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See: Max van Egmond - Short Biography

Max van Egmond

Peter Hoogenboom wrote:
I am going to be speaking with Max van Egmond this weekend. (Note the correct spelling of his name.) I will ask him about this recording if the opportunity arises.

Aryeh Oron wrote (September 7, 2001):
[To Peter Hoogenboom] It could be nice if you summerize for us your conversation with Max van Egmond. Peter Bloeemendaal did the same with Pieter Jan Leusink couple of months ago, and it was very interesting for the members of the BCML to hear his point of view regarding his Bach Cantatas project. One more thing, I have noticed that Egmond stopped recording with Harnoncourt after Cantata BWV 30, altough he continued recording with Leonard in the frame his share of the cantatas. Was there any special reason for that? It is an opportunity to ask the source!

Laurent Planchon wrote (September 7, 2001):
Aryeh Oron wrote:
< One more thing, I have noticed that Egmond stopped recording with Harnoncourt after Cantata BWV 30, altough he continued recording with Leonard in the frame his share of the cantatas. Was there any special reason for that? It is an opportunity to ask the source! >
This is exactly what I have always wanted to know as well. It is something I would definitively ask him if I had the opportunity. I suspect that both Harnoncourt and Van Egmont may have disagreed on how to sing those cantatas or something along those lines.

Johan van Veen wrote (September 8, 2001):
[To Laurent Planchon] As far as I know that is not the case. It was Van Egmond himself who suggested during the series to invite other singers, in order to get a greater variety in the cast of soloists. It has always been hailed as a superior example of the modesty which characterises Mr Van Egmond.

Bradley Lehman wrote (September 8, 2001):
Just got a note this morning from my former fortepiano teacher (Penelope Crawford) that she recorded Schubert's "Die Schöne Müllerin" in July with Max van Egmond. Synchronicity of e-mail the same day!

That's due out this fall already, and I imagine it will be terrific all around: his singing, her playing, and her piano. Most likely she used her original Conrad Graf piano, the same one on which she recorded the Schubert trios (Atlantis Ensemble, Wildboar 9703/4, HIP, produced by me). I think she also used that piano on the new Mendelssohn set that was just released on Musica Omnia, Watchorn's label.
http://classicalmusic.shopping.yahoo.com/search/classical_album?&txt_and_ens=atlantis

At least the works of Mendelssohn and his sister aren't totally unrelated to Bach....

OT: Max van Egmond's Schubert

Bradley Lehman wrote (August 31, 2006):
Since there's no traffic today anyway...this week I received a terrific pair of new releases by a seasoned Bach singer, Max van Egmond. The music is Schubert's song cycles "Die schoene Müllerin" and "Winterreise". Superb interpretations by both van Egmond and pianist Penelope Crawford, playing her c1835 piano by Conrad Graf.

Details: http://www.musicaomnia.org/artist-egmond.asp

Kirk McElhearn wrote (August 31, 2006):
[To Bradley Lehman] What am I missing? I have all three of them, and, while I find there is quite a nice level of intimacy, Egmond just doesn't hold up very well. His voice sounds tired, unconvincing, and out of place in those recordings...

Bradley Lehman wrote (September 1, 2006):
[To Kirk McElhearn] Well, his characterization in the music sounds terrific to me. So does his expressive clarity with the language. And Penelope Crawford's fiery and colorful pianism is not to be missed, either.

That particular Graf she's playing is an outstandingly responsive instrument. I got to play it myself during the rest breaks recording the Schubert trios, years ago. The CDs at the bottom of this page: http://www.musicaomnia.org/romantics.asp

Amusing story, the engineer and I got detained briefly by the police on the evening after those trio recordings were finished, to make sure we weren't robbing the church. The police thought it was odd that we would be loading an antique piano into a van and trying to drive away, after 11pm.... And then we couldn't produce proof that we owned either the van or the piano, because they were both Crawford's and she was already on the way home in another car!

Ed Myskowski wrote (September 1, 2006):
Bradley Lehman wrote:
< Well, his characterization in the music sounds terrific to me. So does his expressive clarity with the language. And Penelope Crawford's fiery and colorful pianism is not to be missed, either. >
I am stuck inside the quotes again, not worth resoving at the moment.

I enjoyed the preceding exchange (only one side quoted, for brevity). I will be inclined to take a chance on the performer's word, more so because it was challenged and politely defended. Not to discredit the challenge. Indeed, that is what brought out the eloquence (and enjoyable anecdotes) of the defense.

There is always the issue of <the recording is what you hear> versus <the recording is the reminder of what you heard>. As most (or some) of us agree, music exists in live performance. A recording is analogous to a printed reproduction of a painting.

Before you hurt your keyboard trying to get at me, etchings, prints, etc., are wondeful as well, the analog of music meant to be heard in reproduction.

There is something special about the unique work, the painting, the stone, the ephemeral music performance.

Max van Egmond: Short Biography | General Discussions