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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: Live vs. Recorded transcendent moments.
Post Subject: Live vs. Recorded transcendent moments.Posted by Romy the Cat on: 6/20/2013
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The brilliant Norman Lebrecht in his wonderful book “Life and Death of Classical Music...” agreed with Arthur Schnabel who insisted that recordings are “against the very nature of performance by eliminating contact between player and listener, dehumanizing the art”. Norman Lebrecht advocate that presents of recordings make listeners to “collect” and to “compare” recordings instead of discovery the transcendent moments during the live consents.

Well, I very much disagree with Mr. Lebrecht. How many transcendent moments during the live consents a person could access? Now I wonder: if the “transcendent moment” took place but Mr. Lebrecht was not present during this concert then what would be chose of Mr. Lebrecht:

A.      Do not acknowledge that “transcendent moment” took place just because he physically was not there.
B.      To have a recording of the event, which would not be not as powerful influence as to be there but it would be better than nothing.

I believe Sergiu Celibidache had this attitude and he felt that not of his recordings are worthy any publishing. Well, I think it is very short minded. People read news for today event in order to be informed. They do not need to go to Africa to suffer from Malaria or to get radiated in Fukushima – they would like to be informed that there is disease in Africa and radiation in Fukushima. If they find that mosquito-borne infectious disease or radiation toxicity is something that they would like to be experienced than they know where to find it.

I think it is the very same with recordings. Of cause recordings do not has the same impact as live events BUT… they have higher impact. During a life time one might hear one or two more or less worthy life consents of the same work, however the same person might have at control of his or her fingers a few truly stunning truly transcendent interpretations of the same piece.

To me it is no brainer what would I chose. I have panty concerts in my life what I was walking out of concert halls during intermission and never returned for the second part. I had two concerts when I demonstrably walked out of the hall right in the middle of performance.  It is about who is in control.  Arthur Schnabel felt that he is in control and it is his consciousness is something that delivers transcendent moments. Well, I feel different. I feel the transcendent moments are subject of perception not expression. How transcendent would be the Arthur Schnabel’s moments if he played in empery hall with no listeners?

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

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