July 03, 2006

Gratuitous Musickal Posting (TM)

Jessica Duchen gives an enthusiastic review of John Eliot Gardiner's new performances of Bach cantatas.

I don't believe I've ever heard JEG's Bach, although I have a number of recording of him doing Mozart, Gluck, Handel, Rameau, Couperin and Purcell, all of which are good, so it really doesn't surprise me that he should be able to handle Bach well.

Let me just warn you, however, under no circumstances to have anything to do with Gardiner's Beethoven. For some reason, the man seems to go completely to pieces. I bought the entire symphony cycle on spec and they are one of the few sets of CDs that I have that dissappoint me more each time I hear them. It isn't just the proto-Romanticism, either. I've got JEG doing Schumann, and he's at least adequate. But something about ol' Ludwig Van seems to cause Gardiner's musical IQ to go into free-fall.

Posted by Robert at July 3, 2006 02:56 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Let me just warn you, however, under no circumstances to have anything to do with Gardener's Beethoven.

Filed under "superfluous advice."

Posted by: Bill from INDC at July 3, 2006 03:22 PM

See, I will file this under "How to impress my classical-music-snob uncle" and gain enormous points when I subtly work it into conversation.

Posted by: beth at July 3, 2006 03:43 PM

The real question is what happened to Steve? The only real witness to what happened in the boathouse that night with the Scottish Dwarf...

Posted by: LB Buddy at July 3, 2006 05:23 PM

I'll take Gardiner's Beethoven sight unseen (or should that be "sound unheard") over Leonard Bernstein's Beethoven any day.

I've never heard Gardiner's. I'll also throw in a player to be named later -- let's say an aging Kenny Lofton.

Posted by: The Colossus at July 3, 2006 08:31 PM

Robert - Forget the music... We have a great egret stalking our koi pond... (You get a LOT OF BIRD with a great egret!)
Will you be alone for the 4th? Poor baby, sniff.

This should cheer you up; What did the elephant say to the naked man? "It's cute but, can you really breath out of it?"

Posted by: Babs at July 4, 2006 08:14 AM

Beth - if you really want to impress your uncle, also say something like, "And would you believe that Gardiner is so out of touch with Beethoven that in his performances of the piano concerti he lets the soloist play his own cadenzas!"

Posted by: Robbo the LB at July 4, 2006 09:07 AM

Babs - Yup, just me and my elephant.

Posted by: Robbo the LB at July 4, 2006 10:09 AM