Dlwask, Congratulations on the 'table upgrades. I've always been impressed with the Scoutmaster, and I'm looking forward to hearing the results of these upgrades you're talking about when I can get over to hear Slipknot1's system again. And, thanks for the enthusiastic recommendation of "American IV": now I'll have to find a copy!
Raytheprinter, I've been working my way through the Ella/Gershwin Songbook, too. Great stuff in her inimitable style. Have you heard her sing the Cole Porter Songbook? To my tastes, she's even better with Porter's material.
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Nice additions to the collection, Joe! I second your comments about the 45rpm version of "Time Out" - a worthy improvement in the sonics.
So, what's your take on "This One's for Blanton" - "highly recommended" or just "very good" or .... ? I've had this one on my wish list, but there are about 8 more from the Acoustic Sounds 45 series that I've got ahead of it at the moment (e.g., Monk/Misterioso, Bill Evans/Interplay, Miles Davis/Walkin', Coltrane/Standard...); would welcome your thoughts as to where "Blanton" should fall.
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Thanks, Joe! Sounds like I can focus on other areas of my wish list first. And agree again on the "Time Out" 45rpm.
Cheers, |
Ray, Speakers Corner reissued the Cole Porter Songbook a few years ago in a 2-LP set. It's still available from the usual mail order sources. . |
Whoa! Just finished listening to William Alwyn's "Miss Julie" and I need to go do something else for a while. For those who don't know this piece, its a 2-act opera with just 4 performers, based on a play about class/love/lust, and the tragic intersection of the these for a young woman. Powerful performances by the cast (Jill Gomez as Miss Julie) and very direct sparse music by Alwyn. The excellent engineering by Kenneth Wilkinson brings all the musical drama forcefully into the room. Lyrita SRCS 121/2. Sheesh... Last night it was Martinu's "The Epic of Gilgamesh" (Supraphon 112 1808) and all of the drama of that work. I think I'm gonna switch to Suppe. . . |
Harp Music of the Italian Renaissance, Andrew Lawrence-King -hp (Hyperion)
Hamilton Harty: Violin Concerto (Chandos)
Joni Mitchell: Clouds (Reprise)
De Falla: Seven Popular Spanish Songs, Itzhak Perlman (Angel) |
A lovely wet day here, and this evening we've heard thus far:
"Lute of the Renaissance", Kecskes -lute, Harmonia Mundi HMU 766
"Italian Music for Lute, Baroque Guitar and Harpsichord", Hubscher -lute, Gross -hpd, Klimo Open Window OW 003 (from a great, but sadly limited, series of baroque music recordings by the German audio manufacturer Klimo)
Prokofiev: Love for Three Oranges | Scythian Suite, Dorati/LSO, Mercury SR 90006 (Classic Records 45 rpm reissue)
Next up: Malcom Arnold's "Duo to Two Cellos" courtesy of members of the Nash Ensemble on Hyerion A66171.
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Tonight I've been listening to various alternative pressings of some duplicate recordings in my collection: time to help some find a new home...
Mahler, Symphony No. 3 - Horenstein/LSO, Unicorn RHS 302/3 (my all time favorite performance and recording of this work! The Nonesuch pressing is very good, but the original Unicorn pressing is simply better: cleaner, more transparent, more dynamic. Object lesson in record cleaning here: when I first listened I thought I preferred the Nonesuch. Then I remembered the Unicorn had been cleaned with an old home-brew cleaning fluid of distilled water and isopropyl. So, did a quick Disc Doctor fluid cleaning and listened again. BIG difference! Once "properly" cleaned, it became completely apparent which pressing was better.)
Dvorak, Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) - Kertesz/LSO, Decca SXL 2289 (SpeakersCorner reissue, King SuperAnalogue reissue, London early pressing, Decca Jubilee -- it's been a lot of Dvorak tonight... The Decca Jubilee was a real contender, btw. I'm always impressed with how well re-mastered were the budget reissue Jubilees.)
Playing now... Donovan's Greatest Hits (Epic).
Coming up... Neil Young's Zuma
Sandra, no tv, but will a laptop and internet connection qualify? :^)
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Hi folks, only classical tonight...
