From: wjin@cs.uh.edu (W. Woody Jin)
Subject: Re: re: parkening
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 22:23:04 GMT

In article <6898@dove.nist.gov> wack@ariel.ncsl.nist.gov (John Wack) writes:
>
>At the risk of many flames, 

Since you asked for it ... ( 8-) )

>I sense a certain amount of arrogance and
>high-falootin' behaviour from some of the posters.  I would bet that
>most of you aren't anywhere as good as Parkening.  He doesn't go around
>making high claims to his ability, in fact, the guy is quite humble.
>The idea of not listening to him because his technique is not perfect
>means that you're limiting yourself to your own disadvantage.
>
>Live and let live.

The fact that people are not so good as Parkening  does not mean that
they don't have good ears to criticize.
In fact, critics are never better musicians than the ones they criticize.
That is why many musicians hate critics. Some even don't care
(even though they read).  If you see "Ashkenazy Observed" Laser Disk,
you may see how he responds after he reads criticisms in the newspaper.

>
>Grrrr.  This talk about Parkening, etc., bothers me.  Let the poor
>guy alone, c'mon!  Look, I had a classical guitar teacher who used
>to constantly cut Parkening down because he had "big hands" and was
>therefore able to do complex fingerings more easily with "poor 
>technique" than those of us with small hands.  Geeez!

I think that I also heard this rumor long time ago.
I don't know whether that is the truth or not.

>Parkening does not have as broad a repetoire as many others and his
>technique is not as great, and his "musicality" is not THE best, but
>for all those shortcomings, he does have his strong points.  Number
>one, he HAS released new music, including some beautiful duets and
>spirituals with Kathleen Battle,

I don't think that that is new. It has been available from long time ago,
I think.

> and I don't see too many other
>guitarists doing that - classical arrangements of American music.

John Williams :  in his album - "Best Friends : Cleo Laine & John Williams".
It includes songs like : Feelings, Killing me softly with his song,
Eleanor Rigny, He's so beautiful, If, ...etc.
This (semi) classical interpretations of modern popular songs is so
well perfomed by both musicians that I just cannot ask any more from them.
They play as if they were really best friends (are they in reality ? ).

If I dare to compare this guitar + vocal combo with Parkening's:
Parkening plays beauitfully.  The selections are good also.
But I think that he is overpowered by Battle.  
If this was his intension, ie. he just wanted to accompany the
songs, it is alright.  And I feel that I wanted a little bit more from them
- something is lacking.  
Nevertheless, that album is one of my favorate ( 8-) ).

>He DOES have a beautiful tone - some of his playing of Bach and some
>of the more recent stuff he's recorded is very well done and ranks
>with the best.

Sure he does.



-- 
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|  |   |  |  |  |  W. Woody Jin (wjin@cs.uh.edu)       (o o)      Moo.... 
|  |   |  |__|  |  PhD Student. Research Asst.  o=======\ /  I'm  a Cow Lover.
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