Blind comparison: Bach Cello Suites

[xochitl]

can i get group H? promise i'll make it by the deadline

[aukhawk]

PMs to   mszczuj   and   xochitl

Thanks for your vote   aligreto   - remarkably G1 has been voted best in group twice, and last place also twice.  It was similar for this cellist in the Prologue round, all 'yes' or 'no' but no 'maybe'.

[prémont]

.. remarkably G1 has been voted best in group twice, and last place also twice.  It was similar for this cellist in the Prologue round, all 'yes' or 'no' but no 'maybe'.

Maybe because his reputation rests upon old veneration, and that others have not just equalled him, but surpassed him.

Or maybe just because taste has changed.

[jfdrex]

Without further ado, my comments and rankings for Group H:

H1 ~ light and airy, but the thinnish tone of the cello doesn't greatly appeal to me.  Indeed--I don't quite know why, but I become impatient as I listen to this.

H2 ~ a tour de force!  Beautifully played, with great mastery and ease.  The recording is gorgeous--almost too gorgeous? 
(Some "artificial" effects achieved by the engineer fiddling with knobs & such?)  At any rate, the performer communicates
his/her joy in the work throughout, and I find this performance a delight from start to finish. Easily my first-place choice,
and a worthy finalist in my book.

H3 ~ a quieter, more introverted, introspective, understated, ascetic performance than H3.  Lovely in its own way, though
perhaps a shade too quiet throughout--more variety in the Prelude would not have come amiss.  The Courant and Gavottes seem
a tad  too deliberate.  And yet...  This performance has great distinction and authority, and I find much to admire here even if I don't "like" it in the way that I like H2.  This definitely is "late-night" listening.

H4 ~ Strong & assertive playing right from the outset.  A somewhat similar approach to H2, but not quite as engaging and
enchanting to me as H2.  The reverberant accoustic--too aggressively and irritatingly reverberant in this music for my taste--
leads me to guess that this migh be a Chandos or Nimbus recording.

H5 ~ Another excessively reverberant recording. In fact, the reverberant accoustic and the somewhat hollow sound of the cello
is the first thing that strikes me, and it gets in the way of my appreciation of this interpretation and my enjoyment of the
performance as a performance.  HIPsters no doubt will point out all sorts of merits in this performance; in time, I might
come to appreciate it more, but for now I find it it overly busy (the opposite of H3) and a tad too HIPsterish.


So, my ranking:

1>  H2
2>  H3
3>  H4
4>  H5
5>  H1

I'd certainly advance H2 & H3 to the next (final?) round.

[aligreto]

Thanks for your vote   aligreto   - remarkably G1 has been voted best in group twice, and last place also twice.  It was similar for this cellist in the Prologue round, all 'yes' or 'no' but no 'maybe'.

That is the thing with blind tests; even if you feel that you know who it is you have to vote on what you hear and not what you think you hear.
Yes, with certain artists there are no maybes, just polarized opposites.

[prémont]

That is the thing with blind tests; even if you feel that you know who it is you have to vote on what you hear and not what you think you hear.

But this ideal is impracticable. As soon as one recognizes - or think to recognize - the player, this knowledge is bound to colour the evaluation.

[Madiel]

But this ideal is impracticable. As soon as one recognizes - or think to recognize - the player, this knowledge is bound to colour the evaluation.

Which is one reason you should get people like me, who don't already have 15 favourite versions of a work, to participate.

Although in this case it wasn't practical when the comparison started, and it's about to become impractical again.

[prémont]

Which is one reason you should get people like me, who don't already have 15 favourite versions of a work, to participate.

Or the ideal blind comparison comprises nothing but unknown recordings?

[mc ukrneal]

Or the ideal blind comparison comprises nothing but unknown recordings?

I have only one version. I don't know if I have heard it. I rarely can recognize a specific performance. I don't know how others do it. Even in pieces where I have a high degree of familiarity, something has to be obvious for me to pick it out.

[aukhawk]

Thankyou    jfdrex   your vote has definitely helped clarify the final 4.

(Some "artificial" effects achieved by the engineer fiddling with knobs & such?)

You know, this is certainly a criticism I feel about one of the other strong contenders within this top 10.  But then I ask myself, why does this disturb me??  (I write, you understand, as a sound engineer (retired).  In my work I used artificial digital reverb on a more-or-less daily basis - it's an essential and routine tool of the trade - so why would it bother me when I detect it in a recording originated by somebody else??  I dunno.   

[Pat B]

Group H. Since I'm running late, not much commentary, other than to say that this was a pretty tightly packed group for me, and to guess that my top choice was deemed too straight by some other listeners.

Best H2 H1 H5 H4 H3 Worst

[Pat B]

guess that my top choice was deemed too straight by some other listeners.

Well, looking back over others' comments, I was way off on that.

[aukhawk]

Thanks Pat - yes your top choice was much liked and was the easy winner in group H (though currently edged out for 1st overall by the group G winner).

Last orders please folks, voting will close at the end of today (US time).  Round 2 eliminations will be posted tomorrow morning (UK time).

[xochitl]

well, life really got in the way this time around :/

looking forward to the results tho

[aukhawk]

No problem.  Now ... relax. 

[jlaurson]

My commentary is getting ever more extensive... I'm 1 1/2 versions away from turning in Group G.

[xochitl]

i managed to scrape a couple hours of free time!

H2 - awesome all around but too much reverb. im almost sure i know who this is and the rest of the cycle isnt as good but we're only voting on this so im a bit conflicted
H3 - very deep. total control. didnt like it initially cos it started out slow/heavy but i ended up hypnotized
H1 - very expressive, a bit eccentric. beautiful sweet tone. not quite tops
H5 - had a hard time with the sound of the instrument (spalla?). performance was excellent
H4 - wispy but heavyhanded at the same time. no

H2 was the only one that really stood out from a pack of really good recordings. H1-H3-H5 tied and H4 was disqualified.

[mszczuj]

Alas I'm too late and not very sure but still:

G1>G4>G5>G2>G3

[aukhawk]

Thanks chaps.

jlaurson?  I'd hate to cut you out when you've got so far.

In any case there'll be a bit of a delay as xochitl's vote has (not for the first time  ) altered the rankings just around the cut-off point.  I need to take time out to process a new finalist!

[aukhawk]

Links for the FINAL round (Group X, 4 contenders, Suite No.5 entire) have been PM'd to everyone who voted in the last round. 
That is: (in no especial order!) Jeffrey Smith;     jfdrex;  mc ukrneal;  premont;   xochitl;  jlaurson;   aligreto;   Pat B;  mszczuj;  banpuku;
As ever, if anyone else wishes to join in, please do.

I'm awaiting   jlaurson's    vote and comments before revealing the six not going through, but as it happens his vote can have no material effect on the 1st/2nd/3rd placings in group G, so the 4 finalists are decided anyway.  And a very 'interesting' group they are too!  (That's 'interesting' in the 'be careful what you wish for' sense  )
X1 was H2/E5/B1.  X2 was H5/E4/B5.   X3 was G4/F2/C6.   X4 was G5/E1/B7.