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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: Accuracy vs. Musicality (and YMMV)
Post Subject: Granite is not always granitePosted by rowuk on: 1/10/2026
 Romy the Cat wrote:

It is as if I were a sculptor: when I see a granite block, I already see the delicate sculpture that my consciousness wants to reveal. The amount of material that must be removed from that granite block in order for the internal sculpture to materialize — that is what music and audio are really about.
I know this is a very different concept than what most people would feel comfortable with, but I do not seek to convince anyone of anything. To understand this properly, we must do exactly what quantum mechanics has taught us to do: learn to enjoy ambiguity.

So, I am a sculptor and I see a figure already carved into a granite block - by someone else. This figure in no way appeals to my idea of purpose for this granite. Perhaps  I can appreciate the technique used to carve, the general theme of the sculpture, still my conviction is that the artist was an idiot. This happens in music too, but in my view, there is no destruction, rather a constant test of our conviction.
In the case of BWV582, I have a similar conviction with Simon Prestons reading sounding very much like an englishman very focussed on releasing recordings of all Bachs organ works. A very spectacular registration, but I do not like this granite. At all. It is not a problem with the recording or the organ or the precision of play. I am irritated from the very first notes. A better granite for my "vision" of BWV582 can be found here: The Silbermann organ in Rötha. Silbermann was the artist that created organs that Bach played during his professional life. Certainly more historic in tone and dynamics, but VERY comfortable for me for THIS music. The precision of play is also a very high standard.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CxzjTJke-k
If I am reading the score without the stereo turned on, this where I want to be. I could not attach the handwritten score transcribed by Carl August Hartung, organist in Cöthen; Bach's manuscript is lost. The score can be downloaded at IMSLP.orgMLP04326-BWV_582.pdf" title="Bach BWV 582 Score" href="https://imslp.org/wiki/FileStick out tongueMLP04326-BWV_582.pdf" title="Bach BWV 582 Score">http://tempuri.org/tempuri.html

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