Benjamin's CD Review

.0 Benjamin's CD Review

Benjamin's CD Review

and other musical discussion

by Benjamin (a.k.a. 'Ben')

Revised 10 December 2007

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Introduction

NOTE (28 Oct 07): The following list of 'good' recordings is now largely irrelevant! Today, there are simply innumerable excellent recordings of classical music, as one can readily discover by checking the classical section of iTunes. Indeed, it is so easy to download good music that one risks becoming seriously addicted. An album may only cost $9.99, but it adds up quickly. (Steve Jobs is smart, unlike the greedy record execs. I would not have acquired this bad habit if he had charged the usual $20+.) The technical quality of recordings is now generally excellent, which was my primary concern in what I write below. Furthermore, engineers have become more sensitive to acoustics, and Chandos no longer has a monopoly on atmospherics (which yet retain sparkling clarity). As for performers, there are curiously many excellent young musicians, given that classical music is supposed to be dying. Asia is a big help here. Their civilization is rising again as ours is decaying. So just ignore my tedious yet hopelessly incomplete list and become addicted to iTunes instead, where you can sample before buying. (Steve Jobs doesn't know me and gave me nothing to say this.)

ORIGINAL ARTICLE (posted in 2006 and early 2007): I've been collecting CDs, mostly of classical music, since 1984, about when the CD first went on sale. Buying a CD means taking a chance. The price and prestige of the label are no guarantee of satisfaction. Some gems were cheap and from unknown labels, while many a high-priced and well-reviewed recording turned out to disappoint. I will record some of my opinions about some of my favorite CDs, in case anybody with similar tastes is reading. Of course, you cannot know if your tastes are similar until you have listened to a few recordings that I recommend, or unless you know them already.

My initial focus will not be so much on artistic merit as on another aspect about which I care very much and which I believe to be far more objective: the sonic quality of the recording. Even the best record companies have recordings that are dull and lifeless, or otherwise objectionable, such that I would advise against buying the CD no matter how good the performance. So let me begin by discussing what I look for in the actual sound of a recording.

A great recording is one that is rich, full, alive, and spacious, with a deep but not muddy bass, and a sparkling clarity and ambience, but without excessive reverberation, and with no trace of roughness, harshness or distortion. This applies to chamber music as well as to the orchestra. Many recordings have these qualities, or come sufficiently close. But as I said, even the best companies, with the most expensive CDs, put out mediocre or poor recordings. Conversely, some budget recordings sound very good indeed.

You may argue that how the CD sounds depends a great deal on the audio equipment used to play it, as well as on room acoustics and so forth. This is true up to a point. However, I have listened to enough CDs on a variety of good music systems, so that I think I have the sonics figured out. A well recorded CD tends to sound good on all kinds of systems and glorious on the best. A poorly recorded CD, by comparison, sounds terrible on poor systems and only marginal on the best. By the way, you don't have to spend a lot of money for a good audio system, and many if not most 'audiophile' components seem like a grossly overpriced scam to me.

I will now discuss some of my equipment. Michael Kinsley wrote an article in which he criticized vanity websites where people talk about their CD collection or their stereo equipment. However, I learn from these sites, and I could have saved money over the years, if I knew then what I know now. Without further ado, here are some opinions from personal experience.

