Re: GG Re: Richter/Rifkin Cantatas

[Jim Morrison <jim_morrison@sprynet.com>]

From: "Thomas W. Conklin" <tconklin@btc-bci.com>



> Hi Jim-
>
> Have you ever heard the old Bach Guild recording of Cantata 78 conducted
by
> Felix Prohaska? It is available on CD through Tower or Daedalus and
> occasionally on eBay auction in vinyl.  This has been one of my desert
> island disks for more than 45 years.  The duet is simply sublime.

No I haven't heard it, but I put it in my amazon bag just now.  I loved that
cantata so much on the
first hearing I know I have to have at least one other version of it.
Thanks for
the recommendation.
>
>

I've been doing some reading of the reviews of Rifkin and others who take
his one player per part approach and not *once* has our hero been mentioned,
which must be some sort of conspiracy of silence because surely when people
start writing about Bach played at fast tempos in a relatively sparse manner
that emphasis contrapuntal textures and an egalitarianism of all the parts
being played, along with downplaying "dramatic" gestures and surges/waves of
big choruses then Gould *must* come to their mind.  How could they write
with such amazement of Rifkin in the 80's when Gould and the critics and the
public went through all this in the 50's?  Shame on them.  Give Gould his
due.  All the articles talk about Rifkin arguing for his approach being
historically accurate without mentioning that such a style is intimately
related to what is commonly called Gould's idiosyncratic method.  What an
oversight.  Such connections could help legitimize Gould's performances to a
wider audience.

Amazon has a small article about Rifkin at their J S Bach store.

Okay, rant over.  Time to have a happy Saturday.

Jim