Ramon Khalona responds to me concerning Contrapunctus VIII:

>>The Keller Quartet is very expressive, haunting, and joyous at the right
>>moments; the group's misfortune is having Savall and Hesperion XX
>>as competition.
>
>With all due respect, in the last sentence you make an apples vs.
>oranges comparision.  The Keller recording is a quartet arrangement while
>Savall's is a chamber orchestra arrangement.

This all comes down to the issue of points of *similarity*.  For me, the
primary/macro point of similarity is that all versions are performances
and interpretations of a basic work - Art of Fugue.  There are likely
dozens of sub-categories of similarity such as type of instrument, number
of instruments, arrangement, tempo, austerity, lightness, accenting,
phrasing, use of legato/staccato, degree of angularity, moods conveyed,
etc.  Objectively, no particular sub-category has priority over any other.
Subjectively, each listener makes those determinations.

In the case at hand, the similarity I was making between the Keller
Quartet and Savall performances was that both employ only multiple stringed
instruments in Contrapunctus VIII.  I was not saying that this similarity
is the only one that has viability; I was simply using it at the time.  The
way that Ramon presents it, there is one sub-category that takes precedence
over all others - arrangement.  I have to reject that premise and the
entire notion of "apples and oranges" concerning a comparison of any Art
of Fugue recordings.  There might be someone out there who thinks it isn't
viable to compare two particular piano versions because only one uses a
Steinway; I'm not buying into any of this micro-management.

I believe that every review of recordings creates its own "market world".
In my review, the market world consists of seventeen specific recordings
of the Art of Fugue.  Although they can be sub-divided based on a host of
points of similarity, they are all in competition with one another.  There
are no "apples and oranges" elements to consider.

Speaking of the arrangement arena, I just obtained the Delme Quartet
recording of Art of Fugue on Hyperion (arranged by Robert Simpson).  It's
too late for me to include this issue in my current review project, but I
will get around to reviewing it.  When I do, should I compare it only to
other modern string accounts, etc? No, I'll be comparing it to the best
versions of each fugue regardless of arrangement, instrument, or any other
sub-category of consideration.  Although this is getting a little extreme,
a person could compare Art of Fugue to a disc of Strauss waltzes.
Actually, new fans of classical music do just that sort of thing while
trying to determine their basic preferences.

Just one more example of comparison.  Although my wife has blonde hair,
I wasn't looking for women with blonde hair when I was in the dating mode.
I was looking for the "total woman" that I wanted to share my life with.
The same applies to Art of Fugue recordings; I want to listen to those
which give me the best "total package".

Don Satz
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