Rave recordings!

[chancethegardener]

Well, that's the title of the forum, so hey - let's talk about it!

Now here are some recordings that I truly think are rave, because of both quality of sound and performance. Maybe they have been discussed before - haven't had a chance to check the archives...

1. Mercury Living Presence 432 000-2 (CD): Balalaika Favorites, Osipov Balalaika Orchestra (recorded 1958 in Moscow by Mercury on valve Ampex recorders and Westrex film recorders using three Telefunken 201 mics). Fabulous sound. The CD version has been re-mixed. The original three channel recording has had the persussion parts brought way forward in the mix, in contrast to the original stereo LP version on Phillips, which is less detailed, but warmer.

2. Sheffield LAB 7 (LP): Wagner excerpts. Los Angeles Phil conducted by Eric Leinsdorf. The LP wins over the CD re-issue every time. Siegfreid's Funeral March is absolutely stunning. Quite a dry sound, but that means that every detail is there in glaring nudity. Nice! All the Sheffield direct disc CD re-issues are actually made from tapes recorded at the same time. On Thelma Houston's "I've Got the Music in Me", you can hear distortion on the female backup singers in certain parts. Obviously, the levels went way into "red" and that was permanently recorded. Only the LP versions are blemish free.

3. EMI CDM 7 64019 2 (CD): Ralph Vaughan Williams, Symphonies No 4 and 6. Recorded in 1968 in stereo (careful, they were also done in the 1950's in mono by the same conductor - Sir Adrian Boult, on the same label - EMI). The stereo versions of these incredible symphones are truly astonishing for their dynamic range, balance and front to back depth. The orchestral drum rolls at the beginning of Symph No 6 (track 5) are a test for any bass system. Sub-woofers beware!!!

4. Linn AKD 104 (CD): Jack Jones Paints a Tribute to Tony Bennett. Lovely close miked Linn recording done in 1999. Simple spacious sound. Piano, double bas, drums and Jack. I suspect the horns are just a little synthetic - not sure about that. Jack Jones in fine voice - one of the great singers of the world. Singing songs that Tony Bennett has made famous over his incredible career, and he is still going strong as well. When Sinatra died, they all got "re-born". Whilst he was alive, all the other male singers definitely played second fiddle.

5. EMI / RADA (CD): When Love Speaks. These are all graduates from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) speaking excerpts from dramatic text, interspersed with songs. The jewel in the crown (no pun intended) is track 16, a song called "Come Again", by the 16th Century English composer, John Dowland. Just tenor voice, soprano sax, lute and double bass. Beautifully recorded with such detail. It's like they are all in the room with you. The title of the song means exactly what it says. She is in bed with him. They have made love. She wants more - lots more.

Well, there are five to consider. Anyone got some opinions on these? Go check them out if you are interested. Love to hear your suggestions on others. In case you are wondering, my music collection spans all music styles, except Country and Western. Please don't be offended if you are a C&W fan. It's just that I haven't had a chance to investigate it much. Feel free to educate me.

Cheers
Tony (Australia)

[dld]

Well, that's the title of the forum, so hey - let's talk about it!

2. Sheffield LAB 7 (LP): Wagner excerpts. Los Angeles Phil conducted by Eric Leinsdorf. The LP wins over the CD re-issue every time. Siegfreid's Funeral March is absolutely stunning. Quite a dry sound, but that means that every detail is there in glaring nudity. Nice! All the Sheffield direct disc CD re-issues are actually made from tapes recorded at the same time. On Thelma Houston's "I've Got the Music in Me", you can hear distortion on the female backup singers in certain parts. Obviously, the levels went way into "red" and that was permanently recorded. Only the LP versions are blemish free.

Cheers
Tony (Australia)

Couldn't agree with you more Tony about the Sheffield Labs discs, particularly the Thelma Houston one you mentioned. My most treasured musical possessions are my two remaining unopened LPs of I've Got The Music In Me (I have 3 opened that I've almost worn out). I've just recently acquired a few more Sheffield LPs, Amanda McBroom, :Lincoln Mayorga, some acoustic guitarist's record, and a drum record. Can't wait to listen to them critically.

Another real kick in the gut is the Cincinatti Pops version, conducted by Kunzel, of the 1812 overture on Telarc on LP. Wow! Canon go boom, neighbors go HUH? Heard its been re released on CD using the DSD process. Also I just listened to a version of Respighis (sp?) The Pines Of Rome on a MOFI Half Speed mastered LP last night that was pretty awesome. Took me by surprise. Will listen again tonight.

