Herbie Hancock: New Phase Or Fadeout?

HERBIEHANCOCK: NEW PHASE OR FADEOUT? GIIII SEPTEMBER 1977 $1.00

IF ENEL lCD

What Industry Release Lists Have in Store LIKE THIS.

best combination of accuracy and long life you can get in a cassette head. There's also a peak limiter that lets you cram as much onto a cassette as possible without distortion.

90 19;.OD Large VU meters and a peak indicator light that let you know if you :E3 f .C.AC SOP do begin to oversaturate the tape and distort. Plus separate bias and equalization switches that let you get the most out of different brands of tape. And an automatic CrO, selector. If all this isn't enough, you'll find that the 9191 comes with a memory .4-r that lets you go back to a favorite spot 164111,0,-, Ai& on the tape automatically. And 4E4: electronic solenoid controls for going from play to rewind, or from rewind to

LYEL) fast forward, without hitting the stop

. 0" ------9 button. And without jamming the tape.

I I Am There's also the convenience of front loading. A door over the cassette com- I partment to help keep the tape heads clean. And a light behind the cassette that lets you see where you are on the tape. Go slip a cassette into a Pioneer 9191 at your local Pioneer dealer. You'll find it hard to believe such a little thing incredible tolerances. could come out sounding so big. Which give the 9191 the kind of wow and flutter figures that no deck in our CT -F9191 Specifications: price range can match. Frequency Response: Standard, LH tape: 25-16,000 Hi Of cou:-se, having a great tape transport ( 35- 13,000 Hi3dB); Cr0_, tape: 20-17,000 Hz system means nothing if you don't have great ( 30-14,000 Hi 3dB) electronics to pack it up. We do. Signal -to-Noise Ratio: Dolby OFF: More than 52dB. Dolby ON: More than 62dB (Over 5,000 Hi, The 9191 comes with an advanced three Standard and LH tapes/Whenchromium dioxide stage direct coupled amplifier that extends high tape is used, signal-to-noise ratio is further frequency response and minimizes distortion. improved by 4.5dB over 5k Hz) The built-in Dolby system can reduce tape hiss Harmonic Distortion: No more than 1.7% (OdB) by as much as 10 decibels in high frecuencies. Wow and Flutter: No more than 0.07% (WRMS) Our multiplex filter lets you recorc FM Motor: Electronically -controlled DC motor (built-in broadcasts without picking up a lot of unwanted oenerator)xl;(4.8cm/s speed drive), DC torque motor xl; ( Fast forward and rewind drive) noise, or the multiplex signal every FM stereo station sends out. OPIONEEIT Even our ferrite solid tape head offers the U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp., 75 Oxford Drive, Moonachie, New Jersey 07074 *u "". "." CIRCLE 29 ON READER -SERVICE CARD A BEAUTIFUL BIG THIN I

inaxell C90

CYCJOF. ,c,EN

unacceptable tape hiss, or noticeable wow and flutter. Take our tape transport system. The recording tape Since the tape in a cassette moves at only in a cassette s only an eighth of an inch wide. 1-7/8 inches per second, even the most minus- Crammed into that eighth of an inch maycule variation in tape speed will make a ma ior be as many as 64 original tracks mixed downvariation in sound. To guard against this, where to two. A hundred musicians. Countless most cassette decks give you ore motor, the overdubbings. Not to mention the entire 9191 comes with two. The first is used only for audible frequency range. fast forward and rewind, so the second can be Any cassette deck can reproduce part of designed exclusively for maintaining a constant what's been put down on that eighth of an inch.speed for play and record. The Pioneer 9191 was designed to repro- All of our tape drive components-the duce al I of it. Superlatively. Without dropouts,capstan, belt, and flywheel - are finishes to WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC OUT OFA LITTLE THING LIKE THIS? 1 The importance of precision in quality control and accurate playback for analysis of sound, are the reasons MCA states... "Stanton is totally reliable,we dependon it".

nect,ng a metal meaner in the Plating Department.

MCA (Music Corporation of America) is one of the truly the small depend on Stanton for every aspect of the record- big ones in record production. Quality control in every produc ng operation. Each of the 681 Calibration Series is aspect of their manufacturing, plating and printing is of guaranteed to meet its specifications within exacting limits crucial importance. That is why they use Stanton's Cali- and the most meaningful warranty possible . . . individual brated 681 Series, both in their quality control operation calibration test results comes packed with each unit. and in their playback for' analysis of audio quality. Wheter your usage involves recording, They even go so far as to "use the needle to test the broadcast,or hcme entertainment, your

Mother (Nickel) . . . and it stands the wear" chote should be the choice of the profes- Throughout the recording industry, both the large and sionals ... the Stanton 681.

SEPTEMBER 1977 VOLUME 27, NUMBER 9

MUSIC AND MUSICIANS REVIEWS 23 The Britten LegacyJohn Culshaw 50 Books The Fabulous Phonograph 0 A Matter of Records 24 Music U.S.A.: The Big Bands Gene Lees 92 Featured Recordings 28 Recordings '78: A Preview of Industry Lists Porgy and Bess 0 Three conductors 86 Regine Crespin: Quintessentially French 98 Classical Records G. S. 13ourcluin HNH/Quintessence debuts 0 Offenbach operettas 92 RCA's Theater -Wise Porgy and BessDavid Hamilton 99 Critics' Choice 94 Weingartner, Kleiber, De Sabata on Record 116 Theater and Film Harris Goldsmith Thief of Baghdad 121 Herbie Hancock's Fifth IncarnationLen Lyons 119 The Tape BeckR. D. Darrell 136 Popular Records James Taylor 0 Keith Jarrett p Aretha Franklin 54 Too Hot to Handle 148 Folios ABBA 0 Peter Frampton 0 ZZ Top 56 News and Views 63 Equipment Reports Crown EQ-2 equalization system BACKNEAT Sansui BA -2000 power amplifier 121 Herbie Hancock 0 Insights: Automated Radio 0 Satin M -18X phono cartridge Studio Circuit: Binaural Recording 0 Toshiba SA -420 receiver Input Output 0 Record Reviews 0 Celestion Ditton 66 loudspeaker system Breakaway: Steve Winwood 0 72 Pathfinder: Ampex' PoniatoffNorman Eisenberg Spinoffs: Pop/Rock/Jazz 0 Folios 74 Audio '78: Bigger and Better Harold A. Rodgers/Robert Long ET CETERA 124AutomatedRadio: The Future Is Upon Us 8 Letters Todd Everett 61 HiFi-CrosticWilliam Petersen 128 Instruments and Accessories 116 Advertising Index 130 A Brief for Binaural Recording John Worarn 117 Reader -Service Cards

High Fidelity is published monthly by ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc . The Publishing House. Great Barrington. Mats 01230. a subsidiary of American Broad- casting Companies. Inc Copyright 1977 by ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc The design and contents are fully orotected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner Second-class postage paid at New York. New York. and at additional mailing offices. Authorized as scond-class mail by the Post Office Department. Ottawa. and for payment of postage in cash Yearly subscription in U S A and possessions. 98 95. Canada. $10 95. elsewhere $11 95Single copies $1 00 Subscribers Send subscriptions. Inquiries. and address changes to High Fidelity. 1 Sound Ave . Marion. Onio 43302 Change of address Give old and new addresses including ZIP code Enclose address label from last issue and allow five weeks for change to become effective Postmaster Send Form Form 3579 to High Fidelity. 1 Sound Ave.. Marion. Ohio 43302 Postal Identification N amber 243820 Introducing New HIGHHERRN 110.01.14 PO W PRAM OR .00040' FIDELITY Quantum by Memorex. Audio '78 Four Reasons Recordings '78 It Sounds So Good. L -- -3

1. Qu ing of any type of music at high output, with virtually no distortion. 2. Quantum has very high sensitivity. This maximizes output and allows you to effectively capture all signals Cover: Roy Lindstrom at a greater level. 3. Quantum provides an excellent signal-to-noise ratio because its high sensitivity is obtained with no increase in noise level. This means a pure, brilliant sound. 4. Quantum gives you high saturation, resulting in a LEONARD MARCUS Editor wide dynamic range and broad recording flexibility. ROBERT S. CLARK Quantum achieves improved recording performance Executive Editor while maintaining a high degree of mechanical KENNETH FURIE excellence. With long life, durability, precision edge Music Editor quality and excellent oxide adhesion. ROBERT LONG Audio -Video Editor The best way to hear the Quantum difference is to try it HAROLD A. RODGERS out for yourself. Available in 7" x 1800'. 7" x 2400' and Associate Audio -Video Editor 101/2 " x 3600' reels. SHIRLEY FLEMING Editor. Musical America MEMOREXRecording Tape. SUSAN ELLIOTT Is it live or is it Memorex? Popular Music Editor WAYNE ARMENTROUT Director of Production REBECCA ABBOTT Copy Editor LYNDA CARLOTTA CYNTHIA PEASE Assistant Editors GAIL KOOKOOLIS Editorial Assistant ROY LINDSTROM Graphics Director EDWARD GREENFIELD European Editor ROYAL S. BROWN JOHN CULSHAW R. D. DARRELL NORMAN EISENBERG EDWARD J. FOSTER ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN HARRIS GOLDSMITH DAVID HAMILTON DALE HARRIS PAUL HENRY LANG GENE LEES IRVING LOWENS ROBERT C. MARSH H. C. ROBBINS LANDON Contributing Editors DAVID LEE Circulation Director PETER MICHAELSON Circulation Manager WARREN B. SYER Publisher

Q1977, Memorex Corporation. Santa Clara, California 95052. U S.A.

CIRCLE 28 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 4 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Not exactlya household word. Yet. Ultralinear. It's got a nice sound to it. package our "value engineering" delivers. At a more Still not a name on everybody's lips, but we're reasonable cost. Our resources are concentrated on getting there. Fast. sound values the human ear can appreciate-which Against some 200 competitors, Ultralinear now leaves room for some pretty classy styling in the ranks within the Top Twenty! And any loudspeaker bargain. Like in the tempting models pictured here: line that can grow 83% in twenty-four months, Ultralinear 77. A small but mighty 10" 3 -way certainly bears checking into. system. With the resettable circuit breaker we build Sound out your options. Pick any Ultralinear into every speaker for overload protection. system from our broad variety of bookshelf and Ultralinear 225. Serious competition to the big -system floor units. And play it against any simi- most ambitious bookshelf units. A stunning listen- lar competing speakers-comparably priced and ing experience in a 12" 3 -way monitor system. more expensive. Ultralinear 260. Our powerful 15" Disco We'll trust Monitor: a d-arnatic 4 -way floorstanding system, your own hear- with cur exclusNe Dual Aperture Tuned Port. ing to sort For a closer look at our complete line, write things out. for our color bro- We've found chure and local Ultralinear is dealer locations: buyer -pre- Ultralinear, ferred: for the 3228 East 50 St., superb price/ Los Angeles, CA performance 90058.

Ultralinear t IIlealmrar 1...dyeaktt. eroducts.

SEPTEMBER 1977 5 7/

- Now theworld's finest tonearm starts at lessthan $135. Complete with drive system.

You don't have to wait till someday to play your pulley, a precision -ground belt and a machine - records with the world's finest tonearm. A gimbal - balanced, die-cast platter. The Vario-pulley simply mounted Dual tonearm. You can afford one right now. expands and contracts for reliable fine -speed We have designed into our lowest -priced turntable, adjustments. There we no complicated mechanics or the new 1237, the very same tonearm (and drive electronic circuitry, which add nothing but cost. system) formerly available only on our highest -priced Versatility and reliability too. models. We've just described the qualities of the new Dual Advantages of the four -point gimbal suspension. fully automatic I,ne that will make your records sound If you're not familiar with the gimbal, it's understand- better and last longer. But there's more. For versatility, able. Few other tonearms, at any price, have one- you nave fully automatic and manual startand stop, despite its widely acknowledged superiority. plus provision for multiple play. And cue -control A true four -point gimbal centers, balances and damped in both directions. Plus pitch -control, rotating pivots the tonearm mass at the precise intersection single -play spindle and multi -scale anti -skating. of the vertical and horizontal axes. The tonearmmain- Everything we've described applies to the 1237, tains the perfect balance in all planes essential which is, incredibly enough, our lowest -priced model. for optimum tracking. And where the 1237 ends, the 1241 and 1245 begin. The Dual gimbal employs identical pairs of tem- With an even higher degree of performance. And pered and finely -honed needle -point bearings, each very handsome, contemporary, low -profilebases. set in miniature ball -bearings. During assembly,each One further point, all Dual turntables are ruggedly gimbal is individually tested and adjusted to assure built. They need not be babied, by you or anyone else that bearing friction will be no more than 0.008 gram in your family. As any Dual owner can tell you, they vertically and 0.016 gram horizontally. (If there were are designed to last for years and yearsand years. a cartridge that could track at forces as low as0.25 Now we suggest that you visit your favorite audio gram, this tonearm would do full justice toit.) dea'er and see first hand what Dual engineering is all Further, the straight-line tubular design (for maxi- about. You may then wonder why no other manufac- mum rigidity and lowest mass) and the settingsfor turer puts so much care and precision into a turntable. zero balance, tracking force and anti-skating are, like The answer is simply this. For more than seventy-five the gimbal, identical in every Dual tonearm. The tone - years, craftsmanship of the veryhighest order has arm establishes and maintains the correctcartridge - been a way of life with the Dual people in the to -groove geometry, and allows the stylus to trace Black Forest. As nowhere else in the entire world. the groove contours freely, precisely and with the lowest practical force. In short, flawless tracking. Dual 1237: less than $135; base and cover less than $30 additional. Advantages of the Vario-belt drive system. Dual 1241: less than $200, including deluxe base and cover. Another important inheritance is the Vario-belt drive Dual 1245: less than $230, including deluxe base and cover. system. This drive system comprises a high -torque Other Duals to $400. Actual resale prices are determined by synchronous motor, a precision -machined Vario- and at the sole discretion of authorized Dual dealers.

Dual For the life of your records United Audio, 120 So. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon, NY 10553

CIRCLE 17 ON READER -SERVICE CARD the bedroom alarm -radioof one of our au- dioeditors picked up apassing CBerwhen COMING NEXT MONTH itwas turned off!) Leiters Switchable RF traps is apossibility, but one that is notlikelyto pleaseengineers as Early fall brings around a SPEAKER Good -by RH? much as Mr. Soiferseemsto suppose. First, ISSUE once again. This year seems ifit has to be switchable, it must mean that, to be the season in the sun for phase As you note in a recent "News and Views" when it's on, itdoes degradeperformance. item [June], radio -frequency interference (Else,why switch it off?) Second,putting coherence, and Peter Mitchell as- (RFI) with audio equipment is a rapidly in- switches into low-level phonoor other cir- sesses it in What Time Dispersion in creasing problem. It is true, as you suggest, cuitsis almost aguarantee of troubledue to Loudspeakers Is All About. Emil Tor- that much of this interference arises from parasitics and the like-tosay nothing of ick, audio systems technology direc- the illegal use of amplifiers by CB operators horrendously amplified switchingtran- tor for CBS and president-elect of the and that complaints to the FCC by offended sients. Letthe design engineer solve any RF Audio Engineering Society, takes us audiophiles who have investigated the situ- problems his own way (meaning, most con- Inside the Speaker Testing Lab for ation may help in bringing such airwave sistent withhis other designobjectives, for a look at HF's testing methodology. polluters to justice. bestpossible performance); let the fedsnot Continuing our celebrations of the However, let us also remember that a ma- muddy the waters-astheyhave done in jority of the 15 million CB radios in the U.S. thepast-by dictating measures whose val- recording centenary, Jim Jonson's are using legal power. In addition, there are idity theyare unprepared (and perhaps color acrylic rendering of The LP, 300,000 licensed amateur radio stations even unqualified) to judge. Stereo and Beyond completes his (hams), most of which may legally use up to series of four specially commissioned 1,000 watts (or 30 dBW, if you prefer), and For more than a year I was intermittently paintings, and Faubion Bowers' dra- millions of police, fire, and other public- blasted by CB interference from both a matic account of The Recording that service transmitters. All of these trans- neighbor's illegally powerful base station Ended World War II complements it. mitters, operating under perfectly legal and mobile units. After I changed to the Plus Rosalyn Tureck on Bach and the r.nnditions, may produce unacceptable RFI McIntosh MA -6100 I'd long wanted, I had Piano, lab reports on five speakers, in nearby audio equipment. my son (who is an electrician) install in the The largest proportion of this RFI can be room an earth ground to which I could con- BACKBEAT, and much more. corrected only at the audio installation it- nect my sound system. To my delighted sur- self by a technically competent audiophile prise, I got immediate and total relief. or service technician, and possibly with as- Six months later I got a Russound QT -1 sistance from the radio operator. (It should Patching and Switching Center. The fol- SOLUTION TO HIFI-CROSTIC NO. 27 be pointed out that CB operators, unlike lowing paragraph can be found in the QT - amateurs, have not had to be examined on 1's instruction book: "Stray Signal Pickup: [KARL] GEIRINGER:[Johann Sebastian Bach, their technical proficiency.) As a technical Unwanted sound from radio stations, ama- The] Culmination of an Era and economic matter, it would be far pref- teur or CB radio operators, and remote -con- erable to incorporate interference -rejection trolled traffic systems can be introduced If an attempt were made to characterize features into the audio equipment at manu- through poor or improper grounding of any the art of Johann Sebastian Bach in a sin- facture; unfortunately, this is unlikely to of the cables connected to the amplifier or gle word, it would have to be "unification." happen without legislation such as that to QT -1. Make sure there are no broken con- The most heterogeneous elements were which you allude-specifically, something nections between any of the cables and the welded together by him into a new entity, like the Goldwater-Vanik bill. grounding portion of the associated plugs. the gigantic structure of Sebastian's per- While itis true that some RFI-suppres- Inspect all connectors to be sure that they sonal idiom. sion measures may affect audio system per- are clean and bright; a corroded connection formance -in extreme cases, most would can act as a diode detector for radio fre- have no effect whatever. And there is no quencies. In severe cases, the situation may ADVERTISING Main Mee: Leonard Levine. Director of Advertising reason why the more drastic measures be helped by strapping the QT -1 to the am- Sales. The Publishing House, Great Barrington, Mass. could not be made switchable, like rumble plifier chassis ground with hem wire and 01230. Telephone: 413-528-1300. and scratch filters. In short, I believe the au- connecting the entire system to an earth New York: ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., 130 E. 59th diophile's true interest lies in supporting ground." St., 15th floor, New York, N.Y. 10022. Seymour Res- nick, National Advertising Manager. 212-826-8381. the Goldwater-Vanik bill, rather than op- My son pointed out to me that any con- George Dickey,212-826-8383.MichaelLittleford, posing it. necting point believed to be making an Classified Advertising Manager, 212-826-8394. Ray Soifer earth ground should be tested to be sure the New England: The Publishing House, Great Barring- Glen Rock, N.J. grounding is accomplished. Also, all ground ton. Mass. 01230. Telephone: 413-528-1300. Myles Grossman. wires from the various sets and the one to Midwest: ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., 190 N. State Mr.Soifer's commentsare generally well the earth ground should be joined to- St., Room 632, Chicago, III. 60601. Telephone: 312- taken but want some amplification. First, gether-well twisted, in fact-for a common 782-1173. William P. Gordon. Los Angeles: ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., ABC En- his figuresof 15 million CB operators vs. 300 connection to the grounding wire. tertainment Center, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Suite thousand hamoperators indicatethat, if This simple, inexpensive, and effective 270. Century City, Calif. 90067. Telephone: 213-553- only 2%of CB operatorsuse illegal linear method does not seem to be known to very 2000. Andrew Spanberger, Western Advertising Man- amplifiers (and the percentageof illegal op- many people. ager. Janet Endrijonas. Tokyo: Japan Advertising Communications, Inc., New eration appears tobe much higher), they Mrs. Marge Paulie Ginza Bldg., 7-3-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tokyo 104, Ja- would equalall thehams inthe country. Springfield, Ore. pan. Telephone: (03) 571-8748, Shigeru Kobayashi, Further, themobility of CB puts it "close President. to"stereo systems ona frequent and unpre- Earth grounding isa good idea and, like dictable basis; a much smaller proportion chicken soup, can't hurt-butit doesn't al- H igh fidelity and High FidolitaiMusical America are pu: (we believe) of hams use mobile trans- wayswork. monthly by ABC Leisure MagazinesInc a subsidiary of . B roadcasting Companies IncWarren B Syer. President Herber mitters,so they pose a farless peskyprob- pier Vice President Photographic Publishing Division Warren Tuoi,, lem. That is, if you have an BF -susceptible Crostic-Lovers Speak Up Vice President Finance Cathleen Alois.Ass,slant to rye President Member Audit Bureau or Circulation Indexed 4., ..I,.' system and live near a ham, the problem is odical Literature Current and back COP., dehty Musical America are available on mgt' persistent and whenyou attempta cure You say in answer to a reader's letter [June] films Ann Arbor Mich 48106 Microfiche you have a reasonable chanceof knowing that you have been considering dropping 11973 torward) are available through Bell P. Howell Micro Photo Old Mansfield Road Wooster 0 44691 in shortorder whether or notyou'vesuc- the HiFi-Crostics. Please do no such thing! Editorial comrapoodenca Should be addressed to The Editor " deiity. Great Barrington Mass 01230 Editorial contributions w. ceeded. The guerrilla attack of amobile CB David M.Lambert corned and payment fOr articles accepted will be arranged prof I linearleaves you with noidea whenthe New Orleans, La. cationUnsolicited manuscripts should be accompanied by,e1., postage nextwill come and whether your effortsto staveit off have any value. (For example, The HiFi-Crostic is one of the reasons I

8 CIRCLE 24 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -41. ThenewAuditor Series by Koss. Don't buyoneunless your system is ready for it.

The pleasure of listening to duplicate. They are designed to deliver Koss Auditors aren't for you. Only the unadulterated music is reserved for the full impact of letter perfect sound high -end connoisseur who has taken all those who have carefully put together a reproduction characteristic of the finest the necessary steps toward putting system that delivers totally accurate equipment. together a system that is true to reproduction. Now, for people who wish perfection will acknowledge and to explore and expand this realm of And the fury. appreciate these precise prcducts as pure sound, Koss has designed their On the other hand, for the most breakthroughs in scientific musical Auditor Stereo Headphones. Full, state carefully designed and engineered development The personal signature of the art knowledge of perfect excursion into sound ever, the Koss of John C. Koss says that these mechanical reproduction of music, and ESPTm/10 Electrostatic Stereo headphones are for the audophile. So if the psychoacoustics of the way the ear Headphone is an unparalleled you're ready for the best, and you think and mind respond to sound went into instrument of beauty. It is a perfectly your system can measure up to the making these phones true to the most articulated statement of technological Sound of Koss, hear the headphones intense level of performance possible and electronic genius so thoroughly that are designed to put it to the test at a today. sensitive it belongs in a recording studio specialist in audio products near you. serving as the last word in monitoring Or write to Fred Forbes, Audiophile The sound. production. The ESP/10's almost Products Division, for more information The Auditor Dynamic/10 features an boundless frequency response lays out on the new Auditor Series by Koss. expansive frequency response range of the entire spectrum of sound for your 10-20,000 Hz, while dazzling any ear scrutiny, bringing you every spark of attuned to the delicate musical balance timing, a deep, rich flood of bass, and a of psychoacoustically pleasing sound, smooth, clear lake of treble, with every in a way no other dynamic phone can note balanced and defined. So if you're content to live with the impurities in second best stereo, the

Dynamic/10 auditor mseries by Koss

SIIKOSSO Corporation. Audiophile Products Division. 4129 N Port Washington Ave Milwaukee. Wisconsin 53212 Koss International/London. Dublin, Pons. Frankfurt Amsterdam Koss Limited/Burlington, Ontario Koss K K /Tokyo recently resubscribed after a few years off Mr. Feist, being in the business, should the list. The monthly puzzle is an aggrava- realize that the key is "willful infringement HOW tion and a delight.I know several sub- for profit." scribers who, like myself, assault the puzzle Don E. Ballard TO GET THIS before reading the rest of the magazine. San Jose, Calif. C. W. Christian MAXELL Waco, Tex. It is hard to understand how Mr. Ballard concluded that Mr. Feist agrees with "those TAKE-UP REEL I have seldom run across puzzles as chal- who believe the law should be applicable lenging yet fair and, incidentally, instruc- to the general public." In fact Mr. Feist tive as the HiFi-Crostic. Please continue made no interpretation of the applicability FREE. this feature. of the relevant portions of the law to pri- Henry Samuels vate copying. He noted only that "many Now when you Columbus, Ohio . believe that the limitations set down in the new law on the exclusive right to re- buy three 7- or 10- You might be interested in knowing that the produce a work are specific as to the use one item that tipped the scales in favor of and the user and are not applicable to the inch, 1.0 mil, Maxell my continuing my subscription was the general public." HiFi-Crostic, which I find very challenging Ultra Dynamic Open and most enjoyable. Furtwangler's Second R. R. Parkman Reel Tapes, aside Carnegie, Pa. DG's reissue of Furtwangler's Second Sym- phony is a heartening sign of growing pub- from getting the best Whatever you do, don't stop the HiFi-Cros- lic interest in that great musician's creative tics. I really enjoy solving them, even if I do work, and I hope David Hamilton's detailed recording tape have to look up answers inSCHWANNand review [April] will inspire many HF readers my music encyclopedia. to acquaint themselves with Furtwangler anywhere, you'll get Robert L. Labrie the composer. For that very reason, how- Auburn, Maine ever, I feel that Mr. Hamilton's remarks call a precision metal for a few additions and corrections. The HiFi-Crostic is the first thing I look for For one thing, Furtw5ngler composed Maxell take-up reel every month when my magazine comes in. considerably more music than Mr. Hamil- Marjorie DiSano ton indicated, and he wrote it in largely un- Johnston, R.I. interrupted sequence. More than eighty at the best price works spanning the period from 1893-1954 are extant, including at least eleven sym- anywhere. Drop the HiFi-Crostics? Aaagh! phonies. Lelia Loban Lee What is more important-and what is Absolutely free. Falls Church, Va. most widely ignored-is the paramount position of composition in his life. Unlike Offer good while All right, stop already! We'll keep them! even the most idealistic of the other performers who "also composed" (e.g., supplies last. Copyright Debate Schnabel, Klemperer, Weingartner, Fritz Maxell Corporation of America,130 West Busch), Furtwangler considered himself Commercial Ave . Moonachie, N J. 07074 Congratulations to Leonard Feist for his first and foremost a composer. This was gallant attempt to explain an area as com- true from the beginning of his life to the plex as the new copyright law [June]. How- end. It is stated countless times in his let- ever, we must remember that he represents ters, Tagebiicher, and published writings, those people who would benefit most from and it is confirmed by his colleagues and in- stricter copyright protection-the proprie- timate friends. Furtwangler made his con- tors. ducting debut, in fact, in the role of inter- Early this year, in the course of my post- preter of one of his own symphonies graduate studies in the legal field, I did an (Munich, 1906). Moreover, his decision to exhaustive study of the new copyright law make conducting his career was essentially and its implication for the hobbyist. Mr. a practical one, occasioned by the financial E Feist seems to agree with those who believe uncertainty in which his family was placed the law should be applicable to the general by his father's death shortly after that de- public. Yet the authors of the law are of the but. opposite inclination. Indeed, they said in Now, to recognize this fact is not in any the legislative history that no restrictions of way to demean Furtwangler's extraor- the traditional freedom of the hobbyist, as dinary status as a re -creative musician; developed for more than twenty years, was there can be no doubt of his passion for per- intended by the law. What judicial inter- formance or of the obligation under which

a. pretations have been made of the antipi- he felt himself placed by his unique inter- racy act of 1971 indicate that sound record- pretive powers. Rather, to acknowledge the ing copyright protection is to prevent unfair primacy of composition in Furtwangler's competition with record manufacturers view of his mission as a musician is to dis- and composers by "pirates" and does not cover the source of those powers. encompass the single copies made for one's It is with regard to the Second Symphony own use. All but one of the legal scholars in particular that I feel Mr. Hamilton's re- who have addressed themselves to this marks, however reasoned and sincere, are problem agree that nothing in the law most misleading. The impression of a would change the time-honored privilege of prevailingly gray, turbid texture, for ex- the individual to do with his possessions, ample, must be attributed entirely to the including his tape machine and records, as less -than -top-notch engineering. A few he pleases. minutes' study of the score (published in CIRCLE 26 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

I0 CIRCLE 49 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -)10. 1976: ADC CLAIMS THE XLM MK II SHOWS "NO PERCEIVABLE WEAR OVER THE LIFE OFA RECORD: AND PROVES IT. Introducing the ADC ZLM cartridge with the ALIPTIC [T\ stylus. It's a revolutionary new cartridge design that has taken the state of the art a giant step closer to the state of perfection. 1977: ADC CLAIMS THE NEW ZLM Because of last year's XLM MK II record wear test results, we confirmed WITH THE ALIPTIC STYLUS our thinking on how to design the per- HAS EVEN LOWER WEAR AND fect stylus tip shape. It combines the BETTER PERFORMANCE. better stereo reproduction of the elliptical rA stylus shape with the longer, AND PROVES IT AGAIN. lower wearing, vertical bearing radius of the Shibata / shape. The result is our revolutionary new ALIPTIC stylus. And that's only the beginning. The ALIPTIC shape is polished onto a tiny .004" x .008" rectangular nude diamond shank, which has reduced the tip mass of the XLM MK II by an incredible 50%. This tiny stone is mounted on our new, tapered cantilever, which reduces effective tip mass even further. PoMOIMMINAw. _Sit-Pe *maw Lwow U. Few _1110_ w W,Sgsood _LO_* Pao« Nowt _i_mo/see.

The XLM MK II tests also proved Mitairdi the importance of tip polish in reducing =LIM= record wear. So the ZLM is polished =EMSEEEEEM--3...E=clifiM- with a new, more expensive, more milEMILM!!!!!==milirun °IP" effective patented polishing method. ee 511151ifedniPrAMM.--!!_=_ The ADC XLM MK II has long 110111111M1111111 III19 been known for its uncolored, true ==0E-.EIIIIIME=Z-ESE sound reproduction. The ZLM goes =1=11/;:;;;=:- I ;En even further. Sound reproduction is mriig completely open and spatial. And inch- 111111111iliii vidual instrument placement can now maw wassiniii=e ninailmmistsassi be identified with even greater ease. 0=5 so gglii=minOsuse The ZLM tracks between 1/2 30 SY SO 100 WO 100 1000 3000 S000 10000 WOW MOW 0 A C Uft WS* 0,.0.w9 0..1. W IX Zero lAgot 1141113117) A II C U. and px, grams. Frequency response is Left Rlght ldB to 20kHz and is flat to even higher frequencies; out to 26kHz ± I 1/2dB. As you can see, by reducing the tip mass even further, we've come closer to the ultimate in pure sound reproduction. To prove it, every ZLM comes with its own individual frequency response curve/A, signed by the ADC technician who tested it. This means that the ZLM cartridge will reach every sound lying dormant in your records, transmitting them faithfully through your hi-fi system without altering the sound or the health of your records. Not only do we think the ZLM is one of the most exciting cartridge designs to come along in years, but we can prove it. Superior performance we can prove.

ADC CARTRIDGES ADC A BSR =rum COMPANY

ADC PHONO CARTRIDGES A Dwision of BSR Consumer Products Group Route 303, Blauvelt. New York 10913 AR 10 JBL L65 DAHLOUIST DO -10 miniature format by the Brucknerverlag of ESS AMT 1 B Wiesbaden) shows Furtwangler's deploy- INFINITY IIA ment of his orchestral resources to be as clear, concise, and acoustically "effective" OHM F as that of any of the other post -Romantic composer/conductors from Mahler and Strauss to Pfitzner and Klemperer. It is also difficult to accept that the "point" of the symphony is "victory grasped from de- Six fine speaker systems spair." In view of Furtwangler's lifelong preoccupation with the greatuniversal concepts-"Ich bin eben ein Tragiker!"-it seems more reasonable to suppose that what the work is "about" is catharsis and thatcanhelpyoudecide resignation. As for the mysterious "second conclusion," it presumably lies buried in the many dozens of pages of sketches left by Furtwangler. ifyoushouldown Finally, I think it ought to be noted that the composer numbered among his admir- ers such other, radically different composers as Hindemith, Pfitzner, Marx, and Ho- negger. The last of these left an especially the Dillon 66 instead. appropriate tribute with which to con - dude: "The man who composed a score as Not all speakers are deliberately designed to be as neutral and uncolored marvelous as the Second Symphony is not as are Celestions. This led one audio publication to say of our Ditton Monitor subject to discussion. He is one of the race of the great musicians, and his passing is a 66: "...may sound unspectacular, even disappointing to the untrained ear." grave loss for the art of music." Of course. Speakers should not be "spectacular" or even impressive. John W. Burnett They should be accurate, precise and faithful to the program material, rather Quebec, Canada than serve some designer's notion of what would impress the unwary or untutored ear. Mr. Hamilton replies: For information If your ear is anything like this reviewer's, you too will hear: "...no thump about the extent of Furtwangler's composi- or sizzle...just the neutral sound of musical tions, I relied of necessity on the published lists, and on the fact that Furtwangler him- instruments playing with nothing added self referred to his final, not -quite -finished by the speakers." symphony as histhird. Obviously, Mr. Nevertheless, tastes do vary. Thus, Burnett has access to unpublished mate- we have selected six fine speaker rial, and I hope the detailed fruits of his re- systems priced within the range of search will eventually become available, the Ditton 66. Any of them is likely very possibly altering our view of to prove acceptable to a reasonably Furt wangler as composer. discerning listener. Concerning the revised ending of the Sec- Even against such respectable ond Symphony: The published correspond- competition, we feel a goodly number ence tells us that in September or October 1954 Furtwiingler sent a copy to Richard of people will prefer the performance Kotz-then musical director in Darmstadt- of the Ditton 66. Once you audition for a forthcoming performance, though them, it's very likely that you'll agree. whether Kotz actually used it is not made After all, they're our crowning clear. achievement after fifty years as one of Britain's major designers and Recordings: Rare and manufacturers of loudspeakers. Rediscovered Cheers! In his review of Mstislav Rostropovich's performance of Shostakovich's Fourteenth The Ditton Monitor 66 by Celestion Symphony [June], Royal S. Brown claims Shown without black snap -on grill -cloth. 12" FC-12 that "the recording ... is the work's third, woofer is acoustically coupled to the unique Auxiliary and the second to come from the Soviet Bass Radiator (ABR) for distortion -free response at the Union." lowest frequencies. MD -500 21/2" soft -dome mid -range According to a recent edition of the Japa- and HF-2000 soft -dome tweeter provide exceptionally nese equivalent of SCHWANN, there is yet smooth response, wide dispersion and correct phase another performance available in that relationships throughout the middle and upper ranges. country, also Russian -derived. It features Available in walnut or teak finish. 15"w x 11"d x 391/2"h. the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra under $499.50. Kiril Kondrashin and has been available since November 1975 on the SMK label (7882). Michael Quigley Vancouver, B.C. Loudspeakers for the perfectionist In his discussion of Trial by Jury in the Gil- Celestion Industries, Inc.,KuniholmDrive, bert & Sullivan discography [May], Richard Holliston, MA. 01746 Dyer dismisses Thespis with the traditional In Canada ROCELCO INC Montreal view that the music has been lost except for CIRCLE B ON READER -SERVICE CARD 12 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE The engineers who conceived the state-of-the-art DDX 1000 are pleased to announce the MB 15. At less than one fourth the price. With its three-tonearm capability its $600 nationally advertised value: and its optional highly -acclaimed MA 505 tonearms, the Micro Seiki DDX 1000 has been accepted as one of the unique advances in turntable concept and design. Using the same technology, our engineering team has crafted the MB 15 to achieve economy while preserving musical accuracy. Elegant and understated, its economy of design reveals not one extra line-contains not one unnecessary part. An electronic sensor controls shutoff and arm -lift operation: a Hall -effect IC sensor detects a change in tonearm speed at the end of the record and activates a viscous -damped device which lifts the tonearm and shuts off power. Its diecast aluminum platter is driven by a 4 -pole syncronous motor coupled with a precision - polished belt that effectively acts as a damping device; wow and flutter is less than 0.06%. A solenoid -activated cueing system and an easy -to -adjust anti - skating control are among its attractions. The MB 15 tonearm headshell is detachable for ease in mounting cartridges. At $150 (nationally advertised value)* you can considerably enhance the enjoyment of your records with Micro Seiki purity of sound. Isn't it time to upgrade your pleasure? MICRO SEMI Advanced engineering in turntables.

Distributed by TEAC Corporation of Amenca. 7733 Telegraph Road. Montebello. California 90640 ©TEAC 1977 Actual resale prices will be determined individually and at the sole discretion of authorized Micro Seiki dealers OnlyJVC offersabuilt-in graphic equalizer formore flexible control of the entire audio spectrum.. ftiSPOV,4110111.VPIPIP

CIRCLE 21 ON READER -SERVICE CARD in what leaveout.

-..1111111111P-7 One of the very special features you'll find in our three top -of -the -line JVC receivers is cur exclusive SEA five -band graphic equalizer. It replaces conventional tone controls to give you more flexible control over every segment of the musical spec- JR-S100 II trum, from low lows to high highs. (And our JR-S100 II and JR-S200 II offer the same profess onal-style slider tone contro s.) Our JR-S300 II, JR-S400 II and JR-S600 II give you another exclusive feature: you can switch the SEA equalizer section into the tape JR-S200 II recorder circuit, so you can "EQ" as you record, just like the pros do. JVC's superb Mark II Professional Series receivers give you so many useful features. Like separate power, tuning and signal strength meters, a team of triple JR-S300 II power protection circuits, and more power than ever before (our

JR-S600 II offers 120 watts/channel, RMS.* And carries a price of less than $600,** for example). Once you've seen the things we build in, you'll wonder why others leave them out. JR-S400 II JVC America Company, Division of US JVC Corp., 58-75 Queens Midtown Expressway, f Maspeth, New York 11378 (212) 476-8300. Canada: JVC Electronics of Canada, Ltd., Scarborough, Ont. For your nearest JVC dealer, call toll -free (outside N.Y.) 800-221-7502. JR-S600 @ 8 ohms, both channels driven from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.08% total harmonic distortion. Approximate retail value. JVC itfkit* irem-s'PiVOA two numbers and that no recording of it is in existence. It should be pointed out,I think, for the benefit of those who would like a complete collection of G&S recordings, that there is an album of what purports to be Thespis. It is Rare Recorded Editions 132/3, performed by the Fulham Light Op- era Society with the Light Opera Orchestra conducted by Roderick Spencer and available from Michael G. Thomas of 54 Lyming- ton Rd., London NW6. According to a letter from Mr. Thomas, the music was excerpted from some of Sullivan's other works, notably Haddon Hall, and put to Gilbert's words by Terence Rees and Garth Morton, whose names should be familiar to G&S fans. Both sonically and musically it is not up there with the best, but it is worth having if only for the sake of completeness. For those who are interested in the work of either Gilbert or Sullivan without the other, Mr. Thomas has several other RRE albums such as Sullivan's Festival Te Deum and Golden Legend Prologue, his setting of Tennyson's song cycle The Window with a recital of Shakespeare songs on the other side, and his oratorio The Light of the World. Of Gilbert, he has a complete version of Tom Cobb. Wallace L. Mason Cumberland, R.I.

