Sensible Sound articles from August 1999

Sensible Sound archives from August 1999

RAMBLINGS.(Mahler vs. Beethoven - symphonies)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
August 1, 1999... Welcome to Issue #76, which features our annual compilation of Staff Picks articles from our contributors. Here's your chance to get to know the staff better -- to see what kind of equipment they favor, what their listening prejudices are, and...

FORUM.
August 1, 1999... Laughter is the Best Medicine I had to laugh when I received your Jan/ Feb issue, which contained reviews of the NHT 2.9 and PSB Stratus Gold loudspeakers, since I had auditioned both of them that very afternoon. As a matter of fact, I...

Power Conditioners: Justifiable Upgrade or The Emperor's New Clothes?(power-line conditioners)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 1999... There are two schools of thought when it comes to power conditioners -- the "components" that are inserted between one's system and the AC wall outlet. One opinion has been candidly expressed by Howard Ferstler in the Staff Picks section of...

AudioControl R-130 Analyzer and C-131 Equalizer.($649; $529)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: AudioControl, 22410 70th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043; 425/775-8461; www.audiocontrol.com Price: R-130, $649; C-131, $529 each (see text) Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: James T. Frane What's an...

Linn Classik Integrated Amplifier/CD Player.($1,700)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Linn Products, Ltd., Floors Road, Waterfoot, Eaglesham, Glasgow G76 0EP, Scotland; www.linn.co.uk. Distributor: Linn, Inc., 4540 Southside Blvd., Ste. 402, Jacksonville FL 32216; 904/645-5242; www.linninc.com. Price:...

NAD C440 AM/FM Stereo Tuner.(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: NAD Electronics Ltd., London, England Distributor: NAD Electronics of America, 6 Merchant St., Sharon, MA 02067; 800/263-4641; www.nadelectronics.com Price: $299 Source: Distributor loan Reviewer: Thom Moon ...

NAD T750 Receiver.($699)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: NAD Electronics of America, 6 Merchant Street, Sharon, MA 02067: 800/ 263-4641; www.nadelectronics.com Price: $699 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Howard Ferstler I rather like the idea of audio receivers,...

Parasound R/EQ-150 5-Band Equalizer.($145)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Parasound Products, Inc., 950 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111; 415/ 397-7100 Price: $145 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Howard Ferstler The last time I wrote anything about equalizers in this...

SimAudio Celeste I-5080 Integrated Amplifier.($1,299)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: SimAudio, 3275 1st Street, Unit 1, St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada J3Y 8Y6; 450/ 445-0032; www.simaudio.com Price: $1,299 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: James T. Frane SimAudio (formerly called Sima Electronics)...

Sunfire Classic Vacuum Tube Control Center.($1,499)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Sunfire Corporation, P.O. Box 1589, Snohomish, WA 98290; 425/335-4748 Price: $1,499 plus $350 for optional phono stage Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Joseph M. Cierniak It has been a long time since I've had...

STAFF PICKS.(audio equipment and systems)(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 1999... In Issue 63 we published our first Staff Picks compilation, following it up in Issues 65 and 67 with additions by contributors who were a bit tardy in getting their lists together. In Issue 69, we assembled more complete and updated listing of...

Beethoven: Symphonies Tonhalle Orch. Zurich/Zinman (Arte Nova Classics 74321 63645 2 [1&2], 74321 59214 2 [3&4], 74321 49695 2 [5&6], 74321 56341 2 [7&8], 74321 65411 2 [9]).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Beethoven: Symphonies Tonhalle Orch. Zurich/Zinman (Arte Nova Classics 74321 63645 2 [1&2], 74321 59214 2 [3&4], 74321 49695 2 [5&6], 74321 56341 2 [7&8], 74321 65411 2 [9]) No matter how many sets and/or individual recordings you might own...

Buddy DeFranco/Dave McKenna with Joe Cohn: Do Nothing Till You Hear From Us! (Concord Jazz CDD-4851-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Buddy DeFranco/Dave McKenna with Joe Cohn: Do Nothing Till You Hear From Us! (Concord Jazz CDD-4851-2) Ten of the 12 cuts on this CD feature the trio of Buddy DeFranco on clarinet, Dave McKenna on piano, and Joe Cohn on guitar; the final...

