4 Breakthroughs That Will Change Audio Forever! U.K. £1.10 JANUARY 1983 $1.50 i FidelitICD C8398 TM ElTHE MAGAZINE OF AUDIO, VI JEO. CLASS"CAL MUSIC, AND POPJLAR MUSIC Our Music Critics Review First Digital Compact Discs New HF Chart Makes Tonearm/Pickup Matching Easy! Steely Dan's Donald Fagen HF Remembers Glenn Gould Lab Test Special! How 10 Brand -New Components Performed Amazing Carver Tuner Super -Imaging Polk Speakers Boston Acoustics' First Pickup Plus 7 More Components! Hands -On Reports JVC's Creative Video Camera Kenwood Bookshelf Stereo System 74820 08398
Transcript
4 Breakthroughs That Will Change Audio Forever!U.K. £1.10 JANUARY 1983 $1.50
iFidelitICD C8398
TM
ElTHE MAGAZINE OF AUDIO, VI JEO. CLASS"CAL MUSIC, AND POPJLAR MUSIC
Our Music Critics Review First Digital Compact Discs
New HF Chart Makes Tonearm/Pickup Matching Easy!
Steely Dan's Donald Fagen HF Remembers Glenn Gould
Lab Test Special!How 10 Brand -NewComponents Performed
Amazing Carver TunerSuper -Imaging Polk SpeakersBoston Acoustics' First PickupPlus 7 More Components!
Hands -On ReportsJVC's Creative Video CameraKenwood Bookshelf Stereo System
74820 08398
WHAT YOUR FJIS A BliAIN.
Not that there's anything wrong withthe one you've got.
We just had something a little smallerin mind. More like the one you see here.
Technically, it's called a micropro-cessor or computer chip.
But we like to think of it as a little brain.Because when it's built into our Pioneerreceivers, tape decks and turntables, theybecome more.
They become smart.And when it comes to getting the most
music out of your music, smart componentshave a lot of advantages over dumb ones.
0 tof sit
tivy w.tu listen !!it can also improte
THE SX-8 RECEIVER:DON'T TURN THAT DIAL.
How smart is smart?For starters, the brain inside the SX-8
allows us to use push button controls,eliminating noise and distortion caused by
mechanical dials.So all you hear iscrisp, clean music.Just the way it wasrecorded. The brainalso willingly takesover the chores youused to do yourself.
Just push abutton to raise or lower volume or tone,change stations, even check the time. Pushthe ScanTuning button and the receiverautomatically scans every station, playingfive seconds of each one.
Then, simply touch the Memory buttonYour station, volume, and tone settings wil".
All -electronic receiver operation doesate y with knobs and dials tblume,station and bass and treble levels canbe easily monitored thanks to L.E.D.readouts.
1.,r_,,,,:,,,,
IS NEbe instantly stored in the memory. Ready tobe recalled just as fast.
THE CF -9R TAPE DECK:SMART ENOUGH ID FIND NOTHING.
If you've ever done even a small amount ofcassette recording, you've gonethrough the not -so -convenient fastforward/stop/play/reverse/stop/playprocedure of trying to find the blankarea where your last recording left offand the next one can begin.
The CT -9R, on the other hand,has a button marked Blank Search. Give ita push and it will find the area that's longenough to tape on, back up to the lastrecorded piece, leave a four second spaceand stop, ready to record.
Automatically.And, as if that wererit enough, the
CT -9R also has one of the world's fastestAutomatic Bias Level Equalization systems.In plain English, that means that it takes justeight seconds for Auto B. L.E. to analyze thetape being used (no easy task withover 200 different tapes on the market)and then adjust the deck for optimumperformance with that tape. Improving
The real -lime counterwads out the amountof tape left in mean-ingful minutes andseconds instead ofmeaningless inches.
the quality of your recordings fasterthan you can say "wow and flutter:'
THE PL -88F TURNTABLE: IT WON'TPLAY WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE.
In the history of recorded music,there has probably been one, maybetwo people who like every cut on a
record. If you're not one of them, you'll takean immediate liking to the new PL -88F
Its front loading, stackable and, bestof all, it's fully programmable.
Punch in up to eight cuts per side inany order that makes your ears happy.The turntable will automatically skip theones that don't.
And when you're recording fromrecorcs to cassettes you'll appreciate theta deck synchro that automatically
places any Pioneer AutoReverse tape deck intothe pause mode whenthe turntable tone armlifts off the record.Heaving you free formore important things.
Like listening to music.The Pioneer CT -9R tape deck, SX-8
receiver and PL -88F turntable. Proof thatto get the quality of music you buy qualitycomponents for, you don't need a lot ofknowledge.
You just need a little brain.
W PIONEERBecause the music matters.
Optical double -eye sensorsearches for theshiny inter -
selection bands andinsures that the stylussets down in the exactcenter. Even on off -centered records.
HF's pop and classical music critics assess the sounds of the digital reso-lution. Billy Joel's 52nd Street, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge OverTroubled Water, Maazel's Hoist Planets, and Kubelik's Mozart JupiterSymphony are among the Compact Discs auditioned. 50Listing of the first Compact Discs projected for U.S. release in mid -1983 52
CrossTalk by Robert LongA better image; DBX recording levels; Sound -room dimensions
* The Autophile by Gary StockAnswers to readers' questions about sound on wheels
* Sound Views by Peter DobbinA new wave of innovation is sweeping over the audio world
* Basically Speaking by Michael RiggsHF's new method makes critical tonearm/cartridge matching easy
* New Equipment Reports (See above, "Lab Test Special")
* Audio -Video Environments by Christine BegoleLiving with Kenwood's New Life audio ensemble
9
12
14
21
25
26
44
VIDEO TODAY & TOMORROWVideoFronts: Kodak's prototype video display unit; Discwasher joystickTubeFood: New video programming: Cassette, disc, and pay services
* Hands -On Report: JVC's GX-S9U Color Video CameraA feature -packed camera for creative videographersVideo Q. & A. by Edward J. FosterCombination monitor/receivers for computer display; Safe cable lengths
45
46
47
49
CLASSICAL MUSIC*A Tribute to Glenn Gould, Part I
Glenn Gould (1932-1982) by David Hamilton 56What the Recording Process Means to Me by Glenn Gould 56Closing the Circle: The Goldbergs Revisited by James R. Oestreich 57
Messiah: Reduplication Without Redundancy by Teri Noel ToweThe first installment of a discography of Handel's masterpiece 59
Behind the Scenes by James R. Oestreich 63
Reviews: Latest Steve Reich; Canarina on Bernstein; Thomson's Four Saints 64
Rifkin's Bach: A Mass of Evidence Reviewed by Kenneth CooperA "curious" chorusless B minor, based on Rifkin's revolutionary theory 72
The Tape Deck by R.D. Darrell 77
BACKBEAT/Popular Music* Donald Fagen Talks by Sam Sutherland
One half of Steely Dan discusses his first solo discPop Reviews: Joni Mitchell; Linda Ronstadt; Supertramp; Gerry RaffertyOrnette Coleman's "Broken Shadows" Reviewed by Don Heckman
Jazz Reviews: Judy Carmichael; Jaki Byard; Baikida Carroll
78808485
DEPARTMENTSAbout This Issue 7 Reader -Service CardsLetters 8 Advertising Index
*Cover Story
6792
HighFidelityVOLUME 33NUMBER 1JANUARY 1983
en ol Pile
el=
A
rACE
INI
4 mi 111/1011
00 a IIMA .%
MP&
A41144.,..; -J 4.44/64Kii.at
Feature -Packed Camera 47
Gould Remembered
Her Finest Ifc.ur
56
2 OZ. PRODIGY
If you think lightweightheadphones mean light-weight sound, prepare tobe amazed.
They're the incrediblenew HD 40, Sennheiser'slatest-and lightest-Open-Aire model. Withthe electrifying clarity anddefinition that earnedtheir forerunners worldrenown. Plus the widefrequency response andnatural dynamic rangethat are Sennheisertrademarks.
Come hear Sennheiser'slatest triumph at yourdealer today. The priceis so modest, you won'tfeel anything but themusic.
SENNHE1SERELECTRONIC CORPORATION
10 West 37th Street. New York 10018 (212) 239-0190Manufacturing Plant Bissendon Hannover West Germany
Mildred Camacho-Castillo. A Heather Wood.Editorial Assistants
Consulting Technical Editors Edward J. Foster.Robert Long
Contributing Editors Christine Begole. Crispin Cioe.R D Darrell. Harris Goldsmith. Edward Greenfield.David Hamilton. Dale Harris. Don Heckman. StephenHolden. Nicholas Kenyon. Allan Kozinn, Paul HenryLang. Irving Lowens. Robert C. Marsh. Fred Miller.Andrew Porter. Steven X. Rea. Susan ThiemannSommer. John S Wilson.Contributing Graphics Staff. Robert Curtis. Photogra-phy. Roy Lindstrom. Technical Art
Kathleen Davis.Director of Production
Janet Cermak,Advertising Production Manager
Production Editors: Randy Brozen, Audio -Video.Lida A Silverman. Music: Paula Ballan. Assistant
Susan M Allyn.Circulation Director. Subscription Sales
7th Floor. New York. N Y 10019 Telephone (212)265-8360 Sey-mour Resnick. Advertising Director. Raymond Foster. AssociateAdvertising Director. Richard A Frank. Eastern Advertising Man-ager. George Dickey. Record Advertising Manager. Vette Peitz -man. Classified Advertising Manager. Robert Maddocks. Directorof Graphics. Kathleen Davis, Director of Production. Janet Cer-mak. Advertising Production Manager. Cecelia M Giunta. Admin-istrative Assistant
Midwest: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc 415 South lokaAvenue. Mt Prospect, III 60056 Telephone (312) 398-7580
of the Stars. Suite 245. Century City. Calif 90067 Telephone1213) 557-6482 Rita Weitzen. Western Advertising Manager
National Raps: Kathleen Chan& Kathleen G CharlaAssociates 21000 W Fourteen Mile Road. Birmingham. Mich48010 Telephone (3131 642-3482 Bill Good. Sr. Good Maga-zines, Inc 50 East 42nd Street. New York. N Y 10017 Tele-phone (212) 682.0385 Peter McCann. The McCann Group 333N Michigan Avenue. Chicago III 60601 Telephone 13121 782-4492
Tokyo: Japan Advertising Communications. Inc NewGinza Bldg. 7-3-13 Ginza. Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104. Japan ele-PhOne (03) 571-8748. Shigeru Kobayashi. President
14101I FIDELITY and HIGH FIDELITY/MUSICAL AMERICA are pub-lished monthly by ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc a division of ABCPublishing. Inc , and a subsidiary of American BroadcastingCompanies, Inc ABC Publishing. Inc Robert G Barton. Presi-dent. ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc Ronald Stuart. President. Her -ben Keppler. Senior Vice President. Photographic PublishingDivision. Anthony F Morgan. Vice President. Finance. Ernest GScarfone. Vice President. Graphics and Production. Steven I
Rosenbaum, Vice President. High Fidelity Group Member AuditBureau of Circulation. Indexed in Readers Guide to PeriodicalLiterature Current and back copies of HIGH FIDELITY and HIGHFiDELITY.'MUSICAL AMERICA are available on microfilm from Uni-versity Microfilms. Ann Arbor, Mich 48106 Microfiche copies ofthese magazines 11973 forward) are available through BellHowell Micro Photo Division. Old Mansfield Road. Wooster. ONO44691
Editor's! correspondence should be addressed to TheEditor. HIGH FIDELITY. 825 7th Ave New York. N Y 10019 Edito-rial contributions will be welcomed, and payment for articlesaccepted will be arranged prior to publication Submissions mustbe accompanied by return postage and will be handled with rea-sonable care however, the publisher assumes no responsibilitytor return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts
HIGH FIDELITY is published monthly at 825 7th Ave New York,N Y 10019. by ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc . a subsidiary ofAmerican Broadcasting Companies. Inc Copyright C 1982 byABC Leisure Magazines. Inc The design and contents are fullyprotected by copyright and must no, be reproduced in any man-ner Second-class postage paid at New York. New York. and atadditional mailing offices Authorized as second-class mail by thePost Office Department. Ottawa. and for payment of postage incash Yearly subscription in U S A and Possessions SI 3 95 else-where $1995 Single copies S1 50 Subscribers Send Sub-scriptions. inquiries, and address changes to HIGH FIDELITY P 0Box 10759, Des Moines. Iowa 50340 Change of address Giveold and new addresses including ZIP code Enclose addresslabel from last issue and allow five weeks for change to becomeeffective Postmaster: send Form 3579 to HIGH FIDELITY, P.O.Eta t 10759, Dee Moines, Iowa 50340. Postal IdentlEcatIonNumber 243820.
Circle 43 on Reader -Service Card Circle 5 on Reader -Service Card P.
0111101001111100t0
f
The new Technics cassette decks with dbx!They don't just reduce tape noise. They eliminate it.
There is a new line of Technics cassette decks sotechnologically advanced they are capable ofreproducing music with virtually no audible tapenoise. None.
They not only feature Dolby* noise reduction,but also the dbx noise elimination system. With dbx,a Technics cassette deck compresses the signal sothe dynamic range is halved. When a tape is playedback, the process is reversed. The original dynamicrange is then restored and noise is pushed belowaudibility. Loud passages can be recorded withoutdistortion, and soft ones without tape noise. Thereis even dbx disc decoding available for playingdbx encoded records.
The Technics RS-M255X goes even further.
Wide range (-40 to +18 db), three -color FL metershandle the dynamic range dbx gives you. Anelectronic tape counter doubles as a remaining timeindicator to siow how much time is left on yourcassette. Bias and EQ levels are automaticallyselected for any tape formulation. Microprocessorfeathe--touch controls give you fast, easy, modeswitching. And Technics RS-M255X gives you thestability and accuracy of a two -motor drive system.
Audition all of the sophisticated Technicscassette decks with dbx. Including the veryaffordable RS-M228X.
Why settle for tape noise reduction when youcan have tape noise elimination? From Technics.Dolby is a trademark cf Dolby Laboratories. Inc dbx Is a registered trademark or dbx, Inc.
TechnicsThe science of sound.
199
Alan /MIND
IliACOUSTTICDYNAMICD K°CASSETTE A D -X9 NormalPosition
111111111111111_111_111_11_111,-1_,1111111.1
Mat
TDK Normal Bias 120us Ea AD -X
it Ili I 1111-111-1-11114EXTENDED HIGH END LOW NOISE HIGH OUTPUT
Laboratory Standard Cassette Mechanism
Someone who's a Wonderthinks AD -X is extraordinary.
As far as Stevie Wonder is concerned,the only thing that's normal about TDKAD -X is its bias. Otherwise AD -X isextraordinary.
AD -X is engineered to re-cord and play back in the normalbias/EQ position. It's compati-ble with any cassette deck,delivering a wider dynamicrange with far less distortionthan ever before. Extraordinary.
Stevie also knows thateven at higher recordinglevels, the increasedheadroom in AD -Xhandles strong sig-nals easily withoutover -saturation.Extraordinary.
But, it's when
you (or Stevie) press the playback but-ton that the superior quality of TDKAD -X becomes demonstrably clear. The
brilliance you hear, resulting fromthe higher MOL and lower bias
noise, will make it difficult foryou to believe how muchAD -X "improves" your
AD -X performs sobrilliantly. It's TDK'sSuper Avilyn technol-ogy at work. You see,
AD -X is the firstnormal bias audio
cassette to useTDK's Avilynmagnetic par -
ticle--based on the same formulationthat's made TDK the leader in audio andvideo tape technology.
Another advantage about AD -Xis the housing it comes in. It's TDK'sLaboratory Standard Mechanism, andit's protected by TDK's lifetime wax -
ranty. Extraordinary.When you add it all up. what. TDK
AD -X gives you is the ideal audio cas-sette for all-round personal entertain-ment suitable for any cassette player.That's why Stevie Wonder chose TDKbefore we chose him. This. too. isextraordinary
K.1 Ht. MAC.,iiii4E ruh YOUli MACHINE.
CIPLIta 10 an Beetle Service Card
About This IssueInside the pages of January's HIGH FIDELITY
THIS YEAR PROMISES to be a veryexciting one for home entertain-ment. Surely much attention willbe focused on the digital Com-pact Disc and player. Our cover-age of this revolutionary technol-ogy began last month with ahands-on report on Sony's CDP-101 by technical editor MichaelRiggs. This month our classical -and popular -music critics andeditors listen to the first CompactDiscs. As they report, it is oftendifficult to separate the mediumfrom the music.
More traditional playback equipment is seeing a revolution of its own. AsPeter Dobbin reports in "Sound Views," such products as Carver's TX- II tunerand the Polk SDA-1 loudspeaker reflect a real renaissance in audio innovation.Those two units are covered in detail in this month's expanded test -report section,for which we have selected ten new products for in-depth lab/listening reports byDiversified Science Laboratories and the HIGH FIDELITY technical staff. Supple-menting these formal tests are two hands-on evaluations: In "Environments,"Christine Begole appraises one of the new bookshelf component stereo systems,and in our video report, Edward J. Foster of DSL checks out a new, feature -packed color video camera.
In the area of classical music, this month we begin a two-part tribute to GlennGould, the legendary pianist who died last October and whose by-line appearedfrequently in HF during the '60s and '70s. In this issue, we run his previouslyunpublished piece "What the Recording Process Means to Me," David Hamil-ton's appraisal of his importance to recorded music, and a review of Gould'srecent Goldberg Variations by classical music editor James Oestreich. Nextmonth we'll print excerpts from his eloquent and often eccentric HF writings.
Speaking of eccentric, BACKBEAT's interview this month is Steely Dan'sDonald Fagen. With uncharacteristic candor, Fagen discusses his first solo LP andits digital recording sessions. In February, BACKBEAT will interview BillyJoel.
Next month's audio and video coverage will focus on tape and recording.Along with test reports on six new cassette decks, we'll feature articles on how tomake great recordings, how tape recording works, how to pick the best audio (orvideo) tape for your application, the future of home recorded and recordingmedia, and tips on mistakes to avoid in your home recording studio . . . . That'senough to keep us busy. In the meantime, Happy New Year!-W.T.
HF technical editor Michael Riggs (standing, right)explains the digital Compact Disc to HF musiceditors and critics assembled in High Fidelity's lis-tening room.
,1 rike. I he 11
High Fidelity.
Teat Speciell
Cover Design. Robert MaddocksCover Photo George Menda
ON THE COVER- (clockwise from rear) Polk SDA-1 loudspeaker. JVC GX-S9U video camera. Design Acoustics PS -10 loudspeaker. Realistic BassEnhancer. Teac V-95RX cassette deck. Sherwood S-6020CP preamp Vec-tor Research VRX-9500 receiver, Technics SU-V9 integrated amplifier. Car-ver TX -11 tuner. Kenwood New Life integrated component system
THESOURCE
THE ALL NEW1983 EDITION OF
MUSICALAMERICA
INTERNATIONALDIRECTORY
of thePERFORMING ARTSThe most encompassing and informative Directoryof the Performing Arts in America.
Listngs of orchestras, opera companies,publishers and artists' managers. Competitions,foundations and awards; performances, performersand organizations.
More than 600 pages of complete national and in-ternational performing arts information with both acategorical and alphabetical advertisers index in therear.
It is the one Directory of The Performing Arts thatcan and will be referred to all year long. It is TheSource.
Musical America Directory_ 1983ABC Fulfillment c/o Bonded Mailing Inc.
754 4th Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. 11232MAD 83
Please send me copies of The 1983Musical America Directory at $35.00 each (postage andhandling included)1983 Edition available after Dec. 31.1982. Allow 4-6 weeks for shipping.
NAk,E
ADC RESS APT #
CITY
STATE 710
E nclosed is my check money order for $
Payment must accompany order.For postage and handling outside the U.S.A..add $10.00 (Air Printed Matter, add $20.00)
1
JANUARY 1983 7
r
av
I
SAVE moneytime
freightAKAI CASSETTE DECKS
MODEL CS -F 39R AUTO -REVERSE DKMODEL GXF-31 COMPUTER CONTROLMODEL C-',XF 71
S244 00198 03
IN STOCK
ADC SOUNDSHAPER EQUALIZERSMODEL SS -110 IC NEW BAND EQUALIZER S 7003MODEL SS -2 IC - 12 BAND EQUALIZER 180 00MODEL SS -3 IC - TOP Of THE LINE 227 00
LettersPinheadedAngel -DancingThe controversy over how many choristers poorold Bach had at his modest disposal [September.October. and December 1982] is just so muchpinheaded angel -dancing. Even if it could beproved that Bach had only one voice per part. orthat he had to sing all the parts himself by meansof Mongolian split -voice techniques, this wouldnot justify our imitating his deprivations. TheBach choral works are glorious, monumentalpieces that, for their full realization, require thecontrasts in weight of tone available from mod-em performing forces.
This whole matter of authentic perfor-mance and instrumentation can be seen as themusicological trivia it is when one remembersthat today's audiences do not listen to faithfullyreconstructed performances with the same ears asthe composer's contemporaries did; an historicalgulf intervenes. Whether we hear Bach's pecu-liar -sounding strings and oboes or the broken-down old pianos Beethoven was always snappingstrings on is a matter of little interest to the gen-eral music listener. It should be left to the musi-cologists. who may someday decide that Mozartsounds best performed on eighteenth -centurycomb and tissue paper.
The musicologists should devote their ener-gies to establishing correct texts, omamentationstyle, and tempo and dynamic indications wherepossible-elements that really do affect themusic as we hear it-for the calendar is nevergoing to be turned back, no matter how muchthey fuss.James WadeSeoul. Korea
Ominous ThumpsThe query titled "Thumper" in October's"CrossTalk" reminded me of a similar experi-ence I had. Until about a year ago, my systemincluded a Nikko 7075 integrated amp and a pairof Audio Monitor 9200-11 four-way acoustic sus-pension speakers. At times, this setup wouldproduce an ominous thumping noise that wouldincrease as the volume was turned up.
Of course, I was concerned that the speak-ers were being damaged. Turning down the vol-ume did seem to help eliminate the problem.Since I was in the process of upgrading my sys-tem, I decided to replace the integrated amp witha Nikko Alpha 220 amplifier and Beta 40preamp. The minute I connected the new compo-nents. the thumping stopped, and to this day ithas not returned, regardless of the volume levelor the type of music being played. Clearly theincreased headroom of the new setup was theremedy. (Incidentally, the speakers sound excel-lent, too.)Robert A. JonesMilford, N.J.
Bravos ... and No -NosBravo. Conrad L. Osborne and his "Collectors -Gioconda" (August 1982]!
Not that I can second all of Mr. Osborne'sopinions, but the breadth and richness of his
study are truly Ponsellian. Here's hoping for thesame treatment of other major recordings.Barry FraumanChicago. Ill.
Your review of Glenn Frey's new album "NoFun Aloud" (September 1982] was fine, exceptfor one thing. Although his midwestcm. JackNicholson-ish intonation is quite distinctive, 1
believe you'll find that the voice "immortaliz-ed" on Eagles standards like "The Best of MyLove" is not Frey's, as stated, but drummer DonHenley's.Joanne ReccaGlen Cove, N.Y.
We stand corrected.-Ed.
Kudos for Don Heckman's "The Postwar JazzTrumpet" record review (September 1982]! Hisexcellent work is characterized by a rare combi-nation of brevity, substance, insight, and knowl-edge.Mark KaplanBrookfield, Conn.
Thank you for the complimentary remarks aboutmy new album ("Missin' Twenty Grand," July1982]. I was really flattered, particularly by thecomparisons to Rickie Lee [Jones]. The reviewhelped me keep the LP alive. Thanks!David LasleyNew York, N.Y.
Home BrewI found Robert Long's article on record and tapecare products most informative. Does Mr. Longrecommend using a solution of 25% pure isopro-pyl alcohol and 75% distilled water as a substi-tute for popular commercial record -cleaning liq-uids?David R. LongWest Jefferson. N.C.
Mr. Long replies: No. I don't. I'd stick to themanufacturers' formulations.
Letters should be addressed to The Editor, HIGHFioEurr, 825 7th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019.All letters are subject to editing for brevity andclarity.
8 HIGH FIDELITY
AUDIO
High Fidelity NewsNew equipment and developments
Sansui PracticesDigital MagicSansui has good news for perfectionisthome recordists who make digital record-ings using a VCR and a digital audio pro-cessor. Until now, such recordings could bemade only at a video deck's fastest, leasterror -prone speed: slower speeds led toproblems with data dropouts, noise, andvariations in the amplitude of digital data.Enter the PC -X1 digital processor, a unitwhose powerful error detection and correc-tion circuitry enables the tapist to makeultralong-playing digital recordings at aVCR's slowest speed-five-hour on Betaor eight -hour on VHS decks.
This bit of digital legerdemain is
accomplished by manipulation of the digitalcodes during playback. Though noise anddropouts might be horrendous because ofthe VCR's slow recording speed, the PC -XI restores order during playback by slow-ing down the stream of data being read fromthe tape just long enough to second-guesswhether the signal makes musical sense. Ifit doesn't, the circuit interpolates new dig-ital bits, basing its reconstruction on predic-tive logic. The PC -X1 fills in the gaps, so tospeak, and the result, according to Sansui,is audibily perfect sound. The unit willarrive on dealers' shelves by midyear;expected price is about $2,000.Circle 71 on Reader -Service Card
Pos p
---....111101111.3119
Superstar BillingThough it is billed as a "supertuned" edi-tion of the ZX-7 cassette deck, Nakamichi's$1,550 ZX-9 employs several fundamental-ly different techniques. The ZX-9, forinstance, provides the cassette -deck debutof the Super -Linear -Torque motor first usedin the TX -1000 turntable. This direct -drivemotor's star -shaped rotor -magnetizationpattern is said to eliminate any vestiges of
cogging and torque variations. (The ZX-7has a belt -drive motor.) The ZX-9 is alsosaid to include improved electronics, withboth recording and playback heads directlycoupled to their respective circuitry. Otherfeatures of the new deck include a dual -gapferrite/sendust erase head, laminated long -wearing Crystalloy recording and playbackheads, and simultaneous encode/decodeDolby B and C noise reduction circuits forfull off -tape monitoring.Circle 85 on Reader -Service Card
Am6111111111.111r
Altai at a GlanceA fluorescent screen on Akai's AA -R22instantly verifies each of the receiver's con-trol settings and input selections. The unit israted at 30 watts (143/4 dBW) per channel,
with no more than 0.05% total harmonicdistortion. All function- and input -selectorcontrols are electronic, and a microproces-sor enables you to store and retrieve twotone control settings. The receiver's tunersection has six AM and six FM station pre-sets. In addition, an automatic fader permitssmooth segues during recording. Price ofthe AA -R22 is $250.Circle 77 on Reader -Service Card
Better Yetfrom B & 0Though there is no vacuum stabilizer inBang & Olufsen's 8002 turntable, you'd
Hands -On: Sound Concepts' Synthesizer
Audiophiles seduced into mating their vid-eo and audio gear are likely to be disap-pointed with the sonic results. Even whenfeeding both channels of a preamp orreceiver, a mono source leaves much to bedesired for a generation brought up on ste-reo sound. Stereo synthesizers that attemptto redress this problem have been aroundfor years. Often advertised with extrava-gant claims, these inexpensive devices(usually less than $50) are seldom anythingmore than passive crossover networks thatdump bass into one channel and treble intothe other. But when Sound Concepts, acompany responsible for several innovativeaudio signal processors, announced a stereosynthesizer, I suspected its approach wouldbe more clever. And I was right. Havinglived with the VSP-1 ($150) for severalweeks, 1 can report that it creates an alto-gether pleasant two -channel experience.
The VSP-1 uses a comb -filtering pro-cess that creates a continuously changingleft -right frequency balance. The signal foreach channel has a rippling response that
peaks where the other channel's responsedips, and vice versa. These differences ineach channel's frequency response do notenable the ear to localize instruments andvoices, but the comb filtering does create astereolike ambience and projection. When Iswitch back to mono, the sound loses vital-ity and depth, appearing to draw back intothe speakers.
Inserting the VSP- I between videogear and a receiver or preamp is quite easy.There are separate two -channel inputs forsignals from VCRs and television sets; avideo disc player could use either one. Ifyour VCR is a mono unit, plug it into theleft input; if your VCR or disc player isstereo -capable, the two -channel input and aSTEREO/MONO button enable you to accom-.modate the stereo input without having toreconnect the whole system.
The VSP-1 replaced a simple Y -con-nection I had made between my VCR andpreamp (for two -channel mono). Theresulting improvement was dramatic, butnot intrusive. The VSP-1 is not intended todiminish the hiss or increase the bandwidthof video sources. It does, however, makethe limitations of most video sound easier tolive with. -P.D.Circle 78 on Reader -Service Card
JANUARY 1983 9
AUDIO High Fidelity News
think otherwise when lifting a record off theplatter. A series of microscopically raisedNextel ribs support a record on the "land"between its grooves, rather than on thedisc's outer bead or label area. This, saysB&O, traps a very thin layer of air thatdamps vinyl resonances, which are furtherreduced by high -absorption componentsunder the platter and on the rotor. Otherrefinements to the earlier Model 8000 (seetest report, September 1981) include arepeat function for programming as manyas nine play cycles and a spring -cushionedtonearm designed to achieve a vertical res-onance of 12-14 Hz when used with the
latest generation of B&O plug-in pickups.The price of the 8002 is $700.Circle 84 on Reader -Service Card
Stanton StaysNeutral with RG5Long-lasting static neutralizers combinedwith effective cleaning agents make Stan-
ton's RC -5 Plus a logical successor to thecompany's highly regarded Permostat an-tistatic fluid. Said to reduce LP surfacenoise while leaving no residue, the system
moms.. CRWTICSMOVIE 1W11.1117 TIME
IONS TV 1F:
"Our tests show that theShure V15 Type V notonly lives up to theclaims made for it, but invirtually every respectOUTPERFORMS the bestcartridges we have pre-viously tested....lt is hardto imagine how the V15Type V could beimproved significantly.It offers the MOST PER-FORMANCE in the mostareas, plus the most con-venience and safety ininstallation and opera-tion."-Julian Hirsch,Stereo Review, June, 1982
"... (The V15 Type V)is definitely the FINESTpickup Shure has evermade, which makes itone of the finest evermode, period"- HighFidelity, July, 1982
"...Ina world ofaudiophile discs withdemanding trackingrequirements, the ShureV15 Type V KEEPS AHEADof the times"-Rich Warren, ChicagoSun -limes, June 4, 1982
"(The V15 Type V)REDEFINES its maker asa pioneer in cartridge
design not only from thebeginnings of micro-groove technology butwell into the future of theLP disc"- FM Guide(Canada), June, 1982"... It may be safe to saythat this cartridge's excel-lent tracking ability isNUMBER ONE in theworld. Provides exquisiteand elaborate sound!" -Swing Journal (Japan),May, 1982
Find out why the criticsare so excited: Send forfree fact -filled brochureAL694A.
$50* U.S. Savings Bond Bonuswith the purchase of a V15 Type V
Phono Cartridge untilDecember 31, 1982.
'Value at Maturit,,
trii5i) Call for the Name of the Dealer Nearest You,24 Flours a Day, 7 Days a Week.800-323-6556 Ask for Dept. R15In Illinois: 800-942-6345 Ask for Dept. R15
consists of a two -ounce bottle of cleaner/antistatic solution, a high -pile brush de-signed to reach deep into record grooves,and a storage case. The brush has a conduc-tive handle to help bleed off LP staticcharges during the cleaning operation. TheRC -5 Plus System, which contains enoughfluid to clean and neutralize 300 recordsides, costs $17.Circle 70 on Reader -Service Card
Plug -In Pickupsfrom ShureWith the addition of the M-96LT (above)
ber of pickups it offers for Technics -typetangential -tracking tonearms. The twopickups-$80 and $45, respectively-aresaid to offer high trackability and smooth,extended frequency response. Both modelshave elliptical diamond tips and aredesigned to track at P/4 grams.Circle 87 on Reader -Service Card
Think ThinRequiring less than two inches of mountingdepth, Jensen's ThinMount 6 -by -9 -inch carspeakers can solve a lot of placement head-aches. The Triaxial (three-way) version issaid to be capable of handling 50 watts ofpower, with a sensitivity of 101 dB SPL fora 1 -watt input. Price is $130 per pair. The$85 Coax (two-way) speakers have a simi-lar power -handling rating, but with a sensi-tivity of 100 dB SPL.Circle 76 on Reader -Service Card
Shure Brothers Inc., 222 Hartrey Avenue, Evanston, IL 60204
Circle 50 on Reader -Service Card 10 HIGH FIDELITY
OMNIDISC
411Wr
Turn On, Tune UpDesigned for the nontechnical, Telarc's $30OmniDisc provides a musical method forsetting up and adjusting a stereo system.The two -record set guides the user throughturntable and tonearm adjustments, properuse of tone controls, speaker placement,system wiring and phasing, and channelbalancing. Telarc even recruited conductorLeonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Sympho-ny for the stereo imaging test. By compar-ing the seating chart printed in the owner'smanual with the aural image of the orches-tra, the listener can determine how accu-rately his system reproduces the recording'ssoundstage. A phono cartridge alignmentmethod is described, and an alignment pro-tractor is inscribed on one side of a disc.Circle 88 on Reader -Service Card
ElevatingPerformanceImproving the performance of a loudspeak-er is often as simple as elevating it. NaiadProducts offers six different speaker standsto complement a variety of loudspeakersand room decors, marketing them under thePlateau brand. The stands range in heightfrom 51/4 to 30 inches and are available in ablack washable finish or black with walnuttrim. Each model tilts the speaker back toaim it properly at a seated listener. The Pla-teau stands range in price from $20 to $56 apair.
Circle 4 on Reader -Service Card P.
The ADC Sound shers:Improvements on perfection.When you make a line of equalizes an additional component.that audiophiles consider to be the The rest of the line is equally im-best, it's difficult to make them better. pressive. From our 12 -band SS -20 to
But we did. And our exciting naw our ten -band SS 10 to our five -bandSound Shaper line reinforces ous SS -5, all ADC Scund Shapers offerreputation as the leader in the yot fingertip cortrol of your fre-equalizer world. quency response. with features
You'll find the same superb elec- geared to your equalization needs.tronics and high performance teen- If you're serious about equalizationnology that you come to expect and want to maximize the potential offrom ADC. With LED -lit slide your present system, an ADC Soundcontrols that let you custom -tailor Shaper is your answer. The new ADCyour sound to compensate for roam Sound Shapers. Perfect examples ofand system deficiencies. And now, sound thinking. Improved.you'll find our Sound Shapersupdated with new refinements andsleek styling that makes them lookas good as they function
Our top -of -the -line SS -30 is a per-fect example. A ten -band equaliserwith LED meters and two-way tapedubbing, it has. its own integratedspectrum analyzer built in, so yc ucan clearly see :he altered frequencyresponse. And unlike many otherequalizers with integrated spectrumanalyzers that require outside p nknoise sources, our SS -30 has its coalpink noise generator built right n.So now, you can accomplishcorrective equalizationof your room without
A D
111 11111
111111111111
%Ai ;
aII,
i9eietw' --<J"Frequency Equalizers
A OSII COMPANY /Sound thinking has move° us everaiirther ahead.
ADC, Route 303, Blauvelt, N.Y. 10913® Sound Shaper is a registere4 tradema-k of Audio D).ramics Corporation.
a
..61
AUDIO
CrossTalkPractical answers to your audio questions by Robert Long
Unfettered FMI own four FM receivers, three from Eu-rope and one from the U.S. The Europe-an receivers-and European FM trans-missions-have a frequency response anddynamic range that are immediately iden-tifiable as superior to what's availablehere. Is there something about FCC reg-ulations that limits the quality of U.S.broadcasting?-J.R. Frame, Cecilia, Ky.
No. I suspect that what you are perceivingis an unfortunate by-product of the largelycommercial nature of U.S. broadcasting.FM stations in Europe are mostly noncom-mercial government operations, designedto deliver a network signal to a relativelysmall area. The "reach" of the individualtransmitters is generally less important (be-cause there are so many of them carryingthe same programming) than the quality ofthe signal being transmitted. In the U.S.,the number of listeners that can be corralledinto listening is important for both commer-cial stations (to attract sponsors) and pub-licly supported ones (to attract donors).Thus broad dynamic range becomes intoler-able, because it allows the quietest passagesto drop "into the mud" and alienate listen-ers who can't get really quiet reception.This puts a premium on the use of varioussignal processing equipment to "grab" lis-teners-even if that means compressing(and compromising) the sound. There arevery few stations with the guts to foregosuch devices and the greater listenershipthey generate. The FCC has contributed tothis dilemma by choosing a noisier stereobroadcast method than it might have. But inthe competitive world of FM-commercialand otherwise-"punch" outpulls quality.
Help!
I wonder whether readers can help mefind those large white plastic clips thatthe 3M Company used to make to hold inplace the ends of open -reel tapes? Thesmaller red and orange ones I find nowdon't seem to do the job, and I have acollection of more than 100 tapes that Iwant to keep in first-rate condition.-SidRosen, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Frankly, I prefer those little "bricks" ofsponge rubber (at least that's what it feelslike) that Memorex used on its short-lived
open -reel tape line. You could make some-thing like that for yourself, cutting aspringy sponge material (its actual compo-sition is immaterial, as long as it has goodresiliency and grip) a little thicker than thedistance between the insides of the reelflanges, so the block will wedge in place.Maybe some of our readers have even bettersuggestions.
Sound in SpaceI've been advised that some speakersshould be better suited to creating theCarver holographic image than others,but several of the recommended modelssound "boxy" to me. I have heard theDahlquist DQ-10s with a Dahlquist sub -woofer. The effect with the Carver deviceis quite pleasant, but a dealer tells methe Dahlquist/Carver combination is re-dundant. Who's right?-Ken Lausa,Lima, Ohio.
You are: Ultimately it is a question of yourown aural judgements-whatever I or yourdealer may say. For holography, it's theo-retically desirable to have all drivers in aspeaker system aligned vertically, whereasthe DQ-10 design takes care to align themin the same acoustic plane, but not neces-sarily in a vertical line.
The Carver holographic effect and thecoplanar drivers of the DQ-10s are not iden-tical in intent, however, and therefore notredundant. Dahlquist seeks to prevent whathas been called "time smear" in reproduc-ing whatever signal is fed to the speakers-that is, to keep the signals from the variousdrives in step with each other-and toreduce diffraction. The Carver device'scompensatory circuits correct for acousticanomalies that occur once the signals aresent out into the room, which are caused byroom interactions and by the geometricrelationships between a pair of speakers anda pair of listening ears.
A Thin Line
I recently came across a TDK D C-180tape. The tape looked extremely thin andhardly capable of high -quality reproduc-tion. What are your opinions on it?-S. Docie, Trenton, N.J.
TDK's D (for Dynamic) formulation is itsleast expensive, but is capable of very good
results in appropriate recorders-at leastwith the C-90 and shorter lengths recom-mended for music. I've even used C -120swith good results, though I don't know asingle cassette -deck manufacturer who'swilling to recommend the length-in anybrand. The C-180, however, is another sto-ry-as TDK itself is the first to admit. Withsuch thin backing, mechanical strength isreduced and printthrough increased. Andthe magnetic coating also is much thinner,even by comparison to C -120s. The result ispoorer performance, particularly in thebass. TDK evidently makes C -180s ex-pressly for users to whom maximum possi-ble recording time is an overriding neces-sity-for speeches, for example-but thecompany doesn't recommend them formusic. Nor would I.
ProportionsI am considering modifying a garagemeasuring 24 by 18 feet for use as a ste-reo listening room. Can you recommendphysical changes so the room will pro-vide the best possible acoustical environ-ment?-Linda E. Bailey, Dothan, Ala.
Perhaps. First, these proportions soundworrysome. When the distances betweenparallel walls have a common denominator(in your case, six feet) standing waves willbe created at common frequencies. Manyacousticians try to avoid parallel walls alto-gether when planning a listening environ-ment. But it's obvious that, without majorand very expensive alterations, you'restuck with the current dimensions of yourspace. What you can control more readily isthe relative "liveness" (reflectiveness) or"deadness" (absorptivity) of the materialson and between the walls.
It's fundamental that live and deadmaterials should be intermixed to break upthe sound. A growing number of designersfavor making the area behind the speakersas dead as possible and the listening end ofthe room relatively live. (A really dead wallwill also prevent serious standing waves,even if a live wall is parallel to it.) This is avery complex subject, however, and if youneed detailed help you should seek out abuilder or other professional with practicalexperience in creating home listening envi-ronments.
We regret that the volume of reader mail is toogreat for us to answer all questions individually.
12 HIGH FIDELITY
MAXELL IS PLEASED TO PRESENTANEVEN HIGHER PERFORMANCE TAPE.
If you're familiar with Maxell UD-XL tapes you probabiy find it hard to believe that anytape could give you higher performance.
But hearing is believing. And while we can't play our newest tape for you right here onthis page, we can replay the comments of Audio Video Magazine.
"Those who thought it was impossible to improve on Maxell's LTD -XL II were mistaken.The 1981 tape of the year award goes to Maxell XL II -S:'
How does high bias XL 11-S and our normal bias equivalent XL I -S give you such highperformance? By engineering smaller and more uniformly shaped epitaxial oxide parti-cles we were able to pack more into a given area of tape. Resulting in a higher maximumoutput level, improved signal-to-noise ratio and better frequency response.
o keep the particles from rubbing off on your recording heads Maxell XL -S also hasan improved binder system. And to eliminate tape deforma-tion, XL -S comes with our unique Quin-Lok Clamp/HubAssembly to hold the leader firmly in place.
Of course, Maxell XL II -S and XL I -S carry a little higherprice tag than lesser cassettes.
We think you'll find it a small price to pay for higherperformance. IT'S WORTH IT.
Circle 12 on Reader-Sery ce Card
AUDIO
The AutophileGoing on the road with stereo by Gary Stock
Letters fromthe RoadLETTERS. WE GET LETTERS. The onesaddressed to this column tend to fall intotwo categories. There are those seekingmiracle solutions to their specific-andoften bizarre-problems ("Where do I putthe 10 -band equalizer in my '46 HudsonHornet?"), and there are those whose que-ries deal with the fundamentals of caraudio-price ranges, component match-ing, hookup, and so on. As they relate tohome high fidelity systems, those elementshave been addressed often in this magazine.But as they apply to the relatively youngscience of putting music on wheels, theyhave yet to be dealt with in depth. Allow meto begin, then, by dipping into the Auto-phile mailbag for a few of the most commoninquiries:
Q. How much should a reasonable auto -
sound system cost?A. Probably not as much as you've beentold. To a greater extent than with a homemusic system, the quality of sound you getfrom a car stereo system is dependent on thecare with which it's installed. If you do ityourself and are willing to experiment a lit-tle during the installation, it's possible toassemble a really nice -sounding basic sys-tem for as little as $200. That would includean AM/FM/cassette unit installed in thedash and one good pair of speakersmounted in the doors or on the rear deck.
Spending more than $200 can take youin a couple of directions. It will buy youmore convenience, in the sense that pricierAM/FM/cassette units have things like sta-tion seeking (the radio hunts down a stationwithout your twiddling any dials) or auto-matic -reverse tape playback. There are alsonifty items like electric antennas that go upand down by themselves when you turn theradio on and off. Alternatively, the extramoney could be put into equalizers, sub-
woofers, or additional speakers to obtainmarginally better sound: slightly deeperbass, more treble, and the "surroundsound" effect you get with more than onepair of speakers.
Q. Should I install the system myself, orlet the professionals at a car stereo store doit?A. That depends on how complicated arig it is. If you stick to just an AM/FM/cassette unit and one or even two pairs of
speakers, you should be able to install asystem yourself by following theinstructions closely. You will save aninstallation fee, plus you'll know the jobhas been done carefully.
By the way, there are a lot of littlethings you can do yourself to make every-thing sound as good as it can. For instance,use heavy (16 or 18 gauge) wire to connectthe speakers and the radio. Loosely packwhite polyester -fiber "angel hair" pillowstuffing (usually sold at sewing stores)behind the speakers to protect them frommoisture and to absorb reflected sound.You might also want to experiment withdifferent speaker locations within the carbefore you start cutting vinyl: Make tempo-rary and moveable enclosures for the speak-ers by mounting them in a box-their orig-inal cartons usually work fine-after cut-ting a hole in the box side. All these thingswill have a marked effect on the reliabilityand sound quality of the system.
If you're going to spring for a fancierrig, though, with separate power amplifiersor an equalizer, have the pros install it.Installation complexity increases (as doesthe likelihood of hassles) as the systembecomes more complicated.
Q. Do 1 have to choose electronics andspeakers of the same brand?A. That's not necessary for a basic sys-tem. Just about any speaker will work withany front-end unit. The thing to avoid ismismatching the performance quality of thetwo basic components-there's no point inusing, say, $300 speakers with a $150radio. As a general rule of thumb, stick witha 3 -to -2 ratio between the cost of the frontend unit and the cost of the speakers.
If you have a more complex systemwith a separate power amp or equalizer-or
if you intend to upgrade a basic system byadding outboard signal processing-allyour electronic components should be thesame brand. Car stereo components aremuch less compatible than their home coun-terparts; occasionally plugs and jacks don'teven match.
Q. What can 1 do when choosing andinstalling a new autosound system to ensuregood radio reception?A. First of all, look for a radio with agood FM sensitivity specification-some-thing around 1.5 to 2 microvolts. Whenyou're installing it, make sure the antennacable has a clean, shiny plug to make a goodconnection; keeping the cable routed awayfrom the rest of the car's wiring should alsominimize interference. If your speakersproduce a persistent whining that changesin pitch as the car changes speed, look intoadd-on interference suppressors; such de-vices are available at most good car stereostores. If your car has its antenna embeddedin the windshield, FM reception may bepoor, so invest a few dollars in a new rodantenna. And don't forget to adjust the AMtrimmer control when you install the radio;your owner's manual will tell you how.
Resources
For more detailed information on carstereo selection and installation, consulteither of these two books:
Van Waterford, The Complete Guide to CarStereo Systems (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.:TAB Books, No. 1121). $7.95.
Martin Clifford. The Complete Guide toCar Audio (Indianapolis, Ind.: Howard W.Sams & Co., No. 21820). $9.95.
A test enclosure (above) an helpdetermine the best location forspeakers. With hatchbacks (top,right), place speakers in kick panelsor behind front seats: avoid luggagecompartment (dotted circles). Forcars with trunks, start with reardeck.
14Circle 25 on Reader -Service Card
The song you're recording is building to a big finish.Unfortunately, your tape may finish before the band does.
The Onkyo TA -2055 takes the guesswork out of makingperfect cassetterecordings. It features aReal Time Counter thatdisplays the consumedor remaining time on thetape, so you can planyour music selectionsdown to the second.Creating your own tapestakes a lot of effort, andthe TA -2055 insures thattime is on your side.
There are more outstanding recording benefits to thisremarkable deck. Jarring, abrupt song transitions are pre-vented by our Auto Space control that automatically inserts
Dolby B 8 C are trademarks of Dolby Labs. Inc
five seconds of blank space between cuts. Onkyo's patentedAccu3las lets you fine -une to the correct recording bias of
the tape. The result is prcfessional recording quality with theflattest frequency
response a tape canproduce. Dolby B & C
Noise Reductionsystems are standard.and a microcomputercontrolled direct -drive
3 -motor transportguarantees smoothness
and reliability, inrecording or playback.The TA -2055 takes its
place with our other cassette decks as a superb example ofOnkyo technology and value for the dollar.
Cur perfect :iming will make for perfect listening.
200 Williams Drive, Ramsey. NJ 07446
The Institute of Jazz Studies is proud to announceits Official Archive Collection
THE OKEHTEST
JAll RECORDINGS
Of nulm[Unprecedented in recording history-the completeand definitive collection of great jazz performances
"Now it's all together ... all the best of jazz,at long last, in one place. With all the joy,the sorrow, the vitality that makes jazz great.It gives me a tremendous feeling to knowthis collection is being done, andI'm delighted to be a part of it."
-Dave Brubeck
A collection that only the Institute of Jazz Studies could assemble:
o The best of over 60,000 records from the institute's archivesand the vaults of every great jazz label.
o Including rare out -of -issue pressings, unreleased recordings -and studio "takes" just recently discovered.
o The first and only collection to tell the entire jazz story.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, the greatestrecorded performances in the history ofjazz will be brought together in a single,definitive record collection.
This unprecedented collection is be-ing issued by the Institute of Jazz Stud-ies, home of the world's largest archiveof original jazz recordings. It will in-clude the most important recordings ofevery major jazz artist who ever lived.And it will span all periods ... all labels... all the great styles that have madejazz the most inventive and excitingmusic of our century.
From the world's largest jazz archiveThe Greatest Jazz Recordings of AllTime is the culmination of years of workcarried on at the Institute's headquar-ters at Rutgers University-by a staff ofauthorities unique in all the world.
As they set about making their selec-tions, no resource was denied them.They considered countless recordings,beginning with the Institute's own ar-chive of more than 60,000 records. Inaddition, they received the support ofall the great jazz labels, whose vaultshold the master recordings essential forthis collection.
The most comprehensivecollection ever assembled
As a result, this will be the first col-lection to capture the all-time best of
_ouis Armstrur g, t.nos by Robert Parent, Ell, I zgv,,,,:'hoto by Raymond Ross. Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck. DavidTedtern/Retna Ltd . Benny Goodman: Rex Features Ltd , King Oliver's-2.reole Jazz Band Courtesy of the Tulane University Jazz Archive
jazz, as it flourished in each generation.The greatest music from the goldenage -the dazzling trumpet solos ofLouis Arms!rong, the biting elegance ofBix Beiderbecke's cornet, and the vital,vibrant piano styles of Fats Waller.
From the era of swing -The inno-vative bands of Benny Goodman,Count Basie, Gene Krupa; the incom-parable Duke Ellington; singers BillieHoliday, Brig Crosby; guitarist DjangoReinhardt in his "Hot Club of France"recordings
The best of bop and cool jazz -withalto sax artists ranging from the fieryCharlie Parker to the impeccablygraceful Paul Desmond ... trumpetersDizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis ... theOscar Peterson Trio ... Milt Jackson,with the Modern Jazz Quartet.
And the great musicians who arebringing jazz to more people than evertoday -including George Benson,Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea.
A collection you couldnever assemble in any other way
This is a collection that could not beduplicated by any individual. For itdraws upon a wealth of rare recordingswhich belong to the Jazz Institute-including important material just un-covered in the last few years.
Some of these recordings, such asTeddy Wilson's solo piano version of'Somebody Loves Me,' have actuallynever been issued before. Others havebeen unavailable for decades-suchas Art Tatum's 'Chloe.' And among themost fascinating of all are the pre-viously unreleased studio "takes" ofwell-known numbers like 'Benny's Bu-gle' by Charlie Christian and 'I Can'tGet Started' by Bunny Berigan.
And all the classics and hits of jazzwill be here. Unforgettable perfor-mances of 'St. James Infirmary' by JackTeagarden, 'China Boy' by Eddie Con-don, and 'Star Dust' by Lionel Hampton.
The superiorsound of proof -quality records
The sound quality of each record will bea revelahon. For every vintage record-ing will fist undergo a painstaking res-toration. Each will be electronically"cleaned," groove by groove ... bring-
ing you closer to the actual perfor-mance than was previously possible.
Furthermore, the Institute of JazzStudies has appointed The FranklinMint Record Society, one of America'sleading producers of high -qualityrecords, to press the records for thiscollection. And they will use a specialvinyl compound containing its own anti-static element. In addition, each recordwill be pressed in an atmosphere con-trolled "clean room." The result -apressing of superior fidelity that is alsomore durable and resistant to dust. Arecord of true proof -quality.
The records will be issued in hard-bound albums. Each album will hold aset of four 12" long-playing records.And each will present a specially con-ceived program of selections, whichbrings together related performancesin a way unique to this collection. Ac-companying each album will be an ex-pert commentary, written under thesupervision of Institute Director DanMorgenstern.
Available exclusively by subscriptionThroughout the world today, people are
rediscovering jazz: realizing anew whata vital musical form it is. If you have alove for jazz ... whether you follow itavidly or remember it with nostalgia ...this is an opportunity not to be missed.
The collection is available only bysubscription. Albums will be shipped atthe rate of one every other month, andthe price of $10.75 for each proof -quality record will be guaranteedthroughout your subscription period.
To subscribe now, mail the accom-panying application to The FranklinMint Record Society, Franklin Center,PA 19091, by February 28, 1983.
0 1983 FURS
35 years ago, to satisfy listeningpreferences, serious music lovershad to redesign their listening rooms.Remove the drapes. Add a rug here.Rearrange the upholstered sofa there.Get rid of that crystal chandelier!
Bass and treble tone controlscame later, and they helped - butonly a little. When you needed aboost in that lowest bass region, youhad to accept boosted upper bassand mid -range tones as well -whether you needed them or not.