A DISCUSSION OF AUDIO EQUIPMENT

The Apple iPod (about $300 or $400) playing MP3s recorded at 192 kbps or greater through Grado SR80 headphones (~$100) sounds pretty damn good, with better clarity than many systems boasting speakers costing thousands of dollars. To be sure, the iPod is slightly lacking in bass, but, in my opinion, this only matters with the most massive Romantic symphonies and similar music. (Even Beethoven is fine.) Note that the iPod can store a huge amount of music. My 60 GB iPod contains only longer classical pieces (e.g. movements of symphonies and sonatas), and it has about 6000 of them! That's a lot of music! All at my fingertips! And I can take it anywhere. I love iPods. However, the Grados are essential. I have a number of 'high-end' earphones, but I don't like wearing them or listening to them, though they are essential for jogging. I listen to the iPod at work, on travel or in bed. So for only $400, you can have an audiophile sound, if you don't mind headphones. (The lower-cost Grados are very light and comfortable.)
For luxury listening, my moderately priced home system sounds very impressive to me, about as good as anything I have heard in music stores. I get home late and must use headphones, so I splurged and got the Grado high-end RS-1s (~$700). (They just came out with an even more expensive model at $1000!) The RS-1s may seem like overkill, but they sound exceptionally life-like and accurately reproduce all the subtleties of the music, while also providing a deep bass that is truly remarkable for headphones. However, the cheaper Grados costing around $200-300 sound almost as good. Indeed, if truth be told, the $100 SR-80s are about 70-80% as good as the RS-1s! Thank you, Mr. Grado. Many professional musicians use headphones even when they don't have to, because the detail is so good, but only if you use Grado Headphones. I bought the most expensive Sennheiser headphone models, for comparison, and they sound much worse (muffled) in my opinion, even though they cost a lot and are bulky too. The Grado's have a fantastic sparkle which is essential for true musical enjoyment, and the bass is sufficient for classical if not for the heaviest rock. The only problem is that nobody likes wearing headphones for a long period of time, and you lose some of the 3D aural effect of speakers. I consider this loss minor. Besides, problems with room acoustics can easily make speakers a headache to optimize, and even expensive speakers can have unwanted coloration. I have heard many expensive setups in high-end music stores that sounded dull and lifeless.
My main amplifier is a 100 Watt Denon DRA-685 that cost me about $500. This may seem like overkill for headphones, but I love the meaty sound I get when I turn the loudness function on, combined with a bass and treble boost. The strings sound so lush and satisfying! Smooth and creamy, yet with plenty of atmosphere! I am sure this is the same sound as the tube-amp fanatics rave about, or the classic Marantz amplifiers for that matter. Purists will lecture you that a well-recorded CD should need no EQ adjustment, and the most expensive amplifiers tend not to have bass and treble controls! I feel strongly that this is elitist nonsense. All I care about is the visceral feeling I get when listening to the music. The Denon gives me a nice lush bass, that is not muddy, but also clear and singing highs, and exquisite detail, provided I boost the treble. By the way, I own several fairly pricy 'headphone amps', from companies like HeadRoom, that are supposed to be designed just for headphones, but I don't like them much. They sound a bit hard, and none of them have bass or treble controls. Ignore the audiophile mythology and stay away from amps lacking these controls! Also, I think the headphone amps are simply too small to incorporate the large transformers and capacitors which I believe are essential for a nice meaty sound. So even headphones need a big boss amp. However, many amps have poor headphone circuitry, so you have to be careful.
My CD player is a Cambridge Audio Azur 640C Version 2 (~$450), which I play through a Cambridge Audio 540A v2.0 Integrated Amplifier (~$400), before passing the 'pre-out' outputs from the 540 to the V-aux inputs of the Denon. This enables me to use the same remote for the CD player and the amplifier, and it also seems to sound a bit better. A pre-amp followed by an amplifier is a common 'audiophile' setup, which can reduce noise and improve purity (for once the audiophiles have some solid engineering on their side). I also get more control over shaping the bass and treble, as the controls vary between the two amps. The Cambridge Audio amplifier by itself doesn't sound so good: a bit harsh at loud volumes, and even with the bass turned up, I cannot get the lushness that I get with the Denon (with the loudness button ON). However, this slight harshness seems to add a pleasing bit of bite when combined with the Denon, though perhaps my imagination is getting the better of me. The power of the Denon may also help, even with headphones, by providing extra purity and a better grip on the transients. The CD player is also important, as the run-of-the-mill Sony that I used before didn't sound as good. I think that expensive cabling is just audiophile nonsense. At most, the cables are shaping the sound in the same way as with bass and treble controls. Some companies seem to be operating an amazing scam.
The total cost of my system (in 2006 dollars) is $450 + $400 + $500 = $1350 before the headphones, and about $2000 with the headphones. You can easily spend twice this much just on speakers that don't sound nearly as good. I could have knocked off about $800-900 by eliminating the pre-amp and using lower-end Grados, and the sound would have been nearly as good. So you need about $1000 to get good sound (i.e. with full bass) and only about $400 to get good sound with the iPod setup (at a slight loss of bass and an even slighter loss of clarity). By contrast, you can't get a car for less than $10,000, so it's a relatively good deal, and audio equipment doesn't need repairs or oil changes either.
Remember, though, that speakers do have a better 3D aural effect, which may or may not matter that much to you. Moreoever, they seem to have a fuller bass, probably because of the floor vibrations entering your feet! Yet they almost always suffer in clarity compared to Grado headphones, even when expensive. That is my impression from visiting many high-end music stores. Clarity is the more important factor for classical music, in my opinion. Speakers are for kids who want to blast their eardrums and shake the floor (or for those who want to play music for company).

Ken Rockwell: Secrets of iTunes and iPod

What makes a good recording? It is hard to tell for sure, but I think one key element is the following. Observing the built-in spectral analyzer on my iTunes player, I notice that the better sounding recordings, for all kinds of music, have a wide frequency spectrum, extending deep into the bass and treble. The wider, the better. This is evidently what gives that sense of spaciousness and depth, where music goes from being merely pleasant to sounding ambrosial. To tell the truth, classical music tends to have a restricted frequency range -- even the symphony orchestra! Popular recordings often spread over a much wider bandwidth, thanks to the knobs one can turn in the studio, and that is why popular music tends to have a lush and full sound compared to the dinky sound one often hears in classical recordings. The tendency for unmusical audio engineers to reproduce the music 'exactly' is often a big mistake. The acoustics of a good room will accentuate the bass and treble, adding fullness to the sound. Recording the music 'exactly' in a dull and lifeless room will produce a dull and lifeless recording. The engineering specs mean nothing in themselves. Fortunately, the best classical recordings, played on good equipment, will satisfy any Clockwork Orange maniac.

For classical music, the recording hall and the placement of microphones are critically important. Chandos has many recordings that sound wonderful, but also a few duds. Nobody is perfect. Since this is a family-owned company that figured out such issues as microphone placement a long time ago, I can only assume that it is the recording venue which remains the determining factor. I hope to find out as this page proceeds. One wants a hall that reverberates enough to give sparkle and spaciousness (my two favorite words when it comes to describing music!), but that is not so reverberant that the sound becomes muddy. Churches can be excellent, though not all are. Charles Dutoit, for example, has a whole series of superb recordings with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra taken in St. Eustache. (Unfortunately, some silly politics led to a divorce between conductor and orchestra.) Piano presents a special problem, especially solo piano with loud crashing chords, like Beethoven sonatas. Even on recent recordings from the best companies, I sometimes hear distortion on the loud chords, and I hate it! This seems to come from close miking and digital clipping, but it is hard to tell.

