Klarinet Archive - Posting 000103.txt from 2002/02

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Solti and Barenboim
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 13:24:09 -0500

On Fri, 8 Feb 2002 11:22:35 -0600, Gregory@-----.com said:

> In reply to both Neil and Tony:
>
> I hesitate to take the information supposedly expressed by our
> president as gospel because the information was prefaced with a "went
> something like this" sort of thing. Out of context is a danger here.
> Regardless of what our president was purported to have said, I was
> more directly addressing Tony's opinion of comparisons between the
> two. I hear this opinion expressed by some that have little or no
> experience with the two maestros so intimately. I do respect your
> opinion though Tony since you do not fall into that category and I too
> disliked a few of Solti's ideas.
>
> As to the reliability and consistency of orchestral musicians'
> opinions, I can honestly say that our group is quite unified in it's
> opinion that Solti was a true "maestro". One has to keep in mind that
> many of these musicians that I speak of have worked side by side, day
> by day, decade by decade for longer than I've been playing my
> instrument (or been alive!) - a very cohesive group that live and
> breathe together unlike many other orchestras that traditionally
> contract subs, co-principals, etc and the like by contrast. This is I
> believe one of the great strengths of the CSO.
>
> Sorry if there has been any misunderstanding about the subject.

I think I was being a bit playful at the expense of the previous post,
Greg. Hence my "So there," in:

"The other way around, I think. Though I do understand that Daniel's
technique leaves something to be desired, the other gentleman's
musicianship left everything else to be desired. Horrible. So there."

We've had this sort of discussion before here. I tend to represent the
notion that someone who does arguably wrong things even superlatively
well is just as criticisable as someone who does arguably right things
less well. I thought that quite a lot of Solti fell into the former
category, though that's just a personal opinion, I know.

Of course Solti was a maestro. On the other hand, when at Covent
Garden, he blocked the career of Reginald Goodall, who subsequently
conducted all of Wagner at the Coliseum to great acclaim, saying, "It is
not a question of how well he conducts. He simply cannot conduct at
all."

I'm more than happy, on the other hand, to call Barenboim 'maestro',
even though, as I indicated, I recognise that he transmits his
musicianship in a, how shall we say, less expert manner, on the podium.

At a tangent, perhaps, but it might be worth recalling some of the most
destructive political leaders in our history have been highly able,
technically.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?

---------------------------------------------------------------------