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I suppose I could extend this observation to our news reporters too, but that might get way too political way too fast! ;-)
What brought this to mind were a couple of reviews on Music Web International, wherein the reviewers couldn't be bothered to lift a finger and take an extra 45 seconds or so to check their "facts". (And, BTW, I do not want to single out MWI for these kinds of lapses - other journals and publications are often worse!).
Anyway. . . the first instance was a review of a new recording by the Skampa Quartet, a group originating from the Czech Republic and which has been around for awhile. In yesterday's review of their new album of "American" chamber works by Dvorak (the String Quartet Op. 96 and the String Quintet Op. 97), the critic, Leslie Wright concluded the review with this comment:The Skampa Quartet continues to give unalloyed pleasure with their exceptional tuning and blend. As far as I can tell, their makeup is the same as that when they started playing together twenty-five years ago. Their account of the Janacek quartets has long been my benchmark and this new one of the Dvorak "American Quartet" and Quintet with the rich-toned violist, Krzysztof Chorzelski can join that disc as a reference recording of these pieces.When I saw the album cover of this new Dvorak recording, I started thinking, "Hmm. . . that can't be right." Here is what the quartet members looked like as of their Beethoven/Mozart recording from 1998:
Here is what the quartet looks like today (as shown on their new Dvorak recording):
So. . . you notice anything funny? OF COURSE YOU DO! They're mostly NOT the same people! The 1998 group consisted of the following players:
Pavel Fischer - Violin 1
Jana Lukasova - Violin 2
Radim Sedmidubsky - Viola
Jonas Krejci - Cello
Today's group consists of the following players:
Helena Jirikovska - Violin 1
Adela Stajnochrova - Violin 2
Radim Sedmidubsky - Viola
Lukas Polak - Cello
So, far from "their makeup" being "the same", the ONLY continuity they have is in the person of their violist. This took me about 45 seconds to check (on Amazon). But, apparently, that's too much effort required for Mr. (or Ms. ?) Leslie Wright, the reviewer.
Then, in today's MWI reviews, Stephen Francis Vasta welcomes the new Pristine incarnation of the Brahms Symphonies 3 and 4 and the Variations on a Theme by Haydn, in the in-concert performances by Toscanini and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Here's what Mr. Vasta has to say about the recorded provenance of these performances:EMI recorded the two concerts but didn't issue them, apparently owing to contractual conflicts. Pirated releases, reportedly in restricted sonics, surfaced on vinyl, first in the "Turnabout Historical Series" and then on Testament. The current issue represents what I assume is the first authorized release of these performances.Well, you would assume wrong, Mr. Vasta! You could have puttered over to the Testament site where you would have found a reproduction of the CD box insert for the Testament set of these performance, and you would have read the following:Producer - Walter LeggeA "pirate" recording indeed!
Balance Engineer - Douglas Larter
Testament would like to thank the family of Arturo Toscanini and Alan Steckler for permission to use these recordings.
The copyright for these recordings is owned by EMI Records Ltd. Release rights owned by Testament.
Geez!
But. . . so as not to end this post on a sour note, I would like to commend Jonathan Welsh's MWI review of the new Naxos Recording of the 1837 version of the 12 Grande Etudes which Liszt turned into the Transcendental Etudes of 1851. This earlier version of the Etudes is chock full of the most horrific technical difficulties - much more so than the final 1851 version (the version that the vast majority of pianists play). Welsh goes through, etude by etude, and explains the differences and also tells us what makes this recording, by an unknown pianist (Wenbin Jin), so special. It's the kind of review which makes the reader excited about hearing this new album. Well done!
Follow Ups:
Good catch- Chris.
as we know it in 2017, Journalism is dead. I guess the same could be applied to Music Critics/Journalism as well?
A follow on- Chris
I started reading and subscribing to both TAS and Stereophile in 1992.
I still have most of those issues. I know that it all pre-dates the internet, but, the writing was so rich (no pun). True craftsmen of their trade and love for all things Audio.
In the 80's I read Audio and Stereo Review mags as well.
the reviewer would have applied the same methodology that Welsh did--you know, taking the Liszt and czeching it twice.
Have a nice day.
Jim
http://jimtranr.com
No more unreliable Auditions...
Budapest Fem-Quartet.
Manly, yes, but I like it too!
Interesting about the Lizst. I ordered it up about two days ago (waiting for amazon to lower the price).
Dvorak American Quartet. I hope never to have to listen to that piece again. That funky chicken opening syncopation irritates the fire out of me for some reason.
Thanks for catching these lazy bones out. No telling how much crap we're reading these days.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
I'm hoping to find a 24/96 download of it somewhere myself, but I haven't done a serious search yet.
Yeah, it's so cray-cray, isn't it?
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
So little appreciation for the finer things.
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"like a fine wine..."
And what of yourself? Are you piszt about Liszt?
I buy many recordings of composers who I admire, and also of composers who are problematic to me. So I have many Liszt records. I've tried to see the greatness in him, and at one time, thought that Cziffra might be the key to Liszt. In a way he was, but his playing was unalloyed bombast!
I've also sampled Liszt's excursions into high seriousness like "Années de Pèlerinage", but the emotion in these pieces usually strikes me as play-acting. I don't listen to him much any more. Occaisionally I go back to the well, but I generally only hear empty virtuosity.
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"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
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