No C & W fan here, but I would recommend you check out some of the frequently mentioned alt.country artists whose names come up here pretty regularly, Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Johnny Cash (particulalrly his "American recordings" and specifically his last one), Kasey Chambers, etc. Davey and Tentoze can give a bunch of recommendations on this genre.

Beat up old Cosmic Cowboy western singers/storytellers from the 70's can also make some music magic, the likes of Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphy, Kinky Friedman, and Waylon Jennings (RIP) never cease to amaze, particularly Nelson on the Stardust and You Were Always On My Mind MOFI LPs. "Newer" acts such as Robert Earl Keen Jr., Steve Forbert, and Darden Smith were also obviously listening and taking notes when the aforementioned musicians were playing. Although not of the alt.country/beat up western singer/songwriter genre, I'd throw Randy Newman into the above stew of artists as well.

Welcome aboard mate!

[Davey]

One that I've been spinning a lot recently is the new Honeydogs <i>10,000 Years</i> and it's a good one. Kind of like a modern day Sgt. Pepper's in some respects. Conceptual with far reaching, intelligent lyrics, all wrapped in great Beatleseque melodies and elegant pop arrangements that also bring to mind Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. At times it reminds me a bit of something by Ry Cooder or John Hiatt. Then at other times I think about Ben Folds or Jason Falkner or someone like that in the modern orchestrated pop field. As on their past albums, great production work by young veteran John Fields moves it far beyond most "indie" projects since he normally works with much more mainstream pop artists. It had a limited release last year and a full release just recently so should be widely available online. It's on the Aimee Mann/Michael Penn United Musicians label so shares some of their ideals for adult pop. But the underlying lyrics is really where this one breaks out from the field. Singer/writer Adam Levy describes the "Brave New World" storyline as:

<i>Test-tube kid is born. He's stolen by a woman clairvoyant who understands his life has some kind of martyred purpose. She raises him under horrible circumstances, and the kid is influenced by all the bad stuff around him.

He becomes a small-time criminal, is sent to jail, has no remorse or sense of history. But then he has a near-death experience, and then a conversion experience. He realizes he has to connect himself to a higher purpose.

At the time he's having these experiences, the world is undergoing an apocalyptic war led by this Brother 33 character, who is sticking his fingers into ethnic conflicts around the world. So [the test-tube guy] goes off to war, becomes a war hero, and then his genetic background is revealed to him. He realizes he is made of some sort of engineered perfection, and if he donates his body to science, the world will basically be perfect.</i>

Kind of like "Boys in the Hood" meets "The Matrix", as one critic described it. But here the music is more important than the concept and all the songs are fully capable of standing on their own. There's some Memphis-style soul here and there, as well as Middle Eastern, Brazilian and cabaret, giving the album lots of fun and interesting shifts in tempo. Not sure how many people around here it might appeal to, and it did take a few listens before I really started to think of it as one of my recent favorites, I think partly because I haven't been listening to this type of music much lately. But it does have similarities to the Decemberists in some respects, which I have been listening to a lot lately, so maybe it isn't too far afield from my normal indie-centric music world :)

Cool cover too. Adam Levy has often been employed as a social worker helping troubled kids and the cover is apparently from a poster that hangs on his wall at work.

<img src="http://members.mailaka.net/davey/honeydogs1.jpg" alt="Honeydogs - 10,000 Years"><img src="http://members.mailaka.net/davey/honeydogs2.jpg" alt="Honeydogs - 10,000 Years">

[chancethegardener]

Hi dld and thanks for the welcome!

I'll take some of those listening suggestions on board. Many thanks. The Kunzel 1812 on Telarc sounds like a "must have" so will definitely get that one. Also, the Mobile Fidelity Pines Of Rome sounds like a classic LP to have - will try and find that somewhere.

Another Sheffield that I have recently aquired is the Lincoln Mayorga Brahms LP, which some critics claimed (when it came out) was the most natural sounding piano recording ever made. He chooses to use a Mason and Hamlin piano (Steinway's great American rival in the late 1900's and early to mid 20th Century), which does sound wonderful, but seems to me to lack real thunderous bass. The odd thing about the recording is that the liner notes make much of the fact that the recording was done in a church, but for space reasons, the Sheffield engineers decided to run the mic cables out of the church, across the road and into an office block where they set up their equipment for recording. Sounds like a huge opportunity for massive signal loss to me!!!

[chancethegardener]

Davey, it sounds great. I'm going to give it a listen and report back (if I can get a copy over here). Your description is definitely very Beatles in style. Wonder if Ravi Shankar has heard it?!