Peter Erskine: Juni (ECM 1657 78118-21657-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Peter Erskine: Juni (ECM 1657 78118-21657-2) Drummer Peter Erskine is the nominal leader of this trio, which also includes bassist Palle Danielsson and pianist John Taylor. Those familiar with Taylor's piano style will know what to expect...

Carl Filipiak: Hotel Real (Geometric Records GEO-242).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Carl Filipiak: Hotel Real (Geometric Records GEO-242) Carl Filipiak is a Baltimore-based guitarist whose third time on Geometric is quite a charm -- this is a really solid outing, sounding tight from beginning to end even though the backup...

Jim Hall & Pat Metheny (Telarc Jazz CD-83442).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Jim Hall & Pat Metheny (Telarc Jazz CD-83442) For guitar fans, the title of this CD says all that need be said. The chance to hear two of the premier guitarists on the scene today playing together will be an irresistible attraction, and...

Donald Harrison: Free to Be (Impulse IMP3P-90134).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Donald Harrison: Free to Be (Impulse IMP3P-90134) Saxophonist Donald Harrison leads a variety of sidemen in a variety of styles in this set. From standards such as "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" to the Meters' "Cissy Strut," Harrison...

Kancheli: Trauerfarbanes Vienna Land Radio Sym Orch/Dennis Russell Davies (ECM New Series 1646 457850-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Kancheli: Trauerfarbanes Land Vienna Radio Sym Orch/Dennis Russell Davies (ECM New Series 1646 457850-2) This is not easy music. But that does not mean that it is forbidding music, or music that will make you cover your ears. Actually, it...

David Liebman: The Elements: Water (Arkadia Jazz 71043).(Review)
August 1, 1999... David Liebman: The Elements: Water (Arkadia Jazz 71043) With support from Billy Hart on drums, Cecil McBee on bass, and Pat Metheny on a variety of guitars, Dave Liebman has put together a series of compositions on which he plays soprano...

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde New Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer (EMI Classics 7243 5 66944 2 2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde New Philharmonia Orch/Otto Klemperer (EMI Classics 7243 5 66944 2 2) Readers with careful memories may recall that this Klemperer-conducted performance of Das Lied appeared in my list of all-time favorite...

Mahler: Ruckert-Lieder; Kindertotenlieder; Lieder aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano/Symphonieorchester der Bayersischen Rundfunks/Lorin Maazel.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Ruckert-Lieder; Kindertotenlieder; Lieder aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn Waltraud Meier, mezzo-soprano/Symphonieorchester der Bayersischen Rundfunks/Lorin Maazel Meier and Maazel turn in unfussy, straightforward performances of these...

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 Dallas SO and Chorus/Andrew Litton (Delos DE 3237).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 2 Dallas SO and Chorus/Andrew Litton (Delos DE 3237) Although I have not yet quite forgiven Delos for pulling the plug on their David Diamond recording project in favor of more "popular" recordings of classical music,...

Stokowski Stereo Collection Mahler, Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection"); Brahms, Symphony No. 4 London Symph Orch and Chorus (Mahler)/ New Philharmonia Orch (Brahms)/ Stokowski (RCA Victor Gold Seal 09026-62606-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Stokowski Stereo Collection Mahler, Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection"); Brahms, Symphony No. 4 London Symph Orch and Chorus (Mahler)/ New Philharmonia Orch (Brahms)/ Stokowski (RCA Victor Gold Seal 09026-62606-2) Now, this is more like it....

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 Cincinnati SO/ Lopez-Cobos (Telarc 2CD-80481).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 3 Cincinnati SO/ Lopez-Cobos (Telarc 2CD-80481) Although this is not quite as transcendent a CD as the same forces' Mahler 9th, also on Telarc, this is a truly excellent recording that is very highly recommendable --...

