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  1. #1
    Aging Smartass
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    A Label to Reckon With

    I've been a staunch supporter of the Telarc label for many years, and with good reason: from their very first effort (a direct to disc LP called, "Direct From Cleveland") until their latest (Paavo Jarvi conducting the Cincinatti Orchestra with Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibtion), I have been consistently delighted with both the knockout sonics of most Telarc recordings, as well as some of the finest musical interpretations of many a classical work. That combination is a rare one, indeed.

    Unfortunately, ever since Telarc was taken over by Concord Music, the flow of new releases has been reduced to a trickle, and those new releases, no matter how good they sound, are re-releases of previously-recorded material on the label. I suspected something wasn't quite right when, upon the Concord Music takeover, the first person to leave was the founder/president/chief recording engineer, Jack Renner.

    Jack speaks of his "retirement,"and never disparages Concord Music, though, if I'm reading the picture right, his retirement wasn't entirely voluntary. Still, he's pursuing another passion of his - photography - and now has ample time to do so.

    Telarc consistently improved their recording techniques over the years, using better and better digital recording devices, finally settling on the DSD recording method as the "ultimate," and the SACD format for the best playback of DSD recordings. Most Telarc SACD's are sonic blockbusters, but some are real duds. The culprit seems to be a reliance on the Sennheiser MKH-800 microphone which, while making a recording that's decidedly lush, full and resonant, is severely lacking in upper end detail. The Donald Runnicles SACD of Beethoven's 9th is probably Telarc's worst sounding disc, and that's especially disappointing, as it follows Runnicles' "Carmina Burana" SACD which, according to The Absolute Sound, is a "must-have" recording. Not surprisingly, the Sennheiser MKH-800 isn't used on "Carmina..."

    Telarc SACD's now are all priced at $13.95, and the company's older CD's are priced at $9.95. While at first this seems like quite a bargain (and it most definitely is one), I'm reading something else into the picture that doesn't bode well for Telarc's future. I have too much personal experience (as does my wife) with corporate takeovers and the ultimate result of such takeovers: whatever remains of the company being acquired often bares little resemblance to just what attractted the acquistion of that company in the first place. I certainly hope Telarc isn't on its way out, but the activity from the brand over the past couple of years isn't encouraging.

    So then just what is an audiophile/classical music lover to do?

    Well, not all other labels are lousy, or consistently produce poor interpretations of great works. Still, I hadn't come across any specific label that was able to match, yet alone improve upon, Telarc's sonics. That is until now. The new "Label to be Reckoned With" is BIS.

    BIS has been around for a while (though not as long as Telarc) and has a number of highly reviewed recordings. That which first attrracted my attention was Osmo Vanska's performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra and Chorus. The SACD received glowing reviews from a number of classical reviewers, having received top honors both for artistic merit and sonic performance. The disc is also a Grammy Award nominee.

    I purchased that recording a while back and it just about knocked me over. It is without question, the finest recording of the 9th I've ever heard (I haven't heard all recordings of the 9th, but have heard quite a few). I was so delighted with it, that I looked into other recordings by Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra of Beethoven works, and snapped up discs with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th Symphonies (I just haven't yet purchased the remaining disc with both the 1st and 6th). All the discs are glorious in every way imaginable. Vanska has a marvelous skill with Beethoven's material, and the BIS sonics are actually better than those of Telarc!

    The grand total of BIS discs that I own is only four, but I have every intention of expanding that a good deal, and intend to keep my eye on future releases on the label. BIS is a Swiss-owned label, so I guess that classical music sales, and SACD sales in particular, aren't as bad in Europe as they are here in the U.S. For me, and for anyone interested in hearing just how marvelous a symphony orchestra can sound, that's good news indeed.

  2. #2
    Sure, sure... Auricauricle's Avatar
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    I can, for the most part, agree with you as your comments go regarding Telarc's important contribution to digitally recorded music. Their early foray into the market was well-nigh precocious, as they pitted themselves handily against giants like Deutsche Grammophone (DG), Phillips, etc. As the years passed, however, I began to suspect that Telarc's recordings were more about dazzling display of dynamic range and an eerily quiet noise floor. These qualities seemed, at times, to overshadow the expertise of the artists and after awhile I began looking for other sources of musical inspiration. One case in point is Previn's The Planets.

    Previn's direction of the Holst is heavy handed, I think, and the recording is similarly dense. The instrumentation is presented in a fashion that reminds me of some of DG's late eighties' fare when Karajan was pumping out albums in earnest. Telarc’s recording is uniform in presentation, encompassing a wide stage that is rather two-dimensional to my ears: the recording is widely dispersed but there’s little depth. While the big sound is impressive at times (as in Mars’s sweeping crescendos) there seems to be little dramatic tension. This can easily be ascribed to Previn’s placement of the various instruments, but I think some of the blame has to be placed on the heads of the well-meaning but misinformed engineers.

    In contrast, Hyperion’s recording is no lightweight, yet it embodies a more human quality to the composition that is lacking in the former. In contrast to the Telarc, Hyperion’s release gives more breathing room to the musicians, allowing them to present themselves coherently without sacrificing this quality to the detriment of the ensemble.

    I also agree with your glowing assessment of BIS’s recordings whilch are among the best in the business. BIS really takes the mantle away from Telarc, producing expertly performed and recorded fare that will stand up well in the coming years. BIS is a connoisseur’s label, much like EG, which produces music for fans who are looking for a little more than “Pictures at an Exhibition” and the “1812 Overture”.

    In the meantime, I still find classic recordings on Hamonia Mundi, Arkiv and even Naxos that remind me that while Telarc certainly had its day in the sun, their commitment to a mainstream market may have been overshadowed by a more academically inclined audience.

  3. #3
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    Your response is both interesting and informative. While I haven't heard Previn's performance of "The Planets," I have that of Yoel Levi, on Telarc, that's a stunner. Still, there are a number of real duds, aside from the horrible recording of Beethoven's 9th that I mentioned. I own over 150 Telarc CD's, and have to admit that the vast majority of them range from very good to excellent, with the duds far and few between, which makes them stand out all the more.

    Naxos is a terrific "bargain" label whose quality varies all over the place. At year's end, Arkivmusic had all Naxos discs on sale for $6.99, and I snapped up four. Three are decent, and a pleasure to listen to, but the recording of "Gayaneh" (that's but one of many spellings of the piece!) is simply awful. The musicianship is lousy, and the sound is typical of the "digital glare" that vinyl advocates despise. Still, as I was in a performance of Vaughan Williams' "Hodie" this past November, I purchased a Naxos recording of the piece which is outstanding. And, it only cost me $11.99.

  4. #4
    Sure, sure... Auricauricle's Avatar
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    You're probably right as to Naxos' spotty record(!) My inclusion of the label alongside BIS, Arkiv, Harmonia Mundi, etc., was to point to the wide range of choices available and the necessity of consumers to broaden their consciousness with regard to their presence.

    I didn't realise that Telarc had such an impressive library. Such is the pitiful state of my knowledge of things au courant, and being twenty or so years behind the curve of most our esteemed colleagues here....

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