David Hurwitz

[Karl Henning]

Dave is such fun. Today's topic is how we should not judge performances by small imperfections, with ol' Dave berating listeners who do so and patting himself on the back for deleting all such comments he wants suppressed so his listeners can't judge for themselves. Of course never mind all the times Dave berates performances for small imperfections himself. Do as I say, not as I do.

He's a hoot. If only he knew....

[Roasted Swan]

Dave is such fun. Today's topic is how we should not judge performances by small imperfections, with ol' Dave berating listeners who do so and patting himself on the back for deleting all such comments he wants suppressed so his listeners can't judge for themselves. Of course never mind all the times Dave berates performances for small imperfections himself. Do as I say, not as I do.

He is a master of changing the frame of reference as it so suits him....

[(poco) Sforzando]

He's a hoot. If only he knew....

In fairness, every once in a while there's a fleeting glimpse of self-awareness. . . .

[LKB]

In fairness, every once in a while there's a fleeting glimpse of self-awareness. . . .

Accidents happen! 

[LKB]

I hope you're not a nuclear engineer!

Being a musician has brought countless emotional and spiritual rewards, as well as useful income during my prime as a singer.

If I had been any sort of engineer I expect I'd now be better off materially, but spiritually shallow and, ultimately, not a whit happier.

[Brian]

Dave is such fun. Today's topic is how we should not judge performances by small imperfections, with ol' Dave berating listeners who do so and patting himself on the back for deleting all such comments he wants suppressed so his listeners can't judge for themselves. Of course never mind all the times Dave berates performances for small imperfections himself. Do as I say, not as I do.

Oh, so we shouldn't take a point off every time the percussion isn't lined up in sync at the final climax of the first movement of Prokofiev 5? Or the tam-tam is held too short at the end of the Rach Symphonic Dances? The irony!

Actually this fits with my previous perception that Video Dave is much more forgiving and positive than Writer Dave. There are so many examples of him doing recent videos where he declares everything to be "good" or "pretty good" or "fine" after having previously given it a 6 or 7 and written devastatingly about why Szell (or whoever) did it better.

[Kalevala]

Oh, so we shouldn't take a point off every time the percussion isn't lined up in sync at the final climax of the first movement of Prokofiev 5? Or the tam-tam is held too short at the end of the Rach Symphonic Dances? The irony!

Actually this fits with my previous perception that Video Dave is much more forgiving and positive than Writer Dave. There are so many examples of him doing recent videos where he declares everything to be "good" or "pretty good" or "fine" after having previously given it a 6 or 7 and written devastatingly about why Szell (or whoever) did it better.

Maybe it's also a part of just getting older and having heard a lot of music?  I suspect that no performance (and recording) is perfect; that's a part of life.

K

[Brian]

Maybe it's also a part of just getting older and having heard a lot of music?  I suspect that no performance (and recording) is perfect; that's a part of life.

K

I think so too. A little wisdom to it. "Relax, nobody's perfect."

[Kalevala]

I think so too. A little wisdom to it. "Relax, nobody's perfect."

And trying to be kind.

K

[(poco) Sforzando]

Oh, so we shouldn't take a point off every time the percussion isn't lined up in sync at the final climax of the first movement of Prokofiev 5? Or the tam-tam is held too short at the end of the Rach Symphonic Dances? The irony!

Actually this fits with my previous perception that Video Dave is much more forgiving and positive than Writer Dave. There are so many examples of him doing recent videos where he declares everything to be "good" or "pretty good" or "fine" after having previously given it a 6 or 7 and written devastatingly about why Szell (or whoever) did it better.

This, remember, is the guy who says the only great recording of the Moldau is Szell's, 'cause he's the only one who balances the trumpets properly in a passage from the coda that nobody pays the slightest attention to.

But I disagree with you, Brian. Video Dave was particularly cantankerous today; you'll have to play the meandering lecture for yourself but this is the blurb he starts us with: "I've seen a lot of comments recently in which some viewers portentously delight in making a Big Deal out of unimportant details, castigating artists for theoretically dire lapses in what are otherwise exceptional performances. It's a bad habit. Get over it." Yeah right, Dave, always a good idea to insult your viewers and make sure to delete their comments if they give you any pushback.

Meanwhile I will return to the Appassionata and castigate those artists who play the opening figure as quarter/eighth rather than the quarter-tied to sixteenth/sixteenth that is such an unimportant detail that Beethoven took pains to write it that way literally dozens of times throughout the movement.

[LKB]

I think so too. A little wisdom to it. "Relax, nobody's perfect."

The crux of all criticism, not just in music but in fact relating to every human endeavor.

I have heard a great many recordings since 1967, when my father plunked me and my older brother down before the family's first ever stereo, and introduced us to the classic Mercury recording of Tchaikovsky's Overture 1812, with the Minneapolis ( now Minnesota ) Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati.

My brother enjoyed the experience, but for me... " life-changing " is the only appropriate description of the effect this event had on me.

And since then, in all the the countless hours of listening to and memorizing recordings of symphonies, concerti, opera, chamber music and all the rest, the " perfect recording " has yet to be encountered.

The greatest achievement in all human activities should be a full realization of the the creator's objective, with whatever flaws that exist reduced to as few and as insignificant as can be made possible.

