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From: DBarker@his-phoenix-multics.arpa (Deryk Barker)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: CD reviews
Message-ID: <8342@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 10:23:51 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.8342
Posted: Wed Feb 20 10:23:51 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Feb-85 04:19:32 EST
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
Lines: 61

Having just purchased my Boothroyd-Stuart Meridian CD player (pity I
don't have an amp to do it real justice) and almost worn my initial
purchase of disks out here are a few comments.

Ry Cooder: Bop Till You Drop.

The first digital LP I bought.  Material is first rate as is playing and
(mostly)  recording.  An A-B comparison shows that the CD has more space
in it and more detail all around.  Worth the purchase.

Brahms: Symphony No. 4/Tragic Overture. VPO/Bernstein.

Fine (if not outstanding) recording. Ditto performance. Apparently the
least controversial of his 1982 live(ish) et of the Brahms symphonies.
N.B the first versin I had of this had two bubbles in the coating of the
playing side and my player went bananas trying to track around them;
replacement version fine.

Elgar: Enigma variations/Pomp and Circumstance marches nos 1 & 2/March
of the Mogul Emperors (from Crown of India). BBCSO/ Bernstein.)

Aha!  Surely the most controversial version of the Enigma ever recorded.
Definitely not to be recommended if you do not already have at least one
other version.  Bernstein makes the most outrageous points of emphasis -
Nimrod  lasts for well over seven (yes seven) minutes.  However - if you
can  take  his  tempi it's a very well played and recorded performance -
you  can  actually  hear  (and  almost feel) the organ in the finale for
once.   The  marches are fine - no controversy at all here.  One to hear
before purchase.

Mahler: Symphony No 1/Philadelphia O Muti.

Very  well  recorded version.  I cannot say it's the best interpretation
I've  ever  heard (I have 9 LP's of this work already) but holds its own
against  most  of  the  competition.  Certainly beats the new Solti (the
only  other CD apart from the Japanese pressing of the CSO/Walter?) into
the  proverbial  cocked  hat.   Very  nice  to hear the finale literally
explode from silence.

Mahler: Symphony No 6/5 Ruckert Lieder/ Christa Ludwig, BPO Karajan.

Remastered  from  the  1978  analogue symphony and 1975 analogue lieder.
And   remastered   very  well  I  shoudl  say.   Ludwig  sings,  and  is
accompanied,  beautifully  in  the  lieder - very atmospheric recording.
The  symphony  -  ah the symphony.  This is surely THE recording of this
tragic  masterpiece  -  puts  all  other known versions in the shade.  A
comparison  between  the  original LP (which I have had for a few years)
and the CD reveals finer detail on the CD with no lossage anywhere.  The
cowbells  in  the  finale are magic, and I've never heard (apart from in
the concert hall) the hammer blows in the finale sound so dead and final
-  not  a  triumphal  special effect as can so often be the case.  Later
versions  maybe  better  (digitally)  recorded - I can't say as I've not
heard  Tennstedt's  recording  but  I  have  heard  a  live relay of his
interpretation  and  it STUNK - but as an interpretation this beats them
all.  When, oh when, is Karajan going to record nos 1, 2 and 8???


My overall verdict CD - OK!

(Now  when I am I going to be able to afford those Japanese pressings of
Walter's Mahler, Furtwaengler's Brahms and Beethoven etc.?)