"It used to be that an experienced ear, listening blind to a recording or a radio broadcast, could quickly tell one ensemble from another. Alas, this loss has been international, with Russian brass players having lost their nasal swagger and German oboists no longer sounding like ducks. It is inevitable at a time when star conductors jet around the globe, often juggling multiple music directorships and imposing internationalist standards, and when players are more mobile geographically and upwardly. Though no one would like to admit it, interchangeability is in danger of becoming the norm."
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:44:06 +0000