What's a good classical surround demo???

[pentaman]

So do you have a copy of "Peter & the Wolf" that you would like to part with?

There is an SA-CD Peter and the wolf out on PentaTone (PTC 5186 011) with Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev as narrators.

Pentaman

 

[robreed]

Try Spaced out Bach featuring the orbiting harpsechord of Thomas Payne

 

[EMB]

Although it's only a 3-channel SACD, the L-ork/C-piano/R-ork mix of Van Cliburn's TCHAIKOVSKY PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1/RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 on RCA Red Seal, is a fine demo if you want to bring someone into surround without overwhelming them, to give them a feel for the potential. After that, some nice titles to choose form!

ED

 

[Guy Robinson]

Although it's only a 3-channel SACD, the L-ork/C-piano/R-ork mix of Van Cliburn's TCHAIKOVSKY PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1/RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 on RCA Red Seal, is a fine demo if you want to bring someone into surround without overwhelming them, to give them a feel for the potential. After that, some nice titles to choose form!

ED

Don't get me started on the Living Stereo SACD's!!! Love them all!!!!

 

[EMB]

Yeah, they're something, huh?

Another aspect of this series is that(with the Cliburn as an example), you can also demo the 3-channel SACD, then the 2-channel redbook for comparison purposes. You can't go wrong either way, but it's effective in showcasing what's going on for someone not in the know...

ED

 

[solaris]

OK why not put an entire orchestra in the rears
David Juritz - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Concert for Double Orchesta
The fronts have the ambience from the rear orchestra

 

[mandel]

Suprised nobody has mentioned the Berlioz Requiem yet, composed for Orchestra, choir, tenor solo and 4 brass ensembles. The Telarc recording of this is sweet. The four brass ensembles are placed in the four corners (which is what Berlioz originally intended) of the Hall and there are some fantastic bits where the music bounces around you

 

[aquadad]

I really like Telarc's SACD and DVD-A release of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Very good demo material, especially if you have dynamic full-range system.

http://www.telarc.com/gscripts/title.asp?gsku=0541

WOW! Thank's Cai, I picked up a copy of the DVD-A and was literally BLOWN away by the canon shots from all directions. The only thing missing is the fireworks. Funn stuff. They put a lot of work into this and it shows. Rich, subtle details surface that are probably buried in the stereo mix. In one passage you hear what sounds to me like a triangle (?) coming discretely from a rear channel, as I recall. I remember turning my head as I often times do while listening in surround.

 

[aquadad]

never mind.....

Hey Lonzo, Im pickin' up what your layin' down.

 

[aquadad]

Try some of the Tacet discs. Most are DVD-As (and the Mendelssohn Octet is superb) but all have 'innovative' use of the channels. They are now releasing SACDs, some of which have what they call "Moving Real Surround Sound" that you might like. I don't.Kal

Hey Kal, or anyone who might know for that matter. Is there anything on the Tacet label that meets this criteria:

1. Chamber music
2. Octet or quartet
3. Baroque and / or Renaissance style
4. With piano

This label has me intrigued by what I've read on their site and the above mentioned criteria would be the best of all possible worlds for my musical sensibilities in this genre. Please excuse my ignorance on this subject. I don't even know if what I ask is possible.

 

[aquadad]

Suprised nobody has mentioned the Berlioz Requiem yet, composed for Orchestra, choir, tenor solo and 4 brass ensembles. The Telarc recording of this is sweet. The four brass ensembles are placed in the four corners (which is what Berlioz originally intended) of the Hall and there are some fantastic bits where the music bounces around you

Hello Mandel, You've got my attention with your reference to, "bouncing around". It would seem to me that in recording a whole orchestra a lot could be done to this extent in a tasteful way. I wonder if Elliot Scheiner has ever considered waving his magic wand from a conductor's podium.