By 1958, the first equalizersappeared.They allowed you to alterspecific bands of tones to suit theneeds of the listening room -and themusic program. With special mics, apink noise generator, and a real-time
anal,'zer, you could electror icallyadjust your system to your listeningpreference. If -that is-you didn'tminc spending several thousanddollars ano a half hour &lusting andread controls to enjoy a halfhour of listening.
Then came Sansui's remarkableSE -9 Compu-Equalizer. It takesthe guesswork and the frustrationout of equalization. At the touch of abutton, the SE -9's built-in pink noisegenerator feeds its signals first to onespea<er, then the other. Sou -idspicked up by the SE -9's calibratedmicrophone are then analyzed by itsmicroprocessor. Sit back and watchin amazement, as the SE -9'smotorized system moves each
SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONLyndhurst. New Jersey 07071, Gardena, CA 90248
Sansui Electric Co., Ltd., TokyD, Japan
16 fader controls (8 per channel) tocreate the curve that yields preciselyflat response at your preferred listen-ing location.
Touch another button, and thecurve is memorized for future, instantrecall. Move to another location -even another room-and the SE -9can create and store a new curve-up to four of them.
At last, after 35 years, a perfectequalization system without errors orfrustration. And, at a price that makesperfect equalization affordable for allserious music lovers.
See the SE -9 and Sansui's trulycomplete line of high quality compo-nents and systems at your Sansui
. Or write to us for details.
12
10
- 86
2
02
4
R
12
AUDIO
Sound ViewsOpinion and comment on the changing audio scene by Peter Dobbin
A Renaissancein Audio: TrueInnovation IsHere AgainSOME TIME IN THE LATE '70s, the notion sur-faced that audio was a mature technology.Industry commentators whispered that per-formance was as good as it ever really hadto be; gimmickry and flash, they asserted,were replacing the innovations and break-throughs of audio's golden years. As theeconomy nose-dived and audio sales soft-ened, trade journalists lifted their pens topronounce that the industry was in its senes-cence; one otherwise unremarkable tradejournal went so far as to announce theimminent demise of the traditional audioindustry.
Well, naysayers and cynics bedamned. If originality and creativity are thekeys to the success of any endeavor, thentheir rekindling in audio marks the begin-ning of still another growth cycle. Even wetrue believers at HIGH FIDELITY were a bittaken aback recently by the number of trulyground -breaking developments announcedwithin a period of just a few months. Yet,products like the Philips/Sony CompactDisc, the Polk SDA-1 loudspeaker, the Car-ver TX- II tuner, and Sony's recentlyannounced frequency -modulation tech-nique for attaining heretofore unachievableVCR sound quality provide startling evi-dence of the audio industry's essential cre-ative vitality.
No single development in the long his-tory of home audio playback has carriedwith it the potential of the Compact Disc(CD), and I am convinced that this digitalformat will quickly replace the analog LP asthe medium of choice. In head -to -headcomparison with audiophile quality LPs,CDs don't always provide an immediateoverwhelming sonic improvement (seepage 50). But after repeated playings, as thesoft vinyl LP begins its inevitable sonicdecline, the CD version still sounds great;ten thousand plays later, the Compact Discshould still show no signs of wear. In aneconomy where return on investment hasbecome increasingly important, the impactof CD will be immediate: Even the leastsophisticated record buyer will quicklyrealize that CDs are worth the extra fewdollars. And as prices for both players anddiscs come down, what will remain to deny
the CD format preeminence?Moreover, CD is just plain fun. In the
month or so that HF has had its player, noone who has used and heard it has failed toask when he could get one. Its range ofautomatic features-search, scan, randomaccess, and so on-make even the mostautomated analog record player seem slowand clumsy.
CDs will not, however, remain asaudio -only devices for long. Their enor-mous information storage capacity is sim-ply too attractive. It would take severalthousand floppy discs (the magnetic medi-um most commonly used for data storage in
A common threadlinks all theseproducts-each onesteps beyondaccepted limits.
personal computers) to hold the sameamount of information as can be recordedon just one hour-long side of a CompactDisc. Considering how many pop record-ings contain less than an hour's worth ofmusic, what's to prevent a company likeWarner Communications from eventuallyissuing CDs with forty minutes of music,plus a bonus of computer programs and vid-eo games pressed into the remaining discspace? Sony's CDP-101 player does notcontain the digital output necessary fordirect interface to a home computer, but itwould be easy for player manufacturers toadd the necessary taps for access to thestream of binary data being read from thedisc. The future of CD seems limited, infact, only by the imagination of hardwareand record manufacturers.
Bob Carver, possibly the most fecundtalent in audio, has managed with his TX -II tuner to vanquish two seemingly intrac-table hobgoblins of FM reception: multi -path distortion and noise due to weak sig-nals. The approach is truly revolutionary(see test report, page 26), and it soundsgreat, making pleasurable stereo listeningpossible for multipath-ridden city dwellersas well as for music lovers located greatdistances from transmitters.
At $550, the TX -11 will at first find a
limited audience. But the resourceful Mr.Carver is no doubt already looking at waysto make the technology available at lowerprices. And should some enterprising carstereo manufacturer succeed in obtaining alicense from Carver, the effects on mobilestereo FM quality should be startling.
Reported on in detail on page 41, theSDA-1 loudspeaker represents an altogeth-er unique rethinking of what a loudspeakercan and should do. While others haveattempted to recreate the original soundfield of a recording by manipulating theaudio signal electrically, Polk tackles theproblem acoustically. As explained bydesigner Matthew Polk, the operation of theSDA-1 stereo loudspeaker system seemsaltogether self-evident; in fact, you wonderwhy it wasn't done before. Unlike someelectronic image enhancers, the effect it
creates holds up across a wide listening arc.On some recordings, the SDA-1 speakersseem to melt away, leaving in their place asonic portrait so palpable in its left -to -rightpositioning and depth as to leave audition-ers agog.
Analyzing the theory behind thedesign of the SDA-1 is rather difficult goingat first, but it's ultimately very rewarding towork through. Having done just that, I canonly express my hope that Mr. Polk willpublish his results, which shed new light onthe fundamentals of stereophonic recordingand playback. The speaker, in essence,poses a number of thorny questions aboutaudio basics, and grappling with them leadsus to wonder about the possibility of devel-oping other loudspeakers capable of stillmore dramatic effects. Could a single pairof loudspeakers, for instance, be made toproduce a "quadriphonic" effect? At theleast, we expect that Polk's new and veryunconventional approach to loudspeakerswill influence other designers for years tocome, and perhaps record producers aswell. It is sure to shake up a few people.
Though details are sketchy, Sonypromises to show working prototypes at thismonth's Consumer Electronics Show of aBeta -format VCR equipped with a record-ing system capable of audio performance asgood as (or better than) that of some studiorecorders. Sony claims a dynamic range inexcess of 80 dB and a frequency response of20-20,000 Hz, which would spell dramaticchanges in how we think of video sound.We have no idea how far Sony really isfrom marketing such a VCR, but the newsitself is sending shock waves through thevideo establishment.
As I see it, the ultimate effect of "Beta
Circle 14 on Reade-Service Card 21
AUDIO Soundviews
IlltintoshSTEREO CATALOG
and FM DIRECTORYGet all the newest and latest information on the newMcIntosh stereo equipment in the McIntosh catalog. Inaddition you will receive an FM station directory thatcovers all of North America.
SEND
TODAY!
rMcIntosh Laboratory Inc.East Side Station P.O. Box 96Binghamton, N.Y. 13904-0096
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY STATE ZIP
HF
If you are in a hurry for your catalog please send the coupon to McIntosh.For non rush service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine.
Circle 58 on Reader -Service Card
1
j
C S Postal tiers',STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION Required by 19 12 S C 36051
I Ink of Publication High Fitleht)2 Date of Filing October I. 1,0123 Frequency of Issue MonthlyIA No of Issues Published Annually. 121/5 Annual Subscription Price 511 95
4 Location of Known Office of Publication X25 Sekellth Ave . New York. New York County. N Y 100195 Location of the Headtpuners tar General Bushes, Offices of the Publishers 025 7th Avenue. New York. N Y. 100196 Names and Complete Addresses of Publisher. FA . and Managing Editor
Publisher. Steven I Rosenbaum 025 'th Avenue New York. N.Y.10019Editor. %Allan Tynan Km 7th Avenue New York. N.Y 10019Managing Editor. Susan Elliott 1125 7th Avenue New York. N Y 10014
7 Owner.ABC leisure Maga, Ines. Inc .µ3S 7th Avenue. New York. N Y 101114 i Sole stockholder American Broadcasting Companies Inc. 11111 Avenue ofthe Amencas. New York. N Y 100191
$ Known Bondholders. Mortgagees. and Other Simon, Holders (hvning Of Holding1 Per Cent or More of Total Amount of Bonds. MortgaFes. or Other
Securities None9 For Completion by Nonprofit (kganirations Authonred 10 Mail at..Special Rates Nor Applicable
Average No Comm10 Einem and Nature of Circulation Each Issue Dunng
Preceding 12 Months
Actual No of Copiesof Single Issue Publtshed
Nearest to Filing DaleA Taal No Comes Pruned 'No Pot" Run, 446.226 441.775B Paid Circulation
1 Saks through !kale,. and Carriers. StreetVendors and Conner Sales
39.149 15.210
2 Mail SubscnNions 130.965 1111.6113
C Total Paid Cinulation iSunn 10111 and /0/321 3711.114 173.966
D Free Distnhution bv Mad Carver Of 1/ther MeansSamples. Complimentan and Iklwr Free Copies 1.910 1.117
E Total Distnbution iSion q.t. and DI 379.704 175.003F Copies No Distributed
2 Returns fronv Nei" Agents 50.160 001020 TOTAL 'Sum of I. .1- I and 2 - Shield equal net pros run dunsn en A r 446.226 441.775
I I I certify that the stateroom made 1,v me above are torrect Signature and Ink of Editor. Publisher. Business Manager. in Ownerand complete r Signed, Stesen I Rosenbaum. Publisher
12 For Completion M Publishers Mailing at the Regular Rates 1Se. Orin 132 /21. Potful Sen., Manual;39 U S C .1626 pros ides in pertinent pan "No person who would have been entitled to mail matter under former section 4119 of this title shall mail such mailer a therates provided undo this subsection unless he files annually with the Postal Service a written request for permission to mail maser at such rates "In accordance with the prat ,sons of this statute. I heathy request permission to mail the publication named in hem I at the phased postage rates presently aura melt39 S (' 2.62n
,Signature and title of publishertOwned, Steven I Rosenbaum. Publisher
HiFi" will accrue to the benefit of the audioindustry. The marriage of audio and video,though much talked about, has been slowedby the poor quality of video sound. Anyonewho plugs a typical VCR's audio outputinto a full -range home audio system isquick to regret the move. With a true highfidelity stereo sound track on videotape,however, such a mating will quicklybecome the norm. Even "TV junkies"should evertually come to appreciate thesubtleties and drama of high fidelity audioplayback.
A common thread is discernable in allfour of these products. Each of them, in itsown way, takes a step beyond audio tradi-tion, either in how it tackles a problemalready accepted on the high fidelity agendaor in what it implicitly adds (in the cases ofCarver and Polk, especially). This is theother side of technological maturity: As theold problems give way, new challenges andopportunities present themselves, and de-
The very definitionof high fidelity isbeing widened anddeepened; thejourney is far fromover.
signers' imaginations are unleashed to roamunexplored territories. In this way, the verydefinition of what constitutes high fidelityis widened and deepened. We see that ourjourney is not done.
The contribution of stagnating sales tothis furious round of innovation is fascinat-ing to speculate on. It cannot force inven-tion, but it can foster its acceptance. Wouldmanufacturers be in such a great rush tobring digital audio to market or to improvevideo sound if it were not seen as a tool forgenerating consumer demand? Perhaps, butI doubt it. It's almost always easier just tokeep doing what you're used to. Over theyears, I've auditioned many allegedly rev-olutionary new components that failed toyield significant audible improvementsover established designs. I don't think we'llbe seeing as much of that in the weeks andmonths and years to come. Audio manufac-turers seem to be taking their first seriousencounter with recession as a signal toreturn to their roots in the spirit and sub-stance of innovation. Rather than becominga mere apendage on the body of the con-sumer electronics industry, audio is onceagain reasserting itself as the heart and life-blood of the rapidly diversifying homeentertainment scene. HF
22 Circle 11 on Reader -Service Card
HOW COULD ACASSETTE DECK
WITH TWO HEADSBE SO HARD
TO GET?
TAPE
SELECTOR
The Kyocera D-801 Cassette Deckis hard to get because so much moreis built into it. For example, it hasfive circuit boards where mostdecks have only one or two. Butthat's only the beginning.
It more than meets the ultimatetape deck challenge.The challenge is to move tapeacross the heads at as nearly a con-stant speed as possible. Variationsin speed, of course, come out inyour speakers or headphones aswow and flutter.
Many decks claim a wow andflutter figure of 0.05°o WRMS-trouble is. speed variations of0.05% are clearly audible withpiano music (one of the most re-vealing tests you can give a cassettedeck-try it on the D -80I andmarvel!).
The D-801 by Kyocera comesthrough with a remarkably low wowand flutter figure of 0.02% WRMS-and that is derived from a unique,three -motor, dual capstan drivemechanism. Two capstans aredriven by a direct drive motor. Abeltless/clutchless simple DC motordrives the feed and takeup reels.while a third motor is used as ahead -position assist drive (it greatlyprolongs head -to -tape azimuth ac-curacy). The dual capstan systemprovides that sensationally accuratetape travel, maintaining proper ten-sion between capstans to eliminateexternal shock source modulatingnoise.
It more than meets the needs ofthe audio perfectionist.The D-801 goes above and beyondeven the fussiest audiophile's needswith 3 -position bias/equalizationselection (with fine bias adjust-ment). 400 Hz calibration tone.Automatic Program Mute Record-ing. automatic search, andelectronic 4 digit display, includingcounter, elapsed time and time re-maining functions.
The D-80I's noise reduction sys-tems were built for the audio purist.It has two-Dolby* B & C- Dolby Bfor music material of limited dynamicrange, Dolby C for music of thewidest dynamic range. so noise re-duction can be tailored to programmaterial.
Finally, the specs everyonewants: frequency response of30-20.000 Hz ± 3 dB using metalor CrO, tape, and a S/N ratio of 78dB with metal tape in Dolby C NRmode.
If you have any trouble findinga Kyocera dealer, contact:Cybernet International Inc..7 Powder Horn Drive, Warren,NI 07060 (201) 560-0060.
KYOCER2'Dolby is a registered trademark of DolbyLaboratories. Inc. I a
DESIGt1 INTEGRITY:performance tiat mes closest to our 58000. Separate...Pure Class -A, Non-I.FB A-6000 Preamplifier arid ;'CA-80OOAripli'lers.
...comes in our $450. PMA-750...Direct -A Integrated Amp with CAL, Real -Drive, St_per-EQ, and Real Time Circuitry
DENON Ftetwen - ronLAANA! ta mom .,,..IA.
- 414,11 NOVI M.O.LW A rum 1.Art AA1A
row1'....11S Kra, YM TOW U ITAACI CA AAAAA AEC 01.0 SEISM. MO( C.. VIDOl sum..., writ
-
Non -Switching -A AM/=M Receiverwith MC Head Amp and Digital FM
,upy, 5.1604C 'IA YU ROO LOVIAESS
The pure Class -A and Real Drie operation of the PRA -6000 anc ROA-8000's safely extracts the fullperformance potential of transistor technclbgy. The elimination of Negame Feedback (Non-NFE) removes theprincipal cause of Transient Intermodulaticn and Time Delay Distortiors and represents the %.ery latest in con-temporary audio design.
Virtually all of this technology is incorporated into the FWA450. To keep its Irarss.tors operatingoptimally, yet safely, it- employs Direct -A OcL circuitry (capacitorless, non-regative feedback and ron-switching),Real -Drive (distortion measured at the speakers is reduced to 1/50!) and Peal -Time (passive) bine control. Thesound quality is only sirpassed by Denon separates costing 13 times as much!
Non -switching A circuitry can a so be heard in the DRA-400 AM...=1/1 Receiver, in add t cn to its built-inMoving Coil Head Amp and Digitally Synthejzed FM tuning. With the DRA-f-.00, Denon nas nadea new standardof listening quality available to those demanding economy and operating convenience in a co-npact package.
Denon pnducts share more than name alone
Denon America, Int..27 Law Drive.Fairlield, N.107006
Imagine what we'll do next
AUDIO
Basically SpeakingAudio concepts and terms explained by Michael Riggs
Cartridge andArm: Makingthe Best MatchFOR YEARS WE'VE BEEN SAYING that a prop-er match between cartridge and tonearm isvital to getting good sound from any sys-tem, regardless of price. The arm/cartridgeresonance frequency should be high enoughthat the system will not overreact to recordwarps, yet not so high as to exaggerate bassresponse. At the same time, we've beenaware that it is far easier to say that this isdesirable than to explain how it is to beaccomplished. Several variablesare involved, and the informationnecessary for balancing them isseldom all available in usableform.
The resonance data in ourcartridge, tonearm, and turntablereports can serve as a guide, ifused cautiously, but they arestrictly valid only for the refer-ence components that DSL usesfor these measurements. For car-tridges, this means an SME 3009Series 11 Improved tonearm; fortonearms, it is a Shure V-15 TypeIll cartridge. Although both unitsare fairly typical, they are not tru-ly representative of every modelin their respective componentcategories.
We are therefore delightedto announce that Diversified Sci-ence Laboratories has developeda measurement technique thatenables us for the first time toreport reliable figures for effective tonearmmass and cartridge compliance. These,together with the nomograph shown hereand the cartridge -weight and resonance datawe have been publishing all along, willenable you to determine unequivocally thecompatibility of any given cartridge wehave tested with any given turntable ortonearm we have tested. In the case of car-tridges, we will be able to tell you right outthe effective tonearm mass that will yield anoptimum resonance frequency (10 Hz) andthe range of masses that will yield what weconsider an acceptable resonance frequency(between 8 and 12 Hz).
The relationship between resonancefrequency, cartridge compliance, and tone -arm mass is defined by the formula
1f = where f is the resonanceIrr MC'
frequency, C is the cartridge's low -frequen-cy dynamic compliance at its recommendedtracking force, and M is the total effectivemass of the arm/cartridge system. M isequal to the effective mass of the tonearmalone (mT) plus the weight of the pickup(mp), and In is approximately equal to6.28, so the formula becomes
f = Simple alge-
braic manipulation gives the formulas fordynamic compliance and effective tonearm
mass: C = and39.5f2 (m.. +
1
mT = 39.5f2c mP, respectively.
arm mass listed in the turntable or tonearmreport. Add the weight of the cartridge tothe effective mass of the tonearm to get thetotal effective mass. Then find the point onthe graph where the vertical line for the totaleffective mass intersects the horizontal linefor the cartridge's dynamic compliance.Ideally, this point would fall on the 10 -Hzline, but so long as it is in the white bandbetween the 8- and 12 -Hz diagonals, thearm and cartridge should work well togeth-er. (In fact, it is usually okay to let the res-onance rise as high as 15 Hz.)
When necessary, you can also use thenomograph to back -figure compliances andeffective masses for cartridges and tone -
anus tested before we beganreporting these quantities direct-ly. For cartridges, look up thevertical resonance frequency andcartridge weight listed in the testreport. Add 15 grams (the effec-tive mass of the SME tonearmused for the resonance measure-ment) to the cartridge weight toget the total effective mass. Thenfind the intersection of the diago-nal line representing the mea-sured resonance frequency withthe vertical line representing thetotal effective mass calculated inthe previous step. Now you canread off the cartridge's verticaldynamic compliance from the
40 50 horizontal line passing throughthe point of intersection.
To determine an unknowneffective tonearm mass, look upthe vertical resonance frequencylisted in the test report for thetonearm or turntable. Find the
intersection of the diagonal line for that fre-quency with the horizontal line representinga vertical dynamic compliance of22.5 x 10-6 cm/dyne (for the Shure V -I5Type III cartridge used in the resonancemeasurement). Reading down the verticalline on which the point of intersection fallswill give you the total effective mass of thearm with the V-15 Type III mounted in it.Then subtract the Shure's 6.3 -gram weightto get the tonearm's effective mass.
This simple little system should putyou well down the road to phonographicbliss. One cautionary note, however: Be-cause of differences in measurement tech-nique, manufacturers' specifications forcompliance and effective mass often differfrom our findings and may yield inconsis-tent results if used with this graph. So stickwith the data in our test reports. HF
/6,
35
30
v- 25
)- 20
2Z 15
02 10
,2
6
5
3
RESONANCE FREQUENCY IN HZ
de,
N
N
4 5 6 8 10 15 20
TOTAL EFFECTIVE MASS IN GRAMS
N
30
By means of this nomograph, you can quickly and easily deter-mine the compatibility of any cartridge and tonearm we havetested. The key parameters are: dynamic compliance of the car-tridge (vertical axis): total effective mass (horizontal axis): andthe armlcartridge resonance frequency (diagonal lines).
Although these equations can serve as anaid to understanding, you won't actuallyhave to use them. We've already done themath for you and put the results into thenomograph reproduced here. Cartridgecompliance is represented by the verticalaxis, total effective mass (tonearm effectivemass plus cartridge weight) by the horizon-tal axis, and resonance frequency by thediagonal lines. If you know any two ofthese three quantities, you can quickly andeasily read off the third value from thenomograph.
Ultimately, you are always going towant to know the vertical resonance fre-quency for whatever arm/cartridge combi-nation you are contemplating. In the sim-plest case, you can begin by looking up theweight and dynamic compliance shown inthe cartridge report and the effective tone -
Circle 32 on Reader -Service Card 25
AUDIO
New Equipment ReportsPreparation supervised by Michael Riggs, Peter Dobbin, Robert Long, and Edward J. Foster.Laboratory data (unless otherwise noted) supplied by Diversified Science Laboratories.
A New Breed ofSupertunerfrom CarverCarver TX -11 FM tuner. Dimensions: 171/4 by 33/4Inches (front panel), 123/4 inches deep plus clearancefor connections. Price: $550. Warranty: "limited,"three years parts and labor. Manufacturer: CarverCorporation, 14304 NE 193rd Place, Woodinville,Wash. 98072.
Except where noted otherwise, all data are for the WIDEIF -bandwidth setting with the Carver NOISE and MULTIPATHREDUCTION circuitry off.
+0, -1 dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz 0, -1 dB, 20 Hz to 15 KHz
a 40 dB. 100 Hz to 15 kHza 30 dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz
R ch a' 40 dB, 100 Hz to 15 kHza 30 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz
NOISE and MULTIPATH REDUCTION on"
a 35 dB, 150 Hz to 2.8 kHza 25 dB, 20 Hz to 14.5 kHz
20K
A WHILE BACK, a friend commented thatBob Carver seemed to him more an inven-tor than simply a design engineer. And weagreed: A Carver product that doesn'tembody some spectacularly innovative fea-ture or technical breakthrough is a rare bird.So in a way, his first tuner is no surprise,even though it's like no other we've evertested.
What distinguishes the TX -11 is itsability to pull clean, noise -free sound out ofweak or multipath-ridden signals thatwould send you lunging for the monoswitch on any other tuner we know of. TheCarver doesn't even have a mono switch.Instead, there are two rectangular push -
pads, labeled NOISE REDUCTION and MULTI -PATH REDUCTION, which when pressed acti-vate an ingenious and very sophisticatedaudio signal processing circuit that im-proves the TX -1 I's effective stereo sensi-tivity to beyond the generally accepted the-oretical limit.
The key to this seemingly magicalaccomplishment is a fresh look at the pro-cess of retrieving independent left- andright -channel audio signals from stereo FMbroadcasts, in which they are matrixed toform mono sum (L + R) and stereo differ-ence (L-R) signals. Normally, these areadded together in a tuner's stereo demulti-plexer circuits to produce the desired left -
and right -channel outputs.The problem with this is that only the
mono part of a "stereo FM" transmission isactually frequency modulated. The differ-ence signal is amplitude modulated on asubcarrier and is therefore far more suscep-tible to interference. This makes therequirements for good stereo reception con-siderably more stringent than those forcomparable mono reception. Not only must
the received signal be stronger, but it mustalso be substantially free of interferingreflections (or multipath) from nearby hills,buildings, and so forth. For many people-especially those living in cities or ruralareas-this means that few, if any, receiv-able stations are listenable in stereo.
One such unlucky soul was Bob Car-ver. Thinking about the problem, itoccurred to him that the mono and differ-ence signals are ordinarily far more similarthan different. The information responsiblefor stereo localization makes up only asmall fraction of the total L-R signal; whatremains is ambience information, which isessentially a random -phase version of theL+R component with a slightly differentoverall spectral balance.
This insight led Carver to developwhat might be thought of as an alternativestereo demodulation system (see block dia-gram). The incoming FM signal is tuned,detected, and demultiplexed in the usualfashion, yielding left- and right -channelaudio signals (L and R). But instead ofgoing directly to the tuner output terminals,the audio signals first pass through a matrixcircuit, which adds and subtracts them toreconstitute the original L +R and L-R sig-nals. (The separate L and R signals are pre-served, however, for use when the noiseand multipath reduction switches arereleased or when the tuner decides they areclean enough that there would be no audiblebenefit from further processing.)
The relatively noisy and distorted dif-ference signal goes to what Carver calls aleading -edge detector, which separates outthe small amount of transient informationnecessary for proper stereo localization.How much of the L-R survives this processis determined by the switch setting-NOISE
26HIGH FIDELITY
AC POWER
MEMORY. PRESETSSCAN (MANUAL/AUTO)
IF BANDWIDTH (WIDE/NARROW)
TUNING(UP. DOWN)
ASYMMETRICALDETECTOR(NOISE. MULTIPATHREDUCTION)
FM SENSITIVITY 8 QUIETING
DB
10
20
30
-40
5o
-so
DBF
\IIx\
'
\'N
K.` S s
% ..........-."........-.-' -
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10
Quieting (noise)- stereo- - - stereo with NOISE and MULTIPATH REDUCTION on*
371/2 del at 98 MHz, with 0.41% THD+N(381/4 dBf at 90 MHz; 371/2 dBf at 106 MHz)
Stereo sensitivity with Carver circuitry on (for 50 -dBnoise suppression)*NOISE REDUCTION 241/4 del at 98 MHzMULTIPATH REDUCTION 231/4 del at 98 MHzboth 22 del at 98 MHzMono sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression)
12 del at 98 MHzMuting threshold 27 delStereo threshold 5 delStereo SMI ratio (at 65 del)normal 701/2 dB
NOISE REDUCTION on 0.06%MULTIPATH REDUCTION OR 0.05%NOISE and MULTIPATH REDUCTION on 0.03%
IM DISTORTION (mono)
AM SUPPRESSION
PILOT (19 kHz) SUPPRESSION
SUBCARRIER (38 kHz) SUPPR.
'See text
0.043%
613/4 dB
71 dB*
10944 dB
REDUCTION, MULTIPATH REDUCTION, orboth-with the first retaining the most andthe last keeping the least. In any event,most of the L-R is discarded, along withmuch distortion and interference.
Meanwhile, the comparatively cleanL+R is passed through a phase -scramblingcircuit that randomizes it to simulate theambience information that the leading -edgedetector has thrown away. The resultingambience signal is mixed (according to theinstantaneous amplitude of the L-R) withthe localization signal from the leading -edge detector to form a composite quasi -difference signal, which is then added to theoriginal L+ R signal, creating clean, quietleft- and right -channel signals that can besubstituted for the original low -quality Land R.
Purists might cavil that this is not"true" stereo, and in a certain pedanticway, they would be right. Although separa-tion is quite good with any signal confinedto a single channel (because of yet anotherspecial circuit) and on transients, it is con-siderably diminished with typical steady-state inputs. And the ambience signal,though statistically very similar to the realthing, is not identical. But given that stereois just an illusion anyway, we're inclined toview such objections as spurious.
Direct A/B comparisions between the
LEFT -CHANNEL AUDIO IL/ULTIPLE xED IF SIGNAL
RIGHT .CHANNEL AUDIO IRI
STEREO DIFFERENCE SIGNAL IL R
Carver tuner's regular and processed stereomodes as well as between the Carver tunerin processing mode and another high -qual-ity tuner in regular stereo revealed onlymarginal differences other than a markeddisparity in noise and distortion on weaksignals. Anyone who didn't know some-thing special was going on in the Carverwould assume that it was operating correct-ly in normal stereo and that the other tunerwas either substandard or defective.
In any case, the bottom line is that ifthe TX -11 gets a strong, clean signal, itsspecial circuits automatically stay out of theway; if it doesn't, they will make it performalmost as well in stereo as most tunerswould in mono, and therefore sound muchbetter. You can't lose.
We hasten to add that the TX -11 is noslouch in normal stereo, either. DiversifiedScience Laboratories' measurements docu-ment very good to outstanding performancein every respect. There are, however, a fewminor oddities in the data, stemming fromthe fact that in a couple of respects our testsample is no longer representative of cur-rent production. Carver has increased thebandwidth of the narrow IF filters, so wehave not included any of the data accumu-lated with that setting. He has also incorpo-rated a modification developed in thecourse of DSL's testing that should improve
LOCALIZATION SIGNAL
SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM OF CARVER CIRCUIT
LEFT OUTPUT
RIGHT OUTPUT'
JANUARY 1983 27
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALthe already superb I 9 -kHz pilot rejection byabout 20 dB. Neither of these changes is ofgreat significance.
Switching in the Carver circuits makesmajor differences only in the stereo quietingcurve, which becomes dramatically steep-er, and in the measured (not audible) sepa-ration, which deteriorates somewhat. Asthe steeper quieting slope would imply,sensitivity is quite a bit enhanced-byabout 13 to 16 dB, depending on whetherNOISE REDUCTION, MULTIPATH REDUCTION,or both are selected. Two of the three set-tings degrade the ultimate signal-to-noiseratio very slightly, but not enough to be ofany audible consequence.
What does matter is that switching inthe Carver circuitry enables us to get clearstereo reception with a short piece of zipcord on stations that defy conventional tun-ers connected to a standard dipole antenna.Carver says that NOISE REDUCTION optimiz-es the leading -edge detector's response forweak signals and provides the leastimprovement in sensitivity, while MULTI -PATH REDUCTION optimizes it for squelch-ing multipath interference and gives asomewhat greater sensitivity gain. The twotogether are supposed to help with reallysevere reception problems and to providethe highest sensitivity. In practice, we findall of the possible settings effective, butusually less different from one another thanwe expected. In most cases where we havefelt need of the processing, we have pre-ferred to keep both buttons pushed in.
This is also a very attractive and easy
to operate unit. As befits its exceptional sig-nal -grabbing capacity, there are sixteen sta-tion presets-the most we've ever seen-each with its own LED indicator. (Regulartuning-station search or manual step-ping-is in 100 -kHz steps and is reason-ably fast.) And there is a six -element LEDsignal -strength meter covering a well-cho-sen range. The muting threshold is set sothat you will get adequate quieting on anystereo station received with the Carver cir-cuitry on. Or you can defeat it, for receptionof very weak signals, by going from auto tomanual tuning. The stereo threshold seemsa little too low, however, to assure adequatequieting on some very weak stations, forwhich mono reception would be moreappropriate. The only other things we canfind to complain about are the front -panellegends and indicator lights, which aresometimes difficult to read (especially froma distance), and the use of a binding postand collar for 75 -ohm coaxial antenna con-nections, instead of a more convenient Fconnector. Carver's user manual is excel-lent, with especially good coverage ofantennas. And bolt -on ears are available forthose who prefer rack -mounting.
On the test bench and in the home, theTX -11 is an extraordinary tuner. For peoplewho live in good reception areas, it is, forall practical purposes, as good as any othertop -grade tuner we've looked at (and lessexpensive than many of them); for thosewho don't, it is by a wide margin the besttuner we have tested to date.Circle 99 on Reader -Service Card
AC POWER
EJECT
TIMER(PLAY/OFF/RECORD)
hem
TAPE SELECT (TYPES 1 24)
TEAC
fiEGORDING LEVEL ADJUST (UP. DOWN)
NOISE REDUCTION(IN OUT.DOLBY DBX)
MIKE INPUTS
16*- HEADPHONES
REMOTE CONTROL(OPTIONAL)
TRANSPORT CONTROLS
Auto ReverseTeac CassetteDeck with DBXTeac V-95RX bidirectional cassette deck. with DolbyB and DBX noise reduction. Dimensions: 17'4 by 4Inches (front panel). 10l'2 inches deep plus clearancefor controls and connections. Price: 5625. optionalRC -95 remote control, $60. Warranty: 'limited.- oneyear parts and labor. Manufacturer. Teac Corp.,Japan: U.S. distributor: Teac Corp. of America. 7733Telegraph Rd., Montebello. Calif. 90640.
SOME TRADITIONAL HALLMARKS, as well assome new departures, are embodied in theTeac V-95RX. Teac was, for example, thefirst tape -deck manufacturer to offer DBXnoise reduction (at that time well estab-lished with professionals, but still relativelyesoteric in consumer equipment). And ithas long made tape equipment capable ofrecording (as well as playback) in bothdirections of tape travel. Newer are thesmooth, flexible control panel, which is fastbecoming a fixture on Teac cassette decks,and two elements we have seldom seenbefore: a powered fader system and some
relatively elaborate playback program-ming, both of which contribute significant-ly to this deck's appeal.
Automatic reverse is triggered by aninfrared sensor that can distinguish betweenrecording tape and leader-and thus makethe reverse almost instantaneous. Teacclaims 150 milliseconds on the turnaroundtime, and we wouldn't argue the point.That's about as large a "hole" in musicalcontinuity as you're ever likely to get froma dropout: an annoyance if it falls in themiddle of a sustained cantilena, but con-ceivably capable of going unnoticed in
28 HIGH FIDELITY
Aida George Shearing La Roheme Swan Lake
.America in Central Park
Kingston Trio
The Music ofMelissa Ma ?whew,
1SSA
ANOWER.
.
10% 41111**00.72110,43AoCil 4341:40 GEORGE 94.414*
Dave Mason
The Nutcracker
Liza in Concert
Grover Washington, Jr.
IP
Horowitz
IN LONDCN
411111=MIKenny Loggins/ Alive
Rost rttinivitch
111110rebc1IMUMILIC6TCFOADI
Si1/1500 allOaNCRICAla
V
Paul ,M( Cart ney C- Wings"Rockshow"
Pippin
Paul Sinton
The Tubes Video
Dvoiiik's Symphony zr. 9
Queen /Greatest Flix
QUEENGREATEST FUX
Pi°neer LaserDisc YOU MAY NEVERLISTEN TO A RECORD AGAIN.
Since the very beginning, there's beenan enormous gap between the feeling ofbeing at a concert and the feeling of itsreproduction.
Stereo could give you great sound, butthe picture was missing. TV could give youthe picture, but with sound never worthlistening to.
At last. picture and sound come togetherin Pioneer Laser Disc!"
Ifs stereo as good as the best conven-tional audio records made today. It's a pic-ture as good as if you were in the TV studioitself. Its a remarkable combination of
sight and sound that gives you a sens3 ofperformance, a feeling of being there you'vesimply never experienced at home bdore.
There are a lot of systems that show yot_movies at home. And we believe that PioneerI aserDisc is clearly the best of them. But ifyou care about music, if you really czreabout music, there simply is no other way
For the Pioneer Video Showcase Dealernearest you, call (800) 621-5199,"or write Pioneer Video, Inc.,200 West Grand Avenue,Montvale, NJ 07645.'(In Illinois. 800-972-5855)
(''edits. Pioneer Artists and Pioneer Video Imports.Simulated IV picture of Pioneer Artists' "The Music of Melissa Manchester."1i tillable titles subject to charioe without notice. (i)1982 Pioneer Video Inc.411ltiylit,RI ri.d. OD PIONEER'
Circle 9 on Reader -Service Card
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALAll data shown are for the forward direction. Datameasured for the reverse direction are not significantlydifferent from those for the forward direction.
with Dolby B noise reductionR ch -1-3 dB, 41 Hz to 15.5 kHz
with DBX noise reduction- - Rch +2/,-3 dB, 46 Hz to 14 kHz
S/N RATIO (re DIN 0 dB; R/P; CCIRARM-weighted)Type 2 tape Type 4 tape Type 1 tape
without noise reduction521/4 dB 51 V4 dB 521/4 dB
with Dolby B621/4 dB 611/4 dB 621/4 dB
with DBX noise reduction761/4 dB 74 dB 743'4 dB
INDICATOR READING FOR DIN 0 DB (315 Hz)Type 2 tape +1 dB (with 1.1% THD)Type 4 tape +1 dB (with 1.5% THD)Type 1 tape -1 dB (with 1.1% THD)
INDICATOR READING FOR 3% DISTORTION (315 Hz)Type 2 tape +3 dB (for +23/4 dB DIN)Type 4 tape +3 dB (for +21/4 dB DIN)Type 1 tape +2 dB (for +21/4 dB DIN)
DISTORTION (third harmonic; at -10 dB DIN)Type 2 tape < 0.35°4, 50 Hz to 5 kHzType 4 tape S 0.42%, 50 Hz to 5 kHzType 1 tape < 0.50%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz
A flip -down door on the Teac's front panel conceals a recording -balance control, anoutput -level control, and a two -position fader -speed switch for the motorized pushbuttonrecording -level controls.
some material. Thus, even if you leave thereversing entirely to the automatic mecha-nism in both recording and playback, therewill be less interruption (and less loss ofprogram) than with any but a very few otherautomatic -reverse decks. And if you wanteven less obtrusive direction changes, youcan trigger the reverse manually when yourecord and apply adhesive foil strips to thetape to make playback reverses automaticfrom that point, rather than from the end ofthe tape.
The usual three options apply: unidi-rectional operation (permitting playback orrecording in either direction, but with noautomatic change of direction), out -and -back bidirectionality (with automatic re-verse at the end of the first side only), andcontinuous repeat (inoperative in record-ing, but playing both sides of the cassetteuntil you rescind the order). These optionscombine in various ways with both the pro-grammed start and stop options (whichTeac calls "block repeat") and what Teaccalls CPS, for Computomatic Program Sys-tem. The manual, which is much better thanaverage for a cassette deck, lists all the per-mutations-which seem obvious onceyou're familiar with the deck, anyway-sowe'll content ourselves with an overviewhere.
When you know you will want toreturn to your current position on the tape,you press START MEMO; at the end of thepassage of interest, you press STOP MEMO.The block repeat now is programmed torepeat the passage (which may go from SideI to Side 2 under some conditions) until youstop it. This replaces the memory -rewindfunctions of most decks. (There is no zero -reset button for the counter, though it willreset if you press EJECT.)
The CPS feature provides randomaccess of any one selection. With the deckset for the continuous repeat mode, in eitherdirection of play, you press the CPS buttonand then either of the fast -wind buttons.Each press of the latter increases by one thenumber displayed in the "CPS program"window, which tells you how many inter-
selection blanks the transport will pass overbefore cueing up and beginning playback atthe next. The number can be as high as 15(if you step it too high, you can back off by
pressing the fast -wind button for the oppo-site direction, which subtracts from the totalshown); if the search takes the tape to theend, the transport reverses direction andcontinues its countdown on the other side.
Naturally, there is a RECORDING MUTEto provide the CPS with appropriate inter-
selection blanks. When you tap it, it's pro-grammed to lay down four seconds ofsilence before switching the V-95RX intoRECORDING/PAUSE. If you want a longerblank, you can keep your finger on the but-ton; whenever you release it, the deck willgo into RECORDING/PAUSE. And the bigSTOP button at the lower right of the trans-port -control group, which acts like a normalSTOP, contains a small separate button with-in it that releases all programming func-tions. (The small control is a true pushbut-ton, rather than a push area such as the onesin the flexible control panel that make upthe transport control complex both here andon the optional remote control.) If you wantto release either of the block -repeat "cues"or the CPS function without interfering withthe others, a second press of the button forthat function will do so-and will extin-guish an LED to let you know that it hasbeen released.
Even more striking is the motorizedrecording -level fader. At rust we thought ita bit gimmicky, but use quickly altered thatassessment to admiration. At the bottomcenter of the front panel is a little flip -downdoor behind which lurk an output level con-trol, a recording -level balance control, anda two -position fader -speed switch. The fad-er itself is a pair of buttons (UP and DowN)just to the right of the door. A horizontal,illuminated scale, calibrated from 0 to 10and located just above the door, tells youwhere the recording level is set. The slowdrive speed takes about ten seconds to coverthe entire scale, while the high speed makesit in about half the time-very nice forgradual or snappy fades, respectively, attypical fader settings.
The peak -reading level indicators arecalibrated from -30 to +10 dB, in 1 -dBsteps between -3 and +3 and 2 -dB stepsextending to -7 and +7. As the data fromDiversified Science Laboratories show, therise time is very quick and the decay timelong enough to allow easy evaluation. The
30HIGH FIDELITY
MIKE INPUT OVERLOAD (clipping) 27 mV
MAX OUTPUT (from DIN 0 dB) 0.57 V
A Quick Guideto Tape TypesOur tape classifications, Type 0 through 4, are based pri-marily on the International Electrotechnical Commissionmeasurement standards.
Type 0 tapes represent "ground zero" in that theyfollow the original Philips -based DIN spec. They are ferrictapes, called LN (low -noise) by some manufacturers, re-quiring minimum (nominal 100%) bias and the original,"standard" 120 -microsecond playback equalization.Though they include the "garden variety" formulations,the best are capable of excellent performance at moder-ate cost in decks that are well matched to them.
Type 1 (IEC Type I) tapes are ferrics requiring thesame 120 -microsecond playback EO but somewhat high-er bias. They sometimes are styled LH (low -noise, high -output) formulations or "premium ferrics."
Type 2 (IEC Type II) tapes are intended for usewith 70 -microsecond playback EC) and higher recordingbias still (nominal 150%). The first formulations of thissort used chromium dioxide; today they also includechrome -compatible coatings such as the ferricobalts.
Type 3 (IEC Type III) tapes are dual -layered fer-richromes, implying the 70 -microsecond ("chrome") play-back EO. Approaches to their biasing and recording EQvary somewhat from one deck manufacturer to another.
Type 4 (IEC Type IV) are the metal -particle, or "al-loy" tapes. requiring the highest bias of all and retainingthe 70 -microsecond EQ of Type 2.
"bar graph" actually shrinks back to theleft, for all maxima below the 0 -dB indica-tion, once the signal is removed. This pro-cess begins after about one second, but ittakes twice that long before the bar hasshrunk by 20 dB to the IHF/EIA indicator -decay rating point. When the signal reaches"into the red" (to above 0 dB), the highestcursor stays lit for about two seconds, pro-viding a peak -hold action in this range. Theabsolute calibration of the 0 -dB indicationvaries slightly depending on the setting ofthe tape selector: 1 dB more sensitive thanDIN 0 for Type 2 or Type 4 tape, I dB lesssensitive for Type 1. Further, the indicatorsare marked to show that maximum readingsfor "normal" (Type I) tapes should bebetween 0 and +2, for "Co" (Type 2) at+3, and metal (Type 4) at +3 to +5. Thetop of the scale is reserved for DBX noisereduction, which presents a special casebecause of its downward compression ofhigh-level signals, so that a signal level of,say, +8 dB goes on the tape at a lower levelthan it would with Dolby B or with no noisereduction.
At Teac's suggestion, DSL used TDKSA as the basic Type 2 tape and MA as theType 4-both with excellent results for adeck with no bias adjustment or multiplex -filter defeat and with a single four -gap,
combination record/play head. The compa-ny declined to specify a ferric (Type I)tape, however, though several formulationsare listed in the manual. The lab chose TDKAD, which produced excellent results,though a tape of somewhat lower sensitivitypresumably would have flattened out theshelving in the Dolby B curve.
In the listening room, we found wecould get best results with the Type 2 group(chromes/ferricobalts) and Type 4 (metals),which tend to be more standardized thanType 1 (ferric) tapes (and therefore lessvariable in their bias, EQ, and sensitivityrequirements). Quietest results are, ofcourse, with the DBX noise reduction. Itshould be used with care, because it is at itsbest when signal levels are kept high (shortof compression or distortion), but the cali-bration of the V-95RX's level indicatorshelps ensure optimum settings.
Every one of the V-95RX's many fea-tures seems chosen with the home musicenthusiast in mind. Many times, when wequestion a manufacturer about why a cer-tain feature is included in a given model,the answer comes back, "Because it was onthe chip." Teac, to its credit, has not lettechnological grandstanding supplantthoughtful design.Circle 96 on Reader -Service Card
STEREO BASS ENHANCER SUBSONIC FILTER
FREQUENCY80 t30 180
H.
FREQUENCY ADJUST.
ENO &
BOOST ADJUST.
ENHANCER IN/OUT
Realistic BigBass from aBaby BoxRealistic Bass Enhancer low -bass equalizer.Dimensions: 71.4 by 2 inches (front panel). 434 inchesdeep plus clearance for controls and connections.Price: S50. Warranty: "limited," ninety days parts andlabor. Manufacturer: made in Korea for the RadioShack Division of Tandy Corp., Fort Worth. Texas76113.
RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS (boost at maximum)
DB10
5
0Own anownew
HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K
with frequency set at 40 Hzwith frequency set at 80 Hzwith frequency set at 160 Hz
IN A WAY, IT REMINDS US of The IncredibleHulk. Inside Realistic's tidy, mild-man-nered little box lurks a mighty sonic musclethat can be unleashed at the mere tickle of abutton. Its purpose is to enhance the bass ofspeakers that are weak in the netherregions-a common problem in this age ofminispeakers-without the expense of asubwoofer. As such, the Realistic BassEnhancer is a single -purpose equalizer, tai-lored to typical needs in its particular areaof expertise.
The controls and hookup are simplici-ty itself. An IN/our button lets you assessyour handiwork with the other two controls:sliders for frequency (calibrated from 40 to160 Hz) and boost (0 to 12 dB). And on theback are an AC cord and two pairs (inputand output) of pin jacks. That's it. Whenyou switch the Enhancer out, the input sig-nal feeds directly to the output terminals,
bypassing all active circuitry; when youswitch it in, you get a sharp infrasonic filter(approximately 18 dB per octave below 17Hz) along with whatever frequency contouryou've chosen.
Paradoxically, the Enhancer's onecomplication grows directly out of its sim-plicity. Because it has no tape -monitor con-nections, some system configurations ac-cept it ungracefully. Apparently for thatreason, the contents of the brief owner'smanual are devoted almost exclusively tohookup procedures. The first recommenda-tion is that you use pre-out/main-in jacks,which we agree should pose the best solu-tion. (Some equalizers are too noisy forsuch a hookup in systems where highamplifier gain mandates relatively low lev-els between the preamp's volume controland the power -amp input. The Enhancer'snoise is low enough to remain inaudible in
JANUARY 1983 31
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALFREQUENCY RESPONSE (boost at 0 dB)
0. 4 dB. 40 Hz to 36 kHz.. 0. 3 dB. 17 Hz to 144 kHz
CLIPPING LEVEL 9 V
S N RATIO (re 0.5 V. A -weighted)typical =90 dBworst case (see text) 841/2dB
most such configurations.If you have no pre-out/main-in con-
nections, the manual suggests that you use atape monitor loop. If you have a tape deckin the loop, you would have to disconnectthe recorder for normal use, use theEnhancer ahead of the recorder whenrecording, and use it after the recorder inplayback. Presumably you would turn offthe bass boost during recording and useonly the infrasonic filter-which canimprove recordings, especially those fromdiscs. Then, on playback, you would haveto reconnect the Enhancer to get the benefitof its bass boost. The manual just shows thehookups; it doesn't address the question ofcontrol settings. Probably most users wouldprefer to connect the deck to Tape I and theEnhancer to Tape 2 on components offeringthe second set of connections and foregohaving the infrasonic filter in the recordingcircuit. (An outboard switching boxplugged into Tape I would enable you touse two or more decks in combination withthe Realistic.)
Once you start working with theEnhancer, you'll find that it can provide awide variety of bass effects up to andincluding a horrendous thunder. The con-trols are fairly accurate in terms of achiev-ing the calibrated frequencies and boosts atthe maxima of the infinite variety of curvesavailable. With everything "wide open"-the boost at +12 dB and the frequency at160 Hz-there is a broad "mountain" inthe response, reaching well up into themidrange and falling back to +3 dB only at1 kHz. But with more moderate settings,you can firm up the bass without inducingthe sort of leaden sound that the extremesetting will provoke from any speaker goodenough to bother with in the first place.
The quality of the result will dependon your speakers-and on your patience infinding the optimum control positions. Theobject is to get the frequency of the peak
somewhat below that of your speakers' bassresonance and then boost the output in thatrange (where the speakers' inherent re-sponse is rolling off) up approximately tothe output level in the resonance range.That will flatten the bottom -end responseand lower the bass cutoff frequency. Butkeep in mind that there's a limit to howmuch extra signal your speakers will acceptgracefully, particularly if they're the sort ofminispeakers for which extra bass is espe-cially advantageous. For example, you mayget excellent results with a lot of boost atmoderate listening levels, only to find thatwhen you crank up the volume, the woofersare being asked to exceed their capabilities.Only experimentation with your ownspeakers will demonstrate what the Enhanc-er will or won't do in combination withthem.
Electrically, the Enhancer performedexcellently on the Diversified Science Lab-oratories test bench. The "worst case" sig-nal-to-noise ratio is 841/4 dB at the "wide-open" setting, which we would expect tobe used only as a curiosity. For settings thatmake good musical and audio sense, theS/N ratio should be around the 90 dB thatthe lab measured with the maximum -boost40 -Hz setting. With the boost at 0 dB, theS/N ratio measures 921/2 dB. Distortion istoo low to worry about and consists only ofthe second harmonic. Input and outputimpedances are reasonably well chosen,and headroom (at 9 volts) is generous.
If your speakers need help in the bot-tom octave or two, the Bass Enhancer cando the job at a very reasonable price. Ithas enough control flexibility to provide agood match to a variety of small speakers,and it introduces no unwanted sonic sideeffects if used appropriately. And though thedesign, finish, and size give it the look ofa miniature, the sound it creates is any-thing but.Circle 95 on Reader -Service Card
An ElegantIntegrated Ampfrom TechnicsTechnics SU-V9 Integrated amplifier. Dimensions: 41/2by 17 Inches (front panel), 133/4 Inches deep plusclearance for controls and connections. ACconvenience outlets: one switched (100 watts max.),two unswitched (200 watts max. total). Price: $650.Warranty: "limited," two years parts and labor.Manufacturer: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.,Japan; U.S. distributor: Technics, 1 Panasonic Way,Secaucus, N.J. 07094.
DYNAMIC HEADROOM Ire rated power, 8 -ohm load)4 3/4 dB
THERE ARE SOME PRODUCTS whose usegives us pleasure beyond what we mightrationally expect from their quality, finethough it may be. When we encounter sucha model, we usually find it as hard to con-tain our irrational enthusiasm as to explainits source. The Technics SU-V9 is a case inpoint: There's no doubt that it is a fine inte-grated amplifier, typical of Technics at itsbest, but that says nothing about its specialappeal-its charisma.
The first thing you'll probably noticeabout the SU-V9 is that the "esoteric" con-trols are arrayed along the bottom of thefront panel behind a smoked, transparentflip -down door. This arrangement inhibitscareless use of these special-purpose adjust-ments without hiding them beyond reach ofa quick visual check. The idea struck us as alittle gimmicky at first (and the fact that the
door is motor -driven still does), but wequickly came to the conclusion that thiscompromise between clutter and closetaudiophilia is eminently functional.
The least familiar of the featuresbehind the door is what Technics calls thesuper -bass tone control. It is designed togive speakers-particularly the increasing-ly popular minispeakers-an extra kick atthe bottom end, where response otherwisebegins to roll off. To match its operation tovarying rolloff characteristics, there is achoice of two turnover frequencies: 150 and75 Hz, these being the points at which theresponse is up by 3 dB at the maximumboost setting of the rotary control. The con-trol itself is calibrated from 0 to 10, with thenumbers corresponding reasonably closelyto the boost (in dB) at 20 Hz. (Unlike somedeep -bass boosts, this one shelves toward
32Circle 49 on Reader -Service Card II.
From the Driving Force:
The graphic equalizerthat combines
high power,low distortion
and 7 -band control.
I
FADER
illR
Panasonic presents the Composer- The graphic equalizer for your carthat's not just an ordinary graphic equalizer. It's a low -distortion" 7 -bandequalizer with a built-in 50 -watt (25 watts/channel) power booster. Togive you crisp, clean, turbo -charged music.
In addition there are the exclusive Panasonic Key FrequencyCompensators. For 50% more sound control where you need it most:the critical 125/200 -Hz frequency range.
The Panasonic Composer gives you another exclusive. It's calledOptimum Frequency Range. A series of yellow indicators that guide youto the settings that will deliver the best possible sound in a car interiorAnd there's more.
A brilliant LED display gives you instantaneous power readings. Andan angled illuminator lets you keep track of your settings in the dark.
So when you're looking for a graphic equalizer, remember not all arecreated equal. Some are Panasonic. The Panasonic Composer.
Panasonicicar audioThe driving force
OUTPUT LEVEL
1111I'll41111111...