Back to Table of Contents

Favorite Recordings

The following are culled from the Good Recordings section that follows. The list not finished; I am adding to it as the spirit moves me.

Josquin: Tallis Scholars (Gimell 1987)

Palestrina: Tallis Scholars (Gimell 1983)

Bach: St. Matthew Passion: Richter (Archiv 1979)

Bach: B Minor Mass: Gardiner (Archiv 1985)

Bach: Organ Music: Walcha (DGG 1960s/70s)*

Bach: Great Organ Favorites: Biggs (CBS 1960s)

Bach: Organ Triosonatas: Alain (Erato 1984)

Handel: Water Musik: Pinnock (Archiv 1983)

Mozart: Piano Concertos: Uchida (Philips 1994)

Mozart: Requiem: Karajan (DGG 1986)

Beethoven: Symphonies: Karajan/BPO (DGG 1984)

Beethoven: Piano Concertos: Kempff (DGG 1960s)*

Beethoven: Piano Concertos: Serkin (Telarc 1980s)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Schiff (ECM 2004)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Lewis (HM 2005)

Schubert: Symphony 9: Tate (EMI 1986)

Schubert: Symphony 8: Sinopoli/Philharmonia (DGG 1984)

Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique: Abbado/CSO (DGG 1983)

Mendelssohn: Midsummer's Night Dream: Levine (DGG 1984)

Schumann: Symphonies: Zinman (Arte Nova 2003)

Schumann: Piano Concerto: Margalit (Chandos 1986)

Schumann: Fantasiestucke: Argerich/Maisky (Philips 1985)

Schumann: Kinderszenen: Argerich (DGG 1984)

Chopin: Piano Pieces: Argerich (DGG)

Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony: Dutoit (London 1982)

Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto 2: Margalit (Chandos 1986)

Saint-Saens: Suite Algerienne: Travis (Chandos 2000)

Saint-Saens: Princesse Jaune: Travis (Chandos 2000)

Saint-Saens: Requiem: Fasolis (Chandos 2001)

Dvorak: Symphony 6: Kubelik (Orfeo 1981)

Dvorak: Symphony 7: Jarvi (Chandos 1986)*

Dvorak: Symphony 8: Harnoncourt (Teldec 1998)

Dvorak: Symphony 9: Harnoncourt (Teldec 1999)

Glazunov: Symphonies 4 & 6: Serebrier (Warner 2006)

Debussy: Nocturnes & Jeux: Haitink (Philips 1979)

Debussy: Afternoon of Fawn: Slatkin (Telarc 1982)

Debussy: Children's Corner: Dutoit (London 1984)

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe: Boulez (DGG 1994)

Ravel: Piano Concertos: Roge/Dutoit (London 1983)

Ravel: Orchestral Works: Tortellier (Chandos 1989)

Albeniz: Iberia: Barenboim (Elektra 1992)

Granados: Spanish Dances: Brotons (Naxos 2000)

Granados: Escenas Romanticas: de Larrocha (RCA 1994)

De Falla: Three-Cornered Hat: Lopez-Cobos (Telarc 1987)

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez: Socias/Pons (HM 2001)

Rodrigo: Orchestral Works: Valdes/Darman (Naxos 2000+)

Spanish Guitar Music: Bream and others

Villa-Lobos: Piano Music: Sonia Rubinsky (Naxos)

Villa-Lobos: Guitar Music: Julian Bream (various)

Poulenc: Piano Concertos: Roge (London 1993)

Poulenc: Organ Concerto: Hurford (London 1993)

Poulenc: Piano Works: Roge (London 1987)

Prokofiev: Symphony 5: Jarvi (Chandos 1985)

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra: Dorati (Philips 1983)

* These recordings are not entirely satisfactory. Walcha has some old and harsh recordings, alongside the beautiful ones, as discussed here. Kempff's is the best interpretation of the Beethoven Piano Concertos, but the 1960s sound is deficient. Serkin's concertos are almost as good and sound much better. Jarvi's recording of Dvorak's 7th is a bit muddy.

Back to Table of Contents

Good Recordings

Here is a list of CDs that I judge to be 'good recordings'. An 'excellent recording' would combine a first-rate performance with a gorgeous (if not necessarily flawless) sound. Most of these recordings come close to the ideal, but some are deficient. For example, the recording of Argerich playing Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto is famous for its interpretation, but I find the sound to be flawed (not least because of audience noise). You could say that these are recordings I would buy again, even if I have complaints.

In some cases, the music is still a bit unfamiliar, so I may change my opinion later about interpretation. Furthermore, I have a love/hate relationship with modern classical music, so don't assume that I really enjoy every recording that I list! Sometimes, it seems that listening to a variety of music has become a bit of a duty or chore. One tends to take classical music too seriously. That being said, I doubt that my opinion will change regarding the technical quality of the recording, which is my main concern.

