Klarinet Archive - Posting 000274.txt from 2005/04

From: "danyel" <rab@-----.de>
Subj: Re: [kl] Test results (S. Mayer)
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 06:49:31 -0400

Hi,
let me explain, the somewhat bitter undertone in my attitude towards S.
Mayer is due to fact that living in Germany I have been exposed to her
playing for many years. She has hold a monopoly on certain pieces for quite
a while on German stages and record shelves. All the gorgeous recordings
made by Stalder, Michallick, the Viennese, are out of print (I bought
several scratched post-war records from collectors all over the world in
order to hear Brahms or Mendelssohn played properly), yet hers are force-fed
down our throats. However, I found her sound unbearably sterile, like the
clarinet register of a Casio organ, her playing uninspired, meek and dull.
She drags along at unlikely tempi and her whole person is lacking the spark
and originality that seems to have inspired composers like Mozart, Weber,
Mendelssohn or Brahms in players like Stadler, the Baermann's and Mühlfeld.
We need a different breed of people to play those pieces. I can't take the
boredom any longer. No doubt she is technically quite competent, but so
what?
Best wishes,
danyel

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ormondtoby Montoya" <ormo2ndtoby@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 3:44 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] Test results

> Danyel wrote:
>
> > S. Mayer and her ilk, no matter whether they
> > play Wurlitzer or Jinbao, cold Buffet or on a
> > comb. Mayer might be German and she sure
> > plays Oehler, but aesthetically she is
> > Wasteland.
>
> First of all, for me, your description of Sabine Mayer labels everything
> else in your post as irrelevant to me. She need not be your favorite
> performer, but her music does not justify the description you have used
> above.
>
>
>
> Secondly, this discussion about Dan's experiment has caused some hard
> feelings.
>
> Imo, all of us need to remember that while we may have preferred (as I
> would have) an experimental design with fewer variables, the fact
> remains that those people who tried to identify nationalities despite
> the other variables were unable to do so.
>
> This shows only one thing: that the respondents could not distinguish
> nationality regardless of the other variables.
>
> Dan insisted --- quite clearly and directly --- that this was all that
> he intended to test. When I asked Dan (see the Klarinet archives) what
> he was going to do about differences in sound systems, recording
> techniques and so forth, his reply was (not verbatim) "I don't intend to
> do anything."
>
> The fact that Dan's particular interest doesn't match mine (or yours or
> anyone else's) is worth discussing --- which we have done --- but it
> does not justify personal anger or resentment in either direction.
>
> I may disagree with Dan, but then he may disagree with me. Should
> either of us harbor a grudge or get nasty about it?
>
> No.
>
> Dan proved one particular statement, and if it wasn't a statement that
> interests you, so be it.
>
> If you care enough to do a different experiment yourself, then do so.
>
>
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