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 New Philharmonia Orch/Barbirolli (EMI Classics 7243 5 66962 8).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 5 New Philharmonia Orch/Barbirolli (EMI Classics 7243 5 66962 8) This "Great Recording of the Century" was recorded in 1969. Many Mahler fans have owned (or maybe still own) the LP version. Most Mahler fans agree that...

Mahler: Symphony No. 9 Philharmonia Orch/Benjamin Zander (Telarc 3CD-80527).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 9 Philharmonia Orch/Benjamin Zander (Telarc 3CD-80527) Although most audiophiles think of Telarc as a full-price label, their Mahler recordings are being sold at budget prices -- at least if you measure by dollars per...

Branford Marsalis: Requiem (Columbia CK 69655).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Branford Marsalis: Requiem (Columbia CK 69655) You might expect a recording titled "Requiem" to be restrained and quiet. This album burns! It was titled Requiem in the wake of the tragic suicide of the Branford Marsalis Quartet's pianist,...

Jason Marsalis: The Year of the Drummer (Basin Street Records BSR 0301-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Jason Marsalis: The Year of the Drummer (Basin Street Records BSR 0301-2) This is a rhythmically complex but always enjoyable outing of jazz led by drummer Jason Marsalis -- yes, another Marsalis brother! Within the context of a standard...

Mozart: Adagios Corey Cerovsek, violin; Carol Rosenberger, piano; Allan Vogel, oboe/ Moscow Chamber Orch/Orbelian (Delos DE 3243).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mozart: Adagios Corey Cerovsek, violin; Carol Rosenberger, piano; Allan Vogel, oboe/ Moscow Chamber Orch/Orbelian (Delos DE 3243) This disc arrived with two big strikes against it: it was an anthology, and it was Mozart (now, that should...

Mozart/Brahms: Clarinet Quintets David Shifrin/Emerson String Quartet (Deutsche Grammophon 289 459 641-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mozart/Brahms: Clarinet Quintets David Shifrin/Emerson String Quartet (Deutsche Grammophon 289 459 641-2) The old clarinetist in me naturally gravitates toward recordings such as this, and the chance to hear clarinetist extraordinaire David...

Dewey Redman/Cecil Taylor/Elvin Jones: Momentum Space (Verve 314 559 944-2).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Dewey Redman/Cecil Taylor/Elvin Jones: Momentum Space (Verve 314 559 944-2) Anyone who knows the playing of Dewey Redman, Cecil Taylor, and Elvin Jones will know that this is not going to be music for the faint of heart. Both figuratively...

The Vienna Waltz Ensemble: Flourish (Denwa Classical DC 102).(Review)
August 1, 1999... The Vienna Waltz Ensemble: Flourish (Denwa Classical DC 102) Two violins and a double bass -- a Viennese precursor of the Power Trio? Boogie down! Seriously, though, this is a nice recording of dance music from Old Vienna, stately and...

Double Double.
August 1, 1999... In this installment of Double Double, Tom Lyle and I return once again to the music of one of our favorite composers, Gustav Mahler, to compare a recording that we have once before discussed in this column to a new contender. As always, our...

Carousel Corner.
August 1, 1999... "I'm goin' down to Liverpool--do nothing..." (Kimberly Rew) When we left you last episode, box sets ruled and one Emitt Rhodes had penned "Live" for Merry-Go-Round, a short-lived L.A. pop band. Prior to that, Rhodes had played drums for...

Musician, R.I.P.(Brief Article)
August 1, 1999... Got a postcard the other day informing me that Musician magazine, as had long been rumored, had ceased publication and that the balance of my subscription would be filled by Gig. Musician, if nothing else, was Billboard's snotty shard tossed to...

Reissue Roundup.
August 1, 1999... Bill Berry and the Jazz All-Stars For Duke, and Earl "Fatha" Hines Plays The Hits He Missed, a "two-on-one" CD, M&K Realtime RT-5001. "If it goes in, it must come out." (From The Firesign Theatre LP, I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus,...

Scoping Software.
August 1, 1999... More Short Takes From the Old Grab Bag As with Issue 75, I am still pretty much swamped with technically good recordings to analyze, and so by necessity this column will again contain shorter reviews than usual, but more of them than usual,...

