I always find it interesting to read reviews of discs that I have also
reviewed.  In late Spring of this year I reviewed for MusicWeb a disc
of Gottschalk solo piano music on Naxos performed by Cecile Licad who
used to record for Sony and MusicMasters.  In my review, I mentioned
that my initial reaction to the disc was quite negative as I found the
performances of the "jumping bean" category with insufficient grace
and a harshness that made continued listening hard to take.  However,
additional hearings turned me around completely and I ended up feeling
that Licad was the best representative of Gottschalk's music on disc.
Her vital and quick interpretations reminded me of the American quest
to discover and control.  With most other recorded versions, the
performances are more along the lines of consolidating one's holdings.
I liked the disc so much that I crowned it the "June Disc of the Month"
here on Classical Net.

Subsequently, I have read other reviews which were all favorable until
I read the Don Vroon review in the new July/August issue of American
Record Guide.  Here are his primary comments:

"Too fast.  That is enough to disqualify this.  But it is also crude,
thumpy, and clattery - gross and insensitive.  It was too painful to
listen to all the way, and it is NOT a bargain, no matter what the price."

It struck me that Vroon's final thoughts on the recording are quite
similar to my initial thoughts, and I wonder if he bothered to listen
further or just shut the door on the recording.  Also, some favorable
audio adjustements on my part eliminated the harsh sound; does Vroon
have an equalizer?  I'll write him and try to get answers to these
questions.

I assume that these wide swings in reviewer conclusions can be quite
confusing to readers in terms of helping them to decide where to spend
their music money.  With Licad's Gottschalk, is Vroon or Satz on target?
Actually, we both likely are right on target concerning our respective
musical tastes.  Still, I would love to have read Vroon's comments after
he listened to Licad many times over a period of a few weeks.  Alas, I
doubt he gave Licad this type of audition.

I do have a related question for others on Classical Net who do reviews.
On average, how many times do you listen to a disc you don't like before
assigning it the trash bin?

Don Satz
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