Donald Satz writes:

>Bob Draper wrote:
>
>>I hope that this is not another example of the "big names" syndrome
>>which is damaging to classical music IMHO.
>
>I'm not sure what damage Bob is referring to.  Is it that classical music
>fans just want the "big names", and all others are left on the sidelines
>with the result that no new life is injected?

That is exactly it Don.  Plus the fact that people Judge by the name
rather than the performance.  It's like Pavlov's dogs.  The listener starts
salivating in anticipation of a performance by Karajan before a note has
been played.  But when it's the Prague Chamber Orchestra without conductor
an anticipation of disaster exists.

It would be interesting to see someone carry out doubleblind trials.  They
could play for example Biret's version of a Chopin sonata, then a music
student's version and finally say a performance by Brendel.  I reckon most
people would find it hard to express a preference.

Sure this is damaging.  There are young folks out there who would play for
beer money.  Yet big name conductors are earning over a million pounds a
year.  And, what's worse they're playing the same repertoire over and over.

Thanks to Naxos and the like new artists and repertoire are being exposed.

I know there are people out there who think that Naxos are ripping off
musicians.  But, what would these talents be doing otherwise and would I be
able to afford to hear Szymanovsky's violin pieces (for example) without
them?

(See http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/cdcosts.html for an
alternative view on this subject)

Bob Draper
[log in to unmask]