Monthly Archive: May 2005
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Partitas
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Partitas – Florin Paul, violin – Tacet S 10 – Multichannel Hybrid SACD, 75 min. *****: When it comes to Bach’s Partitas for solo violin, many listeners would probably feel no need to reach any further in their collection other than for classic recordings by Grumiaux, Heifetz or Milstein. And while this recent offering from Tacet probably won’t unshelve any of the masters based on absolute artistic values, it does, nonetheless, offer very compelling performances of the Partitas, all captured in superb SACD transfers. Violinist Florin Paul acquits himself admirably throughout, but the really stunning sound quality here is the real reason to add this disc to you library. A number of excellent recordings have appeared on the Tacet label, but most of the recent buzz revolving around them has dealt with either their often unusual approach to recording music for surround sound, where individual instruments are assigned to specific channels – or, as in this particular recording, where classic tube microphones are employed in the session. This disc, whose recording session dates from 1989, uses two Neumann U47 tube microphones to spectacular effect – and offers a truly sumptuous string tone, along with an incredibly palpable […]
MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 – The Utah Symphony Orchestra
From the acclaimed Abravanel/Utah Sym. Mahler series, now in 5.1 surround for the first time
RICHARD STRAUSS: Suite for Orchestra: The Bourgeois Gentleman; Duet-Concertino for clarinet and bassoon; Sextet from “Capriccio”
RICHARD STRAUSS: Suite for Orchestra: The Bourgeois Gentleman; Duet-Concertino for clarinet and bassoon; Sextet from “Capriccio” – Daniel Sepec, violin; Nicole Kern, clarinet; Higinio Arrue, bassoon; The German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen/Paavo Järvi – Pentatone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 060, 65:36 ****: Richard Strauss is best known for his large-scale symphonic works – especially (post-”2001”) for his Thus Spake Zarathustra. But conductor Paavo Jarvi wanted to expose more of Strauss’ intimate chamber music, and this delightful SACD is the result. He feels it is difficult to find music more masterly, beautiful and charming than the suite from Les Bourgeois Gentilhomme, and it’s long been one of my personal favorites. The original idea was for Strauss to write incidental music for the Moliere comedy Le bourgeois gentilhomme, which would then be the framework for the performance of Strauss opera Ariadne aud Naxos. The premiere was not a success and Strauss later arranged some of the music into this witty suite, which retains some of the 17th century setting in its bow to Baroque music. The nine sections roughly parallel the story of the nouveau riche merchant who lets his sudden affluence go to his head. There is a humorous fencing lesson, […]
Pletnev Plays SCHUMANN: Etudes symphoniques Op. 13; Fantasie in C Major Op. 17; Bunte Blätter: Albumblätter I-V; Arabesque
Pletnev Plays SCHUMANN: Etudes symphoniques Op. 13; Fantasie in C Major Op. 17; Bunte Blätter: Albumblätter I-V; Arabesque – Mikhail Pletnev, piano – DGG multichannel SACDs 477 057-2 (2 discs), 28:08, 48:13 ****: This is a Schumannesque week for me. Just finished reviewing the John Lill two-LP set of Schumann piano works recorded by Tony Faulkner entirely in analog, and here is a two-SACD set of more Schumann – included another interpretation of the C Major Fantasy. OK, interesting comparison, right? It is very nice to have the more enveloping sound of the performance space accessible on the multichannel SACD, and Pletnev may run a little more dramatic in his interpretation, but the sound of John Lill’s piano on the LP is again superior in most other aspects to the SACD – especially so if we switch from the multichannel option to the stereo SACD for a fairer comparison. Back to the music: The Symphonic Etudes is a winner with performers and listeners for the exciting way it expands the capabilities of both the piano and the performer. Its 28-minute length and passages that try to transform the piano into an entire orchestra qualify the work for the “symphonic” appelation. […]
Yundi Li, piano – CHOPIN: Scherzos Nos. 1 – 4; Impromptus Nos. 1-3
Yundi Li, piano – CHOPIN: Scherzos Nos. 1 – 4; Impromptus Nos. 1-3 – DGG multichannel SACD 00289 474 8782 ****: The latest phenomenal pianist from China is a national hero there and currently living and studying in Germany. His second DGG album was recorded at Siemens Villa in Berlin. At age 4 Yundi was so taken with hearing the sounds of an accordion that he insisted his unmusical parents get him one. Later he switched to piano and his favorite composer was Chopin. He seems totally relaxed and not pushed in this survey of Chopin’s Scherzo and Impromptus, described as “an element of weightlessness” to his playing. His tone and phrasing belies a performer of much more advanced age and experience. Sonics are rich and powerful except, as usual, the piano sounds way too large. (James Boyk’s recording notes say the listener’s perspective is of “standing in the crook of the grand piano.” But we don’t stand in the crook to listen to a piano recital!)