[dld]

One that I've been spinning a lot recently is the new Honeydogs <i>10,000 Years</i> and it's a good one. ">

Honeydogs? they have a special place in my heart, not necessarily good. On their debut album, they had one of the most melancholy, for me at least, songs I've ever heard. Miriam. I don't know why, I had a loved one die that year around the time the song was getting a lot of airplay on my cable system and I guess it reminded me of that sad time..... Anyway, the song is drop dead beautiful but every time I hear it, it brings a tear to my eye, so I basically never play the cd. I might check out the new one tho. Thnx for the rec, DD

[Davey]

Davey, it sounds great. I'm going to give it a listen and report back (if I can get a copy over here). Your description is definitely very Beatles in style. Wonder if Ravi Shankar has heard it?!
Forgot to welcome you to our little hangout. Sooooooo, welcome! Doesn't seem like many Aussies stop by here but always fun to talk to people from around the world. Not sure how good the United Musicians label distribution is globally, but if you can find stuff by Aimee Mann then you can probably find this. Not too many major reviews out there yet, but there are some good ones at ....

http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/1131
http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=583
http://www.startribune.com/stories/919/4235450.html

[chancethegardener]

Forgot to welcome you to our little hangout. Sooooooo, welcome! Doesn't seem like many Aussies stop by here but always fun to talk to people from around the world. Not sure how good the United Musicians label distribution is globally, but if you can find stuff by Aimee Mann then you can probably find this. Not too many major reviews out there yet, but there are some good ones at ....

http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/1131
http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=583
http://www.startribune.com/stories/919/4235450.html

Cheers! I am a little alone over here in terms of chat forums on hifi and music - the internet opens up the whole world! It's like you are next door!

Are you into Steve Miller at all? One recording that I've been chasing for years is called "Recall the Beginning - A Journey From Eden". Long deleted from LP stock and never released on CD. I look hopefully in second hand LP shops but it's never there. I had a copy on cassette tape about 20 years ago, but that is lost now (and sounded bad anyway). Great songs and performances. I might start a new thread on this album and see what info pops up!

[chancethegardener]

I've just recently acquired a few more Sheffield LPs, Amanda McBroom, :Lincoln Mayorga, some acoustic guitarist's record, and a drum record. Can't wait to listen to them critically.

Regarding the Sheffield Drum record. Is that the one with Ron Tutt and also another guy? I believe it is supposed to be stunning. Love to hear that one. Let me know what it is like? What system do you run?

[dld]

If I think of it tonight I'll check on the artist(s) on the drum LP.

I amplify with a Luxman A-377 Int Amp running unstrapped, my source is a Yamaha PF-800 turntable with a V-15 type III cartridge stylus upgraded to the VN35MR, pre is a Yamaha C-60 (no great shakes but a very versatile phono section and dead quiet) and speaks are AR 94. I've got a dual tray Harmon Kardon C-26 CD burner that I use for a digital source, mostly for copying from LP to CDR. All in all, not very hi end, but sweet sounding, extended treble w/no glare or harshness and a substantial bottom when called for. I don't know whether to attribute that to the Lux's alleged tubelike sound or those refoamed 25 yr. old ARs or the VN 35MR stylus. Prolly a combo of all three. Upgrade-itis getting close, I see a different turntable within a year.

What kind of gear are you using down under?

P.S., I play a moderate amt. of classical, but I know very little about it. Does that make sense? Primarily rock/folk rock/alt.country oriented.

[dld]

Sheffield's Drum Test is a system test record with ungodly dynamics. Drummers are Tutt on side 2 ( a seven minute improvisation) and Jim Keltner on side 1, with a 6+ minute improv. (or vice versa) The stylus on my Shure M97HE tracked it fine, but there were a few scary moments when Keltner really hit some thunderous bass notes. This record looked and sounded essentially unplayed when I got it a month ago. It'll go into a poly outer jacket in that special section with the other Sheffield's

[Pat D]

Well, that's the title of the forum, so hey - let's talk about it!

Now here are some recordings that I truly think are rave, because of both quality of sound and performance. Maybe they have been discussed before - haven't had a chance to check the archives...


Cheers
Tony (Australia)
These are some of my favorite CDs from a list I made some time ago. The sound on most of them is pretty good, but the emphasis was on the quality of the performances. I would have to add some others nowadays, and I would have to add some non-classical music, as well. Indeed, with new speakers, I have to reevaluate my whole collection, I guess. That will take . . . how many years?

