David Hurwitz

[ritter]

The interesting discussion on buying vs. streaming has been moved to a new topic.

[ando]

I like his "industry" commentary best but can only be thankful that we have his contributions. He seems to be having a ball doing it. There are certainly no shortage of classical music cranks but who wants to watch them? And is there a serious YouTube alternative?

"What I can tell you is the way NOT to increase the market for classical music is to diminish the value of what you are trying to sell to point where you can't even give it away anymore." 

yulp.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I like his "industry" commentary best but can only be thankful that we have his contributions. He seems to be having a ball doing it. There are certainly no shortage of classical music cranks but who wants to watch them? And is there a serious YouTube alternative?

"What I can tell you is the way NOT to increase the market for classical music is to diminish the value of what you are trying to sell to point where you can't even give it away anymore." 

yulp.

I remember a story which a friend shared with me.  As I recall, she was a *lawyer-in-training at the time working at a law firm (*so to speak).  She told me that she had to save up a week's salary in order to buy a Wagner opera at the time.

PD

[Irons]

I remember a story which a friend shared with me.  As I recall, she was a *lawyer-in-training at the time working at a law firm (*so to speak).  She told me that she had to save up a week's salary in order to buy a Wagner opera at the time.

PD

I wager your friend enjoyed the music all the more then if she merely pressed a button and heard the opera at little cost.

[david johnson]

I haven't changed my mind from the comment I made when this all began.  He's brilliant, when he agrees with me.

[71 dB]

DH made a video about CPE Bach's Symphonies Wq. 182 on Glossa. I listened to it on Spotify and yes, it is good. Compared to the Naxos I have the sound is darker (less mid-range).

I remember a story which a friend shared with me.  As I recall, she was a *lawyer-in-training at the time working at a law firm (*so to speak).  She told me that she had to save up a week's salary in order to buy a Wagner opera at the time.

PD

As people probably know we have conscription in Finland for obvious reasons. Thanks to it Finland can put up more troops than France and Germany combined! I did my military service about 30 years ago. We were paid small daily allowance. Since I didn't smoke, I didn't need to buy cigarettes like many others did and I saved the daily allowances. Every month I was able to save about 180 mk (30 euros) which was enough to buy one normal priced CD album (120 mk) and one CD single (50 mk). I did spend the money on CDs when I was on vacation (weekend breaks) from the army. This was a few years before I discovered classical music. The music I bought was electronic dance music, releases such as Autechre's Anti EP and The Prodigy's Music for the Jilted Generation.

[steve ridgway]

"What I can tell you is the way NOT to increase the market for classical music is to diminish the value of what you are trying to sell to point where you can't even give it away anymore." 

I hadn't listened to any of those videos before but that was great. I feel so sorry for all those poor owners of The Non-Essential Toscanini .

[Mookalafalas]

  When Hurwitz first started coming up a couple of years ago, I couldn't imagine who'd listen to him. However, I've recently become a fan. I like his enthusiasm, and he is making me want to play certain music that I wouldn't otherwise have. That's the main reason I come to this site, too. I've only watched a couple hours of his stuff, and I fast-forward a lot. But scrolling for the "good stuff" is what I do at GMG, too, so maybe not so different. However, while browsing this site, I can listen to music, which I can't with with DH. That's unfortunate.

[DavidW]

However, while browsing this site, I can listen to music, which I can't with with DH. That's unfortunate.

You can always subscribe to Classics Today and read his reviews!

[Karl Henning]

and I fast-forward a lot....

I can see that.

[ando]

I had forgotten about this interview with Hurwitz about his own development. Good one.

[LKB]

By now I've seen enough of Hurwitz to have developed a guarded respect for him. He is certainly passionate about music, and is fairly consistent in explaining the reasons for his positive or negative responses to various recordings.

It seems to me that his one big weakness is a tendency to make blanket statements about this or that composer, which are not always accurate. ( l imagine everyone here has probably done this or something similar at some point, but l think it safe to say that none of us here are making videos critiquing various recordings, or presenting ourselves on YouTube as reference authorities in the field. )

When he's right, he's quite the valuable resource. But one should have alternate sources of critical expertise available for the times when he is wrong.