James Boyk, piano – Tonalities of Emotion = BACH: Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue; CHOPIN: Fantasy-Impromptu Op. 66; DEBUSSY: Reflections on the Water; MOZART: Sonata in A Minor K310
James Boyk, piano – Tonalities of Emotion = BACH: Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue; CHOPIN: Fantasy-Impromptu Op. 66; DEBUSSY: Reflections on the Water; MOZART: Sonata in A Minor K310 – Stereo SACD PR10, 44:59 ****: James Boyk makes the phrase Renaissance man short of an accurate description. He is a concert pianist, professor of electrical engineering at Caltech – where he also leads a series of musical encounters, an active recording engineer, and an author and consultant. He was involved in the engineering of the famed Sheffield Lab direct discs of the Kodo Drummers and the LA Philharmonic. He studied piano with Leonid Hambro among others. For Boyk, all his activities add up to the one career of musician, and it is that is in the spotlight in this program of keyboard classics. The program is fairly conservative but varied. The liner notes include a lovely essay by Boyk titled “In Love With Sound.” The opening Bach selection is cleanly articulated in a very detached style (but not as extreme as Glenn Gould), and the Chopin transitions to the Romantic style flawlessly. I would have liked a bit more pedal in the Debussy. The Mozart Sonata is the same as on […]
Surround Yourself With Paco Peña – Misa Flamenca and Flamenco Guitar Music of RAMON MONTOYA & NINO RICARDO
Surround Yourself With Paco Peña – Misa Flamenca and Flamenco Guitar Music of RAMON MONTOYA & NINO RICARDO – Paca Peña, guitar (in Misa Flamenca:) Text & music adapted by Peña, Choir arrangments by Stephen Dodgson, other guitarists: Tito Losada, Jose Losada, Diego Losada; percussion: Jose Losada, Cesar Victoriano; singers: La Susi, El Chaparro, Dieguito, Guadiana; with Academy of St.Martin in the Fields Chorus/Laszlo Heltay – Nimbus DVD-A & DTS NI 9007, 96:00 ****: Not exactly classical, but the flamenco mass brings this superb collection of ethnic music closer to the category. Note first of all the 96-minute length on the single DVD! This disc provides the UHJ Ambisonic option of most of the Nimbus library, but it is only identified by the small letters UHJ after the stereo PCM ID. Probably because most purchasers are unlikely to have Ambisonic decoders at hand. There is also a 4-channel DTS option, but no Dolby Digital. For DVD-A playback there is an 88.2K-20bit option, also in four channels. Spanish guitarist Paco Peña has been judged the Flamenco Guitarist of the Year for five consecutive years in Guitar magazine. he is on the cutting edge of expanding the traditional flamenco guitar style into […]
BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances (complete) – Steven & Stijn Kolacny, piano four hands
BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances (complete) – Steven & Stijn Kolacny, piano four hands – Etcetera multichannel SACD KTC 5250, 52:27 ****: The Kolacnys are a pair of Belgian brothers who began playing four-hand piano music together at an early age. In their 7th disc they take on the tunefuland lively Hungarian Dances – on the score of which Brahms identified himself as the arranger and not the composer. Nevertheless he had to field many accusations of plagiarism from various obscure composers. At the start of the 20th century Bartok and Kodaly discovered in their folk music research (recording on wax cylinder records) that the tunes which Brahms described as true Hungarian folk songs were not that at all but commercialized gypsy music from the cafes of Vienna. Actually this work should be titled “Gypsy Dances.” The Kolacny brothers play a Steinway Model D and the brilliant high notes balance well with the bassy and rhythmic bottom part of the keyboard. One wouldn’t think the surround information would add much to the portrayal of the four hands at the single keyboard, but it does aid the spatial presence of the two performers, as well as place them in a palpable concert hall […]
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 7
