# Some Things to listen for...



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

As we listen to various performances and recordings, we like to compare them with other versions we may have heard...some performances are subjectively "better", ie - we like them more, some are objectively "better" - better played, conducted, etc...
what are some things we listen for?? to help us form our opinions and assessments??

Let's take conductor and orchestra for now -

Keep in mind, orchestra musicians, like most other people, tend to get lazy, fall into habits, generate run-of-the-mill, "OK" performances The best conductors, however, will not accept such levels of performance, and will demand, and get better effort and concentration...

- orchestra musicians will often fall into the "mezzo-mezzo" rut dynamically - nothing is ever really loud, nothing is ever really soft - it all falls into a sort of comfortable _mezzo-forte_ dynamic level...it's easy to play in this manner. The greatest conductors demand huge dynamic range - this puts heavy demands on the musicians to find, and devise the best "set-ups" [instruments, reeds, mouthpieces, strings] to provide good results throughout the dynamic spectrum....musicians must be able to play extremely softly, with excellent control, and fine sotto voce tone, that still projects..They must also be able to deliver the huge _for-fortissimos_ in the great climaxes..again - tone must be centered, balanced and in-tune...
So - as you listen - are you hearing excellent, wide dynamic contrast?? remember, engineers may do some "knob-twiddling" ie - gain-riding - so with recordings, it's not always easy to tell...

- Orchestras also fall into lazy habits regarding tempo and dynamics - so often, when they play softer, they play slower, when they get loud, they speed up...this is obviously a problem. since the two components may be completely unrelated - ie - the music may require a big _crescendo_ with _ritardando_, or a big _diminuendo_ while making _accelerando_...softer/slower, louder/faster is amateurish and not acceptable at the professional level...

Also - orchestras must properly and convincingly execute subito [sudden] dynamic changes - a sudden fortissimo does not necessarily mean go faster, or remain loud...a subito pianissimo must occur instantaneously and not slow down...[Toscanini - Wagner "Liebestod" '52 - the great rising crescendo/accelerando to climax - NBC executes a stunning subito piano while maintaining, increasing tempo - superb control by AT and NBCSO]
These features are almost like a form of orchestral "calisthenics" - quasi-routine actions that must be executed properly to be convincing.

- Ensemble tone and balance are extremely important as well - a matching of tones throughout the section, a proper balance at all dynamic levels, perfect entrances and releases....[one can almost always hear errors of attacks with any recording] - these are usually quite minor, and there simply isn't time to re-take every instance...
Re ensemble tone - I would cite the old Boston SO under Koussevitsky and esp Munch as exhibiting real problems in this regard...the tones of many sections simply didn't match - Trumpet I, [Voisin] played with a very bright sound, the other section members did not match in either tone or dynamic level....for years, the bassoon section featured a French bassoon -Allard, paired with a German system [Panenka] - different instruments in the same section!!
re section balance - this is sometimes blindingly obvious - I remember a friend wanted me to hear a Bruckner symphony recording, Wand conducting...a German orchestra, I forget which...at every big brass entrance - the 2nd trombone just blared forth, covered the first, stuck out like a sore thumb...the 2nd and 3rd trumpets overpowered the first, as well. Sorry, this simply isn't first-rate playing...the Vienna PO, the Chicago SO do not play this way....the concepts of tone may be very different - but the ensemble balances and matching of tones are exquisitely executed.

There are so many more aspects to consider when judging our listening experiences [ie - the whole subject of the string tone/ensemble - basic to the entire sound] - but I've described just a few things to consider. if something sounds really good, or noticeably bad, there is almost always a technical - 'tangible" reason for it...
I hope I've given listeners a few basic tools to use......
Happy listening!!


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