Search - Kaikhosru Sorabji, John Ogdon :: Sorabji: Opus Clavicembalisticum

*No* competition!!

Christopher Smith | Los Angeles | 05/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There has been a great deal of obfuscation and misinformation on the subject of the relative merits of the two available recordings of O.C. I am commenting to do my part to help end this state of affairs, which is frankly absurd as there is no real comparison between the two recordings.



On the Sorabji Forum, whose members include some of the foremost experts, there is a poll: Ogdon or Madge? The result currently (as of 5/06) is: Ogdon 100%, Madge 0%.

That's right: Ogdon 100%, Madge 0%.



A comparison of Ogdon's and Madge's legacies suggests a similar conclusion: Ogdon - one of the titanically great musicians in history, whose Busoni Concerto, Tchaikovsky Prize performances, and this, his final recording, number among the Himalayas in the history of recorded music; Madge - an opportunist whose recordings of obscure repertoire have consistently been discredited and greatly surpassed.



Ogdon produces profound, solemn beauty in the variation movements, and logic and drama in the fugues, along with passages of some the most absolutely astounding, volcanic playing ever recorded. Madge produces a completely undifferentiated stream of notes from beginning to end - in particular, he makes the fugues sound as if they were written by a sewing machine. It sounds, in fact, so much like negative characterisations of Sorabji as a clueless note-spinner that one wonders if it is not responsible for such impressions.



Spend the extra $20 and get one of the great documents in the history of music, not a travesty."

A Massive Accomplishment

felixstrange | Portland, OR, USA | 09/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have read many a review which has unfavorably compared the Ogdon recording to the earlier Madge recording. While I must admit Madge's recording is arguably more technically precise and manages to fit into the composer's originally conceived duration, Ogdon's recording is far more vivid and human.



The task of bringing this music to life is truly overwhelming, most apparently at a technical level. However, as always, there is more to music than mere technical realization. It is by this measure which Ogdon's recording soars to heights Madge's excellent recording fails to reach.



Certainly this recording is a crowning achievement, the final triumph of a virtuoso instrumentalist transcending the shackles of schizophrenia. Above all, it is a miraculous tribute to the human spirit."

New mastering!

Daniel Morris | Westlake, OH USA | 08/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now reissued by Altarus, and available from recordsinternational.com RIGHT NOW, for all those (like me) who missed it the first go round. Standard quad jewel box, extensive booklet, 5 CDs this time (price of 4), newly remastered...get it before it's gone again!"