From: Gert-Jan Blom (Channel Classics)
Subject: Gurdjieff Review
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 11:05:50 +0800
Dear Darrell ,
Jared Sacks of Channel Classics forwarded me your review of the MUSIC FOR THE MOVEMENTS cd that i produced with Wim van Dullemen . May i compliment you on this excellent piece of writing , your review is accurate , concise and comprehensible. I will pass it on to Wim .
thanks very much .
best wishes,
Gert-Jan Blom

From: Ang Phay Li Sandra
Subject: review.
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 20:39:28 +0800
Hello, hey this is my first time surfing by the flying inkpot and i must say you guys..everyone of u has a talent in writing and reviewing man,...very entertaining...and yes, i am going to get the cambridge singers/rutter new album.

From: J. Lewis
Sent: 29 September 1999 22:58
Subject: Re: SIBELIUS Vanska KARELIA Kuolema VALSE
PS-- you're involved with the Flying Inkpot, right? The Sibelius Nutcase's reviews & articles rocked my world.

Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 21:26:10 -0400
From: Mark C. Lange
Subject: Sibelius Tone Poems

I think your write ups on the the music of Sibelius for Inkpot are great. Do you have any recommendations for very atmospheric renditions of the tone poems? What do you think of the early fifties Boult recordings of these? I am looking to get a couple of CDs that cover most of the tone poems. Any advice you could give would be most appreciated.

From: Yi Pin
Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 17:32:58 +0800
Subject: Three cheers for inkpot
Hi guys!
After seeing so much of The Inkpot Sibelius Nutcase~tm reviews and reading some of them, I finally got for myself a copy of Sibelius work. I got the Violin Concerto in D minor, and boy .. do I love it! No regrets at all! :) Will be looking out for more of them when I'm not so broke. In the meantime, do keep up the good work with inkpot!
Cheers.

From: Robin Goh
Subject: Kudos
Date: Sun, 08 Aug 1999 06:52:54 PDT

Dear Editor,
I just have to write and congratulate all of you at the Classical Inkpot for a fantastic job! You guys truly deserve every single one of those awards you got! I've been surfing just about every classical music site on the Internet and yours is undeniably one of the best. Please keep up the great work as I'll be making repeat visits as often as I can! By the way, my particular favourite is the wonderful CD review section, since I'm a crazed collector myself. Thanks again, and good luck!
yours sincerely,
Robin.

From: Catharine Jaap, Delos
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 11:57:37 EDT
Subject: Wonderful Website

Congratulations on your wonderful Flying Inkpot website.
What a joy to read your communication . . . . you have a wonderful philosophy and a complete understanding of what the classical marketplace is and what it needs. Delos is very much in agreement with you and I look forward to a long association. ...

All best wishes,
Catharine

From: Christopher D Brakel
Subject: Re: Mahler VC?
Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 11:17:10

Job well done...I think that is the best trick I've seen to date, although I am still disappointed. Your album cover art work and such was impeccable. Anyhow, thanks for responding. I do like your site still. Will be back.

Best Regards,
Christopher D. Brakel, Composer, University of Minnesota

Date: Fri, 07 May 1999 17:16:22 -0700
From: Bill Rosen
Subject: Keep Up The Good Work!

Dear Derek et al:
I have enjoyed your classical record reviews for the last several months. I get Gramophone, Fanfare and the American Record Guide and read all their reviews. But your collective reviews are special and have something the others lack: the genuine enthusiasm of a music-lover. Although your reviews can be quite critical, they are always focused on the musical experience. Your typography and pictures are magnificent.

I regret that I did not know of your collective existence when I was in Singapore in April, 1998. I would have insisted on taking you out to lunch. What I can offer is this: if you have any LPs or CDs you really want, I'll try to find them new or used for you here in San Diego or LA and send them to you. No doubt you are aware of the many sites on the Internet offering CDs at prices well below Tower. There is also the auction house (eBay) that shows about 70-100 new CDs each day.

Finally, I hope school goes well and we shall look forward to your return.