Vaughan Williams: Overture to The Wasps | Serenade to Music
Delius: First Cuckoo in Spring | Summer Evening | Summer Night on the River
....Handley/LPO, Chandos ABRD 1106
Dvorak: Piano Trios (No. 1 - 4), The Suk Quartet, Supraphon 1411 2621/3
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Hope everyone is being able to enjoy friends, family and music this weekend. Tonight, my listening partner and I have been enjoying:
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection"), Solti/LSO (with Heather Harper and Helen Watts), London CSA 2217
Martinu: Nonet | Trio in F, Dartington Ensemble, Hyperion A66084
Frank Martin: Concerto for Seven Wind Instruments, Ansermet/OSR, London CS 6241
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Very cool, Ray! Congrats!
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Bartok: 44 Duos for Two Violins, Wilkomirska -vn, Szucs -vn, Hungaraton LPX 11320
Kodaly: BIS LP 172
...Sonata for Cello & Piano, Lavotha -vc, Aberg -pf
...Duo for Violin & Viola, Lavotha -vc, Sparf -vn
Kodaly: BIS LP 25
...Sonata for Solo Cello, Helmerson -vc (a marvelous cellist)
Handel, Messiah 'Highlights', Barbirolli/RPO, Vickers, Tozzi, Vyvyan, RCA CRL2 0192 (a fun alternative version with superb soloists)
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Montepilot, I look forward to your contributions once you're up and running!
Foster (R_F_Sayles), your comments about the Claudel/Rodin exhibition caused me to go look at the DIA web site. That was one we'd have enjoyed seeing, too! Now you've got me thinking about a visit to the Rodin Museum here in Philadelphia...
Regards, |
Montepilot, The Tallis Scholars performance of the Allegri Miserere is not particularly rare and I see it show up from time to time. You might consider monitoring the monthly fixed price sale lists from Mikrokosmos and Ars Nova. And thanks for your kind comments about my posts. . |
Hi Foster, the Walker Audio amps stands are indeed keepers! Inserting Valid Points under the butcher block in lieu of the sorbothane improved the already good results yet another material degree. Lloyd had offered the sorbothane as a lower cost option, but Ann insisted that we should listen to the full component stand as Lloyd intended it to be. She was right, it was better. I never cease to be amazed at how EVERYTHING makes a difference and how much the details matter.
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Thanks, Slipknot, glad to hear this report. For me, this LP captures accurately some very difficult to reproduce textures and harmonic shadings. It's a real test of the resolving capability of one's system, plus being very attractive musically.
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"Dances Anciennes de Hongrie & Transylvanie", Clemencic Consort, Harmonia Mundi HM 1003
"Harmonia Mundi Sampler" Harmonia Mundi HM 0015 - bite sized tastes of some of the best...
Bach, Cantata: Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV2
Bach, Cantata: Wie schon leuchtet der Morenstern, BWV1
...Harnoncourt/ConMWien, Telefunken SKW 1/1-2
Bach "Goldberg Variations" Gustav Leonhardt, harpsichord, Deutsch Harmonia Mundi 065 99710
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Listening now to the Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue of Bill Evans Trio: Explorations. Another great record in this series!
On the turntable earlier today have been:
Dave Grusin: Discovered Again, Sheffield LAB5 direct-to-disc
Gregorian Chant/Epiphany, by The Schola Hungarica, Hungaraton SLPD 12559
William Bird: Missa In Tempore Pachali | Mass: In Assumptione Beatae Mariae Virginis, performed by Chanticleer on Harmonia Mundi HMC 5182
Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits, S&P Records S&P(2)-507 (if you like Orbison and you've not yet listened to this Steve Hoffman mastered 2-LP set, you're missing a huge treat - the music and sound quality puts a smile on my face!)
The Nylons: Happy Together, Open Air OA 0306
Linda Ronstadt: Hasten Down the Wind, Asylum 7E 1072 (wonderful vintage stuff here)
Coming up: William Walton's Facade Suite, with the Chicago Pro Musica on Reference Recordings RR16 (a superb performance as I recall)...
