yoshi wrote:

I do admitt that I have a tendancy to be attracted monochromic works in general, rather than colorful extarvaganza, both in music and visual.  The colors, even strong colors, when balanced and co-ordinated under a specific intention, can achieve somewhat monochromic quality, and I love that.

Yes, I was expecting something like this.  I do not deny the power of monochrome as an expressive tool some kind of given specific application but I do not have a tendency to like anything monochromic. This is, BTW, why I do not like blond women - there is no expected event-contest between body and heir. Sure, everyone are perfectly with their constitutional rights to like what they have tendency to like but in what you said there is a mistake. It is not that you are wrong in your liking monochromic works. But I do feel that you wrong by contradicting “colorful extravaganza” to monochrome. Why suddenly the “colorful extravaganza”? Look around yourself right now – you do not see any colorful extravaganza – you see normal live colors. THAT is what opposite to monochrome, not the feared “colorful extravaganza”. I certainly do not knock your love of monochrome but I think you do not sell it properly. I personally do not like monochrome “as is”. I mire appreciate monochrome that has a reference to black and to white. For instance the image that you presented I do NOT find appealing. In order it to be appealing I would imbed the image in a very thin back frame. Then it will look to me as monochromic expression instead of too many time washed T-short. But is it me of cause...

BTW, back at my photography time 25-30 years back we had a printing, lighting and processing style that we called “high key”. I did like it but ONLY if it implemented properly.  I did some goggling trying to find for you an image but I did not like whatever I saw. Nowadays people are trying to do “high key” in digital domain but they ether do not know what they do of digital is not right tool to the thing. The Morons nowadys burn the lights and loosing the details in the lights. The properly done “high key” shall have a full spectra of tones but with very much reduced gamma. Like pretend thai image:

… only the information in the light is not missed but has very-very fine own density. The enter image should be almost gray but it will have a few spots of the pure white, and of cause the  single black spot in eyes light up the whole “high key” presentation.  I do not criticize the portrait above  - the have different  objective, but I just illustrate what I value.

yoshi wrote:

In case on Wand's last recording of 4th, every notes and phrases are so naturally placed without any strain, or feeling of any interpertation, it's almost like a Waka (Japanese traditional poem) masterpiece, in which the use of words and rhymes are so natural, you don't feel any intention or technic of the poet.  Just get the aethsetic/spiritual message.  2nd movement is exactly like that.  Also, from where the music turns quite mysterious right before the climax, then to the climax itself, I have more than 10 performances of 4th, but there's nothing like this.  No strain, no swagger, no show-off.  Just a steady, natural step to a nether world.

OK, I need to find, get it and to listen it, you need to give me the year of the recording. Interesting that the good things that what you described now has no relation to monochrome….

yoshi wrote:

One other example of what I value most is heard on Herbert Kegel/Dresdner Philharmonie performing Bach's Aria from Ouverure 3, live in Tokyo 1989 (Altus ALT056).  There are zillion performances/recordings of Bach's Air.  Some plays it just as a beautiful piece of music, some puts an incredible amout of colors and nuances.  Some of them are really great musical achievement, but for me, this Kegel performanse is "IT".  It is also very subdued and monochrome with every nuance of joy and sorrow in the past embedded in it.

I think I have this CD, I do not remember it, I need to re-listen it again

yoshi wrote:

Maybe "in the past" is a key for me.  So many things happened in my recent life, I do not see my life in past~present~future term.  I have present and I have the past.  That's it.

Yoshi, reaching a certain age we all have only past. Interesting that “age“ is not what your driver license said but a pure  own perception. What I am trying to say is that our perception collapse much sooner than our ability to manage our own past and out own future. But the wonderful thing is that your perception is purely moderated by self-delusions and the fun part is that our definition of pleasure is not the actually of our past or our future but our reaction to ours self-delusions. What I learn from my Cat is that life might be very entertaining. Yesterday I went to my employer and told them that I am not showing up tomorrow because I won Massachusetts Lottery 148 million dollars and I do not need to work anymore. Of cause I did not win but I truly would like to say those words…

Monochrome is a result of a manipuration of what you call "normal live colors".  In this case, "normal live colors" is the original element to be manipurated and not a contrary concept.  The contrary concept to monochrome would be enhanced colors.

Wand/NDR The Last Recording was done in 2001, a half a year before his death.  It seems like out of publication already.  There's some on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000063BYT/ref=s9_simh_bw_p15_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=01E488X23K3TF6VMC14V&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1280261722&pf_rd_i=5174

I do have an extra copy (Japanese pressing) which I bought when I broke the case.  I'll send you one.

For those interested, they released Wand/Munchner Bruckner cycle (4, 5, 6, 8 & 9) in LP set in Japan.  It is a limited edition, so if you are really interested, you better hurry.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3900388

You have Kegel Live In Tokyo with Egmund.  I don't think you have the one with Aria.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/921460

Yoshi