The list is growing and never finished. Many good CDs that I own are missing; this list should perhaps be viewed as a mere sample or suggestion. Notice that some of these CDs are among the earliest, dating back to the 1980's. This shows that the musical ear of the recording engineer is much more important than the equipment. Many engineers, even at the most prestigious companies, seem not to have this musical ear, at least in my opinion. (To be more precise, voice and orchestral recordings generally sound good, and least since the 1980's, but the piano is often a problem even today.) In later sections, I will discuss some of these recordings in detail. (Note that the dates refer to when the music was actually recorded, not when it was published.)

Before 1600

Josquin: Tallis Scholars (Gimell 1987)

Palestrina: Tallis Scholars (Gimell 1983)

1600-1750

Vivaldi: Four Seasons: Pinnock (Archiv 1982)

Pergolesi: Stabat Mater: Abbado (DGG 1985)

Bach: B Minor Mass: Gardiner (Archiv 1985)

Bach: St. Matthew Passion: Richter (Archiv 1979)

Bach: Cantatas 140 & 147: Harnoncourt (Teldec 1984)

Bach: Organ Music: Walcha (but not all! see here)

Bach: Great Organ Favorites: Biggs (CBS 1960s)

Bach: Organ Triosonatas: Alain (Erato 1984)

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos: Pinnock (Archiv 1982)

Bach: Cello Suites: YoYo Ma (Sony 1983)

Handel: Water Musik: Pinnock (Archiv 1983)

Handel: 6 Concerto Grossi: Pinnock (Archiv 1984)

Handel: Oboe Concertos: Lepard (Philips 1971)

Handel: Highlights from Mesiah: Neary (ASV 1984)

1750-1800

Mozart: Symphonies: Tate (EMI 1980s)

Mozart: Piano Concertos: Uchida (Philips 1994)

Mozart: Piano Sonatas: Uchida (Philips 1983)

Mozart: Clarinet & Oboe Concertos: Hogwood (L'Oiseau-Lyre 1980s)

Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Manze (HMU 2003)

Mozart: Magic Flute: Bohm (DGG 1964)

Mozart: Requiem: Karajan (DGG 1986)

Haydn: Symphonies 100 & 103: Mackerras (Telarc 1991)

Haydn: 3 Favorite Concertos: Ma, Marsalis, Lin (CBS 1984)

1800-1850

Beethoven: Symphonies: Karajan/BPO (DGG 1984)

Beethoven: Piano Concertos: Kempff (DGG 1960s)*

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 1: Pollini (DGG 1983)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 2: Serkin (Telarc 1984)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 3: Serkin (Telarc 1982)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 3: Michelangeli (DGG 1987)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 4: Serkin (Telarc 1981)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 4: Arrau (Philips 1984)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto 5: Serkin (Telarc 1981)

Beethoven: Violin Concerto: Hahn (Sony 1999)

Beethoven: Violin Concerto: Kantorow (Denon 1985)

Beethoven: Triple Concerto: Mutter, Ma, Zeltser (DGG 1980)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Kempff (DGG 1960s)*

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Arrau (Philips 1960s)*

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Gilels (DGG 1980s)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Brendel (Philips 2006)**

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Schiff (ECM 2004)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Lewis (HM 2005)

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas: Uchida (Philips 2005)**

Beethoven: Sonatas for Cello & Piano: Ma/Ax (CBS 1980s)

Beethoven: Creatures of Prometheus: Orpheus (DGG 1987)

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis: Kvam/Hannover (Nimbus 1987)

*I grew up loving the refined playing of the great pianist Wilhelm Kempff, but the sound quality of his 1960s recordings now seems lacking. Same for the masterful Arrau. Sigh! There is outright distortion on the 4th and 5th piano concertos played by Kempff, which I do not remember from the LPs from my childhood (which I no longer have for comparison).

**My CDs have annoying background sounds, such as breathing and raspy distortions.

Hummel: Piano Concerto in A: Shelley (Chandos 2005)

Moscheles: Piano Concertos: Hobson (Zephyr 2002)

Herz: Piano Concertos: Shelley (Hyperion 2003)

Schubert: Symphony 9: Tate (EMI 1986)

Schubert: Symphony 8: Sinopoli/Philharmonia (DGG 1984)

Schubert: Sonata for Arpegionne: Argerich/Maisky (Philips 1985)

Schubert: Trout Quintet: Schiff (London 1984)

Schubert: Piano Sonatas: Brendel or Uchida (recent)

Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique: Abbado/CSO (DGG 1983)

Berlioz: Harold, Tristia & Troyens: Davis (Philips 1975)

Berlioz: Marseilleise & Others: Zinman (Telarc 1987)

Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Ete: Ameling (Telarc 1985)

Mendelssohn: Midsummer's Night Dream: Levine (DGG 1984)

Mendelssohn: Symphony 4: Sinopoli (DGG 1984)

Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos: Shelley (Chandos 1992)

Mendelssohn: Sonatas: Chiu (Harmonia Mundi 1993)

Schumann: Symphonies: Zinman (Arte Nova 2003)

Schumann: Piano Concerto: Margalit (Chandos 1986)

Schumann: Fantasiestucke: Argerich/Maisky (Philips 1985)

Schumann: Kinderszenen: Argerich (DGG 1984)

