Some Naxos performances are disgraceful


Newsweek - The budget-label Naxos label seems to be doing well.
John Adams - Yeah, they do [all right], but their product is so mediocre. They must have made … seven or eight CDs of my work. They're poorly produced. In some cases, the performances are OK, and in some cases the performances are disgraceful. It's like going to Costco and buying toilet paper with no brand on it.
Foot in mouth quote from Newsweek's interview with John Adams. My personal view is that, like Woody Allen, John Adams did his best work early in his career. I also find the mutual admiration society Adams cultivates around himself a hindrance, rather than a help, to appreciating his later work. But I respect those who view him differently. However, the composer's habit of using the media friendly sound bite to further his own agenda does no favours to his music or its many admirers.

Update Feb 9 - More on this story here. Do you agree with John Adams? Give your view in the poll at the top of the side-bar. Feb 16 - poll results here

Expanded from a brief post uploaded on Feb 7. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk

Comments

Pliable said…
Also very unfortunate that John Adams connects being in a wheelchair with senility.
6:49 pm
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