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January 4, 2008
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COVER ART
Who is that handsome young fellow on the cover? Before my copy arrived, I had been thinking it was a portrait of young Beethoven which I had never encountered before; it has his looks. I now understand that this is a self-portrait of Louis David (1748-1825), a french painter who was ... more |
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October 17, 2007
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“—And now for something completely different…”. Savall et companie always surprise, but with excellence, and now on SACD.
THE SOUND
Each instrument speaks with the unique voice of a unique individual, rich in detail. The oud, rebab, lire and vièle are exquisite – but it is the odd percussion ... more |
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September 27, 2007
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What does one hope for in a new disc? I have a soft spot for deep, detailed sound – but only if the music delights the mind. Here is a disc of engaging music served up in delicious sound.
THE SOUND
I am a fan of IsoMike, DXD and all-tube recordings (until this disc arrived, I was playing and ... more |
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May 6, 2007
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THE MUSIC
My mind habitually lumps Smetana with Janácek, even though Bedrich was born a generation and a half before Leos (and a decade before Brahms!). Nonetheless I will continue to pair these two Czechs and their quartets for more than nationalist reasons: both are best-seller ‘novelists’. ... more |
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May 4, 2007
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THE SOUND
Full kudos to sound engineers Soukeník and Roubal for capturing the spatial position and fine details of all instruments. I am giving this the 5-stars which I otherwise reserve for IsoMike or DXD recordings. Were 12-tone music more popular, this would be a Demo Disc.
THE PERFORMANCE
I am ... more |
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