Katrin Nussmayr asks how a music critic works – and Wilhelm Sinkovicz gives the answers.
Many a musician fears him, many a lover of classical music can hardly wait for his verdict, and many a malicious tongue claims that a music critic is nothing but a frustrated artist. “Because I’m unmusical!” even cabaret artist Georg Kreisler denigrated the profession to which Wilhelm Sinkovicz also belongs in a legendary, biting chanson.
Music critic of the “Presse” for almost 40 years, he chats with Katrin Nussmayr in this podcast episode from the sewing box: How does he prepare for a concert? How does he define his task as a critic? Why are tears most popular to be read? At what moments in an opera does he enjoy losing his professional distance? And what shouldn’t you ask him regarding during the break or in the cloakroom?
You can hear excerpts from the following recordings:
Georg Kreisler: The music critic
Anton von Webern: piece for strings op. 5/3
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 D-Dur
WA Mozart Adagio aus Divertimento B-Dur KV 287
(all orchestral recordings: Berlin Philharmonic H. v. Karajan)
Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor (Alfred Brendel)
Labels: Preiser Records (Kreisler) Universal (all others)
“Classic for the Tactless” is part of the “Musiksalon” podcast and will be published every second Saturday from now on.