Schumann: Carnaval & Papillons: Hamelin (Hyperion 1999)

Chopin: Piano Pieces: Argerich (DGG)

Chopin: Piano Concertos: Argerich/Dutoit (EMI 1998)

1850-1900

Frank: Symphony in D Major: Giulini (DGG 1987)

Frank: Great Organ Works: Bates (Unicorn 1984)

Brahms: Piano Concerto 2: Ashkenazy (London 1984)

Brahms: Hungarian Dances: Jarvi (Chandos 1988)

Brahms: Clarinet & Horn Trios: Schiff (London 1982)

Brahms: Intermezzos: Edlina (Chandos 1985)

Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony: Dutoit (London 1982)

Saint-Saens: Carnaval des Animaux: Previn (Philips 1980)*

Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos: Hough (Hyperion 2000)

Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto 2: Margalit (Chandos 1986)

Saint-Saens: Suite Algerienne: Travis (Chandos 2000)

Saint-Saens: Princesse Jaune: Travis (Chandos 2000)

Saint-Saens: Requiem: Fasolis (Chandos 2001)

*The piano sounds choppy.

Tchaikovsky: Symphony 6: Karajan (DGG 1985)

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto 1: Argerich (Philips 1980)

Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker: Karajan (DGG 1983)

Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet: Karajan (DGG 1983)

Grieg: Piano Concerto: Andsnes (EMI 2002)

Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite: Karajan (DGG 1983)

Grieg: Piano Music: Tabe (Chandos 2001)

Grieg: Lieder: von Otter (DGG 1993)

Dvorak: Symphony 6: Kubelik (Orfeo 1981)

Dvorak: Symphony 7: Jarvi (Chandos 1986)

Dvorak: Symphony 8: Harnoncourt (Teldec 1998)

Dvorak: Symphony 9: Harnoncourt (Teldec 1999)

Dvorak: Cello Concerto: YoYo Ma (CBS 1986)

Dvorak: Stabat Mater: Sinopoli (DGG 2000)

Dvorak: Mass in D Major: Matl (Supraphon 1988)

Dvorak: Slavonic Dances: Mackerras (Supraphon 1999)

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade: Dutoit (London 1983)

Glazunov: Symphonies 4 & 6: Serebrier (Warner 2006)

Mahler: Symphony 1: Abbado/CSO (DGG 1981)

Mahler: Symphony 3: Abbado/VPO (DGG 1982)

Debussy: Nocturnes & La Mer: Boulez (DGG 1991)

Debussy: Nocturnes & Jeux: Haitink (Philips 1979)

Debussy: Afternoon of Fawn: Slatkin (Telarc 1982)

Debussy: Danses Sacree et Profane: Slatkin (Telarc 1982)

Debussy: Children's Corner: Dutoit (London 1984)

Debussy: Preludes, 1er livre: Pollini (DGG 1999)

Debussy: Suite Bergamasque: Kocsis (Philips 1983)

Debussy: Melodies: Piau (Naive 2002)

Albeniz: Iberia: Barenboim (Elektra 1992)

Granados: Spanish Dances: Brotons (Naxos 2000)

Granados: Escenas Romanticas: de Larrocha (RCA 1994)

Granados: Goyescas: de Larrocha (RCA 1994)

1900-1950

Sibelius: Symphony 4: Karajan (DGG 1965)

Sibelius: Symphony 5: Rattle (EMI 1982)

Sibelius: Symphony 6: Karajan (DGG 1967)

Sibelius: Finlandia, Swan of Tuonela: Karajan (DGG 1984)

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto 1: Ghindin (Ondine 2001)

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto 2: Licad (CBS 1983)

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto 3: Argerich (Philips 1982)

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto 4: Ghindin (Ondine 2001)

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe: Boulez (DGG 1994)

Ravel: Orchestral Works: Tortellier (Chandos 1989)

Ravel: Piano Concertos: Roge/Dutoit (London 1983)

Ravel: Ma Mere l'Oye: Previn/PSO (Philips 1980)

Ravel: Ma Mere l'Oye: Aregerich/Pletnev (DGG 2004)

Ravel: Piano Trio: Roge/Kobayashi/Hasegawa (Onyx 2002)

Ravel: Intro & Allegro: Prometheus Ensemble (ASV 1989)

Bax: Garden of Fand: Thomson (Chandos 1983)

Schmidt: Symphony 2: Jarvi (Chandos 1989)

Schmidt: Symphony 3: Jarvi (Chandos 1991)

De Falla: Three-Cornered Hat: Lopez-Cobos (Telarc 1987)

De Falla: Noches: Argerich/Barenboim (Elektra 1992)

Villa-Lobos: Symphony 10 'Amerindia': Perez (Harmonia Mundi 1998)

Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras: Schermerhorn (Naxos 2005)

Villa-Lobos: Piano Music: Sonia Rubinsky (Naxos)

Turina: Sinfonia Sevillana: Darman (Naxos 1995)

Turina: Piano Music: Jordi Maso (Naxos 2004)

Mompou: Piano Music: Jordi Maso (Naxos 1997)

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez: Socias/Pons (HM 2001)

Rodrigo: Orchestral Works: Valdes/Darman (Naxos 2000+)

Poulenc: Piano Concertos: Roge (London 1993)

Poulenc: Organ Concerto: Hurford (London 1993)