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 7 – London Symphony OrchestraSir Colin Davis (rec. live at Barbican Center, London) – LSO multichannel SACD LS00552, 53:44 ****: Following on the success of other major orchestras launching their own record labels, the London Symphony followed suit in 2000 and their 25 CDs so far have resulted in their becoming one of the major classical labels in the world. Most of the recordings are made live in the concert hall during public performance for the utmost energy and excitement. Now the LSO is beginning to release multichannel SACD versions of their catalog, which has all been recorded multichannel. One of the first was the Brahms Third Symphony, and here we have two of the Sibelius seven symphonies. In his Second Symphony the Finnish composer began to experiment with musical form – trying to depart from the standard symphonic strictures. In the Third Symphony and the rest of his symphonies the composer realized new ways of structuring the long works. He began in the Third by reacting against what he felt were the vast, overstuffed symphonic excesses of Mahler, Strauss and Scriabin – by creating a study in economy. His orchestra is smaller, the […]
SURVEY OF THE AUDIO & HT PRINT PRESS
THE SENSIBLE SOUND (April/May) – The little Print Magazine That Could plugs away on its efforts in “helping audiophiles & music lovers to spend less & get more.” This is their 28th year of doing just that, and as you can see by the cover of the Recommended Recordings Issue, the pricing of components reviewed is not something you have to search for the fine print to be shocked by. Reviewed items in addition to the Usher speakers are Arcam’s DIVA CD players, Lowther 2.5 MK II horn speakers, and Soliloquy 6.0i speakers. There is more space given this issue to the disc reviews due to all the writers checking in with some of the recordings which caught their fancy during the past year. They are not required to be new releases, and in fact some are mentioned which are out of print (but with eBay, GEM and others online today that’s not as hopeless a bit of information as it was years ago). The Soundscapes column talks about the fascinating Musee de la Musique in Paris and grouches about nobody including a useful mono switch in their outboard phono preamps (Agreed!). SOUND & VISION (May) – The featured story […]
Weekly Audio News for May 4, 2005
Network TV Embraces Surround Sound – Those of us who have been enjoying hi-res surround sound for some time now may feel superior, but the truth is we’re a very tiny minority of the public. In order to make surround sound a mass format it needs to hitch its wagon to something with more pull. And it has found it – network television. All the major networks now have parallel hi-def transmission channels that carry 5.1 audio. Many primetime drama series, sports shows, and even American Idol are now 5.1 surround. Broadcasters use gadgets such as Dolby E to digitally encode 5.1 channels of surround plus a pair of standard stereo channels onto a pair of transmission channels. Then at the local station it is decoded, encoded for Dolby AC-3 and sent out with the video. Consumers have gone in big for 5.1 surround on DVDs via their DVD players and most now have AV receivers capable of decoding both encoded Dolby and DTS. The hi-def version of TiVo will soon be built right into the digital TV cable box, and it includes advanced discrete 5.1 surround sound, which is the HDTV standard. Also, both DVD-As and the new DualDiscs […]
Index to All 142 Discs Reviewed
Index to All 142 Discs Reviewed for May 2005 HI-RES REVIEWS, PT 1 (Classical) – BACH: Partitas – Florin Paul, v.; BACH: Brandenburg Concertos – Stuttgart Ch. Orch.; What About This, Mr. Paganini? – Saschko Gawriloff, v.; TCHAIKOVSKY: Sym. N. 4 – Ivan Fisher cond.; TCHAIKOVSKY: Sym. No. 4 – Gergiev cond. Vienna Philharmonic; KREISLER Works – Salvatore Accardo, v.; Homage to KREISLER – Daniel Gaede, v.; TELEMANN: Telemann in Minor – Pretum Integrum Orch./Serbin; MOZART: Flute & Harp Concerto, Flute Concertos 1 & 2 – Patgrick Galliois & Swedish Ch. Orch.; SIBELIUS: Sym. Nos. 3 & 7 – LSO/Colin Davis; BRAHMS: Hungarian Dances for piano 4 hands – Kolacnys; Surround Yourself With Paco Peña – Misa Flamenca; James Boyk piano recital – BACH, CHOPIN, DEBUSSY, MOZART; CHOPIN Scherzi & Impromptus – Yundi Li, p.; Pletnev plays SCHUMANN: Etudes sym., Fantasie in C, Album blatter; R. STRAUSS: The Bourgeois Gentleman, Duet-Concertino, Sextet from Capriccio – soloists/German Ch. Orch./Paavo Järvi HI-RES REVIEWS, PT. 2 (Classical conl.) – Multichannel Disc of the Month: LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Mass – Kent Nagano cond.; DAVID CHESKY: Con. for Violin, Concerto for Flute, The Girl from Guatemala – Area 31/Aibel; SCHOENBERG: Transfirgure Night, Ch. Symphony – Bavarian […]
