Re: JS Bach / Brandenburg concertos / Die Freitagsakademie

On 03/11/2024 11:12, Raymond Hall wrote:

On 8/09/2024 6:33 am, Roland van Gaalen wrote:

On 07/09/2024 22:13, Pluted Pup wrote:

Is this a live or studio recording? In either case,
the mixing engineer has great power to emphasize or
de-emphasize tracks in a multi-track recording, so
it can be a reasonable demand that the effect tracks
be turned off, or reduced in volume, that can only
come about from a rerelease with "re"mixing, provided
that the per-track recording haven't been deleted.
>
I have the same view when applause tracks are
*emphasized* by the engineers, or even "flown-in"
from a different recording.
>
I like to say that the best engineering is the
least, and what you describe is *intrusive*
engineering that screams "wow, you can really hear
the engineering!"
>
I've got a recording of a La Folia, where
table saws are mixed into the sound, if I recall
correctly. I can't be objective and say
exactly that the recording would be better
without it because as a listener/consumer only the
released recording can be judged, not the
hypothetical.
>
But bad engineering is always a justified complaint.

>
>
If I didn't like it, I would call the sound effects an annoying gimmick getting in the way of the music.
>
But I do like it, so I call it art.
-- Roland van Gaalen
The Netherlands

 On a different tack, but staying with Espanol and musical art, the album, Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis conjures up Spain more to me than ever Albeniz does, good a composer as Albeniz is.
 Sketches with Miles Davis is simply terrific music, full stop.
 Ray Hall, Taree

I'll give it a try!
'Simply terrific music', I like that.
In this newsgroup, we tend to implicitly or explicitly rank recordings.
Ranking is not unreasonable, for example when people want recommendations and budgets are limited.
Or when their house is on fire or when they are banished to a desert island, and they can take only a few CDs with them.
But at this point I prefer to judge any particular recording on its own individual merits.
For one thing, the small number of recordings of the Brandenburgs that I have is already difficult to sort in order of preference (whatever that would mean):
Klemperer, Busch, Cortot, Britten, Leonhardt, Il Gusto Barocco, Freitagsakademie — the ones I listened to recently I like, and saying I prefer A to B makes little sense.
And yes, the Freitagsakademie Brandenburgs are simply terrific!
--
Roland van Gaalen
The Netherlands