MomsMobley

Hello. Ted Jones-- Ted Joans, comes onstage at 2:38--

I recommend the Gould DVD set. It's as good as the Bernstein Young People and Harvard lectures. Indispensable. I don't find core repertoire dull at all, Moms. I find it to be a never ending font of inspiration. It's a huge part of my life. But maybe that's because I'm dull myself. (But you sure wouldn't think that if you were with me on a Saturday night!) Bigshot, we agree there, absolutely-- and I'm not at all suggesting we forsake the Austro-German, Chopin & other heritages, just that though a few of his recordings are quite good, most of Perahia's output is merely accomplished, pleasant and does NOT offer significant interpretative insights, this timidness reflected by his lack of enterprise. (Present illuninates the past & vice-versa etc.) The Murray case especially galling because he records rather prolifically, we're not talking eccentrics like Radu Lupu or Nelson Freire (who at least does Villa-Lobos) etc. to the extent baroque repertoire has canon, I'm grateful for the multiple recordings of, say, Rameau "Hippolyte & Aricie"-- the 1965 Anthony Lewis set with Janet Baker is marvelous, despite research-in-progress on how to perform such a work. meanwhile, compare & contrast. the instruments heighten the differences, yes, but... for what earthly purpose (besides ego & $$$) would Murray make a recording like this?

go down moses woodchoppers ballo

Now you aren't arguing against Perahia, you are arguing against recording core repertoire at all. For me, I can hear differences in individual performers' performance approaches, even if I have heard the piece played in the same general style before. Horowitz, Gould, Rubinstein, and yes even Perahia can all play the same piece and I will get something a bit different out of each one. When I listen to classical music, I am listening for the differences that make a performance unique, not looking for some absolute correct approach that makes any further recordings superfluous. There are aspects of Perahia's playing of Mozart that I find quite unique. It has a languid, fluid beauty that I admire. Maybe you want it to be masculine and angular and powerful. Well, I might too. But that doesn't mean I don't like Perahia's approach too. I don't see core repertoire as a static thing at all. In the hands of a gifted interpreter, the performer himself can be almost as important to the work as the composer. I'm not looking for accurate and proper performances. I want unique ones that are consistent to their own aesthetic, not my expectations. In theory, yes, but those are NOT the interpretations you're getting. Compare Murray in any single piece he recorded to one by, say, the brilliant, highly individualistic Ernst Levy. They're not even on the same planet. And again, to explain the relative dullity of Murray's mind, how telling it is that ** NOTHING ** except the so-called "core" engages him? Not one even piece? Just the same exact crap (& brilliance) recorded dozens upon dozens upon dozens of times before. 40 years of Murray isn't a "box" it's a coffin. A testament to marketing and one pianist's unquenchable ego: Murray against 100 years of cylinders, shellac, vinyl, tape & digital data whatsis. Perahia's career is everything that's wrong with classical music-- a vast & vastly more diverse, entertaining, humorous, sublime, thorny, just plain weird & thrilling place then he cares to even suggest (Natch, for doing so would unflatteringly reveal himself.) This may be an engaging issue for psychology or literature (think Murray will find his Thomas Bernhard or Janice Galloway*?) but until/unless he acknowledges co-existence in the world of Faure, Medtner, Rzewksi & (just to keep it "jazzy") Stefan Wolpe's "Passacaglia," George Flynn "Trinity" etc etc (Murray could/should offer us his own examples, as these have been well recorded already) he's a blight on music, anomalous Bartok recital included. I like York Bowen a lot, as did Sorabji-- i usually prefer Dussek on fortepiano but just to show what Murray could do with any gumption-- * Scottish novelist, here thinking of her great historical fiction on Clara Schumann-- http://www.amazon.com/Clara-A-Novel-Janice-Galloway/dp/0684844494