EARLY MUSIC

"The Dante Troubadours,” Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble. Nimbus 5002

“Songs of Chivalry,” Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble. Nimbus 5006

“Chominciamento di gioia” (dance music from the time of Boccacio’s Decamerone),. Naxos 8.553131

Praetorius, “Dances from the Terpsichore,” Westra nos Pijpare. Naxos 8.553865

“:On the Way to Bethlehem” (music of the medieval pilgrim), Ensemble Oni Wytars, Ensemble Unicorn. Naxos 8.553132

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

J. S. Bach, Suites (Overtures) nos. 1-4, Kuijken, La Petite Bande, Musical Heritage Society 523889W.

J. S. Bach, Brandenburg Concertos. Pinnock, The English Concert. Archiv 410 500-2 and 410 501-2

Arnold Bax, Tone Poems (“November Woods,“ “The Happy Forest,” “The Garden of Fand,” and “Summer Music“), Bryden Thomson, Ulster Orchestra. Chandos CHAN 8307

“Best of Baroque,” Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert. DG 419 410-2. A fun disc.
-Handel’s “Water Music”
-Bach, “Orchestral Suites” nos. 2 and 3
-Bach, “Brandenburg Concerto no. 3”
-Vivaldi, “Concerto alla rustica”
-Miscellaneous Pachelbel, Handel, Vivaldi

Debussy, “La Mer,” “Le Martyre de saint Sébastien,” “Prélude de l’après-midi d’un faune,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 430 240-2

Debussy, “La Mer,” plus Respighi Pines, Fountains, Festivals of Rome, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, RCA 09026-68079-2

Feeney, “Dracula,” John Pryce-Jones, Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Naxos 8.553964

Ferde Grofé, “Grand Canyon Suite;” George Gershwin, arr. Bennett, “Porgy and Bess, A Symphonic Picture,” Antal Dorati, Detroit Symphony Orchestra. London 410 110-2

Holst, “The Planets,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 417 553-2

Ippolitov-Ivanov, “Caucasian Sketches,“ plus other Russian favorites, Siegfried Landau, Music for Westchester Symphony Orchestra, Vox Allegretto, ACD 8161 (The best performance of Caucasian Sketches, suite no. 1; the other material is OK.)

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Samsara (tone poem), Baccanales, Phonologie Symphonique, Yoshikazu Fukumura, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.220297 Many people may not like this music, which is often percussive and rather clangy.

Mozart, Overtures and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Bruno Weil, Tafelmusik. Vivarte SK 46695

Mussorgsky, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Lorin Maazel, Cleveland Orchestra. Telarc CD-80042

_________, Pictures at an Exhibition;” Prokofiev, “Classical Symphony,” “Lt. Kijé; “Ernest Ansermet, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. London Weekend Classics 421 019-2 Coupled with Night on Bare Mountain and Khovanschina Prelude on London 414 139-2

_________, “Pictures at an Exhibition, Night on Bald Mountain,” Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony, with orchestral showpieces by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Kabalevsky, Glinka, on RCA 09026-61958-2

_________, “Pictures at an Exhibition;” Debussy, “La Mer;” Ravel, “Boléro;” Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic; DG 447 426-2

Prokofiev, “Alexander Nevsky Cantata,” “Lt. Kijé,” Charles Dutoit, Choeur et Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. London 430 506-2

Prokofiev, Scenes from the “Romeo and Juliet” ballet, plus Ravel, {“Boléro,” etc., Jan Pascal Tortelier, London Symphony Orchestra. Castle CIDC 1001

Respighi, “Pines of Rome,” “Fountains of Rome,” “Feste Romane,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 410 145-2 (also Decca 430 729-2).

Rossini, Overtures, Roger Norrington, London Classical Players. EMI CDC 554091

Sibelius, Lemminkainen Legends (also known as Four Legends from the Kalevala), Luonnotar, The Bard, Gibson, Scottish National Orchestra, Chandos CHAN 6586

Smetana, “Ma Vlast“ (“My Homeland“), Antoni Wit, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.550931

Deems Taylor, “Through the Looking Glass,” plus Charles Griffes, various orchestral works, Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Delos DE 3099

Wagner, “The Ride of the Valkyries,” “Siegfried Idyll,” “Overtures,“ Vernon Handley, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Durkin Hayes DHM008 (or Tring Digital TRP008)

SYMPHONIES

Beethoven, Symphonies nos. 4, 8, Otmar Suitner, Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra. Denon
198C37-7254

Beethoven, “Symphony no. 9,” Otmar Suitner, Staatskapelle Berlin. Denon 198C37-7256

Borodin, Symphony no. 2, Jean Martinon, London Symphony Orchestra, on “The World of Borodin,” with other pieces with various performers, London 444 389-2

Brahms, Symphony no. 1, Jascha Horenstein, London Symphony Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD19

Brahms, “Symphony no. 4,” Fritz Reiner, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD6

Bruckner, Symphony no. 4, Tintner, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Naxos 8.55412869

Bruckner, Symphony no. 7, Tintner, RSNO, Naxos 8.554269 These two can represent the Tintner cycle.

