Dave Hurwitz reviews - love 'em or hate 'em

[Bryn]

Aren’t we confusing our Hurwitzes?

Yes, but Manny makes a much more interesting topic of discussion.

[vibratoforever]

The Hurwitz Youtube channel is all about Hurwitz. Hours and hours of speech without a note of music to be heard - save in a few exceptions. Life is too short!

For all the complaints that appear here about BAL, and not least from me, it is a far more informative and rewarding listen.

[cloughie]

Aren’t we confusing our Hurwitzes?

See #4!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

See #4!

[jayne lee wilson]

The Hurwitz Youtube channel is all about Hurwitz. Hours and hours of speech without a note of music to be heard - save in a few exceptions. Life is too short!

For all the complaints that appear here about BAL, and not least from me, it is a far more informative and rewarding listen.

Exactly.
Hurwitz' written or spoken style, always greedy for the next put-down, so full of attention-demanding jokes and clever-clever phrases at the composers' or performers' expense, is indeed "all about him".

Classic case of Self-Love, aka Narcissism.....
But of course it gets a following; this is Populism in the form of Music Reviewing...

[gradus]

To a degree yes but lately, perhaps earlier too, he does play examples to illustrate the music and his criticism so perhaps he is a work in progress and will evolve to a BAL style more people find acceptable - or perhaps not if his 'populist' approach commands sufficient attention from classical music followers.

[Braunschlag]

I have no problem with being a ‘populist’ consumer of Hurwitz at all. I’ve been pointed towards many recordings I had no idea about and worth exploring. Agree that he really does drone on sometimes but I prefer something more cut and dried rather than the anodyne and ‘all shall win five stars’ style (if you’d call it that) of the printed monthlies.

[Pianoman]

Exactly.
Hurwitz' written or spoken style, always greedy for the next put-down, so full of attention-demanding jokes and clever-clever phrases at the composers' or performers' expense, is indeed "all about him".

Classic case of Self-Love, aka Narcissism.....
But of course it gets a following; this is Populism in the form of Music Reviewing...

You’ve obviously only listened to a selective bunch - I’ve listened to almost all and couldn’t disagree more. Extended extracts are played where the record companies will allow, score extracts shown where relevant, and when he is dismissive or in a ‘put-down’ mood, there’s often a good reason. He’s really no worse than any other reviewer, certainly not Gramophone critics, and I thought he held his own very well against Rob Cowan in the Furtwangler podcast. He’ll never be Mr Nice Guy so will obviously rub (especially Brits) up the wrong way, but hey, that’s the world we live in where anyone can be a critic. Your own very lengthy posts attest to that.

[jayne lee wilson]

You’ve obviously only listened to a selective bunch - I’ve listened to almost all and couldn’t disagree more. Extended extracts are played where the record companies will allow, score extracts shown where relevant, and when he is dismissive or in a ‘put-down’ mood, there’s often a good reason. He’s really no worse than any other reviewer, certainly not Gramophone critics, and I thought he held his own very well against Rob Cowan in the Furtwangler podcast. He’ll never be Mr Nice Guy so will obviously rub (especially Brits) up the wrong way, but hey, that’s the world we live in where anyone can be a critic. Your own very lengthy posts attest to that.

OK - go on, show me where I should edit them.....e.g. on my recent Schubert thread, but - do make sure you've done the listening first...

I'm afraid I once read far too many of Hurwitz' written reviews on Classics Today while they were still free (and yes - I even agreed with some of them; he isn't ignorant of the subject, of course not)...so I've known his approach well for some years.

Your own generalisation about Gramophone reviewers is itself too sweeping to be useful or accurate, which, if you had access to the archive going back to 1923, you would soon realise...
A vital point about the Gramophone, especially its best reviewers like RO, RC, Gutman, Achenbach, Threasher, Gardiner etc etc....Swain, Salter, J and S Sadie and many others further back, is that they always try to seek out what is good, new or distinctive in a given recording (even as they acknowledge its quirks); they use negatives very carefully, accurately and usually only when deserved in a very balanced view.

One of Hurwitz' 2020 vids is "why is there so much bad Bruckner?" attacking recent-ish recordings. And guess what, Norrington is among his targets....Oh, what a surprise......
Invective has its place and can be entertaining; I've done it myself sometimes. But its just too tempting a game to play, though it will gather acclaim from the relatively ignorant, of course it will...