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Yes, the William Walton "Facade Suite" on Reference Recordings was exactly as good as I remembered: an absolutely outstanding performance, recording and pressing (from my 03/04 post above). One of Reference Recordings' best.
William Walton's Symphony No. 1 - a great piece of 20th century orchestral music - Previn/LSO, RCA (recorded by Decca).
Robert Lucas: Usin' Man Blues, Audioquest 1001 (a Kavi Alexander recording, and very special sonically because of that)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Verve MGV 4001/2, Speakers Corner reissue (Well, it sounds more like Ella than Cole Porter, but the remastering is well done sonically, and Ella is always Ella)
Marin Marais: "Works for 2 Viols and Harpsichord", Sarah Cunningham, et al., ASV GAU 112. (I enjoy Baroque music, and Marais' writing for viol is always worth listening to, but I confess to taking it in small doses because I find a sameness from piece-to-piece that I just can't get around. This is an excellent record, and shows just how good a digital recording on LP can sound.)
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Montepilot, good to see your list of music! Nice to have more classical music listed for those like me who live mainly in that world.
Slipknot, any reactions to "Il Cornetto"? Hope I didn't lead you down the path of "it must be an acquired taste" on this LP...
Tonight here has been:
John Lill playing Schuman's "Fantasia in c, op 17" on a beautiful all analog recording produced in 2004: Green Room Productions 4001. This is recording engineer Tony Faulkner's label and reflects his return to analog tape for his own productions. A lovely 1964 Steinway piano captured by Neuman M50 tube mikes into a Studor A80 tape deck, then half speed mastered by Stan Ricker and pressed at RTI. Outstanding performance by Lill, captured in outstanding sonics by Faulkner.
Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps performed by Sir Georg Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Decca SXL 6691 (the Speakers Corner reissue sounds very good! besting my original Decca in many respects).
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Foster, the "Il Cornetto" LP is a recording of Baroque music that features the Cornett, a 16th century wind instrument made of wood or ivory, with woodwind style fingering holes like a recorder but with a brass instrument type mouthpiece. Because it's played like a brass instrument, yet with the body of a woodwind instrument, it has a unique sound that I find complex and full of interesting overtones. It's unusual to hear it played today. This LP is from a limited series of extraordinarily well recorded Baroque music recordings made by the German tube equipment manufacturer Klimo in the 1980s, now long out of print. I have all of the LPs from this limited Klimo Open Window series, and this is one of my favorites (another being an LP of music for baroque violin performed by the renowned Swiss baroque violinist Chiara Banchini, Klimo OW 002). The primary point is that I recently discovered that Elusive Disc still has this "Il Cornetto" LP available. . |
Foster, I'm sorry this LP is now out of stock at Elusive Disc. Slipknot and another member of our local audio group just ordered it last week, but I was afraid that whatever supply Elusive Disc might have was limited. I've seen LPs from this series show up every now and then on Mikrokosmos' monthly lists. . |
Khachaturian's "Gayaneh Ballet", Tjeknavorian/NPO, RCA RL25035 (excellent job by recording engineer Bob Auger, English pressing)
"Il Cornetto" - after all the discussion, I had to pull it out for a listen!
Creedence Clearwater Revival, selections from the 45 rpm reissue box set from Analogue Productions.
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RF and Montepilot, the Clemencic performances are always reliable and enjoyable. If this genre appeals, I'd also recommend any of the recordings by Gregorio Paniagua (Atrium Musicae de Madrid).
My favorites among the Clemencic recordings are:
The Carmina Burana series (5 volumes)
Dances Anciennes de Hongrie & Transylvanie
Dances Du Moyen-Age
Feast of the Ass
Roman de Fauvel
Danses de la Renaissance
...all on Harmonia Mundi.
Of the recordings by Gregorio Paniagua, I'm very fond of:
Villancicos (an instrumental collection of 15th-16thC Spanish Songs)
Tarantelle (collection of Italian ancient dances)
Musique de la Grece Antique
Musique Arabo-Andalouse (Music of Arabic-Spain of the 9th-13th Centuries)
La Folia (collection of Spanish Renaissance Dances, with some wild additions)
...all on Harmonia Mundi
Plus "La Spagna" on BIS LP163/164 (a desert island LP for me).