Dvorak, Symphony no. 9, “New World,” plus Wagner, “Siegfried Idyll,” “ Flying Dutchman Overture, “ Jascha Horenstein, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD31

Dvorak, Symphony no. 9, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony, CBS MK 42039 This is now available on Sony SMK 64484 with Symphony no. 8 as well, probably in a sonically refurbished version.

Haydn, Symphonies 23, 24, and 61, Nicholas Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.550723

Haydn, Symphonies 77,78, and 79, Nicholas Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.553363

Haydn, Symphonies 96, 102, Adam Fischer, Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra. Nimbus 5135

Mahler, Symphony no. 4, Lorin Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. CBS WDMK-44908

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Nirvana Symphony, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra; plus Buddhist Chant of the Yakushiji Temple, Nara. Denon CO 78839

Mendelssohn, Symphonies nos. 3, “Scottish,” and 4, “Italian,” and “Hebrides Overture” (“Fingal’s Cave”), Christoph von Dohnanyi, Wiener Philharmoniker. London 417 731-2.

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 39, 41, Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. Philips 410 046-2

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 35, 41, Haydn Symphony no. 104,. Josef Krips and René Leibowitz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD16

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 31, 40 and 34, 41, Christopher Hogwood, The Academy of Ancient Music. L’Oiseau-Lyre 410 197-2 and 411 658-2

Schubert, Symphony no. 8, “Unfinished,” and Mendelssohn, Symphony no. 4, “Italian,” Giuseppe Sinopoli, Philharmonia Orchestra. DG 410 862-2

Sibelius, Symphonies 4, 5, Lorin Maazel, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Sony SK 46499

Sibelius, Symphonies 1-7, Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, London 430 778-2. This is generally a very strong set, although one can do better for nos. 3 and 6.

CONCERTOS

Beethoven, The Five Piano Concertos, Rudolf Serkin, piano, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra. Telarc CD-80061-5

Beethoven, “Violin Concerto,” Zino Francescatti, violin, Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, CBS MK 42018

Brahms, “Piano Concerto no. 2, “Gina Bachauer, piano, Antal Dorati, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD36

______, “Violin Concerto;” Sibelius, “Violin Concerto;” Zino Francescatti, violin, Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic, Sony SMK 47540

______, “Violin Concerto;” Jascha Heifetz, violin, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, RCA RCD1-5402, coupled with a rather too fast performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Charles Much, Boston Symphony.

Bruch, “Violin Concerto;” plus Mendelssohn VC; Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Antoni Ross-Marba, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Denon 38C37-7123

Mendelssohn, “Violin Concerto;” Bruch, “Violin Concerto;” Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin, Antoni Ross-Marba, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Denon 38C37-7123

VOCAL and CHORAL MUSIC

Berlioz, “Requiem,” Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD-80109-2

Brahms, “Ein deutsches Requiem” (“A German Requiem“), Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD-80092

Handel, “Messiah,” Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD80093-2

Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen. Solti, Vienna Philharmonic. Decca 455 555-2

“En la fête de Noël. - O Holy Night,” Martin Dagenais, La petite bande de Montréal. Naxos 8.554435

“The Mystery of Christmas,” Noel Edison, The Elora Festival Singers. Naxos 8.554179

“Let the Organs Thunder,” music for chorus, brass and two organs, William Ferris, William Ferris Chorale (Chicago). WFC 588289

“The World of Wagner,” Georg Solti, various soloists, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. London 440 069-2

Renée Fleming, soprano, “The Beautiful Voice,” Jeffrey Tate, English Chamber Orchestra. London 289 458 858-2

CHAMBER MUSIC

Brahms, “Serenade no. 1,“and Wagner, “Siegfried Idyll,“ Academy of St. Martin in the Fields’ Chamber Ensemble. Philips 426 298-2

Dvorak, Quartets nos. 10, 14, Opus. 51 and 105, Vlach Quartet of Prague. Naxos 8.553374

Schubert, Piano Quintet in A, “The Trout,” Ingrid Haebler, piano, Jacques Cazauran, double-bass, Grumiaux Trio. Philips 422 838-2

