Batiashvili contra Putin

I find her rather naive politically, and her last few albums have not been that compelling for me [nt], posted on April 16, 2017 at 00:26:11
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

RE: Good for her. Gergiev doesn't impress me at all. nt, posted on April 16, 2017 at 03:25:40
Todd Krieger Audiophile Posts: 37333 Location: SW United States Joined: November 2, 2000	Gergiev is IMO one of the best Shostakovich conductors of recent time..... Although my opinion of him isn't quite so high outside the Russian repertoire.....

RE: I find her rather naive politically, and her last few albums have not been that compelling for me [nt], posted on April 16, 2017 at 03:33:34
Todd Krieger Audiophile Posts: 37333 Location: SW United States Joined: November 2, 2000	She's hit-or-miss.... Did a nice Brahms Violin Concerto w Alan Gilbert and NHK....... (Although I prefer Sayaka Shoji with this concerto.) As far as Russian politics is concerned, there is so much contradiction in the news, I find it impossible to decipher who is on the correct side of these conflicts. Most of us who claim to know really don't.

His conducting style and look though: Petrushka with a touch of carbon monoxide poisoning. nt, posted on April 16, 2017 at 08:19:10
jdaniel@jps.net	,

Agree. Heard Gergiev/Mariinsky play Shosty live at Linc. Center. It was fantastic!, posted on April 16, 2017 at 09:36:47
Rick W	I didn't realize he was tight with Putin. That does negatively influence me, but not enough to pretend that concert I attended wasn't memorable. Actually, I was more impressed by the orchestra than him - the woodwind players' sounds knocked me out among other things. Haven't heard him conduct anything other than Russian music.

Despite the fact that he looks like a homeless person. . . , posted on April 16, 2017 at 09:42:49

Chris from Lafayette
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. . . and despite the fact that he uses that silly "fluttering fingers" method of conducting, I feel that Gergiev has made some truly outstanding recordings. Indeed, quite a few of those LSO albums are exceptional IMHO, including the Prokofiev Symphonies (not even on hi-rez!), the Ravel, the Debussy, the first three Tchaikovsky symphonies - and then there's quite a bit with other orchestras which is also sensational, including the last three Tchaikovsky symphonies (blu-ray), a couple of the Wagner operas (man, was THAT unexpected!),. . . While one may feel that the sheer number of Gergiev releases could be excessive, his ratio of hits to misses is pretty darn high IMHO.

Of course, I have no opinion at all regarding his Shostakovitch, and jdaniel could be right about his Petrouchka (I haven't heard it), but I think that, yes, we have to give Gergiev his due.

I meant he looks like a puppet on strings. : ) Most of his work that I've purchased has fallen by the wayside, posted on April 16, 2017 at 09:52:16
jdaniel@jps.net	.

No reports contradict that he annexed Crimea, posted on April 16, 2017 at 12:34:50
Jay Buridan Audiophile Posts: 10273 Location: Michigan Joined: January 21, 2004	But who is poisoning his critics? Agreed, we just don't know. "Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. " ― W.C. Fields

+1, posted on April 16, 2017 at 14:17:23
rbolaw	But we do know who butchered those Chechens or anyone else who dares oppose his regime.

I find her rather well-informed and intelligent politically, and principled and brave, posted on April 16, 2017 at 14:25:16

rbolaw

To stand up against an oppressive dictator and put her money where her mouth is, refusing lucrative and career-enhancing performance opportunities by refusing to perform with Gergiev, who has received many millions from Putin.
Many spout political principles from a safe distance at no real cost to themselves, so I especially respect her stand. Especially since Putin's political foes, even those living far from Russia, have a habit of dying at the hands of professional assassins.
Plus, from what I've heard, she's one of the best of the BOCs.

Roy - we're veering on subject matter that's not allowed in the forum, posted on April 16, 2017 at 16:07:54
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012	But needless to say, I VEHEMENTLY disagree with your assertions and innuendos. I'm going to leave it at that - I'm disinclined to prune threads, so if some of these posts get deleted, it won't be from me.

