Alexis Edorh wrote:

>>I very much like Britten's set and also the Menuhin for warmth and
>>character.

And Santu De Silva replied:

>I recently bought the Britten set, and I'm not impressed.  [It] does
>not stand out in any way whatsoever; I can only assume that
>the recordings have some sort of nostalgic association for
>those who like them.  There's nothing *unpleasant* about them;
>don't get me wrong.  They're just remarkably ordinary.

I got them recently myself, having been very impressed with Britten's
conducting on own his piano concerto, with Richter.  I'd been familiar with
Strickland & the NDR Symphony Orchestra, with Marjorie Mitchell on piano,
and BB's conducting was an abrupt eye-opener (though MM's no wallflower,
mind you).

I agree with your take on this London Double Decker with BB at the helm,
but am puzzled, more than anything, as to why some people like it.

For a moment I thought it might be the even emphasis he gives to each line
of music, as against allowing some to override all others -- which Karajan
doesn't hesitate to do on a DG two-fer, to great effect, IMO, however
un-HIPly.

The seemingly obtrusive brass that lumbers in among the strings in opening
the first concerto, for instance, is a case in point.  But further
listening didn't bear this out: After repeated listenings, I found this
just awkward ...and his work, overall, as you put it, plain ordinary.

Bert Bailey