PIANO MUSIC

Chopin, 4 Ballades and 4 Scherzi, Earl Wild, piano. Chesky CD44

Liszt, Années de Pèlerinage, 3 volumes, Jeno Jando, piano. Naxos 8.550548, 8.550549, 8.550550 Box set is 8.503004

ORGAN MUSIC

J. S. Bach, Passacaglia in C Major, Toccata in F, Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, Michael Murray, the Great Organ in Methuen Hall. Telarc CD-80049

Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition; Stravinsky, Three Dances from Petrouchka; arranged for organ and played by Jean Guillou, Great Organ of the Tonhalle, Zurich, on Dorian DOR-90117

“The World of the Organ,” Simon Preston, organ. London 430 091-2

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Laura Jeppesen, “Music for Viola da Gamba,” (Le Sieur de Machy, Schaffrath, Abel, Mozart). Titanic Ti-183

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin, Romantic Violin Miniature, Michi Inoue, New Japan Philharmonic. Denon DC-8077

The Wallace Collection brass ensemble, “Gabrieli & St. Mark’s,” John Wallace, trumpet, Simon Wright, conductor. Nimbus 5236

Rag Jhinjhoti, Rag Pilu, Imrat Khan, sitar; Vajahat Khan, sarod; Shafaatullah Khan, tabla. Nimbus 5195

Rag Shankara, Rag Mala in Jogia, Ram Narayan, sarangi, Anindo Chatterjee, tabla. Nimbus 5245

Rag Bhimpalasi, Hariprasad Chaurasia, flute, Fazal Quereshi, tabla. Nimbus 5298

[Uncle Gimpy]

before my car accident.
Now when I watch the little black licorice spin around it makes me drool.
You could try these on vinyl:
David Crosby:If I Could only Remember My Name
Sweet Honey In The Rock:Live At Carnagie Hall
Or maybe the latest Steely Dan on CD.
Time to go.My colostomy bag needs changing.
Uncle Gimpy

[chancethegardener]

Well, that certainly is good little collection of classical music. And I'll bet it's just the tip of the iceberg as far as what you have in total. Some great new things there for all of us to check out.

You have made some interesting choices in performances!

For example, I can't even begin to imagine Messiah with Robert Shaw and Atlanta, however am willing to be convinced. I'll see if I can get a copy over here and listen. Always on the lookout for new and interesting performances.

You certainly have the best Ring cycle (Solti) - I think everyone agrees on that.

Suitner is not to my liking in Beethoven Symphonies - that's just me. I tend to go for different conductors for each Symphony. For example, Karl Bohm's mid 70's recording for No 6, Toscanini for No 5, and my tastes in No 9 vary. At the moment my favourite is Ferenc Fricsay's 1958 version - brilliant. Szell's late 60's version with the Cleveland is excellent too.

[chancethegardener]

Sheffield's Drum Test is a system test record with ungodly dynamics. Drummers are Tutt on side 2 ( a seven minute improvisation) and Jim Keltner on side 1, with a 6+ minute improv. (or vice versa) The stylus on my Shure M97HE tracked it fine, but there were a few scary moments when Keltner really hit some thunderous bass notes.

Oh WOW! It sounds amazing. I want one!!!! So now it's onto Ebay to see what we can rustle up. There are no second hand LP shops in my town, so I only get to visit them when I'm in Sydney or Melbourne, where there are many. It's a good reason to go away for a while anyway!

Your system sounds like it is fine. I remember the AR 94 speaker very well - sold many pairs of those when working part-time in HiFi as a student. I used to have AR2ax which are much older, but they were not bad for there time. Shure Bros V15 III is a fantastic cartridge. Tracks almost anything (with the right arm).

My current system I have had for 20 years. KEF 104ab speakers, Sansui AU 417, Thorens TD 126 Mk II with Stanton 681 EEE. Sony CD and TEAC A 3340 (yes, I still fiddle about with Reel to Reel!!!). All old, but well made and it never breaks down! And I'm still happy with the sound. Does me fine.

[chancethegardener]

before my car accident.
Now when I watch the little black licorice spin around it makes me drool.
You could try these on vinyl:
David Crosby:If I Could only Remember My Name
Sweet Honey In The Rock:Live At Carnagie Hall
Or maybe the latest Steely Dan on CD.
Time to go.My colostomy bag needs changing.
Uncle Gimpy

Gimpy, your suggestions are great and I will check them out. I've seen Sweet Honey live here in Oz many times. They are awesome. Once it was in an outdoor ampitheatre at a winery, and a Kangaroo jumped up onto the stage during the final set and sat there for a few minutes and them lept off and hopped away into the bush. The girls in the group thought it was great!