MIN
DEFEAT/ATT
MAX
CY-SG50
lor----Inervor-mnourimariNI NNE =I INN Mu nNum inIv iram- it
'Less than 1% THD at total 25 watts - 12 5 watts/channel
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALTAPE RECORDING SELECT. (12/21/OFF/PHONOTTUNER/AUX)
SPEAKERSIA. 0 ON OFF)
HEADPHONES -AC POWER -.4]
DEEP -BASS ADJUST. (BOOST)DEEP -BASS TURNOVER (75/150 HZ)
We currently are expressing power interms of dBW-meaning power in dBwith a reference (0 dBW) of 1 watt. Theconversion table will enable you to usethe advantages of dBW in comparingthese products to others for which youhave no dBW figures.
the bottom end of the audio range, ratherthan dropping off abruptly.)
The control's audible effect will varyconsiderably, according to the loudspeak-ers used, their positioning, and the settingof the control. Misused, it could create anunnatural heaviness or, in some cases,overload and distortion resulting fromboosted infrasonics. With most "book-shelf' speakers, however, moderate boostat the 75 -Hz position may improve low -endsolidity and authority on some material.
Although the Superbass controldoesn't seem to have any protective filter-ing of its own at the very bottom of itsrange, there is a switchable infrasonic filter,whose slope (12 dB per octave) and turn-over frequency (25 Hz) are typical of effec-tive designs of this sort. The relative gen-tleness of the high filter (6 dB per octaveabove 7.3 kHz) makes it less effective,though it will ameliorate minor backgroundhiss. The tone controls both have shelvingresponse characteristics, with maxima ofabout ± 10 dB available in the treble and±7 dB in the bass. The latter reaches a littlehigher into the midrange than is usual; this,plus the rather restricted adjustment range,is no doubt dictated by the presence of thedeep -bass control, since the two can beused together to shape the bass in ways thatare well beyond the capability of conven-tional controls. (The manual, which isexcellent on basics, is skimpy on such finepoints.) The tone -control defeat switchrestores "linear DC" operation (with nocapacitors in the signal path). The LOUD-NESS causes the response to begin risingbelow about 1 kHz to a maximum of +7 dBbelow 100 Hz and is unaffected by the vol-ume setting within Diversified ScienceLaboratories' test range (± 10 dB re theIHF/EIA standard volume setting for testpurposes), making it identical in effect tothe bass control at maximum boost.
There are three selector knobs, so tospeak, each with an array of LEDs to indi-cate its setting (though the knobs them-selves are shaped so as to leave little doubt
on this score). The first selects recordingoutput and includes an oFF (to prevent non-linear loading of the main signal path,which can occur with some recorders whenthey're shut off) as well as positions fordubbing in both directions with two record-ers. The second knob is the main listeningselector and includes monitoring for the twodecks. The third addresses the phono sec-tion only and provides two sensitivity set-tings for moving -coil and two for fixed -coilpickups on Phono 1. (Phono 2 is perma-nently set for standard, high -output fixed -
coil pickups.)Technics' labeling of these settings
can be somewhat confusing, however,because of variations in the way manufac-turers specify the sensitivities of pickup car-tridges themselves. (The owner's manualspeaks only of a "rating," without specify-ing what kind.) The settings aren't critical,however, and the best advice we can offer isthat you use whichever delivers a listeninglevel closest to that of the tuner or otherinputs. The "2.5 -mV" setting works verynicely with pickups of medium to high out-put (including most of the popular moving-magnet types). The "1.0 -mV" setting doesequally well by fixed -coil models of medi-um to low output and by moving -coildesigns of very high output (those intendedfor use without a head amp or transformer).And one or both of the moving -coil settingsshould be at least adequate with the remain-ing moving -coil models.
The power section uses Technics'New Class A circuitry. Although we'reexceedingly pleased by what we hear, wedon't know whether any special "listena-bility" is contributed by the circuit config-uration. In terms of conventional measure-ments, the results are much what one wouldexpect from any first-rate amplifier: Thereare no distortion products above 0.01% atthe 0-dBW (1 -watt) test level, and noneabove that figure, even at full power, untilthe very high end of the frequency range isreached. In other words, DSL finds no formof distortion that we would expect to be in
34HIGH FIDELITY
DAMPING FACTOR (at 50 Hz) 80
HIGH FILTER -3 dB at 7.3 kHz; 6 dB/octave
INFRASONIC FILTER -3 dB at 25 Hz; 12 dB/octave
any way perceptible in normal music listen-ing. The rated power (120 watts, or 203/4dBW, with 8 -ohm loads) is exceeded by 3/4
dB with steady signals or with the pulsedsignal of the headroom test, for an effectivemaximum output of 21'/2 dBW (140watts)-more than enough power for mostpurposes.
This is a very fine integrated amplifierby any standard. Whether you agree withour perception of something extra in thiselegant design is more a question of tastethan anything else, but we can recommendthe SU-V9 even to those who are impervi-ous to its more elusive charms.Circle 97 on Reader -Service Card
Pretty asa PreampSherwood S-6020CP preamplifier. in metal case.Dimensions: 171/2 by 21/2 Inches (front panel), 141/2Inches deep plus clearance for controls andconnections AC convenience outlets: three switched
max.). Price: $250. Warranty: -limited," three yearsparts and labor. Manufacturer: made In Korea forSherwood (Division of Inkel Corp.), 17107 KingsvlewAve.. Carson, Calif. 90746.
OUTPUT AT CLIPPING 15.8 volts
HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD: 20 Hz to 20 kHz)aux <0.01%phono <0.01%
FREQUENCY RESPONSE+1/4, -1/2 dB, 10 Hz to 22.2 kHz;+1/4, -3 dB, 10 Hz to 76.2 kHz
RIAA EQUALIZATION +0, -1/2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz,-31/4 dB at 5 Hz
INPUT CHARACTERISTICS (IHF loading: A -weighting)sensitivity S N ratio
aux 74 mV 92 dBphono 1.17 mV 60 dB
PHONO OVERLOAD (1 -kHz clipping) 340 mV
PHONO IMPEDANCE 48.6k ohms; 170 pF
HIGH FILTER -3 dB at 8.5 kHz; 12 dBoctave
LINKING "PRETTY" TO "PREAMP- seems atfirst glance an odd thing to do. As the firstchoice of audiophiles seeking high perfor-mance and maximum operating flexibility,preamps have traditionally been all -busi-ness, eschewing cosmetics in favor of dourfunctionality. So by its strikingly handsomefaceplate, Sherwood's S-6020CP asserts itsnonconformity.
For example, the absence of a tradi-tional rotary volume knob is fairly hereticalin a preamp. In its place are two touchpadsthat activate a motor -driven potentiometer.An altogether clever adaptation to prevail-ing design trends in integrated amps andreceivers (though not in Sherwood's own),this electromechanical control introducesnone of the hiss we have found in mostmicroprocessor -mediated VOLUMES. More-over, it works quite nicely, though somemay miss the speed and tactile feedback onegets with a manual control. A ten -segmentlighted display is a fairly effective indicatorof relative volume settings.
As in the S-9600CP receiver (testreport, January 1982). Sherwood managesbidirectional dubbing with a single button.When depressed, the switch routes the Tape1 output to the Tape 2 input and, simulta-neously, the Tape 2 output to the Tape Iinput. It's such a simple and economicalalternative to separate one-way switchesthat we wonder why it has not been adoptedby more manufacturers. (A very carelessuser could induce feedback, but only by try-ing to dub between two three -head deckswith both in record.) Another feature dis-cussed in the receiver report is Sherwood'sULTRA -LOW BASS EQ control. Designed as acomplement to the company's own loud-speakers. the circuit can be used to rein-force the low -frequency output of manysmall and medium -size speakers, while
providing substantial attenuation of infra-sonics. Its effectiveness is confirmed byDiversified Science Laboratories' measure-ments, which show that the control intro-duces a 5 -dB boost at 35 Hz with a steepcutoff below.
The phono section's input capacitanceis moderately low-about right for mostpremium pickups in typical tonearms,though perhaps on the low side for someothers requiring more loading to achieveflat response. This is a sensible choice,since it's quite simple to add additionalcapacitance to the tonearm leads when nec-essary. (Removing what's already there isusually impossible.) The preamp's high fil-ter takes a hefty chunk out of the upper tre-ble (with a sharp cutoff above 8 kHz).Though you would not normally use it, withscratchy discs or hissy tapes it can be a greatboon.
LOUDNESS, in Sherwood's hands, re-flects modern (post -Fletcher -Munson) re-search on the ear's response at low listeninglevels, adding just a bit of compensatorybass boost and no treble boost. The TREBLE
(which can be used in concert with LOUD-
NESS for those who miss the traditionalhigh -frequency emphasis) begins its influ-ence at about 500 Hz. reaching extremes of± 10 dB at 20 kHz. The BASS begins itsaction between about 400 Hz and 1 kHz(depending on the amount of boost or cut)and has a range of ± 10 dB at 70 Hz andmore than ± 12 dB at 20 Hz, which is morethan adequate for most purposes.
If specifications are the chief criteriafor preamp excellence, the S-6020CP is vir-tually beyond criticism. Ranging frommerely excellent to superb. its performancewith regard to frequency response. phonoequalization, noise, and distortion (whichDSL could not even measure) is at a level
JANUARY 1983 35
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALwe've rarely seen surpassed.
Though the S-6020CP may put off die-hard traditionalists with its bows to modern-ism, we see it as an attractive alternative to
the traditional "black boxes." In fact, wecan't think of a preamp that offers moreperformance and flexibility for the dollar.Circle 94 on Reader -Service Card
DesignAcoustics'Small Speakerwith a Big VoiceDesign Acoustics PS -10 loudspeaker, in woodcabinet with walnut -grain vinyl finish. Dimensions: 11by 14 inches (front), 14 inches deep. Price: 5250.Warranty:I-limited," five years parts and labor.Manufacturer: Design Acoustics Corp., 1225Commerce Drive. Stow, Ohio 44224.
SENSITIVITY (at 1 meter; 2.8 -volt pink noise.250 Hz to 6 kHz) 911/2 dB
AVERAGE IMPEDANCE (250 Hz to 6 kHz)8.0 ohms
Report Polley: Equipment reports are based on labora-tory measurements and controlled listening tests. Unlessotherwise noted, test data and measurements are ob-tained by Diversified Science Laboratories. The choice ofequipment to be tested rests with the editors of HIGHFIDELITY. Samples normally are supplied on loan from themanufacturer. Manufacturers are not permitted to readreports in advance of publication, and no report or por-tion thereof may be reproduced for any purpose or in anyform without written permission of the publisher. All re-ports should be construed as applying to the specificsamples tested. HIGH FIDELITY and Diversified ScienceLaboratories assume no responsibility for product per-formance or quality.
DESIGN ACOUSTICS HAS NEVER settled forthe ordinary in loudspeakers. The compa-ny's first effort was dodecahedral in shape,with its twelve sides approximating a pul-sating sphere. A later design, the ModelLDM (test report, June 1980), was in mostrespects a conventional two-way mini -speaker, but for its beveled front edgesdesigned for minimum diffraction. Al-though still committed to the goal of lowdiffraction, Design Acoustics is now offer-ing a bookshelf speaker intended to providewhat other small speakers frequently can-not-ample low -frequency output. To thatend, the PS -10 resembles no other book-shelf speaker we know of, other than thecompany's own smaller PS -8.
Though it probably won't fit comfort-ably on most shelves, its 14 -inch depth is noaccident: To make sure that reflections fromshelf walls, books, and so forth won'tdegrade performance, the speaker's baffleis intended to protrude a bit when the sys-tem is seated on a typical 12 -inch -deepshelf. For those who object to this on aes-thetic grounds, the company has an optionalwooden stand that raises the PS -10 sometwo feet off the floor.
Another notable difference from morestandard speakers of this type is the use ofan integral base. No mere cosmetic conceit,the raised bottom of the enclosure permitsthe mounting of a 10 -inch down -firingwoofer. This was the only way to includesuch a large driver and still keep overallsystem height to acceptable shelf limits;moreover, the designers say that the smallfront baffle helps to minimize diffraction.
Other design features include an inter-esting crossover arrangement that lets themidrange driver act more as a mid -woofer,covering the range from 200 Hz to 2 kHz.The reason, according to Design Acoustics,is to eliminate the possibility of crossover -induced anomalies in the critical midrange.Shipped in mirror -image pairs, each PS -10has a tweeter -level control. Amplifier con-nections are made via spring -loaded clipsthat accept banana plugs or stripped wire.
The PS -10 proved itself a worthy per-former in Diversified Science Labs' tests.Power handling is exceptional. Indeed, inthe 300 -Hz pulse test the speaker acceptedthe full output of DSL's test amp -57'/2volts peak (equivalent to 261/4 dBW, or 413watts, into 8 ohms). The resulting soundpressure level is a staggering 117-1/4 dB.Sensitivity is also quite high, with the PS -10 producing a sound pressure level of 911/2dB with a 2.8 -volt input (equivalent to 0
dBW, or 1 watt, into 8 ohms).Distortion measurements likewise
connote good design. At a moderate 85 -dBsound pressure level, total harmonic distor-tion (THD) remains less than I% from 100Hz to 10 kHz, and at 90 dB SPL, THDincreases only slightly, barely exceeding1% from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. Impedance,too, appears well controlled. From a mini-mum of 4.7 ohms at 120 Hz, it rises to amaximum of 12.8 ohms at 210 Hz andremains at or above 6.4 ohms across themidrange and into the treble. Impedancedoes vary slightly in the treble according tothe setting of the tweeter -level control, butnot to any significant degree. The controlitself is very gentle in its action, matchingalmost exactly the ±3 dB range marked onits continuously adjustable rotary knob. Itsaction begins to be felt at 2 kHz and reachesits maximum at 20 kHz.
Placed according to the manufactur-er's recommendation, well away from theback wall and two feet off the floor, thePS -10 exhibits some response irregulari-ties, although our listening tests (conductedunder similar conditions) disclosed littleevidence of the drop in output at 200 Hzshown by the on -axis curve. Response isreasonably smooth through the midrangeand treble, with the latter showing just theusual amount of off -axis drop-off as direc-tivity increases at very high frequencies.
Our experience does suggest that bestperformance will indeed be obtained withthe PS -10's mounted out into the room,away from walls. Placed against the rearwall, they sound a little bass -heavy (seem-ingly confirming the response bump at 126Hz in the curves DSL made with the speak-er in that position). With the speakers opti-mally set up, the overall sound is smooth,clean, and detailed. Bass is surprisinglywell maintained for so small a speaker.Imaging is also outstanding, with firm, sta-ble stereo localization and a good sense ofspaciousness and depth.
The PS -10 is not an easy speaker tocharacterize, but then innovative productsoften resist pigeonholing. The consensushere is that Design Acoustics has succeededin building a loudspeaker that will producewide -range, neutral sound, provided youtake some care in finding the optimumplacement for it. The PS -10's sonic perfor-mance belies its size and price to a verygreat degree, and we would unhesitatinglyadvise that you add it to your auditioninglist.Circle 93 on Reader -Service Card
36 HIGH FIDELITY
146
A Polished Gemfrom DynavectorDynavector DV -23R moving -coil phono pickup, withruby cantilever and "super elliptical" diamond stylus.Price: $310. Warranty: "limited," one year parts andlabor. Replacement cartridge: $170. Manufacturer:Dynavector Systems, Ltd.. Japan: U.S. distributor:Dynavector Systems USA, 1721 Newport Circle, SantaAna, Calif. 92705.
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 8 CHANNEL SEPARATION(test record: JVC TRS-1007 Mk. II)
DB
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
NMI
IN 4M
HZ 20 50 100 200
ANN..A.N,
Frequency responseL chR ch
Channel separation
500 1K 2K 5K 10K
+1h,-1 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz+1,2, -1 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz
30 dB, 750 Hz to 4.8 kHz;20 dB, 100 Hz to 10 kHz
SENSITIVITY (1 kHz) 0.065 mVicmisec
CHANNEL BALANCE (1 kHz) ±<1/4 dB
VERTICAL TRACKING ANGLE
20K
IT'S HARD TO RESIST labeling this cartridge"a jewel of a pickup" in recognition of itsruby cantilever. Jewel cantilevers are notnew: Dynavector introduced a model with adiamond cantilever in 1979, and B&O usedsapphire for the purpose at nearly the sametime. Since then, a number of other manu-facturers, including ADC, Grace, andKlipsh have followed suit. The reason forusing such exotic (and expensive) materialsis to transmit the recorded waveform fromthe stylus tip to the transducer within thepickup as perfectly as possible, free fromthe mechanical distortion that can beimposed by an insufficiently stiff cantile-ver. Specifically, Dynavector says it haschosen ruby to minimize dispersion of thetransverse wave propagated along the can-tilever, without sacrificing conventionalperformance characteristics, such as fre-quency response and channel separation.
The DV/Karat 23 Ruby. better knownas the DV -23R, is a typically low -outputmoving -coil model, requiring the use ofeither a step-up transformer or a pre-preampahead of the phono preamp. (Both methodsproved entirely satisfactory in our tests.)The tip shape is described as "super ellip-tical." Apparently it splits the differencebetween the "fatter" spherical and ellipti-cal shapes required by the high verticaltracking forces of some moving -coil mod-els and the small -curvature multiradialsfavored for light -tracking fixed -coil mod-els. The DV-23R's recommended trackingforce is 11/2 grams-not much higher thanthe I to 11/4 grams typical of high qualityfixed -coil pickups.
The cartridge's response is certainlyflat. Indeed, all of the conventional mea-surements are excellent. Vertical trackingangle (as measured with the DIN twin -tonetest cuts) is on the high side of the specified20 degrees, as it is with many top pickups.In the low -frequency test, the highest-VTAband (30 degrees) proved the best match to
the pickup; at the high test frequencies, the25 -degree band supplied the best match.When Diversified Science Laboratoriesmeasured maximum lateral tracking levels,the 23R had no trouble with the highestband (+ 18 dB RIAA) at 200 Hz, butcouldn't manage at 400 Hz, settling for+15 dB instead-which still is more thanyou'll usually need.
The low -frequency resonance is justabout ideally placed in the SME arm. Fromnow on, however, we will be talking moreabout the dynamic compliance and theeffective tonearm mass with which it shouldbe mated. Low -frequency dynamic compli-ance-measured at 11 (x 10-6 centimetersper dynes by DSL for the DV-23R-bearsno necessary relationship to the static com-pliance frequently listed by manufacturers.(Dynavector gives a "compliance" spec of15, without saying how it was measured.)But it is low -frequency dynamic compli-ance that governs actual resonance andtherefore susceptibility to warps. Both theresonance measurement and the tendencyfor compliance to run lower in moving -coilpickups than in current fixed -coil modelswould lead us to expect higher compliancenumbers in future tests-and lower idealarm masses. Suffice it to say here that thesefigures confirm that the Dynavector shoulddo well in a relatively broad spectrum ofarms, from fairly low to fairly high in mass,with a moderately heavy arm such as ourSME just about on target. (For a full dis-cussion of this subject, see "BasicallySpeaking," page 25.)
It is in the listening room that theDynavector really shines, however. We hadexpected superb smoothness and excellentclarity. and we weren't disappointed. Innone of our listening could we discern asignificant falsification of timbre. From tri-angle to tympani, from trombone to picco-lo, reproduction is exemplary in its faithful-ness. Voices and strings suffer from no edg-
30
25
g is
8
RESONANCE FREQUENCY IN HZ
I 11611h. 14lkgrannetiliiii111111111111. i. Ik
Ai% I INVIIIIP1111.."%,...e...-- 2h`.0' h .k; 11,--L---.iiiiihki.. i .......i.:......... I rniewisieI. .mar
ONIIIMIBIN11141011. 'MIL11111111111111111022111. I les
Tonearm/Cartridge Matching GraphBy means of this nomograph, you can quicklyand easily determine the compatibility of anycartridge and tonearm we have tested. Ideal-ly, the arm/cartridge resonance frequency(indicated by the diagonal lines) should fall at10 Hz, but anywhere between 8 and 12 Hzwill assure good warp tracking and accuratebass response. (It is usually okay to let the
resonance rise as high as 15 Hz, although wedon't normally recommend this.)
Begin by looking up the weight anddynamic compliance shown in the cartridgereport and the effective mass listed in theturntable or tonearm report. Add the weightof the cartridge to the effective mass of thetonearm to get the total effective mass. Thenfind the point on the graph where the verticalline for the total effective mass intersects thehorizontal line for the cartridge's dynamiccompliance. For a good match, this pointshould fall in the white region, between the 8 -and 12 -Hz diagonal lines.
When necessary, you can back -figurecompliances and effective masses for car-tridges and tonearms tested before webegan reporting these figures directly (in Jan-uary 1983). For cartridges, look up the verti-cal resonance frequency (measured in theSME 3009 Series II Improved tonearm) andthe cartridge's weight. Add 15 grams (theSME's effective mass) to the cartridge weightto get the total effective mass. Then find the
intersection of the vertical line representingthat mass with the diagonal line representingthe measured resonance frequency. Nowyou can read off the compliance from the hor-izontal line passing through the point of inter-section.
For tonearms, look up the vertical reso-nance frequency as measured with theShure V-15 Type III cartridge. Find the inter-section of the diagonal line for that frequencywith the horizontal line representing theShure's dynamic compliance of 22.5 x 10- 6
cm/dyne. Reading down the vertical line onwhich the point of intersection lies will giveyou the total effective mass of the arm withthe Shure V-15 Type III mounted in it. Thensubtract 6.3 grams (the weight of the V-15Type III) to get the tonearm's effectivemass.
Because of differences in measurementtechniques, manufacturers' specifications forcompliance and effective mass often differfrom our findings and may therefore yieldinconsistent results if used with this graph.
JANUARY 1983 37
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALLOW -FREQUENCY RESONANCE (in SME 3009)vertical 10.6 Hz; 101/2 -dB riselateral 9.7 Hz; 11 -dB rise
DYNAMIC COMPLIANCE (vertical)11 x 10.8 cm/dyne
RECOMMENDED EFFECTIVE TONEARM MASSoptimum 17.5 gramsacceptable 10.5 to 30.5 grams
MAX. TRACKING LEVEL (re RIAA 0 VU: 1.5 grams)lateral a + 15 dBvertical > 1 12 dB
WEIGHT 5.5 grams
SQUARE -WAVERESPONSE
Is°AmmoI
loess or breathiness. Some listeners de-tected a very slight "glassiness" in com-plex passages, but none of our auditioningrevealed any shortcoming that might beassociated with the failure to track the ultra-high -level 400 -Hz test band.
On the contrary, the most imposingthing about this pickup is its dynamicrange. Perhaps because of it's superb waywith transients, the DV -23R seems toreproduce a greater difference between theloudest and the softest passages on given
records than we are used to hearing withother pickups. When we tried the crushingcrescendi at the beginning of Side 2 of theSheffield Lab Romeo and Juliet (Leins-dorf s editing of the Prokofiev ballet), theimpact was devastating. The Dynavector'svery solid bass surely contributes to thiseffect, which is at once visceral and deli-cately detailed. We are satisfied that theDV -23R is one of the world's great phonocartridges.Circle 98 on Reader -Service Card
BostonAcoustics'Premier PickupBoston Acoustics MC-1vdH moving -coil phonopickup, with multlradial (van den Hul) diamond stylus.Price: 5200. Warranty: "limited," one year parts andlabor. Manufacturer: made in Japan for BostonAcoustics, Inc.. 130 Condor Street, Boston, Mass.02128.
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 8 CHANNEL SEPARATION(test record: JVC TRS-1007 Mk. II)
DB
05
10
15
20
25
30
HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K
Frequency responseL chR ch
Channel separation
f 1/2, -2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz+1. -11/2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz.a 30 dB, 1 kHz to 5 kHz;.a 25 dB, 100 Hz to 20 kHz
SENSITIVITY (1 kHz) 0.65 mV cm sec
CHANNEL BALANCE (1 kHz) <1/4 dB
VERTICAL TRACKING ANGLE aa22°
LOW -FREQUENCY RESONANCE (in SME 3009)vertical 9.0 Hz; 12 -dB riselateral 9.1 Hz; 103/a -dB rise
WE'VE SEEN A FEW cartridge manufacturersget into the loudspeaker business, but this isprobably the first time we can rememberseeing a speaker company turn around andbring out a cartridge. Actually, BostonAcoustics has two new pickups: the MC-lvdH reviewed here, which has a state-of-the-art van den Hul stylus, and the lessexpensive ($140) MC -1E, which is identi-cal except for the use of a conventionalelliptical tip. The company's rationale forintroducing these products is twofold andcharacteristically practical. One is the tru-ism that the phono pickup you use affectsyour system's sound more than any othercomponent except the speakers. The otheris that most high -quality cartridges make itdifficult, if not impossible, for typical usersto obtain from them the performance theywere designed to provide.
For example, most fixed -coil pickups(those falling into the moving -magnet,moving -iron, and other similar categories)require a load of approximately 47,000ohms in parallel with some amount ofcapacitance (usually between 100 and 500picofarads, depending on the particularmodel) to deliver their flattest frequencyresponse. This loading is supplied by thephono input of your amplifier or receivertogether with your turntable's tonearm wir-ing and cables. Most phono stages now pro-vide the required 47k -ohm resistive load,but capacitance varies all over the lot, bothin amplifiers and in turntables. And acapacitance mismatch of as little as 20%(not hard to come by) can cause a high-
frequency response error of several decibelswith some pickups.
The other problem with fixed -coil car-tridges is that their stylus -cantilever suspen-sions are often so compliant (for good low-
frequency tracking) that installation in atypical tonearm of medium to high effectivemass yields an arm/cartridge resonance fre-quency below 8 Hz. This degrades warptracking and increases the likelihood of
amplifier overload or excessive low -fre-quency distortion from large, unwantedinfrasonic signals.
Moving -coil cartridges, on the otherhand, have very low output impedances andare therefore relatively insensitive to load-ing: You'll get the same response no matterwhat you plug them into. And they usuallyhave relatively low compliances, as well(though this advantage is sometimes offsetby increased weight), making them morecompatible with the tonearms most peopleuse. Unfortunately, most moving -coils arealso very low -output devices, which makesit necessary for you to use some kind ofstep-up transformer or pre-preamp andincreases their susceptibility to hum. An-other common difficulty with moving -coilpickups (though less so than in the past) is atendency to peakiness at the high end,sometimes accompanied by mediocretracking ability.
With the MC-lvdH, Boston Acousticsseems to have retained all the genre's tradi-tional strengths without any of the custom-ary weaknesses. Sensitivity, for example,is quite high for a moving -coil, ensuringmore than enough output for a good signal-to-noise ratio with conventional phonopreamps and eliminating the need for anyauxiliary step-up device. And tracking abil-ity is generally excellent, if not the verybest Diversified Science Laboratories hasmeasured. Distortion is very low for a car-tridge, even at very high groove velocities,confirming the fine tracking ability and per-haps also reflecting the groove -tracingperformance of the van den Hul stylus.Channel balance is superlative-essential-ly perfect-as is vertical tracking angle,which is almost smack on the 20 -degree DINstandard.
Frequency response is exceptionallysmooth and flat, with just a hint of a rolloffat the very top and certainly no peakiness.Channel separation is unusually wide anduniform, exhibiting none of the deteriora-
38HIGH FIDELITY
DYNAMIC COMPLIANCE (vertical)15.5 * 10-6 cm dyne
RECOMMENDED EFFECTIVE TONEARM MASSoptimum 11.3 gramsacceptable 6.3 to 20.5 grams
MAX. TRACKING LEVEL (re RIM 0 VU: 1.8 grams)lateral + 15 dBvertical a 12 dB
WEIGHT 5.0 grams
SQUARE -WAVERESPONSE
tion at high frequencies one finds on manyother cartridges. And square -wave re-sponse is very good, showing a mild over-shoot accompanied by some low-level ring-ing (most of which is present in the testrecord).
As claimed by Boston Acoustics, theMC-lvdH's low mass and moderate com-pliance make it suitable for use in just aboutany tonearm you are likely to come across.The cartridge is packaged with mountinghardware and an alignment protractor,which together with the unit's rather blockyshape makes accurate installation easierthan usual. Boston Acoustics is also supply-ing its dealers with a more elaborate set-up
gauge for even more accurate alignment ofthe cartridge in their customers' tone -
arms.As one would expect from the data,
the MC- I vdH sounds extremely good-very smooth and alive with a firm, stablestereo image and no hint of stridency, evenon demanding material. We therefore haveno hesitation in recommending it to quality -conscious buyers. The price, although notlow, is in line with the going rate for pre-mium cartridges, and if you are put off byit, you might reasonably look to the lesscostly MC -1E, which we expect is verynearly as good.Circle 92 on Reader -Service Card
MODE (STEREOS/10RO) CLOCK DISPLAY (ON)
INFRASONIC FILTER (ON OFF)
POWER -METERRANGE ( - 1 .10)
SPEAKERS(A. B ON OFF)
SLEEP (STEPPER)
AC POWER OFF
HEADPHONES
TONE ADJUST. (BASS, MIDRANGE.TREBLE: AMPLITUDE, FREQUENCY)
TONE IN OUT
LOUDNESS (ON OFF)
TUNING (UP, DOWN),INDICATOR (SIGNALSTRENGTH MULTIPATH),FM MUTE (ON OFF).SCAN (MANUAL AUTO)
Vector'sIncredibleMusic MachineVector Research VRX-9500 AM FM receiver, with DBXtape disc noise reduction. Dimensions: 1714 by 51/4Inches (front panel). 133,4 Inches deep plus clearancefor controls and connections. AC convenienceoutlets: two switched (200 watts max. total), oneunswitched (200 watts max.). Price: $1.000: optionalVRC-11 remote -control unit. S85. Warranty: "limited,"two years Darts and labor. Manufacturer: made inJapan for Vector Research, Inc., 20600 Nordhotf St.,Chatsworth. Calif. 91311.
FM tuner sectionMONO FREQUENCY RESPONSEDB
0
5
1
Mill111101,
HZ 20 50 100 200 500 11( 2K 5K 10K 20K
+1/4,-2 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz
THE SHEER QUANTITY OF FEATURES embod-ied in the VRX-9500 receiver is startling,and that so pace -setting a receiver shouldhave come from a company that has been onthe scene only a few years is at first glanceeven more startling. Yet this is probablyjust the sort of product we should haveexpected from Vector Research. It repre-sents the sort of fresh design thinking andsynthesis of current technology that thecompany has said it intends to make its hall-marks and evinces the awareness of the spe-cial needs of recordists that is so much inevidence in the company's cassette decks.
First, let's examine the VRX-9500'sfront panel. There is no ON switch as such;instead, when you press the selector buttonfor any function the receiver turns on.When you press OFF, the tuner's frequencyreadout becomes a twenty -four-hour clock(reading "17:00" for 9:00 p.m., forinstance), which works in conjunction withthe three-way built-in timer. The timer hasthree separate functions: It can turn thereceiver on and off each day at the times forwhich you program it; it can be pro-grammed for a one-time turn-on/turn-offcycle in addition to the daily cycle; and it
has a sleep feature that automatically turnsthe unit off after a preset period of time haselapsed. (Both the daily and the one-timecycle include input -selector programming,as well.) The interrelationships amongthese three timer modes are quite complexin terms of what overrides what, but theyare very well thought out and painstakinglyexplained in the manual. Incidentally, youcan always check the time (cLocK) or timerprogramming (TIMER READ) with the tunersection turned on, even though its frequen-cy readout normally pre-empts the clockdisplay.
There is also provision for timer -con-trolled synchronization with Vector'sVCX-800 cassette deck, by means of a spe-cial jack on the back of the VRX-9500, anda jack for the cable from the optional VRC-11 remote control. (Because we had neitherof the ancillary units, we didn't test thesefeatures.) A compartment in the rear panelholds a Z battery (composed of four AAcells) to energize the memory functionsduring power outages or periods when thereceiver is not connected to a wall socket.And there are back -panel pre-out/main-inamp jumpers whose jacks can be used to
JANUARY 1983 39
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALSTEREO RESPONSE & SEPARATIONDB
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
351101.11.00
HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 21< 51< 10K
Frequency responseoh
R chChannel separation
+1/4, -2 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz+1/2,-2 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHza 35 dB, 65 Hz to 2.5 kHz;2: 25 dB, 22 Hz to 14 kHz
FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETINGDB
10
-20
30
ao
50
60
201<
S
.1141011131
DBF 0 10 20 30 40 so so 70 80 so
stereo quieting (noise)mono quieting (noise)
Stereo sensitivity (for 51 -dB noise suppression')381/2 dBf at 98 MHz, with 0.36% THD+N(421/4 dBf at 90 MHz, for 531/4 dB quieting':411/2 dBf at 106 MHz, for 54 dB quieting')see text
FREQUENCY RESPONSE+0, -1/4 dB, <10 Hz to 29.3 kHz+0, -3 dB, <10 Hz to 105 kHz
RIAA EQUALIZATIONfixed -coil input
moving -coil input
41/4, -1/2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz;-145 dB at 5 Hz+1/4, -13/4 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz;-11/2 dB at 5 Hz
TAPEMONITOR
SOURCETAPE 1\ I TAPE 2
TAPECOPY
1.2Out
/2.1
1"SOURCE
didRECORD/COPY -
PROGRAMMODE
TIMER MANUALSET I /TIMER AUTO
SETCLOCK
CAM F
Much of the VRX-9500's flexibility is summed up in this section of the front panel. Thebuttons below the preset -indicator lamps serve to set and select station presets and alsoas a programming keyboard in conjunction with the clock/timer program -mode switchbelow. The two rotary tape switches and DBX control buttons enable you to record, playback, and copy standard and DBX discs and tapes in almost every possible way.
patch in equalizers, time -delay units, and soforth.
Possibly the most complex feature ofthe receiver (we found it the most difficultto master, but that's partly a question ofhow much we had to unlearn from our expe-rience with more conventional switching) isits DBX/dubbing section. The DBX func-tions are controlled by four pushbuttons-three of which, ENCODE, DECODE, andBYPASS, are interdependent and inter-locked, while the fourth, RECORD/COPY,operates independently. Because there isonly one set of DBX circuits, you can'tselect ENCODE and DECODE simultaneouslyand thus can't monitor a DBX recording offthe tape, even if you have a monitor -headrecorder. Presumably to prevent you frommonitoring an undecoded signal, the DBXRECORD/COPY automatically disables themonitoring function and either returns youto the source signal or mutes the output,depending on how other switching is set.
This scheme may sound unnecessarilycomplicated, but it's really not, consideringall the things it makes possible: decodedplayback of DBX discs or tapes, undecodedtape copies of DBX tapes or discs, decoded(or differently encoded) copies of DBXtapes or discs, non-DBX copies of non-DBX discs or tapes, and DBX copies ofnon-DBX discs or tapes. Any scheme wecan conceive for simplifying the switchingwould materially reduce these options.With the DBX section bypassed, the dub-bing and monitoring switches operate in thenormal, full -function manner, enabling youto monitor either deck while you're dubbing(for example) and to dub in either directionbetween the two decks.
The tone controls also require a littlethought and practice for full mastery. Thethree -band (bass, midrange, treble), defeat-able system offers two adjustments in eachband: for amplitude and frequency. Datafrom Diversified Science Laboratoriesshow that at the detented center of the fre-
quency adjustment the TREBLE shelves atabout ± 12 dB above 20 kHz or so-withthe whole response curve capable of beingdisplaced about one octave upward or oneand a half octaves downward. TheMIDRANGE offers ± 10 dB maximum, with asimilar frequency adjustment range aboveand below its detented position (which iscentered just above I kHz). The BASSshelves below about 80 Hz at the detent,with a slightly wider amplitude range thanthe MIDRANGE, and allows a frequency shiftupward by a little more than an octave anddownward by something less than anoctave.
This range of options approaches theflexibility and equals the smoothness ofparametric equalization if you're willing torely on your ears in fine-tuning it. Admit-tedly, it can't manage the narrow -band(high -Q) effects of a parametric, and atminimal boost or cut settings the controls'effects are usually very subtle. On the otherhand, it can more nearly approximate idealresponse curves over a much wider range ofconditions than one could even hope forwith conventional tone controls, and with-out the ripple that tends to afflict theresponse of graphic equalizers where heftyboost or cut is called for over several adja-cent bands.
The AM/FM tuner, which has eightstation presets for each band, sweeps up ordown the chosen band continuously as longas you depress the tuning button in the man-ual mode. It advances in discrete hops (of0.1 MHz on FM or 10 kHz on AM) if youjust tap the tuning button in manual or con-tinuously until it arrives at a "receivable"station in the automatic mode. If you liveoutside a strong signal area, you may findthe 9500's definition of "receivability"somewhat persnickety: Even when it'sswitched to MONO, it will pass over stationsthat light the first signal -strength LED (atabout 30 dBf-where mono quieting runssome 65 dB in the DSL data). It seems to
40HIGH FIDELITY
INPUT CHARACTERISTICS (re 0 dBW; A -weighting)sensitivity SN ratio
need enough signal to trip the stereo thresh-old (at 50 dB of stereo quieting-betterthan 70 dB in mono) before the scanningwill stop. Thus, both the signal strength dis-play and the scanning are somewhat lesssensitive than average. So is the stereoswitching (though without a BLEND feature,many listeners may be reluctant to go forstereo on stations too weak to achieve 50 dBof quieting).
The five -LED signal -strength displaycan be converted to register multipath at theflick of a switch, but this function alsoseems relatively insensitive. In a fringe areawhere other tuners so equipped frequentlyshow considerable multipath, the 9500 reg-isters none. In more typical locations, how-ever, where both signal strength and multi -path are considerably higher. the tuner sec-tion should really come into its own.Among the generally very good FM mea-surements, selectivity should be singled outfor special mention. Not only is the usualalternate -channel figure better than usual,but DSL measured 8 dB of adjacent -chan-nel selectivity, which is outstanding.
Even for a top receiver, the amplifiersection is opulent, delivering more than 20dBW (100 watts) per channel into 8 ohmson a continuous basis and the equivalent of211/4 dBW (133 watts) on pulses that morenearly simulate music. Distortion is lowand is dominated by the relatively benignsecond harmonic; intermodulation, whichusually is about the same (and in that casegoes unremarked in our reports) is herenoticeably lower. The infrasonic filter is
steep enough to be effective, and though itsturnover frequency is, perhaps, a hair high-er than average, it is low enough to bebelow the lower limit of virtually all speak-ers and musical material. The loudnesscompensation, which adds about 10 dB inthe deep bass and 6 dB in the extreme tre-ble. is unaffected by the VOLUME setting inDSL's tests and strikes us as somewhatredundant, given the unusually capabletone controls. Incidentally, the powermeters at the upper left of the front panel arecalibrated from 0.05 to 180 watts (-13 to+221/2 dBW) into 8 ohms, in steps ofapproximately 3 dB; a switch increases by10 dB (ten -fold) the display's sensitivity.
Obviously, this is not a receiver whosecapabilities can be assessed at a glance. Noris it one for which an objective "bottom -line" value assessment is even conceiv-able, since its multitude of features must bemeasured, one by one and together, againstthe needs of individual users. You'll cer-tainly find specifics that don't do much foryou-perhaps the power metering or timerturn-on-but their presence doesn't dimin-ish the receiver. Indeed, the diversity of itscapabilities is remarkable-perhaps un-precedented. And when you consider whatit would cost you to add them all to a con-ventional receiver of similar performance,by means of outboard accessory units, theVRX-9500 qualifies as a bargain. We sug-gest that you look at all the features that canbe useful to you and make your assessmenton that basis. We find it captivating.Circle 90 on Reader -Service Card
Polk"Reinvents" theLoudspeaker
JUST TO LOOK AT IT, the Polk SDA-1 StereoDimensional Array doesn't seem much dif-ferent from a great many other floor -stand-ing dynamic loudspeakers. To hear it,though, is quite another matter. Our first,all too brief audition simply bowled usover: The width, depth, and precision of thestereo image were astounding, as though avery good image -enhancement unit hadbeen plugged into the system along with thespeakers. We now know that this is, ineffect, just what was going on, although theimplementation is primarily acoustical,rather than electronic. And we also know,after extended listening, that we're no lessastonished than we were that first day at thesystem's sometimes mind -boggling powersof sonic persuasion.
The problem the SDA-1 seeks to over-come is known as acoustical crosstalk,which is also the prime target of severalpurely electronic devices, most notably theCarver Sonic Hologram Generator and theSound Concepts IR-2100 Image -Restora-tion system. (The SDA- I 's approach ismore like that of the Sound Concepts.)Acoustical crosstalk occurs when a signalthat should ideally be heard by only one earis heard by the other as well. Unfortunately,nonideal behavior is inevitable in ordinary
stereo systems. Sound from the right speak-er, which really should be heard only by theright ear, sneaks around the head to the leftear, where it competes with the desired sig-nal from the left speaker. And the sameeffect happens from left to right.
Acoustical crosstalk is purely an arti-fact of stereophonic reproduction: It cannotoccur in nature, where sound comes fromonly one direction for a given source-nottwo, as in stereo. It is a problem because ofits potential for confusing the brain'ssound -localization system, which dependsprimarily on differences in arrival time atthe two ears to determine the direction fromwhich a sound is coming. For example, asound coming from your left should arriveat your left ear before it gets to your rightear. The magnitude of this interaural delaydepends on the distance between your earsand on the angle from which the sound iscoming. The interaural delay will be great-est when the sound source is exactly 90degrees to your left or right and zero whenthe source is directly in front of you.
An extreme example will serve toillustrate how acoustical crosstalk can pro-vide false localization cues. Consider arecording in which the sound source is faroff to the left and the microphones are
JANUARY 1983 41
AUDIO LAB TEST SPECIALPolk SDA-1 Stereo Dimensional Array floor -standingloudspeaker system, In walnut veneer cabinet.Dimensions. 15,4 by 433,4 Inches (front), 113/4 Inchesdeep. Price: $1,700 per stereo pair. Warranty:"limited, five years parts and labor. Manufacturer:Polk Audio, 1915 Annapolis Road, Balltmore, Md.21230.
AVERAGE IMPEDANCE (250 Hz to 6 kHz)one channel driven 3.0 ohms'both channels driven (mono) 8.3 ohms'
'See text
DIRECT SOUNDFROM STEREO
ARRAY
CANCELLATIONSIGNAL FROMDIMENSIONALARRAY
Cancellation of acoustical crosstalk isachieved by means of a second array ofdrivers, called the dimensional array,mounted to the outer side of each speakercabinet's front baffle, slightly more than thewidth of a human head away from the reg-ular stereo array. In the example shownhere, a signal emerges from the left speak-er's stereo array, arriving first at the leftear and slightly later, because of the addi-tional distance traveled, at the right ear(where it constitutes acoustical crosstalk).Simultaneously, a signal comprising a stan-dard right channel component and an out-of -phase left -channel component emergesfrom the right dimensional array. Theplacement of the right dimensional arraycauses the path length from it to the rightear to be almost the same as that from theleft stereo array to the right ear. Conse-quently, the in -phase component from theleft stereo array and the out -of -phase com-ponent from the right dimensional arrayarrive at the right ear at the same time andcancel each other, thereby eliminating theleft -channel acoustical crosstalk.
spaced apart by a distance greater than thediameter of your head. When played backover a conventionally arranged stereo sys-tem, the acoustical crosstalk signal from theleft speaker will arrive at the right earbefore the direct signal from the rightspeaker. The precedence effect will causethe brain to suppress the later -arriving right -channel signal. The brain will then dutifullylocalize the sound as coming from thedirection of the left speaker.
By this logic, it follows that in a con-ventional stereo system no sound can everbe localized outside the limits defined bythe positions of the speakers, regardless ofwhere the sound actually originated at therecording site. This is especially damagingto ambience information, which naturallyarrives from all directions and serves togive a live performance its sense of depthand spaciousness. In conventional stereo,this information is all squeezed up frontbetween the speakers.
To generate a more nearly correctimage, each Polk SDA-1 speaker has twoarrays of drivers, plus a woofer system thatoperates from about 100 Hz down. Thewoofer system consists of two 61/2 -inchactive drivers and a large passive radiator towhich they are acoustically coupled. Aboveeach of the woofer cones (which are side byside on the baffle) is a column of two driv-ers: a 61/2 -inch midwoofer and a dometweeter slightly more than 1 -inch in diame-ter. The inner (or "stereo") column is driv-en by a normal left- or right -channel signal;the outer (or "dimensional") column, how-ever, is driven by either an L -R signal (inthe case of the left speaker) or an R -L signal(in the case of the right speaker). These sig-nals are derived by means of a passivematrixing network and a cable linking thetwo speakers.
The trick is that the two arrays are sep-arated by a distance just slightly greaterthan the diameter of a human head. Know-ing that, consider the following simple (ifrather artificial) case, in which the outputfrom the amplifier to the speakers consistssolely of left -channel information (see dia-gram). That signal will emerge from theinner "stereo" array of the left speaker. Inaddition, an L -R and an R -L signal will bederived by the matrix-in this special case,an L and a -L signal, respectively, sincethere is no right -channel signal. The -L sig-nal emerges from the right speaker's outer"dimensional" array at the same time the Lsignal emerges from the left speaker's ste-reo array. The only element of the signalfrom the left stereo array that is desired isthe one to the left ear: The other path, to theright ear, is acoustical crosstalk.
Now, the right -channel dimensionalarray is displaced just enough to the rightthat its output (-L) will arrive at the right earat the same time as the acoustical crosstalksignal (L) from the left stereo array, so thatthe two cancel. That eliminates the falselocalization cue that otherwise would have
existed because of the crosstalk. But thereis now only one signal, which arrives onlyat the left ear; localization requires signalsat both ears.
The desired localization cue is sup-plied by the L signal from the left dimen-sional array. Although it travels to bothears, it arrives at the left ear after the Lsignal from the nearer stereo array and istherefore ignored by the left ear (because ofthe precedence effect). And because of thedimensional array's displacement to theleft, it takes twice as long to get to the rightear as did the now cancelled crosstalk signalfrom the left stereo array. Consequently,the perceived interaural delay is twice aslong as it would be if the sound source werein the direction of the left loudspeaker. Thiscauses the brain to localize the sound to theleft of the left speaker. (According to Polk,systems that cancel the crosstalk withoutsupplying this additional cue can severelydistort the central image by stretching it toomuch toward the sides.)
How far to the left depends on the lis-tener's distance from the loudspeakers. Ifhe is exactly as far away from an imaginaryline connecting the two speakers as thespeakers are apart from each other, he willhear the sound exactly 90 degrees to hisleft. Moving farther away will cause it tomove gradually around an arc toward theleft speaker; moving closer will create anapparent interaural delay larger than is pos-sible in nature. (For that reason, Polk rec-ommends that you not sit too close to thespeakers.)
Real situations are more complicatedand bring factors such as loudness differ-ences into play as secondary localizationcues, but the basic idea is clear. And it is, inits essence, elegantly simple, despite thenecessary complexity of our exegesis.
Testing the speaker proved to be atleast as difficult a task as explaining it.Diversified Science Laboratories reportsthat measurements of the SDA-1 accountfor more than 7% of the total data it hasaccumulated on loudspeakers since webegan our current testing program in June1981. Frequency response measurementswere especially difficult, since the loud-speakers cannot be operated individuallyand their outputs vary so much according tothe characteristics of the input signal. Thecurves shown here were made using a monodrive signal with both speakers pushedtogether against the rear wall. There is nospecial logic to this nonstandard arrange-ment, other than that the results seem pass-ably consistent with what we hear and withthe general trend of the many other curvesDSL generated. (There do, for example,seem to be mild prominences at around 500Hz and 10 kHz.) We admit that we reallyhave no idea what to make of an off -axiscurve made in this way. And we note thatthese are neither the best nor the worst thatwe obtained. For the record, the smoothestcurve was taken off axis with the right -
42HIGH FIDELITY
channel speaker several feet from the rearwall and the left -channel speaker in anotherroom, muffled with blankets and with thewhole system driven by a right -channelinput.
At any rate, of all the loudspeakerresponse curves DSL has ever run for us,the ones obtained with the Polks are by farthe least consistent or predictive. But giventhe SDA-1's unusual operating principle.we're not too surprised. Take the curvesshown here with several large grains of saltand judge the speakers by ear.
Impedance measurements also posedspecial problems, because the impedancevaries according to how "stereo" the drivesignal is. A mono signal, which exercisesonly the "stereo" arrays, gives a fairlysmooth curve that never drops below 4.8ohms. Left- or right -channel drive bringsthe dimensional arrays fully into operation,along with the stereo arrays, dropping theminimum impedance to 2.4 ohms. In nor-mal use, the impedance would vary contin-uously between these two extremes. Someamplifiers may have difficulty with thisload, although we expect most will getalong fine, provided you don't run anotherpair of speakers in parallel.
DSL measured sensitivity, power han-dling, and distortion in the most conserva-tive possible way-using a mono drive sig-nal with one speaker in the room against therear wall and the other in another room muf-fled with blankets. Sensitivity turns out tobe high anyway, which means that it'sprobably somewhat higher still with moretypical signals. In the 300 -Hz tone -bursttest, the Polk accepted the full output ofDSL's amplifier -62'/2 volts peak. equiva-lent to 27 dBW, or 488 watts, into 8 ohms.
Total harmonic distortion (THD) isgenerally quite low on the SDA- I , evenunder these worst -case conditions. At amoderately loud sound pressure level (SPL)of 85 dB, THD averages less than 1/4% overDSL's entire test range (30 Hz to 10 kHz)and less than '/2% from 100 Hz up. and itdoesn't rise appreciably until a very loud 95dB SPL is reached, where it still averagesless than 1% from 100 Hz up.
In the listening room, we wound up
placing the SDA-Is against the rear wall,where they not only sound somewhat betterbalanced, but also seem to image betterthan when placed away from the wall (afirst in our experience). The overall soundis agreeably smooth, with an occasionaltendency to what listeners have variouslyreferred to as a slight brightness or hard-ness. And the system tends to make somerecordings with large amounts of artificialreverberation mixed into them sound an-noyingly echoey. These have been the onlycomplaints, however.
The SDA- I 's strong suit (to put itmildly) is its imaging, which ranges fromvery good to flabbergasting, depending onthe material. It seems to be at its best withsimply milted jazz and classical recordingsor with heavily produced rock, which it canmake devastatingly dramatic. With goodclassical discs, the soundstage seems toopen up, presenting a greater sense of depthand enveloping the listener more fully in therecorded ambience. The effect seems moresubtle on most heavily multimiked materi-al, but remains ingratiating, nonetheless.
But it's on fancy rock recordings thatthe system can really strut its stuff-soloinstruments thrown out far to the left orright, beyond the confines of the speakers,the sensation of almost falling into thesound, singers made larger than life. (Trythe Beach Boys' "In My Room," forexample, or Pink Floyd's The Wall, ifyou'd like a shiver or two.) It's not natural,of course, but the sort of record we're talk-ing about here is not exactly what you'd callorganically grown, and it really is greatgood fun. We find ourselves listening tounfamiliar recordings on other speakers andsaying to each other, "I wonder what thiswould sound like on the Polks?" And we'regoing to miss being able to find out whenthe time comes to send them back to Balti-more.
These are by no means inexpensivespeakers: Most of you probably can't affordto run right out and buy a pair. We do sug-gest, however, that you at least pretend thatyou can long enough to get an audition. It'sworth the trouble just for the experience.Circle 91 on Reader -Service Card
CorrectionA COUPLE OF ERRORS crept into our reporton the Mirage 2.5 loudspeaker (November,page 30). The first regards the company'sSM-1 loudspeaker, which has been modi-fied since we tested it in April 1981-notreplaced-and remains in the line with thesame model number. The other is the
response chart, which as published repre-sents the 2.5's behavior when placed aboutthree feet from the rear wall. The chart thatwas supposed to have run, showing mea-
surements taken with the speaker againstthe rear wall, is reproduced here. Sensitiv-ity and distortion data in the report alsoreflect wall placement.
EnvironmentsBringing technology home by Christine Begole
"New Life"from KenwoodI'VE LONG BEEN FASCINATED by the possibil-ity of a truly integrated audio system-thatis, one whose component parts complementeach other both aesthetically and function-ally. The designers at Kenwood also seemto be interested in exploring this approachand have come up with what the companycalls the New Life series of "midisize"ensembles. I recently had the opportunity toput the top system in the series through itspaces, and though space prevents me fromdetailing all its virtues, it is in severalrespects one of the most synergisticallydesigned systems I've encountered. Itsappeal. in fact, stems from the functionalinterrelatedness of its separate parts morethan from individual superlatives.
The system consists of a tuner, anamplifier, cassette deck, tangential -track-ing turntable, a cassette storage drawer, anda cabinet that houses them all. Surprisinglycompact. the cabinet is a mere 10 inchesdeep. making it ideal for shelf placement.That means, of course, that the turntablestands vertically, nestled into the left side ofthe cabinet. The electronics, cassette deck.and cassette storage drawer all stack neatlybeside it.
