David Ayers

Why London? Greater London has a population of 10m. The next two urban areas in England - Manchester and the West Midlands - have half of that combined. Both Manchester and Birmingham, the main cities in those areas, have modern concert halls. London doesn't. If it comes it will likely be in the City and the City will pay. I can't see where a comparable development is warranted in terms of population (and let alone that London is the only major city in the whole South of England) and I can't see where else such a project could plausibly be put. In any case, construction is not a zero-sum game. One facility in London does not preclude the construction of other facilities elsewhere.

I don't know if there is any bass clarinet on this, but a project in which Chris Cundy is involved is available here as a free download.An LP is also available. https://linearobsessional.bandcamp.com/album/risaikuru

Already sold out. When I went to my local hi-fi retailer to discuss a new SACD player they basically said why bother, get Sonos instead. If I make another hi-fi move, ever, that is what it will be.

Chris Cundy http://www.chriscundy.com Just heard him perform a magnificent set - something by Wolff and a piece by Ton De Leeuw called 'Mountains' (http://webshop.donemus.com/action/front/sheetmusic/1360/Mountains) Oh here is the Wolff piece https://soundcloud.com/chris-cundy/christian-wolff-isnt-this-a

Am I was looking vertically to begin with.....

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/03/simon-rattle-hornist-berlin-philharmonic-london-symphony-orchestra For an alternative view.

I don't think this will affect either of you very much. I can only testify to how good Rattle's recent London concerts were. I am not even sure who might have been the alternative. I know that people don't take too much from Rattle's recordings of Austro-German classics but that is only part of it. He will put in more work than Gergiev has done. The programming will be forward-looking. Above all I can see and hear that he knows how to get the best from people. From my point of view, it is a question of the next five or ten years with my favorite of the local orchestras. I was sceptical before the recent London performances, but not now.

I'm guessing that Waldorf will agree with you.

Yes this is good for us. His recent appearances here with LSO and BPO have been outstanding. LSO were at their pinpoint best for him!

I guess folks already know of this video, but just in case"

The only actual staging of Bluebeard's Castle I ever saw was the Canadian production by Robert Lepage, in a double bill which also included Erwartung. Now that really was something. I think maybe I have seen another but I am assuming it was forgettable as I have all but forgotten it. Good spot on Marteau.

The best Bluebeard is always the next one. Mine comes in two weeks!

On the other hand, just use Spotify. If I don't buy box sets myself I can hardly suggest that anyone else should. Treat the above as an exercise.

I think you want the DG and here's why. The Erato does not contain his Messiaen. It does contain some essential recordings of his own works - the ones that appear in the DG Boulez Oeuvres complètes box. So it is between Columbia and DG and I will tackle this by talking through the Columbia contents. I have reservations about the sound quality both as to period recording techniques and to the mastering on the individual disks (but I don't know if they have been remastered). Bartok: there is more Bartok on the DG and some of it is outstanding. I don't know the Columbia Bartok though. Beethoven: you don't need this Berg: more here than on DG, but you might want to hear his Lulu, which is on DG but not on Columbia. Berio: none of this on DG so if you want it... Berlioz: not on the DG box but DG did record Symphonie Fantastique which is great and you might want to hear Boulez: if you are interested in his work you will want eventually to pick up the Oeuvres Complètes, which includes several of these Columbia recordings. The DG recordings include many later works not on Columbia Carter: if you want to hear these works there is no alternative... Debussy: the DG are fine and some is in great sound, there is also more, but NOT the opera which you will want to hear if that work interests you Dukas: neither here nor there Falla: idem Handel: come on Mahler: not in DG box but here is a DG Boulez/Mahler box and there is not much here Messaien: benefits a lot from more modern sound recording, and there is more on DG Ravel: I don't know the Columbia Ravel but the DG Ravel is wonderful - I guess Ravel is the most suited of all to PB's approach. A few items here that were not recorded for DG. Roussel: not core Schoenberg: you do want this for the range - much more than on DG - but what there is on DG is fine Scriabin: again a lone work and not the reason to buy this box Stravinsky: the DG Stravinsky is really good and there is more of it, I think. Your exception here might be Rite, but you don't need to buy the box just for that. Varèse: more of it on Columbia and this is probably preferable Wagner: odds and ends Webern: I prefer the clarity of the later recordings which I think suits Webern. One way or another you want to have Boulez' Webern. I won't go through it but there is a lot by other composers on DG which is not on Columbia so obviously if you want those things there is no alternative. So yes to Columbia on Schoenberg and Varèse, maybe for Berg of which there is more, and yes to the Columbia Rite and as point of comparison Pli selon pli, and other Boulez/Boulez on Columbia, as the approach is less beautiful, and the differences are interesting. And while I haven't singled them out there are some great individual discs on DG. The repertoire there is also much more to the point as things like the Beethoven, Handel, Roussel etc as noted are no more than of historical interest.