Fair question. Lack of interest in life? In others? In musical possibility? In the things that any educated person knows about music? There are musicians who play nothing but Baroque music. Are they lesser performers too? It seems to me that the vast range of repertoire in classical music makes the territory big enough that a great artist could narrow it down to just romantic piano music, or modern music, or opera, or early music or even just Bach... and still have enough of a territory to explore to not repeat themselves in a single human lifetime. I don't see lack of living composers in a performer's book as being a negative at all. There are people that specialize in just living composers I'm sure, and I wouldn't criticize them for not playing Mozart. You suddenly stopped being convincing altogether. In an instant, I switched from thinking about Perahia and his tastes, to thinking about you and yours. It's much better to make convincing arguments with examples like you did in your previous post. A medieval/renaissance/baroque musician could easily spend their career researching, performing, recording works that have rarely or never been heard for 100s of years. Advances-- and that's generally what they are-- in performance practice also make a goodly % of re-recordings viable. Q: has Perahia shown ANY-- the least-- intrepidness in his choice of repertoire? Does he sprinkle in some Dussek, say, or C.P.E. Bach or even-- & we'll get to piano v. harpsichord again in a bit-- Soler or Frescobaldi or Couperin or John Bull or Chambonnieres or Bohm etc etc? Q: has Perahia had the benefit of major label promotion, $$$, agents etc etc for 40+ years thus making such inquisitiveness risk free? Q: while baroque repertoire on piano is a viable alternative-- Marcelle Meyer, Glenn Gould, Samuel Feinberg (listen both to his Bach WTC ** and ** his series of modernist piano sonatas)-- if that's your only cornball go at re-imagining the music of past & present times... That's pretty weak sauce & no amount of 'elegant prestidigitation' can compensate for the loss of overtones, registration effects, ** TUNING ** !! (Hugely important issue to discuss elsewhere).

Thanks, Mark, I had no idea! Ethan has bugged me with some things in the past but much respect for him taking the time with George Walker... I don't agree with the way he framed some questions (if asking about Whitman "Lilacs," why not ask George what he also thinks about its meaning as Lincoln threnody), tho' I can appreciate his perspective on Greek myth... anyway, if Ethan sees this, kudos, and also to you Mark for pendant. LK, I did note Murray's Bartok as his anomolous-- and admittedly pretty good, but he had Solti there to goose him-- foray into modernity but Sonata for Two Pianos + Percussion was 1937, Murray born a decade later, 1947. Mo' Albany: it's not "Four Saints In Three Acts" but "Mother Of Us All"-- supplanting the previous recording on New World-- isn't ignorable-- Curious if J.J. Johnson knew Walker's 'bone concerto also; I'd guess yes but... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta6Z61-Q1pQ

I'm not esp. engaged by Lloyd either but it's not like he's a fraud; file in line with Havergal Brian, even William Mathias or Robert Simpson-- the list goes on. (I am, however, something of a Baxian.) And the reason you don't hear of most composers on Albany is because many are American, though hardly to exclusion. David Hurwitz is cranky on x # of subjects but he knows orchestral music & rates Lloyd highly-- http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-12975/ The Roy Harris symphonies, on the American side, are especially interesting (circling back to Bernstein who was great champion of the 3rd)-- I might prefer Walter Piston or Paul Creston or especially Lou Harrison overall but doesn't mean Harris (or Virgil Thomson) isn't worth knowing. And Albany has an excellent, extensive Charles Wourinen series on on the other side of the modernist divide. opposite Lloyd, Albany's Leon Kirchner recordings (+ complete string quartets) are excellent btw-- + Leo Ornstein, Leo Ornstein, Leo Ornstein! (on Albany & elsewhere.)

Albany is really a heroic operation, I honestly don't know who their audience is except maybe that % of faculty/students at American music schools (both conservatory & within large college/university) who are compelled by passion & curriculum maintain interest. (When travelling & in college towns, I've found it very pleasurably to attend all sorts of recitals; what some lack in final polish/virtuosity they nearly always make up for in programming & the sense of living vital musics, past & present.) Albany covers a lot of ground, of course & one can't not like rags & enjoy this but I love their William Bolcom complete rags set-- Compare to Bolcom's etudes btw, recorded by Marc-Andre Hamelin & released on New World-- Seems like those New World folk know something about piano music? (Joke question obviously, I'm just hoping there's x # of Cecil lovers turned onto Bolcom & vice-versa.)