[Karl Henning]

It seems to me that his one big weakness is a tendency to make blanket statements about this or that composer, which are not always accurate. ( l imagine everyone here has probably done this or something similar at some point, but l think it safe to say that none of us here are making videos critiquing various recordings, or presenting ourselves on YouTube as reference authorities in the field. )

Exactly. It's a weakness which pairs abysmally well with the blowhard's "This is my opinion, and it's important because it's mine."

[Mookalafalas]

 

Exactly. It's a weakness which pairs abysmally well with the blowhard's "This is my opinion, and it's important because it's mine."

But don't we all feel that way? We would be jerks to blurt them out too much here, but he's on his own website. If he was a lecturing educator, it would be innappropriate, but he, positions himself as an un-filtered, old-school, keeper-of-the-faith who spontaneously blurts out his opinions. He's a weird combination of jester and old-testament prophet on a jeremiad. And for all that, he's not rigidly close-minded towards what he dislikes. He will often modify or even change his positions.

[Madiel]

The main reason he says that his opinions are his is to stop people arguing with him in the comments in fruitless ways. Yes, it's his list, his opinion.

It's not a message board.

[71 dB]

Exactly. It's a weakness which pairs abysmally well with the blowhard's "This is my opinion, and it's important because it's mine."

I don't think DH actually claims his opinions are important to anyone else than himself. He is talented in expressing his opinions and he does it in a loud, colourful and extroverted manner, which is entertaining or annoying depending on the personality of the listener. He actually knows what he is talking about most of the time. Sometimes I disagree with him*, but that doesn't mean HE is wrong. I don't know that much (remember, I am the idiot who thinks Dittersdorf's music is any good!) and sometimes my taste just is different. I think DH believes his opinions can be educational and helpful to those who don't know everything. Some of the stuff he says is clearly to be taken ironically or as joking. He talks openly about having been wrong about something in the past. He is clearly ready to change his mind.

I believe you like/appreciate DH more than you are willing to admit to yourself Karl. If you genuinely thought what you say, you wouldn't be writing on this thread as much as you do, would you? You are processing your internal struggles and trying to get your feelings straight. That's okay. We all have internal struggles. I have done it countless of times myself for sure. 

* I disagreed with him about Taneyev. He doesn't care about Taneyev while I do. I commented to his video on Youtube:

"Does music need to scream the name of its creator? I think the only downside of not having a distinctive own style is that the music is easily overlooked/ignored as in the case of Taneyev."

He replied:

"In short, yes. Music does need to scream the need of its creator. That's why no one especially cares about Taneyev. A pity, but it's true. A distinctive voice is one of the hallmarks of greatness."

[Florestan]

I disagreed with him about Taneyev. He doesn't care about Taneyev while I do. I commented to his video on Youtube:

"Does music need to scream the name of its creator? I think the only downside of not having a distinctive own style is that the music is easily overlooked/ignored as in the case of Taneyev."

He replied:

"In short, yes. Music does need to scream the need of its creator. That's why no one especially cares about Taneyev. A pity, but it's true. A distinctive voice is one of the hallmarks of greatness."

He uses sophistry here. First, he says "music" without any qualifications. Then he moves the goalpost to "greatness". And he's being hypocritical in the process with that "A pity". Besides, in short, no, it's not true. There are professional musicians out there who care enough about Taneyev to record his complete chamber music, his complete symphonies and his complete songs.

Imo, it's not that much in his videos, but in his replies to the comments people make on them, that Hurwitz more often than not comes out as an insufferable prick.

Btw, count me as an idiot too, I like Dittersdorf's music as well. 

[71 dB]

He uses sophistry here. First, he says "music" without any qualifications. Then he moves the goalpost to "greatness". And he's being hypocritical in the process with that "A pity". Besides, in short, no, it's not true. There are professional musicians out there who care enough about Taneyev to record his complete chamber music, his complete symphonies and his complete songs.

You don't need to tell me he is wrong here.

Imo, it's not that much in his videos, but in his replies to the comments people make on them, that Hurwitz more often than not comes out as an insufferable prick.

Maybe it is a good idea to not comment on his videos and just watch them then?

Btw, count me as an idiot too, I like Dittersdorf's music as well. 

Cool, very cool!

[Florestan]

Maybe it is a good idea to not comment on his videos and just watch them then?

Indeed. Once you know that he invariably scoffs at any comment which disagrees with him, why commenting again?

[DavidW]

I'm beginning to think that we should have two Hurwitz threads.  The constant debate sours the thread for those that just want to talk about his latest content.