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Date: | Mon, 3 Jan 2000 13:30:13 PST |
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Tim Mahon wrote:
>In one of his many recent postings, Don Satz asked us to ruminate
>on an 8 CD set of Bach concertos and overtures/suites from Naxos,
>implying they would be second rate because of the modern instruments
>they're played on.
Second rate? I never used a term like that; I just said it would be 8 hours
of "modern instrument terror". My meaning was that to me and others of
similar preference who find modern string instruments for baroque works
distasteful, it would be a very unpleasant 8 hours of listening. This is
not a case of period instruments being first-rate and modern instruments
second-rate. For my personal taste concerning baroque music, modern
instruments aren't on the screen.
>My point is, should we necessarily disregard another cycle of hoary
>old favorites merely because it doesn't 'fit' what seems to be a recent
>trend toward favoring HIP?
Where does "we" come from? Each of us only makes "I" decisions. I think
it's all fairly simple. You listen to baroque works on modern instruments
and period instruments, and you decide which you prefer. If you like them
both, listen to both. I do not like the modern instrument regime and
listen to it as little as possible. It would make no difference to me
whether the 8 cd set of modern instrument recordings of Bach's orchestral
works were on Naxos, Hyperion, Sony, or any other label - it would still
be unpleasant. But, second rate? That's for each modern instrument fan
to determine based on the quality of the performances.
Don Satz
[log in to unmask]
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