 

[aquadad]

I often run across Angel recordings in the bins at thrift stores that are seemingly always in mint condition. I just have no working knowledge of the titles. I am aware of the different logos they use that denote different recording techniques. In particular the Cherub on a platter with the double ring around the image which is used on their SQ encoded records. I was surprised to run across an Itzhak Perlman album from 1975 that has the logo but not the usual quad reference on the back cover. The only quad giveaway is in the record # which incorporates an SQ-##### both on the label and in the margin on the vinyl. Anyway it's a good quad to me, probably because it features a solo effort in addition to the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Jean Martinon.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other titles like this to look out for. The cover and disc mentioned above are both in mint condition and set me back a whole $0.51 and when I listen to quad at that price it just sounds so much sweeter!

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Hey Kal, or anyone who might know for that matter. Is there anything on the Tacet label that meets this criteria:

1. Chamber music
2. Octet or quartet
3. Baroque and / or Renaissance style
4. With piano

This label has me intrigued by what I've read on their site and the above mentioned criteria would be the best of all possible worlds for my musical sensibilities in this genre. Please excuse my ignorance on this subject. I don't even know if what I ask is possible.

Sure. Lots.

Kal

 

[aquadad]

Here's a copy of an email that I just sent to Tacet regarding a recent purchase:



Hello Tacet,

I just received a copy of your SACD "The Best of Tacet on SACD 2004 /2005" and I must say that the quality of the sound is brilliant. However, the full use of surround was not utilized to the fullest of it's potential. There is no use of the center or the subwoofer channels and they are sorely missed. When utilized properly they set a recording far apart from the usual mundaneness that abounds in the classical genre.

What I am wondering is this, do any of your DVD-A's make full use of the center and subwoofer channels? If yes, then can you please let me know which ones do so I can order them and avoid the others. I was so hoping that your "Best Of" title would give me some insight as to what titles to order and get what I am looking for in classical surround music. Instead all it did was confirm the titles that I am not interested in.

Also, it would be very helpful if you could just make it very clear on your website, in your item descriptions, exactly how the disc is laid out channel by channel so that your customers can make informed choices. That would be more useful to me than the numerous reviews that you have listed that don't even make it clear, half the time, if they are even reviewing it in a true surround setup that is intended for audiophile listening or if they are just listening through a home theatre that is setup for watching movies. In my home they are not one and the same.

In closing I would just like to say that surround classical music is a match made in heaven when it gets done properly. Unfortunately the vast majority of us that prefer a surround sound are having to resort to spreading the sound throughout the soundfield with our vintage synthesizer / receivers. It would be so much nicer to have things recorded and mixed in surround in the first place. Why record something in stereo and then put it in a 6 channel format? And if thats not bad enough, then only use 4 of the 6 channels. I hope you can help me out here with some really good surround recommendations!

Thank You

 

[John Hemphill]

Tachovsky swan lake is also a very intriguing play.

 

[aquadad]

Tachovsky swan lake is also a very intriguing play.

By who????

Tacet doesn't respond to my emails. Maybe they don't speak English? Don't know. I'm not giving up though. Still haven't found the definitive demo for classical yet. It's funny how there seems to be more titles for this particular genre in surround than any other, but they are the least involved mixes.

Anyone familiar with this title.

Franz Schubert / Octet in F major / camerata freden / DVD-Audio

http://www.tacet.de/main/seite1e.htm

It sounds as though it might be what I am looking for but they don't mention using the sub channel. Does anyone know if they do? This wouldn't necessarily be an issue but like I said I am looking for a DEMO that I can put in and show off every aspect of surround from one disc. It shys people away when you have to fumble around changing discs and settings to demo one aspect at a time. The quest continues...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

It sounds as though it might be what I am looking for but they don't mention using the sub channel. Does anyone know if they do? This wouldn't necessarily be an issue but like I said I am looking for a DEMO that I can put in and show off every aspect of surround from one disc. It shys people away when you have to fumble around changing discs and settings to demo one aspect at a time. The quest continues...

Try some of the Telarc and ChannelClassics samplers. Another might be the "Die Rohre" SACD from Tacet but it might too subtle for a full out demo.