Cheers! |
Great news about this LP, Foster! What a surprise, I'll be interested in your reactions to it. As Slipknot cautions, it is fairly quiet and subtle.
Congratulations on the Sylvania NOS 6SN7 GTBs for your Atma-Sphere. I run these in my MA-2s and love what they do for this amp.
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A favorite teacher of mine in high school was fond of gently pointing out my errors in papers I submitted. He had various sized stamps with the word "BONEHEAD!>>" on them that he would use to subtly mark my papers. The more egregious the error, the bigger the stamp. I think the biggest I saw had 1" block letters.
Well, last night I just awarded myself the 5" tall BONEHEAD!>> stamp as I managed to snap off the cantilever to my beloved Magic Diamond cartridge. Oh, was it ever so easy! and ever so quick! A moment of carelessness, a misplaced waive of the hand, and zip - gone! Snapped clean off.
We're ordering a replacement, but vinyl will sit quiet around here for a while until the replacement arrives. Take what lessons you will for your own purposes, my friends.
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How many of you have had an LP in your collection that you thought was just mediocre until you played it on some different equipment?
This just happened to me yesterday as I listened to the Khatchaturian "Gayenah Ballet" listed in my post above. I'd always enjoyed the music on this LP, but consistently thought the sound quality was indifferent, if not decidedly disappointing: muffled, indistinct, completely lacking is resolution and transparency. Definitely not what I expected of a Bob Auger engineered mastertape! I remember being sooo disappointed when I first got it years ago.
Well, not any more...
In listening to this LP last night for the first time on the current turntable, what I now hear is a very low-level signal encoded on the disc (typical of many English pressings), but with incredible resolution, detail, soundstaging and harmonic integrity. The former turntable simply was not capable of resolving the magic that was really on this LP.
For me, put this in the category of "lessons repeatedly re-learned..."
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Thanks to each of you who've expressed your concern. It's certainly helped my angst!
As Montepilot says, the good news is that its only money: no one was hurt, the cartridge can be replaced. (And thanks for sharing your story, Montepilot.) The better news is that a replacement cartridge is on it's way.
Regarding CD, I actually do have a CD player: a 15+ year old Rotel RCD 855. Completely inoffensive and far outclassed by current technology. The CD collection here is for sure the more limiting factor: 4,000 LPs, but at best only 50 CDs.
As to the Klimo harpsichord LP (Klimo Open Window OW001), I find it very enjoyable: an interesting selection of music, very well played by the inimitable Alfred Gross on three different harpsichords (each pretty different in character than the other), and very naturally recorded. This is certainly one of the better harpsichord records in my collection.
Another solo harpsichord LP I think is well recorded and listenable (and that is still available from Acoustic Sounds and perhaps others) is the Reference Recordings LP of Ramaeu performed by Albert Fuller (RR 27). Unlike the Klimo, this is a very close-up recording, which has its pluses and minuses. But it well captures the tonality of this instrument.
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Foster, great report on both the Sylvania tubes and the Klimo LP!! Glad to hear both have worked well for you. Regarding the Klimo LP, you've nicely described what I find so attractive about this record. There are so many gems like this, but sorting them out is the challenge - one reason I've enjoyed this thread so much!
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Hi Zaikesman, thanks for that great discussion of Jimmy Webb. I'm one of those who know his songs as presented by others, but don't know anything about him. I'll have to explore this more!
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Zaikesman, enjoyed your post! Thanks for the great read.
