The Slipped Disc daily comfort zone (280): With a little bit of Gluck

henry williams says:

has anybody seen her live. she sounds great

Colin says:

Norman, I read several books of yours and recently discovered this page. Your “life and death” publication was simply wonderful: it explained so clearly how the whole classical industry went the wrong way.
I´m now speechless when I see how much you are using the very same devices you criticized in the past about the industry to promote your own page. In this article for instance: this girl is pretty but can´t really play the cello. Or Igor Levit can barely play a Beethoven Sonata live without making tons of mistakes and with a terrible haste and taste and Kaufmann is simply out of voice nowadays. Do these mediocre guys really need such a cheap publicity?

Norman, I expect the industry to behave like they do. Reading interviews with Clemens Trautmann from DG make me realize how hopeless the industry is. And you can be much better then Mr. Trautmann: you were classy and promoted great art in the past – I remember your series on Radu Lupu for Radio 3 some 15 years ago- wonderful stuff! You were great a journalist that many of us trusted in the past
Please find that spirit again: that´s what we need now, not a cheep publicity for so-called artists that many of us don´t find relevant or compelling at all.

Thank you, Colin

David K. Nelson says:

I’d need to hear something more challenging before passing any form of judgment on this artist. Some David Popper music for example, or the Kodály solo sonata. On the other hand I also would not declare that she cannot play the cello based on hearing a recording but watching a lip-synch version (and it is not a good job if synching either). Her bow arm did not look realistic to me – I was hearing results that I was not seeing be produced.

And to continue in a slightly grumpy mood I am not sure Gluck’s lovely melodie warrants these Ecstasy of Saint Therese facial expressions.

But it cannot be easy to concentrate on playing when the foliage is closing in on your like this.

The descending cloud cover at the end reminded of the Monty Python show opening. In short I’d give the cellist higher marks than I’d give her record company on this one.

Harald says:

A little faster and smaller vibrato would be nice….

D** says:

In a way, she reminds me of Richard Stoltzman. He plays the standard clarinet repertoire, but he’s also performed and recorded a number of transcriptions (The Maid With the Flaxen Hair comes to mind) along with his jazz ventures. He’s not the finest clarinetist out there. There is something about him, though, that captivates listeners. He has charisma, and clearly enjoys what he’s doing. I’ve seen him in person, and he really knows how to connect with an audience

I don’t know much about Camille Thomas, but my impression is that she also really enjoys what she’s doing. She also seems to know how to connect with her audiences.

The classical music world needs performers of this type. They are the ones who help to draw new listeners who don’t ordinarily listen to classical music.