Worst Recordings

[Henk]

Objectively speaking, neither Lim nor Pienaar can be considered neutral.

How then would you describe Pienaar an what is a neutral performance according to you? 

[prémont]

How then would you describe Pienaar an what is a neutral performance according to you? 

Pienaar's interpretation of the Beethoven sonatas may be considered eccentric and overthought. This is not in my view concepts one associates with neutrality.

An utterly neutral performance would be one that allows the music to express itself without any added inflection — what Todd calls expressionless, exemplified by Gulda's Amadeo recording.

Most often the best interpretations strike a balance between these two extremes.

[Henk]

Pienaar's interpretation of the Beethoven sonatas may be considered eccentric and overthought. This is not in my view concepts one associates with neutrality.

An utterly neutral performance would be one that allows the music to express itself without any added inflection — what Todd calls expressionless, exemplified by Gulda's Amadeo recording.

Most often the best interpretations strike a balance between these two extremes.

Thanks. I will check whether I feel the same.

[Henk]

Pienaar's interpretation of the Beethoven sonatas may be considered eccentric and overthought. This is not in my view concepts one associates with neutrality.

An utterly neutral performance would be one that allows the music to express itself without any added inflection — what Todd calls expressionless, exemplified by Gulda's Amadeo recording.

Most often the best interpretations strike a balance between these two extremes.

I just compared Gulda with Pienaar. Pienaar is a bit more carried, but imo still quite neutral. Gulda is old-fashioned while it too is neutral. I challenge you to propose a more contemporary neutral performance. I state that Pienaar's is among the more neutral contemporary cycles. You can try to falsify, it's up to you.

EDIT: I withdraw the challenge. I'm listening to Pienaar now and I can hear what you mean. For me the sound of his Beethoven has become so usual to me, since I play it ofen as background music during reading that I don't reaĺly discern his particular way of playing.

[Brian]

How many different ways can you play one-two one-two?

[Florestan]

How many different ways can you play one-two one-two?

For all my advocacy of performers' freedom to play as they see fit according to their lights --- this is an atrocious crime against humanity.

Now, I have read about, but never heard, Tzimon Barto's playing before, but judging by this, I can only say that his critics are understating their case. This man should be either in jail or in a bedlam.

[Todd]

How many different ways can you play one-two one-two?

The esteemed Mr Barto is the world's leading trainwreck pianist.  Almost everything in his post-EMI days is perversely eccentric, and purposely so.  He at least has the technical ability to pull off most of his delightful abominations.  This is one of the few recordings to receive a 1 for artistic quality on ClassicsToday.

[Cato]

Many moons ago, I bought a record on the Phillips label of a Sibelius Symphony (maybe #2) with Sir Colin Davis conducting.


When I turned it over to Side Two, I heard:


"Now here is the sound of the Springfield rifle on the battlefield of Gettysburg: 'KA-POW!' "

And similar things throughout the entire second side kept playing (POW!  BOOM!).

NO Sibelius!


Somehow, a record with the sounds of weapons from the American Civil War's Battle of Gettysburg was produced (and who would buy that?!) and replaced half of the Sibelius symphony.  I kept it for a while as a humorous curiosity!

So that was one of the worst recordings which I had ever bought!   

[(poco) Sforzando]

The esteemed Mr Barto is the world's leading trainwreck pianist.  Almost everything in his post-EMI days is perversely eccentric, and purposely so.  He at least has the technical ability to pull off most of his delightful abominations.  This is one of the few recordings to receive a 1 for artistic quality on ClassicsToday.

In fairness, he also gets a number of 2s and 3s: "Tzimon Barto may not be the most odious Ravel pianist on disc, but he's certainly among the top two or three."

[Todd]

When I turned it over to Side Two, I heard:

"Now here is the sound of the Springfield rifle on the battlefield of Gettysburg: 'KA-POW!' "

...and who would buy that?!

Especially given that LPs possess, at best, twelve bits of dynamic range.  You need at least eighteen bits to get even close to quasi-realizing cannon reports, after factoring in the proper distance from the microphones.

I had a similar experience with a Malipiero recording a few years back where Ashkenazy's Chopin Barcarolle closed it out.  One might prefer Chopin to Malipiero, so it's not exactly the same: https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,31.msg1084424.html#msg1084424

[(poco) Sforzando]

For all my advocacy of performers' freedom to play as they see fit according to their lights --- this is an atrocious crime against humanity.

Now, I have read about, but never heard, Tzimon Barto's playing before, but judging by this, I can only say that his critics are understating their case. This man should be either in jail or in a bedlam.

Wikipedia: "Tzimon Barto (born Johnny Barto Smith; January 2, 1963, in Eustis, Florida) is an American classical pianist. He is also a bodybuilder, novelist, poet, philosopher and speaks seven languages." So there.

[Brian]

Wikipedia: "Tzimon Barto (born Johnny Barto Smith; January 2, 1963, in Eustis, Florida) is an American classical pianist. He is also a bodybuilder, novelist, poet, philosopher and speaks seven languages." So there.

Oh wow! All these years I assumed from his name that he was some sort of Hungarian or Slovak guy. But no, he truly is the musical embodiment of Florida Man. Johnny Smith. Wow.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I have an unpopular opinion that outside of Schumann and Mahler, I just don't care for late Bernstein. He is too excessive, slow, and indulgent. His more structured Columbia recordings end up sounding more driven and passionate, MOSTLY across the board.

After leaving a late-career performance of his Mahler 2 with the NYP at Lincoln Center, I couldn't help thinking, would these distortions and exaggerations be tolerated from a younger conductor, one without Bernstein's reputation? (But I also remember around this same time a fabulous Sibelius 1 with the VPO at Carnegie Hall. I'm sorry to say I only heard Lenny live on a few occasions, not having the money in my youth to do more.)

[(poco) Sforzando]

Oh wow! All these years I assumed from his name that he was some sort of Hungarian or Slovak guy. But no, he truly is the musical embodiment of Florida Man. Johnny Smith. Wow.

I've seen him live only once, at the State U at Stony Brook, Long Island. I think it was Beethoven 3. Or was it Tchaikovsky 1? All I can remember is that yes, he's definitely a bodybuilder.

[Florestan]

All these years I assumed from his name that he was some sort of Hungarian or Slovak guy.

All these years I assumed from his name that he was Jewish. Now that I think of it, I should have known better, Jewish pianists are usually top tier. 

[Todd]

There may be a connection between these two posts.

Tzimon Barto (born Johnny Barto Smith; January 2, 1963, in Eustis, Florida)

In fairness, he also gets a number of 2s and 3s: "Tzimon Barto may not be the most odious Ravel pianist on disc, but he's certainly among the top two or three."

These may answer that decades old question from The X-Files:

[(poco) Sforzando]

All these years I assumed from his name that he was Jewish. Now that I think of it, I should have known better, Jewish pianists are usually top tier. 

You haven't heard me play.

[Todd]

All I can remember is that yes, he's definitely a bodybuilder.

Yes, but a potentially natural, non-competitive one who spent a lot of time on his arms.  There was no sign of heavy steroid, or any HGH or insulin use. 

[Florestan]

You haven't heard me play.

I'm sure that listening to you play and talk would be a much more interesting and pleasant experience than listening to Barto.

[AnotherSpin]

Oh wow! All these years I assumed from his name that he was some sort of Hungarian or Slovak guy. But no, he truly is the musical embodiment of Florida Man. Johnny Smith. Wow.

The name Barto could indicate Hungarian roots. The Barto's website mentions that he knows Hebrew, which could indeed suggest Jewish heritage.