Model AT15Sa/H Dual Magnet Stereo Cartridge preimounted in In Robert P. Morgan's review of Dietrich Universal tone arm head shell. Fischer-Dieskau singing CharlesIves's songs [April] the statement is made: "In- cluded are five songs not previously available on record." Although it may not now be available, I have owned for several years a collection of Ives songs sung by Helen Boatwright (John Kirkpatrick on piano) on Overtone Records 7. recorded in 1954. Included in the collection are two of those five songs cited in Mr. Morgan's review: "Abide with Me" and "Disclosure." Mel Schuster New York, N.Y. To find out how much Massenet Society betterourcartridge It appears that the Massenet revival is now in full swing. The recently released recordings of Esclarmonde, Le Cid, Thai's, and La sounds, play their Navarraise and the planned recordings or revivals of Cendrillon. Herodiade, and Le demonstration record! Roi de Lahore surely support the assump- tion. I would like to make your readers aware There are some very good test Audio-Technica cartridge that of a venture just undertaken: An American and demonstration records avail- meets your cost and performance branch of the Massenet Society, founded in able. Some are designed to show objectives. Then listen. London by Miss Stella Wright, has been off the capabilities of better -than - Find out for yourself that when formed. Members from the tristate area- average cartridges...and reveal the it comes to a duel between our New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut- weaknesses of inferior models. cartridge and theirs...we're ready. recently held their first meeting, and it was We love them all. Even when they choose the weapons! a huge success. Because the tougher the What you'll hear is the best The Massenet Society is a nonprofit cul- record, the better our Dual Magner kind of proof that our Dual Magnet tural organization whose purpose is to pro- cartridges perform. Bring on the design and uncompromising mote the works of Jules Massenet to music most stringent test record you can craftsmanship is one of the most and opera lovers throughout the world. find. Or a demanding direct -to -disc attractive values in high fidelity. This will be accomplished in the U.S. recording if you will. Choose the For their records...and yours! through discussions and the distribution of recordings of many of his unfamiliar but important works. Most of the material comes from the private collections of our aucho-technica members. For information please write the INNOVATION PRECISION INTEGRITY Massenet Society, c/o Michael Paul Lund, AUDIO-TECHNICA U.S., INC. 41 E. Central Ave., Pearl River, N.Y. 10965. Dept. 97H, 33 Shlawassee Avenue, Fairlawn, Ohio 44313 Martin S. Lippman In Canada: Superior Electronics, Inc. Old Greenwich, Conn.

16 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Free for 10 days: vonKarajan conducts Beethoven s,10, To introduce the ultimate Beethoven Collection: all 9 symphonies plus 7 overtures including Leonore and Coriolan... 50 violin, piano and cello sonatas... 8 concertos...66 folk songs...23 string quartets ... 41dances ...52 lieder... 7 marches...8 arias... 6 bagatelles... Missa Solemnis... Fidelio...and much more!

Time -Life Records invites you to a perfect marriage of the arts of composing and performing great music: Beethoven's symphonies conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Beethoven, the arch -romantic -his music (like his tortured soul) surging with fiery emotion. von Karajan, called "the space-age maestro" -cool, precise, methodical, whether on the podium or at the controls of his private jet. Two more different geniuses are hard to imagine. Yet the product of their "collaboration" is sheer magic-as you can now discover in a free audition of Volume I of the Beethoven Bicentennial Collection. Hear von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic play the first 6 symphonies-free for 10 days In this elegant boxed set of five 12" LP stereo discs, recorded in Europe by the famous Deutsche Grammophon, you will hear the stirring Leonore Overture No. 3, as well as six complete symphonies, among them: SYMPHONY NO. 3 ("Eroica"). A heroic struggle waged in sound-described by one critic as "the greatest single step by an individual composer in the history of music:' SYMPHONY NO. 5. The wild jubilant conclusion is all the more electrifying because of the brooding drum taps and weeping violins preceding. SYMPHONY NO. 6 ("Pastoral"). An image -filled trip to the country-complete with nightingale (flute), cuckoo (clarinet) and quail (oboe). And this is only the beginning. If you decide to sub- The ultimate Beethoven Collection: scribe, you will enjoy free auditions of further volumes in this every important work he wrote,performed definitive Beethoven collection. They include the remaining symphonies, Nos. 6-9, again by von Karajan... the celebrated by today's foremost virtuosos "Moonlight" and turbulent "Apassionata" piano sonatas... the YEHUDI MENUHIN PIERRE FOURNIER fascinating "Triple Concerto" for piano, violin and cello... Acclaimed violinist and intrepid Silken -tone cellist who brings both In all: 17 elegant boxed sets, 85 LP 12" records, over 325 explorer of form. structure charm and majesty to the service different works-virtually every major composition the master and pattern in music of Beethoven's sonatas ever wrote! BIRGIT NILSSON THE AMADEUS QUARTET Opera's greatest dramatic soprano The brilliant British ensemble wh Ise No risk or obligation intimate expression and shared If you are as delighted with Volume I as we think youll be, WILHELM KEMPFF communion clarify the string quartets you may keep it for only $19.95 plus shipping andhandling. Dean of Continental pianists; See important additional details on the card attached here and searching. powerful KARL RICHTER Masterful choral conductor mail the reply portion today (no postage required). If reply DIETER FISCHER-DIESKAU whose profound understanding helps portion has already been taken, write TIME -LIFE RECORDS, Baritone. acknowledged master convey the sacred loveliness of Time & Life Building, Chicago, IL. 60611. of German lieder the Mass in C Major

SEPTEMBER 1977 19

You can't beat The System. Youcanonly change it.

The System,from Mitsubishi. quality and foolproof operation. The only one-name,one-look,high-performance So,what all other names do for music, the one system with speakers as good as the amplifier. AnMitsubishi name does for music.Without the time amplifier as good as the pre -amp. A pre -amp as and trouble of collecting 7 different components good as the turntable. A turntable as good as the from 7 different manufacturers with 7 different tuner. A tuner as good as the speakers. warranties to confuse you. And no weak links. And since The System comes from one com- So, no matter how much you care to spend on pany,with one design philosophy and one standard alternatives, you simply cannot improve The of quality- it has to look better than any diverse System.You can only make it different. assembly of components.(One Mitsubishi equip- Consider the loudspeakers, for example.You ment rack is worth a thousand words.) could substitute other legendary names in the Still,The System isn't inflexible.You can tailor speaker business. But none are so legendary as one to your needs,and your available funds.At Mitsubishi, whose speakers are noted for superb prices ranging from about $1,600 to about $3,000. design, meticulous construction and testing,and Your audio dealer will be happy to audition all absolutely faultless response. the possibilities for you. Or amplifiers.You could substitute others. But All -Mitsubishi. none would give you the 80dB inter -channel Or partly Mitsubishi,and partly alternatives. separation of the Mitsubishi dual -monaural ampli- And we think you'll agree.There aren't really fier in The System. any alternatives. Or turntables.You could substitute something else.But something else wouldn't give you the Ak MITSUBISHI' benefit of our 3 years' exhaustive testing-cover- AUDIO SYSTEMS ing all aspects of performance -that gave our For more information write Melco Sales, Inc., Dept. H Mitsubishi Logic Control Turntable its superb audio 3030 East Victoria Street, Compton, California 90221. CIRCLE 30 ON READER -SERVICE CARD SEPTEMBER 1977 21 "I've always wanted Bose 901's, but won't I need a100 -watt amplifier?"

The original Direct/ Reflecting'Bose 901 was one of the most acclaimed loudspeakers ever. But many people who admired the 901's didn't buy them because they thought they demanded a big, expensive amplifier. The New Bose 901 Series III Now comes the new Bose 901 Series III. It is a revolutionary speaker that A heavy magnet struc- The precisic n injection - ture, precision manu- combines proven Bose design molded plastic frame factured and assembled, The helically -wound, all eliminates energy - minimizes loss of concepts with startling new aluminum voice coll. wasting clearances. magnetic energy. technology to achieve performance that is superior to the original 901 in every dimension- The New Driver The Payoff including even the spatial realism The key to the remarkable This efficiency lets you enjoy and spectral accuracy for which efficiency of the 901 Series III is a the spectacular performance of the 901 was justly famous. totally new, high performance the 901 Series Ill without a large Yet the 901 Series III requires The voice coil investment in something you can't less than one-third the amplifier consists of flat aluminum con- hear pure power. And that might power of the original 901. That ductor wire make the difference between get- wound on -edge means it can produce the same on an aluminumting just good speakers, and the core, eliminat- sound volume with a 15 -watts- ing the ineffi- speakers you've really wanted cient air gaps per -channel receiver as the orig- between the all along. inal 901 with 50 watts. In fact, we round copper windings of a suggest that anything over conventional "A speaker unlike any other." voice coil. 70 watts is simply unnecessary. driver-a driver so advanced we had to build our own state-of-the- No advertise- art driver manufacturing ment can describe fully the facility to produce it It 901 Series Ill and the technol- combines a light -weight, ogy behind it. So we've put ultra -high -efficiency, together a comprehensive literature package helically -wound voice coil that includes a detailed with a precision injection - 16 -page color brochure, a 20 -page owner's manual, molded plastic frame that and a copy of Dr. Amer Bose's paper on practically eliminates loss of mag- "Sound Recording .AULESE" and Reproduction," netic energy. Just as important, Better sound through research reprinted from Technology Reyievk To receive this literature, send *LW to this strong plastic frame allows Bose, Dept. HF9, The Mountain, Cabinets are walnut veneer. Framingham, Mass. 01701. computer controlled assembly toPatents issued and pending. tolerances far tighter than those imposed on conventional drivers. cal cinema.) The bar has been turned into a club and restaurant, and a reception room overlooking the sea will become the art gallery. This is a necessary but typically cautious step now toward better organization, for the ac- cessibility of the new offices probably Lcrget accounts for the fact that advance bookings for this year's festival were the highest on record: and I mention caution only because everyone is at such pains to preserve the informality of Aldeburgh. If that is ever lost, the spirit of Britten will no longer prevail. His monument-although he would have disliked that word as much as I do-remains the Mailings at Snape. If ever I have seen a musical "growth area:' this is it. Apart from the annual festival in June. a new one under commercial sponsorship is starting late this month and will be devoted to The Maltings at Snape chamber music by Schubert and Brit- ten. (Next year it will be Mozart and Debussy. with maybe Haydn and Shostakovich for 1979.) Artists taking part this year include Richter, Curzon. Britten's Legacy: To Be Bream, the Amadeus Quartet. Baker. Pears. Prey, Hotter, and Schwarzkopf, "Useful to the Living" and the six -day event ends with a vocal competition for "mature" singers- by John Culshaw i.e., you have to be betweentwenty- seven and thirty-five to enter.. As I am one of the directors of this new festival,I shall say no more, except that ALDEBURGH-Ihave just returned from canny way that Wagner seems pres- the sponsors have guaranteed that my first visit to Aldeburgh since Ben- ent in Bayreuth and Britten in Al- any profits will be plowed right back jamin Britten died last December. He deburgh. into the Maltings Foundation Fund. is buried in the grounds of the parish Britten has not left a legacy of un- And that, apart from his music, is church. A tree has been planted at the published music. His very last work the legacy that meant most to Britten. foot of the small plot, and the stone (still unperformed at the time of writ- It is a living, expanding venture, de- isinscribed simply "BENJAMIN ing) is called A Welcome Ode and is voted to advanced training for string BRITTEN 1913-1976." The weather written for young voices (SAB) and players and the voice. At present its on the day I was there was straight out orchestra. I am told that it lasts only scope is limited to about twenty-five of Peter Grimes, Act I, Scene 2: The about eight minutes. Apart from that students at any one time, but as the sea raged, the wind howled, and the there is nothing except a piece called fund accumulates and additional rain turned unpaved pathways into Quartette, which turned up mysteri- buildings are acquired around the troughs of mud. The fishermen did not ously in a London salesroom some Maltings there will be more practice put to sea that day but took refuge in weeks ago and was bought anony- rooms and-a major problem at the the pubs. mously for about $12.000. The manu- moment-more living accommo- I am neither superstitious nor. I script is dated January 1928. which dations. I cannot think of a better en- hope, sentimental, but it seems to me means that he wrote it when he was vironment in which to study the finer that Britten's spirit haunts Aldeburgh fourteen or younger, and the theory is points of musical technique and inter- and the Maltings at Snape in the same that he gave it to a local quartet in the pretation. because the Maltings is re- way that Wagner's haunts Bayreuth hope of getting it performed and then mote enough to provide tranquility and the Festspielhaus on the Green forgot all about it when the perform- while being only a few miles away Hill. Perhaps it has to do with the ance didn'tmaterialize:butthat's from that rougher world of the fish- smallness of both Aldeburgh and Bay- somewhat out of character, because ermen and the treacherous North Sea. reuth, for it is probable that most of us Britten was meticulous and had a very Britten was a realist through and would never have heard of either had clear memory. However, it does seem through. "Our job." he once said of it not been for the composers who to be agreed that, whatever its origins. himself and his fellow composers. "is adopted them. Certainly it is a feeling Quartette is not a fake. to be useful, and to the living.- That is that never comes over me in a city. No Some months before his death Brit- why. at the end, his thoughts were matter how much one loves their mu- ten bought the empty, ramshackle still focused on young people, and sic, the spirits of Schubert and Johann East Suffolk Hotel in the middle of Al- why his legacy is devoted to helping Strauss have little relevance to mod- deburgh's main street. It has now been future talents to develop in a place ern Vienna. We can see where they converted to provide the festival with where the realities of music and life lived and worked and pay dutiful vis- its first satisfactory offices in thirty require to be reconciled. Peter Grimes its to monuments and museums. but years. (The old ones were clustered at was a fisherman, but we should not they are simply not present in the un- the top of a narrow staircase in the lo- forget that he was a poet as well.

SEPTEMBER 1977 23 New ... 100D 3 -Way Curvilinear Enclosure System THE DYNAMIC DOME RTR interpolates a significant midrange Within this striking, acoustically transparent enclosure, lies an exceptional 3 -way speaker system. Entirely new. Totally RTR. Ie The 100D was conceived and executed to display the new, technologically advanced RTR midrange system. Vast Nittimaa., midrange capabilities are yielded by a - low mass 1.5" soft dome driver, single layer voice coil and 3.4 lb. magnetic '"41.40146/ A assembly. This is the first dome system to successfuly integrate smooth response and broad dispersion with outstanding dynamic range and transient response. The key to reproducing music convincingly! This multi -faceted midrange crosses over at 1.25 KHz to an RTR 12" woofer which is so technically excellent that it will neither destruct nor delaminate. The deep, authoritative bass response is uncolored and precisely defined. Crossing in at 10 KHz, the solid state supertweeter imparts extended 8. The Big Bands crystalline high end reproduction.

All pa x 261/2 walnut enclosure and books by Gene Lees

THE SWING ERA had such an impact tory origins did the string bass, a more on American music that it is hard to flexible and pulsating instrument, be- believe it lasted only thirteen years- come the rhythmic and harmonic more or less, depending on who is footing on which all bands since have doing the figuring. Short thoughit built their walls of sound. (An excep- was, it was a time when a great deal of tionis the Guy Lombardo band, popular music was good and a great which has never abandoned tuba and deal of good music was popular. thus, like an exhibit in a museum, The tributaries of this vast river of gives us a clearer impression than rec- superior popular music arose in the ords of what 1920s bands sounded 1920s. although it can be argued that like.) the true source was the marching No one has ever succeeded in defin- bands of New Orleans. Certainly the ing jazz in universally acceptable New Orleans street bands largely de- terms. As John S. Wilson observed finedtheinstrumentationofthe many years ago,the definitionis Swing Era, for reasons one can appre- usually an expression of the prefer- ciate on recalling the surrealistically ences and prejudices of the individual funny scene in Take the Money and offering it. Whatever the individual Run in which Woody Allen plays the does not like is ipso facto not jazz; for cello in a parade, bowing and advanc- example, bebop was not jazz to purist ing his chair, bowing and advancing adherents of New Orleans jazz. The his chair. The instruments were those qualificationof"explicitrhythm" that were portable and loud enough to (Henry Pleasant& term) will not suf- be heard in the open air. fice, since it is present in many other But by the Twenties, bands were forms of music, including the Brazi- sitting down. Benny Carter, one of the three trumpets, two trombones, three most gifted soloists, composers, and saxophones (two altos and a tenor), arrangers of the period, recalled and four rhythm instruments, includ- recently that when he played in the ing the tuba functioning as bass. Not Charlie Johnston band it comprised until the bands forgot their ambula-

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24 Hiciti Y AGAZINE Tian samba, which is not jazz even though it shares its ancestry and interacts with jazz readily. Nor will it do to PRESENTING PEARLCORDER SD: say that jazz is an improvised music; one prominent musician stretched the THE MICROCASSETTE SYSTEM definition so far as to state that, if he heard Chopin improvising, he would WITH INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. call that jazz. There are many forms of improvised music, including some of that produced by church organists, which is clearly not jazz. And that definition collapses in the face of the adventurous experiments in jazz orchestration that were characteristic Frorn the people wl-c of the Swing Era. firs brought you -t-e These experiments date from the ,i0 -minute Micro - 1920s, and the principal figures were c issette recorder Duke Ellington and a saxophonist/ar- and tape, another ranger named Don Redman. Redman rst: the modular is generally credited by musicians ac- Microcasset-c tive at the time with dividing the system trumpets, trombones, and saxophones into separate choirs working over the Modular means rhythm section. Ellington, who even -Dre. More because it then was using baritone saxophone to haE 3n FM tuner and ar add color and fortify the bottom of the AM tuner. More orchestra, was moving in another di- tecause there's a rection. Whereas Redman maintained rrionle that turns 1-E the integrity of the sections, using them as accompaniments to each recorder cr au Dmatically tot.E. other, Ellington was using his instru- souni of a voice. Ara ments in unusual combinations, mix- w -rats more, there ing them up through the sections, as it are over a dozer were. And Duke was becoming more attachmentE tc and more daring in explorations of recc -d anything fryr harmony, eventually voicing the band p lone calls to -t-e with moving upper -structure triads to produce an eerie, almost disembodied Late Late show and highly idiosyncratic sound. The thinking of these two men, The HI -Fl sound of modified and transmuted to be sure, music. Who W0.1 c has dominated nonclassical orches- r.:.spei:t something this tral writing in the U.S., and indeed small could produce much of the world, to this day. The sound u s big, this rich problem with embracing Ellington's tiffs full? Yet it does approach is that it sounds so ob- Pay ittrough your hi -f viously Ellingtonesque, although such system and let your earE writers as Thad Jones and Clare Fis- be the judges cher have been able to use it without seeming too conspicuously derivative, It's all the audio equipment partly by using flutes, which Ellington you can handle. Pearlcorder never used. (Nor for that matter did SD is tia fost audio system anyone else, except Chick Webb, :ha: can go wherever yci. prior to the 1950s.) go. A -c II want to tak3 i- Though Redman is the less cele- witty Du. Everywhere brated, he had a wider effect than El- lington, and it was the basis on which Eigwsted retail prce the Swing Era developed. He seems to from $239 SE have influenced Fletcher Henderson directly and, through Henderson, other writers. Benny Carter, who joined the band of Henderson's brother Horace in 1926, says that Flet- cher's arrangements, which had been Pearlcorder 'SD copied and given to the band, were his by OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD. first real encounter with the Redman - State-of-the-art today. State-cf-t-e- art omorrow. Henderson school of thought. Hender- son had his own band at one time, and OLYMPUS CORPORATION OF AMERICA after it failed Benny Goodman bought TWO N VADA DRIVE NEN H 'DE PARK. riEw- 0 41- II Otl many of its arrangements and hired In Canada W Carsen Co LtcDon Nils Crtr,c Henderson to write more. When CIRCLE 32 GN F EADER-SER /I :E CARD 23 SEPTEMBER1977 Goodman became a success-indeed, New Phase Linear 1111's one of the most remarkable commercial phenomena of the period-others formed bands or else found that restore the bands already organized were suddenly in demand. The instrumentation and approach to orchestration missing third dimension. was modeled on that of Goodman, which is to say Henderson. By the early 1940s, the orchestras The third dimension of a live perfor- relationship between direct and reflected mance, that open airy feeling of "being sound. The bass module, with its two were expanding in size from four there:' has been missing from recorded 12" subwoofers, provides an awesome saxophones to five, with the welcome music. Until now. The new Phase III bass response. A separate Electronic addition of the baritone, which con- Loudspeakers create a sense of acousticMotion Control System provides spatial space never before achieved imaging circuitry, fre- tributed ballast and removed a slight

in a home stereo system. quency tailoring and soupiness from the sound of the sec- Phase III is a four- ernfae equalization. It in- t ion; from three to four and sometimes way, four -piece The Powerful Difference stalls easily in even five trumpets; and from two to system consisting of your amplifier or 20 drivers. The twin receiver. Phase three or four trombones. At least a five foot panels Linear III can add few of the bands-like those of Artie utilize a precise an entirely new Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, geometric arrangement dimension to your Harry James, and Stan Kenton-ex- of the mid -range and listening enjoyment. high -frequency perimented with string sections. The drivers designed to See your dealer and effect left much to be desired, since generate an ideal ask for an audition. five trumpets and four trombones played in a jazz forte can drown out a full symphony string section. But the main area of experi- mentation was harmonic. For years the thinking of arrangers had been far in advance of that of the players and the public. Redman, born in 1900, graduated from the Boston Conserva- tory and thus was well aware of the works of classical composers. So was Bix Beiderbecke, evidence for which is found not so much in his recorded cornet solos as in his piano compositions. Big -band harmony became increasingly complex, chromatic, and dissonant. Experiments with polyto- nality were underway, and Kenton pushed his band close to symphonic music. The big -band era reached its fullest floweringafterWorldWar II. Whereas many of the prewar arrangements and recordings now sound thin-even archaic-the best of the postwar records retain their freshness, validity, and vitality. They do not sound naive; they do not sound like music seeking its maturity. The music is mature. The rhythm sections have lost their awkwardness, and the forward motion of the music is strong, unimpeded, and natural. But no sooner had it achieved maturity and international popularity than it began to wither. And soon it was all over. Why did it happen? One reason is that the bands carried the seeds of their own destruction within them. namely the band singers. The best of these was a young man named Frank Sinatra, who developed the delivery of a small thirty -two -bar popular song into art. So influential was Sinatra in the evolution of postwar music that I Manufactured in the USA Distributed r Canada by H. Roy Gray. LTD. will devote the entire next column to him. CIRCLE 35 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

CIRCLE 43 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 1 HIGH BIAS. These cassette deck manufacturers are highly biased for SA:

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There's been a quiet revolution going on in the cassette world. 0 Leading makers of quality cassette decks have adopted TDK SA as their reference standard tape for high (Cr02) bias and equalization settings.Why TDK SA? Because TDK SA's advanced tape formulation and super precision cassette mechanism let them (and you) take full advantage of today's advanced cassette deck technology. 0 In addition, a growing number of other companies are recommending SA for use with their machines. 0 So for the ultimate in cassette sound and performance, load your deck with SA and switch to the "High" or "Cr02" bias/EQ settings. You'll consistently get less noise, highest saturation and output levels, lowest distortion and the widest dynamic range to let you get the best performance from any quality machine. 0 But you needn't believe all this just because we say so. All you have to do is check our references. TDK. TDK Electronics Corp., 755 Eastgate Blvd., Garden City, N.Y. 11530. The machine for your machine. In Canada: Superior Electronics Industries, Ltd. Charpentier: Louise. Sills, Carreras, Dunn, A Preview of Industry Releases Van Dam; Paris Opera, Rudel. Chausson: Poeme de l'amour et de la mer. Duparc: Orchestral Songs. Baker; London SO, Previn. aGoldmark: ViolinConcerto.Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen. Perlman; Pittsburgh SO, Previn. CI Handel: Royal Fireworks Music; Double Concertos. London SO, Mackerras. a Holst: Hymn of Jesus. St. Paul Choir, Lon- don SO, Groves. Recordings '78 CS Kern: Songs. Sills; Los Angeles PO, Kos- telanetz. aMendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Watson, Wallis; London SO, QUESTION:What do Rafael Kubelik, the New York Philharmonic, James Previn. CI Mendelssohn: St. Paul. Donath, Schwarz, Levine, Bernard Haitink, Leonard Bernstein, and the Tokyo Quartet have Hollweg, Fischer-Dieskau; Dusseldorf SO, in common? Answer: These former company stalwarts all turn up in un- Friihbeck de Burgos. expected places in this year's survey of planned releases (respectively Q Milhaud: Creation du monde: Boeuf sur le toit. 0 National de France, Bernstein. London, RCA, Columbia, London, Angel and DG, and Vanguard and a Mozart: Coronation Mass. Moser, Hamari, RCA). It's a bit startling even in this jaded era of nonexclusivity, and we Gedda, Fischer-Dieskau; Bavarian Radio, Jochum. can expect more of the same, Kubelik, for example, also has Hindemith's CI Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov (composer's Mathis der Maier in the works for EMI, and the Philadelphia Orchestra is text). Talvela, Gedda, Kinasz, Haugland, about to begin recording for EMI (under music director Eugene Ormandy Mroz; Polish Radio, Semkow. Puccini: II Trittioo. De los Angeles, Gobbi, as well as principal guest conductor Riccardo Muti) in addition to RCA. et al.; Rome Opera, Bellezza, Serafin, and As you dive into the lists, remember that they are tentative. Most of the Santini. records listed will appear before next year's preview, but not all-and a Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Fantasia para un gentilhombre. Romero; London some will disappear without a trace. Nor are these lists in any way com- SO, Previn. plete; many in fact cover only the fall, and it is difficult to project even Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5. Chi- cago SO, Previn. that far ahead with certainty in time for our June deadline. You might Sibelius: Finlandia; En Saga; Tapiola; bear in mind the description that Nonesuch's Tracey Sterne applied to Swan of Tuonela. Berlin PO, Karajan. her list: "A Sampling" of fall/winter releases. Sibelius: Symphony No. 2. Pittsburgh SO, Previn. We indicate reissues () and quad issues MO where that information is a Strauss, R.: Salome. Behrens, Van Dam, known. Again, quad plans often aren't settled by our deadline, so quadri- K. -W. &Atm, Baltsa, Ochman, Angervo; philes can look forward to some surprises. Finally, some space -saving ab- Vienna PO, Karajan. UVerdi: Overtures. New Philharmonia, Muti. breviations have been used for orchestra names: 0 for Orchestra appears aVilla -Lobos: Morrie precoce; Bachianas alone and in appropriate combination with S (Symphony), P (Philhar- brasileiras No. 3. Ortiz; New Philharmonia 0, Ashkenazy. monic), R (Radio), and C (Chamber). Vivaldi: Four Seasons. Koto New Ensemble. Mirella Freni: Operatic Recital. Votto, Fer- raris, and Magiera, cond. Archly Bach: Flute/Harpsichord Sonatas. Nicolet, Richter. ABCClassics Advent Gagliano: La Dafne. Lerer, Schlick, Kollecker, Rogers, Partridge, Thomas, Possemeyer; Bach: Brandenburg Concertos.Bruggen, ON CASSETTE ONLY: Hamburg Monteverdi Choir, Jargens. Leonhardt; Leonhardt Consort. Mozart, L.: Musical Sleigh Ride; Peasant Bach: Flute Sonatas and Partita. Bruggen, Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 4, 17. Sher- man. Wedding. Eduard Melkus Ensemble. Leonhardt, et al. Rameau: Harpsichord Works (complete). Gil- Duphly: Harpsichord Works. Leonhardt. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 21, 23. Sher- man. Gagliano: La Dafne. White et al.; Musica bVivaelrdli:Kyrie; Gloria. Regensburg Cathedral Pacifica, Vorwerk. Handel: Messiah. Hoagland, Wallace, Gore, Livings, Evitts; Handel and Haydn Society Choir, Schneidt. Haydn: Divertimentos and Serenades. Con- Dance Music Through the Ages (six discs). sortium Classicum, Klocker. (Boston), Dunn. Roots of American Music. Boston Camerata, Triumphs of Oriana (Madrigals). Pro Can- Josquin: Vocal and Instrumental Works. tione Antique, Partridge. Munich Capella Antigua, Ruhland. Cohen. Mamiya, Bartok: Solo -Violin Sonatas. Mat- Candide suda. Mendelssohn: Piano Trios (2). Mirecourt Trio. Angel G Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra; Dance Baroque Lute. Vol. 2 (works by Bach, Conradi, a Bach: Christmas Oratorio. Ameling, Baker, Suite. Minnesota 0, Skrowaczewski. Weiss). Dombois. Tear, Fischer-Diesk au;King's College aBartok: Miraculous Mandarin and Cantata da Camera (works by Porpora, Cal- Choir, Academy St. Martin, Ledger. Wooden Prince Suites. Minnesota 0, Skro- dara, Handel). Jacobs (ct); Kuijken, Leon- Bach: Harpsichord Partitas Nos. 3, 4. Kipnis. waczewski. hardt, Bylsma. Bach: Lute Works. Romero, guitar. aProkofiev: Alexander Nevsky. C. Carlson; Gregorian Chant I: Holy Week. Capella An- a Berlioz: Harold in Italy. McInnes; 0 Na- St. Louis SO, Slatkin. tigua Choralschola, Ruhland. tional de France, Bernstein. GI Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1. St. Louis Marriage of Landshut. Landshuter Hofmusik, 12 Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique. 0 Na- SO, Slatkin. Watch; Capella Antigua, Ruhland. tional de France, Bernstein. aStravinsky: Petrushka Suite.Prokofiev: Montagnana Trio: Spell. Works by Nor- Bloch: Sacred Service. D. Lawrence; Utah Love for Three Oranges Suite. Minnesota gaard, Childs, Lentz. Chorale, Utah SO, Abravanel. 0, Skrowaczewski. Pieces for Flute -Clock (by Haydn, Mozart, Brahms: Symphonies (4). London PO, Jo - Beethoven, Danzi; arr. Vester for wind Club 99 chum. (distributed by German News Co.) quintet). Danzi Quintet. aBrahms: Violin Concerto. Perlman; CM- Jeffrey Solow: Romantic Cello (works by cago SO, Giulini. Offenbach: Operetta excerpts. Recordings Tchaikovsky, Weber, et al.). With Steven- 0 Bruckner Symphony No. 9. Chicago SO, by Hahn, Bjoerling, Berthon, Nash, Ar- son. Giulini. noult, Musy, Vix, Printemps, Cernay, et al.

28 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE It's time for everybody else to startplaying catch-up. Again. Front the very beginning, experts have acclaimed the expensive receiver. You'll discover that nobody but performance and feature innovations of Yamaha receivers Yamaha gives you our incredibly low 0.05% distortion as nothing less than spectacular. and -92dB phono S/N ratio(from moving magnet But now, we've outdone ourselves. phono input to speaker output). Yamaha is introducing a new line of receivers with such You'll also discover that nobody else starts out with unprecedented performance, it's already changing the such a variety of unique features. Independent Input and course of audio history. Output Selectors that let you record one source while Real Life Rated?" While traditional laboratory measure- listening to another. A Signal Quality Meter that indicates ments provide a good relative indication of receiver both signal strength and multipath. The extra conven- performance, they simply don't tell you how a receiver ience of Twin Headphone Jacks. Or the accurate tonal will sound in your living room in actual operation. So balance provided at all listening levels by Yamaha's special Yamaha developed a new standard for evaluating overall Variable Loudness Control. receiver performance under real life conditions. It's More flexibility.It's consistent with Yamaha's called Noise -Distortion Clearance Range (NDCR). design philosophy that you'll find the same low distor- No other manufacturer specifies anything like it, because tion throughout our new receiver line. Of course, as no other manufacturer can measure up to it. you look at Yamaha's more expensive models, it's only We connect our test equipment to the phono input and logical that you'll find the additional flexibility of more speaker output terminals, so we can measure the per- power, more functions, and more exclusive Yamaha formance of the entire receiver, not just individual com- features. ponent sections like others do. We set the volume control For example, there's a sophisticated tuner, with unique at -20dB, a level you're more likely to listen to than full negative feedback and pilot signal cancellation circuits volume. We measure noise and distortion together, the (patents pending), that makes FM reception up to 18kHz way you hear them. possible for the first time on a receiver. Plus other refine- On each of our new receivers, Yamaha's Noise - ments like a Built -In Moving Coil Head Amp, Fast -Rise/ Distortion Clearance Range assures no more than a mere Slow -Decay Power Meters, and Yamaha's own Optimum 0.1% combined noise and distortion from 20Hz to 20kHz Tuning System. at any power output from 1/10th watt to full -rated power. Now's the time to eive us a listen. Our new receiver Four receivers, one standard. On each of our four new line is another example of the technical innovation and receivers, Yamaha reduces both THD and IM distortion product integrity that is uniquely Yamaha. And your to new lows-a mere 0.05% from 20Hz to 20kHz into Yamaha Audio Specialty Dealer is an example of uncom- 8 ohms. This is the kind of performance that's hard to mon dedication to faithful musicreproduction and genu- come by in even the finest separate components. But it's ine customer service. It's time you heard them both. a single standard of quality that you'll If your Yamaha Audio Specialty find in each and every new Yamaha re- Dealer is not listed in the local Yellow ceiver. From our CR-620 and CR-820 Pages, just drop us a line. up to our CR-1020 and CR-2020. What's more, we challenge you to compare the performance and fea- YAMAHA tures of our least expensive model, the Audio Division, P.O.Ps, Park. CA 40622 CR-620, with anybody else's most K1977 YAMAHA INTERNATIONAL CORP

