Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Philip Ledger, English Chamber Orchestra :: Vivaldi: Bassoon Concertos, Vol. 1

Poor performance, stay away!!

10/27/1998

(1 out of 5 stars)

"My reconmondation to anyone who is at all interested in listening to Vivaldi Bassoon Concerti, would be to stay away from any Danny Smith recordings. The orchestra does a fine job in the backround but the solo performance is nothing lass than awful. Smith constanly misses notes, articulations, phrasing among other things. He puts a bad name to the bassoon and its capabilities. My suggestion is to STAY AWAY!!!! If you are interested in Vivaldi Bassoon recordings, I would suggest finding any recordings by Klaus Thunnemann or Milan Turcovik. Both of these bassoonist show a much more accurate display of the instruments capabilities. Thank you."

Oh Dear!

Simon Davies | 08/31/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I ordered all five of these CD's about 2 years ago, when I was 15. At that time I had started having lessons with one of the UK's leading bassoonists (with many solo albums to his name). I told him that I had ordered these 5 CD's of the COMPLETE Vivaldi bassoon concertos by Daniel Smith and all he said was "Oh Dear!" I awaited there arrival in anticipation, and as soon as they arrived I listened to one of them. I honestly burst out laughing. I did wonder if these recordings were a joke, but no... these were for real. I strongly advise anyone away from these CD's. It is a shame that such recordings can potentially scar the name of such fantastic ensembles such as the English chamber Orchestra... It makes one wonder why only the first two-and-a-half albums were recorded with them and not the complete five...hmmm! I strongly advise a listen to the samples before you purchase these CD's. It is a shame that the bassoon, an instrument full of fantstic qualitites struggling for more of a soloistic status, is brought to such shame by such trashy recordings. Intonation is very poor throughout, and there seems to be little sense of rhythm, especially in the faster movements when it is crucial, even more so in baroque music. Faster movements are hurried and seem poorly rehersed on the soloists part, often coming across as a huge growling noise! However, the ECO live up to there highly respected name, the Zagreb soloists also provide a good foundation for a top class recording. I just wonder where all of these complementary reviews about Daniel Smith are coming from... Is this a sad example of the power of money!!?? P.S. I now keep these CD's for "reference"!"

Proceed with Caution

pk001h | 07/30/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"As a bassoonist, I'm glad to see that there are reviewers out there who are enthusiastic about recordings of bassoon music. It provides a little hope for the future of the instrument and its repertoire. However, I find it disconcerting that people become acquainted with the bassoon through the recordings of Daniel Smith. The first time I listened to one of Smith's recordings, I thought my CD player was broken. No kidding. He gets a sound from the bassoon totally unlike any other bassoonist gets (or would strive to get). The pitch is wobbly, his tongue is slow, many notes crack. There are a few positivies regarding these recordings. One has to applaud Smith for being the first to record the entire set of Vivaldi concertos for bassoon: it is certianly a testament to the versatility and musicality of the instrument. And sometimes he does have some musical ideas, especially in the slow movements. The orchestra makes up for Smith in finesse, and are a marvel to hear. A few years ago at a music festival, the other bassoonists and myself made a pact that when we found Smith recordings in record stores under the ¨bassoon¨ heading, we would hide them some place else in the store. There are so many other excellent bassoonists who have recordings on the market: Thunemann, Turkovic, Dag Jensen, Judith LeClair, Nancy Goeres, Gallois, etc. One of their recordings would certainly do justice to the listener just becoming acquainted with the bassoon repertoire. So buy Smith if you need the complete Vivaldi, but if its great bassoon playing you're after, look somewhere else."