Actual system setup is a breeze. Nov-ices will find the owner's manuals (one foreach component) well illustrated-a goodthing, since their organization is occasion-all knotty. The turntable comes with a pre -mounted cartridge, and you don't even haveto fiddle about with vertical tracking forceor transport screws; the former is preset andthe latter not used. There's only one unusu-al connection to be made: A single cablemust be plugged into a jack marked SYN-CHRO on the turntable and SYNCHRO RECORDon the cassette deck. As I discovered, this
Just 10 inches deep. the New Life systemlends itself easily to shelf placement.
connection is responsible for a large part ofthe system's appeal.
Though its name sounds straight out ofR2-D2's vocabulary, SYNCHRO refers to avery practical function. The cable connect-ing turntable and cassette deck carries acontrol signal from the turntable, orderingthe deck to go into the recording mode assoon as the stylus touches the disc. Provid-ed the tape you've loaded into the deck hasbeen wound past its leader, this extra con-nection offers the possibility of perfectlysynchronized dubs from discs.
If you've never used an almost totallyautomated system before, the New Lifeapproach will take some getting used to.Even the turntable's door is motorized;hinged at the bottom, it opens and closes atthe press of a button. And you can't foul itup by closing it manually; when I absent-mindedly tried just that. the door at firstresisted my push, but then calmly went intoits automatic closing cycle, not the least bitdaunted by my gaffe. The cassette deck.too, will surprise many traditionalists. Fea-tures like automatic bias and EQ selection.music search and repeat, and Dolby C areall easy to love, but automatic level control(ALC) without override and the lack of arecording level meter are both fairly heret-ical ideas in home decks.
Though no ALC can be perfect all thetime, I found this deck's circuit capable offairly even-handed level setting. The dy-namics on the recordings I made were quitenatural, even when I dubbed pieces thatcontained both extremely quiet and loudpassages. (There is, however, a manual"fine tune" control on the back of the deckto correct for objectional dynamic imbal-ances.) My overall reaction to Kenwood'sapproach to level -setting is quite positive. Ifirmly believe that, for the majority of
U
0
2
users, it is much easier to make goodrecordings on an automatic deck of this sortthan it would be on a deck that requiresconstant attention.
The system's frequency -synthesis tun-er is capable of excellent FM reception,even in my difficult location. In addition tosix AM and six FM station presets. the tun-er has a manual stepping mode and an auto-matic station search. Memorizing the fre-quency of your favorite station is a simpletwo -button procedure, or you can save afew seconds by ordering the tuner to mem-orize automatically the first six listenablestations it finds. The tuner's built-in timerwill either please or puzzle you. It can wakeyou up or lull you to sleep with music, butits turn-off interval is preset at one hour.This will undoubtedly distress opera buffswho wish to record a broadcast automatical-ly: The system will switch on at the prepro-grammed time for unattended taping, butwill shut down exactly one hour later.
The system's integrated amplifier israted at a respectable 40 watts (16 dB W) perchannel and includes a simple five -bandgraphic equalizer. I don't usually have thepatience to fiddle about with an equalizer.but Kenwood has taken much of the guess-work out of the equalization process. Achart in the owner's manual suggests possi-ble solutions to common problems; e.g., toincrease bass output from small speakers,push up the 250 -Hz slider.
At $1,400, Kenwood's New Life sys-tem represents an attractive alternative tomix -and -match component ensembles.Though you might put together a more eco-nomical or higher performance setup onyour own, you'd be hard pressed to dupli-cate New Life's compactness, visual ap-peal, and functional synergy.Circle 75 on Reader -Service Card
44HIGH FIDELITY
V DCVideoFrontsLatest video news and products
At the recent Photokina show in Cologne,West Germany, Kodak demonstrated a pro-totype video -display unit for disc -cameranegatives, confirming the film giant'sintention to play an important role in theexploding video market.
Here's how it works: After a disc con-taining negatives is loaded into the videoplayback unit, a CCD (charge -coupleddevice) video sensor converts the film neg-atives to positive images and enhances themfor display on a television screen. The sys-tem is said to yield a color video picturecomposed of more than 350,000 image ele-ments. The bandwidth of the luminance sig-nals is claimed to be more than 3.5 MHz,providing greater resolution than most com-mercial television receivers can manage.Controls in the playback unit permit the
viewer to crop or enlarge the color -cor-rected image. Because color prints can bemade in the usual way from the negatives,Kodak's system requires no video printer.
Kodak's film -to -video techniqueseems particularly attractive in light of theproblems Sony is rumored to be having inperfecting a hard -copy color printer for itsMavica still -image video camera ("VideoCamera of the 1990s?," December1981).
In his announcement to the press,Kodak chairman Walter Fallon asserted thatfilm and video should not be thought of asmutually exclusive technologies. He wasquick to add, however, that the Kodakdevice is still in the exploratory stage andthat the company was not yet committed toits manufacture or sale.
Kodak's prototype video -display systemfor disc -camera negatives provides video"slide" shows on home TV sets; the vid-eo converter also enables the creativephotographer to experiment with variousenlargement sizes and (Toppings. Stan-dard color prints can, of course, be madedirectly from the disc -camera negativesthemselves.
Tension mounts, beads of perspirationform on the forehead, trembling handsreach for the joystick's firing button-buttoo late, you missed again! Video gameplayers may find relief from these frustra-tions with the PointMaster joystick fromDiscwasher. The new design incorporates acontoured handgrip with a convenientthumb trigger at the top of the handle forquick -response firing. A spring -loaded piv-ot is said to provide smoother playingaction, and a 5 -foot cord gives added con-venience. Compatible with the Atari, ScarsTele-game, and Commodore Vic 20 sys-
tems, the joysticks are priced at $17
each.Circle 80 on Reader -Service Card
Professional -style power befits can makefield recording a much less fatiguing expe-rience. The I2 -pound Model 12AH fromVDO-PAK Products consists of fourrechargeable gell-electrolyte batteries en-cased in an adjustable (27-50 inches) nylonbelt. Capable of powering a 12 -volt porta-ble VCR and camera for up to seven hours,the Model I 2AH comes with a float chargerthat monitors the batteries during recharg-ing; once full power has been restored(twelve hours), the float unit switches tostandby coming back on only to top off the
batteries periodically. The Model I2AH ispriced at $250.Circle 82 on Reader -Service Card
Dirt and oxide are scrubbed from tapeheads, capstans, and pinch rollers of Beta -format VCRs by the Gen 11 cleaner fromAllsop. The new unit is said to be even gen-tler to tape heads than the Gen I system,which it replaces. A softer cleaning ribbonis the key to the device's improved perfor-mance, says the company. A specially for-mulated cleaning solution is applied to theribbon prior to use. Priced at $30, the Gen IIincludes a supply of cleaning fluid and areplacement ribbon premounted in a slip -incartridge.Circle 79 on Reader -Service Card
JANUARY 198345
VIDEO
TubeFoodNew video programming: cassette, disc, pay and basic cable by Susan ElliottVideo Cassettes
FEATURE FILMSCBS/Fox Video: Author! Author!: VisitingHours; Moses: Megaforce; Taps.Embassy Home Entertainment: Para-dise; Swamp Thing: Horror Rises from theTomb.
Paramount Home Video: Grease 2: AWoman Called Golda : The Bad News Bearsin Breaking Training: Joseph Andrews:Hurricane; Jonathan Livingston Seagull.RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video:Fail Safe; Hanover Street: Monty Pythonand the Holy Grail: Love and Anarchy: ToForget Venice.Thorn EMI Video: I'm All Right Jack;Heavens Above; The Harder They Come:The Playboy of the Western World: That'llBe the Day; Hobson's Choice: Lust for aVampire: Whisky Galore; The Return:Morgan-A Suitable Case for Treatment:Rattle of a Simple Man: The Winslow Boy;Lucky Jim: The Final Programme; ByDesign: Below the Belt.Vestron Video: Young Doctors in Love:Angle of H .E.A .T.; Improper Channels:The Europeans: The Innocent: Pepper;Seniors.Video Dimensions: Ballad of a Solider;Ugetsu: Rashomon: Grand Illusion (allsubtitles); The Goon Movie (Stand Easy);La Strada: The Lodger (silent film); RobotMonster (Monster from Mars).Walt Disney Home Video: Tron.
MUSIC/STAGE SHOWSRCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video:Richard Pryor Live on Sunset Strip: DianaRoss in Concert.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMINGEmbassy Home Entertainment: The Rac-coons on Ice (animated).MCA Videocassette: The Best of MarvelComics; Walter Lantz Presents 10 ClassicCartoons Featuring Woody Woodpeckerand His Friends.Media Home Entertainment: Puss 'n'Boots; The Night Before Christmas: SilentNight (all animated).MGM/UA Home Video: Spaceketeers;Danguard Ace: Dr. Seuss Video Festival.RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video:Mr. Magoo, Vol. 5 (animated).Walt Disney Home Video: Man Poppins:Alice in Wonderland: Babes in Toyland;Snowball Express: Fun and Fancy Free:Disney's Storybook Classics.Warner: Tip Top wih Suzy Prudden (twocassettes-ages 3-6 and 7 and over); The
Looney Tunes Video Show, Nos. 1-7.
SPORTS/INSTRUCTIONMasterVision: Body Building; Women'sand Men' .s Mixed Pairs, 1982 World Cham-pionships.MCA Videocassette: Aerobic Dancing;Jazzercise.NFL Films Video: Super Bowl XVI: NFL'81; Pittsburgh Steelers-The Champion-ship Years: Coming of Age-The Story ofthe Dallas Cowboys: America's Team-The Dallas Cowboys 1975 -79; Wake Upthe Echoes (Notre Dame documentary).Paramount Home Video: Aerobicise-The Beginning Workout: Vic Braden's Ten-nis for the Future.Vestron Video: How To Beat VideoGames: The New Video Aerobics.
Video Discs
FEATURES FILMSCBS/Fox Video (laser): Casablanca: TheGood, the Bad, and the Ugly: MASH: ThePink Panther; Fiddler on the Roof; TheAdventures of Robin Hood.CBS/Fox Video (CED): S.O.B.: Return ofthe Street Fighter: Black Orpheus: Gettingof Wisdom; Final Conflict: Julia: Chu Chuand the Philh' Flash: The Spiral Staircase;There's No Business like Show Business;The Paper Chase: Notorious; Norma Rae;Death Hunt: Capricorn One; Game ofDeath; Damien -Omen 2: A Change of Sea-sons; / Ought To Be in Pictures: The MoonIs Blue; Ring of Bright Water: Lenny; BusStop: An Unmarried Woman; Six Pack.Taps: Visiting Hours; Author! Author!.MCA Videodisc (laser): Private Lessons:Ghost Story: Battlestar Galactica; Missing:The Border: Cat People; Dead Men Don'tWear Plaid; The Deer Hunter.MGM/UA Home Video (laser): DoctorZhivago: Wizard of Oz: 2001: A SpaceOdyssey: Fame: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, AnAmerican in Paris: The Goodbye Girl: Net-work; Tarzan, the Ape Man (1980): That'sEntertainment: True Confessions; Briga-doon: The Champ: Forbidden Planet:Coma: A Day at the Races.Paramount Home Video (laser): SomeKind qf Hero.Vestron Video (laser): Fort Apache, theBronx; Meatballs; Butterfly: Angel ofH.E.A.T.; The Private Eves: The Cannon-ball Run: And God Created Woman: TillMarriage Do Us Part; Good Guys WearBlack; Go Tell the Spartans: Dick Cavete sHocus Pocus It's Magic; Young Doctors inLove.
Walt Disney Home Video (laser andCED): Tron.
MUSIC/STAGE SHOWSCBS/Fox Video (CED): Harry Chapin inConcert.MGM/UA Home Video (laser): The Com-pleat Beatles: The First Barry ManilowSpecial.
Vestron Video (laser): Here It Is Bur-lesque.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMINGMGM/UA Home Video (laser): Tom &Jerry Cartoon Festival, Vol. I.Optical Programming Associates (laser):Fun & Games.
SPORTS/INSTRUCTIONOptical Programming Associates (laser):Belly Dancing-You Can Do It!RCA SelectaVision (CED): Red on Round -ball.
Pay Service Premieres(Check local listings for availability andschedules.)
Cinemax: Loose Shoes; Meatballs; TheNight the Lights Went Out in Georgia: ThisSporting Life: Bite the Bullet: Love forRent: To Die of Love; Whose Life Is It Any-way?: Cannonball Run: Dead End.Home Box Office: Superman 2: Across theGreat Divide: Rollover: Four Friends;Neighbors; Gallipoli: On Location: OliviaNewton -John in Concert; George Carlin atCarnegie Hall.Showtime: Superman 2: Time Bandits;Rollover; Gallipoli: Pennies from Heaven;Whose Life Is It Anyway?: American Pop;Coast to Coast; Second Hand Hearts: DieLaughing: Smash Palace; The Last Metro:The Tall Target; The Unknown Man: Mys-ten Street; Scene of the Crime: Adventuresof the Wilderness Family; Manny's Or-phans: Mark Twain Theater: The ThingAbout Feudin' ; Sinbad and the Eye of theTiger: Willie Wonka and the ChocolateFactory; JFK-One Man Show: The Doo-bie Bros. Farewell.The Movie Channel: Superman 2: FourFriends: Gallipoli: Time Bandits: Rollover;Whose Life Is It Anyway?: Pennies fromHeaven; Smash Palace: Birgitt Haas MustBe Killed; Heay Metal; Vice Squad: Urgh!A Music War: The Last Waltz: The Mouseand His Child: The Man Who Skiied DownEverest; Liar's Moon: The Burning: ChainReaction: The Deer Hunter: Les Girls; TheMusic Man: Man of La Mancha.
46HIGH FIDELITY
HANDS-ONREPORT
JVC GX-S9U ColorVideo CameraAn automatic camera to please the creative videographer
This Hands -On Report was conducted under the supervision ofEdward J Foster. Consulting Technical Editor of HIGH FIDELITYand Director of Diversified Science Laboratories
WITH VIDEO GEAR. "top -of -the -line" usu-ally connotes either higher performance ormore features. In the case of the JVC GX-S9U color video camera ($1,100), it meansboth; in fact, this is one of the most feature -laden high-performance cameras we haveever tested.
The heart of the GX-S9U is a 2/4 -inchSaticon pickup tube. Less susceptible thanVidicon sensors to picture lag while pan-ning and to image burn (loss of detail) underbright light, Saticon tubes are similar tothose used in professional video cameras.This pickup tube is protected by an auto-matic shutter whenever power is switchedoff. Nonetheless, JVC advises that the lensbe capped except during shooting and that itnever be pointed directly at the sun or otherstrong light source. For prolonged tube life.JVC also recommends that the camera beused at least one or two hours every sixmonths.
The GX-S9U comes equipped with an01.6 power zoom lens (12.5 to 75 mm focallength range) with macrofocusing ability.
There's a choice of two zoom speeds and anoverride for manual zooming. In normaloperation, the lens can be focused down to4 feet by means of a well -knurled ring locat-ed in front of the zoom lever; to focus closerstill, a release button on the ring switchesthe lens into macro operation.
The electronic viewfinder employs aI 1/2 -inch black -and -white CRT coupled to amagnifying lens and eye cup. Indicators forexposure. VCR mode (PAUSE or RECORD).
tape motion, low battery, white balance,and color filter are visible in the viewfinderas on -screen symbols. These take some get-ting used to, but they're remarkably help-ful. For instance, as the light level dimin-ishes and the automatic iris opens wider, ahorizontal line in the viewfinder moves up.(This same line also indicates the recordingmode by changes in its length.) For verylow light, there's a sensitivity switch on thecamera body to increase the gain electrical-ly, albeit at the expense of more videonoise. In the high -sensitivity position. thecamera is rated for operation at 50 lux. Invery bright light. the lens hood can beremoved and a neutral -density filterscrewed into place to reduce sensitivity.
The automatic iris works extremely
well. But the GX-S9U also offers the cre-ative photographer some unusual alterna-tives. You can freeze any iris setting bypulling out a small knob; by pulling it outstill further and rotating it, you can adjustthe iris manually. Pushing the knob into theintermediate position freezes the adjust-ment until you either pull to reset or press infor a return to automatic operation. Theability to freeze the lens opening is veryhelpful when panning over light and darksubjects, or when a white object moves inand out of the scene. In normal automaticoperation, such conditions would changethe background illumination in an unnaturalfashion. And, of course, the ability to setthe iris manually is helpful when shootingbacklit subjects.
White -balance adjustments arc madevia two three -position switches and a pair ofknobs. One switch chooses the approxi-mately correct balance for halogen or tung-sten light (3200° Kelvin). fluorescent light(42(10'). or daylight (5200°). When the sec-ond switch is at PRESI.II. the camera is bal-anced for whichex cr of the three color tem-perature settings you've chosen. (An LEDin the viewfinder warns when you'veselected other than daylight filtration.) By
0 ViewfinderDisplays
0
0 0 0. - .
-
Manual white -balance adjustments are quick and simple. Just point the camera at a white object
and rotate Rw and 81.11: controls until the three hori:ontal lines merge, as in sequence above.
0 0 -""0111.Wrlk, 0 0Low -battery condition issignaled by a partiallyblanked out screen (left).
0Though exposure control is automatic, a short horkontal line indicates the relative apertureopening: the line extends across the viewfinder- to the right to indicate recording pause.
JANUARY 198347
0U
0
00
Viewfaut,,- eveptece swivels 180' for a vari-ety of sh itning positions.
r0
Press a fm Ion on the focas ring .1). -macro operation.
switching from PRESET to MANUAL, you canadjust the color balance however you desire(using the RED and BLUE rotary controls)while watching on a color monitor. A thirdposition, WHITE -BALANCE ADJUST, causesthree horizontal lines to appear in the view-finder. To balance the color, you just pointthe camera at a white object and manipulatethe RED and BLUE until the lines are super-imposed. We found the PRESET choice per-fect for outdoor recording; indoors, under.nixed tungsten and window light, a touch-up with RED and BLUE was desirable.
The GX-S9U has a nifty automaticfade system. You can fade to either black orwhite as well as join the audio to the videofades. A light touch on AUTO FADE creates afive -second fade to black or white releas-ing the button accomplishes the reverse.Pressing AUTO FADE firmly yields almostinstant fadeout. Of course, you can see theresults in the viewfinder. The system isgreat for piecing together a number ofscenes with professional smoothness. Wepreferred fading to white, because manyTV sets will not hold a black picture.
On the audio side, the camera has a
JVC
uI-J
VCEO
NNSITNIT
JP
3= OM
j C
Most camera controls are located on one(Imo:jou panel.
built-in unidirectional condenser micro-phone on a short, sliding boom. We foundthe affixed windscreen fairly effective, butwe were less than impressed with themike's sound quality. Not to worry: Plug-ging any low -impedance mike into theChannel I jack on the rear of the cameraautomatically disconnects the built-inmike. The camera actually has provisionsfor twc microphones for stereo recording onVCRs so equipped. A mono deck willrecord only the Channel I (left) input,although, with the MIKE MIXING control Onthe rear panel, you can blend the secondmike's input with the first. The relative mixis continuously adjustable from no mix (ste-reo) to full mix (mono).
You can monitor the recording with anearplug or a stereo headset equipped with a
miniature stereo phone plug. A mosioisTE-REO switch ensures that you will hear a mixof both left and right channels when moni-toring with an earplug or full stereo when
C
P. NANO
Mill
MONO
STEREO
F HOPE
ROft CONNECTIONSEE INSFRUCTONNIAbIJAL
A panel on Me cam erc's aft endcat tains 11.17? conne70.-, mike in-puts., audit" nixing ord;ols, aidhe--dphone 91.iput.
listening with a regular headset.The electronic viewfinder is detach-
able and theoretically could be used offcamera. However, its connecting cable isvery short, and we see no extension for it itJVC's list of available accessories. (Thereare only two options listed: The CA-P25Uadapter supplies external power to the cam-era and makes connections to a VCR thatlacks the necessary ten -pin coax fitting; theVC -235 -IOU extension cable adds 33 feetto the 8)/z -foot multiconductor cable sup-plied with the camera.)
The mam body of the viewfinder (con-taining the CRT) mounts horizontallyacross the forward portion of the cameraand can be moved laterally to adjust theeyepiece. However, since the viewfinderextends only to the left of the camera (look-ing forward), left-handed persons may findcamera operation somewhat awkward.Slotted controls on the viewfinder allowyou to adjust the contrast, brightness, and
48HIGH FIDELITY
VIDEO
0.&A.Your video questions answered by Edward I. Foster
QI have two questions about con- fleeting cables. How fir from a
VCR can you operate a video camerawithout affecting picture quality? Andhow far can you place your VCR from a7V set without incurring ill effects?-Jason Richman. St. Louis, Mo.
AMost video camera manufacturers specify in the owner's manual the
maximum cable length that can be used. I
have found that fifty to sixty feet is aboutthe limit, and that should be more than ade-quate for most situations. Your TV set canbe even farther away from the VCR if youuse high -quality coaxial cable properly ter-minated at both ends.
Qrm considering replacing my twelve -year -old TV set with a state-
of-the-art model. If possible. I wantsomething that I can use with a homecomputer. I've heard a lot about combi-nation monitor/receivers; would one ofthese be better for my circumstances thana conventional set?-Thomas McDonald.San Diego, Calif.
AYes, but your question merits discus - sion. Many people are confused
about the new television configurations andtheir applications. Generally speaking. aTV system composed of separate compo-nents should have greater resolution, bettercolor, better sound. and more flexibilitythan a mass-produced console.
If you intend to watch broadcast TV on
your monitor, you will also need a tuner.And you may need an audio amplifier andspeakers for the sound. The combinationmonitor/receiver you arc interested in hasall these elements.
If you choose a barebones video mon-itor. you could use your VCR's tuner sec-tion. Ultimately, however, you will proba-bly want a separate tuner so you can watchone program while recording another. Foraudio, you can use your present high fidel-ity system, assuming you watch TV and lis-ten to music in the same room.
Regarding your computer, the highresolution of the better TV monitors comesin handy for most computer display appli-cations, but I don't know of any color TVreceiver (or monitor) that is capable ofreproducing the fine detail required forword processing. (I'm writing this column.for instance, on a high -resolution green -on -black display with an I8 -MHz bandwidth: agood color TV is lucky to manage a band-width of 3.5 MHz.)
It's also important that your monitorand computer be compatible. Some com-puters generate an RGB (red -green -blue)color signal, others an NTSC compositesignal, while a few have no direct videooutput at all. Generally, only very expen-sive color monitors accept RGB inputs.Most monitors take the composite videoinput, and monitor/receivers usually acceptboth composite video and ordinary RF-modulated signals. If you plan to use thecomputer's direct video output (preferablebecause of its higher resolution). make surethe monitor you choose can accept it.
What this all means is that a goodamount of thought should be given to thetype of television set you'll buy when theold one finally drops dead. Take into con-sideration all of your future video needs-for broadcast TV, VCRs, video discs, videogames, and computers-and then consultyour bankbook.
QI own a Voss Novabeam Model One projection TV set, which has a
six-foot screen. I also have a Magnavi-sion fourteen -day programmable VCR.I'm interested in buying a Pioneer Laser -Disc player, but the salesman in my ste-reo store has discouraged me. statingthat the picture quality on my projectionTV set will be worse when using the La-serDisc system than it is with the VCR.Pioneer's advertisements claim that thepicture quality is better. Please advise.-I. Czomy. Downington, Pa.
AIn my experience, the LaserDisc sys- t,:m has much better resolution than
the average VCR. Although I haven't usedone with a projection TV set. I'd expect thebetter detail to be well -suited to the six-footsystem.
Because the image is so much largerand the average user tends to sit six to tenfeet from the screen, any loss of detail ispainfully apparent on a projection TVscreen. If you're satisfied with the pictureyour VCR produces, I think you'll bedelighted with the LaserDisc. Try it, andthen invite your dealer over. He needs someeducation.
focus of the black -and -white image. (Theydo not affect the operation of the Saticontube.) The lens and eyecup can be flippedout of the way if desired, and the mirror/lens/eyecup assembly can be pivotedthrough 180 degrees so you can hold thecamera at waist level or above your headand still see the image. Very neat.
The GX-S9U is no lightweight (61/4pounds with viewfinder), but it's quite con-venient to carry and use. A long handgrip ispermanently affixed to the bottom of thecamera by a pivot with three detents. Whenyou're simply transporting the system, thehandgrip locks up against the bottom. Thecamera is then carried by a molded bar ontop. At the fore end of the bar is an acces-sory shoe for a halogen lamp or other suchdevice.
When using the camera, the handgrippivots down and locks in the perpendicularor swings forward about 135 degrees. Thelatter position is recommended if you want
to rest the camera on your shoulder. (Aheavy metal loop pulls out of the rear of thecamera and lengthens it rearward by severalinches for more secure shoulder place-ment.) Your hand slips through a securitystrap, and the three handgrip controls -RECORD/PAUSE. ZOOM WIDE, and ZOOM TELE-
PHOTO-lie conveniently under the thumb,index finger, and middle finger. respective-ly. The camera also can be tripod mounted,using a standard screw fitting on the bot-tom. JVC suggests that only the SamsonModel 4-73010-7 tripod with Model 4-72300-3 cam head is sufficiently sturdy foruse with the GX-S9U.
Before you go out in the field with thiscamera, make sure that your spare VCRbattery is fully charged. The GX-S9Udraws a hefty seven watts while recording.When the battery in your portable VCRstarts to run down, the camera alerts you bywhiting out the left quarter of the viewfind-er. Perhaps because of the inadequacy of
the VCR battery pack we were using, theviewfinder signal gave us only a minute orso of warning before total shutdown.
While the position of the viewfindermakes this camera inconvenient for leftiesand the microphone is no better than aver-age, the GX-S9U has a great deal going forit. Its remarkably versatile iris and color -balance controls are just part of the story.Once you've used a camera with an auto-matic fade as flexible as this, you'rehooked; home video recordings take on aprofessional flair that's hard to live without.And then there's the stereo recording capa-bility and a viewfinder that can literally putyou above the crowd. Last, but certainlynot least, is the Saticon pickup tube. Underdecent lighting conditions, color and defini-tion are excellent, and there is much lessimage lag than we've experienced with thecommon Vidicon. Obviously, we are muchimpressed with the JVC GX-S9U. HFCircle 89 on Reader -Service Card
JANUARY 198349
HF's Music CriticsTake On theCompact DiscThe digital millenium is (finally) at hand; but how does it sound?by Allan Kozinn
FIVE YEARS AGO, the words "digital record-ing" began creeping into the record collec-tor's vocabulary. At first, they describedwhat seemed some kind of closely guardedstate secret-a developing technology ru-mored to yield noise -free recordings with a
dynamic range and timbral fidelity beyondanything conventional "analog" recording
could achieve. Soon enough, the technolo-gy's first products appeared on the market,proffered by small, audiophile labels thatnot only were eager to experiment with thenew digital recorders, but took great care inthe mastering and disc -cutting processes topreserve whatever edge digital recordinggave them.
The Compact Disc (foreground, center) and its forebears (clockwise, from left): the Edisonwax cylinder, acoustical and electrical 78s, and 33- and 45-rpm microgroove discs
What Are "Digital Compact Discs"?THE SONY CUP -I01 USED in these listening ses-sions is among the first players available (some-time this spring in the U.S.) for true digital discs.These discs, called Compact Discs or CDs, arefundamentally different from the familiar 12 -
inch long-playing phonograph record-muchsmaller (only 43/4 inches in diameter), groove-
less, and almost immune to physical contamina-tion and abuse. They are also essentially perfectcopies of the master tapes from which they aremade-literally the last word in fidelity.
The musical information is encoded be-neath the surface of the disc as a sequence ofmicroscopic pits, representing binary ones andzeros. The digits, in turn, represent instructionsfor assembling a signal that is an exact replica ofthe one originally recorded. This construction jobis left to the player, which reads the pits in thedisc surface with a low -power laser. Since thedigital information is protected by a clear plasticfinish and is played back with a beam of light.
there is absolutely no wear. There are also noclicks and pops and no surface noise.
"Digital" LPs are not true digital discs inthe sense that CDs are. Rather, they are hybrids:analog records made from digital master tapes.The LPs used in the classical listening session fallinto this category. The CDs used for that sessionare pure digital records made from the same dig-ital master tapes. On the other hand, the CDsused in the pop session are a reverse sort ofhybrid: digital discs made from analog mastertapes. And the LPs that were used for comparisonare pure analog products, from start to finish.
For more information on Compact Discsand the Sony CDP-101 (including its remarkableand very handy operating features), see thehands-on report in last month's HF. We are nowin the process of acquiring test discs for CompactDisc players. This will enable us to bring theminto our normal test report program when theplayers hit the U.S. market.-M.R.
These first "digital" discs (actuallyhybrids-digitally recorded originals con-verted to analog form and sold as conven-tional, needle -on -vinyl LPs) were high-priced, and often documented less thanmemorable performances. But they soldlike hot cakes, and soon the major labelslaunched digital recording programs andbegan marketing specially mastered, pre-mium -priced lines.
Today, major -label classical LPs arerecorded digitally wherever practical. Theexpense and scarcity of digital multitrack-ing equipment have limited entirely digitalpop productions, although the process isnow frequently used during the mixing andediting stages, as a way of preserving fidel-ity from one tape generation to the next.
The reactions of critics and performersto all of this have been mixed. Some note agreater clarity on the hybrid discs. Othersinsist that the higher -grade vinyl and themore careful disc -cutting techniques usedin making these LPs are more significantfactors in their improved sound. Still othersargue that listeners who find digital soundan improvement are either hallucinating orgullible; some even insist that the processyields a colder, harsher, and for certain tim-bres, less natural sound than the best analogrecordings.
From the start, we have been told thatany problems we hear on hybrid LPs arefunctions not of the digital process, but ofother weak links in the chain. In fact, thesituation is much more complicated. Forexample, flaws in microphones and record-ing technique previously masked by tapenoise, high -frequency compression, or oth-er problems peculiar to analog recordingwould quickly be exposed by digital record-ing. These would be faithfully passed onfrom the digital tape to whatever mediummight be used for distribution to consum-ers, whether long-playing phonographrecord or pure digital disc. Digital discs(and very well -made LPs) might evenappear to compound the misery in somecases by exhibiting little or none of the son-
50HIGH FIDELITY
is degradation and loss that normallyaccompanies the transfer from master tapeto LP. The only valid way to assess thefidelity of any process is to compare its out-put directly to its input-something we arenot at the moment in a position to do asregards digital recording.
But now that the availability of thefirst home digital playback system is immi-nent, we at least have an opportunity to getsome inkling of what lies in store. Devel-oped jointly by Philips and Sony, it plays a4.7 -inch Compact Disc (CD)-a three -lay-er sandwich of digitally encoded impulses,scanned by a laser. Already available inJapan, the first players and a selection ofpopular and classical CDs will appear inEuropean and American audio shops thisspring. Last month, HIGH FIDELITY pub-lished a hands-on report on Sony's firstCompact Disc player, the CDP- 101, andthe editors decided, since the player was onthe premises, to assemble some of the mag-azine's record reviewers to ascertain theirfirst reactions to the system.
Having gathered a selection of LPs andtheir CD counterparts (from Japan), weconducted a series of head-on comparisons,either synchronizing the two and switchingfrom one format to the other, or listening toentire tracks in both formats. During ,hesynchronized A/B comparisons, we nor-mally knew which format was on, althoughduring one selection, only the switcherknew which was which, and the criticsevaluated the sounds (four out of five cor-rectly identifying the CD) after the play-ing.
The tests were held in two sessions,
the first for pop critics, the second for clas-sical. All were given copies of the CDP- I01report by technical editor Michael Riggs[December 1982], who was present throughboth sessions to explain the digital process,answer questions, and do the disc switch-ing. Yet it is probably fair to say that thecritics were unswayed by Riggs's enthusi-asm for the CD medium: At the start of thesessions, several voiced reservations aboutdigital recording, based on their experiencewith the hybrids; and although the testschanged some opinions about the sound,most of the critics continued to voice reser-vations about the merits of a formatchange.
Critics at the pop session includedSusan Elliott !managing editor/BAcKBEATeditor), Stephen Holden, J. B. Moore, andJohn Milward. At the classical session werePeter G. Davis, Harris Goldsmith, andDavid Hamilton. James R. Oestreich (clas-sical music editor) and I attended both.
The equipment: In the digital corner,the Sony CDP-101. The analog player wasa Linn Sondek LP -12 turntable with anSME 3009 Series II Improved tonearm anda Shure V-15 Type V cartridge. Both werefed through an Apt/Holman preamp and anApt Model I power amp; for the one CX-encoded LP, we used a Sound ConceptsSX-80 decoder. We experimented withB&W 801F speakers and a second pair butquickly decided that switching betweenradically different -sounding speakers onlyclouded the digital/analog comparison; thedifference between the speaker systems wasconsiderably more striking than the differ-ence between the LPs and CDs played
through both.The three pop recordings-Billy
Joel's "52nd Street," Simon and Garfun-kel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," anda contemporary jazz disc, "One on One,"by Earl Klugh and Bob James-weredrawn from analog masters (one of themmore than a decade old) and therefore posedspecial problems not met later in the day,when the classical panel compared LP andCD versions of digitally recorded material.Chief among these is tape hiss, particularlyon the old Simon and Garfunkel recording.Since the CD is a literal copy of the mastertape. without any of the compensations(bass roll -off and blending) that take placein the LP mastering process, the master'stape hiss remains intact.
Ironically, the bright sound of tapehiss is partially masked on LP by the dullervinyl noise; and while it may simply be aquestion of familiarity with LP sound, sev-eral critics found the unmasked tape hiss onthe CD more "uncomfortable" than thecombined tape hiss and surface noise of theLP. To be fair, the impression should not beleft that the music was buried in hiss, and ason any tape, hiss was noticeable especiallybetween selections. Lacking access to theactual master tapes, we could not comparethe original sound with the CD; one canreasonably assume, however, that, in thetransfer from master tape to CD, no new
tape hiss was introduced by the digital pro-cess.
Testing began with Billy Joel. The analogversion, CX-encoded, had a clean, clearsound. We made A/B comparisons of sev-
HF critics (from left): John Milward, David Hamilton, Harris Goldsmith, Allan Kozinn, J.B. Moore, Stephen Holden, Peter G. Davis
eral tracks-Big Shot, Stiletto, Rosalinda'sEyes, and Until the Night. For me, twoqualities stood out in the CD version: Thebass sound was noticeably richer, and thepercussion, though certainly crisp enoughon LP, became more tangible. Othersagreed and offered additional observa-tions.
"The CD gave a clearer sense of everykind of instrumental profile and timbre, andthe vocal profile was much clearer," Hol-den commented. "But the differences wereso marginal, overall, that they could really
Kozinn: "I doubtedthat the CD couldimprove on theKlugh/James LPsound. I was wrong."
only be appreciated by an obsessive audio-phile."
Elliott, and indeed all of us, found thedifferences between the two systems negli-gible at first-as Riggs assured us shouldbe the case when the music's dynamicrange is not too great and the LP is carefullymade and played back on top-quality equip-ment. But after listening to the digital forawhile, Elliott added, "The analog soundwas mushy, relative to the digital." Bothshe and Oestreich were particularly both-ered by the shrill sound on CD of a saxo-
phone solo that sounded more natural onLP. They would voice a similarobjection tothe string sound on the Simon and Garfun-kel CD later in the session.
Moore, an independent record produc-er and perhaps the most technically -orient-ed of the critics, was often the most specificin his reactions. "I was surprised that thetop was not a lot more present, having heardsome digital tapes at mastering plants; but itwas a bit more transparent, no questionabout it, and it reproduced that lovely echosound on Until the Night very nicely. Thebass had more size to it. I agree with the restthat it's a subtle difference; but from mypoint of view, anything that doesn't havepops and clicks is okay if it sounds as goodas the analog."
The absence of pops and clicks isindeed one of the CD's most impressivegivens. Allied thereto-in that it relates tothe system itself rather than to its sound-isthe player's ease of operation, whichimpressed the critics at both sessions. TheSony CDP-10 I resembles a cassette deck incertain respects: Among its controls are for-ward, reverse, fast -forward, and fast -reverse buttons. To operate it, you simplypress a button that activates a tray on the
Forthcoming CDsTHE FOLLOWING TITLES are drawn from Poly -gram's worldwide production list and representonly a small part of its initial CD package. Noneis scheduled for official release in the U.S. beforemid-1983-by which time many more titles willalso be available-and some may not appearhere at all. Most (but not all) classical titles arederived from digital masters, most (but not all)pop titles from analog masters. The informationfurnished for some titles is incomplete, and allplans are, of course, subject to change. The clas-sical list uses the following abbreviations: Ac(Academy), Ch (Chorus, Choir), 0 (Orchestra,Orchestre), P (Philharmonic), Qrt. (Quartet), S(Symphony).
tar. Philharmonia 0, Ashkenazy.Strauss, R.: Don Juan; Tod and Verklarung;
Till Eulenspiegel. Detroit SO, Dorati.Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps. Detroit SO,
Dorati.Verdi: La Traviata (excerpts). Sutherland, Pa-
varotti; London Opera Ch, National PO,Bonynge.
Luciano Pavarotti: Best -Loved Tenor Arias.Luciano Pavarotti: Verismo Arias.Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti: Operat-
ic Duets.
52HIGH FIDELITY
front of the machine, put the disc on thetray, and press another button that takes the
tray and CD into the player. To cue up atrack, you can use either the forward andreverse buttons-the track number and acount of minutes and seconds elapsed into
the track are displayed-or a remote con-trol that allows you to tap the track numberdirectly into the system. Thus, you canreorder tracks at will, and once the desiredtrack (or point therein) is located on the dis-play, the machine will play it without fur-ther fine-tuning.
The elapsed -time display is particular-ly handy to find specific passages within atrack. In the classical session, we used thisfacility several times to note suspected tapesplices, to which we wanted to return at theend of the movement. Another featureallows you to replay passages of any lengthover and over: Simply punch in the startingand ending times of the section, and themachine returns to the start of the passageautomatically, until you release the func-tion. Also of interest is a fast -forward con-trol that allows the music to be sampledsped -up, yet at original pitch. One critic lik-ened this sound to that of a distant, just -out -of -range FM station.
Moore: "I wonderwhether labels willremaster for thisdisc. It's a wholenew ball game."
Turning to Simon and Garfunkel, wemade direct A/B comparisons of BridgeOver Troubled Water, and then heard TheBoxer straight through, first on CD, then onLP. A dozen years old-and a lavish pro-duction for its day-the "Bridge" albumpointed up both benefits and drawbacks,and raised a few questions.
"The differences were much morenoticeable this time," Oestreich said. "Thevoices had much more character on the dig-ital recording-there were many vocalqualities apparent on the CD that were not
on the LP. On the other hand, the stringsound [on Bridge] was god -awful. And onthe CD version [of Boxer] the sibilants wereoveremphasized."
Milward also noted certain peculiari-ties in the CD version: "That little bass -harmonica effect [in Boxer] sounds almostcomic; I didn't notice it as much on analog,possibly because that's the sound I'm usedto hearing. There's a fascinating philosoph-ical dilemma here: In pop music, the per-formers and producers arc often going foreffects, but when you put this on an ultra-
OISEAU-LYRE
Bach: Violin Concertos, S. 1041-43. Schroder;Ancient Music Ac, Hogwood.
Handel: Messiah (excerpts). Ancient Music Ac,Hogwood.
Handel: Water Music; Royal Fireworks Music.Ancient Music Ac, Hogwood.
PHILIPSBach: Brandenburg Concertos (6). St. Martin's
Scarlatti, A.: Concerti grossi. I Musici.Schubert: Trout Quintet. Brendel; Cleveland
Qrt.Strauss, R.: Also sprach Zarathustra. Boston
SO, Ozawa.Stravinsky: Firebird. Concertgebouw 0, C.
Davis.Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4. Pittsburgh SO,
Previn.Wagner: Overtures (3). Concertgebouw 0, De
Waart.Waldteufel: Waltzes. Vienna Volksoper O.
Bauer-Theussl.
Boston Pops 0: Digital Overtures. Williams.Jose Carreras: Popular Italian Songs. English
CO, Milner.Jessye Norman: Popular Sacred Songs.Vienna Ch Boys: Folksongs.Vienna Volksoper 0: Famous Waltzes. Bauer-
Theussl.
Pop
LONDON/DECCA INTERNATIONAL
Camel: The Single Factor.Camel: The Snow Goose.Mantovani: The Golden Hits.Moody Blues: Days of Future Past.Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks.
PHONOGRAM INTERNATIONAL(PHILIPS/MERCURY)
Aphrodite's Child: Greatest HitsArt Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Night in Tuni-
sia.Boomtown Rats: V Deep.Lindsey Buckingham: Law & Order.J.J. Cale: Grasshopper.Dire Straits: Communique.Dire Straits: Dire Straits.Dire Straits: Makin' Movies.Dr. Hook: Players in the Dark.Dutch Swing College Band: Digital Dixie.Four Tops: Tonight.Genesis: Abacab.Genesis: And Then There Were Three.Elton John: Jump Up!Elton John: The Fox.Elton John: 21 at 33.Kiss: Unmasked.Paul Mauriat: Best of.Steve Miller: Greatest Hits.Steve Miller Band: Circle of Love.Van Morrison: Beautiful Vision.Van Morrison: Into the Music.
The Platters: Greatest Hits.Eddie Babbitt: Step by Step.Demis Roussos: Demis.Rush: Moving Pictures.Soft Cell: Nonstop Erotic Cabaret.Status Quo: Never Too Late.Status Quo: / + 9 + 8 + 2.Status Quo: 12 Gold Bars.Rod Stewart: Best of10 cc: Greatest Hits.10 cc: Ten out of Ten.Thin Lizzy: Lizzy Killers.
POLYDOR INTERNATIONAL
Abba: Greatest Hits.Abba Super Trouper.Abba The Visitors.Barclay James Harvest: Berlin-A Concert for
the People.BeeGees: BeeGees' Greatest.BeeCees: Saturday Night Fever.Eric Clapton: Timepieces.Fame: Soundtrack.Jean Michel Jarre: Equinoxe.Jean Michel Jarre: Magnetic Fields.Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene.Jon and Vangelis: Friends of Mr. Cairo.Jon and Vangelis: Short Stories.King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson
King.James Last: Classics.James Last: Romantische Triiume.James Last: Tanz mal Tango.Rainbow: Best of.Rainbow: Straight Between the Eyes.Rosy Music: Avalon.Rosy Music: Flesh and Blood.Roxy Music: Manifesto.Vangelis: Chariots of Fire.Visage: Anvil.Visage: Visage.The Who: Tommy.
JANUARY 198353
clean system, the effects become com-pounded and seem to become somethingelse altogether."
Holden found this less bothersome:"The most noticeable improvement, forme, was Art Garfunkel's voice-the sub-tleties in the timbre of the singing, whichsounded much richer on CD. 1 think thatproduction technique, in which all theinstrumentation is deliberately turned intoan echoed, artificial sound, becomes a littleweirder when the sound is presented in acleaner format. But I like it-it's supposedto be that way, so it doesn't bother me. I'vealways thought the strings sounded stridenttin Bridge,] and they sound more so in dig-ital. There is also that muddy, low -frequen-cy roar, which is discernible on LP, butwhich becomes much more of a roar onCD. That abstract, thunderous qualitycomes off much better in digital, yet somepeople may find that disturbing. What youhave is six of one, half a dozen of the oth-er-the sonic improvement of somethingthat is made to sound artificial."
Moore ventured some technical obser-vations on the transference to CD of mastertapes created for LP. "In my experiencemastering records, I find that when you lis-ten to the results, you listen most closely tothe sound you get from the acetates, partic-ularly on top. And invariably, I find that if Ipush the high frequencies a bit-around10-12 kHz -1 end up with a little presenceon the LP that I would otherwise not have.But that is taking into account that I'll begoing through a few generations of moth-ers, fathers, stampers, and finally, thecrummy vinyl used in this country.
"Now if these tapes were taken andrun into digital with the equalization leftintact, then there might be six tons of extra10-12 kHz on them, meant to defeat what-ever losses would occur in the disc -cuttingprocess but superfluous for a CD applica-tion. That could account for the problemswe heard in the sax sound on the Billy JoelCD, or the strings and sibilants on"Bridge." The transfer engineers in the CDprocess may have decided that they don'tneed compression any longer, but perhaps abit of compression might bring that stringsound back to what the original producers
and artists intended as their final product.What I wonder is whether the labels are justgoing to take their analog masters and dumpthem onto CD in a nonchalant fashion, orwhether they will see that the key to doingthis right is to go back and remaster with thesound of this disc in mind. Because it reallyis a whole new ball game."
Time was running out as we got to theKlugh/James disc, so we focused on onetrack. Winding River. selected for its broadtimbral spectrum and particularly for RonCarter's extraordinarily colorful bass play-ing. Using neither electric instruments norextensive postproduction, it provided somenecessary contrast in the pop session. Weheard the LP version first, and I, for one.considered the sound so crisp and well-rounded that I doubted the CD couldimprove on it much. I was wrong: As on theBilly Joel CD, the percussion here could befelt rather than simply heard. The acoustic-guitar sound. especially the note attacks,was even brighter and more realistic than onthe perfectly acceptable LP. and the unusu-
Hamilton: "Um afraidthe CD sound letme hear more clearlywhat the performersweren't doing."
al, bending timbres and subtle shadings ofthe bass playing were even more striking.There was general agreement on thesepoints.
"This was the most dramatic exampleof the difference between LP and CD we'vehad," said Holden. "All the instrumentalvoices, including every little percussiveeffect, were much clearer, and the entiresound was enormously brightened. Theonly instrument that didn't seem to beaffected was the piano. The whole experi-ence was more percussive than on LP."Moore concurred, adding that the CD'ssound was "outrageously good-clear andcrispy."
Milward was less impressed. "Inoticed an improvement in the sound of thecymbals. but overall I didn't catch thatmuch of a differencc, and reflecting backon all we've heard, I noticed the differencebetween CD and LP more on the tracks thatincluded voice. So while I agree that thepercussion seemed to jump out more, thegeneral atmosphere of the music remainedrelatively the same."
Elliott's reaction to the entire test,however, was more in line with Holden's
and Moore's. "In the recordings I knowbest-Billy Joel and Simon and Garfun-kel -1 felt a great deal of discomfort listen-ing to the CD versions. There were certainaspects that sounded better or cleaner, buton the whole, the digital results soundedvery superficial and sharp to me. NormallyI like an edgy sound, but there was almosttoo much of an edge here. Perhaps it'sbecause I feel uncomfortable hearingrecordings I know with a different soundquality."
The classical session was markedly differ-ent in several respects. For one thing, weused discs made from digital master tapes.These included Lorin Maazel and theOrchestre National de France in Holst'sPlanets; Rafael Kubelik and the BavarianRadio Symphony in Mozart's Jupiter Sym-phony and Bruckner's Fourth; and a CDsampler containing selections from severalPolygram (Philips. DG. London) releases.The performances on these recent releases.new to most of us, themselves became sub-jects for discussion. Such judgments wereat first considered beyond the scope andagainst the ground rules of the test. But itsoon became apparent that a relationshipbetween digital clarity and performancequality did indeed exist and that certainper-formance -related comments had to be con-sidered fair game.
Actually, performers themselves havemade the point about the relationshipbetween performance quality and sonicclarity. During an interview a few yearsback, Maazel -who had then just complet-ed his first digital sessions, and who hadheard a prototype CD player during a tourof Japan-told me that "digital recordingwill divide the men from the boys. There isno place to hide-no electronic noises youcan duck behind, none of the sonic tinker-ing that can make even the worst orchestrasound acceptable, no adding of sheen to thestrings. You can hear everything perfectly.and when the public has an opportunity tohear true digital sound. it will notice that thedifference between first-class and second-and third-class playing is enormous. I wel-come it."
The critics agreed with Maazel's anal-ysis wholeheartedly; in fact, it was hisPlanets recording that got both the testingand the observations about performancequality underway. We started with"Mars," in a "blind" A/B test; Riggsswitched formats at two -minute intervals. Ifound it fairly easy to identify the CD ver-sion, although the difference in clarity wasslight. Hamilton. not trying to decide whichwas which, noted a slight improvement inthe two sections that turned out to be CD.Ocstreich, on the other hand, thought heheard "more openness in the sound of theanalog sections."
Davis also identified the CD correctlybut added, "it's pretty subtle, in fact, it'shard to tell. I mean, how are we supposed to
54HIGH FIDELITY
separate the sound of the recording from thesound of an orchestra that's playing likepigs? The ensemble itself was so mushythat improved sound doesn't do anythingfor it."
Goldsmith, like Oestreich, preferredthe "greater depth of sound" of the LP ver-sion. In fact, of all the critics at both ses-sions. Goldsmith seemed to have the stron-gest reservations about the vaunted meritsof digital recording. He arrived in time tohear the jazz track at the end of the popsession and commented that. "perhaps it'sthat we're listening to this at high volume ina windowless room, or perhaps it's some-thing intrinsic in the system. but I felt a kindof cold, discolored sound where everythingis clinically analyzed but very unreal. Myinitial reaction is very negative." After"Mars," he reacted similarly: "Both theLP and the CD had the kind of antisepticcoloration a lot of recordings tend to havethese days: I don't know whether it's thedigital process. or just the microphoning, oreven the way orchestras arc encouraged toplay by certain conductors, but I don't likeit."
Goldsmith soon changed his mind.Laying Planets aside (for the moment), weturned to Kubelik's Mozart, and played thefinale twice-LP, then CD. The differ-ences, which had been fractional in ThePlanets, were quite dramatic in the Mozart.My own reaction was one I haven't entirelybeen able to analyze; I not only found theCD version son/catty better, but felt it gavethe performance itself a more captivatingedge.
Davis reacted similarly: "This timethe CD was incredibly different from theLP; it even made the performance sounddifferent. On the LP. all that invertiblecounterpoint seemed very foggy and indis-tinct, but it all just blossomed on the CD."Hamilton, equally impressed, felt that here.too, the improved sonics shone a brightlight on performance details. "The CDsound was quite good. even down to thedeep bass. It didn't quite make the contra-basses play as cleanly as I'd hoped they'dcome across-I'm afraid the CD sound letme hear more clearly what they weren'tdoing."
Goldsmith, on the other hand, waxedrhapsodic: "This sounds like the kind ofthing you hear in the studio when you playback a master tape during a recording ses-sion-it has that kind of immediacy you getfrom the tape. Also, the little clicks, pops,and defects, really nOt all that terrible on theLP, just disappeared here, and that is a def-inite point in the CD's favor. Beyond that, Ifound the sound rounder and fuller andmore lifelike. You hear more of the reso-nance. the sound of the bow on the strings.and the puffiness of the winds. I cat mywords: I could listen to this ad infini-um."
"1, too, found the sound almost three-dimensional here." Oestreich added.
"Wouldn't it be ironic if this is the musicdigital recording turns out to serve best.when all the record companies have beenassuming it would be the big sonic block-busters?"
Even so, we thought we would returnto those sonic blockbusters to get an idea ofthe CD's ability to reproduce broad dynam-ic ranges. A 90 -dB dynamic range has beenclaimed for the CD, compared with an opti-mistic 60 dB on LP; but testing this is dif-ficult, since most music employs a consid-erably narrower range. Rock and baroquemusic, for instance, require a dynamicrange of only 20 to 30 dB, well within theLP's grasp. It is in the late -Romanticorchestral works that the larger range isneeded, and so we turned next to the Bruck-ner Fourth. Alas, we had no LP version forcomparison.
A single hearing of the first movementproved instructive, though. "Far more thanwhat it did for the loud parts," Oestreichnoted, "I was impressed with the sound inthe quiet parts. The end of the development
Davis: "I wonderwhat I would havethought of thoseold Cetra operas ifI'd had them on CD."
section was astonishing." Hamilton. "Sowas the clarity of the tremolo strings in thebeginning." Oestreich: "And to hear all ofthat with no surface noise to disturb you isamazing." Equally tantalizing-this entiresixty -eight -minute performance is comfort-ably accommodated on a single disc side.Although current marketing plans call forone-sided CDs that play about an hour, bothsides can be used, and the disc is obviouslycapable of holding more than an hour oneach; thus, should the companies decide topackage CDs this way, some full operascould fit on a single CD, with only one sidebreak.
Still in search of wide dynamics, wereturned to The Planets, this time trying"Mercury," a mostly quiet movement witha central climax and a nice array of wind,string, and tuned -percussion timbres.Again we were sidetracked by performanceproblems. What seemed a clearly exposedsplice-or at least a sonic shift-could beheard only on the CD, and string playingthat sounded merely poor on LP provedlaughable under the glaring light of CDreproduction. "The overtones, the vinylnoise, and the comparative thinness of the
LP add a kind of bizarre atmosphere to thatversion," Goldsmith observed, "but whenyou take those things away, what's left isjust dull playing."
Davis wondered "whether this is
going to have any effect on who makesrecords now. I don't see how a record likethat will be able to get away with being onthe market. In fact, considering the way thissystem tends to point up both the best andworst aspects of the performances we'veheard, I wonder what I would have thoughtof those old Cetra opera sets I listened to onmy Webcor when I was fifteen if I'd hadthem on CD. How on earth would I listen tomusic now?"