should start a dedicated Nino Rota thread sometime but meanwhile, though not 'boxed' there's a recent, terrific three 2-cd Rota series on Decca that 1) I imagine someday they will be and 2) if you don't care to wait-- http://www.amazon.it/Orchestral-Works-Vol-1-Nino-Rota/dp/B00B9YDT18 http://www.amazon.it/Orchestral-Works-Vol-2-Nino-Rota/dp/B00D052BUO http://www.amazon.it/Nino-Rota-Orchestral-Works-Vol-3/dp/B00FMEKK7C

Perahia is frequently insipid & has devoted a career of vast privilege to but occasionally diverting dead horse non-invention. Artur Schnabel didn't record contemporary music, true, but he composed it and, in his amazing Mozart cadenzas, performed it. "Pathetic," on further thought, is an understatement. There's a HUGE plurality of very good to great to genius classical piano music written in the last 70 years and Murray peforms, records, promotes NONE of it? Fucking none? Yet he's fucking pianist who will, however, waste his time & everyone's butchering Bach, Handel, Scarlatti on a piano. If he played harpsichord and virginal, would he likewise ignore Martinu and Roberto Gerhard? (Analogy not exact, none are.) OK, Anthony Braxton isn't under-recorded (to say the least) but why not Murray performing Beethoven + Braxton, that would be the "safe," establishment (AB highly lauded, puts dots on paper) choice. Or if not AB, why not George Walker? Largely ignored save the stalwart Albany label. Can't begin to imagine why George Walker would be underknown but wait three seconds & I'm sure someone might whisper that he's "difficult." (Code for ???) I'm not bothering to look it up but maybe Murray has been commissioning new work & for whatever reasons, just doesn't perform/record it? OK, that's something... if true. (Which I doubt but I could be wrong.) The intro is (way) too long but this wonderful Charles Rosen lecture starts at 11:30-- If Murray can find so little in contemporary life to engage him, what makes anyone think his engagement with the past is any more inspired or empathetic?

Now that's a great set, even if not every recording (esp. in Mozart, Bach) is tip-top... Damn near worth it for the Nielsen and American recordings alone... But there are near endless discoveries to be made in this set, Bernstein's own music included... Which only heightens the Perahia Conundrum... cf. he will likely die, 40+ years a star, not having recorded anything more recent than that one Bartok recital?! What a waste of talent, resources, opportunity. If someone wants to counter with say Artur Rubinstein they're wrong because tho' he didn't do tons of contemporary works, here's a list of LIVING COMPOSERS he did record-- * Szymanowksi * Stravinsky * Prokofiev * Poulenc * Villa-Lobos * Rachmaninov * Falla * Ravel * Faure If we add the list of composers living while Artur was also alive but not yet recording, we can add * Albeniz, Granados, Scriabin, Debussy # of living composers Murray Perahia has recorded: ZERO # of composers once alive at same time as Murray that he's recorded: ZERO Uh... Murray?

Unfortunately, yes-- http://www.discogs.com/label/155968-Reb-Rebel I mean, in a way I'm glad these things exist as (further) evidence but... And yet this is J.D. Miller also-- dub quality here is a little rought but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CdDOBbBdYs

i'm using fictional examples only because the realiy is too mortifying/infuriating still. but there's (obviously) a VAST history of German-inspired Amerian anti-Semitism (from late 19th c. on) & Nazi this/that that many (most?) people would rather not recall. Given that-- though I'm not otherwise familiar with this type of disguised heirloom-- anything is possible. (And don't forget the great blues/cajun/swamp pop producer & music store proprietor J.D. Miller of Crowley, Louisians (just off I-10) also recording & selling-- under the counter in later days-- Klan records too.) interviewer is dim & I agree w/ PR that the book is not veiled allegory etc, which is actually insult to plural realities of both time periods. The book is excellent, the audiobook likewise if you indulge.

comments sections on youtube tuba battles are often excellent too

And make YouTube videos of people watching people watching people watching people listening to it, on to infinity. And then do a deluxe box set of all these replications that includes a free webcam so you can watch yourself watch yourself listening and watching to other people listening to and watching it. I mean, you really don't have to leave the house to be entertained these days, the thrills just keep multiplying on their own, and all you have to do is watch from home. Perfect world!

a great, unfairly maligned record, estimable even in its imperfections etc-- too bad circumstances disallowed pursuing further & other beat/electronic collaborations, belated respect to Ware for recognizing he'd overblown himself into unsustainable, less than challenging corner with acoustic quartet (regardless the drummer)--

i recall this as the ultimate schizo Pharoah-- a side forgettably pleasant, b side perhaps his single greatest blowout, back when such meant a lot. and the context...