Kal

 

[aquadad]

Try some of the Telarc and ChannelClassics samplers. Another might be the "Die Rohre" SACD from Tacet but it might too subtle for a full out demo.Kal

Thanks Kal, I sent the folks at Channel the following message, we'll see if I get a response from them. for those of us here, here is a link to the title in question. Just go to the new releases link. Also, for you more knowledgable types in this genre you might want to check out the "Channel Quiz" link and try to win a free disc. http://www.channelclassics.com/ The short video about the title listed below is really cool, it's about the historical background of the music. You'll need Quick time to view it. I should have asked if the 45 minute DVD that accompanies the SACD is in 5.1 but that probably would have confused them. It's odd to me how the powers that be don't seem to understand what we would like to know up front in order to make a purchasing decision.:

Hello, I am interested in the follwing title, can you please tell me what kind of arrangement is used in speaker assignment of the multichannel part of this SACD. i.e. Are the rear channels only ambience of the front channels or are the instruments arranged throughout the four corners with soloists in the center channel. Also, is the sub channel implemented on this recording? Here is a link to a discussion of what I am looking for. If you could be so kind as to go over the information contained within and advise me accordingly. Sincerely, David Jennings/ AKA aquadad https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5477 <TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0 width=550 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=kleinrood vAlign=top align=left width=140></TD><TD class=theBold vAlign=top align=left>22105SACD/hybrid pcm, stereo, multichannel</TD></TR><TR><TD class=kleinrood vAlign=top align=left width=140>Title:</TD><TD class=theBold vAlign=top align=left>Bolivian Baroque (plus DVD ‘the making of’)</TD></TR><TR><TD class=kleinrood vAlign=top align=left width=140>Artist:</TD><TD class=theBold vAlign=top align=left>FLORILEGIUM</TD></TR><TR><TD class=kleinrood vAlign=top align=left width=140>Composer:





</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left>VARIOUS COMPOSERS









</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[aquadad]

Thanks Kal, I sent the folks at Channel the following message, we'll see if I get a response from them.:

Hello, I am interested in the follwing title, can you please tell me what kind of arrangement is used in speaker assignment of the multichannel part of this SACD. i.e. Are the rear channels only ambience of the front channels or are the instruments arranged throughout the four corners with soloists in the center channel. Also, is the sub channel implemented on this recording? Here is a link to a discussion of what I am looking for. If you could be so kind as to go over the information contained within and advise me accordingly. Sincerely, David Jennings/ AKA aquadad

Surprise,

I did get a response from Channel. It seems to be from the recording engineer. Although I respect where he is coming from in wanting to capture the essence of the hall itself, almost as if it too were an instrument, I am going to have to pass on this title for now in my quest to find a true surround sound classical title.

I agree with him about the bass channel when it is synthesized it's pretty much a waste of disc space. But when done properly, representing bass instrumentation it's awesome.

Alas what do I know I'm just a paying customer...

Anyway here's what he had to say, and I must say I am truly grateful for his response.:

David,
All my recordings are 5.0 therefore no use of subwoofer which I deem as a gimmick not to be used for classical music. The back channels are indeed ambience. I try to set up the microphones in such a way that one feels the reflections from the hall. The information on these channels is a combination of the direct sound and the ambient sound of the hall but of course every hall is different and the reflections depending on the hall structure and the ‘loudness’ of the ensemble make every new recording a challenge.
I don’t want to consciously hear the rear speakers (or the centre one for that matter.) Just like sitting in the 5th row of a good hall, one hears the reflections all around but is not aware of these, but this is what makes up the ‘good sound’ and the emotion tied to the sound.
So in my setup, only if one switches to stereo do you suddenly notice that the multichannel speakers are not on.

Thanks for your interest

Jared Sacks
Channel Classics Records
Waaldijk 76
4171CG Herwijnen Holland
31 41858 1800
Www.channelclassics.com

 

[Guy Robinson]

All my recordings are 5.0 therefore no use of subwoofer which I deem as a gimmick not to be used for classical music.
Jared Sacks
Channel Classics Records
Waaldijk 76

Can't imagine the E. Power Biggs Bach Organ disc without a sub.