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![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Classical CD Reviews
March 2004 Pt. 2 of 2 [Pt. 1]
BRAHMS: Double Concerto in A Minor, Op. 102; Symphony No. 2 in d Major, Op. 73 – Gordan Nikolitch, violin; Tim High, cello; Bernard Haitink conducts London Symphony Orchestra – LSO 0043 74:50 (Distrib. Harmonia Mundi):
Recorded live in May 17-18, 2003 at the Barbican Center, London, this disc bespeaks some lovely playing and infinite, warm sympathy between conductor and orchestra. The soloists in the Double Concerto are principals from the LSO, and they play fervently and passionately, without lapsing into the academic mode of musical acumen without poetry. I am not too find of the rather staid, imperial tempo of the outer movements, which is a bit too Elgarian for my taste. The tone of the piece becomes elegiac, without the occasional bristle of unbuttoned gypsy style the Vivace non troppo can tolerate. Still, if one accepts its status as ‘orchestral chamber music,’ the rendition certainly works.
The D Major Symphony has had many expert renditions; this one tries hard to be the most sonically compelling. For sheer loveliness of orchestral tone, Haitink evokes a palette we associate with the homogeneity Koussevitzky and Mengelberg achieved with their respective ensembles. The blending of voices–cellos, winds, and even the tuba–is silken delight to the Brahms aficionado. The B Major Adagio movement may well be a kind of watermark for Haitink collectors, although his Boston Symphony inscriptions and his Mahler with the Concertgebouw have had their moments of precise and shiny texturing, as well. While I keep my reservations on the Concerto, the Haitink D Major Symphony points to a happy collaboration of artists that may produce more treasures.
–Gary Lemco
BOCCHERINI: Guitar Quintets G. 448 and G. 453, String Quartet G. 194 – Europa Galante/Biondi – Virgin Veritas 45607 (71 mins.):
This lovely coupling of chamber music by the relentlessly mellifluous Boccherini, including the two great major key guitar quintets, gives violinist Fabio Biondi and his Europa Galante crew a chance to show that they can be take a gentler tack when indicated than their great recordings of Vivaldi and Bach might indicate.
The opening of the D major quintet G. 448 is downright restrained, almost to the point of inaudibility, and guitarist Giangiacomo Pinardi takes a less soloistic place in the ensemble than most recordings. This is not to say that the playing in what is customarily performed with an extrovert “Spanish” flavor, such as the fandango fourth movement of the G. 448 quintet, is anything less than exuberant. Even there, however, the dazzling layering of instrumental sound makes almost as powerful an impression as the dancing rhythms and castanets. True to their reputation, the musicians improvise to their hearts’ (and the listeners’) delight, finding as they go many new ways to play the deliciously sensuous slides and syrupy slurps that are such a part of the composer’s wonderful imagination.
Separating the two famous guitar quintets is a relatively unfamiliar string quartet in G minor, music as austere as the key and Boccherini can manage. It’s a nice touch, clearing the aural palette like cheese between the courses in a wine tasting.
The sound, recorded in the Convento San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma, is rich in earth tones and astonishing detail. Not as seductive as some more consciously audiophile recordings, but perfectly suited to the performances. The notes by Yves Gérard (whose catalogue provides the “G.” numbers) are serious and straightforward.
– Laurence Vittes
BOISMORTIER: Sérénades françaises, Les fragments mélodiques, Bassoon Concerto, Deuxième sérénade ou simphonie françoise, Concerto pour Zampogna – Le Concert Spirituel/ Laurent Le Chenadec, bassoon/ Hervé Niquet cond. – Naxos 8.554456:
According to my 1935 Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier was born in Perpignan c.1689, and died near Paris c.1755, which makes him a close contemporary of J.S. Bach (1685-1750) and Telemann (1681-1767). “He composed four ballet operas, of which three met with great success, the fourth was not performed; a number of cantatas, and over 50 opus numbers of instrumental works, including a large number of pieces for musette and vielle (hurdy-gurdy) which (c. 1725-35) were in the height of fashion, especially at the French court. He was a gifted composer, but writing at high pressure for gain detracted from the value of his work. In spite of this, however, it contains here and there a distinct gem.” That’s it. One paragraph. You might call his work obscure.
So it was with low expectations that I flipped this CD into the tray of surprises, and lo and behold! Pretty damn nice music. Especially the bassoon concerto. I can’t say the music mimics anyone else’s in its essence. It doesn’t have Bach’s unrelenting adherence to form, though it obeys the rules of the day; nor Bach’s harmonic adventurousness. It doesn’t have Vivaldi’s showcasing of virtuoso instrumentalists, perhaps because he didn’t have any to write for. Nor does it have Telemann’s invention of new orchestral combinations, though it obviously has some. What it has is a Gallic flair, a lightness of touch, a lack of serious purpose beyond bringing pleasure, and these elements make it much like Telemann’s lesser works, his Tafelmusik, or table-music. This 18th century music is something we 21st century folks might enjoy at a dinner-party, as it isn’t so engaging to force us to attend. When asked why he didn’t write more serious music, Boismortier would say, “I am earning money.” Or, in today’s parlance, “This is how I earn my living.” To which what riposte could one offer?
What we have here is an anthology of occasional pieces, some with unusual instruments (hurdy-gurdy), some in standard instrumentation, some charmingly different dances, a brief bassoon concerto, another for zampogna (Calabrian bagpipe), all done with remarkable grace. If you are interested in French court music, this album touches many of the bases. If you’d like to stump your friends with unusual music while dining, this is certainly a product of a dark corner in music history, but one well worth shining light on. (As Sir Winston Churchill once wrote as marginalia to an aide who went to extraordinarily awkward lengths to avoid breaking the rule forbidding ending a sentence with a preposition: “This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.”)
Seriously folks, if you would know more about the first half of the 18th century in French music, this collection of Boismortier’s work is a fine place to start. If you already have a taste for that place and time, this album will round out your collection. This is good music, well-played, and well-recorded, and will make a fine addition to any period collection. The compositions may not be two or three part inventions, but “Recommended” nonetheless. They score heavily for grand style.
— Max Dudious.
ANGLO-AMERICAN ANONYMOUS: American Angels; Songs of Hope, Redemption, & Glory. – Anonymous 4 – Harmonia mundi HMU 907326:
This collection of largely 19th century American folk hymns, gospel songs, camp revival songs, psalm tunes, fugeing tunes, and religious ballads is a surprising, if not wholly unexpected, departure for Anonymous 4, who usually focus on medieval music, Hildegard von Bingen and the like. The names of the usually unnamed group are Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, Jacqueline Horner, and Johanna Maria Rose. The talent of these four women has won citations and awards ranging from A Record of the Year, 2001 from The Sunday Times, London; and Editor’s Choice from Gramophone magazine, to a Classic CD Award, 1996 from Classic CD magazine, and a “ffff” from Télérama. They have also been awarded a Diapason d’Or (Gold Medal) from the French recording industry, something like an American Grammy. The single word that best describes their oeuvre is extraordinary.
From “Songs to the Virgin from 13th Century France,” to John Tavener’s recent compositions “The Bridegroom & other works,” Anonymous 4 have redefined the role of a capella singing for female voices. They have been together for the past eighteen years, and this album may be their last – this collection of isicathamiya (a capella singing of one’s homeland).
The collection starts out as an attempt to capture the various singing styles that were in use in the eighteenth-century Colonies and follow their development through that and the nineteenth century, from the Northeastern cities back to the rural South via printed tune books, and back again to the north via oral traditions saddlebagged onto migration patterns. Most important were the singing schools, “where students practiced singing the octave scale with European solmization syllables, fa-sol-la-fa-sol-la-mi-fa, and learned to sing music composed in three and four parts.” By the early nineteenth century, “Singing school masters now published tune books containing a new ‘patented’ notation using four different shapes for noteheads (triangle _ for fa, circle _ for sol, rectangle _ for la, and diamond _ for mi.” This system caught on in helping students learn more quickly how to read music. It became known as “shape singing,”and such singing became central to the lives of folks who attended revival meetings, huge evangelical religious gatherings venerated as “that old-time religion.”
Some of the songs have survived down through the centuries and have been included in recordings by such artists as Ralph Stanley, the Louvin Brothers, Emmylou Harris, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, among others. The most familiar titles include Shall We Gather at the River, Angel Band, Wayfaring Stranger, Amazing Grace, and In the Sweet By and By. For a more complete mini-history, see the informative album notes by Marsha Genensky quoted above.
This album is a compilation of songs familiar to those who might enjoy the soundtrack album of the film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? or the Smithsonian anthology known as The Harry Smith Collection. Such songs are variously categorized as hillbilly, bluegrass, country, and Southern gospel. All of these categories share a set of common roots. And all of those go back to Colonial times, Anglo-American hymnals, and their early shape-singing arrangements. This latest, perhaps final, album is an attempt by Anonymous 4 to bring their musical sensibilities and scholarly approach to this material. This album is highly successful, and highly recommended.
— Max Dudious
TAVENER: Ikon of Eros – Minnesota Orchestra; Minnesota Chorale; Jorja Fleezanis, vn; Patricia Rosario, sop; Tim Krol, bar./Paul Goodwin, cond. – Reference Recordings HDCD, RR-102CD:
Sir John Kenneth Tavener was knighted by Queen Elizabeth on 1 January 2000 in the Millenium Honours List. He completed Ikon of Eros in October of that same year. We might see it as a composition by a mature artist at the top of his game. According to the author of the album notes, Michael Steinberg, Tavener is a composer “who in his composing lives in the world of the Divine and the Numinous. So it has been for the last twenty years, and what he has written in that period has made him, among living composers, the one with the largest, widest, most diverse audience.” In this secular age, Tavener seems to have found a porthole, what Rumanian scholar Mircea Eliade saw as an interface between the sacred and the profane where the Divine may make itself known to our everyday lives. And it is here that Tavener most enjoys living and writing.
The first paragraph of the album’s notes offers a list of instruments, as if a partial explanation of the music about to be experienced. “Ikon of Eros is scored for five groups of performers: solo violin, solo soprano, and dholak (a double-headed cylindrical drum); Greek psaltist (or cantor), mixed chorus, and very large Tibetan temple bowl and very large tam-tam; two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, small Tibetan temple bowl, very large tam-tam, and dholak; four horns, four trumpets, three tenor trombones and bass trombone, large Tibetan temple bowl, and very large tam-tam; medium Tibetan temple bowl, very large tam-tam, dholak, and strings.” This is a big work, partly Greek and partly Tibetan in its influences.
In the album notes there is also a bit of Tavener’s philosophy and his likes and dislikes of other composers. I have trouble with this aspect of his public persona. I’d rather not have known so much about him, and let his music stand on its own. And formidable music it is, ranging from one extreme to another from moment to moment. Tavener takes us from religious transfiguration, to Divine love, to religious ecstasy, and to hallelujahs. It is not so much that he does it, as how he does it. He brings us to the mysteries with eerie sounding echoes of the past. He sees the closeness of “the self-abnegation of Byzantine orthodoxy” and similar Buddhist teaching: “To deny wanting is to deny suffering; to deny wanting is to deny the self: to deny the self is to deny suffering.” To underscore this, he goes from Greek Orthodox liturgical music to Tibetan, from beautiful cantorial singing to the cacophony of beaten drums and bowls. It is eerily beautiful.
To understand how he gets us to go along – to experience transfiguration, Divine love, religious ecstasy, and prayers of praise – is to understand his art. This is music to be played loudly for effect, in surround sound, or in the case of this recording and on my system, in simulated surround sound, to capture the spaciousness of the venue – the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Perhaps we should don saffron robes and sandals to listen to this work. Whatever will put us in the spiritual condition to seek interface with the Divine will do.
This is a spiritual work, one that shares the religious impulse with all the great works of the past, Bach’s Cantatas, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, etc. though it is not in the same idiom. Whether you agree with Tavener’s philosophy or not, this is powerful stuff. Most highly recommended. Among the most exciting music I’ve heard lately.
— Max Dudious
WOELFL: Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 25; 3 Sonatas, Op. 33 – Jon Nakamatsu, piano – Harmonia Mundi HMU 907324 69:49:
Former Van Cliburn (1997) Competition Gold Medalist Jon Nakamatsu turns his formidable gifts to the neglected world of Joseph Woelfl (1773-1812), the Salzburg-born virtuoso and composer whose friendly rivalry with Beethoven is legend. The large work in this assemblage is the C Minor Sonata from 1805, a bravura showpiece in the Hummel or Mendelssohn emotional range, vibrant with flying filigree and even a daunting fugue.
In the manner of Clementi, Woelfl loves to show off running figures in thirds, a feat Mozart eschewed. The Op. 33 works are smaller in scale, sonatinas really; like their Op. 25 companion, there is a sense of incipient Romanticism, with echoes of grand gestures and sighs we hear in Weber. The E Major Sonata, Op. 33, No. 3, has a martial air that recollects Mozart’s K. 576 “Trumpet” Sonata and the F Major Concerto, K. 459. Each of the Woelfl pieces has its own sparkle and its own charm. Nakamatsu avoids any trace of heaviness, sporting a light but ringing tone that only captivates the audiophile, courtesy of the splendid engineering work of Brad Michel. Rare and well-done, as Karl Haas would say.
–Gary Lemco
BACH, J.S.: Cantatas 82, Ich habe genug; and 199, Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut – Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo soprano/The Orchestra of Emmanuel Music/ Craig Smith, cond. – Nonesuch 79692.2:
Though the first half of the eighteenth century was considered the beginning of the Enlightenment (culminating with Voltaire and the philosophs in Catholic France, and Goethe in Protestant Germany), the sway of religion over daily life was still quite powerful. The faithful saw the divinity everywhere. God pervaded the world – every day – and man celebrated God with prayers morning, noon, and evening. The handful of cantatas Bach wrote for solo voice (not for his more numerous compositions for chorus and usually two or more soloists) show Bach at his most religious, as though the soloist were speaking for Bach as he wrestled with those theological issues the devout Christian ought to confront.
Bach’s Cantata 82, Ich habe genug, is about man’s readiness to die (or, rather, the steps necessary to prepare for death free of worldly distractions), a musical sermon based on the lesson from the Gospel or Epistle assigned for that particular day. In Luke 2:22-32 (we’re told in the engaging album notes), the portion focuses on Simeon “to whom it had been revealed by the Holy Ghost ‘that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.’ This is followed by Simeon’s beatific prayer known as the Nunc dimittis: ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.’” In this way believers can die in peaceful repose, for death shall have no dominion, nor terror.
Cantata 199, more specifically, deals with the humility of the sinner before God. The entirety of the cantata amounts to a series of confessions of unworthiness. During the course of the cantata, the tone of the declaration moves from regret to acceptance, to rejoicing at reunion with God. That is the trajectory of both these cantatas.
The singing is wonderful as Lorraine Hunt Lieberson has clarity of diction, control of presentation, a lovely mezzo voice, and the musicianship to bring both these song cycles into dramatic focus. It is clear she has thought long and hard about the meaning of each phrase, performing them often, here turning them artfully to her purpose. Boston’s Orchestra of Emmanuel Music, under the direction of Craig Smith, is schooled in the conventions of the period and accompanies with great assurance. Particularly notable is oboist Peggy Pearson, whose playing in the duet sections is delicately expressive. In all, a first-rate effort.
The acoustic of Emmanuel Church, Boston, is about that of a medium sized church of Bach’s era, if I remember accurately the facsimile I visited and listened in at Munich’s Deutsches Museum – the German museum of science and technology with a section dedicated to housing old instruments. I’d guess the Emmanuel Church was chosen because its decay time is appropriate to the period and the music. This album, recorded in standard CD format, is highly recommended. Make that quite highly. Good job, guys.
— Max Dudious
CHOPIN: Ballades, Mazurkas, Polonaises – Piotr Anderszewski – Virgin 7243 545602 0:
While not close to as eccentric as the late Glenn Gould, Piotr Anderszewski has managed to garner unto himself the label of this generation’s Peck’s Bad Boy of piano virtuosi. When I heard him as guest soloist with my local symphony I couldn’t understand how that came to pass, unless to walk one step to either side of the corporate middle road is to be a rebel these days. He played a Haydn piano concerto to which he leant a modern touch that I felt was within the bounds of perfectly acceptable, and in service of the music. Maybe he’s been an enfant terrible in the past, but this program of Chopin ballades, mazurkas, and polonaises seems standard fare to me. Which is not to say that Anderszewski is another of the buttoned down and seemingly interchangeable guest soloists that parade through the classical music world these days. He’s not. He’s more.
Having said that, it is incumbent on me to show how. I grew up with Chopin played by Artur Rubenstein, Emil Gilels, and Dinu Lupati (some of my dad’s favorites). More recently I’ve listened to Malcolm Frager and Tamás Vásáry, though I must admit Chopin never developed the passion in me I’ve felt for the solo piano works of Beethoven and Schubert, Liszt and Ravel. Still, one can’t help but marvel at Chopin’s Ballades, especially No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52. And it is here that Anderszewski shines.
Compared with Vásáry, we note that Anderszewski takes nearly a full two minutes longer: that’s nearly a 20% increase stretching a ten minute piece to twelve minutes. Slowing the tempo (also one of Glenn Gould’s tricks) allows for two things: first, the slower passages come across as more dreamy, as in the nocturnes, so when the tempo reaccelerates it seems to bring with it a rush of intensity; and secondly, stretching the phrases out, and the silences between, seems to add a sense of profound meaning. Another trick is increasing the dynamic range, playing the softs, softer – and the louds, louder. Taken all together, the music seems more intensely meaningful in the hands of Anderszewski. Obviously, he has the control and talent to pull it off.
Comparing readings of the Heroic Polonaise in A Flat Major, Op. 53, Frager takes 6:22 while Anderszewski takes 7:45; again, nearly a 20% increase. While Vásáry flies perhaps too lightly through the Ballade #4, Frager drives his way perhaps too muscularly through the Heroic Polonaise leaving little room for variation in texture. Heroic it is named, and heroic it will be. By slowing things down, Anderszewski creates a greater range of emotional expression, subtlety, and nuance within each piece. And therein lies the strength of his readings.
If it seems that Chopin is all dreamy reverie in one piece, all birds and flowers in another, or all nationalistic fervor in a third, we might dismiss him as too monolithic. If, as Piotr Anderszewski demonstrates, there is more to Chopin (even within single pieces) than previous performance conventions would allow, we can see how he appears to be taking on the Establishment with his readings. I, for one, welcome his insurgency as a breath of fresh air. This one is a natural fit for Chopin lovers who’d enjoy a fresh look at the music, and for those who have just discovered Chopin and want to go farther into his oeuvre. Highly recommended.
– Max Dudious
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5; Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture. – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Daniele Gatti – Harmonia mundi HMU 907381:
Tchaikovsky wrote in an oft-quoted letter that he was dissatisfied with his fifth symphony (Opus 64, 1888), saying that it came too easy, was (in today’s parlance) like painting by the numbers. I don’t share his opinion about this symphony that, many feel, is his most mature masterpiece. He may have felt it formulaic, but if that’s true it was one inspired formula. His later symphony, No. 6 (“The Pathetique”), may have more Sturm und Drang, while his earlier No. 1 (“Winter Dreams”) and No. 2 (“Little Russian”) symphonies may be more optimistic, but his Symphony #5 seems to have captured his deeply conflicted personality oscillating, as it does, between pleasant waltz themes and martial mementos moris. It was said, by earlier critics, that his fifth symphony had touches of religious sentiment. I’m not sure how that was meant, though I do hear some references to finality and death. In either case, the work has lots of depth and resonance and is usually listed (along with his sixth) as among his best works in symphonic form.
The Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture was written in 1869, nineteen years before the fifth symphony, and has come to be considered his “first masterpiece,” the piece that turned Tchaikovsky into TCHAIKOVSKY!! Based on the Shakespearean drama, the piece abounds with a handful of musical character sketches, and the energy of the piece develops with the action between these characters. The work, according to my 1935 Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, “seems to glow and throb with youthful passion and tenderness.” A fair assessment, I’d say, and brought to life in this performance. Considering the piece as an early self portrait, this album leaves us with a snapshot of Tchaikovsky in first flower of creative mastery, with Romeo & Juliet his Portrait of the Artist, as it were, and another snapshot of the mature composer in Symphony #5, his Ulysses. Nice programming from the guys at Harmonia mundi.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, plays its collective fingers to the bone on this one, sounding quite well disciplined, and allowing Gatti to live up to his reputation as a contender for the title Best Conductor of his Generation. The orchestra is in fine fettle, and its abilities are well captured by the harmonia mundi recording team. The acoustics are a little back in the hall for my taste, but not everyone likes to sit up close as I do. All in all, a fine recording of some nice music bringing the Tchaikovsky oeuvre up to date in pretty modern (2003, though not SACD) recording technology.
There is an irony here in that the Russian Tchaikovsky took trips to Italy to study both formal and folk music. He wrote pieces based on Italian melodies and stories. Romeo & Juliet is set in Italy. It seems he enjoyed Italy and wanted to absorb as much Italian culture as he could. It is almost as though he, himself, wanted to become more Italian. Gatti is an Italian who here is demonstrating his mastery of the Russian idiom, of the great Russian master’s music. So Gatti is trying to be more Russian, and offers us the work of a Russian who is trying to be more Italian. Just another of life’s little paradoxes.
This is a well-conceived, well-played, well-recorded offering of two of Tchaikovsky’s best works. Any Tchaikovsky devotée ought to get right to his computer and order this one from his favorite vendor. Consider it an obligation to keep classical music going.
— Max Dudious
SCHUBERT: Fantasy in C Major for Violin and Piano, D. 934/ERNST: Fantaise brillante on Rossini’s Othello/SCHOENBERG: Phantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47/WAXMAN: Fantasy on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen Frank Huang, violin/Dina Vainstein, piano – Naxos 8.557121 57:18:
Winner of the 2003 Naumburg Foundation’s Violin Competition, Frank Huang celebrates his special, sizzling artistry with a group of fantasies, three of which show off his bravura and digital prowess; and the Schoenberg, which would seem to certify his catholic, musical taste. If you are buying the album for the melodies, you may skip this track. Even Menuhin and Gould could not make its episodes sing. The big piece, musically, is the Schubert, structured in the four-sections- and-variations he made his own in kindred works like the Wanderer Fantasy.
Huang, who sports a long, lean, and supple tone, plays it without bathos or sag; its lovely variants on the song Sei mir gegrusst hold up nicely. The Ernst (1814-1865) fantasy is a kind of virtuoso etude, mostly a series of variations on the march and romance that open the piece. Franz Waxman (nee Wachsmann) joined the Warner Brothers cadre of classical composers of film music; and this arrangement of Carmen graced the vehicle Humoresque (1946) for John Garfield and Joan Crawford. Both Isaac Stern (who played the film track) and Jascha Heifetz favored Waxman’s spiffy arrangement over the Sarasate fantasy. The Waxman and Sarasate rather complement each other, with Waxman’s giving more filigree to Escamillo and Carmen’s Seguidilla. The album is musically engaging, and Huang plays warmly and even passionately. Given the easy, melodic gait of the majority of the pieces, I wonder Huang did not opt for Paganini’s Le Streghe or the Fantasy on Rossini’s Moses over the Schoenberg: if he is going to follow Ricci and Stern into the Romantic repertory, he may as well stick with the tunes.
–Gary Lemco
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Classical Reissue Reviews
March 2004, Pt. 2 of 2
SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto Op. 129 (rec. 1962); HINDEMITH: Cello Concerto (1940) (rec. 1967); A Tortelier master class: The Hindemith Concerto – Paul Tortelier, cello, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati (Schumann) and the New Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Sir Edward Downes (Hindemith) – BBC Legends 4133-2 (63 mins.):
Although the great and charismatic French cellist and composer Paul Tortelier (1914-1990) had a massive impact on the history of the cello on LP as it transitioned from mono to stereo, particularly through his recordings of Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham and Rudolf Kempe, his recordings of the rest of the major repertory for his instrument were not always successful (perhaps his occasionally untidy tone and spontaneous sense of occasion were not entirely compatible with the discipline required by the recording studio).
His commercial recording for Supraphon of the unaccountably neglected Hindemith Concerto benefits from a strong, poetic accompaniment by the Czech Philharmonic under Karel Ancerl (due for reissue eventually on Supraphon’s Ancerl Gold series) but Tortelier’s playing, though more technically immaculate, lacks the abandon it has here (even if Downes is a more mundane conductor). As far as I remember, the Schumann has no commercial competition; in any event, this is a great performance, wild, willful (in the best sense) and benefiting from the soloist’s own cadenza, a tribute not only to his love for Schumann but to the French tradition of cello playing of which he was a supreme representative.
The two concerto performances are supplemented by a charming thirteen-minute discussion of the Hindemith by Tortelier (in English),illustrated with musical excerpts, that throws great light on how the concerto works and why he had such affection for it.
The sound is alive and involving as only BBC engineers, working under the pressure of live performances with no chance for retakes, could be. It may have been Stereophile magazine’s legendary founder, J. Gordon Holt, who called BBC live recordings the standard for sound in the 1960s. If it was he, he may have been right.
As always, Tully Potter’s liner notes are themselves worth the price of admission, combining historical perspective, a keen judge of how music making happens, and a rich, fluid writing style that makes them not only a gold mine of information but an almost decadent pleasure to read.
– Laurence Vittes
MENDELSSOHN: The First Walpurgis Night, Op. 60/LISZT: Mephisto Waltz/MOZART: German Dance No. 2, K. 509 Sleigh Ride/CHABRIER: Fete Polonaise
Sieglinde Wagner, soprano/Anton Dermota, Tenor/Otto Edelmann, bass; Igor Markevitch conducts Vienna Symphony and Academy Choir; Orchestra of the Florence May Festival (Liszt, Chabrier, Mozart)
Archipel Records ARPCD 0148 56:17 (Distrib. Qualiton):
The long, lean figure of Igor Markevitch (1912-1983) always meant fiery but controlled music making, and his 1952 performance of Mendelssohn’s cantata Die Erste Walpurgisnacht from Vienna is no exception. The text, with its chorus of Druids and eerie, pagan fertility references, is the composer’s attempt to achieve what success Carl Maria von Weber had with his opera Der Freischuetz, a popular, singable singspiel of lively energies. Vocalists Wagner, Dermota, and Edelmann, each a veteran of the Vienna Opera and, at that time, recently active with Karajan in his recordings of the Ring excerpts for CBS, is in strong form. The recording quality is somewhat distant; I believe this performance had a brief life on the Verona label, also in tinny sound.
The shorter pieces all derive from Markevitch’s May 22, 1946 sessions with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, but are not all-inclusive: there was at least another recording, of The Blue Danube Waltz, which was issued by Tahra in its celebration of Johann Strauss inscriptions, 1928-1951. The Liszt is nervous and filled with swagger, effective in spite of some scratchy strings. The Fete Polonaise is Markevitch’s catching up with Monteux in clear, articulated rhythms and relaxed pulse. The little Mozart dance is over too soon. A brief but animated portrait in sound of a conductor whose catholic taste always paid tribute to his cosmopolitanism.
–Gary Lemco
JANACEK: Sinfonietta; Four Opera Preludes/ENESCU: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 11/BARTOK: Romanian Folk Dances/DVORAK: Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor/BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances No. 5 in G Minor; No. 6 in D Major
Charles Mackerras conducts Pro Arte Orchestra (Janacek) and Philharmonia Orchestra
Testament SBT 1325 75:58 (Distrib. Harmonia Mundi):
Sir Charles Mackerras (b. 1925), while British in temperament and training, also has the special pedigree of having studied with the legendary Vaclav Talich, who inculcated Mackerras into the mysteries of Leos Janacek. A conductor of wide-ranging sensibilities, it was Mackerras’ EMI version of Handel’s Messiah, in a reduced-orchestra edition, that made a stunning impression on record collectors in the early 1970’s. His Pineapple Poll for CBS with the Sadler’s Wells Orchestra was a classic of the LP era. The Janacek herein presented was inscribed, in stereo, for the Pye label in 1959; their resident orchestra was the Pro Arte Orchestra. When Mackerras decided to record the Sinfonietta, the coupling was with four relatively unknown opera preludes, each of which has tonal and textural affinities to the Sinfonietta and to Taras Bulba, while maintaining an ethos unique to themselves.
I would single out the Prelude to Katya Kabanova (the others are The Makropoulos Case; From the House of the Dead; and Jenufa) as the most fascinating of the lot: it has an eerie harmonic flavor and a fragmentary melodic contour that hint of Debussy and Faure, but still there is the Moravian, modal coloring that gives Janacek his signature. The Sinfonietta is ablaze with brassy color (it has nine extra trumpets), a steely surface, and a ringing sonority worthy of anything in Talich and Kubelik for this score. The popular items, Dvorak, Bartok, and Enescu, recorded in 1960 for Walter Legge, are singularly spirited, especially the Enescu, which could easily pass for the best work of Constantin Silvestri. This disc indicates the burgeoning talents of Mackerras forty-five years ago, when Andrew Porter had already singled him out as “one of the finest Janacek conductors.”
–Gary Lemco
BORODIN: Prince Igor: Overture; March; Polovtsian Dances/ TCHAIKOVSKY: Capriccio Italien, Op. 45; Eugen Onegin: Introduction; Waltz; Polonaise; Overture–The Storm, Op. 76
Lovro von Matacic conducts Philharmonia Orchestra (Borodin) and La Scala Theater Orchestra
Testament SBT 1330 74:40 (Distrib. Harmonia Mundi):
Listening to the art of Lovro von Matacic (1899-1985) is an experience similar to witnessing the craftsmanship and artisanship Mayes describes in Under the Tusan Sun when she watches old masters shape stone and metal. The 1960 inscription of Capriccio italien opens with the individual lines’ weaving and converging, an ineluctable tension rising, like hearing Furtwaengler shape Wagner. But instead of gloom andheaviness, we get a Mediterranean sensibility that plays with light and dances in many rhythms and diverse colors. The deft phrasing has a clarity that reminds me of actor Eduardo Cianelli’s diction. I don’t think even Beecham squeezes all the different characters from this music as does Matacic, although Kempe makes the final tarantella blaze as no other.
Matacic’s musical pedigree reads akin to that of Clemens Krauss, both Vienna Choir Boys and both raised in the Richard Strauss tradition. Matacic’s recording of Lehar’s The Merry Widow remains a classic of its kind. Testament has issued three discs devoted to Matacic, whose name I first encountered on the Parliament LP of Beethoven’ Eroica, with the Funeral March split on either side of the record. The Borodin, with the Philharmonia from 1958, has some wonderful individual lines, from Alan Civil’s French horn to the phrasing and the contour of the suave lines in the Dances (without chorus). The excerpts from Eugen Onegin are poised and touched by a sense of the tragedy that ensues. The early piece based on Ostrovsky’s The Storm simply is not profound music, but Matacic’s 1957 reading makes it dramatically agitated, sort of an Errol Flynn soundtrack.
–Gary Lemco
BEETHOVEN: Cello Sonatas, Op. 5/PFITZNER: Cello Sonata in F# Minor, Op.1/BACH: Solo Sonata for Cello No. 6 in D, BWV 1012/FRESCOBALDI: Toccata for Cello and Basso Continuo/DVORAK: Adagio in D; Rondo in G Minor, Op.94/HINDEMITH: Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 11, No. 3/MENDELSSOHN: Cello Sonata No. 2 in D, Op. 58
Ludwig Holscher, cello; Hans Richter-Haaser, piano
Bayer DaCapo BR 200 038/39 73:54; 71:08 (Distrib. Qualiton):
Ludwig Hoelscher (1907-1996) had the reputation as “the Faust of the cello,” after his 1936 debut with the Berlin Philharmonic with Furtwaengler. With the death of Emanuel Feuermann in 1942, Hoelscher may have been the greatest cellist of the modern, 2oth century style; and only his remaining in Germany during WW II tarnished his international renown. He formed a trio with Walter Gieseking and Gerhard Taschner and played duos with Elly Ney. His recording of the Dvorak Concerto with Abendroth is still regarded a major interpretation of this oft-traversed masterpiece. Hans Richter-Haaaser (1912-1980) joined Hoelscher for a series of recitals, of which these discs comprise two: from October 10, 1951 and December 6, 1958, both recorded at the Ordensaal des Schlosses.
The major works are the two Beethoven sonatas, Op. 5 (each from a separate concert) and the Mendelssohn D major, no less a favorite of Feuermann. Starker, and Piatagorsky. Hindemith might have composed his burly, feverish sonata with Hoelscher in mind, so aggressively does Hoelscher attack it, with Richter-Haaser’s having to scramble to keep up. The Pfitzner is a Brahms clone, much neglected but not without its points of lyricism and counterpoint. The Unaccompanied Sonata in D of Bach gives us an opportunity to savor the intensity of Hoelscher’s vigorous, unsentimental approach, where the opening Prelude sets the tone for the entire piece. Those who know Richter-Haaser’s understated style will appreciate his blending of colors for Dvorak and Mendelssohn, and his attempts at pointillism for the old-world Frescobaldi Toccata. This installment by Bayer is marked “Volume 8” of the Hoelscher edition, and I suggest connoisseurs check the Qualiton website for the rest of the programs.
–Gary Lemco
SCARLATTI: 3 Sonatas/BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111/CHOPIN: Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35/CLEMENTI: Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 1
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, piano
BBC Legends BBCL 4128-2 78:58 (Distrib. Koch):
Listening to the legendary Michelangeli (1920-1995), I am reminded of Liszt’s estimation of Carl Tausig: “The infallible, with fingers of steel.” This BBC disc is culled from two recitals, 12 May 1961 (Scarlatti, Beethoven) and 10 June 1959 (Clementi, Chopin), some of which has been available on pirate editions. Collectors are always seeking out Michelangeli materials, but the fact is he narrowed his repertory to a few works traversed over and over, resembling Hofmann’s stingy programs. We do get a new Scarlatti piece, in B-flat Major, K. 172, in a quicksilver reading. And the Clementi Sonata in B-flat Major is crystalline, rivaling anything in Horowitz and even more translucent.
After a rather austere opening in the Beethoven C minor Sonata, the pace becomes increasingly blistering and driven to fever pitch. The objectivity of the playing is minimalist at times, with detached chords and non-legato phrasing that might be the envy of Glenn Gould. If presto is your tempo of choice, wait until you hear the Finale from Chopin’s eerie B-flat Minor Sonata. Michelangeli takes the first movement repeat, which adds a singular breadth to the willful figures and filigree he employs that mark every bar with his personal stamp. The Funeral March proceeds at a hair’s pace beyond andante, and the Trio receives rhythmic license that must infuriate purists. But is Chopin suffering disservice in this demoniac reading? Whether possessed or merely inspired, Michelangeli remains in a class by himself.
–Gary Lemco
BACH: Ricercare a 3 Voci, from BWV 1079; French Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV 815/SHOSTAKOVICH: 4 Preludes and Fugues from Op. 87/BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32 in C Minor , Op. 111; Andante from Sonata in G, Op. 79
Tatjana Nikolajewa, piano
Orfeo D’Or C 612031 B 71:15 (Distrib. Qualiton):
The rare appearance by Tatjana Nikolajewa (1924-1993) at the Salzburg Festival August 18, 1987 is captured on this precious disc, where her gentle and fleet approach to Bach and the contrapuntal aspects of Beethoven and Shostakovich is revealed to a select but appreciative audience. Winner of the 1950 International Bach Competition, Nikolajewa had been stereotyped a Bach specialist; but her repertory embraced the complete Beethoven sonatas and some 35 concertos. She made her Salzburg debut in 1956 in Mozart under Carl Schuricht. Her supple and hearty tone is at times triumphant, as in the concluding Gigue of the Fourth French Suite. Her intimacy in Bach comes through from her opening Ricercare from The Musical Offering.
The four excerpts from the Shostakovich Op. 87 cycle, the whole of which she had herself premiered in 1952, display a wide range of emotions and technique, with No. 14’s sounding like Liszt and No. 2’s clearly taking its cue from Bach toccatas. The A Major No. 7 is particularly liquid and luminous, a kind of condensed ecstasy and meditation on the A Major triad. Beethoven’s powerful and labyrinthine Op. 111 plays like a composite of Bach studies, but with an occasional outburst of steely drama that must have galvanized an audience lulled by the artist’s mezzo-fortes. The one encore from Beethoven’s G Major Sonata arrives in a spirit akin to Schnabel’s dictum that after Beethoven only Beethoven is appropriate. This is a special record, and collectors of musicians, and not just “pianists,” are urged to seek it out.
–Gary Lemcos
WILLIAM PRIMROSE – The Early Recordings, violin and viola (music by Bach, Saint-Saëns, Kreisler, Chopin, Purcell, Paganini and Tchaikovsky), with Iodole Menges (piano), Sidonie Goossens (harp) and Gerald Moore (piano) – Pearl GEM 0207 (68 mins.):
Fifty years ago, when I was a callow lad learning the big, bad cello, these ancient recordings by the great William Primrose would have been relatively recent, roughly speaking of the same vintage as the Pablo Casals recordings of the Bach Suites with which I grew up.
Now, however, they have become considerably more obscure and we owe Pearl a great debt of gratitude for making available some of the most elegant string playing I can remember hearing, and providing insight into an artist who became famous for my generation as “just” a violist. The high point of the violin recordings made through 1935 are a marvelous Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso of Saint-Saëns and, with Isolde Menges, an ecstatic sonata by Purcell. The viola recordings, dating from 1934 and 1935, start off with a dazzling pair of Paganini caprices and include a gorgeous Ave Maria of Schubert.
As always, Tully Potter’s liner notes (worth the price oaf admission themselves) help to recreate the world in which this wonderful music was being made, from his wide and detailed historical perspective to his poetic account of Primrose’s revolutionary style: “From the start [Primrose] was aiming at a new kind of playing—limber and athletic, with a fair amount of tenor tone but even more alto sonority, revealing a whole range of colours in the viol’s middle register.”
Roger Beardsley’s miraculous transfers enable the sound of Primrose’s instruments to shine through the inevitable surface noise with a sense of burnished beauty as if they were aural equivalent of Rembrandt’s great Biblical paintings, raising profound questions about the nature of sound and how its essential nature can be preserved even in sound of such antiquated vintage.
– Laurence Vittes
RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 13; Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
Evgeny Svetlanov conducts USSR Symphony Orchestra
Moscow Studio Archives MOS2001 56:18 (Distrib. Allegro):
Recorded in 1966, this disc is No. 1 in the “Svetlanov Edition” celebrating the art of Evgeny Svetlanov (1928-2002), the composer-conductor who spent a considerable time assembling “The Anthology of Russian Music” for discophiles. In strong sound, this performance of young Rachmaninov’s First Symphony, a fiasco when it premiered in 1897, has an assertive lyricism its score demands. While my first impression of this music came to me via Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia, this version has the echt Russian feel to it that the USSR achieves through its strings and brass. The long-line Vocalise, here played with enough repeats to keep it going, urges us to languor and mystery. The disc runs a bit short, so I miss having a Prince Rostislav or The Crag as a solid filler. Glad to have this one, though.