We finally found what seemed anunusually wide and brilliantly capturedexample of the CD's dynamic range on thePolygram sampler, in a Solti/Chicago Sym-phony recording of the Rakoczy Marchfrom Berlioz' Damnation of Faust, and aKarajan/Berlin Philharmonic performanceof the second movement from the Shosta-kovich Tenth Symphony. In both cases, the
discrepancy between the sot test and loudestpassages, and the clarity achieved in both,were startling. We liked, in these digitallymastered selections, the way a full orches-tra (plus chorus, in other examples) sprangout of the CD's complete silence, and Ham-ilton noted yet another of the system's com-forting aspects: "What I'm finding moststriking is the sound at the top of the range.You no longer worry about whether theflute sound is going to be distorted."
In several examples, we also notedsome odd sonic shifts that indicated eithernewly exposed splices or perhaps somedial -twiddling in the tape -mixing stage.This, combined with such widely disparateperformance standards, indicated that pos-sibly one of digital sound's biggest prospec-tive advantages in classical recording is theeffect it will have on players and producers,both of whom will have to approach theirarts with greater honesty and more refinedtechniques.
One final test remained. When Philipsbegan demonstrating its prototype CD andplayer at audio shows in 1979, it issuedpress kits full of technical specs, illustra-(Continued on page 90)
JANUARY 198355
Glenn Gould (1932-1982)by David Hamilton
GLENN GOULD was an extraordinary pia-nist. at the height of his powers, and he willof course be missed for that reason alone;we can never have enough such performers.But he was something rarer as well, a musi-cian who took nothing for granted, from thefundamentals of piano technique andsound. through the generally accepted con-cepts of style and interpretation, to thewhole idea of performing public concerts.One doesn't have to have agreed withGould's conclusions about any of thesematters to recognize the value of the ques-
tions he asked, and to regret deeply that heis no longer around to ask further ques-tions.
Let me call attention here to but oneaspect of Gould's uniqueness. In an histor-ically -minded age, he remained an old-fashioned nonhistorical performer-andnot merely in his insistence on playing Bachon the piano. Every aspect of his playing-tempos, phrasings, dynamics, textural con-ceptions, and, of course. expressive charac-ter-grew principally from Gould's owninner resources, from his acute if highly
personal perceptions about each individualwork and from his very decided musicalsympathies and antipathies. In his youth hehad been fascinated by Artur Schnabel's"way of looking almost directly at themusic and bypassing the instrument. . . .
He didn't seem to care about anything butthe structural concept behind the music."Gould's playing (especially of Beethoven!)was nothing like Schnabel's, but he clearlyaspired to a similarly penetrating vision ofmusical structure.
Like Schnabel, Gould was a child ofhis time-which may seem a truism untilyou reflect upon how many pianists of hisgeneration have their roots somewhere likea century ago. Schnabel belonged to amusical tradition strongly influenced byBrahms and Schoenberg. and his playingresponded to the same aspects of music thatthose composers thought crucial. Schoen-berg played a major role in Gould's back-ground as well, but his ideals of sound andtexture clearly owe more to the neoclassi-cism of Hindemith (whom he admired) andeven Stravinsky (whom he did not) than tothe Brahmsian complexity of Schoenberg.Another model, I fancy, was the playing ofWanda Landowska-not that he tried inany way to imitate the harpsichord, butrather that he was inspired by it to seek anequivalent contrapuntal clarity on the pia-no. Having achieved that-and how!-hehad little truck with those aspects of harp-sichord style derivative of that instrument'sarticulative peculiarities (e.g., the exten-sive agogic accenting so subtly exploited byplayers such as Gustav Leonhardt). Equallyunhistorical is the brilliantly successfulattempt. in his last recording of the Gold-berg Variations, to achieve a kind of conti-nuity of overall movement and tempo thatBach almost certainly never dreamed of;this is an achievement of intellect, tech-nique, and perception that must enormouslydeepen our profound sense of loss at hispassing. HF
What the RecordingProcess Means to Meby Glenn Gould
This item, previously unpublished and kind-ly furnished to us by CBS Mastenvorks,formed the script for a segment of a Mas-terworks in-house video project. Gould wasasked to address the question "What doesthe process of recording mean to you?"
Our "fee" for this article took theform of a contribuion to the Glenn GouldMemorial Scholarship Fund at the Univer-sity of Toronto. Readers who would like tomake similar contributions may do sothrough: The Dean. Faculty of Music-, Uni-versity, of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario, Can-ada MSS 1A1 .-Ed .
I THINK THAT THE FINEST compliment onecan pay to a recording is to acknowledgethat it was made in such a way as to erase allsigns, all traces, of its making and its mak-er. Correction: Its makers; as we all know,recording is a collaborative enterprise. Thewhole. long, complicated chain of eventsthat begins in the studio when somebodypresses a button and says. "Take one," andculminates when the master product leavesthe pressing plant and makes its way intothe world, justifies its existence and.indeed, its complexity only by the degree towhich it can make itself-make all the
ingenious technical feats that play their partin it-invisible.
Do you remember, back in the Sixties,that there was a ubiquitous buzzword called"process"? (As a matter of fact, I'm notsure that "buzzword" was a buzzword ofthe Sixties, but "process" certainly was.)Anyway, it became a very overworked termand a very abused concept, even though theexcesses that were perpetrated in its namehad their roots in a perfectly understandablepride of craft. Avant-garde filmmakers, forexample. deliberately-defiantly, even-drew attention to the process of their work
56HIGH FIDELITY
by disturbing its natural syntax, by chal-lenging the expectations of the viewer, bysaying, in effect. "You were expecting areverse angle on this shot, were you? Sor-ry-no such luck, and oh, by the way, thisis a film, is a film, is a film, so we have leftthe counter in at the head of the next reel:four, three, two, one. . . ." Well, youknow the sort of thing I mean.
Of course, in all fairness, we in therecord business weren't altogether free ofthese aggressively technologized process -pieces either. As a matter of fact, if any-body cares to remember a record called"The Medium Is the Massage," with Mar-shall McLuhan, you will know exactly whatI mean.
Well. I was always fascinated with thenotion of process-still am. really-but Itried to convey my fascination in a moreclandestine way. I was given to sayingthings like. "Look here, there are 162splices in the next movement, but sincewe've made them very carefully and you'renot going to be able to spot them anyway,stop worrying about it." My point, ofcourse, was, and is. that a recording repre-sents something special-that it isn't a rep-lica of a concert experience, that it isn't amemento of some hallowed public occa-sion, that it is. inherently, an art form withits own laws and its own liberties, its quiteunique problems and its quite extraordinarypossibilities.
And that brings us back to "process,"because, despite all the self-conscious silli-ness with which that concept has been asso-ciated from time to time, it neverthelessimplicitly conveys a very important idea -1was going to say "massage," but skip it. Itconveys the idea that the performance,while it may have initiated the chain ofevents, undergoes a profound metamorpho-sis as a result of its exposure to that chain,to that network, and the result is a perfor-mance transformed, a performance tran-scended. a performance sent out into theworld, if you like, charged with a very spe-cial mission. In my opinion, that mission isto enable the listener to realize the benefitsof that invisible network, that climate ofanonymity which the network provides.
You know, this is a very cloisteredenvironment, this world of the recordingstudio; that's why I love it so. I don't mean"cloistered" in the physical sense only.though it certainly does share in that aspectof the cloister too. What I do mean is thatit's, quite literally, an environment wheretime turns in upon itself, where, as in acloister, one is able to withstand the franticpursuit of the transient, of the moment -to -moment, day-by-day succession ofevents.
This is, after all, a place where, in thefinal product. the first take may well be pre-ceded by the sixteenth, and where both maybe linked by inserts recorded years later.It's an environment where the magneticcompulsion of time is suspended-well.
warped. at the very least. It's a vacuum, in asense, a place where one can properly feelthat the most horrendously constrictingforce of nature-the inexorable linearity oftime-has been, to a remarkable extent,circumvented.
So, if you ask me what's really impor-tant about recordings-and I'm speakingnow not simply as someone who partici-pates in making them, from time to time.but as someone who also listens to them alot-I'd have to say that it's the uniqueability of a recording to involve the listenerin the music or in whatever the substance ofthe recording happens to be. while at thesame time separating that listener from allextraneous biographical data-from allconcern with its documentation, its prepa-rations, its performances, its postproduc-tion processes, and so on.
What I'm describing, I think, is not, inthe conventional sense, either an active or apassive listener. I'm obviously not describ-ing someone who sits in the stands andcheers on the home orchestra; that mayseem like an activity, but it's real') the ulti-mate in herdlike passivity. On the otherhand. I'm not describing someone whoflops on a prayer rug and contemplates his
navel while waiting for the next chordchange in the latest minimalist masterpiece,either. (I hasten to add that I've nothingagainst prayer rugs, or even navels; I dohave a wee prejudice against minimalistmasterpieces. but that's another story.)What I'm trying to describe is, for want of abetter word, a creative listener-a listenerwhose reactions, because of the solitude inwhich they're bred, are shot full of uniqueinsights. These are insights which will notnecessarily duplicate or overlap those of theperformer or the producer or the engineers;they're insights which initiate a new link inthe chain of events, a new link in the net-work. It's a link which holds out the possi-bility that the work we do here doesn't nec-essarily come to an end when the final prod-uct is dispatched from the pressing plant,but rather that, from that point on, it willhave consequences which we can't begin tomeasure, ramifications which we can't pos-sibly attempt to quantify. and that, eventu-ally. like a benign boomerang, the ideaswhich feed on those consequences, theideas which, out there in the world of thecreative listener, begin to take on life oftheir own, may very well return to nourishand inspire us. HF
Closing the Circle:The Goldbergs RevisitedReviewed by James R. Oestreich
IT TAKES THE WIND out of one's sails. Thetext was to have been Glenn Gould's dic-tum "The only excuse for recording a workis to do it differently" (which should prob-ably not receive wider circulation withoutthe quick qualification he appended in aninterview with Tim Page: "If. however,that difference has nothing of validity tomusically or organically recommend it. it'sbetter not to record the work at all"); thereview, examining the implications of thatstatement for rerecording. was to haveincluded two other remakes of very "differ-ent" Bach recordings-the BrandenburgConcertos of Neville Marriner and Niko-laus Harnoncourt. I started with Gould'sGoldbergs. listening first on what I laterlearned was his fiftieth birthday. As alwayswith him, I found much to infuriate me. butas always, his performance set me to think-ing, for hours and even days afterward. Iftruth were known. I became obsessed withthe pianist, reading Geoffrey Payzant'sGlenn Gould: Music and Mind and goingback to old recordings. Thus, when I hearda week later that he had suffered a stroke,and on the following Monday that he haddied, a strong sense of personal irony min-gled with all the other imponderables sur-rounding the life and death of this singular
artist. I lost heart for the rest of theproject.
What Gould attempts here is nothingless than to grasp the work whole, and it ishis remarkable degree of success that ulti-mately dissolves accumulated quibbles.When I finally returned to the recording,having totally reconsidered the perfor-mance and my initial reaction to it. the tem-pos of the aria at beginning and end (veryslow and still slower) no longer seemedexcruciating. (All to the good, too. Var.25-whose slowness and oppressive gravi-ty in Gould's famous 1955 debut recordingI still do find excruciating, especially in thathigh-strung context-here proceeds moreresolutely and blends well with a mellowedinterpretation.) And some of the articula-tion that seemed merely cute or precious atfirst now fitted more logically into thekaleidoscope of tone colors.
I have often railed against the lopsidedtreatment of repeats in a binary structure-observance of one, but not the other-andwill doubtless do so again. In principle, Iwould rather have no repeats, as in Gould'searlier recording. Here, however, the issueseems largely irrelevant. Gould takes onlysome first repeats, those in the canons and afew other variations-thirteen in all. But in
JANUARY 1983 57
the repeats, as elsewhere within variations.he freely shifts articulation, coloration.weight. or emphasis: in addition, he sweepsfrom one variation to the next after little orno pause (the transitions range from thejolting attaeca into Var. I and the smoothglide into Var. 2 to full stops of various-seemingly precisely calculated-lengths).All of this gives a rhapsodic cast to the workas a whole, making it seem less a row ofbinary puddles than an impetuous. flowingstream. It's clear that Gould has somethingmuch larger on his mind than individualvariations.
Yet compelling as his conception is. Isuspect that even Gould. in his calmermoments, would not have argued the inev-itability of just these first repeats. With anaesthetic so thoroughly shaped by record-ing. he seems here-with some fifty-oneminutes of Goldbergs-too much tied tothe constraints of the LP. It would havemade for a more expensive, less salableproduct, of course. but I can't help wishinghe had begun with four sides of vinyl spreadout before him, to see how much he wouldhave filled-and how he would have doneso-in the "best" of all worlds. Though hefrequently touted the "limitless possibili-ties" of recording, it may be that Gould'sart, like Stravinsky's. thrived on limitation.But Bach's doesn't.
That there are still features here that Idon't like (yet?)-a hasty Var. 6. a bottled -
Original cover of Goulds 195i Goldberg.
up Var. I9-simply doesn't matter: no per-formance, even among those I've admiredfrom the outset, has ever furnished morefood for thought after a single hearing orafter subsequent ones. This time around,Gould has truly made the work his own andgiven us a performance to live-andgrow-with.
Even before the inscrutable twist offate lent Gould's last major Bach recordingstill greater significance. CBS had everyreason to assume-and must devoutly havehoped-that this renowned Bachian's in-terpretation would be the version to find itsway into many a one -Goldberg household.The more regrettable. then, that the label'svaunted "new look" accommodatesscarcely a word of information about the
work beyond its date of composition.(Room is found for a photo of the olderrecording's "original cover design," inwhich the words "An historic record debutrechanneled for stereo" are clearly legible.)The annotations are devoted largely to Sam-uel H. Carter's paean to CBS's "famous"30th Street Studio-a curious documentthat smacks of corporate infighting. Fol-lowing the final Goldberg sessions, CBSRecords (not, be it noted, Masterworks)shut down the studio. "victim of thechanged fortunes of an industry that hasbecome as multinational as any other and ascompetitive." An additional, anonymousnote provides further tribute to the studioand, in lieu of useful information, a tease: Athorough explanation of the pianist's "newapproach would, according to Gould, entaila complete written anal sis. in an almostbook -length essay, of the 'thirty very inter-esting but independent -minded pieces' thatmake up the Variations-a fascinatingprospect, to be sure." In retrospect. thesimple sin of omission becomes a crueljoke. HF
BACH: Goldberg Variations, S. 988.Glenn Gould, piano. [Glenn Gould and
Samuel H. Carter. prod.] CBS MASTERWORKSIM 37779 (digital recording). Tape: HMT 37779(cassette). [Price at dealer's option.]
COMPARISON:
Gould CBS M 31820
NOT JUST HI-FI BUYS ANYMORE!Call us on all Atari computers, games, accessories, too.
EVERY NOW AND AGAIN friends who knowthat I am a Messiah fanatic ask me to rec-ommend the best recording. My shortanswer is that there isn't just one-and onlypartly because Messiah has been so fre-quently recorded that there have been atleast a dozen excellent accounts.
A keyboard virtuoso and composer ofthe highest caliber, Handel was also a prac-tical musician and entrepreneur-an eigh-teenth -century Stephen Sondheim. DavidMerrick. Lester Lanin, and Keith Jarrett allrolled into one. He owned at least an inter-est in the production companies that pre-sented his operas and oratorios. He also fre-quently acted as impresario, organizing andpromoting his own concerts. None of hiscompositions was graven on stone; he con-sidered them all subject to revision, notonly to improve them, but also to meet thepractical requirements of particular perfor-mances. He often altered works to suit thecapabilities of available performers.
In the case of Messiah, these observa-tions are especially pertinent. Contrary topopular belief, the oratorio was not animmediate hit in England. After its initialsuccess in Dublin, Handel took it back toLondon. where it met with indifferencefrom the general public and outright hostil-ity from those who-with the tacit supportof Edmund Gibson, then bishop of Lon-don-considered it sacrilege to perform asetting of biblical texts in a theater, withpopular stars as soloists.
Teri Noel Towe, a partner in the New Yorklaw firm of Gan:, Hollinger, and Towe,hosts classical -music broadcasts on WKCRand WBA1 . His vaunted abhorrence of mod-eration-the very reason we recruited himfor such a task-made it impossible for usto present a complete discography in a sin-gle installment in time for Christmas, asplanned: but at least the late ChristMas (orearly Easter) shopper will find some guid-ance here, more next month.
Messiah:ReduplicationWithoutRedundancyA Handel maven begins a trekthrough the editions and therecordings, past and current.Reviewed by Teri Noel Towe
Its first three seasons in London -1743, 1745. and 1749-Messiah flopped.Not until 1750, a couple years after ThomasSherlock had succeeded Gibson as bishop,did it catch on; Handel gave two benefitperformances-the second by popular de-mand-in the chapel of the Foundling Hos-pital, an orphanage of which he was a trust-ee. Thereafter, Messiah became a staple ofhis annual spring season of oratorios for therest of his life.
Practically every year that he present-ed it. Handel made changes, rewriting,transposing, or replacing individual num-bers. Some alterations were intended toimprove the work's pacing, but most weredictated by the strengths or weaknesses ofsingers available for particular perfor-mances. For instance, the aria "But whomay abide" originally was scored for basssoloist. In 1750, 1751, and 1753, Handelwas blessed with the services of the remark-able castrato alto Gaetano Guadagni (laterto create the role of Orfeo in Gluck's opera)for whom he wrote the revised form of"But who may abide" now familiar. Aboutthirty years after his death, this version,with its vibrant prestissimos, began to beassigned to a bass soloist-which it neverwas by Handel-a practice that persists tothis day. even in some otherwise "histori-cally accurate" performances.
Handel, of course, wouldn't have giv-en a damn about such later adaptations. Apragmatist and a businessman, he knew thatchanges and compromises are often neces-sary for the show to go on. Pace, ye righ-teously indignant purists, Handel surelywould have endorsed the changes, cuts, andadditions that have helped to insure Messi-ah's status as the longest -running hit showin musical history; its universal popularityhas not waned in 240 years. He would nothave objected to the replacement of the"obsolete" harpsichord continuo andwould have understood the beefed-up cho-
ruses and orchestras later generations feltnecessary for effective presentation in con-cert halls of vastly increased size. He con-sidered Messiah, like all his other works, aliving, breathing organism, a document assusceptible to interpretation, change, andamendment as the United States Constitu-tion.
In the twentieth century, however, wehave become accustomed to think in termsof "final" or "definitive" versions of com-positions, musical and otherwise. By thelate -nineteenth century, a "standard" ver-sion ofMessiah-a combination of the var-ious alternatives that tallies with no versionHandel himself presented-came to beaccepted by performers and audiencesalike. These choices, made for extramusi-cal as well as musical reasons over the near-ly 150 years since Handel's death, werecodified-for the English-speaking world,at least-by Ebenezer Prout in his perform-ing edition. published in 1902. For numbersthat exist in more than one authentic form,Prout selected and printed only the versionthen most popular; since these are the ver-sions most of us know as "definitive," alist of his choices is presented in the accom-panying box.
As is well-known, Handel wrote Messiahin twenty-four days during August and Sep-tember 1741, rested a week, wrote the ora-torio Samson in one month, rested a fewdays, and then left for Dublin to present aseries of subscription concerts. While heworked on Samson, his longtime friend andbusiness associate John Christopher Smith,Sr., was busy deciphering the Messiahscore and preparing the fair copy fromwhich Handel would conduct for the rest ofhis life. This manuscript contains muchinvaluable information concerning whosang what in which production and-together with evidence that can be gleanedfrom the composing score, surviving word
JANUARY 1983 59
books, and contemporary manuscripts cop-ied by Smith and his assistants -reveals agreat deal about the various changes Handelmade during the eighteen seasons prior tohis death on April 14, 1759, eight days afterhis last performance of the work.
During the winter of 1741-42, Handelbegan to tamper. He rewrote the opening of"Thus saith the Lord," shortening it by twomeasures and changing it from an arioso toan accompanied recitative. He also sup-pressed the original form of "How beauti-ful are the feet," a dal segno aria that sets,in its central section, the words now famil-iar from the chorus "Their sound is goneout." He substituted another number, analto duet leading into a chorus, to a differenttext that also begins with the words "Howbeautiful are the feet." The premiere pro-duction of Messiah in the spring of 1742had no version of "Their sound is goneout."
Indeed, the Messiah Handel intro-duced in Dublin was a rather makeshiftaffair, and the oratorio was never again pre-sented in that form. Having taken only threevocalists -two sopranos and an alto -withhim from England, Handel had to rely onlocal talent for the rest of his soloists. Ham-pered by the weakness of his tenor and bass-es, he ended up substituting recitatives forthree arias -the original bass versions of"But who may abide" and "Thou art goneup" and the tenor aria "Thou shalt breakthem." He also reassigned other solos tohis own singers, taking care not to tax themmore than necessary.
Notwithstanding the captions embla-zoned across record covers, Messiah hasnever been recorded as Handel premiered iton April 13, 1742 -nor is it possible to doso, since the recitative substituted for"Thou art gone up" has not survived. Jean-Claude Malgoire's CBS account is the latestto be billed as the Dublin version. Yet aseven the most cursory scrutiny of extantsources and relevant literature shows, themusicological preparation was embarrass-ingly slipshod. To catalog the most egre-gious mistakes:
I) "Ev'ry valley" is given in thefamiliar post -1745 version with two mea-sures excised from the opening and closingritornello.
2) "But who may abide" and "Thoushalt break them" are not sung in the reci-tative forms; the correct aria forms of thosenumbers and of "Thou art gone up" areused, however.
3) "Rejoice greatly" appears in a curi-ous, completely un-Handelian hybrid oftwo early forms. He initially wrote it as astrict da capo aria in 12/8. Early on, prob-ably between the Dublin and London pre-mieres, he shortened it appreciably, split-ting the original opening section into twosegments, separated by the original centralsection. Malgoire gives the opening sectioncomplete in the original form, then followswith the central section and shortened
Prout's Messiah
Part II. Sinfonia2. Comfort ye My people (tenor recit.)3. Ev'ry valley (tenor aria)4. And the glory of the Lord (chorus)5. Thus saith the Lord (bass recit.)6. But who may abide (alto aria)7. And He shall purify (chorus)8. Behold, a virgin shall conceive (alto recit.)9. 0 thou that tellest good tidings (alto aria and cho-
rus)10. For, behold, darkness (bass recit.)1 1. The people that walked in darkness (bass aria)12. For unto us a Child is born (chorus)13. Pifa (long version)14. There were shepherds: And lo! the angel of the Lord
(sop. recit.)15. And the angel said unto them (sop. recit.)16. And suddenly (sop. recit.)17. Glory to God (chorus)18. Rejoice greatly (sop. aria) (4/4 version)19. Then shall the eyes of the blind (alto recit.)20. He shall feed His flock (alto, sop. aria)21. His yoke is easy (chorus)
Part II22. Behold the Lamb of God (chorus)23. He was despised (alto aria)24. Surely He hath borne our griefs (chorus)25. And with His stripes (chorus)26. All we like sheep (chorus)27. All they that see Him (tenor recit.)28. He trusted in God (chorus)29. Thy rebuke hath broken His heart (tenor recit.)30. Behold. and see (tenor aria)31. He was cut off (tenor recit.)32. But Thou did'st not leave (tenor aria)33. Lift up your heads (chorus)34. Unto which of the angels (tenor recit.)35. Let all the angels of God (chorus)36. Thou art gone up on high (bass aria)37. The Lord gave the word (chorus)38. How beautiful are the feet (sop. aria) (revised ver-
sion)39. Their sound is gone out (chorus)40. Why do the nations (bass aria) (long version)41. Let us break their bonds asunder (chorus)42. He that dwelleth in heaven (tenor recit.)43. Thou shalt break them (tenor aria)44. Hallelujah! (chorus)
Part Ill45. I know that my Redeemer liveth (sop. aria)46. Since by man came death (chorus)47. Behold. 1 tell you a mystery (bass recit.)48. The trumpet shall sound (bass aria)49. Then shall be brought to pass (alto recit.)50. 0 death, where is thy sting? (alto. tenor duet) (short
version)51. But thanks be to God (chorus)52. If God be for us (sop. aria)53. Worthy is the Lamb (chorus)
.reprise.4) "Then shall the eyes," "He shall
feed His flock," and "If God be for us" areall sung by soprano, as written, not by alto,as actually sung in Dublin.
5) "How beautiful are the feet"appears in the dal segno version Handel dis-carded before the Dublin premiere. Ironi-cally, this error inadvertently furnishes oneof the album's strongest selling -points; thefirst recording of the aria's original version.it fills a gap in the discography and makesthe set invaluable for every true Messiahmaven.
6) Malgoire presents "The trumpetshall sound" in its post -1745 dal segnoform rather than as the full da capo aria
Handel used in his first three productionsand cuts the reprise of the opening ritornelloin "He was despised." which Handel nevertreated as anything but a full da capoaria.
7) The duet "0 death, where is thysting?" appears in its revised twenty -four-
bar version rather than the original forty-one bars Handel presented until 1749 or1750.
Using period instruments and a choirof men and boys, Malgoire follows Han-del's instrumentation scrupulously -tooscrupulously, in fact, for he omits Frenchhorns. While there are no extant horn parts.the accounts for the benefit performances atthe hospital show that two horn players fig-ured in the ensemble. In early -eighteenth-
century performance practice. as confirmedby the Samson score, horns would havedoubled the trumpets at the lower octave inthe choruses in Parts II and III.
With an instrumental ensemble some-what smaller than Handel's, Malgoirestresses the dancelike qualities inherent inmany movements. This approach works tothe definite advantage of the jiglike "Re-joice greatly" but seriously detracts from acontemplative aria like "I know that myRedeemer liveth." At times -such as inthe arioso "All they that see Him" and theensuing chorus "He trusted in God" -Malgoire's striving for interpretive effectsseems fussy, and his undue stress on strongbeats makes the instrumental articulation alittle too forceful and unnatural. MirellaGiardelli's harpsichord continuo is overlyreticent, especially in bravura arias like"Why do the nations." The ensemblesound, especially in the strings, is raw andscrappy. Patches of painfully poor intona-tion abound, and the playing, like the musi-cology, reeks of inadequate preparation.
The Worcester Cathedral Choir singsthe choruses to a fare -thee -well, but thesoloists do not join in, as Handel's did.Soprano Jennifer Smith is most impressive.Obviously schooled in authentic perfor-mance practice, she has a rich, well -focused voice that invites comparison withRosa Ponselle's in its molten gold tone.Treble Andrew J. King's singing of theNativity recitatives and ariosos becomesdownright uncomfortable. Charles Brett'sis a fine, full, and focused countertenor, buthis strangely detached air, particularly in"He was despised," is disconcerting. Pre-dictably, tenor Martyn Hill's contributionconfirms his thorough mastery of Handeli-an idiom; a pity. then, that his voice is suf-fused by so much anachronistic vibrato. Asensitive and effective bass. Ulrik Coldoffers an especially lovely reading of"Thou art gone up."
For all its failings -including a trilin-gual booklet that provides no information asto which performing edition is used orwhich soloist sings which numbers -this isnonetheless a valuable addition to the dis-cography. Along with the "first" already
60HIGH FIDELITY
noted, the rousing "Hallelujah" chorus,one of the most thrilling renditions everrecorded-justifies the cost of the entirealbum.
The coolly received London premiere pro-duction is documented by Marriner'srecording, accurately described as "basedon the first London performance of March23, 1743." The performing edition wasprepared by Christopher Hogwood. whoalso plays organ continuo and provides theexcellent annotations that are just one of themany strong points of this superb record-ing.
Apart from restoring at least two of thearias replaced by recitatives in Dublin,Handel made three major changes in thisversion: In the duet version of "How beau-tiful are the feet," he substituted a sopranofor one of the altos. He restored the words"Their sound is gone out" in a tenor ario-so-perhaps sung by a soprano at the firstLondon performances. In the Nativitysequence, he replaced the accompanied rec-itative "And lo, the angel of the Lord" withthe arioso "But lo," composed expresslyfor the singing actress Kitty Clive. who hadgained fame as Polly in The Beggar'sOpera. The presence of such a singer. theeighteenth -century equivalent of a LotteLenya or a Diana Ross, in the productionmust have been especially annoying tothose antagonistic to Handel's presentationof a sacred oratorio in the theater.
Hogwood's performing edition,though commendably accurate, does con-tain two vestiges of the Dublin and pre -Dublin versions-the original arioso ver-sion of "Thus saith the Lord" and theabbreviated version of the "Blessing andhonor" section of the chorus "Worthy isthe Lamb." Technically not part of the firstLondon production, they are neverthelesswell worth having on record. A penciledindication in the composing score of thechorus, evidently in Handel's handwriting.cuts bars 39 to 53; doubtless associated withthe Dublin production, this abridgment,which Handel may never have used, lends adifferent balance to the final choruses that isnot without its peculiar appeal.
Marriner's Messiah otherwise re-cre-ates the first London production right downto the restoration of the two bars in theopening and concluding ritornello of"Ev'ry valley." Using modern instrumentsand a mixed chorus, this is, quite simply,one of the finest accounts ever recorded.From the initial bars of the marvelouslywrought Sinfonia, the instrumental playingis both inspired and impeccable. Asidefrom the concluding "Amen," a bit flaccidand lacking in momentum, the choruses arelight-footed and brisk, but tempos in theslower choruses are never inappropriate.The soloists all give sensitive, stylish, andfinely honed performances. Soprano EllyAmeling is especially noteworthy; her "Iknow that my Redeemer liveth" is melting -
Editions Consulted
Mozart -Hiller; Breitkopf and Hand. 1803;reprinted by Kalmus from later edition.
ly beautiful, and the extended, but notexcessive, cadenza she interpolates into"Rejoice greatly," correctly performed inthe revised, short 12/8 version, is in and ofitself cause for rejoicing.
1749 and 1750 were watershed seasons forMessiah, and the productions mounted inthose years prompted Handel to make revi-sions that to a large extent have become"standard." 1749 saw the composition ofthe best-known form of "Rejoice greatly,"in 4/4 time, and the equally familiar choralversion of "Their sound is gone out," pref-aced by a version of "How beautiful are thefeet" that is a slightly abridged form of theopening section of the soprano dal segnoaria Handel had deleted before the Dublinpremiere. 1750 produced the "Guadagni"versions of "But who may abide." "Thouart gone up," and "How beautiful"; thislast, a modified form of the revised sopranoaria, has not as yet been recorded to myknowledge.
Messiah as Handel performed it in1752, when Guadagni was in Ireland, is re-created in the Robert Shaw recording, nowmore than fifteen years old but still one ofthe best. This production assigned Guada-gni's versions of "But who may abide" and"Thou art gone up" to an alto and used therevised soprano version of "How beautifulare the feet." It also featured the short,eleven -bar form of the Pifa (generally mis-called the "Pastoral Symphony") and theshort version of "Why do the nations,"which, with its terse and dramaticallyintense recitative ending, Handel evidentlypreferred to the familiar long version. In therecitative "Then shall the eyes" and aria"He shall feed His flock," Handel appearsto have opted in 1752 for the original sopra-no version. Shaw, on the other hand,chooses the most familiar version-whichHandel, ironically, apparently used onlytwice, in 1745 and 1758-in which the altosings the recitative and the first part of thearia, the soprano the rest.
Shaw's tempos, especially in the cho-ruses, are brisk and energetic yet con-trolled. As one might expect. his chorus,only slightly larger than Handel's, acquitsitself impeccably. All four vocal soloistsare also first-rate; their embellishments andcadenzas, though conservative, are not toorestrained. The orchestra, about the samesize as the bands Handel used for his benefit
performances, is of like caliber.The best documented of all of Han-
del's productions of Messiah is the annualbenefit performance of May 15, 1754. Acomplete statement of the number of partic-ipating vocalists and instrumentalists is pre-served in the minutes of the Foundling Hos-pital's general committee, and the set ofparts and the score Handel bequeathed tothe hospital, copied from the performancematerials used at the 1754 benefit, are stillextant. The orchestra consisted of fourteenviolins, six violas, three cellos, two doublebasses, four oboes, four bassoons, twotrumpets, two horns, and timpani, withharpsichord and organ continuo. The cho-rus, six boys and thirteen men, was aug-mented by five soloists, who, the partsmake clear, sang all the choruses, as con-certists of this period customarily did. Sec-ond soprano Christina Passerini, who hadbeen recommended to Handel by his oldfriend Telemann, was allotted only threearias-but what arias they were! In addi-tion to "If God be for us," she sang two ofthe Guadagni numbers-"Thou art goneup," transposed up a fourth, and "But whomay abide," boosted a fifth. The lattertransposition entailed extensive reworkingof the altitudinous string parts. (Incredibly,this A minor soprano rewrite is the oneauthentic alternative version of a number inMessiah that has not been published. Wat-kins Shaw elects "for practical reasons" toinclude a literal transposition into G minor,made a year or two after Handel's death forthe conducting score Smith prepared for hisson, Handel's designated successor to con-tinue the tradition of the annual FoundlingHospital benefit. John Tobin includes nei-ther soprano version.) Otherwise, the 1754Messiah was identical with the one Handelpresented in 1752.
This production is re-created withextraordinary accuracy in Hogwood's ownrelease, far and away the finest authentic -instrument account and one of the best Mes-siahs ever recorded. Hogwood deviatesfrom Handel's practice in only one impor-tant particular: "As soloists cannot beexpected to sing choruses nowadays, theoriginal balance is here restored by the useof a choir slightly larger than Handel's,though fundamentally the same in constitu-tion." Alas, boosting the number of treblesand male altos to compensate for theabsence of the soprano and alto soloistsdoes not result in quite the same choral tim-bre Handel expected. Why couldn't the req-uisite number of additional adult femalevocalists have been engaged to preserveHandel's own balance? Still, in the face ofHogwood's magnificent achievement, sucha cavil is perhaps ungracious.
There are those-HF's Kenneth Coo-per among them (April 1981)-who do notshare my enthusiasm for the Hogwood. Yetafter numerous rehearings in the two yearssince its release, its immediate appeal andinterpretive persuasiveness remain un-
JANUARY 1983 61
dimmed and have even been enhanced byfamiliarity. Particularly thrilling are sopra-no Emma Kirkby's performance of therevised "But who may abide," incompara-bly exciting and compelling, and the con-cluding choruses, with their shatteringemotional clout and near perfect dramaticpacing.
True, there are moments where thatquicksilver spark of inspiration eluded theperformers-particularly in some of thechoruses, where tempos could have beenjust a hair faster-yet one shouldn't holdone's breath waiting for a more excitingaccount on period instruments. Oiseau-Lyre's sound is bright, transparent, and nat-ural, and the annotations, by Hogwood andAnthony Hicks, are excellent.
During the last five years of his life,Handel made no further alterations in thescore, merely reassigning various num-bers-"Rejoice greatly" was sung by atenor one season-and reviving alternativeversions. For one series of performances inthe late 1750s he appears to have revivedthe alto duet and chorus form of "Howbeautiful are the feet," harking back toDublin so many years before.
As early as 1744, Handel authorized andeven encouraged the presentation of Messi-ah by ensembles other than his own, and bythe time of his death in 1759, it had beenperformed in Oxford, Bristol, Bath, Salis-bury, and in Gloucester and Worcester,where it was sung at the triennial ThreeChoirs Festival, establishing an enduringtradition. After Handel's death, John Chris-topher Smith, Jr., and then the blind organ-ist and composer John Stanley continuedthe annual benefit performances throughthe year 1777. in 1784, some 525 vocalistsand instrumentalists gathered in Westmin-ster Abbey to commemorate the centenaryof the composer's birth, giving rise to thetradition of gargantuan Handel perfor-mances. (There is, however, no evidencethat, as frequently claimed, additionalaccompaniments were provided for thisproduction.)
More than a decade earlier, Messiahhad "gone out into all lands." In 1772,Thomas Arne's son Michael introduced itinto Germany, presenting selections inHamburg; three years later, in the samecity, C.P.E. Bach led a complete perfor-mance, with the text translated into Germanby poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.
In 1789, in Austria, a performancewas given that was to have a radical effecton the course of Messiah's history. BaronGottfried van Swieten, who later translatedand edited the text for Haydn's Creation,had, as a diplomat in London during the late1760s, become an ardent Handel ian.Among other Handel scores, he took backto Vienna a copy of the first edition of thefull score of Messiah, published by Randalland Abell in 1767. Beginning with JudasMaccabeus in 1779, he introduced works
by Handel into the annual oratorio series,given for the benefit of the TonkiinstlerSociety-a Viennese musical charity. In1789, he presented Messiah and, for thisViennese premiere, commissioned Mozartto fill out the accompaniments, largely dis-pensing with the keyboard continuo andreplacing the tromba parts-practically un-playable for late -eighteenth -century trum-peters.
Using the Randall score and a Germantranslation by Christian Daniel Ebeling,Van Swieten had a copyist prepare a scorecontaining the vocal lines and Handel'sstring parts, together with the originaldynamic and tempo markings. Onto thestaves left blank for his use, Mozart addedhis woodwind, brass, and string parts; thoseof Handel's woodwind or brass parts that hechose to retain, he copied from the Randallscore.
Since that score contains some, but notall, of the alternative versions either in itsmain body or in an appendix, Van Swietenhad to decide which forms to use. He doubt-less chose the versions he had come toknow in London twenty years earlier; byand large, he selected the versions favoredby Handel during the last years of his lifeand subsequently by Smith, Jr., and Stan-ley.
Van Swieten reassigned some of thesolos to voices other than those Handelspecified. He divided the six tenor numbers
HANDEL: Messiah.Jennifer Smith. soprano; Andrew J. King.
boy soprano; Charles Brett, countertenor; Mar-tyn Hill. tenor; Ulrik Cold, bass; WorcesterCathedral Choir, Grande Ecurie et Chambre duRoy, Jean-Claude Malgoire, cond. [GeorgesKadar, prod.) CBS MASTERWORKS M3 37854(three discs, manual sequence). Tape: M3T37854 (three cassettes). [Price at dealer'soption.]
Other Recordings
Marriner; Ameling, Reynolds. Langridge,Howell; St. Martin's Academy and Chorus.ARGO D I8D3 (3).
beginning with "All they that see Him"between the two soprano soloists (there wasno alto soloist per se: those solos he allottedto the second soprano), assigned the 4/4form of "Rejoice greatly" to the tenor, andgave the Guadagni version of "But whomay abide" to the bass. Ironically, the onlyone of these assignments with no precedentwhatever in Handel's practice-namely,the last-is the one that became "stan-dard" during the nineteenth century andfirst half of the twentieth. Since Mozart'sversion was to become the basis for most, ifnot all, further accompaniments added toMessiah throughout the nineteenth century,Van Swieten must also take credit-orshoulder the blame-for initially shapingthe "standard" score as finally codified byProut. Neither Van Swieten nor Mozart,however, can be blamed for turning "Whydo the nations" into a full da capo aria:They were merely following the indicationin the first edition. As Walsh's heirs, Ran-dall and Abell had reused the plates fromhis Songs in Messiah in order to hold downcosts in assembling a full score. Since nochoruses figured in that collection, a dacapo was indicated in the aria to provide areturn to the tonic key; Handel had used thechorus "Let us break their bonds asunder"as an exciting and dramatic substitute for areprise of the aria's opening section.Walsh's da capo expedient was carried intothe full score in error.
Van Swieten and Mozart also made afew cuts. In omitting the chorus "Let all theangels of God," these Roman Catholicsinadvertently destroyed the subtle link Han-del had created between this chorus and"Hallelujah," both of which quote a linefrom Philipp Nicolai's Lutheran choraletune Wachet auf, ruff uns die Stimme. Theyalso left out the aria "Thou art gone up,"and Mozart replaced the aria "If God be forus" with an accompanied recitative of hisown. His abridged version of "The trumpetshall sound" gives most of the demandingtromba solo to a horn. Perhaps most sur-prisingly, he made no additions whatever inquite a few numbers.
Mozart's woodwind complement in-cludes paired flutes (piccolo in the Pifa),oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns. Inaddition to two trumpets and timpani, hisscoring calls for three trombones-in the"Overtura" and the chorus "Since by mancame death." The original performancematerials, which have been preserved,show that the trombones also doubled thealto, tenor, and bass lines in the tutti cho-ruses. In addition, these parts show not onlythat portions of some choruses were sungby the soloists, but also that the tuttichoir-and this is confirmed by annota-tions on a surviving word book-consistedof but twelve singers!
Precisely because Mozart's additionsare so exquisite in and of themselves andwere written by a universally acknowl-(Continued on page 90)
62HIGH FIDELITY
CLASSICAL
Behind the ScenesMusic news and commentary by James R. Oestreich
New CDs, Old Award
At about the time we were putting the SonyCompact Disc player through its paces forthis month's report. Polygram Classicsstaged a CD demonstration of its own for itsregional sales representatives. The playerwas the first Magnavox deck (produced by
parent company Philips) scheduled to hitthe American market, the CD -100: simplerand more streamlined than the Sony CDP-101. it is expected to retail in the third quar-ter of this year for $800-$1.000. Therecordings were Deutsche GrammophonCDs-not surprisingly, for the gatheringwas timed to coincide with the New Yorkperformances of Herbert von Karajan andthe Berlin Philharmonic, and the conductorwas on hand to extol the virtues of the rev-olutionary technology.
Invited to attend, I took the very belat-ed opportunity to present Karajan with thecertificate for the 1981 High Fidelity/Inter-national Record Critics Award for his DGrecording of Wagner's Parsifal. I was alsospirited into the second half of a Saturday -morning rehearsal of the Mahler Ninth,where, in the finale. I found an intensity inthe playing of which I've never heard thelike. When I commented on this to Karajan,he quickly replied, with utter disingenuous-ness, "Me too!" He expressed regret thathe had even called the rehearsal, since onecan't expect players to respond like thattwice in a day; and indeed, that night's per-formance, though mightily impressive,didn't show quite the same intensity.
Karajan's recent recording of the workwas a strong contender on last year's IRCAlist and would have fared even stronger butfor the previous Parsifal award. Yet therewill be another year. Not one to rest on his
raves, Karajan recorded the Ninth again.digitally. just before coming to New York.(Actually. parts of the earlier recording hadalso been taped digitally. but he so liked thestrictly analog sections that he was loath toredo them then.)
Karajan also discussed other upcom-ing releases, including a Berlin recording ofCarmen. with Agnes Baltsa, Jose Carreras.and Jose van Dam. When asked what elsehe wants to record just now, he responded,"Everything!'
AdlerianaIn line with this month's tribute to GlennGould. we should note the recent passing ofanother innovator in the recording of earlymusic. Herman Adler (born 1908 in Ham-burg). The many recordings he producedfor Musicraft and other labels helped lay thegroundwork for the baroque boom of thepast quarter -century. Like many anotherpioneer, however. Adler did not endorseeverything done in the name of his cause inlater years. His attitude toward at leastsome current notions of authentic perfor-mance practice is delightfully evident in aspoof memorandum from February 1979that turned up among his effects:
11111M 1111 11.1,.. 4.1
For 'release. rebeuary 31, 9791
AIII113.1,C1015
Flor,mee Foster Jeetteels Mtmor-ot
A fertee has just been esto-Wohoot
b Ht.-aux. Adler a Ion - hose.
nus meate.-/ of Me-.Je-0r, .1 /F ail ite_
a wanted e.mo I. yea, e0 cbrs.a ), .1i to
!se mess." m,s, ce/ej
he.. ocet
refnes e..rs /4e e "a 66,4,,f*At tr.
The p,..te ca ',net aK re. 4 ...wet(of g Hart earl, bk.
11. et b, Me Al. Mdemer grew,SP ex,. /5:13
a 4c ,t, -ec..as.yb.e ear-oin:* el RDG 36.-7 be 1r ,y 41,,
se,
fed s N,k Mt. 0,-e .,k,
4.0 iie.,ce eh be koe, as ne 1-c ia
Nara,: t gee.. Fes, .. -,e.- Je0k,
Of course, Adler's interests extendedfar beyond the baroque. Among his primepassions were the works of Bruckner andHindemith; his prime aversion was for themusic of Brahms, who "never wrote anoriginal melody." Hmmm. HF
FREE A DIFFERENT KIND
OF RECORD CLUB
TREMENDOUS SAVINGSon every record and tape in print -
no agree to purchase obligations of any kind
DISCOUNTS OF.43% TO 73%off mfg suggested list special catalogfeatures hundreds of titles and artists
ALL LABELS AVAILABLEincluding most imports through special custom
100% IRON -CLAD GUARANTEESMall products and services-your total
satisfaction is unconditionally guaranteed
Discount MUSK Club is a no -obligation membership clubthat ivarantees tremendous dtscounts an all stereorecords and tapes and lets you buy what you want when
you word or not at all it you choose
These are lust a few of the money saving reasons to writefor trae details. Tau can't lose so why not fill out andmail ale coupon below for immediate information
DISCOUNT MUSIC CLUB. INC.bRB 650 u.. Sheet
PO los 2000Sew Stettelle N 10601
Name
Addres
I Citya
ILState
Dept 8-0183
lip
Circle 51 on Reader -Service Card
THIS MONTH'S SPECIALSTECHNICS Direct DriveTurntable (list S150) S 77.00
ONKYO TA -2010 3 -Head Accu-biasCassette Deck (list S470) S219.00
SONY 12" Color TV (list S500) ... 5279.00
HITACHI Straight TonearmSemi -Automatic Turntable (list S100).. S 59.00TDK SA90 Audio Tape (list S5.00).. S 2.29
Virgil Thomson, Gertrude Stein: creators of Four Saints in Three Acts-See page 74.
BACH: Goldberg Variations, S. 998-See page 57.
BACH: Mass in B minor-See page72.
BARTOK: Quartets for Strings (6).Lindsay Quartet. IMark Brown. prod.]
VANGUARD AUDIOPHILE VA 25011/3. $38.94(digital recording: three discs, manual se-quence).
COMPARISONS:
Juilliard Qrt.Vegh Qrt.Hungarian Qrt.Tokyo Qrt.
CBS D3S 717MHS 1501/3
DC Priv. 2728 011DG 2740 235
The Bartok quartets-once considered"modern" and " inaccessible" -have de-cisively entered the standard repertory.They now turn up on the programs of vir-tually every student ensemble, and somecrowd -pleasing concerts have featured thequartets in toto. (Near-toto, anyway: a stu-dent work, composed before the turn of thecentury, which the Tatrai performed againstBartok's expressed wishes, has neverentered the "complete" canon. which datesfrom 1908-39.)
Recently the Juilliard Quartet, whichrecorded the first complete cycle in earlyLP days and another in stereo in the 1960s,
taped a third version digitally. But Van-guard has beaten CBS to the punch with thisintegral performance by the little-known tinAmerica, anyway) Lindsay Quartet. TheLindsays hail from England, although theannotations belabor the fact that they stud-ied these works with echt-Bartok specialistssuch as Sandor Vegh, Alexander Mosz-kowski, Vilmos Tatrai, and Zoltan Szeke-ly. (Their basic training was with SidneyGriller.)
Their performances, which displaysincerity of purpose, basic musicality. andcertain probing interpretive points, are nev-ertheless staid and mild-mannered, under-playing the works' power and virtuosity.Though the first movement of No. 2 has a
direct, unvarnished, "let's get down to thebasics" quality, and many of the pianissi-mo high violin passages in all the worksemerge with a rapt luminosity (aided tosome degree by the digital conics), theLindsays seem unwilling (or unable'?) totake the bull by the horns. Their playing,earnest and mostly competent, lacks themotoric precision, the rhythmic bite, thepassion and energy we have come to expectin this music. Nor does their cool Britishcivilization really measure up to the richvein of native lyricism found in the Veghand Hungarian versions. It's the same thing
Reviewed by:John CanarinaScott CantrellKenneth CooperR. D. DarrellPeter G. DavisKenneth FurieHarris GoldsmithMatthew GurewitschDavid HamiltonDale S. HarrisR. Derrick HenryJoseph Horowitz
Nicholas KenyonAllan Ko:innPaul Henry JungIrving LowensKaren MonsonRobert P. MorganJames R. OestreichConrad L. OsborneAndrew PorterPatrick J. SmithPaul A. SnookSusan T. Sommer
over and over: The outer movements of No.4 amble along, and the concluding phrasethey share lacks the requisite slashing con-clusiveness both times. No. 5's dynamic,hammering first movement is small -scaled.No. 6's yearning is distinctly tepid and con-strained.
Furthermore, there are signs that, inthe effort to corner (momentarily) the digi-tal market, these recordings were hastilyprocessed. For instance, certain extraneousnoises-such as the horrendous chairsqueak in the third movement of No. 2-were allowed to remain. In music so rich inatmosphere and special effects, such intru-sions are intolerably distracting.
Many collectors prize the Juilliardinterpretations, virtually identical in thefirst two sets. (I expect the newest accountsto be somewhat looser and more lyrical.)The group's approach to No. 5. so taut andfiercely dynamic. has always seemed idealto me: elsewhere, though. the Juilliard of1946-66 tended toward brittle acerbity anda certain unyielding formality. Its highlyvarnished, slightly metallic, and veryunnuanced sound makes these pieces soundmore like Elliot Carter than Bartok. I favorthe Vegh and Tokyo interpretations. TheVegh's No. 4, brimful of audacious vitali-ty. is just as unique as the Juilliard's No. 5(and the New Music Quartet's No. 3 on anold Bartok Society LP: these three ensem-bles "own" those works). The Vegh else-where provides fuel for thought with itsclipped, structurally -oriented approach andachieves a kind of pulsating nuance thatmakes the music speak with a native Hun-garian dialect. The Hungarian's perfor-mances. similar to the Vegh's in mostways, provide an excellent medium -pricealternative. The Tokyo, on the other hand,excels in finesse and technical virtuosity. Ithas the most color and flexibility of any ofthese groups and is wondrously well record-ed in the bargain. H.G.
Eva Marton. soprano*: English ChamberOrchestra. Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. [Ste-ven Epstein, prod.] CBS MASTERWORKS IM37209 (digital recording). Tape: HMT 37209(cassette). (Price at dealer's option.]
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5, in C
64HIGH FIDELITY
minor, Op. 67; Egmont Overture, Op.84.
London Symphony Orchestra. Pierre Mon-teux. cond. LONDON TREASURY STS 15519.$5.98.BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7, in A,Op. 92; Egmont Overture, Op. 84.
London Symphony Orchestra. Enrique BA-tiz. cond. [Brian B. Culverhouse, prod.) VARESESARABANDE VCDM 1000.160. $15 (digitalrecording).
A little sticker appended to the outer sleeveof the CBS release bills the unfoldingMichael Tilson Thomas cycle as the "firstrecordings of the complete Beethoven sym-phonies in their chamber orchestra ver-sions." For one thing. these are no specialversions; Beethoven wrote for smallerforces than one usually hears today. andabout the only difference in instrumentationhere is that the woodwinds aren't doubledand the strings quadrupled-or whatever.For another, CBS itself recorded the Ninewith Bruno Walter and the Columbia Sym-phony. an aggregation of virtually "cham-ber" dimensions. (Neville Marriner alsorecorded a Fourth, as well as a First andSecond. with the Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields. )
A small orchestra has advantages anddisadvantages in the Beethoven sympho-nies. One of the gains ought to be greaterclarity and crispness, and in that respect.the Thomas Fourth scores over the Walter(Odyssey Y7 30051) and the Marriner(Philips, deleted), both of which use elec-tronic trickery to bloat the sonorities andapproximate a larger orchestra. But at leastfor me, this performance lacks the sense ofpower -in -reserve that makes the Beethove-nian effect potent.
The introduction, though respectfullyphrased and well paced, loses its requisitemystery from being too close and loud. Nordoes the outburst at the beginning of theAllegro vivace pack the wallop it should.Even with his scrawny forces, Thomascould have projected greater power if histimpani weren't so bloody discrete. And soit goes throughout: The Adagio is jauntyrather than inward, the scherzo-thoughcrisply phrased-ineffectual and small -scaled, the moto perpetuo finale volatile inpacing but frivolous in effect. It's not a badperformance, just an innocuous and unstim-ulating one-emotionally tepid and color-istically neutral.
Ah, petfido! , a much earlier work thanits opus number implies (and all the moreremarkable for its 1796 vintage), suffersless from the mode of presentation. EvaMarton, a Hungarian soprano, sings secure-ly and artistically. If she lacks some of thegrandeur of a Nilsson or Flagstad (not tomention the vehemence-or venom-ofCrespin's woman scorned in her Odysseyperformance with Schippers, just deleted),the music's pathos comes across admirably.Thomas' phrasing is poised and scrupulous,and the orchestra responds adroitly. The
pressing is fine.The inexplicably belated release of
Pierre Monteux's c. 1961 Fifth completes,at long last, that distinguished maestro'scycle of Beethoven symphonies. This isn'tquite the way I remember his Fifth in con-cert: Here, for example, he waxes rhetori-cal, taking the motto much slower than thefirst movement in general. It gives themovement greater breadth than it had in hisperformances at Tanglewood and Lewis-sohn Stadium, but at the price of some idio-syncratic dislocation. The three subsequentmovements are more traditional, althoughthe finale is distinctly brisk. The playing,aside from a few tentative attacks and
releases, is admirable, and this classicallycool and reserved interpretation is wel-come, particularly at the price. The Egmont(another first in Monteux's discography;would that London had also included theLeonore No. 3 it has in the vault) is, if any-thing, even more compelling: This is a mas-sive reading that rivals the great 1939 Tos-canini broadcast once issued on HMV 78s.The recording is almost modern-veryimpactful and clean, with good woodwinddetail.
