Promotional videos
Tue, Mar 16 2010, 7:10PM
In DG's 'promo' for their recent 'Violin and Voice' CD, viewable on their website and 'YouTube', Christine Schafer talks about her need to sometimes omit notes in singing Bach because of the need to breathe and how this is now regarded as acceptable because Bach would have only written out these notes for 'mathematical completeness'. Could this have anything to do with the fact that the 'Laudamus Te' from the B minor Mass is the fastest I have ever heard; incredibly she takes just 3'50 compared with say, Schwarzkopf 5'38 and Janet Baker 5'22 both of whom presumably sang all the notes? Sampling a number of later versions from the 80's and 90's finds livelier versions but even Joshua Rifkin's ultra small scale version is still over 4 minutes. Does anyone have a faster version?
Wed, Mar 17 2010, 8:09PM
#2
RE: Home
A new trend? Anyway, being able to get 240.000 views for a Ligeti piano etude is quite an achievement...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZTaiDHqs5s&fmt=18
Rolf
Wed, Mar 17 2010, 11:06PM
#3
RE: Home
I agree - that's an impressive number of viewings for any classical music performance on YouTube, let alone Ligeti!
What do you look for in a promotional video? If you're on this forum, then I'm assuming the web plays a role in the way you explore music. And I'd also assume you therefore have a well-tuned instinct for what constitutes interesting background to a recording you might want to explore further, and what might be little more than unimaginative promotional puff. Something must persuade you to view, and potential enjoy viewing, what is after all an ad. Some labels are certainly more active in this field than others. EMI Classics has a pretty comprehensive YouTube channel. Though one of my favourite such videos – and I'm not sure if this was a promotional video or a response to the recording, though I note Harmonia Mundi are credited at the end – is this of Alexandre Tharaud playing Couperin's Tic Toc Choc, complete with hip hop dancer finding much to respond to in the Baroque beats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va54RvJM7Fc Enjoy.
Editor, Gramophone