–Gary Lemco
BACH: Suite No. 3 in D, BWV 1068/MOZART: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro; Symphony No. 33 in B-flat, K. 319/DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “From the New World“/TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite No. 4 in G, Op. 61 “Mozartiana“
Vaclav Talich conducts Czech Philharmonic (Dvorak) and Slovak Philharmonic
TAHRA TAH 518/519 42:44; 62:07:
A major addition to the discography of the great Vaclav Talich (1883-1961), this set restores the extremely elusive Fourth Suite of Tchaikovsky, recorded June 7, 1950 with the Slovak Philharmonic, of which Talich was a founder. Considering the relatively brief duration of the discs, I am surprised Tahra did not include the Song Without words in F, Op. 2, No. 2 that Talich recorded June 20 and the Andante cantabile arrangement he made 18 June 1950. Those were stressful days for Talich, according to both Ivan Moravec and Charles Mackerras, when Talich was harassed by the Soviets, allowed to conduct for export, but forbidden a work card and any regular conducting tours.
The Dvorak New World is from his 1941 sessions at the National Theater of Prague, again under the pressure of Nazi occupation. The performance is rather tightlipped, made for the Czech branch of His Master’s Voice, the first of three versions of this work. There is an aggressive quality to the playing absent from the 1954 account that all collectors of Parliament LP’s knew. The Bach and Mozart performances are taken from Multisonic tapes, issued as part of Supraphon tributes to the Czech Philhamonic’s hundredth birthday. The Bach Suite, played without repeats, dates from June 19, 1950; while the Mozart Figaro Overture is from June 20, the Symphony in B-flat recorded between middle May and June 21, 1950. Mozart was a major composer in Talich’s oeuvre, but his recordings are destitute of his fondness of Mozart opera. The playing has an almost religious fervor, the conductor obviously aware of the limits of human politics and human mortality. The extensive discography of commercial recordings included in the booklet adds to the valedictory character of this fine production.
–Gary Lemco
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Classical Reissue Reviews
March 2004, Pt. 1 of 2
DEBUSSY: Jeux–poeme danse; Six epigraphes antiques (Orch.
Ansermet)/DUKAS: La Peri; The Sorcerer’s Apprentice/SAINT-SAENS: Danse macabre
Ernest Ansermet conducts Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Paris Conservatory Orchestra (Dukas)
Testament SBT 1324 69:02 (Distrib. Harmonia Mundi):
Vintage 1953-1955 performances led by Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969), mathematician and conductor extraordinaire, known for the chaste and self-effacing literalism of his style, which eschewed aggrandized subjectivity. Ansermet’s reputation, somewhat like that of Munch and Inghelbrecht, lies mainly in French music, but his range was quite broad and embraced Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bartok, Bloch, Falla, Handel, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. A strong similitude of taste and style exists between Ansermet and Igor Markevitch, although the latter tends to be more fiery in temperament. But I recall that one of Ansermet’s last records for London Decca, his performance of the Lalo Scherzo, had my telephone ringing at WHRW-FM, where I broadcast it for the SUNY Binghamton station.
At least two inscriptions included by Testament are noteworthy: La Peri, from 1955, is in sterling, stereo sound, and it has strong personality and lovely, arched phrasing. It omits the more famous fanfare, but the ballet proper is exalted Dukas. The Debussy ballet Jeux received its second commercial recording here under Ansermet, the first belonging to Vittorio de Sabata on RCA. This music, an interwoven rondo-burlesque, still mystifies even after ninety years of existence. Ansermet makes smooth logic of its elusive figures. More successful as melos are the six Ancient Epigraphs in Ansermet’s own orchestration, vividly colored and nuanced, delicately rendered. The two popular pieces, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Danse macabre, are certainly poised and balanced, perhaps a bit less neurotically effective than the Stokowski and Mitropoulos versions which provide more earthy electricity.
–Gary Lemco
STRAVINSKY: Pulcinella Suite/RODRIGO: Concerto d’ete/BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
Ataulfo Argenta conducts Orchestre National de France
TAHRA TAH 427 77:46:
The professional career of Ataulfo Argenta (1913-1958) lasted only fifteen years, the Spanish conductor’s dying of a questionable asphyxiation on the verge of his assuming the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande at the request of Ernest Ansermet. Decca wanted Argenta to record the Brahms symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Beethoven symphonies with the Israel Philharmonic, easily making us think of comparisons with Istvan Kertesz. And while EMI has included Argenta in its multi-volume tribute to “Great Conductors of the 20th Century,” this TAHRA edition from producer Myriam Scherchen gives us some rare, vintage music otherwise unavailable.
Taped at the Cente Pistor April 4, 1951, the recording is in fine sound and captures Argenta with an equally tragic artist, violinist Christian Ferras (1933-1982), only eighteen-years-old, performing the Summer Concerto of Rodrigo (which he went on to record commercially with Enesco), a personal specialty. A lean, linear style characterizes Argenta, who might be considered the Spanish Guido Cantelli. Argenta’s clean lines and rhythmic acumen permeate Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite in a performance reminiscent of Markevitch. Its neo-classic polish and frothy imitation of Pergolesi originals is deftly charming. The Brahms D Major is drawn along neo-classic lines, with a large, generously inflected first movement and a rather streamlined B Major Adagio. The last movement’s rush of a finale testifies to the fact that Brahms was Argenta’s favorite composer, despite the many hours Argenta spent popularizing his native zarzuelas. The accompanying booklet has a discography of this short-lived conductorial talent.
–Gary Lemco
BRAHMS: Ballade in D Minor; Ballade in D Major; Klavierstuecke, Op. 118; Waltzes, Op. 39; Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1; Paganini Variations; Scherzo, Op. 4; 2 Hungarian Dances; 2 Rhapsodies, Op. 79; Selected Intermezzi and Caprices, Opp. 76 and 116
Wilhelm Backhaus, piano
Music&Arts CD-1132 58:13; 71:46 (Distrib. Albany):
A complete assemblage of the 1929-1936 Brahms inscriptions by the great German virtuoso Wilhelm Backhaus (1884-1969), once offered on electrola LP and available on pirate CD’s like Lys and Arkadia. In good restorations by Maggi Payne, the two discs are rife with musical interest and excitement. Backhaus certainly knew the Brahms style, capturing its “rainy day” sentiments and thick-based uneasiness. Occasionally, Backhaus plays individual pieces too fast, in the manner of an etude, so the poetic impulse is minimal. But the E Major Intermezzo (in two versions) from Op. 116 is hazy and mysterious, much in the mold Gieseking inscribed in his wonderful EMI records in the 1950’s. The Waltzes are blistering performances, with Backhaus’ detached chords glistening on top of the keys. He pedals the B Minor Rhapsody effectively, making its middle section a carillon of tender beauty. The Scherzo in E-flat Op. 4 was a Backhaus specialty. The two Hungarian Dances, Nos. 6 and 7, are muscular and vehement. Along with the two Op. 10 Ballades, there is my favorite, the G Minor from Op. 118, played in a linear, forthright manner, big in athletic prowess although somewhat bland emotionally. The two sessions, from December 1932 and January 1936, yielded mixed results, revealing a pianist of considerable technique and breadth but wandering sympathies. still, the overall effect is that of a master pianist much at home in repertory the lies easily under his fingers.
–Gary Lemco
SMETANA: The Bartered Bride (Complete Opera, Sung in German)
Hilde Konetzni, soprano
Richard Tauber, tenor
Fritz Krenn, bass
Mary Jarred, mezzo-soprano
Heinrich Tessmer, tenor
Sir Thomas Beecham conducts London Philharmonic and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Somm-Beecham 14-2 47:27; 64:48 (Distrib. Qualiton):
A live performance from May 1, 1939, this set captures Sir Thomas leading a veteran cast in Smetana’s beloved folk opera of true love, albeit in a slightly cut edition. Beecham seems to have had no great affection for the Furiant, so often included in the orchestral excerpts, and he had to overcome some initial problems with soprano Konetzni until Richard Tauber intervened. The political situation in Europe, with clouds darkening towards war, made Beecham eager to placate friend and colleague Vaclav Talich, whose proposed tour of Britain with the National Theatre of Prague (for Rusalka and The Secret) was cancelled by Hitler’s propaganda machine. Richard Tauber, although commandeered for the role at short notice, was eager to contribute his mature talent as Jenik as a gesture to the internationalism of art.
The entire ensemble seems in high spirits, and Konetzni makes a believable Marenka, with some fine vocals and a balanced polish to her duets and trios, with good work from Fritz Krenn as Kezal. To be sure, the opera’s choruses are equally important to the progression of the story, a la Moussorgsky’s Boris, and the Finale of Act II fairly sizzles. Despite some distant and scratchy sound, the inscription, made via the Phillips Miller film system and transferred to 78 rpm discs in 1946, has solid resonance and a nervous sense of the live staging. I had not known Heinrich Tessmer prior to this role as Wenzel, but he impresses me as a versatile lyric who should have received more prominence on records. Kudos to Somm for the production and notes, all of which recreate an artistic and moral moment in Britain’s operatic history.
–Gary Lemco
Karl Bohm conducts = MOZART: Overture to Cosi fan tutte/BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor/HAYDN: Symphony No. 91 in E-flat Major/SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 The Great
Karl Bohm conducts Philharmonia Orchestra (Cosi); Cologne Radio-Symphony (Bruckner); Vienna Philharmonic (Haydn); Staatskapelle Dresden (Schubert)
EMI Great Conductors of the 20th Century 27 55 759442 78:50; 77:44:
Karl Bohm (1894-1981) rebuilt his career after his unapologetic support of National Socialism in Germany, having made a solid reputation in Dresden, particularly in operas of Wagner, Mozart and Richard Strauss. Wielding a long, lean baton, Bohm sported a clear, articulated beat, and his readings of the German and Viennese classics had transparency and drive. unlike Karajan, Bohm was not afraid to allow a composer’s rough edges to show through, and his Haydn, of which we have in the set the infrequent No. 91 from his 1973 sessions in Vienna, is a prime example of his often athletic style.
Given the colossal range of Bohm’s records over 50 years, EMI has taken a line of least resistance by offering only four pieces, two of which were LP’s unto themselves. The 1974 Bruckner 8th from a live, studio session in Cologne has a fine sense of the Bruckner style and its periodic structure. Not so exalted as Furtwaengler, Bohm’s Nowak edition is tightly knit, and it has majesty and sweep. Transitions are seamless, with emphasis on cello, bass and low brass, a strong sense of urgency right up to the final peroration. The Schubert 9th is from a January 1979 inscription with the Dresden State Orchestra, a lithe and sympathetic reading that has something of Bruno Walter’s style about it, a tendency to mold the cadences while keeping Schubert’s cross rhythms well articulated in the manner of Toscanini. The little Overture to Cosi comes to us from the 1962 set of the entire opera, one of the classics of its kind, and making us wonder why we needed more Bruckner in the Great Conductors series when Bohm could have proffered Mozart serenades and opera excerpts conspicuous by their absence.
–Gary Lemco
TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet–Fantasy Overture; Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathetique“
Guido Cantelli conducts Philharmonia Orchestra
Testament SBT 1316 61:44 (Distrib. Harmonia Mundi):
Collectors will recall an RCA 2-LP set devoted to Romeo and Juliet, with music by Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, and Prokofiev (LM 6028), and excerpts from the play read by Hurd Hatfield and Geraldine Fitzgerald. The Cantelli performance of the B Minor tone-poem was a substantial part of this set’s attraction, the 1951 inscription’s being a driven, fluid account, without any sentimental dawdling and yet rife with poignant emotion and some wonderful playing in the Philharmonia wind and brass sections.
Guido Cantelli (1920-1956) continues to maintain a cult status, a sort of James Dean of the classical music world, dying in an untimely plane crash near Orly, Paris. Often stereotyped as a Toscanini clone, Cantelli’s interest in modern scores and his idiosyncratic tempo decisions made his a hybrid style, with elements of interpretation taken from Vittorio de Sabata and Wilhelm Furtwaengler. The 1952 Pathetique Symphony, which appeared here in the US on the LHMV LP format, is an organic, powerful account. Once the listener accepts Cantelli’s tempos, which tend to be fleet in the Rodzinski mold, the experience is rock hard and rife with accents and adjustments in the dynamics that will endear the reading to anyone with an affection for this music. Besides Cantelli’s having a clear sense of the music’s architecture, the playing by individual Philharmonia players, like Dennis Brain’s French horn, is masterly. This account has passion, drive and unbridled enthusiasm; and it will prove a tonic to the overwrought, drawn-out readings that Bernstein and his ilk instigated in the 1970’s and 1980’s that made sentimental syrup of this work. For Cantelli collectors, this is a consummation devoutly to be sought.
–Gary Lemco
Clifford Curzon Decca Recordings, 1941-1972 Vol. 2 = SCHUBERT: 4 Impromptus, D. 899; Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960/MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K. 488; Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491/BRAHMS: Piano Sonata\ No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5; Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15; Intermezzos in E-flat and C Major/DVORAK: Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81/FRANCK: Piano Quintet in F Minor/GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A Minor
Josef Krips conducts London Symphony (Mozart)
Anatole Fistoulari conducts London Symphony (Grieg)
Eduard van Beinum conducts Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam (Brahms); Vienna Philharmonic Quartet
Decca 475 084-2 79:50; 78:10; 76:53; 69:25 (Distrib. Universal):
Clifford Curzon (1907-1982) had the rare pianistic pedigree of having British training and two years of study with Artur Schnabel in Berlin, which combined facility, touch and insight in an astonishing degree. Like his contemporary, Solomon, Curzon had a great affinity for the German-Austrian tradition, as well as for French music, Grieg, and occasional excursions into British music. The range of this set of inscriptions is 1941 (Schubert Impromptus) to 1970 (Schubert B-flat Sonata), and each recording bears the mark of a mature, finished artist in complete control of his medium and his message.
Anyone who thinks of British pianist as enervated or lacking sheer power ought to begin with the Franck Piano Quintet with the Vienna Quartet from 1960, where cellist Emanuel Brabec fills out his part, while in the 1962 Dvorak the cellist is Robert Scheiwein. To call the opening Molto moderato quasi lento “ferocious” is an understatement. It is hard to imagine the vinyl not melting fron the superheated emotions engaged in this performance. The Dvorak, on the other hand, is liquid sound, equally loving and reverent as Curzon’s famed inscription for CBS with the Budapest Quartet.
Curzon’s Schubert is a direct legacy of his Schnabel influence. Built on huge periods, with a lovely singing line, the B-flat Sonata resonates with lyric pensiveness. Curzon’s legato, even in the “study” piece, the Impromptu in E-flat, is even, fluid, and filled with a sense of breathing the music. Brahms, too, was a Schnabel staple: the D Minor Concerto with Beinum returns to the catalogue a volatile, fluent account, with magisterial lines in the strings and horns under Beinum, and some visceral ensemble at the coda of the first movement and in the rondo finale. I have already commented in my survey of the Decca Krips restoration on that conductor’s facility with Mozart. The two concertos with Curzon are entirely stylish, the F-sharp Minor Adagio from Concerto No. 23 being rather a standout. While I have rarely found conductor Fistoulari capable of exerting any personality on his own, his capacity to accompany is long established, and his traversal of the Grieg Concerto (1951) underlines Curzon’s individual style without intrusion.
Again, this set bespeaks a monumental personality in music on a par with Solomon, where a self-effacing luster is present in every bar. Thoughtful, imaginative, often brilliantly bravura in approach, Curzon is a consistently satisfying interpreter of everything he plays. I had looked forward to his scheduled 1983 appearance in Atlanta, to play the Brahms B-flat Concerto, if I am not mistaken, with every musical anticipation. Curzon’s passing was a loss to music on every level.
–Gary Lemco
MOZART: Violin Sonata No. 17 in C, K. 296; Duo No. 1 in G Major, K. 423/BEETHOVEN: “Eyeglass” Duo in E-flat/Serenade in D Major, Op. 8
Szymon Goldberg, violin; Frederick Riddle, viola (K. 423); Paul Hindemith, viola; William Primrose, viola (“Eyeglass” Duo); Emanuel Feuermann, cello; Lili Kraus, piano (K. 296)
Opus Kura 2044 62:13 (Distrib. Albany):
Admirers of Polish violinist Szymon Goldberg (1909-1993) and the legendary Emanuel Feuermann (1902-1942) will enjoy this restoration from Opus Kura, taken from Japanese Columbia recordings 1934-1948. The surfaces are not particularly quiet, so audiophiles beware. But the playing bespeaks the glories of some charmed, musical personalities, whose sense of ensemble illumines every page they play. The partnership of Lili Kraus and Szymon Goldberg was equal to anything Szigeti and Schnabel or Milstein and Balsam achieved. Both artists were interned in Japan during WW II, but their playing did not suffer. Goldberg went on to conduct the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and appear as soloist in New York, for instance, playing the Beethoven Concerto with Mitropoulos. Even 1935 shellacs cannot suppress the high, vigorous spirits infiltrating Mozart’s C Major Sonata.
Emanuel Feuermann (his name spelled without the last “n” by Opus Kura) was a meteoric cello talent, the natural successor to Pablo Casals, but whose technique was set in the 20th century the way Casals’ was set in the 19th century. His fluid, sometimes blazing, playing is heard in the Beethoven works, mostly light fare, but defined by the 18th century cassation and divertimento style that is always ingratiating. Viola Paul Hindemith has quite a singing tone in the interior movements of the Beethoven Op. 8, with its late theme and variations. Frederick Riddle (1912-1995), a competent British player who premiered the Walton Viola Concerto, appears in the perky K. 423 Duet by Mozart, a noisy shellac from 1948. The veteran William Primrose (1903-1982) and Feuermann, who would collaborate in Hollywood with Heifetz as a string trio, plies his hefty vibrato in the bubbly 1941 inscription of the “Eyeglass Duet” of Beethoven, WoO 32, so named because Beethoven and his partner Nikolaus Zmeskall had to wear thick spectacles to see their music. You can leave your eyeglasses off and just listen to these colossal talents enjoy every note of the chamber music they champion.
–Gary Lemco
Ida Haendel in Recital = BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2/BACH: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor/MOZART: Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 378/DVORAK: Two Romantic Pieces, Op. 75/WIENIAWSKI: Polonaise No. 1 in D Major, Op. 4
Ida Haendel, violin
Valentina Lisitsa, piano
VAI VAIA 1219 70:12:
Ida Haendel (b. 1923) remains the elder states-person of violin virtuosi; along with Ruggiero Ricci, Haendel is the living link to the generation of teachers including Carl Flesch and Georges Enesco. This disc captures her art at the Newport Music Festival, June 23, 2000, and her playing still has its solid intonation and her own ideas of phrasing. For avid collectors of Haendel’s work, only the Dvorak and Wieniawski pieces will be completely new to her discography: the Beethoven and the Mozart works are available with other pianists (John Newmark and Ronald Turini) through the DOREMI label.
Nevertheless, to hear the seventy-seven-year-old musician at work is a pleasure not to be denied. Her playing of the Bach Chaconne has an ethos entirely her own, rivaling the authority Nathan Milstein brought to the D Minor Partita. Executing the variations with a virtually religious fervor, Haendel demonstrates a security of pace and bowing that can still astonish. I am at a loss why we get only the first two sections of Dvorak’s Four Romantic Pieces, but what we have is elegant and affectionate. The Beethoven and Mozart are thoroughly stylistic, especially in the punctilious inner-voicings between her and pianist Lisitsa in the opening Allegro con brio of the Beethoven. The Wieniawski takes us back to Haendel’s native Poland, where the combination of folkish rhythms and Chopinesque, aristocratic elegance make compelling listening. If the audience response is an indicator, Haendel continues to pack a musical whollop worthy of her mythical status.
–Gary Lemco
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde/Interview with Rudolf Kempe
Janet Baker, contralto
Ludovic Spiess, tenor
Rudolf Kempe conducts BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Legends BBCL 4129-2 78:42 (Distrib. Koch):
Recorded at Royal Festival Hall on October 8, 1975, only a year before the death of conductor Rudolf Kempe (1910-1976), this document captures an extended, lyric moment in the all-too-scarce Mahler legacy Rudolf Kempe left us. The only other recording that comes to mind is his Kindertotenlieder with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for EMI. The performance, certainly from the orchestral point of view, is luminous, especially in the final movement, Der Abschied, where the contralto’s musings on the life of eternity are punctuated by orientalisms and ominous portents of fate. The tenor is relatively unknown to me: Ludovic Spiess was a member of the Bucharest Opera, and his voice is a lyric much in the timbre of Anton Dermota. The notes blame poor microphone placement in the opening Drinking Song of Earth’s Woe for his distant vocalization, and I accept this explanation since his little hymn To Youth in the third movement is lithe and playful, not a far cry from Wunderlich’s splendid account with Klemperer.
Janet Baker is clearly the star of the evening, adapting her timbre to the several moods of Bethge’s poetry, and peaking in the passionate and lachrymose paean to immortality at the end. Her dark, grainy color is certainly an heir to Kathleen Ferrier’s stunning renditions of this piece. Kempe’s conducting, moreover, urges the tempos and the vibrancy of the affects; ordinarily, I would have thought this was another of Jascha Horenstein’s brilliant British ventures into this knotty score. The disc closes with a 12-minute interview between Kempe and Gillian Widdicombe from London, March 21, 1974. There are some recollections of Richard Strauss the conductor, and Kempe’s desire to do more with Italian opera, unwilling to concede that only native Italians or Russians conduct their music best.
–Gary Lemco
Hans Knappertsbusch conducts = BEETHOVEN: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62; Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72; Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37/WAGNER: Prelude and Love-Death from Tristan; Die Meistersinger: Act III Prelude; Immolation Scene from Gotterdaemmerung
Christa Ludwig, soprano; Andor Foldes, piano
Hans Knappertsbusch conducts North German Radio-Symphony, Hamburg and Munich Philharmonic (Leonore Overture)
Melodram GM 4.0070 59:04; 46:34 (Distrib. Albany):
Assembled from concerts 1959-1963, these discs capture the expansive art of Hans Knappertsbusch (1888-1965) in a genial spirit, particularly in his work with pianist Andor Foldes (1913-1992) in the Beethoven C Minor Concerto from January 15, 1962. The liner notes contain an affectionate remembrance of the collaboration by Foldes, whose concerto recordings are few and far between. I am waiting for DGG to reissue his Beethoven sonatas as well as the Choral Fantasy with Fritz Lehmann. Knappertsbusch asked Foldes upon their meeting if Foldes had a good sense of rhythm, to which Foldes replied that the proof would be in their playing. Judge for yourself: the playing is linear, assertive, but rife with tiny adjustments of rhythm and dynamics that keep our ears occupied.
Wagner was a Knappertsbusch staple, with the conductor’s appearing at Bayreuth consistently between 1951-1956. Noted more for Parsifal and The Ring, we get to hear a superheated Christa Ludwig in her prime (March and October 1963), when her high C’s and sustaining tone could equal Birgit Nilsson’s range, without the metallic ping that Nilsson could educe. Always supple in Tristan, Knappertsbusch applies his leisurely but voluptuous palette to the Prelude, even adding a bit of erotic sadness tio the Third Act Prelude of Die Meistersinger. After hearing Furtwaengler’s Coriolan, the Knappertsbusch version sounds a tad puffy and soft; but the expansive approach to Fidelio’s huge overture achieves a solemn pageantry that avoids sag in its sonata-form working out of the elements. For Kna collectors, this collection is a refreshing tonic away from the usual Bruckner collations that glut this artist’s catalogue.
–Gary Lemco
MAHLER: Kindertotenlieder; Adagio from Symphony No. 10 in F# Minor/WEBERN: In Sommerwind; Passacaglia, Op. 1
Cornelia Kallisch, mezzo-soprano
Michael Gielen conducts SWR Symphony Orchestra, Baden-Baden
Hanssler CD 93.062 71:30 (Distrib. Albany):
Late Romanticism is in full bloom with these works, recorded 1989-1998 with Michael Gielen and Hans Rosbaud’s old orchestra of the German Radio, Baden-Baden. We have the music that helped establish the Second Viennese School, especially Mahler’s ominous Songs on the Death of Children, composed at the same time as his fateful Fifth Symphony. Having grown up with the Ferrier/Walter performance as a high standard, I found Cornelia Kallisch quite effective, capturing the plaintive, forbidding evocations of nature with a simplicity of attack that transforms the narrator’s reassurances of safety into bitter moments of self-deception. And since my purist blood disowns the “official” reconstructions of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony, I gravitate to those conductors who play the passionate, mercurial Adagio (and, perhaps, the extant bars of the Purgatorio) as a kind of Unfinished Symphony, with its angular, even serpentine, melodic line and twin tempos, one conciliatory, the other a weird totentanz.
Webern’s 1904 tone-poem both in the Strauss manner and Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, Im Sommerwind (1904, after Bruno Wille), is the equivalent of the poetic effect Jean-Paul Richter’s Flegeljahre had on Schumann, a kind of pantheistic exuberance in self-development. Its big gestures made their first impression on me through a recording by Eugene Ormandy. Gielen’s approach is stoic and poised, in the George Szell mode. Gielen then applies his gifts in interior clarity to Webern’s first authorized opus, the 1908 Passacaglia (after Brahms’ E Minor Symphony), with its twenty-three variants that feature many outstanding instrumental solo parts. For those that collect Michael Gielen (and Wolfgang Sawallisch), these performances exemplify the clarity and expressiveness of German conducting from that generation who matured post-WW II.
–Gary Lemco
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Jazz CD Reviews
Candido & Graciela – Inolvidable; Chesky Records JD249 CD:
Much like the Buena Vista Social Club release, this disc has some interesting history behind it. Apparently, Graciela was known as the First Lady of Afro-Cuban Jazz and was the lead vocalist for a popular band from the 1940s through the 1970s. She went on to perform with Mario Bauza’s band. After the death of her brother-in-law in 1993, Graciela quit performing. Even though Graciela is 88 years old, legendary conguero Candido Camero asked her to join him to record the tunes on this CD. Everyone involved in the project seem fortunate and thankful to have had the opportunity to take part. If you have even the remotest interest in Afro-Cuban jazz, then this CD is a must get!
Recording quality on this disc is in the Chesky tradition, in other words, amazing! The recording was made in a Manhattan church, and sounds like a really good small venue. Songs included are: Si Tu Supieras; Cachita; La Vida Es Un Sueno; Amor Ciego; Conga Jam; Tu Mi Delirio; Quien Eres Tu; Esvelo; Tu Me Acostumbraste; Contigo En La Distancia; Iolvidable, Parte I; Iolvidable, Parte II.
-Brian Bloom
Joel Frahm, tenor & soprano sax/Brad Mehldau, piano – Don’t Explain – Palmetto Records PM 2096:
I’ll try not to explain too much, but you should know this is a great album. I am always attracted to duos like this – not because I hate drummers and bassists (well, there’s few of the former I really like) – but because the duo structure exposes the creativity of the two performers so much more than a typical quartet or quintet situation. Mehldau is just about the hottest young lion of jazz piano today; while I admit I had never heard of Frahm before, he strikes me as a major talent on his horn. His sound is big, warm and emotional. The unaffected sincerity of his treatment of the Billie Holiday classic must be why that number was chosen as the title of the album. The saxist and pianist have known one another and played together since they were 15, so this is not your record label producer’s instant gimmick pairing up. And it sounds like they really know each other’s minds in these ten terrific tracks: Don’t Explain, Get Happy, Oleo, Round Midnight #3, Mother Nature’s Son, East of the Sun, Turnaround, Away from Home, Smile, Round Midnight #1.
– John Henry
Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion – Classic Meets Cuba – Sony Classical SK 93090:
As with so many releases nowadays, I was hard put which section to put this review into. The major labels seem to be always fooling around with trying to create crossover hits which will expand the paltry classical core audience of buyers. But once in awhile they hit on something that breaks all the boundaries, has really wide appeal, and doesn’t cause traditional classical audience’s scalp to crawl. The recent classical excursions by Bela Fleck and Edgar Myers would have to fall in this category. And so goes this new release. It began with three German musicians who met and made music with two Cuban percussionists during their first concert tour of Cuba. A new sound came out of the mix of European classical tradition with swing, Latin and the complex rhythmic underpinning of Afro-Cuban music. The group has already won the German equivalent of the Grammy for their first collaboration.
The German trio consists of bassist Kilian Forster, first bassist with the Dresden Philharmonic. Next is Tobias Forster, the pianist, who functions as the main arranger for Classic Meets Cuba. Third of the trio is drummer Tim Hahn, who has toured with Bocelli and Carreras. The Cuban members are Alexis Estevez on timbales and Elio Rodriguez on congas. You may have a completely feeling for some of these classical favorites after hearing the ensemble’s special emphasis on their rhythmic qualities. The classical composers given the Cuban treatment here include Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Chopin, Bizet, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Haydn. What a kick!
Tracks: Mambozart, Cuban Dance, Danzon de la Trucha, Preludio, Afrolise, Air, Pathetique I, II & III (fr. Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 8), Salsa No. V, Czardas, Etude, Carmen Cubana, Flight of the Bumble Bee, Guten Abend, Anthem.
– John Sunier
Africa Straight Ahead – Compilation – Heads Up HDCD 3079:
From Afro-Cuban we move to plain African jazz, in a sampler following hard on the heels of this labels previous Smooth Africa series, Andy Narell in South Africa, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Narell is featured on one of the dozen tracks, and pianist Darius Brubeck plays with African cohorts on another. Other tracks are from McCoy Mrubata, Marcus Wyatt, Paul Hanmer, Bheki Mseleku and Sheer Allstars – a terrific quintet of guitar, piano, sax, bass and drums. There’s an infectious hook to all this music, and its more than just the catchy rhythms and accessible harmonic structures. Dig it!
Tracks: Owed to Bishop, The Moon in a Bowl, Celebrate Mzansi, Beautiful Love, Langery, Tugela Rail, Sweet Anathi, Lovers on Empty Corners, Amasabekwelanggeni, Dee Mwa Wee, Imbali, Shawn’s Uhadi Samba.
– John Henry
Eliane Elias, piano & vocals – Brazilian Classics – Blue Note 7243 84337 2 2:
Hadn’t heard from pianist Elias in a while, but this sampler from previous albums returns to her native country roots with a bossa nova compendium of 16 tracks. On a half dozen of them she also does vocals. Her ensembles – never bigger than a quintet – are rounded out by a number of different top sidemen, including Dave Valentin on flutes, Eddie Gomez and Marc Johnson on bass, Oscar Castro-Neves on acoustic guitar, and percussionist/drummers including Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Cafe and Nana Vasconcelos. Several of the big bossa nova hits are here, broadening the collection’s appeal and making it an ideal starting point if the talents of Ms. Elias are new to you.
Tracks: Passarium, Chega de Saudade, Carioca Nights, Girl from Ipanema, Milton Nascimento Medley, Waters of March, One-Note Samba, Crystal and Lace, So Danco Samba, Brazil, Iluminados, Jet Samba, Wave, Black Orpheus theme, Dindi, O Polichinelo.
– John Henry
Percy Heath, bass & cello – A Love Song (with Jeb Patton, piano; Peter Washington, bass; “Tootie” Heath, drums & percussion) – Daddy Jazz Records (no #):
The acclaimed bassist from the former Modern Jazz Quartet ventures out on his own after five decades with this album on his own label, and with his drummer bro rounding out the quartet. It is his debut as a leader. Four of the seven tracks are his own compositions, including the previously-recorded Watergate Blues, on which he wails on cello this time. On most of the other selections the sound of the two bassists provides a welcome and creative change from the usual jazz quartet. John Lewis’ Django was a calling card for the early MJQ and many dozens of others have done this classic jazz gem; Heath gives the melody to his bass for a sound different from all the others. The longest work is a 13-minute suite for Percy’s late father, and the closing Hanna’s Mood honors the late jazz pianist Sir Roland Hanna. Great playing, great sound, and a good test for those stereo subwoofers.
– John Henry
Willie Rodriguez Jazz Quartet – Flatjacks (Rodriguez, drums and Latin percussion; Seldon Powell, reeds; Barry Galbraith, guitar; George Duvivier, bass) – Milestone/Fantasy MCD-9331-2:
I saw immediately by the names of the guitarist and bassist on this session that it wasn’t a recent one. It’s one of the massive library of jazz gems from the various labels now owned and reissued by Fantasy Records and comes from l963. It represents the epitome of West Coast Jazz at the time – light, swinging, tuneful, a Latin influence on many tunes, and a number of flute and clarinet solos. But there’s nothing dated about the playing or the sonics. Galbraith was one of the greats of jazz guitar, and though I wasn’t familiar with Rodriguez, he propels the quartet along skillfully without calling too much attention to his beating and whacking.
Tracks; Moliendo Cafe, Serenata, Nanigo Soul, Mr. Yosso, Brasileira, One Foot in the Gutter, It Happened in Monterey, Flatjacks (Just a Minor Bass-A Nova), Seafood Wally, After Words, Tasty, El Sueno de Frances.
– John Henry
Peter Arthur Loeb and his One Man Band – Four of Me – PAL Music:
This is a CD-R, more of which seem to be crossing my desk lately (and unfortunately, my very best standard CD deck won’t play them). I don’t know if in this case that is because this is a promo copy or because Peter Arthur Loeb burns each one himself. Probably the latter – seeing as how the note booklet is a color xerox. All this is not to denigrate the album – it’s a very listenable collection of a dozen tracks, of which ten were composed by Loeb himself. But that’s just the beginning of the multi-talents displayed here. All four instruments of the jazz quartet are also played by Loeb – multi-tracking himself on drums, piano, bass and tenor sax! And he’s good – damn good! Especially as a tenor saxist. I find most of his tunes more interesting listening that half of what comes my way from top-name jazzmen. I doubt if you’ll find this in the stores, so if you’re intrigued, visit Peter’s web site at www.palserv.com
Tracks: Boo Hoo, Four of Me, Five in Three, Sarah by Sunlight, Boston Dover, Altered, B-B, You Know Who, TaF Blues, Camptown Drag, Rose the Riveter, Timeless.
– John Henry
University of Miami Concert Jazz Band/Whit Sidener – Romances – Summit Education DCD 368:
What’s happening today at the college level in jazz studies is really encouraging. This band from the University of Miami has long been acclaimed as one of the top such ensembles and have won awards from Downbeat Magazine and others. The “major work” on this disc from a subsidiary of Summit Records is the 26-minute Three Romances by German big band leader Maria Schneider. The suite for big band consists of three pieces – Choro Dancado, Pas de Deux, and Danca Illusoria – and is intended to create a dance-like feeling in the listener. The opening selection is also by Maria Schneider. The various brass and reed soloists on each of the tracks as well as on the suite are super virtuosi of their instruments. No excuses need be made for this terrific aggregation. If this sampling of their work isn’t quite enough for you, they’ve had a previous album on the same label titled JazzMiami. Tracks: Lately, Gregory is Here, Invitation, Divisi, Squiggle, Three Romances.
– John Henry
Tierney Sutton; Dancing In The Dark. – Trio & Orch./
Christian Jacob – Telarc CD-83592:
Tierney Sutton’s last album, Something Cool, made an implied comparison between her work and that of June Christy. This album’s cover art includes the note, “Inspired by the music of Frank Sinatra,” and that is setting the bar very high. June Christy sang with the Stan Kenton band in its heyday, as Frank Sinatra sang for Tommy Dorsey’s. Frank used to joke that he was best categorized as a “saloon singer.” I feel Tierney Sutton would best be considered the same, a café singer, or a swank hotel chanteuse. She is not truly a jazz singer on this album; she doesn’t improvise with her voice, or scat sing; doesn’t accompany herself on some instrument; nor does she “trade fours” with her side men. Emphasizing the lyric to convey the mood she takes a long, slow singing line with each of the ballads in this collection. I’m tempted to use the wonderful word lugubrious, but she is not mournful: rather, she is closely examining the lyric with intent to turn any musical phrase in a manner that creates or sustains her desired aim. In this regard she most reminds me of Shirley Horn, to whom Miles Davis once famously commented about her ballad singing, “You do ‘em awful slow,” then went on to copy her style with his trumpet. Tierney’s slow, deliberate style (on this album) puts her in good company.
With her previous releases, this CD leads me to feel Tierney Sutton is a work in progress. She has a seductive voice and a way with a lyric matched by few. She has the sense to surround herself with a good trio: Christian Jacob, piano; Trey Henry, bass; and Ray Brinker, drums; and Orchestra conducted by Christian Jacob on some cuts. I feel she would benefit largely with a horn player to also accompany her, as Bessie Smith had the young Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday had Lester Young. This might give her a chance to develop more vocal “chops” to pursue her art in that manner. That said, this album is great boudoir music.
[A review by Tom Gibbs of the SACD version of this same album appears in Pt. 1 of our Hi-Res Reviews this issue..Ed.]
– Max Dudious
Our last pair of CDs do not claim to be jazz, but they don’t fit in elsewhere this issue, and they share a connection with public radio…
Gunnar Madsen, piano – Spinning World, 13 ways of looking at a waltz (with chamber ensemble) – G-Spot Records GSR001:
This delightful CD is not a new release but has gleaned new attention due to being featured on both HBO’s Sex and the City and on NPR’s All Things Considered. Berkeley, California-based Madsen has penned 13 little excursions into 3/4 time with witty, tuneful, and deceptively simple sounds that seem to warrant hearing over and over again. The arrangements never involve more than seven players total and feature various winds and strings. Some of them reminded me of Alec Wilder’s Octets with piano instead of harpsichord, though the titles of the individual waltzes lack Wilder’s wit: Anna, Wedding Waltz, Far and Away, Five Lakes, The Old Vienna, Hans Is Happy, Eye of the Camel, Model A Waltz, Sentimental Rag, Greater Than the Earth, Iota, Tipsy Arabella, St. Agnes.
– John Sunier
Carla Lother – 100 Lovers; Chesky Records JD250 CD:
Lother is almost a Sara K. sound-alike. She has a Joni Mitchell style but with a softer smaller voice. Her style is rock ‘n’ roll, not really folk or country, but not really standard rock either. The title track is a catchy tune with good backing music and a nice poppy feel to it. On “Far Away” there is a violin playing through most of the song, and I started to have Kate Bush and Tori Amos flashbacks. Unfortunately, I doubt that Lother will ever get hit radio airplay. You might hear her on the local public radio station or as background music in some restaurant. If her music was around 25-30 years ago in the Rickee Lee Jones era, then you’d probably know her name, but these days, this type of music is just not all that popular. It’s a shame too, because the playing is more than competent, and Carla’s voice has an interesting/attractive quality to it. It’s great for easy listening, and worth checking out if that is what you like.
Sound quality is first-rate on this disc, and instruments just sound fantastic. It would make a good demo disc for auditioning speakers and components. No doubt it will become an audiophile favorite due to the recording quality. Songs included are: 100 Lovers; A Little Time; Far Away; Let’s Grow Old; Simply Put; False Fly; Hello It’s Me; You Never Can Begin It Too Soon; As I Rowed Out; Until I Met You; With You; Dream.
