Finding a jewel

From time to time a big discovery just happens and lightens your entire day. There where you thought that nothing else is left to be found you come across a jewel. That was my strong feeling when I stumbled upon this cd. Everything on the cd is top notch yet one of the concertos is the jewel I am talking about.The Mozart's concerto for two pianos and orchestra in E flat minor, KV 365. I heard before with Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia and that was a very rewarding recording. However the recording on this disc is on a completely different level.

First just a few words about the conductor of this concerto, as I think he is one of the most underrated conductors. I made his acquaintance through the recording of the Barber of Seville with Callas and Gobbi, and, since then, every recording I heard proved him to be a great conductor. He has a gift of injecting life in everything he plays that is most gratifying. And this is also the case here. He accompanies his soloists in perfect style, creating with his orchestra a well defined and nourishing environment for the two-fair musical play. Lively, Mozartean to the bone, with very fine detail and phrasing he leaves very little to be desired. His orchestra, the famed Philharmonia of that period, is in top shape and responds beautifully to its inspiring conductor. A very solid performance from them.

The soloists are both very distinguished interpreters of Mozart piano music, especially Clara Haskil. The Romanian pianist, already a prominent figure of the piano at the time of this recording, has a very special affinity towards Mozart's music and a extremely effective way of transmitting it through the keyboard. All her well-established qualities are manifest to the full in this recording. The phrasing, the punctuation of the melodic lines, the careful choice of tempi and the overall expression, everything makes for an authentic Mozart expression. Her musical intelligence is enveloping and transposes you in the thoughtful silence beyond the music. Geza Anda is a most competent partner. He understands this music with similar depth and manags to express it with a beautiful style and tone.

But what makes this recording really amazing is the outstanding quality of the blend between all those implicated. It is as all of the musical ideas were put into a furnace and the essence poured evenly through all the instruments. The pianos, both individually and their dialogue are so beautiful and so similar, and their musical expression is so right that listening to them creates goose-bumps. The flow of the musical ideas is so logic and so soul-bound that, at least in my mind they created a separate world where I could hardly wait for the next discovery behind a bush of roses. A wealth of musical pictures all beautifully shaped, characterized, and presented with an graceful, unobtrusive vital force behind them. A complete artistical experience indeed.

Beecham, style and elegance

Schubert is one composer that at least I took lightly in the beginning. Completely immersed in the profound musical dramaturgy of Beethoven's music and bewildered by the genial creativity of Mozart, Schubert was at the periphery of my musical interest. He didn't meet the criteria of any of the things I just discovered and understood in music.
Fortunately, with time, I came to realize what a great composer Schubert was. His music, now, is a continuous source of delight and profound excursion into the soul of man. As usual, getting the grip of ones compositions generates the search for the interpretation that brings the most out of it to ones best understanding. Unexpectedly, the search proved to be very difficult. It is very hard to manage grace, rhythm, elegance, yet undemonstrative masculinity, relentless pace yet relaxation and contemplation. And the recorded leagcy is a prove to that. However, sooner or later, one comes across the masters of Schubertian music. With a very rewarding stop at Bohm's recordings, and a nice breakaway with Carlos Kleiber (about all of them, soon on the lists), I came to Sir Thomas Beecham, said by many to be the Master of this music. And I must say that I couldn't agree more.

His recorded legacy on Schubert is present in two cd's: one coming from EMI in their Great Recordings of the Century series (comprising the 3rd, the 5th, and the 8th) and the other one from Sony (1st, 2nd, and 8th). Perfectly listenable sound on both cds and what proof of music making. Beecham manages an almost perfect blend of all the attributes mentioned above. His orchestra (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, his own creation) responds with all their hearts and minds to Beecham demands and the result is delightful. Just listen to the unimposing elegance in the strings at the beginning of the 5th symphony and the conception and perfect execution of the orchestra is obvious. It is hard to point out certain moments as all the symphonies form uniform bodies, perfectly carved in sound. Incredible insight governs Beechams choice of tempi and phrasing. He carefully puts the accents and injects energy in the right spots managing to keep things balanced and make everything sound light but serious, smiling with confidence, coming forward with being aggressive, describing nice landscapes without becoming self indulgent or dreamy. In Beecham's

hands Schubert's music is on the verge of ethereal never falling to the ineffable. It is as real as it gets and actually it conveys an energy that moves every bit of sensible matter inside you.

