# Do you pay attention to who the musician is on the cd?



## Manok

Just curious, but, I've never been one to be that picky about the classical music cd I get, I'll happily buy something from some unkown or Askenazy(sp?) or whoever. As long as the notes are played right I don't really care that much. What about you?


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## Dodecaplex

Compare this to this and the answer becomes obvious.


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## Krummhorn

It matters a lot to me ... there is much more to music than just playing all the right notes. A robot can play all the right notes - but music played from the heart and soul of the performer is much more pleasing to our ears.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Individual interpretations can make all the difference in the world. Not only are there good, bad, and truly magnificent performances... but there are also performances of equal merit that are vastly different from each other.


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## Iforgotmypassword

I very rarely pay attention to the individual musicians, I'm more interested in the actual composition and the interpretation itself. I do look into different renditions of a piece when considering which recording to purchase however.


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## Dodecaplex

Iforgotmypassword said:


> I very rarely pay attention to *the individual musicians*, I'm more interested in the actual composition and *the interpretation itself*.


But isn't the interpretation being done by the individual musicians themselves? And if a certain musician makes consistently high-quality recordings, wouldn't their interpretation be much more likely to be superior to someone else's?


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## Sid James

I usually flex myself to what a performer is doing, be it on disc or live. I go to performances ranging from amateur, semi-professional, professional and combinations of them all. I just aim to be flexible when listening to what they do. Of course, "world class" is going to be of a very high level, but frankly, I'd rather go to see some of our lesser known local musicians here play interesting repertoire, a combination of old and new, rather than the tired old lists of warhorses that "world class" musicians trot out when they come to play here. Of course, this has something to do with the inherent conservatism with some aspects of the Australian audience rather than what these world jet-setting musicians want to do here or not. If that audience wants Rach 2 or 3 and won't have a bar of 1 or 4, then naturally they'll get 2 or 3 year in year out.

So basically I'd have a few mistakes and bloopers or whatever in a performance of an interesting work than a perfect performance of some warhorse that I've heard like a zillion times and I can hear every year several times if I want. Some are interested in the singer not the song, I'm more interested in the song, definitely. I trust our highly skilled and trained musicians to deliver what they think is appropriate for each individual piece.

Having said that, if I don't like something, I inevitably try different things that will work. Maestro von Karajan's rendition of _Transfigured Night _made think that I didn't like that work, and by extension the composer Schoenberg. Fast forward to now, 15 years later, I got my hands on a recording of it done by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and they just do it in a way that appeals to me to the max, they are more nuanced and colouristic than von Karajan who I found stodgy and grey. Just my opinion of course. Same with Martha Argerich, I heard a number of recordings of her, esp. on radio, before hearing one that really clicked with me, which was one of her & Stephen B. Kovacevich doing the Bartok _Sonata for Two Pianos and Percusssion_. Same with von Karajan, some of his recordings I've gelled with (but not much, admittedly), I try to seek out what I can that appeals to my taste, but it can take a long long time, I'm far from systematic with these things...


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## Taneyev

To me is essential who's playing if I know the piece. But I'm a collector of rarities (on composers and/or works), and if I want the piece, many times there's only one interpretation available and I've no choice.


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## Sid James

^^ Exactly, *Odnoposoff,* that's a strong factor with our Australian composer's music, often there's only one recording available & you're lucky if that's in print. By the same token, I trust our Australian musicians who are highly skilled and trained, they have worked with the finest all over the world, six degrees of separation & all that, our music is in very good hands in this country, imo...


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## starthrower

A composition is nothing but symbols on paper until it's brought to life by the performers, so of course I pay attention to the parties involved.


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## Manxfeeder

I'm influenced by the performer, but I'm always prepared to be amazed by the unknown or unfamiliar.


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## Jeremy Marchant

Manok said:


> Just curious, but, I've never been one to be that picky about the classical music cd I get, I'll happily buy something from some unkown or Askenazy(sp?) or whoever. As long as the notes are played right I don't really care that much. What about you?


The point is that "the notes" as you put it - and, in fact, all the markings, symbols and instructions to be found on a score - are insufficient to fully define the performance parameters. Some things have to be added by the performer according to his or her taste and judgement, otherwise the performance cannot even start.

A simple example. The last movement of Schubert's B flat sonata, D960, is marked "Allegro, ma non troppo". So how do you play that right? According to Wikipedia, allegro means "cheerful or brisk; but commonly interpreted as lively, fast", and "ma non troppo" means "but not too much". So how fast is that? Different pianists will adopt different basic tempi for this movement. Each listener is going to be at least interested in how fast each player goes and, maybe, in the reasoning that informed the decision to choose that tempo.

The music doesn't exist without the involvement of the performers. So, to fully appreciate the music you cannot not be interested in who is performing it. But don't get hung up over it. It will come with time.


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## Taneyev

But many times, the player don't respect the tempi marked by the composer, only for to appear as a super-virtuoso. Best example is Paganini's caprice 1. Composer said "andante", but nearly 90% of every violinist I heard played it "allegro vivo", or even "presto". Only know 3 who played it on a calm tempo: Zukovsky, Pikhaizen and Kawaciuk. I suppose that it's more difficult to play it slow than to do it very fast.