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SEP I EMBER 1977 29 Germaine Cernay: Recital. Arias by Nardini, Leclair, Vivaldi). L.A. PO. G Schumann: Symphonic Etudes; Abegg Ganne, Massenet, Faure, Debussy, Lalo. Pinchas Zukerman: Violin Encores. Variations; Romances, Op. 28. Collard. Delibes; duets by Bach; songs by Berlioz. GI Scriabin: Piano Sonatas (10). Block. COLUMBIA/MELODIYA Leroux. Saint -Satins. Consortium Recordings Glinka: Russian and Ludmila. Soloists: Bol- Columbia shoi, Kondrashin. LAUREL Q Berg: Lulu Suite; Der Wein. J. Norman; N.Y. Rimsky-Korsakov: Snow Maiden. Soloists; Bernstein, C.H.: Israeli Rhapsody. Nakura. PSO, Boulez. Bolshoi, Svetlanov. String Trio. Nakura, Thomas, Brennand. Q Berlioz: Harold in Italy. Zukerman; 0 de Shostakovich: The Nose. Soloists; Moscow Bernstein, C.H.: Rhapsodic Outline and Paris, Barenboim. Chamber Opera, Rozhdestvensky. Drawings; Three Virtuoso Pieces for Cello. Berlioz: Nuits 'fete; Mort de Cleopotre. Min- Tchaikovsky: Manta. Sorokina, Arkhipova, Brennand. ton, Burrows; BBC SO. Boulez. Atlantov, Mazurok, Nesterenko; Bolshoi, Bernstein, C.H.: String Quartets Nos. 1-2. Los Borodin: Symphonies (3) et al. Toronto SO, A. Ermler. Angeles Qt. Davis. Boris Shtokolov: Recital. Tufts: Viola Sonata and Suite. McInnes, Siki. OBrahms: German Requiem; Alto Rhapsody. Western Arts Trio, Vol. 2. Piano trios by Cotrubas, Prey, Minton; New Philhar- Composers Recordings, Baker, Muczynski, Williamson. monia 0, Maazel. Inc. (CRI) Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur. Scotto, Obraz- Argento: Six Elizabethan Songs. B. Martin; LAUREL-PROTONE tsova, Domingo, Milne% Levine. Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Weis- American Flute Works (by Copland, Dello Copland: Symphony No. 3. New Philhar- berg. Moryl: Das Lied. Joio, Muczynski, Piston). Padorr, Swear- monia 0, Copland. Cooper: String Quartet No. 5. Shepherd Qt. engin. GI Donizetti: L'Elisir d'amore. Cotrubas, Do- Milburn: String Quartet. Concord Qt. 20th -Century Cello (works by Nin, Ponce, mingo, Wixell, Evans; Covent Garden, Cassado. et al.). Munguia, Hrynkiv, Bond. Pritchard. Fine: Choral Works. Gregg Smith Singer, 121 Durufle: Requiem. Te Kanawa, Nimsgern; Smith. GSC RECORDINGS New Philharmonia 0, A. Davis. Lerdahl: Eros. B. Morgan (ms); Robison, Nick- renz. Lindquist, Fitz, Gottlieb. Guiazda, Sa- Paul Hindemith Anthology, Vols. 6-11: Faure: Requiem. Te Kanawa, Prey; A. Davis. lerni: G. Schwarz, cond. Dogger: Ab- Vol.6. Double -Bass Sonata. Karr. Lewis. Gershwin: Broadway Overtures. Buffalo PO, Pieces for Five Instruments. Spear, McNab, Thomas. wesenheiten and Wiedersehen;Inter- mezzi. (Naumburg Recording Award.) Baker, Neidlinger, Carno. 1922 Suite for Pi- Handel: Rinaldo. Cotrubas, Watkinson, Sco- Matthews: Letters from Home. Center for ano. Carno. votti, Esswood, Brett, Cold; Grande Ecurie, New Music Group (Iowa), Dixon. Field Vol. 7. Das Marienleben (original version). Malgoire. Bonini, Dahl. Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 20. Juilliard Qt. Guide. Tape. Zupko: Fixations. Sollberger, cond. PlazasI.Tape. (ACA Recording Vol. 8. Trombone Sonata. Peebles, Carno. Hindemith: Das Marienleben. Roslak, Gould. Award winners.) Oboe Sonata. Ellis, Carno. Korngold: Violanta. Schroeder-Feinen,Je- Sims: Elegie. Charlston; Boston Musica Viva, Vols. 9-11. String Quartets Nos. 3-4, Nos. 1-2, rusalem, Wixell; Bavarian RSO, Janowski. Nos. 5-6. Los Angeles Qt. Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 9, 21. Perahia; Pittman. String Quartet No. 2. Boston Mu- English CO. sica Viva, Pittman. CRD Mozart: Serenades, Marches. English CO, Street: String Quartet. Concord Qt. Lazarof: (distributed by HNH Records) Zukerman. Cadence V. Galway; tape. Rush: Quartet in Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 28, 29. Vienna CO, C sharp minor. San Francisco Contempo- Beethoven: Clarinet Trio, Op. 11. Nash En- Entremont. rary Music Players. semble. Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 2,4. Stern; Trythall: Variations on a Theme by Haydn. Brahms: String Sextet No. 2. Alberni Qt, Best, English CO, Schneider. Dorian Quintet. Salute to the Fifties. Tape. Welsh. CI Puccini: Edgar. Scotto, Bergonzi, Kill- Hudson: Sonare. Dunkel, Schulte, Oppens, Granados: Piano Works, Vol. 7 (completion of ebrew, Sardinero; Opera 0 of N.Y., Queler. Passaro, Flax; Shulman. cond. McClellan: series). Rajna. al Puccini:II Tabarro. Scotto, Domingo, Music of the Spheres; Processional. Tape. Grieg: Holberg Suite. Sibelius: Rakastava; Wixell; New Philharmonia 0, Maazel. Wernick: Hai -Ku. Pilgrim (s); U. of Chicago Suite mignonne; Canzonetta. Scottish Ba- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3. Berman; Contemporary Chamber Players, Wernick. roque Ensemble, L. Friedman. London SO. Abbado. Moonsongs. Pilgrim. Boros: Anecdote of Hummel: Septet. Op. 74. Berwald: Septet. Rachmaninoff: Piano Works, Vol. 5. R. La- the Jar. Brandeis U. Chorus, Olesen. Wed- Nash Ensemble. redo. ding Music. M. Boykan, piano. Yet Once Medtner: Piano Works. Milne (two discs). Ravel: Bolero; Alborado del gracioso; et al. 0 Again. C. Boykan, flute. Mozart: Serenades, K. 239, 525; Symphony No. National de France, Bernstein. COUPLINGS TO BE DETERMINED: 29. New London Soloists Ensemble, R. Ruggles:CompleteWorks.BuffaloPO, Thomas. Thomas. Dlugoszewski: Tender Theatre Flight Na- Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3,4.R. Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3. Chaus- giere. G. Schwarz, cond. Thomas; New London Soloists Ensemble. son: Poeme. Stern; 0 de Paris, Barenboim. Hutcheson: Fantaisie-Impromptu. L. Burge, Shostakovich: Piano Quintet. Britten: String Schumann: Symphonic Etudes: Papillons. Pe- piano. Quartet No. 1. Benson, Alberni Qt. rahia. Lewis. R.H.: Nuances II. Royal PO, Lewis. Vivaldi: Cello Concerto; Flute Concerto. Eng- Sibelius: Piano Works. Gould. Perle: String Quartet No. 7. N.Y. Qt. lish Concert, Pinnock. GI Sibelius: Symphony No. 1; Swan of Tuo- Vivaldi: Concerti Grossi, Op. 8, Nos. 5-12. nela. National PO, Stokowski. Connoisseur Society English Concert, Pinnock. GI Strauss, R.: Ein Heldenleben. Cleveland 0, Bartok: Mikrokosmos (complete). Solchany. Baroque Orchestral Works (by Albinoni, Maazel. GI Bartok: Piano Works. Beroff. Lully, Pachelbel, Barsanti, Roman). Scot- Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms. Poulenc: GI Beethoven: Violin Sonatas (10).Wilko- tish Baroque Ensemble, L. Friedman. Gloria. London SO, N.Y. PSO, Bernstein. mirska, Barbosa. English Harpsichord Music, 16th Century. Tchaikovsky: Aurora's Wedding. National Chausson: Symphony. 0 du Capitole (Tou- Pinnock. PO, Stokowski. louse), Plasson. English Harpsichord Music, 17th -18th Cen- Telemann: Suite for Flute and Strings. GI Chopin: Mazurkas (complete). Barbosa. turies. Pinnock. Rampal; Stern. Chopin: Piano Concerto No. I. Cziffra; Cziffra G Varese: Arcana; Ionisation; Ameriques. Jr., cond. Crystal N.Y. PSO, Boulez. GI Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2-3. Weissen- Nilovic: Double Concerto; Suite balkanique. Carlo Bergonzi: Italian Song Recital. berg. Paris Trombone Ensemble. Lazar Berman: Piano Encores. GI Grainger: Original Works and Transcrip- Camerata /Canada. Works by Fanny Men- E. Power Biggs Memorial Album. tions for Two Pianos. R. and J. Contiguglia. delssohn, Saint -Satins, Paganini-Taussig. Greatest Hits of 1720 (by Albinoni. Bach, GI Grieg: Piano Works. Laval. Mario Guarneri and David Breidenthal: Campra, Corelli, Handel, Pachelbel). Phil- Haydn: Piano Sonatas (3). Weissenberg. Trumpet/Bassoon Recital. Works by Hin- harmonia Virtuosi of N.Y., Kapp. CI Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition. demith, Chihara (written especially for this Mormon Tabernacle Choir: White Christmas. Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2. Weiss- recording), Wolpe. GI Preservation Hall Jazz Band. enberg. David Hickman: Trumpet Recital. Works by Gerard Schwarz: Cornet Solos. New England Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos (4); Page- Stevens. Presser. Britten, Bennett. Conservatory 0, Schuller. nini Rhapsody. Collard; 0 du Capitole Metropolitan Brass Quintet. Works by Ga- Frederica von Stade: Early Italian Arias. (Toulouse), Plasson. briel Liadov-Glazunov, Maurer. A. Harris, Waverly Consort: Medieval, Renaissance, G Schumann: Bunte Bliitter. Block. Horovitz. and Baroque Christmas Music. CB Schumann: Humoreske: Fantasia inC. Brian Minor: Saxophone Recital. Works by Pinchas Zukerman: Violin Concertos (by Beroff. Persichetti, Lunde, et al.

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0« att oet ED SCOTT The Scott R 376 AM/FM Stereo Receiver Warranty Identification Card is our top of the line. It delivers all the power and performance you'll ever need to enjoy records, tapes and Warranty Number: 101102 broadcasts. Now and tomorrow. mic Model:R 376 RECEIVER The Scott R 376 provides a full 75 watts minimum continuous RMS Serial Number: 304 7832/662 1745 power output per channel. Power enough to drive even low efficiency speakers Expiration Date: Sept ember 15, 1980 to room -filling volume. Both channels are driven into 8 ohms from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with an incredibly low 0.1% total harmonic distortion. Scott's unique, gold warranty card. The Scott R 376 has every performance feature you'll ever need, too. Separate Individualized with your warranty, model and serial numbers, and expiration date. Scott's fully channel bass, treble and midrange controls allow you to adjust response to best transferable, three-year parts and labor -limited match your speaker locations, room acoustics and listening taste. Dual tape moni- warranty is your assurance of lasting enjoyment. tors allow you to operate two tape machines simultaneously. You can record live IM distortion (lower than 0.1% I. performances or even copy tape -to -tape while another source is playing. Provides cleaner sound and eliminates listening fatigue. For three decades, Scott has been satisfying the needs of discerning listeners Individual low and high filters. Minimizes turntable rumble, tape hiss, record and with the very finest in high fidelity. Today, the R 376, like every Scott receiver, broadcast noise. continues this tradition of excellence. Center channel and signal strength tuning meters Provides precise tuning and indicates optimum For specifications on our complete line of audio components, contact your signai strength. nearest Scott dealer, or write H.H. Scott, Inc. Corporate Headquarters, 20 Com- Phase locked loop multiplex section. Maintains superior stereo separation. merce Way, Woburn, MA 01801. In Canada: Paco Electronics, Ltd., Quebec. Three position FM de -emphasis switch. Peim:ts proper reception of domestic, Dolbyized' or European broadcasts. rFLIER -1 FM Muting. low hkIP, Silences interstation hiss and prevents the ow le off receiver from picking up weak stations. Loudness switch. Boosts treble and bass at low volume levels. (1)rn Log -linear volume control with detents. 9.9.9 Spreads out the volume levels over a greater a Al a portion of the knob rotation to provide finer control at low to moderate listening levels. Separate bass, treble and Signal strength and Ind is idual high and lov, tillers 'Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories midrange controls center channel tuning meter, SCOTT The Name to listen to. Receivers/ Tuners / Amplf lersTurntables / Speakers/Cassette Decks CIRCLE 38 ON READER SERVICE CARD Sansui establishes of excellence: The widest frequencyresponse of any

The c can and extremely pure tonal q JJ rty =or _inc.clored phonc reproaLctia-t.equaliza-ion is af he new Sansui AU -717 and AU -517 DC integrated within = 0 2dB (20-20 DOO Hz. ezten:ed RIAP curve . cmplifiets is distinctly superio- to that of all otter the cc ib-ated-attenjator vo time zontrol adds amplifiers available today. Stereo perspective s another ,-.-.recision caaabilit' -c hese professional spacious, musical presence s strong and dis-ort on quality amplifiers. has been v rually eliminatec. Sansui has achieved this The ample power of he and AU -517 lets audible excellence by sophisticated researct and v'ou fill your listening room with the outstanding precision engineering. When you listen to the new -rusiccl cuality that tne ampl fie's provide. 85 watts Sansui amp' fiers and tuners, you will know that the and 65 watts per channel, res.p.ectrvely, min RMS both most excellent specifications and the most aavanced charnels driven into .3 ohms tom 20-20,000-tz with no cesign dc, in tact, produce the most pleasing anc more than 0.025% THD. accurate musical reproduction The matching -U-717 -uner is designed to fuly Here's why. *Frequency response of the main complerrent the ach evements of these amplifiers. amplifier section of the AU -717 and AU -517 is f1CM Dual IF bandwidth lets you sect for lowest distortion zero Hz to 200kHz (+0.0dB, -3.0dB). This ensues sharp, :C 07% mono, 0.09% stereo) or for riaximum selectivity dean trar sients and greatly reduces the prob ems of 80dE).gnal-to-noise ratio s excel ent. 80c13 mono, phase shifts. Audible distortion has been virtue Ily 77cBste-eo. eliminated by reducing total harmonic distortion to an in addition to their outstar ding musical astoundngly low 0.025%. capabilities, these new Sansui .-rcl=hed separates are Dual independent power supplies permit trLest elegantly styled with rock mounting adapters to be stereo separation and provide a large power reservoir. pleasing to the eye. And they are r-vost attractively piicecL The AU -717 and AU -517 are less thar $450 anc 53701-, respectively. TU-717, esthan S320 t. Look tor trem of your franchised Sansu cealer today.

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So if you're looking for a timer function so you can best buy in a top -load- plug in an external A -170S ing deck for less than timer and record when $200, ** your choice is you're away from home. We couldn't leave well simple; TEAC A -170S. And for you front -load- enough alone. So when ing fans, the TEAC "best So whether you like your the A-170 was rated a SPECIFICATIONS bliy" deck comes that deck up like the A -170S, Wow & Flutter (NAB Weig "best buy" we made it 0.09% WRMS way, too. or up front like the A-100, even better. Now it's the we have a best buy for A -170S. Signal-to-noise ratio: Without Dolby The A-100, also you; one of the unidenti- 50 dB (VVTD 3% THD) less than $200,**boasts cal twins from the TEAC It's easy to understand With Dolby@ 1 kHz fine family of 55 dB the same features and what makes it a best With Dolby over 5 kHz specs as the A -170S; the tape decks. buy; if it were our only 60 dB same precise transport deck, the A -170S would Frequency response: system; same capstan cost much more. In- Cr02/FeCr tape driveshaft, ground to a TEAC. stead, we were able to 30-14,000 Hz The leader. Always has been. Hi -energy tolerance of one micron take advantage of the 30-11, or less. You can still TEAC Corporation of America same technology and change from fast for- 7733 Telegraph Road 'Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Montebello, California 90640 computerized equip- Laboratories, Inc. ward to rewind without InCanada TEAC is distributed by White I lectronic Development Corporation ment we use in making "Nationally advertised value. A h:tting the STOP button. (1966) l tual resale prices will be ceter- decks that cost three times mined individually and a- the sole There's even a special as much as the A -170S. discretion of authorized TEAC Which means the differ- dealers. ence between our low- The A -I00 is shown with an op- est priced deck and our tional simulated wood cabinet. -414 '\\ 1111b, heavy duty decks is fea- \ tures, and not tolerances. And speaking of heavy duty, the A -170S even has

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If Mel Warner: Clarinet Recital. Works by We - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 4; Pogo- once. her. Spohr, W. 0. Smith. nini Rhapsody. Vasary: London SO. Ara- Sarah Webster Fabio: Together. Poems "to novich. the tune of Coltrane's 'Equinox.' " Delos Schumann: Symphonies (4). Chicago SO. Folk Music of Kenya and Ethiopia, Vol. 5. Barenboim. French African Poems. Read by Paul Mankin. Delius: Hassan (incidental music). Soloists: Tchaikovsky: Queen of Spades. Vish- Frontier and Cowboy Songs. Reed. English Sinfonia 0. nevskaya, H. Schwarz, Resnik, Popp, Funky Doodle. "A lively and unorthodox ap- Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite. C. Porter: Gougaloff. Weikl; 0 National de France. proach to country dancing." Within the Quota et al. Bennett, Bradshaw. Rost ropo v i ch. Carhss Lamont: Old Favorites from Ameri- Gruneward. Langlais: Organ Works. Britton. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5. Boston SO, can Musicals. Hindemith: Four Temperaments: Nobilissima Ozawa. John Masefield. Reading his poetry. Visione. Rosenberger: Royal PO. De Preist. Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto. Chicago Mountain Dulcimer Instrumental Album. Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au blither. Chaney. SO, Barenboim. Roth. Cuny: Nice PO. J. -M. Cochereau. Verdi: Simon Boccanegra. Cappuccilli. Freni. Sacred and Profane Music of the Ika (Co- Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition el al. Carreras, Ghiaurov. Van Dam; La Scala, lombia). Browning. Abbado. Sacred Guitar and Violin Music of the Mod- Schumann: Organ Works (complete). Le- American Choral Works. Tanglewood Festi- ern Aztecs. febvre. val Chorus. Oliver. Songs, Rhythms, and Chants for the Dance Szymanowski: Piano Works, Vol. 3.Ros- (two discs). enberger. Sweet Thunder. Poems by Nancy Dupree. Szymanowski: Symphonic concertante. Everest Rosenberger: Royal PO, De Preist. Bach: Keyboard Concertos (2). Richter, Ve- Fredonia Vierne: Symphonies for Organ (6). Coche- dernikov: Moscow CO, Barshai. reau. Bach: Violin Concerto in E; Two -Violin La Montaine: Conversations for Violin and Walton: Facade. Soloists: City of Birming- Concerto. D. and I. Oistrakh; Moscow CO, Piano. Chicago Duo. ham SO. Barshai. La Montaine: Flute Works. Dwyer. Pierre Cochereau: Organ Improvisations. Bach family: Flute Duets. Rampal, Baron, La Montaine: Incantation for Jazz Bond. East- Malcolm Hamilton: Dances for Harpsichord. Fuller. man Jazz Ensemble, Wright. Sunday Service at Notre Dame. Beethoven: Young Prometheus. CBC Festival La Montaine: Nine Lessons of Christmas. Virtuoso Plays the Theremin. Rochmore, 0. Brott. Soloists, chorus, harp, percussion. Re isen berg. Gilbert and Sullivan: Mikado. Troxell, La Montaine: Piano Works. Green. Pease: N.W. German RSO. Korn La Montaine: Recitative, Aria, and Finale for Desmar (one disc). Strings; Colloquy for Strings.

Lipatti: Concertino; Sonatina. Enesco: Vio- La Montaine: Viola Works. Charpentier, M.A.: Midnight Mass. Boston lin Sonatas Nos. 2. 3. Lipatti, Enesco. La Montaine: Wonder Tidings. Soloists, Camerata, Cohen. Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4.Kreisler; chorus, harp. percussion. Chopin: Cello/Piano Works (complete). N. London SO, Ronald. Bach: Two -Violin Sifter: Seven Last Words of Christ. Organ. Rosen. D. Stevenson. Concerto. Kreisler. Zimbalist, et al. Sifter. La Montaine: Marimba Works. Frescobaldi: Toccatas and Capriccios. Party, Schubert: Symphonies Nos.5,8. Georges Sifler, La Montaine: Teaching Pieces for Bud- harpsichord and spinettino (instruments Enesco SO (Romania). Barbirolli. ding Pianists. from the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings (plus Haydn, Schoenberg: String Trios. Los Angeles works by Vivaldi. Britten). Solisti di Zagreb. Golden Crest String Trio. Vaughan Williams: Wasps Overture; Old Paul Brodie: Unaccompanied Alto and So- Schumann: Cello/Piano Works (complete). King Cole. Vaughan Williams. On Wen - N. Rosen. D. Stevenson. prano Saxophone. !alias Baker: Flute Recital (works by Pou- lock Edge. Elwes. Paul Brodie Saxophone Quartet: Tour de Wagner: Ring excerpts. Flagstad; La Scala, Force. lenc, Dutilleux, Reinecke). With Vallecillo. Furtwangler. German Music of the Middle Ages and Ren- Frances Cole: Harpsichord for the People. Aldo Ciccolini: French Romantic Piano Fight Songs of the South. U. of Tennessee Vol- aissance. Boston Camerata, Cohen. Works. By Franck, Debussy, Chabrier. Masterpieces of the High Baroque (by Tele- unteer Band, Julian. lean -Pierre Rampal: 18th -Century French Fun with Recorders. Hammond. mann. Leclair, Handel, Boismortier). Aulos Flute Sonatas. With Veyron-Lacroix. Ensemble. Donal Knaub: Bass -Trombone Recital. With Jean-Pierre Rampal and Rene Bartoli: The Snyder. Roots of American Music. Boston Camerata, Art of Flute and Guitar. Cohen. Rohert Levy: Trumpet Recital. Stokowski String Sound (works by Vaughan Paul Robeson: American Balladeer. Memphis Nighthawks: A Hot Skiffle Band. Williams, Purcell-Stokowski. Dvotak). Maria Livia Soo Marcos: Works for Guitar Music of Fisher Tull -Sam Houston Band. Royal PO. and Strings (by Vivaldi, Kohaut. Brouwer. Mills. cond. Richard Stoltzman: Clarinet Recital (works Martin). Solisti di Zagreb. Paul Price Percussion Ensemble. by Saint -Sans, Honegger, Poulenc, De- Sousa Band in Concert. Eugene Rousseau Saxophone Quartet. With bussy). With Vallecillo. Leopold Stokowski: Painter of Orchestral McCoy. trumpet. Benito Valente: Lieder Recital (songs by Mo- Colors (works by Chopin. R. Strauss, Wag- U. of Illinois Jazz Band: World of jazz. Vol. 1. ner) Houston SO. Garvey. leader. zart. Schubert, Brahms, Wolf). With Goode. Finnadar Grenadine Records Note: Desmar releases will be pressed by Tel- Miaskovsky: Cello Sonatas (2). Hanani. Caatelnuovo-Tedesco: Clarinet Sonata. Col - dec in Germany and imported, to insure the Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 7. Biret (di- highest quality of sound. grass: Rhapsody. Ludewig-Verdehr. rect -to -disc recording). Jergenson: Requiem for a City; Tanka Pieces. Electronic Music for Dance. Works by Arel, Gregg Smith Singers. Deutsche Grammophon Semegen. Kay: Five Portraits for Violin and Piano. Piano Music of Beiderbecke. Ellington. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos. L.A. PO mem- Baker: (new work). Ricci. Gershwin. . P. Johnson. Werner. Naiera: Secundum Lucam. Gregg Smith Sing- bers, Zukerman. BartOk: Music for Strings. Percussion, and Ce- Folkways ers. lesta; Miraculous Mandarin Suite. Boston Rochberg: Carnival Music. Starer: Evanes- cents. Siegmeister: Theme and Variations SO, Ozawa. Jeff Ampotsk: God, Guts & Guns. Bartok: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2. Pollini; Black American History in Ballad, Song, and No. 2. A. Mandel. Saticedo: Run I.X. Kramer: Renascence. Hor- Chicago SO, Abbado. Prose. Bartok: String Quartets Nos. 2. 6. Tokyo Qt. Cajun Fiddle Tunes. vit: AntiphonII.Rehfeldt. clarinet and Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 27-32. Pollini. Cajun Social Music, Vol. 2. tape. Richard Carlin: In Come a Bumblebee. Tradi- Schickele: Cantata-The Lowest Trees Have Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 12-16. La- Tops. jolles: Songs from Wadsworth. Salle Qt. tional songs and tunes on English concer- Brahms: Symphony No. 1. Boston SO. Ozawa. tina. Mamlok: Haiku. Jubal Trio. Bruckner: Symphony No. 9. Berlin PO, Kara - Alastair Clayre: Adam and the Beast. Con- Schubert: Male Choruses (4): Mirjams Sieg- esgesang. Gregg Smith Singers. Ian. temporary songs from England. Dvotak: Stabat Mater. Mathis. Reynolds, Gina Clemmens: We All Have a Song. Siegmeister: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1. 5. N. Man- Ochman, Shirley -Quirk: Bavarian Radio. Ruby Dee: Accomplishment of Mack Women. del. Singer. A.: Piano Works. ). and K. Wentworth. Kubelik. Dred Scott Decision. Frederick Douglass Liszt: Annees de pelerinage (complete). Ber- speeches read by Ossie Davis. George Bennette: American Romantic Piano Works. By MacDowell, Foote, Mason. man. Ebeneezer Electronic. Retelling of Dickens' Liszt: Faust Symphony. Riegel: Boston SO. "A Christmas Carol." University of Redlands Faculty Woodwind Bernstein. England's Vietnam: Irish Songs of Resist - Quintet. Works by Moore. Childs. et al.

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tonen'cle The Marantz 2500 handles tremendous Professional Amplifier. All this power is power effortlessly. Its Toroidal Power generated by virtually the most sophis- Transformer has been especially ticated amplifier section on the market designed to give you two independent today: a full complementary symmetry power supply sections, allowing each direct -coupled output. Even more, it channel to perform at maximum effi- utilizes a quadruple -paralleled transis- ciency and remain unaf- tor array-a design never fected by the power 1, before incorporated into a demands of the other chan- receiver. The result is the high- nel. The super -efficient tun- est possible day -in, day -out

nel "pin -fin" heat sink operating reliability and the design was originallydevel- lowest Total Harmonic Distor- oped for the Marantz 510M tion: no more than 0.05%. Built-in oscilloscope 5 -gang FM tuning capacitor and a Marantz "first" and the most precise signal dual -gate MOS FET FM front end display device ever developed. ensure superior linearity and rejection of Plug-in optional Dolby** spurious signals with an IHF usable sensitivity of '1.5 microvolts and a 50 dB "quieting sensi- FM Noise Reduction Circuitry tivity" figure in stereo of 25 microvolts-the assures you the lowest noise possible with FM finest such specification ever obtained in a reception. Works in tandem with a 25 micro- receiver-or even a separate tuner. The quieting second de -emphasis circuit for proper recep- slope measures signal-to-noise performance tion of Dolby FM, the new generation in stereo under actual operating conditions. The graph broadcasting. shows complete stereo and mono quieting 18 dB per octave specifications for the Model 2500. Bessel-derived high filter a superior linear phase filter design-the most 20 advanced in audio. It reduces high frequency \ Mow MARANTZ noise-and does the job with a more natural, 944t4o - 2500 less colored sound because it eliminates the QUIETING sr 0° overshoot and "ringing" common to otherfilters. SLOPE 18 dB per octave 15 Hz sub -sonic Butterworth low filter 70 ro cuts sub -sonic transients and rumble that robs 10 20 30 40 SO 60651 70 90 90 561 II 7i .551 117i 45i 0731 660,I DOM you of the amplifier power vital for accurate 01PU1 001.16GE IN de PAREN1119599, reproduction of low -frequency signals. The Butterworth low filter assures that all your power And the incredible Marantz 2500 also gives you: is used to reproduce only actual program ma- Six tone controls -3 for each channel. Select- terial. Not wasted on unwanted noise or rumble. able frequency turnover points. Independent tape copy facility. Phase -locked loop. Linear 2 LED peak power indicators phase IF filters. LED function indicators. Gyro - continuously monitor the amplifier section and touch tuning. And much, much more. In virtually instantly let you know when transients are every area of performance, the Marantz 2500 driving the amplifier to full output. exceeds any other receiver on the market today.

c 197 7 Marantz Co.. Inc.. a subsidiary of Super 'Total Harmonic Distortion "TM Dolby Labs. Inc We sound better. Not everyone can afford the Marantz 2500, bul those who can will possess the world's most outstanding stereo receiver. The Marantz 2500 is our most significant achievement to date. The first and only stereo receiver to harness such tremendous power. And yei the size and weight is sc practical it fits conveniently onto shelves or into cabinets. The Marantz 2500 offers the most impressive performance feature package and specs ever engineered into one stereo receiver.

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tone,node Jean and Kenneth Wentworth: Four -Hand Pi- Mozart: Horn Quintet; Clarinet Quintet. Tar- Tchaikovsky: Manfred. New Philharmonia O. ano Works. By Persichetti. Starer, Mayer. Orli. B. Kovacs. Kochily Qt. Ashkenazy. Paganini: Violin Concerto No. I. Chausson: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake. National PO, Bon- HNH Records Poem°. !Mint: Budapest SO. Lehel. ynge. Scheidt: Tabulatura nova excerpts. A. Hor- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6. Chicago SO. Alwyn: Symphony No. 2; Sin fon ietta. London vath. SoIli. PO. Alwyn. Schumann: Intermezzos, Op.4;Fantasie- Tchaikovsky:ViolinConcerto;Valse- Bax: Orchestral Works. London PO. Boult. stiicke, Op. 12. Rohmann. Scherzo. Belkin: New Philharmonia 0, Bax, Hoist, Moeran: Orchestral Works. Lon- Strauss. J.: Eine Nacht in Venedig (in Ger- Ashkenazy. don PO, Boult. man). Walton: Belshazzar's Feast. London PO. Berkeley: Symphony No. 1; Two -Piano Con- Contemporary Choral Works for Women (by Solti. certo. Beckett. McDonald; London PO, Del Bardos, Lang, Petrovics. Jeney). Kodaly Mar. Girls' Choir. I. Andor. Note: Release lists for the London import labels (Argo, Oiseau-Lyre, Telefunken) and Cooke: Symphony No. 3; Jabez and the Devil Musica Mundane (six discs). for London Treasury were not available at Suite. London PO, Braithwaite. Singing Youth, 1975. Works by Morley. Brit- Dufay: Missa Caput. Clemencic Consort. ten. Kocily. Bardos, et al. presst ime. Dufay: Misso Ecce ancilla. Clemencic Con- 20th -Century Choral Works (by Messiaen. sort. Milhaud. Hindemith, Schmitt). Sass: Acad- Louisville First Edition Finzi: Nocturne; Fall of Leaf; Introit; Prelude. emy Chamber Chorus. Parkai. Balada: Homage to Surma le. Mester. Friend; London PO. Boult. Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard. Mester. Marcello: Recorder Sonatas (12). Clemencic International Piano Dorati: Cello Concerto. Starker; Mester. Consort (three discs). Archives Druckman: Lamle. DeGaetani: Mester. Monteverdi: Madrigals. Clemencic Consort. Galindo: Symphony No. 2. Mester. Morgan: Violin Concerto; Contrasts. Gruen - Jose( Hofmann: Complete Brunswick Recordings. Johnson, H.: Past the Evening Sun. Mester. berg; Royal PO. Handley. McLean: Variations and Mosaics on a Theme Mozart: Divertimentos, K. 136-38; Symphony Josef Hofmann: Golden Jubilee Concert, 11/28/37 (works by Brahms, Rubinstein. of Stravinsky. Mester. No. 13. English CO, Lopez-Cobos. Nin: Diferencias. Mester. Obrecht: Missa Fortuna desperate. Clemen- Chopin, Hofmann, Mendelssohn. Rach- maninoff, Moszkowski). With Curtis Stu- Ranki: King Pomade's New Clothes Suite. cic Consort. Mester. Ockeghem: Requiem. Clemencic Consort. dent O. Reiner. Nina Koshetz: Russian Romances. By Stokes: Continental Harp and Band Report. Pettersson: Vox Humana. MelInas. Rodin. Al- D. R. Davies. exandersson, E. Hagegfird; Swedish Radio, Rachmaninoff. Tchaikovsky, et al. Villa -Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras No.4. Westerberg. Landmarks of Recorded Pianism, Vol.I. Recordings by Brahms. Eibenschiitz, Grieg. Mester. Purcell: Catches: Luudate Ceciliam; If ever I Welcher: Dervishes: Ritual Dance -Scene for more riches did desire. Deller Consort. Saint -Satins, Debussy, Friedheim, Grain- Purcell: Indian Queen; Timon of Athens. ger. Hofmann. Michalowski. Pachmann. Full Orchestra. Mester. Paderewski. Godowsky, Lhevinne. (Couplings to be determined; all feature the Deller Consort. Louisville Orchestra.) Rubhra: Symphony No. 2; Festival Overture. Rosita Renard: Carnegie Hall Recital, New Philharmonia 0. Handley. 1/19/49. Works by Bach, Mozart. Men- Lyrichord Sallinen: Symphonies Nos. 1,3. Finnish RSO. delssohn. Chopin. Ravel, Debussy. Kamu. Choreli. Helsinki PO, Berglund. David Saperton. Complete Chopin etudes. Messiaen: Choral Works. Vol. 5. Krigbaum. Scott: Piano Concerto No. 1. Ogdon: London Godowsky studies on Chopin etudes. J. Sowerhy: Symphony for Organ. Mulberry. PO, Herrmann. Strauss-Godowsky metamorphoses. Bert Lucarelli: Sweet Oboe. Cantiges de Santa Maria. Vols. 1-2. Clemen- Note: All releases are newly mastered, with South American Baroque Composers. Pro cic Consort. sound substantially improved over previ- Musica de Rosario. French Orchestral Works (by Debussy. Rous- ous issues of this material. Plus discs devoted to Jamaican reggae, cere- sel. Faure, Salle. Poulenc). English CO. Ein- monial music of Brazil. Ecuadorian curing horn. London rituals, music from Crete, ritual music of finkan Hagegeird: Lieder Recital. With Schu- Ghana. sounds of West Africa. street music back. Bartdk: Violin Concerto No. 2. Chung: London of central Java, African initiation music. Le Roman de Fauvel. Clemencic Consort. PO, Solti. African chants, central African dances. Elisabeth Soderstrtim and Kerstin Meyer: Beethoven: Missa Solemnis. Popp. Minton. Duets (by Kodaly. Tchaikovsky. Dvorak, M. Walker. Howell: Chicago SO. Solti. Mercury Golden Imports Beethoven: Piano Sonatas. Ashkenazy (con- Purcell, et al.). With Eyron. Beethoven: Symphonies (9). Royal PO. Dural i. Troubadours, Vols. 1-2. Clemencic Consort. tinuation of cycle). Beethoven:Violin Sonatas (10).Perlman, Grainger: Country Gardens. Eastman - Note: HNH Records will now he licensing for- Ashkenazy. Rochester Pops, Fennell. eign material for domestic issue rather than Berg: Lulu. Silja. Fassbaender, T. Schmidt, Herrmann: Vertigo (soundtrack). Sinfonia importing records directly. CRD and Uni- Hopferweiser, Lauhenthal, Krenn, Berry. of London, Mathieson. corn recordings (listed separately), also li- Hotter. Moll: Vienna PO. Dohnanyi. Eastman Marimba Band: Songs of the '20s censed for domestic issue by HNH, will re- Brahms: Symphonies (4). Cleveland 0. Maa- and '30s. tain the original label names. zel. Monitor Hungaroton Bruckner: 're Deum; Mass No. 2. Blegen: (distributed by Qualiton Records) Vienna PO, Mehta. 13ralns: Violin Sonatas (3): Horn Trio. S. Chopin: Piano Works. Ashkenazy (contin- Milanova, D. Milanova. Grigorov. Bach: Orchestral Suites. L. Kovacs; Liszt CO. uation of series). Chopin: Ballades et al. Olshansky. Sander. Elgar: Violin Concerto. Chung: London PO. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 17. 19. Ba- Solti. Bach: Concerto in A minor: Double Con- cher. Gilbert and Sullivan: The Gondoliers. D'Oyly certo. S. Milanova, Badev (in Bach double); Beethoven: String Trios (complete). Kovacs. Carte soloists: Royal PO, Nash. Bulgarian TVRSO, Stefanov; Sofia Soloists Nemeth. Banda. Haydn: The Creation. Popp. Dose. Hollweg, CO. Kazandjiev. Berg. Ligeti: Chamber Concertos. Kate. Szucs; Moll. Luxon: Royal PO, Dorati. Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov. Ghiuselev, Budapest Chamber Ensemble. Mihaly. Mahler: Symphony No. 5: Symphony No. 10: Damianov. Milcheva-Nonova. Tchavda- Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2; Krukowiak. Adagio. Los Angeles PO. Mehta. rov: Sofia Opera. Naydenov. FaIvan Budapest PO, Korody. Nicelai: Merry Wives of Windsor. Rid- Dohnanyi: String Quartets. Opp. 7, 15/2. Ko- derbusch. Donath, et al.: Bavarian Radio. Music Group, Inc. daly Qt. Kuhelik. Haydn: Piano Works, Vol. 3. Falvai. Szeged i. Purcell: Dido and Aeneas (ed. Britten). Baker. MUSIC MINUS ONE Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 64. Tatrai Qt. Pears. Reynolds. Palmer, Hodgson. Bur- The 750 -record MMO catalog of participation D'Indy: Symphony on a French Mountain rowes, Tear: Bedford. records (ranging from classical to contem- Air. Ravel: Piano Concerto in D. Torma: Rachmaninoff: Songs,Vol.3.Sederstrem. porary to instructional) will he expanded Budapest PO. Pal. Ashkenazy. to include sing -along records of songs in Kochily: Songs (complete). Schubert: Symphonies (8). Israel PO, Mehta. the style of Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Kurtag: Vocal Works. Sziklay. Ceti. Sz(ics. Schumann: Fantasia in C. Liszt: Sonata in B Fleetwood Mac. Mihaly. minor. Dc Larrocha. Liszt: Choral Works (continuation of series). Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10. London PO. GUITAR WORLD Liszt: Four -Hand Piano Works. Tusa, Lantos. Haitink. New releases will feature the French guitarist Lutoslawski, Petrovics: String Quartets. New Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex. Pears. Meyer. et al.: Marcel Dadi, including two all-star Nash- Budapest Qt. London PO. Solti. ville sessions with Charlie McCoy. Bill

