Maciej Diekiewicz writes:
>If any of you knows anything about the circumstances in which Penderecki
>has recently recieved a Grammy Award for his Violin Concerto written for
>Anne Sophie Mutter, I'd be greatfull to learn how did he manage to do
>that.
What an intriguing statement! I'm not quite sure what you mean. Is it
that you really want to know the steps which Penderecki followed to get
the Grammy or that you believe he shouldn't have received the Grammy?
The Grammy for classical music means almost nothing in the first place.
First, most voting members know very little about classical music and
probably don't listen to as many new classical releases as you do during
the year. Just compare who wins the classical Grammy with your own list
of best releases or even those of, God forbid, critics (Fanfare, ARG,
Gramophone). Second, there have been stupidities in the voting process
that essentially allowed large symphonic organizations (the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra in particular) to win year after year in a process
akin to stuffing the ballot box. Third, I'm pretty sure that, for example,
if we were to run our own election, no single recording would garner a
majority of votes, because, for one thing, the interests of list members
range so widely and, for another, companies are releasing a lot of great
music in wonderful performances. If you look at my occasional reviews,
you'll rarely find a negative one - not only because I have no standards
worth mentioning, but also because with all the stuff that's out there,
I might as well review something I like. About the only time I do write
negative is if I really and truly hate the CD and I think that there's a
chance, due to marketing, that some poor soul other than me might buy it.
Also, the Oscar for Best Picture rarely goes to the best picture.
Steve Schwartz
|