Another entry in the Every German Orchestra Shall Record a Mahler Cycle Sweepstakes. We have them from Berlin, Bamberg, Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Leipzig and now Jena. And I'm sure there are others.
This kind of critical appraisal of the orchestra is a valid analysis of the performance. Criticism of the conductor or the interpretation is largely a matter of opinion and open to debate. But if the orchestra is ‘iffy’ there is no value or benefit to issuing a recording.
It’s probably easier to fundraise for a Mahler recording than for a recording of obscure repertoire. Donors might be more generous if they believe the recording will put the organization “on the map”. Just guessing.
Probably funded from the generous support for the Arts that is common throughout Germany. Just look at the cost of going to the opera and compare, say, Munich to London- the kind of seat that costs 65 Euros in Munich is around £130 in London.
I am beginning to think that there is so much unnecessary recording of so many works by misguided artists & producers, just to satisfy commercial & egocentric or other demands. Nothing wrong with that in one way, except it can just be a massive & disappointing waste of time for experienced seekers of real musical treasure. One thing I have done in recent years is to simply return to well loved quality recordings & attend carefully selected live performances. Works a treat for me 🙂
I just sampled some Scartazzini. At least he is not a boring pointillist or all-extended-technique noise maker, and his music is not that atrocious. Speaking of Gaudenz and Jena Philharmonic, I wish they continue their Weigl exploration on CPO. In their Weigl release at the beginning of 2023, the Piano Concerto, especially the first movement, is very turbulent and exciting, and the Rhapsody for Strings is good after a few listening.
When you get such terrible, uninteresting performances such as this, or the Marriner Beethoven you just reviewed, do you relegate these recordings to the overflow room, or is there a different room for all your discards? Wesley
I don't believe in putting "canonoical" composers and works on great pedestals, and I find myself generally rather susceptible to avant-garde naval gaving, but your description of those Scallopini works being interwoven with the Mahler recordings just reeks of hubris. Maybe not enough to earn a white scarf, but it must come close, at least in my book. You'd think, when they're inviting comparison with the music of Mahler, these musicians would be a little more humble. But maybe that's me being a snob.
I wonder what composer does NOT write their music note by note, bar by bar. What guy or gal just WILLS it to appear whole page by whole page or, mirabile dictu, an entire completed score? More drivel exactly like the drivel spouted by countless wunderkind avant-gardists in the 50s and 60s whose note by note bar by bar nonsense got one recording and was quickly forgotten. You'd think that meaningless morse code music would have gone away by now, but there's always someone who clings to the past. "Schoenberg ist mort!" he cries, aping his idols, while failing to notice that Schoenberg still gets performances and he, alas, does not. This guy is probably bankrolling the Mahler Project here.
Why not leave poor Mahler out of this and just do a Scartazzini disc that everyone is free to ignore by itself?
The stare and beat you took after saying ‘his torso closed like a candelabra’ caused me to explode in laughter 😂
Another entry in the Every German Orchestra Shall Record a Mahler Cycle Sweepstakes. We have them from Berlin, Bamberg, Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Leipzig and now Jena. And I'm sure there are others.
This kind of critical appraisal of the orchestra is a valid analysis of the performance. Criticism of the conductor or the interpretation is largely a matter of opinion and open to debate. But if the orchestra is ‘iffy’ there is no value or benefit to issuing a recording.
Suggestion for review: the new Shostakovich 14 with Goerne and Mikko Franck (Alpha)
It’s probably easier to fundraise for a Mahler recording than for a recording of obscure repertoire. Donors might be more generous if they believe the recording will put the organization “on the map”. Just guessing.
Probably funded from the generous support for the Arts that is common throughout Germany. Just look at the cost of going to the opera and compare, say, Munich to London- the kind of seat that costs 65 Euros in Munich is around £130 in London.
I am beginning to think that there is so much unnecessary recording of so many works by misguided artists & producers, just to satisfy commercial & egocentric or other demands. Nothing wrong with that in one way, except it can just be a massive & disappointing waste of time for experienced seekers of real musical treasure. One thing I have done in recent years is to simply return to well loved quality recordings & attend carefully selected live performances. Works a treat for me 🙂
I just sampled some Scartazzini. At least he is not a boring pointillist or all-extended-technique noise maker, and his music is not that atrocious. Speaking of Gaudenz and Jena Philharmonic, I wish they continue their Weigl exploration on CPO. In their Weigl release at the beginning of 2023, the Piano Concerto, especially the first movement, is very turbulent and exciting, and the Rhapsody for Strings is good after a few listening.
"Not that atrocious" is hardly a recommendation.
I have never encountered this Jena orchestra before watching the present video. It doesn’t sound as if I missed much.
I've checked the last movement of the Third (it's on Idagio) and it sounds anemic.
WTH? I won't purchase this, but I'll it get a listen out of curiosity.
Somebody obviously paid good money for this travesty to be recorded and issued on an independent label. Was it Scartazzini or the city of Jena?
When you get such terrible, uninteresting performances such as this, or the Marriner Beethoven you just reviewed, do you relegate these recordings to the overflow room, or is there a different room for all your discards? Wesley
There's no rule.
You made me laugh aloud!
I don't believe in putting "canonoical" composers and works on great pedestals, and I find myself generally rather susceptible to avant-garde naval gaving, but your description of those Scallopini works being interwoven with the Mahler recordings just reeks of hubris. Maybe not enough to earn a white scarf, but it must come close, at least in my book. You'd think, when they're inviting comparison with the music of Mahler, these musicians would be a little more humble. But maybe that's me being a snob.
I wonder what composer does NOT write their music note by note, bar by bar. What guy or gal just WILLS it to appear whole page by whole page or, mirabile dictu, an entire completed score? More drivel exactly like the drivel spouted by countless wunderkind avant-gardists in the 50s and 60s whose note by note bar by bar nonsense got one recording and was quickly forgotten. You'd think that meaningless morse code music would have gone away by now, but there's always someone who clings to the past. "Schoenberg ist mort!" he cries, aping his idols, while failing to notice that Schoenberg still gets performances and he, alas, does not. This guy is probably bankrolling the Mahler Project here.
The audacity of glomming on to your betters in order to promote your own negligible composition.