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In Reply to: RE: Charles Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Planets? posted by learsfool on July 15, 2016 at 21:40:00
Here, learsfool, is one of the few instances I'm not entirely with you. If quality of playing was all or almost all that mattered, one could simply stick with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics and call it a day. And it's true that for a large chunk of their discographies, you really could stick with them.
But at least when it comes to recorded as opposed to live performance, they don't always top the charts for me, despite superb technical precision and great soloists. Sometimes lesser orchestras are more convincing, though of course these days those "lesser" orchestras still often play to a sky-high technical standard as well.
The Montreal winds and brasses do great things in the Planets. But as I said, modern technical standards are high. I once heard a live Rite of Spring from MTT and the SFSO, also spectacular winds and brasses and great overall.
A number of orchestras today have the chops to do a great Planets or Rite of Spring. But the result on record is not always equally successful.
Follow Ups:
Hi rbolaw - sorry I just saw this, been off this board for a few days. I hope you see this reply. If so, I'm really not sure exactly what you are trying to say here. I would agree with pretty much everything in your post, and I am not sure why you seem to think I was implying that only the very best orchestras should be listened to?? I was merely stating that a) many audiophiles do NOT value the actual playing of the orchestra very highly, being stuck only on recording quality (a couple of inferior performances are mentioned here, but which ones are not really the point), and b) I have not heard a recording in which the Planets was better played by the entire orchestra than that Montreal one. I notice you did not offer an alternative....FYI it is very possible that you were hearing me when you heard a live MTT/SF Symphony Rite, depending on when you heard it, I performed it multiple times with them....but I will say no more about that.
. . . when we start discussing standards of orchestra playing, we're getting into "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" territory. Yes, the Montreal players are outstanding - along with dozens of other orchestras around the world whose playing is at a similarly high standard. Even what one might have previously considered third-rate orchestras play to an amazing level of accomplishment these days. Sometimes, I would never have known about these orchestras except for their involvement on various audiophile, hi-rez labels:
(My wife's favorite Mahler 5th of the over 80 we've had)
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