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Lots of music playing today during our local audio group's gathering - a true vinyl fest! Here are some of the LPs playing while I was in the listening room (versus chatting in the room next door):
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Reiner/CSO, RCA (Classic Records reissue)
Rossini: Overtures, Gamba/LSO, Decca SXL 2266 (Speakers Corner reissue)
Music of the Baroque: Oslo Consort, Simax PS1006
Dave Brubeck: Time Out (Classic Records reissue)
Count Basie: 88 Basie Street, Pablo 2310-901 (Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue)
Led Zepplin I (Classic Records reissue)
Creedence Clearwater Revival (Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue)
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Foster, our groups share many similarities! Folks are having so much fun just visiting with each other and talking that it's been a little challenging for those who want to do some serious listening. So, we've worked pretty diligently each of the last two meetings to separate the "listening room" from the "conversation room." Since we meet in each other's homes, and most listening rooms can't accomodate 20+ people at one time, rotating out has been working pretty well to allow everyone who wants to a chance to listen. Normally we're 16-20 at any given meeting, but today we had about 32 people: our largest gathering yet. That Lloyd Walker hosted the meeting may have had something to do with the larger turnout. ;)
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Montepilot, I agree with Slipknot's recommendation of the Holst "Savitri" on Argo ZNF 6 (and later as ZK 78). This is always my demonstration LP for someone who wants to hear the singers actually moving across the stage both laterally and from back to front. It's not all that rare, but you will have to be patient to find a copy from one of the used LP retailers (like Mikrokosmos or Ars Nova). Janet Baker is superb on this recording as Savitri, and the orchestral accompaniment is striking in the subtlety with which it's recorded. The Alwyn "Miss Julie" is not as dynamic in the motion on stage of the singers. And, the music may not as immediately engaging as the Holst. For my earlier comments on "Miss Julie", my post was on 1/17/06. Another alternative is the Maazel "Porgy and Bess" on Decca. An outstanding recording with great soundstaging and with superb performances by the vocalists. Unfortunately somewhat costly, however. . |
Foster, interesting comment on "Teaser." I've always enjoyed the MoFi reissue, notwithstanding its detractors in some quarters. My tan label A&M (Sterling mastering, F7) has always sounded good to my ear, but I found the MoFi bettered it in overall resolution and harmonic integrity. The MoFi is cut at a lower level than the tan label, and my tan label is probably not that early given the "F7" scribing. I'll have to give them another comparative listening with your comments in mind. Thanks!
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{smile} Great to hear, Joe! Lloyd told me the sound in your listening room at this point is just "killer". We'll have to get over!
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Elusive Disc has two Cassandra Wilson titles on vinyl: ...Glamoured ...Treveling Miles . |
Hi Foster, yes I *have* replaced the Magic Diamond with another Magic Diamond cartridge. The Magic Diamond does so many things so well I continue to be very impressed with it; from top to bottom it is has a consistency of sound quality that I've never heard another cartridge better. It just makes incredible music. Slipknot got the same Magic Diamond cartridge with his new Walker turntable, so there's certainly some common listening biases being shared in this neck of the woods. I'm delighted to see Speakers Corner delving in to reissue the Harmonia Mundi catalog. They have several out or on their way. All are superb recordings in their original issues, so given Speakers Corner's track record for quality, I suspect the reissues will be well worth getting if you like the music. The "Danses Anciennes de Hongrie" is one of my favorites. I'm just hoping they will reissue a Harmonia Mundi I don't have in my collection already but have been searching for! . |
Yesterday was a listening adventure at Walker Audio listening to some enhancements Lloyd has made to his incredible Proscenium Turntable with his new Black Diamond ceramic tonearm. Among the many LPs we listened to were:
Stravinsky: Petrouchka, Oscar Danon/RPO, Chesky reissue (CR42) from the Reader's Digest series, recorded by Kenneth Wilkinson. The recording continues for me to be the best record Chesky ever issued. The recording by Wilkinson is simply a phenomenal capturing of an orchestra, one of the best in my rather large collection. The presentation is rather laid back, in the traditional Wilkinson way (which I enjoy and find very natural), but the instruments are captured with superb resolution and tonal accuracy, with no unnatural spotlighting. There are portions of this music where all of the instruments come into play in a cacophonouss fortissimo that cause most turntables to shut down into a congested mush. Not the Walker! which sailed through the passages with clear articulation of all the overlaid competing sounds. If you enjoy Stravinsky, and if you value have fantastic performances in great sound, you owe it to yourself to have this recording in your collection. (Note that this performance uses the original 1911 orchestration, so it may sound a bit different to what you may be used to hearing in this piece. Another good reason to have it in your collection.)
