Amazona Persona Non Grata

by Karl Nehring

As you can see from the brief biographical information printed below, for many years I was associated with an audio magazine called The $ensible Sound. Starting as a contributor in the 1970s, I increased my involvement to the point of becoming the Editor in the 1980s, a position I held until finally stepping down in the early 2000s, although I stayed on as Music Editor for the final few issues until the publisher decided to cease publication in 2003. Besides reviewing audio equipment and doing the actual editing of the magazine, I did a column titled “More Jazz Than Not” in which I published reviews of recordings – first of LPs, then of CDs as they began to replace vinyl in my collection. As you might guess from the title, the majority of my reviews were of jazz recordings, but I also reviewed quite a few classical releases. 

By the time the magazine folded, I had hundreds of reviews of both classical and non-classical albums stored on the hard drive of my Macintosh. Reflecting back on all the time and effort I had invested in writing these reviews, and realizing that these albums were still widely available as LPs and CDs, the thought occurred to me that perhaps I could turn my reviews into books that could serve as guides to the recorded music marketplace. I had no high expectations of these books becoming best sellers, but I thought it would at least be fun to pull my reviews into book form and see whether I could possibly find a publisher.

 

Going back through the reviews, I quickly decided that I had enough classical music reviews to justify separating my hundreds of reviews into two manuscripts: classical and everything else. I then separated my reviews into two large folders. Having done that, I carefully went through each review, massaging it to make it consistent in terms of style and format so that the book would come across as a unified whole rather than as just a dump of old reviews. Once I had done this for all the reviews in both volumes, I wrote introductions for each and created the actual final manuscripts. 

 

As I began to think about where I might possibly be able to send these manuscripts to see about getting them accepted for publication, the thought suddenly occurred to me that, as a courtesy, I really ought to let the publisher of The $ensible Sound know that I was intending to publish my reviews. Although all the writing was in fact mine, the reviews had been published in his publication, so it just seemed to me that the right thing to do was to let him know I was doing this. I thought he would say something along the lines of, “hey, that’s a great idea, good luck, let me know how it turns out.” Instead, he said that he would publish them himself, I should send him the files so he could get started, etc.

 

Well, to make a long story short, neither of my manuscripts ever got published. 

 

A few years later, my doctor retired. His replacement turned out to be incompetent. After putting up with his incompetence for longer than I should have, I found a new doctor who knew what she was doing, gave me a thorough going-over, found some issues, and I was shortly thereafter found to have prostate cancer. Following my surgery, I had a couple of weeks off from work, during which time I decided I could finally do something useful with all those reviews I still had sitting on my hard drive, which were now in the guise of the two book manuscripts: I could post those reviews on Amazon. I edited them to make them more Amazon-appropriate, and Amazon seemed happy to have them. In fact, I was credited as being a Top 200 Reviewer or something of the sort, and for a long time was getting all manner of comments on my reviews. As I would purchase new or used CDs, I would often write reviews and post them. 

 

In 2018, John Puccio, who had been Music Editor of The $ensible Sound throughout its existence, and with whom I had kept in some touch in the years since, asked whether I would be willing to do some reviewing for Classical Candor, a classical music review blog he had started. I accepted his kind invitation and began submitting some reviews. Since I was also posting reviews to Amazon, I would take the reviews I did for Classical Candor, scrub them down a bit (Amazon does not allow outside links/references and such) and then post them to Amazon.

 

Then one fateful day about two years ago I went to post a review on Amazon but was unable to do so. Instead, I received a message that informed me that Amazon had detected suspicious activity from my address. I could no longer post, and all my reviews had been removed. 

 

Wait, what?! ALL MY HUNDREDS OF REVIEWS HAD BEEN REMOVED!

 

Unbelievable. I had by this point posted something like 800 reviews. Not just music reviews, although that was the vast majority. But every single one of them had been removed. Without warning. (And oh, by the way, John Puccio has been similarly banned.)

 

The message said I could contact Customer Service to contest/discuss this action. Again, to make a long story short, I have been trying for two years now to get back in their good graces. I have talked to several people. I explain that I have long reviewed albums and that I generally post reviews only of music that I enjoy and recommend. I remind them that for years they seemed to be quite happy with what I was doing. I find that the people I talk to always seem to be sympathetic. I also point out that for whatever reason I now cannot review anything – books, clothes, flashlights, anything that I purchase. I ask whether I can be reinstated if in the future I will only post ratings/reviews of items I actually purchase on Amazon. They say that sounds reasonable, they will recommend my case be reviewed, and promise that I will hear something within two weeks. I soon get an email denying my request.