-Brian Bloom
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Classical CD Reviews
Part 1 of 2 [Part 2]
Soir, dit-elle – Works by BRYARS, POWER, IVAN MOODY, ANDREW SMITH, OLEH HARKAVYY – Trio Mediaeval – ECM CD 1869/ 476 1241:
This second album by the Trio Mediaeval brings their three gorgeous voices (coloratura, soprano, contralto) to the public in an a capella style that has had adherents from the twelfth century through today. Recorded in April, 2003, in Propstei St. Gerold, Austria, this ear-opening performance owes a debt to Hildegard von Bingen (and those women who followed her in plainsong and chant), and Leonel Power (c.1370-1445). Yet, it is also modern in its harmonic sense, benefitting from the works of modern composers Gavin Bryars (b. 1943), Oleh Harkavyy (b. 1968), Ivan Moody (b. 1964), and Andrew Smith (b. 1970). Alternating old and new, simple and subtly complex, this album achieves a kind of timelessness. It is a kind of meditation music, and listening to it helps me find my center, helps me stay grounded in the present.
Trio Mediaeval features Norwegian Linn Andrea Fuglseth, whose musical pedigree includes having sung with a handful of highly regarded vocal groups, having studied with many noted practitioners of period singing, and having won prizes at prestigious competitions. Norwegian Torunn Østrem Ossum has a similar track record and is distinguished by an extremely wide vocal range, which has made her much sought-after. Swedish soprano Anna Maria Friman is doing a PhD on modern performance of medieval music, teaches singing, and coaches vocal ensembles. She has performed “all over the world” in various groups and as a soloist. Appearing as Anonymous 4 is disbanding, the Trio Mediaeval’s arrival couldn’t be more welcome. If you like plainsong and chant sung by women, if you’re attuned to music of meditation, or if you’ve been a fan of Anonymous 4, this is one new release to watch for. Including so much music by modern composers (though reverential to the past), this album expands the envelope of what female vocal groups can do in the future. Highly recommended!
– Max Dudious
TRADITIONAL Jewish Chants and Prayers. – Cantor Ira Rohde/Schola Hebraeica/The New London Children’s Choir/Neil Levin – Naxos 8.559411:
This album, Jewish Voices In The New World, is properly subtitled “Chants and Prayers from the American Colonial Era.” It is part of a series produced by the Milken Archive titled American Jewish Music, and features Hazzan Ira Rohde, the Schola Hebraeica, and The New London Children’s Choir, conducted by Neil Levin. It is fascinating. While abroad, I make it a point to find the synagogue in cities I visit. I’ve attended services in Amsterdam, Madrid, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Paris, and Munich. The anthropologist in me delights in the subtle performance variety at each place: the Sephardi influence in Spain – the Ashkenazi in Gothenburg – the Progressive (or Reformed) in Munich. The sociologist gets snapshot impressions of the congregants and how the community is doing. The musicologist makes a passing nod at the different ways of singing the ancient chants and prayers at each service. I am not a scholar of such things, though my dad had recordings of Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt that he played annually.
That said, it seems Hazzan Ira Rohde sings in the Eastern European orthodox style, while the chorus, Schola Hebraeica, sings in the style I’ve heard in American Reformed services. I am sure that the panel of “leading musicians, musicologists, cantors, and Judaic scholars” selecting the works included in the Milken Archive also advise about performance. My gut reaction is, “This is too pretty. I don’t think liturgical music sounded like this three hundred years ago.” But, what do I know? I’m only guessing. It really doesn’t matter. If you’d like to know more about historic performance of liturgical Jewish music, this recording is authoritative. It features a highly knowledgeable group of performers, well recorded. It includes an equally knowledgeable booklet that traces the development of the Jewish community in the Western Hemisphere. A must for collectors. Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt would kvell.
– Max Dudious
SAMUEL BARBER: Vanessa – Libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti
Vanessa, Ellen Chickering; Erika, Andrea Matthews; The Old Baroness, Marion Dry; Anatol, Ray Bauwens; The Old Doctor, Richard Conrad; Nicholas, Philip Lima – National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine/Gil Rose – Naxos 8.669140-41 2 CDs:
This recording of Vanessa, which won Samuel Barber the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Music, far exceeds all expectations. The lush sound, sensitive conducting, and exceptional singing accord this set an honored place among the great CDs of 2003.
A live performance in Boston about four years ago had yielded mixed results, and so it was a great pleasure to hear the same ensemble in this superb rendition. The voices of Chickering and Matthews meld beautifully (listen to their remarkable Act 2 duet) . In addition, these two seasoned sopranos deliver terrific characterizations, skillfully presenting Vanessa’s and Erika’s disparate ages and personalities. In Act 1, Chickering’s legato in “Yes, Erika, read to me” is outstanding; later, she reins in her voluminous voice in the pianissimo passages and softly elongates their notes, with exquisite results. Matthews’s intonation in “Must the winter come so soon” is a joy to hear. Her supple voice gleams with light, and even when sorrow is called for, this soprano never succumbs to gloom, portraying Erika’s quiet resignation to her solitude with great sensitivity. Overall, Matthews’s careful modulation and beautifully inflected tones are a superb achievement. Bauwens, as the young lover Anatol, is tender, but in many passages this tenor is drowned out by the orchestra. Conrad’s breathless vocalizations in Act 1 disappear in Act 2, where he gives us some of his best singing, conveying the drunken Doctor’s ruminations with great humor. Marion Dry as the Baroness isn’t given enough to do in this role, but her singing never fails to please.
The Ukrainian orchestra is terrific, the acoustics are good, but the singers are somewhat overpowered by the luminous playing of the instrumentalists. The libretto is included.
–Dalia Geffen
PROKOFIEV: Chout ballet – WDR Cologne Symphony Orch./Michail Jurowski. CPO 999 975-2:
Composed in 1921 while he was living in Paris, the ballet Chout was a product of Prokofiev’s early adulthood. It was also a product of his avant-garde phase. It is filled with abrupt effects that go to Stravinsky in their outrageous antics. Billed as a story about “a buffoon who outwits seven other buffoons,” the piece proved to be an embarrassment to the conservative Soviet authorities a decade later when Prokofiev returned to the Soviet Union. It was too sarcastic, too edgy, too lacking in redeemable ideals. For that reason it was very rarely performed until after Prokofiev’s death. What a pity! The music, constantly shifting in tone and mood, is entertaining with bizarre dance elements that Prokofiev assembled by melding folk tunes with off kilter jazz routines he learned in Paris. Even the borderline sentimental moments, such as the scene in which a rich merchant tries to woo a goat (don’t ask) are suffused with irony.
Unfortunately its greatest strength–the way the music follows the action almost exactly–is its weakness. The listener is at a distinct disadvantage when she cannot see the ballet, more so than with other ballets such as Stravinsky’s Firebird. Opinion was evenly divided. French critics lauded the piece, while English critics reviled it as “Bolshevist propaganda.” The current recording is a a highly entertaining and energetic one. Jurowski is a solid craftsperson who seems to know how to push the envelope up to the point where it would tear, then holds back. Last year I saw Gennady Rozhdestvensky perform Chout, and while his grasp of Prokofiev’s Russian sense of humor seemed keener, Jurowski is no less lively.
–Peter Bates
GINASTERA: Estancia, Concierto para arpa – Orchestra of the City of Granada/Joseph Pons/ Magdalena Barrera, harp – Harmonia Mundi 901808:
Sometimes it’s a good idea to purchase a CD just to see how the composer’s work matured. Nowhere in my recent memory has this been more evident than in the release of this CD of Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera’s Estancia (and other works). It is unfortunate that Estancia (1943) is the featured work, because it is by far the least developed. Estancia means “rural estate” and this piece is a ballet about a city dweller who falls in love with a peasant girl. You will probably listen only once to this unsophisticated, raucous, repetitive, overly motoric, and yes, annoying music. It sounds like Ginastera imitating Aaron Copland’s El Salon Mexico, composed seven years earlier. It is a perfect example of a callow work by a beginning composer. Slightly more developed is the Fausto criollo Obertura para el (Overture to the Creole Faust) from 1943, in which the composer contrasts sophisticated classical style melodies with folk melodies, some of which were lifted from Estancia. In Variaciones concertantes he takes a bolder step and blends modernistic devices – dissonance, spontaneity, extreme contrasts– with folk melodies. It grows more interesting. Finally there is the Concerto for harp and orchestra (1956), a true masterpiece. Just listen to the harp cadenza, not so much for its impish improvisation but for what comes afterwards: a stunning display of percussive and rhythmic propulsion. This last piece, and to some degree the Variaciones concertantes, may justify the purchase of this CD. But if you’re interested in charting a composer’s development, hesitate no longer. You will see the famed composer, adolescent acne and all.
–Peter Bates
MOZART: Flute Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; Concerto for Flute and Harp – Patrick Gallois, flute; Fabrice Pierre, harp; Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Gallois and Katarina Andreasson, directors – Naxos 8.557011:
In one fell swoop, this new release has answered two burning questions: What would a Naxos Recording of the Century sound like, and what kind of a recording would Mozart have died to hear?
Well, maybe not died to hear, but I am sure that Mozart would have loved each of these three performances of Mozart’s concertos with flute so much that, like me, he would have listened to them over and over to see which he loved best. In capturing the uniquely sensuous fun and virtuosity of the composer’s personality to an unparalleled degree, they herald a new era in how his music will be perceived (and without using original instruments or authentic performance practice principles, to boot). The first Concerto, Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in flute’s clothing, has never sounded so persuasive. And only DG’s decades-old, classic recording of the Flute and Harp Concerto, starring Karlheinz Zöller and Nicanor Zabaleta, touches this in quality (if in a far more elegant, far less revolutionary way).
Gallois never became the serious Galway competitor Deutsche Grammophon would have liked him to be, but here he makes a statement for the ages as he chirps, trills, swoops and improvises his way around the nine movements and seventy minutes of music on this extraordinary disc. It reminds me of Pekka Kuuisto’s recent Ondine recording of Mozart violin concerto, but with more and zanier dash and daring. This dazzling unleashing of the Mozartian imagination is not limited to Gallois; check out the way harpist Fabrice Pierre’s arpeggio flourish anticipates by a split second the opening of the Flute and Harp Concerto. Revel in the wonderful cadenzas by Gallois, Pierre “and friends.”
As has become customary for Naxos, the sound (engineered by Andrew Halifax in the Concert Hall at Örebro, Sweden’s seventh largest town and home base for the Swedish Chamber Orchestra) is not only technically but musically excellent. Keith Anderson’s workmanlike liner notes, however, are showing their age and could use freshening.
– Laurence Vittes
IGOR STRAVINSKY – Al’ Italiana, Works for Violin and Piano = Suite Italienne for Violin and Piano (Aldo Orvieto, p.); Divertimento for Violin and Piano (Violeta Popova, p.); Duo concertant for Violin and Piano (Andreas Meyer-Hermann, p.), all with Dora Bratchkova, violin – CPO 999 941-2:
Stravinsky’s aversion for the combination of piano and strings was overcome in 1930 when he met the American violinist Samule Dushkin. In Dushkin he found not the virtuoso bereft of musical values but a violinist of “high musical culture, a fine understanding, and a truly unusual restraint in the exercise of his profession.” The result was the composer’s Violin Concerto (1931) which Dushkin premiered as the soloist. In the 1932-33 and 1933-34 seasons Stravinsky and Dushkin concertized together in Europe. Suite Italienne and the Divertimento were arranged for violin and piano so that the duo could perform some of Stravinsky’s compositions on their tour. Suite Italienne is an arrangement of movements from the composer’s 1920 ballet Pulcinella, but here arranging becomes almost a recomposition of the original. The Divertimento is a violin-piano transcription of the suite from the ballet The Fairy’s Kiss. Duo Concertante, Stravinsky’s only original composition for violin and piano, reflects the composer’s thoughts on lyrical expression (“there is no lyrical language without rules, and these rules must be strict”), as well as his affection for the form and content of the scholarly poets of antiquity. The result is an ingeniously spiky version of Stravinsky’s brand of lyricism.
Bulgarian violinist Brachkova is best in the Duo Concertante where her performance captures the insouciant spirit and wit that was a Stravinsky trademark. The Gigue bounces along as only a twentieth century dance could. However, in the lyrical Divertimento and the Suite Italienne, her shaky intonation obscures the romance in these works. The sound is clear and forward, and well balanced between violin and piano. If you don’t know these works, this is a good place to begin.
— Robert Moon
The Tube Only Violin: Captivating Violin Pieces – Daniel Gaede, violin/Xuesu Liu, piano – Wojciech Rajski conducts Polish Chamber Philharmonic (Kreisler); Students of Prof. Daniel Gaede at the Nuremberg High School for Music (Hellmesberger) – Tacet 117 65:04 (Dist. ClassiQuest):
Daniel Gaede (b. 1966) is the current concertmaster of the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra, a former pupil of Max Rostal and Josef Gingold,
which pretty much guarantees his pedigree. He sports a lovely, swift, and
polished tone, captured for this recording by the Neumann U47 microphone, the concept’s being to promote a transistor-free audio disc with lifelike sound. Audiophiles may in fact find a warmth to the sonic sheen that alternative, digital recording techniques lack.
The program of fifteen pieces ranges from Tchaikovsky’s Melody, Op. 42,
No. 3 to Kreisler’s Concerto in C Major, “in the style of Vivaldi.” The
second largest work, the Scene de Ballet, Op. 100 by Charles-Auguste de
Beriot, could easily pass for a Franco-Polish virtuoso vehicle by
Wieniawski. Gaede and accompanist Liu linger over Schubert’s Ave Maria
with old-world charm. I found Ysaye’s Reve d’enfant sweet; I found
Schchedrin’s little In the Style of Albeniz piquant and a bit acerbic.
Spanish pieces by Moszkowski and Ponce are characteristic, played in the
curt, lithe manner of Heifetz. What I get from the album is a sense of the
19th Century salon, augmented by a few unusual bits of programming, like
Hellmesberger’s Romanze, Op. 43, No. 2. The Elgar, Massenet, Drigo, and
Schumann works that fill out the recital are typical of Mischa Elman’s
saccharinely sentimental recordings.
–Gary Lemco
THE LONDON TRUMPET SOUND, Vol. 2 – Geoffrey Simon, conductor – Cala CACD 0114 (45 mins.):
Balancing classical, jazz, Latin and popular music, this second volume of The London Trumpet Sound, featuring Britain’s finest and busiest trumpeters, is inevitably an audiophile treat of pomp and circumstance, but goes beyond that to provide a profoundly beautiful recording. Recorded at BBC’s Maida Vale Studio 3 and St. Jude-on-the-Hill in August of 2001, the delicately layered, silvery sound can take all the volume you can give it, but at lower volumes has an extraordinary delicacy of sound as if the conflict between digital and analogue had finally been resolved. And whether it would have benefited from the use of multiple channels, it revels in the straightforward purity of stereo.
The program is quite imaginative, ranging from the Latin hi-jinks of Mambo Caliente and Dos Gardenias to Tony Rickard’s arrangement of the “Hoedown” from Aaron Copland’s Rodeo. After more delicious appetizers—I Heard It Through The Grapevine, John Williams’s theme from Superman, Amazing Grace and the opening fanfare from Leos Janacek’s Sinfonietta—Paul Sarcich’s kitschy arrangement of The Carnival of Venice proves the concert’s high spot, as solo trumpeter John Wallace and solo cornettist Roger Webster lead the ensemble through an amazing nine minutes of parlor-quiz quotations from everything from Rimsky-Korsakov to Berlioz. The serious part of the program concludes with a three-movement suite from Handel’s Royal Fireworks.
So, if you like the sound of massed trumpets, flugelhorns, euphoniums and drums in exquisite performances of fanciful arrangements of highly entertaining music, and you want a disc to test your sound system, The London Trumpets and Cala have the very excellent new release for you!
– Laurence Vittes
BACH: The English Suites, BWV 806-811 – Angela Hewitt, piano – Hyperion CDA67451/2 72:11; 72:54 (Distrib. Harmonia Mundi):
Angela Hewitt is a Canadian-born artist who has gleaned a solid reputation
for her traversal of the Bach keyboard works for the Hyperion label. A
prizewinner in the Casadesus and Dino Ciani Competitions, she has
established herself among the mature and seasoned veterans of the concert hall and the recording studio. She supplies her own, intelligent and
informative notes on the English Suites, recorded at Henry Wood Hall,
London over two seasons, 2002-2003.
Having been reared on both the Agi Jambor and Glenn Gould approaches to
Bach on the keyboard, along with occasional pieces by Wilhelm Backhaus and now, Andras Schiff and Murray Perahia, I am rather saturated with the
pieces, and it is hard to get me wound up about yet another survey.
Certainly, these works are well played and well recorded. For my money,
Hewitt doesn’t really involve me emotionally until No. 3 in G Minor, when
she cuts loose. The first two suites are too staid, too overripe, too
academic for my taste. Hewitt sports neither the pointillism of Gould nor
the full, rounded tone of Backhaus and Perahia. She does get some
beautiful sonority throughout the second disc, Suites 4-6, with her
obvious love of the D minor, No. 6. Some will enjoy her handling of the
sarabandes in these traversals; some will find them ruminating a bit out
of the way. I like what Hewitt does the courantes as a whole; with their
rather intricate rhythms and suave insertion of ornaments, we are not so
far from Chopin. Everything about this set suggests the teacher-virtuoso,
a lover of Bach whose communication has some bravura, but not enough of the mystery we call poetry to make her an immortal in my book.
–Gary Lemco
LINDBERG: A Christmas Cantata – Margareta Jalkeus, Soprano / Olle Pearson, Baritone / Nils Lindberg Big Band / Gustaf Sjokvist Chamber Choir / Gustaf Sjokvist, Conductor – Proprius PRCD 2027:
My apologies, this disc arrived too late to make it into either the December or January issues, and although it’s a relatively seasonal release it may be of interest to many out there.
I’ve raved in these pages before about my rabid appreciation for Proprius releases, and this disc differs little from the many other Proprius titles in my collection. It shares all the same phenomenal technical attributes, with amazing ambient presence, a broad and deep soundstage, along with tremendous dynamic range. The recorded voices and instruments occupy a very convincing soundstage and project a rock-solid image of real performers in a very real space. You can just about pinpoint the location of each individual singer and instrument on the stage – it’s just uncanny and makes acquisition of any disc by Proprius just about a no-brainer – you know it’s going to sound great.
The musical program is something else altogether, though. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way, it just might not appeal to every palate. The cantata is basically, a retelling of the Christmas story via spoken or sung interludes, interspersed with mostly big band renditions of popular Christmas carols. Some of the interludes are kind of darkly foreboding, which I really don’t think always works quite well with the subject material. But then again, some of the sung intros are really quite striking, with a hauntingly beautiful quality about them. The carols are given spirited renditions, kind of like Christmas at the Pops – so listen to the entire disc, or just program the carols or the selections you like. The disc ends with three mostly acapella choral renderings of Swedish folk songs, which gives the choir some room to stretch out.
There’s much here to like – and the recording quality is first rate – it’s growing on me more with every listen!.
— Tom Gibbs
HINDEMITH: Clarinet Chamber Music – John Bruce Yeh, Clarinet / Easley Blackwood, Piano / Amelia Piano Trio and friends – Cedille Records CDR 90000 072:
Paul Hindemith’s career began with mostly atonal works, more akin to Serialism than anything else. In the mid 1920’s, he abruptly abandoned his atonal pursuits and began to compose in a more tonal frame of work; these clarinet-based chamber pieces offer some of the first fruits of his newly adopted style of composition. John Bruce Yeh plays superbly throughout – especially noteworthy is the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, in which he plays a less common Oehler clarinet that has a much more woody tone – not to mention the splendid accompaniment from composer Easley Blackwood.
Cedille has given us another excellent recording here – I’d strongly suggest checking out their catalog – nothing I’ve ever heard from them has been anything short of stunning. Very highly recommended, not only to lovers of clarinet music, but to lovers of well-recorded chamber music in general.
— Tom Gibbs
[Continue to Part 2]
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews
Decasia: The State of Decay (2004)
Film by Bill Morrison
Music by Michael Gordon
Studio: Plexifilm
Video: 4:3 B&W
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extras: Audio interview with Morrison and Gordon from WNYC
Length: 67 min.
Rating: ****
Morrison’s experimental feature could well appeal to the same audience as the Steve Reich video also reviewed this issue, but it probably has a wider appeal. In fact the Village Voice called it a movie with both avantgarde and universal appeal – though that may be overstating things a bit. Decasia has already won awards at Sundance and elsewhere and can truthfully say it is definitely like no other film you have ever seen, or actually no other film ever made previously! In fact, Morrison didn’t shoot a single frame of Decasia, although he is still a master filmmaker.
Morrison is an artist who is into things which have decayed. I was reminded of the artist who collects and photographs decaying dice; their material eventually breaks down in amazing ways, going one better than Salvador Dali’s distortions of reality. Well, Morrison’s medium is celluloid nitrate motion picture film, which was used by the film industry everywhere up thru the late 1940s. Celluloid was the world’s first synthetic plastic, and made by treating cotton combined with a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids with a mixture of camphor and alcohol. The result was perfect as a transparent base for various photographic emulsions. The only problems were that it was a close cousin of nitroglycerine and thus highly flammable, and it is chemically unstable and begins breaking down the moment it is manufactured. Just opening a film can after some decades can result in an explosion or at least an instant inflagration. More than half of the feature films shot before 1950 have been relegated to powder, sludge or smoke. Different film stocks decay at different rates; for example footage from WW I has stood up much better than that from WWII, because the Allied need for nitrate meant that less was used in the film stock.
The filmmaker attended a convention of aficionados of antiquarian film, the Orphan Film Symposium. He learned of a collection of decomposing Fox Movietone newsreels right in his neighborhood and began to develop ideas of using some of the material for filmed backgrounds for an avantgarde theater he was working with. This interest grew into visits to many similar treasure troves of such material, including the nitrate film collection of the Library of Congress. He looked not just for decayed film but for decay set against a narrative of some sort – such as a struggle, rescue, thwarted love, or other themes he was trying to portray. There was great danger in handling the original film material. A specialist optically printed each frame separately for Morrison because the sprocket holes had usually shrunk and didn’t match up in projectors anymore. For a few scenes Morrison had to use a video copy since the original film had completely decayed by the time he got to it. Nothing was printed at the original 18 or 24 frames rate – it was slowed down to better appreciate the beauty of the decay – sometimes as much as four times. Some of the specifics of the decay include strobe effects, morphing of images into just globs on the screen, and solarization which reverses the black and white gradations of the images. Flesh seems to melt, a street seems to catch on fire, walls buckle and threaten. One of the most compelling images is of a boxer training with a boxing bag, but while the boxer’s image is normal, what had been the bag is now a monstrous glob that seems to reach out and attempt to absorb him as though in some sci-fi/horror movie.
Morrison edited the film partly to fit the original score that his composer Michael Gordon had created for it. He used the 55-member Basle Sinfonietta and created a piece which attempts to be an aurally decaying alter-ego of the images on the screen. Gordon de-tuned the instruments, and added a quartet of microtonally prepared pianos to assemble a continuous massive block of sound that envelops the listener/viewer in multichannel from every direction. It perfectly fits the violent images of decay on the screen, but if 67 minutes of it is a bit much for your ears, you can just turn it off and watch Decasia silently. It’s not like you’d miss any important dialog since there isn’t any.
– John Sunier
The Magic of Fellini (2002)
Film by Carmen Piccini
Studio: Image Entertainment
Video: 4:3 color & B&W
Audio: Dolby Digital stereo
Length: 55 min.
Rating: ****
Not the only documentary on the important Italian director, but a very good one. The list of interviewees who share their thoughts, laughs and remembrances is one of the big attractions here. They include: Martin Scorsese, Anthony Quinn, Claudia Cardinale, Anita Ekberg, Donald Sutherland, Woody Allen, Lina Wertmuller, Paul Mazursky, Ettore Scola, and others. The stories from some of the actors who worked with the cinema maestro are priceless. When Ekberg asked about the script and was told there wasn’t any she thought Fellini was crazy. Sutherland has many stories about his experiences starring in Casanova for the director. Anthony Quinn starred in La Strada and details both the genius of the director as well as the frustrations of working for him. The interviews are broken up by clips from appropriate sections of Fellini’s films, plus his drawings and photographs and some amateur behind-the-scenes footage. There is also some interview footage of Fellini himself, describing his process of making films as akin to making love. Piccini explores the director’s dreams and how they are visualized in his films. If you haven’t seen all of Fellini’s best films you may be moved to rent those you missed immediately upon seeing this fine documentary, and if you are familiar with most of them you may want to see again your favorites. (Juliet of the Spirits and Amarcord are mine.)
– John Sunier
Lola (restoration 2000)
Directed by Jacques Demy
Starring Anouk Aimee
Studio: Cine-Tamaris/Wellspring
Video: 2.35:1 enhanced for 16:9 widescreen, B&W
Audio: mono, French
Subtitles: English
Extras: Original trailer, Filmographies, Excerpt from The World of Jacques Demy
Length: 90 min.
Rating: ****
This lovely early film of Demy is not a musical, but has some story elements that are continued and developed in this later musicals such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Young Girls of Rochefort. Aimee plays a nightclub dancer in a coastal French town. She was abandoned by her sailor lover seven years earlier and has been bringing up their son anxiously awaiting the return of her Michel, who went to America to seek his fortune. In his absence she spends time with an American sailor named Frankie and her friend from childhood, Roland. Of course they are both madly in love with the beautiful and sultry entertainer. Enough said or I’ll give away the happy ending.
The restoration, done under the supervision of Demy’s widow Agnes Varda, is as beautiful as Aimee. The black and white images have an excellent depth and detail. The sound doesn’t quite get such a restoration, but probably wasn’t very great to begin with. A thoroughly entertaining film which one critic many have only slightly overstated in calling one of the ten best of all time.
– John Sunier
Storyville (1992)
Starring James Spader, Jason Robards, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer
Studio: Columbia Tri Star
Video: 4:3
Audio: Dolby Stereo Surround
Subtitles: English, French
Length: 113 min.
Rating: ***
The jacket blurb calls this dramatic murder mystery from the co-creator of Twin Peaks a modern-day Chinatown. I think not, but it’s still worth watching, and especially pertinent at this time due to its story of a rising political candidate. The environment is New Orleans and Spader is the son of a rich and powerful Louisiana family; a fertile environment for all sorts of greed, lust, blackmail, crooked cops, family secrets and what have you. Even though he makes a few very serious missteps, the viewer feels empathy with Cray’s (Spader) search for the real truth behind his family’s power in the community. Robards excels at being, well, Robards. Involved are a beautiful Thai girl, some kinky surroundings, love in a hot tub, sex and videotapes. The grand finale is an amazing courtroom scene with more shoot-em-up action than one normally expects in such a non-Western environment. A well-mixed 5.1 soundtrack could have added some involvement to certain scenes in this film, because the Dolby Surround lacks evidence of the second half of its name.
– John Sunier
Returner (2004)
Studio: Columbia TriStar
Video: 1.85:1 enhanced for 16×9 widescreen
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 in English, Japanese or French
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Length: 117 min.
Rating: ***
This Japanese time-travel epic begins in 2084 with an alien invasion force close to completely destroying the world. Young guerrilla fighter Milly leaps into a waiting time machine which hasn’t yet been tested, just as the aliens kill off everyone at her outpost in Tibet. She sets out to convince Miyamoto, a young martial-arts expert in Tokyo, that she is from the future and there to save the world. He doesn’t believe or trust her until she finally shows him the spaceship and its imprisoned alien pilot, which are at that moment kidnapped by a notorious mafia figure with whom Miyamoto had a run-in before. The idea here is that the attack on earth by the aliens occurred because the pilot was not returned to them in due order. When the going gets tough, the couple of futuristic gadgets Milly has with her turn the tide at the last possible moment. The unlikely duo battle their way thru a daunting series of hurdles to achieve their goal of returning the alien to the aliens. It goes without saying they eventually do, but towards the end the continual reversals of fortune between the crime lord getting the upper hand, then the good duo, then the crime lord again, verges on the absurd. One side seems to kill the other off for certain each time, but then later they’re back again! However, any sci-fi time-travel buff like myself will not consider this 117 minutes wasted.
The transfer is clear and detailed without any noticeable artifacts. As with many anime DVDs with 5.1 soundtracks, less-than-subtle use of the surrounds and LFE channels are made. But thats appropriate for an action flick such as this, and if you have a low-frequency transducer in your seating you’ll be in on the action – or at least your nether regions will be.
– John Sunier
The Phantom of the Opera (1925 & 1929)
Starring Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin
Studio: Milestone/Image Entertainment
Video: 4:3 tinted and 2-color Technicolor
Audio: Dolby Digital stereo and mono
Extras: Both versions on two DVDs, 2 soundtracks, Audio commentary by film historian Scott MacQueen, Theatrical trailers from both versions, Stills gallery incl. missing scenes, 9 Audio-only dialog sections from the 1930 version for which there is no footage, Video interview with David Skal about Carla Laemmle, Extract from Faust operatic sound feature of l929, Interview with cinematographer Charles Van Enger
Length: 4 hours 28 min.
Rating: ****
This is a classic silent movie buff’s dream set. First, the restoration was greatly improved – especially in the 1929 version disc – over the cheap Alpha Video/oldies.com DVD I already had in my collection. Moreover, there are so many options and extras here that you could spend a week with Erik and Christine and have hardly dipped a tiny toe in that grand canal running under the Paris Opera. It turns out there were five different version of Phantom of the Opera from 1925 thru 1930. Disc 1 here has the original feature which runs 110 minutes with a score by Jon Mirsalis. It is extremely contrasty, like an endlessly-copied print. On Disc 2 you have the 98 minute l929 restored version with higher-quality images, with the original theatrical soundtrack (in scratchy mono of course) plus an option of choosing a newly-composed soundtrack in stereo by Carl Davis with the City Prague Philharmonic. Which sounds terrific, by the way.
The interviews and other material in the extras reveal that the original silent version was quickly considered out of date when sound came to movies, so new material was shot and sequences with dialog recorded for a sound version. When the Phantom spoke a stand-in was shot in silhouette against a wall so there didn’t have to be perfect synchronization with the lip movement. The audio-only dialog portions sound very stilted and forced. The decisions about which portions of the new version to make sync sound and which to use the standard inter-titles were very odd indeed. Sometime scenes such as the opera aria on stage couldn’t be re-shot with sound, so those are silent with titles. The directors of the original were not exactly cutting-edge in their filmic techniques; much of the film is shot as of a stage play – from the front of the proscenium. There are few closeups. Chaney evidently directed himself in some of his key scenes, and the few clever shots (such as when Christine tears off his mask) are due to his taking over some of the direction. I kept thinking of the many similarities of the Phantom story to Jean Cocteau’s much later Beauty and the Beast; not just the monster and the innocent girl captivated by him but also the ornate sets and costumes – though Cocteau’s artistic cinematography was light years beyond that seen in Phantom.
However, one technical innovation of the original was the use of not only tinting of the black and white film but an entire sequence in early two-color Technicolor as well as another in a different color process. That masked ball sequence has been completely and colorfully restored for this DVD. Chaney was the first film star to gain fame for his amazing transformations of his appearance. To achieve the Ghost of the Opera House he used chemicals to dialate the pupils of his eyes, fanged teeth for his horrible grin, cotton and celluloid discs to heighten his cheekbones, and even wires to pull his noise upwards, which frequently caused bleeding. This was one of the first real horror films the public had ever seen, and they didn’t quite know how to react to what was up on the screen. There was as yet no accepted style or cliches of horror films; some audiences didn’t grasp what was going on.
Fascinating material – even if you only have a few classic silents in your collection, this should probably be one of them (City Lights, The General and Metropolis would be my other choices).
– John Sunier
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (Special Collector’s Edition, 2003)
Starring: David Spade, Mary McCormack, Jon Lovitz, Craig Bierko, Rob Reiner
Directed by: Sam Weisman
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Video: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English and French Dolby Surround
Subtitles and Captions: English Closed Captions
Extras: Director commentary, commentary by David Spade and writer Fred Wolf, four featurettes (“The True Hollywood Story”, “Pencil Dickie: Writing the Story”, “Behind Child Stars On Your Television” and “Reel Comedy: Dickie Roberts”), “Child Stars on Your Television” music video, theatrical trailer, four preview trailers (“The Fighting Temptations”, “Timeline”, “Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life” and “School of Rock”), nine deleted scenes, easter egg gag reels, scene selection
Length: 98 minutes
Rating: ***
Dickie Roberts is a 35-year old former child television star looking to revive his acting career. Currently working as a parking valet, Dickie hears about a new movie role that could turn his life around. The role would require Dickie to play the part of an average person, but because Dickie has never experienced living a regular life, he is initially turned down for the role. Undaunted, Dickie hires a family for $20,000.00 to give him the normal upbringing that he never had. Along the way, Dickie learns lessons about fame, family, and true love. I find David Spade’s humor to be generally funny, but usually only in small doses. I enjoyed his work in the film Tommy Boy and on the television show Just Shoot Me. He was a supporting player in both of those vehicles, therefore I had my doubts on whether he could pull off a credible performance in a leading role. After watching Dickie Roberts, I am happy to say that Spade was up to the task. The end result is a sweet and funny film in which Spade demonstrates acting depth beyond the mere wisecracking, superficial character he typically portrays.
The video quality of this DVD is excellent. Images are unblemished with sharp detail. Colors are vivid and bright with fully saturated hues. Black are uniformly deep and dark. Picture defect mastering is perfect with no major flaws or compression artifacts. The audio quality is very good with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track serving as the basis for this review. The soundtrack mix favors the forward soundstage. Dialogue is natural sounding and firmly anchored in the center channel. The surround channels are moderately utilized for the music score and ambient sounds, and also contain a couple of split rear effects. The low frequency channel delivers crisp, tight bass to the film’s soundtrack. Tactile sound effects are present in the form of subtle to moderate impacts resulting from both sound effects and the music.
Reference equipment used for this review: [Video projector- Studio Experience Cinema 17SF; Projection screen- Da-Lite 106” Da-Snap; DVD player- V, Inc. Bravo D1; A/V Receiver- Sherwood Newcastle R-963T; Speakers- BIC Venturis; Tactile Transducers- Clark Synthesis Gold; Video Switcher- Key Digital SW4x1; Cables/Wires- www.bettercables.com ]
— Calvin Harding Jr.
Mad Love – The Films of Evgeni Bauer (1913-16)
Studio: British Film Institute/Image Entertainment
Video: 4:3 B&W and color tinted
Audio: Dolby Digital stereo
Extras: 37-min. documentary on Bauer, Press kit PDF file, Stills photo gallery
Length: 144 mins.
Rating: ***
Bauer is called in the documentary the greatest silent film director you have never heard of. The poet of early Russian film is said to combine the technical advancements of Griffith with the terror of Edgar Allan Poe and the artist’s eye of Vermeer. This DVD preserves three of the macabre silent films the director created over a period of about four years, all of them ahead of their time in smooth camera moves, striking sets and costumes, and artistic lighting effects. But it was their macabre and risque themes which resulted in Bauer’s films being locked up in Soviet archives for years – thought well over the top by the puritanical regime.
The first film, Twilight of a Woman’s Soul, dates from l913 and tells the surprising story of an upper-class woman who kills her rapist but doesn’t tell her husband-to-be. When he later finds out he kicks her out and she must find a new life for herself. Later he tracks her down (she’s now a famous actress under another name) and recants but she says it’s too late and he shoots himself. After Death is a Turgenev story about the psychological hold of the dead over the living. It makes frequent use of ghostly double-exposures, which were also the rage in stereo view stills of the period and so-called ghost photography. The mute ballerina in The Dying Swan had to find a new life for herself after she discovered her would-be lover had other lovers. Years later he rediscovers her (she is now a famous ballerina), apologizes and re-unites with her, and then arranges for a deranged artist friend to paint her portrait in the role of The Dying Swan. Only problem is the artist literally wants her dead to best pose for his painting. The depictions of both the choking of the ballerina in this film and the rape of the woman in the first film are so stylized that one isn’t sure what has just happened and therefore the plot is difficult to understand.
A famous ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet played the leads in both After Death and The Dying Swan and a colleague of hers choreographed the dances in Bauer’s films. The British Film Institute commissioned new musical scores for all three films, adding greatly to the viewing experience. One would never know these films were shot in Russia – the buildings, cars and costumes could be most anywhere of that period in Europe or the U.S. The transfers to DVD as well as the soundtracks are superb. Bauer’s short career didn’t end because of the Revolution, but in a manner that seemed to flow from his dark obsessions: He succumbed to pneumonia after breaking his leg in l917.
– John Sunier
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews
Now Showing: Unforgettable Moments from the Movies (2003)
[Illustrated Book and DVD]
Author: Joe Garner
Hosted and Narrated by: Dustin Hoffman
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Garner Creative Concepts Inc.
DVD: Video: 4:3 with letterbox display of widescreen films
Audio: Dolby Digital stereo
Extras: The book
Length: 2 hrs.
Rating: ****
Now Showing: Unforgettable Moments from the Movies by Joe Garner features scenes and commentary on twenty five movies from 1939’s Wizard of Oz to 2002’s Lord of the Rings. We get a package of a 160 page book with many photographs as well as a companion DVD hosted and narrated by Dustin Hoffman and including two hours of scenes from each of the twenty five featured films. We see memorable scenes and stills from each film as Hoffman gives a summary of the plot and intriguing commentary on the making of each film.
It was very valuable to me to note films I have missed and now feel compelled to see, such as Five Easy Pieces, On the Waterfront and Wall Street to name a few. Although I swore I would never see the very long Lord of the Rings trilogy which movie goers seem to revere or hate, I now have added it to my must see category. I learned it has more than 500 visual effects in the first film. The DVD scenes are riveting featuring the confrontation between Gandalf and the Balrog and a scene with the Gollum illustrating poignantly the tragedy of this strange character.
It was equally fascinating to read about movies I still have no intention of seeing such as Alien, Dirty Harry or Animal House, but to read the analysis of what made these films special was a great treat. To find it absorbing to read about a sports movie, Field of Dreams, was a shock for this not a sports fan.
Yet a third category would be films I now will have to add to my must see again list, like The Godfather, When Harry Met Sally, and Thelma and Louise. So many movies, as they say, so little time.
I loved seeing the memorable scenes from movies that I’ve liked such as the chilling first conversation between Hannibal Lecter and Clareece Starling (Silence of the Lambs), when Indiana Jones grabs the golden idol and outruns the boulder (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Meg Ryan’s hilarious fake “orgasm” scene in the New York deli (When Harry Met Sally), the touching training sequences in Rocky. Michael Douglas’ “greed is good” speech from Wall Street and Marlon Brando’s heartbreaking “I coulda been a contender” conversation with Rod Steiger in On the Waterfront piqued my interest in finally seeing those films.