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 ("Scottish"), Maag/LSO, Speakers Corner 45 rpm reissue of Decca SXL 2246. Another Kenneth Wilkinson recording, from 1960 in Kingsway Hall. I've posted about this recording before, but my enthusiasm for the performance, the engineering, and this particular mastering/pressing has not waned. Some reviewers of the "earliest original pressings are always the best" ilk have not liked this 45 rpm pressing, and I am completely at a loss to understand why. The sonic presentation of the orchestra is superb, the tonality of the instruments is captured supremely well, and the harmonic overtone structures are well reproduced. The 45 rpm mastering additionally brings all the expected benefits of 45 rpm, making this an extremely satisfying LP of a great symphonic performance. This LP is still available new: Highly Recommended.
Therese Juel, "Levande" Opus 3, 7917. The "Tiden Bara Gar" cut on side two of this record has always been a simple, and utterly consistently accurate test for my and my wife as to whether a system is going to rise to our expectations. This cut is also found on the Opus 3 "Test Record 1: Depth of Image" (7900). My wife first described this to me: there is a "chuckle" in Therese Juel's voice as she sings certain phrases. Systems that "get it" are able to reproduce this "chuckle," other systems just don't: they leave her voice flat. Once you've heard that chuckle reproduced correctly, it's easy to pick it out and deadly noticeable when it's not there (even though she's singing in Swedish and we don't have a clue what she's saying). Add to that the simple natural miking, the huge variety of acoustic instruments, both string and percussion, and you've got a great single test cut that quickly differentiates they systems that will make the cut from those that won't. (Oh yes, Lloyd's system made the cut in spades.)
Eva Cassidy, "Songbird" S&P Records reissue, SNP 501. Yes, it's really good, and she's really good. My wife likes this album for the song "Fields of barley" - a great example of how a single artist in a very simply arrangement can make compelling music that just "sucks you in" because she is such a good musician and performer. A great lesson in simpler often being better. The reisses from S&P have been extremely good and consistent in quality. Highly recommended.
Other LPs included:
Laudate II, Drottingholm Baroque Ensemble with Anna Sophie von Otter, Proprius 7860. Marvelous. Get the LP just to listen to the supremely good von Otter when she was starting her career.
Il Cornetto, Klimo Open Window OW004. Baroque music that is very subtle and very fine, highlightly the unique timbre of the baroque cornette, accompanied by viola da gamba. Another outstanding recording from this too-short-lived Klimo series of extremely natural sounding recordings of baroque music.
Louis Armstrong, "Satchmo Plays King Oliver: St. James Infirmary," Classic Records 45 rpm reissue. And Satchmo was in the room!
Enjoy your listening! |
You're welcome, Larry. Thanks for posting that this was useful to you!
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Oregon, glad to hear you've enjoyed some of the classical music posts. As you say "Lots to enjoy" as one explores this genre. I really like your approach of looking for music that will move you! That's what it's all about. |
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Forgot to mention: several of the threads listed in the post above are general introductions to exploring classical music, others focus on recommendations about specific recordings to explore within a genre of classical music.
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Listening with friends earlier in the day (there's no better way), among other LPs:
McNeely, Confederation, Sheffield Lab 9 (d-to-d) (Bluegrass played with verve and fun, no holding back just because it's being record live direct to disc as on so many other similar d-to-d albums)
Dvorak, Symphony No. 9, Kertesz/LSO, London CS 6527 (another Kenneth Wilkinson recording masterpiece, and I enjoy Kertesz above all others in this music)
Casino Royal Soundtrack - the first two tracks are great and I always enjoy hearing them. After that, it's pretty repetitive. So, get the 45 rpm reissue from Classic Records with just this much of it, and enjoy!
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Oregon, have fun in your explorations! As you find a genre you enjoy and would like additional suggestions, feel free to ask. Lots of people here will be happy to reply. |
Sounds like a good evening, Joe! Wish I could be listening with you. For Sunday, I've pulled out the new Everest Khatchaturian reissue from Classic, an early Leo Kottke ("6 and 12 String Guitar"), the new Skip James "Today" reissue from Pure Pleasure, and a few other items.