To add insult to injury, a month or so after I was banned from posting, I purchased a book on Amazon.  Before long, I got an email from Amazon inviting to post a rating of the book. Not a review, just a rating -- one to five stars. Sure, I was willing to do that; moreover, I was gratified by what seemed to be a clear indication of at least a partial thaw in our relationship. 

But when I went to the site to click on a star, I was immediately shut out. A window popped up on my screen reminding me that because Amazon had observed suspicious activity from my web address, I was forbidden from posting. My goodness, even though Amazon had invited me to rate a book I had purchased from their site, they were forbidding me to do so. 

 

A few weeks ago I tried calling Amazon Customer Service yet again to plead my case. As usual, I spoke to someone who was sympathetic to my case who promised to pass along my recorded phone call to their review committee. My only glimmer of hope is that the most recent rejection email resulting from mu call at least offered me the opportunity to reply to their email and offer additional evidence in my behalf. Although I don’t have much hope that it will change their minds, I have done so. I pointed out to them that I am a Prime member, that the way things stand now I am unable to rate or review even items that I purchase on Amazon. I asked whether I could possibly be reinstated to the point where I could at least review items I purchase through Amazon.

 

And now I wait once again. We shall see

Update:

In reply to my email, I received the usual standard email informing me that they had noticed suspicious activity on my account and I was therefore not allowed to rate, review, comment, etc.

That's it. I give up. 

… 

Fauré: Complete Music for Solo Piano (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

(CD1) Romances sans paroles (“Songs without Words”), Op. 17; Ballade in F sharp major, Op. 19; Impromptu No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 25; Barcarolle No. 1 in A minor, Op. 26; Valse-caprice, Op. 30; Impromptu No. 2 in F minor, Op. 31; Mazurka, Op. 32; 3 Nocturnes, Op. 33; (CD2) Impromptu No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 34; Nocturne No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 36; Nocturne No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 37; Valse-caprice, Op. 38; Barcarolle No. 2 in G major, Op. 41; Barcarolle No. 3 in G flat major, Op. 42; Barcarolle No. 4 in A flat major, Op. 44; Valse-caprice, Op. 59; Valse-caprice, Op. 62; Nocturne No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 63; (CD3) Barcarolle No. 5 in F sharp minor, Op. 66; Barcarolle No. 6 in E flat major, Op. 70; Thème & Variations, Op. 73; Nocturne No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 74; Pièces brèves (8), Op. 84; Barcarolle No. 7 in D minor, Op. 90; Impromptu No. 4 in D flat major, Op. 91; Barcarolle No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 96; Nocturne No. 9 in B minor, Op. 97; (CD4) Nocturne No. 10 in E minor, Op. 99; Barcarolle No. 9 in A minor, Op. 101; Impromptu No. 5 in F sharp minor, Op. 102; Préludes (9), Op. 103; 2 Pieces, Op. 104 – I. Nocturne No. 11 in F-Sharp Minor, II. Barcarolle No. 10 in A Minor; Barcarolle No. 11 in G minor Op. 105; Barcarolle No. 12 in E flat major, Op. 106; Nocturne No. 12 in E minor, Op. 107; Barcarolle No. 13 in C major, Op. 116; Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119. Lucas Debargue, piano. Sony Classical 19658849882 4 

The French composer Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) is one of those composers who, although relatively well known to most classical music lovers, nevertheless seems to be under-appreciated. Perhaps he needed to be a widely traveled keyboard virtuoso, or perhaps to have written some memorable symphonies to capture the public imagination; whatever the reason, he certainly was a marvelous composer who created music of great beauty and refinement. He saw a purpose to music: “To my mind, art, and above all music, consists in lifting us as far as possible above what is,” he once wrote. These words take on extra meaning when we consider that Fauré was always something of an establishment outsider, and then in middle age, was beset (like Beethoven) with deafness. As a teenager, he had been taught piano by Saint-Saëns, 10 years his senior, who became his lifetime mentor and champion. Saint-Saëns encouraged him to compose, helped him get a job as a church organist, and remained his staunch supporter throughout his career. But although he played the organ for much of his life, he left no compositions for that instrument; however, he composed for the piano throughout his career. This new release from French pianist Lucas Debargue (b. 1990) brings them all together for us to audition and enjoy. 

