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Some first thoughts on this. I've listened to it three times on my system and once on a much finer one. In every case I was a little disappointed that there are passages where the high strings playing forte seem to scream at you. I had at first thought the problem was somewhere within my system. But after hearing it played using the same DAC (Meitner) that PentaTone used to master the recording, on far finer loudspeakers driven by some of the best amplifiers available, no, it must be in the performance or the recording. I heard similar playing live in Avery Fisher hall from the New York Philharmonic, where I was seated very close to the stage (six rows out) so I can readily believe that PentaTone recorded what was played but perhaps a little too close for my taste.
All that said, the performance is absolutely thrilling. Full of drama, thrusting phrasing, with a real forward impetus, I would have liked to have been there with a full audience in that hall and seated maybe half way back. I have been trying to make myself listen to my other two SACDs of the Franck for comparison sake and to write a review. Its hard to do that when this one is so fine. The Chausson is new to me and extremely enjoyable. I wonder if those who like Lloyd will take to this as I have (I don't really appreciate Lloyd) or will think it deficient in some way?
Based on this recording, I would not say that Chausson was a "second rate" composer, but he is rather less well known than such as Dvorak, Sibelius, Shostakovitch, etc.
My tentative rating would have to be 5 stars for performance and 4-1/2 for sound because when it isn't annoying me with brash hard sound from the strings, the sound is truly superb. Then again maybe it's the orchestra or the hall that causes what I perceive as a defect here. Differentiating recorded sound from performance is sometimes difficult!
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I was having similar thoughts but I think that the tone of the OSR strings is very thin (the violas in particular sound small in both tone and number) compared to, say, the RCO and because of this the recording sounds a bit harsh - still evaluating.
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I listened to it again last night and this time I was careful to not get carried away with the volume. This is a really splendid disc. I need to take back everything I said about forte strings screaming at you. Now I think my amplifier was screaming at me because it could not supply all the current demanded of it at the level I was playing this disc. My front L-R pair have a tricky complex impedence dip down to about 2 ohms that can catch an amplifier out. I think that is what happened on my first hearings. Regarding the sound at my friend's house, I suspect that there too we were playing it louder than the equipment was comfortable with. It invites loud playback. In the second movement of the Franck, there is a solo cello passage (cello is accompanied by at least one other instrument, I don't remember which right now) and I found that setting the volume for playback of that passage for realistic - as opposed to LOUD - sound gives excellent results for the rest of the disc. And EXCELLENT it is friends!
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Post by Peter November 16, 2006 (4 of 8)
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May I ask; does the SRO still have some of the many excellent qualities it had in Ansermet's time? Or has too much time passed? (My copy is on order - still waiting.)
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Post by wehecht November 16, 2006 (5 of 8)
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Windsurfer said:
I listened to it again last night and this time I was careful to not get carried away with the volume. This is a really splendid disc. I need to take back everything I said about forte strings screaming at you. Now I think my amplifier was screaming at me because it could not supply all the current demanded of it at the level I was playing this disc. My front L-R pair have a tricky complex impedence dip down to about 2 ohms that can catch an amplifier out. I think that is what happened on my first hearings. Regarding the sound at my friend's house, I suspect that there too we were playing it louder than the equipment was comfortable with. It invites loud playback. In the second movement of the Franck, there is a solo cello passage (cello is accompanied by at least one other instrument, I don't remember which right now) and I found that setting the volume for playback of that passage for realistic - as opposed to LOUD - sound gives excellent results for the rest of the disc. And EXCELLENT it is friends!
Thanks for the suggestion. I tried a 2db cut from my normal listening level and agree that the sound improved significantly, much sweeter and less harsh. Not quite from Pentatone's top drawer, but very nice. I have found level setting to be much more critical with sacd than it ever was with redbook. In some cases levels need to be cut, and in others increased. Sometimes the adjustments are small, sometimes large, for instance the much maligned Hyperion Rachmaninov concerto set is really quite respectable on my system when played about 6 db above normal, which seems to allow the piano to join the orchestra in the hall.
As to the question of how a Lloyd fan feels about the Chausson symphony I can only say I like the piece a great deal, and have for years, but I don't get the emotional lift from it that I do from Lloyd's music. In any event the comparison seems to me to be an apples and oranges affair.
Bill
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wehecht said:
As to the question of how a Lloyd fan feels about the Chausson symphony I can only say I like the piece a great deal, and have for years, but I don't get the emotional lift from it that I do from Lloyd's music. In any event the comparison seems to me to be an apples and oranges affair.
Bill
Bill,
On reflection, I really should have left out the question about comparing the Chausson and with Lloyd. It was one of the perverse things I am wont to do occassionally and as you indicate, its apples and oranges. Foolish of me, that's all, and I appreciate your pointing it out.
Bruce
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I would just add to the discussion that you will enjoy this disc more if you listen without expecting to hear your favorite legendary rendition re-recorded here by the SRO. Both the Franck and Chausson are strong performances with great sound. To me, both are a welcome addition to my collection without replacing Paray's Franck or Dutoit's Chausson.
Additionally, the liner notes referred to the heavy influence of Wagner on Franck and Chausson. Janowski seems to emphasize the Wagnerian qualities of each symphony in this recording. That may be a factor in whether you like what you hear in this disc or not.
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Post by Fugue March 25, 2012 (8 of 8)
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Has anyone compared this version to Raymond Leppard's on Membran? I have yet to hear a Janowski interpretation that did anything for me!
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