Sensible Sound articles from December 1999

Sensible Sound archives from December 1999

RAMBLINGS.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 1999... Welcome to Issue #78, our annual recordings issue. For this special issue of the magazine, I have asked our contributors to pick the best recordings they have encountered since our last recordings issue (#72), and they have responded with some...

FORUM.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 1999... Belts and Bits It has been my experience that some reporters will occasionally paraphrase controversial remarks when the actual quote doesn't quite support the reporter's agenda. While rarely malicious, it's certainly a failure to remain...

B&W Nautilus 802.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 1999... B&W Nautilus 802 Distributor: B&W Loudspeakers of America, 54 Concord St., North Reading MA 08164-2699; 508/664-2870 Price: $8000/pair Source: Private loan Reviewer: David R. Moran Every few years, a good friend who's a...

Coincident Speaker Technology Super Conquest Series II Supreme.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
December 1, 1999... Coincident Speaker Technology Super Conquest Series II Supreme Manufacturer: Coincident Speaker Technology, 51 Miriam Cr., Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 2P8; 905/886-6728, -2627 (fax) Price: $2,499/pair (black), $2,599 (cherry) ...

Our Favorite Things: Recordings.(Cover Story)
December 1, 1999... 1999 Update A year ago I asked all our contributors to go through their music collections and submit a list or article covering their all-time favorite recordings. Most of the contributors sent something in, and our first "Recordings...

Karrin Allyson: From Paris to Rio. (Concord Jazz CCD-4865-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Karrin Allyson: From Paris to Rio. (Concord Jazz CCD-4865-2) Singing in French, Portuguese, Brazilian, Italian -- even a little English! -- Karrin Allyson has produced a delightfully entertaining vocal CD that maintains maximum musical...

Astral Project: Voodoobop. (Compass Records 7 4268 2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Astral Project: Voodoobop. (Compass Records 7 4268 2) Astral Project comprises five of the best jazz musicians in New Orleans: Tony Dagradi, tenor and soprano sax; Steve Masakowski, guitar; James Singleton, bass; David Torkanowsky,...

Meg Bowles: From the Dark Earth. (Kumatone KU-0387).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Meg Bowles: From the Dark Earth. (Kumatone KU-0387) Many readers probably have had the experience of driving late at night, switching stations on the car stereo, and finding a station playing "Space Music," music that generally features...

Brahms: A German Requiem (New English Adaptation by Robert Shaw). Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Utah Symphony/Craig Jessop, conductor (Telarc CD-80501).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Brahms: A German Requiem (New English Adaptation by Robert Shaw). Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Utah Symphony/Craig Jessop, conductor (Telarc CD-80501) A few issues ago I wrote in my Ramblings column about what a memorable experience it was to...

Chicago Underground Trio: Possible Cube. (Delmark DE-511).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Chicago Underground Trio: Possible Cube. (Delmark DE-511) Possible Cube is a recording that straddles the line between jazz and experimental music. That description might sound offputting to some, but trust me, this is some very interesting...

Dave Douglas: Moving Portrait. (DIW Records DIW-934).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Dave Douglas: Moving Portrait. (DIW Records DIW-934) Jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas intended this session as a tribute to Joni Mitchell. Backed by Bill Carrothers on piano, James Genus on bass, and Billy Hart on drums, Douglas presents six...

Bill Frisell: Good Dog, Happy Man. (Nonesuch 79536-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Bill Frisell: Good Dog, Happy Man. (Nonesuch 79536-2) It is still a bit hard to think of Nonesuch being the label of Bill Frisell; for many years, Nonesuch was a label something like Naxos is today, bringing classical music to the people at...

Jan Garbarek/The Hilliard Ensemble: Mnemosyne. (ECM New Series 1700/01).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Jan Garbarek/The Hilliard Ensemble: Mnemosyne. (ECM New Series 1700/01) The previous ECM recording by veteran saxophonist Jan Garbarek and The Hilliard Ensemble, Officium, proved to be a surprisingly popular collection that got lots of air...