Here we have yet another example of an album that largely owes its existence to the COVID-19 pandemic. Someone with more talent and energy than I have needs to write a book – or, at minimum, an article in The Atlantic or Gramophone – about the musicians that responded to the circumstances of the pandemic with music, such as pianist Igor Levit and countless other musicians with streamed recitals, and then any number of releases from musicians who suddenly found themselves unable to travel. With newfound time on their hands, many embarked on projects of composing and recording, and we are still enjoying the fruits of their labors. Debargue, for example, writes that “in 2020, when travel and concerts were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, I was able to return to one of my favourite musical pleasures: lengthy sessions spent sight-reading at the piano. This was the occasion on which I discovered the Nine Preludes op. 103 of 1909 and 1910. And I was immediately struck by the profound originality and mastery of these brief pieces from Fauré’s final period… The late-period style of Fauré’s was a revelation. Initially, my reaction was negative as I found myself dealing with scores whose harmonic language was beyond my grasp. To decipher Fauré’s ultimate enigmas I needed to draw on all the passion that I have invested in studying tonal harmony over the years… This voyage of discovery has provided me with a number of musical pleasures that have transformed my life both as a person and as a musician. I needed to go into the recording studio in order for me to be able to be able to share this adventure with my listeners.”

A unique dimension of this recording is the piano itself. Rather than the typical Steinway, Yamaha, etc. that we usually encounter on an album of this sort, Debargue has instead chosen to record these tracks on an Opus 102 piano (pictured right). As he explains, “this recording is not just about offering a summation of a benchmark reading of Fauré’s music for the piano; it also provides an answer to other needs that I feel, specifically the desire to invest this recording with an experimental aspect. I needed the sound of the piano to express a spirit of experimentation in the clearest possible way. The project found an ideal complement in my choice of an Opus 102 piano, an innovatory concert grand that has one hundred and two keys (as opposed to the standard eighty-eight) and a choice of keyboard that to my ears makes total sense in this repertoire.” Although of course Fauré would not have written any notes for any of those 14 extra keys, there does seem to be a clarity of sound to this recording, especially in the upper registers, that adds to the lister’s musical enjoyment. Let’s give credit to both the piano and the engineer – but we should certainly not forget to credit Debargue, n’cest-pas?

Clarity is a hallmark of Fauré’s piano music in general. It is not dreamy and impressionistic; it is more straightforward than that. Still, it is imbued with charm, color, and wit. It is fascinating to sit down and listen to his music develop from disc to disc, from the more straightforward sound of some of his early works to the more reflective, ruminative later works. Debargue provides brief comments on all the works included in the set, making this box an excellent way for someone to take a deep dive into the world of Fauré’s music for piano. Trust me – it would prove a most rewarding swim.

 

 

Fred Hersch: Silent, Listening (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington: Star-crossed Lovers; Fred Hersch: Night Tide Light; Akrasia; Silent, Listening; Starlight; Aeon; Little Song; Russ Freeman: The Wind; Hersch: Volon; Sigmund Romberg/Oscar Hammerstein II: Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise; Alec Wilder/Ben Berenberg: Winter of My Discontent. Fred Hersch, piano. ECM 2799 589 0962

The veteran American jazz pianist Fred Hersch (b. 1955) has had some daunting challenges in his life, which you can learn from the pianist himself in this YouTube video  We previously reviewed an album that Hersch recorded in his home during the dark early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. That album was recorded on a less than ideal piano in a less than ideal (at least in terms of recording acoustics) room; however, Hersch’s talent and love for the music made his 2021 release Songs from Home (Palmetto PM2197) a winning collection of tunes that is well worth a listen (you can find our review here). Fast-forward to April 2024 and we have a new release from Hersch on the ECM label, this one recorded under much different circumstances, on a beautifully tuned piano in an acoustically perfect European hall under the watchful eyes and ears of a world-class producer and engineer.

 

As you can see from the list of titles above, the program is a mix of covers and originals by Hersch. The mood throughout, however, is consistent from one track to the next. I nearly typed “cool and calm,’ but then thought the better of it. “Warm and calm” might be a better way to put it, for Hersch’s playing is intimate, poetic, communicative, searching, measured – warm and calm, reassuring and inviting. His compositions have at times the feeling of being improvised on the spot. Listeners will find themselves being drawn into Hersch’s musical imagination, in some sense searching with him for the next notes along his musical path. This sense of closeness is enhanced by the superb engineering. The only thing that would make this release even finer would be liner notes; fortunately, however, you can glean more information about the recording from the pianist himself by watching this video from ECM. 

Even without notes (not unusual with ECM), Silent, Listening is an album that offers a remarkably rewarding listening experience to those music lovers who appreciate commitment and communication expressed with probing simplicity. It is a beautiful album, highly recommended.