Who do you trust among the critics?
Fri, May 4 2012, 11:33PM
#2
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
He is strange in his preferences, sometimes, is he not our Hurwitzer?
I think he played a George Lloyd symphony under Lloyd in the Albany SO and recommends the symphonies under the composer.
I bought the Lyrita 4, 5 and 8 under Downes, a conductor I have a qualified admiration for.
Lloyd, like most composers below the top rank, and I do not know anything else of his music other than these three symphonies, seems unable to know when to finish and as a result have symphonies of near Brucknerian length without the material to sustain such length.
The 8th, by the way, is a witless bore.
Hurwitzer finds the LPO of the fifties particularly bad and, to be honest, it couldn't compare against the other London based orchestras but had estimable conductors record with them in that period such as Boult, of course, Solti and Martinon.
I think that he is merely typical of certain Americans who believe that the British praise their artists too highly and that the main offender is the Gramophone.
Having said that it was IRR who last took him to task over his silly review of Norrington's Mahler 9.
Like a Lloyd symphony I could go on but unlike a Lloyd symphony I have interesting material!
Sat, May 5 2012, 1:37AM
#3
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
He is strange in his preferences, sometimes, is he not our Hurwitzer?
I think he played a George Lloyd symphony under Lloyd in the Albany SO and recommends the symphonies under the composer.
I bought the Lyrita 4, 5 and 8 under Downes, a conductor I have a qualified admiration for.
Lloyd, like most composers below the top rank, and I do not know anything else of his music other than these three symphonies, seems unable to know when to finish and as a result have symphonies of near Brucknerian length without the material to sustain such length.
The 8th, by the way, is a witless bore.
If you’ve got Lloyd’s 4th and 5th, stop there! I didn’t. Most of his music sounds like something you’d hear on the Light Programme 50 years ago or in the background at a supermarket today. His reluctance to shut up when he’s run out of things to say reminds me of someone, can’t think who right now.
A couple of times I’ve written to Hurwitz and once mentioned, in passing, I was puzzled by his enthusiasm for Lloyd, who I found to be an old windbag. His response was to the tune of, ‘that’s OK, I don’t mind and neither does George’,
Robert Levine, the opera reviewer on the same site, has a wicked sense of humour.
Sat, May 5 2012, 1:49AM
#4
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
I agree that Hurwitz does have a problem with olde Albion - he can also be quite dismissive of pianists that I suspect he feels are overhyped in the UK.
Personally my issue with his reviews is that they are always tainted with this percieved chip on hs shoulder when he meets his bete noire, whether it be Norrington or somebody else not using rubato. I don't mind a predjudice, particularly one I know in advance, but it tiresome to have it so take over the coversation.
Now what about Jed Distler?
Sat, May 5 2012, 3:48PM
#5
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
Thanks for the advice, tagalie. Have you any Arnell, by the way?
I've grown quite fond of Robert Levine because I find his reviews in the line of DS-T, Steane and Blyth but, also, because he is an admitted lover of Italian opera, brave man!
I know Jed Distler worries and annoys some people because of his prose but since I have a mere passing interest in his speciality, the piano and all its works, I have no comment on him or his (re)views.
Now, what about the French Hurwitzer, Christophe Huss, or do people not bother with the French site?
Sat, May 5 2012, 10:46PM
#6
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
If you (or any other) read French, on peut parler pour Eric Taver ou pour Francois Laurent.
Are you ready for such a debate?
Parla
Sat, May 5 2012, 11:38PM
#7
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
If you (or any other) read French, on peut parler pour Eric Taver ou pour Francois Laurent.
Are you ready for such a debate?
Parla
Access the Classicstoday site and you will see at the bottom of the page a link to the France site with chef critique Christophe Huss.
That is why they can boast universal consensus for discs that get a 10/10 from both sites.
Huss is hypercritical, imo. Short, sharp and rude!
I can't speak for the two you mention who are estrangeres to me.
Sun, May 6 2012, 12:41AM
#8
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
I was just joking. I know that you don't know them. They are quite important in the French magazines. That's why I said, "if you can read French".
Anyway, it's not important to this forum, since I doubt anybody reads French Classical Music magazines.
Parla
Sun, May 6 2012, 1:40AM
#9
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
I was just joking.
Go easy there Parla, lad, you'll give yourself a hernia!
Sun, May 6 2012, 9:32AM
#10
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
Having come
late to this thread, a couple of observations on sound quality.
