Mitch Friedfeld:

>So if I'm so clever, why do I need a lecture disc to help me appreciate
>EKN?  Well, I'm one of those who needs more than a little help to "get
>it." And these discs do help, by at least getting you to think about a
>piece in different ways.  ...

I think _all_ of us need *a little help* to grasp things of worth and
depth, no matter how clever.  CM is one such thing, requiring far more
exposure and attention than pop music and the danceable or toe-tapping
stuff most take to with ease.  (Of course some exposure is a precondition
for curiosity and careful attention ...and any subsequent search for the
help you're talking about.  Hence, IMO, the vital role of radio broadcasts,
even above live performances, for gaining new CM audiences.)

>Can listmembers recommend any other lecture discs or audio supplements?
>I'm talking about lectures specifically geared to a recording, not
>something like Bernstein's Norton lectures.

I don't like spoken commentaries on CD: liner notes serve that purpose.
I don't need to hear Simpson's voice when he sheds light on his Symphony
#9, for instance, on the Hyperion disc.  I'd rather have another piece
of music instead.  When I get a CD, I'm after music!

Mind you, his 9th is a strong favourite, perhaps my top Simpson piece,
and I hope some day to find what it takes to accompany him on that guided
tour.  Still, I'd much rather have a recording, e.g., of his withdrawn
Violin Concerto, which thus far remains a nagging mystery to me.

Given this strong reservation about what I believe you're asking, I have to
wonder if any recommendation could turn me around on this.

Bert Bailey