Thread: Why I love to read record reviews.

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Post by harold July 19, 2012 (1 of 12)
The August '12 issue of BBC Music Magazine includes a brief survey of five different recordings of the Vaughan Williams Second Symphony. Four of the five performances mentioned in the "Building A Library" article were very familiar to me - I somehow managed to miss Bryden Thomson's 1989 recording with the LSO. The only SACD release in the group of five was Richard Hickox's "Original 1913 version" from Chandos, (CHSA 5001,) again with the LSO. The surprise to me was reading that R.H.'s, (IMO,) landmark and head of class performance/recording, "A London Symphony," was now listed as, "And One To Avoid..." Thanks to this article, I plan to revisit Redbook performances of VW's "evocative" music by Bernard Haitink, Kees Bakels, Sir John Barbirolli and others. If variety is the spice of life, reviewers of classical music, here and elsewhere, you may not know all the zesty good you do.

Post by hiredfox July 20, 2012 (2 of 12)
harold said:

The August '12 issue of BBC Music Magazine includes a brief survey of five different recordings of the Vaughan Williams Second Symphony. Four of the five performances mentioned in the "Building A Library" article were very familiar to me - I somehow managed to miss Bryden Thomson's 1989 recording with the LSO. The only SACD release in the group of five was Richard Hickox's "Original 1913 version" from Chandos, (CHSA 5001,) again with the LSO. The surprise to me was reading that R.H.'s, (IMO,) landmark and head of class performance/recording, "A London Symphony," was now listed as, "And One To Avoid..." Thanks to this article, I plan to revisit Redbook performances of VW's "evocative" music by Bernard Haitink, Kees Bakels, Sir John Barbirolli and others. If variety is the spice of life, reviewers of classical music, here and elsewhere, you may not know all the zesty good you do.

The best London on SACD is the new Seaman / Rochester recording on Harmonia Mundi FACT (IMHO!)

Forget the others including RH's which was a bit wayward and un-involving, unusual for the LSO but there you go.

Post by Castor July 20, 2012 (3 of 12)
harold said:

The surprise to me was reading that R.H.'s, (IMO,) landmark and head of class performance/recording, "A London Symphony," was now listed as, "And One To Avoid..."

The reviewer's comment referred to the fact that he considered the 'original' version of the symphony, heard on the Hickox recording, was inferior to the revised version we usually hear today. This was not a criticism either of RH's performance or the Chandos recording.

The Hickox version with its 20 minutes or so of extra music is unique, so comparisons are hardly valid.

Like hiredfox I can thoroughly recommend the Seaman / Rochester recording on Harmonia Mundi for the revised version of the symphony on SACD. That, incidentally, was panned by the reviewer in Gramophone,so you pays your money and you takes your choice.

Post by wehecht July 20, 2012 (4 of 12)
I love and prefer the Hickox "original" version, but agree that the Seaman is a fine account of the revised version. I did run across an interesting, and unintentionally funny, review of the latter. In essence: 1. fine job by the British conductor 2. nice to see an American orchestra tackle the piece, but too bad they play like Americans 3. in conclusion not bad considering it comes from the colonies.

Post by harold July 20, 2012 (5 of 12)
Thanks all for suggesting Maestro Seaman's recent V.W. Second Symphony release, (Harmonia Mundi HMU807567.) I wasn't that impressed when it arrived a few weeks ago but I only listened once before returning to the Richard Hickox/Chandos SACD.

Post by tream July 20, 2012 (6 of 12)
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Like hiredfox I can thoroughly recommend the Seaman / Rochester recording on Harmonia Mundi for the revised version of the symphony on SACD. That, incidentally, was panned by the reviewer in Gramophone,so you pays your money and you takes your choice.

There were two reviews in the latest issue of Fanfare, both quite positive. One, however, preferred the Elder recording, while the other panned the Elder recording and found the Seaman far better.

Post by hiredfox July 21, 2012 (7 of 12)
Castor said:

That, incidentally, was panned by the reviewer in Gramophone,so you pays your money and you takes your choice.

It's pretty widely understood (wink-wink) that Gramophone has been over the years in thrall of UK / European (as in German, Austrian and Dutch) orchestras and pretty much anti-US orchestras. Such bias is reflected in their annual tome that purports to be the 'Authority' on recordings. For UK also read "within M25 ring"

Needless to say, I stopped believing in their judgements once on to solid foods.

Post by hiredfox July 21, 2012 (8 of 12)
wehecht said:

In essence: 1. fine job by the British conductor 2. nice to see an American orchestra tackle the piece, but too bad they play like Americans 3. in conclusion not bad considering it comes from the colonies.

Bill, see my piece above.

Needless to say when US orchestras visit these shores the theaters are invariably sold out, so most music lovers take no notice of such nonsense.

Post by harold July 21, 2012 (9 of 12)
After listening again to Christopher Seaman's, (better than I remembered,) Rochester Phil. performance of V.W.'s Second Symphony, I couldn't help wondering how subtly different this music might have sounded recorded in an acoustically warmer venue. We seem to be somewhat preoccupied with designing and maintaining acoustically dry and to me, indifferently sounding concert halls here in the states - Avery Fisher in New York, Verizon Hall in Philadelphia and still it seems Kodak Hall in Rochester. I'am reminded of early Mercury "Living Presence" stereo recordings from such dry sounding venues as Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis and ... The Eastman Theater, Rochester, New York. The more things change the more they stay the same? Anyway, thanks for drawing my attention to: American orchestra, British composer, British conductor - beautifully crafted performance.

Post by akiralx July 22, 2012 (10 of 12)
hiredfox said:

The best London on SACD is the new Seaman / Rochester recording on Harmonia Mundi FACT (IMHO!)

Forget the others including RH's which was a bit wayward and un-involving, unusual for the LSO but there you go.

May be the best on SACD but not as fine a performance as Thomson's or Barbirolli's (with the Halle).

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