The Mexican -born Enrique Batizshows signs of lyrical sensitivity and color-istic awareness in the Seventh, but his per-formance lacks what the work most
Revox B791The Straight Line on Precision EngineeringFirst, a few vs.or is about cur straight I n=_ trackirg system. It's calledLinat-ack" aid r utilizes a low mass, iicredibly sho toneann that's barey13/4" nom p vDt tc stylus tip. Tracking error is eli-n ra ed as Linatraclo.guidxi by an accurate in rared-inter 1.,:t servo c.ircLit, moves straightacro3s the radilli of the disk. The tor earm moun.s nost popularcartridges. and he entire Linatrack't mDdule pivD-s aside for quick reccrdchanging.
Free sio-' eigineering is at the hEa.-' of the A quer z -regulated.Hall effect direct drive motor assures absolute speed stabil ty with nocogaing eifec s. Even the van -speed s quartz ocked, with a front paneldisplay to stioui both the nominal speed and ha exact percentage ofspeed deviatiDn
Me Revox E791 is sclid, substantial, meticu dusty assembled, andhardsomelv f n shed. It is designed for maximum user convenienceexa-pt orta reliability, arid sonic ac:,Liacy. It is iD1 nexpersive.
That's the straight line. Hear the full sound at your nearest Revox deale.
--11T-or-'rE'''REVOX1,25 Elm Hill Pi.e. r-ashville, 37210 (61Er
JANUARY 1983 65Circle 18 on Reader -Service Card
CLASSICAL Reviews
Critics' ChoiceThe most noteworthyreleases reviewed recentlyALKAN: Piano Works. Smith. ARABESQUE8127-3 (3), July.BACH: Well -Tempered Clavier, Book I.Horszowski. VANGUARD CARDINAL VCS 10138/40 (3). Oct.BARTOK: Orchestral Works. Budapest Phil-harmonic, Budapest Symphony. loci. SEiaLSEFD 5005/9 (5). Sept.BERLIOZ: Beatrice et Benedict. Minton,Domingo, Barenboim. DG 2707 130 (2), Nov.BRAHMS: Cello Sonatas (2). Perenyi. Kocsis.HUNGAROTON SLPX 12123, Nov.CHERUBINI: Requiem in C minor. Ambro-Sian Singers, Philharmonia, Muti. ANGEL DS37789, Nov.DEBUSSY, RAVEL: String Quartets. GalimirQuartet. VANGUARD VA 25009. Sept.
DOWLAND: Songbooks (4). Consort of Mu-sicke, Rooley. OISEAU-LYRE DSLO 508/9 (2),528/9 (2), 531/2 (2). 585/6 (2), Aug.FAURE: Penelope. Norman, Vanzo, Dutoit.ERATO STU 71386 (3), Dec.GILLES: Requiem. Ghent Collegium Vocale,Cologne Musica Antigua, Herreweghe. ARCHIV2533 461, Sept.HAYDN: Paris Symphonies (6). Berlin Phil-harmonic, Karajan. DG 2741 005 (3), Oct.HAYDN: Piano Sonatas (6). Gould. CBS 12M36947 (2). Nov.HAYDN: Symphonies, Vols. 1, 2. L'EstroArrnonico, Solomons. SAGA HAYDN I (3), 2 (3),Oct.
JANACEK: Cunning Little Vixen. Popp, Jed-Uka. Mackerras. LONDON LDR 72010 (2),Nov.
MAcDOWELL: First Modern Suite; PianoSonata No. 4. Fierro. NONESUCH H 71399,Nov.
MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto. BRUCH:Concerto No. 1. Mutter: Berlin Philharmonic,
Karajan. DG 2532 016, Dec.MOZART: Apollo et Hyacinthus. Mathis,Wulkopf, Hager. DG 2707 129 (2), Dec.MOZART: String Quartets Nos. 17, 21. Pano-cha Quartet. DENON OX 7004 -ND. Nov.MOZART: Two-, Three -Piano Concertos, K.365, 242. Eschenbach, Frantz. ANGEL DS37903, Oct.NIELSEN: Symphony No. 4. Berlin Philhar-monic. Karajan. DG 2532 029, Oct.SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10. BerlinPhilharmonic, Karajan. DG 2532 030, Nov.TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. I. Cli-burn, Kondrashin. RCA ATL 1-4099. Dec.BERLIN PHILHARMONIC: 100 YEARS.EMI ELECTROLA IC 137-54095/9 (5), Dec.BERLIN PHILHARMONIC: 100 YEARS,VOL. 2. Furtwangler. DG 2740 260 (6), Dec.FLUTE MUSIC OF LES SIX. Boyd, Schmidt.STOLAT SZM 0119, Oct.HEINRICH STROBEL: Verehrter Meister,lieber Freund. Southwest German Radio.ScuwANN/DG 0629 027/31 (5), Oct.
needs-a firm sense of rhythm. Often thevery fast tempos are negated by shapeless-ness and lack of breathing space. Togetherwith the reverberation of the recordedacoustic, this uncontrolled hurtling aheadgives the disconcerting impression of arocket broken in half-part zooming intothe stratosphere, part remaining on thelaunching pad. The spineless, unarticulatedprecipitation combined with oozing legato(the third -movement trio emerges liketoothpaste from a tube!) makes the perfor-mance sound like a caricature of Karajan's1961 Berlin reading, unsuccessful enoughin itself. The Egmont. though somewhatbetter, is again scrambled by the "spa-cious" recording. Batie undeniable talentsarc misplaced in this demanding and famil-iar music.
BERNSTEIN: Dybbuk: Suites Nos. 1*,2.
Paul Sperry, tenor*: Bruce Fifer. bass -bari-tone*: New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bern-stein, cond. [John McClure. prod. ] DEtrrsatt:GRAMMOPHON 2531 348. $10.98.BERNSTEIN: Halil.* Mass: Three Med-itations.t On the Waterfront: Symphon-ic Suite.
Premiered in 1974. the ballet Dybbuk is oneof several collaborations between LeonardBernstein and choreographer Jerome Rob-ins-their first since the tremendously suc-cessful West Side Story, of 1957. Bern -
stein's Columbia recording of the completescore with the New York City BalletOrchestra is no longer available. Here wehave essentially the same music rearrangedinto two suites for concert purposes. Bern-stein and the New York Philharmonic per-
formed the suites in the spring of 1975 andpresumably recorded them then; one won-ders why it has taken seven years for thisdisc to see light of day.
In Jewish folklore a dybbuk is the dis-embodied spirit of a dead person that seeksto enter the body of a living being. The bal-let is based on a play of the same name byShlomo Ansky (1863-1920), involvinglove, death, and exorcism. Bernstein hascalled it a story of "Good and Evil, Endsand Means, Male and Female, Justice andNecessity, Self and Society, . . . and espe-cially the duality of the so-called TrueWorld as opposed to this world in which weseem to reside."
In composing Dybbuk, Bernstein tookhis inspiration from the kabbalah, the Jew-ish mystical system of numerology. Everynote was chosen through cabalistic or mys-tical manipulation of numbers. One mightexpect the result to sound contrived, butno-Dybbuk is one of Bernstein's moststriking and powerful scores, and it's diffi-cult to imagine how a single note might bechanged. As befits the subject, it's also oneof his starkest and grimmest works, unre-lieved by any suggestion of the wonderfulBernstein lightheartedness.
The first suite, lasting slightly morethan half an hour. is the more dramatic andsuccessful entity, dealing with what thecomposer calls the "poetry of earth," aterm by which he affirms his belief in tonal-ity. More ephemeral is the much shortersecond, the "poetry of air," which avoidskey centers and employs scales of eightnotes rather than the conventional seven ortwelve.
This authoritative performance cannotbe faulted in any way. Surely Bernsteinknows how his music should go. and heelicits brilliant and committed playing fromthe Philharmonic, as well as vigorous andexpressive singing from Paul Sperry andBruce Fifer, who intone the Hebrew texts
interspersed throughout the first suite.The Philharmonic, in its sole appear-
ance on DG, receives sound superior towhat CBS usually gives it-clearer, morenatural, less reverberant-even though theproducer is the same as for most of Bern -
stein's old Columbia recordings. Differentmicrophones, perhaps?
Halil is the Hebrew word for "flute,"and Bernstein's 1981 score was written inmemory of a nineteen -year -old Israeli flut-ist killed in the 1973 war. "I never knewYadin Tanenbaum," writes the composer,"but I know his spirit." The subtitle Noc-turne for Solo Flute, String Orchestra, andPercussion is not meant to evoke the musicof Chopin and others. Rather, this workinhabits the eerie night world of Bartok.Again in Bernstein's words: "It is a kind ofnight -music which, from its openingtwelve-tone row to its ambiguously diatonicfinal cadence, is an ongoing conflict of noc-turnal images: wish -dreams, nightmares,repose, sleeplessness, night-terrors-andsleep itself, Death's twin brother. . . ."
As with much of Bernstein's work,tonal and nontonal elements struggle andcompete with each other, but the composerhas the talent and, yes. the mastery to com-bine them in a totally convincing musicalstatement. This is particularly true of Halil;like Chichester Psalms, it contains one ofthose achingly beautiful melodies onlyBernstein can write.
Jean-Pierre Rampal, who gave the pre-miere, is the soloist, and there's no fault-ing his performance either. Let's hope otherflutists (and conductors) take up this elo-quent and dramatic work. (The designation"string orchestra and percussion" is notentirely accurate, as there are momentswhen the solo flute is joined by alto fluteand piccolo, whose players, in concert, aremeant to be unseen by the audience.)
The "Three Meditations" from Massare somewhat in the same vein-contem-
66HIGH FIDELITY
HIGH FIDELITY's ReaderService Program puts youin contact with manu-facturers anxious to sendyou free information abouttheir merchandise and ser-vices. Simply circle the keynumbers that match edi-torially featured or adver-tised products in whichyou have more interest.
Please be sure to com-plete the name and addresssection of our postage -paid reply card, includingyour zip code, to insureaccurate delivery of bro-chures. Allow four to sixweeks for processing.
You may also use the re-ply card to contact our edi-tors: we are interested inyou and in your opinions,so feel free to completethat section of the card inconfide itiality.
Thank you.
NEW!READERSERVICE
NOW INVITESYOUR
EDITORIALCOMMENTS!
L
BUSINESS REPLY CARDFIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 550 PITTSFIELD, MASS.
Postage will be paid by addressee
HighFidelityReader Service 83P.O. Box 1143Pittsfield, Mass. 01202
NO POSTAGENECESSARY
IF MAILEDIN THE
UNITED STATES
High Fidelity.FREE PRODUCT DATA
03 CD Cr CV 0 CO (JD V' CV 0 CO CD Cr,- N C') Cr Cr in CD N. co co a) o
N U)VI N N Cn CICO Cr in CD N N. CC 0) 0
(0 V' CV 0 03 CD C CV 0 03 C.0 Tr CVCV C) el T: in CD N N 03 a) 0
"5a)cr)in cn - a) --- tr) M,- a) N tr) C) ,-
T CV CV 77 Tr tr) to CD r- co a) o 2> -5Oc.) a.)
cr ci o co to V CV 0 CO CD 'Cr CV 0 92 CT,- CV CV V) cr LO (1) CD r- co cr) 0 oE >
co- oCU '-'-_.-7-- (1)C.) '- CT r- In r)e-a) N Lo na)
1- I- CV CO ..:r LC1 In CO I's C3 Fr) co -a g;.0 w3 4CV 0 CO CD Cr CV 0 CO CD Cr CV 0 CO 7 -a
HIGH FIDELITY's ReaderService Program puts youin contact with manu-facturers anxious to sendyou free information abouttheir merchandise and ser-vices. Simply circle the keynumbers that match edi-torially featured or adver-tised products in whichyou have more interest.
Please be sure to com-plete the name and addresssection of our postage -
paid reply card, includingyour zip code, to insureaccurate delivery of bro-chures. Allow four to sixweeks for processing.
You may also use the re-ply card to contact our edi-tors: we are interested inyou and in your opinions,so feel free to completethat section of the card inconfidentiality.
Thank you.
plative, with an eerie and disturbed noctur-nal atmosphere. Yet Bernstein is not one ofthose composers who seem continually tobe writing the same piece. The solo cellopart, while lyrical, is less overtly so thanHalil's flute part. In fact it is mostly quitesubdued, accompanied by frequent percus-sive outbursts, with a number of quiet. skit-tering cadenzalike passages in the thirdsection, in which a brief but lively Israeli -type dance provides the only unmeditativemoments and throws the surrounding musicinto stark relief. The work's general moodis one of restless, troubled searching, andeven the peaceful conclusion does notimply that an answer has been found. Likeits parent work, this is one of Bernstein'smost provocative compositions.
Mstislav Rostropovich, long a cham-pion of twentieth-century literature for hisinstrument, succeeds in harnessing his nor-mally ebullient personality to convey beau-tifully the score's basically introverted spir-it.
The suite from On the Waterfront hasbeen familiar for many years through Bern -stein's previous recording with the NewYork Philharmonic (CBS MS 6251). Thepercussion fugue is one of his most excitingcreations, the love music one of his mosteloquent-an adjective to which one mustreturn again and again in describing hismusic. And if the majestic coda owes some-thing to Billy the Kid, the composer wouldprobably be the first to acknowledge thedebt (and no doubt has).
Under Bernstein's authoritative lead-ership, the Israel Philharmonic plays beau-tifully throughout its disc, though it mustcede pride of place to its New York col-leagues when it comes to the rhythmic vital-ity of On the Waterfront. Recording andsurfaces are first-class.
The disc's liner notes refer to "ArnoldSchoenberg's demand that everything ofsupreme value in art must show 'heart' aswell as 'brain' "-something that can rare-ly be said about Schoenberg's own work. Isubmit that Bernstein's music, by virtue ofits ability to touch the heart, will be aroundmuch longer than that of many of his morecerebral contemporaries. J.C.
BRAHMS: Sextets for Strings: No. 1, inB flat, Op. 18; No. 2, in G, Op. 36.
Cleveland Quartet; Pinchas Zukennan, vio-la; Bernard Greenhouse, cello. [Jay David Saks,prod.] RCA RED SEAL ARL 2-4054, $19.98 (twodiscs, manual sequence). Tape: ARK 2-4054,$19.98 (two cassettes).BRAHMS: Sextet for Strings, No. 1.
Les MUSiCierlS. HARMONIA MUNDI FRANCEHM 1073, $11.98 (distributed by HarmoniaMundi U.S.A., 2351 Westwood Blvd., LosAngeles, Calif. 90064).
Apart from the youthful F -A -E Scherzo andthe posthumously rediscovered A majorPiano Trio, the string sextets are Brahms'searliest surviving chamber works. (The Bmajor Trio, of course, is virtually always
given in the drastically revised 1889 versionrather than in its 1854 original.) For all that,an autumnal quality, akin to that of themuch later string quintets, pervades thesehandsomely wrought works.
Both of the sextets are "big" pieces,and the combination of large-scale structureand expanded string scoring (in relation tothe quartet "norm") carries the temptationto go all out for a billowing "string orches-tra" effect in performance. At the sametime, however, Brahms was a masterorchestrator and an inherent classicist, anda re -creative viewpoint that lays stress onthe tightly coiled rhythmic foundation, theprecision and luminosity of balance and
The touch of self-indulgence is typicalof modern Americanchamber playing.
sonority, the subtle implications of all theexpressive, agogic, and dynamic indica-tions (not to mention the consummatelygauged tempo modifications)-in otherwords, a specific rather than a generalizedapproach-produces even greater divi-dends.
The Cleveland Quartet recorded thesextets several years ago. just prior to thedeparture of its original violist. MarthaStrongin Katz (whose position is now occu-pied by Atar Arad). Comparing these per-formances to the Cleveland's debut record-ing, the Brahms string quartets (RCA VCS7102), one is pleased to note the ensemble'smaturing of style and greater technicaladdress. Whereas the quartet performanceslacked clarity and pulse, here the rhythmicoutlines are clear, and tempo changes aregeared in such a way that the total effect isfirm and cumulative. The performances aresteady, sober, and mostly well consid-ered.
A touch of self-indulgence remains,however, in the players' almost reflexiveresponse to such directives as espressivo,tranquillo. and animato. As in so much ofthe modern American, Marlboro -derivedchamber playing one hears today, espres-
sivo means turning on the vibrato switch,souping up the phrasing in a simpering way;tranquillo and animato mean slowing downor speeding up the tempo rather than merelymodifying mood within the basic pulse.And the Cleveland -plus -friends' collectivesonority continues to bother me. The vio-lins tend to squeal in the high register, andtheir vibratos tend to beat against oneanother in octave playing; the dark cellosand violas provide a drab. "down in the
dumps" opacity instead of the requisitefirm backbone that would come from amore compact, incisive articulation. Still,there are moments that come off handsome-ly, particularly in the G major: The Prestogiocoso middle section of the Scherzo isparticularly well realized in the Cleveland-ers' rustic, bouncy, bucolic reading.
But I find greater elevation in theFrench players' version of Op. 18. Theirperformance is Apollonian in the best senseof that word, with a lustrous, suave ensem-ble texture that allows every figuration inthe printed score to tell. At first, therestraint and leisurely tempos appear a bitunforthcoming, yet before long, the easypulsation and keen attention to balance,accentuation, and articulation (as well ascolor) propel the music along "on wings ofsong." Following the score, one isimpressed by a seeming absence of "inter-pretation," but in fact, the combination ofsupreme technical competence and re -cre-ative imagination selflessly put at the ser-vice of the text represents interpretive art-istry at its highest. In its more elegant way,this account is fully the equal of the won-derful old 1952 Prades Festival recordingby Stern, Schneider, Katims, Thomas,Casals, and Foley (CBS M5X 32768).
The first -movement exposition repeatsare observed in both recordings. TheFrench Harmonia Mundi sound is beautiful-ly balanced, with greater brightness in theviolins and more definition below than inthe Cleveland edition. Both labels offerexcellent processing. H.G.
HANDEL: Messiah-See page 59.
MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde.Jessye Norman, soprano; Jon Vickers. ten-
or; London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis,cond. PHILIPS 6514 112, $12.98 (digital record-ing). Tape: 7337 112. $12.98 (cassette).
COMPARISONS.
Ludwig, Wunderlich, Klemperer Ang. SB 3704Chookasian, Lewis. Ormandy CBS D3S 774Forrester, Lewis, Reiner RCA (OP-see text)F.-Dieskau, King, Bernstein Lon. OS 26005Ludwig. Kollo, Karajan DG 2707 082Miller. Hat-liger, Walter Odys. Y 30043
This is an immediately striking perfor-mance that has grown more appealing withacquaintance. Both soloists are interesting-ly chosen, and Davis brings off most of hisseries of audacious choices, thanks in largepart to the committed orchestral playing.
The London Symphony may not dis-play the distinctive tone qualities of Klem-perer's Philharmonia (Angel) or Orman-dy's Philadelphia (CBS), my favorites inthis music, or of the Chicago Symphonyunder Reiner (last in print here as VictrolaV1CS 1390, but recently available in aFrench RCA edition), the Vienna Philhar-monic under Bernstein (London) and Wal-
JANUARY 1983 69
CLASSICAL Reviewster (his 1936 and 1952 recordings-respec-tively, Seraphim 60191 and London Trea-sury, deleted), the Concertgebouw underHaitink (Philips 6500 831), the Berlin Phil-harmonic under Karajan (DG), or perhapseven the New York Philharmonic underWalter in 1960 (Odyssey). But the winds inparticular play with a sense of purpose thatenables Davis to scoot through the opening"Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde" in abreathless seven -and -a -half minutes and tostretch the culminating "Der Abschied" tovery nearly thirty-five.
The "Abschied" is obviously the mostimmediately arresting feature of the perfor-mance (the first I've heard in which "DerAbschied" actually runs longer than thefirst five movements combined), lastingalmost three minutes longer than the previ-ous slowest on records, Solti's (London OS26292). What's noteworthy is that Solti's"Farewell" sounds long, almost endless infact, breaking down into a series of fits andstarts and sorely taxing the soloist, YvonneMinton, who should be able to make some-thing special of this music.
Davis' "Farewell" doesn't sound somuch long as full. He has the advantage of abigger -voiced and longer -breathed soloist,who can more easily fill these wide openspaces, but it's at least as important that heand his players have found the imaginativewellspring of all those little instrumentalmotifs out of which the movement is built.Note for example the figure associated withthe clarinets and horns, heard for the firsttime in its full form-with clarinet trills-just before the alto's soaring "0 sieh! wieeine Silberbarke." Once you have foundthis kind of inner life for the music, it'spossible for the performance to beginevolving organically, at almost any pace.The momentum will come from theprogress of this inner life rather thandepending on a particular choice of tem-po.
For the same reason, Davis' "Trink-lied," although undeniably heady, doesn'tsound rushed: Quick as the pace may be,the component elements have been allowedtheir full imaginative value. Of course ithelps that after the giddy opening orchestraloutburst Davis can deploy Jon Vickers'voluminous upper midrange ("Schon winksder Wein" is set on middle C, D, E, and F)to sound the invitation to this singulardrinking song. Even allowing for Vickers'idiosyncratic vowel preferences-bywhich "winkt," for example, comes out"veenkt" -this is a pretty overwhelmingsound. And a bit later, on "klingen," Vick-ers is even able to muster a ringing B flatand sustained high A.
Davis' Das Lied is a performance ofextremes in the inner movements as well.Only the fourth and fifth movements, thealto's "Von der Schonheit" and the tenor's"Der Trunkene im Friihling," are taken atwhat we might call a "normal" pace, andeven the former falls at the slow end of the
band. For the rest, the first alto song, "DerEinsame im Herbst," ranks with the slow-est on record; the already brief second tenorsong, "Von der Jugend," with the fast-est.
About these choices I'm not entirelysure. "Der Einsame im Herbst" strikes meas the trickiest song in the symphony, withits predominantly reflective quality andspare orchestral textures all too often reduc-ing to an anticlimax after the rousing"Trinklied," and with no particular prepa-ration for the glowing and somewhat sur-prising climax at "Sonne der Liebe, willstdu nie mehr scheinen" ("Sun of love, willyou never again shine")-surprising in thatthis sudden outpouring of warmth is osten-
In the writing's lowerreaches, Norman putsout more sound thanmany a mezzo has.
sibly expressing the speaker's doubt that thesun will reappear to dry her bitter tears.
In this case, I don't think Davis hasquite found where the music has comefrom, and the movement doesn't reallycatch fire until the very end: not even at the"Sonne" climax itself, but on the word"Liebe," where the singer has suddenlyleapt from the E flat of the break ("der") tothe E flat an octave higher. Here we are inplausible soprano country, and Jessye Nor-man comes into her own with a lusciouscrescendo as that word "Liebe" drops fromand then climbs back toward the E flat, andwith a thrilling climax on the F of "nie."
This is not to say that Norman doesn'tencompass the writing's lower reaches,where she in fact puts out more sound thanmany of the mezzos who have recorded DasLied. But this isn't where her voice's centerof gravity lies, where she can make somesort of special vocal impact. The best exam-ples of such impact are Christa Ludwig'svocally rock -solid first recording (withKlemperer) and the work of the for -realcontraltos, Maureen Forrester (with Reiner)and Lili Chookasian (first with Ormandy,later with Susskind and the Cincinnati Sym-phony, Candide QCE 31117). At the sametime, Norman offers satisfactions of herown up where a contralto is straining at thetop of her range-for example, in the gal-loping description of the young men onhorseback ("0 sieh, was tummeln sich furschane Knaben dort . . .") in "Von derSchiinheit."
For "Von der Jugend," Davis haspaired two choices that I would havethought, and may still think, incompatible.Other conductors have taken relatively
quick tempos (if not this quick), but theyhave generally had their soloists lightlytrace the song's conscious chinoiserie.Such lightweight tenors as Ernst Hafliger(with Walter in 1960), Murray Dickie (withKletzki, Seraphim S 60260), and RichardLewis (with Reiner and Ormandy) haveachieved lovely results in such perfor-mances.
Davis, however, has Vickers singingnot only at full throttle but at full blast, pro-ducing a parody effect that for me blunts thespecial perception of the song, in which theenviability of those idyllic youths in theirporcelain pavilion evaporates by the simpleperceptual shift of suddenly seeing themreflected, upside down, on the surface ofthe pond. This, the symphony's shortestsong, seems to me next to "Der Abschied"possibly the most remarkable. There arewonderfully suggestive performances inboth Klemperer recordings, first with An-ton Dermota (Turnabout THS 65089) andthen with Fritz Wunderlich (Angel). Thelatter performance, nearly twice as long asthe new one, is a revelation for the beautiesof Wunderlich's singing and the ravishingorchestral playing.
"Von der Jugend" is, incidentally,the only movement in which Klemperertakes a tempo that could be called slow. Theglory of this performance-and I am moreand more astonished by it on each hear-ing-is the thoroughness of its investiga-tion of the music coupled with the stunningwork of Ludwig, Wunderlich, and theorchestra. To my taste, none of the songshas been performed better elsewhere onrecords.
This doesn't mean that there aren'tmany other interesting performances. Thespontaneous -sounding and orchestrally vi-brant Ormandy, now available only in a boxwith his complete Tenth Symphony, isinfectiously upbeat. The somewhat morereserved (and more distantly recorded) Rei-ner has, in addition to the vocal and orches-tral virtues already noted, a special sense ofbalance and proportion not at all incompat-ible with real involvement and life. Theboldly played and recorded Bernstein/Lon-don recording has a good, strong tenor inJames King and the interest of Mahler'sbaritone option for the alto songs, thoughFischer-Dieskau came closer to meeting themusic's demands in the earlier recordingwith Kletzki and Dickie (see above).
The Karajan recording is quite differ-ent in spirit from the others, valuing thebleakness of the emotional state of Mahler'sobservers over the unquenchable optimismthat keeps shining through (cf. "Sonne derLiebe. . ."). It's all most impressively exe-cuted, with the Berlin Philharmonic inexcellent health, with Ludwig still able tomanipulate the music to reasonably goodeffect, and with Rene Kollo a solid tenor ofa piercing sort, as he is in the Solti andBernstein/Israel recordings. If this is theone Das Lied recording that consistently
70 Circle 7 on Reader -Service Card
depresses rather than cheers me, it doeskeep me coming back.
Also different from the other record-ings, but in a different way, is the Walter/Philharmonic version, whose autumnalglow pays real dividends in the problematic"Der Einsame im Herbst." Mildred Millersings her music more appealingly than mostof her more famous recorded rivals, andHafliger gives much the most impressive ofhis three recorded accounts, soundingalmost heroic in the "Trinklied." At Odys-sey price, this is an attractive buy, but then,the budget collector has quite a choice: thedusky Susskind account with Chookasianand Richard Cassilly (Candide), the above -mentioned Fischer-Dieskau/Dickie/Kletzkirecording on Seraphim, Hans Rosbaud'sbeautifully detailed and tolerably sungaccount on Turnabout (TV -S 34220), andthe intense 1936 Walter performance onSeraphim.
In fact, after several months of livingwith nineteen recordings of Das Lied, I'mmost struck by their overall quality; thescore tends to coax the best out of its per-formers. And its recording crews. Sonicallyspeaking, the new version is most impres-sive -broad in span, rich in detail, warmand full in tone. Davis' performance maynot displace the Klemperer and Ormandyand perhaps Reiner recordings in my affec-tions, but it seems to have joined the otherlisted comparisons in my current select
In Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda,Monteverdi consciously broke new stylisticground, experimenting with unusual rhyth-mic devices in an attempt to mold text andmusic into a dramatic unity. As heexplained in the introduction to his EighthBook of Madrigals (published in 1638, itincluded Combattimento, first performedsome fourteen years earlier), music ought tobe able to express agitated as well as mod-erate emotions; yet (to his taste) his col-leagues and predecessors had succeeded inconveying only the latter.
On the authority of the ancient philos-ophers, Monteverdi determined that "thequick pyrrhic meter was used for all warlikeand powerfully excited dances, and that theslow spondaic meter was used for the oppo-site"; he concluded that "a semibreve
sounded once was the equivalent of onespondaic beat," but "divided into sixteensemiquavers, rapidly sounded one after theother in connection with a text dealing withwrath and indignation, it would producesomething very near to what I have beentrying to find."
Torquato Tasso's poetic account ofTancred and Clorinda's tragic battle struckhim as an ideal proving ground for this the-ory, "for here were war, entreaties, andeven death to be interpreted in music." Ofcourse Monteverdi's assertions make per-fect sense, and Combattimento stands todayas a masterpiece of representative scoring.Strangely, it was not unanimously pro-claimed as such in its time: In fact, at thefirst performance (by Monteverdi's ownaccount) the musicians found the notion ofproducing dramatic effect through rapidlyrepeated notes absurd, and refused to play ithis way -thereby ruining the intendedeffect and prompting the composer to insist,at the time of publication, that the instru-mental parts "must be played in the formand manner written."
Eventually, elements of the concitatostyle Monteverdi advocated became stan-dard usages in descriptive compositionallanguage; and these days, performers fol-low his directions, more or less. Yet histor-ical distance has created different interpre-tive problems. Each of the handful of avail-able recordings has its own way with the
B
0
U)
m
0
B33
C3).
11
w(I)
Audio Spot Starter 10 pc. outfitKenwood KR810-20 watts per channelFisher DS126-3 way -8 in. wooferTechnics SLB20-semi automatic belt drivew Ortofon cartridge, wistyli cleanerw magnifying glass, waist cleanerplus speaker wire -$399.00
Audio Spot Pro 10 pc. outfitTechnics SA222-30 watts per channelAR 48S-3 way 10 in. wooferDual 607 -direct drive semi aut.w Ortofon cartridge, w'styli cleanerw magnifying glass, w disc cleanerplus Sennheiser headphonesw speaker wire -$649 00
Audio Spot Wealthy 10 pc. outfitSherwood 9600-60 watts per channelAvid 232-3 way -10 in. woofer, 3 wayDual 627 -fully automatic direct drivew'Ortofon cartridge, w styli cleanerwimagnifying glass, w disc cleanerplus Sennheiser headphones w'speaker wire -$849.00
ACCESSORIESdiscwasher 9.95Stanton styli cleaner 6.95Alison tape cleaner 9.95Allsop disc cleaner 15.95Cartridges by Shure. Stanton andADC -call for best prices
Insructions Tr order by mail send certified check or money order onlyPersonal check will cause a delay Shipping charge is min 4 95
All merchandise Iresh brand new lactory guaranteed Prices subject tochoge withou notice Quantity limited
1d1Ol
WM11
VMIIITfshiba LTR1
ITS3external speakers
for WalkrwnsHeadphones P19 Koss 15.95
Brand new merchandiseshipped within 24 hours
4908 16th AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11204
B0
C/)
DCz mcnC ;0co00m0cnm
z0zcn-<zOz
xmw
00Ocn00
Bcn
33
I
KENWOOD PHASE LINEAR
Joshua Rifkin leading his "chorus" and orchestra in the recording of the Mass
Rifkin's Bach:A Mass of EvidenceReviewed by Kenneth CooperIT IS IN THL NATURE of a collector to select asingle idea and exploit it to its fullest capa-bility. Whether stamps or rare books,depression glass or ten=inch records, cho-rale preludes or concerti grossi, the discrim-inating collector never loses track of hiscentral theme and never worries about thesource of a new addition or its method ofacquisition. A man who has assembled anOrgelbiichlein, a Well -Tempered Clavier, aClavieriibung with a Goldberg Variations,a Musical Offering, an Art of Fugue, andnumerous other smaller but equally com-prehensive collections is a passionate col-lector. Such was Bach, and he was notalone. The eighteenth century had a maniafor collecting, anthologizing, encyclope-dizing everything in sight. The burst ofenthusiasm about man's capacity forknowledge should be no surprise to thosefamiliar with the term "enlightenment."
One does not have to look to Bach's"inner needs" to find reasons for the ori-gins of his collections, of which the so-called Mass in B minor is one. In his ownwords, these works were gathered togetherto "give Instruction in Developing a Cho-rale in many Divers ways, and at the sametime to Acquire Facility in the Study of thePedal" (1717); to "Praise the Almighty'sWill and for my Neighbor's Greater Skill"(1717); "for the Use and Profit of MusicalYouth Desirous of Learning as well as forthe Pastime of those Already Skilled in thisStudy" (1722); "to learn how to playcleanly in two voices . . . and in threeobbligato parts . . ., to get good ideas ofone's own, and to develop them well; most-ly, however, to achieve a singing style ofplaying . . ." (1723); and "for Music Lov-
ers to Refresh their Spirits" (1726). It ishard, in fact, to imagine Bach attempting torestrict the use of these collections, havingseen many of them through the press.
What were Bach's own plans for theMass? We know what he did with it beforeit was assembled: He applied the variousmovements piecemeal to his circum-stances, employing a wide variety of appro-priate texts and instrumentations. In addi-tion, he could well have had the entire workperformed on feast days in either Catholicor certain Lutheran churches. It is thereforenot difficult to accept among the many per-formance possibilities either Bach's clearlystated choral preferences at the Thomas-schule (as defended by Robert Marshall[HF, October 19821) or a chamber versionin which all the choruses are sung by solo-ists alone, as may or may not have occurredat Dresden. Joshua Rifkin's key argument[HF, September, December 1982] that thetuttis are not indicated and thus the ripie-nists could not have known when to singcan be simply answered: Singers tend toknow which pieces they have rehearsed andwhich not.
If one listens to this recording beforereading Rifkin's encyclopedic liner notes,one is likely to experience-what is theopposite of a rude awakening?-a politesoporific. To perform the B minor Mass a laDresden demands recognition of Dresden'stwo chief prides, and perhaps its two mainattractions for Bach, its virtuoso orchestraand its Italian singers. To ignore these anddeliver Bach in a style invented in the twen-tieth century but best suited to the EnglishRenaissance, makes a mockery of anyefforts at establishing an authentic context
for the work. A lack of dynamic inflectionin the lines and lack of rhetoric in the text donot clarify, but only muddy our understand-ing of the phraseology and texture. Norwould Dresden have been satisfied.Quantz, there, "soon perceived that merelyhitting the notes as the composer wrotethem was still far from the greatest excel-lence of an artist." The chamber -"style per-formance, however, allows us many beau-tiful moments and lends insight to manypassages, especially the big fugues.
The vocal soloists here sing quiteaccurately and fairly well in tune. The tem-pos are fast and buoyant, with a relentless,subliminal beat on every eighth -note, notunlike a click -track. The best performancesoccur on the fourth side, the most expres-sive of which is countertenor Jeffrey Doo-ley's Agnus Dei. The wind players arelovely and unassertive, not suggesting theDresden band of egos; one remembers espe-cially the captivating Lombards of the flute(Christopher Krueger) in the "DomineDeus." The strings, renouncing vibrato andneeding more rehearsal, are the victims ofanother historical blunder. There are twofirst -violin parts extant. Does that implythat only two violins are to be used? Rifkinsays yes. I say that when two violins play inunison, they are often out of tune, a condi-tion Bach must have tried to rectify, wherepossible. Without musical judgment, wecould get into worse trouble, I suppose:Frederick the Great had difficulty counting;do we want to hear what the original read-ing of the Musical Offering sounded like?
My brief criticism has centered onmusicological matters, because it is to themthat Rifkin, despite his disclaimer, has giv-en primary, though not always enlightened,consideration. My disagreement on variouspoints should be no reason not to praise Rif-kin and his colleagues for going out on alimb for something they believe in andNonesuch for the courage and imaginationto avoid the beaten path. The Bach cantatascan yet be regarded as some of the world'sgreatest chamber music. The presentrecording is a definite curiosity not lackinga certain philosophical interest for our time.The relationship between light-headed mu-sic and heavy-handed musicology is a strik-ing reversal of the attitudes of a few decadesago. The performance, according to myfriend John McCullough, "will fall of itsown lack of weight." HF
BACH: Mass in B minor, S. 232.Judith Nelson and Julianne Baird, sopra-
nos; Jeffrey Dooley and Drew Minter, counter-tenors; Frank Hoffmeister and Edmund Brown-
less, tenors; Jan Opalach and Andrew WalkerSchultze, basses; Bach Ensemble, Joshua Rifkin.cond. [Marc J. Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz.prod.] NONESUCH DB 79036. $23.96 (digitalrecording; two discs, manual sequence). Tape:D2 79036, $23.96 (two cassettes).
72HIGH FIDELITY
CLASSICAL Reviews
work, but so far as authenticity goes, thenew Cologne Musica Antigua recordingsurpasses the competition on severalcounts.
Among its attractions, on the mostbasic level, is the group's by now easilyidentifiable sonic personality-a sound thatcombines astringency, brilliance, and a viv-id sense of coloristic possibilities. Morethan Leonhardt and even the normally over -editorial Leppard, Reinhard Goebel gets tothe work's pictorial roots, not only withinstrumental effects (including, in some ofthe battle sections, a percussive string andharpsichord sound), but through texturalclarity and a regulation of tension by meansof tempo variation.
The work is a dramatic scene, to beacted out by the two armored combatantsand described by a narrator. Tancred's andClorinda's relatively few lines are (with theexception of Clorinda's last scene) oftenunderplayed. Here, David Thomas portraysthe most belligerent Tancred on disc, and ifPatrizia Kwella does little that is eitherunusual or particularly striking, hers is cer-tainly a respectable Clorinda. But the lion'sshare of the vocal work falls to the narrator,and here again, the new disc eclipses theothers. Nigel Rogers (who sang Tancred onLeonhardt's recording) is lavish and almostathletic with his embellishment of the nar-rative's slow, grave sections, and remark-ably fleet in the tongue -twisting "L'ontairrita lo sdegno a la vendetta" verse. Of thealternatives, Max van Egmond also embel-lishes tastefully, though not so profusely;Laerte Malaguti embellishes little and oftenseems on the brink of a Gigli sob; and LuigiAlva avoids thoughtful ornamentation infavor of a thickly larded modern (or rather,Leppard-style baroque) vibrato.
The vocal styles of the competing ver-sions, in fact, are analogous to the instru-mental performances that back them. Leon-hardt's, naturally, approaches the idealestablished by the new Archiv disc but-more understated-lacks its tension, par-ticularly at the end. Loehrer's has a rich,modern chamber -orchestra sound that is,nevertheless, deployed effectively; despiteits modernity and my reservations about itsnarrator, I still find this an appealing per-formance, particularly at budget price. Lep-pard's is pretty much what one has come toexpect from him, with lush, often dominantstrings-full of character but somewhatanachronistic.
Musica Antigua also offers the bestcoupling, although again, none of thechoices is bad. Leppard presents completethe Madrigals, Book VIII, in a three -discset; Loehrer includes selections from thatbook; and Leonhardt fills out his disc withmadrigals from Books VII and VIII and theLamento della ninfa. Goebel offers anotherof the better-known and more trend -settingworks, the Lamento d'Arianna from the lostopera of 1608. The version for solo voice,though less frequently heard than the later
madrigal setting, is in many ways moreexpressive and touching-particularly so inthis magnificent rendering by Carolyn Wat-kinson, a young but mature -sounding alto.She is equally affecting in the Lamentod'Olimpia, which closes the disc.
The two laments are separated by,appropriately enough, La Desperata. a vio-lin sonata by Monteverdi's contemporaryCarlo Farina, a precursor of the school ofItalian violin virtuoso -composers (althoughthis, like all of his published works, datesfrom his years as Konzertmeister at theDresden court). Brief and attractive, if notterribly consequential, it serves the dualpurpose of separating the vocal works andproviding a vehicle for Goebel's zephyrlikeviolin playing. A.K.
The Musica Antigua'sattractive sonicpersonality is by noweasily identifiable.
Kotler, cond. [Eduard Herzog and Miian Sla-vicky, prod.] MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY MHS4575, $7.75 ($4.95 to members). Tape: MHC6575, $7.75 ($4.95 to members). (Add $1.60 forshipping; Musical Heritage Society, 14 Park Rd.,Tinton Falls, N.J. 07724.)
ldomeneo, K. 366; Die Entfiihrung ausdem Serail, K. 384; Der Schauspieldirektor, K.486; Le Nozze di Figaro, K. 492; Don Giovanni.K. 527; Cosi fan tutte, K. 588; Die Zauberflote,K. 620; La Clemenza di Tito, K. 621.
COMPARISONS:
Haitink/London Phil. Phi. 9500 882Marriner/St. Martin's Acad. Ang. DS 37879Davis/Royal Phil. Sera. S 60037
This 1978 recording from the CzechoslovakOpus label is another plausible entry in theMozart -overture field that I surveyed inNovember. Unlike the recent -vintage Hai-tink and Marriner discs, which included thelong and rather tedious Lucio Silla Over-ture, and the long -familiar Colin Davisdisc, which included the brief but charmingFinta giardiniera, this one offers only eightovertures, but they're the eight essentialones, and they're sensibly thought-out andtidily played. (For more exotic repertory,don't forget the scrappy but well-inten-tioned Faerber/Tumabout collection, QTV-S 34628.)
While it's true that KoKler's perfor-mances, like Haitink's similarly foursquarethough more elegantly phrased and playedones, won't often surprise you, surprisesaren't always a good thing. Is the pushinessof Marriner's performances an unalloyedtreat? On the other hand, Marriner's Ido-meneo and Clemenza di Tito remain uncom-
monly bracing, and then there's his unex-pected Cosi-not pushed at all, and reallyquite ravishing. There's something to besaid for surprises after all.
The Slovak Philharmonic's string toneas recorded here tends to thickness, but thewoodwinds sound as warm and natural asthose of Haitink's London Philharmonic,giving the MHS disc a certain sonic advan-tage over the rather gritty Seraphim. Theadvantage is hardly decisive, though, andDavis' performances remain fresh andattractive. K.F.
REICH: Tehillim.Steve Reich and Musicians, George Mana-
Tehillim, a setting of verses from fourPsalms, shows Steve Reich embarking on anew and welcome course without sacrific-ing his familiar sound and style. Scored forfour women's voices, strings, winds, elec-tric organs, and percussion and sung inHebrew (the title is Hebrew for "psalms,"or more literally, "praises"), Tehillimbrings Reich to terms with several compo-sitional elements he has pointedly avoidedin the past-chiefly, long melodic lines,replacing the repeated cells from which hisearlier music grew, and tight manipulationof vocal and instrumental textures and har-monic movement.
Actually, he gave hints of this in hislast major outing, Music for a LargeEnsemble (1978; ECM 1-1168), and insome subsequent smaller works, in whichinstrumental groups would enter and exitmore abruptly than usual (for Reich) andmotivic changes were sharper than in hisearlier, more smoothly flowing works. Butthe task of setting a text has clearly pushedthe composer on to this next phase. Here thestructures within each setting are clear rath-er than amorphous; and if the music provesentrancing, the trance is uplifting ratherthan soporific.
The piece has a nice cyclical feel. Thefirst text (Psalm 19:2-5) moves through sixsettings based on an attractive, rhythmical-ly angular tune heard first as a vocal solo,then in a two -voice canon. String and windharmonies enter, giving way by the fifthsection to four voices and maracas, withorgans doubling the voice parts. Finally,this mass is pared back to the original solomelody, over percussion. The percussioncontinues beyond the melody, forming abridge to the second text setting (34:13-15). This time, the two- and three-partvocal lines are presented homophonically,doubled at various times by different instru-mental sections. (Percussion is the sole con-stant throughout the piece-but the kindsof percussive instruments vary.) After aninterlude for organ and percussion, Reichbrings his singers back for an embellishedda capo, with sections of the melody elon-gated.
JANUARY 1983 73
CLASSICAL ReviewsThe third setting (18:26-27), the sole
slow movement, again deploys the voicescontrapuntally (but not canonically), over apedal provided by marimba and vibra-phone. The percussionists gradually quick-en the pace, signalling the final setting(150:4-6)-almost a good, old-fashionedrecapitulation-which reprises themes andtechniques heard earlier and leads up to aglorious, full -ensemble coda on "Hallelu-jah" (in D major, no less!).
Certain Reichian thumbprints shinethrough this all: The quick canonic settingof the first text over distinctly Reichianrhythmic figures recalls the tape manipula-tions of Come Out, although the textureshere are obviously more sophisticated. Andwhile the vocal lines (and their repetitions)are now full-fledged melodies, the percus-sion parts and some of the sustained harmo-ny lines in the winds and strings are cut ofthe same cloth Reich used for Music for (1Large Ensemble and other works. A.always, he maintains the feeling of continu-ity that joins each of his scores to its prede-cessors. But this work represents a quantumleap. For one who admired Reich's musicof the late '60s and early '70s but found hismore recent work a bit tiresome, it'srefreshing to discover that he has at lastchanged-or rather, found-his tune. A.K.
SCHUBERT: Symphonies: No. 3, in D,D. 200; No. 5, in B flat, D. 485.
Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields, Ne-ville Marriner, cond. PHILIPS 6514 149, $12.98(digital recording). Tape: 7337 149, $12.98 (cas-sette).
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9, in C, D.944.
Dresden State Orchestra. Karl Bohm,cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2531 352.$10.98. Tape: 3301 352, $10.98 (cassette). [Re-corded in performance. January 12. 1979.]
Marriner's approach to the two early sym-phonies is trim and appropriate, with fastishtempos and smartly sprung rhythms. TheThird is especially attractive here, with analert, no-nonsense kind of vigor and temposthat-while driving and animated-avoidthe eccentric relationships and dogmaticpoint -making that characterized both Car-los Kleiber's reading (DG 2531 124) andhis father's. Without turning it into a "big"composition as Karajan (successfully) did(Angel SZ 37754) Marriner neverthelessmanages, like Karajan, to find the seeds ofthe "Great" C major's finale in the lastmovement.
If the Fifth is less successful, it is sim-ply because of its sound, a bit bass -heavy,overblown, and deficient in detail. Thewinds and strings produce a blunted, gener-al heft, but neither the violins (early in thework) nor the flute (when it takes a singingsolo line, as in the slow movement) can cutthrough clearly. The orchestral playinghere, while tasteful and civilized, is a mitegenteel and lethargic.
Returning to Toscanini's old 1953
recording of the Fifth (alas no longer avail-able), one is immediately struck by the clar-ity and balance, old sound or no, and by therefreshing lack of those "feminine" phraseendings that constitute Marriner's onlyeccentricity. Also noteworthy are Toscani-ni's success in infusing a molten, passion-ate energy (e.g., in the Minuet) without inthe least overloading the context andrestraint of the writing, and the way hisphrasing breathes and expands (albeit sub-tly) even in the context of a severe classi-cism. Basically, his is a more purposefulview of the music. Fully aware that somereaders tire of my unceasing advocacy ofToscanini, I can only continue to hold upthis sort of honest, inspired music -making
Bohm's DresdenNinth will surprisethose who know his'60s Berlin version.
as a pristine example.Karl Bohm's Dresden account of the
"Great" C major, taped by VEB DeutscheSchallplatten in concert, will surprise thosewho know his mid -'60s Berlin Philharmon-ic version (DG 138 877). Maybe the leaner,more acute sound is a factor, but there ismuch more litheness and chiaroscuro here,a more spontaneous characterization ofphrases, and more impulsiveness in themanipulation of tempo. Some of the haul-ing -about is of the sort one associates withFurtwangler, but with a firmer, brighter,less spongy type of sonority. Once or twice,the sudden "inspiration" produces near -anarchy (as at the approach to the first -
movement recapitulation and at the end ofthe finale), and the Scherzo, for all its song-fulness, is a bit stodgy and ungalvanic. Yetsurprisingly, I found myself quite oftenenchanted by a heart and freedom I hadn'tknown in Bohm, usually the model of a
modern Kapellmeister. In short, an affect-ing memento, and one that definitely aug-ments our view of a masterpiece. H.G.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Concerto for Pianoand Orchestra, No. 2, in G, Op. 44.
Richard Freed's excellent annotation gener-ously mentions Shura Cherkassky's earliermono version of this work on DeutscheGrammophon (with the Berlin Philharmon-ic under Richard Kraus) but ironically over-looks a still earlier one on Vox (with theSanta Monica Symphony under Jacques
Rachmilovich); this was one of two works(Brahms's Op. 5 Sonata was the other) herecorded in the earliest days of micro-groove.
In any case, it is good to have Cher-kassky back in the fold. As before, he optsfor the Siloti revision in lieu of Tchaikov-sky's longer, more rambling original andplays with fine-grained lyricism. His ver-sion, thus, is strikingly different fromGilels' (also of Siloti's version; Angel,deleted); here slashing drama is temperedby a whimsical elegance. Cherkassky is amaster of what I call the a caprimioso style,and if some of the bravura passages lack theultimate in rhythmic steadiness, these defi-ciencies are more than offset by many rav-ishingly phrased details and dabs of color.Occasionally, his passagework delightfullysuggests that he is tickling the keys with afeather (or wand?). There are very few pia-nists active who can obtain his kind of lim-pid, pressureless sonority.
Walter Susskind does his work artisti-cally if unimaginatively, and the resonantrecording has fine balance and agreeableexpanse. My copy has a few blemishes,however. H.G.
THOMSON: Four Saints in ThreeActs.
CAST
St. Teresa ISt. SettlementSt. Teresa IICommereSt. ChavezSt. StephenSt. IgnatiusSt. PlanCompere
Clamma Dale (s)Gwendolyn Bradley (s)
Florence Quivar (ms)Betty Allen (ms)
William Brown (t)Joseph de Vaughn (t)Arthur Thompson (b)
William Penn (b)Benjamin Matthews (bs-b)
Other soloists, Orchestra of Our Time, JoelThome. cond. [Marc J. Aubort and Joanna Nick-renz, prod.] NONESUCH DB 79035, $23.96 (dig-ital recording; two discs, automatic sequence).Tape: D2 79035, $23.96 (two cassettes).
No, this first full-length Four Saints isn't sogreat, and I do find it hard to believe thatit's possible to rehearse and perform thepiece and make this little contact with (ifnothing else) those infectious rhythmsdrawn from Thomson's Southern Baptistupbringing. Still, this is the only recordingwe're apt to have for the foreseeable future,and since it happens that most of the prin-cipal singers are well suited to their roles,the operative question seems how we mightmake the performance work for us.
The best hint is provided by the com-poser. In a revised and expanded version ofthe essay written originally for the RCAreissue of his own 1947 abridged recording(last available as LM 2756), he writes of theall -black original cast, so chosen "for beau-ty of voice, clarity of enunciation, and finecarriage": "Their surprise gift to the pro-duction was their understanding of thework. They got the spirit of it, enjoyed itsmultiple meanings, even the obscurities,adopted it, spoke in quotations from it."
Clearly this had a lot to do with the
74HIGH FIDELITY
circumstances of the 1934 production, inwhich essentially the same group of per-formers-a number of whom can be heardin the 1947 recording-worked togetherover an extended run, making it possible forthem to absorb the piece. so that they notonly found their own connection to Thom -son's modes of musical speech but intu-itively reached through to the underlyingsense of Gertrude Stein's seemingly non-sensical words.
If the new cast hasn't achieved thiswith any consistency. the recording doesallow us as listeners (if possible with the aidof the vocal score, to help see the shapes) todo some of this work on our own-to relaxand let our response mechanisms cope, forexample, with Thomson's decision to splitthe chiefest saint, St. Teresa, into a sopranoand a mezzo part. Put on Side 2, whichlands you in their first duet, consistingmostly of chromatically ascending arpeg-gios (standard vocalise, in other words,only set to Stein text), and you're likely tostop worrying about whether they're onecharacter or two.
St. Teresa I. the soprano, arpeggiatesupward ("Very many go out as they do"),and St. Teresa II, the mezzo, arpeggiatesdownward in response C 'And make himprominent" ), and it all makes perfectsense, just as it does a bit later in Act I whenSt. Teresa I launches an ecstatic hymn withthe proposition: "There can be no peace onearth with calm with calm." Looking atthese eleven words on paper, I haven't aclue what they mean, but as movingly sungin both recordings, they couldn't be clear-er.
It's almost impossible to describe theopera for someone with no experience of it.That it has more than three acts and manymore than four saints somehow doesn'tseem terribly important. That it's set inSpain does. Thomson tells us that Stein"had lived in Spain and loved its land-scape, its intensity," and Four Saints radi-ates sunlight and faith, though not necessar-ily religious faith. Perhaps for the creatorsSt. Ignatius' Act III "Vision of HolyGhost," the immortal "Pigeons on thegrass alas," was a religious expression, butto me the faith expressed is more down-to-earth. Four Saints has the power to makesuch debased values as decency, affection,and wonder seem not at all cliched, to seemin fact like the most important things in theworld.
