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RE: [F_minor] doubts II
You say that when GG superimposes his personality on them they come out strange. I wonder if you imply that when any other pianist plays a piece he/she does not alter the outcome in some way? Each piano genius will color the musical manifestation.
Regardless of how many times we say how much we adore all of his BACH, there are always going to be plenty to throw dung on the recordings. I have lost count how many different reviewers in the BBC Music magazine have dissed and slagged GG's Bach recordings. I think that they are idiots, but this is only my opinion.
GG's best Beethoven, in my view, are the small scale pieces and only some of the sonatas. The concertos are pretty much standard fair. I find GG's Brahms quite suitably introverted and brooding. That was Brahms heart. He was not the happiest of men and his sad feelings shoot throughout his music. Although GG does exaggerate a bit, the deep sense of longing and depression that radiates seems to be authentic Brahms.
I re-listened to GG doing Chopin's third something (sonata? - I can't recall) on YouTube and it did again sound like he had taken a steam roller to it. The result is so oddly squewed so we are forced into watching the structure rather than paying any attention to the underlying harmonic energies. Only GG seems to have been able to do this and the result sounds like you're looking at an X-ray of the piece rather than letting it get into your ears first. An oddity I never quite get used to. I enjoy GG doing Grieg and other lesser lights.
BTW, I cannot leave without saying how much I so love GG's recording of the Richard Strauss piano pieces. These are sensational parlor pieces and filled with delightful melodies. Largely ignored, they are perfect gems in GG's hands.
Cheers,
Fred Houpt
-----Original Message-----
From: f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu [mailto:f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu] On Behalf Of michael macelletti
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 12:24 PM
To: F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU
Subject: [F_minor] doubts II
the point is that beethoven and mozart really have something to offer. when gg superimposes his personality on them it comes out in a strange way. mozart appears to be under the influence of " fun-house " mirrors. beethoven and brahms appear manic-depressive , with the manic going to beethoven, and the depressive going to brahms. chopin appears to be transformed into wood. with bach, it works. it works superbly. but it really seems to be limited to there. ---- and the new works he comes up with ? well, that's obviously a contrarian approach. a very smart idea in a world full of pianists who can play everything. i mean , who would want to perform the tchaikovsky first concerto knowing that many have heard the greatest recordings of it already.----- but really ! works like those of schoenberg and webern are just good for the colored pencil industry. they come in very handy trying to analyze them.
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