Garner provides information and insights regarding films underrated at the time of their release, such as Psycho and Wizard of Oz, as well as films that were immediate and enduring hits like The Graduate and Casablanca. He also discusses films that have been influential on other filmmakers as well as films that turned around careers or created stars.
The book was simply captivating, even more so in terms of interesting detail, than the DVD. Think of the book as the main course and the DVD as a platter of tantalizing appetizers. There is a viewer discretion notice at the beginning of some of the scene selections which is helpful for people viewing the DVD with younger children.
I enjoyed learning more about how The Godfather became an icon of American culture and the difficulties Frances Coppola faced making the film, how Steven Spielberg became the new master of suspense in creating Jaws, the parallel story of Sylvester Stallone’s beating the odds with his film Rocky, how Alien elevated the sci-fi genre to high art, the journey in the making of Silence of the Lambs, a film once considered too gruesome to make, yet winning 5 Oscars-best actor, actress, screenplay, picture and director. And this list is just for starters.
At the conclusion of each film in the book, we are presented with another set of unforgettables, usually 4 or 5 descriptions of other films, such as “Humphrey Bogart Moments”, “Marlon Brando Moments”, “Unforgettable Movie Soundtracks, “ “Jack Nicholson Moments”, “Buddy Movies” (8 of those), “Sports Moments”, “Romantic Comedies”, etc.
Other movies not yet mentioned here but also with great material are: Some Like it Hot (“cleared the way for future gender bending comedies”). The Exorcist (“the factual underpinning made it even more terrifying”). E.T. (“the most personal movie of Spielberg’s career”). Jaws (production problems were so bad the crew called it Flaws). Pulp Fiction (I personally abhorred the experience of seeing it but reading about Tarantino’s filmmaking was illuminating). There’s Something About Mary (“reviving classic elements of slapstick to make one of the most tasteless yet touching comedies in a generation”). And finally Cast Away, which featured Tom Hanks on screen alone for two-thirds of the film as well as acting without words most of the time. The transfers to DVD from the various films vary somewhat in quality, due to the different sources, but are generally good. Any movie buff would love owning this book and DVD.
— Donna Dorsett
The Critic – Complete Series (1994-1995)
Studio: Columbia Tri Star Home Entertainment
Video: 4:3 fullscreen
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles and Captions: English Closed Captions
Extras: Cast and crew commentary on select episodes, trailers for Contemporary TV and Original Programming TV, storyboard comparison on select episode, “Creating The Critic” featurette, trailer parodies, Top Ten List, ten webisodes, episode access
Length: 520 minutes
Rating: ****
The Critic was an animated television show that originally ran during 1994-1995 from the producers of The Simpsons. [But with a completely different look and stance from that animation hit…Ed.] The show’s main character, a New York movie critic named Jay Sherman, has his own cable television show. Jay rarely finds anything that he likes about the movies he reviews – it always opens with a frame on the screen parodying a recent movie and Jay saying “It stinks!” Similarly, he finds little to like about his own life. He has a tough boss (something of a parody of Ted Turner), an uncaring ex-wife, a sharp-tongued elderly makeup lady, and even his odd, wealthy adoptive parents fail to treat him with love and respect. Jay’s only saving graces are his young son Marty and his best friend Jeremy Hawke, an Australian film star (a parody of Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee character).
Memorable moments from The Complete Series find Jay: (a) falling in love with a beautiful film actress whose awful film Jay is about to review; (b) being held prisoner by an obsessed fan; and (c) traveling to Hollywood to sell his new screenplay. The entire 23 episodes from the 1994-1995 seasons are spread out over three discs. (Disc One: Pilot, Miserable, Marty’s First Date, Dial “M” For Mother, A Little Deb Will Do Ya, Eye On The Prize, Every Doris Has Her Day, Marathon Mensch, plus special features. Disc Two: L.A. Jay, Dr. Jay, A Day At The Races And A Night At The Opera, Uneasy Rider, A Pig-Boy And His Dog, Sherman Woman And Child, Sherman Of Arabia, A Song For Margo, plus special features. Disc Three: From Chunk To Hunk, Lady Hawke, Frankie And Ellie Get Lost, Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice, All The Duke’s Men, Dukerella, I Can’t Believe It’s A Clip Show, plus special features).
The overall video quality for this DVD set i good. [Images are clean but a bit soft-focus, as seen with many transfers of both animated and live action TV series to DVD. I was surprised that the commentary tracks by the voice talents continued for every one of the 23 episodes. The first couple were interesting, revealing among other things that the producers shot video footage of the voices while recording them to aid the animators later. But after a while the voice-over-industry gossip got a bit repetitive; can’t imagine anyone listening to all 23! – even if they’ve already seen the shows without the commentary…Ed.] Colors are bright and vibrant with well- saturated hues. Black levels are consistently dark throughout. Picture defect mastering is solid with no major flaws or compression artifacts. The overall audio quality is above average with the English Dolby Digital 2.0 track serving as the basis for this review. Dialogue is crisp and intelligible.
Reference equipment: [Video monitor- NetTV DTV-34XRT; Video scaler- Silicon Image iScan Pro; DVD player- Philips Q35AT; A/V Receiver- Sherwood Newcastle R-963T; Speakers- BIC Venturis; Tactile Transducer- Clark Synthesis Gold; Cables and Wires- www.bettercables.com ]
– Calvin Harding, Jr.
The Emperor’s New Clothes (2002)
Starring: Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Studio: Paramount
Video: Widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs
Audio: Dolby Digital, English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English
Length: 106 min.
Rating: *** 1/2
This 2002 film is prefaced by “After his defeat at Waterloo, the great Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the remote island of St. Helena where he died on May 5, 1821.” Although somewhat unbelievable, this fantasy tale, adapted from a novel by Simon Leys, about Napoleon’s return to France after six years of exile is nevertheless conceivable. This odyssey could have occurred with the right mix of luck and scheming that unfolds in this well executed story.
The excellent and accomplished actor, Ian Holm, (The Lord of the Rings, Chariots of Fire) appears in the title role as well as in the role of his double, Eugene Lenormand, a commoner. In the opening scene, a young boy is viewing some scenes from Napoleon’s life on magic lantern slides. A mysterious figure appears, telling the boy that events did not occur as portrayed on the slides and that he will tell him what really happened.
We are transported to the island of St. Helena where Napoleon holds forth on past victories and glories of battle with several French and English officers and servants in attendance. The plan is simple. With the cooperation of a very few operatives in France, Napoleon and his allies on the island have put together a grand plan to return Napoleon to power. A double is found and placed on the island to represent Napoleon who is sent, posing as a deckhand (Eugene) on a ship bound for France.
Understandably, this lowly commoner isn’t a quick study as far as behaving like an emperor goes, but eventually he manages much too well. It would have enhanced the humorous aspects of this romantic comedy if we could learn a bit more about how Eugene was recruited and if we could experience more of the hilarious scenes of Eugene learning how to behave properly so as to keep the ruse on the island going until time to reveal himself.
Nothing goes according to plan, either with Napoleon with his new identity as he attempts to make his way back on European soil as Eugene or with Eugene who becomes very happy with his new glamorous role back on the island. Napoleon occasionally uses as a password “the eagle flies from belfry to belfry”, a phrase sometimes recognized, sometimes not. It is a heartwarming and amusing story, sufficiently clever for adults and fine for older children as well. There’s a chilling and errie scene at an asylum where all the insane inhabitants believe themselves to be Napoleon.
A particularly charming and memorable scene, the best in the film, occurs when Napoleon uses all his commanding talents to save the day with some unsuspecting produce vendors who have become his friends in Paris as they flounder with the marketing of their melons. He is like an inspiring general marshaling his forces once again.
His love interest (Iben Hjejle), the beautiful Pumpkin who takes him in, runs a produce business. Her recently deceased husband was going to be one of Napoleon’s major contacts. In a particularly moving scene, she reveals to him how much she hates Napoleon for taking her husband away from her to do battle so many years and how Napoleon filled France with widows and orphans.
This is a fine romantic comedy, particularly for anyone interested in the time of history represented or in Napoleon’s complex and fascinating rise and fall. The cinematography was beautifully done and the costumes typical of a good costume drama. The images were authentic with some shot to look like paintings of the period. The music by Rachel Portland was suitably stirring and suggestive of the style of French music of the period. Use of surrounds for realistic sound environments was minimal. The colors are lovely and the transfer to DVD without major artifacts.
— Donna Dorsett
I Love You to Death (1990)
Starring: Kevin Klein, Tracey Ullman, William Hurt, River Phoenix, Joan Plowright, Keanu Reeves
Directed by: Lawrence Kasdan
Studio: Tri Star
Video: Choice of Widescreen 1.85:1 or Fullscreen 4:3
Audio: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai
Extras: Bonus trailers
Length: 1 hour 37 minutes
Rating: ***
In the opening scene of this based-on-a-true-story 1990 film, Joey Boca (Kevin Klein) is in confession with his priest obsessing over how many times and with whom in regard to his most recent adulterous escapades. Joey owns a successful pizza restaurant with his wife Rosalie (Tracey Ullman) where they both work cheerfully and hard. They live with their two young children and Rosalie’s mother played by Joan Plowright (Enchanted April) who almost steals the show with her hilarious one liners delivered in a thick Croatian accent. Ullman is best known as an extremely talented comedienne who transforms herself through startling physical changes and a variety of accents. Here in her first American film she is playing straight woman to Kevin Klein who is a very convincing as an Italian male.
The Plowright and Klein characters have an antagonistic relationship which provides a fair amount of lowbrow comedy. This entire film is filled with lowbrow comedy that doesn’t work ultimately as the premise is built around a woman who chooses to attempt to murder her philandering husband rather than divorce him. It may not be a very funny concept to some. It helps to experience this movie as a farce.
Joey appears to have an absurd amount of energy for work and sex. He tells his two kids “we can live safe and have a good life in America, work hard, pay taxes, obey the law, you can have anything you want.” But Joey has an enormous blind spot around fidelity. When one of his paramours asks him why he commits adultery if he’s such a good Catholic, he doesn’t miss a beat. “I’m a man. I gotta lotta hormones in my body.” To him it is perfectly acceptable to cheat on his beloved wife who adores him.
Rosalie sees Joey as a husband who likes to look but would never be unfaithful. After all, “he’s Italian.” (I got weary of the frequent ethnic stereotyping.) One day at the public library she spies him in the stacks arranging one of his trysts. Stunned disbelief turns quickly to plans for the ultimate revenge for his many years of compulsive straying. The best scene of this Don Juan in action is with Kline’s real life wife, Phoebe Cates (in an uncredited role) as he sweet talks her in a nightclub. Some of the most amusing scenes are of Rosalie and Mama Nadja plotting and recounting Joey’s faults. (“He deserves to die. Leaves dirty towels everywhere.”)
The mother and daughter are absurdly stupid criminals (sleeping pills in his pasta sauce?) as they repeatedly try to do Joey in. Their
stupidity is surpassed only by several bunglers whose help they enlist along the way including, Devo (River Phoenix as a New Age busboy) at the pizza place. Two would be assassins, drug addled cousins Harlan and Marlan, (William Hurt and Keanu Reeves) are quite funny. Before shooting the sleeping Joey, Harlan and Marlan recall the Pledge of Allegiance so they can find on which side the heart is located. (They pick the wrong side, one of several errors which save Joey’s life.) The pace is fine until the last third of the film at which time it begins moving too slowly.
I won’t give away the ending except to say it is totally implausible although somewhat satisfying when Joey gets his comeuppance. The credits give the names of three of the real life people on whom the story is based. The murderous wife served four years for criminal solicitation. Consequences are generally quite different in real life. Albeit dark, this is, after all, a comedy. It’s always nice to see love conquer all even if it’s unbelievable.
Other than three comedy trailers with murder mystery themes, there were no extras. For me, the best thing about seeing this movie was being reminded of Manhattan Murder Mystery, one of the trailers, a Woody Allen movie I somehow missed. Nevertheless, an excellent array of acting talent, several memorably funny scenes, but not a terribly worthwhile plot. It was disappointing to see Tracey Ullman so unfunny, not in a role for displaying her amazing comedic talents. The audio and video quality was fine with a good transfer to DVD but almost no use of the surrounds as often found with Dolby Surround.
— Donna Dorsett
Once Upon A Time In Mexico (Special Edition) (2003)
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, Ruben Blades, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Studio: Columbia Tri Star Home Entertainment
Video: 1.78:1 Widescreen enhanced for 16:9
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French plus English closed captions
Extras: Director commentary, music and sound design track, eight deleted scenes, two preview trailers, six featurettes (“Ten Minute Flick School”, “Ten Minute Cooking School”, “Inside Troublemaker Studios”, “The Anti-Hero’s Journey”, “Film is Dead: An Evening with Robert Rodriguez”, “The Good, The Bad, and The Bloody: Inside KNB FX”), filmographies, DVD-ROM
Length: 101 minutes
Rating: ***
Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the third installment in Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi film trilogy. Here we find a CIA operative called Sands luring the suave guitar player/gunfighter, El Mariachi, out of hiding for a final mission. It seems as though a powerful drug lord named Barillo is attempting to assassinate the President of Mexico in a coup. Sands approves of the assassination but he wants El Mariachi to kill the druglord’s general immediately thereafter. El Mariachi has plans of his own though and tries to prevent the assassination altogether. I have mixed feelings about this movie. To its detriment, the plot of this film is a little convoluted and the character development lacking. To its credit though, there are nice stunt sequences, plenty of action, and some amusing dialogue (primarily from Johnny Depp’s character, Sands). Fans of the film will definitely want to own this feature-laden DVD while casual viewers might want to check it out as a rental first.
The video quality of this DVD is excellent. Images are pristine with razor sharp detail. Blacks are luscious and deep. Colors are vibrant and rich with well saturated hues. Picture defect mastering is perfect with no major flaws or digital compression artifacts. The overall audio quality is also excellent with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track serving as the basis for this review. The soundtrack actively incorporates all of the discrete channels into the mix. Dialogue is crisp and securely anchored in the center channel. The surround channels are aggressively utilized for both music and ambient sounds, and also include several split rear effects. Low frequency bass is punchy and tight. Tactile sound effects are present in about half of the DVD’s chapters and appear as subtle to moderate impacts from both the sound effects and the music soundtrack.
Reference equipment used for this review: [Video projector- Studio Experience Cinema 17SF Projection screen- Da-Lite 106” Da-Snap; DVD player- V, Inc. Bravo D1; A/V Receiver- Sherwood Newcastle R-963T; Speakers- BIC Venturi 6.1 channel system; Tactile Transducers- Clark Synthesis Gold; Video Switcher- Key Digital SW4x1; Cables and Wires- www.bettercables.com ]
— Calvin Harding Jr.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Collector’s Edition) (1991)
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Christopher Plummer, Kim Cattrall
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Video: 2.0:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: English DD 5.1, English DD 2.0, French DD 2.0 Surround
Subtitles: English and English Closed Captions
Extras: Audio Commentary by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn, Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda, “The Star Trek Universe” (5 featurettes), “Stories from Star Trek VI” (6 featurettes), “The Perils of Peacemaking” featurette, “Farewell” (2 featurettes), teaser and theatrical trailers, production gallery, storyboards
Length: 113 minutes
Rating: ****
On the original Star Trek crew’s final mission, The Enterprise is sent to escort a Klingon ship carrying the Klingon Chancellor to a peace summit on Earth. Before arriving, the Klingon ship is attacked and the Chancellor murdered. All signs point to the Enterprise being responsible for the atrocity and as such, Captain Kirk is held accountable. The Enterprise crew must unravel this mystery and determine who is behind the attack before any additional murders lead to full-scale war with the Klingons. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is a fitting send off for the original series’ crew. The film has a good storyline that is laced with bits of humor and a climatic battle sequence. Easily one of the best entries in the six original crew movie voyages, this DVD is a highly recommended purchase for both Star Trek and science fiction fans alike.
The video quality of this DVD is excellent. Images are sharp with fine detail. Black levels are consistently dark throughout. Colors are vibrant and bold with well saturated hues. Picture defect mastering is solid with no major flaws or digital artifacts. The overall audio quality is very good with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track serving as the basis for this review. The soundtrack mix has a nice balance that effectively incorporates all of the discrete channels. Dialogue is crisp and natural sounding. The surround channels are very active, used for both music and ambient sounds, and even include several split rear effects. The low frequency effects channel is given multiple opportunities to shine and is always up to the task with its deep, rumbling bass. Present in about half of the DVD’s chapters, tactile effects are in the form of light to heavy impacts and they originate from the sound effects and the music score.
Reference equipment used for this review: [Video projector- Studio Experience Cinema 17SF; Projection screen- Da-Lite 106” Da-Snap; DVD player- V, Inc. Bravo D1; A/V Receiver- Sherwood Newcastle R-963T; Speakers- BIC America Venturis; Tactile Transducers- Clark Synthesis Gold; Video Switcher- Key Digital SW4x1; Cables/Wires- www.bettercables.com ]
— Calvin Harding Jr.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead (1994)
Directed by: Hiroaki Mota, Yukari Hayashi, & Barrie Angus McLean
Animation Director: Ishu Patel
Studio: NHK of Japan, Mistral Film of France and The National Film Board of Canada/Wellspring
Video: 4:3 full
Audio: PCM stereo
Length: 90 minutes
Rating: ****
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, narrated by Leonard Cohen and shot over a four month period, is a two part production filmed in 1994 primarily in Ladokh, India. The cinematography is stunning, featuring snow covered mountains surrounding the village and many colorful scenes of village life and ceremonies. There is dramatic animation at certain points by Ishu Patel, illustrating some of the Tibetan Buddhist concepts of death and rebirth. Mesmerizing mandalla patterns convey the White Light experience of death and advanced meditation states. The music includes atmospheric New Age piano and soprano saxophone with Tibetan instruments heard at other times.
Cohen narrates in a relaxed, conversational, intimate style with no sense of a lecturing tone whatsoever. This 90 minute experience provides an illuminating explanation of the ancient Buddhist texts. It illustrates how the teachings are used in both daily life and at the time of death. The beliefs presented are timeless and beautifully and simply expressed. Even for those who do not accept the Buddhist philosophy, viewing of this film is a worthwhile intellectual and spiritual adventure.
In Part I, A Way of Life, some explanation is given for the origin of The Book of the Dead. According to Buddhist teaching a continual flow of uncertain transitions call bardos exist in life and death. When someone dies, consciousness is said to linger for 49 days. So portions of the bardo text are read aloud to encourage and guide the person’s spirit for 49 days. The Bardo Thotrol was translated into English at the beginning of the 20th century and called The Tibetan Book of the Dead.
The film begins with an elderly man who is close to death in Ladohk. We are able to follow the reading of the Bardo and the related rituals as the unconscious man is encouraged to accept his death, to abandon fear and terror and to look for a good human rebirth.
Included are some brief scenes about the use of these beliefs in the West with regard to finding meaning in the transition between life and death. Two dying men in a San Francisco hospice are featured as they listen to the readings and reflect on their impending deaths. The current Dalai Lama’s history is quickly given and he describes the book’s meaning in a brief interview, speaking of how he hopes to utilize the practices fully at the moment of his death.
Primarily the film remains in one village and surroundings. A small crowd of villagers are interviewed about their beliefs and feelings about death and reincarnation and they eagerly respond. The story of a 96 year old man is featured as he talks of his often difficult life and devotion to the teachings. A visit with his great great grandchild illustrates the birth and death cycle. Interwoven throughout Part I is attention to the elderly man facing death. After his death, the book continues to be read to help the soul on its journey. On the final day of the reading, long after the cremation, the family gathers to pray for a fortunate rebirth.
Another feature of Part I is the story of a young boy believed to be the reincarnation of a revered monk who was shot to death by police while taking part in a demonstration for better working conditions in Ladohk. There are scenes at the monastery where he is in training and interviews with his family.
The Great Liberation, Part II of the film, begins with a passage on delusion and compassion. The narrative of this part focuses on a 13 year old novice monk and his teacher as they apply sutras, records of the Buddha’s words, to daily life. Again, we travel to the village in Ladohk where the boy and his teacher have gone to be of service with the Bardo Thotrol readings. A 42 year old family man has suddenly been taken ill and is near death. He is also, as the elderly man was, unconscious and surrounded by caring relatives. This is the first time the boy has been asked to assist for the 49 day readings and other rituals.
Throughout the film there is much detailed discussion about the bardos and the teachings. Throughout Part II the boy poses various questions, such as “Where does the consciousness go?” The monk instructs the unconscious man to listen carefully as they are there to help. Even after his cremation, the teacher advises the spirit not to be afraid and to recognize both the wrathful and the peaceful deities as projections of his own mind. He says “Wrathful deities are just part of us. They are the sharpness of our own clarity.”
Finally the question is posed by the narrator, “Since we are caught in the bardos of suffering and delusion, what can we do?” The concluding remarks are good advice for anyone attempting to make their journey thoughtfully through life. The final scene shows a wedding party approaching, reflecting hope and excitement about the future. The focus of the film is about compassionate living and conscious dying. The tone is elegant but down to earth. Advice near the conclusion suggests it also isn’t a bad idea to retain one’s sense of humor.
— Donna Dorsett
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Starring: Bernie Mac, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Video: 2.40:1 Widescreen Enhanced
Audio: DD 5.1, French 2.0
Extras: Animated Webisodes, Charlie’s Angels Game Demo, Trailers (Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Bad Boys II, Charlie’s Angels, Mona Lisa Smile, Something’s Gotta Give, S.W.A.T.), Audio Commentary (2), Angel-Vision Trivia Track, Featurettes (4), Angel, Filmographies (10), Cameo-Graphy, Full Throttle Jukebox, Music Video featuring Pink and William Orbit: “Feel Good Time”, Angel Film School 101 segments (click on the picture of the characters in the Special Feature menus)
Length: 107 minutes
Rating: **
Just thinking about this film makes me hear the tune in my head: “Where o where did my little script go…where o where can she be?” Even in an action film we’ve come to expect more as viewers. The DVD case says “Unrated—More Action!” It was as if the director said to the writers, “We want 15 fight scenes, 2 car chases, 6 bad guys, 2 plot twists, and a good character turned bad—make it happen.” I kept trying to sit back and just enjoy the film, but I kept thinking, “Wow, this is stupid.” The film starts off out of a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark in a bar in Northern Mongolia, but what does Diaz’s character riding a mechanical bull (dressed like a Swedish Pippy Longstocking in a porno movie) have to do with anything? And Drew Barrymoore barking? At least Liu perpetuating the stereotypical Chinese dragon queen role didn’t bother me…as much.
The pseudo-plot goes something like this: There is a list of the people in the witness protection program encrypted on two rings. The rings have been stolen and the nefarious person behind the theft is trying to sell the list to the head crime families. The Angels will use every method as they bumble through the film till everything is made clear near the end. Will Natalie get married? Will Dylan leave the Angels? What do you think?? In some ways the film is a continuation of the original in that Crispin Glover’s character and the Angels is further developed. Bill Murray is no longer playing Boz, but I actually thought that Bernie Mac did a decent job (under the circumstances) being as big an idiot as the rest of the characters in the film. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in the same film? That’s weird. There are a few other cameos in the film making me wonder whom they bribed (or blackmailed)! The sound and the picture are very good, but as for the film; don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
-Brian Bloom
[Continue on to Part 3 of DVD Reviews]
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews
| March 2004, Pt. 1 ALL MUSIC VIDEOS [Pt. 2] [Pt. 3]
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Claudio Abbado conducts BEETHOVEN:
Symphonies 4 & 7 (2003)
Studio: EuroArts
Video: 16:9 widescreen enhanced
Audio: DTS 5.1, Dolby 5.1, PCM Stereo
Extras: Multi-angle switching on 7th. 14 p. booklet
Length: 81 min.
Rating: ****
This was one of the most enjoyable video concerts of symphonic repertory I have yet seen. All the elements were of the very highest quality. When you start with the Berlin Philharmonic doing Beethoven how can you lose? Then you have the conductor who stepped in to lead the world’s finest orchestra following the death of Karajan. He had just overcome a serious illness and the orchestra was invited to perform all nine Beethoven symphonies in the strikingly beautiful Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. The audience in the hall entirely surrounds the orchestra. Abbado had been reconsidering the performance styles of the symphonies and decided on a fresh approach which greatly reduced the size of the string section. The low end instruments, for example, were reduced to just three basses and four cellos. He also adopted faster tempi in many of the movements.
The reproduction of the orchestral sound of this exciting live performance is superb in DTS. Although there is a slight increase in transparency in PCM stereo the wonderful envelopment of the hall’s sonics with multichannel more than makes up for that slight loss. Where there was a major loss was in switching to the Dolby 5.1; I don’t believe I have ever heard such a degradation going from DTS to Dolby on a video. The Dolby option sounded dulled and distant, without life, compared to the DTS. Most classical videos so far have had only Dolby 5.1 if they had multichannel options at all, so it is encouraging that some are starting to appear with both options or all three options. (What really frosts me are some archive releases which are only in stereo or even mono and they yet encode Dolby instead of uncompressed PCM!) I can’t imagine very many purist audiophiles preferring an audio-only version of this concert in 96K PCM or DVD-Audio when we have this superb visual record with only slightly-sonically-compromised DTS sound.
And that brings us to what’s up on the screen. Camera work on symphonic concerts such as this has improved greatly over the years. While it’s still a challenge to make a straight symphonic work without a soloist visually interesting for its length, concerts such as this one are a great deal more pleasurable to view than of yore. The live concerts on PBS years ago were often painful: You often were looking at players doing nothing at all while the action was off-camera, or you saw an edifying closeups of a horn player emptying his condensation on the floor. Then there was the audio sync problem – the audio was sent across the U.S. on an entirely different path than the video, so in the operas the singers opened their mouth’s and about two seconds later you heard their voice. In addition to musically appropriate shots of the players and conductor, the Seventh Symphony has a special multi-angle feature on this DVD. You use the Angle button on your remote control to switch at any time between the Conductor Camera and the Concert Camera, which shows the various orchestral sections or the whole orchestra. The only problem was that the alternate view refused to stay on for more than a few seconds, and I tried it on two of my DVD players.
Just watching Abbado is a trip in itself. I don’t believe I’ve seen a conductor smiling so much and so thoroughly enjoying his time on the podium as Abbado appears in these videos; perhaps Bernstein at times. His facial expressions and movements convey more excitement and involvement for the viewer/listener in the music being experienced. It is sort of like a body-language continuous analysis of the music as it goes along, without the need for speech at all. This is especially strong in the Seventh, with its very balletic feeling – the favorite Beethoven symphony of many people. I couldn’t recommend this one more highly.
— John Sunier
Martha Argerich, piano = SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54/LISZT: Funerailles/RAVEL: Jeux D’Eau
Franz-Paul Decker conducts CBC Symphony Orch.
Studio: VAI DVD 4210
Audio: PCM Mono
Video: 4:3, color
Length: 47 minutes
Rating: ****
Taped July 31, 1977 by Radio-Canada, this fairly brief concert by the distinguished Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich (b. 1941) features at least one rarity, the Liszt homage a Chopin, Funerailles, in a sturdy and lyrical performance. The Schumann is a studio performance, no audience, just Ms. Argerich in her vividly orange or red dress and the stark black and whites of the orchestra. The camerawork is focused either on Argerich’s hands or head and shoulders, with occasional zooms into the woodwinds for Schumann’s internal filigree and open-work for oboe, clarinet and piano. Conductor Decker’s hair gets the Stokowski cameo or two. The mono sound is a bit thin, so audiophiles won’t be crazy about this one; but the piano playing is closely monitored, so we can see exactly how Argerich achieves some of her luminous effects, in spite of a facial sang-froid that rarely reveals the internal fires.
The Funerailles is not a work Argerich has recorded for DGG or for EMI, so it is unique to hear the alternately martial, even vigorously punishing octaves set against the nocturne that marks the more sentimental pages of this large piece. The Ravel Jeux d’eau is an Argerich specialty: she glides through its crossed-hands and sweeping, arpeggiated passages with lithe ease. Curiously, I do not know of a single note of Debussy played by Argerich, so it is Ravel that dominates her interest in French music, here in an impressionist guise. We get an almost unbroken view of the pianist’s hands, muscular and supple. The look of utter accomplishment on her face as she concludes the Ravel suggests we have been privy to a moment of aesthetic noblesse oblige.
–Gary Lemco
Yehudi Menuhin, violin and Hephzibah Menuhin, piano
FRANCK: Violin Sonata in A/SCHUBERT: Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D. 898/BARTOK: Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin and Piano; Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano: Allegro molto/ENESCU: Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25: Moderato malincolico/MENDELSSOHN: Variations serieuses, Op. 54
Also: Maurice Gendron, cello; Thea King, clarinet; Jeremy Menuhin, piano (Bartok Contrasts)
Studio: EMI Classics DVB 4904529
Video: Black&White/Color 4:3
Audio: PCM Mono
Length: 106:59
Rating: ****
As fine a visual tribute to the family Menuhin’s concept of music-making as I have seen, this video includes concerts taped 1960 (Franck) to 1972 (Bartok and Enescu), with guest appearances by Maurice Gendron and Thea King. The two earlier recitals, the ORTF Franck Sonata and the Bath Guildhall Schubert Trio from 1964, are both in black and white, with relatively conservative visuals taken as a series of medium shots and an occasional moving of the camera in on the soloists. One noteworthy visual is the occasional focus on the musical score’s opening page just before the playing begins.
Yehudi and sister Hephzibah began their duo work as children, but their formal recording as an ensemble began in 1933. Hephzibah’s virtuosity at the piano was underrated; but collectors who know their Schumann D Minor Sonata for RCA and Hephzibah’s LP of the Schubert Trout Quintet well appreciate her capacity for alternately lyric and bravura style. Hephzibah appears on the bonus track on this video, in a 1968 ORTF recital of the Mendelssohn Op. 54 Variations serieuses, as elegant a demonstration of facile grace in this piece as Horowitz rendered on LP.
Besides the elegant Franck Sonata, in which Yehudi still maintains good focus on his intonation, the big piece is the 1964 Schubert Trio, executed with a seamless, rhythmic graciousness by all three artists, with Maurice Gendron in top form at the cello. The Bartok Contrasts comes from 1972, shot in a moody, Antonioni-like dark color, with Yehudi, Jeremy, and clarinet Thea King in silhouete or shadowy relief, clearly distracting us from the music, but suggesting some moody responses to this ungainly piece, made famous by its original trio of Benny Goodman, Joseph Szigeti, and Bela Bartok. The Bartok Violin Sonata movement is also in color, with Yehudi in casual dress but still thoroughly focused on the music at hand, which he plays with religious devotion. The knotty piano part has Hephzibah’s hands keeping the camera under their spell. Finally, an October 28, 1972 tribute to Menuhin’s teacher and mentor Enescu, a movement from the A Minor Sonata in Romanian folk style, urgent, modal, passionate and disturbing at once – elements the Menuhins cultivated in their priesthood of musical art.
–Gary Lemco
The Art of Jean-Pierre Rampal = COUPERIN: Concerto Royal IV/BACH: Sonata for Flute and Continuo in G Minor, BWV 1020/HAYDN: Concerto for Flute, Harpsichord and String Orchestra in f Major/DEBUSSY: Syrinx/BOCCHERINI: Concerto in D Major for Flute and Orchestra/MOZART: Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 314; Flute Concerto No. 1 in G Major, K. 313
Robert Veyron-Lacroix, harpsichord
Alexander Brott cond. The McGill Chamber Orchestra
Studio: VAI DVD 4227
Video: Format 4:3, Black &White
Audio: PCM Mono Sound; (in French without subtitles)
Length: 117 minutes
Rating: ***
A lengthy tribute indeed to the great 20th Century master of the flute, Jean-Pierre Rampal (1922-2000), whose aerial acrobatics and chastity of style made him the dominant apostle of his art, certainly in France, but for no less for two generations of music lovers. These Radio-Canada telecasts, 1956-1966, present Rampal at the top of his form, musically and physically: his sleek and muscular stature is matched by a resilient and sinewy sound, capable of any number of feats, from double-tongue trills and glissandi to added ornaments that arise spontaneously, as he and shadow Veyron-Lacroix collaborate seamlessly.
The video quality of the telecasts is rather grainy, and at times, a bit blurred. It takes at least two movements of the Haydn Concerto before we get a full shot of conductor Brott’s face in front of his players. Veyron-Lacroix, seated immobility at the harpsichord, seems a wraithlike figure from Resnais’ Marienbad. One amazing shot, from the back of the stage left, puts the orchestra, Veyron-Lacroix, and Rampal in perspective during the Haydn, a supreme moment of total, artistic ensemble. Both the Couperin and the Bach selections are poised, sec, pristine examples of the art of recreated Renaissance and Baroque salon practice, excepting the continuo instrument, say, a cello, for pedal support.
The Classical part of the program–Haydn, Boccherini, Mozart–are concert performances attended by sold-out houses, thoroughly delighted by what they came to hear. The video ends with that unisono clapping of which European audiences are noted, besides the unabashed whoops and whistles ofa crowd quite dazzled by the most natural emulation of avian pyrotechnics any man can produce. The Mozart concertos simply sing and dance, especially the rondo from K. 314, which Rampal owned as much as anyone could. The Debussy Syrinx is supposed to be performed in the dark, but we see Rampal play it. Its mysteries are still intact. The Hercules of the flute, Rampal is always a treat, even if this dosage quite exhausted me at one sitting.
–Gary Lemco
Arthur Grumiaux, violin = MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in E Minor , Op. 64/BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61/BACH: Sarabande and Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor/PAGANINI: Caprice No. 14 in E-flat/BLOCH: Baal Shem: Nigun; Bonus Video: Ivry Gitlis = SAINT-SAENS: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28
Manuel Rosenthal Conducts ORTF (Mendelssohn)
Antal Dorati conducts ORTF (Beethoven)
Andre Chomedon, piano (Bloch)
Georges Pludermacher, piano (for Gitlis, Saint-Saens)
Studio: EMI DVD DVB 49044469
Video: 4:3, Black and White
Audio: PCM Mono
Length: 98:13
Rating: ****
Among the most suave, elegant masters of his instrument, the Belgian artist Arthur Grumiaux (1921-1986) never played a false note, never suffered a moment of musical mishap. We hear him in concert and solo tape 1961 to 1967, with the camera often right on top of his violin, allowing us to witness the effortless bow and left-hand technique of this flawless interpreter. The Mendelssohn and Beethoven concertos (I especially recall his inscriptions of the Beethoven and the Brahms with Eduard van Beinum) were Grumiaux staples, and he plays swiftly in both without sacrificing the clarity of his line or the high arch of his concepts. To see legendary conductor Manuel Rosenthal (1904-2003) of Gaite Parisienne fame in concert is a rare delight. His gestures are economical but not without emotion, and we can plainly see he savors Grumiaux’s pliant wizardry in the Mendelssohn Concerto. From the same Nice concert of 22 January 1961 we hear Grumiaux’s encore, the solo Caprice No. 14 by Paganini, with its alternate staccato and arco bowing and expansive wrist action.
For the Beethoven, a most elegant affair, the conductor is Antal Dorati (1906-1988), rather a literalist interpreter but attentive to those details of accent and tympani that move the drama along. Grumiaux takes the long line with the Beethoven, but his cadenzas are sober and beautifully poised; the G Major theme-and-variations second movement is a classic. Although we have no Mozart on this program, Grumiaux’s Bach is passionate, secure, and thoroughly thought out for balance and textures. He moves through double stops and harmonics so fluently his performance might be accused of overripeness. The Bloch Baal Shem from 1967 is rife with poignant breaths and Semitic, soulful rifts. Ther program is a virtual study in violin refinement.
What a sudden contrast is the Saint-Saens track with Ivry Gitlis (b. 1922), whose Huberman style of gypsy and rasping, acid attacks makes the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso a nervous, spectacular display piece. Gitlis’ use of selected bow pressure and his sizzling glissandi make this a tape of a mature Paganini (1971) at work in a piece he clearly enjoys. Georges Pludermacher, known for his accompanying Nathan Milstein, provides some ‘orchestral’ piano sound for this volatile filler track that may well steal the show.
–Gary Lemco
Henryk Szeryng, violin = BRAHMS: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77; Hungarian Dance No. 17/BARTOK: Romanian Folk Dances/LECLAIR: Sonata in D Major/RAVEL: Tzigane/BACH: Fuga from Solo Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001/SUK: Love Song/LOCATELLI: Caprice in D Major/NOVACEK: Perpetuum mobile/DEBUSSY: La plus que lente/MOZART: Allegro from “Haffner” Serenade (arr. Kreisler)/KREISLER: Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice for Solo Violin, Op. 6
Paul Paray conducts Paris Conservatory Orchestra
Tasso Janopoulo, piano/Michael Isador, piano (Mozart)
Studio: EMI DVD DVB 4904409
Video: 4:3 screen, Black&White/Color
Audio: PCM Mono
Length: 104:07
Rating: ***
A comprehensive survey of Polish-Mexican violinist Henryk Szeryng (1918-1988), with videos he made 1962-1975, each a picture of the poise and aristocratic line this French-trained (by way of Carl Flesch) virtuoso brought to every work he performed. The entire series of concerts derives from tapes made by the ORTF French Radio, with a few of the musical selections’ having been shot in color. The Brahms Concerto under veteran Paul Paray is lean and eminently elegant, with Szeryng’s keeping a propelled basic pulse in the manner of another artist he admired, Nathan Milstein. Szeryng plays with the violin placed high on the neck and arm, arching his back and leaning into the phrases. He plays the Joachim cadenza in the Brahms first movement. The French oboe, hon and tympani players remain unnamed, but we feel their presence, and occasionally, the cameras move their way.
Szeryng joined the Sol Hurok team of artists around 1954, and he teamed with pianist Charles Reiner. But for the violin-piano parts of the video his partner is Tasso Janopoulo, the Finnish artist who played for Jacques Thibaud. In the Leclair and Bartok selections, we get the camera’s focus on the left hand and facile bowing by Szeryng, a technique he honed with Heifetz and Kogan well in mind. We do not have Szeryng’s broad knowledge of the Spanish repertory, but the Bartok, Ravel and Locatelli (the so-called “harmonic labyrinth”) demonstrate a huge, dazzling technical arsenal combined with a flair for the long singing line and fast vibrato. A master Bach player, Szeryng taped the Fuga in 1964, just between his commercial traversals of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Sony and DGG, respectively. Always a “vertical” player, Szeryng keeps the harmonic tension in high relief as he sails through double stops and rapid shifts in registration. The bonus track, a tribute to Fritz Kreisler, comes from London 31 January 1975, where a mature artist, clearly in serene command of form and content, lends a sculpted architecture to the Recitative and Scherzo-Caprice that is quite breathtaking. Conductor Yoel Levi called Szeryng “the most prepared artist in my experience,” and we can discern how the man’s catholic taste and high energy mesmerized every audience who heard him.
