An Eduard Tubin afternoon thus far: Sonata for Saxophone & Piano, (1951) Sonata for Violin & Piano in phrygian key (1949) Ballade pour piano en forme de chaconne sur Sur Un Theme De Mart Saar (1945) BIS LP 269, with Savijoki -sax, Pontinen -pf, Sparf -vn Suite from the Ballet "Kratt" Symphony No. 5 BIS LP 306, with Jarvi/BambergerSO . |
I'd forgotten just how magical this recording can be: La Folia, Paniagua/Atrium Musicae de Madrid, Harmonia Mundi HM 1050 Played it late last night and just immersed myself in it's marvelous rendition of instruments, soundstage, and craziness! The musicians really had fun with this recording and it's infectious. . |
Listening with friends yesterday... Alternate performances of the 4th movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, an interesting traversal. Widor, Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5, Murray, Telarc 5036 Davis, Kind of Blue Railroad Sounds, Audio Fidelity LP from 1958 Ice Station Zebra Soundtrack, Michel Legrand Porcupine Tree - not sure which album but dates from sound tracks created circa 1993 and remixed and re-released in 2004. . |
Lonnie Johnson with Elmer Snowden, "Blues, Ballads and Jumpin' Jazz" (Analogue Productions reissue) Paul Simon, "Still Crazy After All These Years" (Columbia) Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here" (Columbia) Ar Log, "Ar Log" (Dinkle's) King's Galliard (Opus 3) Mathias, "Harp Concerto" /Atherton/Osian Ellis (Decca) . |
Joe, can you share any comments on the sound quality of the De Falla and any of the other ORG London Classical 45s that have been released thus far you've heard? My point of reference will be the Speakers Corner reissues of these at 33rpm, which were good but seemed to be missing life and energy. My guess is that they are missing some of the low level detail and resolution that I've heard, for example, on the Tape Project R-t-R dub of the Albeniz. . |
Morton Gould's "Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra" Copland's "Appalachian Spring" ...... Susskind/LSO, Everest, reissued by DCC Strauss, "Till Eulenspeigel" Strauss, "Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils" Strauss, "Death and Transfiguration (Tod und Verklarung)" ...... Karajan/VPO, Decca SXL 2261 Strauss, "Sinfonia Domestica" Strauss, "Death and Transfiguration (Tod und Verklarung)" ...... Mehta/LAPO, Decca SXL 6442 . |
Al, I'm glad to hear of someone else valuing this Leinsdorf/Sheffield LP. It is underrated, imo. I often hear it disregarded precisely because it so accurately captures the dry acoustic of the recording stage. Audiophiles are expecting the lush acoustics of the Concertgebouw or Vienna. Instead they get the dry non-reverberant acoustics of a large movie sound stage and don't know what to make of the sound. That acoustic environment contributes nicely to the crystal clarity of this recording - not necessary pretty, but you sure can hear everything that's happening. The Pierre Verany recordings are typically marvelous and the "Images Galantes de la Renaissance" is certainly one of their best sonic efforts. I wish I had more of this label's recordings in my collection. . |
Thanks for the report on the Albeniz ORG 45, Russ. Sounds marvelous! Your experience with this record tracks with what I've heard privately from a few other friend's whose ears I trust. Now, where can I find the cash.....??? :-) By the way, I just played the Albeniz ORG record yesterday and was stunned at how much better it sounds than either the King or Speakers Corner reissues, which I thought were pretty good in their own right.. |
Yesterday here with the local audio group... Alan Parson Project - I Robot - MFSL UHRQ From the RCA "Witches' Brew" - 45rpm vinyl reissue ..Malcolm Arnold - Overture from Tam O'Shanter ..Mussorgsky - Gnomus from Pictures Atlanta Rhythm Section - Champagne Jam - MFSL Steely Dan - Aja - the Cisco reissue on vinyl Laurindo Almeida - Virtuoso Guitar - Crystal Clear d-t-d 45rpm (superb!) Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold - from "Songbird" LP Malcolm Arnold - 8 English Dances - Lyrita LP Art Blakey - Night in Tunisia - 45rpm reissue Hank Mobley - Soul Station - 45rpm reissue Joni Mitchell - Hissing of Summer Lawns - LP Ella Fitzgerald - Live in Berlin/Mack the Knife - Japanese pressing LP Louis Armstrong - St. James Infirmary - 45rpm resissue . |
Willie Nelson - Red Haired Stranger, Columbia Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson/Jessi Colter - The Outlaws, RCA Debussy - Preludes, Bk 1 - Michelangeli, DGG Boccherini - La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid Sammartini - Sinfonia in F ... - Stuttgart Chm Orch, Tacet L74 Dvorak - Cello Concerto - Munch/BSO/Piatigorsky, RCA |
