RE: [F_minor] doubts II

[Singh <k_dawg71@hotmail.com>]

I remember quite a while ago, I lent my recording of Beethoven's Eroica Variations to my mentor. His comment was as follows; "...he turned the Eroica theme into something so different, and perhaps it is valiant of him to have done so, but I personally found it disconcerting, as it did not sound like any other recording of it that I had ever heard before."
Perhaps it is this same strangeness that you are hearing in the Mozart and the Beethoven? You do make a good point that Mozart and Beethoven had something to say...perhaps their turn has come with the thousands of other pianist and musicians playing them according to their wishes. Maybe it was time for something different to be said.
 
Singh> Subject: RE: [F_minor] doubts II> Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 12:44:31 -0500> From: fred.houpt@rbc.com> To: F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU> > 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.ru
celletti> 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. > _______________________________________________> F_minor mailing list> F_minor@email.rutgers.edu> https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/f_minor> _______________________________________________________________________> > This e-mail may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations.> Any distribution, use or copying of this e-mail or the information it contains by other than an intended recipient is unauthorized.> If you received this e-mail in error, please advise me (by return e-mail or otherwise) immediately. > > Ce courrier électronique est confidentiel et protégé. L'expéditeur ne renonce pas aux droits et obligations qui s'y rapportent.> Toute diffusion, utilisation ou copie de ce message ou des renseignements qu'il contient par une personne autre que le (les) destinataire(s) désigné(s) est interdite.> Si vous recevez ce courrier électronique par erreur, veuillez m'en aviser immédiatement, par retour de courrier électronique ou par un autre moye
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