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Music Lane It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes. |
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Music Lane It's all about the music, dude! Sit down, relax and listen to some tunes. |
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In Reply to: Missed the boat?? posted by Kas on March 24, 2011 at 09:03:58:
and not because he doesn't agree with me. His criticisms were specific yet in some cases just plain wrong. Not subjectively wrong either but just plain factually wrong. That leads me to think he gave the recording nothing more than a casual listen and his prejudices greater consideration. Let's look at his review.
Performance 5/10 Sound 8/10
We live in strange times. When the repertoire comes from the classical or baroque periods, "authenticity" is the rage. In this music, we know what constitutes an authentic style: we have the composer's own recordings and a continuous performance tradition more than a century old. So what could be more logical than playing both works with a chamber orchestra, reduced strings, and the barest minimum of expressive passion? Of course, Yuja Wang has an excellent technique, including an exquisite pianissimo touch that she's anxious to display whether the music asks for it or not. But the interpretations are abstractions, cold as ice, encouraged by Claudio Abbado's chronic failure to do anything to the music beyond manipulate the minutiae of dynamics.
The Rhapsody comes off best, perhaps because it proceeds as short sections rather than large paragraphs. Still, Wang vanishes almost entirely in the 16th variation, and it's impossible to pretend that the strings have the heft for the famous 18th. The forward balance of the piano doesn't prevent her from sounding timid and small most of the time, and doesn't disguise what seems to be an errant glockenspiel player just before the final climax of the Dies Irae theme. Both Earl Wild and Zoltan Kocsis show that you can be swift but also passionate, virtuosic, and powerful. Next to them (never mind Rubinstein/Reiner in this same coupling), this is weak beer.
The concerto is even worse. Wang's launching of the first movement has to stand among the least impressive on disc. All three movements sound basically the same; there just isn't enough contrast in what turns out to be a directionless dawdle through the work. The finale spurts ahead about four minutes in, but by then it's way too little, too late. Abbado, in any case, never has had any particular feeling for this repertoire, and now we know why. For her part, Wang's contribution is entirely typical of the modern aesthetic: light, cool, technically immaculate, and expressively neutral. No way is she ready to take on this music, even if she can play the notes. The live audience (in the concerto) goes nuts at the end, perhaps because they finally get to leave.
--David Hurwitz
"Yuja Wang has an excellent technique, including an exquisite pianissimo touch that she's anxious to display whether the music asks for it or not."
Well at least he heard the use of pianissimo and even acknowledged Yuja's technical command over it. But his claim that she uses it whether the music asks for it or not is simply objectively wrong. She is never playing pianissimo where the composer's notes say to do otherwise. It's silly attack on a legitimate interpretation.
" All three movements sound basically the same; there just isn't enough contrast in what turns out to be a directionless dawdle through the work."
Again It makes me think all he gave this was a casual listen and payed more attention to his prejudices. By no measure do the three movements sound basically the same. And the interpretations are anything but directionless. Yeah, he missed the boat. Big time.
"For her part, Wang's contribution is entirely typical of the modern aesthetic: light, cool, technically immaculate, and expressively neutral."
Not even close. Again if one finds her interpretation expressively neutral one simply didn't pay attention.
"No way is she ready to take on this music, even if she can play the notes. The live audience (in the concerto) goes nuts at the end, perhaps because they finally get to leave."
That is just an assnine sophmoric insult. he should be ashamed of such drival.
As for your comments...
" How many times do *you* have to listen to a recording to decide whether it's to your taste?"
In some cases several times. Some of my favorite music didn't hit me over the head on first listen. My patience was well rewarded.
"Life is much too short, and there's far too much music available for me to beat my head against a wall trying to like recordings that don't appeal to me."
Not sure how life is too short to give the gift of great music one quick chance. Not sure how taking the time to give due consideration to something that can be quite subtle and sublime is the equivalent of beating my head against the wall trying to like recordings that don't appeal to me.
If Hurwitz is incapable of appreciating interpretations of Rachmaninoff that avoid the garish, vulgar self indulgent and opt for the sophisticated and sublime then he should leave such reviews for those who are capable and simply say "Not my style." "I don't get it."
I'd love to hear a discussion on the music between this dork and Yuja Wang herself. I think he'd be left with a great deal of egg on his pretentious face.
He says "no way she is ready to take on this music." Ironically it is he is is no way ready to take on such a fine performance. One can appreciate things they don't find to their taste. that is one of the differences between a real critic and a self righteous fanboy.
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Follow Ups
- yes he missed the boat. completely. And made an ass of himself - Analog Scott 09:42:37 03/24/11 (0)
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