So, here I stand, achubert's music is brought to light close to perfection by the nother guy saying that Beecham is great in Schubert or that great British conductor. Give it a try and have his take on this wonderful, youthful musical masterpieces. You won't be dissappointed. Maybe you look for something slightly different in this music but nevertheless Beecham will bring so much that it will be so worthwhile.

Klipschorn, an audio nirvana

When one listens to music as a consuming hobby then, sooner or later, one comes to search for the audio equipment that brings music to life to the best of his auditive apparatus knowledge. My search started a good decade ago and since I had the chance to run over and to listen to some exquisite music machines. The last great encounter happened last week, when I had the chance to audition the famed design of Paul Klipsch, the Klipschorns and Belle. And what a setup that was as their owner, Kerry, had not two but four Klipschorns serving as fronts and backs and Belle, serving a center channel. A huge surround setup, will you agree, and a even huger satisfaction source for my thirsty musical brain.

For a guy with such great taste in speakers you would expect a great musical program and that's exactly what we got. We listened to Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave with the Kiev Philharmonic, to Dave Brubeck Quartet and its Take Five, to concert performances from Cream and Nirvana. First thing first. The Klipschorns provide an unique musical experience. Their effortless rendition of every instrumental nuance on a huge and precise sonorous soundstage is the first thing that strikes you. No meter how big the Kiev orchestra got the speakers just poured the music into the room. Hearing them was like seeing Pavarotti sing. They conveyed every nuance of the very rhythmic piece with tight and generous dynamics. That was the second thing that struck me and it adds to the sense of ease these big speakers breathe. I heard the air in between the instruments, I heard every instrument alive and natural with every nuance the soloists gave them making everything a very emotionally involving experience.

With Dave Brubeck enormously famous Take five the speakers showed another one of their multiple beautiful virtues. The sax was enveloping. I never heard this instrument like that from a speaker. The reproduction was so complete that you actually could hear all the microscopic inflections put in the instrument. You could feel the soul of the man coming out through his instrument. Again an experience so involving and so wonderfully close to what listening to music should be.

From the rest I will only mention the Cream dvd. We listened to the impressive drums solo of Ginger Baker. It was yet another big discovery and jaw-dropping Klipschorn performance. Every drum was perfectly defined, in timber and amplitude. No matter how many beats per second Baker managed to pull off the Klipschs just enetered the soul of the artist and the bone marrow of the instrument and created everything with amazing detail and dynamics. It was a very impressive display of power and utmost control of low frequencies amidst the other qualities displayed already.

All in all a huge musical and audiophile experience. I still thank Kerry in my mind a week later for the great occasion he offered us. The Klipschorns are everything you read about and a lot more. Is getting to the core of the music and to the soul of the artists what makes listening to music through these speakers an experience apart. I sure hope next time I'm in Houston I will get the chance of another meeting with the outstanding design of Paul Klipsch.

Science gets closer to the wonders of the past

This article roots from a completely different source than usual. It is not caused by a listening experience, yet rather a reading experience. The Dean of science journals, Nature, has in its issue from November 30th, a very interesting brief communication on the wood that Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesu used to build their violins. It is the beginning of a salutary scientific look into the mysteries of some of the greatest creations of humankind. To give you a taste of this work let me quote the authors on the key aspects. They motivate their research as such: "Whether or not the great Italian violin-makers used wood that had been chemically processed in order to preserve it and enhance the instrument’s sound quality has long been a contentious issue1,2." Then, they go and briefly describe the methods they used: "Here we use nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy to analyze organic matter in wood taken from antique instruments made by Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu." Their results are intriguing: "Our results indicate that the wood used by the masters could indeed have been chemically treated, a technique that may inspire an approach to violin making that is more chemistry-based." You can read the details and the actual data in the article.

For those of you that are not completely familiar with the subject of the paper I will try to give you a flavor of these exquisite instruments. Both violin makers families, as more than just one member was in this business, built their instruments in the second half of the seventeen and the first decades of the eighteen centuries. Both learned the art of violin making from Nicolo Amati yet, most importantly, both tried to create better instruments. And while they did that they created instruments with a very particular sound. At least for me the Guarneri is unsurpassed in the way it produces the high end of the spectrum. Not only is it full bodied and tonally perfect but is also sweet and almost form a different world. Here I definitely prefer it over Stradivari. At the middle of the spectrum Stradivari comes ahead. The amount of tone and its beauty are above any other instrument. It is rich and manages to bring out all the saps of the earth. Don't get me wrong, Guarneri is close and both are far away from any competition. It is just that here Stradivari reaches the absolute. At the lower end of the spectrum it is extremely difficult to set them apart and is just a matter of the hands they're in and your personal preferences. Sometimes I hear the Guarneri a little more "polished" and more "human" if you want. Nonetheless the Stradivari makes up in power and transparency. It is a tie as it is the whole "competition". It is an immense pleasure to listen to any of them as often as you have the chance.