Same thing here as with my answer to Roy above, posted on April 16, 2017 at 16:11:15
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012	Let's knock off the political crap - there are other places to get your anti-Putin comments in.

A "Gotcha!" is worth it when your answer is credible!, posted on April 16, 2017 at 18:50:19

rbolaw

If such political comments are inappropriate here, you are the one who made the inappropriate comment when you referred to Lisa as "politically na�ve" in response to a post referring to her political stance regarding the Russian annexation of the eastern Ukraine and her refusal to perform with Gergiev.

By all means delete my post, but delete yours too. In fact, you've made other posts on this topic that should also be deleted. Your prior posts are why I already knew you "vehemently disagreed" with what I wrote, even before this last one. (I even know your wife doesn't agree with you on this issue, thanks to your posts.)

Yes, I admit to baiting you. Analog Scott should be proud, he seems to think baiting people with babe posts is great fun. Not as much fun when the shoe is on the other foot, is it?

Believe me, I've been thinking about this, posted on April 16, 2017 at 20:52:29

Chris from Lafayette
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Perhaps I should have deleted the OP in this thread - but I didn't, because it had a fair amount of musical content to it too. And I'm not going to delete posts just because they touch on politics, as long as the musical content is still there. Even my single subject line reply dealt 50% with Lisa's most recent releases. But at some point, a couple of the posts (including yours - and I suspect you were quite aware of this) got beyond the politics content vs. music content threshold. As I say, I'm not even going to delete those posts unless future posts continue down the political content path after the notification. The breakaway "Green Door" site is the place for political content.

And please, don't push your false equivalency between political content, which is expressly forbidden on this site, and babe musician posts, the content of which is mostly about music and the music business, despite the howls of a small number of offendees. So, sorry, no "gotcha" for you with this - but thanks for trying!

The Green Door (born from Audio Asylum!)

RE: I find her rather well-informed and intelligent politically, and principled and brave, posted on April 16, 2017 at 22:38:41
merlinus Audiophile Posts: 244 Location: Northern New Mexico Joined: June 24, 2008	Very well stated, and I agree completely. I admire people who stand up for their principles, especially in cases like this, and do not sell out. Music at the service of fascists and despots does no one any favor. And the same for the rampant sexism displayed by those who refer to young female musicians as "babes."

merlinus: Please consider yourself warned too - no more political posts, posted on April 17, 2017 at 00:38:37
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012	If you want to try to bash my babe musician posts, please feel free! ;-)

okay, posted on April 17, 2017 at 01:52:15
Jay Buridan Audiophile Posts: 10273 Location: Michigan Joined: January 21, 2004	:) "Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. " ― W.C. Fields

I feel that YOU need to pull your head in here Chris., posted on April 17, 2017 at 04:02:06
Timbo in Oz Audiophile Posts: 23221 Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia Joined: January 30, 2002	Merlinus is right on the money. Warmest Tim Bailey Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger

I think you just disqualified yourself as a moderator here, Chris. , posted on April 17, 2017 at 04:05:07
Timbo in Oz Audiophile Posts: 23221 Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia Joined: January 30, 2002	Go, quietly. Warmest Tim Bailey Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger

I agree with Chris, here..., posted on April 17, 2017 at 07:57:49

srl1
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First, that he feels his OP "perhaps" should have been deleted because it made the first political comment and got the ball rolling.

Second, political content can really ruin a thread and cause geometrically exploding posts of heated dialog.

I have a recent example of this. I was with my wife at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa last week for her latest appointment. One of the patients in the waiting room asked if the TV channel could be changed to something other than HGTV (I've noticed recently that almost all doctor and dentist offices I'm in are on HGTV). The receptionist replied that it was the Center's policy that all TVs be turned only to HGTV. The patient asked why, and she replied that during the last presidential election one of the TVs was showing a news channel, and two cancer patients got into a nasty fight over the content of the show!

So, lets all take a deep breath and resume our frank discussions of music and musicians and things like HIP. That can get heated enough for everyone.

