Post by Beagle October 13, 2005 (1 of 27)
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Some knowledgable listeners 'have reservations' concerning the Tokyo's take on Beethoven, including my favourite guru, Dr Jimbob: "Many praise the Tokyo's new effort on RCA. What I've heard of it (some Op. 59, one of the lates) left me underwhelmed". He is writing circa 1996, presumably about the 1991 RCA Red Seal (re)issues.
In the intervening years, the Tokyo have got a new cellist, and replaced the primo twice -- most lately in 2002 with Canadian Martin Beaver. I've been listening to MB for perhaps a decade now, at a local festival, and I am not at all surprised that a worldclass ensemble picked him as lead. So the Tokyo is a half-different kettle of fish from when Dr J was underwhelmed, and perhaps a whole new ballgame. I will be acquiring this disc ASAP, without reservations.
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Post by nickc October 18, 2005 (2 of 27)
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Beagle said:
Some knowledgable listeners 'have reservations' concerning the Tokyo's take on Beethoven, including my favourite guru, Dr Jimbob: "Many praise the Tokyo's new effort on RCA. What I've heard of it (some Op. 59, one of the lates) left me underwhelmed". He is writing circa 1996, presumably about the 1991 RCA Red Seal (re)issues.
In the intervening years, the Tokyo have got a new cellist, and replaced the primo twice -- most lately in 2002 with Canadian Martin Beaver. I've been listening to MB for perhaps a decade now, at a local festival, and I am not at all surprised that a worldclass ensemble picked him as lead. So the Tokyo is a half-different kettle of fish from when Dr J was underwhelmed, and perhaps a whole new ballgame. I will be acquiring this disc ASAP, without reservations.
Beggars can't be choosers and I like the look of this but I assume it will be two discs - it would have been nice to have 10 or 11 as well.
Then again it could hopefully be the start of a complete series...
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Post by Beagle October 18, 2005 (3 of 27)
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nickc said:
Then again it could hopefully be the start of a complete series...
Buy it, and they will come...*
I am going to be uncharacteristically optimistic here: If the Tokyo burns 1 quartet to SACD (and it sells), then why would they not do more? Especially since Prazak has 'blinked' and bowed-out with a DSD/PCM ragout for a first digital high-fidelity box-set.
--And what ever happened to our 'pre-subscribed' Pentatone/Quartetto Italiano box set?
-------------
*bad pastiche of Field of Dreams line; sorry.
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Beagle said:
--And what ever happened to our 'pre-subscribed' Pentatone/Quartetto Italiano box set?
What's this - I am a johnny-come-lately. I would buy Quartetto Italiano doing Beethoven! I also plan to buy the Prazak set and hope to see Tokyo in the "late quartets" for sure!
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Post by Beagle October 18, 2005 (5 of 27)
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Windsurfer said:
What's this?
Always glad to welcome another chamber music junkie. The thread is/was /showthread/6697/7276/y#7276 and a bit more at /showthread/7762/7762/y#7762 .
...And while on the topic of Q.I., here's another quote from my guru, Dr Jimbob:
"I still love what they do with Debussy, Ravel, and Mozart, but I'm beginning to grow cold to their Beethoven. It's tonally lush, technically impeccable, but they just don't make sense out of the music in a way that appeals to me. Their recording of the slow movements of Opp. 127 and 131 are emblematic of the problem -- variation movements turning into exercises in free association."
But there's room for 'lush' and 'free association' in Late Beet, I'm sure. Support Hi-Fi Chamber Music: BUY THEM ALL.
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Post by Beagle October 26, 2005 (6 of 27)
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I did a bit of shopping around, and bumped into un joli prix for this disc at CDuniverse: US$13.28. Likewise, the Mendelssohn quintets: 15.65 and the Mendelssohn octet/sextet: 18.59.
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Post by nickc October 26, 2005 (7 of 27)
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Beagle said:
I did a bit of shopping around, and bumped into un joli prix for this disc at CDuniverse: US$13.28. Likewise, the Mendelssohn quintets: 15.65 and the Mendelssohn octet/sextet: 18.59.
I just walked into Discurio in Melbourne and they had this for $35 (AUS of course!)and couldn't resist...
There is a large red sticker on the front saying "recorded, edited and mastered in DSD" and on the back blurb it states that the Tokyo are "beginning a series of recordings for harmonia mundi" - excellent news on both fronts!
I'll put it on tonight and post some first impressions about sound soon.
Cheers
Nick
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Post by Jonty October 27, 2005 (8 of 27)
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Beagle said:
I did a bit of shopping around, and bumped into un joli prix for this disc at CDuniverse: US$13.28. Likewise, the Mendelssohn quintets: 15.65 and the Mendelssohn octet/sextet: 18.59.
I thought what a good price even with shipping to the UK but looking at the CD Universe site suggests you have ordered the CD not the SACD. Zeus gives the number as 807423/24 and CD Universe as 907423/24. Harmonia Mundi double catalogue so you may not be getting the SACD. I am going with Amazon France which states that it is an SACD.
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Post by nickc October 27, 2005 (9 of 27)
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Jonty said:
I thought what a good price even with shipping to the UK but looking at the CD Universe site suggests you have ordered the CD not the SACD. Zeus gives the number as 807423/24 and CD Universe as 907423/24. Harmonia Mundi double catalogue so you may not be getting the SACD. I am going with Amazon France which states that it is an SACD.
On my box the number is HMU 807423.24
Cheers
Nick
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Post by izamber October 27, 2005 (10 of 27)
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For Harmonia Mundi France, 8xxxxx=hybrid SACD, 9xxxxxx=CD. At least, that's what I gathered (all of my HMF CDs S/Ns begin with a 9, all of my hybrid SACDs begin with an 8).
Igor
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