SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[Wagonmaster_91]

Did all you fans of Classical and Opera see my post in the deals section?

Classical Fans - Edison, Musicians and the Phonograph by John Harvith and Susan Edwards Harvith

I have a copy of the book Micheal Dutton talks about (and holds up) in the interview Mike posted here on the forum: https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/a-talk-with-michael-dutton-of-the-dutton-vocalion-and-epoch-record-labels.34392/ Edison, Musicians and the Phonograph by John...

www.quadraphonicquad.com

 

[ummagumma]

Watching Michael Fremer's recent interview conducted in UMG's IRON MOUNTAIN underground vaults, I was struck when he came across some ANGEL Records and casually exclaimed that Capitol/EMI was incapable of releasing decent LP pressings during that period when Angel released literally hundreds of 'poorly pressed' SQ encoded vinyl. I thought it was my rinky dink turntable of that period when each Angel SQ LP I placed on it was rife with horrible ticks and pops making the disc almost unplayable. And after returning dozens of them to my local record store for 'replacements' I was only met with MORE of the SAME. And Fremer did admit .... the recordings themselves were sonically stunning ...it's the poor replication on vinyl that was suspect.

Now that WARNER owns the EMI/Angel Classical label and is NOW embarking on releasing their Rock/Pop/Jazz QUAD catalogue on Pure Audio BD~A in 192/24 resolution, am wishing and hoping that Warner's classical division will eventually do the same for its abundant and exquisite ANGEL SQ back catalogue.

Quadraphonic Discography "Classical Recordings - Complete List" [look under ANGEL]

Wow that would be amazing.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Having celebrated their 40th Anniversary in the Classical Music Business in 2019, CHANDOS RECORDS has released a 40 RBCD box set for the ridiculously low retail price of £60 and the contents of the box set are as follows:

Landmarks - 40 Years on Chandos - CD BOX SET Compilations & Collections Chandos

Landmarks - 40 Years on Chandos - CD BOX SET ANNI 0040

www.chandos.net

U.S. retailer ImportCD also carries the set:

Various Artists Landmarks: 40 Years Boxed Set on ImportCDs

Various Artists / Landmarks: 40 Years / CD Boxed Set / Pop / 095115004029

www.importcds.com

Although a lot of the content has previously been issued in the MultiCH SACD format.....for newcomers this may be a great place to start!

 

[Padre Dave Poedel]

I purchased the Complete Organ Works of J.S. Bach that were analog recordings from France (I think) but were sold in FLAC. I wish I played an instrument (I begged my parents for piano lessons and they said no because we didn’t have room for a piano in our tiny house….and getting one into the basement…well I was game but not the parental units). I started listening to Bach organ works in high school and originally bought the Complete Works on LP (18 records for $20.00 in 1971 at a bookstore in Milwaukee). The set I bought on FLAC has like 378 tracks….it is awesome!

 

[ubertrout]

I purchased the Complete Organ Works of J.S. Bach that were analog recordings from France (I think) but were sold in FLAC. I wish I played an instrument (I begged my parents for piano lessons and they said no because we didn’t have room for a piano in our tiny house….and getting one into the basement…well I was game but not the parental units). I started listening to Bach organ works in high school and originally bought the Complete Works on LP (18 records for $20.00 in 1971 at a bookstore in Milwaukee). The set I bought on FLAC has like 378 tracks….it is awesome!

A little hard to find these days, but worth seeking out.

 

[mkt]

A little hard to find these days, but worth seeking out.

One of the handful of 5.1s on Qobuz Oeuvres pour orgue (Édition 5.1) (Johann Sebastian Bach), Various Interprets by Johann Sebastian Bach - Qobuz

 

[ubertrout]

One of the handful of 5.1s on Qobuz Oeuvres pour orgue (Édition 5.1) (Johann Sebastian Bach), Various Interprets by Johann Sebastian Bach - Qobuz

Wow, $25 for the whole thing in surround seems like a great deal, especially considering it's OOP on disc.

