Norman Lebrecht comments again on Klemperer

>'What is he doing?' said OK.  'He's replacing the false note that the
>soloist blew, 12 bars into the second movement.' came the reply.  Klemperer
>turned to his daughter.  'Lotte,' he barked 'ein Schwindel!' (a fraud).

This reminds me to add that the "live" recordings of Bernstein late in
his career were so heavily patched as to be virtually a studio recording.
I have, for example, very vivid memories of his Sibelius 2 (not least
because it was the first live VPO concert I heard in Vienna), but the
performance presented some of most appalling brass playing I've ever heard.
The recording emerged a bit different, needless to say.  I've found it a
bit ironic that the most consistently accurate orchestra I've ever heard
(Cleveland) has never made a live recording.%)

I agree with his other comments about recordings being necessary for people
who live far from urban centers.  But I never understood people who do live
in or near cities who do not support their performing arts institutions
with their presence.  Collecting isn't a substitute for live music-making,
and does real harm to living musicians if it keeps audiences away.  Most
organizations I know now have some kind of cheap ticket scheme, so money
shouldn't be an object to people who can invest the time.  Conversely, I've
come to believe that the collapse of the recording industry will ultimately
prove beneficial for classical music, for it forces orchestras to focus on
their communities and paying audiences instead of awards given in other
countries.  This shift has already started healthfully in Philadelphia.

Robin Mitchell-Boyask
Temple University
Philadelphia PA 19122