" Perfection " is neither achievable nor, in fact, even detectable, given the limitations of human senses and intellect.

( Here endeth the Lesson, freely and cheerfully supplied by LKB, with the most appreciated assistance of Prof. Jack Daniel. )

[Karl Henning]

"I've seen a lot of comments recently in which some viewers portentously delight in making a Big Deal out of unimportant details, castigating artists for theoretically dire lapses in what are otherwise exceptional performances. It's a bad habit. Get over it."

Larry, you mentioned that he sometimes stumbles upon a shred of self-awareness. Not here. Not here. ROTFLMAO.

[Den glemte sønnen]

This, remember, is the guy who says the only great recording of the Moldau is Szell's, 'cause he's the only one who balances the trumpets properly in a passage from the coda that nobody pays the slightest attention to.

But I disagree with you, Brian. Video Dave was particularly cantankerous today; you'll have to play the meandering lecture for yourself but this is the blurb he starts us with: "I've seen a lot of comments recently in which some viewers portentously delight in making a Big Deal out of unimportant details, castigating artists for theoretically dire lapses in what are otherwise exceptional performances. It's a bad habit. Get over it." Yeah right, Dave, always a good idea to insult your viewers and make sure to delete their comments if they give you any pushback.

Meanwhile I will return to the Appassionata and castigate those artists who play the opening figure as quarter/eighth rather than the quarter-tied to sixteenth/sixteenth that is such an unimportant detail that Beethoven took pains to write it that way literally dozens of times throughout the movement.

I haven't watched a Hurwitz video in quite some time, but the guy's opinion isn't any more valid than any of ours. He talks fast and his hands flap up and down --- I mean it's really nauseating to watch him.

[Baxcalibur]

There is no such thing.

Mahler believed a Symphony should encompass the world. Since everyone's worldview is different, even the " wrong " Mahler cycle will inevitably be right for someone, someday.

True. Pick any recording, and I think there's someone on the planet who considers that their favorite recording of that piece.

Everyone's worldview is different, and so is their brain and their auditory system. I don't like the instrumental balances in many Karajan recordings, or the way Decca used to mic up the horns - I thought I was done hearing that sort of thing after spending most of my time in grade-school bands sitting behind the horns.

If I'm a notorious YouTube critic, and someone in my comments section says he'd rather listen to a 432 Hz video of Celibidache conducting, what am I going to do? Fact-check him? Will that make a positive impression, or just make me feel superior again?

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Meanwhile I will return to the Appassionata and castigate those artists who play the opening figure as quarter/eighth rather than the quarter-tied to sixteenth/sixteenth that is such an unimportant detail that Beethoven took pains to write it that way literally dozens of times throughout the movement.

Hurwitz is the guy who makes me glad I don't follow along with the score when listening. That way, I can actually enjoy the music instead of having to make a list of errors in my mind.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

One thing I wish Hurwitz would do is stop deleting posts. I've seen posts where someone replies not with a nasty rebuttal, but a well-reasoned, intelligent post only to get deleted just because it went against Hurwitz's opinion. He's often damning of people and says things like "Nobody gives a damn what you think." Well, the reversal is quite true, too. In fact, he should be thankful people are even watching to begin with since, essentially, it's just a guy sitting in front of a camera blabbering about how many versions there are of this or that work ad nauseam.

If people enjoy it, then that's great --- he does have a following, but I find more insightful criticism elsewhere.

[Florestan]

Hurwitz is the guy who makes me glad I don't follow along with the score when listening. That way, I can actually enjoy the music instead of having to make a list of errors in my mind.

The Spanish pianist Ricardo Vines, who pioneered Debussy and Ravel and mentored Poulenc, objected strongly to the custom of reading the score during concerts: these people seem to be listening with their noses, not their ears, he said.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The Spanish pianist Ricardo Vines, who pioneered Debussy and Ravel and mentored Poulenc, objected strongly to the custom of reading the score during concerts: these people seem to be listening with their noses, not their ears, he said.

What's more, if you're score-reading at a concert, you miss the visual aspect of it (or most of it, anyway).

[Kalevala]

The crux of all criticism, not just in music but in fact relating to every human endeavor.

I have heard a great many recordings since 1967, when my father plunked me and my older brother down before the family's first ever stereo, and introduced us to the classic Mercury recording of Tchaikovsky's Overture 1812, with the Minneapolis ( now Minnesota ) Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati.

My brother enjoyed the experience, but for me... " life-changing " is the only appropriate description of the effect this event had on me.

And since then, in all the the countless hours of listening to and memorizing recordings of symphonies, concerti, opera, chamber music and all the rest, the " perfect recording " has yet to be encountered.

The greatest achievement in all human activities should be a full realization of the the creator's objective, with whatever flaws that exist reduced to as few and as insignificant as can be made possible.

" Perfection " is neither achievable nor, in fact, even detectable, given the limitations of human senses and intellect.

( Here endeth the Lesson, freely and cheerfully supplied by LKB, with the most appreciated assistance of Prof. Jack Daniel. )

I remember your recent comments, and hence my concern.  I wish you the best.

K

[LKB]

I remember your recent comments, and hence my concern.  I wish you the best.

K

Thank you.