Bach: Goldberg Variations. Andras Schiff, piano. London Penguin Classics 289 460 611-2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Bach: Goldberg Variations. Andras Schiff, piano. London Penguin Classics 289 460 611-2. I've never quite decided which version of the Goldberg Variations I prefer, one played on a harpsichord as Bach envisioned it or on a modern piano. The...

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9. David Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. Arte Nova Classics 74321-65410-2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9. David Zinman, Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. Arte Nova Classics 74321-65410-2. Because the nine symphonies of Beethoven form the core of any classical library, any new interpretations of them are welcome. When...

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"; Symphony No. 7. Rudolf Fiskusny, piano; William Steinberg, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDM 7243-66888-2-7.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"; Symphony No. 7. Rudolf Fiskusny, piano; William Steinberg, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDM 7243-66888-2-7. Some of the best new releases from the major classical record companies are old...

Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade. Hilary Hahn, violin; David Zinman, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Sony SK 60584.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade. Hilary Hahn, violin; David Zinman, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Sony SK 60584. The first question one must ask of any new release of an oft-recorded work such as the Beethoven Violin...

Berlioz: Fantastic Symphony; Love Scene from Romeo and Juliet. Zdenek Macal, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Delos DE 3229.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Berlioz: Fantastic Symphony; Love Scene from Romeo and Juliet. Zdenek Macal, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Delos DE 3229. Describing Delos's Virtual Reality recording technique, engineer John Eargle writes, "Listen for precise balance, top...

Bizet: Carmen. Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Robert Merrill, Mirella Freni; Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. RCA 74321-39495-2 (3-disc set).(Review)
August 1, 1999... Bizet: Carmen. Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Robert Merrill, Mirella Freni; Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. RCA 74321-39495-2 (3-disc set). There are about a half a dozen good recordings of the opera Carmen currently...

Blood, Sweat & Tears: Child Is Father To the Man. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II Gain 2 UDCD 742.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Blood, Sweat & Tears: Child Is Father To the Man. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II Gain 2 UDCD 742. In my fuzzy memory I keep getting Blood, Sweat & Tears, Three Dog Night, and Tower of Power mixed up. Maybe it's the horns. At any rate, they...

Brahms: Quintet in B Minor for Viola & Strings, Op. 115; Shostakovich: Sinfonia for Viola & Strings. Yuri Bashmet, viola; Moscow Soloists. Sony SK 60550.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Brahms: Quintet in B Minor for Viola & Strings, Op. 115; Shostakovich: Sinfonia for Viola & Strings. Yuri Bashmet, viola; Moscow Soloists. Sony SK 60550. Played at a reasonable level this disc sounds most lifelike. Played too loud, it...

British Light Music: Trevor Duncan. Andrew Penny, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.223517.(Review)
August 1, 1999... British Light Music: Trevor Duncan. Andrew Penny, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.223517. If you think Marco Polo has been spending undue time with British light music, just be glad they do it so well. Trevor Duncan was a...

A Concert of Early Music. Jantina Noorman, mezzo-soprano; Michael Murrow, Musica Reservata of London. Vanguard Classics SVC-96.(Review)
August 1, 1999... A Concert of Early Music. Jantina Noorman, mezzo-soprano; Michael Murrow, Musica Reservata of London. Vanguard Classics SVC-96. A short, 46-minute collection of music from the 14th to 16th centuries, A Concert of Early Music provides a...

Fabulous Marches for Orchestra. Frederick Fennell, Eastman-Rochester "Pops" Orchestra and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Mercury Living Presence 289 434 394-2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Fabulous Marches for Orchestra. Frederick Fennell, Eastman-Rochester "Pops" Orchestra and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Mercury Living Presence 289 434 394-2. Ever wonder why record companies keep some things locked away so long? Saving up...

