Fun reviews corner

[kishnevi]

Indeed. 23.

But, if you are implying that I won't be able to have a sense of humor even about some of the most enduring pieces (regardless of what I think of them) when I'm older -- well... I'd hate to lose that.

Don't worry.   I laughed my head off at that.  I am even willing to bet that Stockhausen would have chuckled over it.  And my avatar shows Ligeti's views.

[Que]

Oooohhh, would I have known (or remembered) I could have posted so many things here.

But better get started now. I came across this today - hilarious...

[asin]B00006RHQJ[/asin]

Whilst it is good to hear the composers Sacred Works of the era, it is really disappointing however when it is apparent that the soloists really don't believe what they are singing, and can't be understood!
As a Christian it is really obvious when this is the case.

Huhhh? 

Q

[Ken B]

Indeed. 23.

But, if you are implying that I won't be able to have a sense of humor even about some of the most enduring pieces (regardless of what I think of them) when I'm older -- well... I'd hate to lose that.

No-one told you?? Seriously? 
When you turn 33 your penis falls off. Hard to laugh at anything after that.

[Jo498]

I found it funny and have nothing against Boulez' music. The fun starts of course with the niece taking Boulez for Berlioz and one has to admire the staunch aunt for listening thorugh the whole disc at all, so the description is not even the most funny thing for me. And if one looks up historical criticism of Berlioz some common tropes might be detected.

[Brian]

Oh man, Dave Hurwitz is HILARIOUS today.

"I have no doubt that if the sun were to die out and there was just enough energy left to launch an interstellar mission to save humanity, the British recording industry would scuttle the whole project to use the scarce remaining resources to record another Elgar series."

"English critics generally detest anything in a performance that might make them pay attention to it."

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/will-always-elgar/

[Ken B]

Oh man, Dave Hurwitz is HILARIOUS today.

"I have no doubt that if the sun were to die out and there was just enough energy left to launch an interstellar mission to save humanity, the British recording industry would scuttle the whole project to use the scarce remaining resources to record another Elgar series."

"English critics generally detest anything in a performance that might make them pay attention to it."

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/will-always-elgar/

David Hurwitz, I misjudged thee.
*raises a respectful pint*

[Sergeant Rock]

Oh man, Dave Hurwitz is HILARIOUS today.

"It wasn't worth the death of the human race to release them."



Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

David Hurwitz, I misjudged thee.
*raises a respectful pint*

You can spit out your brew...Slatkin's Elgar received a 10/10

Leonard Slatkin's vital and idiomatic readings catch the spirit of the music while recreating that uniquely Elgarian sound world. Symphony No. 1 fairly crackles with energy thanks to Slatkin's mastery of the score's rhythmic structure–especially in the dramatic first movement. - See more at: http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-10499/?search=1#sthash.5G6bVZnP.dpuf

Sarge

[Ken B]

You can spit out your brew...Slatkin's Elgar received a 10/10

Leonard Slatkin's vital and idiomatic readings catch the spirit of the music while recreating that uniquely Elgarian sound world. Symphony No. 1 fairly crackles with energy thanks to Slatkin's mastery of the score's rhythmic structure–especially in the dramatic first movement. - See more at: http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-10499/?search=1#sthash.5G6bVZnP.dpuf

Sarge

Even Homer nods. 

I own Slatkin's Elgar. Partly because of the 10/10. But maturity means taking responsibility for your own mistakes. I had heard Elgar's symphonies and bought them anyway.

[Brian]

Wait, I'm confused, don't we all agree Slatkin's Elgar rocks?

[Ken B]

Wait, I'm confused, don't we all agree Slatkin's Elgar rocks?

It extracts the most that can be extracted.

On a completely different topic, have you met my friend Bob? No-one gets more toothpaste from a nearly empy tube than Bob; he's a master.

[TheGSMoeller]

Hurwitzer has done it again! And this time he may be right. I like reading his reviews whether I agree or not, the man is entertaining. I bought this Venzago doing Bruckner 5th, and I do enjoy hearing it perhaps for sheer interest (Venzago was very successful with Bruckner's 2, 4 and 7 I believe) but Venzago is extreme, and this one doesn't top any of my other 5th recordings, maybe not even close or in the same zip code. But I enjoy hearing it, which is the best way I can put it.
Hurwitzer, however, has no issue  humorously throwing it in the dumpster...

Alvin and the Chipmunks Play Bruckner
Yes, you saw it correctly. Asking the Tapiola Sinfonietta (about 46 members) to play Bruckner's Fifth Symphony, his grandest work before the Eighth, is like asking Alvin and the Chipmunks to perform Wagner's Ring. All of it. The result is cartoonish when not simply silly, emphasized at every point by Mario Venzago's absurdly rushed tempos and loopy but necessary balances (to allow the strings, 28 strong, to be heard at all). CPO calls this series "A Different Bruckner", but really it's nothing more than stupid Bruckner; and at a time when stupid Bruckner is all the rage, that's saying a lot.
http://www.classicstoday.com/review/alvin-chipmunks-play-bruckner/

[asin]B00N5EINIY[/asin]

[MishaK]

(Venzago was very successful with Bruckner's 2, 4 and 7 I believe)

I can't even agree with that. I'm with the Hurwitzer here. Venzago's Bruckner belongs in the dumpster. I think there is something clearly fishy going on when a conductor for a project like this can't even successfully enlist a single orchestra to do the whole thing. It seems that whichever band works with him wants nothing further to do with him after one disc.

[Brian]

In case you missed it, last week at ClassicsToday David Hurwitz and David Vernier posted about their favorite...kitchen utensils.

[Brian]

"Having listened carefully to both, I agree that there's a certain degree of reverberation in the new Naxos disc, but while Dan's ears detect "the acoustic properties of a barn" my own pick up the sort of sound that might be emanating from a medium-sized bathroom." - Rob Maynard at MusicWeb

[PerfectWagnerite]

I don't know about you but this one is a REAL screamer:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-10703/?search=1

(just read the part regarding dirty geriatric types)

[Sergeant Rock]

I don't know about you but this one is a REAL screamer:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-10703/?search=1

(just read the part regarding dirty geriatric types)

"Even better, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, you can order on line and never be seen with it in public."

Yes, we Havergalians heretofore had to keep the "Gothic" hidden under our shabby, full-length raincoats when out and about in public   

Sarge

[PerfectWagnerite]

This other one is a favorite of mine also:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-11617/?search=1

The highlight of which is:

If you like Mahler's Eighth, stick with Nagano, Kubelik (Audite), Bertini, Tennstedt, Gielen II, Chailly, Bernstein I, or any number of recordings made by conductors who have more going for them than the fact that they happened to show up breathing on the day of the concert.

[knight66]

This other one is a favorite of mine also:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-11617/?search=1

The highlight of which is:

If you like Mahler's Eighth, stick with Nagano, Kubelik (Audite), Bertini, Tennstedt, Gielen II, Chailly, Bernstein I, or any number of recordings made by conductors who have more going for them than the fact that they happened to show up breathing on the day of the concert.

A good read, and accurate. I have no idea why that version is still lurking on my shelves. I listed to it once and thought I ought to give it another chance, I never did. To the list of alternatives I add Wyn Morris, live at the Albert Hall, Solti, Sinopoli and Wit.

Mike

[PerfectWagnerite]

This one is also one of my favorite as well:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-3110/?search=1

But now you need to be a member to read it. I remember it got a "2" for performance because Hurwitz thinks it was "mediocre" and because

1) Solti took the exposition repeat in the final movement and not the first
2) Solti took Schubert's long accent marks as de-crescendos.

Nothing that would remotely quality it as getting a "2".