Re: Mozart's Requiem recording
- From: "DavidW" <no@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:21:09 +1100
"Simon Roberts" <sdsr@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
In article <6fStj.2809$zw3.854@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, DavidW says...
I mean that it has, relatively speaking, not grabbed the public's attention.
There are eight customer reviews of the Schreier on Amazon and, for example,
28
for the 1991 Marriner. I cannot account for the difference other than that the
Schreier has attracted less interest.
Actually, all that shows is that fewer amazon customers have bothered to
comment
about it, which doesn't strike me as being terribly significant. I know
plenty
of people (including myself) who buy lots of stuff from amazon but don't leave
reviews.
Yes, and I'm sure only a small fraction of buyers left a review for the Marriner
as well. I think the difference is statistically more significant than could be
accounted for by luck in which review-writing customers chose to buy which CD.
Sales volume is by far the most likely reason for the difference. Anyway, I'm
not really bothered by this any more.
It may be a very good one, but please keep in mind my criteria. I am looking
for something somewhat "safe", and a widely and popularly acclaimed recording
is less of a risk from my point of view. My relative is not happy with her
only
existing recording (I think on Naxos) and she asked me to find a good one,
which implies one that is widely praised, since she knows that I cannot
anticipate what she would like. That's the best I can do.
I sympathize with your predicament, especially since you're buying for someone
else and may not know even what it is she doesn't like about her Naxos
recording.
I don't know but I suspect it's the whole thing. I'm not certain she said Naxos
but it was a label not known for the quality of its performers and recordings.
As for Schreier's, it has what was at the time the best choir in
Europe, an orchestra without any obvious superior, a generally very good set
of
soloists (Adam leaves a bit to be desired, as usual) and extremely good,
"central" conducting by one of the most musical tenors of the past century who
is himself a very good conductor and who has performed the piece under many
very
good conductors. It's well recorded too. I don't know how well it was
received
in the non-English speaking world, but reviews in the American and British
press
were very favorable when it was released and as far as I can tell it's been a
standard recommendation ever since. It's "safe" in that on the one hand it
lacks the stodginess of some older recordings (e.g. Boehm) and, on the other,
avoids the stylistic quirks and timbres of HIP recordings; and, unlike, some
"safe" recordings, it has many positive qualities of its own. Whether they
are
virtues your friend would respond favorably to I can't say, of course, but
perhaps you could get her to hear some excerpts online?
Thanks for your comments.
.
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- Re: Mozart's Requiem recording
- From: Simon Roberts
- Re: Mozart's Requiem recording
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