David Stewart wrote:

>Jacek Zurawski asked for opinions of Celibidache:
>
>Heard a Brahms 1 of his.  It was awful.  Sound was poor and big tune
>played WAY to slow.

Celi bidache is rather famous for his slow tempi.  The feeling however
that I get whenever I hear his work is that everything is given its
full and complete time to breathe.  I watched again his Bruckner 7th as
recorded a few years ago on video in Tokyo.  It lasts 85 minutes, but what
an incredible 85 minutes.  Celi's pacing is like that of a greatglacier.
Slow yes, but it can move mountains!  As for the sound quality of his
recordings, Celi detested recording studios and studio recordings.  he
believed that they were false and dishonest.  He finally, near the end of
his life allowed his concerts to be videotaped.  The bad sound you heard
was most likely the result of a bad pirate recording.

>I understand he is one of these people that get it sublimely right or
>woefully wrong.

I have yet to hear him do anything that was woefully anything.  The sublime
part I'll concur completely.

Kevin Sutton