Hi Bob



 BL>   I think it goes deeper than that. The first part of the Emperor has

 BL> wonderful bits where it swells up and explodes, and the QSO lost that

 BL> totally. It's the whole point of it. And in the third bit with the

 BL> piano it *has* to flow in a certain way.



yes, the left hand has a mind of its own there, sounds like two

pianists sometimes



Could part of the problem have been with the miking and mixing,

rather than with the musicians?



 BL>   I've lost it now - I can't hear the music - but I remember thinking

 BL> it at the time... whatta wanker! This pianist has lost the plot! The

 BL> theme is very difficult, but once you've heard it played right you

 BL> know that's the way it was meant to be; the other is just a poor

 BL> imitation.



 BL>   At the same time... the *recording* of the piano was magic, compared

 BL> to the old ceramic cartridge on a cheap turntable! It was the first

 BL> time I'd heard the Emperor without wow and flutter.



 BL>   But returning to your theory, I think music itself contains the

 BL> "correct" way it should be played.



That is IMHO a personal thing, or at most a fashion thing.



 BL> For instance, they're playing

 BL> "Rising Sun" by the Animals right now. It's an old
Dixieland song and

 BL> I knew it well before the Animals ever existed... but THAT's how it's

 BL> meant to be done. The Animals got it right.



I know what you mean - my equivalent is Grapevine done by the DAAS.

After hearing that, I can't stand versions where the singer sounds

like he's having a marvellous time telling everyone about his

broken heart. But that's only my opinion, plenty would disagree.



 BL>   I'm not saying there is only one version of a piece. I'm saying that

 BL> music itself has a spirit and a need, and that inferior and superior

 BL> versions exist quite recognisably... no matter what you're used to.



And I'm saying it's all personal. For example, there's lots of

music I don't even understand, let alone like. Does this mean that

every version I hear of that music is wrong?



 BL> This is why they can keep re-recording crap written 100 years ago,

 BL> isn't it? Someone does it a bit better...



Hmm... I'm not biting on that one...



Cheers



--- PPoint 1.88