–Gary Lemco
Three Tales: Hindenburg/Bikini/Dolly
Music: Steve Reich
Videos: Beryl Korot
The Steve Reich Ensemble/Synergy Vocals/Bradley Lubman
Studio: Nonesuch DVD + CD 79662-2
Video: 4:3 (but looks fine in widescreen too)
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 on DVD, 44.1 PCM on CD
Rating: depends
More difficult to categorize than most of the recent DVD/CD combinations, this one has the same music on both discs, but the visual presentation adds so much to the experience that it seems to belong in this DVD section. First, you will probably have to be already a fan of this most unflinchingly minimalist-of-the-minimalists in order to really get into either the audio or video discs here. Reich enjoys playing with the phase relationships in sound and music, and Korot’s video images often work with similar effects on the screen. There are speech excerpts and interviews mixing into the soundtrack and the speech is often manipulated electronically in various ways, such as greatly slowing down certain vowel sounds.
Reich describes the sense of the three works as exploring different human attitudes toward technology. In the first Third from Reich some of the Hindenburg footage shows the workers building the giant Zeppelin, and the footage of its explosion in l937 (the first major disaster captured on film) is slowed and repeated in a similar way to what is heard on the soundtrack. (I don’t agree with Reich that this disaster marked the end of a failed technology; it’s a fine technology we could be using today as an alternative to giant ocean liners. We simply should have given the Germans helium for it and all those lives could have been saved.) Bikini, as you may have guessed, is not about the bathing suits – though we briefly see them in the video – but about the atom bomb tests on the little atoll in the Pacific between 1946 and 52. Among the manipulated footage here are shots of the natives being moved off their island before the tests, and the actual tests being carried out. Dolly concerns the recent cloning of a sheep and presents portions of statements by many genetics experts on the pros and cons of this manipulation of natural biology. I used to make experimental films and have viewed quite a few in my time. Korot’s video didn’t do it for me, but it could well be just the ticket for someone else. Perhaps my squirminess under exposure to Reich’s music detracted from my digging the visuals. They just seemed to be playing around with what can be done so easily with video today and took such patience and dedication to achieve with chemical film in the past. And if Philip Glass makes you squirm, please don’t listen to these discs.
– – John Sunier
Sergiu Celibidache and BRUCKNER’s Mass in F Minor (1993)
A Film by Jan Schmidt-Garre
Soloists: Margaret Price, Doris Soffel, Peter Straka, Matthias Holle, Hans Sotin; Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus/Sergiu Celibidache
Studio: ArtHaus Musik (distr. by Naxos)
Video: 4:3
Audio: PCM stereo
Subtitles: English
Length: 60 min.
Rating: ***
Romanian conductor Celibidache, who died in l997, had been even bigger than Karajan in Germany immediately after the war. He was famous for refusing to make formal recordings, and so had to be captured on tape and film on the fly during live performances and rehearsals. This video is the latter situation in which although they do get thru all six movements of the Mass there are stops and starts as Celibidache exhorts the chorus and orchestra (in German) toward a more perfect shaping of the music of a composer who was one of his specialties – Bruckner. There are also cutaways to a short interview with the conductor in which he discusses his special affection for the composer and for this particular Mass. Both images and sound are excellent, as in all the ArtHaus series I have seen. The clean PCM stereo provides a fine approximation of the acoustic of the St. Florian Church in Munich where the video was taped if you run it thru ProLogic II decoding. My only beef is that I would have preferred excerpts from the rehearsal first, and then a complete uninterrupted performance of the entire work.
– John Sunier
The Marsalis Family – A Jazz Celebration (2001)
The PBS Special plus Interviews
Musicians: Ellis Marsalis, piano; Branford Marsalis, saxophones; Delfeayo Marsalis, trombone; Jason Marsalis, drums; Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; Roland Guerin, bass; Harry Connick Jr., piano; Lucien Barbarin, trombone
Studio: Round Records
Video: 4:3
Audio: Dolby Digital stereo
Extras: Interviews with all the family members plus additional concert footage
Rating: ****
A thoroughly delightful evening with the most famous musical family in jazz today. The interviews fill in a great deal not covered in the PBS special. The brothers explain that their father Ellis didn’t make a special effort to train them and get a family band together. They were just four normal boys running around tearing up the house, with no special musical interest at the start. It all just sort of happened. The concert pays musical tribute to father Ellis. Programming ranges from the expected New Orleans-type traditional jazz numbers to very modern tunes penned by some of the brothers – such as Wynton’s Cain and Abel, which features a high voltage cutting contest between Wynton and his sax-playing brother Branford. Another highlight is a surprising two-piano improvisation on Ellington’s Caravan with friend-of-the-family Harry Connick Jr. tickling the ivories across from Ellis Marsalis. Image and stereo sound are excellent throughout.
Tracks: The Surry with the Fringe on Top, After, Sultry Serenade, Cain and Abel, Caravan, St. James Infirmary, Limehouse Blues, Swinging at the Haven, Nostalgic Impressions, Struttin’ with Some Barbecue, Twelve’s It, The Party’s Over.
— John Henry
VH1 Storytellers: Sarah McLachlan (2003)
Studio: Image Entertainment
Video: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Audio: DTS 5.1, DD 5.1, Stereo 2.0
Extras: Music Only option (skips intros to songs)
Length: 55 minutes
Rating: ****
As much as I enjoyed this DVD overall, I can’t understand why the first song on this disc starts in the middle—couldn’t they have began the DVD from the beginning of the performance? Anyway, if you aren’t familiar with the VH1 storyteller series, let’s just say that it gives the artist a chance to explain/expound upon song content in a semi-intimate setting of about 250 people. Think of MTV unplugged, except the artist is plugged in. This performance takes place in January of 1998, after McLachlan’s first Lilith Fair—a multi-act performance that Sarah organized with leading female performers of the day. This performance occurred a day after the artist’s 30th birthday, and the good feeling from being reunited with her parents and her surprise party is very evident in her disposition.
From her music, it is clear that she is inspired by many of the things that affect people on a daily basis. In addition, we hear her insight into the world and tales about the songs that came about from her own personal experiences as a struggling artist. Her musical influences as a younger woman include: Cat Stevens, Joan Baez, Simon & Garfunkel, and finally Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. She admits to having periods when these artists had a great deal of impact on her music, but in many ways she broke free from imitation, and developed her own musical style.
I remember picking up a copy of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy after hearing Possession on the radio. This is one of her earlier, more popular tunes and is included on this disc. Even after hearing the song many times, the meaning never really hit me until I heard Sarah explain. Apparently, she had received some disturbing letters from obsessed fans and wasn’t quite able to deal with it. Her answer was “Possession,” an attempt to get into the mind of these fans:
And I will be the one
to hold you down
kiss you so hard
I’ll take your breath away
and after, I’d wipe away the tears
just close your eyes dear
Songs like Adia, Angel, and Sweet Surrender are more examples of her talent and why this singer/songwriter has left her mark. Vincent Jones joins her on keyboards, David Sinclair and Sean Ashby on guitars and background vocals, Brian Minato on bass, Camille Henderson on vocals, and her husband, Ash, on drums. Make sure you don’t forget to stay through the credits to hear the two bonus tracks. Songs are: Good Enough; Building A Mystery; Ice Cream; Sweet Surrender; Hold On; Elsewhere; Possession; Adia; Witness; Angel.
-Brian Bloom
World Tour 1966 – The Home Movies of Mickey Jones (1966)
Studio: 1966 Tour Home Movies
Video: 4:3 for interview, 1:1(?) from 8mm film
Audio: DD 5.1
Extras: Photo Gallery
Length: 91 minutes
Rating: *** 1/2
The big picture of Bob Dylan on the front of this DVD case is a bit misleading. Sure, the disc is comprised of home movies during his 1966 tour (and other footage as well), but most of the material is not necessarily of Dylan at all. Mickey Jones, Dylan’s drummer on the tour, filmed most of the material himself. Along with the footage, is constant commentary by Jones in an interview format where he talks not only about the tour, but his career. The title of this DVD should really be something like “The Life and Times of Mickey Jones.”
Jones got into music at an early age after being inspired by Chuck Berry—he just “got it.” He played in local bands in high school, but his break came when he hooked up with Trini Lopez with whom he played for 8 years. There is early footage showing the band playing in the same venue as the Beatles before their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. He finally called it quits and moved out to the west coast away from his hometown in Texas. He tried his hand at some other work, but ended up back in the music business working with Johnny Rivers. His career was going well and he did some U.S.O.. shows in Vietnam, and then ended up in Los Angeles where he met Bob Dylan for the first time. Bob had an idea to play an electric tour, and was so impressed by Jones’ playing that he asked him on as the drummer. The footage of the tour starts off in Hawaii with mainly landscapes rather than much in the way of performance footage. (You have to keep in mind that Mickey couldn’t very well be recording himself while he was playing!)
Throughout the DVD, while mostly during the footage of concerts, music from a Bob Dylan tribute band (that Jones plays in) plays (at a low level) in the background. The tour was met with very mixed press. Many people thought that Dylan had “sold out” although Jones makes it clear that it was Bob who wanted to do the electric tour. One of the things that really make this DVD successful is Jones’ narration. He is a gifted talker and provides the glue that puts (what I would consider mostly uninteresting footage) all together in a sensible manner that ends up making it worthwhile from an historical viewpoint. Many have claimed that the 1966 electric tour really changed the face of music. Even after watching this entire video, I still wasn’t quite sure why, unless it was the fact that the artist had the freedom to do a show, even an unpopular one, the way he wanted to.
After Dylan, Jones went on to join Kenny Rogers and The First Edition. He played with them for 10 years until temporarily giving up music completely. His career shifted to movies and television where he played roles in Drop Zone, Total Recall, Tin Cup, Sling Blade, and had a long, 8-year stint as a character in the hit TV series Home Improvement. All told, Mickey Jones has 17 platinum and gold record albums to his credit–quite an impressive career all in all. Just be sure to realize that most of this disc is about Jones, and not specifically Bob Dylan. Video quality of the footage is typical semi-grainy 8mm color.
-Brian Bloom
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews
61 SACD 
& DVD-A 
Reviews March 2004 – Pt. 3 – Rock/Jazz/Misc. [Part 1] [Part 2]
click on any cover to go directly to its review
***********MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH*********
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells 2003 – Warner Music DVD-A R9 60204:
Here’s a new twist on the ploy of record companies selling fans the same classic recording over and over again in different guises. Tubular Bells aficionados long enough in the tooth will recall the original LP, which was quite a trip back there in 1973. Then there was the boxed set of it plus all the later spin-offs from it by multi-instrumentalist Oldfield, which was in SQ quad and quite a good demo of the primitive surround sound of that era. (Matter of fact, it sounds very good even today played thru ProLogic II or Circle Surround II.)
Then we had the transfer to CD, which of course was inferior to the vinyl versions. The rock classic sort of took a back burner for a while, then came on the scene again in 2002 in an SACD version on Virgin. It appears the original quad mix was pretty much transferred to the new format, but with the greatly improved separation and lack of distortion (other than intended by Oldfield) of four-channel DSD most of us were hearing what Oldfield had heard in the studio after completing his famous multi-tracked masterpiece.
Now the DVD-Audio camp has brought us a completely new version which is not a spin-off as were Tubular Bells II and III, but a revisiting of the original 1973 composition. Oldfield wanted to do something to observe the 30th anniversary of his original work, to correct what he considers mistakes in the original, and to take advantage of all the new studio technology that has come about in the meantime. He began by obtaining the original 16-track master for the 1973 recording, and using it as a guide to laying down all the tracks of a brand new version. The original used primarily acoustic and straightforward electric guitars, albeit in a bewildering profusion. The re-creation is still based on guitars, but is a more polished, electronic, high tech version all around. Monty Python’s John Cleese is now the narrator introducing all the fantasy soloists in the band, replacing comic Vivian Stanshall, who died in l995, and he seems to do a fairly accurate imitation of Stanshall’s hilarious introductions. Among the high tech stuff used in the recording process were a NEVE Capricorn mixing desk with recall and automation, three Mac computers, the latest ProTools software and cards, and a long list of outboard electronic processors. There were 14 different guitars, five pianos and organs, an accordion, eight different electronic keyboards and four synthesizers, plus a bunch of percussion.
The new multichannel mix is much more immersive and enveloping than was the original quad version. This is partly due to the improved separation and higher resolution of the DVD-A format, but more so to the extreme spatial effects employed by mixer Ben Darlow. There are instruments coming from every angle 360 degrees around the listener; all are very distinct and well-balanced – or at least should be if you have identical speakers all around or nearly so. But beyond that Darlow moves around the listening room some of the lead instruments while they are playing. This disc comes in at the same time as the Tchaikovsky Trio from Tacet, which introduces their “Moving Real Surround Sound,” doing exactly the same thing with classical chamber music. Many will probably feel this to be gimmickry that ruins their beloved pieces, but I see/hear it as interesting fun with the music which is not exactly Beethoven’s Ninth anyway. (Tacet does cover its derriere by offering the Trio in both the moving-instrument version and a stable instruments one -though each assigned to a specific speaker – on the same DVD-A.)
There are plenty of options and extras on this DVD-A not offered by the Virgin SACD. First, it’s nice to have the titles of the 17 different sections of the two-part work displayed on the screen. I didn’t even know there were titles, and some seemed hard fit to match what I was hearing – such as the one titled “Russian.” There are video excerpts from both Tubular Bells II & III, presented live at Edinburgh Castle and in London respectively. These are massive stage productions with big choirs, orchestra etc. that looked like some of Kitaro’s and Vangelis’ spectaculars, but with music that had a bit more substance going for it. I would have like to see more of these videos. There is also a DTS 5.1 track provided for the Tubular Bells recreation for those lacking a DVD-A player. I didn’t hear a huge difference in sonics with this option because the DVD-A is only 48K rather than the maximum res of 96K. Another alternative for the DVD-A-bereft is the two-channel mix here, though it is Dolby Digital rather than uncompressed PCM. That could also be a possible option for those made seasick by the spinning instruments of the multichannel mix. There is still more on this disc: a 42-minute section also in Dolby Digital stereo of demo tracks made by Oldfield going back to l971, before release of the original commercial recording. The tapes are a bit rough, with dropouts on one channel or another, bad splices and distortion in some of the loudest portions, but for fans they can provide a fascinating insight into Oldfield’s creative process. He hadn’t yet thought of a narrator to introduce the various instruments that come in during the second part, and the whole thing is noisier and more edgy than the final result.
So altogether a most worthwhile and highly recommended release that fans will want to have in addition to the SACD version if they have a universal player or two players. I would say this disc is this month’s equivalent of the Dark Side of the Moon SACD of a couple months ago.
– John Sunier
Deep Purple – Live On The BBC – Audio Fidelity AFZ 017 – Stereo Hybrid SACD:
This Steve Hoffman-produced disc delivers all the bang-for-the-buck in sound quality that “Made In Japan” (the “official” live album dating from the same time period) did not, along with some pretty cool bonus material. The album, which is essentially “Machine Head” played live, captures the classic Deep Purple lineup at their peak both musically and creatively. All the performances are inspired, and you get interesting little snippets of conversation from the band between tracks. Bonus tracks include the groups first couple of hits Hush and River Deep Mountain High, both delivered in the best sound they’ve likely ever seen. Highly recommended for fans, and hey, don’t be afraid to crank the volume to get the maximum effect!
Tracks: Highway Star; Strange Kind Of Woman; Maybe I’m A Leo; Never Before; Lazy; Space Truckin’; Smoke On The Water; Lucille; Hush; River Deep Mountain High.
— Tom Gibbs
Beck – Sea Change – Geffen B0001840-19 – DVD-Audio:
With “Sea Change,” Beck Hansen has delivered another eclectic disc – is this guy difficult to categorize, or what? His previous efforts have run the gamut from folk, to grunge, to sample-laden neo-hip hop – what’s next? Well, at least the ride is never boring, to say the least.
This is one of those DVD-A discs that really works better with a monitor present. The inserted disc defaults to the menu page setting while playing the atmospheric, synth-washed tune Round the Bend – absolute ear candy, and unlike anything else Beck has produced yet. The tune is so intoxicating, I found myself hardly rushing to advance to anything else. Unless you have a monitor, that’s all you get without repeatedly pressing the play button, and there still doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason, just keep on pressin’ – eventually you’ll get some music. I guess as long as the majors continue to view DVD-A as both a visual and audio medium, we’ll just have to shut up and deal with it.
Once you get beyond playback options, you’ll discover that sonically, this is one of the most satisfying releases of 2003, and one of the best-sounding DVD-A discs I’ve yet to hear. As always, the songs are a totally unpredictable mesh of Beck’s trademark folk influences, subdued vocals, acoustic stylings, synthesizer washes and obscure samples that have characterized his work of the last decade – this may, however, be the most cohesive album he’s ever generated. The surround mix is superb, with instruments and samples scattered all about the soundfield, but never to distraction.
The disc includes a hi-res stereo mix and Dolby Digital 5.1 for those with only a standard DVD player, and also contains several music videos for the songs, all of which are very entertaining. I have to be honest – I’m firmly in the SACD camp, but the sound quality of this disc is so compelling – it’s made me really reevaluate how I feel about DVD-A in general. It’s that good.
Tracks: The Golden Age; Paper Tiger; Guess I’m Doing Fine; Lonesome Tears; Lost Cause; End of the Day; It’s All in Your Mind; Round the Bend; Already Dead; Sunday Sun; Little One; Side of the Road.
– Tom Gibbs
Steely Dan – Gaucho – MCA multichannel SACD B0000868-36:
There were rumours (whoops – that’s another group’s album) that this Steely Dan classic would never see the light of multichannel hires issue because the original tapes couldn’t be found. Well, they must have been found because here it is. According to the hilarious program notes by Fagen and Becker there were plenty of problems with doing Gaucho in the first place, including running thru 320 reels of two-inch tape which were only the outtakes from the session – at $100 a reel. If you open those notes at the fold you will discover inside a very sensible large white sheet with every word of all the lyrics clearly printed for your enjoyment and edification – something not one of the high-tech video lyric displays with DVD-As has achieved. In addition, each lyric ends with a listing of exactly who played what on that track. Just some of the Big Names involved: Jeff Porcaro, David Sanborn, Tom Scott, Randy Brecker, Mark Knopfler. Becker and Fagan don’t fool around when they hire sidemen for their gigs! The multichannel mix is great fun – backup vocals on the surrounds frequently, interesting percussion all around. This is right up there with their super-classic Aja album. Tracks: Babylon Sisters, Hey Nineteen, Glamour Profession, Gaucho, Time Out of Mind, My Rival, Third World Man.
– John Henry
Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 – Columbia/Mobile Fidelity stereo SACD UDSACD 2013:
Founded in l967, BS&T quickly became one of the shining lights of the jazz/rock fusion movement. Bringing together alums of the Blues Project, The Mothers of Invention, Buffalo Springfield and Gil Evan’s big band and led by jazzman Bobby Colomby with lead vocalist David Clayton-Thomas, BS&T rode high on intriguing arrangements which often made use of jazz and classical standard themes. On this 1970 album, for example, there is a selection from Bartok’s Hungarian Peasant Songs, from Prokofiev’s Lt. Kije Suite, and Thelonious Monk’s tune I Mean You. Tunes from Carole King, James Taylor, Mick Jagger, Laura Nyro and Joe Cocker are on this session. Don’t let the preponderance of cover versions dissuade you from this cool collection; the covers are generally better than the originals! Just compare BS&T’s 40,000 Headmen with the Traffic original – ‘nuf said. There have been audiophile re-pressings of previous BS&T albums but none have approached the clarity and detail of this SACD. I’m hearing things in the music that I never before realized were there, and Clayton-Thomas’ powerful voice comes thru as never before. Highly recommended!
Tracks: Hi-De-Ho, The Battle, Lucretia MacEvil, Lucretia’s Reprise, Fire and Rain, Lonesome Suzie, Symphony/Sympathy for the Devil, He’s a Runner, Somethin’ Comin’ On, 40,000 Headmen.
– John Henry
Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Raise your Spirit Higher – Heads Up multichannel SACD HUSA 9083:
This is the most aurally convincing use of surround sound in popular or world music I have yet heard. There is an interesting note on the actual disc: “There are mix components that require the presence of all five main speakers. A subwoofer is also recommended.” I’ll say. The ten members of the male South African a capella ensemble are arrayed around the listener; the call and response structure of most of their songs is perfect for using the spatial element to add involvement and a dynamic quality to the mix.
The rich, low male voices reminded me of the Persuasions Beatles album on Chesky in their amazing presence in the listening room, but this is a larger group and spaced out all around one. The lovely harmonies sail along on a bedding of African rhythms so complex and compelling that one forgets there are no actual percussion instruments involved. The group’s mix of gospel music with native South African traditional music has made them a hit with audiences of every sort throughout the world. Most of the songs are not translated but there are short summaries of their content, and a couple do have portions in English. An indication that the Black Mambazos are able to take some time now from their difficult struggle is the song urging “Don’t Drink and Drive” – part of a government campaign to get people to use their seat belts.
– John Henry
Ryan Adams – Gold – Lost Highway B0001472-19 – DVD-Audio:
Singer/songwriter Ryan Adams has been getting quite a bit of press as of late, with much of it basically making him out to be, more or less, “the new Bob Dylan.” Those are pretty tall shoes to fill, and I think it’s really pretty early on in his career to be drawing those kind of comparisons – let’s check back in ten years, and see if he’s still garnering the accolades.
I have to admit that I was pretty tenuous in warming up to much of the music here. There are numerous good tracks here – uptempo numbers like New York, New York– and more poignant songs like When the Stars Go Blue, Nobody Girl and Harder Now That It’s Over. But as often as I popped this disc in the player, I just didn’t get much of an urge musically or sonically to hit the replay button on much of the music.
Sonically, the disc is OK, but it’s really nothing to write home about. I really thought the surround mix was pretty badly done (kind of gimmicky-sounding), and Ryan Adams voice seemed somewhat recessed in the mix, but when I switched to the stereo layer there wasn’t much of a difference in the sound.
The video content of the disc is particularly compelling, especially the video made for New York, New York,” which was shot under the Brooklyn Bridge with the World Trade Center buildings towering hauntingly in the background. The video was done on Sept. 7, 2001, only four days before the world was changed forever by the terrorist actions of Sept. 11. If you’re a huge fan, then by all means, go for it – everyone else may want to take a listen before grabbing their wallets.
Tracks: New York, New York; Firecracker; Answering Bell; La Cienega Just Smiled; The Rescue Blues; Somehow, Someday; When The Stars Go Blue; Nobody Girl; Sylvia Plath; Enemy Fire; Gonna Make You Love Me; Wild Flowers; Harder Now That It’s Over; Touch, Feel & Lose; Tina Toledo’s Street Walkin’ Blues; Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.
— Tom Gibbs
Marvin Gaye – The Marvin Gaye Collection – Motown B0001109-19 – DVD-Audio:
This Marvin Gaye collection is particularly welcome because not only do we get hi-res stereo remasterings of many of his well-known songs, but we also get pretty cool hi-res surround versions of each as well. The surround effect is particularly effective on the tracks What’s Going On and Mercy Mercy Me, where voices and sounds coming at you from all directions really embellish the psychedelic feel of the songs, and seem really appropriate.
Of course, then, we have the Achilles heel of hi-res surround – poor mixing choices, which unfortunately on this disc, in all the classic sixties duos featuring Tammy Terrell, places her behind your head in the mix – which just seems really disjointed and totally unnecessary. Of course, once again, we have the same DVD-A problem of not being able to just play either set of high-res tracks easily without the use of a monitor. Not to worry, just switch on your monitor, and switch to the stereo tracks, and everything’s back to normal – it’s just a shame that they had to monkey with some of the surround tracks so much.
Tracks: Ain’t That Peculiar; It Takes Two; Ain’t No Mountain High Enough; Your Precious Love; Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing; I Heard It Through The Grapevine; What’s Going On; Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology); Trouble Man; Let’s Get It On; Distant Lover.
— Tom Gibbs
The Mavericks; Silverline 288213-9 DVD-A:
Many have been waiting for the 6th album from the Grammy winning group The Mavericks. This is the first record in five years and was co-produced by Mavericks front man Raul Malo. The music has a country-western flavor mixed with a pop sound and has pleasant vocals with a lively style. The first song on the disc reminds me a lot of the earlier Rembrandts record. The second track highlights the lead singer’s vocal abilities and sounds a lot like The Moody Blues. “Shine Your Light” is a change from the style of most of the rest of the album and could best be described as a Latin salsa number complete with horns-a-blaring. The variety of style on this disc is impressive—the fourth track sounds like it could be from Julio Iglesias. Track 7 sounds like a Patsy Cline song as sung by Roy Orbison. Aside from one track, I felt the album was an excellent production, and definitely worth a listen.
The mix has some instrumentation in the surround channels, but the primary focus is up front. Music flows nicely and is incredibly easy to listen to. Recording quality is above average. Lyrics are selectable via the on-screen menu, otherwise there is a simple still image. There is a behind-the-scenes video with the band playing in the studio and includes interviews, and there is also a video of the song “Would You Believe?” Songs included are: I Want To Know; In My Dreams; Shine Your Light; I’m Wondering; By The Time; Would You Believe?; Too Lonely; Time Goes By; San Jose; Because Of You; Air That I Breathe.
-Brian Bloom
I Ching – Of the Marsh and the Moon – Chesky multichannel SACD265:
I Ching is a quartet consisting of bamboo flute, Chinese dulcimer, the Chinese Er-hu two-stringed violin, and a synthesist/samplerist. But their bailiwick is more than just traditional Chinese music with an electronic twist. It is a very contemporary and unique sound which beautifully melds East and West. Some of the selections come from Chinese folk music while others are specially-composed by the synth player, Joel Goodman, who also arranged all the rest. The Er-hu has a lovely sound that has been featured in some classical works by Chinese composers. Natural sounds are often integrated into the music. The use of the surrounds in the mix is tasteful and involving, and the acoustics of St. Peter’s Church in NYC give it a naturalness difficult to achieve in a recording studio. Don’t confuse this with Chinese opera music please. The initial track with its sound effects taped in Tibet was sampled on the Dr. Chesky sampler reviewed above. Tracks: Tibet, Young Girl’s Heart, Jasmine Flower, Silk Road, Running Water, The Three Rivers, Gadamaylin, Beauty is Everywhere, In That Distant Place, Prayer, Birds Flying in the Sky.
– John Sunier
Seabiscuit – Soundtrack music by Randy Newman from the motion picture – Decca multichannel SACD BOOO1701-36:
I said the following about the CD version in our October Soundtracks section: The film about the famous race horse was a true American epic, and Newman’s latest film score is a major component of its success. He has brought a number of different stories to life with his music, and this one puts him on a par with probably the most important American classical composer of the past who also did some fine film scores – Aaron Copland. Randy Newman approaches it from a more popular, roots music direction rather than concert hall classical, but his ability to achieve a very American sound and mood is the same as was Copland’s. There’s some nice acoustic guitar here, and a rousing mariachi band for one cue when the jockey hero played by Tobey Maguire is riding in Tijuana. The 20 cues alternate gentle melodies with intense scene-setting for the races, fistfights and other action pieces. The arrangements have a warm retro sounding feeling because the story takes place during the Depression, not today.
There’s no Enhanced section to this disc as there was to the 44.1 CD, but since most Enhanced portions don’t provide that much lately it’s not a great loss. The surround effect makes listening to this music again more like the moviegoing experience. The improved is not huge but subtle in the area of more depth and richness to the score. Tracks: Main Title, Idea, The Crash, Seabiscuit, Call Me Red, Frankie, La Tequilera, Marcela Agua Caliente, Pumpkin, Red’s First Win, Infield Folks, Tanforan, Campfire, The Derby, Wedding, Night Ride Accident, To the Line, The Unkindest Cut, Ready?, A Nice Ride.
– John Sunier
Blues Traveler – Truth Be Told; Silverline 288214-9 DVD-A:
This album is the 7th studio album from Blues Traveler—a New York-based blues-rock band headed by John Popper. The foundation of the band is blues/rock tunes with catchy hooks and garnished with Popper’s superb harmonica playing. Their big hit song “Run-Around” propelled the band’s album Four to the top of the charts 10 years ago in 1994. Since then, the band has been steadily producing albums (one of which I have), but not really recreating the glory of their past success. This disc is a strong release and contains all the elements that have made Blues Traveler a solid band. The early tunes sound timeless (at least in the span of their career), and could have easily been on one of their earlier records. Some people find bands they like and can listen to more of the same material over and over. There isn’t anything revolutionary on this disc, but if you are a fan, or just looking for a good blend of modern blues and rock then you won’t be disappointed. Sometimes, just being able to maintain is admirable, and that is how it is with this record–the pace is good and all the songs are well done.
This DVD offers a choice of lyrics or a colored still over the music. Music in the rear is subtle with most of the sound coming from up front. Recording quality is okay, but not great. There is a slight edge/scratchiness/wispy quality to the sound. Songs included are: Unable To Get Free; Eventually (I’ll Come Around); Sweet And Broken; My Blessed Pain; Let Her Let Go; Thinnest Of Air; Can’t See Why; Stumble And Fall; This Ache; Mount Normal; The One; Partner In Crime.
-Brian Bloom
Albert King With Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session; Stax SXSA-7501-6 Stereo Hybrid SACD:
Albert King, though he was thought by many to be one of the best blues guitarists, never really got out from the shadow of B.B. King. He has been known to influence the likes of Eric Clapton and many others (including Stevie Ray Vaughan who idolized him). Stevie had first met King in 1973, and it was fitting that 10 years later on December 6, the two would play some amazing blues (as evidenced on this disc). This session was part of a television program called In Session whose concept was to pair stylistically related musicians who wouldn’t normally have the chance to play together. Tony Llorens (piano/organ), Gus Thornton (bass), and Michael Llorens (drums) rounded out the group. They play a few classics and “borrowed” tunes, a few King originals, and even the hit song of the day by Stevie, “Pride And Joy.” The performance is inspired, and it was as if the musicians were made to play together even with the huge disparity in age—King was 60 and Vaughan was in his late 20s. In between the tracks there are brief chit chats between the musicians that further prove the authenticity of the camaraderie of the two artists. As a lover of the blues this album is a find.
The recording is crisp and clean, with excellent electric guitar and drum sound. Bass is deep, tight, and cymbals have a sheen so realistic you can almost imagine the drum sticks hitting them. Songs included are: Call It Stormy Monday; Pride And Joy; Ask Me No Questions; Blues At Sunrise; Overall Junction; Match Box Blues; Don’t Lie To Me.
-Brian Bloom
America – Homecoming; Warner Archives/Rhino R9 74367 DVD-A:
America may not be at the top of anyone’s list of “great bands of the 70s,” but a reevaluation of their music on my part has convinced me they should. Not only do they have several hit songs that get consistent airplay on the soft rock stations, at least a couple of those have been included in many films that make them more recognized than other bands of the time period. Musically, the band is somewhat of a cross between Bread and The Eagles—mellow harmonies and songs that are very melody-based. Crosby, Stills, and Nash also come to mind. Ventura Highway was the album’s first single and went to #8 on the charts. In Joe’s words, “Ventura Highway has the most lasting power of all my songs. It’s not just the words—the song and the track have a certain fresh, vibrant, optimistic quality that I can still respond to.” It’s hard not to agree, and although only a couple of the songs on this album made a dent on the charts the quality of the lesser-known songs is high. If you haven’t heard America in a while, it made be time to plan your own homecoming.
The recording quality on this DVD is excellent although it might be a little strange to hear guitar playing in the surround channels. (There is a two-channel option for those who prefer a stereo mix.) In addition to the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, there is also a DTS track. The sound (of DVD-A) is so natural and liquid that it might just make some converts to the format. As an extra, there is an audio interview with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell who talk about making a record, the recording process including find good musicians, song writing, and more. Photo gallery (with lots of older pictures of the band) and lyrics are included. The DVD insert includes some pictures of the band and a history of the band as well as discussing the details of the songs on the Homecoming album. The Songs included are: Ventura Highway; To Each His Own; Don’t Cross The River; Moon Song; Only In Your Heart; Till The Sun Comes Up Again; Cornwall Blank; Head And Heart; California Revisited; Saturn Nights.
-Brian Bloom
Cell: One – Poet Name Life Presents The Sound Proof Walls; MyUtopia Recordings DVD-A:
This disc is a compilation of sorts with music that is a fusion of samples, rapping, R&B harmonies–all in surround. The press release describes it as “a dynamic and futuristic musical collision between worlds of live instrumentation, freeform jazz, club moving, head bobbing, hip-hop, an loungy tweaked out electronics. The first track is a good example of the style of music you can expect on this disc. What sounds like an instrumental hip-hop sort of song, turns into a rap, and then a R&B style vocal chorus comes in. The level of the music is about equivalent with the singing showing the importance of all the elements in the mix—not just as a backdrop for the vocals, but as an essential part of the song. The next track has some harder rapping and accompanying music that sounds as if it were from the Halloween soundtrack. Due to the “crossover” nature of the music on this disc, it is hard to guess which group of listeners it will end up appealing to. My supposition is that it will be embraced by the club scene, and spread over into those who like an alternative to conventional hip-hop and rap music. Silly as it sounds, my mind keeps thinking about the films, The Fast and the Furious and 8 Mile. Listen to track 9, “Bive Eternis,” and see if you agree.
Like the other Cell disc reviewed, the recording quality is very good. There are stills over the music and a brief interview that takes place in front of the mixing board in the studio. Songs included are: She Got Me – Poet Name Life; See You Live – Foreign Natives; Phuture – Deux Process; You & I – Noel; Rain – Poet Name Life; Get Down Tonight – Aloe Blacc of Emanon; So Into You – Poet Name Life; Off The Wall – D-Rugs; Bive Eternis – Poet Name Life; Shaddow Ninja – Poet Name Life.
-Brian Bloom
Robert Cray – Time Will Tell; Silverline 288210-9 DVD-A:
Roberty Cray is an accomplished blues master who has been on the music scene for over 30 years. Cray stretches himself and expands his style on this new album made with longtime collaborator Jim Pugh. Elements of Pop, Rock, Soul, and World Music are crafted into what results in an excellent production. Lyrical content and a popular feel to Cray’s music have created a more universal appeal than other blues artists. It is not watered down or generic in any way, yet still manages to be palatable for this wider audience. There is a good variety of music on this DVD including a mix of more upbeat tunes with slower numbers. “Lotta Lovin’” draws the listener along with the singer’s pleading requests to his lover. There is such obvious maturity in how the songs are crafted that points to the benefits of experience and time. The band is first rate and definitely impacts the overall performance. Certain songs like “Time Makes Two” hit hard and make this album worth getting.
This disc keeps most of the sound up front although, depending on track, sound will occasionally come from all around. Fidelity is very good and still pictures are displayed over the music. A live performance of “Back Door Slam” is an extra. Songs included are: Survivor; Up In The Sky; Back Door slam; I Didn’t Know; Your Pal; Lotta Lovin’; What You Need (Good Man); Spare Some Love?; Distant Shore; Time Makes Two.
-Brian Bloom
From The Front Row…Live! – Teddy Pendergrass; Silverline 288217-9 DVD-A:
Pendergrass’ music is filled with soul and in the style of some of his contemporaries like Luther Vandross, Isaac Hayes, and Curtis Mayfield. This recording took place at Los Angeles’s Wiltern Theater on Valentine’s Day 2002. For the live performance, the length of the songs are extended and give the listener a relaxed, mellow, fantasy-style evening experience. Teddy must have taken some lessons from Barry White—boy, he sure knows how to lay it on thick! There is a positively seductive version of “Love TKO” (that is available as a video option on the disc as well). The fans are sure getting into the performance—you can clearly hear them clapping, cheering, and screaming in the background. “Turn Off The Lights” gives Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” a run for the money! There is an enjoyable four-song medley of some classic R&B/soul tunes that shows that Pendergrass is more than comfortable interpreting others material. This concert is about love—good love, bad love, funky love, and everything in between. Enjoy it with the one you love!
Music and audience sounds come from the surrounds on this DVD. Overall, the sound is pretty good although vocals are hard to hear at times due to Pendergrass slurring some of the words. Songs included are: Close The Door; You’re My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration; Do Me; Love TKO; Joy; When Somebody Loves You Back; If You Don’t Know Me By Now; Wake Up Everybody; Bad Luck; The Love I Lost; Only You; Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose; Turn Off The Lights; Truly Blessed.
-Brian Bloom
Living Colour – Collideoscope; Silverline 288215-9 DVD-A:
This band has always been somewhat of an anomaly—how many hard rock bands are comprised of African Americans? Their blend of soulful and alternative rock puts a spin on the typical hard rock bands you’d hear these days. You might remember the hit song “Cult of Personality” that put them on the map over 10 years ago. Even though I own that record and it definitely has some good tunes, the band’s follow-up album just didn’t grab me. This album is a bit of a departure from the topics and styling of the earlier records. When the band is staying away from the industrial sounds (that remind me vaguely of bands like NIN), I found the songs more enjoyable—songs like Flying and Pocket of Tears. There is a good deal of political rhetoric, which, on songs like Operation: Mind Control, just came off as sounding preachy and over-the-top. Some may like songs like In Your Name—a commentary on the Iraq War. There are a couple of cover songs on the DVD and Back In Black seems like an appropriate song given the tone of the material. It is as if Midnight Oil were bewitched, dress all in black, and came back as Living Colour a.k.a. Black Death!
The disc offers lyrics or a still picture over the music. Most of the sound is up front in the mix, but surrounds are definitely in use. Sound quality varies throughout: some songs are heavily compressed and distorted (intentionally is my guess), while other tunes are somewhat higher in fidelity. The DVD includes a photo gallery and a video scrapbook set to the music of “Song Without Sin.” Songs included are: Song Without Sin; A ? Of When; Operation: Mind Control; Flying; In Your Name; Back In Black; Nightmare City; Lost Halo; Holy Roller; Great Expectation; Choices Mash Up; Pocket Of Tears; Sacred Ground; Tomorrow Never Knows; Nova.
-Brian Bloom
Dr. Chesky’s Magnificent, Fabulous, Absurd & Insane Musical 5.1 Surround Show – Chesky SACD273:
Dr. Chesky’s Magnificent, Fabulous, Absurd & Insane Musical 5.1 Surround Show – Chesky DVD-Audio CHDVD272:
At last we have here a simultaneous release on both hi-res formats that seems to allow for a comparison. Both have been released simultaneously, and the only major difference is that the DVD-A has a screen display that comes up for each of the 38 tracks telling you what it is. This is not a test disc, but just a fun sound effect sort of demo disc for regaling your friends. Chesky has their own excellent DVD-A test disc for testing purposes – The Ultimate DVD Surround 5.1 Setup Disc.
