February 2009
To report that this performance is alive is by no means merely to acknowledge that it was made during an actual concert (in February 2007), but that can hardly escape notice, because there is applause at the end. This continues to be a matter of some controversy, as live recordings become more and more frequent. There are those who feel that including the applause preserves the feel of a live event; others, however, feel that one of the tradeoffs offered by recordings is a level of intimacy that is a valid option to the participatory atmosphere of "being there," and that the celebratory response that makes the audience part of the event in the hall becomes just a nuisance that breaks the mood for the solitary listener at home. Personally, Id have preferred this exceptionally persuasive performance without the applause, but it is exceptionally persuasive, and the recorded sound itself conveys both its warmth and its vigor superbly. GO BACK TO: |