It is what it is. The performance I saw had maybe some better singers than yours but even so it comes down to one role and it is dramatically odd which makes it hard to do. FWIW my one Rimsky holding on CD is the Mariinsky/Gergiev box of four operas on Philips. No libretti just a summary, so you can enjoy the music without taking the trouble to follow. That is the way to go, I think.

I just mean all the orientalist coloring.

Thanks for the review. I did see a production of that some years ago by the Royal Opera at Sadlers Wells. It left me cold and when it came up again recently with a Russian touring company I skipped it. But why? Once you get used to the cod orientalism of the whole thing and (evidently) the humor and OTT orchestration I guess it's fine, though as you say only the Queen has anything to do, and by the time she does it you have already given up...

SQ = sound quality

PS answers are based on catalog, not on actual box contents.

It is useless to ask me because I have followed Boulez as a conductor in London for more than 25 years and have picked up all the corresponding DG recordings. I have also heard very many of the others. I find the SQ usually unacceptable in the Erato and Sony. That said, there is a much more complete representation of Schoenberg on Sony.

Agreed. I've never been able to really figure out the lyrics to Medicated Goo which is one of my favorite Traffic songs. Doesn't really matter I guess. Doesn't matter until you try to sing it in the shower...

For some reason people like to carry class war into classical music in this country but it is a myth. What I see at concerts is a serious and music-loving audience. No-one is dressed up. Tickets cost less than a ticket for Premier League football and are easier to come by. The famous Royal Festival Hall is part of the South Bank Centre which was commissioned after WWII by a Labour Government to celebrate the Festival of Britain. Symphony Hall in Birmingham had cross-party support and is credited with leading urban regeneration in that city. A new concert hall in London would be part of a regeneration scheme to create a new arts hub - it all creates work and opportunity. As for the canard about listening 'rituals', I have never understood why people call for change in the area of classical music only. Would this be desirable in the (dramatic) theatre? Would it actually be a good idea to serve drinks during King Lear and have people talking and moving about? Or during the Four Last Songs? Or during Die Meistersinger? Even at the movies there is a general hope that people will sit quietly and not distract others. There are historical and recent examples of different practices, but my guess is the reason recent experiments didn't take is that people actually like to be in a quiet and attentive audience. I've a feeling they like the orchestra in black, too. Gives a sense of occasion, and like a school uniform it makes it easy for musicians to dress and not have to consider fashion every night. I've seen a lot of musicians and conductors get well-deserved applause, and I can see a clear difference between the reception of what is merely creditable and what is evidently outstanding, but I don't see any evidence of 'idolatry.' And speaking to the audience? About what? You can always go to hear MTT or Marin Alsop, who do do that, if that is what you want. Again, no-one claims that Anthony Sher should have a chat with the audience before he plays Falstaff. And there are often pre-concert talks, as separate events, for those who like the chat. Or just read the concert program.

We've all got these - especially those of us who grew up listening to pop music in AM radio. Sometimes the misimpression lasts for decades! I still feel amused that for years what I heard as 'I wonder politely why you're in the world' turned out to be 'How wonderful life is when you're in the world.' Ho ho. Anyone else?

Hasn't it been mostly withdrawn? I don't think I've heard it in recent years at the odd Padres game or two I get to each year.

Barbarella. Superb.