Bryce Morrison, in his self-defence over the Hatto affair, blames
Sony’s sound for not being as good as the Concert Artist sound to the extent
that it can ‘subtly, even radically, alter one’s appraisal’. If the same
performance can change so radically, that makes me question his judgement on
every review he ever publishes.
With regard
to the other comments on reviewer’s hifi equipment, Gramophone used to provide
the perfect solution with their cover cd. I bought many CDs that I may not have
otherwise, after hearing them.
Sun, May 6 2012, 10:16AM
#11
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
As for the Ferrier piece, I happen to love the Walter/Ferrier Das Lied but I can't help wondering how much of our view of her is coloured by nostalgia and her tragic end.
I've not paid much attention to contraltos until now. I've just had a quick listen to Nathalie Stutzmann, Ewa Podles & Sara Mingardo (as mentioned by Hurwitz) and find that Ferrier's voice does seem to have a 'unique' haunting quality, so I would side with Cullingford. But then, I'm just an amateur. Are there any other contraltos I should know about? (I'm in the mood to buy a box set).
I've just noticed that the Gramophone Hall of Fame contains 4 sopranos & 3 mezzo sopranos but not one contralto. (Has this been noted in the forum already?)
Come to think of it - the countertenor seems to have grabbed my attention recently too.
Sun, May 6 2012, 10:45AM
#12
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
Nowadays, when anybody (and nobody) hold themselves out as critics (by posting on the internet for example), I find myself increasingly discerning as to who, among the professional critics, I trust.
I find it interesting that this forum is currently debating 'Ten Perfect Orchestral Performances' written by David Denby who wrote 'I say this as a complete amateur, a mere music-lover'. This would seem to be evidence that there is a role for amateurs, although I'm not sure I could define it. The internet has/is rocking the boat in so many ways...
Sun, May 6 2012, 9:42PM
#13
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
Kev, contraltos are a rather rare "species" in the voice realm. It's not surprising almost everybody or any institution (like Gramophone) forget, neglect them. Ferrier was a unique voice (with limitations), capable to express the subtlest and the deepest emotions.
Apart from the ones Hurwitz mentioned, I always appreciated the Art of Maureen Forrester, the underrated Monica Sinclair and Helen Watts and a bold and bright newcomer, the impressive Marie-Nicole Lemieux. If you want to taste the vocal miracle of a Contralto (who could be a Mezzo and even occasionally Soprano), check the extensive discography of Marilyn Horne.
Our friend JKH can enlighten you with more profound information, since he's listening to voices much more than me.
Parla
Mon, May 7 2012, 6:41PM
#14
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
Apart from the ones Hurwitz mentioned, I always appreciated the Art of Maureen Forrester, the underrated Monica Sinclair and Helen Watts and a bold and bright newcomer, the impressive Marie-Nicole Lemieux. If you want to taste the vocal miracle of a Contralto (who could be a Mezzo and even occasionally Soprano), check the extensive discography of Marilyn Horne.
Parla
I can't believe it. We're in agreement.
One thing I forgot to mention about Hurwitz. I think he listens to music on an old Walkman. His idea of a good recording is one with an upper midrange that peel your wallpaper off.
Mon, May 7 2012, 11:05PM
#15
RE: Who do you trust among the critics?
Apart from the ones Hurwitz mentioned, I always appreciated the Art of Maureen Forrester, the underrated Monica Sinclair and Helen Watts and a bold and bright newcomer, the impressive Marie-Nicole Lemieux. If you want to taste the vocal miracle of a Contralto (who could be a Mezzo and even occasionally Soprano), check the extensive discography of Marilyn Horne.
Parla
I can't believe it. We're in agreement.
One thing I forgot to mention about Hurwitz. I think he listens to music on an old Walkman. His idea of a good recording is one with an upper midrange that peel your wallpaper off.
Perhaps he used to sit under the brass when he played in an orchestra and it effected his hearing or perhaps he doesn't hear things like the rest of us.
Thinking about bit a little more the critic who I feel as the most influential in music over the last forty years is probably the one and only Lester Bangs; he could make or break a band with one sentence. It is a ridiculous (and rather shameful fact) that my first ever album purchase was 'Dare' by Human League, the album Lester Bangs was supposedly listening to when he died. I bet he was disappointed...
And in the world of film you have Truffaut and Pauline Kael - they truly dominated an art form. And then the great Robert Hughes, whose prose is utterly terrific.
Naupilus