Regards,
Bill Rosen
San Diego, CA USA

Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 04:09:52 -0700
From: Harold S. Berman
Subject: Spohr Piano Trios

Chia, I spent a good part of today looking for a review of Spohr trios and finally found your splendid article. I do not have the recording you reviewed. I have another Naxos recording, also with the Hartley Trio, Opus 119, or No. 1. It is paired with a piano quintet. While the quintet is pretty dull, the trio is absolutely gorgeous and the playing superb. I hope more trios begin to play the music of Spohr and other less than famous composers. I especially like Stamitz and Dittersdorf. And the Boldieu Harp Concerto is a real gem. But orchestras rarely program harp concertos, a real shame. I love the style of writing in your publication. It has tremendous vitality, wit and intelligence. Keep up the good work.

Harry Berman in Miami, Florida, U.S.A.

Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 15:49:09 -0600
From: Francisco Simán
Subject: The meaning of music

Thank you for your review of the 5th symphony. You write from the heart, and without too much technicality (which is great for those of us who are not musicians but have gradually fallen in love with a certain kind of classical music).

I was wondering just how many recordings of Sibelius' works you have; I'm sure the numbers qualify you as a Nutcase... ;-)

Keep up the good work. There will always be people out there who appreciate your efforts. Thanks to people like you, truly special music gets disseminated; I don't think I would've listened to Sibelius as closely as I have had I not read your reviews. (I found The Flying Inkpot by serendipity; that's the problem with the web, there's just too much stuff out there -good and bad...).

Till next time,
Francisco

From: Marc Martin
Subject: Thanks for a job well done!
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 1999 09:25:05 -0500

Do you have a mailing list? If so, would you kindly add my name?
All best regards.
Marc Martin

From: Rosie Feats
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 12:38:17 EST
Subject: Re: Where to Start?

Dear Leon:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The wonderful information that you gave me is exactly what I wanted: a place to start! With your printed E-mail in hand, I'm ready to jump into my trusty VW Bug and head for the nearest music store and begin my classical adventure!
I'll be back to Inkpot often and will let you know how I make out with my selections. I do appreciate your taking the time and effort to gently guide me into what I'm sure will be a beautiful experience.
Most gratefully yours,
Rosie

Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 22:37:16 +0800 From: Ong Yi Pin Subject: The flying inkpot - classical music

Dear editor,
Hi! The flying inkpot classical page is a real treasure of music reviews. It's gratifying to see such a comprehensive webpage on classical reviews. I enjoy reading them and look forward to your next issue. I enjoy classical music myself and it's great to be able to read you guys' reviews. However, I was wondering why not have a forum too? So that there may be interaction amond the readers and the editor/reviewers.
:) Regards,
Yi Pin

From: Rosie Feats
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 12:29:39 EST
Subject: Where to Start?

Courtesy of Yahoo's Pick of the Week 3/1/99, I discovered your website and although I cannot honestly describe myself as a fledgling devotee of classical music (more like still-in-the-egg and peckingly curious), I liked the tone of your web page. From reading several of your reviews (Mahler's Fifth and Tristan and Isolde), I've worked up my courage and am going to purchase these CDs to finally take the plunge into the classical realm.

Okay, so here's the question(s): as a newbie to classical, but as an established all around absolute music lover of nearly every genre, where do I begin? Is there some logical progression in selecting classical works for someone who is just beginning to appreciate pure orchestral music, or should I simply go the hunt and peck route? Would it help you to know that in all musical genre, I appreciate most the very dramatic, emotionally moving, soaring, and kleenex-necessary pieces? I love music that MOVES me, be it rock, blues, jazz, country, new age, musicals, soundtracks, world -- whatever.

Knowing that, Dr. Inkpot Classical Genius ;-), where do I begin? What do you recommend? Thanking you in advance for what I am sure will be an enlightening response, I remain most humbly your anxious correspondent in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA,

Rosie Feats

From: Kevin Heber
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 03:03:11 EST
Subject: Complete Symphonies

Hello from Seattle, Washington, USA. I have truly enjoyed your Sibelius reviews. I think you hear the same way I do. I have just started buying Sibelius CDs in the past year, so I am kind of new.

Date: Sat, 06 Mar 1999 01:02:13 +0800 From: Hoh Chung Shih Subject: hello

who are you? i like your reviews. much better than that guy on st. you may not know a lot about the historical background of european classical music, but you got style, opinion well informed by sound, if not good intuition, betraying a musical, albeit unlearned ear. so wonderful and refreshing to read your reviews. if st insists on having amateur reviewer, they should have you. also, you are so honest. forgive me for being so direct; there is no other ways for me to express my joy on this desert island.
all the best.
c.s.

