What are you listening to? (Vol VII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 29 December 2010
Vol VI - https://forums.naimaudio.com/ev...8019385/m/9042967727
Vol V - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...385/m/9962941917/p/1
Vol IV - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...8019385/m/1832985817
Vol III - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...385/m/6192934617/p/1
Vol II - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...8019385/m/3112927317
Vol I - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...8019385/m/6532968996
AND - this might be of interest:
http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...962920617#1962920617
Cheers,
EJ
Cheers
Flettster
Cheers
Flettster
From last night...
Followed by....
First play on disc 1 (of 3 x CD box-set)
After a few minutes of the first track acclimatising to the feel of acoustic reverberation the music begins to slowly draw me in.
The accompanying booklet is an interesting history lesson, wish I had more time to sit down, relax, and absorb this properly instead of while getting ready to go out to work.
Debs
Debs, would be interested in your views (on the music and performance, I'll leave it to you and Doug to discuss the cover art). Nikolayeva recorded this music three times and was supposedly Shostakovich' favorite interpreter (note: contrary to popular belief, these works were not dedicated to her). But by the time this recording was made, her street cred as performance artist had diminished a bit...
Cheers,
EJ
Hi EJ
These preludes and fugues are better than how I expected, more intrigue, abstraction, variety from tense to tranquillity. It would be appropriate to lie on the sofa in a darkened room to feel the vibe of each and every note. I can‘t pretend to be an expert but I think Tatiana has a natural ability to press each key with the exact amount of sensitivity to add a new dimension.
Disc 3 - no.22 in G minor, prelude: while the left hand is heart-beating a rhythm in the key of anxiety , the right is free to float around as light as a feather… in search of escape from the unease… but only to complete a circle.
Every prelude and fugue has it’s own personality, story to tell, each has a world to explore.
This is wonderfully suited for piano but to get close and personal with the nature of the composition it requires some recording perfection. The hyperion set recorded in London 1990 fail on this count with some typical room reverb [slightly] spoiling the higher frequency range especially, and while the left hand keys play firmly to give a sense of timbre that one wants to reach out and touch… it’s not quite there either, only imagination working overtime. It’s not really a bad recording… I just feel this needs perfection.
My original 1991 set is also hindered with advanced bronzing which produces the dreaded ‘click’ near the end on one of them, this in time will only get worse so need to return for refund.
I’ve just ordered a Melodiya 3cd box-set again pre-owned (but I feel lucky) …and I have a hunch it’s the better set.
Hi Doug,
The front cover picky: It’s called “The Bronze Horseman” …Hmmm and my discs have bronzed too 
But those 2 characters are Cameron and Clegg really, can you tell which one’s which? 
Debs
First play on disc 1 (of 3 x CD box-set)
After a few minutes of the first track acclimatising to the feel of acoustic reverberation the music begins to slowly draw me in.
The accompanying booklet is an interesting history lesson, wish I had more time to sit down, relax, and absorb this properly instead of while getting ready to go out to work.
Debs
Debs, would be interested in your views (on the music and performance, I'll leave it to you and Doug to discuss the cover art). Nikolayeva recorded this music three times and was supposedly Shostakovich' favorite interpreter (note: contrary to popular belief, these works were not dedicated to her). But by the time this recording was made, her street cred as performance artist had diminished a bit...
Cheers,
EJ
Hi EJ
These preludes and fugues are better than how I expected, more intrigue, abstraction, variety from tense to tranquillity. It would be appropriate to lie on the sofa in a darkened room to feel the vibe of each and every note. I can‘t pretend to be an expert but I think Tatiana has a natural ability to press each key with the exact amount of sensitivity to add a new dimension.
Disc 3 - no.22 in G minor, prelude: while the left hand is heart-beating a rhythm in the key of anxiety , the right is free to float around as light as a feather… in search of escape from the unease… but only to complete a circle.
Every prelude and fugue has it’s own personality, story to tell, each has a world to explore.
This is wonderfully suited for piano but to get close and personal with the nature of the composition it requires some recording perfection. The hyperion set recorded in London 1990 fail on this count with some typical room reverb [slightly] spoiling the higher frequency range especially, and while the left hand keys play firmly to give a sense of timbre that one wants to reach out and touch… it’s not quite there either, only imagination working overtime. It’s not really a bad recording… I just feel this needs perfection.
My original 1991 set is also hindered with advanced bronzing which produces the dreaded ‘click’ near the end on one of them, this in time will only get worse so need to return for refund.
I’ve just ordered a Melodiya 3cd box-set again pre-owned (but I feel lucky) …and I have a hunch it’s the better set.
Hi Doug,
The front cover picky: It’s called “The Bronze Horseman” …Hmmm and my discs have bronzed too
But those 2 characters are Cameron and Clegg really, can you tell which one’s which?
Debs
Thanks for that - by the way, don't forget to sample the Melnikov recording on Harmonia Mundi. As others have mentioned as well, it is performed and recorded to perfection.
Cheers,
EJ
On vinyl:-
Listening to the the confrontation between the king and the inquisitor, here sung by Ruggero Raimondi and Nicolai Ghiaurov. Great stuff.
Cheers,
EJ
On the black 180g stuff...
On CD:-
I am in the middle of the album right now. I am meant to be at Blackfield at Shepherds Bush (dump) Empire but it was a much more attractive proposition to come home for a meal out and some time in front of the system.
On old vinyl.
On CD:-