Allow me to point to two cds that can illustrate best the amazing qualities of these violins. I picked one for each, both in the hands of favorite violinists: Nathan Milstein and Ruggiero Ricci. Nathan was playing on a Stradivari and in my view he is a perfect example of what can be made out of such a great instrument. His tone is sublime and his artistry makes the instrument live the most accomplished life. One of his great recordings is described in extenso here and you can hardly find a better illustration for the instrument (the quality of the recording is gorgeous).

Ricci on the other hand played a Guarneri and him too makes an almost perfect case for what this instrument can do. Below you have details on one of the reissues of some of his recordings in impeccable sound. It doesn't get any better than this. Give them a try and I am pretty sure one question that will pop out is: How could those guys build such wonders? I really hope that the research we are talking about here will go on and will give us some insights in an old and, obviously, extremely efficient technique, the geniuses of the men aside.

And because they form a special case I will also mention here the Alban Berg Quartet. One of the very special things about them is that all the instruments are Stradivari. The result is obvious on the spot as the tonal quality of the quartet is one of their landmarks. All over their recordings their artistry is helped hugely by their beautiful instruments. Clearly that's the case in their recording of Beethoven's String Quartets, one of the great victories of the recorded music.

Spectacular sound

What happens if you put together one of the most beautiful tones in violin playing history, great musicianship and exquisite sound? You get a CD that becomes the "show-off" piece of your collection, for your musical taste as well as your sound system. JVC does that with a new breed of compact disc: the XRCD. The initials stand for extended resolution CD and the audio quality is exquisite. The best part about these cds is that you can play them on any common CD-player. They do not require a special player (like SACDs or DVD-Audio for example) yet the listening experience is greatly improved and gets dangerously close to the fore-mentioned formats without any technological hassle on your part. I have to agree entirely with the guys at JVC when they say: "Obvious gains in clarity, transparency, dynamics and warmth of XRCD can be heard by all. XRCD allows the listener to hear what the producer and artist intended to hear the sound of the original master tape." All the improvement comes just from much better care and attention payed to the mastering and manufacturing process so the source sound gets truncated to the minimum. You can learn more about the proces here.

The first experience with a XRCD was one of their jazz releases (Patricia Barber, Companion, a generous gift from a friend) and one of the results of that listening experience was an itching curiosity about how a symphonic orchestra might sound like on that support. The occasion to fulfill that curiosity rose pretty soon, once I received my copy of the XR with Ruggiero Ricci. And I just don't have enough words to describe the excitement this cd produced. Ricci is one of my favorite violinists, mainly because of his gorgeous tone on that amazing Guarnieri violin of his. But never have I heard the full body and the divine soul of that violin like on the XRCD. It fills the ears with sound like an autumn vineyard fills your nostrils with all of Earth's aromas. Once you manage to get passed just a little the larger than life sound of the violin a lot of things strike you from all directions: the orchestra occupies a space a lot larger than you ever noticed before, all the instruments are clearly delineated and their personality is displayed entirely with a sonic detail impossible to reach for a regular CD. Did I mention the dynamic? or the air between the instruments or the transparency?

I will just mention the content of this XRCD: Bizet-Sarasate's version of the Carmen Fantaisie, Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen, and Saint-Saens' Havanaise and Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. A great program which in the hands of Ricci is just pure gold, is made an absolute must by the impeccable technical support of the XRCD. For me it really became the "show-off" stone of my collection as it appeals in equal measure to every kind of listener and the rendition of the violin sound as well as the orchestra behind it makes the most convincing case for the new format. JVC's collection is growing monthly by new additions both classical and jazz so you might have enough options to choose from. I am very confident that you'll enjoy it very, very much.