Poulenc: Piano Works: Roge (London 1987)

Poulenc: Sacred Choral Works: Alldis (EMI 1981)

Milhaud: Creation, Boeuf, etc: Casadesus (Naxos 2003)

Dyson: Symphony in G, etc.: Hickox (Chandos 1993)

Berkeley: Piano Concerto, etc.: Shelley (Chandos 2004)

Prokofiev: Symphonies: Jarvi (Chandos 1985)

Prokofiev: Symphonies: Temirkanov (RCA 1991)

Prokofiev: Symphony-Concerto: Polyansky (Chandos 2000)

Prokofiev: Divertimento, Sinfonietta: Jarvi (Chandos 1985)

Prokofiev: Piano Concertos 1 & 3: Argerich (EMI 1998)

Prokofiev: Piano Concertos: Toradze (Philips 1998)

Prokofiev: Cinderella Suite: Argerich/Pletnev (DGG 2004)

Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas: Freddy Kempf (BIS 2001)

Prokofiev: The Stone Flower: Jurowski (CPO 1997)

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra: Dorati (Philips 1983)

Bartok: Miraculous Mandarin: Dorati (London 1983)

Bartok: Divertmento, etc: Boulez (DGG 1992)

Bartok: Piano Concerto 3: Argerich (EMI 1998)

Bartok: Piano Works: Kocsis (Philips 1991)

Schonberg: Pelleas und Melisande: Bamert (Chandos 1987)

Schonberg: Piano Concerto: Malling (Chandos 1984)

Martinu: Symphonies: Bryden (Chandos 1990)

Martinu: Cello & Piano: Benda (Naxos 1997)

Since 1950

Ginastera: Piano Concertos: De Marinis/Malaval (Naxos 1999)

Ligeti: Project Vol II: Nott/BPO (Teldec 2001)

Mayuzumi: Symphonic Mood: Yuasa/NZSO (Naxos 2004)

Takemitsu: Quatrain, A Flock Descends (DGG 1970s)

Gorecki: Symphony 3: Zinman (Elektra 1991)

Qigang Chen: Extase (Virgin 2005)

Glass: Orion (OMM 2004)

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna (Hyperion 2003)

Machover: Hyperstring Trilogy (Oxingale 2003)

Ben Amots: Celestial Dialogues (Naxos 2004)

Salonen: Wing on Wing (DGG 2004)

Yoshimatsu: Memo Flora: Tabe (Chandos 1998)

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Unsatisfactory Recordings

BERLIOZ: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Pierre Boulez
(DGG 1997)
This recording sounds muffled to my ears. Now the 1995 DGG CD (#439896) of Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra in a version of Debussy's Nocturnes, Jeux, and Mer sounds fine, which is curious considering that both CDs were recorded in the Cleveland Masonic Auditorium at about the same time. So the difference in sound is due neither to technology nor venue, nor even to a different recording company. I suppose it must be due to microphone placement, and I should check to see if the recording engineer is different. The Berlioz CD won a Grammy award in 1998 for best orchestral performance. Yet I am quite certain that the recording sounds muffled and unpleasant and far inferior in sound quality to my average orchestral CD! (I am not discussing performance.) This just shows that buying a CD is hit or miss. You can't trust the prestige of the award, nor of the record company, nor the fact that it was recorded with the latest and greatest technology. For comparison, the 1983 DGG version (#410895) of the Symphonie Fantastique conducted by Claudio Abbado with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a wonderfully spacious sound, despite being one of the first digital recordings.

MENDELSSOHN & TCHAIKOVSKY: 1st PIANO CONCERTOS
Lang Lang, piano; CSO conducted by Barenboim
(DGG 2003)
Given Lang Lang's publicity (big posters in the music store) and the reputation of the record company, as well the state-of-the-art technology (I presume), I expected the acoustics to be spectacular. Instead, they were slightly dull and muffled compared to most of my piano concerto recordings -- enough to make the piano lose its sparkle and brilliance. Lang Lang's playing also seems a bit superficial to me. Who needs prodigies? Give me soul.

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Piano Recording Annoyance

My CD collection includes well over 100 recordings of solo piano, and even the most recent ones are plagued with irritating blips of distortion and other unwanted noise. These raspy glitches tend to occur with the loudest chords, though not always. This problem only seems to arise with solo piano music; most piano concertos sound fine. This leads me to suspect that it may be due to close-miking the solo piano. At any rate, it would seem to have something to do with digital clipping, at least when it occurs on the loud chords. However, when I take a look at the music with digital software, the peaks generally seem a safe 6 dB below the maximum digital value, so I am puzzled. Recent recordings do seem to have fewer problems; as a general rule, the more recent piano recordings sound much better in all respects than those of the 1970s and earlier. Alas, Wilhelm Kempff and others, that is the sad truth!

In general, piano recordings have a tendency to sound as though the pianist is banging away during the loud parts, at least with tempestuous romantics like Beethoven. The harshness of the banging robs the music of its color and merely irritates. I am puzzled that pianists don't agree and demand more from their recordings, perhaps making adjustments if necessary compared to their concert playing. (I suspect that professional pianists rarely bother to listen to their recordings.) I have messed around with grand pianos, and they generally sound much better live than on recordings. A loud chord has the rich and complex sound one would expect. I really feel that the recording companies have failed us, perhaps because piano music does not sell that well. A hall is expensive to rent, so they simply refuse to spend the laborious time that it takes to get it right. (By contrast, most symphonic music sounds fine in recording.) However, the distortion is what I care about the most, by which I don't mean the banging colorless chords, but actual brief and raspy sounds that simply should not be there. (You may argue that there is a problem with my audio system, but I don't think so. It costs enough!)

