Post by seth July 23, 2012 (21 of 24)
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Euell Neverno said:
Not necessarily so. When Davies Hall was first opened in San Francisco, people complained about the acoustics and the lack of orchestra volume. Then followed a guest appearance by the Vienna Phil., which apparently filled the hall with sound. The acoustics have been fixed, but volume is not necessarily a bad thing. It all depends, doesn't it? I haven't heard Honeck's Mahler 4, but his interpretations are his own and the Exton recordings seem to bring out the brass a bit. Perhaps Honeck looks at them contrary to the advice of Beecham.
2 things:
1) That could be a stylistic choice by SF and the VPO. The same complaints were made about Verizon Hall when it opened in Philadelphia, and based on hearing visiting orchestras in the hall, it's clear that the Philadelphia Orchestra just chose to have a more nuanced dynamic range.
2) According to one of my music professors (when I was in college), Neal Zaslaw, the number one complaint listeners have about live performances is that they're not loud enough. He argued that this is primarily the result of people being more used to listening to recorded music than live, where the dynamic range is compressed and volume is too loud (often because we're trying to drown out ambient sounds).
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seth said:
2) According to one of my music professors (when I was in college), Neal Zaslaw, the number one complaint listeners have about live performances is that they're not loud enough. He argued that this is primarily the result of people being more used to listening to recorded music than live, where the dynamic range is compressed and volume is too loud (often because we're trying to drown out ambient sounds).
EH, WHAT ?? Never had that complaint concerning orchestral music.
Did almost lose my hearing once during an organ recital. Believe the fella was playing Franck's Piece Heroique. Nearly blew me out of the place.
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Even though the nutty Hurwitz gave this recording a double 10, the Forum comments have aroused my curiosity, so I ordered Honeck's wall-banging Mahler 4. I did notice the oversized bass drum in his Mahler 1 as well, a similarly distinctive interpretation. But, variety is the spice of life, and despite Mahler's extensive markings, there is always plenty of room for interpretation. We'll see. Some conductors overstress the so-called neurotic elements, which can drive one to distraction.
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Euell Neverno said:
Even though the nutty Hurwitz gave this recording a double 10, the Forum comments have aroused my curiosity, so I ordered Honeck's wall-banging Mahler 4. I did notice the oversized bass drum in his Mahler 1 as well, a similarly distinctive interpretation. But, variety is the spice of life, and despite Mahler's extensive markings, there is always plenty of room for interpretation. We'll see. Some conductors overstress the so-called neurotic elements, which can drive one to distraction.
You won't be dissapointed. Something special is waiting for you -) Honeck's Mahler 4 is really thought-provoking and refreshing, for me and my speakers it was a revelation. BTW Mr. Huss of ClassicsToday France recently gave latest installment in this edition - 5th Symphony - a 10/10 rave review.
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