Hartmann: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 6, Miserae. London Philharmonic Orch./Jard van Nes, mezzo-soprano/Leon Botstein (Telarc CD-80528).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Hartmann: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 6, Miserae. London Philharmonic Orch./Jard van Nes, mezzo-soprano/Leon Botstein (Telarc CD-80528) There is music that I recommend to everyone, then there is music that I recommend primarily for those with...

Jon Hassell: Fascinoma. (Water Lily Acoustics WLA-CS-70-CD).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Jon Hassell: Fascinoma. (Water Lily Acoustics WLA-CS-70-CD) It has been quite a while since I have recommended a Jon Hassell recording in these pages. Hassell is a jazz trumpeter who has pursued nontraditional sonorities and forms, perhaps...

Charlie Hunter/Leon Parker: Duo. (Blue Note 7243 4 99187 2 6).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Charlie Hunter/Leon Parker: Duo. (Blue Note 7243 4 99187 2 6) Guitarist Hunter and drummer/percussionist Parker recorded this CD live in the studio with the exception of some overdubbed percussion parts on one cut. I mention this because...

Keith Jarrett: The Melody At Night, With You. (ECM 314 547 949-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Keith Jarrett: The Melody At Night, With You. (ECM 314 547 949-2) Pianist Keith Jarrett has been quite seriously ill (chronic fatigue syndrome) for more than a year, and pretty well out of circulation in regard to recordings and live...

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Quasthoff, baritone/Berlin Philharmonic/Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon 289 459 646-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Quasthoff, baritone/Berlin Philharmonic/Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon 289 459 646-2) Those whose exposure to Mahler has been primarily through the popular earlier...

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde. Minnesota Orchestra/Michelle DeYoung/Jon Villars/Eiji Oue (Reference Recordings RR-88CD).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde. Minnesota Orchestra/Michelle DeYoung/Jon Villars/Eiji Oue (Reference Recordings RR-88CD) How wonderful it is to have an audiophile recording company such as Reference Recordings releasing a disc of such...

Mahler: Symphony No. 1. Chicago Sym Orch/Boulez (Deutsche Grammophon 289 459 610-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Mahler: Symphony No. 1. Chicago Sym Orch/Boulez (Deutsche Grammophon 289 459 610-2) This is about as good as it gets: a great performance of great music in great sound. Boulez leads the Chicagoans in a manner that brings forth every little...

Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio: Reprise (Concord Jazz CCD-4853-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Marian McPartland's Hickory House Trio: Reprise (Concord Jazz CCD-4853-2) This is music played by people who are old enough to be in nursing homes -- but you would never believe it from listening to this disc! The amazing Marian McPartland...

Joni Mitchell: Blue. (DCC GZS 1132).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Joni Mitchell: Blue. (DCC GZS 1132) I was in my 20s when this recording first came out, and I loved it. It spoke directly to my heart. Now it has been released in a splendid-sounding gold version by DCC; however, now that I am 50, Blue...

Ray Montford: Shed Your Skin. (Orange Cap Music 9801CD).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Ray Montford: Shed Your Skin. (Orange Cap Music 9801CD) This is a recording that really comes into its own when heard on a big system. On a small system, you just will not appreciate the bass and the impact that Montford (who not only led...

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 9, 17, 20; Adagio and Fugue in C minor. Keith Jarrett, piano/ Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra/Dennis Russell Davies (ECM New Series 1624/25).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 9, 17, 20; Adagio and Fugue in C minor. Keith Jarrett, piano/ Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra/Dennis Russell Davies (ECM New Series 1624/25) His excellence in this repertoire having already been demonstrated on his...

Jacques Loussier Trio: Bolero (Telarc CD-83466).
December 1, 1999... Jacques Loussier Trio: Bolero (Telarc CD-83466) Yes, this two-CD set (for the price of one) really does include a piano trio version of Ravel's "orchestration without music," which I guess means what we have here is an "arrangement without...

David Murray: Speaking in Tongues. (Justin Time JUST 118-2).
December 1, 1999... David Murray: Speaking in Tongues. (Justin Time JUST 118-2) Jazz and gospel conjoin on this dynamic recording led by prolific reed man david Murray on tenor sax and bass clarinet and powerful singer Fontella Bass (of "Rescue Me" fame) on...

Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus; Piano Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 3. Laura Mikkola, piano/ Royal Scottish National Orch/Hannu Lintu.
December 1, 1999... Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus; Piano Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 3. Laura Mikkola, piano/ Royal Scottish National Orch/Hannu Lintu A couple of years or so ago I recommended a CD on the Ondine label that contained a performance of...

Russian Soul.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Russian Soul. Cory Cerovsek, violin/Moscow Chamber Orch/Constantine Orbelian (Delos DE 3244) I have mentioned before that I do not usually have much use for anthologies, but as they did with their disc of Mozart Adagios that I reviewed an...

Bennie Wallace: Someone to Watch Over Me. (Enja ENJ-9356-2).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Bennie Wallace: Someone to Watch Over Me. (Enja ENJ-9356-2) Producer Joe Harley is well known in the audiophile community for his recordings released under the AudioQuest label, including a recording made with saxophonist Bennie Wallace,...

Rob Wasserman: Trios. (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 752).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Rob Wasserman: Trios. (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 752) Bass virtuoso Rob Wasserman underpins a wide variety of music in a session that was originally released in 1994. With contributions from the likes of Carney and Brian Wilson, Bruce...

The Who: Live at Leeds. (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 755) and Who's Next (UDCD 754).
December 1, 1999... The Who: Live at Leeds. (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 755) and Who's Next (UDCD 754) The strengths and weaknesses of the Who are revealed in all their glory and folly on these two significant remastered releases from the good folk at...

Zelenka: Trio Sonatas. Heinz Holliger, Maurice Bourgue (oboe); Thomas Zehetmair (violin); Klaus Thunemann (bassoon); Klaus Stoll (double bass); Jonathan Rubin (lute); Christiane Jacottet (harpsichord). (ECM New Series 1671/ 72).
December 1, 1999... Zelenka: Trio Sonatas. Heinz Holliger, Maurice Bourgue (oboe); Thomas Zehetmair (violin); Klaus Thunemann (bassoon); Klaus Stoll (double bass); Jonathan Rubin (lute); Christiane Jacottet (harpsichord). (ECM New Series 1671/ 72) It is not...

Double Double.
December 1, 1999... Tom Lyle and I are becoming world travelers, it seems. Last time around we ventured to Denmark to compare recordings of Carl Nielsen, while this time around we take a musical journey to Mother Russia as we each give an independent listen (other...

Carousel Corner.
December 1, 1999... I'll be loving you/Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky (Stevie Wonder, "As") While radio prefers to remember the '70s as the decade of so-called "classic rock," the medium, I think, misses the boat on this one -- as it does so...

Accordiorama, Vol. 2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Accordiorama, Vol. 2. Rudolf Wurthner, Hohner Accordion Symphony Orchestra. Vanguard Classics SVC 109 HD. I confess I had never heard an accordion symphony orchestra before. I don't know what I expected to hear; "Beer Barrel Polkas," I...

Bax: Symphony No. 2; November Woods. David Lloyd-Jones, Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Naxos 8.554093.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Bax: Symphony No. 2; November Woods. David Lloyd-Jones, Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Naxos 8.554093. It's always surprised me that the music of Arnold Bax has never been more recorded. The material is certainly right for the...

Bizet/Shchedrin: Carmen Ballet; Shoskatovich: Hamlet; Glazunov: Carnaval Overture. Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra. RCA HP 09026-63308-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Bizet/Shchedrin: Carmen Ballet; Shostakovich: Hamlet; Glazunov: Carnaval Overture. Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra. RCA HP 09026-63308-2. This is the first recording I've heard in RCA's new "High Performance" audiophile series. Their...

Bloch: Schelomo; Israel Symphony. Zara Nelsova, cello; Maurice Abravanel, Utah Symphony Orchestra. Vanguard SVC-111.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Bloch: Schelomo; Israel Symphony. Zara Nelsova, cello; Maurice Abravanel, Utah Symphony Orchestra. Vanguard SVC-111. Ernest Bloch's Schelomo, A Hebrew Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra premiered in 1916. It is a work of grand scope --...

