Today I did the show, went to work, and then assisted with Vacation Bible School at church. I left home at 5:25 am and didn't get back until 10pm. Needless to say, this won't be a long post... I'll try to keep it upbeat.
I take that back. I was reading the current edition of American Record Guide - God has it ever gone into the toilet. Vroon I think has gone over into the deep end, although I've said that before. This ish he devotes 4-6 pages in double columns to a rant about how the service industry has collapsed in this country. Well duh! How long has it been since someone offered to pump your gas for you? In was in Indiana not long ago and that actually happened - first time EVER for me, as I didn't learn to drive until I was in my low 'thirties. By then the practice was already long gone, along with anything else that requires "service with a smile." Get real.
The reviewers are real sour-pusses this time around. Cecile Licad made a Gottschalk disc for Naxos - I had no idea! Cecile hasn't recorded since 1996, and I was delighted just to see her name on a review. And Vroon trashed the disc! "Too fast!" he cries out loud. He says that he prefers Pennario and Eugene List in Gottschalk. Well let's see. I agree that Pennario was great, but his recording was made for Angel in 1973. The CD of it was released in the 80s - it's long gone - I bought the last copy at Virgin and I remember having to rip it out of a longbox. While I appreciate what (the late) Eugene List has done for Gottschalk in terms of manuscript recovery, editing and advocacy, I must confess his old Vox recordings don't get me off, although the one of the Grande Tarantella isn't bad.
I would like to hear Licad on Naxos in Gottschalk. I would like to hear her better on Marco Polo in Phillipine Classical piano music even more, as I suspect she knows the stuff and I can't seem to find any recordings of it. But to hear her in anything is fine - she is a major talent and there is no reason on God's green earth why she shouldn't be recording.
Another Naxos release, that of James Sinclair in the Third Symphony of Ives, attracted the ire of the ARG reviewer. Tempi too fast, they complain, band too small - Bernstein did it better. Bernstein?! Are you nuts? Not in the 3rd - that does require a smaller, almost chamber sized orchestra. Played too slowly, the Third turns to protestant hymn-sludge, and that's exactly what Bernstien did to it. Hanson did it right in the 50s with a small band- Lou Harrison premiered it in '46 with a chamber orchestra. Since both Lou and Hanson are now gone, no one is more equipped to play the Ives Third the way it goes than Jim Sinclair. Again, I don't care what ARG says - I wanna hear it.
All through the issue there is quibbling about marginality of repertoire, forward assumptions of how well-worn brand new works will sound in fifty years and other crap that in no way helps out the enterprise towards which I put the daily sweat on my brow- classical music recordings. I had to review a high priority "hot pick" today that, unfortunately, mostly sucked pretty bad. But I still thought of something positive to say about it. Hey, I'm not lying - this industry is in trouble, and we're not doing anyone any good by rakin' up each other's sh*t and telling the public how bad it stinks. Well -- Okay - on second thought I guess it stinks a little.... Charlotte Chuch... Operababes (
God - Edward D. Wood produces an opera album... that's pickled rotten...)
Okay - some of it stinks
REAL bad. But in the case of world class performers or expert editors of literature (such as in the case of Licad or Sinclair) I would not be so swift as to condemn. Save your wrath for Operababes, who deserve it- approach these other careers with more care, as whether the classical record industry floats or sinks I suspect we will still need (and want) these artists around. At least I know I will.
Uncle Dave Lewis