David Hurwitz

[Pohjolas Daughter]

That is relatively recent. I believe his day job is at a bank.

that I did not know!

In one of his youtube postings, he talked about how he got into music, doing reviews, etc., and like Brian, I recall him saying something about that he couldn't make a decent living doing reviews and ended up working in finance of some sort.

PD

[Brian]

Horses for courses - personally I like comparative reviews but then I choose to own multiple versions of works so the comparison is useful

When I did MWI reviews my intention with comparisons was to help collectors understand whether they'd like a new recording (what it's similar to etc), not to slap down all of today's artists with remarks about how all the great old artists were better.

I wonder if Hurwitz does blind listening games like we used to do at GMG. We need to bring those back! Maybe a project for me when I have some free time.

[Madiel]

The fact is, expecting someone to relisten to Mahler or Bruckner cycles before making a statement about which are the better or best cycles is ruling out anyone ever making such a post.

Do the maths. Work out how many weeks you're asking someone to devote to that one post or video. Plus consider how they're even going to remember clearly by the end of that process what was happening near the start of that process.

I'm working my way through every recording of Shostakovich op.87 at the moment, and that's quite hard enough - less than 3 hours and a lot fewer recordings than Mahler symphonies. And I doubt the process would be greatly sped up if I was doing nothing else, because my brain would just melt.

[Brian]

I'm working my way through every recording of Shostakovich op.87 at the moment, and that's quite hard enough - less than 3 hours and a lot fewer recordings than Mahler symphonies. And I doubt the process would be greatly sped up if I was doing nothing else, because my brain would just melt.

Yeah, I decided to do this for complete Dvorak symphonies I own - not even all of them! - and have put it on hiatus for a few months to prevent burnout. Even having nine works to choose from and bounce around. I simply have to trust that my values will remain consistent over these months of break time.

[DavidW]

The fact is, expecting someone to relisten to Mahler or Bruckner cycles before making a statement about which are the better or best cycles is ruling out anyone ever making such a post.

I agree, but I also don't think it would be possible DH or for anyone to hold thirty different recordings in his head at once.  Our aural memory is limited to a few seconds anyway.  All one can really do is read back over detailed notes and observations made about each recording.

[Karl Henning]

EDIT;  Entertainly and with commendable self-deprecation Hurwitz has JUST released a video where he relates reviewing the same disc twice (in a re-release) without realising and giving vastly differing opinions.  But that rather supports my view that relying on your own recall (or even notes!) of a performance from before is potentially flawed.  To say at any given time "X is best" you have to have done comparisons at the same time in the same listening conditions (and preferably the same mood!!).  Otherwise there are too many variables.

(* chortle *)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Horses for courses - personally I like comparative reviews but then I choose to own multiple versions of works so the comparison is useful

EDIT;  Entertainly and with commendable self-deprecation Hurwitz has JUST released a video where he relates reviewing the same disc twice (in a re-release) without realising and giving vastly differing opinions.  But that rather supports my view that relying on your own recall (or even notes!) of a performance from before is potentially flawed.  To say at any given time "X is best" you have to have done comparisons at the same time in the same listening conditions (and preferably the same mood!!).  Otherwise there are too many variables.

It could also be a case of 1) as you suggested, ones mood could be different--the pandemic has certainly been effecting mine  and/or 2) ones tastes often changes over the course of ones life (and not just regarding music), and/or 3) ones knowledge about the music/the composer/the work, etc. might have changed/increased over time too.  Just some thoughts. 

PD

[DavidW]

It could also be a case of 1) as you suggested, ones mood could be different--the pandemic has certainly been effecting mine  and/or 2) ones tastes often changes over the course of ones life (and not just regarding music), and/or 3) ones knowledge about the music/the composer/the work, etc. might have changed/increased over time too.  Just some thoughts. 

PD

I find that all of those change my takes on music.

[Karl Henning]

I find that all of those change my takes on music.

Indeed!

[Jo498]

Anecdotally, I recall that maybe 15 years ago I noticed that one and the same recording (of some music like a Beethoven sonata or quartet I knew fairly well) seemed rather slow and rather fast within a few days or weeks, probably depending on time of the day or how relaxed/stressed I was (e.g. listening via headphone shortly before going to sleep already in the dark lying on the bed). This has made me quite wary of my own impressions.

[Madiel]

Anecdotally, I recall that maybe 15 years ago I noticed that one and the same recording (of some music like a Beethoven sonata or quartet I knew fairly well) seemed rather slow and rather fast within a few days or weeks, probably depending on time of the day or how relaxed/stressed I was (e.g. listening via headphone shortly before going to sleep already in the dark lying on the bed). This has made me quite wary of my own impressions.

It can also depend very much on what you were listening to beforehand, or doing beforehand. Human perception is far more attuned to changes in things rather than absolutes - when it comes to speed, we can tell "slower" or "faster" way better then we can measure what the speed is.

[Roasted Swan]

It could also be a case of 1) as you suggested, ones mood could be different--the pandemic has certainly been effecting mine  and/or 2) ones tastes often changes over the course of ones life (and not just regarding music), and/or 3) ones knowledge about the music/the composer/the work, etc. might have changed/increased over time too.  Just some thoughts. 

PD

Exactly so!

[Brian]

Anecdotally, I recall that maybe 15 years ago I noticed that one and the same recording (of some music like a Beethoven sonata or quartet I knew fairly well) seemed rather slow and rather fast within a few days or weeks, probably depending on time of the day or how relaxed/stressed I was (e.g. listening via headphone shortly before going to sleep already in the dark lying on the bed). This has made me quite wary of my own impressions.

I can "play" many whole pieces through in my mind, like a mental radio, after memorizing them. And late at night, they tend to play much more slowly, as I get tired and slower tempos become much more appealing in the same works which might have been more fun faster at lunchtime.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I can "play" many whole pieces through in my mind, like a mental radio, after memorizing them. And late at night, they tend to play much more slowly, as I get tired and slower tempos become much more appealing in the same works which might have been more fun faster at lunchtime.

That's a cool talent!    Trust that you have now tossed out your iPod? 

PD

[Florestan]

I can "play" many whole pieces through in my mind, like a mental radio, after memorizing them. And late at night, they tend to play much more slowly, as I get tired

...and as you get asleep. Allargando sognando...

[vers la flamme]

This man needs a blepharoplasty.

[(poco) Sforzando]

This man needs a blepharoplasty.

Among other things.

[Brian]

That's a cool talent!    Trust that you have now tossed out your iPod? 

PD

Hah, no, it's a lot harder cognitively as I get older, I've been working on a few pieces like Nielsen 4 and the Paganini Rhapsody for over a year now. It takes many, many listens to get from "earworm" to complete piece. Just yesterday got very close on the Paganini but two of the 24 variations appeared twice to make 26, so gotta iron that out and make sure all the transitions are right. Most recent "acquisition" was Also sprach Zarathustra.

It does enable me to try out interpretive ideas, speeding up, slowing down, etc. Bruckner 7 track timings for me - about 16/19/8/11. I use my own mental cadenza for the first Tchaikovsky concerto, that kind of thing. Did once get to ask a professional composer about this and learned that it is not at all normal - growing up of course thought it was completely normal!

[Madiel]

What's the equivalent of a photographic memory? A phonographic memory?

[Irons]

What's the equivalent of a photographic memory? A phonographic memory?

For a moment I missed the (h) there.