 

[Padre Dave Poedel]

A little hard to find these days, but worth seeking out.

Nice! Not sure if it was a Silberman, but I led a team doing an English Bible Camp in Poland and heard some wonderful Bach on the organ at The Savior’s Church in Jelena Gora. Tears flowed profusely at the beauty.

 

[mkt]

Enjoying the latest from the Chiaroscuro Quartet and happy to see nothing changed (yet) at BIS after the Apple purchase.

eClassical - Beethoven - String Quartets Op. 74 & Op. 130

24 FLAC Discount After the six Op. 18 quartets, the much-acclaimed Chiaroscuro Quartet now turns to two masterpieces from Beethoven’s middle and late periods. String Quartet

www.eclassical.com

 

[humprof]

A few new releases: the BMOP/sound label manager confirmed to me that the new recording of Anthony Davis's X: The Life of Times of Malcolm X, will indeed be released on hybrid multi-channel SACD:

(I believe this Friday is a "Bandcamp Friday"!)

I have to confess that as much as I like composer Anthony Davis, a lot of modern opera, including this one, leaves me cold. But I think it's still a fascinating work--I find parts of the score very compelling--and with a new production at the Met, it's been getting a lot of press this week. (Edit/postscript: The Times's review is slightly equivocal, primarily about the singer of the title role, but the set design and the overall production sound stunning. And I also find opera more interesting in performance than I do on record.) Also: it's Bandcamp Friday again, an excellent time to support small labels who take chances on non-mainstream music!

 

[humprof]

I think the topic of the Vox reissue series recently launched by Naxos has come up before. The latest batch includes a couple of titles by Stanislav Skrowaczewski and the Minnesota Orchestra. None of the quads, unfortunately.

Podcast: VOX • 3. Stanisław Skrowaczewski and the Minnesota Orchestra

Stanisław Skrowaczewski spent 19 years as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, from 1960 to 1979, during which time he developed it into one of the finest orchestras in North America. Th…

blog.naxos.com

 

[humprof]

Nate Chinen is more of a jazz guy than a classical guy, but FWIW:

Classical music presents a vital front in the 2024 Grammy noms

Nominated classical artists will make up an impressive coalition at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.

www.wrti.org

 

[mkt]

The description is not super clear to me about what formats are offered

The Berliner Philharmoniker perform Unsuk Chin

The composer Unsuk Chin is one of the most vibrant voices in contemporary music. Since 2005, the Berliner Philharmoniker have enjoyed a rewarding collaboration with the Korean-born composer, whose music ...

www.berliner-philharmoniker-recordings.com

So I asked.

The Blu-ray disc offers:
Video:
- all recordings in HD (except the Violin concerto)
- Stereo & 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos

Audio
- Stereo 24bit/48khz
- 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos 24bit/48khz

Download
flac and wav:
- Stereo 24bit / up to 192khz

 

[Blackwood]

Just listened to this. Only flute and piano, so not an Atmos system seller. But I was amused by my own ignorance with a song.

Back in the 80s, I heard a song being used as the theme for a radio program. Always loved the song but had no idea what the song was.

Turns out it was Beau soir, CD 84. A beautiful song and now after all these decades I know what the name is.

 

[RustyM]

I'm new to this thread and hope someone can comment. A long time ago...I purchased the Quad SQ LP of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. I also got to see a production at the Kennedy Center which used Quad in the theatre. I'm not finding any new formats for this work and hope Dutton/Vocalion will remedy this (hint-hint).

But then I stumbled on this and because the price was right, I ordered it right away. Have you heard it? What do you think?

Also, am I correct in finding classical work omitted from the polls, or is there not enough interest for voting?

 

[4-earredwonder]

I'm new to this thread and hope someone can comment. A long time ago...I purchased the Quad SQ LP of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. I also got to see a production at the Kennedy Center which used Quad in the theatre. I'm not finding any new formats for this work and hope Dutton/Vocalion will remedy this (hint-hint). If someone on this forum has a multichannel digital rip of the LP, please let me know. I have the stereo CD, but would love to hear it again in Quad.
View attachment 98551
But then I stumbled on this and because the price was right, I ordered it right away. Have you heard it? What do you think?
View attachment 98552
Also, am I correct in finding classical work omitted from the polls, or is there not enough interest for voting?

