Artist of the Year 2011
Fri, Jul 29 2011, 12:16PM
Dear Music Lovers,
I just voted for the Artist of the Year 2011. Gramophone gives us choices for all artists with the exception of the orchestras. Here we can only vote for the Berliner Phil. Orchestra. Why is this?
Looking forward to see your and others' thoughts!
Regards,
Dolpff Wigbers
Fri, Aug 5 2011, 5:43AM
#2
RE: Artist of the Year 2011
have you heard the "pipayu"? it is really beautiful!
Sat, Aug 6 2011, 4:59AM
#3
RE: Artist of the Year 2011
I don't have any problem with Berlin Philharmonic, since, in any case, it deserves to be there. I have been experienced live the BPO for more than four years (including the last ones) and the orchestra plays marvelously even without conductor or with terrible conductors!
My problem is whether an orchestra can be consedered as "the Artist" and not the "Artists" of the Year. Anyhow, I think Gramophone people have to make their conventions and compromises to..streamline the situation of awarding certain artists and institutions. In any case, I don't think it really matters, except within and around the circle of Gramophone.
On the other hand, I have some huge reservations for some names proposed, like Lang Lang (the clown virtuoso), but, anyway, we are not the institutions. Gramophone still is.
Finally, based on the names proposed, the BPO desrves our vote, in one or the other way.
Parla
Tue, Aug 9 2011, 6:06AM
#4
RE: Artist of the Year 2011
Unfortunately, I don't see anybody bothered with the proposed "artists" of the Year. I really have strong reservations about Gustavo (the Dudalmanic or simply the dude), very talented, gifted and charismatic...buffoon. He reminds me of young Beernstein, but as a...caricature. Gustavo passed next to him, but he didn't...touch him! Of course, paraphrasing Ravel's quote to Gershwin, Gustav may opt not to become a second rate Bernstein, but a fisrt rate Dudamel (whatever that may mean in the future).
As for the other two conductors, what great recordings they really offered this year? And how convincing even the few good ones may be?
As for the "soloists", I already wrote about Lang Lang, huge talent wasted in the cartoon buffoonery of mimics and gimmicks (the effect for the effect cannot be convincing...anymore). Ibragimova or Steinbacher. The former is closer to U.K., the latter is far (records almost exclusively for german labels, but her recordings are more solid and substantive). Even I. Faust could be a viable contender, but she is associated with France and Harmonia Mundi.
As for the rest, I have no problem(s), except of what kind of great recordings they have to offer in the current year.
Finally, I deplore the fact that a chamber ensemble is always missing from the proposed list. There are some formidable and truly great groups that offer almost everyh year great recordings in the field and they simply ignored. Whern the Hagen or Prazak String Quartets are going to be properly recognised (of course they don't record for big companies and not even british). And so on...
Tue, Aug 9 2011, 9:11AM
#5
RE: Artist of the Year 2011
Hello all,
Apologies for the delay in replying, though I've only just seen this thread myself. Though the list usually features individual musicians, an ensemble gets included because during our discussions about the shortlist they emerge as having both combined superb music-making with a real and innovative commitment to reaching out to new audiences, or existing audiences in new ways. The Berlin Philharmonic very much fulfil that – as did a previous winning ensemble, The Sixteen. There's absolutely no reason a chamber group couldn't be in the list – and, Parla, it has nothing to do with recording label or nationality.
And so, have you all explored the shortlist and made your choice yet?
Fri, Aug 12 2011, 7:43AM
#6
RE: Artist of the Year 2011
So, caro amico Martin, I hope next year we may see the first Chamber Ensemble in the proposed shortlist, so that these unsung heroes of this most difficult form of Music may be properly recognised. Unfortunately, these Chamber Ensembles are true artists who are measured by the actual work of their artistry unlike those individual intrumentalists, singers and conductors, whose work and value can be easily magnified and may become larger than life with a little help from our (and mostly their) friends...
In the past, when there were not "Awards" of any kind, Great Chamber Ensembles (like the famoso Quartetto Italiano, the Vegh Quartet, the Beaux Arts Trio, the Borodin Quartet and Trio and so on) were properly recognised along with the truly great instrumentalists, singers and conductors of those times. Ohime! Addio del passato...
Parla
I second Wigbers' comment. Why has only the Berlin Phil been singled out of the field when so many other orchestras - according to Gramophone's own pages - have also made outstanding contributions in the last 12 months ?