OK! Off to the Grand Prix now....

[Barbirollians]

Exactly.
Hurwitz' written or spoken style, always greedy for the next put-down, so full of attention-demanding jokes and clever-clever phrases at the composers' or performers' expense, is indeed "all about him".

Classic case of Self-Love, aka Narcissism.....
But of course it gets a following; this is Populism in the form of Music Reviewing...

A perfect summing up.

[jayne lee wilson]

The Bad-Bruckner piece I mentioned above is terrible: full of ignorant, dated views and clichés about the music and unustifable sweeping assertions about "younger condcutors"....

"“A lot of younger conductors have forgotten how to handle sonata form” ...(What? What? No further comment necessary....)

“The authentic instrument movement is harming Bruckner”

...the latter apparently due to some performing the music with less vibrato...just a shame for Hurwitz that actual period-instrument recordings or performances remain quite rare, but by no means eschew vibrato completely.... it is an expressive device, so often the more telling, the more sparingly it is used. But Herreweghe's almost vibrato-free 4th and 7th just happen to be beautifully played and sounded, and very carefully shaped.

If he is thinking of Dausgaard, the 6th and the 3rd from Bergen also happen to be outstanding recordings anyway.... but they are probably too daring for Mr. Hurwitz...he probably hasn't heard them. Or the recent "Three Fourths" from Hrusa, about as warmly expressive as anyone could wish.
In fact the last decade or two have seen a wonderful burgeoning of new Bruckner recordings, especially of rarer original editions, in exceptional and very freshly insightful readings. Very exciting for devoted and openminded Brucknerians, and something of a Golden Age in itself...something to celebrate, not attack in ignorance.

So the Hurwitz piece is as usual all about the supposed eternal touchstones of Jochum, Karajan, etc etc....
(No wonder a certain B O'H offers gushing admiration BTL )....

If there's one thing I would ask of any reviewer it is openness to The New...




[visualnickmos]

You’ve obviously only listened to a selective bunch - I’ve listened to almost all and couldn’t disagree more. Extended extracts are played where the record companies will allow, score extracts shown where relevant, and when he is dismissive or in a ‘put-down’ mood, there’s often a good reason. He’s really no worse than any other reviewer, certainly not Gramophone critics, and I thought he held his own very well against Rob Cowan in the Furtwangler podcast. He’ll never be Mr Nice Guy so will obviously rub (especially Brits) up the wrong way, but hey, that’s the world we live in where anyone can be a critic. Your own very lengthy posts attest to that.

I agree. People (who shall be nameless!) don't like his style, and instantly become dismissive. I have been shown quite a few works hitherto unknown to me, which I have enjoyed. The same goes for some recordings hitherto unknown to me, of works that I know. What on earth is wrong with that?

[visualnickmos]

..... sweeping assertions....

.....but they are probably too daring for Mr. Hurwitz...he probably hasn't heard them.

It is as usual all about the supposed eternal touchstones of Jochum, Karajan, etc etc....

..... sweeping assertions.... something you madam,never make!

here is one that you 'never made!' .....but they are probably too daring for Mr. Hurwitz...he probably hasn't heard them.

and another (which by the way is total b******s!) that you 'never made' ...it is as usual all about the supposed eternal touchstones of Jochum, Karajan, etc etc.... How many have you listened to, in order to have 'never made' this one?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

We need to keep cool heads.

[jayne lee wilson]

..... sweeping assertions.... something you madam,never make!

here is one that you 'never made!' .....but they are probably too daring for Mr. Hurwitz...he probably hasn't heard them.

and another (which by the way is total b******s!) that you 'never made' ...it is as usual all about the supposed eternal touchstones of Jochum, Karajan, etc etc.... How many have you listened to, in order to have 'never made' this one?

I'm simply and clearly referring to the 10-minute talk itself, and very precisely, his own very generalised statements and references to conductors within it. Which you would understand if you'd heard it yourself.

"How many have you listened to?" Do you really want me to list all the recordings of Bruckner I have on my shelves or drives or streaming services? Or show you my database of Bruckner reviews, guides to versions and pieces I've posted on here across 10 years?

And that is my final contribution to this waste of space. Various animals to feed....

(***EDIT: after another search, I found Hurwitz' review of the Dausgaard 6th; just as insultingly and narcissistically dismissive as I predicted; worthless on any musical or critical level... )