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February 3, 2010
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WORKING MY WAY THROUGH THE FONÉS No. 1
I was intrigued by Arnaldo's review of -- in his words -- "Baroque Concertos for Reverberation and Multiple Reflections from Pergolesi's time". This is the period when composers were writing works for multiple choirs in opposite corners of echo-enhancing ... more |
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January 29, 2010
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I am amazed to see seven SACD recordings of this... this -- what word to use? -- work. Many have called it 'academic', others 'theoretical'... no-one calls it 'dramatic' or 'romantic'. In truth it can be excruciatingly dull; I know this from having sat through a moribund 'live' performance by string ... more |
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January 21, 2010
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I sigh when I think of this disc, I had such high hopes for it: two Haydn quartets and a new rendition of Boccherini’s quirky Nachtmusik. Okay… only one Haydn quartet; Joe claimed (and obviously wished) he’d written Opus 3, especially the ‘Serenade’ – but he didn’t. All the more reason to be ... more |
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January 21, 2010
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A few years ago I said I’d die happy if the Bartók quartet cycle appeared on SACD – and then I expired slowly but happily as the Párkányí discs appeared, one, two, three. Now I am in fatal raptures again with this thoroughly Hungarian cycle by Mikrokosmos. Two cycles begs a comparison; forgive me if ... more |
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January 14, 2010
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OFF-THE-CUFF REVIEW No. 3
The Signal
I waffled back and forth for years before giving Purism a deservèd kick and adding a Paradigm ‘power bass’ to my pair of Paradigm speakers (they don’t call it a ‘sub-woofer’, that would be sub-dig!). The movies that I play through my system all make excessive ... more |
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