Home Page-May 2005
Our tenth Hi-Res Drawing features SACDs from Opus 3 Records. A dozen lucky AUDIOPHILE AUDITION readers who Register Here (or have registered earlier) will receive their choice of one of the three multi-channel SACD discs above: Peder af Ugglas is a great guitarist who moves between Delta blues and gospel; Katina Wilson is a singer/guitarist/ composer in the singer-songwriter tradition; Showcase 2005 is a SACD sampler of Blues, Jazz, World Music and Classical – all in Surround Sound! Drawings will be June 1, we’ll announce the winners thereafter, and we won’t sell/share your information. Check back with us frequently for more reviews & news! May 2005 Contents 123 New Discs Reviewed! 15 New Jazz CD Reviews! New Audio News! Feature of the Month!: 10 Vinyl Audiophile LP Reviews 46 SACD, DVD-A & xrcd Hi-Res Reviews (Pt. 1 – Classical beg., Pt. 2 Classical concl., & Pt. 3 – Jazz/Pop/Rock) 15 NEW Jazz Reviews (Pt. 1, Pt. 2) DualDiscs continued – 7 Reviews Components: Denon DVD-3910 Universal Disc Player; Denon AVR-3805 AV Surround Receiver; Epson PowerLite Cinema 500 Hi-Def LCD Projector 19 DVD Video Reviews (Pt. 1 – Music Videos, Pt. 2 – Features) 16 Classical Standard CD Reviews (Pt. 1, […]
Classical Reissue CDs
May 2005 BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor (Nowak Ed.); WAGNER: Tannhauser: Overture and Venusberg Music Sir John Barbirolli conducts Halle Orchestra BBC Legends BBCL 4161-2 78:40 (Distrib. Koch)****: Only in 1951 under Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt had the Halle Orchestra performed Bruckner’s Third Symphony–at least since the 1913 Manchester appearance by Hans Richter–so it was with a sense of its time being ripe that Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970) took up the score in mid-1963 for its presentation at the September 23-24 concerts and the 18 December 1964 recording session at Free Trade Hall. Barbirolli chose the 1877 reduced version of the score, the edition accepted as the least padded (with Wagnerian leitmotifs) and most thematically integrated – although advocates exist for the 1873 original score. While Barbirolli’s repute in Mahler accords him celebrity status, he is less well known as a Bruckner acolyte, despite his having added to the Seventh (from 1939 on) his readings of the Fourth, Eighth and Ninth. Having cleared the audience section of Free Trade Hall for the recording session, engineers had the full acoustic of the venue for the shimmering and exalted sentiments the Halle realizes in this performance. Long, sustained pedal points and clarion […]
16 Classical CD Reviews, Pt. 2
May 2005 Pt. 2 of 2 [Pt. 1] Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich in Concert = STRAVINSKY: Suite Italienne from Pulcinella; PROKOFIEV: Cello Sonata, Op. 119; Waltz from The Stone Flower; SHOSTAKOVICH: Cello Sonata, Op. 40 DGG B0004047-02 72:22 (Distrib. Universal)****: Recorded April 2003 in the Flagey Buiding, Brussels, this an electric, riveting concert by two past masters of their respective instrument – old colleagues collaborating in music they have long cherished without having committed their thoughts on record. Gregor Piatagorsky’s 1932 arrangement of the suite from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella was recorded by that artist (with Lukas Foss), but has yet to come back to CD format. The odd mixture of refined, 18th century melos with quirky, pungent 20th century harmony still raises an eyebrow, especially when plied by the sizzling combination of Miasky and Argerich, who apply all kinds of orchestral effects, tremolandi double and triple stopping, and fierce, broad glissandi. The Andante movements enjoy a limpid sincerity of expression. The C Major of Prokofiev (1949), despite having been written during troubling times for the composer (and others deemed anti-populist), has the energy and blithe urgency of Prokofiev’s most fertile period, especially with the spirit of his masterpiece ballet […]
16 Classical CD Reviews, Pt. 1