Date: Tue, 02 Mar 1999 00:02:30 -0500
From: John Graves
Subject: Good job!

Hi Chia,
By now you probably have dozens of compliments in your inbox, coming to you because of the listing in Yahoo's picks. I saw the Inkpot page a year or so ago but had lost track of it until today when the Yahoo listing came.
I just wanted to say that I think your writing on classical music, especially on Bach and Handel, is outstanding. You really know a lot about the music and you have a beautiful, fluent style.

Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 21:06:50 +0800 (MALT) From: Haydon Cherry Subject: Sibelius Recommendations

Hello there,
I enjoy reading your reviews of various Sibelius recordings on the Flying Inkpot.

From: Sandra Goh
Subject: Re: The Dufay Collective
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 09:41:21 +0800

Dear Leon
Thank you too for your sincere reviews. I'll send this immediately to The Dufay Collective. I was wondering if you managed to read the review by The Straits Times about them? They were pretty upset about it.
On behalf of Caldwell Arts, I wish you every success in the Flying Ink Pot and certainly hope more people will come to know about the website. By the way, have you given an official launch for this web site?
With regards
Sandra Goh
Manager, Caldwell Arts Pte Ltd

Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 23:33:50 +0800
From: Yi Pin
Subject: The Flying Inkpot - Tchaikovsky Complete works for Violin and Orchestra

Dear editor,
I happened to surf onto The Flying Inkpot by a search of Noriko Ogawa, and I had found, to my most pleasent surprise, a whole store of treasures in the above mentioned webpage. I must say the classical reviews are very interesting and useful. :) Simply love this page! I love classical music too and am a beginner to operas. Thank you for reading my mail.
Happy New Year!

From: Mei Sian
Subject: should have more
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1998 08:22:07 +0800

Dear editor,
                   I have read the 2nd Anniversary Editorial which I find really humorous and interesting.I feel that it would be better to include this more often,like the one on the dumb Heineken Beer commercial which I mailed you the last time.It's really entertaining for music lovers.Anyway it was commendable especially for the writer to think of the funny conversations between the composers which left me laughing uncontrollably after I read.
Comments from a satisfied reader.

From: Jozsef Evotos
Subject: Re: Hello!
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 15:24:29 +0200

Dear Mr. Leon,
Thank You 1000x ! It is phantastic, Your rewiew! You has writing some, for me very important things, for example about the singing voices, the articulation of then... and many other things!
I have a question: Can I use parts of your rewiew to my prospekt? And: If You know some way to sell my CDs? I have big problems with this, then all our financial power is in the CDs, the Chanterelle Edition make the distribution not well, and we have only a some order from the net... Can You help us?
I thank You for your rewiew, and help again!
With the best regards,
Jozsef

Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 00:38:03 +0200
From: Tanja Becker-Bender
Subject: Thank you!

Dear Mr Chia,
Thank you very much for publishing my answer so promptly! Also, I was very happy to read the thoughtful words you wrote about your editorial policy. I understand your attitude very well and share your idea of expressing an opinion about a performance. This job deserves the greatest respect from the point of view of an artist, as well as this job is an art in itself: considerately and sensitively listening, reflecting on performances and communicating a personal yet argument-based opinion to a broad public. Therefore, I admire your honest attitude very much!

For me, it is also interesting to be in touch with music critics who are around my age! The usual experience, for me as well, is to face people from an older generation. Once again, thank you very much for your help!

I would be very happy to return to Singapore soon for further performances - maybe we can even meet and talk personally then. It would be a great honour for me.

All the best wishes to you!

Cordially,
Tanja Becker-Bender
violinist

Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 00:41:29 +1000
From: Billy Kitson
Subject: WEB PAGE

"All", The Web page is a little beauty - Can I publicize it on All the Classical Music ListS that I subscribe to ?? Already I shall be ordering a Naxos CD that I saw reviewed ?? First time visited - will Not be the last - try every 48 Hours in future
??
Bill(Y).

From cLassical Insites:
Name: monk
#44, Posted May 26 1999 11:48PM
Message:
BTW, Derek, I have enjoyed your reviews online at the Flying Inkpot. I have found them lucid and well-written, and they have been most helpful to me.
Thank you!