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Pulled out to hear later today on a friend's recently updated system:
Son House, Father of the Delta Blues, Pure Pleasure reissue of Columbia CS 9217
Mississippi John Hurt, Today!, Pure Pleasure reissue of Vanguard VSD 79220 (I've liked all the Pure Pleasure reissues I've heard thus far; interested to hear these two)
Creedence Clearwater Revival 45rpm box set from Analogue Productions, we'll probably listen to anything except Susie Q!
The Royal Ballet Gala Performances, Classic Records 45rpm box set reissue of LSC 6065: have pulled out the Adam Giselle and Rossini-Resphigi La Boutique Fantasque to listen to.
Elton John, Self-Titled, Universal 73090, a U.S. first pressing to compare to the later MCA.
Widor, Sym 6: Allegro, Speakers Corner reissue of Mercury SR 90169 (a great organ recording!)
Loius Armstrong, Louis Under the Stars, Classic Records 45 rpm reissue of Verve MG V-4012
Mendelssohn, Sym 3 (Scottish) / Hebrides Overture, Maag/LSO, on Speakers Corner 45rpm reissue of Decca SXL 2246-45 (a great Kenneth Wilkinson recording!)
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It's been a while since I've contributed to this thread, but vinyl is spinning in our listening room once again so it's time to share what we're listening to, hopefully with a comment or two as the mood dictates. Listening tonight has been an eclectic ramble...
Roy Orbison - "All Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison" on S&P Records (S&P 507), a marvelous artist well-served in a great remastering job by Steve Hoffman.
Harry James - "The King James Version" on Sheffield Labs (LAB 3). IMO, the best recording ever released by Sheffield Labs both musically and sonically. Sure it's direct to disc, but the real magic of this LP is the single point stereo miking used in making the recording. None of the multi-miked hash, this LP has the great immediacy and impact that comes only from that purist miking approach. Add Harry James to the mix, and this LP is pure magic on a system that can reproduce it.
Boys of the Lough - "Farewell and Remember Me" on Shanachie (79067). What a superb group of traditional Celtic musicians! Their diverse backgrounds providing a great mix of differing Celtic influences: Ireland, Scotland, Shetland and Northumberland. Doesn't any better in my book.
"Antiphone Blues" on Proprius (PROP 7744) -- How many years have most of us listened to this 1975 recording? At least 25 years for me, but I still enjoy it and I haven't had it out for a listen in several years. For those who haven't encountered this LP, it was really innovative when released: Arne Domnerus' saxaphone with organ in a huge reverberant acoustic.
Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five - "The Louis Armstrong Story - Vol. 1" on Columbia CL 851 - What a great series of recordings collected on LP: this first volume covering some of the recordings made by Armstrong and his group between 1925 and 1927.
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Tonight's listening shifted to classical...
To get the system warmed up, a little organ music first: Marie Claire Alain playing Bach on Erato (ERA 50527). Alain's always enjoyable Bach performances are consistently well recorded on Erato.
With the cartridge nicely excercized with 40 minutes of organ, time to move on to some orchestral with Dimitri Shostakovich:
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 6, Berglund/BournemouthSO, EMI (SLS 5177, 2LPs)
Shostakovich, Age of Gold Ballet Suite, Martinon/LSO, RCA (LSC 2322-45 Classic Records 45 rpm reissue) - excellent LP in this 45 rpm incarnation. I always enjoy the Polka from this piece; Shostakovich's droll humor at his finest. You can also find this movement played delightfully by wind ensemble on the Opus 3 "Bofors Musikkar" (7903) or Opus 3 Test Record ("Timbre," I believe).
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 11, Berglund/BournemouthSO, EMI (SLS 5177, 2LPs) - a truly monumental work encompassing three sides of this 2LP set, wonderful!
This music and these recordings are hugely demanding of any playback system. When they comes across with the complex interplay of rhythms, textures and instrumentation cleanly delineated, you know your system is pretty well tuned. If any of it sounds the least congested or lacking in resolution, you have work to do.
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Hi Larry (Cello), great list of music; I like your selections! Yes, the Harry James "Comin' from a good place" is a good 'un. Love the Arnold and the Mozart Mass recordings!
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