ben. Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 The Khorns have allowed me to enjoy classical music again!! On a whim, I played "Carmina Burana", by Carl Orff Saturday night (God, I'm getting old). Recording was Robert Shaw in Atlanta. It was recorded using the Soundstream system (early, well-regarded digital). The performance is precise without losing the emotion where appropriate. The piece is very technically demanding in its large scale sections, yet requires the vocal soloists and sections of the orchestra to play with sensitivity to offset and contrast the triple forte sections. This is a piece which is popularly known for the bombast of its opening and closing piece "O Fortuna" It's been used in numerous scary movies, and ripped off in more. Being familiar with the piece from a performance in college, I know there is much more to it than that. There are moments of tenderness and beauty in this composition that are tough to beat. (I still prefer our soprano to Judith Blegen, BTW. Julie Newell had a way of singing the word "suave" that made you take your time standing up, wink, wink, nudge, nudge!) In my years of direct radiator mass-market listening, I had pretty well lost interest in legit music. It really failed to engage my interest. Playing Carmina through those gems was a moment that put classical recordings in a new light for me. The inner resoultion and detail allowed the music to actually affect me. Over the next weeks, I'll be pulling those CDs that have been sitting for some time now. Off the top of my head: Brahms Requiem Stravinsky Firebird, Sacre du Printemps, and Petrouchka (familiar from childhood, believe it or not) Carl Nielsen Symphonies 4 & 5 Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, plus chamber music that I don't recall. I know it's all been said before, but the Klipschorn performs effortlessy. Large concert bass drums at fff are reproduced cleanly and without exaggeration, yet with whispering string passages, individual lines can be readily discerned. I eagerly anticipate getting the analog up and running. Just awaiting construction of a proper flexirack, and finding where I put the (&^#$(@ belt for the AR. BTW, Bags Unlimited is willing to sell me a VPI 16.5 brand new for $400. Bonus is, I can pick it up, as they are in Rochester! Down side - sales tax. Just waiting on that spiff check from Whirlpool!! As soon as all that is in place, I look forward to rediscovering my records. I have no idea what I'll come across. Regards, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike82 Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 The dynamic and timbral complexities of classical music are quite demanding. Sadly, 99% of the population's systems aren't really capable of reproducing classical music very well. That, plus the difficulty in finding good classical recordings, makes it a demanding hobby. Most people can easily listen to a "live" string quartet, but to try to listen to a qyartet over a mid-fi system can be comparable to having a root canal. Khorns with a good front end are a classical music lover's dream system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted October 13, 2003 Author Share Posted October 13, 2003 Mike, I agree!! Simple stuff like quartets and chamber music would actually sound OK, but I just couldn't get involved in the music. Now my system gets out of the music's way. That was the surprise. I expected better sound, but I expected my enjoyment increase to be quantitative. On the contrary, the nature of my musical experience has been transformed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Lordy yes, your favorite Firebirds will play with majesty. Ditto your Planets and Mahler can't be beat, the Symphony #2 will give you a heart attack on khorns. Like opera? I know Kiri Te Kanawa isn't highly regarded but I have a recording of hers on CD that is so darn good you can tell where on stage the performers are standing. And I love her voice, don't give a sh*t what others say. I haven't any classical on vinyl that isn't all snap-crackle-pop but someday I'll find a nice NM Horowitz or something. Given up on Glenn Gould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted October 13, 2003 Author Share Posted October 13, 2003 I can relate to the comment on Gould. Seems his fans were not the best at caring for records. I am not a big opera fan. Damn singers don't know how to use vibrato as a musical device. Too stinkin technical. I remember I was letting a friend of mine run through her jury program at school. I (a lowly string bassist) suggested she start with a shallow vibrato and deepen in intensity as a crescendo swelled. She said, "You can do that?" She's an amazing singer, by now has toured in Europe, been a featured soloist as a grad student at Julliard. (NYC members, her name is Lauren Skuce -check her out!!) It took a jazzer that flunked out twice to teach her something about using vibrato musically!! Just an example of the lack of musicianship in many vocal programs. Having said that, I have been known to shed a tear in the audience of an opera performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Try the Telarc recording of the Holst Suites for Band - Frederick Fennell directing the Cleveland Symphonic Winds. Secure all breakables. On some systems the bass drum will sound like a geologic event - a lot of subwoofers were sold with this recording. On the Klipsches, it will actually sound like a big bass drum. (Of course, on some systems, it will sound like a woofer voice coil shooting across the room...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 Bob Thanks for the rec, but I'm not to keen on band music or Holst. I've got to have strings in there somewhere. Not from lack of exposure, but perhaps too much. I spent my high school years (3 of them anyway) serving as concertmaster for the band. Made the switch to strings, though we had no orchestra or string program, around my junior year in preparation for college. Regards, Ben ps Your post reminded me of a favorite quote (can't remember which conductor said it) "Never look at the trombones. It only encourages them." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBusa Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 remind me not to come down for a beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 Meaning? BTW, don't come down for a beer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 I found this link for Lauren Skuce. It's so gratifying how far she's gone. I remember breaking in to recital halls at 3AM to play. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/singeroftheworld03/media/usa_soprano.ram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Never count out the NAXOS and Narada Cds. The TAS Harry Pearson super disc list is full of amazing classical CDs. I keep forgetting to get the Gladiator soundtrack which is supposed to be hot. The DVD of Gladiator on my RB-5s from the Panasonic RP-91 player is quite compelling. It freaks visitors out; better than a movie theater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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