Thomson's musical setting is oftendescribed as "simple," which descriptionsuits it about as well as it suits Mozart'smusic. His sensitivity to speech rhythmshas been widely commented on, and it'especially important when he is setting atext whose coherence is almost entirelynonlinear. His pleasure in Stein's wordsshows up most delightfully in the way stagedirections are incorporated into the text, aswhen, in Act I, the Commere in her role asco -narrator announces, "Scene 7," and the
chorus tears into a series of descending Dmajor scales: "One two three four five sixseven all good children go to heaven.. . ."But stage directions also form the basis forthe "Love Scene" of the Commere andCompere in Act II: "Scene 8" "To wait.""Scene 1" "And begun." Etc.
Without slighting the ingenuity andsensuousness of Thomson's orchestral in-terludes (I might note the little guitar songin Act I introduced by the St. Teresas'"Leave later gaily the troubadour plays hisguitar"), I'm inclined to single out thescore's sensitivity to and delight in the sing-ing voice, whether in the form of chorus,smaller ensemble, or solo. The music'sshapes should allow singers, and certainlysingers as talented as Nonesuch's, to reallyexplore their vocal properties. One goodexample is the St. Teresas' arpeggio -duet.which Clamma Dale and Florence Quivarsail through. Too much of the rest of theperformance sounds like a quick firstimpression frozen in time.
Actually, Quivar is very goodthroughout; too bad we can't hear what shemight do with this music with the kind ofexperience the original cast had. Dale andthe lighter -weight Gwendolyn Bradley asSt. Settlement both sing very prettily in asight-reading sort of way. Arthur Thomp-son, for whom the Met has never found bet-ter use than the likes of the Mandarin inTurandot and the Jailer in Tosco, makes anexcellent start here on what might evolveinto a grand St. Ignatius, and BenjaminMatthews does a good deal of lovely sing-ing as the Compere. The tenors sound lesspromising, and Betty Allen as the Commereis plain badly cast, parched -sounding andpersonally unsympathetic.
Nonesuch's double -fold album in-cludes complete texts. The sound is lessimmediate than I'd like for so intimate apiece, and the surfaces of my copy are onthe noisy side. If this adds up to an even lessimpressive premiere recording than NewWorld's Santa Fe Mother of Us All (NW288/9, reviewed by Conrad L. Osborne inJuly 1977), at least we now have bothworks in their entirety. With a certainamount of work, it's certainly possible toget something out of Four Saints, andgoodness knows how desperately we needwhat the opera has to offer.
DONIZETTI: La Favorita: Fla dunque vero. . 0 mio Fernando . . . Su, crudeli, e chi v'ar-
resta? MASCAGNI: Cavalleria rusticana: Voi losapete. MERCADANTE: II Giuramento: Ah si,mie care . . . Or IA sull'onda . . . Di tua fedebello ognora. MOZART: La Clemenza di Tito:Parto, parto. ROSSINI: II Barbiere di Siviglia:Una voce poco fa. La Cenerentola: Nacqul all'af-fanno . . . Non piit mesta. La Donna del lago:Tanti affetti in tal momento. VERDI: Macbeth:La luce langue.
The vocal attractions of this programaccount in part for its frustrations. Here wehave a voice that actually functions undercontrol over two full octaves (the high andlow B flats are legitimately encompassed,not reached for)-a voice of pleasing if notseductive timbre, reasonably adept at diffi-cult passagework, governed by a strongperformer's will. So why aren't the resultsmore compelling?
The Rossini/Mozart side is repertorythat should ideally suit the voice's lean tim-bre and weight, and yet these perfor-mances, sleek and energetic as they are,rarely catch fire. The paradox is that as theprogram moves into progressively later andweightier material, vocally less suitable forBaltsa (I don't see how you can make even"0 mio Fernando" happen without enoughvocal force down in the vicinity of the breakto be able to really roll those phrases thatcurl round it), she begins to demonstratethat she is capable of drawing on her per-sonal resources.
Already in the Mercadante cavatina (astandard -form recitative, aria, and cabalet-ta), although we don't hear much projectionof Bianca's immediate stakes, Baltsa doesfind a rhythmic impulsion that drives herthrough an andante that might otherwiseseem a fairly humdrum nostalgic specimen,and she then contrasts this movement withthe more obvious physical momentum ofthe cabaletta. My suspicion is that byinstinct she is making an increasingly moredirect expressive connection to the vocalwriting as it evolves into styles that at leastfor a present-day performer seem emotion-ally more "natural."
In Lady Macbeth's "La luce langue,"still a throwback form, a human beingbegins to emerge (might Baltsa have reallycut loose in the formally fluid SleepwalkingScene?), but it's not until we reach theverismo world of "Voi 10 sapete" that weencounter a woman of real dimension. IfSantuzza hardly seems a terribly healthyrole for this voice, this performance of thearia conveys an aching need almost impos-sible to imagine from those neatly con-tained Rossini accounts on the flip side.
What depresses me is that a performerof such demonstrable talent, technicalaccomplishment, and enthusiasm seemsnever to have come in contact with anyonewho would help her explore how the morestylized forms of Mozart, Rossini, andDonizetti express human needs as strongand urgent as those of Mascagni. Wouldn't
you love to hear a Rosina, a Cenerentola,maybe even a Sesto as "real" as this San-tuzza?
The accompaniments and engineeringare adequate, but the absence of printedtexts will be a problem for even seasonedcollectors in so rare a selection as the seven -
minute Mercadante scena. K.F.
BERLIN PHILHARMONIC CHAM-BER ENSEMBLES.
Berlin Philharmonic members. DEUTSCHEGRAMMOPHON 2741 011, $64.90 (digital record-ings; five discs, manual sequence).
Sides 1, 2: V. ALBRICI (arr. K. -J.Weber): Sonata. Andreas BERGER: Canzonoctavi modi. G. GABRIELI: Sonata XIII (arr.
The audio excellenceis consistent, butthe aural thrills aredearly paid for.
H. -D. Schwarz); Sonata plan e forte. GRILLO(art. Schwarz): Canzone I, II. Georg MUFFAT(arr. Woehl): Ouverture; Sarabande; Bourree;Rondeau. PEZEL: Bal; Intrada; Courante; Bal.S. SCHEIDT Suite. STORL:Sonate I, Ill. IV. VIADANA: Sinfonia -LaPadovana." J.D. ZELENKA: Reiterfanfare.(Brass Ensemble)
Side 5: MENDELSSOHN: Octet forStrings, in E flat, Op. 20. (Brandis, WestphalQuartets)
Side 6: BRUCH: Septet for Winds andStrings, in E flat. (Philharmonic Octet mem-bers)
Side 7: BOCCHERINI: Quintet for Strings,in E, Op. 13, No. 5: Minuet. (Westphal Quartet)HAYDN: Divertimento in C, H. 11:11 (DerGeburtstag). (Philharmonic Soloists) MEN-DELSSOHN: Quartet for Strings, No. I. in Eflat, Op. 12: Canzonetta. (Herzfeld Quartet)
Side 8: HAYDN: Quartet for Strings, in D.Op. 20. No. 4. (Brandis Quartet)
Side 9: FUNCK (art. Kapler): Suite in D.HAYDN: Baryton Trio in D, H. XI:81: Finale.Baryton Trio in D, H. XI:113: Adagio. 1.KLENGEL: Hymnus, Op. 57. A. SCARLATTI(art. Berge!): Concerto No. 2: Grave; Minuetto.(Twelve Cellos)
Side 10: KHACHATURIAN (art. Vogler):Gayane: Sabre Dance. (Piano. Percussion, andDouble -Bass Ensemble) ROSSINI: Rendez-vousde chasse. (Eight Horns) Duetto for Cello andDouble Bass, in D. (Philharmonic Duo) J.STRAUSS II (art. E. Hartmann): An der sch8n-en. blauen Donau, Op. 314. (Nine Double Bass-es)
This curious cornucopia, a kind of Anhangto DG's magnificent centenary tribute to theBerlin Philharmonic, differs in almostevery respect from the main, six -volumelimited -edition documentary anthology
(HF, December 1982). It doesn't representthe full orchestra or any of its famous con-ductors, just directorless sections andchamber ensembles. It doesn't delve intopast recordings, but is entirely new; indeed,it features ultramodern digital technology.It contains too few complete works and toomany snippets-and its interest is in anycase narrowly specialized (executant andtechnical) rather than general (musical). Ican recommend it to fans of the individualplayers involved, to their opposite numbersin other orchestras worldwide, to aspiringand apprentice instrumentalists, to connois-seur audiophiles-and to no one else atall.
Well, maybe I should qualify that con-demnation a bit: There's real if minor musi-cal fascination in the recently discoveredseptet for winds and strings by the eleven-
year -old Max Bruch-a prodigy of nearMendelssohnian if scarcely Mozarteangifts. Haydn's quirky Birthday Divertimen-to for winds, strings, and harpsichord hasbeen recorded before, but surely never asskillfully. The elephantine derangements ofBlue Danube (double basses) and "SabreDance" (percussion, piano, and doublebasses) would rank among the most amus-ing of musical caricatures-would, that is,if played with the slightest glint of humor.Throughout, the ultrabravura virtuosity,breathtaking in itself, achieves spellbindingimpressiveness in sonic realism that issometimes even larger and morelife. If any orchestral horn, brass, or dou-ble -bass section has ever been capturedmore thrillingly, I haven't heard it. Then,too, if you've ever had difficulty differenti-ating xylophone, marimba, vibraphone,and percussive piano timbres, just listen tothe digital distinctions in the "SabreDance." Remarkably, this state-of-the-artaudio excellence is consistently maintaineddespite the number of producers (five) andrecording engineers (six) involved.
Lamentably. though, such aural thrillsare dearly paid for. Quite apart from a com-plete lack of any sense of historical stylisticauthenticity. the readings betray revoltinginsensitivities. Many of the interpreta-tions-like that of the gracious Mozart ser-enade-are so brutally ferocious, heavy-handed, and stonyhearted, that I can't helprecalling the phrase of Lucan applied in thiscentury to alleged World War I atrocities-furor teutonicus . And where the more char-acteristic Germanic Romanticism allowssentiment to stray well over the boundary ofschmaltz, I'm reminded of an apt Italianterm for "affected expression"-smor-fioso.
Just as war has been deemed tooimportant to be left to the generals. many ofus have long thought musical interpretationtoo important to be left entirely to star con-ductors. But now it seems that it's no lessrisky to leave it to orchestra members ontheir own. R.D.D.(Continued on page 91)
76HIGH FIDELITY
CLASSICAL
The Tape DeckCritiques of new cassette and open -reel releases by R.D. Darrell
Blowing WindsA whole galaxy of gifted young virtuososhas decisively laid to rest the ancient cal-umny of the oboe's being an "ill wind thatnobody blows good." Witness the superbrecordings of current superstar Heinz Hol-liger-in particular, his explorations with 1Musici of the inexhaustible treasure houseof Vivaldi concertos. Vol. 5 (Philips 7337167, $12.98), the first of this series to bedigitally recorded and chromium -taped. ismore breezily invigorating than ever,with-as usual-a couple of new discover-ies (RV 446 and 452) along with the rela-tively familiar (RV 454; RV 545, for oboeand bassoon, with Klaus Thunemann).
If any timbres can possibly be stillmore pungently delectable, it's those of theoboe's alto and tenor siblings-currentlyprovided by noted New York Philharmonicsoloist Thomas Stacy, who here triples asconductor of the Baroque Chamber Players.He commands perhaps even more piquancyon the oboe d'amore, in concertos by Bachand Telemann, than on the deeper -voicedEnglish horn, in an endearing MichaelHaydn quartet and a poignant Mozart Ada-gio (Spectrum SC 259. $4.95, plus $1.50shipping, from Spectrum. Harriman. N.Y.10926). A best buy!
Two American star clarinetists vieexcitingly in Weber's ideally idiomatic Op.34 Quintet: David Shifrin with the SequoiaQuartet (Nonesuch digital/ferric D4 79017,$11.98) and Richard Stoltzman with Tashi(RCA Red Seal ARK 1-4328. $9.98, nonotes). The painful choice is made easier bydiffering supplementary appeals. Shifrin'sis primarily a chamber -music approach,and he sticks to Weber-the Op. 33 Vari-ations and Op. 48 Grand Duo, with pianistWilliam Doppmann. Stoltzman, for all histaut control and coloristic nuance, is more abravura concert soloist, especially in thelighter -weight contemporary Americanfare-works by William Douglas and thelate Ingolf Dahl. By comparison, England'sThea King seems at first over -reticent, buther subtly restrained, pure -toned artistryendows two unfamiliar (to most Ameri-cans) clarinet concertos with complete con-viction: Stanford's solidly satisfying Op.80, from the turn of the century, and Finzi'seloquently spellbinding Op. 31, of 1979,both with near ideal accompaniments led byAlun Francis (Hyperion KA 66001, $13.98(via Harmonia Mundi U.S.A.. 2351 West-wood Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90064).
It's for his remarkable personality pro-jection that Irish leprechaun flutist James
Galway is most celebrated. So sensationseekers will find him unduly subdued in his1974 Seon recording, with Carl Baum-gartner, of Mozart's two concertos and K.315 Andante, now reappearing (Eurodiscchromium 55 514, $9.98) with Dolby noisereduction markedly superior to that in the1977 RCA edition (ARK 1-2159). But Gal-way reveals unexpected imagination in awelcome tribute to the underappreciatedRomanticist Carl Reinecke (1824-1910).The flutist is joined by conductor HiroyukiIwaki in Reinecke's Mozartean/Schumann-esque swansong Concerto (Op. 283!) andby pianist Phillip Moll-who also providesilluminating annotations-in the magicallypoetic Undine Sonata, both superbly playedand recorded (RCA Prestige Box digital/chrome ATK 1-4034. $15.98).
Maurice Andre's latest digitally re-corded trumpet concertos (Angel 4XS37905, $9.98, no notes) are as dazzling asever. But only the old-fashioned exampleby the obscure Luigi Otto (fl. 1750) is anoriginal; the Albinoni, Handel, and Barsan-ti works are all transcriptions. More prova-cative musically is the spirited New YorkTrumpet Ensemble's Madeira Festival pro-gram of short pieces-a few in transcrip-tion, a few with organ-by Biber, Fresco-baldi, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, Mar-tini, Mouret, Valentini. Wilbye, and White(Vox Cum Laude digital/chrome D -VCS9015, $10.98); not much stylistic authentic-ity, but the modern brass sonorities ring outthrillingly, and there arc admirable notes byPeter Eliot Stone. The same stylistic short-comings and sheerly sonic appeals alsocharacterize the "Venetian Polychoral Mu-sic" by Berlin Philharmonic and BambergSymphony trumpeters and trombonists (Ar-abesque 9086, $7.98). These bravura per-formances feature not only relatively famil-iar pieces by Frescobaldi and GiovanniGabrieli, but more valuably, works by theirlesser -known contemporaries Viadana andGiuseppe Guami-plus the quite unknownBastian Chilese and Giovanni Battista Gril-lo (who?).
Remembrances of things past. With theheartwarming news of Leon Fleischer'smiraculous return to two-handed pianismstill fresh in the news, I was more deeplymoved than ever by his c. 1959-60 Epictriumphs with Georg Szell: the BeethovenFourth and Mozart Twenty -Fifth Concer-tos. Not only is the playing rapturous, butthe early -stereo sonics still seem admirablywarm and robust in their new CBS GreatPerformances reissue XMYT 37762, price atdealer's option, no notes).
And every amateur pianist who oncetackled Country Gardens and other PercyGrainger tidbits will rejoice in EMI's cen-tenary tribute to the idiosyncratic Austra-lian -American. It's a two -cassette grab-bagof 1970-79 English and Australian record-ings featuring various conductors (VivianDunn, John Hopkins, Neville Dilkes) andpianists (Leslie Howard, David Stanhope.Daniel Adni, et al.) in the six pieces "ev-eryone knows" and such fascinating extrasas the Nutshell and Youthful Suites, Colo-nial Song, etc. (EMI Prestige Box TC SLS5249, $23.96, via International Book andRecord Distributors. 40-11 24th St., LongIsland City, N.Y. 11101). (Consolationprize: the same six Dunn -led favorites plusfour British Proms miniatures in last year'sArabesque 9037, $7.98.)
Another old phono-pianist friend is
Shura Cherkassy-late-mono-era champi-on of Tchaikovsky's too seldom heard Sec-ond Piano Concerto. Luckily, he's stillactive, and a more persuasively eloquentproponent of this work than ever, in agrandly recorded new version with the Cin-cinnatiaus under the late Walter Susskind(Vox Cum Laude VCS 9011. $8.98).
The latest open reels from Barclay -Crock-er (11 Broadway. New York, N.Y. 10004).in line with this month's preoccupation withwind instruments, feature Jack Brymer'smemorable 1967 "Virtuoso Clarinet" pro-gram (Vanguard/B-C E 71167, $8.95). It'sstill a collector's "must," despite FelixProhaska's routine accompaniments. for itsrare concerto by the Czech Franz Krommer(1759-1831), plus the Weber concertino,Wagner Adagio. and an anglicized DebussyFirst Rhapsody. From still farther back, andeven more famous, is Antal Dorati's 1957milestone Respighi coupling-the liltingBirds transcriptions and evocative Brazil-ian Impressions (Mercury/B-C G 75023,$10.95
The current B-C/Philips programs($10.95 each) are all improved processingsof recent disc and cassette successes: amagisterially controlled TchaikovskyManfred from Bernard Haitink and theConcertgebouw (G 9500 778); the comple-tion of Colin Davis' Sibelius symphonyseries with the Bostonians, No. 4 andTapiola (G 9500 143), and Nos. 5 and 7 (G6500 959); the felicitous teaming of AlfredBrendel and Neville Marriner in Mozart'sPiano Concerto No. 22 and two concertrondos (G 9500 145); and the Quartetto Ital-iano's muscularly vital realization of thelast and grandest Schubert String Quartet,No. 15 (G 9500 409). HF
JANUARY 1983 77
Pg43 CE: 17
Donald Fagen TalksFrom the dark, jaded regions of Steely Danemerges an intellectual with an album about innocence.by Sam Sutherland
FEW POP OR ROCK MUSICIANS in recentmemory have remained as intentionallyfaceless as Steely Dan's Walter Becker andDonald Fagen. In defiance of the usualcourse of events for platinum record win-ners, they succeeded in creating a provoca-tive, richly stylized body of music whilebecoming, if anything, less recognizable as"personalities," tucking the intimate de-tails of their private lives cryptically intotheir oblique lyrics. As they transformedtheir original working band into an elusiveentity that emerged only in recording studi-os, the duo edited out the few clues of ear-lier songs, where allusions to their daystogether in college evoked the cultural fer-ment of the late '60s.
Even photographs of the two men wererare. Their album portraits and publicityglossies were usually grainy black andwhite shots that . looked more like wantedposters than the idealized images of theirrock peers. The unsmiling faces, often hid-den behind sunglasses, looked uncomfort-able before the camera lens. In the inter-views they cautiously granted, their day-to-day lives remained undiscussed beyondthe most superficial and fragmentary de-tails. Music was the only topic that couldreliably lure them beyond a closely guardedperimeter of ironic detachment.
That reclusive aura explains the ulti-mately startling impact of Donald Fagen'sfirst solo disc. His perverse croon was theduo's vocal persona, and it remainsunchanged on "The Nightfly." Likewisehis melodies, arrangements, and intermit-tent keyboard work are extensions of SteelyDan's sleek, precise pop synthesis. Oncloser examination, though, the album is adeparture in its most fundamental respect,the songs' content. In contrast to the Dan'slarge cast of distinct characters and dispa-rate settings, "The Nightfly" revolves
around just one individual-Fagen.He himself is quick to confirm that.
And the record's specific time framestrongly suggests that the idea for "TheNightfly" predated the duo's decision tostop recording.
"I had wanted to do something bymyself for a year or so," says Fagen, "be-fore we decided to 'take a vacation,' asRobert Palmer put it," in a New York Timesarticle. The concept of a theme piece was anearly element, if not a motive, in that deci-sion. "In all the albums I did with Walter,we never said, 'We're going to write abouta certain period or a certain motif.' And I
A
think that accounts for a lot of the differenceright there."
Not that "The Nightfly" is an autobio-graphical narrative. Fagen cites as its uni-fying premise his own recollection of child-hood, and of the dreams that carried himthrough adolescence. In the atypicallystraightforward liner note, he describesthose dreams as "certain fantasies thatmight have been entertained by a youngman growing up in the remote suburbs of anortheastern city during the late Fifties andearly Sixties, i.e., one of my generalheight, weight, and build."
Those fantasies weren't entirelyunique. Rather, they touched upon what henow describes as the "myths" of that era,shared by young Americans struggling tocope with a culture he repeatedly damns as"stultifying." The hipster myth, the sci-ence fiction myth, the romantic myth,above all, for Fagen, the jazz myth weredoors outside a repressive everyday exis-tence.
"The 'E.T.' in my bedroom was The-lonious Monk," he recalls. "Everythingthat he represented was totally unworldly ina way, although at the same time jazz to meseemed more real than the environment inwhich I was living. It was one of thosedevelopments with a thousand homes thatall looked exactly the same. The houses hadjust been built, so there were mounds of dirtinstead of a front lawn, and twigs held up bywires instead of trees.
"It was pretty barren, actually. Butjazz was an escape, not only from the archi-tecture and the landscape, but also from theclimate of thought at the time, the Cold Warmentality and all that."
As a child, he had been smitten by ear-ly black rock & rollers like Fats Dominoand especially Chuck Berry, but as he grewolder that strain of rock was supplanted by
78HIGH FIDELITY
more formularized, safer fare: "When I dis-covered jazz-I was about eleven ortwelve-it sort of coincided with the timewhen rock & roll was losing a lot of itsvitality. It had been taken over, and therewere a lot of white groups. I don't know if Iwas conscious of what was at work there; infact, I probably didn't connect it to a racialthing."
He refers to the jazz he heard on late -night radio stations in New York as "mylifeline to urban life." His first jazz LP was"probably the first jazz record a lot of peo-ple got, a Dave Brubeck record, 'Dave Bru-beck at Newport, 1958' -a great album,which I still have." Brubeck led to MilesDavis and his seminal '50s quartet andquintet records, and then to Sonny Rollins,Monk, Mingus, and beyond.
It's no accident that "The Nightfly"begins at about this point in jazz history, orthat its title character, Lester the Nightfly,is Fagen's wry but fond composite of thosewee -hours deejays he listened to, and por-trays in the cover portrait. "I was born in1948," he says. "In '58, the InternationalGeophysical Year, I was ten years old. I
sort of started [the record) in that year andcovered the territory up to about the Ken-nedy era."
1. G. Y., the opening track and firstsingle, is a sharply rendered portrait of thetechnological optimism and underlyingideological turmoil that reverberated duringthat global celebration of post-war science.From there, Fagen proceeds to offer person-alized vignettes punctuated by carefullychosen details of the culture at hand. Healso provides glimpses of the era's mores:Romantic encounters are edged with dewyinnocence, sex is spicy and forbidden, con-fined to exotic fantasies set in far-off landsor back alleys.
The music, too, bears evidence of theage, although here Fagen's handiwork isless obvious since Steely Dan's lateralbums incorporated prominent elements ofpost-war pop and jazz. Still, such refer-ences have been sharpened to fulfill his goalof "mating the lyrics stylistically to theperiod, and the music as well."
Walk Between Raindrops, for in-stance, is built around a swinging, huskyHammond organ that Fagen plays with theright mix of fluid jazz attack and r&b-derived momentum, pointing directly to thesoul -jazz combos of Jimmy Smith and JackMcDuff: "The organ at the studio where wewere working was very funky sounding,which is unusual. I think it was broken,which is probably why it sounds sogood."
The Goodbye Look mates the gallowshumor of its exotic fantasy of Caribbeanrevolution with an outright samba, anobservation that extracts a chuckle fromFagen. "I love bossa nova," he admits,going on to cite the early '60s recordings ofLuis Bonfa, Astrud Gilberto, and theirpeers for their "delicacy." He also offers a
surprising insight into his singing when hecites an array of favorite vocalists likeFrank Sinatra and Mose Allison ("he wasan influence on the phrasing") and singlesout Brazilian vocalists for their studied lackof vibrato and offhand precision.
But Fagen asserts that while the
arrangements and lyrics consciously referback to that era, his solo vocals aren't delib-erately altered from his usual approach.Still, on the coolly longing Maxine and Jer-ry Lieber and Mike Stoller's 1955 gemRuby Baby, Donald Fagen is unquestion-ably a crooner.
"I think that's basically the way myvoice sounds superimposed over those sortsof changes," he suggests. And whatchanges. Both songs use close intervals andchromatic relationships seldom heard incontemporary pop. He confirms that theirrich choral backdrops are "takes on typicalfour- and five -part harmony of the peri-od."
The chromaticism is especially strik-
ing on Ruby Baby, best known to most lis-teners from Dion's early '60s version. As itturns out, Fagen hadn't even heard thatrecording until after he cut his own. "I sortof based it on the Drifters' version," hesays. "I threw in a lot of other jazz chordsand basically made it sound like a big, r&bparty situation. But it has a lot of disso-nance-it's pretty strange, in a way.
"I love the lyrics," he continues,referring to the protagonist's determinationto win his indifferent love object. "Thatsong really fit in with the concept becauseit's very innocent."
Innocence may, in fact, be the quietbombshell in "The Nightfly," the singlemost pronounced shift in tone from theSteely Dan recordings. Fagen agrees that,in that respect, the Dan was antiromantic."I was more concerned with first love," hesays of this album, "which is part of grow-ing up. There are some extremely idealizedversions of high school romance here."(Continued on page 89)
Recording "The Nightfly": Digital SuccessENTER ANY HIGH -END audio salon to audi-tion new equipment, and it's a safe bet oneof the fixtures in its record collection will beSteely Dan's "Aja" or "Gaucho." DonaldFagen's "The Nightfly" maintains the hightechnical quality of those discs, yet it doesdiffer from the band's past efforts in tworespects: First, it represents Fagen's andlongtime Dan producer Gary Katz's oft -discussed interest in using digital technolo-gy; second, and less obviously, the albumarrived much closer to its projected deliverydate than Fagen's collaborations with Wal-ter Becker. Midway through these sessions,an ebullient Katz reported Fagen was onschedule, and the early word among musi-cians on both coasts confirmed the project'sheartening momentum.
Fagen now says "The Nightfly" wasnot without its headaches, however, chiefamong them the decision to take the digitalpath. Concern over the delicate mainte-nance requirements of multichannel digitalgear previously had led Fagen, Katz, andBecker to abandon their original plan ofcutting "Gaucho" digitally.
"I was pretty wary this time, too,"says Fagen. "On several occasions, I wasready to transfer to analog and give it up,but my engineering staff would keep talkingme into it.- "The Nightfly" was recordedand mixed on 3M's 32 -track and 4 -trackdigital recorders. Working in New York atSoundworks Digital Audio/Video Record-ing Studios and Automated Sound, as wellas in Los Angeles at Village Recorders,most of the recording's gremlins were root-ed in maintenance. "The machine was upon the rack a lot," says Fagen, "althoughtoward the end we were using it with total
freedom from problems. It's a matter ofgetting to know the machine and not abus-ing it.
"They need a lot of maintenance. Ityou really take care of them, there are noproblems; the problem is finding out how totake care of them."
The solution was to send three mem-bers of the technical staff, including chiefengineer Roger Nichols, to 3M's Minneso-ta headquarters to take courses in how tooperate and maintain the system. "Theystayed in a sleazy motel, went to classes inthe daytime, and came back knowing howto work it," reports Fagen.
Now he feels "it's a preferable way torecord." Sony has expressed interest inusing the album for transfers to both itsCompact Disc (see page 50) and digital cas-sette formats for hardware demonstrationsat upcoming audio trade shows.
le other respects, "The Nightfly"reflects the same meticulous studio ap-proach used by Steely Dan. The playerswere, as usual, culled from the cream ofboth coasts and include such alumni as Lar-ry Carlton, Rick Derringer, Hugh McCrack-en, Jeff Porcaro, Ed Green, Chuck Rainey,Rob Mounsey, and Greg Phillinganes,among many others.
As for the front man, who continues toclaim he usually prefers keyboard playersother than himself (on this project, Phillin-ganes and Michael Omartian), Fagen didtake center -mix on piano, electric piano,organ, and synthesizer on various tracks.And on the lush ballad Maxine, hisrenowned one-man chorus reaches a newzenith in its deft overdubbing and close har-monies. S.S.
JANUARY 1983 79
BACKBEAT
Reviews
RonstadtGets Closer,Closer, andCloser. . . .
Linda Ronstadt: Get CloserPeter Asher, producerAsylum 9 60185-1
Let's hear it for Gilbert, Sullivan, and JoePapp. All three deserve credit for luringLinda Ronstadt away from her Malibu lairand bringing her to New York where shestretched her cords beyond anyone's wild-est dreams as Mabel in Papp's productionof G&S's The Pirates of Penzance. Theresult of her Broadway (and forthcomingfilm) light -opera experiences has been thatRonstadt, already in possession of one ofpop music's finest vocal instruments, isnow singing with such unwavering controland gusto that all (fourteen) of her paststudio efforts sound reed -thin by compari-son.
There's really no other reason toaccount for the sustained level of quality on"Get Closer." Everything else is as before:The players include drummer Russell Kun-kel, bassist Bob Glaub, keyboardist BillPayne, guitarists Waddy Wachtel, DannyKortchmar, Dan Dugmore, and the ever-present Andrew Gold; the material is a mixof snappy rock & roll, country oldies,mushy Jimmy Webb ballads, and contem-
Ronstadi: Messrs. ,Gilbert and Sullivan have had a profound effect.
porary ditties by the likes of Rod Taylor andKate McGarrigle; the production is PeterAsher's sleekest.
Ronstadt wraps her voice around thesesongs with incredible finesse. On McGarri-gle's nostalgic Talk to Me of Mendocino sheunleashes bursts of melisma that are at oncespare and intense. In fact, this piece is soexquisitely beautiful that it's worth theprice of the entire album. Accompanied byDennis Karmazyn on cello, Lindsey Buck-ingham on accordion, David Grisman onmandolin, Kenny Edwards on acousticbass, and Gold on acoustic guitar, she giveswhat has to be the single most stunningvocal performance of her career.
But there's more. Her aggressive war-ble rides Payne's weird, wheezy Wurlitzerelectric piano on the title track. The Knick-erbockers' Sixties smash Lies sounds at firstlike just another cover version, but thengrows on you with its insidious, nervouslittle guitar riffing and Kunkel's thumping,crashing drums. The solid, speedy readingof the Exciters' Tell Him (featuring Goldand Wachtel's gear -grinding guitar intro) isdestined for radio -hit heaven.
The final two tracks are pre -Mabel ses-sions. Smokey Stover's Sometimes You
Just Can't Win is a duet with J. D. Souther,recorded around the time of "SimpleDreams." Dolly Parton's My Blue Tears isone of the few finished tunes from theaborted Ronstadt-Parton-Emmylou Harrisproject. Though both are pretty enough,neither has the positively exuberant energythat permeates the rest of "Get Closer."Their inclusion is something of an anticli-max to what is, in fact, Ronstadt's best andbrightest album. STEVEN X. REA
Toni Basil: Word of MouthGreg Mathieson & Trevor Veitch,producers. Chrysalis CHR 1410
Mickey is a stomping. peppy tribute (withauthentic high school cheerleaders) to a boywho's "so fine," and a plea for his atten-tion. It's one of those novelty records thatjumps out at you from the radio. Written byMike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, who havea string of such pop artifacts in their oeuvre,the song harks back to the sound of the ear-ly -'60s girl groups while its synthesizer-driven pulse places it squarely in the mod-em age of rock technology. Not much elseon Toni Basil's album debut, "Word of
80HIGH FIDELITY
Mouth," manages to get the spirit so right.Shoppin' A o Z is an amusing alphabeticalrun-through of the items on a supermarketlist (". . . liver! matzoh! nuts! onions! piz-za!"), and Basil does an earnest version ofBurt Bacharach and Hal David's Little RedBook, but the rest of the LP is ordinary andoverly mechanical rock.
A message on the album's cover givesa clue to the motivation behind its content:"Motion on record. Music on video. Thecomplete Toni Basil experience. Get it onvideo cassettes. Conceived, directed, cho-reographed, and edited by Toni Basil."Basil is primarily known as a choreogra-pher/actress. Recently she worked withDavid Byrne on Talking Heads' promotion-al videotapes, and her terpsichorean in-volvement with rock goes back to the mid -'60s. One can assume, then, that the videosfor some of these cuts are more fun thantheir audio renditions; I'd rather see herdance to David Essex's Rock On than hearher sing it.
The members of Devo (whose robotantics were prefigured by Basil's dancetroupe the Lockers) have contributed instru-mental support on three songs that theywrote, and like so much Devo material, thetracks gurgle and blip to little purpose.They make a tedious band, and they dragBasil into their groove. And much as shetries, with the help of drummer Rick Parnell(a thumper in the Dave Clark tradition), shecan't make Nobody, Thief on the Loose,and Time After Time into anything exciting.The arrangements seem constructed tosound like arcade games and the songsthemselves are academic exercises. (NickGilder's Time After Time pinches its chorusfrom Lennon & McCartney's You Won'tSee Me.) By album's end, the bubbly vigorof Mickey and Shoppin' A to Z has almostbeen forgotten, gobbled up by all the
humorless rigmarole that characterizesmost of Basil's "Word of Mouth."
MITCHELL COHEN
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five:The MessageSylvia, Inc. & Jiggsaw Productions,producers. Sugar Hill SH 268(96 West St., Englewood, N.J. 07631)
Aside from issuing several highly recom-mended "Greatest Rap Hits" configura-tions, Sugar Hill Records specializes in fun-ky twelve -inch rap singles. Give a band amajor hit, though, and all the rules change:To wit, Grandmaster Flash & the FuriousFive's "The Message."
The title track is, quite simply, thestate of a most troubled union. "It's like ajungle. sometimes it makes me wonder,how I keep from going under," is the tiethat binds The Message's seven minutes ofurban imagery. It's that song's very volatil-ity that renders the rest of the album slight,as if a switchblade had been packagedalongside butter knives. Rap is not neces-
Mitchell: a teasing self-awareness
sarily a singer's medium. A club deejay likeGrandmaster Flash mixes records togetherto create a brand new beat; the Furious Fivethen adds words to flesh out the groove.With an album to fill, however, Grandmas-ter and the Five try to be everything toeverybody; while the results aren't totallydesultory, much of it is second-rate soul.
Take Dreamin' , a literal love song toStevie Wonder. Though the singing andarrangement are competent, its moment ofrevelation comes when one of the Five stepsback into character and says, "Hey Flash,do you think we'll ever meet Stevie?" Thatvery line, guileless and grand, illuminatesthe distance between studio soul and the artof the street.
But The Message itself remains loudand clear-"Don't push me 'cause I'mclose to the edge." Over a hypnotic synthe-sizer squiggle and a lock -step beat, it paintsa picture of mean streets getting meaner.Peppered with details of homes hooked tothe TV set and hero hustlers spending twen-ties and tens, the song is a nightmare thatbuilds to a screaming climax. The lastverse, a wicked thicket of words, is a bone -chilling biography of a kid who is born ofthe ghetto and dies by it. Buy the twelve -inch, but by no means fail to get The Mes-sage. JOHN MILWARD
Hall & Oates: H2ODaryl Hall & John Oates, producersRCA AFL 1-4383
The tag of blue-eyed soul is so easily pinnedon Hall & Oates that people tend to forgettheir quick touch with a pithy pop tune or ablast of rock & roll. They're an elementalpair-Daryl Hall the piano -playing soulman, John Oates the swarthy guitarist withthe hearty harmonies. The duo's albums areconsistently spiced with standout tracksbuffed shiny by meticulous studio tech-
8
a
nique. The result is that we don't rememberLPs as much as individual songs, and oftenlift the needle from favorite to favorite. Butthen, good songs are nothing to sneeze at,and "H20" has a healthy share of them.
Maneater starts things off by adaptingthe bass line from the Supremes' You Can'tHurry Love to introduce a finger -snapperabout a shark of a woman. Although theirmix of pop and soul is often reminiscent ofMotown, Hall & Oates's performing spiritis more in tune with the clean, crisp style ofPhiladelphia soul. Their attention to detailis especially evident on ballads like One onOne-on which Daryl's falsetto skates atopthe slick surface of his electric piano-andon the side -ending big -beat productionnumbers. Open All Night and Go Solo.
Family Man showcases the rock ele-ment of "H20," its grinding guitar telling atale of temptation that blends a loose andlimber verse with a stone -hard chorus.Delayed Reactionis a sprightly pop -rockerbuilt on a featherbed of rhythm guitars and amelody that's pleasantly twisted by a Carib-bean patois. Similarly charming, albeitmore characteristic, is Guessing Game, a
midtempo soul shuffler about the gameslovers play.
Though rarely deep, Hall & Oates areprofoundly professional, and theirs are
among the most stylish songs to grace thetop of the charts. With seven out of elevenlikely candidates, "H20" is not apt todampen their commercial fire.
JOHN MILWARD
Joni Mitchell: Wild Things Run FastJoni Mitchell, producerGeffen GHS 2019
Previews of Joni Mitchell's first album forGeffen Records hinted at a return to therhapsodic pop bloom of 1974's "Court andSpark," her most popular recording to date.While there's truth in that early assessment,Mitchell's new songs still bear the stamp ofher more recent experiments with jazzinstrumentation and vocal stylization, ele-vating "Wild Things Run Fast" beyond thecynical prospect of mere commercialretrenchment.
The studio lineups do opt for a fuller,ostensibly more pop -oriented ensemblesound than the skeletal chamber settings of"Hejira" or the fusion and bebop thatprompted catcalls from the rock intelligen-tsia in the late '70s. Yet Mitchell retainsspecific traits from those controversial for-ays. Larry Klein's electric bass employs thethick chordal textures and fretless tonalslurs taco Pastorius brought to his sessionswith her. Guitarists Steve Lukather andMichael Landau may bring a more pointedrock kick to her work than before, but theiruse of dissonance fits squarely withinMitchell's post -"Spark" harmonic pal-
ette.Eccentric time signatures and the sing-
er's own modal guitar figures, played on a
JANUARY 198381
BACKBEAT Reviews
Terre, Maggie, and S11.7:.\. Roche: as much fun as eavedropping on a pajama party
warm and emphatically electric hollow -
bodied guitar, also give the new songs theirown flavor. But ultimately it's her singingand topical concerns that suggest thismusic's current vintage. The overdubbedvocal choruses and girlish asides may pointback to the Mitchell of the late '60s andearly '70s, but the romantic weariness andsense of mortality identify a sadder but wis-er adult.
Chinese Café intercuts lyric fragmentsfrom a remembered jukebox (prominentlyquoting Unchained Melody) with intima-tions of a new generation gap-this time,between yesterday's rock & roll rebels andtheir own children. On Be Cool, Mitchellsuggests that cynical gamesmanship is ameans for romantic survival, advice thatseems far removed from the ebullient loverof so many early songs. On Man to Man,she turns a hard gaze on her own lack ofromantic constancy and the underlying spir-itual dissatisfaction.
That track reunites Mitchell with oneof her most publicized paramours, JamesTaylor, and the pairing works both musical-ly and thematically as each singer's over-dubbed choir calls and responds from oppo-site sides of the stereo mix. These and othertouches suggest a level of self-awarenessthat sometimes teasingly hints at parody, anangle from which "Wild Things Run Fast"largely benefits. There's even a successfulversion of Leiber and Stoller's (You're SoSquare) Baby, I Don't Care, which suc-ceeds in updating its message with an unex-pectedly hard -edged, guitar -driven arrange-ment. SAM SUTHERLAND
Gerry Rafferty: SleepwalkingChristopher Neil & Gerry Rafferty,producers. Liberty LT 51132
It has been over four years since BakerStreet's mesmerizing saxophone refrain
dominated the airwaves. Since then, Scot-tish singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty hasbeen plodding merrily along, his pleasantlynasal timbre delivering fine if unremarkablesongs about life and love and loneliness.
"Sleepwalking" isn't much of adeparture, but it is so ingratiating and sostraightforward in intent that it's hard not tolike. From Hugh Burns's Knopfler-esqueguitar work to keyboardist Alan Clark'ssynthesizers to Maurice Pert's clangy per-cussion, all the elements are forged into onesmooth sound. Over, in, and through it,Rafferty's easygoing wail prevails. So,occasionally, does his McCartney persona(understandable, since, as one-half ofStealers Wheel, he used to make his livingsounding like the Beatles). The RightMoment, a dreamy ditty of a ballad in thebest Pauly tradition, features Rafferty'shigh, aching notes floating over a soft swirlof synthesizers and strings to wonderfuleffect.
The album abounds with nifty littlenuances and embellishments: Ian Lynn andAlan Clark's percolating rhythms in On theWay; Rafferty's muffled "yeah-yeahs" onthe fadeout of Standing at the Gates; thesubtle Dylan motifs and loping drum syn-thesizer on Good Intentions; the spacyclicks and pings Pert brings to As Wise as aSerpent. Rafferty's smart, polished soundis seductive in a way that's neither smarmynor pretentious. There's nothing earth-shaking on "Sleepwalking"; just good old-fashioned, easy -listening pop.
STEVEN X. REA
The Roches: Keep on DoingRobert Fripp, producerWarner Bros. 23725-I
Listening to the Roches can be like eaves-dropping on a late -night conversation at apajama party; these three sisters communi-
cate an infectious intimacy and a guilelessability to share their private jokes andpoints of vulnerability. Their whimsyseemed strained on "Nurds"-the titlesong and The Death of Suzzy Roche tooktheir goofy self -deflation too far. But"Keep on Doing" is a charming return tothe form of the trio's debut, "The Roch-es." They have struck a balance betweenthe subtly crafted romantic songs of Maggieand the off-the-wall spontaneity of Terreand Suzzy, keeping the production simplewhile achieving a lush texture with theinterweaving of their guitars and voices.
Terre and Suzzy's point of view hasslowly been asserting itself, as Maggie'srole as a composer has been diminishing.On "The Roches," Maggie wrote orcowrote seven songs; on "Keep on Doing"only two: Losing True, a simple dissectionof an affair coming to a bad end, and theobscure The Scorpion Lament. The snappi-er, less studied approach of Terre and Suz-zy provides the album's lighter moments.The younger sisters seem to come out withwhatever pops into their heads, from therapid-fire confusion of Terre's The LargestElizabeth in the World to the casting asideof possessions and expectations on the dualeffort, Want Not Want Not, which has thecreamy harmony and brisk tempo of pop -jazz vocal groups such as the Boswell Sis-ters.
Another Terre-Suzzy collaboration, IFell in Love, is a delightfully performedode to a "switchblade flashing motorcylefreak" who shows up at his mother's housein a suit and tie. The singer, spying on himin this uncharacteristic garb, falls in love.This standard rock subject-a girl who seesthe softer side of a notorious rogue-is giv-en a plaintive folk treatment. So is DavidMassengill's traditional -sounding balladOn the Road to Fairfax County, whosequaint phrasing ("joyful did we dance")and musical clarity make it an example ofan old form handled with skill and feel-ing.
"Keep on Doing" starts with an a cap-pella version of The Hallelujah Chorus, andwinds up with advice to someone on a (met-aphorical?) ledge: "You work too hard totake this abuse/Be on your guard/Jerks onthe loose." It's that dichotomy that helpsmake the Roches' new album such arebound. Their flakiness is under control,their music is tuneful and unfussy, and theirpractical philosophy makes perfect sense.
MITCHELL COHEN
Supertramp:. . famous last words. . ."
Supertramp & Peter Henderson,producersA&M SP 3732 (LP); CS 3732 (cassette)
Supertramp's long-awaited followup to1979's highly successful "Breakfast inAmerica" offers subtle revisions to thatset's lush pop/rock songwriting and arrang-
82HIGH FIDELITY
ing. As before, Rick Davies and RogerHodgson's deceptively straightforward popmelodies are mated with tinges of intro-spection and disillusionment and sung inalternately robust and airy voices. Multiplekeyboards, falsetto harmonies, and BobSiebenberg's widescreen drum sound con-tinue to achieve an orchestral sweep, andJohn Helliwell's saxophone injects mirth orsoul -deep brooding as needed.
Yet ". . . famous last words . .
isn't quite the sequel it may seem. Produc-tion style has been softened slightly but sig-nificantly. Although the LP uses a newhigh-tech American pressing compoundand the first-rate cassette reaches for anaudiophile standard through the use of chro-mium dioxide tape, the recording's sound -field eschews the quintet's usual mindbog-gling sonics to create an often dreamy, soft -focus image. More pointedly, the band'scollective persona seems to have undergoneadditional self-criticism since "Break-fast." The opening Crazy promises thatSupertramp has no heavy messages todeliver, offering the cynical explanationthat "Nobody listens when you're singingthe blues," yet the singer's unspecifiedangst recurs even as he insists the song ismere diversion. Likewise, Put on Your OldBrown Shoes emerges as a curiously upbeatexercise in fatalism with the flat pronounce-ment, "We're all helpless."
Such bittersweet juxtapositions reap -
Young: one tough marsh -mellow
pear throughout, as on the album's mostimmediately infectious song, It's RainingAgain, already shaping up as a single hit.An internal dialogue, the piece is designedas a pep talk after a collapsed affair; as else-where, the jaunty melody line and joyfularrangement prove more convincing argu-ments than Hodgson's intermittentlymournful vocal.
Supertramp's preoccupation with dis-illusionment may provide an easy target for
some critics, but the group's soaring musicis difficult to dismiss. As declaimed againsta wash of twelve -string guitars on C' est leBon, Davies and Hodgson see their craft asthe one unerring positive in their lives.When the results are this ear -filling, thatsentiment seems sincere indeed.
SAM SUTHERLAND
Jesse Cohn Young:The Perfect StrangerMichael James Jackson, producerElektra 60151-I
The advance word on Jesse Colin Young'snew LP was that the ex -Youngblood withthe honeydew voice was going to toughenup his act. That was good news, for the solocareer of one of rock's sweetest singers hasemphasized mush at the expense of muscle.-The Perfect Stranger," however, turnsout to be tough only in the California sense,which is to say add a pinch of the DoobieBros., a dash of the Eagles, and shakewell.
The album opens with its two besttunes -The Perfect Stranger and Fight forIt -both composed by Young and WendyWaldman. The title track is a warm and lan-guid picture of a most chilly affair; Fight forIt is a stylish duet with Carly Simon thatpresents a more agreeable picture of roman-tic wrestling. The trouble is that its fairlybasic theme ("If you want this love, you'regoing to have to fight for it") is presented as
NOTE: All COLOR TELEVISIONSSHIPPED rri.E,HT COLLECT
23 PARK ROW,DEPT. HF1NYC NY 1 00 3 8
TOSHIBAKTR-1
Stereo "Nwillbag,cassetteRecorder w/FM
$6995STEREO -TO -GO
KM WAIXMAN V ICaSS Stereo, .99 9 1TOSINIAKTIFFIMM FM CaS Ste' .99.95SANSUI CA -S POrt Stereo, '299TOSmISA ICTS-31FM CaSsi .69TECiONCS SAC07441E7 ,Port Ste '349SANYO M09 (CMS Stereo( '35SANYO 14030 AM FM Cas Stereo, 'GSAmin 111102 ,Cris FM Stereo Rec. '145
i :la7199,4064 RAM RR $299.95TIMEX SINCUUR li RAM) 95TOP 10001161 RA,.IlIn4...! 1SHARP PC -150013 Sk RAM' A2179 95EPSON PAXSON FT (Printer, $489OKIDATA 11201,Fr,ten $429Ti PHA -0100 - 7,or MonT.Dri 325
WORLDIMMUS1CSEND FOR FREE240 PAGE AUDIO'VIDEO CATALOG
HOW TO 08096 EY MIL FOR PROMPT AND COURTEOUS SHIPMENT SEND MONEY ORDER CERTIFIED CHECK CASHIERS CHECKMASTERCARD VISA Include card number. Interbank NO exOration Cate and sgnaturei DO NOT SEND CASH. PERSONAL ANDBUSINESS CHECKS MUST CLEAR OUR BANK BEFORE PROCESSING $25 MINIMUM ORDER. Shoving Handling A insurance Charge IS 5%Or Total Order with a $3.95 minimum. WI SHIP TO COPMPMETAL U.S., ALASKA, HAWAII, PUERTO RICO, AIM CANADA ONLY.Canadian Orders Add 10'- $1110059 with 357 95 minimum rhargeiFor shipments ny air Please double these Mardis sORRY, NOC.O.D.S. NEW YORK STATE RESIDENTS PLEAS, A 57 CA fs ALL MERCHANDISE SNIPPED BRAND NEW. FACTOR" FRESH AID1004 GUARANTEED.
DEALERS AND INSTITUTIONAL INQUIRIES CALL: (8001221-3'91
AUDIO TAPESMINIMUM ORDER 12 ALIMO TAPES I
MAXELL 10 or XLASC 90MAXELL or UDXLIIC 90MAXELL..." C 90MAXELL 00 35 90MAXELL LN.90 7 -PackMAXEIJ. LN-60 2 PackTDK SAX -ICMK SA C40TEKSAC 90TOKMAC 90 iMetaiiTOR DC.60TOR 0 C 90TOK ADC60TM( AD C-90TDK HDOlimead Demagnetizer,SONY uCLS C60SONY uCx5C90SONY LOX C-90SONY FeCr C 90SONY HEX 90SONY EHF 90SCOTCH Hignianaer C90 5 -Pa.SCOTCH Master C 90FUJI Fo 1C 90MEMOREX H 8.3. T
ANY BRAND T 120 '10.95ANY BRAND L 500 '8.99ANY BRAND, T50 . '11.49ANY BRAND L 830 '1395ANY BRAND T IGO .. - ."7 95ANY BRAND High Grade T 120 `13.99ANY BRAND High Grade'. 500 '11.95ANY BRAND High Grade'. 750 .14 45
viE CARRY TAPES BY MAXELL. TOE,SONY SCOTCH. FUJI. MEMOREX, EASE.
AMPEX, JVC, PANASONIC ZENITH
FREE GIANTRECORD CATALOG
SEND FOR YOUR FREE 57 PAGE RECORDAND TAPE CATALOG (FILLED WITH OVER
10 000 DIFFERENT LISTINGS' MOSTPOPULAR ARTISTS 6 TITLES IN STOCK
POP ROCK JAll COUNTRY l WESTERN
LIST PRICE LIST PRICE LIST PRICE5.98 8.98 9.98
N99 699 799...LP OR LP OR LP OR
CASSETTE CASSETTE CASSETTE
Circle 27 on Reader -Service CardJANUARY 1983
83
Ornette Coleman's Legacyto Black Rock"Broken Shadows," recorded a decade ago,finally sees the light.Reviewed by Don Heckman
Ornette Coleman: Broken ShadowsJames Jordan & Jim Fishel, producersColumbia FC 38029
WHEN ORNETrE COLEMAN signed withCBS in 1971, it was his seventh label in alittle over a decade. The hope for the saxo-phonist's fans was that he had found ahome, as Miles Davis had before him, atBlack Rock. But it was a short-lived dream:"Science Fiction" was released in Septem-ber; "Skies of America" followed the nextyear; and, in 1973, Coleman (along withKeith Jarrett, Charles Mingus, and BillEvans) was dropped from the roster.
Unreleased material remained. And
90
gI
incredibly, CBS has waited nearly ten yearsto make it available. So much for the jazzenlightenment of the various regimes atWest 52nd Street. Reissue producer JimFishel should be given special credit forfinally bringing this extraordinarily valu-able chronicle to light. I have no doubt thatit took a great deal of effort on his part.
It was worth it. At least two-thirds of"Broken Shadows" approaches the bril-liance of Coleman's classic Atlantic perfor-mances. And all of it is creatively and com-mercially superior to the shallow meander-ings that have dominated his recent work.Happy House, Elizabeth, and Broken Shad-ows are performed by an ensemble similar
to the Coleman Double Quartet of the early'60s. With bassist Charles Haden as a firm,middle foundation, trumpeters BobbyBradford and Don Cherry and drummers EdBlackwell and Billy Higgins are placed tothe right and left, respectively, in the mix.Coleman and tenor saxophonist DeweyRedman are nearer the center.
The wide stereo spread works perfect-ly for Coleman's music. Happy House, aherky-jerky, stop -and -go line that reboundsbetween the drums and the horns, brimsover with musical joy. Blackwell and Hig-gins, at top of their form, build throughoutthe various solos until they reach a dramat-ic, pas de deux improvisation near the closeof the piece. Despite the devil-may-careground rules, they exercise an amazingdegree of discipline as they echo, imitate,and vary each other's phrases.