So I am going to start a list of piano recordings here, with an evaluation of the sound quality. Perhaps some pattern will emerge. The list will remain unfinished and probably proceed slowly.

BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS: ANDRAS SCHIFF (ECM 2004)

These are perhaps the only Beethoven piano sonata recordings in my collection that are completely free of recording glitches! Well, I did hear some background noises at times, but that is better than any kind of distortion. I actually like his restrained and 'classical' interpretation, sweet and smooth, appropriate for these early sonatas.

BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS: PAUL LEWIS (HM 2005)

Clear distortion at 05:05 of the 1st movement of the Tempest sonata, and again at 05:31, 05:32, 07:48 and 07:49. There are many other strange but brief noises on this disc, especially at or near the loud peaks. However, the overall rich and resonant sound of his piano, so hard to find in recordings, makes this CD a favorite. The clarity is better than the Uchida and Brendel recordings of Beethoven, but still sounds a bit muffled at times, especially in the bass. This may be due to the sustain pedal, though a live piano sounds fine if played well. See the remarks below for the Uchida recording, where I discuss a possible tradeoff between clarity and richness of tone when recording the piano.

BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS: MITSUKO UCHIDA (Philips 2005)

Am I hearing her breathing? For example at 00:10, 00:13 and 00:23 during the opening chords of Sonata 32, and later at 01:23, 01:57, 02:01 and 02:02, as well as at other times. Sorry, Mitsuko, but I don't like it! And at 01:06, 01:58, 02:06, 03:19 and 03:39, I hear what might be either breathing or distortion. Furthermore, this recording, like the other recent Philips recordings of Brendel, sound a bit muffled compared to most other piano recordings. I think they are trying to capture the richness of the piano sound, but the Lewis recording does that with a bit more clarity. It is true that many of the older piano recordings, like the classic DGG recordings of Kempff playing the Beethoven sonatas, achieve clarity at the expense of a thin and choppy sound, which is not enjoyable in the loud parts, though beautiful enough in the soft parts. For some strange reason, the piano seems to be very difficult to record in a realistic way. This problem does not arise with symphonies, or even concertos. I do think that putting the mike near the pianist's face is a bad idea. As I said, the Lewis recording sounds better, but I don't hear him breathing, except maybe a few times. Let me add that I doubt that pianists listen much to their recordings, since they would rather play real pianos, and I also doubt they are inclined to argue with their engineers, who may often not be very 'musical'. At least, that is my suspicion, since so many piano recordings fail to be fully satisfying. It's a mystery!

BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS: EMIL GILELS (Philips DGG 1981-83)

These 1980s recordings seem largely free of problems, though I hear some distortion at 00:19 and 06:58 of the first movement of the Tempest sonata, and elsewhere. As usual, these glitches of distortion tend to be associated with loud peaks. However, as I said, the disc is mostly clean, which proves that it doesn't require the latest technology but rather the corporate decision to take the time and money to get it right. I think we are often cheated with quick sessions, or worse, live recordings. The high-class labels are no guarantee of high-class recordings. Naxos always has a nice sound, if not always very exciting.

GRIEG: TONE PICTURES: KYOKO TABE (Chandos 2002)

This lovely album by a lovely pianist also enjoys a technically flawless sound. You might argue that the gentle Grieg is less demanding to record than the bombastic Beethoven, but there are some loud chords here which sound just fine, without any trace of distortion. This shows that it can be done with enough care and expertise. Also, there are not the recording and/or production glitches (blips of annoying sound) that I hear on most of the albums above. I am becoming increasingly convinced that these are negligence on the part of the company and not any hallucinations on my part.

PROKOFIEV: PIANO SONATAS: FREDDY KEMPF (BIS 2001)

Here's a piano recording with a lot of banging, which doesn't seem to have any distortion or unwanted noises. Interestingly, I cannot say the same for Freddy Kempf's recent Beethoven album (BIS 2004), which in addition to some recording defects, also has stylistic oddities sure to displease many experienced Beethoven lovers (such as damping the opening chords of the Pathetique). I am still learning about Prokofiev, so my taste for interpretation may be immature with respect to this musician, but Freddy sounds about right to me. For example, his Toccata seems in the same league as Argerich's.

UPDATE (25 Jun 07): Lately, I have purchased some recently recorded (i.e. in the last 3-5 years) piano music by Mitsuko Uchida and Yundi Li that sounds very good indeed — no recording flaws that I can hear! So maybe we are now entering the age of unblemished piano recording and my troubles are over! (Well, upon closer inspection, there may still be a few sonic flaws, but there is definitely an improvement.)