Chuck Carter-- Vinny Golia whips out the big one at 22:30-- doesn't assay mere "ferocity" because he can do dozens of other things well also

my only criticism is the fade outs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKy6dUPsFQY

The DG Messiaen box on that list is an excellent deal; not every performance is the 'best' or only one you'd want but that's because Ollie's achievement so capacious. Includes texts and translations, unlike some of these other coffins.

I don't disagree with this description of the Mozart but I do view it as an indictment: Mozart was the supreme opera composer of his and every age (equalled, never surpassed); it's ludicrous to pretend the same or very similar musical rhetoric (for lack of better term here) is absent from the piano concertos and yet-- YET... even allowing Perahia's pianism, the conducting there is unaccetably restrained and po' faced. The fact that Murray hasn't pursued conducting is to his credit-- it was clearly not his forte but meanwhile, there it is (even if perhaps ghosted by the ECO), boxed and pedestaled... Now, I'm not going to argue a general case for Decca-era (London in US) Andras Schiff, he shares many of Perahaia's weaknesses-- but 1) Murray's best-- later-- Bach is better than Schiff's and 2) Schiff has a GREAT conductor and a GREAT orchestra on his Mozart piano concertos. I can't imagine that, were each equally accessible, ANYONE, movement for movement, would prefer Perahia to Schiff. BOTH usually underplay Mozart but Sandor Vegh is exponentially more sensitive and wide ranging conductor than Perahia/ECO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAHaw-oTywA Ubu, Bilson/Gardiner is kinda interesting but Gardiner is too straitlaced, what works for drilling Handel choristers (so to speak) doesn't often work elsewhere and though he has made some decent opera & orchestral recordings... his Bach (first go round), Monteverdi, Mozart and Beethoven aren't among them. (Purcell aye, Handel sometimes, Schumann, mostly yes (he was getting better.)) Robert Levin w/ Chrisopher Hogwood is MUCH better, Levin improv caprice sparking usefully against Hogwood, who's peppy like a tickled scrotum. Best "neutral" Mozart integrale btw is Christian Zacharias on MD&G though the EMI set is also pretty good, occasionally let down with heavy orchestra. Buchbinder is OK, he-- unlike Perahia he does understand/feel the rhetoric-- but he's a bit ponderous at times also. rambunctious Viviana Sofronitsky rules the period roost esp. since Levin/Hogwood is incomplete ('mature', we don't need the kid stuff again) and Ronald Brautigan problematic (his solo Beethoven series on BIS is excellent howev), tho' I definitely wouldn't mind hearing Arthur Schoonderwoerd take 'em on. Here's Artie doing KV 281-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zppndT_IcEo Mozart is too great to accept less than the complete expression of his genius.

I'm not suggesting anyone shouldn't enjoy what they enjoy but Perahia has had 40 years of ubiquitous (by classical standards) marketing behind him and given that, his achievement, and his intredpidness, is pretty lacking. Again, a handful of better records, NONE of which include those drearily conducted, politely played Mozart concertos (and Mozart should never be dreary or merely polite)... Big box syndrome only reinforces a corporate hegemony that never should have been so blithely accepted in the first place. (Exept that promo copies, advertising, PR firms easily win out.) Compare the relevant Murray to Zoltan Kocsis (except Murray never recorded Kurtag, nor anyone later than Bartok?) Kocsis Schubert D. 960-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBWzC-qsPtM Kocsis Rachmaninoff sonata #2-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlQwBHKVros etc etc Kocsis was on Philips for a while but except for a narrow window of Bartok, you'd hardly know it in the States, many of his releases "Special Import" only. His collected Debussy box on Philips is fantastic btw. http://www.amazon.com/Debussy-Piano-Music-Zoltán-Kocsis/dp/B000VG9GSA