Don Giovanni at Salzburg Festival

It's not often that things like this opera production happen. There are couple of reasons that make this an historical monument of the recorded music. First is that makes us witnesses to the efervescent period after the WWII. People that felt that are the executors of the testaments of the musical geniuses of the world dedicated their creative power entirely to bringing the great creations of humanity to life. Furthermore it's the video document of Wilhelm Furtwangler and his creative power couple of months before his death. Last but not least is the unique occasion of seeing together arguably the best generation of Mozart interpreters. And all in one of the first, certainly the best, video opera recordings.

As music is the main interest of this blog I will try to get to it right after I mention couple of things about the stage production itself. It is the best I've seen. The set design, the costumes, the lights are all put into place with exquisite detail and attention to the creation of the best environment for some of the greatest music ever composed. Every scene of the opera takes place in an inspiring set. Everything culminates in the scene of Don Giovanni's punishment where a nice, happy dinner place transforms into the gates of hell with flames and haunted souls that swallow the sinful Don.

The cast is as close to perfect as it could be. In the title role you have Cesare Siepi who has to be the greatest Don ever. I haven't heard Pinza in this role but what a character Siepi portrays and to what unbelievable level. He doesn't act, he just is Don Giovanni. You have to see to believe the level of self-confidence, his unthoutful escapades into the lifes of others. Served by an amazing vocal instrument, in beautiful shape, Siepi lives every heart beat of the Don. He creates with exquisite detail the most subtle nuances of his character experiences, from the rude and mean behavior towards his servant (Leporello) to the devious sweetness he calls Elvira's maid with ('Deh, vieni alla finestra') all the way to the fearful defiance of the Commendatore's statue, in his last scene. An unique performance hardly to be bettered by anyone in any era.

It is a difficult job to partner such a powerful Don, yet this production offers an excellent match in Otto Edelmann. Great voice, great actor and a perfect scenic presence, Otto Edelmann creates a very believable and likeable Leporello, proud of his master yet quite unsatisfied with his over the edge life, not so innocent yet not strong enough to escape, with a lot of humour, a very fine companion of Don Giovanni indeed. The other two male characters are also excellent with a plus for very nice stage performance for Walter Berry in the role of Masetto. Anton Dermota's Don Ottavio excels in nobility and fortunately enough his stage appearances do not involve excessive acting. But he sings heavenly and for me it's the most rewarding tenor part in all the Mozart operas I've heard so far. Walter Berry makes Masetto a key character of the opera, one you'll remember and you'll like throughout. A very compelling evidence for what will be a leading figure of German artists.

The ladies are as good. Elisabeth Grummer is a very convincing Donna Anna. Her pain and dispair in the face her father's tragic death and her relentless pursuit of an impossible peace are portryed with dignity in a very convincing manner. Lisa della Casa manages to draw a beautiful image of an elegant and sincere Donna Elvira who lives the drama of loving the Don. She sings heavenly and everything falls in place with such veridity. Finally, Erna Berger, recreates Zerlina, the country girl. Again the character comes to life so real, in flawless music and voice. Her duet with Don Giovanni is one of the highlights of the opera ('La ci darem la mano') and alongside Walter Berry's Masetto they create a most lovable couple.

Above all we recognize and bow with the deepest respect and admiration in the face of the creative genius of the greatest conductor of the last century, Wilhelm Furtwangler. He is the will and the driving force behind it all. He manages to build perfect sonic architecture with his lengedary sense of musical drama. He conducts the Vienna Philharmonic to heights of musical expresivity (and they respond, to their praise, admirably) and builds the sound stage for the soloists. Everything is so right (I hope by now you agree with me that speed cannot be a measure for good music), makes so much sense and the balance between the orchestra and the voices is kept perfectly. You can almost see his enlightning influence in every phrase, at every moment of the opera. Another remarkable achivement from the great man.

Last but not least I have to appreciate the technical achievement that took place with the production of this opera. For the year 1954 everything is great. The sound is an excellent mono, the colors are vivid, the stage lightning is captured to full effect, everything copes with the sense of an unique event. A sincere and well-deserved bravo to the whole technical team.

You owe to yourself to see this. I didn't see enough to say this is the greatest opera dvd ever, but it certainly is there in the Pantheon, both as production and music. And what music this is!!!!

Brendel's Schubert

Whe you walk, as I did the last couple of weeks, through the colossal pieces of the sonorous architecture reaching a cd like this is like entering a old house hidden in the belly of a huge city, with a beautiful garden unbelievably quite and close to nature. This was my feeling when I spent the time listening to it. Yet again I found myself enjoying so much the talent of Alfred Brendel and telling myself again that I have to get more of his music. Not the first on my list of favourite pianists he still has to dissapoint me. His Mozart is beautiful, his rendition of Beethoven Bagatelles is one of the best I know and now, his Schubert is in a class of its own.