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Random Notes

Who Really Loves Chamber Music? I love symphonies, choral works, concertos, well-recorded solo piano (i.e. a rich but clear sound), classical guitar, flute, drums, and many other instruments. But I have a problem with bowed instruments like the violin, viola or cello. To my ears, they almost always sound slightly irritating, especially when the player starts sawing away. Even when an expert violinist gets a sweet sound, I still feel a slight (perhaps subliminal) unpleasant feeling, similar to when the teacher scratches her nails on the blackboard. Perhaps it is something to do with my nerves, but let us note that the kind of classical music that I do like is what sells best. People want a big, rich, resonating sound, and even popular music has this injected artificially through electronics. I can appreciate the modest yet subtle sound of a classical guitar, so smooth and sweet, but Julian Bream's recordings in a church sound so much more beautiful! Not only is a big sound impressive, but I believe that it tends to be smoother to the ears, due to the mellowing effect of reverberation. A violin also sounds better in a large room, though many discerning listeners will prefer the 'intimacy' of a small room for chamber music. At least the piano has built-in reverberation, but those squeaky catgut sounds will forever pose a challenge to me.

This makes me wonder whether people heard music differently in earlier ages, when music had to be created at home, and the piano was still rare and expensive. This meant that the violin was the common instrument, and perhaps people were so used to it that they grew up loving the sound. I am a Beethoven fanatic, but I can't quite understand those who say that his late string quartets are the apotheosis of his profundity. (At least David Hurwitz was once honest enough to say that the Grosse Fuge is 'just plain ugly'!) I try listening to them sometimes, out of a sense of duty, and I don't hate them but don't really love them either. (One bowed string soloist who always sounds good is cellist YoYo Ma.)

What I do like is that old warhorse Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, where the orchestra is just a bit bigger than a simple quartet, so that the magical chorus effect of multiple voices begins to take place. I wonder what the ear likes so much about the same voice repeated slightly differently, in layer upon layer of sound. It is similar to the effect of concert hall reverberation, which makes the sound so much grander, and often adds sparkle too. Chandos records is well known for its 'sonics', but it seems that most recording companies think it is more 'high-class' to have a slightly dry sound. I agree that reverberation acoustics are often overdone and make the music muddy, but I prefer music that is a bit too 'wet' as opposed to a bit too 'dry', as we often get with Deutsche Grammophon, for instance. The dry sound is similar to the unpleasant abrasive quality of the violin mentioned above.

I think that one of the reasons classical music has gone into decline it that it often sounds flat and dull compared to much popular music. Maybe people have been spoiled by too much electronic sugar, but the recording companies had better satisfy the public if they wish to survive. In fact, many of them have greatly improved their sound, on a sporadic basis. Whereas with Chandos you are sure of the sonics, it is hit and miss with most other companies.

Who Really Loves Contemporary Classical? Wouldn't most classicial music lovers, if they are honest, admit that the pre-20th century masterpieces are far more beautiful and satisfying than the abstract modernistic experiments that followed? People want beauty, which means melody and harmony. For over a hundred years, classical music has tyrannized the public with abrasive, dissonant, unpleasant music, thanks to socialistic grants from the government. Fortunately, an article below suggests that composers are getting tired of being unpopular! For once, ego may be a good thing.

Yet, upon reflection, it is not at all true that I don't like any 'abstract' music. I've always loved the spooky voices from 2001 A Space Odyssey, which is none other than Atmospheres by Ligeti. Everyone likes the rollicking voices of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, though that is more medieval than abstract. Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra is modernistic yet somehow 'musical'. I like the staccato sounds of Ionization by Edgar Varese. And I like a great deal of electronic music, not so much Stockhausen as the more science-fiction oriented sounds of Namlook and Inoue's Shades of Orion and 2530 Broadway (available on iTunes). What I dislike so much about much 20th century music, epitomized by Messiaen's execrable Turangalila Symphony are the harsh, abrasive, hectic, nerve-jarring sounds similar to what I discussed above with respect to the solo violin. And frankly I never really liked most 'jazz', which includes much of Mahler, as far as I am concerned! That is to say, grotesque and dissonant harmonies and melodies so different from the pure beauty of Beethoven (though many say that some late Beethoven anticipated modernistic music).

Right now I am listening to some piano music of William Alwyn (1905-1985), who is hardly 'abstract', even if he is 'modern'. I like some of his symphonies and even the softer piano music. Unfortunately, the louder parts sound like banging away to me, like so much modern piano music. However, I do enjoy the elegant urbanity of Poulenc's piano music (including concertos) as played by Pascal Roge. Same for the jazzy yet musical sounds of Milhaud. Did you ever notice that those 20th century composers who achieved popularity never really broke with 'tonal' music, e.g. Sibelius, Prokofiev, and so on. Was any musical idea ever more artifical than Schonberg's rule to play all 12 notes of the chromatic scale, without repeating? Ridiculous!

One modern symphonist I just discovered who sounds rather impressive is Franz Schmidt (1874-1939), an Austrian composer who seems unfairly neglected. I recommend his symphonies conducted by Neeme Jarvi, available as MP3 downloads from Chandos. Very subtle and complex music, but quite listenable.

Having said all this, I will admit that I continue to spend much money and time on modern classical music, in order to challenge myself and extend my mental horizon. After all, I remember when I was five or six and Beethoven's Fifth sounded horrible! It did to many of Beethoven's adult contemporaries, as well.

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Classical Music Videos

Karajan conducts Beethoven's 5th (Berlin Philharmonic, 1966)