Favourite Piano Concertos, Vol. 2: Grieg, Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky & Addinsell. Stephen Kovacevich, piano; Sir Colin Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra. Martha Argerich, piano; Kyrill Kondrashin, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Misha Dichter, piano; Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Philips Duo 289 462 182-2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Favourite Piano Concertos, Vol. 2: Grieg, Schumann, Brahms, Tchaikovsky & Addinsell. Stephen Kovacevich, piano; Sir Colin Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra. Martha Argerich, piano; Kyrill Kondrashin, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks....

Flourish: Waltzes of Hummel, Haydn, Strauss, and others. Vienna Waltz Ensemble. Denwa Classical DC 102.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Flourish: Waltzes of Hummel, Haydn, Strauss, and others. Vienna Waltz Ensemble. Denwa Classical DC 102. Flourish reminds us that there once was a gentler, more innocent world than the one we now live in. Not necessarily better, but...

Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 17, Nos. 1, 2 and 4. Kodaly Quartet. Naxos 8.550853.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 17, Nos. 1, 2 and 4. Kodaly Quartet. Naxos 8.550853. Oh, I suppose it could be better. One could actually be a live performance of these works by the Kodaly Quartet. Barring that, this is as good as it gets. The...

Linley: A Shakespeare Ode on the Witches and Fairies. Philip Pickett, Musicians of the Globe. Philips 446 689-2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Linley: A Shakespeare Ode on the Witches and Fairies. Philip Pickett, Musicians of the Globe. Philips 446 689-2. This disc is one in an ongoing series from Philip Pickett and the Musicians of the Globe celebrating tunes composed for...

The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin: The Inner Mounting Flame. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II Gain 2 UDCD 744.(Review)
August 1, 1999... The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin: The Inner Mounting Flame. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II Gain 2 UDCD 744. John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu band of the early '70s was usually said to play an infusion of jazz, rock, and folk. Only it...

Mahler: Symphony No. 5. Sir John Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra. EMI Classics CDU 7243 5 66962 2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 5. Sir John Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra. EMI Classics CDU 7243 5 66962 2. Perhaps prompted by DG's Originals, London's Classic Sound, or Polygram's Penguin Classics, EMI is issuing a "Great Recordings of the...

Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4; Quintet K. 452. Dennis Brain, horn; Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra. EMI Classics CDU 7243 5 66950 2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4; Quintet K. 452. Dennis Brain, horn; Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra. EMI Classics CDU 7243 5 66950 2. Perhaps prompted by DG's Originals, London's Classic Sound, or Polygram's Penguin Classics,...

Mahler: Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection." Heidi Grant Murphy and Petra Lang, soloists; Andrew Litton, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Delos DE 3237.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection." Heidi Grant Murphy and Petra Lang, soloists; Andrew Litton, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Delos DE 3237. Mahler's Second Symphony was his first really massive work, not only long but...

The Moody Blues: A Question of Balance. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 737.(Review)
August 1, 1999... The Moody Blues: A Question of Balance. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 737. From 1970, the Moody Blues' A Question of Balance is very much a product of its times. It looks, sounds, and feels like the flower power, hippie generation,...

New Year's Concert, 1999. Lorin Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. RCA 74321-61687-2.(Review)
August 1, 1999... New Year's Concert, 1999. Lorin Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. RCA 74321-61687-2. Each year I have the pleasure to listen to yet another recording of the VPO's celebrated New Year's Concert, conducted this time (and for the 10th...

Nocturne.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Nocturne. Artur Rubinstein. RCA 09026-63185-2. When it comes to my favorite 20th-century pianists, there is Artur Rubinstein and then all the rest. Today, there is Pollini to carry on the tradition, maybe Ashkenazy if we can get him away...

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3; Vocalise. Leopold Stokowski, National Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI 7243-5-66759-2-6.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3; Vocalise. Leopold Stokowski, National Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI 7243-5-66759-2-6. One of the advantages of being a reviewer is the joy of discovery. Of the dozens of discs I get to audition each month, not all...

Revueltas: Music of Silvestre Revueltas. Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group. Sony SK 60676.(Review)
August 1, 1999... Revueltas: Music of Silvestre Revueltas. Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group. Sony SK 60676. Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) was one of Mexico's most important composers in the first...