Alan Moss wrote a lot including:

>It is hardly any wonder that so few recordings are able to match the vital
>spontaneity of a live performance.

I mentioned recently how this fact gives added zest to the Mehuin Beethoven
Symphonies series.

>On the other hand.  Some recording projects are very special occasions.
>There could be all sorts of reasons for that, of course.  Perhaps it is a
>premiere recording, or one with a rare combination of great artists, or one
>that has never been done in that way before, or one that is not likely ever
>to be done again for some time to come, or even where the venue is special,
>whether it's the Beatles returning to Abbey Road or the Quatuor Pour La Fin
>Du Temps recorded at Auschwitz.

One important fact about the Beatles' recordings and of course many early
classical ones is that the equipment used was essentially simple by today's
standards.  Hence single takes were often the order of the day with minimal
engineering.

Good engineers are thin on the ground.  This is recognised by the Penguin
guide which gives almost as much importance to the recorded quality as the
performance.

There is a case that perhaps we should hold great engineers in as much
reverence as conductors.

It is possible to have non-live recordings with great impact.  But, these
usually seem to be non-studio.  One good example is Hogwood's Haydn series,
recorded just down the road from me at Walthamstow Town Hall, London.

Bob Draper