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## Manok

I agree with the fact that some players perform better than others, and some recordings are more powerful. But in light that sometimes the composers I occasionally find I like, there is just the one recording, so I kind of have to not be that picky when it comes to say the works of Penderecki or some other composer who hasn't been recorded millions of time in millions of ways.


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## kv466

Long, long ago. In a Galaxy far, far away.

That's the only time I ever did this. I've spent thousands on bad artists but at least they made nice gifts after the fact. The musician VERY much matters and is just about the ONLY deciding factor for me. That, the orchestra and piece or course.


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## GoneBaroque

A "Big Name" performer is no guarantee of a quality performance. In many instances interpretations by a lesser known performer are as satisfying. Take the less traveled road, you might be surprised.


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## Iforgotmypassword

Dodecaplex said:


> But isn't the interpretation being done by the individual musicians themselves? And if a certain musician makes consistently high-quality recordings, wouldn't their interpretation be much more likely to be superior to someone else's?


Yes and no. I tend to give different musicians a chance each new recording, for example I may like the way that the Emerson quartet interprets a Mendelson piece better than anyone else but at the same time, I may like the Parker quartet's interpretation of a Shostakovich better than the Emerson quartet. I don't look at individual preformers typically... just the actual interpretation for each piece.


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## Air

Whether it is a "big name" or lesser-known performer, the interpretation that each musician extracts from the notes on a score is distinctly his or her own and special on a level that only he or she can communicate. The listener, too, is unique and is the receiving vessel of this communication. 

As a pianist, I always make sure to acknowledge this process - that what I am listening to is not the fascinating Gaspard de la nuit as played by Michelangeli, but rather Michelangeli's fascinating personal interpretation of the fascinating work that is Gaspard de la nuit by the fascinating composer Ravel, all of which my ears transform into a fascinating experience for my senses and soul, which just feel uber-special to be the ones at the receiving end of this wonderful process.

So in short - yes, I do pay attention.


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## Sid James

It's also about areas of specialty. Some musicians are "better" or more focussed on certain genres than other. Eg. some violinists or pianists like chamber or solo, other orchestral. Others both, everything. Some have wider range than others, so on. Sometimes they go out on a limb and do some amazing things, attesting to their overall skills, expertise. Musicians don't have to be put in a box or area of specialty. They can branch out. & they can have "comebacks" like say Vladimir Horowitz did at the end of his life. You never know what to expect from these guys, they're amazing people...


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## Taneyev

There are some music fans that take to extremes the comparative interpretations by different solists. A friend of mine, fanatic of violin pieces, have dozens and even hundred of versions of the most famous works. I believe that he has a hundred of LvB v.c.
We differ on that. I look for works and composers, and with 2 or 3 recordings of any work I love, it's enough for me. But on certain players, I'm very much like him. Have nearly a hundred Oistrakhs, more that 70 Heifetzs....


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## dengxiuwu

Well,sometimes I'll come to see who they are.


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## Moira

I'm another that doesn't much care whether a piece of music is played by x or y. However, sometimes an excellent performance does change the perception of the work.


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## tgtr0660

I might accept a lesser or unknown name for a work I really want to hear as a addition to my collection by a composer I just want to get to know a little bit to see if later I will dig deeper into his catalogue. But for the all the composers I really know and like (and even for composers of whom I like only one or two works) I will pay special attention to the perfomer/Orchestra and conductor. And many times I will find not one but several great version by different musicians that differ in many aspects but can equally be called excellent renditions of the works. 

A music composition is sort of like a theater play. Yes, the big idea, the characters, the drama, the rhythm and depth of the play are in the text, but when you see them performed in the stage, it makes a big difference whether they are played by horrible actors or by fantastic thespians.. 

Even my approach mentioned above might sometimes work against me. If I just want to listen to one unknown work by one unknown composer and I choose a minor version, the version might be so mediocre that I might want to stop digging deeper into that work and composer, whereas if I had chosen as my entry point a much better regarded recording, I could've decided the composer deserved much more attention. Performances can kill works, no matter how good the works are (example: if my introduction to Mozart and his requiem -let's call it entirely his for this point's sake, and let's pretend that was my introductory work for that composer- would have been the horrendous Harnoncourt version, I would probably had a tougher time trying to study his work and this composition in particular any deeper; imagine that happening to one of those "one work" composers...). 

In the end, I realize I rarely buy music on the blind. Even when I buy Naxos or some other label with relatively unknown performers, I check several reviews and comments to see if at least a few people liked it, then I know there is a decent chance I will like it too. Performers are extremely important. 

Also, we might as well remember that even fantastic performers have bad days so not even a famous name guarantees success. Just do some research please. The music deserves it.


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## Operadowney

With singers, yes.
With conductors no. I see no point.


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## superhorn

I'm interested in both the music and the performer ; you can't really seaparate the two. Both are important. 
But I am curious to hear musicians, whether conductors or instrumentalists, not to mention singers , I haven't heard before and are not too well known or just starting to become known , so I can get some idea of how they do the music .


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