Nick Perovich

>...  A word about where I'm coming from.  Rattle is a black box as far as
>I'm concerned: I've never heard any of his performances, and I will admit
>to a certain prejudice: I tend to discount British reviews of British
>artists, as I, rightly or wrongly, suspect that they are inflated.

We've heard this before from you chaps on the other side of the pond.
Yet here in the UK a standing joke is that we have a reputation for NOT
supporting our own people.

The worldwide fame acheived by Rattle, Hogwood, Gardiner, Pinnock et al
speaks for itself.  Rattle is the best of this buch in my view.  However
I am unable to explain how the UK can produce such artists.  They seem to
arrive inspite of our educational system which does not properly support
classical music.

>And since I have not encountered many reviews of Rattle's conducting
>outside of British publications, I really don't know what to think.

Let me lay it on the line for you then.  Rattle is a guy who loves music
first and foremost.  He also cares about his fellow artist.  I have
reported previously how he refused to go ahead with a recording because of
the substitution of musicians.  That's right!  he puts his fellow musicians
above his own career progress.  I know such things seem bizarre in the US
but they do happen here.

Had he cared more about his own publicity you might have a clearer view of
him.

>Barenboim I know a bit better: I think I have overcome early negative
>ideas implanted by unsympathetic reviewers, and I have heard him live
>and on recordings.

My own view is that Barenboim is another unfarely maligned performer both
as a pianist and a conductor.  Though I personally prefer him in the former
role.

In the case of one versus the other its just horses for courses.

Bob Draper
(In the UK but open minded)
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