Here’s what’s on tap: Blast Off, Welcome to the Show, Dancing tympani, Circle of Voices, Fire Drums, The Storm, Chimes of Serenity, Ave Verum Corpus, Music for Cello, Helicopter and Cars, Bass Drum March, Tibet, Arabian Nights, Wild Nights, The New York Subway Ride, The Minimalist, Basketball Court, Music for Western Percussion, April Is In My Mistress’ Face, Ping Pong, Africa Morning, The Forest Song, Africa, Kenya, Cars & Horses, Circle of Drums, Organ & Chimes, The Carousel Ride, Caribbean Drum Song, Heartbeat announcement, 50Hz heartbeat; Heartbeat announcement, 40Hz heartbeat; Heartbeat announcement; 30Hz heartbeat; Heartbeat announcement; 20Hz heartbeat; Church Mice; Thank for Coming to Our Show.
The subway ride is also on the test disc and it is quite a ride sonically. There’s a warning on the discs about the low and powerful bass levels on it, and this and some other tracks are good examples of that. The heartbeats 10Hz apart are an interesting test – if you can hear anything with the 20Hz track you’ve got yourself a dilly of a subwoofer setup. Several of the tracks completely encircle the listener with fun effects. Percussion instruments are prominent in several of the tracks – for one thing they have a strong presence that aids in hearing exactly where they are spatially; not to mention the low frequency extension of some of the drums. The Church Mice are not really that – just a bunch of voices speeded up to Chipmunk timbre – like I used to love doing as a kid with my first Pentron tape recorder. OK, some of you want to know which sounded better – the SACD or DVD-A version? Well, my present DVD-A player is not quite as good as my present multichannel SACD player, and the difference was just about that subtle amount – the DVD-A sounding very slightly less transparent and open. So it would probably be accurate to admit I couldn’t tell a difference.
– John Sunier
[Sorry, the promised second part of reviewing the D&G “2+2+2” DVD-As promised for this month has been now scheduled for our April issue…Ed.]
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews
61 SACD & DVD-A Reviews
March 2004 – Part 2 of 3 – Classical
click on any cover to go directly to its review
[Part 1] [Part 3]
LOPE DE VEGA et al: Entremeses Del Siglo De Oro
– Hespèrion XX./Jordi Savall – AliaVox stereo SACD AVSA 9831: In AliaVox’s release of the album Entremeses Del Siglo De Oro: Lope de Vega y su tiempo (1550-1650), which translates to “Intermission [music] of the Golden Century: Lope de Vega and his era,” we find soprano Montserrat Figueras and the group Hespèrion XX, Jordi Savall conducting, bringing us some of the finest examples of period music that I know of. The voice of Montserrat Figueras has the limpid and pure quality of a fine recorder, that is, each note is nearly as possible free from embellishment that became part and parcel of vocal training in the following centuries. The ensemble playing of Hespèrion, a group I’ve known for ten years, has never sounded better. Hats off to Jordi Savall. The music itself is akin to entre-act music written for the Elizabethan theater, most notably Shakespeare’s plays. You’ll note the similarity of the Spanish word entremeses and the English word intermission.
I confess I’m not a trained musicologist, nor is this a period I’ve especially studied autodidactically. I am a dedicated listener whose semi-retired state allows me to continue my never-ending personal music appreciation course. I am probably a lot like you. With that in mind, bear with me a bit. This music is varied in key and tempo, and all the songs are not the same. The singing and playing are exemplary, as is the recording engineering. I find the album most pleasant while working at my computer. I imagine it would make good dinner party fare. The music most reminds me of recordings by the Deller Consort, Shakespeare Songs & Consort Music (Harmonia Mundi HMA 195202); and The Art Of The Bawdy Song, The Baltimore Consort & The Merry Companions (Dorian DOR-90155). If you know and like these, you’ll likely enjoy this collection of goodies from Spanish musicians of the same period. Did I say, “Highly Recommended?” Well, in glorious SACD, it is.
– Max Dudious
BRAHMS: Requiem – La Chapelle Royale/Collegium Vocale/ Orchestre des Champs Elysees/Philippe Herreweghe – Harmonia mundi: SACD stereo HMC 801608:
This Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem op.45 recording was originally released in 1996, and here it is again, in SACD. The improved sound, with the outstanding performance of this recording justify its rerelease. The forces are: Orchestre des Champs Elysées; La Chapelle Royale – Collegium Vocale; Christiane Oelze, sop; Gerald Finley, bar; all conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. It is recordings like this that have quite rightly brought Maestro Herreweghe to the foremost rank of this generation’s conductors. There is no radical rereading of Brahms here. Herreweghe is conservative, in the best sense of that abused word, conserving the essence of Brahms.
It is usually said the loss of his teacher, Robert Schumann, in 1856 prompted Brahms to begin work on the non-denominational Requiem; and the loss of his mother, in 1866, prompted him to finish it. Clara Schumann wrote of it in her diary: “Johannes has been playing me some magnificent movements out of a Requiem of his own … It is full of tender and again daring thoughts.” And it is these tender moments, like the soprano solo in the fifth movement, meant to comfort adults as his Lullaby was to comfort children, that make the work Brahmsian. While the nobly spiritual and uplifting seventh movement, his meditation on human life and death, dares to transcend sectarian conventions. And transcendental music, in the larger sense, it is.
The work as we know it was “finished” in 1869, and his first symphony is usually dated at 1876, when Brahms had achieved the age of 43. So his Requiem, his first great public success was not exactly juvenilia – though preceding his symphonic writing. He was 36 when he finished it, and it was performed twenty times in Germany during 1869. When we listen to such a recording, we sense how Brahms came to be beloved of an entire nation.
– Max Dudious
WOLFGANG HUFSCHMIDT: Meissner Te Deum. – Wiederaufführung –
Antje Bitterlich (Sopran), Martin Lucass (Bariton), Chor und Orchester sowie Vokalund Instrumentalsolisten der Folkwang-Hochschule Essen, Hartmut Haenchen (Leitung). Uraufführung – Barbara Hoene (Sopran), Hartmut Haenche (Bariton), Meissner Kantorei/Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Erich Schmidt – Cybele Multichannel SACD 860.201:
I’m of two minds about the type of composition Hufschmidt’s two Meissner Tedeums (1968, 1997) are: I love Edgar Varèse’s Poèm Électronique for the Brussels World’s Fair (1958); György Ligeti’s piece Atmospheres (1961) used in the Kubrik film, 2001; Luciano Berio’s Visage (1961); and Karlheinz Stockhausen’s breakthrough piece Kontakte (originally 1953, recorded in stereo in 1960). Yet I feel this type of music injudiciously used can appear a musical cartoon, or parody of itself, a view captured in the album of The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival (1958). Hufschmidt’s piece generates both responses in me at the same time. Written and first performed in the late ‘60s, Hufschmidt’s Tedeum Uraufführung (1968), may best demonstrate how this type of music fell to the wayside in favor of Minimalism during the ‘60s (Terry Riley, In C), through the ‘80s (Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, Philip Glass’s dance pieces and film scores, and John Adams’ opera Nixon in China). On the musical philo-genetic tree, Hufschmidt’s acorns proved sterile.
Hufschmidt’s 1968 score is written for “Sopran [Soprano], Chor [Choir] und Orchester mid Orgel [Organ], Bariton [Baritone], Vokalensemble [Vocal Ensemble], Bläserquintett [Wind Quintet], Klavier [Piano], Schlagweug [Percussion] und Tonband [Tape Recorder].” Not inconsiderable forces! And, I must admit, the performance has its moments. There are times when the score reaches upward for the transcendent, achieves it momentarily, but then is brought crushingly back to Earth by what I’d call a musical malapropism, some ill-chosen effect not unlike the “bassoon joke” in Haydn’s Symphony 93, the one I’d dub “The Flatulent.” But neither of the scores have Haydn’s redeeming wit or charm, nor Berio’s sly humor, nor Stockhausen’s brilliance.
Hufschmidt’s Tedeum Weideraufführung (1997) is another interesting experiment that ultimately fails. It cobbles together many surround-sound effects used by his contemporaries thirty and forty years ago – including a scary/comical rear-channel narration track – to ill effect. For electronic music diehards only. It should be noted that the two performances here are not recorded in the same technology owing to their respective ages. The 1997 recording is in 5.1 Surround SACD, but the 1968 recording is just 44.1K standard stereo. Again, this is for the electronic music fan, in the sense of “fanatic.” But if you are one such, it may prove fascinating listening for you, as it has for me.
– Max Dudious
VON KESSELS: Requiem – Von Kessels multichannel SACD VK3583:
Speaking of electronic music, this 17-movement work sounds to be in that genre, but is ostensibly created with large Chinese gongs, though no doubt processed with some sort of electronics. The low frequency information here is extremely strong and there is a warning about damaging speakers at too high a playback level. This is not the scratchy sort of sound from John Cage or Stockhausen rubbing a contact mic around a large gong, but rather smooth and slowly flowing sounds that are sort of like a low-frequency music of the spheres. It bears some resemblance to trancelike works such as Alvin Lucier’s Music on a Long Wire. Some of the movements have titles such as Bardo, relating to The Tibetan Book of the Dead; another is just called Prayer. The spatial element is extremely vital to this very minimalist and meditative sound sculpture; it would be a bore in two channels. Searching for more information on the somewhat puzzling disc, I went to the vonkessels.com web site promoted on the album. All it says is Under Construction.
– John Sunier
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain; Three Instrumental Excerpts from Khovanshchina; BORODIN: In the Steppes of Central Asia – St. Louis Symphony/ Leonard Slatkin – Vox/Mobile Fidelity multichannel SACD UDSACD 4004:
Another classic mid-70s quadraphonic recording made for Vox or Turnabout Records by the team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz, and issued at that time on LP in the rather iffy quad format known as QS. As with the four-channel master recordings made by Philips at about the same time and now issued by PentaTone, we are for the first time able to properly hear what was captured on those tapes, courtesy of multichannel SACD. The wide sonic spectrum of this music is beautifully reproduced via Mo-Fi’s efforts to extract the maximum amount of musical information out of the original quad tapes. It is like we were only peering thru a door into the exhibition gallery before, whereas now we are standing in the middle of the exhibition with every one of the eleven paintings portrayed musically available to our perusal. The xrcd version of another classic performance of this work holds only this 32-minute piece, but MFSL has included three other selections here to round out the program. Night on Bald Mountain has been an audiophile favorite ever since Stokowski’s colorful recording of it. From Mossorgsky’s opera Khovanshchina we hear the Introduction, Entracte and Dance of the Persian Slaves. Lastly, Borodin’s well-known atmospheric In the Steppes of Central Asia closes out the SACD. Some of this series has been issued before on two-channel 96K DVD as well as on audiophile LP. Both of those employed only the two front channels without even mixing in the two surrounds. With this disc we are able to experience all four channels just as originally envisioned by Aubort and Nickrenz.
– John Sunier
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 7 in C Major “Leningrad” – Kirov Orchestra of the Marinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg & Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra/Valery Gergiev – Philips multichannel SACD 470 623-2:
I’ve been searching for details on the listing of two orchestras for this work ever since receiving the CD-only version some months ago. I can only surmise that since the recording was made at hall in Amsterdam, Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra were there on tour at the time and the two orchestras were somehow combined for this massive work. In some ways Gergiev produces a less noisy and bombastic war symphony than others with smaller forces have done in the past. For example, Bernstein ploughs right in with the first movement emphasizing the percussion – especially a repeated snare drum figuration. In Gergiev’s version the snare drum is so far back and muted that it is almost unheard until later in the symphony. The first three movements of the work were composed in St. Petersburg during the German bombardment and siege, so this is a war symphony actually composed in the middle of terrible warfare. The multichannel mix brings out details in the often dense score and together with Gergiev’s more lyrical interpretation makes the work take on a higher stature among the Shostakovich symphonies.
– John Sunier
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5 in D Minor; Symphony No. 6 in B minor – Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra of Milan/Oleg Caetani – Arts DVD-A 45001-6 DVD:
Caetani is the son of Igor Markevitch and the Giuseppe Verdi Symphony has become one of Italy’s most important orchestras, with Riccardo Chailly as their current music director. Both of these works were recently recorded live in the Milan Auditorium. Caetani has a fluid yet dramatic style with both works – not nearly as hell-bent as Bernstein in the Fifth, but with the exceptionally enveloping and impactful multichannel sonics the effect is in some ways even stronger. The conductor studied all 15 Shostakovich symphonies in Moscow with Kiril Kondrashin. He points out the similarities to Mahler in most of the Russian master’s symphonies, but especially these two. He researched at length the effect of different bowing on the strings and feels his approach better communicates the endless lyrical themes typical of the composer. Arts lists all the equipment used for the recordings and has the highest technical standards in their releases – using the maximum 96K sampling for the multichannel option. The DVD-V options include both Dolby 5.1 as well as two-channel uncompressed PCM. The only on-screen images for the DVD-A are similar illustrations to the album cover displayed for the entire work, but it plays with just two taps of the play button without requiring any video display.
Seventeenth Century Music and Dances from the Viennese Court by HEINRICH BIBER: Sonata Pro tabula in C, Balletti a 4 in G, Sonata a 5 in C, Partita ex Vienna, Ballettae a 4 in D & JOHANN SCHMELZER: Sonata ad tabulam in G, Balletto 1 di zingari in D Minor, Sonata per chiesa e per camera in G, Balletti Francesi in A Minor, Sonata a doi chori in G, Aria con la mattacina – Ars Antiqua Austria/Gunar Letzbor – Chesky multichannel SACD 262:
This early music ensemble specializes in the Austrian Baroque period and his performed with any other European early music groups as well as made eight CD so far. Music was very important in every aspect of life in the royal courts of 17th century Europe, and the Hapsburg dynasty in Austria had some of the best musicians in all of Europe. Two of the top composers of this period were Biber and Schmelzer; both advanced the potential of music for both solo violin and strings beyond the Italian model of their predecessors.
These melodies and dances were the party music of the period. they accompanies all sorts of court activities. In addition to special original compositions the ensembles play arrangements of folk tunes of the region and even some showing showing gypsy music influences. There’s a festive mood to the music played here; it’s far from the staid and often boring performances of early instrumental music with which many of us are familiar. There’s even a final shot of “Hey!” at the very end of the last selection. This is a 13-piece ensemble and are well-spaced out in a sort of horseshoe in front by Chesky’s surround mix. A most enjoyable disc.
– John Sunier
MESSIAEN: Turangalila-Symphonie – Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano/Takashi Harada, Ondes Martenot/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly – Decca multichannel SACD 470 627-2:
Released originally as a standard CD in l993, this performance was recorded multichannel, and when the producer went back to the original materials they were pleased to find that the huge forces had been set up as if planned originally for surround sound. Pianist Thibaudet was dead center, the combination of celeste, vibes and marimba were behind to the left and the speakers of the Ondes Martenot electronic instrument (a sort of Theremin with a keyboard) arraying to the right behind. The huge percussion section was on the left two rows behind the rest of the orchestra, the brass was center back and to the right, with the rest of the orchestra placed normally.
Turangalila is one of the most spectacular orchestral works of the last century and it is clear that it is perfect for surround sound. The improved resolution and spatial qualities are as vital to the proper communication of Messiaen’s music as they are to that of Mahler’s. The work has ten movements and is constructed from four main themes: the statue theme, flower theme, love theme and chord theme. This is not the first hi-res multichannel Turangalila. I compared the new arrival to the EMI Classics DVD-A which was reissued from the l977 four-channel analog masters recorded by Andre Previn and the London Symphony. No contest. The Chailly SACD version has one more channel in its favor, using a 4.1 configuration, and the LFE channel is very important in this work. Moreover it has a closer recording perspective, making it more impactful and richer sounding. There is a greater dynamic and frequency range, and the solo instruments such as piano and Martenot are more in the sonic spotlight. The electronic swooshes and other interjections of the latter are certainly attention-getters that one doesn’t hear in other symphonic works. The ecstatic outbursts throughout the work remain exciting and energizing, partly due to the great clarity of the musical details even in the loudest climaxes of the full orchestra. This is a symphonic demo disc if there ever was one!
– John Sunier
Percussion XXth Century – HENZE: Prison Song, TAIRA: Monodrame I, BRINDLE: Orion M42, ELLIOTT CARTER: Three Pieces for Timpani, CAGE: Cartridge Music, STOCKHAUSEN: Zyklus, SCIARRINO: Appendice alla perfezione, TANGUY: Towards – Jonathan Faralli, percussionist – Arts Music 96K 2-channel DVD-V (DAD) 47558-6 DVD:
I had thought the 96K two-channel DVD was a format of the past, but Arts has released several and now Classic Records has announced a series of 192K two-channel reissues playable on standard DVD players (though in their case with a DVD-A option on the other side of the disc). Percussion has had a much larger role in classical music in the last century than it previously had. There is now a large repertory of works for solo percussion alone that sees it as a great deal more than just rhythmic support in the orchestra. This rather avant program of works was chosen to illustrate some of the variety of approaches to solo percussion which have come into effect in the past century. In the Henze work the performer attempts to create the sounds a prisoner might hear in his cell from both the street and from banging on objects available to him. Orion M42 is the best-known star cloud in the galaxy and the piece inspired by it creates sound clouds meant to evoke cosmic sounds. The three selections from Carter’s Eight Pieces for Timpani are fairly straightforward and clear considering that composer; they comprise a Spanish-flavored Saeta, a Canto and finally a March. The Stockhausen piece uses a large number of percussion instruments, with much left up to the performer. The closing Tanguy piece begins with rhythmic polyphony and ends with an expressive, almost lyrical quality. Sonics are impeccable on this disc – the clarity and presence of the instruments is astounding. The impact on some of the selections, such as Cage’s Cartridge Music, is so dynamic as to be almost scary – watch out you don’t blow out your speakers!
– John Sunier
Please Welcome…Matt Haimovitz, cello (with Itamar Golan, piano; Eileen Clark, soprano) – Oxingale Records multichannel SACD ATM1229:
Haimovitz has become one of the most-discussed classical cellists today with his unusual approaches to reaching audiences. He has performed with some of the major symphonies, but he also performs regularly in jazz clubs, pubs and taverns – places the normal concert cellist wouldn’t be caught dead in, at least with his instrument. He launched Oxingale as his own label and has recorded everything from the complete Bach solo cello suites to his amazing transcription of Jimi Hendrix’ Star Spangled Banner which is heard on this sampler lifted from his previous 44.1 discs but remixed for 5.1 hi-res SACD. Diverse is definitely the word for Matt. The disc gives us his unique interpretation of the complete Second Bach Suite, an excerpt from a work by Tod Machover using the Hypercello – which connects to a bank of computers, a set of Paganini variations playing on one string, a blues from avant vocal composer Toby Twining, and a melody by Hildegard von Bingen for soprano and cello, plus the Hendrix opus which you simply must hear to believe. And who says surround sound for music is beside the point for a single solo instrument? Just compare the sound of the stereo and multichannel options with the cello solo tracks on this disc and you’ll eat your words.
– John Sunier
A Battle of the Hi-Res Trouts up next…
SCHUBERT: Piano Quintet in A “The Trout;” MOZART: Clarinet Quintet in A – Beaux Arts Trio w/ Menahem Pressler, piano & Georg Hortnagel, doublebass (Trout); Grumiaux Quartet w/ George Pieterson, clarinet (Clarinet Q.) – Pentatone RQR Series multichannel SACD PTC 5186 121:
SCHUBERT: Piano Quintet in A “The Trout;” Four Impromptus Op. 90 D899 – Alvarez Piano Quartet – Tacet multichannel DVD-A DVD 106:
The Pentatone SACD dates from 1974-75 and is another of the four-channel masters taped by Philips back then which was never released due to their realizing the insufficiencies of all the quadraphonic LP formats. Four channels are just fine for this chamber music, even the clarinet soloist is smack in the middle of the frontal stage in the phantom center channel. One would never know the recordings are dated in any way. There have been several hi-res versions of the Mozart Quintet lately; this one is certainly the equal of any of them.
The All-Schubert DVD-A on Tacet presents the famous quintet which does variations on Schubert’s own song The Trout in its fourth movement in a rather different manner. This label places the individual musicians around the listener, almost one to a speaker. Diagrams in the notes show the locations but they should be noticed immediately on playback if your equipment is properly set up. In this case the piano is at the front rear, the violin is at the left front speaker, the viola at the right front, the bass at the left surround and the cello at the right surround. It takes some getting used to the experimental spatial layout but I feel it involves the listener more in the music. It appears we are one player short of the quorum required to play this quintet, but I saw no credit for the additional musician. Never mind, the playing on both discs is top-flight. The Pentatone ensemble is richer and more flowing in their phrasing while the group on Tact is more sec and detached – which seems to add to the sense of each instrument being more detached spatially in the room. So the choice is between really cozy players up there on the frontal soundstage vs. rather aloof players all over your listening room – it’s up to you – they’re both good.
– John Sunier
Baroque Music for Brass and Organ – Works of BACH, HANDEL, PURCELL, TELEMANN, CAMPRA, PACHELBEL, ALBINONI, CLARKE & CHARPENTIER – Empire Brass Quintet with William Kuhlman, organ – Telarc multichannel SACD-60614:
The height of the Baroque era was known for big musical displays of pomp and circumstance, and one of the most frequently-heard combinations of instruments used for this purpose was that of brass instruments and pip organ. While favorites such as Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary are included here, most of the music in this 20-track collection is transcribed from Baroque works for strings and other instruments and transferred to the brass quintet plus organ. The concerto by Telemann and the Chamber Sonata by Handel have three and four movements respectively. The Pachelbel selection is not the Canon (thank you) but the less-familiar Fantasia in D minor. Also, the Albinoni work is not the Adagio but a lovely Fantasie Allegro. The multichannel recording was made during a live concert at a college in Iowa and the clarity and impact of both the brass instruments and the pipe organ are considerably advanced in the 5.1 option vs. the stereo mixdown. In fact there is a hint of vertical displacement with the pipe organ as heard on Telarc’s famous standard CD recording of the Jongen organ symphony.
– John Sunier
MANUEL DE FALLA: The Three-Cornered Hat; Nights in the Gardens of Spain – Josep Colom, piano (Nights)/City of Granada Orchestra/ Joseph Pons – Harmonia mundi multichannel SACD HMC 801606:
These two works from the great Spanish composer are greatly contrasted but both are inspired by Andalusian culture, as was much of his music. The Three-Cornered Hat ballet music is in the form of two suites taken from the complete ballet. Spanish folk song and dances such as the jota and fandango were the sources for the ballet music. The story is an amusing comedy of intrigue in an Andalusian village. The three-cornered hat is the mark of rank of the magistrate (The Corregidor) who is smitten with the beautiful wife of the miller. The dances are highly rhythmic and tuneful and the orchestration is brilliant. This is one of the liveliest works of Falla.
Impressionism is the main quality of Nights in the Gardens of Spain, which Falla was also asked to mount as a ballet but he refused. This Debussian piano concerto conveys impressions of three different Spanish gardens, the last that of Cordoba, using some of the most atmospheric orchestral writing to come from Falla’s pen. While this orchestra and pianist may not be big names, the quality of both performances cannot be faulted, and the transparency of the multichannel hi-res sound brings the works to us with a fresh sonic reality.
– John Sunier
Concertos for Double Bass and Orchestra by LARS ERIK LARSSON, ERLAND VON KOCH, GIOVANNI BOTTESINI – Thorvald Fredin, double bass/The Oskarshamn Ensemble/Jan-Olav Wedin – Opus 3 multichannel SACD CD 8522:
I recall this album as being an interesting and very listenable release on vinyl from Opus 3 back in l985. It marks a return of the Swedish label to their library of tape masters which were all recorded with the purist Blumlein single-point Middle/Side mic pickup to two channels. This approach preserved much of the ambient information missed by other mic setups, and therefore Opus 3 can go back to these masters and dial up the ambient “difference” information on the M-S decoder while filtering out the frontal information. This then becomes the surround channels of a 4.0 multichannel mix. Even though this recording spotlights the double bass, there is no need for a subwoofer – the lowest tones come thru just fine.
Neither of the two 20th century concertos are atonal or difficult to listen to. Von Koch was a leading Swedish composer of the time and his work is titled a Serenade for bass and string orchestra. Folk themes are prominent in it. Bottesini was one of the Romantic Period’s greatest proponents of solo music for the double bass, and his tuneful work makes a fine conclusion to the SACD, plus a short encore Elegia from the same composer.
– John Sunier
BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F Minor Op. 34; Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op. 24 – Auryn Quartet/Peter Orth, piano – Tacet multichannel DVD-A DVD D120:
I hadn’t heard this quintet for some time and realized it’s become one of my favorite chamber works. There’s plenty of other versions out of it but this one is a winner – sparkling playing by all concerned. Moreover the disc has something none of the others have: Not only is it hi-res DVD-A and multichannel if you wish, the label’s “Real Surround Sound” really does surround you by placing basically one instrument per speaker. Tacet says this makes the structures of works much clearer to the ear than with stereo. In this case the piano is across the frontal soundstage toward the back, the viola is at left front, the second violin at right front, the first violin at left surround and the cello at right surround. If you don’t have all your speakers equidistant and levels perfectly balanced things will sound seriously out of balance. One of the previous Tacets had the piano between the surrounds in back, and not having as extended low bass on those channels I wasn’t able to image the piano back there – it always sounded up in front with the other instruments, no matter how I set levels (well, within reason). The nearly half-hour work on the theme by Handel is quite a knuckle-breaker and well-presented by pianist Orth. The micing of this track is more traditional in nature.
– John Sunier
RACHMANINOFF: Trio elegiaque for piano, violin and cello in G minor; TCHAIKOVSKY: Trio for piano, violin and cello in A Minor – Abegg Trio – Tacet multichannel DVD-A with Moving Real Surround Sound DVD D 127:
Now on this one recording engineer/CEO Andreas Spreer goes one further from placing single instruments at each speaker. There are two versions here of both pieces (an advantage of the longer playing time on DVD-As vs. SACDs) – a “normal” version with the three instruments stable, and a Moving Real Surround Sound version with all sorts of instrumental movement around the listener. Both works are presented normally first, then another series of track IDs is listed in red on the jewel box and inside notes. The normal setup is with the piano on across the surround channels, the violin at the left front speaker and the cello at the right front speaker.
The real peregrinations of the instruments starts in the second movement of the Tchaikovsky Trio. Their choreography is described section by section in the note booklet. For example, in the first variation the cello moves back and forth between the right and left front speakers, in the fourth variation the two string instruments “walk” around one another once. In the sixth variation – a waltz – they rotate around the listener. And so on. Spreer says this piece lent itself to moving surround, but not every piece does, so this won’t be a feature of all future DVD-As. By the way, the performances of both these moving and melodic works are first rate and the general fidelity excellent in view of the use of the maximum 96K-24bit option.
– John Sunier
La Folia de la Spagna – Atrium Musicae de Madrid/Gregorio Paniagua – Harmonic mundi Stereo SACD HMC 801050:
The original 1982 release of this performance on LP became a favorite with many audiophiles at the time, both for its crystalline fidelity presenting a variety of instruments and sound effects as well as its boisterous performance and improvisations on a “hit tune” of early music. There were a number of hit tunes used in the Baroque and Renaissance periods as the subject of variations, improvisations, even put to use as musical themes integrated into masses and requiems. The ancient Spanish dance melody known as La Spagna (The Spaniard) was one of these. It caught the ear of many composers – including Corelli, Vivaldi, Liszt and Nielsen.
Paniagua has assembled what is really an original composition using La Spagna as a starting point for the small group of period instrument players to launch a wild and astounding series of variations spread over a dozen tracks and ranging from the archaic to very modern variations involving electronics, jazz, voices speaking, even the sound effects of birds, pistol shots and roaring automobiles. Things start out in a rather staid manner which seems to fit with all the section titles being in Latin. Then suddenly we’re hearing a xylophone, or an Indian percussionist calling out his rhythms, or perhaps a Jew’s harp. One could characterize the work as sounding like the Academy of Ancient Music was being infiltrated by members of the Spike Jones Band. Among the non-period instruments heard are table, sitar, castanets, derouka, metallophone and xylophone. The section with the car driving up would have been even better in multichannel, but it’s great anyway to have available this classic and fun early music romp in the highest two-channel fidelity it has ever had.
– John Sunier
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique;” SCRIABIN: Prometheus – The Poem of Fire – Kirov Orchestras, Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg/Valery Gergiev (Kirov Chorus & Alexander Toradze, piano in Scriabin) – Philips DVD-A B0001511-19:
You can count on Gergiev to bring the maximum amount of drama and excitement to most any music of his country. Perhaps it was the spell of the surround sound, but I actually enjoyed his interpretation of this symphony which is normally one of my least-listened-to of the standard repertory. The crying-in-your-vodka mood of it was ameliorated by genuine pathos and drama. But it was the Scriabin work which most interested me here. Prometheus is one of the major symphonic works of the Russian mystical/genius/nut. It shares aspects of a piano concerto, symphonic poem, and cantata for vocalise choir and orchestra. While it is often performed without the chorus, Gergiev gives it the full treatment here and it’s quite thrilling. This was the work in which the composer introduced a color organ designed to project different colors in concert with the music. The surround is serviceable, but I was surprised to see it was at only the standard CD 44.1K sampling rate rather than 96K. That’s the same sampling rate as many of the Naxos DVD-As, and it’s hard to understand why it is used when even the 96K maximum isn’t quite as hi-res as the DSD approach of multichannel SACD. The DVD-A two-channel option is at 48K/20bit, a slight improvement, but it could be 96K uncompressed PCM stereo just as well.
– John Sunier
MAHLER: Symphony No. 3 – Philharmonia Orchestra. Benjamin Zander conductor. Telarc . 3 discs, SACD-60599:
Some orchestral works are natural candidates for SACD recordings. Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 is certainly one of them. I need only to provide one example: the posthorn solo in III. This pianissimo moment makes such exquisite use of the rear speakers and yet sounds so wimpy through a standard speaker system, that it almost justifies the purchase of a new SACD system. It is a haunting and serene moment in a symphony filled with a mixture of joyous, bizarre, eerie, beautiful and raucous ones. I’ve always felt this symphony (the world’s longest according to Guiness) is best absorbed in two listenings.
Benjamin Zander’s approach to the symphony can also be summed up in how well he handles III (“What the animals in the forest tell me”) and IV (“What humanity tells me”). The sprightly four-note cuckoo melody on the clarinet, borrowed from one of Mahler’s songs, has a wispy dissonance, but is expertly transformed into a rude orchestral fortissimo. This is followed by the intensely disquieting IV consisting of Nietzsche’s poem from Thus Spake Zarathustra. Sander correctly interprets the oboe’s spooky two note figure as a glissando, certainly one of the more crepuscular moments in 19th-century music. It sounds like a night bird calling to its fallen mate. Like the other Mahler symphonies in this series, Telarc includes Zander’s commentary, which is both enlightening and entertaining. He is a creative and engaging pedagogue, perhaps not quite on Leonard Bernstein’s level, but worth listening to after you hear the piece for the first time. [I would add that Zander’s talk is also lengthy – the maximum time for a disc side – that it is unforunately in 44.1 form rather than SACD, but the added disc is essentially free since this is priced as a two-disc set rather than three…Ed.]
–Peter Bates
MAHLER: Symphony No. 8 in E Flat Major “Symphony of a Thousand” – Soloists/Netherlands Radio and Prague Philharmonic Choirs/Boys and girls of the Cathedral Choir/Young people of the Sacrament Choir/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly – Decca DVD-A B0001498-19:
Another 44.1/48K semi-hi-res effort from Universal, but with good surround involvement anyway. The CD version of this performance was issued in 2001. Among the eight soloists is soprano Jane Eaglen. The work is quite different from Mahler’s other symphonies in having two seemingly disparate parts. The first is in six movements and is constructed on the ancient Latin hymn Veni, creator spiritus. The second half is a musical setting of the final scene of the second part of Goethe’s Faust. The connection was intended to have an inner logic – the first part summoning the creative spirit, and the second demonstrating the link between creativity and the allure of the eternal feminine. The second part is strong on various souls ascending to heaven musically and all that sort of thing. There is a libretto provided – thank you Decca. The various choirs are arrayed in sort of a horseshoe and are very dramatic as backdrop to the solo singers in front. This is certainly an appropriate work for hi-res multichannel playback! Again, the visual display is just an illustration for each section which stays on the screen; you’re better off to only display it to select the playback option and then turn off the video display.
– John Sunier
[Continue on to Part 3 of Hi-Res Reviews.]
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews
61 SACD and DVD-A Reviews This Month!
March 2004, Pt. 1 of 3 – Jazz
[Part 2] [Part 3] click on any cover to go directly to its review
Billy Cobham – Spectrum; Rhino R9 78408 DVD-A:
The music on this disc is thematic. Early tracks utilize electric guitar and are fast-paced, reminiscent of Joe Satriani’s Surfing With the Alien. Track 2 is much more straight ahead 70s style jazz with good horn/flute presence and even some psychedelic keyboard for flavor. Drum solos pervade the early tracks and present later in the album as well. Track 4 sounds like something by Popol Vuh or a sci-fi film soundtrack. The predominance of electronic sounds adds a weirdness/uniqueness factor that will appeal to some and turn others away. Although I found this album a bit shaky for me in the start, by the middle of track 4 and into track 5 I was won over. Track 6 starts off strangely but segues into a smooth jazz/funk tune that I really liked. This disc is not for everyone, but those who dig it will have found their groove.
This DVD comes 2-sided with one side stereo and one side surround. I really like this arrangement, because it allows you to pop the disc in the player without having to select the stereo track from a menu that would require a video display to do so. In addition to the Dolby Digital track, there is a DTS track as well for those who want to listen without DVD-A capability. Sound quality is like that of a really good CD. There is heavy use of the surrounds. Track 2, for example, pans sound left and right and front and back, with percussion that circles around the listener. Still pictures (in the form of mosaics) are displayed over the music, and there is a photo gallery and video interview as well. In the interview, Cobham give some excellent information about the album’s conception, and talks about the speediness of the recording (10 days), and the purpose being the expression of an idea through the use of drums. Selections included are: Quadrant 4; Searching For The Right Door; Spectrum; Anxiety; Taurian Matador; Stratus; To The Women In My Life; Le Lis; Snoopy’s Search; Red Baron.
-Brian Bloom
Marian McPartland with Strings – Silent Pool – Concord Jazz multichannel SACD-1023-6:
This was a dream project for the leading female jazz pianist today. Now in her 80s and still continuing her long-running NPR radio series Piano Jazz, MCPartland has penned many lovely lyrical compositions over the years, and here gets to have them spotlit in a lush setting of a 22-member string orchestra with arrangements by the equally acclaimed Alan Broadbent. The arranger spoke of the classical qualities of McPartland’s tunes, comparing them to art songs. He said he approached them as with a piano concerto, dealing with relationships between the soloist and orchestra. In some of the tracks one of the string instruments – such as a single cello or violin – is brought forward into the musical conversation almost like a classical double concerto. The CD version of this album came out in l997 and the new multichannel version allows the strings to really sing and provide a much more enveloping stage on which the piano can strut. And the piano comes thru with improved clarity and impact with the higher res format as well. A couple of these tunes have been done on earlier discs by Marian and it’s interesting to hear their transformations. Jazz purists turn up their noses at “with strings” album sessions but not me. In fact my favorite modern jazz album is the Stan Getz/Eddie Sauter partnership “Focus.” I pick this as the McPartland disc sure to get the most re-hearings of the several I have in my collection.
Tracks: For Dizzy, Twilight World, Stranger in a Dream, A Delicate Balance, Ambiance, Silent Pool, Castles in the Sand, Melancholy Mood, Threnody, Time and Time Again, There’ll Be Other Times, With You in Mind.
– John Henry
Jane Monheit – Never Never Land – with Kenny Barron, Piano / David “Fathead” Newman, Tenor Sax and Flute / Hank Crawford, Alto Sax / Lewis Nash, Drums / Ron Carter, Bass / Silverline 288218-9 – DVD-Audio:
Jane Monheit – Come Dream With Me – with Kenny Barron, Piano / Richard Bona, Guitar / Michael Brecker, Saxophone / Tom Harrell, Trumpet / Gregory Hutchinson, Drums / Christian McBride, Bass / Silverline 288219-9 – DVD-Audio Disc:
Jane Monheit is one of a score of new young jazz vocalists vying for the spotlight, and her ascendance and all the accompanying buzz has not come without some measure of controversy, with most of the naysayers asking the question “Is it really jazz?” Some curious song selections have been made on these discs (“If” definitely comes to mind) – but isn’t one of the hallmarks of jazz improvisation taking that obscure gem of an unlikely song and giving it a uniquely jazzy rendition? Jane Monheit finds herself in a sea of jazz singers all trying to find their own unique voice by offering up eclectic stylings of often-dabbled with songs – sometimes it works, sometimes not. Take a look at the album credits – judging by the accompaniment, it’s definitely got to be jazz. And I can’t help but draw a parallel here to Diana Krall’s situation, where there’s way too many “hair and make-up” shots that really only serve to detract from our perception of a talent that could easily stand on its own without the publicity machine gone out of control.
These discs represent her first two albums, and it’s obvious right out of the gate that she chooses the path less taken when, rather than straight takes of most of these songs, she alters tempos and bends notes throughout to try and impart an individuality to the songs. As I said above, sometimes it works, but a frequent comment from my wife (who joins me for many listening sessions) was “Well, she just ruined that song!” Sometimes the note-bending embellishments were a little excessive – for example the end of an otherwise superb “Over the Rainbow,” where the ending gets a little out of whack – not quite Mariah Carey territory, but you get the picture. For every head-scratch, though, there’s a highlight, and I got much more pleasure listening to these discs than I really expected.
One aspect that never gets out of whack is the superb playing of the bands, both all-star groups including Kenny Barron on piano and superb bass playing from Ron Carter and Christian McBride. Each ensemble plays exceptionally tight arrangements throughout both discs.
Sound quality of these DVD-A discs is truly superb also, and thank goodness, the default setting starts playing the hi-res surround tracks right out of the gate, so there’s no need for a monitor unless you want to choose another option. The surround mix is excellent, with the instruments spread in an arc across the soundstage and mostly ambiance coming from the rears. Jane Monheit’s voice is front and center – right where it needs to be. The sound quality really sparkles throughout – once again, I found myself really thinking hard about any biases I have against DVD-A that are solely based on sound quality alone.
Tracks: “Never Never Land”: Please Be Kind; Detour Ahead; More Than You Know; Dindi; Save Your Love For Me; Never Let Me Go; My Foolish Heart; I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good); Twisted; Never Never Land.
“Come Dream With Me”: Over The Rainbow; Hit The Road to Dreamland; Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most; Waters of March; I’m Through With Love; I’ll Be Seeing You; Something to Live For; So Many Stars; If; Blame It On My Youth; A Case of You.