Oh, what shall it be? I feel like the sailor charged with KP duty and told to sort several bushels of potatoes into small- medium- and large-sizes. Hours later he was to be found with his head in his hands and bushels of potatoes yet to be sorted. When asked why he'd not made more progress, he responds: "Decisions! Decisions! Too many decisions to make!" I have an opportunity to go listen to an audio system with a complement of equipment I very much look forward to hearing. The host tells me, "Please bring some vinyl you'd like to hear." Yikes! What do I choose? My listening partner says, "It doesn't matter. Whatever we listen to, we'll know in about 15 seconds what we think the system is doing or not doing. Let's just listen to something our host enjoys." Oh, don't I wish for those ears of hers sometimes! . |
Dutilleux/Lutoslawski: Cello Concertos - Rostropovitch, Baudo/CzechPO, Lutoslawsk/OrchParis -EMI ASD 3145 A marvelous recording, perhaps one of the best cello concerto recordings in my collection. The Dutilleux is particularly attractive and interesting musically, not just sonically. I see the Arthur Salvatore finally found this recording and gave it special recognition as "FINEST CELLO CONCERTO RECORDING" in March 2011. http://www.high-endaudio.com/RECENT.html#Aug (and scroll down) . |
Mozart, Exsultate Jubilate, Hogwood/AAM, Emma Kirkby, L'Oiseau Lyre 411 832 (just a gorgeous performance with the remarkable Ms. Kirkby) Marais, Pieces for 2 Viols, Savall/Coin/Koopman, Astree AS39 Albeniz, Suite Espanola, De Burgos/NewPhilO, London CS 6581-45 (ORG 45rpm reissue - simply delightful. Bravo) Neil Young, Sugar mountain, Live at Canterbury Hourse 1968, Reprise 51263-1 . |
Ahhhhh..., simply marvelous to be listening to such a sinfully, delightfully delicious LP: the 45rpm reissue of the Falla Three Cornered Hat from ORG's London/Decca reissue series. Just incredibly GOOD! THIS is why we spend so much energy, time and money getting our audio systems set up and tuned well. . |
Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 1, Fitzwilliam Qt, L'Oiseau Lyre DSLO 31 (Written in 1938 at the age of 32, this first string quartet demonstrates why Shostakovich is such a master. Just a phenomenal introduction to delights to come in the remaining 14 quartets he was to write over his lifetime.) Freddie Hubbard, Here to Stay - Blue Note ST-84135 (45rpm Music Matters reissue) Doc Watson, Doc Watson On Stage - Vanguard VSD 9/10 (incredibly good music making) . |
La Folia (collection of Spanish Renaissance Dances), Paniagua/AtrmMMadrid, Harmonia Mundi HM 1050 (ATR 0103 reissue) Villancicos (Spanish country songs), Paniagua/AtrmMMadrid, Harmonia Mundi HM 1025 (Speakers Corner reissue) Laudate II, DrottingholmBarEns, UppsalaAcKammarkor, Fagius -org, Anna Sofie Von Otter - msop, Proprius PROP 7860 Lee Morgan, Search For The New Land, Blue Note BNLP4169-45 (Music Matters 45rpm reissue) Johnny Griffin, A Blowin' Session, Blue Note, BNLP1559-45 (Music Matters 45rpm reissue) |
By golly Slipknot1! I must have been channeling you today, at least in part... Ravel "Daphnis et Chloe" Monteux/LSO/Royal Opera House chorus (London CS6140 ORG 45 rpm reissue ORG 105) Ravel "String Quartet in F" Guarneri Quartet, Lancia LMF7002 (recorded in 2000, this performance is an example of the Guarneri performing at their finest level. If you don't have this LP, get it! Fantastic music, exceptional performance, great recording and pressing) Wagner "Parsifal" Solti/London Philharmic, London OSA 1510 (with a simply amazing cast - just luxuriate in the the voices and the music) . |
The recent 180 gram reissue of Paul Simon's Graceland is indeed a very significant improvement over the original DMM mastered LP. We started listening with the cut "Under African Skies" and my wife looked at me, grinned and held two-thumbs-up. I found myself agreeing with Fremer's assessment of the improved sonics: http://www.analogplanet.com/content/igracelandi-twenty-five Ravel, String Quartet in F, Guarneri String Quartet, Lancia LMF7002 - Superb! Extremely well recorded and played. Lancia is an unknown label to me, and I bought this recent issue with some trepidation for what we might hear, but the lure of the Guarneri was strong. Wow, I am glad I made the leap! D.Buxtehude, Organ Music, Opus 3, 8103 | played by Margaret Philips on the tracker organ at Lima Church, Sweden, this is a gorgeous recording. It has become very difficult to find these Opus 3 LPs. If you are familiar with this label, you know what to expect: direct to tape via 2-mics, marvelous acoustical environment, competent musicians, incredibly excellent capture of instrumental timbre. |