May 2005- Part 1 of 2 [Part 2] MOZART: The Complete Piano Works for Four Hands; Sonata in C, K. 545 (arr. Grieg); Fantasia in F Minor for Musical Clock, K. 608 (arr. Busoni) – Mischa and Cipa Dichter, piano – Musical Heritage Society 5479317 69:48; 44:04; 61:49 ****: Mischa and Cipa Dichter appeared some years ago in Atlanta for a joint recital: I recall having been favorably impressed, given Cipa’s slightly more limited bravura skills; and Mischa played a second half of first-rate Liszt, including a mighty version of the Vallee D’Obermann. When a friend asked me about my impressions of the recital at yet another concert, I proffered my praise; whereupon he said the local Journal-Constitution critic had shot the whole Dichter concert down. I replied that “To be both deaf and stupid was for a critic a bad combination,” only to be informed that said critic was standing right behind me! Well, get thee behind me. . . The three Musical Heritage CDs here present testify to a nexus of musical kinships, not the least being the Dichters’ inheriting the Mozart mantle from their joint teacher, Rosina Lhevinne. Fairly recently, I reviewed this same repertory with Artur […]
19 DVD Reviews, Part 2 – Feature Films
Pt. 2 of 2 – May 2005 [Part 1] Hotel Rwanda (2005) Starring: Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo Studio: United Artists/Lions Gate Entertainment Video: Widescreen enhanced for 16:9 Audio: DD 5.1, Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish Extras: “A Message for Peace: Making Hotel Rwanda” Documentary; Return to Rwanda documentary; Selected Scenes commentary by Don Cheadle; Audio commentary by Director Terry George and real-life subject of the film, Paul Rusesabagina, with select commentary by musician Wyclef Jean Length: Two hours, two minutes Rating: ***** A dedicated businessman, husband and father to his four children, Rwandan resident Paul Rusesabagina took extraordinary measures to save lives during a horrible period of war and savagery in his home country. During this period of massive genocide just eleven years ago this month, which left hundreds of thousands of Rwandan people dead, Rusesabagina saved both his family and over 1200 refugees from certain death, harboring them in the five star hotel where he worked as an assistant manager. Hotel Rwanda, a disturbing yet poignant film by Terry George, tells his story. In the lead role, character actor Don Cheadle caputures this courageous businessman with the right mixture of poise and humility. Rusesabagina (Cheadle) begins the […]
19 DVD Reviews, Pt. 1 – Music Videos
May 2005 Part 1 of 2 [Pt. 2] Chopin Piano Music (2005) Preludes Op. 28 played by Alfredo Perl Etudes Op. 10 & 25 played by Freddy Kempt Sonata In B Flat Minor played by Angela Hewitt Studio: BBC/Opus Arte (distr. by Naxos) Video: 16:9 widescreen, color Audio: DTS 5.0, PCM Stereo (no DD) Length: 138 minute Rating: ***** This has got to be the most successful presentation I have ever witnessed, both visually and sonically, of solo piano music on a music DVD. Hewitt was the only pianist familiar to me but the other two are of equal capability. This is a complete program as one would get on a multi-disc set of Chopin works – all 24 Preludes in succession, all dozen of each opus number of Etudes and the entire B flat minor Sonata. The sound is superb, whether selecting the PCM or the DTS options. Note that there is no Dolby Digital; this is occurring on a number of music videos lately due to the fact that just about as many people have DTS decoding now as have DD decoding. There is not the huge difference in fidelity between the DTS and the PCM […]
Epson Powerlite Cinema 500 HI-Def Projector
May 2005, Part 3 [Pt. 1] [Pt. 2] Epson PowerLite™ Cinema 500 Hi-Def LCD Projector MSRP: $4,999 Epson America, Inc. 3840 Kilroy Airport Way Long Beach, CA 90806 Phone: 562-981-3840 Support: 800-922-8911 Model Number: EMP-TW500 https://www.epson.com Intro The playing field is getting crowded with high quality display technologies in the high definition projector market. DLP, LCD, D-ILA and S-XRD all have high performance models available, yet the cost and performance variables make no single technology completely dominant. Epson’s new PowerLite™ Cinema 500 High Definition LCD projector is the best of three new projectors being offered by the company, each specifically designed for home theater applications. The Cinema 500 offers a true high definition image with its 720p (1280 x 720) native resolution using a trio of 0.7″ Poly-silicon TFT Active Matrix panels. The 200W UHE (Ultra High Efficiency) lamp is designed to last up to 3000 hours in the low power modes and up to 1700 hours in the high power modes. Cool air is drawn from the bottom of the unit through the user replaceable filter and exits through the front side of the projector. The contrast ratio is said to be as high as 1200:1 […]