Stay with it mate, and I hope you can find some comfort in being able to still enjoy music.

Cheers
T

[Pat D]

Well, that certainly is good little collection of classical music. And I'll bet it's just the tip of the iceberg as far as what you have in total. Some great new things there for all of us to check out.

You have made some interesting choices in performances!

For example, I can't even begin to imagine Messiah with Robert Shaw and Atlanta, however am willing to be convinced. I'll see if I can get a copy over here and listen. Always on the lookout for new and interesting performances.

You certainly have the best Ring cycle (Solti) - I think everyone agrees on that.

Suitner is not to my liking in Beethoven Symphonies - that's just me. I tend to go for different conductors for each Symphony. For example, Karl Bohm's mid 70's recording for No 6, Toscanini for No 5, and my tastes in No 9 vary. At the moment my favourite is Ferenc Fricsay's 1958 version - brilliant. Szell's late 60's version with the Cleveland is excellent too.
LOL! Not evryone agrees about anything, certainly not in music, not even about Solt's Ring cycle.

Shaw's Messiah on Telarc is very good and very well recorded. It is certainly not an original instruments version but some of the tempos are very fast. The chorus is not all that large, but certainly does not sound small. I also like the old Klemperer and also Beecham, although I think it is so spectacularized as to lose contrast. I like a big Messiah though I have nothing against small ones and have performed in one with a chorus of 18 or 19 people who really could sing. In any case, I can practically sing most of the choruses of Messiah without a score and can so sing the bass arias. It's a fun work to perform.

I do like Suitner's recordings of Beethoven's 4th and 9th Symphonies very much, also the sound. I did get the set, which is not bad at all, nice enough but nothing special for the most part.

I do like Leibowitz's Beethoven cycle on Chesky, very strong performances in fine sound. Recorded in the '60's by RCA for Reader's Digest, I understand.

My favorite Eroica is Ansermet, SRO, but I also like a number of others.

For the 4th, Ansermet is with the best, I think, also Leibowitz.

The 5th is not my favorite, but I do like Leibowitz as well as any. Carlos Kleiber's dramatic performance is given rather strange sound, though it sounds better on my new speakers. Ansermet's very different and rather subdued version brings out the musical structures very well and I quite enjoy it--but I'm something of an Ansermet fan.

Leibowitz is very good on the 6th, as is Ansermet, and also the older Karajan. I haven't listened to Walter for a while as my turntable stopped working--but a new one is coming, supposedly this week.

For the 7th it is Ansermet hands down. But Leibowitz is excellent, too, and Kleiber's performance is fine.

For the 8th, the best I've heard is Leibowitz, who brings out the humour in the work. I conceive it as a sort of take off on Beethoven's heavier symphonies.

Suitner's 9th is the first one I ever really liked. Leibowitz is fine, too. Sometime I will have to listen to the earlier stereo Karajan on DG, I suppose.

[Dusty Chalk]

Hey, Pat -- I'm printing out your list and putting it in my wishlist. A lot of those pieces are some of my favourites as well (Pictures, Dvorak's 9th, etc., but even some of the others -- Bruch's violin concerto, etc.), but in some cases, you've chosen performances with which I'm not familiar (or maybe not overly familiar).

Have you heard Schubert's Piano Trio in E flat? Easily my favourite piece of chamber music, ever. Perhaps a little overdramatic, but I like it that way. You're safe with pretty much any version except the Beaux Art Trio -- this is one of those pieces that, as long as not too much ego is introduced, plays itself.

Chance -- no, we don't usually talk about that kind of music, but don't let that stop you. Please do feel free to introduce topics which interest you. Someone may not respond every time, but as you can see, there are those of us who are interested.

[Pat D]

Hey, Pat -- I'm printing out your list and putting it in my wishlist. A lot of those pieces are some of my favourites as well (Pictures, Dvorak's 9th, etc., but even some of the others -- Bruch's violin concerto, etc.), but in some cases, you've chosen performances with which I'm not familiar (or maybe not overly familiar).

Have you heard Schubert's Piano Trio in E flat? Easily my favourite piece of chamber music, ever. Perhaps a little overdramatic, but I like it that way. You're safe with pretty much any version except the Beaux Art Trio -- this is one of those pieces that, as long as not too much ego is introduced, plays itself.

