SQ or performance?

In classical music, how much does the sound quality influence your enjoyment of a particular piece? I find it plays a large part. A recording is an artifact in itself. There are many factors which contribute to the final product. And even a great performance can be sabotaged by poor engineering, poor pressing, poor microphone placement and the like. Conversely, a mediocre performance can be attractive to us because of sterling acoustics.
In “historical” recordings we may allow for bad sound, but in contemporary performances the sound can have a significant bearing on our perspective.
Also, our appreciation of a given performance can be affected by other factors. For example, if we grew up loving a certain version, all others may suffer by comparison in our view.

rvpiano04-12-2022 6:13pm

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mahgister Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 13,192 posts 04-12-2022 at 10:47pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I listen to Scriabin integral awful sound recording by Michael Ponti more than most modern recording with a good sound, and way more to Sofronitisky bad sound also ...And to some other not well recorded old russian interpretations... I am unable to attend modern well recorded interpretation in fact... I wanted to because i like good sound but....If God play i listen to him even if it is on a wax cylinder like the RCA dog his master... I tried modern pianists almost no one is able of the superhuman strenght and control and finesse necessary to play Scriabin... Beautiful sound, and beautiful playing is not enough for Scriabin... it takes volcanic expression and colors that has never existed on earth at the finger tips, sorry... Music is not only sound....Music is what our heart listen to first and last and not the ears.... I never listen to a better interpretation of the third Scriabin sonata than Sofronitsky, to the point to listen no modern better souding version... For most "normal" and casual only good interpretations , for those interpret that are only "good" but not divine or superhuman one, i choose the best recording for sure ... These are the majority of albums... But who can replace the bad sound but divine playing of Giesecking directed by Bohm of the fourth Beethoven concertos in 1939 ? I cannot listen no modern playing of that piece... Guess why? i feel beethoven recincarnate for this moment...
mahgister Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 13,192 posts 04-12-2022 at 10:55pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete
mahgister Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 13,192 posts 04-12-2022 at 10:56pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete
fuzztone Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 5,634 posts 04-12-2022 at 11:00pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Mostly when I enjoy recordings the music is #1 and quality of recording/playback is #2. No exceptions. The best soundiing recordings HAVE the best performances.
mahgister Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 13,192 posts 04-12-2022 at 11:04pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete No the best sounding recordings have not always the best performances... Audiophile wishful thinking is not music.....Sorry... Only an example to illustrate the complete falsity of that maxim: Furtwangler Bruckner and some other irreplaceable interpretations with bad sound... No exceptions. The best soundiing recordings HAVE the best performances.