40 CIRCLE 6 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -3. BRAIns AS WELL AS BEAUTY.

AFTER YEARS OF THINKING, ACCURATE RECORD SPEEDS, AN DESIGNING AND TESTING, BSR AUTOGLIDErm UMBRELLA SFINDLE, A PRESENTS TWO BRAND NEW IDEAS. 24 POLE MOTOR WITH ELECTRONIC TURNTABLES THAT COMBINE THE OSCILLATOR SPEED CONTROL, A BI- LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCESDIRECTIONAL VISCOUS CUEING, AN WITH SPACE-AGE STYLING. ADC INDUCED MAGNET CARTRIDGE, QUANTA. AN ALUMINUM CHANNELED TONEARM, AS WELL AS THE RELIABILITY DUST COVER, BASE AND MORE. AND CONVENIENCE YOU'VE COME TO QUANTA TURNTABLES ARE MORE EXPECT FROM EVERY BSR PRODUCT,THAN JUST EASY ON YOUR EARS. THE QUANTA 550 TURNTABLE THEY ARE FUNCTIONALLY DESIGNED INCORPORATES FUNCTIONS THAT TO PLEASE YOUR EYES, TOO. REQUIRE NOTHING MORE THAN THE QUANTA BY BSR. TOUCH OF YOUR HAND AND OF BRAINS AS WELL AS BEAUTY. COURSE THE RECORDS YOU WANT TO HEAR. WHERE YOU CAN HEAR FUNCTIONS LIKE SMOOTH, QUIET THE FUTURE TODAY BELT DRIVE, A PRESSED ALUMINUM BSR CONSUMER PLATTER WITH STROBE LIGHT B PRODUCTS GROUP MARKINGS THAT ASSURE YOU OF RT. 303, BLAUVELT, NY 10913 Keith, Buddy Spicher, et al. Smith, Bassett, Wuorinen. Martin: Preludes. Copland: Piano Variations; Roots of the Blues. Night Thoughts. Silverman. INNER CITY Songs of the American Indian. Mompou: Cantons i danses (12). Huybregts. New jazz releases will come from both Eu- Songs of the Civil War. T. Randall, Aler, A. Mozart: Songs. Corbett, Lurwick. rope and the U.S., including recordings by Baker, et al. Reger, Liszt, Thalberg: Piano Works. Trenk- David Friesen, Ted Curson, Harvie Swartz, Sound Forms for Piano (works by Cowell, ner. Jeff Lorber, and Ernie Krivda, plus a rare Cage, Johnston, Nancarrow). Miller. Respighi:II Tramonto. Vivaldi: Operatic live recording by the late Eric Dolphy. White Spirituals from the Sacred Harp. Ala- Arias. Ballinger; Virtuosi di Los Angeles, bama Sacred Harp Convention. Cajati. CLASSIC JAZZ The Wind Demon (piano works by Heinrich, Rhodes: On the Morning of Christ's Nativity. New releases "will continue to feature some Gottschalk, Bristow, et al.). I. Davis. Carleton College Chamber Singers and 0. of the great recordings in a pre -1960 feel," Wells. Mountain Songs.Bryn-Julson, including a bebop reunion with Dizzy Gil- Nonesuch Mayer. lespie, John Lewis, and Sonny Stitt; a Bach: Violin Sonatas and Partitas (6). Luca Saint-Saens, Reger: Beethoven Variations. Teddy Wilson trio; and a Dixieland series (first complete recording using baroque in- Trenkner, Pleshakov. by Jim Cullum. strument). Sarasate: Violin Works. Edinger, Puchelt. Debussy: Preludes, Books Jacobs. Schumann: Romances, Op. 94. Spohr: Songs, Muza Haydn: Piano Music, Vol. 3. Kalish. Op. 103. Mendelssohn: Songs Without (distributed by Qualiton Records) Leiber and Stoller: Cabaret Songs. Morris, Words (3). J. Russo, Cirsinski (s), L. Russo. Bolcom. Tchaikovsky: The Months. Fardink. Handel: Organ Concertos. Bucher, Grubich; Vivaldi: Violin Concertos. Kaufman, Dart; Warsaw PCO, Teutsch. Purcell: Airs and Duets. Dooley (ct); Crook (t); Brewer, Springfels, Shulman, Reed, God - Vivaldi Festival CO. burn, and Carp, instrumentalists. Armenian Art Songs. Agbabian, Guzelimian. New World Stravinsky: Music for Two Pianos and Piano Andrew Cordle: Virtuoso Bassoon. With Beach, Foote: Violin Sonatas. Silverstein, Four -Hands. Jacobs, Oppens. Schrock, Daxelhofer. Kalish. Willaert: Motets. Motet Choir of the Boston Sonia Essin (a): Recital. With A. Sandor. Buck: Haymakers, Part 2. Heinrich: Ode to Camerata, Rifkin. Thomas Harmon: Three Centuries of Ameri- Philanthropy. Carr: Ballads from Lady of Nonesuch Explorer Series: Music of Africa, can Music for Organ. the Lake. Carno; Los Angeles PO, Sim- Java, Ireland, et al. Arthur Hoberman: Flute Recital. With Stan- mons. nard. Farwell: Indian Songs, Op. 32, et al. Orem: TO BE RECORDED FALL1977: Leopold LaFosse: Violin Recital (works by American Indian Rhapsody. Cadman: Telemann: Suites, Sonatas, etc. Baron, Rose- Saint-Saens, Szymanowski, etal.). With American Indian Songs, Op. 45. Parker (b); man, Weisberg, Brewer. Simms. Huckaby, piano; New World Singers, Ravel: Chansons madecasses. DeGaetani, James Nightingale: New Music for Electric Miner. Kalish, et al. Accordion. Ford: Works for small jazz ensemble. Janacek, Dvotak, Suk: Violin/Piano Works. David Pino: Clarinet Recital. With Webb. Griffes: Songs. Milnes, Stapp, Bryn-Julson. Luca, Schonfeld. John Russo: Clarinet Recital. With L. Russo. Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan. Boston SO, Ozawa. Tone Pictures. Chamber ensemble. Odyssey Pandora Martirano: Mass. U. of Illinois, London. Mar- Beethoven: String Quartets Nos.12-16. Bach: Music for Keyboard Lute. Goldstein tino: Seven Pious Pieces. John Oliver Cho- Budapest Qt. (played on re-creation of Bach's instru- rale. Brahms: Double Concerto. Wagner: Sieg- ment). Paine: Mass in D. St. Louis SO, Schuller. Chopin, Liszt: Piano Works. Goldstein Reynolds: From Behind the Unreasoning fried Idyll. Stern, Rose; N.Y. PSO, Walter. Mozart: Requiem. Seefried, Tourel,Si- (played on a contemporary instrument). Mask. Chou Wen -Chung: Suite for Harp moneau, Warfield; N.Y. PSO, Walter. Telemann: Methodical Sonatas (12). Skowro- and Wind Quintet. Chihara: Ceremony II. Budapest Quartet: Historic Recordings nek, wooden flute (two discs). Kim: Earthlight. 1936-69. Works by Bartok, Beethoven, Contest Pieces for Flute. Murray. Riegger: Wind Quintet. Becker: The Abongo. Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, Contest Pieces for Trombone. Smith. Crawford Seeger: Three Songs. Wolf. Albert Tipton: The Louis Lot Flute. Schuman: String Quartet No.4.Schuller: Albert Tipton: The Platinum Flute, Vols. 2-6. String Quartet No. 2. Sessions: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Orion Pearl Bloom 'd. Hinds, Quivar, Cossa; Boston SO, Bach: Solo Harpsichord Concertos, Vol. 2. (distributed by Qualiton Records) Ozawa. Parmentier. Shepherd: Triptych. Cowell: Quartet Eupho- Bazelon, Danzi, Ropartz: Woodwind Quin- Bridge: Violin and Cello Sonatas. Chilingi- metric. Harris: Three Variations. Norden tets. Boehm Quintette. rian, Benson; R. and D. de Sanam. (s); Emerson Qt. Beethoven: Piano Trio arr. from Symphony Glazunov: Piano Works. Howard. Shifrin: Odes of Shang. Carter: Defense of No. 2. Steiner-Berfield Trio. Piano/Winds Glazunov: String Quartets Nos. 3,5. Darting - Corinth. Thompson: Americana. Chorus et Quintet. Glazer, N.Y. Woodwind Qn ton Qt. al. Brahms: Cello Sonatas (2). Rejto, Bailer. Haydn: English Canzonettas. Griffett, Vick- Taylor, C: Work for large jazz ensemble. Brahms, Schumann: Piano Works. Starr. ers. Weiss: American Life. Powell: Rapsodie Brahms, Weber: Clarinet Works. Pino, Webb. Medtner: Piano Sonatas (2). Binns. negre. Gilbert: Dance in Place Congo. Car- Clementi, Castaldo, Beethoven: Piano So- Quilter: Songs. Keyte, Johnston. penter: Krazy Kat. Carno; Los Angeles PO, natas. Hinderas. James Griffett and Timothy Walker: Shake- Simmons. Clerambault, Marchand, Scheidt: Organ speare Song Settings. American Piano Works. By MacDowell, Works. McVey. Immortal Venice (in Poetry and Prose). Paine, Parker, Foote, et al. Downey: Adagio Lyrico; A Dolphin; Wind Simpson, Westbrook. American Wind -Ensemble Works, Octet; What If? Various performers. Paderewski: 1911-12, 1924 Recordings. 1950s -1970s (by Persichetti, Smith, Brant, Enesco: Piano Works. Musafia. Thomas Round: Songs You Love. Finney, Barnett). Northwestern U. Sym- Faure: Violin Sonatas (2). Edinger, Puchelt. Victorian Flute Works. Bennette, Wye, Ben- phonic Wind Ensemble, Paynter. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Porgy and Bess son. Baptist Hymns and White Spirituals from the excerpts. Abadi, piano. Southern Mountains. Godfrey: String Quartet. Rowe Qt. Progres- Pelican Blues. Various performers. sion. Godfrey (synthesizer). Duke: Song Cycles (4). K. Duke, Berfield. Contemporary American Works. By Erick- Grantham: Piano Trio; Caprichos de Goya. Gaylord Carter, Theater Organist. son, Imbrie, Lewis, Sollberger. Griffes: Piano Works. Ravel: Tombeau de Eugene Conley: Recital. From radio broad- Georgia Sea Island Songs. Couperin. Starr. casts of the '40s and '50s. Golden Age of the American March. Goldman Griffes, Carpenter, MacDowell: Songs. Hunt, Mona and Renee Golabek: Duo -Pianists. Band, R. F. Goldman and Cox. Benoit. Works by Ravel, Dohnanyi, Bizet. Mighty Wurlitzer: Music for Movie -Palace Grigny: Organ Works. Fesperman. Dorothy Kirsten: Operatic Recital. From ra- Organs. Leaf, Carter. Handel: Harpsichord Works. Parmentier. dio broadcasts of the late '40s. Music of Life in 19th -Century Cincinnati. Bas- Hiller: Jesse James; Appalachian Ballads. Lotte Lehmann: Town Hall Farewell Concert. quin, C. Jackson, Aler. Various performers, Hiller. Kosins: Shad- Maralin Niska: Operatic Recital. Music of the American Revolution. McCoy, ows of the Harp. Gordon; Detroit SO, Ko- Operetta Favorites. Rhodus, Dickison. Milnes, et al. sins. The Rogue Song. 1930 film soundtrack star- Music of the Yurok and Totowa Indians. Klughardt,Foerster: Woodwind Quintets. ring Tibbett with Laurel and Hardy. New England Folk Traditions. Boehm Quintette. Mme. Schumann-Heink on the Air. From 1934 New Music for Virtuosos. By Babbitt, W. 0. Liszt-Busoni, Moscheles: Etudes. Pleshakov. radio broadcasts.

42 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE We are proud of the speafications on our equipment. We uncolored electronic transla:on of everything that was put into have plenty of indE pendent expert audio testimony that tney're the program material.If you want to change itto suit you gooc. But all you want is the best sound you can get prefere -ices you lave the facilities built in. Buthat's you That s all we wall to give you. change, not our;. Because you can listen to equipment with perfect spe2s-if When you're bLying audit equipment, bok at specs if yoJ they exist -anc st II not like the sound. We build for warmth and want. Eut your best bet is sti Ito play it by ear. And if we didn t clarity with as little added as s technically possible. have good specs to start wit-. we couldn't say this. Onkyo has stayed a step ahead of state-of-the-art by build- But specs ar3 :he same whoever reads them Only you ing audio equipment for the 11,3tener not the reader of specifica- know what you I ke to hear_isten. You III ke us. tions. When you have pure, faithful, rich, transparent sound, the specs have lobe right. Artistry in Sound We build for a wide. minimally distorted frequency range. for oNKyo Eastern Office:12-07 20th Ae Long NY It <12 4i39 Midwest Office: 935 Sloan Dnve. Mood Dale. III 601SI. 512 595-2370 Sole Distroutor, Tri-Til Associates Ltd..06 Sparks Are.. 00taro, Canada M2H 2S5. 416 499-5(44

Play it by ear with these Onkyo components. A-10 Solid State Integrated Amplifier 85 watts per channel. mir imum RMS at 8 ohms, both channels driven from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with no more than 0.08% Tt- D. Phono SIN 78 dB, Class 4 Preamp. D,Jal power supply; MC Head -amp. A-7 Solid State Integrated Amplifier65 watts per channel minimum RMS at 8 ohms. bo h channels [riven from (mono), 65 dB (stereo) 20 Hz to 20 kHz with nc more than 0.1% THD. 40 dB separation Phono SIN 80 dB, Class t Preamp. T-4 Servo -Locked A-5 Solid State Integrated Solid State Tuner Theor iy com- (tuner). 5/N 70 dB Amplifier45 watts per chalnel ponent tuner featuring Servo -Locked for drittless (MC). 83 dB IMM) mum RMS at 8 ohms, Ocit-i channels driven from performance. 1.91/V usable sensitivity; 3 5 50 Built-in MC -lead Amp. 20 Hz to 20 kHz with nc more than 0 1% THD. d3 quieting. SIN 70 dB (mono). 60 dB (stereo). 40 Phono SIN 75 dB. dB separation, M-505 Solid State Stereo T-9 Quartz -Locked P-303 Solid State Stereo phonic Power Amplifier Preamplifier 105 watts per channel, minimum RMS at 8 ohms. Solid State TunerThe only Quartz. both channe s driven from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with no Locked component tuner, featuring pinooint, drift. Dual hne construction featuring Class A push-pull more than 0 J5% THD. Frequency response 0-150 free tuning. Dual gate MOSFET front end; 1.7f1V circuitry with no more than 0.006% THD: requen- kHz, + 0. - 1.5 dB. S/14110 dE. Protective relay cir- usable sensitivity; 3µV 50 dB quieting SIN 73 dB cy response 3.5 Hz to 200 kHz. +0. - 1.5 dB cuitry.

CIRCLE 33 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Jeffrey Solow and Albert Dominguez: Cello/ Monteverdi: Madrigals, Book VII. Armstrong, Piano Recital. Works by Barber, Kodaly, Burrowes, Kern, S. Browne, A. Collins, Dello Joio. Hodgson, Davies, Oliver, Luzon, Lloyd; ALLISON: THREE J. Strauss Ensemble of the Vienna SO. English CO, Leppard. Brian Sullivan: Operatic Recital. From radio Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22; Rondos, K. broadcasts of the late '40s and early '50s. 382, 386. Brendel; Academy St. Martin, Press comment: Marriner. Peters International Orff: Trionfo di Afrodite. Nawe, Buchner, Debussy: Sonata No. 2; Danses sacree et Krahmer, Hiestermann, Suss, Werner, profane. Ravel: Introduction and Allegro. Stryczek; Leipzig Radio. Kegel. Mildonian, Larrieu, B. Pasquier, Paris Oc- Ravel: Orchestral Works. Concertgebouw 0, tet members; Ensemble Instrumental de Haitink (two discs). France, Wallez. Saint -Satins: Symphony No. 3. Chorzempa; G Lalo: Violin Concerto; Concerto russe. Rotterdam PO, De Waart. Wallez; OP de Radio France, Koizumi. Schubert, Beethoven: Arias. Baker; English G Locatelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 4 (4). En- CO, Leppard. semble Instrumental de France, Wallez. Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 3, 6. Symphony G Schumann: Violin Concerto; Fantasy, Op. No. 4; Tapiola. Boston SO, C. Davis. Verdi:I due Foscari. Ricciarelli, Carreras, 131. Fontanarosa; ORTF SO, Capolongo. Cappuccilli, Ramey; Austrian RSO, Gar- G Vivaldi: Four Seasons. Wallez; Ensemble Instrumental de France. delli. Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1; Clarinet Concertino. Rossini: Introduction, Theme, Quintessence and Variations. Deplus; ORTF SO (North Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette excerpts. Royal PO, Picardy), Talmi. Dorati. Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet. Andre Bernard: Works for Trumpet and London PO, Boult. Strings (by Telemann, Purcell,ToreIli, Bizet: Symphony. Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Stolzel). Ensemble Instrumental de France, Rimini. Royal PO, Munch. Wallez. Franck: Symphony. Liszt: Les Preludes. New 0 Daniel Bourgue: Two Centuries of French SO of London, Boult. Works for Horn (by Dukas, D'Indy, Cor- Grieg: Piano Concerto. Liszt: Concerto No. 1. rette, Saint -Satins, Chabrier). Monte Carlo Wild; Royal PO, Leibowitz and Sargent. Opera 0, Freccia. Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite. Ravel: Bolero. 0 Patrice Fontanarosa: Works for Violin and SO, Gould. Orchestra (by Chausson, Saint -Satins, Ber- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3. Wild: .210 lioz, Vieuxtemps). Luxemburg RO, Fro- Royal PO, Horenstein. SNopring ment. Ravel: Orchestral Works. Chicago SO, 1977 Gregorian Chant: Christmas (Mass for Mid- Martinon; SO, Gould. "The overall sound quality of the night; Mass for the Day). Solesmes Abbey, Rimsky-Korsakov:Scheherazade.SO, Gajard. Gould. Allison: Three was exceptionally Gregorian Chant: Feast of St. Michael (Mass; Rodgers -Bennett: Victory at Sea. Cinema SO clean and clear, with excellent defi- Office). Solesmes Abbey, Gajard. of London, Gerhardt. nition. There were no signsof Gregorian Chant: Mass for the Dead; Offices Sousa: Marches (14). Symphonic Band, strain; distortion was very low, even for the Dead. Solesmes Abbey, Gajard. Gould. 0 Max en ce Larrieu and Pierre Pierlot: Strauss, J.: Waltzes. Vienna State Opera 0, at substantial power levels. Works with Flute and Oboe (by'Cimarosa, Horenstein. "On our pure -tone tests, the Alli- Vivaldi, Salieri, Albinoni). Luxemburg RO, Tchaikovsky: Greatest Hits, Vol. I. son: Three proved to be one of the Froment. Tchaikovsky: Waltzes. Chicago SO, Gould. lowest -distortion bass reproducers Noel Provencal (Christmas Music of the Vaughan Williams, Coates: Orchestral 16th -18th Centuries from Provence). Les Works. SO, Gould. that we've come across. There was Musiciens de Provence. Wagner, Korngold: Orchestral Works. Royal no evidence of midrange or tweeter PO, Horenstein. buzzing either. Note: Quad releases are compatible QS discs. Colin Davis Concert (works by Beethoven, "Initsprice range, we'd match Brahms, Mendelssohn, Wagner). Sinfonia Philips of London. the Allison: Three with the best Fiedler's Favorite Concertos. systems we'veauditioned,and Bach: Violin Concertos. Szeryng; Academy St. Martin, Marriner. Virgil Fox Organ Book. we wouldn't hesitate to compare Beethoven: Piano Concertos (5); Choral Fan- Russian Showpieces (by Mussorgsky, it favorably with many loudspeak- tasia. Brendel: London PO, Haitink. Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Gliere). SO, ersthat are considerably more Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 8, 14, 23. Dich- Stokowski. ter. 2001: Classic Themes from Classic Films. Ger- expensive. Beethoven: Symphonies (9). Concertgebouw hardt, Horenstein, Boult, Leibowitz, cond. "All drivers are of Allison manu- 0, Mengel berg. facture and appear exceptionally Beethoven: Symphonies (9). London PO, RCA Red Seal rugged. Haitink (individual issues from set). Beethoven: Symphony No. 2; Leonore Over- RCA RED SEAL "We'dliketodigress a for ture No. 3. BBC SO, C. Davis. BartOk: Orchestral Works. Paillard. moment and comment on this man- Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ. Baker, Tappy, Bartok: String Quartets (6). Guarneri Qt. ufacturer's literature. Simply stated, Langridge, Allen, Rouleau, Bastin; London Beethoven, Schumann: FantasiestOcke. Ru- it'sthe best we've seen.Loud- SO, C. Davis. binstein. Boccherini: String Quartets. Qtto Italiano. Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique. Philadelphia speakers generally come with a Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor. Cobalt& 0, Ormandy. paucity of information, and what Carreras. Sardinero, Ramey, Ahnsjii; New Brahms: String Quintets (2). Guarneri Qt, Zu- there is of itis frequently "hyped." Philharmonia 0, Lopez-Cobos. kerman. This is hardly the case with Allison Handel: Oboe Concertos. Holliger; English Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 2-4. Chicago SO, ... If we were to give a "consumer - CO, Leppard. Levine. Haydn: Piano Trios Nos. 17, 19, 21; Nos. 20, 22, Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2. Ax; Phila- protection" award toa speaker 25; Nos. 18, 23, 24. Beaux Arts Trio. delphia 0, Ormandy. manufacturer, our candidate would Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76, Nos. 3-4. Qtto Doppler, Romberg: Flute Works. Rampal. be Allison Acoustics." Italiano. Elgar, Schumann: Cello Concertos. Harrell; Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 22, 55; Nos. 43, 59; Levine. A reprint of the entire review and our Nos. 44, 49; Nos. 48, 85. Academy St. Martin, Counod: Faust. Caballe, Aragall, Plishka, informative product catalog are avail- Marriner. Huttenlocher, Terzian, Taillon; Strasbourg able on request. Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 88, 99. Concertge- PO. Lombard. bouw 0, C. Davis. Ibert, Reinecke: Flute Works. Rampal. Liszt: Transcendental Etudes. Arrau. Mahler: Symphony No. 5. Philadelphia 0. Le- ALLISON ACOUSTICS Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. J. Norman. vine. 7 'I&ch Circle, Natick, Massachusetts 01760 Shirley -Quirk; Concertgebouw 0, Haitink. Mahler: Symphony No. 6. London SO, Levine. CIRCLE 2 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 44 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Discover music you'venever heard before. Yourown.

The bombardment of brass. Pulsating But your discovery is not just the sounds percussion. Surging crescendos. And strings you'll hear, but the music you'll see. Visual that caress your innermost senses. The live music that you can control. Divided into 3 experience. Lost once the concert ends. separate frequency bands, the unique 30 LED Now, for the first time, you can recap- display feature allows you to visualize expan- from your records, sion within each frequency range. tapes and FM broadcasts with the exciting, Come hear, and see, the exciting new new 3BX expander. Now you can breathe 3BX perform. Discover music you've never new life into your audio system. Life that heard before. gives you 50% more dynamic range, Visit the dbxpert at your dealer or while dramatically reducing write: dbx, Inc., 71 Chapel St., noise. clb XNewton, MA 02195; (617) 964-3210.

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CIRCLE 9 ON READER -SERVICE CARD SEPTEMBER 1977 45 Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5. Solo- THE Philadelphia 0, Ormandy. man; Philharmonia 0, Menges. Mendelssohn: Octet. Cleveland and Tokyo Britten: St. Nicolas. Tear,Russell; King's Qts. College Choir, Academy St. Martin, Will - Monteverdi: Orfeo. Tappy et al.; Lausanne cocks. WORLD'S Ensemble, Corboz. Donizetti: Don Pasquale. Saraceni, Schipa, Offenbach: La Perichole. Crespin, Vanzo, Poli, Badini; La Scala, Sabajno. Bastin; Strasbourg PO, Lombard. Gilbert and Sullivan: Pirates of Penzance; Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5. Philadelphia 0, lolanthe; Gondoliers. Morison, Thomas, MOST Ormandy. Sinclair, Lewis, Baker, et al.; Pro Arte 0, Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3. Horo- Sargent. witz; N.Y. PSO, Ormandy. Haydn: Harpsichord Concertos, Album 2. Ravel: Piano Works. Ax. Veyron-Lacroix; Toulouse CO, Auria- IMITATED combe. Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 5, 7. Philadelphia 0, Ormandy. Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Borodin: Or- Sibelius: Tone Poems. Philadelphia 0, Or- chestral Works. Pittsburgh SO, Steinberg. HEAD- mandy. GI Strauss, R.: Tod and Verklarung; Till Eu- Stravinsky: Chamber Works. Tashi. lenspiegel; Salome's Dance. Dresden State Stravinsky: Petrushka. Chicago SO, Levine. 0. Kempe. Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet; Francesca Conchita Supervia: Operatic Arias and PHONES. da Rimini: Philadelphia 0, Ormandy. Spanish Songs. Tchaikovsky: Waltzes. Philadelphia 0, Or- When we introduced our mandy. Serenus Open -Aire® headphones, we Verdi: Otello. Domingo, L. Price, Milnes; Le- Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Music of, Vol. 1. created something of an audio vine. Feld: Flute Concerto. Rampal. Piano Con- Verdi: Requiem. L. Price, Baker, Luchetti, Van revolution. Because our patented* certo. Czech PO. Dam; Chicago SO, Solti. transducers surprised engineers Hanus: Music of, Vol. 4. Villa -Lobos: Guitar Studies (12). Bream. Lobel: Trip-Tych (sound paintings of) Syn- and audiophiles alike... setting Wagner: Orchestral excerpts. Philadelphia 0, Ormandy. thesizer. new standards for wide, smooth Nieman, A.: Music of, Vol. 1. Chamber Works. Maurice Andre: Baroque Trumpet Concertos Ornstein: Music of, Vol. I. response. Superior transient (two discs). capabilities. Sheer comfort. And Eugene Fodor: Violin Recital. Kreisler reper- Ribary: Music of, Vol. 3. freedom from listening fatigue. toire. Rudhyar, Weigl: Piano works. Peltzer. Recording studios, broadcast King's Singers. Walker, G.: Music of, Vol. I. Joan Morris, William Bolcom, Max Morath: Karel Gott: Pop Star! Czech star sings in Eng- stations and film crews-no Show Duets. By Gershwin, Kern, et al. lish. strangers to our professional Music from Ravinia. Chamber works featur- Music by Friends of Meyer Kupferman. ing Levine, Harrell, Chicago SO members. Dwight Peltzer: Contemporary Piano Project microphones-quickly adopted (three discs). Sennheiser headphones for mon- Leontyne Price: Prima Donna, Album 4. Jean-Pierre Rampal and Alexandre Lagoya: Piano in London circa 1815. E. Marshall. itoring. Research laboratories Live at Lincoln Center. purchased them for psycho - Robert White: Recital. 1750 Arch Records acoustic testing. NASA used them Plus Bach by Lynn Harrell, Chopin by Van Brahms: Vocal Duets, Opp. 20, til. 66. Grant - for critical applications aboard Cliburn, the Liszt sonata by Vladimir Hor- Williams, Barnhouse. owitz, Prokofiev piano sonatas by Tedd Jo- Debussy: Preludes, Book I. J. Stark. Skylab. And audio critics were selson, and additional recordings by To- Dowland: Lute Fantasies and Dances. Bacon. unusually generous with praise. mita, Cleveland Qt, conductor Eduardo Machaut: Music and poetry. Music for a After trying to duplicate our Mata, Eugene Fodor, James Galway, Julian While. performance with alternative Bream, Tashi, Arthur Rubinstein, and Rob- Nancarrow: Complete rhythm studies for systems, a number of major manu- ert White. player piano, Vol. I. Nancarrow. Note: Quad releases to be determined. Prokofiev: Violin Sonata No. I et al. (includes facturers are using Sennheiser works "rarely,ifever, recorded"). Ko- technology under license. But two RCA GOLD SEAL bialka. things keep us ahead: Experience. Bach: Goldberg Variations. Marlowe. New Music for Electronic and Recorded Beethoven: Symphony No. 6. Boston SO, Media by Women. By Beyer. Oliveros, And the electroacoustic research Greenham, et al. that's earned us a leadership Munch. Handel: Messiah. Vyvyan, Sinclair, Vick- Martial Singher: French Song Album. Songs position in microphones, head- ers, Tozzi; Royal PO, Beecham. by Duparc, De Lara, Chausson, et al. phones and other professional Milhaud, Poulenc: Orchestral Works. Bos- Wandering in This Place (Elizabethan airs equipment. ton SO, Munch. and lute works). Buckner, Bacon. But don't take our word for it. Arthur Fiedler Evening at Pops (two discs). Plus additional releases to be determined. Sine Qua Non Visit your dealer and try the Bach: Brandenburg Concertos; Orchestral originals for yourself. RCA VICTROLA Suites. Saar CO, Ristenpart. U.S. Pat. No. 3.586,794 Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila excerpts. Bach: Well -Tempered Clavier (complete). Stevens, Peerce, Merrill; NBC SO, Sto- Hamilton. kowski. Chopin: Piano Works. Various (three

Verdi: Ballo in maschera excerpts. Mila- discs). nov, Anderson, Peters, Peerce, Warren; Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 31, 36, 38, 40, 41. Metropolitan Opera, Mitropoulos. Philharmonia Hungarica, Maag. Lotte Lehmann: Recital. Stravinsky: Firebird; Petrushka; Sacre du Plus additional releases to be determined. printemps. Ansermet. Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker excerpts. PSO of Repertoire Recording London, Rodzinski. Society Russian Orchestral Works (three discs). Poulenc: Organ Concerto (solo version). SON SUPERBA Reubke: Organ Sonata in C minor; Trio. Vierne: Complete Organ Works, Vols. 1-4. Handel: Messiah. Hoagland, Gore, Livings, Widor: Symphonie gothique; Symphonie ro- Evitts; Handel and Haydn Society (Bos- ton), Dunn. mane. (All played by Rollin Smith.) American Brass Band Journal Revisited. Em- pire Brass Quintet et al. SENINHEISER Baroque Trumpet. Empire Brass Quintet. ELECTRONIC CORPORATION Seraphim Renaissance Dances. Banchetto Musicale,

10 West 37th Street. New York 10018 (212) 239-0190 Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 2. Brahms: Pearlman. Manufacturing Plant Bissenclorf/Hannover. West Germany Cello Sonata No. 1. Piatigorsky, Schnabel, Russian Brass (works by Ewald). Empire 1977. Sennheiser Electronic Corporation (N Y ) Rubinstein. Brass Quintet.

46 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE THE WAY WE PUT OUR RECEIVER TOGETHER, IT SOUNIS LIKE SEPARATES.

The goal of mos-. receivers is to sound like a good and s..x stages c f airdificat.o7: give razonslarb selectivitn receiver. But when we set out to build the Toshiba 3A620, IHF sensitivity is rated at 1.13IN Conservatively. we set our .ls a little higher : Selectivity an Am. pressive f..5rIB And signal to noise rat.0 To sound like a separate tuner and amplifier. a super deal 70d3. We started at the bottom. IF we dAmet tell you it was one unit, We began by building an amplifier. An a-np1ifier yoi wouldn't know -1 strorg enough to drive even the biggest speakers. Without Since our -eceiver didn't sound Ike most other strain. Yet clean enough to keep distortion to a mimmuri. receivers, we oeci.lei it shbu.dn't look them either. An amplifier with 50 watts SoworlcinE closely w.th our minimum R MS per channel (both driven engineers, Toshiba designers created into 3 ohms speakers, from 20Hz to our unique "double-decker" look. 20kHz, and only 0.3% total harmonic Giving our receiver the distortion). look of a separate tuner and And when we were through we amplifier. To match its sound. had a sound quality that virtually You can afford achieves the sound of separates. a Toshiba Tuner/ Amplifier. But we were still only half way there. Since every music lover Our engineers topped SA 320 has different needs, we took every- themselves. thing we learned from the 620 Using the latest advances in and applied it to a whole line of audio technology, Toshiba engineers Muummi"Inimm Tuner/Amplifiers. developed a tuner with specs and So now everyone can have features good enough to stand up to 14'.ititieftwi-, wIriv 4 a receiver that looks and sounds separates. SA 420 like separate units. Without having A special high density Toshiba to pay for separate units. PCT -type IC ensures high IF stage performance and reliability. While our TOSHIBA, , three, two -element ceramic filters lialigium SA 520

CIRCLE 45 ON READER -SERVICE CARD SON MEET THE CLASSICS Cleveland Baroque Soloists. Works by Tele- . Vienna PO, Strauss. Lives and Music of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, mann, Handel, Scarlatti. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1. Liszt: and Mozart. John Mack: Oboe Recital. Works by Schu- Hungarian Fantasia. Solomon; Philhar- Life and Music of Joplin. mann, Britten, Saint-Saens, Paladilhe. monia, Dobrowen and Susskind. Michael Murray: Organ Recital. Direct -to - Maria Callas and Renato Tebaldi: Oper- Supraphon disc recording. atic Arias. (distributed by Qualiton Records) San Antonio Mastersingers. Works by Thompson, Wolf, Byrd, Corigliano, et al. Bach, C.P.E.: Trio Sonatas. Ars Rediviva. Unicorn 0 Beethoven: Archduke Trio. Suk Trio. Note: Telarc is the new classical label of Ad- (distributed by HNH Records) vent Recording Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio. Blodek: Orchestral Works. Prague SO, Hlavi- Barber: Violin Concerto; Knoxville: Summer cek. all previous Advent releases will remain available, but under the new name. of 1915; Music for a Scene from Shelley. R. Brahms: Variations. Petermandl. Thomas, violin; W. Australian SO, Mea- Brahms: Violin Concerto. Suk; Czech PO. sham. Neumann. Turnabout Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 21. Kabalevsky: 0 Dvotak: Overtures(4).Prague RSO Beethoven: Piano/Winds Quintet; Serenade, Symphony No. 2. New Philharmonia 0, Krombholc. Op. 25. Simon, St. Louis SO members. Measham. Dvofak: Piano Works (complete). Kvapil. Berlioz: Les Troyens, Damnation: orches- Mozart: Serenade, K. 361. Vienna PO Wind Dvotak, Janacek: Suites. Sluka: In the Name tral excerpts; King Lear Overture. Philhar. Soloists, Furtwangler. of Life. mania Hungarica, Kapp. Nielsen: Maskarade (sung in Danish). I. Han- Ernst, Wieniawski: Violin Concertos. David; 13 Borodin, Glinka: Orchestral Works. Phil. sen, Plesner, Landy, Johansen, Serensen, Prague SO, Hlavatek. harmonia Hungarica, Kohler. Bastian,Brodersen, Hyldgaard,Klint, Flosman: Symphony No. 2. Matej: Symphony Brahms: Clarinet Quintet. Silfies, Korman, Haugland, 0. V. Hansen; Danish Radio, No. 4. Prague RSO, Konvalinka. Beiler, Barnes, Sant'Ambrogio (St. Louis 0Futik: Marches. Czechoslovak Military Frandsen. SO members). Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 1, 4, 5. London Band, Urbanec. Chihara: Symphony in Celebration. Houston SO, Schmidt (from set). Handel: Flute Sonatas. Valek, Hala, Slama. SO, Foster. Missa Carminum. Roger Wag- Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No. 1. We- Haydn: Piano Concertos. Kamenikova; ner Chorale, Wagner. bern: Five Pieces, Op. 10. Danish RSO, Hor- Prague Virtuosi, Hlavatek (two discs). Chopin: Etudes. Simon. enstein. G. Berg: For Piano and Orchestra. 0 Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au bOcher. Bor- Dvotak: Symphony No. 9. Royal PO, Dorati. B. Berg; Danish RSO, Caridis. geaud, Favory, Brun, Loup, Chateau, Epstein: Night Voices. Walton: Facade.). American Songs and Piano Music (by Gersh- Rodde, Brachet; Czech PO, Baudo. Bookspan, narrator; MIT SO, Epstein. win, Copland, Carter, Thomson, Cage). M. Janacek: Taros Bulba. Dvotak: Golden Spin- Gutche: Icarus. Rochester PO, Zinman. Persi- and P. Dickinson. ning Wheel. Ostrava Janaeek PO, Trhlik. chetti: The Hollow Men. T. Parker, trum- Contrasts in Brass, Vol. 2 (works by Alwyn, Liszt: Annees de pelerinage excerpts. Klicnik. pet; Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York, Carr, et al.) Locke Brass Consort, Stobart. Martina: Orchestral excerpts from operas. Kapp. Brno State PO, Jilek. Haydn: Cello Concertos. Varga; Bamberg Martint):Rhapsody -Concerto; Two -Violin SO, Dorati. Vanguard Concerto. Simatek, Brot, Pospigil; Prague Haydn: Organ Concertos. Lehrndorfer; Wurt- Bach: St. Matthew Passion. Ameling, SO, Slovak and Konvalinka. temberg CO, Faerber. Hafliger, McDaniel, McCoy, Luzon; Am- Rhapsody -Concerto; Two -Violin Martinet: 0 Lalo: Namouna excerpts. Luxemburg RO, brosian Singers, English CO, Somary. Works. Snitil, Zichova. Froment. Brahms: Piano Quartets (3). A. Schneider, Matej: Trumpet Concerto. Domailicky: Over- O Lalo, Pierne: Piano Concertos. Doss Trampler, Parnas, S. Brown. ture; Horn Concerto. Prague PCO, Prague Stuttgart PO, Kuntzsch. Elgar: Music Makers. Parry: Blest Pair of Si- SO, Belohlavek. Liszt: Piano Works. Ruskin. rens. Baker; London PO, Boult. Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 14, 23. Mora- OLiszt: Works for piano and orchestra Handel: Flute Sonatas. Robison, Cooper. vec; Czech CO. based on Schubert, Beethoven, Weber. Handel: Theater and Outdoor Music. Cooper. Mozart: Piano Sonatas, K. 333, 494, 533. Ruiz- Rose; Philharmonia Hungarica, Kapp. Mozart: Flute Quartets. Robison; Tokyo Qt. Pip6. Moscheles: Concerto for Piano and Five Musica Reservata: In Concert. 0 Palestrina: Missa Hodie Christus natus est; Strings,Op. 87. Kalkbrenner:Effusio Portrait of P.D.Q. Bach. Stabat Mater; Improperia. Czech Philhar- Grande Fantaisie, Op. 68. M. L. Boehm et monic Chorus. Veselka. al. VANGUARD TWOFERS Rachmaninoff: Cello Works. Vedtomov, Halo. Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 39. North Ger- Seiber: Fantasia concertante. Casella: Violin man RSO, Monteux. Art of Alfred Deller. Concerto. Gertler; Prague SO, Smetatek. ORachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3. Si- Smetana: Czech Dances and Polkas. No- mon; St. Louis SO, Slatkin. VANGUARD CARDINAL SERIES votny. Ravel: Piano Trio; Violin Sonata. O'Reilly, Bloch: String Quartet No. 2. Musical Art 0 Smetana: Ma Vlast. Czech PO, Neumann. Lauridsen, Petit. Smetana: Two Widows. Sormova, Mahot- Qt. O Rimsky-Korsakov:Kitezh, Mlada, May Cavalli, Monteverdi: Vocal Works. Harper, kova, Zahradnitek, Horadek, Svehla, Soun- Night excerpts. Philharmonia Hungarica, ova; Prague National Theater, Jilek. Cuenod, English; Bath Festival, Leppard. Kapp. Chopin: Piano Concerto No. I. Schumann: 0Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4. Czech PO, 0 Rossini: Overtures. Cincinnati SO, Schip- Slovak. Overture, Scherzo, and Finale.R. Lhe- 0 Vivaldi: Four Seasons. Suk; Prague CO. pers. vinne; National 0 Assn. Alumni. Barnett. GI Schubert: Symphony No. 9. Cincinnati SO, Haydn: Piano Sonatas, L. 31-33. C. Rosen. Hlavatek. Schippers. Ysaye: Solo Violin Works. Grumlikova. Janacek: Concertino; Youth; In the Mist. Weill: Mahagonny Songspiel; Dreigrosch- Melos Ensemble. Czech Nonet. Works by Pauer, Jaroch. enmusik. Jerusalem SO, Foss; Music for German Romantic Songs. Novak, Zeller. Sibelius: Symphonies (7). Utah SO, Abra- Westchester SO, Landau. vanel. Italian Baroque Instrumental Works. Os- Ernesto Bitetti: Guitar Recital. trava Janacek CO. Roger Shields: Piano Recital. Works by VANGUARD EVERYMAN CLASSICS Musical Treasures from Jaromefice Castle. Gould, Gershwin, R6zsa, Grofe. Soloists; Prague Chamber Soloists. Beethoven: Creatures of Prometheus. Utah Frantigek Pogta: Double -Bass Recital. TURNABOUT HISTORICAL SERIES SO, Abravanel. Prague Collegium Musicum. Works by Dru- Beethoven: Egmont. Davrath; Utah SO, zecky, Magek, Jirovec, VranickY. Bach: Concerto No. 1. Chopin: Piano Works. Abravanel. Prague Madrigal Singers. Works by Martinft, Lipatti (with Concertgebouw, Van Bei- Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 44-49. Zagreb Eben. num). RSO, Janigro. Spanish Music for Vihuela. Witoszynskyj, Beethoven: Symphony No. 2; Ruins of Mozart: Flute Concertos (2); Andante. Lukas. Athens. Royal PO, Beecham. Baker; Solisti di Zagreb, Janigro; Vienna Jaroslav Vodrb±ka: Organ Recital. Works by State Opera O. Prohaska. Berlioz: Symphonie fan tastique.Paris Bach, Froberger. Conservatory 0, Walter. Saint-Saens:Introduction and Rondo Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1. Solomon; capriccioso.Khachaturian:Violin Con- Telarc Philharmonia 0, Kubelik. certo. Elman; Vienna State Opera 0, Bach: Gamba Sonatas. Meints, Ornstein. Rossini: William Tell. Carteri, Filippeschi, Golschmann. Bach:Well -Tempered Clavier (complete). Taddei, Tozzi, Corena; RAI Turin, Rossi. Sibelius: Tone Poems. Philharmonic Loesser (recorded 1964). Sibelius: Orchestral Works. Halle 0, Barbi- Promenade 0 of London, Boult. Bartdk, Szymanowski: Violin Works. Lachert. rolli. Alirio Diaz: Classic Spanish Guitar (two Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 30, 31. Podis. Strauss, R.: Don Juan; Tod and Verkleirung. discs).