Chance -- no, we don't usually talk about that kind of music, but don't let that stop you. Please do feel free to introduce topics which interest you. Someone may not respond every time, but as you can see, there are those of us who are interested.
No, I don't think I have heard that one. There is so much classical music that I couldn't hear it all even if I had lots more money.:( haven't gotten into trios much, although I have a few here and there. Maybe that's an area I should expand into. What's the matter with the Beaux Arts Trio? They're usually pretty good. Anyway, which recording(s) do you suggest?

It's an old list and needs revising. I left out Ansermet's Debussy, Walter's Brahms Symphonies, Heifetz's Bruch, and so on.

[Dusty Chalk]

No, I don't think I have heard that one. There is so much classical music that I couldn't hear it all even if I had lots more money.:( haven't gotten into trios much, although I have a few here and there. Maybe that's an area I should expand into.I don't know about others, but if you're only going to try one, try this one.
What's the matter with the Beaux Arts Trio? They're usually pretty good.I don't know...they're too "free", "romantic" and interpretive with the rhythms. Schubert should be played stately and straightforwardly. You can almost hear them wanting to break out into an intermezzo.
Anyway, which recording(s) do you suggest?Well, I'm not sure what's out on vinyl, so my suggestions are mostly for CD. I don't know if you're into high-res, but there's a version by Trio Italiano on DVD-A that's also available on CD (Arts) (http://www.artsmusic.de/templates/index.php?label=blue+line&topic=arts-database-search&goto=produkt.php%3Fid%3D258%26topic%3Darts-database-search&PHPSESSID=) that has both versions of the ending -- it's the first one of those that I "got" (usually it sounds like they just "keep playing", but this is the first version of the alternate ending that "made sense").

There's also a version available on SACD by the Guarneri Trio Prague (the SACD has both on one -- the CD's are separated into separate volumes).

Let me get back to you on that. I can definitely recommend the version by Trio Italiano for performance, but not sure about fidelity. Not sure about others.

[chancethegardener]

Hey PatD!

Leibowitz and Ansermet are both new to me. I'm interested, so will try and find some Beethoven symphonies conducted by them. Thanks for the info. How are you on the Furtwangler versions? His ninth is pretty amazing (live recording from 1954). The TV doco called "The great conductors" has a great comparison on Toscanini's interprtetation versus Furtwangler's (for the ninth). The precision of T against the loosness of F. Two more opposing versions you could not find. Fascinating.

Chance

[Pat D]

Hey PatD!

Leibowitz and Ansermet are both new to me. I'm interested, so will try and find some Beethoven symphonies conducted by them. Thanks for the info. How are you on the Furtwangler versions? His ninth is pretty amazing (live recording from 1954). The TV doco called "The great conductors" has a great comparison on Toscanini's interprtetation versus Furtwangler's (for the ninth). The precision of T against the loosness of F. Two more opposing versions you could not find. Fascinating.

Chance
I have never gotten much into Furtwaengler, although long ago I bought his RAI Ring Cycle, which I haven't listened to in ages. I suppose one reason is that I generally don't much like orchestral recordings with poor sound quality. For the same reason, I haven't looked much into Toscanini, either, although I have some opera with him. I might be wrong about the sound quality . . . Singers are a different matter, and I love my old Gigli recordings.

Many people will say Ansermet was not much of a Beethoven conductor, but I think his London cycle is pretty good, with some outstanding ones, notably nos. 3, 6, and 7. The 9th is nothing special, except the tenor's big aria is thrillingly done by Anton Dermota. I have been kicking myself for years for never picking up the CD set when it was available. However, I am probably odd man out on this for the most part (save perhaps for no. 7), so be cautious; but the recording quality is very good. Ansermet is known more for the French and Russian repertoire.

Leibowitz was rather a surprise to me. I first came across him some years ago when I bought the Chesky reissue with Josef Krips' recording of Mozart's Haffner Symphony, and of course, Leibowitz's Jupiter was on it, too. As good as I had ever heard it. Anyway, I tried a CD from his Beethoven cycle some years ago and found it to be very fine (I don't remember which one, probably 4 & 7), so eventually I got all of them.

I do have some Mercury recordings as well as CD reissues, but not Balalaika Favorites, although I have heard of it.

I haven't got the particular Sheffield Lab recording, although my dealer used to play in the early '80s. I don't think I have any on LP. The CD reissues were made from back up tape recordings, so they may be the same performance but are not actually the same recording as the direct-to-disc LP. At least, that's what The Sheffield Drum and Track Records, Sheffield Lab CD-14/20 and Amanda McBroom's West of Oz, CD-15, say in the CD liners.