[Claritas]

  If we were doing a blind test of unfamiliar recordings, would anyone really be able to guess whether a man or a woman was playing? Probably not.

 
In 1979, Harold Schonberg did an informal survey of about 270 people using a tape he made. The article is called "How Sex Plays a Role at the Piano," reprinted in Facing the Music (1981).
 
His conclusion: "There was an indication that there is indeed a difference between a male and female approach to a piece. Even with some inconclusive results, there were too many cases where the audiences unerringly hit on the correct sex of the performer."
 
However: "If any general conclusions can be drawn, it is that the more professional the listener is, the more he or she finds it impossible to determine the sex of an artist."

 

[jdpark]

Interesting  
 
I'd suppose there is a more 'masculine' and a more 'feminine' way to play some music on some instruments, when heard by a common listener. But this is not necessarily going to be applied to biological male or female musicians... I suspect. Some men might have a more feminine approach and vice versa. But professionals know that any musician can put on the affect of masculine or feminine, and often a very good musician can do both, just like a good actor can take instructions from a director to behave in a more masculine or feminine way depending on the need.  
 
Interestingly, if I compare, say, Glenn Gould with Mitzuko Uchida, I think one could say the 'masculine' case equals greater liberty "breaking the rules" and the feminine case is more "safe" and staying carefully within the lines. But in theory, you could have a woman who 'breaks the rules' and a man who 'stays in the lines'.... So there's no way I could listen to a Mozart piano sonata and guess accurately if its a man or woman playing.

 

[uchihaitachi]

The only way in which I can think of discerning the sex of the performer for the piano is their touch and how they play large chords. Especially minute female pianists the likes of de larrocha or pires, it's more discernible. Might have to try this out 

 

[SunTanScanMan]

 
I'm enjoying the intimate recording of the cello and orchestra, and the restraint shown by the cellist.

 

[RRod]

   
I'm enjoying the intimate recording of the cello and orchestra, and the restraint shown by the cellist.

 
I just got Thedeen's recording of these on BIS and am still digesting them, but have liked what I've heard so far. I'm tempted to try either of Mork's efforts, but having just heard an absolutely sluggish and boxy recording of him and Repin doing the Brahm's Double, I'm having a hard time taking the plunge.

 

[SunTanScanMan]

   
I just got Thedeen's recording of these on BIS and am still digesting them, but have liked what I've heard so far. I'm tempted to try either of Mork's efforts, but having just heard an absolutely sluggish and boxy recording of him and Repin doing the Brahm's Double, I'm having a hard time taking the plunge.

 
I'd been listening to Gabetta before, more exciting than Kouzov - think it was a recommendation on this thread a while back.
I've read positive recommendations for Mork, so was going to move onto him next. Will look at Thedeen too.

 

[uchihaitachi]

I just got Thedeen's recording of these on BIS and am still digesting them, but have liked what I've heard so far. I'm tempted to try either of Mork's efforts, but having just heard an absolutely sluggish and boxy recording of him and Repin doing the Brahm's Double, I'm having a hard time taking the plunge.

Is that the beethoven triple album?

 

[Quinto]

   
In 1979, Harold Schonberg did an informal survey of about 270 people using a tape he made. The article is called "How Sex Plays a Role at the Piano," reprinted in Facing the Music (1981).
 
His conclusion: "There was an indication that there is indeed a difference between a male and female approach to a piece. Even with some inconclusive results, there were too many cases where the audiences unerringly hit on the correct sex of the performer."
 
However: "If any general conclusions can be drawn, it is that the more professional the listener is, the more he or she finds it impossible to determine the sex of an artist."

Hmm.. the same Schonberg who once suggested Glenn Gould did the Brahms piano concerto (with Bernstein) at such a slow tempi because he missed the technical skills.. never took him serious since

 

[RRod]

Is that the beethoven triple album?

 
No no, that one (with Bronfman and Shaham) I actually like a lot. In fact, it reminds me of the Stern/Rose recording I grew up with, and the sound is better. The Brahms is with the Violin Concerto on DGG, with Chailly/Gewandhaus. Much like the latter's Beethoven cycle, this recording is about 3-4dB compressed, but the DGG crew doesn't seem to have handled the Gewandhaus hall as well as the Decca team did, so it all sound kind of mushy. But beyond the initial sound annoyance, the performance of the Double Concerto is just a dud (the Violin Ct. is better). It sounds like your typical "let's just throw two virtuosos together and let them play" gig, rather than having a chamber-like intimacy between the soloists. It reminds me of the much lauded Oistrakh/Richter/Slava disc, which also sounds like 3 soloists vying for the spotlight.

 

[uchihaitachi]

No no, that one (with Bronfman and Shaham) I actually like a lot. In fact, it reminds me of the Stern/Rose recording I grew up with, and the sound is better. The Brahms is with the Violin Concerto on DGG, with Chailly/Gewandhaus. Much like the latter's Beethoven cycle, this recording is about 3-4dB compressed, but the DGG crew doesn't seem to have handled the Gewandhaus hall as well as the Decca team did, so it all sound kind of mushy. But beyond the initial sound annoyance, the performance of the Double Concerto is just a dud (the Violin Ct. is better). It sounds like your typical "let's just throw two virtuosos together and let them play" gig, rather than having a chamber-like intimacy between the soloists. It reminds me of the much lauded Oistrakh/Richter/Slava disc, which also sounds like 3 soloists vying for the spotlight.

Yeah just had a relook at the albums; me too like the bronfman, the repin was underwhelming.

Theres a good interview richter gives about that recordng, he wasnt at all pleased by karajan and found his photoshoots and the likes utterly perplexing XD

 

[RRod]

Yeah just had a relook at the albums; me too like the bronfman, the repin was underwhelming.

Theres a good interview richter gives about that recordng, he wasnt at all pleased by karajan and found his photoshoots and the likes utterly perplexing XD

 
It's funny to see the contrast between HvKs videos and every other conductor's on the Berlin digital concert hall.
 
Re the Brahms: Mork has a live performance with Batiashvili on the Berlin site that was actually pretty good, and was the reason I bought the disc with Repin, along with the fact that I liked the energy that Chailly tried to give Brahms' symphonies on Decca. I was really disappointed by the end product :/

 

[uchihaitachi]

 

[RRod]

FYI, eclassical.com just released the final disc of Vanska+Minnesota's Sibelius cycle. You can nab the whole cycle in hi-res + surround for a pretty good price right now.

 

[perhapss]

   
It's funny to see the contrast between HvKs videos and every other conductor's on the Berlin digital concert hall.
 

 
Yeah, that Karajan was such a hack  ) 

 (...
 
It's amazing the Berlin Phil. was able to endure the lean years of his tenure.
 

 

[perhapss]

   
Yeah, that Karajan was such a hack  ) 

 (...
 
It's amazing the Berlin Phil. was able to endure the lean years of his tenure.
 

 
 
Sorry...
 
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/25/arts/karajan-leaves-berlin-philharmonic.html?pagewanted=all