Denon AVR-3805 AV Surround Receiver
No. 2 [No. 3] [No. 1] • May 2005 Denon AVR-3805 Surround Receiver $1199.00 SRP Denon Electronics (USA), LLC P.O. Box 867 Pine Brook, NJ 07058 (973) 396-0810 (voice) (973) 396-7455 (fax) https://www.usa.denon.com/ Basic Description 7.1 Digital Surround Receiver with DD EX, DTS ES, DPL IIx (music/cinema/game modes), DTS Neo:6, 10 DSP enhanced audio surround modes, HDCD, Auto microphone setup and Room EQ function, 120 Wpc x 7 channels, 24-bit and 192kHz A/D conversion, Pure Direct mode to turn off certain circuitry to improve analog audio performance, video upconversion, 3 component video inputs, 7 composite and s-video inputs, 7.1 channel analog inputs, audio delay (0-200ms) to match video, Denon Link digital multichannel input (for compatible Denon DVD products), 5 optical inputs, 2 coaxial inputs, 2 optical outputs, 8 analog inputs, phono input, and built-in AM/FM tuner, 3 source and zone control, RS-232 control, IR ins and outs, 12V triggers (2), 2 assignable amplifier channels to drive Zone 2 or 3, allows connection of two different types of surround speakers to be used for music or movies, LCD touchpad Remote Control. 2-year warranty. 17 3/32” W x 6 47/64” H x 16 57/64” D, 37.5 pounds. Associated Equipment Bowers […]
Denon DVD-3910 Universal DVD Player
[No. 1] [No. 2] [No. 3] • May 2005 Denon DVD-3910 Universal DVD Player $1499.00 SRP Denon Electronics (USA), LLCP.O. Box 867 Pine Brook, NJ 07058(973) 396-0810 (voice) (973) 396-7455 (fax) https://www.usa.denon.com/ Basic Description Universal DVD player that plays DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD-R, DVD-RW, Video CD, Picture CD (Kodak), Fujicolor CD, MP3/WMA Audio discs, SACD Stereo/Multichannel, CD, CD-R, and CD-RW discs. Offers Faroudja FLI-2310 DCDi processing, 12-bit video DAC. Outputs include: DVI, HDMI (scalable 480p/720p/1080i), Component, Composite, S-Video, 5.1 Audio outputs and dedicated stereo outputs (on RCA jacks), Coaxial and Optical digital outputs, Denon Link for multi-channel digital audio link for Denon receivers, RS-232 control capable, IR input and output, IEEE 1394 jacks (2) for multi-channel digital output (only for compatible Denon receivers), and Pure Direct mode to turn off certain circuitry to improve audio performance. Onboard DD and DTS decoding and HDCD decoding for encoded HDCD audio discs. Backlit Remote Control. 1 year warranty. 17 3/32” W x 5 25/64” H x 15 55/64” D, 20.5 pounds. Associated Equipment Bowers & Wilkins 703, HTM7, 705, ASW750 speakers, Monster 2000 Power Conditioner Strip, Arcam AVR300 receiver, Denon AVR-3805 receiver, Arcam DV79 DVDA player, Fujitsu P50XHA40US 50” plasma monitor, Audioquest Cables. Setup […]
15 Jazz Reviews, Pt. 2
May 2005 Part 2 of 2 [Pt. 1] We’ll focus on big bands and orchestras in this second part: DUKE ELLINGTON: Assorted Works – Wynton Marsalis / The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra – DMX Music, in Association with Brooks Brothers. (Available at Brooks Bros. stores). ****: Well, Dudes, this one is a surprise even for me. Imagine! Max Dudious strolls into the local Brooks Brothers store about twice a year: after Xmas to catch the Winter Sale (some nice accessories, gloves ‘n’ stuff), and after The 4th to catch the Summer Sale (swim suits, or albino alligators). This time I was after some new duds to get my kids to stop calling me “funky-ole Dad..” What can I say? I’ve become an old fart. And while I was in line to check out, at the register, next to the little Visa sign I noticed a handful of this album in a tidy display case. Well, how could I refuse? Wynton Marsalis and Duke Ellington, and the Brooks Brothers-outfitted Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra!?! With the proceeds going to support the LCJO!?! I mean, it was a no-brainer. To begin, the recordings were made before (some) live audiences at five different venues […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