— Tom Gibbs
Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (with Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, George Mraz & Grady Tate) – Pablo stereo SACD PASA-2310-744-6:
Nothing to complain about here for the two-channel SACD connoisseur. It’s a band of five of the finest players in jazz from the 70s playing nothing but music of George Gershwin, and how can you possibly lose with that combination? While tenorman Sims is featured, every player here is a winner and they’re all playing at the top of their art. The session happened in l975 and now 28 years later we’re finally able to really hear it right. I Got Rhythm has long been a jazz standard to stretch out on and the quintet goes just that here, making it at seven minutes the longest track on the album and probably the most enjoyable too. Tracks: The Man I Love, How Long Has This Been Going On?, Oh Lady Be Good, I’ve Got a Crush on You, I Got Rhythm, Embraceable You, ‘S Wonderful, Someone to Watch Over Me, Isn’t It a Pity, Summertime, They Can’t Take That Away From Me.
– John Henry
John Pizzarelli – My Blue Heaven (with Dave McKenna, piano; Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Clark Terry, Trumpet; Milt Hinton, bass; Connie Kay, drums) – Chesky multichannel SACD 254:
Yet another John Pizzarelli release, close on the heels of his entertaining double-disc live session on Telarc SACD. And just look at this lineup- what a handful of all-stars! Thirty-year-old Pizzarelli Jr. has really made a name for himself as a cool and hip vocalist and guitarist. With the 16 terrific tunes packing this album, pop Bucky on his seven-string and the rest of the jazz masters doing their thing, this had to be thoroughgoing success from start to finish. Terry is still up to his tongue-in-cheek bits at his advanced age (remember his Mumbles?) – listen to his subtle background vocal on Oh Me, Oh My, Oh Gosh. Zoot Walked In is a tribute to Zoot Sims, and the hip lyrics are from Dave Frishberg – one of two Frishberg tracks on the SACD. You’re right there in the jazz club with these cats via the superb multichannel mix.
Tracks: My Blue Heaven, I’m An Errand Boy for Rhythm, It Could Happen to You, Lady Be Good, The Touch of Your Lips, Can’t Take You Nowhere, Take My Smile, That’s What, Stray Horn, Best Man, Oh Me Oh My Oh Gosh, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Gee Baby Ain’t I Good to You, Passion Flower, Zoot Walked In/Morning Fun, Candy.
Jack McDuff and Joey DeFrancesco, B3 organs (with Paul Bollenback, guitar; John Hart, guitar; Andrew Beals, alto sax; Jerry Weldon, tenor sax; Rudolph Petschauer, drums; Byron Landham, drums & percussion) – Concord Jazz multichannel SACD-1022-6:
The Jazz B3 Renaissance continues and blooms with another duo-B3 album from DeFrancesco – to add to the previous one with McDuff which was a live session. This was a 1966 CD and is now coming across in full bloom with the additions of hi-res and multichannel reproduction. The studio situation allowed greater planning and artistic control. The current quintet with Jack and the trio with Joey were combined to back the two organists. Concord’s mainstay recording engineer Phil Edwards did the 5.1 mix and he had fun – placing the horns frequently in the surround channels so the two B3s really stand out in the front channels and are clearly separated left and right. Certainly a better choice than the B3s in the surrounds, since most of us don’t have as good low bass reproduction on the surrounds and these B3s can really shake things up in the low end.
Tracks: Pork Chops & Pasta, Please Send me Someone to Love, Secret Love, Our Delight, Yesterdays, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Rock Candy, Funk Pie, Black Jack.
– John Henry
Gil Evans & Ten – Prestige/Fantasy stereo SACD PRSA-7120-6:
Speaking of Gil Evans, here he is in l957. i didn’t realize Rudy Van Gelder was recording stereo that early, especially for Prestige who were the last to release in stereo, but six of the seven tracks here are stereo. Among the illustrious ten players here were Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Willie Ruff on French horn, Lee Konitz on alto, Steve Lacy on soprano sax and Paul Chambers on bass. Miles Davis arranged for the sessions at Prestige following his success with the first of his collaboration with Evans for Columbia. The unique voicings which Evans had developed with the Claude Thornhill Band and with Davis’ Birth of the Cool sessions were here extended into the creation of a new sound which seemed much larger and richer than the 11 musicians involved. Such complex and sophisticated orchestral textures were too much for CD; in fact I’m not sure this even was issued on CD because the master tapes were thought lost for decades. Anyway, now it can be heard pretty much the way it must have sounded in Van Gelder home studio. Bravo to all concerned in bringing these groovy hi-res sounds to us! Tracks: Remember, Ella Speed, Big Stuff, Nobody’s Heart, Just One of Those Things, If You Could See Me Now, Jambangle.
– John Henry
Dorian Michael, guitar – Acoustic Blues (with Albert Lee, Laurence Juber & Harry Orlove, guitars; Danny Timms, piano; Domenic Genova, bass; Tom Walsh, drums) – AIX Records DVD-A 80016:
The DVD-A side of this two-sided disc (as are all AIXs) dispenses with the long list of audio options, setup, bios, photos and other special features of the DVD-V side and starts right out with a terrific 5.1 96K stage mix of the first track. There’s no need for a video display if you don’t have one. The DTS stage mix on the DVD-V side is great and it’s a kick to watch the performers on the screen – AIX’s video work has gotten more sophisticated than on their first albums and is now quite watchable. There are frequent closeups of the guitarists’ fingering, One track (El Morro) even has different angles available. Watching the three guitarists play together is a delight and the DTS mix is only slightly less transparent than the 96K MLP side without the video. One quickly forgets the difference due to the added impact of the visuals, even if you just auditioned the DVD-A side of the disc. See the guitarists in action on All Blues is really lovely. Along with all the other extras on this disc is one I hadn’t seen anywhere before: Something called “Chord Change Subtitles.” This option brings up a symbol display of all the chord changes the guitars are making. Michael also gives a Blues Master Class instructional session and the disc includes a complete 5.1 system setup and checking section, as do all the AIX DVD-As.
Tracks: Jam on This, Broad Street Blues, All Blues, Gardenia Shuffle, Easy Does It, All Dressed Up, Oakdale Special, Very Blue Hawaii, Slow Blues in C, El Morro, Gravel Flats.
— John Henry
Cheryl Bentyne, vocalist – Among Friends (with Corey Allen, piano; Grant Geissman, guitar; Kevin Axt, bass; David Tull, drums) – AIX Records DVD-A 80020:
Bentyne is a member Manhattan Transfer and appears here with her regular quintet. Again, one side of the disc is hi-res 96K 5.1 multichannel DVD-A and the other video with either Dolby Digital or DTS tracks and many other extras – including a photo gallery, bios, and a system setup and checking section. Two-channel freaks can select the 96K stereo mix, and there are two different 5.1 mixes – one from an audience acoustic perspective and the other from a right-into-it stage perspective. The video work is improved over earlier AIX discs and is very watchable – perhaps even more so with a vocalist than with strictly instrumental performers. The song choices are mostly standards, with the possible exceptions of the offbeat Annie Ross classic Farmer’s Market and the original Love’s River. Tracks: They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Love Me Or Leave Me, The Very Thought of You, Farmer’s Market, It Might As Well Be Spring, These Foolish Things, Still Good Friends, Love’s River, Senor Blues, Get Out of Town.
– John Henry
The Ray Brown Trio – Summer Wind – (Live at the Loa) – Concord Jazz multichannel SACD-1027-6:
The Ray Brown discography has expanded greatly since his death and the much-recorded bassist’s appeal to audiophiles hasn’t hurt this a bit. This album originally came out on CD in l990 and the Santa Monica club where it was recorded live is no more, but it is a very worthwhile record of an evening when Ray and his trio were really burning. This cohorts, by the way, were Gene Harris on piano and Jeff Hamilton on drums. I found it interesting that even for a fairly informal live taping in a club 14 years ago Concord was already recording multichannel to have more to work with in producing a perfect stereo mix, as well as being prepared for any future multichannel format. It’s certainly to the advantage of those us fans of surround sound in music. Gene Harris is not a Basie-type ivory-tickler – he plays all over the keyboard and the little trio sets up a sizable sound at times. Drummer Hamilton observed that he found out quickly that the trio ws really a little big band. The audience is clearly present, but not as annoying as on many live concert tapings. Applause has long been a good test of fidelity, and Concord’s 5.1 mix passes the test easily here. Tracks: Summer Wind, The Real Blues, Li’l Darlin,’ It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing, Mona Lisa, Buhaina Buhaina, Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man, Bluesology.
– John Henry
Mongo Santamaria – Live At Jazz Alley – with Ray Vega, Trumpet / Bobby Porcelli, Saxes, Flute / Mitch Frohman, Saxes, Flute / Bob Quaranta, Piano / Bernie Minoso, Bass / John Andreu Almendra, Drums, Timbales / Eddie Rodriguez, Percussion, Vocals / Concord SACD 1016-6 – Multichannel Hybrid SACD:
Mongo Santamaria’s “Live At Jazz Alley” is another really excellent SACD from Concord that takes the original stereo recording and remixes it to multichannel, and takes the performance to the next level. The disc offers a really good representation of the players positioned in an arc across the soundstage, with mostly crowd noise and ambiance coming from the rears. The effect of all that Latin percussion is really quite dramatic, with most of the tunes offering a driving, pulsating beat that just doesn’t want to stop. If this is your cup of tea, then power on, but I could only take it in measured doses.
Tracks: Home; Bonita; Philadelphia; Para Ti; Manteca; Ponce; Come Candela; Ibiano; Juan Jose; Afro Blue.
— Tom Gibbs
Tierney Sutton – Dancing In The Dark – with Christian Jacob, Piano / Trey Henry, Bass / Ray Brinker, Drums – Orchestra conducted by Christian Jacob – Telarc SACD 63592 – Multichannel Hybrid SACD:
From the opening notes of this disc, it’s perfectly obvious that Michael Bishop of Telarc has created another immensely satisfying surround sound listening experience – the instruments are perfectly placed in the soundfield, bass is deep and tight, and Tierney Sutton’s liquid voice hovers dead-center in front of you. This is one of those discs that so superbly captures the moment, that you’re instantly transported away to the studio – you really feel that you’re right there with the musicians making the magic as Tierney casts her spell over all. Once this disc begins, its 55 minute playing time passes all too quickly.
The album was inspired by Frank Sinatra’s readings of these songs, but don’t get the wrong idea – this is anything but a stale rehashing of often-traversed material. The chosen songs are, as Tierney Sutton says “from the dark corners of his work,” and most are infrequently played and haven’t been covered to death – you won’t find “New York, New York” here. Instead, everything flows in a more subdued tone throughout the proceedings, offering a perfect vehicle for Tierney’s sultry stylings.
The musicians here have played together for the last ten years, and it shows; the playing and arrangements are always tight, and the orchestra (also conducted by pianist Christian Jacob) adds lush support throughout. Very highly recommended, and an excellent taste for the uninitiated of the delights to be found on her other outstanding Telarc releases.
Tracks: What’ll I Do; Only The Lonely; I’ll Be Around; All The Way; I Think Of You; Where Or When; Without A Song; I Could Have Told You; Emily; Last Night When We Were Young; Fly Me To The Moon; Last Dance/Dancing In The Dark.
— Tom Gibbs
Jim Hall – Concierto – with Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Ron Carter, Steve Gadd and Roland Hanna; Don Sebesky, musical director – CTI/Mobile Fidelity stereo SACD:
This 1975 effort was one of the best productions Creed Taylor and CTI ever did, one of Hall’s best album, and among my personal top ten favorite jazz discs. Sebesky is one of the finest arrangers in the business, and he didn’t add strings or other gee-gaws here – just made a few chord changes to allow these masterful musicians to do their thing with the greatest clarity. And that was the obvious route to take with a guitarist who plays with the tasteful clarity of Jim Hall. This was the first time Chet Baker had played with him, and Hanna’s piano work is just superb – often supporting the classically-influenced style of Hall’s electric guitar playing. I like their 20-minute version of the Concierto de Aranjuez theme just as much as the famous Miles Davis version; after all Miles/Gil Evans’ version lacks a guitar altogether, so this one sounds somehow more authentic. Rudy Van Gelder was the engineer and to his original four tracks this SACD adds both a pair of additional ones plus three alternate takes. The transparency and clarity of Mo-Fi’s Ultradisc UHR Gain2 approach plus SACD uncovers whole new layers of subtle detail in this recording that even the original LP on a quality turntable tends to gloss over. Tracks: You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To, Two’s Blues, The Answer is Yes, Concierto de Aranjuez, Rock Skippin’, Unfinished Business, Alternate takes of: You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To, The Answer Is Yes, Rock Skippin’
– John Henry
Tommy Turrentine, trumpet – Plus the Max Roach Quintet featuring Stanley Turrentine – Audio Fidelity stereo SACD AFZ 007:
Recorded just 44 years ago, this session featured the older brother of Stanley Turrentine, who played in the bands of Count Basie, Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie and Earl Bostic. The other sextet members were no slouches: Julian Priester on trombone, Horace Parlan on piano, Bob Boswell on bass and the great Max Roach on drums. The general groove here is relaxed and unpretentious writing and playing. The sound of Parlan’s piano is smooth and natural while remaining well-balanced with the three lead horns – in spite of their strongly forward sound. Coming from early in the stereo era, the “This is in Stereo Dummy” mix places all the horns on the left channel and the piano and drums on the right; I was wishing I still had my old Apt-Holman preamp with its left/right mixing control. The SACD brings out all the details in the music as well as cranking up the sonic impact to direct-disc levels.6w
Tracks: Gunga Din, Webb City, Time’s Up, Long as You’re Living, Too Clean, Two Three One Oh!, Blues of J.P.
– John Henry
Romero, Live at Trinity Church (with Mario Rodriguez, Oscar Feldman, Gilad) – 333 Entertainment multichannel SACD 333ESA002:
More of the new flamenco stylings of Romero in SACD, with the added excitement of a live recording in a wonderfully reverberant acoustic that adds snap to the zapateados and the other percussion created by instruments. The use of saxophone and flute adds a different and jazzier feeling to the music, making it a sort of jazzy world music based on flamenco. Romero has a pleasant voice and doesn’t strain his voice as does the typical flamenco cantor. He is joined on some of the vocals by bassist Rodriguez. The impact of the closely-miked guitars is strong and gutsy. Very precise and clean sonics brings the full experience of the music to the listener in either multichannel or stereo. The seven-selection program ends with an 8-minute medley using themes from the Concierto Aranjuez of Rodrigo. Tracks: El Reynado, Ausencias, La Sofia, Romance, Emocion, Vai, El Concierto.
— John Sunier
Diana Krall – The Look of Love (with orchestra arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman) – Verve DVD-A B0001604-19:
We reviewed this in its SACD version back in December 2002. [Link Here.]
It is one of several albums which Universal originally released on SACD and now is also offering on DVD-A. Both the multichannel and stereo options here are 96K sampling and 24-bit. The one item not found on the SACD release is a Gallery of fetching still photos of Ms. Krall which can displayed on the screen. There is also a bio of the vocalist. As for comparing the sonics of the two competing formats, I can’t say I can hear any appreciable difference between them.
– John Henry
Here are a pair of highly unusual and ear-opening 96K audio DVDs:
Reference DVD Recordings from Metaxas Audio (no #):
Adam Simmons – Three Concerts – Metaxas Audio (no #):
Kostas Metaxas is based in Australia and has been active in the audio business for some years. He has done a great deal of recording on his own in the purist style of the 50s and 60s – using a Stellavox portable tape deck at 15 or 30 ips with a single pair of B&K omni mics. He decided to transfer some of this recordings to digital to protect and preserve the analog originals. He discovered that while the software for working with and editing music files in computers provided good results if only used for a straight-across copy to digital, if the various abilities to equalize, mix and modify the original analog signal were employed, the final quality of his purist recordings took a nosedive.
Both of these discs come in DVD-video-type cases and are DVD-Rs. Thus they were only playable on the lesser quality of my two DVD players, but even at that the realism and clarity of most of these recordings was astounding. Both discs are stereo, using the standard video PCM sound at 48K/16bit – similar to the DAT format. No processing of any kind was used. The first DVD is a compendium of various classical and jazz selections Metaxas recorded over the years. The 20 tracks usually alternate between a classical selection and a jazz. The opening and longest track is the complete Liszt Piano Concerto in E Flat, performed by a local amateur ensemble but sounding quite professional. There are various female solo and choral selections alternated with many tracks from a small jazz ensemble. While the fidelity was exceptional on many of them, it was also easy to detect a number of tape recording artifacts. As Metaxas himself says, these selections were transferred “warts and all.” There is some flutter, tape ruffle – tape seeming to pull away from the heads from time to time, bad splices and distracting noises in the halls during the music. And one of the female vocalists could have better pitch consistency than she does.
The second disc, however, jumps ahead in both performances and sonic quality. This is a lengthy program – I didn’t clock it but I would guess over 90 minutes. Simmons is a very eclectic multi-instrumentalist who plays every sort of reed instrument and has performed with such as Odeon Pope and Max Roach. There are nine tracks and five of them feature Simmons own quartet. On one track he performs on soprano sax with female jazz pianist Ursel Schlicht’s Quartet, and on three others he is one-half of a duo with pianist Schlicht. Several of the tracks feature Simmons on the Japanese shakuhachi and are riveting in their clarity and spatial presence as well as in the superb improvisatory skills of the performer. All of the tracks were recorded live in front of any audience and are all therefore “first takes.” The excitement and edgy feeling conveyed by these recordings is completely different from most commercial recordings – however good their sonic quality.
The DVDs can be ordered directly from the Metaxas Audio web site at www.metaxas.com, and you can learn more about Adam Simmons at www.adamsimmons.com Tracks are: You’re Wearing My Shirt, Improvisation, Plight of the Humble Bee, Warzawa, Travelling, Miloscz, Noah’s Dream, Potato Love, Poles Apart.
– John Sunier
[To continue to Part 2 of Hi-Res Disc Reviews]
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Component Reviews
Toshiba Combo 27-inch Flat Color TV with VHS VCR &
DVD Video Player – MW27FN1 (-R) SRP: $699
SPECS:
Speakers: 2-way, 46mm & 99mm, 8 ohm, 2.5W amp
Power supply: AC 120V, 60Hz
Power consumption: 145w
Weight: 97 lbs.
Dimensions: 29 1/8 W x 25 3/8 H x 19 5/16 D
Tuner: 181 channel freq. synthesized
VHF 2-13; UHF 14-69; CATV 113 channels
Display: Digital comb filter
Video head: 4 rotary heads
Video audio: Hi-Fi 2 track format, response 20-20K, dynamic range over 90 dB
Fast winding speed: Appox. 1 min. 48 sec. with T-120 tape
DVD audio: 48K sampling 4Hz-22kHz; 96K sampling 4Hz-44kHz, S/N: 90 dB
Harmonic distortion .06%; Wow & flutter less than .01% Wrms; dynamic range over 90dB
Decodes Dolby Digital audio from TV, DVDs or VHS tapes, also DTS at digital out jack
Toshiba America Consumer Products
82 Totowa Road
Wayne, NJ 07470-3191
973-628-8000 ext. 4250
www.toshiba.com
Intro
The well over 100 pound weight of the box was an indication that this wasn’t one of the those mostly plastic TVs that self-destruct after a couple years. Toshiba has maintained a reputation for excellent consumer electronics products at very reasonable prices, and after all they were one of the major names involved in the launch of the new DVD format. My old VHS deck is a Toshiba and has performed well over the years (while a Sony Beta deck not used as much just died on me). The so-called “combo TV” has become one of the leading consumer electronics items in the last couple of years. It seemed to have taken an inordinate amount of time for the industry to wake up to the attraction the general public would have for a unit that combined either a VCR or DVD player or both with a standard direct-view TV. I recall seeing a VCR/TV combo with a 14-inch screen made by a professional audiovisual supplier many years ago and thinking how appealing that would be to many homes. But that one was priced out of the general consumer market, being designed for portable video presentations of sales materials. And as I recall it was only a VHS player, not even a recorder. Now there is a long list of combo TVs from most of the major manufacturers. Most are two-way combos with either DVD or VHS, but the three-way combo is becoming more popular. (Only in my dreams would anyone offer a four-way combo so I could easily play my large collection of Beta video and audio tapes…)
Only a few of the combo units combine both formats with a 27-inch screen; 21 or 24-inch seem to be the most popular sizes. This Toshiba has it all plus a very handsome flat screen design which is sort of the poor man’s plasma screen. Once it was struggled onto a table (don’t try it without help), hookup was simple. There are the usual UHF/VHF 75 ohm In and Out jacks, both audio and video Line In jacks for making a VHS copy from another external video source, composite Line Out jacks for feeding the signals from any of the three sources to other components, and lastly a PCM/Bitstream, Coax Audio Out jack for feeding the set’s audio to a separate receiver, integrated or preamp for improved sound. The latter is always suggested for any video monitor, and one look at the 2.5 watts output of the audio amp on this set will convince any audiophile to get that old amp and speakers out of the closet to hook up to this otherwise superbly performing set. If you have a small AV receiver with DTS decoding you can even enjoy that highest quality surround sound for movies with a multi-speaker setup, since the coax output jack passes the DTS signal as well as the Dolby Digital.
The front of the set includes four more jacks: one for headphones (which you don’t find on many smaller sets anymore), and duplicates of the analog L & R and video jacks on the rear panel. These are for connecting a camcorder or game component.
Features
Just about every feature one could think of, and several you probably haven’t thought of, are included in this combo unit. The front panel has a long row of small buttons with the TV and VHS buttons grouped toward the left and the DVD buttons on the right side. You can set up many operations just from these buttons without requiring the remote. They includes play/stop/fast speeds/eject and with the VHS buttons, recording. The volume and channel buttons are toward the center of the front panel.
More complex tasks require the remote, which proves (like many) somewhat frustrating in its layout. The usual “joystick” type of controls in which you have an Enter or Select button in the center with buttons above and below plus to left and right is hidden among other buttons and not centered on the remote. Some of the 49 buttons have two designations and it is unclear whether some of the titles are for the button just above them or just below them. The other difficult-to-access buttons are those for chapter selection. They are called Skip and are identified in tiny print up near the TV channel controls where you wouldn’t expect to find them. Have a flashlight handy (there is no backlit feature) when you are getting used to this remote.
Setting Up Operation and Options
The Menu button is usually the starting point for setting up the various options of the set. You can select onscreen languages of English, Spanish or French. You set the Auto Clock once and it will set itself thereafter using a broadcast signal which at least one station in your area probably transmits, including changes for daylight savings time. When the TV/CATV button is on TV position, and channel can be selected instantly using two of the numbered buttons at the top of the remote. The Auto Ch Memory runs thru all the channels available with your antenna in your area; you can delete and add channels to this list manually. After that, using the Channels Up or Down buttons goes only to the channels on the list. There is the usual V-chip option to prevent access of children to certain programs, complete with password. Some other features are: Sleep, Mute, Channel Return (to the last channel watched), Closed captions, VHS Recording timer, Sound adjustment, Picture adjustment, Picture search (fast speed options), Digital tracking adjustment, Changing angles, Slow motion, Frame by Frame, CM (commercial) skip (fast forwards for 30 seconds, then back to play), Repeat playback, Realtime tape counter, Zero return, and One-touch timer recording (starting recording immediately and increased in increments of a half hour up to six hours).
To begin recording or to set the record timer you must press two side-by-side record buttons on the remote. If the clock is not properly set the unit will not record. The Sound control adjustment allows for adjusting the bass, treble and balance of the audio. In addition, in the TV Setup part of the onscreen Menu you can turn the Surround Sound feature on or off. There is no credit for a specific circuitry for this feature, such as SRS. There is also an audio limiter option called Stable Sound, which prevents extreme changes of volume when the signal source is changed. The SAP option also in the TV Setup allows switching to a second audio program if one is being transmitted, such as a soundtrack in a different language. Some other features are the ability to zoom in or out on DVDs, to repeat sections, to program a skip or jump to a specific point on the disc, to program repeat, random and specially-selected playback, to change the aspect ratio from full 4:3 to letterboxed 4:3, and to compress the dynamic range when viewing Dolby Digital recorded discs late at night, to restrict children viewing certain DVDs. You can watch a DVD while taping a telecast on the VHS – just as if you had a separate VCR, but you can’t watch a different channel on air than the one being taped at the time.
Viewing and Listening
The extremely speedy fast forward and reverse of the VHS deck was a pleasure, as was the fairly good image quality, considering this was not a S-VHS deck. Another feature were the many options for manual fast speeds, or what Toshiba calls Picture search. In Standard Play (the fastest speed) pressing the forward button once gives three times normal speed, but pressing it again gives five times normal speed. I notice most VHS VCRs today have given up on the middle 4-hour speed, having only the two-hour and six-hour options (with T120 tape). I guess nobody was using the middle speed anyway. The six-hour speed looks awful – what would you expect?
The tuner produced a much better picture from problem channels than either of the other two TVs that had previously been in the spare room in which it was reviewed. And this was using the same very basic Radio Shack rabbit ears. Ghosting was greatly reduced on the problem channels. After briefly looking at images from all three formats – over-the-air, VHS and DVD – I got out my Avia video test DVD and ran thru some of the basic picture adjustments. Sure enough, although the manual suggests leaving the unit at the factory settings, I found them set way too high in color, brightness and sharpness. Fortunately, Toshiba provides a similar range of picture adjustments to high end HDTV-ready sets, and that’s welcome because they’re needed! Nearly all sets except the highest-end videos are adjusted to give the brightest, most contrasty and seemingly sharpest image when displayed next to one another on the dealer’s floor. It’s similar to the rock radio stations all compressing the life out of the music to sound louder than the competition.
So I lowered the brightness and contrast a good deal and the color slightly. Images were entirely too red, and the scanning lines were strongly in evidence. The next adjustment helped the latter problem – it was reducing the sharpness control to about -20. Contrary to its name, this actually increases the sharpness, gets rid of those artificial white outlines around objects, and in the process blends together the scanning lines to better approximate the film viewing experience. I must say I was impressed by the accuracy with which the Toshiba 27-inch showed the detailed convergence and distortion patterns on the Avia DVD. On the pattern that looks like graph paper reversed out (white lines on black), the lines near the sides and top of the screen were much straighter than even on my highly-tweaked Pioneer Elite 53-inch RPTV. And everything was perfectly centered in the text patterns, which I have also never been able to achieve on my RPTV. It would seem that with a genuinely flat-front tube it would be even more difficult to achieve such accuracy than with a curved tube, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The Surround Sound effect from normal stereo could be heard in a widening of the frontal soundstage but no simulation of sounds to the sides or rear. But with a Dolby Surround track on air or off a DVD or tape, the surround effect became considerably more enveloping, taking on a horseshoe-sort of pattern that was quite surprising considering the basic complement of amps and speakers built into the set. By the way, as with any DVD player, you can play standard CDs on this set – though if you do that frequently you might be even more moved to add an outboard amp and speakers.
Speaking of wide things, I had thought that although originally I was going to request for review the otherwise similar 20-inch or 24-inch versions of this same Toshiba combo, the 27-inch seemed a good choice for watching properly-formatted widescreen letterboxed films on DVD. (I am presuming anyone reading our video reviews wouldn’t be caught dead watching pan & scan film images.) I was right; this is definitely the minimum size on which anyone would want to watch a widescreen DVD, but they look just fine with the 4:3 letterboxed option selected from the screen ratio settings. I’m sure that that, together with proper decoding of the Bitstream 5.1 surround via at least five speakers, would make this mini home theater setup a thoroughly satisfying entertainment center for any small apartment, bedroom or spare room.
— John Sunier
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Component Reviews
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Music Hall Mambo Stereo
Integrated Amplifier SRP: $1300 | | |
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Music Hall
108 Station Road
Great Neck, NY 11023
516-487-3663 (voice)
516-773-3891 (fax)
https://www.musichallaudio.com/
Basic Description
Stereo class-A 50 wpc integrated amplifier with 24-bit/96kHz upsampling DAC; remote control; 1 toslink and 1 coaxial digital input; 5 analog inputs; 5-way binding posts; high quality detachable IEC power cord; 1-year warranty; 17” W x 16.5” D x 5” H; 50 lbs (packaged).
Equipment
B&W 703 loudspeakers, Marantz DV8400 universal player, NAD C521BEE CD player (for digital vs. analog testing), Musical Fidelity A3.2 Integrated Amplifier (for comparison), Audioquest King Cobra interconnect, VSD-3 coaxial digital, and CV-6 speaker cables.
Setup
After receiving the amplifier, I hooked it up and ran it for a couple of weeks. I was immediately impressed with the build quality of the amplifier. The power cord that came with the unit is particularly heavy-duty, and I can’t imagine anyone opting for an upgraded cord unless they wanted to spend more than a few hundred dollars for the upgrade. There is a hard power switch on the back of the unit, and a soft power switch on the front for remote control use.
As with most class-A amplifiers, this one ran hot. After ten minutes or so, the amplifier was almost too hot to keep your hand on it. For this reason, ventilation will be an especially important consideration.
There are a couple of limitations to note immediately. The first is the lack of a line level output and/or processor loop. This means no tape decks or analog recording devices of any kind, and no processors such as equalizers will work with this amplifier. I’m not really sure how much of a factor this will be to the average user anymore. This product is more likely geared towards the budget-minded audiophile who will probably only use CD or listen to records with the addition of a phono preamplifier.
An even larger limitation, in my mind, is the lack of a preamp output. For users who intend to use a subwoofer along with this unit, they will have to utilize the speaker/high-level outputs to get the signal to the sub. There are only two speaker binding posts, so you’ll have to double up the connections or use a combination of banana/spade/bare-wire connections. I didn’t plan on using a subwoofer in my listening evaluations, so I had no reason to fiddle with this connection. Arguably, this connection may not be the best, and most manufacturers of powered subwoofers recommend the use of the line level (low-level) input.
The remote control that comes with the amp is metal and probably weighs about a pound! Unfortunately, the buttons are tiny and may be too small for people with average-sized fingers. Also, the remote requires a small Torx wrench (supplied—although I was told a small Allen wrench would work) to open it for loading the batteries. At least if you drop it you don’t have to worry about it breaking. The claim is that the remote controls the Music Hall players as well the Shanling players. An owner told me that it would NOT control the CD25 CD player. The functions that it controls on the integrated are: mute, volume, input, power, and front panel dimming (three settings). It seemed very responsive and worked well the whole time I auditioned the unit.
I planned to do some testing with the digital inputs to gauge the quality of the DACs in the Mambo. There is both a toslink and coaxial input, both of which flash when there is no signal going to the amplifier. I was hoping that the quality would be good enough to use a computer, iPod, or similar digital device on the input. Ultimately, I tried to determine what level of CD player would be necessary to improve upon the performance of the Mambo’s built-in DACs.
The Music Hall is extremely solid and although the knobs looked a little strange to me, they had a good feel to them. As a side note, the amplifier has the right channel input on top (like some Audio Research equipment), so make sure you get the channel connections right.
Listening I – Comparisons with Musical Fidelity A3.2 Integrated Amplifier
I chose to use the Marantz DV-8400 mainly for convenience purposes. First, I wanted to be able to listen to SACDs. Secondly, it has two identical sets of L/R outputs, so I didn’t have to worry about plugging and unplugging the interconnect cables. I used a Musical Fidelity integrated amp for comparison ($1600) because not only are their products always highly-rated, but it seemed to be close enough in price to be a fair choice. The A3.2 offers an integrated phonograph section and a few of the features (like tape capability and preamplifier outputs) that the Mambo doesn’t have. The Mambo has an internal D/A converter, and both have remote control. I picked an appropriate (above-average) listening level and matched the outputs of the two integrated amplifiers with a multi-meter. I struggled with some of the sound quality differences (that were obvious to all that listened), but were a bit hard to describe. Each amplifier was ultimately compromised, but did manage to provide a very high level of performance that is most likely better than what most people have ever heard in this price range.
I let the amplifiers warm up for 24 hours and began the listening with track 5, “Conga Jam,” from Candido & Graciela Inolvidable. This CD is a standout in terms of sound quality, but this track especially is quite magical. The recording captures the placement of the drums both left to right and front to back. When Candido gets going you can clearly hear the sound of his hands hitting the drum moving all around the soundstage. Bass accompanies the drums and is also excellent. Both amps were quick and fairly liquid, although not as much as higher-end equipment or possibly tube equipment. The Mambo had a great sense of ease and control that was seductive on this track. Everything sounded precise and exact, and my feeling was the amp could give no more and no less.
When I switched over to the Musical Fidelity, the presentation changed. With the A3.2, everything was bigger, dynamics appeared to increase, there were differences in the presentation of both the highs and the lows, and the sound was more up front. The Mambo presented the sound a little farther back, had a comparatively lighter/finer balance, and the images were more clearly fixed in space. The A3.2 spread things out—both wider and larger. There was a very slight difference in high frequency output. Although the Mambo did a nice job with the echo and reverberation present in the church, the A3.2 made these sounds more noticeable. Normally I’d say that portrayal of information was a definite advantage with the Musical Fidelity, but not necessarily in this case. This extra “energy” was also noticeable on the other instruments, so it almost seemed additive in an unnatural way. However, it was so slight that it was hard to judge whether one sound was better or worse in this regard. More of my comments on this effect later.
Next, I tried track 3, “Whenever I Say Your Name,” from Sting’s Sacred Love SACD. This track features a duet with Mary J. Blige and is a fairly good recording. One thing I noticed on both amplifiers is that, for some reason, the voices on this track/disc seem to come from higher up than normal—as in a good two feet above what I thought was normal. With this recording, I felt the Mambo was sweeter than the Musical Fidelity, but not as expansive. At 1:30 into the track, there are a lot of different instruments, voices, and other sounds playing at the same time. The sound seemed restrained (partly due to the recording) and it was as if it wanted to do more, but the Mambo wasn’t letting it. The Musical Fidelity opened the soundstage, and sounded more forward. The voice was less defined in space in comparison to the Music Hall. The sound of the A3.2 seemed more open (perhaps due to the difference in power—the A3.2 is rated at 115 wpc). I noticed the same issue that I had on the previous track with the Musical Fidelity regarding the added “energy.” Describing it as a white noise would be blowing it out of proportion, but that is what I heard to a much lesser degree. I thought that perhaps it was the CD player creating this sound, and the Musical Fidelity was reproducing while the Music Hall was taking it away. Or, it might have been the Mambo that was being more correct, and the A3.2 was adding something. In the end, I believe it was a little of both. A friend who I asked to comment described the effect using a video analogy: “It’s as if the Musical Fidelity is turning the Sharpness control up too much, and the Music Hall is turning it down too much.” That is about as good a description as I can muster.
I was really starting to hone in on the sound of the Mambo, and track 4, “Snowbound,” from Donald Fagen’s Kamakiriad helped. I was convinced that the Musical Fidelity’s distinctive sound involved a very, very slight high frequency tilt, punchy bass, extended dynamics, wide and deep soundstage, slightly forward sound, with images that were larger than life. The Mambo was more relaxed and laid back, not quite as open and airy on top. Although noise was extremely low and images were not only impressively well-defined, the background was black and made distinguishing between images in the soundstage easy. The Mambo’s sound was pristine, but strangely, in the way that most British speakers sound, the sound was almost too polite, as if the sound were being held back. It never really bloomed like the Musical Fidelity did.
I took notes with two more recordings: “Damascus” from Les McCann’s Anthology and Natalie Umbruglia singing “Troubled By The Way We Came Together” from the Go Soundtrack. The Mambo was a little restrained on the McCann track, but not having the sound in your face was pleasant with this jazz track. The Musical Fidelity again sounded bigger with the tambourine making its presence more obvious in the mix. The pop track was recorded at a higher level than some of the other music I heard. (I did not want to readjust levels after I had matched them, so I was listening to everything at the same volume settings.) The Musical Fidelity handled the volume level with no trouble, as did the Music Hall. The Mambo did not have as much high frequency extension, but also lacked any edge. The soundspace was smaller on the Mambo, but also had more pinpoint presentation. Again, I felt that the Mambo had the music in a vice and just wouldn’t let it escape. This restraint may clearly complement some music, while possibly detracting from others.
Listening II – Comparisons with NAD C521BEE digital vs. analog out
I was warned by a friend who owns both the Music Hall CD25 CD player ($600) and the Mambo that the he preferred the analog out of the CD player to using the internal D/A converter inside the amplifier. The truth is that the Mambo would be a good deal even if it didn’t have the converter built-in, so I view it as a kind of bonus. I didn’t really expect it to give a dedicated CD player a run for the money, but I thought I would try it anyway. I chose the relatively new entry-level CD player model from NAD, the C521BEE ($300).
I began with “The Girl From Ipanema” as done by Houston Person & Teddy Edwards from disc 1 of the Jazz For A Tropical Vacation CD set. It was a quick matter to switch between the digital and analog inputs on the Mambo via the remote control. I used a $100 coaxial digital cable vs. a $150 analog cable for the connections (for those who are interested). The digital input sounded a little bright and sizzly. The horn had more bite, but not really in a good way. The analog sound wasn’t as good as what I heard in Listening I, but was generally smoother and more natural. The piano was mellower and better represented in the mix. The sound of the analog input was much more like the sound I was getting in Listening I than that through the digital input.
I tried track 4, “Fake Plastic Trees,” from Radiohead’s The Bends. The digital connection made the sound thinner and recessed the sound of the voice to the point were it was harder to make out the words and hear what was happening in the recording. The analog input made the guitar strumming much warmer, smoother, and just plain better sounding. About 3:00 into the track, the sound was not as screechy as it was with the digital. I would recommend using the digital inputs with less critical sources and greatly encourage the purchase of a dedicated disc player (whether from Music Hall or another company).
Conclusion
There are some people who can’t stand solid-state equipment. They always point to a mechanical sound that doesn’t flow and sounds edgy, hard, and irritating. Those people need to listen to the Music Hall Mambo. You get a decent D/A converter that would sufficiently work with a modest priced digital component (like an iPod or other mp3 player), a cheap DVD player, or even a computer, and it comes with a remote control. The unit is built like a tank, and construction suggests it will last a lifetime. The Mambo sounded relaxed, slightly mellow, easy, and had about as little edge as I’ve heard with a solid-state piece of equipment anywhere near the price. If these qualities are important to you, then the Music Hall is a must-audition.
— Brian Bloom
big_brian_b@hotmail.com
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by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Component Reviews
Lumagen Vision Pro Video Scaler
Key Features
Inputs
8 programmable inputs.
Up to 8 Composite, 8 S-Video, 4 Component, 2 pass-through
NEW Optional SDI input (factory upgradeable)
Professional grade BNC's used for all inputs
Up to 2 Pass-through inputs, with 300 MHz bandwidth
Studio quality TV decoder with 10-bit A/D
Adaptive comb-filter (3 or 4 line) for reduction of cross-luma and cross-chroma artifacts
Automatic selection of NTSC (M, Japan, 4.43), PAL (B, D, G, H, I, M, N, Nc) or SECAM (B, D, G, K, K1, L) for composite and S-Video.
