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In Reply to: Norrington Sucks - Here' s Why - Darkest Secrets Uncovered posted by Severius! on November 25, 2002 at 18:57:51:
While I share your dislike for Norrington, consider the possibility that he may just not be a very good conductor regardless of his ideology.Listen to the first movement of his Eroica and compare with Toscanini's. Same basic tempo, but the Maestro generates drama, suspense, even terror. Norrington's band sounds like a badly tuned
bunch of weekend players.Beethoven may have been fond of fast tempi (a conclusion based on the famous rapid metronome markings) but was also known for great freedom of phrasing, rather than the rigidity typical of Norrington's work.
Follow Ups:
I've lately returned to Toscanini's Beethoven Nine, starting with the cannonical RCA (BMG) set. After listening to this "authenticist" and that over the past 10 years, Toscanini strikes the attentive listner like a bolt of lightning. One is struck by the fact that his is real music, while the rest fade away as mere fashion.
It's not the historical facts (such as types of instruments used, or bowing styles, or tempo indications) that Norrington has appropriated for his use that are at issue--these are genrally agreed upon and accepted, at least in academic circles. And certainly Norrington is not the first to make use of them in performances of the Viennese Classics--for that one would have to go back to the '50s when the Urtext first came into vogue.Rather, it's what Norrington does with the historical facts that bothers many. I also find him to be too literal and inflexible, and often simply too fast and loud. Another HIP conductor who has done Beethoven (and Haydn and Mozart) with much greater success, I think, is Frans Brueggen. His performances have a living, breathing quality missing from Norrington--they have the stamp of personality, proving that HIP doesn't have to be rigid and faceless to succeed.
Just a quick note, that I don't think many will read since the tread is now dated, about those HIP conductors.
Here, in this very small Southwest corner of Europe, people have been considering some conductors as the best available, and Brueggen, Immersel, Harnoncourt, and others, are often raved.
I'm not music expert but I can't help feeling they're doing it wrongly, those conductors. Why do I feel they play Beethoven like it was Haydn (for example)? Why is it so boring?
Brian's example of the Eroica is a really happy one.
OOTD I tried Sir Roger's Scottish symphony. I almost felt asleep. Where's the charming and envolving 3rd movement?
I tried a Harnoncourt's Eroica. Nice, but...
How boring!!!
In these occasions I often ask for Karajan (hopping Hans Hermann didn't touch the sound).
Regards,
Jorge
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