Jimmy Buffett: A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II/Gain 2 UDCD 746.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Jimmy Buffett: A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II/Gain 2 UDCD 746. Balladeer Jimmy Buffett never quite found the lyrics that could live up to the album's title. But his folk-country songs are pleasant...

Caruso: The Greatest Tenor in the World. RCA 74321 63469 2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Caruso: The Greatest Tenor in the World. RCA 74321 63469 2. This two-disc set is a part of RCA's "Artists of the Century" series, a series that also includes Jussi Bjorling, Leontyne Price, Mario Lanza, and others. The selections here sound...

Franck: Symphony in D Minor; Stravinsky: Petrouchka. Pierre Monteux, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. RCA Living Stereo 09026-63303-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Franck: Symphony in D Minor; Stravinsky: Petrouchka. Pierre Monteux, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. RCA Living Stereo 09026-63303-2. To say that these interpretations are authoritative would be an understatement....

Graupner: Two Overtures, G 14 and D 5; Cantata for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity. Max Hermann, Das Kleine Konzert. CPO 000 592-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Graupner: Two Overtures, G 14 and D 5; Cantata for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity. Max Hermann, Das Kleine Konzert. CPO 000 592-2. This is the kind of disc that would probably go by unnoticed by most record shop browsers unless they had...

Haydn: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Boccherini: Cello Concerto in B flat. Jacqueline du Pre, cello; Daniel Barenboim, English Chamber Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli, London Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDU 7243-5-66948.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Haydn: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Boccherini: Cello Concerto in B flat. Jacqueline du Pre, cello; Daniel Barenboim, English Chamber Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli, London Symphony Orchestra. EMI CDU 7243-5-66948. Owing to the popularity of...

Herbert: Babes in Toyland; The Red Mill. Keith Brion, Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.559025.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Herbert: Babes in Toyland; The Red Mill. Keith Brion, Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.559025. I've led a sheltered life; I admit it. I have never before listened to a recording of Victor Herbert's 1903 children's classic Babes in...

Mario Lanza: The Ultimate Collection. RCA 74321 63467-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Mario Lanza: The Ultimate Collection. RCA 74321 63467-2. Those of you who weren't around in the late '40s or '50s, or were simply too young to remember, may wonder what all the fuss was about, but Mario Lanza was truly a phenom of the time....

Mendelssohn & Bruch: Violin Concertos. Robert McDuffie, violin; Joseph Swensen, Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Telarc CD-80507.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Mendelssohn & Bruch: Violin Concertos. Robert McDuffie, violin; Joseph Swensen, Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Telarc CD-80507. I'll bet I could review a Mendelssohn Violin Concerto every issue. It's that popular, and it's practically...

Joni Mitchell: Blue. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1132.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Joni Mitchell: Blue. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1132. Like so many things issued on the Reprise label in the early '70s, the sound here is mostly excellent. It's extremely clean and well delineated, the voice naturally rendered, the simple...

The Mummy.(Review)
December 1, 1999... The Mummy. Original motion picture soundtrack. Music composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. Decca 289 466 458-2. Judging by the extent of the movie soundtrack sections of local music stores, I'll admit there's an enormous market out...

Pops Stoppers.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Pops Stoppers. Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops Orchestra. RCA 09026-63304-2. Here's another of those jaw-dropping recordings that make one stop and say, "How'd they do that more than 40 years ago?" The answer is that the engineers of this...

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, excerpts; Symphony No. 6. Charles Dutoit, NHK Symphony Orchestra. Decca 458 190-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, excerpts; Symphony No. 6. Charles Dutoit, NHK Symphony Orchestra. Decca 458 190-2 First, a few notes of clarification. Since Universal's acquisition of PolyGram, the English and American Decca labels are no...

Russian Soul.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Russian Soul. Corey Cerovsek, violin; Constantine Orbelian, Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Delos DE 3244. The accompanying booklet asks the question, "What are the most obvious traits of Russian music?," with the answer, "emotionally intense,...

Sibelius: Karelia Suite; The Oceanides; Finlandia; Valse triste; Tapiola; Nightride & Sunrise. Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra. RCA 09026-68770-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Sibelius: Karelia Suite; The Oceanides; Finlandia; Valse triste; Tapiola; Nightride & Sunrise. Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra. RCA 09026-68770-12. Capping his complete Sibelius symphony cycle, Sir Colin Davis gives us big,...

Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. John Williams, London Voices, New London Children's Choir, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Sony SK 61816. I usually don't care for movie soundtracks. Film...

The Best of Emile Waldteufel, Vol. II.(Review)
December 1, 1999... The Best of Emile Waldteufel, Vol. II. Alfred Walter, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.223692. If Waldteufel's music doesn't rise to the stature of Strauss's waltzes, it is no matter. The music of the two men complement...

Simply Baroque.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Simply Baroque. Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Sony SK 60680. Apparently, Yo-Yo Ma ran out of basic cello repertoire to record years ago and has lately begun going in different directions. For instance, he...

Johann Strauss, II: Potpourris, Volumes 1 & 2. Christian Pollack, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice). Marco Polo 8.225074 and 8.225075.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Johann Strauss, II: Potpourris, Volumes 1 & 2. Christian Pollack, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice). Marco Polo 8.225074 and 8.225075. The Waltz King, Johann Strauss, Jr., composed a number of stage works in addition to his...

Stravinsky: The Firebird, suite; Apollon musagete; Scherzo fantastique. Ricardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. London 289 458 142-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Stravinsky: The Firebird, suite; Apollon musagete; Scherzo fantastique. Riccardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. London 289 458 142-2. Chailly has never been among my favorite conductors, sometimes sounding a little too impulsive...

Tango Romance: Music of Buenos Aires. Pablo Ziegler, piano; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. RCA 09026-63233-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Tango Romance: Music of Buenos Aires. Pablo Ziegler, piano; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. RCA 09026-63233-2. People who love tango will tell you it is more than music; it is a way of life, a confirmation of life; maybe an encapsulation of life...

Tchaikovsky: The Seasons and other piano pieces. Naum Starkman, piano. PopeMusic PMG2017-2 (gold).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Tchaikovsky: The Seasons and other piano pieces. Naum Starkman, piano. PopeMusic PMG2017-2 (gold). Because Tchaikovsky is known mainly for his monumental orchestral works, it is refreshing to hear his lighter side. "The Seasons" might more...

20th Century French Wind Trios.(Review)
December 1, 1999... 20th Century French Wind Trios. The Chicago Chamber Musicians. Cedille Records CDR 90000 040. After listening carefully to Cedille's last few recordings of chamber works, I am convinced they are producing the best-sounding discs of...

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6; In the Fen Country; On Wenlock Edge. Ian Bostridge, tenor; Bernard Haitink, London Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI CDC 7243-5-56762-2.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6; In the Fen Country; On Wenlock Edge. Ian Bostridge, tenor; Bernard Haitink, London Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI CDC 7243-5-56762-2. Haitink's new recording of Vaughan Williams' Sixth Symphony is a good...

Vivaldi: L'estro armonico. Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante. Virgin Veritas 7243-5-45315-2 (2-disc set).(Review)
December 1, 1999... Vivaldi: L'estro armonico. Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante. Virgin Veritas 7243-5-45315-2 (2-disc set). For listeners convinced that Vivaldi produced nothing but endless variations on The Four Seasons, L'estro armonico, his 12 concertos, Op....

Wagner: Der Ring, An Orchestral Adventure. Edo de Waart, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. RCA 74321 447842.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Wagner: Der Ring, An Orchestral Adventure. Edo de Waart, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. RCA 74321 447842. More "bleeding chunks" of Wagner? Not quite; this 67-minute suite is made up not of the expected big numbers sans voices, but of...

Weber: Clarinet Concertos. David Shifrin, clarinet; David Golub, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto. Delos DE 3220.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Weber: Clarinet Concertos. David Shifrin, clarinet; David Golub, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto. Delos DE 3220. I have become a little wary of discs that bear the "Dolby Surround" designation. When played through a regular two-channel...

Earl Wild Plays Spanish and French Gems.(Review)
December 1, 1999... Earl Wild Plays Spanish and French Gems. Earl Wild, piano. Ivory Classics 70805. It amazes me that so many pianists are able to continue performing well into their old age. Earl Wild was born in 1915 and is still active today. The present...