Video Processing
Film pull-down reconstruction (3:2 and 2:2)
Per-pixel motion-adaptive video de-interlacing
Detail-enhancing resolution scaling
Programmable cropping for each input memory
Black-level, contrast, color and hue calibration
Chroma-phase calibration
Source aspect ratio selection of 4:3, letterbox and 16:9, with two zoom levels each
Two memories per input, for input calibration and, output setup
Output
Professional grade BNC's used for the output
Programmable output resolution from 480p to 1080p in scan line increments, plus 1080i
Programmable vertical refresh rate from 48 to 75 Hertz, in steps of 0.01 Hertz
Programmable output aspect ratio from 1.33 to 2.35, in steps of 0.01
10-bit oversampled digital-to-analog conversion
RGBHV, RGBS, RGsB, or YPRPB output format
Embedded bilevel or trilevel sync
Discrete RGB sync polarities are programmable
Miscellaneous
Infrared remote plus RS232 serial control
Menu-based setup with on-screen display
Configuration save with undo and lock
Supply range of 100 to 240 volts at 47 to 63 Hz.
Case: 17x3.5x10.25 inches (432x89x260 mm)
Silent operation (no fan)
Price $1895
Intro
The Lumagen Vision Pro is the upper of the two models of Scalers produced by Lumagen. In this review I am not going to present a lot of video test results. I am going to present a review based on how the unit effects the picture quality for the eye of a somewhat astute video viewer. It does not matter what the tests show if you cannot easily discern it on your own screen. I have a fairly common HDTV setup. A 55 inch Mitsubishi Platinum Plus HDTV that is now a couple of years old. I have an upper consumer grade DVD player, the Marantz 8300. A Scaler is basically a consumer grade video processor. This one is different from most Scalers in that it accepts analog outputs from video devices and outputs from analog high-definition outputs. This means that you do not have to have to have a TV with a digital video input. TVs with high-resolution digital video inputs are just starting to become more common in High-Definition- capable TVs. There is also a feud going on about which connection type to use for digital TV. Basically the unit oversamples the analog signal and converts it to a digital form, where it may be processed to give the user a better picture.
This unit only has BNC connectors for the inputs and outputs. This may be a little disconcerting to a consumer with high-end video cables. There are nine BNC to RCA connectors provided with the unit. There are also a couple of S-Video-to-BNC cables included.Eight sets of video inputs are available. All eight can be used for S-Video or composite video inputs. Inputs 4 through 8 can be used for component video inputs. Inputs 7 and 8 can be designated for pass through for High Definition sources, like HDTV and Blue Laser. The BNC output can feed any high definition analog input (RGB and YPRPB) of a High Definition TV. First the unit takes the over-sampled video signal and scales it to the proper size for your monitor or screen. It also processes the signal to enhance detail and lessen video artifacts. It then sends out an analog signal at whatever lines of resolution you set can take. Previous Scalers have been mostly for front projection, and much more expensive. As people have started to see High Definition pictures and watch video on bigger screens, they have started to realize the limitations of non-High-Def sources. This is a product to bring standard definition pictures closer to High Definition pictures. The output of the unit can be set to any definition from 480P to 1080P. It can also output 1080i.
Setup
I am using a Mitsubishi Platinum Plus HDTV for the review. The first step is to hook up the Lumagen to your video components and monitor. Your monitor needs to have the advanced convergence carefully adjusted. If you are not well- versed in video setup, you may want to have your dealer help in the setup. You need to set your inputs as far as the proper type and size they are outputting. I used the Avia “Guide to Home Theater” test DVD to help with the set up. Since the High Definition TV receiver goes through in a pass-through mode, I set the TV up for best HD picture. Then I used the Avia disc to set up the unit’s output. You need to set the DVD player output to 480i. I found that the TV settings and the Lumagen’s settings might fight each other. You need to make sure that you save your adjustments or they will be lost. Once I got the settings done for the DVD input, I copied these setting to both the memories for the inputs that I used. I then tweaked the other inputs with the best source material I could find for that input. I use a HDTV receiver, Laser Disc, DVD and Super VHS sources. I first thought of getting the $1000 Vision, but I have too many inputs for the standard model. One possible problem is that the cables provided are six feet long. I had to get some BNC cable extenders for my DVD inputs. They use BNC as a superior connection to other connection types. This unit has a great many more controls than are available on most TVs.
Viewing Results
I originally tried both the 1080i and 480p output modes. I tried some prerecorded VHS tapes. They became much more pleasing to watch with the Lumagen. Without the Lumagen they were hardly worth watching. The Lumagen took the picture quality up to the level of a very mediocre DVD as to picture quality. The picture was still not thrilling, but VHS has a very limit amount of information to start with and processing can do only so much. I then tried some Laser Discs. I have several hundred LDs, some of which I cannot replace on DVD at this time. The Lumagen helped the quality of the Laser Disc picture. It improved detail and smoothness of the image. It is amazing to me how much video quality has improved since the DVD. What we thought was a state of the art picture twelve years ago, now appears bland and without color intensity. Even the Pioneer Laser Disc Demonstration disc looks bland compared with an average quality DVD.
Now for the most important area: what does it do for your DVD picture? I have always been amazed at how good the picture in my setup looks on most DVDs. I tried the Lumagen with both 480p and 1080i outputs. I used my two usual reference discs, “Fifth Element” Sony Superbit edition and “Wind”. There was an improvement with both of the resolutions. I slightly preferred the 1080i output because of slightly better detail, although the 480p had a little smoother image. I was however not blown away with the improvement. After all, I was already using a high-end DVD player outputting 480p. I talked to Lumagen’s owner and he suggested trying 540p. This is the progressive equivalent to a 1080i high definition signal. I did not think of this before because it is not a normal output of video equipment. This gave me about 12 percent more progressive lines than I was getting with 480p. This really did the trick – the picture was even further improved. Background detail was enhanced and defined. Colors had more solidity. There was less image swimming on distant panoramas. I also tried processing standard TV signals with a fair amount of success.
Conclusions
This is not a product for everyone. Costing as much as a new 55-inch HDTV, it will not seem like a high priority to many buyers. The viewer that is particular about the quality of their picture could find it very worthwhile. Other reviews have commented that the improvement may vary depending on the quality of the video processing in your TV and DVD players. The improvement would also become more important with increasing screen size. This unit definitely lessens the difference between DVD and high definition signals. If you are tied to LD or VHS sources for some videos, it makes watching them more tolerable. I think that with professional setup I could have even gotten slightly more out of the unit. It also improves watching standard digitally-derived signals. The improvement I saw going from 480p to 540p, makes me think that if you had a TV that took a 720p signal, the results would be amazing. Even more amazing would be a picture that took a 1080p signal. I know of nothing that will take this signal now. There may be some front projectors that can do it. You can cut the cost of this processing by going to their $1000 Vision unit. The processing is supposedly the same. The differences between the units are the number of inputs and upgradeability. The Vision only has one S-Video, one composite, one component and one bypass input. The Pro unit can be upgraded software- wise, over the Internet. The Pro also is able to add a digital video out if you need it in the future. I saw the difference between the analog and digital outputs at the home of the owner of Lumagen. The processing was slightly improved when the digital output was used. As a result of this evaluation, the unit has taken up permanent residence in my system.
— Clay Swartz
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Component Reviews
March 2004, Review 1 [2] [3] [4]
ACOUSTECH 5.1-CHANNEL LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM
Acoustech
42 Alpha Drive
Highland Heights, OH 44143
(888) 461-4628
www.bicamerica.com
One of the highlights of this year’s CES show was the introduction of a fresh series of loudspeakers from a well-established U.S.-based manufacturer. Designed with a horn tweeter system, this new speaker line is named “Acoustech” and is a division of BIC America. I placed a request to audition these Acoustech speakers and was fortunate enough to be the first reviewer to receive a complete system to evaluate.
Upon receiving the Acoustech line, consisting of two main channel towers (Model HT-75), one center channel (Model HT-65), two surrounds (Model HT-63), and a powered subwoofer (Model H100), I thought it would be appropriate to perform a direct comparison between them and selected speakers from the Klipsch line. I tried to select those Klipsch speakers that I thought would match up most closely to the Acoustechs either in price or size. As such, I acquired the following Klipsch speakers to use in this comparison review: Reference RF-3II main channel towers, Reference RC-35 center channel, Synergy SF-1 main channel towers, and a Synergy KSW-10 powered subwoofer. As a point of reference, the Klipsch Reference line is its high-end line and is carried by specialty audio dealers. The Klipsch Synergy line is its entry-level line and is carried by large national electronics’ chains.
I. Pricing
A. Acoustech. Individual pricing for the Acoustech speaker series is as follows: HT-75 main channel towers ($499.00/pair), HT-65 center channel speaker ($179.95), HT-63 rear channel/bookshelf speakers ($269.95.00/pair), and H100 subwoofer ($349.00). Package pricing for the entire six-speaker system is $1,199.00.
B. Klipsch Reference Series. Typical pricing for the Klipsch Reference speaker series is as follows: RF-3II main channel towers ($849.95/pair), RC-35 center channel speaker ($399.00), RS-35 rear channel/bookshelf speakers ($599.98/pair), and RW-10 subwoofer ($500.00).
C. Klipsch Synergy Series. Pricing at Best Buy’s on-line site for the Klipsch Synergy speaker series is as follows: SF-1 main channel towers ($499.98/pair), SC-1 center channel speaker ($279.99), SS-1 rear channel/bookshelf speakers ($399.98/pair), and KSW-10 subwoofer ($399.99).
II. Selected Technical Specs
A. Main Channel Towers
i. Acoustech HT-75. The HT-75’s dimensions are approximately 40”H x 9”W x 8”D with a weight of 26 pounds. The single front-ported cabinet houses two 6.5” graphite-injected cone woofers along with a 6.5” horn tweeter system. The power handling is 10-150 watts per channel. The frequency response is 35Hz to 20kHz with 96dB sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance.
ii. Klipsch RF-3II. The RF-3II’s dimensions are approximately 38.5”H x 9”W x 16.2”D with a weight of 56 pounds. The single rear-ported cabinet houses two 8” aluminum cone woofers along with a 6” horn tweeter system. The power handling is 10-150 watts per channel. The frequency response is 37Hz to 20kHz with 98dB sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance.
iii. Klipsch Synergy SF-1. The SF-1’s dimensions are approximately 33”H x 8”W x 13.75”D with a weight of 33 pounds. The single rear-ported cabinet houses one 6.5” graphite-injected cone woofer along with a 5” horn tweeter system. The power handling is 10-100 watts per channel. The frequency response is 40Hz to 20kHz with 94dB sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance.
B. Center Channels
i. Acoustech HT-65. The HT-65’s dimensions are approximately 8”H x 22”W x 6”D with a weight of 18 pounds. The sealed cabinet houses two 6.5” graphite-injected cone woofers along with a 6.5” horn tweeter system. The power handling is 10-150 watts per channel. The frequency response is 55Hz to 20kHz with 96dB sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance.
ii. Klipsch Reference RC-35. The RC-35’s dimensions are approximately 7.9”H x 23.5”W x 10.9”D with a weight of 26 pounds. The dual front ported cabinet houses two 6.5” aluminum cone woofers along with a 6” horn tweeter system. The power handling is 10-125 watts per channel. The frequency response is 56Hz to 20kHz with 96dB sensitivity and 8 ohm impedance.
C. Powered Subwoofers
i. Acoustech H100. The H100’s dimensions are approximately 17”H x 15”W x 18.25”D with a weight of 42 pounds. The single rear vented cabinet houses a front firing, graphite injected, 12” cone woofer. The H100’s internal amplifier provides 150 watts RMS (500 watts dynamic peak) of power output. The frequency response is 24Hz to 200Hz.
ii. Klipsch Synergy KSW-10. The KSW-10’s dimensions are approximately 15.5”H x 13.5”W x 13.5”D with a weight of 29 pounds. The single rear vented cabinet houses a down firing, fiber-composite, 10” cone woofer. The KSW-10’s internal amplifier provides 55 watts RMS (225 watts dynamic peak) of power output. The frequency response is 29Hz to 120Hz.
III. Cosmetics.
A. Acoustech. The entire Acoustech line, including the H100 subwoofer, is visually stunning. The main channel towers are streamlined (a space-friendly, 8” cabinet depth) and elegant. Adding to the contemporary look, copper-colored cone woofers are used in all of the Acoustech model speakers. While the sides of all of the speaker models are composed of black ash vinyl veneer, the tops and bottoms are a different story. Without a doubt, the mots dramatic cosmetic quality of the Acoustech line is their high-gloss, black finish tops and bottoms. The finish, done with five coats of hand-rubbed lacquer, is similar to that on a piano and typically only found on high-end loudspeakers.
B. Klipsch. The Klipsch Synergy line of speakers is average in appearance. The cabinets (tops, bottoms, and sides) are all finished in black ash vinyl veneer and the woofers are black in color. The Synergy main channel towers might be a little taxing (13.75” cabinet depth) for those with limited room space. The Klipsch Reference line is more attractive than the Synergy line. The copper-colored aluminum woofers, used in all of the Reference series speakers, give them a nice contemporary look. There is not any high-gloss finish on the Reference series cabinets; vinyl veneer is used top to bottom. The Klipsch RF-3II cabinets are rather bulky with a considerable 16.2” cabinet depth.
IV. Performance.
I had asked one of the Acoustech engineers why they designed their new line of speakers to include horn tweeters rather than dome tweeters. In response to my question, I was told that horn tweeter systems have a greater dynamic range than dome tweeter systems. For this very reason, speakers with horn systems are often used in movie theaters to achieve the maximum sonic experience for audiences. With the ever-increasing popularity of DVDs and home theater, it is easy to see why Klipsch speakers, regarded by many A/V professionals to possess exceptional dynamic range, have rapidly grown in sales. Let’s now jump into my performance comparison of the Acoustech and Klipsch speakers.
A. Acoustech. Overall, the Acoustechs are great sounding speakers and excellent all-around performers. This series of speakers seamlessly matches its horn tweeters with its cone woofers, thereby alleviating any holes in frequency response. Reproduction of high frequencies were pronounced, open, and thankfully, not excessively bright. Midrange reproduction was crisp and clean while bass was tight and punchy. The Acoustechs are also very efficient speakers. Rated at a 96dB sensitivity level, I was amazed at how little power was actually required to effortlessly fill the room with sound. I have a pair of Infinity Reference 2000.5 towers that literally played half as loud as the Acoustech HT-75s despite both being played at the identical volume level on the receiver. There must be at least a 3dB difference there! Lastly, the Acoustech speakers have superb dynamic range, faithfully reproducing everything from whisper soft vocals in a jazz song to the loudest explosions in an action movie.
With regard to its subwoofer, the Acoustech H100 is hands-down awesome. Its bass is cavernously deep and very smooth. When watching a movie, the H100 produces bass that you can feel in your chest but without any distracting boom or other distortion. The H100 perfectly blends with the Acoustech speakers, and for best performance, the manufacturer recommends incorporating the subwoofer into the system. (While the Acoustech system sounds best using the H100, those on a limited budget may find that the HT-75 towers supply ample bass without the subwoofer for many small to medium sized rooms).
B. Klipsch Reference series. Overall, the Reference series models I auditioned were good, solid speakers. Rated at 98dB, they also effortlessly filled the room with sound and might even be more efficient than the Acoustech line. The high frequencies reproduced by the Klipsch Reference series were bright and soaring although they tended to be somewhat directional. Midrange reproduction was accurate and crisp, but bass was severely lacking, which is surprising given the Reference series’ significant cabinet depth. Perhaps its horn tweeter system is so strong that the woofers are simply overpowered. Whatever the cause, there is a noticeable hole in their frequency response and a powered subwoofer is a definite necessity with the Klipsch Reference speakers I reviewed. The lack of bass problem notwithstanding, the Reference series speakers have exceptional dynamic range.
C. Klipsch Synergy series. Overall, the Synergy series models I auditioned were sturdy and pleasant sounding speakers. Rated at 94dB, they also can fill a room with sound but not as effortlessly as the Reference series or Acoustech line. The high frequencies reproduced by the Klipsch Synergy series were clean and bright although they tended to be directional. Bass was unexpectedly deep but came across as boomy and muddy. This boominess masked some of the midrange reproduction thereby making the speaker sound more muffled than the others. Despite its overemphasized bass, the Synergy line of speakers demonstrated very good dynamic range.
With regard to its subwoofer, the Klipsch Synergy KSW-10 is actually impressive for its price and size. Its bass is punchy, tight and did not distort at relatively high volume levels. It was not able to extend as deep into the lower frequencies as the H-100 could, the result being that more bass was heard than felt with the KSW-10. However, for smaller room sizes, the KSW-10 is a more than capable performer.
V. Conclusion.
This was my first audition of speakers with horn tweeter systems and I have to say that I was generally impressed with the Klipsch line. The Synergy series was a little boomy with its bass handling and the Reference series lacked some bass, but to their credit, both lines were very efficient and had great dynamic range. Either Klipsch series would make for a solid home theater speaker system.
The Acoustech speaker line knocked my socks off. Since the Acoustech system is significantly less expensive than both the comparable Klipsch Synergy and Klipsch Reference systems, it would have been commendable for the Acoustechs just to be competitive in sonic quality. The remarkable thing is that the Acoustech system, at $1,199.00, surpasses the performance of the two Klipsch systems which cost $600.00 and $1,200.00 more. The Acoustechs have a more balanced sound, a greater dynamic range, and superior cosmetics than the Klipschs, plus the Acoustechs are also efficient. In terms of value and performance, I give the Acoustech speaker line my highest recommendation.
– Calvin Harding, Jr.
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Special Features
Special Features This Month:
Disney Concert Hall + Classical Hall of Fame
The New Gold Standard for Audiophiles
No, it’s not a new $50,000 speaker system or a new SACD player! And it’s not another proclamation from Harry Pearson. It’s the experience of hearing an orchestra perform live at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Until you hear how really glorious an orchestra can sound in this landmark acoustical masterpiece, you have no idea how powerful and intimate a symphony orchestra can sound. It’s the new gold standard for orchestra lovers.
Architect Frank Gehry’s exterior – a cornucopia of shiny, hot/cold multi-angled stainless steel receives the most publicity. My visit there in early February was filled with bustling tourists clamoring to see the hall. From a distance the façade is a brilliant melange of miraculously integrated slanted and curved surfaces. In the bright sunshine walking next to the building the reflection of the heat off the structure warmed the cool air and blinded the eyes. Even the gardens surrounding the upper level of the structure (accessible to anyone, not just ticket holders) failed to soften the hard surfaces that towered over the greenery. An outside children’s amphitheatre of cement reinforces the perception: this is an exterior that reflects the hard-edged and multifaceted urban landscape that surrounds Disney Hall.
The genius of the building is the contrast between the outside and the transformation that occurs when one enters it. The shiny surfaces and the brazenly configured exterior are replaced by the warm glow of wood and the colorful pastel seats. In the day, the auditorium is partially lit by two skylights that transform the bright Southern California sun into a romantic, Caribbean sunset. The audience completely surrounds the orchestra, which combined with the clarity and ambiance that the acoustics reveal, creates a sense of community, removing the separation between audience and orchestra.
When I sat in my upper orchestra (Terrace) seats the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted that day by Christoph von Dohnanyi, was going through the usual pre-concert warm up exercises. In other venues, these moments of musical chaos blend together but here I heard the concert master distinctively separated from the rest of the performers. The lower basses and cellos are clearly heard as separate sections, something that was totally revelatory to these ears. The instrumental choirs have an inner clarity but never cover up the integrated orchestral sound (except where the composer deems it appropriate). Acoustics this immediate are unforgiving: musical blemishes stand out clearly as do any noises the audience makes: coughs, dropped concert programs and, of course, the dreaded cell phone beeps.
And yet, this kind of acoustical clarity links the audience to the performers so that there is a palpable sense both are creating the experience together. The slow movement of the Mozart 25th Symphony was an ethereal revelation that was made possible not only by the performers but by the audience whose utter silence reflected the quietude back to the musicians. Dynamic contrasts create a drama that rivals live theater or movies. And, of course, the louder sections of Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel were as thrilling as the pianissimos of the Mozart. The impact on the listener creates the illusion of hearing a huge orchestra in your living room: you’re in the middle of the orchestra, yet you’re hearing the ambient space of the hall and the intimacy of the instruments at the same time. The outer shell of this sonic miracle may attract the attention, but it’s the essence of the music played inside that makes the Walt Disney Concert Hall experience a must for all those who revel in orchestral sounds.
— Robert Moon
Classical Recording Industry Hall of Fame for 2004
The following 20 recordings have been selected by the CLASSICAL RECORDING INDUSTRY HALL of FAME for the 2004 Awards. They are recordings 26-45 to be honored. Both numbers are listed. The recordings are listed in random order.
1 (26). Copland-Appalachian Spring (original version for chamber group),Ensemble led by Copland. Recorded by CBS (New York 1973). CD# Sony MK 42431.
2 (27). Puccini-La Boheme. Freni, Pavarotti, Ghiaurov, Panerai, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan. Recorded by Decca (Berlin 10/72). CD# Decca 421 049 2.
3 (28). Brahms-A German Requiem. Schwarzkopf, Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus/Otto Klemperer. Recorded by EMI (London 1961). CD# 7243 5 66903 2 5.
4 (29). Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade. Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner. Recorded by RCA (Chicago 2/8/60). CD# RCA 68168.
5 (30). Herold-La Fille Mal Gardee-excerpts. Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden/John Lanchbery. Recorded by Decca (London 2/62). CD# Decca 430 196 2.
6 (31). Mozart- Divertimento for String Trio K563. Pasquier Trio. Recorded by Erato (Paris 1964). CD# Erato Japan WPCS 22082.
7 (32). Liszt-The 2 Piano Concerti.Sviatoslav Richter/London Symphony Orchestra/Kirill Kondrashin. Recorded by Mercury (London 7/61). CD# Philips 446 200 2.
8 (33). Brahms-Symphony 4. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Herbert von Karajan. Recorded by DG (Berlin 10/63). Not available on CD. Original LP# DG SPLM 138 927.
9 (34). Berlioz-Les Troyans. Vickers, Veasey, Lindholm, Glossop. Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Sir Colin Davis. Recorded by Philips (London 10/69). CD# Philips 416 432 2.
10 (35). Beethoven-String Quartet in C Sharp Minor #14, Opus 131. Version for string orchestra. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein. Recorded by DG (Vienna 9/77). CD# DG 435 779 2.
11 (36). Dvorak-10 Legends for Orchestra. Budapest Festival Orchestra/Ivan Fischer. Recorded by Philips (3/99). CD# Philips 464 647 2.
12 (37). Three Tenors in concert in Rome 1990. Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti. Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Orchestra del Theatro dell’Opera di Roma/Zubin Mehta. Recorded by Decca (Rome 7/7/90). CD# Decca 430 433 2.
13 (38). Respighi-Ancient Airs and Dances. Philharmonia Hungarica/Antal Dorati. Recorded by Mercury (6/58). CD# Mercury 434 304 2.
14 (39). Britten-Peter Grimes. Pears, Watson, Evans, Brannigan. Opera and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Benjamin Britten. Recorded by Decca (London 12/58). CD# Decca 414 577 2.
15 (40). Goldmark-Regina di Saba, Aria “Magiche Note”. Enrico Caruso/Orchestra conducted by Walter B. Rogers. Recorded by Victor (Camden 11/7/09). CD# RCA 63469 and Naxos 8.110719.
16 (41). Beethoven-Violin Concerto. Joseph Szigeti/British Symphony Orchestra/Bruno Walter. Recorded by HMV (London 4/14/32). CD# Naxos 8.110946.
17 (42). Sibelius-Symphony 2. London Symphony Orchestra/Pierre Monteux. Recorded by Decca for RCA (London 6/58). CD# Decca Japan UCCD-7071.
18 (43). Schubert-Symphony 9 and Haydn Symphony 88. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Wilhelm Furtwangler. Recorded by DG (Berlin 12/51). CD# DG 447 439 2.
19 (44). Beethoven- Piano Trio #7 “Archduke.” Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Eugene Istomin. Recorded by Columbia (Switzerland 1965). CD# SBK 53514.
20 (45) Arnold-English, Scottish and Cornish Dances. London Philharmonic Orchestra/Arnold. Recorded by Decca for Lyrita (London 1979). CD# Lyrita SCRD 201.
The WALTER LEGGE Award is presented each year for outstanding contribution to the world of recording classical music. For 2004 this award is presented to the RCA Victor production team of Richard Mohr (producer) and Lewis Leyton (engineer). They are best known for their outstanding work in the RCA “Living Stereo” series of recordings in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
We wish to thank record collectors and record companies world wide for contributing to the 2004 Awards. If you would like to participate in the 2005 Award selection process, please contact us at HALLofFAME@mail.com.
![Classical CD Reviews, Part 2 of 2]()
by John Sunier | Mar 1, 2004 | Index to All Reviews
Index to All 143 Discs Reviewed for March 2004:
Hi-Res Discs Pt. 1 (Jazz) – Billy Cobham – Spectrum, Marian McPartland with String – Silent Pool, Jane Monheit x 2: Never Never Land/Come Dream With Me, Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Bros., John Pizzarelli – My Blue Heaven, Jack McDuff and Joey DeFrancesco – It’s About Time, Gil Evans & Ten, Dorian Michael – Acoustic Blues, Cheryl Bentyne – Among Friends, Ray Brown Trio – Summer Wind, Mongo Santamaria – Live at Jazz Alley, Tierney Sutton – Dancing in the Dark, Jim Hall – Concierto, Tommy Turrentine plus Max Roach Quintet, Romero Life at Trinity Church, Diana Krall – The Look of Love, Two Reference DVD Recordings from Mataxas Audio
Hi-Res Discs Pt. 2 (Classical) – Entremeses Del Siglo De Oro: Lope de Vega and his Era; BRAHMS: Requiem – Herreweghe; WOLFGANG HUFSCHMIDT: Meissner Te Deum; VON KESSELS: Requiem; MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bald Mt., BORODIN: Steppes of Central Asia – Slatkin; SHOSTAKOVICH: Sym. No. 7 Leningrad – Gergiev; SHOSTAKOVICH: Sym. Nos. 5 & 6 – Oleg Caetani; 17th Century Music and Dances from the Viennese Court – Arts Antiqua Austria; MESSIAEN: Turangalila-Symphonie – Chailly; Percussion XXth Century – Jonathan Faralli; Please Welcome Matt Haimovitz, cello; SCHUBERT x 2: Trout Quintet, MOZART: Clarinet Quintet (SACD); Trout Quintet & SCHUBERT Impromptus (DVD-A); Baroque Music for Brass and Organ – Empire Brass Quintet; FALLA: 3-Cornered Hat, Nights in the Gardens of Spain – Joseph Pons; Concertos for Doublebass and orchestra – Fredin, b./Wedin; BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Variations & Fugue on Handel Theme – Auryn Quartet; RACHMANINOFF: Trio elegiaque, TCHAIKOVSKY: Trio – Abegg Trio; La Folia de la Spagna – Paniagua; TCHAIKOVSKY: Sym. No. 6, SCRIABIN: Prometheus – Gergiev; MAHLER: Sym. No. 3 – Benjamin Zander; MAHLER: Sym. No. 8 – Riccardo Chailly
Hi-Res Discs Pt. 3 (Pop/Rock/Misc.) – [Multichannel Disc of the Month] Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells 2003, Deep Purple – Live on the BBC, Beck – Sea Change, Steely Dan – Gaucho, Blood, Sweat & Tears 3, Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Raise Your Spirit Higher, Ryan Adams – Lost Highway, Marvin Gaye Collection, The Mavericks, I Ching – Of the Marsh and Moon, Seabiscuit Soundtrack (Newman), Blues Traveler – Truth Be Told, Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session, America – Homecoming, Cell: One – Poet Name Life Presents, Robert Cray – Time Will Tell, Teddy Pendergrass – From the Front Row Live!, Living Color – Collideoscope, Dr. Chesky’s Magnificent, Fabulous, Absurd & Insane Musical 5.1 Surround Show
Classical CDs Pt. 1 – Soir dit-elle – Trio Mediaeval; Traditional Jewish Chants and Prayers – Levin; BARBER: Vanessa – Gil Rose; PROKOFIEV: Chout ballet – Jurowski; GINASTERA: Estancia, Harp Concerto – Pons; MOZART: Flute Concertos 1 & 2, Con. for Flute & Harp – Gallois/Pierre; STRAVINSKY: Works for Violin & Piano – Bratchkova/Meyer-Hermann; The Tube Only Violin: Captivating Violin Pieces – Gaede/Liu; The London Trumpet Sound Vol. 2 – Simon; BACH: English Suite – Hewitt, p.; LINDBERG: Christmas Cantata – Sjokvist; HINDEMITH: Clarinet Chamber Music – Yeh/Blackwood
Classical CDs Pt. 2 – BRAHMS: Double Concerto, Sym. No. 2 – Haitink; BOCCHERINI: Guitar Quintets & Quartet – Biondi; BOISMORTIER: Serenades, Bassoon Concerto, etc. – Niquet; Anglo-American Anonymous – Anonymous 4; TAVENER: Ikon of Eros – Goodwin; WOELFL: Piano Sonatas – Nakamatsu; BACH: Cantatas Nos. 82 & 199 – Craig Smith; CHOPIN: Ballades, Mazurkas, Polonaises – Anderszewski; TCHAIKOVSKY: Sym. No. 5, Romeo & Juliet Ov. – Daniele Gatti; SCHUBERT: Fantasy, ERNST: Fantaise, SCHOENBERG: Phantasy, WAXMAN: Fantasy – Huang, violin
Jazz CDs – Candido & Graciela – Inolvidable, Joel Framm & Brad Mehldau – Don’t Explain, Klazz Bros. & Cuba Percussion – Classic Meets Cuba, Africa Straigh Ahead compilation, Eliane Elias – Brazilian Classics, Percy Heath – A Love Song, Willie Rodriguez Jazz Quartet – Flatjacks, Peter Arthur Loeb – Four of Me, Univ. of Miami Concert Jazz Band – Romances, Tierney Sutton – Dancing in the Dark, Gunnar Madsen, p. – 13 Ways of Looking at a Waltz, Carla Lother – 100 Lovers
Video DVDs Pt. 1 (Music Videos) – Abbada conducts BEETHOVEN Symphonies 4 & 7; Martha Argerich plans SCHUMANN Piano Concerto, LISZT & RAVEL; Yehudi & Haphzibah Menuhin play violin-piano works by FRANCK, SCHUBERT, BARTOK, ENESCU, MENDELSSOHN; The Art of Jean-Pierre Rampal – Music of COUPERIN, BACH, HAYDN, DEBUSSY, BOCCHERINI, MOZART; Violinist Arthur Grumiaux plays MENDELSSOHN, BEETHOVEN & ST. -SAENS Concertos, also BACH, BLOCH, PAGANINI; Violinist Henryk Szeryng plays BRAHMS, BARTOK, BACH, RAVEL, DEBUSSY, MOZART, KREISLER; Three Tales: Hindenberg/Bikini/Dolly – Music by STEVE REICH, Videos by Beryl Korot; Sergiu Celibidache conducts BRUCKNER’s Mass in F Minor; The Marsalis Family – A Jazz Celebration; Sarah McLachlan – VH1 Storyteller; The Home Movies of Mickey Jones
Video DVDs Pt. 2 – Now Swing: Unforgettable Moments from the Movies; The Critic – Complete series; The Emperor’s New Clothes; I Love You To Death; Once Upon a Time in Mexico; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Video DVDs Pt. 3 – Decasia: The State of Decay; The Magic of Fellini, Jacque Demy’s Lola; Storyville; Returner; The Phantom of the Opera 1925 & 29; Dickie Roberts Former Child Star, Mad Love – 3 Films of Evgeni Bauer
Classical Reissues Pt. 1 – Ansermet cond. DEBUSSY, DUKAS, ST.-SAENS; Argenta cond. STRAVINSKY, RODRIGO, BRAHMS; Wm. Backhaus plays BRAHMS; Beecham cond. SMETANA: The Bartered Bride (comp. opera); Karl Bohm cond. MOZART, HAYDN, BRUCKNER, SCHUBERT; Cantelli cond. TCHAIKOVSKY; Clifford Curzon Decca Recordings – MOZART,SCHUBERT, BRAHMS, DVORAK, FRANK, GRIEG; Goldberg/Riddle/Hindemith/Primrose/Feuermann/Kraus in MOZART & BEETHOVEN; Ida Haendel in Recital – Violin-Piano works of BEETHOVEN, BACH, MOZART, DVORAK, WIENIAWSKI; Rudolf Kempe cond. MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde; Hans Knappertsbusch cond. BEETHOVEN, WAGNER; Michael Gielen cond. MAHLER: Sym. No. 10 Adagio, Kindertotenlieder, WEBERN: In Sommerwid
Classical Reissues Pt. 2 – Paul Tortelier Master Class: SCHUMANN & HINDEMITH Cello Concertos; Markevitch cond. MENDELSSOHN, LISZT, MOZART, CHABRIER; Charles Mackerras cond. JANACEK, ENESCU, BARTOK, BRAHMS, DVORAK; Matacic cond. BORODIN, TCHAIKOVSKY; Holscher & Richter-Haaser in works for cello & piano by BEETHOVEN, PFITZNER, BACH, FRESCOBALDI, DVORAK, HINDEMITH, MENDELSSOHN; Michelangeli plays works of SCARLATTI, BEETHOVEN, CHOPIN, CLEMENTI; Nikolajewa plays BACH, SHOSTAKOVICH, BEETHOVEN; Wm. Primrose Early Recordings – ST.-SAENS, CHOPIN, PURCELL, PAGANINI, BACH, TCHAIKOVSKY; Svetlanov cond. RACHMANINOFF: Sym. No. 1, Vocalise; Vaclav Talich cond. BACH, MOZART, DVORAK, TCHAIKOVSKY
SCHUMANN: Cello Concerto Op. 129 (rec. 1962); HINDEMITH: Cello Concerto (1940) (rec. 1967); A Tortelier master class: The Hindemith Concerto – Paul Tortelier, cello, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati (Schumann) and the New Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Sir Edward Downes (Hindemith) – BBC Legends 4133-2 (63 mins.):
MENDELSSOHN: The First Walpurgis Night, Op. 60/LISZT: Mephisto Waltz/MOZART: German Dance No. 2, K. 509 Sleigh Ride/CHABRIER: Fete Polonaise
JANACEK: Sinfonietta; Four Opera Preludes/ENESCU: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 11/BARTOK: Romanian Folk Dances/DVORAK: Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor/BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances No. 5 in G Minor; No. 6 in D Major
BORODIN: Prince Igor: Overture; March; Polovtsian Dances/ TCHAIKOVSKY: Capriccio Italien, Op. 45; Eugen Onegin: Introduction; Waltz; Polonaise; Overture–The Storm, Op. 76
BEETHOVEN: Cello Sonatas, Op. 5/PFITZNER: Cello Sonata in F# Minor, Op.1/BACH: Solo Sonata for Cello No. 6 in D, BWV 1012/FRESCOBALDI: Toccata for Cello and Basso Continuo/DVORAK: Adagio in D; Rondo in G Minor, Op.94/HINDEMITH: Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 11, No. 3/MENDELSSOHN: Cello Sonata No. 2 in D, Op. 58
SCARLATTI: 3 Sonatas/BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111/CHOPIN: Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35/CLEMENTI: Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 1
BACH: Ricercare a 3 Voci, from BWV 1079; French Suite No. 4 in E-flat, BWV 815/SHOSTAKOVICH: 4 Preludes and Fugues from Op. 87/BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32 in C Minor , Op. 111; Andante from Sonata in G, Op. 79
WILLIAM PRIMROSE – The Early Recordings, violin and viola (music by Bach, Saint-Saëns, Kreisler, Chopin, Purcell, Paganini and Tchaikovsky), with Iodole Menges (piano), Sidonie Goossens (harp) and Gerald Moore (piano) – Pearl GEM 0207 (68 mins.):
RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 13; Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
BACH: Suite No. 3 in D, BWV 1068/MOZART: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro; Symphony No. 33 in B-flat, K. 319/DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “From the New World“/TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite No. 4 in G, Op. 61 “Mozartiana“
STRAVINSKY: Pulcinella Suite/RODRIGO: Concerto d’ete/BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
BRAHMS: Ballade in D Minor; Ballade in D Major; Klavierstuecke, Op. 118; Waltzes, Op. 39; Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1; Paganini Variations; Scherzo, Op. 4; 2 Hungarian Dances; 2 Rhapsodies, Op. 79; Selected Intermezzi and Caprices, Opp. 76 and 116
SMETANA: The Bartered Bride (Complete Opera, Sung in German)
Karl Bohm conducts = MOZART: Overture to Cosi fan tutte/BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor/HAYDN: Symphony No. 91 in E-flat Major/SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D. 944 The Great
TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet–Fantasy Overture; Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathetique“
Clifford Curzon Decca Recordings, 1941-1972 Vol. 2 = SCHUBERT: 4 Impromptus, D. 899; Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960/MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K. 488; Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491/BRAHMS: Piano Sonata\ No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5; Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15; Intermezzos in E-flat and C Major/DVORAK: Piano Quintet in A, Op. 81/FRANCK: Piano Quintet in F Minor/GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A Minor
MOZART: Violin Sonata No. 17 in C, K. 296; Duo No. 1 in G Major, K. 423/BEETHOVEN: “Eyeglass” Duo in E-flat/Serenade in D Major, Op. 8
Ida Haendel in Recital = BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2/BACH: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor/MOZART: Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 378/DVORAK: Two Romantic Pieces, Op. 75/WIENIAWSKI: Polonaise No. 1 in D Major, Op. 4
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde/Interview with Rudolf Kempe
Hans Knappertsbusch conducts = BEETHOVEN: Coriolan Overture, Op. 62; Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72; Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37/WAGNER: Prelude and Love-Death from Tristan; Die Meistersinger: Act III Prelude; Immolation Scene from Gotterdaemmerung
Joel Frahm, tenor & soprano sax/Brad Mehldau, piano – Don’t Explain – Palmetto Records PM 2096:
Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion – Classic Meets Cuba – Sony Classical SK 93090:
Eliane Elias, piano & vocals – Brazilian Classics – Blue Note 7243 84337 2 2:
Percy Heath, bass & cello – A Love Song (with Jeb Patton, piano; Peter Washington, bass; “Tootie” Heath, drums & percussion) – Daddy Jazz Records (no #):
Willie Rodriguez Jazz Quartet – Flatjacks (Rodriguez, drums and Latin percussion; Seldon Powell, reeds; Barry Galbraith, guitar; George Duvivier, bass) – Milestone/Fantasy MCD-9331-2:
Peter Arthur Loeb and his One Man Band – Four of Me – PAL Music:
University of Miami Concert Jazz Band/Whit Sidener – Romances – Summit Education DCD 368:
Tierney Sutton; Dancing In The Dark. – Trio & Orch./
Gunnar Madsen, piano – Spinning World, 13 ways of looking at a waltz (with chamber ensemble) – G-Spot Records GSR001:
Carla Lother – 100 Lovers; Chesky Records JD250 CD:
& DVD-A 
Reviews 
Living Colour – Collideoscope; Silverline 288215-9 DVD-A:
LOPE DE VEGA et al: Entremeses Del Siglo De Oro
