Klarinet Archive - Posting 000171.txt from 1999/10

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:22:03 -0400

Doug Philpot noted:

<<<Recently on this board several people have pointed out the high quality
of the Chicago/Reiner recordings of the 50's and 60's, an appraisal with
which I strongly agree. It is certainly interesting that those recordings
are still respected in light of the criticism of the Vienna telecast. The
Chicago recordings,
especially of the 50's were made with one microphone (Telefunken) and did
indeed give the total sound of the orchestra and allowed individual
instruments to emerge from that total sound, completely the opposite of the
approach to the Vienna broadcast.>>>

I did not see the referenced telecast, but share in the over-microphoning
that we so often hear today. Orchestral musicians spend a lot of time and
energy developing the nuances of blend and dynamics, only to have some idiot
that doesn't read music compress everything.

I had the opportunity to play under an excellent conductor named Bill Cole,
who taught at Western Washington University. He pointed out that the
Chicago Symphony doesn't really play all that much louder than a junior high
school pep band -- it just seems that way because (a) they are in tune and
(b) the CSO plays so much SOFTER. It's not how loud you play that makes a
difference -- it's the dynamic contrast you can make. If you have some
electron-head filtering everything so that it's the same volume (only
slightly softer than the commercials), why bother?

It's possible to do good camera work of an orchestra. The PBS coverage of
the Boston Pops is pretty good--usually, the right soloist is shown at the
right time. Of course, it requires a director who can read a score.

Doug's point of the CSO's microphoning is apt. Remember, too, that Fennel's
recordings of the Eastman Wind Ensemble (and all of those great Mercury
recordings) had twice as many mics--but of course you need 2 to record
stereo.

kjf

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org