david@uwm.UUCP (David Robinson) (03/05/91)
The following article is from POSITIVE FEEDBACK, the newsletter of the Oregon Triode Society, and is Copyright 1991, all rights reserved. This article may be reposted or reprinted, as long as it is not resold, and as long as proper attribution of the source is made in full. Please keep this header in all copies made of this article. David W. Robinson Editor, POSITIVE FEEDBACK david@agora.rain.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- VINYL REFLECTIONS Larry Sturtz Until the most recent list the composer most conspicuously absent from TAS recommended recordings was old Ludwig himself. Yes, Beethoven, without whom most subscription series would be bereft. Even the current list has only Solti's bloodless 9th and one crummy piano sonata on what I believe is a super analog disc. Neither I nor other collectors I've talked to have an explanation for this phenomenon. Perhaps Beethoven's viscerally engaging music with its economy of expression is just not compatible with the audiophile experience. Well, all the above is nothing more than a convenient hook to hang a quick review of Beethoven's 9 symphonies. Pretty sneaky huh? Actually another situation I have found myself in over the years as the self appointed expert on classical music in various offices is answering the question what's the best set of Beethoven symphonies to buy? Answer-none. The best set is made up of various conductors efforts. Of course most of those questioning me were not satisfied and pushed for a recommendation. If you must have a boxed set for convenience and simplicity the 1962 Karajan cycle on DGG would be my reluctant top choice. If you can find early pressings the sound is quite good and with the exception of the hurried 6th performances are fine. HVK's 1977 run-thru offers no performance improvements and sound is murky. Avoid the made for TV 80's issues. The Command set by William Steinberg and the Pittsburgh (early pressings only) is underrated. Only the 9th is disappointing and the 3rd, 5th and 7th are superb. Avoid the later pressings by ABC-Paramount. The Leibowitz Readers Digest set has gotten a bit of audiophile ink lately. My limited listening forays into the set have not impressed me. Based on what I've heard I would not recommend paying the present asking price. That's enough on completes. Perhaps in a future article we can go further, for now let's assemble a set of the 9 from single issues. Beginning at the end the 9th I can't live without is Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt on London/Decca. Relaxed tempos and the vocal quartet of Sutherland/Talvela/King/Horne make this the one I reach for first. Besides the 1962 Karajan (coupled with the 8th), listen also to the Furtwangler(Seraphim), Toscanini, Stokowski(Phase 4)and Solti(Decca/London). Yes I've heard the Norrington on original instruments, except for the surprises it was malnourished and boring, ten bucks shot. The slender 8th, occupying only a single side usually is a filler, but there is one recording I recommend seeking out; Pablo Casals conducting the Marlboro Festival orchestra on Columbia MS 6931 backed by Mendelssohn's 4th in gritty sound. The broad shouldered 7th can stand a variety of approaches. I prefer quick, lean performances. Karajan '62 and Steinberg stand out. Consider also both Colin Davis performances(EMI, Philips), Klemperer(EMI) and Bruno Walter(Columbia with the Columbia Symphony). Karl Bohm captures more of the magic of the Pastorale for me than any other conductor. His DGG performance with the VPO is a must. Relaxed yet vibrant, taut where necessary, gorgeous. Other 6ths worth hearing are Steinberg, any of the Jochum's, Walter and Klemperer. Avoid the humorless and hurried Toscanini and Karajan. There are dozens of perfectly acceptable and sometimes exciting performances of the 5th but, there is one that stands above all others and that is Carlos Kleiber and the VPO on DGG-DO NOT MISS THIS RECORDING, available in all formats in generally indifferent sound, which matters not at all. Others I like are Giulini(LAPO, DGG), Szell(Philips), Dorati(Mercury) and Steinberg. Then only 4th with its head above the crowd is Kiril Kondrashin on Seraphim. There was no Angel issue. If there was an ASD on EMI I never saw it. The Seraphim shows up in the used bins regularly, give it a try. My Eroica choice is a little offbeat, John Barbirolli on Angel/EMI. Tempos are slooooow, but the tension builds inexorably. Try it, you may like it. Karajan '62, Steinberg, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Klemperer and a bunch of others are fine. Take your pick. I don't have a first choice for 1 and 2 but remember liking Marriner(Philips), Hogwood(Oiseau) and Walter. At one time there were at least 12 completes and a minimum of 5 individual performances of each symphony on my shelves. The present state of disarray prevents an accurate count, just say enough. At the risk of being considered eccentric the following Beethoven symphony performances are essential to me ; (1) all the above first choices and most of the honorable mentions, (2) Karajan's 62 complete, (3) The Toscanini RCA complete, (4) Bernstein's live DGG complete, (5) Szell(Epic) and Walter(Columbia) completes, and finally (6) Reiner's 5,6,7 on Shaded Dog. Excessive? Not at all. Happy trails.
