Len Fehskens wrote:

>... I go to the BSO to hear music I know and love in live performance,
>which is a qualitatively different experience from hearing it in my home....

To which Jon Johanning replied:

>...  I don't belong to the school of CM fans who feel that the role of a
>great orchestra is to confirm the musical prejudices they already happen
>to have.  If that's your approach, how can you grow as a listener?

I share Len Fehsken's view.  Really great orchestras should stick to their
specialities (as the otherwise very liberal Joachim Kaiser opined in the
Rattle/BPO matter).  Breadth should be sought by attending the performances
of smaller, or less loftily reputed groups specializing in areas not
covered by the greats--or via listening to recordings, a marvellous way of
doing it.  Playing it this way endows great orchestras with the role, and
a secure role it ought to prove to be,the role that the great museums play
to the fine arts; at the same time it would assure a very large role for
other orchestras, or musical groups, including in the field of recording.

Denis Fodor                     Internet:[log in to unmask]