AFAIK, Rusty, Bernstein's MASS has long been a topic on the forum and hopefully at some point Dutton Vocalion can gain access to the QUAD analogue Masters and release it as a 2 disc QUAD SACD!

The Kent Nagano 2 SACD set is fine. Have it also. Another excellent 2 multi~CH SACD interpretation:

HRAudio.net - Bernstein: Mass - Järvi

High Resolution Audio

www.hraudio.net

BTW, the Järvi MASS is favored over the Nagano version [again I have BOTH and agree]

What I'm really looking forward to is the new biopic MAESTRO directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein .... and produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg:

 

[Scytales]

I have Kent Nagano's performance of Bernstein's Mass. It is a long time since I have listened to it in two channels. I remember a fairly involving interpretation but I have no other artistic reference for this work. You've just gave me the wish to listen to this disc another time. I will give it a try in 3 channels (I have no surround speaker, for the time being).

 

[4-earredwonder]

A review of the upcoming NETFLIX biopic MAESTRO .... Bradley Cooper's riveting portrayal of legendary composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein and his tempestuous marriage to his wife, Felicia, played by actress Carey Mulligan:

‘Maestro’ Review: Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper in a Moving Portrait of Leonard Bernstein’s Complex Marriage

In his second project as director, Cooper makes good on the promise of ‘A Star is Born’ with a Netflix bio-drama as stirringly symphonic and emotional as the subject’s music.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

In Theaters November 22 and Streaming on NETFLIX December 20th

 

[humprof]

I'm new to this thread and hope someone can comment. A long time ago...I purchased the Quad SQ LP of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. I also got to see a production at the Kennedy Center which used Quad in the theatre. I'm not finding any new formats for this work and hope Dutton/Vocalion will remedy this (hint-hint). If someone on this forum has a multichannel digital rip of the LP, please let me know. I have the stereo CD, but would love to hear it again in Quad.
View attachment 98551
But then I stumbled on this and because the price was right, I ordered it right away. Have you heard it? What do you think?
View attachment 98552
Also, am I correct in finding classical work omitted from the polls, or is there not enough interest for voting?

Wow: you saw Mass at the Kennedy Center! (Just last year, or earlier? And they had a quad sound system? Amazing!)

I'll add my voice to 4EW's: it's many a QQ classical fan's fondest dream to see Dutton reissue this. Until then, I think Järvi's performance is better than Nagano's (and the surround mix is more exciting, too).

You surmise correctly: if there's no poll for a classical title, then there's probably no demand for it--but you could always ask a mod to start one. Sometimes, though, the poll for a given title just hasn't had enough votes to become visible, and it pays to do a Google Search ("quadraphonicquad" + artist, title, etc.).

 

[RustyM]

Wow: you saw Mass at the Kennedy Center! (Just last year, or earlier? And they had a quad sound system? Amazing!)

I'll add my voice to 4EW's: it's many a QQ classical fan's fondest dream to see Dutton reissue this. Until then, I think Järvi's performance is better than Nagano's (and the surround mix is more exciting, too).

You surmise correctly: if there's no poll for a classical title, then there's probably no demand for it--but you could always ask a mod to start one. Sometimes, though, the poll for a given title just hasn't had enough votes to become visible, and it pays to do a Google Search ("quadraphonicquad" + artist, title, etc.).

HumProf, I found the Kristjan Järvi release and checking Discogs confirms that it is multichannel. I picked this up for a very nice price. Now I'll have two surround experiences and will be able to compare notes with you.

I was very lucky that the Kennedy Center decided to do a 10 year celebration of Bernstein's Mass. You can watch it now thanks to PBS and YouTube.

As you said, it was also performed September, 2022.

Queue-it

www.kennedy-center.org