Elizabeth, one of Coleman's New Or-leans dirge -style lines, provides a stunningsample of his improvisational methods.Placed directly in the middle of a nonstopfiligree of sounds from his peers, he rips offphrase after phrase. He is, at heart, asequential player who builds solos fragmentby fragment: a two -bar phrase followed bythe same phrase a note higher or lower; asweeping run countered by another one, ahalf -tone away. But Coleman is far toosophisticated to be restricted by such anadmittedly simple method of construction.Using his rhythm section as a backdroprather than as a framework, he plays hissequences in uneven patterns; a two -barphrase starting on a downbeat may be fol-lowed by the same phrase slightly alteredand starting on an upbeat or, perhaps,somewhere between the beats. Anothersequential repetition will be varied by anadditional eighth note or a stretching of therhythm. (This accounts, I suspect, for thenotion that Coleman plays in unusualmeters. The truth is that most of his phrasesare based on an implicit 4/4 feeling.)
On Broken Shadows, Coleman had the(again) simple, but extremely effective ideaof permitting the players to solo over a con-tinuous repetition of the keening, melodictheme. First comes a trumpet (presumablyCherry), chipping away as the line contin-ues; next, an interplay between Haden's
84HIGH FIDELITY
bass and Redman's tenor saxophone; thenanother trumpet plays a querulous, pokyline that builds into a series of wild, swoop-ing runs; finally, Coleman arrives with anaggressive, but unexpectedly lightheartedimprovisation that, in his typically quixoticfashion, plays against the feeling of thetheme. The piece is a virtual jazz classic.(But why the unnecessary fade-out at theend of the track?)
School Work, performed with a quartet(Redman, Bradford, Haden, and Black-well), uses an unusual metric device in themelody. After each six bars of 4/4 phrasing.a faster, out -of -sync phrase is inserted. Yet,confirming Coleman's desire to keep alloptions open for the improvised sections,this unusual phrasing does not occur in thesolo passages. No one seems to particularlybenefit from the openness of the environ-ment. Redman, in fact, resorts to runningdiminished chords and a whole -tone scaleor two. The total impression is one of aperformance that is too head -centered.
They say that going out with an oldlover only reminds you of why you left inthe first place, but hearing the originalColeman quartet (with Cherry, Higgins,and Haden) revived on Country Town Bluesshould rekindle anyone's affections. Quitesimply. they sound as good as they did adecade earlier-maybe better. Among thehigh points on this downhome Texas chilleris the way Coleman enlivens his diatonical-ly -oriented lines with bent notes, bluescalls, and gospel -styled declamation. Andit's nice to hear Haden playing figures thatminimize the open -string pedal phrases soprevalent in his more recent work.
Rubber Gloves unites the leader withRedman, Haden, and Blackwell. The com-bination produces sheer musical electricity.The melody is pure Coleman-a flowing,post -bebop uptempo line that really doessound like the next logical step after CharlieParker. The competition between Colemanand Redman benefits both players. Playinglike true alter egos, they match, challenge,and sometimes surpass each other. It's ashame that they have not had the opportu-nity to build a more extended creative part-nership. Is it too late to try it again?
The final two tracks. Good Girl Bluesand Is It Forever, are sung by WebsterArmstrong and represent Coleman's reachtoward commercialism. Easy targetsthough they may be, it would be wrong tominimize their craft. Coleman clearly couldproduce effective commercial material if hechose to do so, but I think he has bigger fishto fry.
One final footnote. Since CBS ne-glected to send me a review copy of "Bro-ken Shadows," I picked one up from mylocal record dealer. The clerk, uncertainabout the album's price, checked a long listof figures and then, looking at me uncer-tainly, inquired, "Is this jazz?" HF
a grand lesson. Ophelia suffers from a sim-ilarly false sense of significance and creaksunder the dramatic baggage.
Aside from Waldman, who cowrotehalf of the tunes, Young worked with Dan-ny O'Keefe, Tom Snow, and MichaelMcDonald. Fire on the Water, the McDon-ald collaboration, is a slight piece of jazzypop that sounds like it was composed whilethe steaks were on the grill. While undeni-ably pleasant, it flounders in the kitchen -sink production that characterizes much ofthe album. There is some spark toO'Keefe's On the Edge and an airy attrac-tiveness to Snow's Jamie, but these aretransient pleasures. Recorded with a widerange of top-notch talent, "The PerfectStranger" offers precious little characterbeneath its musical precision and high -gloss luster. JOHN MILWARD
Neil Young: TransNeil Young, producerGeffen GHS 2018
As five of the nine song titles on NeilYoung's new album indicate, the veteransongwriter and guitarist has made his ownanalog -to -digital conversion. Computertechnology looms large in both the soundand the content of "Trans," topplingYoung's rustic image in a startling reinven-tion of the artist as a rock technocrat.
Not that he has jettisoned his raw butrighteousgether. Little Thing Called Love, thealbum's opener, is one of his more light-hearted uptempo electric works, its slightlyfuller ensemble sound comes from the addi-tion of Joe Lala's congas and Nils Lof-gren's lead guitar. But older fans in searchof Young's early pop accessibility are likelyto be distracted, if not dismayed, by theelectronic focus that sharpens midwaythrough the first side and prevails throughall but two of the remaining songs.
Young's guitars retain their character-istic rough edges and dramatic chords, buthis vocals and keyboards make it clear thathis recently avowed affection for Kraftwerkis no joke: Using vocoders and digital key-boards, he builds choirs of perfectly -pitched, pointedly synthetic voices againstethereal polyphonic synthesizer backdrops.That combination's initial appearance, onComputer Age, might be written off as asonic joke were it not for the single-mind-edness with which it is applied to othertaglines like We Are in Control, Transform-er Man, Computer Cowboy, and Sampleand Hold.
Transforming computer technologyinto romantic metaphor does bring somehumor ("I need a unit to sample and hold,"he bleeps at one point). But Young's appar-ently mixed feelings about the digital agetend to muddy the waters. rather than createany sense of dramatic tension. His reedytenor has always been his weakest, if alsoone of his most distinguishing traits; per-
haps the opportunity to inject pitch controland rounded timbre explains the vocoders.But whether the inherent loss of identitythose devices create is intended as a state-ment in itself is immaterial, for their soft -focus consonants repeatedly blur the lyriccontent.
There are moments of eerie beautyhere that would work handsomely in a sci-fiB movie. But this is a new Neil Youngalbum; with the star himself hiding behindthe circuitry, only his unmistakable melod-ic logic remains to tell us who is at the con-trols. SAM SUTHERLAND
Jazz
Jaki Byard: To Them-to UsGiovanni Bonandrini, producerSoul Note SN 1025 (Polygram SpecialImports, 137 W. 55 St.,New York, N.Y. 10019)
The fascination in Jaki Byard's playing ishis range of interest, feeling, and under-standing for the whole history of jazz piano.Although he tends toward self-indulgenceon his own compositions, "To Them-to
has enough of Byard the eclectic tocompensate.
He can refresh even the most well-worn classic simply by bringing it his ownpoint of view. He plays Tin Roof Blues withinsight, humor, and imagination while stillkeeping the theme very much at hand. ToLand of Make Believe he first brings a senseof brooding involvement (which its com-poser, Chuck Mangione, misses complete-ly), and then moves on to capture its effu-sive joyousness.
Byard is as close to the Ellington modeas any contemporary pianist: Solitude is fullof appreciative insights; Caravan mixessome stark, swirling flumes of Art Tatuminto the Ellington mood. Given his diverseinterests, it is not strange to find StevieWonder's Send One Your Love here. Ode toBilly Joe, that folksy, bluesy hit of the Six-ties, doesn't work as well; its gawky, chick-en -legged walk eventually becomes arhythmic strut. For a pianist who is so imag-inative with other composers' works, histhree originals are surprisingly uninventive.Suffice it to say that Byard needs a moresolid creative foundation than he himselfcan provide. JOHN S. WILSON
Judy Carmichael: Two -Handed StrideJudy Carmichael, producerProgressive PRO 7065 (P.O. Box 500,Lifton, Ga. 31794)
Pianist Judy Carmichael has an unusuallyimpressive list of supporters. Sarah
JANUARY 1983 85
BACK BEAT ReviewsVaughan and onetime Basic drummer Har-old Jones both urged her to make this debutrecord. (Carmichael was apparently afraidthat, at age twenty-eight, she was not yetready.) Benny Carter has been asking peo-ple to listen to the disc and name the pianist(they never can). Lyricist and onetimeDownbeat editor Gene Lees wrote the linernotes. The accompanying group is equallyimpressive: Basie-ites Jones on drums,Marshall Royal on alto saxophone. andFreddie Greene on guitar; Red Callender onbass.
According to Lees's notes, Carmi-chael discovered jazz pianists chronologi-cally. She started with stride, on which shefocuses here, and then went on to Bud Pow-ell, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, andHank Jones. Only two of the eight selec-tions on "Two -Handed Stride" are solos,Fats Waller's Viper's Drag and Handful ofKeys. She plays them both with a confidentflair, no doubt causing Carter's auditionersto guess Waller himself was playing. (Leesdiscovered that, when he told listeners thisruggedly two-handed pianist was a woman,they reported hearing "feminine qualities"in the playing. In fact, Carmichael is nomore identifiably feminine than Mary LouWilliams or Patti Brown.) Two more Wal-ler tunes, Honeysuckle Rose and Ain't Mis-behavin', find her in the dual role of soloistand ensemble pianist, romping joyouslybehind Royal's saxophone.
Carmichael is even more interestingon several '20s tunes that Waller did notwrite but played. She lends Claude Hop-kins' Anything for You such authenticitythat it sounds like a vintage Waller smallgroup (with Royal as Gene Sedric). Even ina showcase for Royal, Ja-Da, she makesher presence felt.
The charm of this collection is thatthere is nothing forced about it. Everyoneappears to be him/herself and in the pro-cess, an era comes vividly to life. One inter-esting footnote: In identifying the author ofthe liner notes, Progressive Records presi-dent Gus Statiras writes, "I hardily [sic]recommend that all jazz fans subscribe toGene Lees's Jazzletter." Come on, Gus,you must be able to find something nice tosay about it. JOHN S. WILSON
Baikida Carroll:Shadows and ReflectionsBaikida Carroll, producerSoul Note SN 1023
We are all acquainted with the Hollywoodscenario in which the starving artist is dis-covered playing his saxophone on a streetcorner and is rocketed to stardom over-night. The harsh truth is much less dramat-ic. Like trumpet player Baikida Carroll, anartist can be respected by his peers and evenhave a small following, yet still be strug-gling to get heard, to earn a living. This ishardly Baikida's first record; he may evenbe familiar to you as a sideman on alto sax-
Carmichael: two-fisted stride
ophonist Julius Hemphill's "Dolton A.D."(Arista) or Oliver Lake's "Prophet" (BlackSaint). But it is the first disc under his ownname likely to get any promotion, largelybecause Polygram Special Imports is nowdistributing the Soul Note catalog.
Carroll and Hemphill were both mem-bers of the Black Artists Group of St. Lou-is, a focal meetingmusicians. Like many B. A.G. graduates,Carroll's roots are firmly in the blues, hav-ing cut his chops with such acts as LittleMilton and Albert King. One of an entiregeneration of post-Ornette jazzmen whosevision is essentially non -European, hehelped develop the vocabulary of theavant-garde.
Carroll's melodic inventions are un-predictable yet appropriate to the musicalmoment, his tunes blocked out with drafts-
manlike clarity; if a motif fades it is to makeroom for a countermotif. It's not surprisingthen that "Shadows and Reflections" hasthe kind of continuity one would expectfrom a through -composed suite. Despiteodd -length phrasing (the lines are alternate-ly three, four, and five bars) and displacedaccents, the otherwise stable first selectionsprovide a sturdy framework for a series ofnarratives that gradually build (like bebopthat won't stay put) to outgrow their origi-nal outline. Side 2 is a continuation of thisprocess, climaxing in the breezy, free -blowing Pyramids, a piece that will unques-tionably knock your socks off.
Backing Carroll, along with Hem-phill, are Dave Holland on bass, AnthonyDavis on piano. and Pheeroan Ak Laff ondrums. Hemphill, who once describedplaying on prescribed changes as "goodexercise," provides harmonically well -located episodic solos. His impassionedstyle is a good foil for Carroll, who, unlikemost modern trumpeters, prefers economy
to pyrotechnics. Both men have passedthrough periods of profligate introspectionand abstraction; now free from doubt, theywill pacify the most anxious listener.
Two fine jazz trumpeters of the '30s and'40s are brought into proper perspective onthis reissue. Jonah Jones is probably morewell-known than Hot Lips Page. having hadsome post -jazz success in the '50s and '60splaying shuffle rhythm treatments of poptunes. Jones played in Cab Calloway'sband, and all the numbers on his side of thedisc were recorded in the mid -'40s with
g Calloway sidemen (except for clarinetist:4 Buster Bailey). It is a rough, ready, and
swinging group with a typically loose 52ndStreet sound. Jones plays with a ferventdriving attack that rises to a shout on Roseof the Rio Grande and shades down to awarm whisper on Stompin' at the Savoy.Tyree Glenn contributes some trombonesolos that float somewhere between JackTeagarden and Lawrence Brown, and IkeQuebec-one of the great undervalued ten-or saxophonists of the time-swaggersthrough some Hawkins -styled solos.
Page's side reveals one of the mostunderappreciated major jazz personalitiesof the era. A great blues singer with a dark,grainy quality, he sometimes reflects BigJoe Turner's style, but, on Frantic Blues(which ends with a demonstration of hiswild growl trumpet technique), one can alsohear that he was a superb emotional inter-preter. There is a raw rasp in his trumpetthat recalls Roy Eldridge, though on thisblues -dominated set he is generally morelaidback than the agitated Eldridge. Theside also offers some superb glimpses ofLucky Thompson's dark -toned tenor saxand Ace Harris' easy, flowing piano.
Both sides include one ballad show-case for a saxophonist: Don Byas' TheseFoolish Things (Page) and Hilton Jeffer-son's melting You Brought a New Kind ofLove to Me (Jones). There's a lot of goodblues and jazz on this record, but the bestthing abOut it is the exposure it gives toPage. JOHN S. WILSON
Susan La Marche/Waldo's GutbucketSyncopators: Vamp 'Til ReadyTerry Waldo & Susan La Marche,producers. Stomp Off S .0.S . 1032(549 Fairview Terrace, York, Pa. 17403)
Pianist/singer/bandleader Terry Waldo hasbeen exploring early jazz and pop music fora long time. "Vamp 'Til Ready" featuresvocalist Susan La Marche, backed by Wal-do's Gutbucket Syncopators in a potpourriof ragtime. blues, '20s pop songs, blackvaudeville, and jazz.(Continued on page 92)
86HIGH FIDELITY
HighFidelityClassified
MAIL TO: 825 7th Ave.. 6th Floor, New York. N.Y.10019. Phone: (212) 265-8360
GENERAL: all copy subject to publisher approval.First line caps. Users of P.O. Box MUST supply permanentaddress and telephone number before ad can run.
CLOSING DATE: 1st of second month precedingcover date.
15 Word minimum No charge for Zip Code.CLASSIFIED RATES: regular type, per word: 15-
$2.50: 35-$2.45. 6x- $2.25. 12x $2.15. Words incaps -10c extra each. IMPERIAL type, per word: 1x-$3.50; 3x-$3.35; 6x-63.25; 12x-$3.15. Words incaps -150 extra each. Minimum 15 words. Box num-bers: $2.50 additional per insertion to cover cost of han-dling and postage. Display, per inch: 15-$400: 35-$390: 65-5385: 125-$325.
PAYMENT WITH ORDER: Send check. M.O..
MASTERCHARGE or VISA No. and expiration date to:Classified Dept., HIGH FIDELITY. 825 7th Ave., 6thFloor, New York, NY 10019.
For SaleSAVE 50% BUILD YOUR OWN SPEAKER SYSTEM.Write McGee Radio Electronics. 1901 McGee Street,Kansas City. Missouri 61408.
WE WILL NOT BE BEAT!! Lowest PricesAnywhere! Super Selection -Full War-ranty -Fast Delivery Hi-Fi-Hi-End-Car Product and Video. Visa -Mac CallNow -(203) 934-5291 AUDIO PEOPLE,1000 Orange Avenue, West Haven. CT06516.
Qualirg TapesBelow N holesale Specials!
1,1, SAC 411 2.15 MAXELL UDX1. I 03 11C-90 2.75,K SA Car 1.99 MAXELL L'DXL I Or II C-60 2.37K SAX C.0 3.29 MAXE1I. XIS 1 or II C-40 3.65
OK MA C-90 1.45 MAXELI. VD C.90 2.35/11, AD C.%1 1.19 MAXELL CD 35-90 5.35
1DK ADX (' II 3.19 MAXELL XL 1 35-9011 6.69TDK D C.90 1.32 MAXELL X1.11 35.91 11.4911)1( D C-.1 1.15 FUll EX 1 x C.90 2.49TUX 1.X 15-90 5.25 FUll ME fAl. C.90 4.45TDK 1.5 35-906 5.85 SONY tC)(5 2.91TDK GX 35-9011 733 DISCWASHER D-419. RE01.1
Qt %LH I %PEN, Dept. HF854 I'.651 7111 Str'u't, Brook!, n. \l'112.911
CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-826-0520 for Acoustat,Dahlquist, NAD. Carver, Denon, Thorens, Haller, dbx.Tandberg, DCM. Grace. Dynavector, 3D. B&W.Harmon-Kardon, Proton, Belles. Snell. Nutty Gritty.Vandersteen, Sfax. Sota. Amber, Bedini, AudioControl,Grado, Micro-Seiki. THE SOUND SELLER, 1706 MainSt . Marinette. WI 54143 (7151 7359002
SAVE 75°. BUILD YOUR OWN SPEAK-ER SYSTEMS; crossovers, woofers.mids, tweeters. instructions, HI -Fl. Pro,Disco, Auto. Send $2.00 for catalog, re-fundable. DKI Audio. Davis. IL 61019.
THE DBP-10 PHONO ALIGNMENT PROTRACTOR. Forcomplete information and reviews, write: DB Systems.Main St.. Rindge, NH 03460. (603) 899-5121
IN STOCK!!! Audio Research, Thorens. RGR Haller,Onkyo. Technics. B&W. Meridian. E.V., Vandersteen.Dynavector, Snell Tascam and more ... For information:P. K. Audio. 4773 Convention Street, Baton Rouge, LA70806 or (504) 924-1001
STEREO REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED,. LOWESTPOSSIBLE PRICES'', OVER 100 BRANDS!!! KRASCORep. HF, 998 Orange Ave., West Haven. Conn. 06516.
CABLE TV DESCRAMBLERS AND CONVERTERS. Mi-crowave antennas and downconverters. Plans and parts.Build or buy. For information send $2.00 CADElectronics P.O. Box 21. Jenison. MI 49428.
HAFLER, FRIED KITS, SONY PCM-FlDIGITAL, KLIPSCH, SAE, CARVER,more. In stock. Immediate. FREE ship-ping! READ BROTHERS STEREO. 593-CKing St-eet, Charleston, South Carolina29403. 003) 723-7276.
The Kit Option.Cur finished speakers arerecommended by Hi -Ftreviewers everywhere butsome people want the savingsand satisfaction that comeswith building and finishingtheir own. Hence ourk.t option Write usfor our free catalogAllow 4-6 weeksfor delivery. ForI st Class mail5,1
erlabUeNt Hf 3I. 135 N Nurtni,o, WdySeattle, Washington 98103
HARMAN KARDON NAKAMICHI,CROWN, BANG & OLUFSEN, DENON,NAD. CARVER. HAFLER, DUAL,ELECTRO-VOICE, POLK. DCM, BOSE.ORTOFON, THORENS, DBX. BESTPRICES -IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT. EAST:(904) 262-4000; WEST (213) 840-0878.
DUBIE CD -50 STEREO CONTROL SYSTEM. Integratessix reco,ders. four signal Modification Systems (controleach unit separately) and two turntables. Perform fourseparate operations SIMULTANEOUSLY. End the patch -cord hassle forever. A Studio in a box. Dubie, 6301Norman Rd.. OKC., OK 73122 405 722-3987.
POLYPROPYLENE DRIVERS. RIBBON TWEETERS.PLANS. CROSSOVERS, REPLACEMENTS, NEW 1982Catalog $1.00. SOUNDBOX, Dept HF, 411 South CarlisleStreet. 14hiladelphia 19146.
1-313-471-3076"1-313-553-0508' SUBSCRIBE toBritain's Finest Hi-Fi Magazines: 'Hi-Fi Answers', 'PopularHi-Fi', 'What Hi-Fi'. 'Practical Hi-Fi', 'Hi-Fi News & RecordReview'. $3.00 Ea. $33.00 yr. Any two $59.00 yr.-Phoneor Mail Orders: Visa-MC-Cash-Checks-B&K Imports.24160 Twin Valley Ct.. Farmington, Mich. 48024 'CallAnytime!'
SITES AND SOUNDS AUDIO DISCOUNTERS AND Dis-tributors Specialize in: Audio. Audio Accessories. Recordsand Tapes, Disco, and Band Lighting. Video Equipmentetc 825 Main Street. Fords. N J 08863 (201) 738-9364
So What's New??Consider the following -DIRECT SOUND MARKETING can pro-vide you with virtually any brand of au-dio or video components (including theesoterics) at extremely competitive pric-ing. on an in -stock basis. Moreover, wemaintain a complete service facility tohandle any service problems. So. ifyou're looking for price, selection, fastshipments, in-house service and com-petent advice we have it all, and more.Before you buy anything please call usat 404-233-9500 for more information. Orwrite to DIRECT SOUND MARKETING.3095 Bolling Way, N.E.. Atlanta. Ga30305. For your convenience use yourM C. Visa or AMEX for fastest service.Sales tax charged to Georgia residentsonly.
FM ANTENNA (ANTI-MULTIPATH) FOR FRINGE HiFireception. Patented slotted array. inside.outside use, justhang on wall. Sent insured, guaranteed. postpaid. airmail,for $40 cash or VISA by SADCO, 11621 Hughes NE.,Albuquerque, NM, 87112. (505) 294-2935. Who is Who inFinance and Industry '82-83.
Tapes & Records1 800 245 6000
TAPE WORLDTDK MAR.90 t. , MAXELL XL I or IIS-90 CallTON MA -90 -I l' MAXELL (IDOL I or IIC90TOK SAX -90...N MAXELL UDC -90 writeToe ADX90 r io MAXELL LID35-90 ForTDK SA -90 2 I,+ Maxon T-120. T-12011GX wiresTOK SA60 1.89 Merrell. L.750. L-750HGXTOK A0.90 199 FUJI FX I or II -C90 2.49TOK D.90 I 29 Sony UCXS 90 3.09TOK 7.120116 1199 MK HO -01 (Road Demi, ). 1199TDK 7.720. L.750 9.99 LORAN CALL
WE WILL HONOR ANY COMPETITORS PRICE OF THE TOTAL ORDER3 75 anincnng any sue order In US VISA. MC COD no extra charge OrdersshPPed melon 4 days by UPS Personal ClIOCkS I week delay PA add Salestax
220 Spnng St Fluter PA 76001 4112818621
CLASSICAL RECORDS. IMPORTED FROM RUSSIA.Melodia label. Large selection. Free catalog. Znanie.5237 Geary Blvd. San Francisco. CA 94118
LIVE OPERA TAPES. INCREDIBLE VA-RIETY. FREE CATALOGUE. Live Opera.Box 3141. Steinway Station, L.I.C.N.Y.11103.
ORGAN AND CHORAL RECORDS. For free catalogwrite Gothic Records. PO Box 743-A New York. N.Y.10101.
FREE ALBUMS. IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR OPINION.
We need Record Raters. Your opportunity tobuild a substantial album collection. Smallmembership fee. Write EARS. Dept. HF,Box 10245, Milwaukee. WI 53210
AUDIOPHILE CASSETTE INSERT CARDS. 20 cards$3.50. (Ca. residents add 61.0% tax). Or send SASE forfree sample. Recording Index Systems, Box 1624,Lafayette. Ca. 94549
AUDIOPHILE ALBUMS, DISCOUNT PRICES, Promptshipping. FREE catalog. For The Record .... Box21201T, Columbus, Ohio 43221.
SELLING PRIVATE COLLECTION COMPLETE OPER-AS, OPERETTAS, VOCAL RECITALS. GUITAR. PIANO,SPANISH. MANY EUROPEAN OR OUT -OF -PRINTLISTS $1 REFUNDABLE SIERLE, 88 BOULEVARD,SUITE 203, PASSAIC, NJ 07055.
CLASSICAL RECORDS 60 CONCERT HALL RECORD-INGS SERIES D,E,F,G.H. AND OTHER RARE ITEMSNO LISTS. Phillip Robinson, RD 3, Conneautville, PA16406 (814) 587-3419.
FREE RECORD CATALOG. New releases at discountprices and hugh selection of classical, soundtrack. popJ-lar and jazz special values. Rose Records, Dept. H, 214.So. Wabash, Chicago. IL 60604.
OPEN REEL TAPES from studio masters. Philips, Argc.Telefunken, Vanguard. Unicorn. Catalogue $1.00. BarclayCrocker, Room 1470-H. 11 Broadway. NYC 10004.
OVER 600 AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGSAVAILABLE! Detailed monthly Bulletinoffers latest releases, Special sales andmore. 20% off initial order! Send forFREE catalog issue. The EssentialsMarketing, Dept. HF-1, P.O. Box 7724,Eugene, OR 97401.
TOSCANINI, great conductors. instrumentalists. Live con-certs, reels, cassettes. Free lists. state artists. CRAA.BOX 1112HF. El Cerrito, CA 94530.
IMPORTED & DOMESTIC CLASSICALrecordings. Also Jazz Gifts Books. Giart72 page catalog. $1.00 (refundable)MUSICAL CONCEPTS, Box 53HF1,Cedarhurst, N.Y. 11516.
SEARCHING FOR OUT -OF -PRINTS/ Try forDiscontinued Records, 444 South Victory, Burbank,California 91502 (213) 849-4791.
VIENNESE OPERETTA RECORDS. INC.Extensive range, superb vocal perfor-mances. on currently available LP's.Free list. P.O. Box 300-B, YarmouthPort, Mass. 02675.
DISCONTINUED RECORDS, POPULAR. JAZZ, CLASSI-CAL. all speeds. free lists. Steinmetz. One Seaview,Massapequa. NY 11758
PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION RECORDS by mail! Freecatalog. Dealer inquiries invited. Minnesota Public Radio.Dept. HF, 45 East 8th St., St. Paul. MN 55101.
1930-1962 RADIO PROGRAMS. $1.00 HOUR! Informa-tive 250 page catalog $1.25. AM Treasures. Box 192HF,Babylon. N.Y. 11702.
SHOW ALBUMS -Rare, out -of -print Ips. 64 -page list$1.00. Broadway -Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown,CT. 06829. STORE: 68 Sugar Hollow (Route 7) Danbury.Conn.
-SOUNDTRACKS, SHOW. NOSTALGIA & JAZZ -FREECatalog & Offering List -A-1 Record Finders. P.O.Box75071-H, L.A. CAL. 90075
Business OpportunitiesBECOME a part time electronic consultant and makemoney while you build a career! Sell audio equipment
video computers. The 3 newest and biggest mar-kets in home entertainment and business aids for the80's! If you have a working knowledge of any of these 3products. we'll help you build exciting part time incomeand possibly an entire new sales career. We furnish youwith leads. advertising material, price lists, and informa-tion on how to sell. CALL TODAY FOR INFORMATIONTOLL FREE 800-638-8806 or 1-301-488-9600.ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL. Moravia Center In-dustrial Park Baltimore. Md. 21206.
MCINTOSH, MARANTZ TUBE AMPS. WESTERNElectric Tubes, Amps, Drivers, Speakers, Horns Tel: 213576-2642 David, POB 832, Montereypark. CA 91754.
Inventions WantedINVENTORS! IDEAS HAVE VALUE! EVER THINK OF anidea, forget it and see it later on the market? Many peo-ple don't forget, act quickly and are rewarded byAmerican Industry. Write down your idea! We offer freedisclosure registration and initial consultation regardingyour idea's potential value. Call or write without delay foryour free information package. American InventorsCorporation, 82 Broad Street Dept. HF, Westfield, MA01085 (413) 737-5376. A Fee Based MarketingCompany. Offices Coast to Coast.
MiscellaneousDIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Discountprices for Shure, Pickering, Stanton. Empire. Grado.Audio Technica, Ortofon, Sonus, Dynavector and ADC.Send S.A.S.E. free catalog. LYLE CARTRIDGES. Dept.H, Box 69. Brooklyn, New York 11218. For Fast C.O.D.Service. call TOLL FREE 800-221-0906. N.Y.: (212) 871-3303 9am 8pm except Sunday.
RECORD COLLECTORS SUPPLIES. S S.B CARD-BOARD JACKETS 50c. PLASTIC LINED SLEEVES 15c.OPERA BOXES, 78 SLEEVES, ETC. POSTAGE $2.00.FREE CATALOG. VISA MC PHONE ORDERS. 614-299-0476. 614-272-6715, DAY OR NIGHT. CABCO 301-5,BOX 8212, COLUMBUS. OHIO 43201.
COLLEGE STUDENTS! -Improve your grades!- Term -paper catalog -306 pages -10,278 topics -Rush $1.00-Research, Box 25916R, Los Angeles. 90025. (2131477-8226.
InstructionBE A RECORDING ENGINEER! New Classes quarterly.INSTITUTE OF AUDIONIDEO ENGINEERING. (213)666-3003, 1831 Hyperion Dept. C. Hollywood, CA 90027.
Publications
Video Tape/Disc Guide(1st ed.) -3 vol. setComprehensive reference guides providingover 7,000 video/disc listings for sports andrecreation, movies and entertainment andchildren's programs. Gives programdescriptions, where -to -buy rent, formats,casts, directors and producers. Only $17.95plus $1.50 shipping and handling. Supplieslimited.
ABC Leisure Magazines -Dept. B,754 4th Avenue.Brooklyn, NY 11232Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery
How To Select & InstallYour Own SpeakersContains everything you need to know aboutspeakers. Provides detailed information ontypes of speakers available, how they work,what they can do and how to select andinstall the speaker that best fits your needs.For both the novice and experienced highfidelity enthusiast. Only $6.95 (hardcover)$4.95 (softcover). Supplies limited.
ABC Leisure Magazines -Dept. C,754 4th Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11232Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery
Olde Records Price GuideThe definitive guide for collectors of popularand classical 78 rpm records. Lists hundredsof records by 570 reknown recording artistsand orchestras from the 1900-1947 era. Anindex and record owner's reading list are alsoincluded. Only $8.95 plus $1.00 shippinghandling. Supplies limited.
ABC Leisure Magazines -Dept. D,754 4th Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11232Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery
1981 Records in Review"The Bible for Record Collectors"
The invaluable reference guide to the who.what, when and where of the year's classicaland semiclassical recorded music. Providescomprehensive critiques by High Fidelity'sreviewers describing both the work and theperformance. Only $12.97 plus $1.00 shippingand handling. Supplies limited.
ABC Leisure Magazines -Dept. A,754 4th Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11232Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery
Place YourOwn Ad!
HIGH FIDELITY CLASSIFIEDORDER FORM
RATES PER WORD: 15 word minimumNo charge for zip code
Regular Type: $2.30 per word.Imperial Type: $3.10 per word.Discounts for 3 times; 6 times; & 12 limes.
Check one: Regular Imperial3x0 6x0 12x0
Please print or type message below o on sep-arate paper.
Name
Company
Address
City/State/Zip
Phone
Signature
Payment must accompany order
Send to: Yetta PeltzmanHIGH FIDELITY825 Seventh AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10019(212) 265-8360
Payment enclosed $
MASTER CHARGE Card #
VISA Card #
If he means to place innocence and itsimplied vulnerability safely in the past, heis still able to view the careful irony of theSteely Dan songs as "highly cerebral."Restricting irony was, in fact, a basic con-cern throughout the writing of these songs,although "for me, of course, that's almostimpossible."
The detachment once so central to hiswork (and perhaps destined to resurface inthe future) is something he can trace to "thehipster myth I keep mentioning. You know,in a lot of ways it's a defense mechanism,all that one had to hang onto at that time. Itwas a part of an alternative way of liv-ing.
"[But] I think there comes a pointwhen you have to let these myths go, or atleast stand back and take a look at them forwhat they are. In rock & roll, a lot of per-formers and songwriters take [the myth]very seriously. You know what I mean?"
Fagen won't apologize for his earliersongs' social criticism, nor does he findfault with their oblique imagery. Yet hiswillingness to share his childhood and ado-lescent fantasies and to connect them to alarger cultural scheme suggests a newaccessibility. Still, he isn't likely to pop upon The Tonight Show. As was Steely Dan'spolicy from 1974 on, there are no plans forlive performance, beyond his vague refer-ence to the possibility of "some local gigsaround New York."
As for his remaining links to WalterBecker. Fagen reports, "We're tending tokeep it open. I have a few film projects I'mworking on now, and Walter's talking toWarner Bros. about some productionthings. Aside from that, I guess we'll justplay it by ear."
With or without the titular identity ofSteely Dan, the introverted, suburban NewJersey kid of 1958 has become a sophisti-cated and thought -provoking master ofmodern pop. HF
JANUARY 1983 89
COMPACT DISC(Continued from page 55)
ffill1111L11
tions, and claims for the new system'ssuperiority to the LP. One seemingly inci-dental yet entirely practical claim was thatthe CD is virtually indestructible. Yet areport in a recent issue of the British Gram-ophone noted that CDs may require carefulhandling after all. Since nonaudiophiles aresometimes careless with their LPs-leav-ing them out of their sleeves to collect dustand cat hairs, or handling them carelessly,with fingers on the grooves-we thoughtsome sort of endurance test should be per-formed.
We had, in fact, had one example of aCD mistracking, apparently because of dirt,during the pop session, but a quick passwith a handkerchief over the smooth, plas-tic surface (the clear bottom surface, whichprotects the aluminized layer holding thedigital information in a series of microscop-ic pits; the top surface simply contains labelinformation) put things right. According tothe literature, dirt and scratches on the CD'ssurface are read as out -of -focus by thelaser, which scans past it; also, the codedmusic contains redundant information for
error correction. What, we wondered,would it take to make the player mis-track?
By critical consensus, we targeted ThePlanets for demolition and subjected it totreatment that would have destroyed an LP.First we smudged fingerprints all over it. Itplayed perfectly. Then, testing it betweeneach attempt, we wrote on it with pencil andwith pencil eraser; we scratched it with akey; we even smeared powdered coffeecreamer on it, all to no avail. Bending ormelting it would probably have done thetrick, but we had to conclude that undernormal-well, even under severe-border-ing-on-hostile-conditions, the CD is in-deed indestructible. Even had we been ableto block the laser enough to cause mistrack-ing, the discs are easily cleaned.
Conclusions? Most everyone found thedisplay of the CD's and CDP-10 I 's capa-bilities impressive-but exactly how im-pressive varied among the critics. In thepop session, there was a general admissionthat the CDs sounded clearer and boasted abetter bass response than the LPs, and thatthe sounds of vocals and mid- to low -rangeand percussive instruments sounded morenatural. But there was also the feeling thatupper -range instruments sounded "wrong"or "uncomfortable," and that the oldermaterial sounded better in its original form.Of course, if Moore's analysis is correct,and if companies do remaster their tapesbefore issuing them on CD, that objectionmay evaporate.
On the classical side, where we hadthe advantage of digitally mastered record-ings, the tests saw a certain amount of cyn-icism about digital sound disappear as thecritics were confronted with the CD's seem-ingly limitless ability to accurately repro-duce pure orchestral sound in all ranges. AsOestreich observed after the sessions, "theproblems we had with the high strings in thepop recordings were exactly what I expect-ed to hear, but didn't, in the classical sam-ples." Here too, it was suggested that pro-ducers are going to have to listen moreclosely to their master tapes for CD releasesthan they have for LP productions; and theprospect that CD might lead to an extensivecleansing of the catalog was perceived as apotential benefit in itself.
Yet even among the classical critics,who generally found the LP/CD compari-sons more striking, there remained a feelingthat the advent of CD would be less thanearth -shaking. "I can't say that I wasn'timpressed," Peter Davis reflected a dayafter the session, "but I don't think that, inpurely sonic terms, this is anywhere near asdramatic an advance as I found when wewent from mono to stereo. This is just afurther refinement, and as far as I'm con-cerned, its most important aspects are thephysical ones-the convenience of theplayer, the longevity of the discs, the elim-ination of clicks, pops, and wow, and thefact that you can't really harm them. Allthat seems much more significant to methan the marginal improvement in soundreproduction." HF
MESSIAH(Continued from page 62)edged master unabashedly working in thestyle of his own age, their validity and pro-priety have been debated. The negativeview was perhaps best expressed by MoritzHauptmann, who complained that Mozart'sarrangement "resembles elegant stucco -work upon an old marble temple, whicheasily might be chipped off again by theweather." Perhaps; but to extend the archi-tectural analogy, I, for one, find Mozart'swork as congruent with and as complemen-tary to Handel's as Sir Christopher Wren'slate -seventeenth -century additions are withthe original Tudor portions of the palace atHampton Court.
The arrangement was published byBreitkopf and Hanel in 1803, with editorialassistance from Thomascantor JohannAdam Hiller, who had done much to pro-mote Messiah in Germany. Influenced nodoubt by reports of the 1784 London com-
memoration, he had presented the oratorio,with additional accompaniments of hisown, using enormous forces; at the firstperformance he directed, in Berlin in 1785,302 vocalists and instrumentalists partici-pated.
Editing Mozart's arrangement musthave been a bittersweet task for Hiller, whosurely would have preferred to have seenhis own performing edition published (thescore and parts, alas, appear to have beenlost), but his alterations were not as exten-sive as Prout and others believed. (Theautograph Mozart score and the originalperforming materials turned up only sometwenty-five years ago, and the arrangementwas not published in Urtext form until1961.) Hiller's only crucial change was tosubstitute his own arrangement-with bas-soon obbligato!-of Handel's "If God befor us" for the accompanied recitativeMozart had written.
There have been two recordings of theMozart Messiah. The first, recorded live inSalzburg in 1953 under the direction ofJosef Messner, is based on Mozart -Hiller.Crippling cuts (can you imagine a Messiahwithout "All we like sheep"?), lugubrioustempos, dry and wan singing, and crampedsound make this out -of -print recordingexpendable for all but the archivist. By con-
trast, the second, glorious in almost everyway, is essential to the library of anyoneseriously interested in Messiah or Mozart.Conducted by Charles Mackerras (his sec-ond Messiah) and produced by AndreasHolschneider, who prepared the Urtext edi-tion for the New Mozart Edition, therecording accurately represents the originalproduction in all important respects savetwo: Firstly, the chorus consists of fifty-twosingers rather than twelve, and the solo pas-sages Mozart indicated in some chorusesare sung by a Favoritchor rather than by thesoloists. Secondly, the second soprano'spart is divided between soprano EdithMathis and alto Birgit Finnila, who, withtenor Peter Schreier and bass Theo Adam,make up one of the finest groups of soloiststo grace any account. Overall, the perfor-mance is indescribably charismatic andatmospheric and, despite use of modeminstruments and other minor inauthentici-ties, succeeds admirably in conjuring upimages of the Palffy Palace premiere inVienna on March 6, 1789.
Although it met with resistance initial-ly-especially in Great Britain-the Mo-zart -Hiller version quickly became the per-forming edition most frequently encoun-tered during the nineteenth century-though not for lack of numerous others. As
90HIGH FIDELITY
the century progressed, Handel, reveredlike a demigod, fell victim to the notion thatbigger is better. The most notorious andelephantine performances of his music,without question, were those given at thetriennial Handel festivals held in the CrystalPalace, Victorian London's prototype ofthe Houston Astrodome. At the 1859 com-memoration of the centenary of Handel'sdeath, before an audience of some 20,000people, Sir Michael Costa led 2,765 vocal-ists and 460 instrumentalists in Messiah; headded parts for a full Romantic orchestrathat included contrabassoons and ophi-cleides. Emma Albani, Adelina Patti, Nel-lie Melba, and Clara Butt were among thegalaxy of opera stars who appeared as solo-ists in the Crystal Palace festivals, whichcontinued until the mammoth edifice wasdestroyed by fire in the 1930s. This facet ofMessiah's history has not been documentedon record, and I hope that the next time oneof the giant choruses like the Mormon Tab-ernacle Choir or the Huddersfield ChoralSociety is tapped to record the work, therecord company will have the guts to ignorethe purists' howls of horror, resurrect Cos-ta's score, engage topflight opera stars, andre-create a full-blown Romantic CrystalPalace production, right down to the stringportamentos, thereby not only performingan invaluable musicological service, butalso avoiding the use of the lackluster Proutscoring or a misguided attempt at a pseudo -authentic Messiah with anachronisticallygargantuan forces.
In the 1870s and 1880s, Germanorganist Robert Franz made quite a reputa-tion by preparing editions of choral worksby Bach and Handel with additional accom-paniments for "modern orchestra." Hisedition of Messiah, published in 1885, wasused for many years by the Handel andHaydn Society of Boston, which had giventhe first complete American performance in1818, and formed the basis of the scoreused by the late Thompson Stone for thesociety's 1955 Unicorn recording, now outof print. Although Stone made numerouscuts and alterations and was cajoled-ormore accurately, shamed-into allowing aharpsichord in his orchestra, his recordinggives a clear idea of Franz's approach.which, "though founded on Mozart[-Hill-ed, with the necessary completions," isboth tasteful and inventive. Nonetheless,the society should one day resurrect Franz'sperforming edition and record it authenti-cally and in its entirety, as a pendant to itsrecording of the "pure" score, conductedby Thomas Dunn-the best available bud-get version, which will be discussed nextmonth.
Messiah as it was performed in nine-teenth-century Britain is documented in thefirst comprehensive recorded representa-tion of the oratorio, a remarkable series oftwenty-five single -sided G&T 78s made in1906. Although arranged for woodwindsand brass to accommodate the primitive
recording methods, the Mozart score wasfollowed. Tempos are consistent with thoseconsidered the norm today. The soloists,however, provide surprises. Theirs are notlarge, vibrato -ridden operatic voices; thetone is light, pure, well focused, and free ofvibrato. Vestiges of the performance prac-tice of earlier times can also be detected inthe treatment of cadential points; the solo-ists actually dare, albeit conservatively, tointerpolate high notes and other embellish-ments. Tenor John Harrison's interpola-tions at the end of "Thou shalt break them"bear a close enough resemblance to PaulElliott's in the Hogwood recording to drivethe point home: These soloists could havewalked into Hogwood's recording sessions,and with only a modicum of coaching inbaroque embellishment, recorded Messiahin an impeccably stylish manner. Plus sachange, plus c'est la meme chose' HF
CLASSICAL REVIEWS(Continued from page 76)
Theaterand FilmE.T. Original motion -picture sound-track recording.
Composed, conducted, and produced byJohn Williams. MCA 6109, $8.98. Tape: 6109,
$8.98 (cassette).POLTERGEIST. Original motion -pic-ture soundtrack recording.
Composed, conducted, and produced byJerry Goldsmith. MGM MG 1-5408, $8.98.
Tape: CT 1-5408. $8.98 (cassette).STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OFKHAN. Original motion -picture sound-track recording.
Composed, conducted, and produced byJames Homer. ATLANTIC SD 19363, $8.98.
Tape: SD 19363, $8.98 (cassette).
Interestingly enough. the major efforts of1982 by Hollywood's two busiest and mostcelebrated film composers are both tied tofilms closely identified with Wunderkinddirector Steven Spielberg.
For the space-age Peter Pan fantasyE.T., John Williams has woven a sweepingbut tasteful sound -tapestry, with an alto-gether suitable stress on childlike wonderand tender enchantment. This is perhapsWilliams' most intimate and graciousscore, insistently sounding notes of wistfulfancy, innocent yearning, and rhapsodicnonsensual rapture.
Music accompanies much of the film'sparablelike action and thus serves as a veryconspicuous factor in its touching and com-pelling suspension of disbelief. Williamsmakes the most of several opportunities tocreate extended, symphonic passages, or-chestrated with almost crystalline buoyancyand delicacy by veteran Herbert Spencer.
Some may discern strong residues
from the more airborne moments of Super-man and Close Encounters, but the over-tones of grandiosity and awe are kept to amerciful minimum. MCA's sonics, some-what superior to the general run of its recentproduct, afford a reasonable facsimile ofthe Dolby theater soundtrack.
For the suburban horror tale Polter-geist-which also centers around chil-dren-Jerry Goldsmith has pulled out allthe stops. But instead of settling for a kindof Omen III, he has dropped the chorus (ex-cept for a couple of brief segments) andattempted to meld his characteristicstrengths-asymmetric ostinatos, disso-nant harmonies in contrary motion, and thelike-with more conventionally expressivemodes. A deceptively innocuous lullabytheme-complete with ghostly children'schoir-laces the whole score; it is heard atthe start of Side 1 in a rather maudlinarrangement that in the theater merelybacks up the closing credits. There are pas-sages of almost Ravelian opulence, and the"redemption" theme heard during theexorcistic struggle for a little girl's soul iscomparable in its ecstatic chromaticism toWilliams' "Ark" theme in Raiders.
But the larger part of Side 2 presentsfairly lengthy symphonic elaborations oftypical Goldsmith cellular motifs, whichreach truly numbing peaks of frenzy andterror. MGM provides a clean, balanceddigital acoustic for orchestrator ArthurMorton's dense yet always intelligible tex-tures.
James Horner, a comparatively little-known composer who has heretofore spe-cialized in low -budget horror and science -fiction films, graduates with Star Trek 11into the cinematic big time. His score,resplendently outfitted by orchestrator JackHayes, is an appealing, but not terriblyindividualistic, farrago of elements now(since Star Wars) mandatory for the genre:ceremonial fanfares, heroic themes, eerie"outer space" tremolos, and pulsing ten-sion music, with only one unusual device-a recurring series of overlapping trills in thebrass. All of this handsome clangor is
superbly rendered in a very warm and full-bodied digital ambience.
All three of these tracks belong in anyself-respecting film -music buffs collec-tion. Yet one cannot completely banish aperhaps subversive reflection on the tre-mendous discrepancy between all thesophisticated paraphernalia of subsidiaryfilm artistry in special effects, productiondesign. photography, and-most pertinenthere-music, and screen stories whosepsychological content and adult interest arenil and whose imaginative range is restrict-ed to the wish -fulfillment banalities andmanipulative terror -tactics of a comic -bookvision of the world. When will composersof the caliber of Williams and Goldsmithget another chance to score films with atleast a marginal concern with real people ina real world? P.A.S.
JANUARY 1983 91
ADVERTISING INDEX
ReaderService # Page No.20 American International 63
4 Audio Dynamics Corp. 11
7 Audio Spot 71
16 BASF
11 Cybernet Kyocera
32 Denon America, Inc.51 Discount Music Club53 Discwasher, Inc.
Cover III
23
24
63
Cover IV
Fuji Tape 2
Franklin Mint Record Society 16-19
19 HiFi Buys
Illinois Audio45 International Hi Fi
27 J & R Music World
11 Kyocera Cybernet
12 Maxell Corp.56 McIntosh Laboratories
25 Onkyo
49 Panasonic1 Pioneer High Fidelity9 Pioneer Video
Gene Mayl's Dixieland Rhythm Kings: their best in thirty-five years
BACKBEAT REVIEWS(Continued from page 86)
La Marche's singing is consistentlysoft and intimate, even on the brassy oldClarence Williams tune / Got What ItTakes-which includes such couplets as"You can look at my bank book/But I'llnever let you feel my purse"-and That'sWhat I Call Sweet Music, a song introducedby the lusty -voiced Sophie Tucker. LaMarche is at her best on Minnie the Mooch-er's Wedding Day, on which she re-createsall three voices of the Boswell Sistersthrough overdubs. She not only captures thevocal texture, but the soft accents andphrasing of this popular trio of the '30s. Herreading of Blues My Naughty Sweetie Givesto Me is also effective, her gentility lendinga sense of coy allure.
Waldo has given La Marche moreexposure than usual on "Vamp 'TilReady," somewhat at the expense of hisband. Roy Tate's bristling trumpet, FrankPowers' soaring clarinet, and Jim Snyder'sbushy -voiced trombone are largely rele-gated to supporting roles, although all threegrowl and moan effectively behind LaMarche. Just how much more the groupcould have contributed is made clearthrough the exuberant reading of the oldKing Oliver piece Wa Wa Wa, the onlynumber devoted solely to the band.
Gene Mayl's Dixieland Rhythm Kings havebeen recording since 1948 with bassist/tuba
player Mayl as their continuing link andleader. Over the past thirty-five years, thesound, personnel, and capabilities of theband have varied: There have been timeswhen it has been heavy-footed and clumpy,sometimes drawing on the West CoastTurk -Murphy sound, sometimes aiming atthe old-time New Orleans groups. This ver-sion, recorded in Burlington, Iowa, in1979, comes out of the '50s Eddie Condongroup sound and is one of the best Maylensembles on record.
Its key and spark is cornetist ErnieCarson, who plays with the exuberant aban-don of Wild Bill Davison. Carson comescharging on with a piercing, abrasiveattack, decorated with lifts and lights. JohnUlrich contributes crisp solos that have thetexture, but not the typically dead sound, ofa tack hammer piano. Kim Cusack's clari-net is an interesting combination of NewOrleans smoothness and Pee Wee Russell'srasp. Unfortunately, Cusack also sings withthat empty, colorless sound so characteris-tic of semiprofessional Dixieland bandsingers.
As befits a band with Condoninstincts, the repertory is more Chicagothan anything else: Nobody's Sweetheart,Everybody Loves My Baby, I Never Knew,and I've Found a New Baby. Even the oneNew Orleans tune, Just a Little While toStay Here, is transformed to the Condonstyle by Carson's Wild Bill brassiness, andthe Whiteman Rhythm Boys's From Mon-day On is as much Wild Bill as it is BingCrosby.
The consistent star of the set is Carson.Both open and muted, he lends the kind ofenergy, enthusiasm, and dedication thatkeeps traditional jazz styles going forever.
JOHN S. WILSON
92 HIGH FIDELITY
BASF Chrome.The world's quietest tape
is like no tape at all.Today. only one high bias:ape is able tc combine out-standing sensitivity in thecritical high tequencyrange with the lowest back-ground noise of any oxidetape in the world
That tape is BASF'sProfessional II
Professional II is like noother tape because it'smade like no other tape.While ordinary high biastapes are made from modi-
4111.1.1111111.11
lied particles of ferric oxide.Professional II is made ofpure chromium dioxideThese perfectly shaped anduniformly sized particlesprovide a magnetic me-dium that not only deliversan absolute minimum ofbackground noise, but out-standing high frequenciesas well
Like all BASF tapes, Pro-fessional II comes encasedin the new ultra -precisioncassette shell for perfectalignment, smooth, even
BASF 90
Professionalllchrome (CrOz)/high
has
10 us EQ
movement and consistenthigh fidelity repr Dduction
With Professional II, you'llhear all ci the music andnone of tt- e tape And isn'tthat what you want ina tape?
1sTypbcal Cluorni, Substitut.,
flksai01-tern-- ?A,Rs lc
3.5 63 335 \ 4k NI IS/Oft
The dgference in noise evel betweenPRO II and o-dinary high bias tape isgreatest where the human ear is mostsensitive (2 a kHz)
All BASF :apeARA.NTEE
0GUFA urrnmEcassettes
come with alifetime guarantee. Shouldany BASF cassette eve:*fail-except for abuse ormishandling -simplyreturn it to BASF for a freereplacementMobilo fidelity Round Lab.BASF Professional is so superior it waschosen by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab fortheir Original Master Recording HighFidelity Cassettes These state of .the artprerecorded cassettes are duplicated inreal time ( I I) from the onginal recordingstudio master tapes of some of the mostprominent recording artists of our time
IIIZD:2
1BASF Professionalil 90
1,41111h,
BASF..0111111.1oe
Nlillotame
BA.'T Systtrr ,
Fpr the best recordings you'll ever make.asyl,:r. s. tts o. =c' Gird* 10 on Roodor-Sorirkm Cord
BEWAREof all -in-one tape care products.
ALL -IN -ONE TAPE CARE,711111r
Sometimes they try to do too much!The Discwasher tape care philos-ophy . . . two specific problemsrequire two separate products.
The Discwasher ® Perfect Path TM
is designed to thoroughly cleantape heads, restoring true sounds.
The Discwasher® C.P.R. TPA is engi-neered to clean the critical drivesystem of your cassette deck, pre-venting tapes from being "eaten".
To learn more, write Discwasherfor your free copy of "Guide toTape Care".
discwasher
Cleanerp,ne,
Roller CPR._
Discwasher, theworld leader in
record caretechnology,now offers
unparalleledtape care.
1407 NORTH PROVIDENCE ROAD, P.O. BOX 6021. DEPT. HF, COLUMBIA. MO 65205 USA A DIVISION OF JENSEN an Ets/AARK Company
![Steely Dan - [Book] the Best of Steely Dan (Band Score)](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/5571f78949795991698b8d89/steely-dan-book-the-best-of-steely-dan-band-score.jpg)
![Steely Dan Aja[1]](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/577cc6101a28aba7119d9ea4/steely-dan-aja1.jpg)