Renato Vinicius writes:

>Don Satz, for example, makes a good job writing on Bach-keyboard works
>on compared performances.  To many friends of mine I showed his e-mails
>they liked a lot.  If he included more comparisons, more historical
>information (including other critics opinions) and explained more his
>perceptions he would probably be not far from a best selling - if he
>published them.  That's, in my opinion, what listeners want: the
>complete job.

I appreciate Renato's comments and suggestions and have some comments of my
own.  First, I don't think of myself as a critic; I'm just a regular person
who happens to love classical music and enjoys writing about recordings.
Doing reviews on this list allows me a great deal of flexibility which I
don't believe reviewers for periodicals enjoy.

Including more comparison recordings is not easy to do.  I often acquire
more recordings to "fill out" the field of comparison.  For an upcoming
survey of Bach Cello Suites recordings, I bought four additional sets last
week.  Of course, there's so many recordings of popular works that a person
could hit bankruptcy by buying them all.  So, I try to have a good sampling
and make sure I have the "biggies".  But, I can't afford to use more
recordings for comparison than I currently use.  I do understand how a
listener might feel when my surveys do not include a recording treasured by
that listener, but I can't resolve the matter, just empathize.  Also, there
is the issue of time.  The more recordings compared, the longer the whole
process takes.  I often am comparing 10 to 15 versions of a work or set of
works; I consider that amount sufficient particularly in light of the fact
that I do have a life to live beyond the world of music.

Concerning historical information which would include other reviewers'
opinions, I do provide some historical info.  although that is not the
focus of my reviews nor do I find that area very interesting.  I also
sometimes relate other review opinions when I find them illuminating,
interesting, or cockeyed.  As for explaining perceptions, I do the best
I can to relate why I prefer one version over another.  However, I have
some limitations.  I'm not an intellectual giant, and any musical training
I received took place many decades ago.  I think of my reviews as being
written by a regular guy for other regular persons to read and perhaps
benefit from.  I've often told my wife that I'm a regular guy, but she does
not buy that comment, usually replying that I do nothing in a "regular"
way.  But I'm sticking to my self-perception.

One thing, rather interesting to me but not bothersome, is that I read
postings such as Renato's and some postings privately sent to me which seem
to indicate that I do Bach keyboard reviews.  But I do more that just that.
I've done Bach choral works, and works by other composers from different
time periods.  I've never been a wide-breadth person, but I do venture
beyond Bach's keyboard.  His Cello Suites, solo violin works, and Haydn's
Opus 76 String Quartets are coming soon to a theatre near you.  And I
continue to review late-romantic chamber recordings from relatively obscure
composers; Karl Weigl's string quartets on Nimbus will be coming up soon as
well.

Don Satz
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