48 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Mischa Elman Plays Fritz Kreisler Favor- ites.

HISTORICAL ANTHOLOGY OF MUSIC Mozart: String Quintets, K. 406, 593, 614; Adagio and Fugue, K. 546. Griller Qt, Prim- rose. I Alfred Deller: Flemish, French, and Italian Enjoy Madrigals (two discs). Alfred Deller: Tavern Songs (Catches and Glees). Deller Consort: English Madrigal School Music More (two discs). Helmut Wobisch: Virtuoso Trumpet, Vol 2. Solisti di Zagreb, janigro. Varese International Beethoven: Clarinet/Bassoon Duos, WoO. 27. Mozart: Bassoon/Cello Sonata, K.292. Ifthe recorded music you purchase and Norwegian Chamber Soloists. Glinka: Trio pathetique. Naumann: Oboe/ listen to is important in the way you enjoy life . . . Bassoon Duet. Reinecke: Trio, Op. 88. Nor- you ought to know about a goldmine of helpful information for wegian Chamber Soloists. every record collector. Mozart: Horn Quintet. Suk: Oboe Trio No. 9. Ravel: Violin Sonata; Serenade grotesque; Quatre Chansons. Stamitz: Flute Quartet, Op. 14/3. Vanhal: Schwann Record & Tape Guide Oboe Quartet, Op. 7/6. Reicha: Wind Quin- tet, Op. 91/1. Stockhausen: Kontakte; Refrain. Stock- is a compilation of information about records and tapes of many classifica- hausen and ensemble. tions. This wonderfully useful catalog uncovers titles you didn't know were Stockhausen: Prozession (1967 version). Stockhausen and ensemble. available, helps you select versions by concuctors and artists whose work

Chamber Works for Winds (by Vivaldi, you prefer . . . shows you money -saving reprints on budget labels . . . and Klughardt, Haydn, Damase). Norwegian much, much more. Chamber Soloists. Electronic Music and Musique Concrete. Works by Carlos, Cage, Berio, et al. More than 65,000 records and 8 -track and cassette tapes are listed in the French Chamber Music for Winds (works by Auric, lbert, Francaix). Norwegian Cham- monthly Schwann-1 and its semi-annual companion, Schwann-2. All are ber Soloists. available through your record dealer if you ask for them by Schwann title French Music for Horn and Flute. By Gaubert, and number. Schwann opens up rich rewards in your record collecting Chopin, Caplet, Bornet, et al. Musique Concrete. Works by Schaeffer, hobby. See your record dealer for latest copies. Ferrari, Bayle, et al. Oboe and Bassoon Music. By Schumann, Nielsen, Beethoven. Bordeaux, Ravel, et al. Trumpet and Organ Music. By Hovhaness, Schwann-1 Monthly. Lists the Schwann-2 The semi-annual com- Lindberg, Sommerfeldt, et al. month's new releases in every category. panion catalog for specialized categories: Trumpet Music. By Hindemith. Savernd, et al. Also nearly 45,000 available recordings on pop more than two years old, classic jazz, 702 record labels, 231 tape labels, 82 classical classics of the pre -stereo era, also quadraphon c labels,inclassical, recent the great re -issue catalogs, international VOX popular, rock, jazz, musical shows, country, pop & folk on domestic labels, spoken, edu- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2. Grieg: opera, ballet, electronic, etc. $1.00 at your cational, religious, etc. 95c at your dealer's. Piano Concerto.List; Westphalian SO. dealer's. Landau; Stuttgart PO, Kuntzsch. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. I. Liszt: Pi- ano Concerto No. 1. List; Vienna Tonklinst- IIMMININ11111111111111111MINIMMIIIIMMI=1111 ler 0, Topolski; Stuttgart PO, Kuntzsch. Marylene Dosse: French Piano Works. SPECIAL PRICE SAMPLE OFFER VOX BOX If your favorite store doesn't carry Schwann, order samples by mail, but please ry your dealer first. Prices include postage and handling. Haydn: Nocturnes; Scherzandos. Piedmont Latest Schwann-1 (morthly) $1 60 CO. Harsanyi. $1 50 Liszt: Piano Works. Rose. Latest Schwann-2 (semi-annual) G Me ndelsso hn: String Symphonies (12). Combination Offer: latest Schwann-1 (monthly) and Wurttemberg CO, Faerber. latest Schwann-2 (sem -annual) $2,85 Mozart: Serenades. Philharmonia Virtuosi of Basic Record Library booklet. N.Y., Kapp. Lists 1,000 suggestions in classical music by musical periods for your enjoyment. Prokofiev: Concertante Works. Ricci, Varga, Send 50.: for cost of handling and postage. Tacchino; Luxemburg RO, Froment. Rachmaninoff: Piano Works. Ponti, Leo - I enclose $ for the items checked above. nerdy. Name Schubert: Piano Works. Frankl. G Schumann: Concertante Works. Ricci, Address Varga, Lautenbacher, et al. Furst, Cao, Ma- City State Zip sur, and Landau, cond. Schumann: Piano Works, Vol. 4. Frankl. Dealer's Name & Address G Schumann: Symphonies(4);Manfred Overture. St. Louis SO, Semkow. America Sings Series (vols. devoted to 20th - century choral works). Gregg Smith Sing- ABC Schwann Publications, Inc. ers. GI German Organ Works (vols. devoted to 130 East 59 St., New York. N.Y. 10022 HF post -Romantic and modern works). Lehrn- dorfer.

SEPTEMBER 1977 49 100 f ears `36Itcortng

Closing the Gaps in Phonograph Historiography A New Edition and a Fresh Addition Two book reviews by Robert Long

The Fabulous Phonograph, 1877-1977, On this point, in particular, there more than 50% since the second edi- by Roland Gelatt. 337 pages plus has been argument on the ground that tion, twelve years ago. We can only plates. Third edition, Macmillan Pub- Edison's role in the story is brushed wince, consider what the cost will be lishing Company, Inc. (New York)/ aside all too lightly. A Gelatt apologist by the time it reaches the fourth edi- Collier Macmillan Publishers (Lon- might point out that, when the first tion (it will; it must), and hurry to buy don); $10.95 hardcover, $6.95 soft- edition appeared, a corrective was this one. cover. required by the overweening, pre- emptive shadow that the Edison Leg- Were it not that the second edition is end had cast across this subject, several years out of print, one would among others. Such apology is neces- A Matter of Records: Fred Gaisberg assume that most readers of HIGH sary, however, only if one conceives and the Golden Era of the Gramo- FIDELITY own-or at least have read- of the book as a technical history of phone, by Jerrold Northrop Moore. 248 this delightful and important history the phonograph-which, again,itis pages plus 16 pages of plates. Tap - of the phonograph industry. Inits not. Edison's leadership was techni- linger (New York), $10.95. own terms, and despite rumors of cal; for the artistic and business lead- other works being readied to cele- ership to which we owe the present The "master" of His Master's Voice brate the current centennial,itre- importance of the phonograph record was, in a sense, Fred Gaisberg. Tiny of mains unchallenged. we-and Gelatt-must look elsewhere. frame, unprepossessing of Not that it is without flaws or with- But the technical elements in his American in a world used to looking out companions. From Tin Foilto story remain the least successful. The down its collective nose, both socially Stereo by Oliver Read and Walter L. knowledgeable reader must, for ex- and culturally, at Americans, he was Welch (whose second edition was re- ample, exercise some charity when he an unlikely candidate for herohood in viewed in the October 1976 issue) is comes to the "explanation" of stereo. his chosen field. But hero he is to any- sometimes taken as competition, and Neither it nor the one -page exposition one for whom phonographic achieve- partisans have debated hotly the rela- of quadriphony (Gelatt prefers "quad- ment is a route to honor. tive merits of the two books. They are, raphony," which is surprising in so lit- I hope I need not recount how he in fact, entirely different in scale, in- erate an author) even hints how mul- made his way up from unpromising tent, method, and-to a large extent- tiple channels are captured on disc in beginnings as a boy, hammering out coverage. R&W deal in technology; a single groove. To him, the means are piano accompaniments (as "Professor Gelatt explores a medium for the dis- irrelevant; that it can be done-that it Gaisberg") for early cylinder record- semination of musical art and enter- was done-is enough. ings in Washington, D.C.-via a period tainment. R&W examine devices in These passages are included in the as ad hoc assistant to Emile Berliner- elaborately documented detail; Gelatt "new" part of the third edition. For to become the world's first a&r man of tells the story of an industry, with the the Postscript added in the second, note and the holder of a string of facts and figures to give it flesh but a Gelatt has substituted three chapters "firsts" that belongs in Guinness: first minimum of the fussier trappings of covering the introduction of stereo, to record a genuine opera excerpt research. R&W barely mention music; the rise of rock, the sporadic chal- (with tenor Ferruccio Giannini); first for Gelatt, music is at once the raison lenges of tape to disc, and the conver- to record Caruso, Patti, Chaliapin, d'être and the apotheosis of the sion of the phonograph record from a and many other opera stars; first to phonograph. specialty product to a mass -market make worldwide use of the recording This corner of history, in which cul- one. The plates have been expanded, horn in what we now call ethnomu- ture and enterprise are made partners, there are some changes in the illus- sicology; first, and perhaps the last, to is one to which Gelatt seems passion- trations within the text, and there are publish a really significant memoir of ately attached. He savors its story in some rewordings-mostly to correct the early years of recording (pace Joe the telling like an epicure recalling statements that have become ana- Batten). vanished vintages. Yet-and thisis chronistic, though one change am- That memoir appeared in the early rare for such specialized histories-his plifies (still not entirely successfully; Forties, in England as Music on discipline as a raconteur keeps the ba- see notes at the end of "Recordings Record and in this country as The Mu- sic thrust of his narrative always in Before Edison," HF, January 1977) the sic Goes Round. (One does not won- view: never obscured by wayward knotty matter of Edison's "original" der that the American title's reference anecdote, always judged and bal- sketches for the phonograph. to a particularly banal popular song anced in its handling of parallel or Itis a sad comment on our times of the era was not duplicated abroad.) conflicting developments. that the price of the volume has risen It was-and is-fascinating, but it also

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SEPTEMBER 1977 5 is very frustrating to the would-be phonographic historian on two counts. First, Gaisberg was writing many years after the most important facts (albeit with the aid of contemporary diaries) and often jumped about in time in a way that, while not necessarily inappropriatefor individual anecdotes or overviews, obscures the sequence of events. Second, he was so concerned with the phonograph and with the stars he recorded on it that the reader seldom has much of a glimpse of Gaisberg himself, particularly the protagonist, as opposed to the author. Certain traits do come through. A man who was nothing if not politic- even slick, when occasion demanded-Gaisberg obviously had the finesse to manipulate the great and the proud without appearing to do so. His love of music and his fascination with mechanics both were deep- rooted. But he was, if anything, even At the opening of the Gramophone Company's new recording studios in Hayes, Middlesex, more fascinated by people. He was in- England, in 1913, Fred Gaisberg (far left) and his brother Will (next to Fred) posed with quisitive, bold, and resourceful. He the Russian basso Feodor Chaliapin (in his familiar gray top hat) and company officials. was, to put it succinctly, the right man for his job. That he applied these qualities with in the original are, for example, little burns for the recording crew (consist- humanity as well as flair can only be more than orgies of name-dropping), ing at minimum of Gaisberg, his guessed at in his memoir, whose something does get lost. brother Will, and one of their Italian shortcomings have, at last, been set Take the matter of the switch from agents)beforetheflameswere right by A Matter of Records. Jerrold Berliner's original etched zinc masters quelled. In a previously unpublished Northrop Moore not only knows pho- to the vastly superior wax process. aside, Gaisberg remarks wryly: "Reu- nographic history (as, among other Gaisberg's Chapter 3 is titled "From ter's cabled the incident over the things, a contributor on the subject to Zinc to Wax." Typically-and ana- world, featuring two Americans in- Gramophone), but he has had access chronistically-he manages to work volved in the destruction of the Vati- to Gaisberg's diaries, to other unpub- the names of Patti, Melba, Caruso, can by fire." There is no hint of this lished manuscripts, and to surviving and Paderewski into the first sen- Roman sojourn in his published ver- members of Gaisberg's family. tence. He then goes on, through fre- sion of the Caruso episode. Rather than write a conventional quent digressions, to end the chapter Nor does it include many of the de- third -person narrative, Moore has with his account of the famous Ca- tails that Moore quotes from a manu- helped Gaisberg to succeed where, ruso session in the Grande Hotel, Mi- script entitledIRecorded Caruso. left to his own devices, Gaisberg had lan. But the thrust of the chapter is among them, "... Dressed like a failed: in telling his story with person- clear: Providence had dropped the dandy, twirling a cane, Caruso saun- ality and a strong sense of organiza- wax technique and the great tenor tered down Via Manzoni and-to the tion. Page after page is taken up more into Gaisberg's lap almost simulta- delight of those worshippers of tenors, with direct quotation (often from the neously; only together could the two the waiters-entered the Grande Hotel memoir itself) than with Moore's con- have achieved their sudden glory. ...where we were waiting for him," is nective fabric. But the net impression Moore, by contrast, is four chapters far more graphic and colorful than the on the reader is one of having experi- and twenty-two pages farther into his original volume's "... One sunny af- enced these scenes with Gaisberg, narrative before he comes to the Ca- ternoon Caruso, debonaire and fresh, rather than-as in the earlier volume- ruso story. His account of it-again, sauntered into our studio...." of having listened in while an aging largely in Gaisberg's words, but quot- Yet when the account is over, and rather garrulous man reminisces ing from both the published text and Moore has barely mentioned the ad- about things long past. So successful the family cache of manuscripts- vent of wax masters. So it is only by is Moore in this that he invites criti- makes much more sense of what hap- comparing the two versions that the cism on the ground that he did not do pened. For one thing, he shows that reader can adequately appreciate ei- more of it. Now that we begin to see Gaisberg's negotiations with Caruso ther if his purpose is to come by his- what sort of man Gaisberg really was, did not lead immediately to the torical understanding. Still, as a nar- it only whets our appetite; instead of recordings. In between, Giisberg re- rative the Moore is clearly preferable. this delightful supper, we wish that he corded the Sistine Chapel Choir, and, It is more self-sufficient, more com- could have served up a banquet. How with it, the only castrato (Moreschi) plete, and more zestful. Paradox- ungrateful we are! by which modern ears can judge the ically, it also is more representative of Nor is A Matter of Records a replace- male soprano voice for which so much Gaisberg; we seem to hear his voice- ment for Gaisberg's own book. De- important music was once written. the voice of a master in this curious spite all the quotations, the biography At the final Sistine Chapel session a profession that he created-for the is so profoundly different in method battery that Gaisberg used (to drive first time unburdened of the self-con- thatitdrastically rearranges Gais- the lathe?) ignited some cotton wool sciousness and the faulty technique berg's emphases. While that is some- packing for the wax masters, which that can muffle some records of even times to the good (occasional passages panicked the choir and resulted in the greatest recordist. 0

52 CIRCLE 34 ON READER -SERVICE CARD -9. THE OPIIMUM.

luNc4

2 22

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Free maxeiRape ust for listening to the t cassette deck that finds music automatically. Now there's a cassette deck that of the line cassette decks and you'll Dept. C9C.10 Ke plays it your way. see why Optonica can honestly Paramus, New Jerse The Optonica RT-3535 Mark call the RT-3535 Mark II, The pick up your free copy of our c II. It's the only cassette deck with Optimum: log, listen to the RT-3535 Mark II APLD, the Automatic Program A built-in Dolby* System and get your free Maxell cassette tape. Locating Device that lets you select means you shouldn't have to worry Come in soon... the free tape the songs you want to hear auto- about hiss and noise ruining the offer (good only at participating matically, instead of manually performance of your tapes. And the dealers while the supply lasts.) ends searching for each cut. ultra -hard Permalloy head means September 30,197T. But that's not all. you'll have greatly improved fre- From the cassette deck that This Optonica cassette desk quency response. finds musical selections automati- also has the kind of specifications We invite you to listen to the cally to the unique turntable built that will impress the most dedicated optimum cassette deck and in on granite, find out why throughout audiophile. return, we'll give you the Maxell Europe and Japan, Optonica is cne The high quality tape transport UDC -90 cassette tape absolutely free.of the fastest selling lines of high features a 2 -motor drive system, Just call toll -free 800-447-470C fidelity components on the market and a precision polished capstan day or night (in Illinois dial 1-800- today. shaft. Which results in a wow and 322-4400) for the name and flutter of an amazingly low 0.04%. address of your nearest Optonica OPTONICATHE OPTIMUM. Compare that figure with other top showroom. Or write Optonica. Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories. Inc. It is likely that adding acoustic lining material to the enclosures of your Pioneer speakers would further damp the bass response and lower the efficiency of the system. To evaluate whether these changes would be de- sirable or even tolerable would require detailed knowledge of driver and system performance-not to mention considerable engineering expertise. If you decide to try the change, be sure you can return the system to its original condition in case you don't like the result. Assuming that the record dealer is using normal sources of supply, he does not have seconds, which are not, to our knowledge, sold by the industry. My components include a McIntosh tuner - weight tracking with a superior cartridge. Is it preamplifier, Model MX -112, and a McIntosh possible to replace the Technics arm with a I own a Marantz Model 2270 stereo receiver amplifier, Model MC -250. Several of the FM lighter one?-D. L. Fournerat, New Iberia, La. and an old Knight -Kit tuner that incorporates stations I like are within twenty-five miles, If you want to use a non -Technics tone arm, tubes in its construction. While listening to but one that I particularly like is about 100 you will be best off with one of the turntables an FM broadcast at 101 MHz on the Marantz miles away. For TV reception I use an antenna that the company sells without arms. Tech- and with the Knight -Kit tuned to about 91 with an antenna amplifier and a four-way nics informs us that it knows of no way for a MHz, I get severely impaired reception from splitter. I get good reception from TV stations consumer to replace the arm of the SL -1500. the Marantz but the signal strength remains near the distant FM station.I would like to On the basis of experience we have had the same. The Knight isn't tiedin to the use one of my four antenna outputs for my with this model, we are surprised that you are Marantz. Can you offer some explanation as tuner -preamplifier. having any difficulty. When we used that arm to what might be causing this phenomenon, The MX -112 has an appreciable voltage with the Shure V-15 Type III (a very compliant and can it be harmful to the receiver?-M. J. (enough to give one a slight jolt) at the an- cartridge), the low -frequency resonance was Markovich, Whiting, Ind. tenna taps; McIntosh informs me that this is well located and well damped (10 Hz, 1'/2 dB The local oscillator of the Knight is probably normal. My antenna installer, however, is of rise). However, should you wish to experi- radiating (101.7 MHz is a likely operating fre- the opinion that this may damage the an- ment with methods of lowering the mass of quency for the tuning you specify) and being tenna components. Is this so? the arm/cartridge system, the following let- picked up by the Marantz, which apparently

I believe that with the antenna amplifica- ter may be of interest. considers this spurious radiation to be multi -

tion I am using, my tuner -preamplifieris path and acts accordingly. Radio waves can,

being overloaded by the local stations, even I stumbled across something that you may of course, travel between the units without a though there does not seem to be any over- find interesting. A local audio dealer recently direct connection. Unless, for some reason, load problem with my TV sets. Without this placed the Sony 8750 turntable on sale.I now you want to hear two different FM programs amplification I cannot receive distant FM sta- own a 4750 and compared the specs on the at once, we'd suggest you turn off the Knight tions. Would you please comment on the in- two to see if the 8750 was worth the $600 dif- when listening to the Marantz. The problem herent capability of my tuner -preamplifier to ference in price. I found three differences: is not dangerous-just irritating. cope with this overload problem? The 8750 is quartz -controlled and has a car-

Because of the problems I am experi- bon -fiber tone arm and a carbon -fiber head - In your June issue I read of someone who had encing, I am considering replacing my equip- shell. The carbon shell weighs 2 grams less feedback problems with a Dual 1229 turn- ment (now seven years old). Since my ampli- than my shell. table.I own a 1229 (used with a Sony STR- fier continues to perform well, a replacement The shell cost only $8.00, so I bought it, in- 6800SD and Bose 501 speakers) and had a for the MX -112 might be the answer. Alter- stalled my Sonus Blue Label cartridge in it, similar problem. I considered the Audio-Tech- natively,I might go to a separate tuner and a and set it up on my 4750 turntable. The im- nica Insulators but was reluctant to spend separate preamplifieror replace both provement was overwhelming. I noticed a $25 more until other methods were explored. McIntosh units with a receiver.-Frank A. definite improvement in separation, tighter I had no success untilI came up with the Weck, Punta Gorda, Fla. bass, and a cleaner top end. I tried the shell in simple plan of suspending the turntable from It is probably best that you accept the advice a friend's Technics turntable and got similar the ceiling. of your antenna installer, who presumably results. A wooden platform, such as a shelf or ta- knows the equipment with which he works. The rest of my system consists of an ESS bletop with an eyebolt at each corner, forms According to McIntosh, the voltage at the preamp, Phase Linear 100B amp, and Speak- the support and is connected to eyebolts in tuner's antenna connections can be elimi- erlab 7 speakers. I'm sure that anyone with the ceiling by strands of piano wire. (I guess nated by simply grounding the chassis of the equipment of this caliber will find the $8.00 any wire or cord will do.) The hardest part is MX -112. (Sometimes just reversing the wellspent.-Paul E.Houston, Cincinnati, leveling the support, but once this is done power -line plug will reduce the voltage appre- Ohio. feedback problems should disappear ut- ciably.) To prevent ground loops, only a What you have done seems reasonable. The terly-even when the system is played very single ground connection should be made. "universal" headshells used by Sony, Tech- loudly.-C. R. Thacker Sr., Bon Aqua, Tenn. This should protect the antenna compo- nics, and other manufacturers are in fact in- We get the impression that, strictly speaking, nents. terchangeable, but certain of these compan- your problem was not with the Dual, but the In general, overload of an FM tuner is un- ies caution that their headshells have been quality of support you were able to provide. mistakable. The most usual symptom is ap- "fine-tuned" for their particular arms and Nonetheless, your method appears to have pearance of a strong station at several that random combinations may not give op- its virtues. We wonder, however, if a shelf rig- places on the dial. If your problem is of this timum results. idly connected to a solid wall away from the type and is confined to the FM tuner, an at- loudspeakers and with no direct connection tenuator switched intoits antenna leads I have a pair of Pioneer CS -77 speakers that to the floor would not provide equal isolation when the antenna is aimed at or near a were purchased in 1969. Would installation with better horizontal stability than your strong station should cure the difficulty.If of acoustic lining into the cabinet be of any method does. It is possible that the choice of these are the only factors that are prompting benefit? wire or cord is more critical than you suspect your consideration of new equipment, we Also, a local record store that sells albums and that you have been lucky. The mass of say that such consideration is premature.. at prices at least $2.00 below those of other the platform and turntable, together with the stores seems to have a disproportionate num- springiness of the suspension wires, form a I own a Technics SL -1500 turntable and tone ber of warped albums. Do major record labels resonant system that could cause problems arm. Although the turntable is a state -of -the- sell such discs as seconds?-Steve Askew, ifits characteristic frequency falls in the art unit, the arm seems too massive for light- Kirksville, Mo. wrong place.

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It evidently represented the dream of a lifetime. Joe Tu- keeps a record of the force with which each individual note shinsky-collector extraordinaire of piano rolls, one of the is played, no matter how many are played simultaneously; few musicians among today's chief executives in the audio it thus is capable of preserving dynamic subtleties that are industry (Superscope, Inc.), son of a musician (NBC Sym- beyond the reproduction capabilities of the present home phony, among other things), and the original U.S. im- models. porter of Sony tape equipment-unveiled the Pianocorder This suggests that future home models may answer the in Chicago's Playboy Mansion with a relish we doubt Hugh questions we raised when experimenting with the pro- Hefner himself could have summoned up even for a Ma - totype, which seemed somewhat limited in dynamic range non or a Cleopatra. Under the beaming eye of its benefac- by comparison to, say, the live performances of a Horowitz tor, the Pianocorder, a small cassette deck plus a long and which offered no gradations of pedaling-only on and black box that mates with the keyboard, sat down at the off. But this was a prototype, and an exciting one. Aside concert grand and played Paderewski's reading of the from the ability to let pianists of any era play "live" at any Chopin Military Polonaise. It then proceeded to reproduce time (and we hear rumors of a project to digitalize from the pianism of an amateur to whose playing it had been conventional recordings as well as piano rolls), and that privy only the day before. Fifty years after its demise as a of making your own instant "piano rolls," the advantages mechanical marvel, the player piano was back as a digital to students are obvious. Most important, however, this is electromechanical one-with some significant new twists. the first electrical recording scheme we know of that is At the Pianocorder's commercial introduction, sched- without any waveform distortion, noise, or wow and flutter: uled for early 1978, there will be two home versions: one our dynamic and pedaling qualms aside, perfect fidelity. with the separate "box" (or Vorsetzer, similar to the piano - playing mechanism that Welte and others offered in the early years of the century) to be placed over the keyboard, one with all the mechanics-a series of solenoids, one for FM Quad and the FCC each note and two for the pedals-built into the piano. Ei- ther can be attached to anything from the family upright to The FCC has voted to hold a public inquiry into the feasi- the grandest of grands. The built-in version (which will cost bility of setting a standard for quadriphonic broadcasting. $1,250) includes two-way mechanics: Digital recordings Readers interested in seeing a standard set should write can be made, as well as played, on the piano. The "box" to: Docket 21310, Federal Communications Commission, version ($1,500), since it is not permanently affixed to the 1919 M St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Letters must keyboard, will record only with additional attachments. be received by September 15, 1977. Though CBS has pe- Both work in conjunction with a cassette transport (at- titioned the FCC on behalf of its SQ system and the Na- tached beneath the upper end of the keyboard), operating tional Quadriphonic Radio Committee of the EIA has put at 33/4 ips-a speed that can be varied by ± 20% to alter forward its discrete system for consideration, two others, tempo without affecting pitch or other musical properties. H -Matrix and Sansui's QS, will be evaluated by the Com- (Remember, the recordings are digitally encoded "cues" mission as well. for the various solenoids, not conventional analogue recordings.) With C-90 cassettes, the longest Superscope recommends with the Pianocorder, playing time therefore runs up to 22'/2 minutes per side. Installation plus a library of 100 cassettes will be included in the purchase price of the Pianocorder. Tushinsky IHf isplanning to transfer his entire library-more than 15,000 piano rolls-to Pianocorder tapes. Thus Schnabel Exec Director or Hofmann or Rachmaninoff or Gershwin will be able to Named play your own piano, "live" in your living room. In addition, Superscope plans a major recording project built around today's pianists, using very sophisticated, precise Master Recording Pianos. (Imagine: Glenn Gould might play Bach on your Steinway with no grunted obbligato!) Presumably the sophistication of the Master Recording U.S. Pioneer's Bernie Mitchell, president of the Institute Pianos will be proof against further development in the of High Fidelity, has announced the appointment of home models. For example, the home models control dy- Robert L. Gur-Arie as executive director of the IHF. Gur- namics on an instant -by -instant basis, treating the lower Arie most recently was director of marketing programs and upper halves of the keyboard independently (follow. and trade shows for the International Council of Shopping ing the model of the finest piano -roll players). Keys played Centers and has been associated with the trade industry simultaneously in either half, however, are reproduced at a for seventeen years. At a luncheon at the summer Con- single volume level, which may be at any one of thirty-two sumer Electronics Show, Mitchell officially introduced steps in its dynamic range. The Master model, by contrast, Gur-Arie to members of the audio industry.

56 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE NIKKOMDIO FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR STEREO SERIOUSLY A A pretty Striking picture -Seven Changein stereo receivers. new AM/FM a Familiar 15Hz to 20kHzinto 8 ohms. However, thereis more than Name eye. The proof meets the Among thefeatures of the no more than is in the sound. Nikko's NR 1415ore 0.08% THD. own dual VU In addition Each NikkoAudio meters, twophono to providing tuner, amplifier receiver hosAM/FM inputs, auxiliary,tope and power, all Nikko sufficient clean and preamplifier mic mixing, adapter inputs with advanced sections normal and that includes receivers hovecircuitry circuitry to keep switching, triple narrow IF band PLL multiplexing, crisp, clean, signals tone controls, quadrature strong and LED function detectors andphase -linear steady. Each indicator lightswith circuit So whether ceramic filters. receiver is builtto provide cator, audio protection indi- you wont a bility and maximum relia- muting and 'top -of -the-line big, powerful dependability,too. switching three speaker receiver or a small Take the NR able unit forcasual depend- 1415 forexample. It's Theexcitement thing in enjoyment-or some veritable a line clear continues through between with powerhouse-175 watts down to the the and the the right channel per NR 315,a superb correct amount features (minimum RMS)both channels efficient unit out the of power driven withan amazingly for a smallthat's an idealbasic seven new Nikko -check low THD of stereo system, receiver Audio receivers. 0.045% ata rated with 10 The face ofNikko hos power bandwidth minimum RMSper channel, watts changed, but of both channels reputation for its driven into 8ohms (40Hz the meantime,performancecontinues. In to 20kHz),with if you're fessional interestedin 'pro- components-read on. In a Class by Themselves The Nikko Audio professional group of o variable VU meter control for matching 3 -position mode switching, 5 -tope posi- stereo power amplifiers, preamps and speaker efficiency. The matching Beta II tion controls, adjustable impedance/ remarkable new FM thin -line tuner ore preomp hos four inputs, subsonic filter capacitance controls and subsonic filter. truly in a class by themselves. audio muting, and extremely low THD and THD is a low 0.01% at 1 volt.

The Alpha I basic power amplifier and signal-to-noise ratio. Rounding out the expanded profes- Beta Iall FET preamplifier are classics of The "rock -steady" Alpha V "Class A" lob - sionalI ne is the thin -line Gamma IFM power and operational ease. Although oratory standard amplifieris shown in tuner. Its accuracy (1 8mV usable sensitiv- they hove been available for only o few matte black.Itdelivers 100 watts* per ity) and features likeIF bold selectivity, months, they have already garnered channel, with no more than 0.06% TI -ID enchance o product virtually unmatched "rovecomments from critics and con- Performance is so pure that the Alpha V by any other manufacturer. sumers alike. is the touchstone by which all other ampli- The professional group from Nikko Following in this traditionisthe new fiers will be tested. Audio-each product crafted to provide AlphaII power amp with o continuous The matching Beta V high voltage ET the utmost in performance and reliability. power output of 110 worts* per channel, preamp, atop the Alpha V, is the last wo-d *Minimum RMS, per channel, driven into with no more than 0.00% THD: it even hos in performance and reliabilityIt features 8 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz. Quebec Monrreol. Electronics. Superior Canada In a of name the and information product oil like amp. integrated 750 TRM The 1977 Audio, 988-0105(c)Nikko (213) complete for us to write components, defeat. tone receivers, ing a 91406 Calif. Nuys, Von St., Roymer 16270 and products professional and filter subsonic features also 850 NA excit- our s America of Corp. Electric Nikko about read you've that Now The breakers. circuit exclusive Nikko price. Nikko modest and circuitry. protection speaker dubbing) seriously stereo their take who those For typically a and specifications excellent with (for switch control tope -position 5 control performer established an It's tuner. FM variable with meters VU responsive like AM/ 450 FAM the is least, not but Last, features myriad hove amps integrated Audio Nikko noise. reducing in aids switch multipath 850 NA and 550 NA the Both THD. 0.05% mounted front a while distortion low and than less and channel, per watts* 60 with in 20kHz. selectivity high provide circuitry IF narrow 850 NA the is line Nikko the new Also to 20Hz from ohms 8 into driven nels and Normal grabbing. station and quiet THD. 0.05% than chan- both channel, per RMS *Minimum uncannily is tuner AM/FM 850 NT Nikko's less with channel per watts* 45 with fier Nikko. of year your THD. 0.15% than more no and nel, ampli- integrated 550 NA the is year this this make you'll think we products, Audio chan- per watts* 55 delivers 750 TRM The New amps. integrated three and tuners Nikko heard and seen hove you Once reliability. built-in its to features quality its -designed well two features Audio Nikko you. near dealer Audio Nikko from performer, superb a is products, Nikko from series components separate The Components Match and Mix Nikko's I iy Or tw 111. Mdi HiFi-Crostic No. 28 by William Petersen

tit- N 3 R 4 M 5 Z 6 S 7 H 6 0 9 F 10 V 11 N T2 L 13

DIRECTIONS X 14G 15 T 16 A 17 R 18 1 19 F 200 21 Z 22 E 23 X 24 I 25 J 26 U 27 To solve these puzzles-and they aren't as tough as they first seem - N 28 R 29 K 30 P 31 W 32 0 33 F 34 R 35 L 36 V 37 Y 38 N 39 X 40 P 41 supply as many of the Output words as you can in the numbered dashes Z 42 N 43 R 44 A 45 X 46 V 47 NI 48 G 49 R 500 51 V 52 T nx 54 following the Input. Unless otherwise specified in the Input, the Output con-

W 55A 56 G 57L 58 N 59 S 60 Z 61 0 62 C 63 R 64 J 65 V 66 I 67 X S sists of one English word. "Comp." means compound, or hyphenated, word. V 69 N 70S 71 72A 73P 74 H 75 R 76 T 77 V 78 0 79 D 80 Z Transfer each letter to the square in the diagram that bears the corre- N 81 U 82 M 83 X 84V 85 Z 86 L 97 A 88 R 89 I 90 V 91 0 92 Z 93 N 94 sponding number. After only a few correct guesses you should begin to

C 95 X 96 T 97 V 98 B 990 100 E 101 C 102 G 103 N 104Z 1135 D 106 G 1C7 R 109 see words and phrases emerging in the diagram, which when filled in will contain a quotation related to music, Y 109 K 110 N 111 I 112 R 113V 114 V 115A 116Z 117G 118 X 119 R 120 recordings, or audio. The words inthe quotation are 0 121 1.1 122 1' 123 X 124P 125 U 126G 127 F 128 J 129 N 130 S 131 C 132 Z 133 separated by darkened squares and do not necessarily end at the end of o 134 N 135 T 136 E 137 R 138 S4 139 X 140 K 141 Y 142 B 143C 144 W 145 I 1460 147 a row. Try to guess at these words and A 148 Z 149 X 150 G 151 J 152 H 153A 154 N 155 V 156 M 157 Z 1580 1;9 transfer each newly decoded letter back to its appropriate dash in the Output.Thiswill C 160 T 161 W 162U 163G 164 R 165S 166 N 167 Z 168 V 169 R 170 L 171 I 172 supply you with further clues. A final clue. The source of the U 173C 174 F 175 X 176 N 177 R 178 B 179Z 180G 181 E 182 V 183 H 184 K 1E6 U 185 quotation - the author and his work - will be spelled out by the first letters M 187 A 188 N 189R 190 M 191 C 192 T 193 S 194 H 195 X 196G 197 N 196 L 199 in Output, reading down The answer to HiFF-Crostic No. 28 R 200 V 201 V 202 D 203 2 204 R 205 E 206 X 207 N 208 0 209 T 210 P 211 V 212 will appear in next month's issue of HIGH FIDEUTY.

INPUT OUTPUT INPUT OUTPUT

A English composer (b PLiszt symphony 45 154 73 188 56 41 125 211 74 31 1942) African Sanctus re- 17 88 116 corded by Philips 0 Stringed instrument 147 121 92 33 159 51 134 100 B. Groove 143 179 99 62 9 79 C. Leonard Bernstein's 1944 144 2 102 132 174 95 160 192 musical (3 wds.) R. Handel's Chandos An- them No. 2 (7 wds.) 205 89 178 120 35 170 18 190 63 D. James Fenimore Cooper's 80 106 203 138 50 76 148 29 200 4 Harvey Birch

E. Device to adjust an or- 206 137 101 23 182 165 113 44 64 108 gan's volume S. Edison,jazz 60 166 71 7 131 194 F. Variations by D'Indy 10 175 20 128 34 trumpeter

G. Blues singer and guitarist T Of a musical passage. hur- 181 49 77 161 123 193 16 97 210 53 (full professional name) 197 57 15 118 107 151 ried, agitated (It.)

127 164 103 136

U. Popular songwriter I'm H. Country of Aida's pre- 27 126 163 82 173 186 miere 195 75 184 8 153 m the Mood ior Love V. The Duke I. Of a performance. uneven. 67 112 146 25 172 90 37 183 202 85 11 98 69 169 poorly rehearsed 115 d'Archambeau 152 65 26 129 (1879-1955). Belgian cel- W. German composer list. member of Stradi- (1739-96) piano sonatas 55 145 32 162 varius Quartet recorded by Orion

30 110 141 185 K Enormous X. Nielsen's Fourth Sym- 96 150 68 196 14 46 176 119 phony L Popular ensemble *Des- 199 58 87 171 13 36 * perado ' recorded by Asy- 54 1 207 84 140 124 24 lum 40 M Tchaikovsky ballet (2 83 139 5 157 122 48 191 187 wds) V. Amsterdam rail a 52 156 38 47 201 78 212 91 N. See Word Z (3 wds.) 177 104 39 70 208 135 155 3 66 142 19 114 109 94 130 12 189 43 81 167 Z. With Word N., successor 22 105 133 180 117 168 42 86 111 28 198 59 to the Songwriters Protec- O. Pay particular attention to tive Association (3 wds.) 209 21 158 93 149 6 204 61 72 this (abbr.) Solution to last month's HIFI CrostIc appears on page 8.