The most amazing thing with Brandel is, for me, the amazing sensitivity he manages to express through music. Everything is heartfelt and human. His technique is exceptional and serves the expression to full extent. Schubert's music is one the best vectors for his musicality. Although I prefer Arrau's take on this music, I found Brendel to be a refreshing alternative. This cd is a nice glimpse into Brendel's view on Schubert. The main feature is the sonata D. 959. A beautiful version, very articulate, shining and radiating sincere and heartfelt music. Brendel takes a lighter approach compared to Arrau yet the whole scenery is there in beatifully crafted detail. It leaves no need for more and the audition leaves you with a beautiful feeling over the unbearable lightness of being. The other pieces on this cd are treated by the Austrian pianist with the same care and attention to detail. The Hungarian melody is a shocker. Such a small piece unfolds such a powerful drama that is hard to believe. In three minutes an entire destiny is pulsating to a painful climax and than abandons itself to peace. It's a little musical jewel and it's the only place I know of you can listen to it. Beautiful! The same qualities are manifest in the 16 German dances. Brendel manages to bring to light their individual character in a beautifully contoured performance.

The way Brendel plays Schubert give all the reasons for him being a living legend and dean of the contemporary pianists. For those who are not familiar with him or his approach to Schubert this is a good start. It is a most rewarding experience.

Giulini - The Chicago Recordings

In the history of music making there are quite a few examples of great partnerships. The partnership between Chicago Symphony and Carlo Maria Giulini is without a doubt one of them. Equally praised by the virtuoso enssemble and the conductor, it's a partnership most cheered by the listeners all over. Here you have probably the most "european" of the american orchestras, brilliant in tone and technique, and one of the podium greatest figures of the last century. Maybe not such a good friend of cameras and news reporters as his contemporary Karajan, Giulini's work forms some of the pillars of the Recorded Temple of Music. The rewarding booklet of this anniversary box makes a pretty good case about the special chemistry that formed instantly between the conductor and his orchestra. And the most rewarding thing is the responsiveness and the cohesion apparent throughout all recordings.

In this 4 CDs box one can find everything from Beethoven to Stravinsky. In a beautiful recorded sound, spacious and detailed, one can hear the trademark Giulini interpretations: beautifully shaped fluid architecture, with insightful details, perfect balance of tempos, razor sharp precision that allows the display of musical ideas in a whole that breathes humanity. I would like to highlight three of the recordings present on these cds: Berlioz's dramatic symphony Romeo and Juliette, Beethoven's 7th symphony and Brahms' 4th. I picked these because each of them displays a certain characteristic of Giulini's style.

In Berlioz's work he manages to recreate, through a unbelievably responsive and expressive Chicago orchestra, the whole emotional universe of the romantic drama. They manage to fully convey the tension that puts everything in motion, as well as to recreate heartbraking lyrical moments as the Love Scene (their winds have to be heard to be believed). The heavy twists of musical drama unfold with implaccable logic and with a sense of inevitability on the wings of superb orchestral playing. Beethoven's famous 7th symphony offers Giulini and Chicagoans the chance to proof that they are amongst the few that can do justice to this great music. Their conception and execution reaches true natural phenomena proportions. The clash between the two opposing forces, the wild liberator Dyonisos and the cerebral and insightful Apollo, takes place unrestrained with intoxicating rithms and powerful character. Again the playing of the Chicago orchestra is superb and the Beethovenian universe is recreated to a thrilling effect.

Last but not least you have Giulini's view on the music of Brahms. And what an experience that is! Listening to it you can say that Brahms had a special place in Giulini's soul. He takes the liberties allowed just to a very restrained circle of friends. Backed up by the same elegant and wonderful music body of Chicago he sails through the troubled waters of Brahms' masterpiece with such a confidence and with such a depth of understanding. They create sheer beauty in what might be the most impresive second part on disc. In the end you just know that you experienced a different level of music making and a completely different level of understading of Brahms' music.

Given that all the other pieces are as valuable (with a little extra for his Stravinsky) you cannot afford yourself at least not to hear these recordings. They still hide surprises for those who think that know Giulini and of course they are a treasure for those who didn't meet the great master yet. All in all, thanks to EMI for a gret gift from all points of view, quality of sound included.