david@agora.hf.intel.com (David Robinson) (08/27/90)
The following article is from POSITIVE FEEDBACK, the newsletter of the
Oregon Triode Society, and is Copyright 1990, all rights reserved. This
article may be reposted or reprinted, as long as it is not resold, and as
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David W. Robinson
Editor, POSITIVE FEEDBACK
david@agora.hf.intel.com
THE SILVER DISC
John Pearsall
Pops on Broadway 1990
The Boston Pops Orchestra
John Williams, Conductor
Sony Classical SK-45567 (72 minutes)
I love the Boston Pops. I love the Philips recordings under the ten
year conductor, John Williams. I loved the Pops under Arthur Fiedler
when RCA gave them some of the best engineering in early stereo history.
Now I feel bad. I don't love this new recording. I'm not even going to
keep this new recording.
What went wrong? Let's guess. New producer, Thomas Z. Shepard; new
engineer, Bud Graham; new label, Sony Classical, formerly CBS
Classical...and perhaps a day off for all concerned. (Must be; the
orchestra sounds b-o-r-e-d.)
Most of the arrangements from the usually fine Sid Ramin are like
visiting 1956 three decades late. The musical cliches march across the
orchestra like summer ants on their way to the potato salad. I've heard
it all before. The arrangements from Morton Stevens, Angela Morley and
others are more interesting, but still pretty predictable. And Andrew
Lloyd Webber makes me break out in hives.
The recording is also a problem for me. The textured warmth of the
wonderful Boston Symphony Hall acoustic (as captured by the Phillips
team) is largely missing in this Sony effort. Everything is set in the
middle distance, and the bass tends to block up and get thick when
pushed hard. The strings, on the other hand, sound really thin. There
appears to be a lot of spotlighting on the woodwinds. This is barely
acceptable, and not an auspicious debut for this team. I hope they get
it right next time.
Played at background levels this might make it as sonic aspirin after a
long commute. As foreground music--no. Sorry, Sony....
Fantastic Journey
The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Erich Kunzel, Conductor
Telarc CD-80231 (64 minutes)
This is a continuation of the movie music series from Cincinnati, all
taken from fantasy epics and space operas in the tradition of Star
Tracks and Time Warp on previous Telarc releases in recent years.
The disc is generously full of the talents of Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard
Herrman, John Williams, John Barry and others, but the really
captivating selections on this disc are the 7 part, 15 minute suite from
"Batman" by rock musician Danny Elfman. I am surprised and delighted.
[JP is on the mark here; I have the "Batman" soundtrack CD--not the
schlock by Prince often mistaken for the soundtrack--and found it to be
very fine. Elfman, of Oingo-Boingo "fame," has turned into a major
orchestral composer. Now we can ALL be "surprised and delighted" along
with John. DWR]
This recording is from last September and October (1989), and the
engineer is, again, Jack Renner. The orchestra plays very well and has
been given breadth, depth, height and, most importantly, texture and
inner luminousity. In fact, this disc has most of the elements missing
from the Boston disc in my prior review.
If you're a fan of the Cincinnati movie series, you'll love this one
indeed. If you're new to the genre of movie music, give it a try.
Victory at Sea
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Erich Kunzel, Conductor Telarc
CD-80175 (61 minutes)
This release from the continuing movie music series at Cincinnati is
firmly centered on theatrical and television movies about World War II
(still one of the great thematic gold mines for literature and film).
And this CD is a gold mine of film music that has lived on for decades.
We are given a 21 minute suite from Richard Rogers' "Victory at Sea," a
splendid "Warsaw Concerto" by Richard Addinsell, a Max Steiner
"Casablanca Suite," and many more major themes and marches from assorted
WWII films.
Jack Renner engineered this recording in late 1988, and while it isn't
as dazzling as the "Fantastic Journey" outing, it does all the same
things right. There's perhaps just slightly less focus, just a bit less
brilliance...
I liked both of these Telarc discs. Both keepers; both recommended
heartily.
My opinions belong to me...and vice versa. They're not copyrighted;
third party thinkers should feel free to clone them at will.
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