Posted by Bastiaan van der Waals on September 22, 19100 at 08:43:50:
Everybody who has been speaking about G.D. Madge's recording of the complete Godowsky/Chopin Studies should realise that recording techniques and (even more important) recording circumstances can transform a virtuoso into an amateur. I am a pupil of mr. Madge and therefore I know some shocking details about the process of recording by Dante records. The Godowsky recordings by mr. Madge on the Dante label are in no way a reflection of his ability. They do not even resemble his playing. I am sure you would judge differently of you would know how the Dante people treat their astists. Let me tell you, they are a pianists nightmare. To give you a clue, they make their own choice out of different takes, ignoring the artists choice and the agreements with the artists. This is the least dramatic bit of a sad tragedy surrounding the way they approach recording.