SIT I 1977 61 pEP ENO4_x7 dfr. She real thing -±1 "Phono-cartridge perfor- "Finally the light dawned: "The Empire 2000Z offers "Frequency response was mance has come a long way This is a neutral cartridge - extremely smooth response in among the smoothest we have in recent years, as can be it's supposed to sound that the audible range and, even ever recorded for a stereo judged from the 2000Z's mea- way. The highs are not sub- atthe lighttracking force cartridge and actually did not sured frequency response. In- dued: they are just smooth, (1.0 grams) at which our lis-deviate more than the plus cluding the effect of arm reso- rather than peaky and shrill. tening tests were conducted, or minus 1 dB specified over nance in a typical tone arm, Instrumental timbres are re-never failed to track the the entire audio spectrum. and combining the measure-produced in fine detail, but grooves of even our most Resonance has been pushed ments from a couple of rec-without being artificially dynamically recorded musical way out beyond the audio ords, the response could pointed up. Thus one is able test passages. Highs were range and we suspect that honestly be described as ± 1 to hear soft inner voices and silky smooth, never 'edgy' or some of the stylus engineer- dB from 15 to 20,000 Hz.pastel shadings that are all raspy and there was not even ing developed for Empire's This is comparable to the flat- but obscured by the bravura a hint of 'peakiness' in the CD -4 (4000 series) cartridges ness of most amplifiers, es- of some of the competition. important 12,000 to 16,000 has been brought to bear in pecially if the tone controls "The Empire 2000Z is truly Hz range where so many this design to accomplish that c:11111nt be bypassed:. impressive. Itis well worth other pickups often add dis- feat" auditioning, even though that tinct and easily identifiable Stereo can't be done in a hurry if coloration:' audio Review you are to hear - and savor trade its quality." Radio- news FILITY Electronics

I-IS

-20

-25

35 20 3040 50 100 500 20 Hz HzHz Hz Hz Hz MHz Requeney 14. (cycles On second) In the graph frequency response was measured using the CBS 100 lest Record, which sweeps from 20-20,000 I lz. The vertical (racking force was set at one gram. Nominal system capacitance was calibrated to be 300 picofarads and the standard 47K ohm resistance was maintained throughout testing. The upper curves represent the frequency response of the right ( black land left (grey) channels. The distance between the upper and lower curves represents separation between the channels in decibels. The inset oscilloscope photo exhibits the cartridge's response to a recorded 1000 Hz square wave indicating its resonant and transient response. For more information on the Empire 2000Z. and our free brochure "How to Get the Most Out of Your Records:' write: Empire Scientific Corp., Department -171 dB. 1055 Stewart Avenue. Garden Ci(y. N.Y. 11530. EIVPIFE CIRCLE 12 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 62 Iiit.rt r wri M ,\/I\1 Preparation supervised by Robert Long, Harold A. Rodgers, and Edward J. Foster Laboratory data (unless otherwise noted) supplied by CBS Technology Center

A CONSUMER'S GUIDE

CH I l) CH .2 CONTROLS

TREBLE TURNOVER TREBLE TURNOVER TREBLE LEVEL MI 11111111111 OCTAVE -BAND LEVELS TREBLE LEVEL

111111:1111:111 BASS LEVEL OCTAVE -BAND LEVELS

BASS LEVEL BASS TURNOVER BASS TURNOVER

OCTAVE -BAND CENTER FRED S

OCTAVE -BAND CENTER FREO.S 11111111

EO IN/OUT -Ea IN/OU; TONE/FLAT TONE/FLA1 AC POWER

Crown's "Synergistic" Equalizer

The Equipment: Crown EQ-2 equalization system in metal twenty -two -band mono equalizer. case. Dimensions: 19 by 71/2 inches (front panel, including In addition to the individual equalizer sections, the sys- 2 inches for rack -mount "ears"); 14 inches deep plus tem incorporates shelving -type bass and treble tone con- clearance for controls and connections. Price: $995; op- trols (with slopes of 6 dB per octave) for each of the stereo tional Model 7RD wood enclosure, $65. Warranty: "full," channels. The inclusion of these controls in the same three years parts and labor. Manufacturer: Crown Inter- package with the equalizer gives rise to the "synergistic" national, 1718 W. Mishawaka Rd., Elkhart, Ind. 46514. description of the Crown EQ-2. Each of the tone controls can be set for up to 20 dB of boost or cut on the shelf, and Comment: The Crown EQ2 provides a novel approach to the turnover point of each is continuously adjustable: be- truly effective room and speaker equalization.Itis an tween 180 and 1,800 Hz for the bass controls, between 1 eleven -band equalizer with a nominal center every octave and 10 kHz for the treble. from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The filters are one-half octave wide (rather than the more common full octave), and the center frequency of each filter is separately adjustable over a REPORT POLICY Equipment iepods are based on laboratory measurements and cont,olled listening tests Unless otherwrse noted, test data and measurements are range approaching one octave. This delivers finer control obtained by CBS Technology Center. Stamford. Connecticut. a division of Columbia Broad- over individual portions of the band and less interaction casting System. Inc.. one of the nation s leading research organizations. The choice of equipment to be tested rests with the editors of HIGH FIDELITY Manufacturers are not between the filters than one usually gets in such a unit. permitted to reed reports in advance of publication. and no report, or portion thereof. Each slider provides up to 15 dB of boost or cut (adjusted may be reproduced for any purpose or in any form without written permission of the publisher. All reports should be construed as applying to the specific sampies tested: with a calibrated, switched attenuator) at its center fre- neither HIGH FIDELITy nor CBS Technology Center assumes responsibiiity for product quency. For even finer resolution, the two channels of the performance or quality EQ-2 can be interconnected on the rear panel to produce a

SEPTEMBER1977 63 Front -panel LEDs (one per channel) flash whenever an overload condition occurs at any of four critical points in the circuitry. Either a unity or a 10 -dB gain can be selected by a rear -panel switch, with additional screwdriver adjustments for finer settings. Both unbalanced (pin) and balanced (phone) inputs and outputs are provided to interface with either audiophile or professional gear. The graphic equalizer and tone control circuits can be separately bypassed on each channel for A/B comparison of equalized with unequalized sound. There should be no difficulty whatsoever interfacing the Crown with other equipment. Output clipping does not occur below the 10 volt level, and even then total harmonic distortion is minuscule. At 2.5 volts output-all we'd ever expect to need-the highest level of THD is on the order of 0.005%. In a worst case test, with the 40 Hz control set Square wave response flat and all others fully boosted. THD jumps all the way to 0.006%; clearly there's no need to worry here. Inter - modulation distortion is a mere 0.002%. 0.01 0.007 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES One point on which we are adamant: An equalizer must (for 2.5 volts output) change only what it is told to change; it must have no mind 0.005 of its own. Here the Crown rates superlatives. Frequency 0.003 response is flat from 10 Hz to beyond 40 kHz-and only 1/2 0.002- dB down at 100 kHz! When it is set for flat response, we Left channel: <0.0051%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz find no audible difference when the EQ-2 is switched in Right channel: <0.0050%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz and out of the system. The CBS data show that the avail. 11-1)0.001 able boost and cut are just as claimed and that the calibra- EQ 2

tion of the tone control turnover points is reasonably accu- 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K rate. Adjusting the center of an octave band to an extreme FREQUENCY IN HZ of its frequency range, however, diminishes its boost or cut range by 3 to 4 dB. The essence of an equalizer is elusive. Unlike most com- were within ± 1'/2 dB from 24 Hz to 9.5 kHz with the de ponents.itis expected to change the signal passing sired rolloff above that point. We repeated our procedure through it in a fairly radical way. We put the EQ-2 through on the other channel. its paces taking the rough edges off a speaker-a relatively The results were extremely gratifying Although the sys flat one, at that-in our listening room. Using a sound -level tem gave little cause for complaint before equalization. the meter. set up at our normal listening position, and the improvement in bass response was outstanding There Crown Equalization Test Record provided with the EQ-2, was no sign of boom or -mushy" bass-just utter realism we plotted the response of one of the speakers on the in the reproduction of bass drum, organ. bass viol. and graph paper (also included). Over-all, the response was such. The improvement in the high end was less obvious. within ±6'/2 dB from 25 Hz to 12.5 kHz. exhibiting a very but there was a definite increase in clarity. and it was easier gradual slope above 2.5 kHz and a more rapid drop above to distinguish between instruments, no doubt because of 10 kHz. On the low end, the response sloped off gradually the more accurate reproduction of each instrument's below 150 Hz with relative standing -wave peaks at 40 and spectrum. 80 Hz and a trough in between. There was a slight (3 -dB) We hesitate to say that the Crown EQ-2 is a panacea. but prominence at 1 kHz. we could not have achieved the results we did with an ordi As a first corrective measure. we used the bass tone con nary graphic equalizer. (We couldn't have done without the trol to bring up the low end. We set the bass turnover as sound -level meter either, but Crown dealers who carry the low as we could (180 Hz) and cranked the extreme low end EQ-2 can make one available for setup.) Had our speakers' up by about 10 dB. The average low end was now even with response really been ragged. it's doubtful we would have the midband, but the standing wave pattern was still had a final outcome quite as good. And. without a speaker apparent and the high end still sloped off. This brought us that can take the extra power in the boost regions without to within ±3 dB from 23 Hz to 4 kHz. We next set the filter distorting. and an amplifier that can deliver that power. we switches as follows. -4 dB at 40 Hz. + 2 dB at 80 Hz, -3 dB would have been stymied. at 160 Hz. 0 dB at 320 and 640 Hz, -3 dB at 1.25 kHz. + 1 Note that we were not able to extend the bandpass of dB at 2.5 kHz, and +4 dB at 5 kHz. We shifted the 10 kHz the speaker very far below its natural rolloff point, for this filter down a bit in frequency and set it for + 4 dB. Then we is just where a woofer-any woofer-begins to run out of moved the frequency of the 20 -kHz filter down through power -handling capacity. The EQ.2 will not make a tiny about half of its range and set it for +3 dB. (We concur bookshelf job sound like a disco monster: to try to make it with Crown's observation that realistic evocation of a lis- do so can send a driver to an early demise It also can get tening position part way back in a concert hall requires a you into trouble with rumble (for which a subsonic filter response that slopes off somewhat above 9 kHz.) may be useful in any case). We were then within ±2'/2 dB from 24 Hz to 9'/2 kHz, Interestingly. we find that we listen to the equalized sys and the appearance of the curve was much smoother,. Still, tern at a lower sound pressure level than we had prior to there was a slight dip in the 63 Hz region. a prominence at equalization. Evidently. we had a tendency to crank up the 80 Hz. and another at 4 kHz. We moved the 80 Hz filter volume to make the bass more audible. Equalized. there's down to the 60 Hz area and cut its boost from + 2 to + 1. no need to do so-and this probably helps us with respect Then we moved the 5 kHz filter out toward 10 kHz and cut to rumble as well. its boost from +4 to +3 A final check indicated that we CIRCLE 135 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

64 Huai f-ini 111 PROTECTION PILOT

AC POWER

L CH. LEVEL R CH LEVEL

METER RANGE 00/X0.1/X0.01)

A Superb Amplifier from Sansui

The Equipment: Sansui BA -2000 power amplifier in metal subtle differences in sound character without ever being case. Dimensions: 181/4 by 61/4 inches (front panel); 15 able to put our finger on just what they are. inches deep plus clearance for controls and connections. As for the Sansui BA -2000, the data from CBS Tech- Price: $850. Warranty: "limited," two years parts and nology Center reveal extraordinarily fine performance. The labor. Manufacturer: Sansui Electric Co., Japan; U.S. dis- distortion components at any power level are practically tributor: Sansui Electronics Corp., 55.11 Queens Blvd., nonexistent. It is hard to imagine how any human could Woodside, N.Y. 11377. hear 0.003% THD-harmonics some 90 dB below the fundamental. The noise floor is even further down, at some Comment: Power amps are rarely birds of beauty. They 110 dB below full output, or barely over a billionth of a have few (or no) controls to engross the eye and just sit watt. The frequency response is virtually ruler -flat over there as unadorned hulks of potential power waiting to be what is generally considered to be the range of human unleashed into your speakers. Sansui's BA -2000 certainly hearing: a mere 'A dB down at 20 Hz and 20 kHz and only creates the visual image of latent energy-an image accen- 11/2 dB down at 100 kHz. The square -wave response ap- tuated by the eerie green glow emanating from its large proaches perfection, which testifies to excellent phase (31/2 -inch) output meters. linearity, and the damping factor is sufficiently high; to Dual scales, calibrated in watts and dB, indicate the ef- have it higher would be to gild the lily (and perhaps to in- fective power being delivered to an 8 -ohm load. Calibra- crease the transient intermodulation). tions run from a low of 0.05 watt (-13 dBW) to the rated Clearly, the Sansui BA -2000 is about as close to the ideal 110 watts (201/2 dBW), with levels above that shown in red. as one can measure. Do these technological "virtues" The corresponding dB range runs from -34 to + 3 with the show up in listening? You bet they do! This amplifier is ut- zero reference at 110 watts. A set of three buttons controls terly clean, transparent, and quiet. It just isn't there. As far the meter sensitivity in 10:1 steps, giving effective calibra- as we can tell, it is like an optically perfect magnifying lens. tion down to 0.0005 watt (-33 dBW). The lower registers are extremely tight-indicating good The front panel also holds a dual -color POWER PROTECTOR speaker damping-while the transient response is ex - indicator, which glows red for a few seconds after the power is applied-or whenever the internal protective circuitry is activated. In normal operation the color is a com- forting green. A pair of pin -type input jacks, one set of spring -loaded speaker outputs (accepting bared or tinned wires), a fuse, and a ground plug make up the rear panel complement. Readers occasionally appear to consider lab data a substitute for critical listening. This hardly is the case. Equip- ment-particularly an amplifier-that fares poorly in the laboratory almost invariably reveals its imperfections in the listening room if you know what to listen for. Indeed, that is one of the major reasons for conducting technical tests. But occasionally critical listening tests do show up sonic imperfections that were not uncovered in the laboratory-a good reason for audition. The human ear and brain together are a marvelous critical tool. We may react to Square -wave response

SIl' II iii i141977 65 traordinary. To what can we attribute this sonic excel- OUTPUT IN DBW lence? The Sansui literature would lead us to believe that it 0 3 7 10 13 17 20 23 27 30 is the three -stage Darlington -configuration output stage, 0.2 driven by a high -gain, high -slew -rate front end using a two - INTERMODULATION CURVES transistor "current mirror." Well, perhaps. Frankly, we 0.1 0.07 don't care: The excellence is there. 8 -ohm load: <0.031% CIRCLE 133 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 0.05 to 21 dOW (123 watts) 4 -ohm load: <0.145% 0 0.03 to 2244 dBW (190 watts) (17, 0.1 16 -ohm load: <0.0016% HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES 0.02 0.07 from 0 dOW (1 watt) to 191/4 dBW (82 watts) 0.05 0.01 L6I 0.03 f'd, 0.007 0.02 a.0.005 ------,m 0.003 0.01 0.002 20.007 ...-- , -J i.,_'-,j, 0.------' BA -2000 (2) ...,005------' 0 003------:.----- '-"- 1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1K 0.002 OUTPUT IN WATTS 201/2 DOW (110 WATTS) OUTPUT Left channel: <0.0225%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0.001 Right channel: <0.0260%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz 10 DOW (10 WATTS) OUTPUT - Left channel: <0.015%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz - Right channel: <0.015%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Sansui BA -2000 Amp Additional Data 0.05

0.03 0.02 Power output at clipping (channels driven simultaneously) L ch 201/4 dBW (120 watts) for 0.25% THD 0.01 R ch 201/4 dBW (122 watts) for 0.27% THD 0.007 ------Frequency response + 0, -1/4 dB, 10 Hz to 25 kHz 0.005 1/2 DOW (1.1 WATT) OUTPUT Left channel: <0.010%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Input characteristics (for rated output at full gain) 0.003 Right channel: <0.011%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Sensitivity Noise S/N ratio 0.002 1 V -891/2 dBW 110 dB

BA -2000 (1) Damping factor at 1 kHz 67 0.00120 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K FREQUENCY IN HZ

One of Satin's Super Pickups

The Equipment: Satin M- 18X moving -coil phono cartridge. with the exception of price, which is still up there.) The Price: $240. Warranty: "limited," one year parts and la- M -18X, which feeds a normal phono input directly, is the bor. Manufacturer: Satin Corp. of Japan; U.S. distributor: next -to -top member of this super -series and has an im- Osawa & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., 521 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. proved electromechanical assembly and a replaceable Shi- 10017. bata stylus. One characteristic of Satin cartridges that tends to dis- Comment: When we reviewed our first Satin cartridge, the tinguish them from similar competing designs is their un- AA -1 1 7X (November 1976), and became acquainted with usually low range of tracking forces. The M- 18X is rated at the "new breed" of moving -coil designs, we were a bit sur- 0.5 to 1.5 grams, which the data from CBS labs show to be prised and curious on learning that Satin has an even more just a trifle optimistic. On the basis of the "obstacle sophisticated series of cartridges with still higher prices. course" test, we would call 1 gram, -0.1, +0.5 gram, a (These new -breed designs have solved most of the prob- more realistic rating. The lab was able to carry out the bal- lems traditionally associated with moving -coil pickups- ance of the test at 1.0 gram-low enough for any practical

66 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE necessity and extremely low for a moving -coil cartridge. Somehow, the physical parameters responsible for the extraordinary sound of moving -coil designs continue to elude detection by laboratory instruments, for, while the measurements of the Satin M -18X are nothing to sneeze Square -wave response at, they are not at all unusual. Second harmonic distortion is a little better than average, and IM distortion, somewhat 1 KHZ surprisingly, measures higher than in the M -117X. Fre- quency response is commendably flat through the midrange, shelving downward by 1 dB between 30 and 40 Hz and showing evidence of a high -frequency peak that reaches +6 dB at 20 kHz. Since this peak apparently re- +10 sults from the mass of the stylus tip resonating with the +5 FREQUENCY RESPONSE compliance of the disc vinyl, its measure depends also on 0 the test disc and is somewhat equivocal. As we shall see, it -5 Left chennel: +3, -1 dB, 20 lb to 13 kHz can be dealt with rather easily. al -10 Right channel: +3, -1 dI3, 20 Hz to 12.5 kHz Interchannel crosstalk is low enough that the effect of Lo -15 the M -18X on the separation of program material is negli- z -20% CHANNEL SEPARATION gible. From one end of the audio band to the other, separa- a3-25 tion is on the order of 20 dB or better. The low -frequency resonance in the SME arm is 7.7 Hz, which is unusually low - 30 for a moving -coil pickup and indicative of high compliance -35 Left channel: >20 d3, 20 Hz to &5 kHz in the cantilever suspension. It also suggests that the car- Right channel: >20 dB, 24 Hz to 16 kHz M -18X tridge will perform best with a fairly light tone arm. In the 20 50 100 200 500 I K 2K 5K 10K 20K tracking -level tests, the maximum levels were negotiated FREQUENCY IN HZ without difficulty. The stylus tip, which meets the disc at a 19 -degree angle, is excellent in polish, shape, and orientation. Output voltage is a bit on the low side but well Satin M -18X Cartridge Additional Data within the range of normal preamps; channel balance is excellent. We began our listening tests a bit skeptically, wondering what possible difference this unit could make in the sound Maximum tracking levels (1 gram VTF: re RIAA 0 VU) of a system in order to justify its price. But the differences 300 Hz +12 dB 1 kHz + 6 dB are there, even if they are subtle. The reputed clarity of 10-20 kHz >-5 dB moving -coil cartridges is here taken for granted rather than flaunted, resulting ina sound thatis extremely Output per cm/sec of groove velocity (at 1 kHz) smooth -satin, if you will. This is done without sacrificing 0.362 mV details; it is simply that they are not given undue emphasis Channel balance (at 1 kHz) approx. 1/4 dB either. If the over-all smoothness is disturbed in any way, it is by a slight high -frequency overemphasis that lurks in the background like the subliminal leer of a Cheshire cat. It is to the credit of the Satin that this is disturbing at all; the inherent roughness of most cartridges usually obscures an effect of this type. Best of all, however, when the cartridge is played through the Satin damping adapter (available for about $25), the brightness seems rather benevolent. Manufacturer's Comment The adapter contains a switched network that loads the cartridge with 100 ohms per channel, reducing output by about 21/2 dB (which is easily spared) and significantly reducing the excess brightness. Once again the lab data tend We invite rebuttal from those who produce to becloud the issue, for even when loaded with 30 ohms the equipment we review. The comments printed per channel the pickup shows no frequency -response dif- here are culled from those responses. ference that would account for the improved sound. Be- yond the obvious effect on the highs, the damping makes Jennings Research Vector I (June 1977): Your observations the smoothness of the midrange yet more apparent, prob- ascribing the exceptional stereo imaging to the fact that the ably through the attenuation of spurious components that loudspeaker is linear phase coherent are correct, but an in- tend to mask that region. It would overstate the case to say depth look can provide insights as to why. that the pickup needs the damping, but to pay a premium The woofer and tweeter are aligned so that, from the front, price and give up any smidgen of performance for the their acoustic position in space is the same. This allows identi- want of an inexpensive accessory seems like false econ- cal arrival times from both drivers. Ordinary cabinet diffrac- omy to us. tions can, in most cases, cause additional late signal arrivals. Clearly, the M -18X will appeal chiefly to perfectionists i.e., the diffracted signal reaches the listener sometime after who have equipment capable of preserving the improve- the original signal, which causes poor stereo imaging. By ment that the pickup makes. And without a doubt,it placing the high -frequency driver in a shallow well of acousti- makes an improvement. Whether the difference is worth cally absorbent foam, we mirimize such cabinet diffractions. the cost is an individual decision. For us the cartridge ROBERT YOUNG makes music sound just beautiful. Director of Engineering CIRCLE 131 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Jennings Research, Inc.

SEPTEN114FR 1977 67 AC/SPEAKERS (POWER OFF/A/ SPKRS. OFF/ B/A+B)

HEADPHONES

BASS TREBLE FILTERS. BALANCE HIGH MONO/STER 0 LOW TAPE MONITORS LOUDNESS SELECT,- FM MUTING

A "Separate -Looking" Receiver from Toshiba

The Equipment: Toshiba SA -420 stereo FM /AM receiver in The overload point, 150 millivolts at 1 kHz, is perfectly ade- wood case. Dimensions: 193/4 by 6'/4 inches (front panel); quate. The RIAA equalization departs from flat by 1 to 11/2 14 inches deep plus clearance for controls and connec- dB in our test sample, which does seem to color the sound tions. Price: $250. Warranty: "limited," two years parts a bit, although some of the slightly tubby midbass (roughly and labor. Manufacturer: Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., 100 to 700 Hz) that we heard in our listening tests prob- Ltd., Japan; U.S. distributor: Toshiba America, Inc., 280 ably can be attributed to the low damping factor inter- Park Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. acting with our speakers. The control section sports a solid array of features, in- Comment: The Toshiba SA -420 gives the appearance of a cluding dual tape monitors with dubbing capability in one low -profile FM tuner perched comfortably atop an inte- direction. The characteristics of the tone controls seem grated amplifier of similar dimensions, the two sharing a quite reasonable, and the maximum treble boost seems brushed -gold styling of sophisticated luxury. But a quick intentionally limited to avoid stability problems at high and peek through the vent in the top of the case dispels the vi- ultrasonic frequencies. (Oddly, Toshiba has seen fit to sion: Inside is a receiver of fairly standard construction. In mount the balance control next to the tone controls rather providing such a showy exterior for a relatively low-priced than near the VOLUME, where it would seem to belong.) Fil- receiver, Toshiba has added a decided plus. Is too much ter slopes (at 6 dB per octave) are not as steep as some, performance traded away to achieve it? As the lab data but they are modestly effective. The loudness response show, some compromises have been made, and your ap- seems well judged. The POWER switch is forced to share preciation of the total package will depend to some extent a knob with the speaker selector, which means that on how excited you can get over a pretty face. the "A" output terminals (to which most users would con- Toshiba recently revised the power rating of the SA -420 nect their main speakers) are on line as soon as the unit is upward from 13 to 14 dBW (20 to 25 watts). The data sup- turned on-of no consequence unless the switch is flipped plied to the CBS Technology Center gave the lower rating, on, then off, then on again. That sequence will sock the which therefore was used as the basis for testing. Total speakers with an appreciable pulse of energy. harmonic distortion data taken 1 dB below the new "full The tuner section is,inits design and manufacture, output" plus the intermodulation data suggest jointly that complementary to the other functional blocks. As with this receiver will indeed produce its rated power without ex- most FM sections these days, its 30 -dB quieting point is cess distortion. within a few dB of the theoretical minimum. The curves The damping factor of 27, which is somewhat low, is slope impressively from there, reaching 50 dB of noise qui- equivalent to an output impedance of 0.3 ohm at 1 kHz eting at just beyond 13 dBf in mono and at 38 dBf in with an 8 -ohm load. Speaker designers usually assume stereo. At levels of 65 dBf and above, there is evidence of that amplifiers have negligible output impedance, and this rising distortion, suggesting that the front end might ben- value, while small, is enough to affect the behavior of at efit from the use of an antenna attenuator in really strong - least some woofers. The most accurate results will prob- signal areas. ably be had by using the Toshiba to drive a somewhat over - Of the remaining tuner specifications, capture ratio and damped speaker system to which it is connected by heavy - total harmonic distortion can be characterized as excel- gauge wire-though the screw -type speaker terminals on lent; alternate -channel selectivity is adequate for most sig- the back panel appear to be engineered with lighter -gauge nal environments. Suppression of the 19 -kHz stereo pilot wire in mind. (Similar terminals are used for antenna con- (and 38 -kHz subcarrier) is not a strong point, so the filter nections: 300 -ohm and 75 -ohm FM, long-wire AM. The provided in Doloy-equipped cassette decks should be used single back -panel AC outlet is not switched by the POWER/ when recording off the air. The frequency response has ob- SPEAKERS knob.) vious departures from flat, resulting in a sound that is With a signal-to-noise ratio equivalent to 791/2 dB re a quite acceptable but not particularly accurate. Separation nominal 10 -millivolt input, the phono section displays per- is adequate or better all across the band. formance that is unusually good in a receiver of this class. Though the styling makes a promise the electronics do

68 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE INPUT IN MICROVOLTS 0 55 1.7 5 5 17 55 170 550 1.7K 5.5K 17K 55K 0 not quite redeem, this is not at all a bad receiver. It repre FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING CHARACTERISTICS sents far better value than most of what is available on the MONO SENSITIVITY compact market, for example. It is not as good as it might MONO NOISE & DISTORTION (for30dB quieting) have been, given the resourcefulness of Toshiba's engi -20 -30dB for 101/2 d8f II dBf(1.9NV) at 90 MHz 10% dBf (I.8 Nn at 98 MHz neers-but that is judging by what they have accomplished 101/2 dB1 (1.8 Nn at 106 MHz on an obviously limited budget. STEREO NOISE & DISTORTION STEREO SENSITIVITY cci=-30 -30 dB for17dBf cillculuomimmumcEomo (for30d8 quieting) U, 17d8f(3.9pV) at -- STEREO NOISE ONLY. 6 -40 90, 98, & 106 MHz -50dB for 38 dBf oa

CL-) -50 wawa -60 MONO NOISE ONLY: -50 dB for13%def STEREO S/N RATIO.62dB --I SA.420m -70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 4 INPUT IN DBF

1.0 HARMONIC DISTORTION CURVES 0.7 Toshiba SA -420 Receiver Additional Data 0.5

0.3 Tuner Section 0.2

Capture ratio 1 1 dB 0.1 Alternate -channel selectivity 61 dB 0.07 ------0.05 S/N ratio (mono. for 65 dBf) 70 dB 0 03 0.02 13 DBW (20 WATTS) OUTPUT THD Mono L ch R ch Left channel:<0.195%. 20Hz to 20 kHz 80 Hz 0 30% 041% 041% Right channel: <0210%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0.01 1 kHz 0 22% 0 38% 040% 10 DBW(10 WATTS) OUTPUT 10 kHz 0 24% 0 44% 0 46% Left channel:<0.160%.20 Hz to 20 kHz Right channel: <0.145%. 20 Hz to 20 kHz 8 IM distortion 0 27%

05 19 -kHz pilot -401/2 dB

0.3 38 -kHz subcarrier -30 dB 02 ______Frequency response __ mono +21/2. -1'/7 dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz 0] L ch +21/2. -1'// dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz 0.07 ch +2, -21/2 dB. 20 Hz to 15 kHz 0 05 -7 DBW(0.2WATT) OUTPUT Channel separation >35 dB. 230 Hz to 5 kHz 0.03 Left channel:<0.130%. 20Hz to 20 kHz >25 dB. 25 Hz to 15 kHz Right channel .TO165%. 20Hz to 20 kHz 0.02 Amplifier Section SA420 (3) 0.01 Power output at clipping (channels driven simultaneously) 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K L ch 15 dBW (31 watts) for 0 60% THD FREQUENCY IN HZ R ch 15 dBW (32 watts) for 0 65% THD

OUTPUT IN DBW Frequency response 92 dB. 30 Hz to 20 kHz ±1'/. dB, 10 Hz to 50 kHz 0 3 7 10 13 17 20 23 27 30 1.0 INTERMODULATION CURVES RIAA equalization + 11/2. -2 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz 0.7 ± 1 dB. 30 Hz to 15 kHz 0.5 Input characteristics (for 20 watts at full gain) 03 Se,sitivity Noise S/N ratio 0.2 phono 2 8 mV -55 dBW 68 dB aux 160 mV -69 dBW 82 dB gn tape 1. 2 160 mV -69 dBW 82 dB g 0.07 Phono overload (clipping point) 150 mV at 1 kHz 'it0.05 Damping factor at 1 kHz 27 LT, 0.03

0.02 High filter -3 dB at 7 kHz. 6 dB/ oct &ohm load: <0.38% to 1551 del', (32 watts) 4 -ohm load:<0.37%to 1231 dBW(19watts) 16 -ohm load,<0.30%to 13% dBW (22.5 watts) Low filter -3 dB at 75 Hz. 6 dB/oct 0.01 SA -420M

1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 1K OUTPUT IN WATTS

Sirl-FN1RF111977 69 Ditton 66: A Sweet -Sounding Speaker

about 18 dB per octave. (The Ditton 66 uses a 12 -inch woofer and 12 inch flat passive radiator in its tuned -cabinet design.) But there is another way to interpret the data. The response in the "fundamental" region between 50 and 800 Hz is quite uniform (within ±4 dB), as is that in the "overtone" region between 2.5 and 16 kHz (within ±2'/2 dB). Between the two areas the curves shelve off so that the overtone region averages, perhaps, about 9 dB below the fundamental region. This interpretation corre- The Equipment: Celestion Ditton 66 loudspeaker system in sponds more closely to what our ears tell us is happening. wood cabinet. Dimensions: 40 by 15 inches (front panel), Triangles, bells, and such, which have their energy con- 111/4 inches deep. Price: $499.50 each (sold in pairs only). centrated almost exclusively at the higher frequencies, are Warranty: "limited," five years parts and labor. Manufac- reproduced very well, albeit perhaps not quite in perfect turer: Celestion Industries, Ltd., England; U.S. distributor: loudness balance with the rest of the orchestra. In listen- Celestion Industries, Inc., P.O. Box 521, Holliston, Mass. ing tests, the reduced relative high -end response shows up 01716. mainly as a lack of sparkle and a transient response that, though fairly good, is not up to the best we've heard. On Comment: As an eminent engineer once commented: the other hand, that same characteristic lends a sweetness "Don't confuse me with the facts. Does it sound good?" If to the sound that is quite appealing. There is no trace of "good" be "musical," the Celestion Ditton 66 does sound harshness or hiss, and yet the highs are indeed there- good, at least to our ears. It is an eminently sweet, clean right out to at least 16 kHz. speaker with a rich, warm bass and an extended (but not There are no controls for the midrange or tweeter, so brash) treble. Driven with sufficient power, it will produce a equalizing the system comes down to touchups with the prodigious sound level-especially in the lower depths- preamp's tone controls. We found that a slight boost in the and do it cleanly, as tests at CBS Technology Center bear treble helps to restore the sparkle to the high end and im- witness. proves the apparent transient response. A slight cut in the Although the efficiency of the Ditton 66 is about 31/2 dB bass also helps the balance, but we achieved a greater im- below what we have come to consider average-CBS re- provement by moving the speakers away from reflecting ports an on -axis sound pressure level of 833/4 dB at 1 meter walls and out irto the room. from a 0-dBW noise input, 250 Hz to 6 kHz-it is an easy The dispersion of the midrange and tweeter is especially speaker to drive. The impedance curve is relatively smooth good. They are both mounted high enough above the floor and well contained. Except for a 22.5 -ohm peak at reso- to clear typical furniture, so a good fraction of the sound nance (49 Hz), the load stays between 4 and 10.5 ohms you hear is the so-called "direct wave." This probably throughout the audio band. We rate the impedance as 4.6 helps create the outstanding stereo imagery of the Ditton ohms (the minimum reached just above resonance), but system. The image has excellent depth and width, and over the important midrange the curve averages about 2 with a good disc it is hard to tell that the sound is emanat- ohms higher: low, but not so low as to be dangerous. ing from the speaker itself. Very satisfying. Power is the staff of life for the Ditton, which easily han- Although a 17-dBW (50 watts per channel) amp will pro- dles a full 20 dBW (100 watts) at 300 Hz, producing a very duce a sound level that will satisfy most listeners, the Dit- high 108 dB SPL at 1 meter with a mere 2.3% combined ton 66s will easily handle much more. When suitably second and third harmonic content. On a pulsed basis, the driven, we expect they are capable of producing realistic Ditton 66 swallowed the full drive capability of the lab's listening levels in even the largest rooms. One caution, power amp without signs of overload, producing a whop- however: At subsonic frequencies, generated by record ping 116'/2 dB SPL. At more reasonable levels-say, 85 dB warps and lead-in grooves, the woofer and drone cone mo- and below-distortion is less than 0.3% for 80 -Hz signals tion become quite violent-to the point of introducing and less than 0.4% at 300 Hz. Even at 95 dB SPL, 80 -Hz chirps into the sound. So to get the low -distortion perform- distortion is less than 0.4%; at 300 Hz, the harmonic con- ance of which the system is capable, a subsonic filter is a tent is less than 0.8%. In short, itis one of the cleanest must, especially if you're using a powerful amp. high-level bass reproducers we've come across. The speaker projects its personality into the music, but Measurements in the anechoic chamber indicate an that personality is restrained-even a little somber and se- over-all average omnidirectional response within ±6 dB rious.If warmth and sweetness of sound are, for you, from 40 Hz to 16 kHz except for a trough in the octave cen- among the cardinal musical virtues, you will probably enjoy tered on 4 kHz. (In that region the level is 10 dB below the Ditton 66. nominal.) Below 48 Hz the response falls off rapidly: at CIRCLE 132 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

7() 1-11(i0 Flur.l.iivNIAciAzINE . . . second only to the . . M95ED V-15 Type Ill . . critics coiled the M24H . the cartridge tha- does Type III the finest cartridge ever not compromise stereo reproduc- V-15 Type III in stereo reproduction. when it was introduced. The ulti- tion to odd four -channel capability. A thinner, uninterrupted pole piece mate test,however, hos been Superb stereo trockobility and minimizes magnetic losses. Its 20 to time. The V -15's engineering inno- quadriphonic carrier signal retrieval. 20,000 Hz response remains essen- vations, the uniform quality, and New hyperbolic stylus tip,high tially flat across the entire frequency superb performance remain unsur- energy magnet, and low -loss range for excellent sound quality. passed by any other cartridge on laminated electromagnetic struc- 3/4 to 1-1/2 gram tracking force. the market today. 3/4 to 1-1/4 ture. 1 to 1-1/2 gram tracking force. gram tracking force.

. . the easiest way to up- M3D . . . the original famous Shure M75ED Type 2 . . . excellent rrack- M7011 ability at a lesser price. The M75ED grade your hi-fi stereo system with- Stereo Dynetie Cartridge. The M3D Type 2 features o built-in snop- out straining your budget. Dosicolly provides extremely musical and down stylus guard and a smooth flat responseis comparable to transparent sound of a rock bottom 20 to 20,000 Hz frequency re- other brand cartridges costing twice price. 3 to 6 gram tracking force. sponse. 3/4 to 1-1/2 gram tracking os much. 1-1/2 to 3 gram tracking force. force.

The People's Choice -World-wide.

