Klipsch and Classical Music

[WMcD]

Naturally I like classical (in the broad sense) very much. As a kid Santa brought a little suitcase player and the LP of "Conduct Your Own Orchestra" complete with baton. The LP had classical music excerpts, the ones with a hook.

With a big system, the more dymanic symphonies are always a blast.

Mozart is another story and may well be outside all of that. I really don't know how it works. I observe that people who really understand music (and I'm not one) seem to very much love his works.

You read comments like, "too simple for amateurs, too complicated for professionals." That is a glib description but sets out an appeciation of the quality of the Wolfganger's work.

I taught myself some Bach on a keyboard. It was interesting to see the patterns which were being worked. I do believe that when King Crimson wrote of "The Pattern Juggler" it was a reference to JSB. I could see some of the same in Chopin. But I was a Bozo at this and met people who could really play. The world of classical music is safe now that I sold the keyboard.

One other thing is the color and drama which is set up by Ravel, Rachmanonoff, and Rimsky Korsakov (sp) in orchastrations. In many cases it is not just one expressive instrument but three or more. I think in one case there was a drum hit and then just as it was settling down the composer gave the phip of a triangle. Marvelous.

In any event, PWK speakers lets us hear all of this. I can't say that head banger rock is worth the effort. But if you need fidelity, it works for those sounds too.

Smile,

Gil

[pmsummer]

In any event, PWK speakers lets us hear all of this. I can't

say that head banger rock is worth the effort. But if you need

fidelity, it works for those sounds too.

Smile,

Gil

There's the WORD... fidelity. The music industry has, by and large, forsaken "fidelity" for excitement.

But then, so too perhaps has the culture.

In a world of "5.1 surround sound", I maintain by dedication to "high fidelity".

[maxg]

What is the hardest instrument to play back realistically?

Whils the piano is the most obvious choice I would actually, as ever, say that it is down to the individual listener - it depends on which instruments you feel closest to.

For me it is the violin. I can tell if a system is for me within a minute of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto - or Bach's / Beethoven's / Mendelssohn's etc. I am peculiarly sensitive to a vioin and the slightest hint of "metal" and I am off.

At the same time I can listen to what is a relatively poor rendition of a piano and not have a problem with it - whilst it sends Tony into apoplexy.

I do not think there is another speaker on this earch that plays back Brass instruments like a Klipsch - that is as close to reality as it is possible to be IMHO. A KHorn will do as good a job with a Grand Piano as anything and that is also true for the larger woodwind instruments.

Violins? Probably not. They are not bad at them - I am not saying that (especially massed violins as used on Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony for example) but there are times where there is just a little too much steel in the sound for my liking.

Quad 989's (but dont tell Tony I said that) and even his B&W 802's do a fantastic job with Violins - and Christos' Genesis speakers similarly well.

Of course there is the whole issue of voice too. Klipsch generically do well there, very well.

[TheEvan]

Yes, the Ravel orchestration of Pictures displays the orchestra at full tilt.

Mahler is a nice choice for that as well. Break in on his #1, then rock out with with 2&3

[pauln]

Max, I agree about the violin as the most discriminating instrument for distinguishing system realism. As a guitar player for decades (and a novice violin player), I know much about the sound of strings. There are so many types of guitars used in recording that there is no real reference for the sound apart from particular makes (like the Straocaster and Les Paul), but even these are played through different amps and sometimes effects. Alternatively, it seems that there is a distinct concert violin sound that is the goal of all excellent performances and recordings. It waters my eyes to listen to violin concertos when everything is just right.

There are two aspects that I attend to.

The first is what I would call the ability and skill of the violinist to express the composer's psycho-musical ideas and emotions that formed the peice. This is a soul-like connection between what the composer left on paper and what the artist's experience and background allows to be recreated. This is the majical aspect of communicating a musical idea from the composer through the artist to the listener. Absolutely profound that this can actually happen, but it does and its wonderful.

The second aspect is more personal because it depends on my experience and familiarity with the technical production of sound on instruments. Being a little familiar with violin playing, I hear the little things that make the violin sound more realistic. When the violin is played at extremely high pitches, the strings are not always pressed to the wood of the fingerboard, but held to the string in the correct position for the pitch. This occurs often in cadenzas where a very high note is played, and you can hear the difference in tone because the harmonic structure is reduced from the damping of the string - it sounds more flute-like and there is a disernable "blow" of the bow strings rubbing the violin strings that is much less prominate when notes are fingered normally at lower pitches. I also listen for the difference in tone that is produced by all the different bowing techniques, the difference in sound from an open string vs a stopped (fingered) note, and the distinct sound of loud violin notes where the string and body sound balance changes and becomes more vibrant, and much more subtle things, too. From years of guitar playing, when I hear a guitar being played I know by the sound which strings and positions are being executed, and I can usually tell which fingers are being used to play the individual notes just by the sound. A similar thing is in effect when I listen to violin, which just adds to my enjoyment and amazmant because great violin players are so profoundly good.

I especially like when the violin plays alone and the system is presenting the most amazing sound image right in front of me - pure majic.

Does it seem strange that many of the great classical composers only wrote one violin concerto?

Pauln

[Audio Flynn]

We all stumble upon

classical music in one way or another. Congratulations and enjoy the

journey

Take care,

-Tom

When PWK designed the Klipschorn? .........I don't think he was listening to Audioslave.[]

Terry

LMAO

In some reading about PWK he had Bosendorfer and Steinway pianos in his listinging room at some point in time.

I was listening to a Van Cliburn Dynagroove LP today; pretty sweet stuff