Sorry, Timbo - as I said in the post. . . , posted on April 17, 2017 at 08:35:07
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012	. . . political commentary is simply not allowed here, while my babe posts, if the offendees bother to check, mostly discuss musical matters.

Thanks, Jay - I appreciate it! [nt], posted on April 17, 2017 at 08:37:10
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

OK, Timbo - Explain yourself. I'm all ears [nt], posted on April 17, 2017 at 09:02:53
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

RE: OK, Timbo - Explain yourself. I'm all ears [nt], posted on April 17, 2017 at 09:52:38

merlinus
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Posts: 244
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Joined: June 24, 2008

I tried to send you an email, but you have blocked that feature. So here goes...

Hi Chris. I much appreciate your musical knowledge and experience, and willingness to share that in your posts about performers and recordings. I have learned a great deal from these.

But I fail to comprehend why you refer to accomplished female musicians, or any women for that matter, as "babes." This is totally demeaning, and only serves to perpetuate attitudes that women are objects (and sexual ones at that).

And especially as a forum moderator, this can only set a very bad example for participants. So I urge you to reflect deeply upon this kind of sexism, which in many ways is no different from the political statements you wish to ban.

Thanks, and all the best,

merlin

I appreciate your sentiments, but I very much disagree with them, posted on April 17, 2017 at 10:30:26

Chris from Lafayette
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Your post reminds me of this new law they're trying to pass in Russia - where theaters can now face fines for "offending the feelings" of audience members. I don't know who all of a sudden decided that the b-word was an insult, but I think that this type of "hurt feelings" attitude reveals a refusal to deal with actual IMPORTANT issues in favor of more superficial forms of putative disparagement. Do you seriously think that the musicians I refer to as "babes" give two cents about my posts? I'll tell you, when actual babes start complaining to me about being called babes, then I would certainly take the complaint seriously. Right now, it's a situation where others pompously and egotistically step in to get offended on the babes' behalf - it's absurd!

BTW, sorry that my mail is blocked here - sometimes this site defaults to that state. I'll change it in another couple of minutes.

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russian-theaters-could-face-

Just in case you haven't noticed Chris, sexism is now political., posted on April 17, 2017 at 10:38:01
Timbo in Oz Audiophile Posts: 23221 Location: Canberra - in the ACT - SE Australia Joined: January 30, 2002	Particularly where you live. Also, it diminishes you. Many here wish you would stop it. Warmest Tim Bailey Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger

OK - see my reply to merlinus just below [nt], posted on April 17, 2017 at 10:39:57
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

RE: Gergiev doesn't impress me . . . either. But, posted on April 17, 2017 at 11:18:40
goldenthal Audiophile Posts: 1001 Location: Ontario Joined: March 28, 2003	my sample size is very small -- his performance of Berlioz's Romeo & Juliet. But that's poor enough to discourage me from sampling more of him on spec. Jeremy

Comrade Moderator - Pls Remove This Useless Thread, posted on April 17, 2017 at 17:28:41
erik Audiophile Posts: 1145 Location: New England Joined: April 3, 2000	To where it belongs. People come here to have a good time without political insinuations from you or others. Batiashvili's political views, naive or not, are her own problems, not ours, there's really nothing to discuss on that matter, unless, of course, you have a personal agenda in all of this.

I've already explained why I'm leaving the posts as they are, posted on April 17, 2017 at 19:02:39
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012	Folks are always free not to read particular posts. It's not as if we're all compelled to read every last one of them.

RE: I've already explained why I'm leaving the posts as they are, posted on April 18, 2017 at 02:35:49
erik Audiophile Posts: 1145 Location: New England Joined: April 3, 2000	You know, every Moderator has a piece of dictatorship in their soul. People just dying to have a little power simply for exercising it. I'm pretty sure you've read Machiavelli's The Prince. Must be your favorite. Take it as a compliment

Uh. . . OK! [nt] ;-), posted on April 18, 2017 at 08:38:16
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

Music Lane

Batiashvili contra Putin

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