Music Reviews
We will be adding to the music reviews as and when we find something that we like. If you think an artist is missing then get writing and email us a paragraph or two about it.
WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO ….
Just occasionally we get a chance to brew a nice cup of coffee
and actually sit back and remember why we got into this business in
the first place!
Scroll down the page for the Classical Section.
 |
Artist: Burt Bacharach Title: At This Time Label: BMG ASIN: B000BITZKM Cat. No: 82876734112 |
Warmer than a Malibu sunrise & with production values that are slicker than a well oiled penguin; let this shamelessly upbeat album put a little sunshine in your life. Includes collaborations with Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright & Dr Dre |
 |
Artist: Craig Armstrong |
Craig (a fellow Glaswegian) recently bought his home system from Audio Salon (Mark Levinson & ATC since you ask). This compilation spans his work for film and includes romantic and poignant pieces from Moulin Rouge & Love Actually among others. |
 |
Artist: Branford Marsalis |
A beautiful album of jazz ballads bursting with emotion but completely bereft of one ounce of schmaltz. The recording is state of the art but you’ll love it for the sheer amount of soul on offer. Everyone who hears this in the Salon runs off to buy it… |
 |
Artist: Grace Jones |
A classic! Recorded mainly in the famous Compass Point studios in Nassau; the voice, the songs, the backing band (Sly & Robbie), the production, the sheer attitude – all positively jump off the C.D. at you. Listen to it (preferably loud) through our Gryphon Poseidon Reference system and you’ll agree that music playback simply doesn’t get any better. |
CLASSICAL
 |
2006 is the 250th anniversary
of the birth of Mozart. Audiophiles can celebrate
modern sound with this distinguished SACD surround hybrid of the
esteemed requiem performed by Nikolas Harnoncourt and his Viennese
colleagues. Composer: Mozart |
|---|---|
 |
2006 is the centenary of the birth of Shostakovich and
the Hi-Fi time machine has a 1958 recording of the composer playing
his two piano concertos; CD is from French EMI Composer: Shostakovich |
 |
2010 will be the centenary of Stravinsky’s Firebird,
arguably the first piece of modern music. Our preferred recording
is the complete ballet by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco
Symphony for many reasons. First, the short orchestral suite, although
prepared by the composer and often performed, simply does not work;
the full score is meaningful. MTT inspires his players to play like
angels and demons; unbelievably leaving his mentor Leonard Bernstein
behind, and even the composer conducting this music, now on the Sony
label. Finally, RCA’s engineering redefines CD and sounds like
a front seat at a live concert; it communicates impressionistic music,
which depends on sensuous nuance and timbres. Even the sleeve notes
and the artwork are inspired. The 3-CD set released in 1999 includes Perséphone and The
Rite of Spring. If you admire the greatest composer of 20th
Century—or if you love Hi-Fi—this set is provocative. Composer: Stravinsky |
 |
An esteemed label has released an SACD coupling Stravinsky’s Rite and Nielsen’s 5th as the two greatest orchestral works of 20th Century. The promising issue didn’t work for me and both works have massive competition. Bernstein’s recording has proved unassailable since 1962, but Mr Elder and the Hallé launched their own CD label with a performance and recording they clearly knew was world class. The website dedicated to the disc accessible from the enhanced CD apparently never happened, but if you wish to discover why the symphony is so remarkable, this issue could be your best access. Composer: Carl Nielsen |
Special Feature: The Celibidache Collection on EMI—4 volumes (48CDs)
Celibidache (pronounced Kelly Bidatchi) has been described
as “the last of the mad genius conductors.” He steadfastly
refused to make recordings which he regarded as unable to reproduce the
living event. So when he died in 1996 posterity was supposed to be deprived
of his legacy … but the recording angel won by a remarkable outcome
of events. Read on.
Born in Romania, Celi became a Zen Buddhist who saw beyond the surface
of rationality. For him, music became an access to spiritual and mystical
planes which he could communicate, and he had the genius to inspire an
orchestra to his heights. For him a performance was a living experience.
Like Stokowski and Karajan, Celi studied acoustics and sound engineering
but after two attempts, Celi declined to record music.
Prohibition
invites transgression, and the Italians made an industry of bootlegged and
off-air CDs. These are mostly poor facsimiles proving Celi’s point by
his own design!
In his 84th year Celi died and admirers of the great artist thought that
that was the end: no one yet has spoken from the grave. But within three
years, “authorised” editions of his recordings on
EMI and DG labels were proliferating (I thought that I had died
and gone to heaven.) Celi had rejected recording as a mechanical copy
of a present moment, but his son had done the “authorisation” facing
vast criticism of treachery and hypocrisy. Publication could only have
happened on the death of the man himself—but publication of what
material? The recordings are taped concerts and they are top performances
properly taped; and they are legal because they are issued by the new
copyright owner.
The people
at EMI appreciated the enormity of their task and rose to the occasion. Everything
is inspired, from the selection of music and the Zen packaging to the quality
of the transfers to CD. No attempt is made to hide the live concert source,
a policy which enhances the living experience which Celi denied. For their
Celibidache Edition, EMI deserved (but did not attract) the highest awards.
In comparison, rivals (DG) displayed mere competence and commercialism. How
did this happen?
Celi’s estate found itself in possession of a vast archive of recordings. The sheer quantity and the demand allowed Jean Celibidache to “play off” EMI and Deutsche Grammophon after his father’s death, so that EMI licensed concerts with the Munich Philharmonic, reaching 33 volumes by 1999; and DG released 15 CDs with the Stuttgart and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestras. In every way, EMI is superior, and the hairs stand on your back to prove that in one respect at least, the Romanian genius was wrong! Long live the recording angel.
Mark Levinson 326S Baby version of the Ref 32 Pre-amp at a reasonable cost of £6,995. Like most technologies the benefits of the research for the reference products trickle down into more affordable products like the 326s Pre-amp. You get alot of the quality of its bigger brother, providing a jump in the quality available at this price. |
Ayre Acoustics C-5xe Universal Disk Player Stereophile Extract: "It ought to be fairly obvious that I found the Ayre C-5xe more than satisfactory. I didn't expect it to disappoint, but I was unprepared for just how much it delighted me. I've heard a lot of impressive audio components over the years, but I've heard very few that afforded me greater musical pleasure or sent me on as many voyages of musical discovery through discs I thought I knew well." - Wes Phillips, July, 2005 |
Gryphon Diablo The ultimate reference integrated amplifier at £6100. The Gryphon sonic magic in a reasonable sized and georgeous case, you must hear this as it puts most pre power combo's to shame, pure music at its best. |
Brinkmann LaGrange turntableThe Brinkmann LaGrange turntable is without a doubt the best source component I have ever had the chance to enjoy over an extended period of time. It represents a level of perfection and emotional connection to music that I have never heard before. - Danny Kaey extract from Positive Feedback |
Teac Esoteric DV-50SThe Esoteric DV-50 is the most fun you can have with digital music playback short of the dCS trio reviewed by Michael Fremer in April 2003 (Vol.26 No.4). Given that the dCS gear costs about six times as much as the DV-50, the Esoteric is a screaming bargain, especially considering its hyper-advanced technology, bulletproof build, and exceptional sound. You can even play movies on it. - Stereophile Extract |
ProAc D100 The
imposing new Response D100 takes on the mantle of flagship model
from our legendary Response Four, which has delighted discerning
audiophiles for the last twelve years. |
