichannel in multichannel. He ALSO listens to it in Stereo. He has a very distinguished system and he is about the most conscientious critic I know. He usually has a score for most things he reviews and, yes, he can read them.
He is also the most opinionated critic on Earth, and that, for my money, is what criticism is all about, since there are no truths, just opinions. No pats on the shoulders from Mr. Hurwitz, he goes for broke, good or bad.

I really love to read his reviews, also when he thrashes my products. He is also one of the funniest writers around, his similes are unbeatable. "This is so sickly sweetly played that a diabetic would immediately go into a coma" or words to that effect.

I wish the world had more of his ilk.

Best - Robert

Post by Windsurfer February 6, 2007 (9 of 34)
Thank you, Robert

I appreciate the knowledge that he does listen to multi-channel discs on a multi-channel system. The reason I questioned this was his statement:

"...and while I have no doubt that the performance must have been impressive heard live ..."

I maintain that if the performance was impressive heard live (and he did rate the recording 10/10) it should be doggoned near as impressive heard over a good multi-channel system. An idiom in English is "What is wrong with this picture?" and that seems appropriate to Hurwitz' comments on the Saint Saens.

I think Hurwitz, like most critics, must be looking for that "definitive performance" - one that is archtypical of the work being reviewed, but which probably exists only in the reviewer's imagination. When the performance under review strays too far afield from that person's ideal, they become quite dismissive. Today, perhaps, now that we have access to incredibly realistic playback using "surround" technology, that somewhat narrow view may be obsolescent if not obsolete.

The new paradigm may be:

Obtain recordings which captures a performance with fidelity to the sound in the concert hall.
Own several views of the same work.
Enjoy these performances in the comfort of your own home.

With the right equipment this is close to a reality if not quite there...yet.

Post by raffells February 6, 2007 (10 of 34)
bissie said:

Let's put an end to that discussion, shall we?
David Hurwitz does listen to anything that is multichannel in multichannel. He ALSO listens to it in Stereo. He has a very distinguished system and he is about the most conscientious critic I know. He usually has a score for most things he reviews and, yes, he can read them.
He is also the most opinionated critic on Earth, and that, for my money, is what criticism is all about, since there are no truths, just opinions. No pats on the shoulders from Mr. Hurwitz, he goes for broke, good or bad.

I really love to read his reviews, also when he thrashes my products. He is also one of the funniest writers around, his similes are unbeatable. "This is so sickly sweetly played that a diabetic would immediately go into a coma" or words to that effect.

I wish the world had more of his ilk.

Best - Robert

Robert,Lets not quite put and end to it????... if he wants to pick on Diabetics,then note its the opposite way around to the statement..You go into a coma when your blood sugars run very very low and you then need glucose(sugars) to bring you around with insulin...Too much sugar just makes you ill..clogs up the arteries,causes Liver failure, effects eyesight and eventually leads to early heart failure.amongst others..Nothing serious.... etc
Think I agree with with the "Bad" comment..We dont need more of his Ilk with mis information..It could be dangerous if someone used it wrongly.. ..Dave

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