From Singapore to London to New York, Shure hi-fi pickup cartridges outsell every other brand - according to independent surveys. And for good reason: Shure cartridges, no matter where they're purchased, ore guaranteed to meet the exacting published specifications that hove made them the Critics Choice in every price category. CIRCLE 39 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 71 SI l'II MRI R 1977 by Norman Eisenberg hFdeliy fhfirdcrs The Men Who Made an Industry

ALEXANDER M. PONIATOFF Sixteenth in a series

Poniatoff (r.) in a recent photo with Harold Lindsay and an Ampex 200

REGARDLESS OF WHAT you may have ready know that it cannot be done. tric and Manufacturing Company heard, neither the amplifier nor the You are not smart enough yet to know started operations in an abandoned ampere had anything to do with the it is impossible." And Poniatoff pro- furniture loft above the Dalmo Victor naming of the Ampex Corporation. ceeded to prove that the project was plant in San Carlos. Ampex thrived Rather, the name was coined by Alex- possible. until, at the war's end, the Navy can- ander M. Poniatoff, who combined his In 1930, ready to return to the West celed all of its contracts. Despite ad- own initials with ex to symbolize the Coast, he joined the Pacific Gas and vice to dissolve the company, Ponia- philosophy of excellence behind his Electric Company. His real interest toff kept it together and found a major products. was in the development of new prod- customer for high -quality motors to When he founded Ampex, Ponia- ucts, but the Great Depression made be used in furnaces. toff was fifty-two and far removed budgets for research and develop- What happened soon after repre- from his beginnings in Russia. He had ment sparse. Then, in 1940, he met Ir- sents one of those historical con- been educated in mechanical and ving Moseley, who ran Dalmo Victor, fluencesthatprompt ruminations electrical engineering in his home- a company developing small electrical about fate. Poniatoff, a longtime clas- land. Further studies in Karlsruhe appliances. Heartened by Moseley's sical music lover, was growing inter- were interrupted when the Russians attitude, Poniatoff went to work for ested in the possibility of developing declared war on Germany in 1914; af- him-offering his first three months' and manufacturing amplifiers and ter managing to get back home, he saw service without pay. He succeeded in speakers. His enthusiasm for high fi- action as a pilot. In 1920, as the civil improving the company's permanent- delity sound was shared by one of his war drew to a close, he left Russia per- wave machine by eliminating its in- staff members, G. Forrest Smith, and manently. terference with the air waves and the smoldering interest was fanned For a time he worked in Shanghai making its hair waves more perma- into flame by a young engineer named designing electrical power stations, nent. This earned him another patent Jack Mullin. and finally he came to the U.S., land- and additional income. At the end of World War II, Mullin, ing in San Francisco in 1927. He had When Dalmo Victor lost a patent a Signal Corps officer, discovered a been given a $2,000 bonus by the suit over an electric razor it had mar- Magnetophon tape recorder (made by Shanghai Power Company for his five keted, it cut back on its developmental Telefunken) in an occupied German years of service, and he considered us- work to reduce expenses, and Ponia- radio station. He managed to trans- ing the nest egg to go into farming. But, toff left. He served brief stints with port two of the recorders home, and in disenchanted by the economic condi- Pacific Gas again and with West- 1946 he demonstrated one at a meeting tions of grape growers and other farm- inghouse in Sunnyvale, but in 1942 he of the Institute of Radio Engineers in ers in the area, Poniatoff decided in- was invited to return to Dalmo Victor. San Francisco, his home town. [See stead to spend his money on a tour of The company had received a wartime "Creating the Craft of Tape Record- the country. contract to develop Navy airborne ra- ing" by Mullin, HF, April 1976.] The tour ended in Schenectady, dar scanners. A prototype had to be Present at the meeting was a friend of New York, where-armed with a letter ready in a hundred days. This was the Smith's, engineer Harold Lindsay of of introduction to General Electric- kind of challenge he liked. "The proj- Dalmo Victor, who was fascinated by he was hired by GE as an engineer. A ect group went without shaving for the tape machine. The two men dis- year later, by then with two patents in days," he recalls. "The working hours cussed, rather dreamily, the potential his name, he was assigned as project were from 7 in the morning until 11 at of the device. engineer on the development of a new night." By the end of the year Lindsay had type of circuit breaker. Hesitant be- Moseley suggested that Poniatoff been hired by Poniatoff; his assign- cause the job seemed too difficult for form his own manufacturing comment was to design a magnetic head him, he asked his department head pany to supply the hard -to -find so- for an Ampex tape recorder. Mullin why he had been chosen rather than phisticated motors and generators himself was working with a former of- someone with more experience. He needed for the radar system. And so ficer, Colonel Richard Ranger, who was told, "Experienced engineers al- on November 1, 1944, the Ampex Elec- also had brought a Magnetophon back

72 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE from Europe and had decided to produce his own recorders. Despite the There are many reasons why seeming competition, there was an obvious pooling of technical talents. DISTRICT SOUND IS THE LEADER Mullin was not available to work for Technics '.Z-; 1t AA Ampex, but when Lindsay had fin- by Panasonee ished his new tape head it was tested Iomit]ri;-!.1-2---111 are just a few. on Mullin's Magnetophon. GD PIONEER' The head worked perfectly, and CTF-2121FRONT IrIttiMaNN011rik ACCESS STEREO 1.E: wb ecanC Poniatoff and Ampex were in the CASSETTE DECK MODEL 2325 tape -recorder business. Lindsay was WITH DOLBY NOISE 1, mew s'"; AM/FM STEREO put in charge of designing the first REDUCTION SYSTEM DOLBY RECEIVER Type: compact cassette tape deck, 2 recorder, the Model 200. Early set- Electroni- 125 Watts per channel, MinimumIll RMS at 8 channel stereo/ mono.Motor: cally controlled DC motor Wow & flutter: OHMS, from 20Hz to 20kHz, with no more than backs included financial as well as 0.1% Total Harmonic Distortion 0 12% (VVRMS) technical problems and a good deal of LIST200.00 13S® List 799.95 448® skepticism about the whole idea. Am- INWIRM PlAy itochnks TECHNICS SL1600 pex seemed to be living on borrowed AAMLAAAA time and bank loans. 000960 CHANGER/ "Ono Chlp" SINGLE PLAY I C -Controlled Then an unexpected challenge D.rectDrive FULLY - came from Bing Crosby, whose half- Record -changing turntable with beltdrive; features AUTOMATIC hour radio show was, in 1947, losing low -speed synchronous motor: isolated tonearm withTURNTABLE. LIST $280.00 its formerly high Hooper rating. Anal- Base, Dust Cover and Shure M91ED 136® 191® ysis of the problem traced the fault to CART. List $241 00. the poor quality of the disc transcrip- THEREIS SEND FOR FREE tions used on the air and pieced to- ONLY CATALOG gether from an hour's studio work. TODAY! And Crosby refused to do a live pro- ONE ti gram. To get a smoothly edited, cleanly spliced, high quality show, he k r :1 ordered twenty Ampex recorders (at $4,000 each). 2316 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE N.E. From then on, Ampex' star rose WASHINGTON D.C. 20018 (202) 832-1900 steadily as it extended its influence and that of the tape medium. The CIRCLE 11 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Model 200 was superseded by the Model 300, whose design configura- tions became the NAB standard. The disc -recording industry underwent a profound change; within five years editing and the LP had supplanted endless recuts of wax -mastered 78s, and consumer versions of tape equip- McIntoshCATALOG ment were produced. Poniatoff presided over the com- nd FM DIRECTORY Get all the newest and latest information of the new McIntosh Sol- pany until 1955, when he became id State equipment in the McIntosh catalog. In addition you will chairman of the board. He went into receive an FM station directory that covers all of North America. full retirement only seven years ago. He lives with his wife, Helen, in the home he designed himself-consulting with and receiving approval from Frank Lloyd Wright. His early interest in agriculture became a favorite pastime, and the Poniatoffs have conducted serious experiments with soil conditioning to improve the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables they grow. As a contributor to technological advance MX 113 himself, Poniatoff recognizes and ap- FM/FM STEREO - AM TUNER AND PREAMPLIFIER preciates its benefits, but he is equally concerned about its adverse effects. McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. His focus has been on preventive East Side Station P.O. Box 96 medicine. He has been involved in Binghamton, N.Y. 13904 many organizations-among them the SEND Foundation for Nutrition and Stress Research, which he sponsored-de- I NAME voted to the study of ways of living as TODAY! I ADDRESS healthfully as one can in an increas- CITY STATE ZIP ingly unhealthful environment. The man who insisted on quality of prod- If you are in a hurry for your catalog please send the coupon to McIntosh. uct also insists on quality of life. 0 For non rush service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine. CIRCLE 27 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 71 SI P II SHIER 1977 Audio '78 Bigger and Better- and Then Some More powerful amps and receivers, more efficient speakers. lower noise and distortion in electronics and tape equipment- these are among the current prospects and promises of the audio industry.

byHarold A. Rodgers andRobert Long

THE FALL OF 1977 and beginning of 1978 are shap- Electronics ing up as periods of evolution more than revolution in high fidelity gear. While last year's equip- Better semiconductor devices and integrated cir- ment has not been rendered obsolete, the softer cuit"op amps"-operational amplifiers'-opti- glint that characterizes this year's new offerings is mized for use in audio circuits rather than ana- not to be squinted at. Continued increase in value logue computers are becoming available, giving for the dollar at the middle and lower price points the engineer more flexibility than ever before. Yet, represents a real and worthy gain for the buyer, while circuits are getting better all the time, the and the year is not altogether without glamor. pace of improvement seems staid and deliberate. Perhaps the keynote of the season was struck Also, since the problems under attack are gener- last spring when Yamaha announced that its new ally of limited scope and well defined, there is line would offer improved performance in some little in the way of long-term trends. respects (not that its previous line was any slouch) There are, however, what could be called mini- at significantly reduced prices. Pioneer and others trends. These arise when one problem captures had made similar announcements, but Yamaha's the imagination of a sizable fraction of the engi- intentionally limited distribution ("selected deal- neering community or when marketing considera- ers" is the advertising term) makes it something of tions-"XYZ got his distortion down another a specialty line and creates the expectation of couple of tenths; we'd better try to beat that"-put what the British call "pricey goods." Its reductions similar constraints on many manufacturers at the therefore are all the more dramatic. Similarly, same time. Most often these problems are readily companies like Technics and Sansui have been in- solved and not heard about again, which suggests troducing perfectionist -fringe superunits at sur- faddishness and instills in some observers a bored prisingly modest prices. And the features and per- "what will it he this year?" attitude. formance of $200 cassette decks from Aiwa, A view as jaundiced as this is not really justified Hitachi, and others often outdo those of $300 "pro- by the facts. however. For a large percentage of fessional" decks of only two or three years ago. A new developments in electronics become stand- welcome trend-perhaps the most welcome of the ard despite the suggestion of ephemerality created trends discerned in the industry's spring and sum- by their brief time in the spotlight. It would seem mer announcements and at the Chicago Consumer Electronics Show in June, and reported on here- 'An operational amplifier is a device originally developed for use in analogue computers. It can he connected (yid feedback) so that its gain is equal to the ratio of two with. impedances. and thus can be used as an audio gain stage.

74 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE I .61

that once everyone in the industry knows how to Mitsubishi, a relative newcomer to the U.S. audo something right, no one wants to say much dio marketplace, uses a differential amp input in about it anymore. And maybe that is as it should the phono stage of the DA -P10 preamp, as do many be. Japanese manufacturers in their better designs. The stable input impedance of this configuration Preamplifiers should help to terminate the phono cartridge properly. More prominently, however, this unit, which In the eighteen months or so since Tomlinson Hol- bears a retail price that belies its sophistication, man (then of Advent Corporation) established that features dual monaural construction (two inde- a phono cartridge can interact with its load in an pendent mono preamps on a single chassis) with undesirable way, especially if the load varies non - its attendant benefit of low crosstalk. linearly with frequency (as it does in many phono The Harman-Kardon Citation 17s is designed to stages), the question "Do your pickup and phono interface well with cartridges and to hold RIAA stage love each other?" has been at least implicitly equalization to unusually low tolerances. While asked in most literature describing preamps. Some low- and high -cut filters have been included in this new designs, like the BGW 203, feature dazzlingly new model, the company's traditional concern innovative circuitry, while others, like the Hafler with wide bandwidth remains in evidence. The preamplifier (yes, Dave Hafler of Dynaco and Or- Model 17 is similar but, like its predecessor, the Ci- tofon fame), use more conventional circuitry that tation 11, incorporates a five -band graphic equal- has been exhaustively tested, often by very sophis- izer. (The 17s has no tone controls at all.) ticatedmethods.Hafler, whose preamps are Since bringing the cartridge -interface problem among the few available as a kit, has also taken to light, Tom Holman has left Advent and joined pains to minimize IM distortion of ultrasonic sig- Apt Corporation, a new Boston -area manufac- nals. whose products may nonetheless contami- turer. His first project has been, naturally enough, nate the audio band. a preamp incorporating a good many of his some- But if a prize for preamp razzle-dazzle is to be what unorthodoxideas.Besides offeringthe awarded for 1977, the Crown DL -2 Synergistics pickup a highly accurate termination, the phono Series Controller seems the likely winner. Crown's stage is able to accommodate a pre-preamp mod- engineers approached its design with a blank sheet ule (to be offered later) for moving -coil cartridges. of paper. They have put the phono stage in an out- The bass control can be switched to provide accu- board module that can be located near the turn- rate loudness contours based on the work of the table (to eliminate the routing of the cartridge out- late Harvard professor S. S. Stevens; to prevent put through long cables) and have housed the transientintermodulation,high -frequencyre- power supply in a case separate from that of the sponse has been rolled off at 40 kHz. amplification and control circuitry. Digital switching and readout, apart from their basic utility, add a space-age touch to the total package. 1 The new Jennings preamp also uses solid-state switching that is triggered (rather than accom- 12 L plished) by the front -panel knobs and buttons. In its auto -select mode it plays FM unless and until a signal appears at another input, in which case it 3 plays the source in which a signal appeared most recently, reverting to FM when that input has had no signal for approximately 30 seconds. The plug- 10 in phono section currently is available in two ver- 4 sions, for conventional pickups and moving -coil 5 models, respectively; other versions are projected when available cartridges dictate special needs. Pioneer, apparently making a fresh commitment 9 to meticulously engineered separates withits 7 6 Series Twenty, uses a low -interaction, high -gain phono stage in the C-21, the preamp of the series. 8 The load impedance is adjustable to suit a variety of cartridges, including moving -coil types. (The NEW EQUIPMENT ON OUR COVER gain is sufficient for all but those with flea -power 1) Koss Pro 4/AAA headset; 2) Jennings preamp; 3) Marantz outputs.) Sharing the "back -to -basics" approach DS -940 speaker; 4) Technics SL -1000 Mk. II turntable; 5) Akai MM -62 mixer; 6) Crown DL -2 Synergistics Series Controller; of the rest of the series, the preamp has relatively 7) Rotel RB-5000 amplifier; 8) Yamaha CA -2010 amplifier; 9) few inputs and outputs, but a companion switch- U.S. Pioneer RT-707 open -reel deck; 10) Powered Advent ing unit, the U-24, can expand these to a number Loudspeaker; 11) Lux R-1050 tuner/amplifier (receiver); 12) that will satisfy almost anyone. ADC LMF-2 tone arm.

SEPTEMBER 1977 75 New preamps range from the simple and familiar (by David Hafler. founder of Dynaco) to the complex and exotic (a digital control center from Setton, based in France)

Other specialty manufacturers have not been The PAT -5. long a standby of the Dynaco line, idle. Hegeman Laboratories is following up the In- has been upgraded as the PAT-5/FET Improved put Probe, its first effort to isolate a cartridge from and now uses a high quality op amp with field-ef- an undesirable load, with a new preamp. The unit fect transistor inputs in the tone -control and out- will use an external power supply and passive put sections. Besides improving basic perform- RIAA equalization. Like the new Harman-Kardon. ance. the change allows for the switching in of 6 the Hegeman eschews tone controls. An advanced dB more gain for the phono sections, which will preamp of aerospace -style construction from accommodate some moving -coil cartridges with- Analog Engineering Associates, the Model 520. out the use of a transformer or separate pre- features circuitry designed with computer aid for preamp. minimum transient distortion, which the company The SAE 2100 preamp has low -distortion phono has developed sophisticated means for measuring. circuitry. with special attention paid to the avoid- Similar in appearance to the C-1000 preamp ance of slew -rate limitation (signals changing from Luxman, the new C-1010 also offers com- more quickly than the amplifier stage can respond parable performance while dispensing with only a to them). It also encompasses a parametric equal- few convenience features. As the leading advocate izer in lieu of conventional tone controls plus of vacuum tubes in high-performance audio equalization of dynamic range through linear equipment. Lux has added a vacuum -tube compression and expansion. or optional peak lim- preamp, Model CL -32. whose specs are said to be iting. The latter two are situated in the circuit so comparable with those of the company's solid- that they can be applied to signals going to orcom- state units. ing from a tape recorder. The Model 10 preamp from Dunlap Clarke includes a high -gain phono section for moving -coil Power Amplifiers phono cartridges, although it can be ordered without this feature at a moderate saving in cost. The For a while now the trend in separate power am- new model shares the "bulletproof" design and plifiers has been to bigger and better. The "bigger" construction for which Dunlap Clarke's part seems to have abated at its outer fringes. as Dreadnought series of power amplifiers is noted. the magic level of 30 dBW (1.000 watts) per chan- Current interest in moving -coil cartridges has nel into 8 ohms. with which the industry has been prompted quite a number of manufacturers to pro- flirting. remains a mirage. On the other hand. the vide for them in their preamps. One such unit is level of 23 to 24 dBW (200 to 250 watts) has never the state-of-the-art RAM -200 offered by RAM Au- been more crowded. And choice is available even dio Systems, Inc. Provisions are made for loading at 27 dBW (500 watts). cartridges of moving -coil and moving -field types "Better" would apply to the ever -diminishing with the impedances they require for best per- figures for harmonic and intermodulation distor- formance. tion, a great many of which have fallen into the What may have been the most elaborate tour de rarefied territory on the low side of 0.1%. Signal-to- force in disc -playback electronics is the Accu- noise ratios of 100 dB or more are commonplace. phase C-220 stereo disc equalizer. The $900 sys- as are monitoring facilties such as output meters tem, which contains a moving -coil head amp. is a and clipping indiCators. Although no consensusas "no -compromise" design and even bypasses the to the exact nature of the beast yet exists. a good user's preamp and control center, feeding the deal of engineering effort has been expendedon power amp directly when in use. the suppression of transientdistortion (often

76 HIGH FI1)1.1 ITN' MAGAZINE known as TIM, or transient intermodulation), both in power amps and preamps. Moving in oddly contradictory directions, one segment of the industry has become enamored of IIII0111111111 Class A output stages, while another is looking for higher efficiency. Threshold, interested in both, has realized a Class A 23-dBW (200 -watt) design that, by means of special dynamic biasing, holds quiescent dissipation equal to rated output power rather than four times that amount, as would usually be required. Pioneer, a company whose image grows ever more protean, surprised us with its Model M-22, a massive amp with Class A output Amplifier circuit designations dig ever deeper into the al- capable of 143/4 dBW (30 watts) per channel. phabet. This year Soundcraftsmen has added Class H. Bucking the trend in yet another way. Pioneer introduced the Spec -4 power amp as a companion Dual power supplies have been retained in the to the Spec -2. The new unit has a smaller output - Citation 19, which, true to Harman-Kardon tradi- 213/4 dBW (150 watts) per channel as compared tion, has a very wide handpass. The manufacturer with 24 dBW (250 watts)-hut the rated distortion cites this characteristic as being effective in pre- has been reduced an order of magnitude to 0.01%. venting transient distortion and has investigated The largest amps we saw at CES were the rugged the sonic effects of different biasing in the output and now familiar Dunlap Clarke Dreadnought stage, including a circuit in the new amplifier to 1000 at 27 dBW per side and the new Rotel RB-5000 maintain optimum bias automatically. of like measure. The Rotel claims an astonishing Mitsubishi, too, uses separate power supplies 0.009% THD at full output and at 0 dBW (1 watt). for the two channels in its new series of power IM distortion is similarly rated, and the signal-to- amps. Most notable in this line is the ability of the noise ratio (IHF A -weighted) is said to be 120 dB. power amps to "dock" with either the modular Hitachi, already the leader in the efficiency race preamp to form an integrated amp or with a power with the 183/4-dBW (75 -watt) Class G power amp meter. Joining the heat (literally) of the high -power section of the SR -903 receiver, issued a challenge Class A contest, Nikko is offering a unit rated at 20 with a Class G amp rated at 23 dBW on a contin- dBW (100 watts) per channel with THD of 0.06% or uous basis and 3 dB more (400 watts) on a short- less. The massively constructed amp is fan -cooled. term basis. Using more conventional circuitry (Class B), Hitachi has put a glamorous semicon- Integrated Amps ductor power device, the MOSFET, to work in a super -low -distortion amplifier rated at 20 dBW. Integrated amps, although not in general charac- Total harmonic distortion is said to be less than or terized by the kinds of technological strides that equal to 0.005% from 5 Hz to 20 kHz and no more basic power amps show, are becoming more so- than 0.01% even at 100 kHz. phisticated and tend to offer a striking range of But Soundcraftsmen has joined Hitachi in the control features-oftenatsurprisingly modest world of exotic amplifier design dedicated to in- prices. Integrateds are not in the forefront of the creased efficiency. Whereas Hitachi's Class G uses power race, but most product lines offer one or an additional set of power devices that rescues the two units at or near the 20-dBW point. As in sepa- efficient (low -power) set when signals exceed its rates, the preamp sections often have phono sec- capacity, the Soundcraftsmen version, dubbed tions designed to work well with real -world pick- Class H, uses the same set of output devices and ups, and a number of models feature wide switches to a power supply with a higher voltage. bandwidth-sometimes with response down to The switchover is made when a module that moni- DC. (Fortunately, most contain subsonic filters or tors the input signal "decides" that clipping is at least switchable blocking capacitors that can in- likely to occur if that signal is passed to the output duce some low -frequency rolloff.) And tone con- stage while itis energized from the low -voltage trols with variable turnover points are much in supply (set at about 2/6 of the upper voltage limit). evidence, especially in the higher price brackets. At that point the supply voltage is adjusted auto- The Kenwood KA-7100, introduced at the Con- matically to provide sufficient margin for the out- sumer Electronics Show, is direct -coupled, like .. put signal. The controller has more gain than the the slightly earlier K-9100. It lacks the phone gain signal channel, so that the output swing is less than adjustment (and the ability to handle moving -coil the supply voltage at all times-until the larger cartridges) of the top model, as well as the separate supply bumps against its limit. Run at 17 dBW (50 power supply for the preamp section, but it does watts) per channel, a third of its rated power, the have separate power supplies for each of the two new unit should dissipate about 200 watts less heat channels. than a conventional (Class B or AB) design. Sansui's approach to avoiding transient distor-

SEPTEMBER 1977 77 tion in its integrated amps is to use bandwidthex- 30 -dB quieting standard is itself a far cry from high tending to 200 kHz along with its direct -coupled fidelity. power sections. Special attention to the phono Attention has shifted, therefore, to the amount stages has resulted in RIAA equalization (ex- of RF power a tuner must receive at its antenna tended, 20 Hz to 20 kHz) that is said to be accurate terminals to deliver a noise suppression of 50 dB. to ±0.2 dB. This level of performance, which is not considered Marantz has introduced five integrated amps, all an exacting demand for most other components, with response down to DC, with the top model assures at least reasonably noise -free listening. boasting a power output of 211/4 dBW (130 watts). Most of the new tuners achieve this with almost Featured throughout this line are very sharp (18 dB stunningly low signal levels in mono, but it isa per octave) high- and low-cut filters and separate rare unit that can suppress noise by 60 dB in stereo filter capacitors for each channel. without a fairly substantial input signal. Two new models from Technics are more mod- With the adoption of the 50 -dB S/Nspec, the est in power output (and price) than many and es- emphasis has shifted from the attempt to capture chew the fashionable DC response, but they in- and read marginal signals to an effort tosqueeze clude a well-chosen array of controls. Both models the last drops of enjoyment from any good signals claim extremely accurate phono equalization; the around. Some tuners use a wide/narrow IF band- higher -priced unit has a subsonic filter in the width option that allows the user to reduce selec- phono section, where it is effective in protecting tivity (when that is possible) in order to reduce dis- subsequent circuitry from overload by record tortion. New circuits that cancel the 19 -kHz pilot warps and other spurious low -frequency signals. tone instead of filtering it out have made a modest Like the receiver line, introduced shortly before CES, the new Yamaha integrated line is characterized by a "noise and distortion clearance range,"a parameter that specifies a degree of freedom from distortion and noise for a signal injected at the phono input and sampled at the output terminals of the power amp. The phono section of the top model includes switchable load impedances and accommodation for moving -coil cartridges. Onkyo's A-10, which will top out the company's Among new high -spec rack -mount tuners: Nikko Gamma 1. integrated line, likewise has an input for moving- coil pickups. Dual power supplies and grounding improvement in high -frequency bandpasspos- via a heavy-duty bus bar are used to minimizeany sible along with improved freedom from phase undesired internal coupling. JVC has takena dif- shift. Although stations broadcasting Dolby-en- ferent approach to the dual power -supply feature coded signals do not yet abound, practically all and used one for the preamp circuitry and another tuners include the 25 -microsecond de -emphasis for the power amp. The result is said to be elimina- needed for Dolby reception in addition to thecon- tion of intra- and inter -channel crosstalk. ventional 75 -microsecond de -emphasis. Lux Audio has expanded its Laboratory Refer- Yet, all things considered, new activity in FM ence Series, one addition being the 5L-15, a direct- tuners was surprisingly sparse at the CES. How- coupled integrated amp rated at 19 dBW (80 watts) ever, Marantz introduced three new designs. per channel. In addition to its high-performance Model 2140, at the top of the line, includes variable circuitry, the unit features two protective mod- IF and accommodates an optional Dolby plug-in ules: one by which the amp assures itsown secu- module as well as provides the required de-em- rity, and one to safeguard the loudspeakers. phasis. Sansui's TU-717 also offers selectable IF band- Tuners width and an unusually good stereo signal-to- noise ratio. Each new model from Onkyo and Op- The race for FM -tuner sensitivityseems to have tonica features a sophisticated automatic tuning reached a standoff now that practicallyany budget system (a quantum leap beyond the unlamented model is able to claim a 30 -dB quieting point that automatic frequency control of earlier days) that approaches the theoretical limit of roughly 1.4 mi- keeps the unit centered at the point of minimum crovolts (8 dBf). Furthermore, the new IHF/ IEEE distortion. In an interesting variation of this tech- standard, which is growing in popularity, has ban- nique, the new Mitsubishi tuner will "pull in"a ished the microvolt and substituted the dBf,a unit station only when it is within 50 kHz of correct of measure that is more reflective of reality and tuning but will keep a station locked despite vari- that has erased the familiar signposts in thecom- ations of up to ± 200 kHz, either on the part of the petitive arena. Most important, however, is the in- unit itself or of the broadcasting station. dustry's apparent acceptance of the fact that the Harman-Kardon, in its Citation 18 tuner,ap-

78 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE proaches the problem of optimum tuning some- watts) per side, includes a variable IF bandpass in what differently-by including a meter that indi- this top unit as well. Hitachi, bidding for the top cates not necessarily center -channel tuning, but power spot on a transient basis, has built a Class G the tuning at which the audio output has the best power amp section rated at 23 dBW continuous S/N ratio. The more sophisticated of Fisher's two and 26 dBW short-term into its top Series E re- new models offers a meter that shows multipath ceiver, Model SR -2004. and carrier deviation (an indication of the degree Technics, an erstwhile leader in the power race of modulation). Nikko's Gamma 1 tuner incorpo- with 22% dBW (165 watts) per channel, has stood rates switchable IF and features professional styl- pat with respect to power in the top model of its ing and rack-mountability. The latest model from new seven -member receiver line. Concentration Technics eschews frills and costly convenience has been more on total performance, including im- features in favor of solid performance. pedance -selectable phono inputs in the Model SA - If a really strong trend in FM tuners will be 5770. Kenwood, apparently finding its own top re- apparent this coming season, it is the one we noted ceivers a tough act to follow, has decided to stay at the outset of this survey. The performance of with success and beef up the budget end of its line. yesterday's supertuners is available at popular Its new KR -4070 is 16 dBW (40 watts) per side, and prices today. Kenwood calls it one of the best stereo values, feature for feature and dollar for dollar, that the com- Receivers pany has ever offered. Bang & Olufsen, a company from which uncon- At one time, the state of the art in receivers would ventional components can be expected, has done have been defined by that of preamps, tuners, and it again with the Beomaster 2400. The new receiver power amps. After all, what was there to making a resembles the Beomaster 1900 in styling and oper- receiver but combining all of these on a single ation and offers somewhat better performance. chassis? Things have changed a good deal over the But adding convenience to convenience, B&O has last ten years, as the synergism of the various sec- introduced a companion remote -control module tions has been better understood, and the receiver that allows the listener to adjust volume, select has achieved status-and popularity-as a compo- program sources, or switch the unit on or off, all nent in its own right, not just as a hybrid. without leaving his listening position. It should, therefore, come as not too much of a The new members of the Sansui two -channel re- shock to learn that the new Marantz 2500, the ceiver line (the company is one of the few that still reigning champion (at least for the nonce) of the offers four -channel models) share built-in Dolby receiver power war at 24 dBW (250 watts) per side, decoding and output meters. Power ratings are 21 has properties that cannot precisely be had by and 19% dBW (125 and 85 watts). The top model combining the company's separates. Thus while from JVC not only retains the five -band graphic the top tuner, the Model 150, has oscilloscope tun- equalizer tone -control section and the cosmetics ing, it lacks the Dolby module option provided for already used in the line, but raises rated power to this year's tuners. The 2500 has both. 20% dBW (120 watts) per channel. Setton Inter- Lux, long a holdout devoted to "separates only" national, new to the U.S., is introducing a receiver purism, has entered the receiver market with three rated (conservatively, according to the company) midpriced models. The two top members of the at 20 dBW per channel. line include a built-in Dolby option, which ap- Fisher's latest addition to its receiver line is a pears to be derived from Lux's exotic (and high- low-cost unit designed for new audiophiles. Har- priced) Laboratory Reference Series. Nikko, man-Kardon has also introduced a budget unit, whose seven -model line of new receivers is but the star of its receiver line is the new, no -com- headed by the NR -1415 rated at 221/2 dBW (175 promise Citation. Akai has announced the debut

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This year's top receivers include massive power and proportions of Marantz 2500, sleek and subtly flexible Yamaha CR-2020

SEPTEMBER 1977 of an entire six -model line topped off by the AA - 1200, with dual output meters and a power capability of 2034 dBW per channel. Rated at a modest 143/4 dBW (30 watts) per channel, Aiwa's new receiver aims for balanced performance and flaunts its strikingly attractive styling. Optonica's SA - 5151, at 19% dBW per side, sports a control panel (with FM dial angled for easy legibility) that shows concern for the convenience of the owner who will put the product to use. Introducing a bit of advanced technology in a low -powered receiver, Sherwood is featuring a digital detector, which avoids tuned circuits, in its S-35CP, which claims 13 dBW (20 watts) per channel. Wintec, a new company introducing a budget - to mid -priced receiver line, has included an advanced phono preamp among the elements of its Among new old speakers: direct/reflecting Bose 601 17-dBW top model. Electronic Accessories formed to manufacture the $2,000 high -end unit, has established itself in Indianapolis. Rounding out the field of electronics, several new add-on signal -processing devices will be on deal- Loudspeakers and Headphones ers' shelves. Sound Concepts, already manufacturing a time -delay system, has announced a sec- Prominent in the loudspeaker news from CES this ond -generation model that is said to be simple to year is the entry of two major companies into the operate, realistic in its effect, and adjustable so as dynamic speaker market. Koss Corporation is well to harmonize with both the listening room in known as a maker of headphones and has been which it is used and the reverberation present in marketing electrostatic speakers for some time. the program material. SAE has begun to compete Bolivar Speaker Works is a new offshoot of Har- in this new area of consumer products with the man International that apparently will concen- Model 4100 Time Delay Ambience System. Phase trate on moderately priced speakers and leave the Linear's long -rumored ambience unit also is being high end to sister company JBL. By using vented - readied for introduction this autumn. Burwen Re- box designs, both of these entrants typify in their search is demonstrating the Transient Noise Elimi- products the concern for efficiency now sweeping nator THE -7000, meant to eliminate scratches, through the industry. ticks, and pops during disc playback. The MXR Also of technical interest is the still controver- Dynamic Processor, also a disc "depopper," con- sial matter of phase coherency. Is it important for tains a linear expander capable of adding up to 20 all of the frequency components of a transient to dB of dynamic range enhancement to a program reach the ear at the same time or with negligible source as well. delay? John Bowers of Bowers & Wilkinson says it The Sound Shaper, a budget -priced five -band is and cites research data showing that stereo graphic equalizer, has been introduced by ADC, imaging is thereby improved. Companies as di- and a battery -operated mixer featuring six micro- verse as KEF, Leak, Dynaco, and Ultralinear, to phone channels, two phono channels, and four name a few. seem to agree that simultaneous ar- line channels, with pan pots and a master volume rival of frequency components is important. At control, is available from Akai at a surprisingly least they were all exhibiting models with stag- low price. As part of its sophisticated Series gered drivers (or, sometimes, sloping front panels) Twenty, Pioneer has brought to light a four-way and specially tweaked crossover networks that electronic crossover that offers attenuation slopes make it possible. of 6, 12, and 18 dB per octave in addition to a wide At the root of the new technological spurt in choice of crossover frequencies. High- and low- speakers is, we suspect, computer -aided design, a pass slopes are separately adjustable. technique that gives ready. answers to questions CBS Records has demonstrated a Tate SQ de- that once would have required insurmountable coder built around the long-awaited integrated quantities of calculation. Designing phase -cor- circuits from National Semiconductor. The chips rected crossovers is such a problem, as is the de- will be available to other manufacturers. The new sign of vented (and therefore efficient) woofer/ decoder compares favorably with the elaborate box systems. Interestingly, the theorists A. N. unit introduced by Peter Scheiber some months Thiele and R. Small have shown that this too is a ago. Peter Scheiber Sonics, a new company problem in filter theory.

