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In Reply to: RE: New Yuja Wang/Claudio Abbado Rachmaninov Disc posted by srl1 on March 22, 2011 at 12:46:32
I don't what it is with Dave at Classics Today over the past few weeks. He's just seemed kind of cranky lately.
"I hope to be around when she records these pieces again later in her career so that I can see how she has grown as an interpreter."
Be careful what you wish for - some performers actually deteriorate as they age! :-)
Follow Ups:
a Lindsay Quartet Heydn recording (a ridiculously negative assessment of a disc which had some terrific tracks as well as some less successful ones) and had the thought that this was a guy who no longer enjoyed his job.
I'm not sure why anyone should find Hurwitz's reviews objectionable. Sure, they can be pretty caustic, but there's no question of where he stands, and he almost always gives cogent reasons for his opinions. I may not agree with him - and I often don't - but he usually provides enough information for me to decide whether or not I want to pursue a particular recording, even one that he savages.
And he's right about the Lindsays :-).
I wonder if he gave it more than one casual listen. The review said more about his prejudices than the actual performance. He should be ashamed of having published the review of this disc.
Edits: 03/24/11
Because his opinion doesn't correspond to yours? Please...
His criticisms were quite specific, so I am sure that he gave it more than a "casual listen". How many times do *you* have to listen to a recording to decide whether it's to your taste? 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.
"His criticisms were quite specific, so I am sure that he gave it more than a "casual listen"."
Part of my reaction to his review and my feeling that he didn't give this one more than a casual listen is that even with the specificity of his review there is no evidence of anything more than a casual listen. I could have easily offered a pre emptive mock review that would have been just as specific. One need not even listen to a Yuja Wang recording to already know most of what was "specifically" said in that review. There is a not so subtle prejudice in many circles when it comes to young Asians and specifically women in classical music. That being they are well oiled machines with untouchable technical skill and no heart or soul. For me the red flag is the review fits that prejudice far more neatly than the actual performances.
"How many times do *you* have to listen to a recording to decide whether it's to your taste?"
If someone is doing a published review I would expect them to listen several times at least. Do some very careful and thourough comparisons and write a careful, thoughtful review. I would also expect due respect for the artists regardless of one's personal taste. it is one thing to disagree, even intensely with an interpretation. It is another thing to put one's personal taste on such a high pedastal that one would say an artist is not fit to play a piece because the interpretation was not suited to their taste.
I can't help but wonder how much the young Asian stereotype played into this review.
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.
As you say, the key with any music critic is that he explains the basis for his opinions (and ideally is reasonably consistent), so you know where he stands, whether or not you agree with him.
Mr. Hurwitz does have some axes to grind, to the point where I no longer bother to check his opinions on certain music or musicians.
vary in quality. I strongly urge you to check out their Mozart quartet & quintet cycle on ASV, recorded in the 1990s. Among the best Mozart chamber music playing I've ever heard and audiophile quality recordings.
I regularly read comments by Hurwitz on ClassicsToday and amazon.com which I find I don't just disagree with but that I find downright embarrassing.
Thanks for mentioning it, I had a gap in my collection and managed to
get 2 of the Mozart cd's by the Lindsay, total cost incl shipping 10$
And the funny thing is that I have been listening to lot's of Mozart this last week and was thinking about getting a few.
I hope you enjoy them.
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