Bernard Gregoire at [log in to unmask] wrote:

>C'mon guys and gals, let's not start James Levine bashing so soon.  Levine
>has not yet conducted one concert as Music Director of the BSO.  Let us not
>have a repeat of Ozawa bashing with the new conductor before he begun,
>already!

A good idea.  When Rick Pitino was the Celtics coach, he answered criticism
of the team by pointing out that Larry Bird and Robert Parish were after
all, no longer available.  Well, people, Charles Munch and Serge
Koussevitsky are no longer available either.  Get real.

I must admit, however, that I find Levine's attitude toward recordings
off-putting.  He thinks of recordings only as souvenirs of the live
performances.  That attitude is not all bad in a a way, because it is
opposed to the " let's put in corrections " philosophy now being followed.

Well, it is all academic.  The only new orchestral recordings will soon be
made by organizations like the Inner Outer Mongolian Youth Symphony, under
Naxos auspices.

Bernard Chasan <[log in to unmask]>