david@uwm.UUCP (David Robinson) (03/05/91)
The following article is from POSITIVE FEEDBACK, the newsletter of the Oregon Triode Society, and is Copyright 1991, all rights reserved. This article may be reposted or reprinted, as long as it is not resold, and as long as proper attribution of the source is made in full. Please keep this header in all copies made of this article. David W. Robinson Editor, POSITIVE FEEDBACK david@agora.rain.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SO, WHAT IS MY REFERENCE SYSTEM? Charles Wiens Well, let's see...since I like to collect boat anchors that just happen to contain tubes, there are about 85 pieces (threatening to cause major structural damage to my attic) from which I can choose. I'll start with the source of all evil: The cartridge. Currently I'm using a Shure V15 MkII that happened to be in a Dual 1229 purchased for 50 cents at the local "as is" store. It's no Koetsu Rosewood, but it has a nice silky sound that suits my archaic tastes just fine--and the price was right. On to the turntable(s). This choice depends on the mood I'm in. As all 42 of my tables cost 50 cents each, I confine my moods to ones of quiet resignation. However, in rare moods of serious listening I like to use a Thorens TD 160 I ran across recently. It's rather sensitive to vibration in a home environment, but in my downtown listening studio with its 18" concrete floor, who cares? I also have examples of every Dual known to man. The 1000 and 1200 series have interchangeable and quickly removable cartridge mounts, so I use a nicely restored 1229 when comparing the huge assortment of pre-1972 AKGs, Pickerings, Shures, etc., that I have on hand. The pre-amp in this system-to-end-all-systems was a Dyna PAS 2 until the cat pissed on it. That turned out to be a fortunate elimination since a determined effort at...you guessed it, the "as-is" store...turned up a McIntosh MX 110 tuner/pre-amp, which I quickly snapped up for a dollar. At first, one channel of the phono section appeared to be gone, but a little contact cleaner on the rotary switches revealed a perfectly functioning unit. It looks neat, too. Other pre-amps on hand that met my budget requirements ($1.00) include a Dyna PAS 3, the PAS 2--which is working again--a Fisher 400 CX, two Mac C-8s and a Quad 33. Now to the power amp. Until about amonth ago, I was using a Scott LK 150 given me (along with the C-8s) by my tax man, an old hippie from Chicago. Guilt at this free acquisition has caused me to promise him a pair of speakers in return. Recently, however, I actually allowed Ian Joel to talk me into parting with the unheard of sum of $250 for an unnamed, homemade amp from his Trading Post. I have dubbed it the TEK SG: "SG" for "Spontaneous Generation." Ian thinks it was built by a Tektronics engineer, as the transformers are obviously TEK. I, however, am convinced its existence is due to a rare encounter between a dumpster full of old TEK parts and an aging Big Mac guided by divine intervention. I'm also convinced that Ian made a 25,000% profit on the deal, but the amp does indeed sound smoother than my LK 150, and has astounding low frequency extension. My only complaint is that when it is turned upside down, all the tubes fall out of their sockets and roll around on the floor. I've concluded, through careful listening tests, that this phenomenon does have a subtle degrading effect on the sound stage, and now operate the unit in the upright position only. Finally, we reach the heart of every fine audio system: The loudspeakers. Hey, I built 'em myself and they're reaaaaally rad, man. They've got a 6 1/2" groaner and a 1 1/8" dome squeaker with a frequency response of DC to light (plus or minus). For those of you who've seen and heard the wonders at Ian's store, the high tech imported Italian porcelain tile covering the sides and top is guaranteed to do absolutely nothing except give the owner back strain when moving them. I would like to humbly and graciously thank the highly sophisticated audiopholes among you who appreciate their tonal quality, and to condemn and admonish the tin-eared jerks who didn't. Well, that about wraps up my reference system. It's not exactly state-of- the-art, but then again...neither am I. P.S. My wife would like to point out that her reference system is a 1964 9' Baldwin concert grand and a pianist capable of playing anything ever written: Herself.