80 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE or tri-amplification, or built-in triamplifier; an LED power meter is also offered as an option. Related to the self -powered speaker is the equalized speaker. This type of design-described by Thiele-places an equalizer ahead of the power amp to tailor the response of the low -frequency driver and can be used with vented or nonvented systems. Flectro-Voice employed this technique in its Interface A and B, and is now applying equalization to larger systems with extended lows. In- terface D. the largest addition to this series, uses a vented midrange as well. Thiel Audio (not connected with the Australian theorist-note the absence of the final e) is a new company also making equalized systems. Producing spinoffs from the su- persophisticated Quantum Line Source. Infinity Systems has introduced the Quantum line, which and ported -bass horn loaded Alter; Model 19. even includes a replacement for the redoubtable Monitor Jr. Some engineers have arrived at character- The number of vented speakers appearing on izations of the low -frequency behavior of loud- the market might suggest that sealed systems are speakers independent of the work of Thiele and passé. Nothing could be further from the truth. De- Small. Ed May of Marantz describes the problem spite the penalty extracted in efficiency, the acous- as "relatively simple... The new 900 series from tic -suspension speaker is alive and kicking. Acous- 'Marantz lets the listener remove a plug from the tic Research, also designing via computer. has enclosure and convert the system from a sealed to broadened its line to include the AR -15, 17, and 18, a vented one. The vent enhances low bass at the all moderately priced systems. The ADS 200 intro- expense of a slight peak that adds "punch" to rock duced by Analog and Digital Systems not too long music. The Koss CM 1010 allows the listener to ago is a truly minuscule acoustic -suspension de- add mass to or subtract mass from the passive sign. This model holds a little corner of the market radiator (vent substitute. in engineering parlance) for itself but is being elbowed about by similar in order to effect a similar tuning. Ultralinear uses competing designs from Visonik. Braun. Tamon (a an arrangement similar to that of Marantz in both Japanese company new to the U.S.). and Canton (a of its time -compensated speakers. German manufacturer). ADS has, for its part, gone The JBL L-212. beyond its unique and sophis- on to improve the 200 (now the 200A) and produce ticated design. shows another trend in loud- derivatives optimized for automotive applications speakers: separate amplified subwoofers. The one as well as a slightly larger Model 300. in the L-212 is said to extend the lows to 25 Hz and Yamaha. also committed to sealed systems suit- combine the amplifier output of both channels able for bookshelf placement. seems to have con- from 70 Hz to that point. The drivers that make up centrated on driver and crossover network design the stereo radiators form a quasi -panel array in- and massive cabinetry in the NS -690, which claims tended for maximum dispersion among its various attributes exceptional transient An amplified subwoofer is also offered by 3A. a response and freedom from harmonic distortion. French company making its CES debut. Along Mitsubishi introduces a four-way monitor system with more conventonal designs. the company of- of monstrous proportions. using a 15 -inch woofer fers models in which a sensor delivers a feedback and a passive radiator of the same size (both of a signal to the internal amplifier. which can then newly developed plastic) and maintaining solid correct nonlinearities in the speaker. Philips has bass response right down to 20 Hz. had a similar system in its line for some time. using Pioneer has carried its HPM series forward with a different sort of feedback transducer. Now a the HPM-150. which aims for superior dispersion three-way triamplified-system feedback model by placing a horn -loaded high polymer tweeter has been added to the top of Philips' line. directly on top of the cabinet. And BIC has divided Self -powered loudspeakers can better match the its line into a Standard Series and a System Moni-

amplifie: and its load, not to mention the potential tor Series. The latter. consisting of three models, is benefits of incorporatinga second amp and protected against damage from high-powered am- biamping the drivers. Advent has used such a sys- plifiers and is said to be capable of monitoring a tem in a variant of the New Advent Loudspeaker - music system. the Powered Advent Loudspeaker. ADS's top Itis possible to trade away some of the effi- model (ADS -910) will be available with conven- ciency of a vented system in return for a smaller tional crossover. "program cards" for external hi - cabinet and be sure that the system has been

SI 1.1 I NIIII 14 I977 81 "tweaked" for the best over-all compromise. Ex- being the direct -drive producer has some merit, amples are the new Ohm L, whose sound is said to has added both single -play turntables and belie its size, and the Micro Spectrum, the latest changers to its line and (thanks in part to single -IC entry from SAS. motor -controlledcircuitry)brought minimum Altec-Lansing has developed a new radial -phase prices even lower. Other Japanese companies plug (nicknamed the "Tangerine" because of its seem to consider direct drive obligatory in at least color and shape) that makes possible a compres- one deluxe unit; the new Visonik line, for instance, sion driver with upgraded performance. Model 19, has one direct -drive model, followed by four em- a system that uses the new driver in coordination ploying belts. The direct -drive list is endless. Some with a 15 -inch woofer, claims wide bandwidth (from Pioneer, Sansui, and JVC, for example) have andextraordinarilyhighefficiency.Jensen's quartz control. Dual has introduced one model Lifestyle series continues the company's practice (the 604 automatic single -play system with digital of making its systems adjustable for an extremely control) into its direct -drive line. Fisher, in a novel wide variety of conditions. approach to the problem of integrating the platter The Transar/atd from ESS is close enough to fi- and the rotor of the drive motor, has "bent" a nal form to have received a Design and Engineer- linear motor with 120 magnetic poles into a closed ing Award at summer CES-and has moved closer loop and attached it to the underside of the platter. to availability. And Dayton -Wright has produced But the Europeans seem to be the leaders in belt a fourth generation of its XG-8 Mk. 3 Series 3 elec- drive. Thorens, which continues a long tradition in trostatic. Wharfedale, a well-known British manu- the field, sums up the case: "No matter how low the facturer whose products have been absent from rumble spec on a direct -drive system, it can al- these shores for a time, has reappeared with two ways be lowered still further by adding a belt." lines. The XP line is an acoustic -suspension series Dual does, of course, offer belt -drive models (in of moderate efficiency, while the two -member E three changers and two single -play units), as do line is designed for high efficiency. Elac (the new 870), Garrard (with DC -servo drive Bose has filled the gap between its 901 Series III motor), and BSR in its new Quanta changer line. and its Model 501 with Model 601, which also em- The Garrard GT line (there are six new models in bodies the direct/reflecting principle. The new all) uses Delglide, an automatic -function assembly system is basically asymmetric in its radiation pat- employing self-lubricating Delrin parts, for ease tern and is supplied in matching pairs. Maximum and gentleness of record handling; styling of some flexibility of placement is one of the main aims of of the new units is refreshingly un-British. the design. Also refreshingly un-British is the Accutrac. Though the intense competition makes it about series from BSR/ADC. (Though BSR, the parent as difficult to distinguish technological advances company, is British, ADC-which produces Accu- from marketing ploys, mathematics and science trac-is based in Connecticut.) The super - seem to be banishing witchcraft and trial -and -er- automation system for playing records this year ror from loudspeaker design. And the computer is outdoes itself by adding, in the Accutrac +6, the solving problems that could not even be ap-. ability to handle-and program-up to six records proached a few years ago. This phenomenon will simultaneously. The +6 is available in three ver- be examined in next month's issue in the article sions, from $300 (no remote controls) to $400 (both "Computer Technology Comes to Loudspeaker De- volume and sequencing can be altered from across sign." This can be seen as part of the larger trend- the room). more value available for the consumer's audio dol- Several models are traditionally British in some lar each year. respects-certainly in providing only single -play The activity in headphones at this year's CES operation, which, whatever its overseas sales, is was sparse. As far as we could see, most manufac- the basis for Garrard's fame at home. Among them turers are standing with their existing lines. One are Sugden's BD -103, available with or without newcomer of note was the Pro/4 AAA from Koss, unipivot arm; the new Monitor ET -1000 (as- meant to provide the user with comfort and con- tonishingly, with a direct -drive system and binary venience as well as an enjoyable listening experi- speed readout) with its ET -100 auto -liftoff device ence. Burwen Research has entered the head- for the supplied SME Series II arm; and Environ- phone market with six dynamic models covering mental Sound EST -4 (also direct drive!), whose ul- price points from $40 to $100. tralight arm has mercury signal contacts to prevent drag from lead wires-long a favorite idea in Record -Playing Equipment British audio circles, but one that is difficult to realize in production. The "directness" of direct drive in turntables pre- Somewhat similar in first appearances to the sumably has contributed to the success of the EST -4 is the Audio Retroflex LT -76, a handsome genre; whatever the reason, the success is resound- belt -drive unit. (Both have circular "satellite" sup- ing-if not unchallenged. Technics, whose claim to ports revolving around the spindle.) The company,

82 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE moving -coil models, of course, since this type of design has achieved a sudden popularity in the last few years, and Ortofon-which for years was almost alone in pursuing the virtues of moving - coil design-has a full line of both types. Micro Acoustics has a new top model for its series of electret cartridges. The 530-mp has stylus geometry analogous to that of the company's cutting styli. RAM Audio Systems has taken another tack: Its semiconductor strain -gauge cartridge is part of the $300 RAM 9210SG Record Transducer System. which also includes the necessary current source. Accutrac, with + 6, now programs a stack of up to six discs. The RIAA equalization is carried out mechani- cally, and the output is suitable forAUXor similar which is new to us. is based in Illinois. Another inputs. American manufacturer new to the turntable field Disc Traker, an air -cushion damping device that is Infinity: its $400 Black Widow Air -Table (which, attaches to the tone -arm headshell, is available naturally, incorporates the Black Widow ul- from Discwasher. The device is said to reduce the tralight arm) rides on an air suspension and is belt - effects of tone -arm resonance and record warp. coupled to a servo drive -motor system. A pump- said to be noiseless-provides the necessary air Tape and Tape Equipment stream, preventing bearing -induced rumble. Addi- tional isolation is provided by mounting the entire New cassette tapes include TDK's AD, successor to platter -and -drive system on a separate sprung that firm's Audua, with an improved high end even subassembly. though it uses the same bias and equalization, and Speaking of ultralight arms, ADC has entered the three -member Scotch Master series. Master I is the lists with its LMF-1 (integrated) and LMF-2 (re- an improved ferric that replaces the earlier Mas- movable cartridge mount) models, using tapered ter. while Master II is a ferricobalt similar to TDK carbon -fiber tubes in the construction. We expect SA and Maxell UDXL-2 and designed for use with other companies to add carbon -fiber arms, too: its "chrome" bias and equalization. Master III is a fer- strength -vs. -mass advantages are obvious, and a richrome. The entire line features newly designed trend toward this sort of construction in top mod- translucent cassette shells with low internal drag els seems to be shaping up. along the tape path. Memorex has recently an- ADC also figures among those companies offer- nounced distribution of its new Quantum, an ad- ing new pickups. The ZLM and ZLM Deluxe, the vanced tape for open -reel machines. top of the Professional series, use a stylus configu- The Sunday -duffer sort of open -reel equipment ration termed Aliptic. Its geometry is calculated to seems to be dead: all the new products we have spread the bearing force of the tip upward and seen in this format are, at minimum, elaborate and downward along the groove wall. keeping the sur- quasi -professional. Pioneer's RT series, for ex- face along the wall as small as possible for max- ample. is intended for rack mounting. Teac's news imum high -frequency resolution with minimum is in the Tascam semipro line. Grundig's latest is a tracking force. This approach was, of course, be- forest of controls that might faze Captain Kirk. gun with the elliptical design and carried further We're not complaining, mind. But the message is by the Shibata, upon which the Aliptic is said to clear: If you're not committed to open -reel equip- represent still more improvement. Stanton has re- ment, you might better look elsewhere. fined the Stereohedron tip, also introduced as an Cassette -equipment lineups are quite different. improvement over the Shibata with a longer, nar- Everybody seems to have new models-even H. H. rower contact patch, and is offering the 881 S Scott. which has entered the tape field with two- pickup featuring the new stylus shape. The 681 and most of them (including both of Scott's) are EEE (S -type) represents the retrofit of a Ster- front -loaders. Some manufacturers tell us that top - eohedron stylus to the 681 EEE cartridge. Empire loaders are difficult to sell these days, suggesting has a new model, the 20001. which (at $90) is being that some bargains may he available in that for- dropped into the middle of the 2000 line. Audio- mat. There is a good deal of emphasis on high -end Technica has two new series: the rugged profes- models: Pioneer. for example. has introduced the sional models with an ATP prefix and three Com- monitor -head CT -F1000. with styling that suggests pass models intended for replacement and up- some Eicaset models. grading in existing home -entertainment systems. Fisher. committed to three -head decks through- Prices in both lines range from $35 to $75. out its cassette line, has extended its high end with All of the foregoing are what might be called Model CR-5120. Akai introduced two new models. conventional magnetic pickups. There are new one with three heads. The latter has adjustable

SET HABER 1977 83 Dolby calibration and, of course, permits monitor- sumer model, the path to consumer prices and ing from the tape. The new Dual C-939 has, in addi- quality comparable to similarly priced analogue tion to its auto -reverse feature, the capability of al- recording equipment does not seem altogether lowing recorded errors to be faded or edited out smooth. Home digital recording might be as long electronically during playback. JVC's new high- in coming as home video taping-which, we were performance model contains the company's told ten years ago, was about to take over homeen- proprietary Super ANRS (automatic noise -reduc- tertainment. tion system) and Sen-Alloy heads. Curiously, the hardest evidence that digitals are A three -head deck is available at the top of the moving into consumer equipment comes from Marantz line as well. The Model 5030 includes ADS, which is introducing astonishing digital Dolby for simultaneous record and playback and electronics (including an FM tuner) for automotive an adjustable peak limiter to prevent over - use. The design makes many a fancy home digital recording. Teac has reinforced the lower end of its tuner look more than a little old hat. This may be a cassette equipment with Model A-103, which has harbinger of the next generation in homecorn- an impressive array of features and claims excel- ponentry. lent performance forits modest price. Uher's Digital audio has also come to video tape: Sony's new-and first-cassette deck (as opposedto system-for its Betamax or competing formats- recorder) features a three -motor transport and recognizes that video tape is more like data proc- digital logic controls and can accommodate ferric, essing than like analogue audio and that digital audio therefore makes particular sense when used with video tape. Sony is not, in fact, proposing its digital system for pure audio at present. And since Nakamichi is projecting S/N ratios of around 95 dB for metal -particle cassettes in the next generation of its mastering decks (equipped with the new Telefunken noise -reduction system), while Sony is claiming only 65 dB for its digital system, the theoretical advantages of the digital technique still seem far off. So does the development of a large-scale market in home video tape, thanks to the continued sys- Super cassette decks for '7Fl include the Pioneer CT -F1000 tems competition. Matsushita, for example, has introduced VHS, which is being licensed to other companies. One is Magnavox, but its announce- chrome, or ferrichrome tapes. A cassette changer ment of the fact was all but lost in its announce- capable of playing continuously for up to ten ment of fall availability for a Philips -type video hours is available from Lenco, now being distrib- disc player. The conclusion seems inescapable uted by Neosonic. that the Philips format is shaping up as a clear The future of the Elcaset, meanwhile, remains in leader in video discs, while video tape has no doubt although decks are available from Teac, leader-only a tangle of bandwagons on which po- Technics, and Sony. Advances in cassette -head tential licensees place tentative feet in the hope technology, noise reduction, and tape oxides sug- that they may go somewhere. gest still further improvement in that format and a The immediate news in video therefore seems possible undercutting of the Elcaset's touted ad- confined to games (a rapidly growing field) and vantages-at least for the consumer market. In par- large screens (with somewhat less frantic growth). ticular, it appears a foregone conclusion among Advent has added a third projection system, its some manufacturers that 1978 will see the intro- smallest to date: ESS, in conjunction with Tinsley duction of metal -particle (sometimes called alloy) Laboratories, is working on a rear -projection sys- tape formulations from several manufacturers tem that derives its image from a conventional that will put the cassette a giant step ahead of the color tube and is expected to sell at about $4,000 present state of the art. Nakamichi, for example, for a 52 -inch diagonal screen that can be viewed plans to be ready when the tape is, with mastering in bright ambient light. decks (and perhaps consumer models in short or- All of this contrasts sharply with the rather staid der) designed to use the new "pigments," which (and solid) advancement in audio componentry. appear to be beyond the reach of current decks. Its manufacturers are to be congratulated for Whether digital recording also can make a sig- avoiding (at least at present) the faddist and blue- nificant difference to consumer recording is much sky excesses that have plagued other areas of con- less clear. Though there has been a great deal of sumer electronics in recent years: notably CB. buzz over the subject in recent years and Mitsu- video tape, and digital watches. Perhaps thean- bishi this year demonstrated a prototype of a con- archy of early quad has taught us all a lesson,

84 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE At BASF ourworld has always been flat.

Absolutely flat frequency response. Because what you should hear on a cassette is nothing more than you record and nothing less. Others talk about it. With us, it's an obsession. It s a vital part of the goal we set 45

years ago when we invented recording tape . . .the purest, most accurate sound that tape can reproduce. Straightening out the frequency curve requires an obsessive concern with detail. We start with the best quality 'erric oxide and mill it by a patented process. After coating, our tape rides on a heated cushion of air, STUDIO SERIES filtered to NASA standards to avoid contamination and A HIGH DENSITY FERRIC .DXIDE ,ASSETTE TAPE abrasion. Polishing and slitting are accomplished by POLISHED FOR EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAR SOUND REPRODUCTION AL'_ C1 exclusive BASF -developed techniques and equipment. And even our cassette cases are different, incorporating our patented Special Mechanism, for years of smooth and dependable tape feed. The result is a cassette that will match the performance of the

, finest decks on the market. At BASF, we're purists. We want what comes out of our cassettes to be identical to what goes in. Not hyped and not muted. And that's a flat statement Flat as we can make it of truth. BASF The Purist.

Nothing less than total accuracy will ever satisfy us.

SI I'll NMI R 1977 85 by G. S. Bourdain

To the question, What singer now active combines queenly dignity, earthy sexiness, and quintessential Frenchness, there can be but one answer: R6gine Crespin

THERE'S SOMETHING DELICIOUS about a prima It was pointed out that she sang only a few donna who whistles on her way to open the door words with an accent. "Daughters," for example, to a visitor. Regine Crespin, one day last spring, came out "doughters." whistled a tune, opened the door of her borrowed "That's because my English teacher was English apartment near the Metropolitan Opera, scolded and not American," Crespin said. "What I really her dog-a French poodle, of course-for barking, found difficult was to say 'it is' and not 'eet eese,' and asked her visitor in mock fear, "You didn't and anything with a `th' since there's no such bring a camera, did you? I have to have my hair sound in French. I don't know how many days it done." Reassured, she sat on a sofa and answered took me to be able to say 'Mother Superior.' And questions, frankly and unhesitatingly, in French - when a `th' was followed by an `s,' I was really lost. accented English. "You know, when I was offered the part of the One of the greatest sources of pleasure in a Cres- First Prioress, I was sure it wasn't for me-that it pin performance in the opera house, in the concert was a mezzo role. Then when I read the score, I hall, or on records is her diction. When she sang discovered that many mezzos who sang the part the First Prioress in the Met's English version of didn't sing any top notes but transposed them. So I Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites early this decided to do it because it's so dramatic. And I re- year, she was the only foreigner in an otherwise membered I once told Poulenc [he created the role American cast. Yet, as most reviewers remarked, of the Second Prioress for Crespin] that I wished she was the only one who could be understood. he had written a part like the First Prioress for me, "I worked very hard on that part," she said. "At and he said, 'Listen, in ten years you are going to first I thought it would be very easy to do in Eng- sing it.' lish-that my French accent would go away when I "I said, 'Never, are you mad? It's not for me.' sang. Then I started rehearsing, and I found out-- And Poulenc said, 'Wait and see. You will do it.' agh!" "I've always been careful with diction because I G. S. Bourdain, whose byline is appearing for the first time remember going to the opera when I was twelve, in HF, is a writer and editor for a daily newspaper in the when everything in France was sung in French, New York metropolitan area and a lifelong opera buff. and often wondering what they were saying and

86 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE MN .1110-41.111.

trying to catch words. This stuck in my head-to be record it in March1976,"she said, "but I had to understood as much as you can." leave Europe for more Carmens in New York. Crespin, whose father was French and mother When you skip a recording date, it's a nightmare to Italian, was born in Marseilles and grew up in schedule another one. Probably on the back I will Nimes. The first opera she saw was Lohengrin, put some Duparc with orchestra-nobody really and (the force of destiny?) it was the work in has done that. I think Chausson and Duparc are a which she made her debut, as Elsa in1950. good combination. [A good combination indeed: "I fell in love with opera right away," she recalls. Unbeknownst to Crespin, Andre Previn and Janet "I went once a week, and it was very difficult for Baker have just recorded precisely this coupling me because my father was very strict and I was for EMI.-Ed.] I have to learn also a cycle by Mes- allowed to go out only once a week, so I had to siaen-a fantastic but difficult cycle called Na- make a choice between a movie with Jean Marais, ra wi. It's rather modern music but very beautiful. or someone like that, and an opera. "I never, never use recordings to learn a role. I "I'm glad my father was strict about it, though. think it is a bad way. I'm against it, to copy. You Because even now, knowing what's going on back- may not want to copy, but the records influence stage at an opera or a play or musical, if I'm in the you. I think you have to learn the work yourself, audience I get a feeling of impatience for the cur- rehearse it, sing it, and then if you want to check tain to go up, of excitement-'Ah, I'm really going on something, okay. But otherwise, no records. To to see something'-even if it's Tosca or Lohengrin, learn a role I take the score and study it and sing it which I know by heart." for a while, then I let it sleep for a while, then I go Crespin has a rich, deep speaking voice, and back again. I think about my interpretation con- aside from occasionally placing the accent on the stantly." wrong syllable, her English is enviable. When she Crespin is one of the most elegant singers on the first came to this country, in1962,she hardly spoke concert stage, and the taste that is apparent in the language, but talking with people and watch- her attire is matched by her intellectual and ing television, her schooling in English came back emotional comprehension of what she sings. Styl- to her. ish phrasing is always a hallmark of her work. A She was learning German at the time. "I met my recent comparison of recordings of Berlioz' song husband when someone introduced us with the "Le Spectre de la rose" from Nuits d'ete, for ex- idea he could improve my German [Lou Bruder, ample, showed that Eleanor Steber, Suzanne from whom Crespin is separated, is a Frenchman Danco, Victoria de los Angeles, Leontyne Price, from Strasbourg and an authority on German liter- and Janet Baker all sing the line "et sur l'albatre Oil ature]. Now I cannot speak it any more; each time I je repose..." from the last verse so that "je" falls want to, I speak English. Like Italian: I was speak- on the third beat of the9/8measure and is elided ing Italian quite fluently, then I learned Spanish across two eighth notes. It sounds fine-until you because I have a house in Majorca and I had a love listen to Crespin's recording and discover that she affair with a man from Caracas. He spoke Spanish makes magic of it by stretching out "Palbeitre" so to me, and I learned it, and now when I want to that "je" falls on a single unstressed eighth note. speak Italian, it comes out Spanish." "I didn't learn that from anybody or work with Crespin plans to learn some Spanish songs and anybody on it," Crespin said. "I just felt it. I must include them in a recital some time soon. At the say I don't like, really, most of my recordings, be- beginning of the year, she began work on the role cause I hear only the faults. But Nuits d'et6 I love. of Marina in Boris Godunov, with which she'll It's the recording I really prefer. open the Metropolitan Opera next month. Al- "It's funny-several years ago I went to London though she has sung the role in French, she has for a big program when England joined the Com- never sung Russian at all. "I'm scared to death to mon Market. The Queen and Prince Philip were learn something I cannot really read or under- there, and representatives from all the countries. stand," she admitted. "But I'll do it." Schwarzkopf was there, and Janet Baker. Baker At the May festival in Cincinnati, Crespin gave a and I had never met, so as we were both backstage luminous performance as Dido in a concert ver- I went to her and said, 'Listen, I have really to tell sion of Les Troyens a Carthage, the second part of something to you. No one can touch Mahler's Berlioz' Les Troyens. She would love to sing the Songs of a Wayfarer any more because your role at the Met, and anyone who heard her in Cin- recording of it-that's it!I wanted so much to cinnati would petition the opera house to let her record it, but after you, it's not possible.' Baker was do it,for her interpretation of the lovestruck, so sweet. She took my hand and kissed it and said, heartbroken, vengeful, and ultimately suicidal 'I should have said the same after your Nuits d'ete, queen was vocallymagnificent andrichin but I made the mistake of recording it.' " nuances undisclosed by other singers. Singers say nice things to and of each other, but Crespin is set to record Chausson's Poeme de Crespin thinks sopranos can't really be friends. "I l'amour et de la mer this year. "I was supposed to could be friends with a contralto or a high color -

SEPTEMBER 1977 87 Crespin's versatility has enabled her, at the Metropolitan Opera alone over the past few years, to go from the role of Charlotte in Massenet's Werther to the title role in Carmen and, finally, just last season, to that of the First Prioress in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites.

Crespin has acquaintances almost everywhere she sings. "I meet people through mutual friends," she said. "Well, I have not so many friends, because what we really mean by friends you can count on two hands-even one, maybe." The subject of friends led to that of a phenomenon of the opera world. "Once, four or five years ago, I met Birgit Nilsson at the Met," Crespin related, "and we chatted for a few minutes, and she said, `By the way, how long have you been here?' I told her two weeks, and she asked, 'Have you met a man lately?' At that time I was separating from my husband, and I thought she was asking me if 1 had met somebody else, so I said, 'No, why are you asking me this?' Nilsson said, 'It's a simple question. Have you met a man since you've been here?' 1 answered, 'Yes, a lot of friends, of course.' And Nils- son said, 'But real men? I've been here for three months, and I count up, and I haven't met one.' " "I have a lot of friends who are homosexual," Crespin continued, "and they're nice-like my brothers, like my sons some of them. I really love them. We have a lot of sympathie, rapport. We talk seriously, or we laugh. Prima donnas represent for them both mother and a kind of superwoman you can't touch. She's a goddess, a diva, and the more we are sophisticated, with big hats and big jewels and furs, the more they are fascinated. But there comes a point where you say-and my women colleagues feel the same way-'Enough.' "I must say, in the States it's more obvious. Of course they are present in Europe too, but there seems such a negation of masculinity and feminin- ity here. In France, you walk along and, if you have a little hat or something, a man who passes or a cab driver will whistle or say 'Hi, hi.' But here, never." As for the masculine in her own life, Crespin would say only, "Oh, you are very curious. Maybe there is a romantic involvement, maybe several. If one is not enough, take two." My comment that the life of a diva seemed more hard work than glamor and romance reminded Crespin of "some singers who think only of the trappings, of being a celebrity. I'm really en colere [passionately] against these attitudes. If you must be a prima donna on-stage, all right, but why be a prima donna off-stage? Be an artiste first; the most atura," she said, "but two sopranos who sing the important thing is the stage. Then maybe that same role? It would be a facade. If you sing the makes you a prima donna in life too. You have to same parts, it's always a kind of competition. I have a kind of humility. You have to ask yourself have good colleagues in the opera, but not really each morning if what you're doing is all right. friends." "I think about the time when I will have to re -

88 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE tire, and I know it's going to be difficult. I have Crespin, who has included operetta arias in thought about it for a long time because four or many of her recital programs, has started to fill the five years ago I had a big crisis.I was in a bad gap. Within the past few months she has had three mood, I had a lot of problems in my private life, I Offenbach recordings released: Lu Vie parisienne, was depressed and ready to jump out the win- conducted by Michel Plasson, on Angel [reviewed dow-really,I was suicidaire-and I knew the in June], La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein, voice was not going well. also with Plasson, on Columbia and La Perichole, "One day, finally, after some analysis, I told my- conducted by Alain Lombard, on Erato [both self, 'Now you stop for a while and take care of reviewed in this issue]. The recordings, with all - your voice and your health, or you are going to be French casts including Mady Mesple, bring out the really in trouble.' So I did. I stopped for a year [Oc- exquisite Frenchness and fun of the librettos and tober 1973 to October 1974] just before learning display the marvelous Crespin combination of re- Carmen to sing it in Strasbourg. I thought, 'If I sing gality and earthy sexiness. She likes the repertoire Carmen well, if I have success, if it goes like I want so much that she's considering doing Grande it to go-okay, I go on. If not, I stop, because I can- Duchesse on the stage or on film. not fight with myself, my voice.' It was a night- Crespin is looking forward to more travel too. mare. "I've been to Japan once and would like to go "I became like a student. I went to my teacher in back," she said. "It's a fantastic public. I've been Germany every week with my little bunch of mu- all over Europe, of course, but not in Australia, not sic, to his little room, and during all that time I was in China-not on the moon, not yet!" Another thing thinking, 'What are you going to do if you have to she wants very much to do is to be a guest on the stop?' So it's not new for me. Muppets' TV program. "I want to sing 'Tu n'es pas "I was very unhappy because, if I had stopped at beau' to Kermit the Frog. I love that show!" that time, it would have been on a failure. Now I Asked what she does when she's not singing, she know when the time comes to stop it will be a nor- couldn't think of much more than, "I'm busy, mal ending of a career. That, for instance, is the really, preparing or recording. problem with Callas. She stopped at a bad period, "The thing I miss most is to have my friends to and that's why she's unhappy. my house-it is on a little treelined street in Paris "I know it's going to be difficult. I know I'm go- where cars don't go-to have a dinner and talk and ing to be unhappy for one or two years, probably. so on. But that I can't do, because I talk, I drink, I That's why I've started to teach. I have a class in Paris, at the Conservatoire National de Musique, since last year. I didn't want to take it, but somebody was retiring and the woman insisted so much. She said, 'You should start now, when you Bearing up under are still in good shape and singing. Then the transi- a bear hug from Jules Bastin tion will be easier.' And she's right. while recording Perichole "I'm fascinated by the teaching. The students tell me, 'It's exciting to have you here. between going to New York and all over to sing.' They are young people, and for me it's very interesting to have a rapport with young singers. I'm sure I will smoke, and that is bad. I don't smoke usually, but be interested in the future I have in mind, because in the summer, after bathing or a cocktail, it's so it will be my business-the singing business." nice." Meanwhile, before that day arrives, Crespin's "In Majorca, I just rest, with the sun and water calendar is full of singing and recording dates. and beach and my swimming pool, and the days And lovers of French operetta can rejoice that she pass like this," she said, snapping her fingers. "In hasn't waited-as several former prima donnas two months of vacation in the summer, maybe have-for high notes to fade before turning to that once or twice I listen to an opera or a concert on delightful repertoire. the radio or on records. Most of the time I listen to Singers of international stature have recorded pop music, I dance, go out with friends, but I don't works from the German/Viennese repertoire, but think about opera at all. The body, the brain, need French operetta recordings available here don't to forget all the work and to relax completely." take up much shelf space in stores. The reason is As Crespin said good -by, I had occasion again to twofold: The tongue -twisting spoken dialogue can observe that decidedly French slant to her charac- trip up even the most fluent foreigner, making a ter. 1 admired a tiny gold figurine the singer wears French cast a necessity. And-unfortunately-a on a chain around her neck. She slid the figure to great voice, an international career, and quintes- one side, revealing another tiny figure beneath. sential Frenchness are not often combined in one "One is a man and one a woman," Crespin said. person. "You can draw your own conclusions."

SEP I LMBLR 1977 89 After learn wevedone, no onewill heckle ourspeakers.

We're as close to the impossible changes the other and almost changed That includes the carbon fiber that as possible. our minds about going into the speakerwe mix into the speaker cone paper. Our new speakers color sound. business. Carbon fiber is light and strong. Anybody's speakers do. But we stuck it out. And found the an-(Why they don't use it in girdles we'll Should someone tell you otherwise, swer to the juggling of these variables never know.) they speak with forked frequency thanks to a major technological innova- Light, so our speaker is more effi- response. tion. cient. Meaning you need less power to We at Sony approached the develop- Trial and error. operate it. Meaning you are closer to ment of our new speaker line with this That's why we labored for three yearsthe ideal of converting electrical en- grim reality in mind. to bring you our speakers. While other ergy to mechanical energy without a Thus our goal was to create speakers manufacturers rushed frantically to loss of power. with a minimum of coloration. With a market with theirs. Light, so our speaker cone reacts frequency response flat and wide. With We keep the whole world quickly to stops and starts in the sig- low distortion. And with repeatability. in our hands. nal. The result: improved transient Which is critical. Which means that Once we understood how to contro' response. each speaker we turn out will sound likethe sound of our speakers, we realized Strong, to prevent the cone from the one before and the one after. we had to control what went into our bending out of shape in the high fre- Searching and researching. speakers. quency range. Our basic dilemma was that speaker So we did the only logical thing. Moreover, carbon fiber doesn't re- specs don't specify much. We built a plant. sonate much. It has what's called a You can build two speakers with iden- And pursuing that logic, we built it atlow Q, and it took someone with a tical specs, and find they'll sound non- a place called Kofu. Which is at the basehigh IQ to realize it would absorb the identical. of Mt. Fuji. Where we can get all the unwanted vibration rather than trans- That's because your sophisticated earspring water we want. mit it down the cone. can pick up differences our clumsy This factory does nothing but pro- We also cut down on unwanted vibra- measurements can't. duce -under outrageously close con- tion (as opposed to the wanted vibra- Some examples: trol -the components for our speakers.tion, which is music), by using a cast You can hear how pure water is. The Whatever we do buy, we specify so aluminum basket rather than a purity of the water in which the pulp forcarefully that our vendors have night- stamped, shoddy cheap metal one. the speaker cone is pressed will influ- mares about us..(It's unfortunate that We could go on, but at this point the ence the sound. (Spring water is the best.)we can't make everything ourselves, best thing would be for you to move on But water purity would hardly changebut only God can make a tree, and onlyto your nearest Sony dealer. And listen. the frequency response-or any other wood can make a fine cabinet.) Because the results of our three measureable characteristic. Few companies make this effort. years of labor will be clear after three Nor would the dye used to color the So it's safe to say that when it comes minutes of listening. cone-or the glue used in gluing the to exercising this kind of control, our At which point, far from heckling cabinet. speakers are a voice in the dark. our speakers, you'll be tempted to give But you'd hear the dye and the glue. Improvements that are them a standing ovation. And there are dozens and dozens of heard and not seen. elements that interact this way. As you can see, there's a lot that goes So our job was mammoth. To corre- into producing a speaker that's not eas- late these factors in order to reach the ily seen. (One beautiful exception -the © 1977 Sony Corp of America. Sony, 9 W. 57 St., NY, N.Y. 10019 goal we outlined earlier. Changing one handsome finish on our cabinets.) SONY is a trademark of Sony Corp Suggested retail prices: SSU-3000, $300 each; SSU-4000, $400 each. CIRCLE 40 ON READER -SERVICE CARD The SSU-3000 and SSU-4000. Great speakers like these deserve an audience. The bones roil in the Sherwin M Goldman /Houston Grand Opera production of Porgy and Bess Catfish Row Springs to Life RCA's theater -wise yet musically fit Porgy and Bess is supplemented by a Turnabout disc that includes Gershwin's "pre-opera" Blue Monday. by David Hamilton

LAST YEAR, when London's Cleveland recording of shows in the recording, and it's important. Given Gershwin's Porgy and Bess appeared, it seemed un- Porgy's various structural and musical flaws (which I likely that we would soon have an alternatecom- discussed at some length in HF, May 1976), if the full- plete version, let alone one that would succeed in length version is to convince, it needs a lot of color, just the ways that the London set failed. Yet that is character, and dramatic punch going for it: the music precisely what has now appeared: a lively, moving, by itself isn't always strong enough to carry us from theatrically vivid re-creation of Catfish Row that one high point to the next. It isn't, say, Tristan, of makes a rather better case for the validity of Gersh- which a musically expert performance can be en- win's problematic opera, without sacrificing any of thralling even though it may fail to convey the full di- the undoubted musical probity that distinguished mensionality of the characters and is thereby an in- Maazel's recording. complete rendering of the opera's maximum The RCA set stems from the stage production that potential impact. opened in Houston on July 1, 1976, came to New York The London recording, I felt, was short on color, the following September for sixteen weeks, and then character, and dramatic punch. A small but telling embarked on a national tour. That stage experience case in point: In the last scene, when Porgy returns

92 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE from prison, he is greeted by the neighbors, who, in that I heard this recording, I managed to catch her that performance, sounded for all the world like the program of popular songs "for a summer evening"; Catfish Row Madrigal Society, freshly scrubbed and on the basis of that, I'd cheerfully go to hear Miss polished to present the greeting for the Queen's Ju- Dale sing a laundry list anytime.) The voice has lots bilee visit. In the new RCA set, they are casual, re- of color, firmness, and focus, and it's used with a real laxed, like the spontaneous group they are supposed sense of purpose. to be. And this pattern carries throughout the RCA Another promising soprano in this cast is Wilma recording: the musical pacing, the give-and-take of Shakesnider, a touching Serena, and Betty Lane dialogue, the skillful use of sound effects-all reflect sings a luscious, free and easy "Summertime." Don- what has been learned from actually enacting Porgy nie Ray Albert is a strong Porgy, but the other two on stage, rather than simply standing up and singing male leads bring my only qualms about the singing. the music. (The Cleveland recording, it will be re- Andrew Smith's Crown is a shade free with the mu- called, followed a series of concert performances.) sical text (though vocally solid), and Larry Marshall Unlike some of Maazel's singers, all of these people even more so. I know there's a tradition of such free- are inside their parts-freer, more relaxed, more alive dom in interpreting Sportin' Life, and some of what to the telling line, to the point of each phrase and the Marshall does makes sense: The progressively freer shape of each scene. The chorus is less "oratoric," the variations on "It Ain't Necessarily So" work well be- orchestra less "symphonic." Under the firm and ca- cause the tune is well established first. But he never pable direction of John DeMain, they treat the gets the crucial appoggiatura figure on "New York" rhythms less literally, more stylishly. in "There's a Boat dat's Leavin'," in the right place, Within the framework of this general-and all-im- and that really spoils the song. portant-distinction, there isn't a great deal to gained In keeping with the performance's theatrical ori- by defining subtle distinctions of quality among the gin, much use is made of sound effects, with great various singers. In fact, on sheerly vocal grounds one success: they all seem natural outgrowths of the ac- would be hard put to choose between them; both tion, not artificial overlays. The action at the end of companies are full of talented people, and the crucial the first two scenes of Act III is altered (and so are the thing is that one group has had the opportunity to stage directions in the libretto) from the original put its talents much more fully at the service of the score, so that (respectively) Bess comes out to see the opera's theatrical essence. In the RCA cast, I'm espe- dead Crown and emerges, high on happy dust, to go cially impressed with Clamma Dale, who has that off with Sportin' Life-rather obvious effects, I think, special extra gift for matching words to notes, for but at least not downright contradictory to the mu- singing as naturally as speech, that makes one look to sic. (One other textual point: The libretto has been her future with special anticipation. (The same week "de -expurgated," so to speak, of the various substitu- tions for the word "nigger" that were made some years back.) The recorded sound, if less plangent and analytic than London's, is nevertheless quite good: a spacious ambience, natural balance, and plenty of impact. Up to now, we've had an old but honorable abridged performance of Porgy, full of atmosphere and style (the Odyssey set, produced by the late Goddard Lie- berson) and a shiny, absolutely complete, but somewhat stiff version (London). The good news today is that RCA's version combines all the best points of both those recordings. As a sort of appetizer for Porgy, Turnabout brings us a recording of Gershwin's first effort in the direction of opera, a twenty -minute treatment of the Frankie-and-Johnnie story that began the second act of George White's Scandals of 1922-but only for the opening night; it was quickly pulled from the show as "too downbeat." Originally called Blue Monday, it was revived in1925by Paul Whiteman as 135th Street (Will Vodery's original orchestration revised by Ferde Grad). Since then it has cropped up now and again: in capsule form in the 1945 film Rhapsody in Blue, in1953on the TV series Omnibus, in a1968 concert performance at Philharmonic Hall led by Skitch Henderson. A sort of ballad opera with accompanied recitatives, it boasts an absurd libretto, stilted dialogue, and several fine songs, on the strength of which this recording is surely welcome. The Grad scoring is used (Vodery's is apparently lost), but the elaborate wind doublings have been simplified. Neat enough, the performance is some- Donnie Ray Albert and Clamma Dale in the title roles what short on panache.

SEP ITNI13112 1977 93 The verso of the Turnabout record digs into sev- GEastiwiN: Porgy and Bess. eral corners of the Gershwin catalog, for the two Porgy Donnie Ray Albert (b) Robbins Glover Parham (t) Bess Clamma Dale (s) Peter Mervin Wallace(t) "madrigals" from the film A Damsel in Distress, two Crown Andrew Smith (b) Frazier Raymond Bazemore (bs) songs, and-best of all-a stretch from Let 'em Eat Serena Wirma Shakesnider (s) Annie Shirley Baines (ms) Clara Betty Lane (s) Lily Myra Merritt (ms) Cake, the sequel to Of Thee I Sing. Though unsuc- Maria Carol Brice (ms) Strawberry Woman PhyllisBash (ms) cessful in its day, this was one of Gershwin's most in- Jake Alexander B Smalls (b) Jim Hartwell Mace (b) Sportin' Life Larry Marshall (I) Undertaker Cornel Richie (b) genious and highly developed scores, and it's good to Mingo Bernard Thacker (t) Nelson; Crab Man Steven Alex -Cole (t) hear even this little bit: the hit song, "Mine," pre- Children's Chorus, Orchestra, and Ensemble; John DeMain, ceded by a choral sequence; the orchestration is by cond. [Thomas Z. Shepard, prod.] RCA RED SEAL ARL 3-2109, Smith, the original (not by Gershwin) having disap- $23.94 (three discs, automatic sequence). peared. I don't much care for Rosalind Rees's rather Comparison' adenoidal, deadpan renditions of the songs-espe- Maazel /Cleveland Lon.OSA13116 cially the witty "By Strauss," which many will re- lollGERs.w.Vocal Works. Soloists; Gregg Smith Sing- member as memorably sung (with a slightly altered ers, orchestra. Gregg Smith. cond. TURNABOUT TV -S verse) by Georges Guetary and Gene Kelly in the film 34638. $3.98. Tape CT 2103. $6.95. An American in Paris. The other numbers are done Blue Monday (135th Street) (Joyce Andrews. soprano: Thomas Bogdan and efficiently, if no more. No texts are given, except for a Jeffrey Meyer, tenors; Patrick Mason, baritone; Walter Richardson, bass. orchestra). A Damsel in Distress: The Jolly Tar and the Milkmaid; Sing of Spring few lines from the Let 'em Eat Cake scene; though (Singers; Oresta Cybriwski, piano). Ming Toy: In the Mandarin's Orchard Gar- the diction is pretty fair, one could have used the den (Rosalind Rees, soprano: Cybriwski). The Show Is On: By Strauss (Rees. Cybriwski). Let 'em Eat Cake: Orders. Orders . . . Mine (Bogdan: Priscilla Mag- texts now and then. dam, alto: Singers; orchestra)

Weingartner, Kleiber, De Sabata: A Matter of Record

Noteworthy reissues provide direct evidence of the artistry of three legendary conductors known to Americans primarily from recordings. by Harris Goldsmith

JET TRAVEL has homogenized the world of music, and Symphony at Toscanini's invitation, De Sabata lead- we tend td forget that until recently performers of ing the Pittsburgh Symphony and the New York the first rank could have primarily American or Eu- Philharmonic-neither remained on the scene long ropean reputations (and the Orient was considered enough to become a superstar along with such Euro- an exotic no-man's-land). Thus, while Felix Wein- pean transplants as Reiner, Szell, Beecham, Walter, gartner, Erich Kleiber, and Victor de Sabata-three Koussevitzky, Mitropoulos. Ormandy, and Tosca- prominent conductors heard in impressive recent nini. reissues-appeared before American audiences, all Many reputations have, of course, been made three belonged generally to the "European" camp. through phonograph records-Klemperer and Scher- The Dalmatian -born Weingartner(1863-1942),a chen are cases in point, and so, for that matter, are onetime pupil of Liszt, appeared with the New York Furtwangler and Mengelberg, whose present, largely Philharmonic in 1905 and conducted Tristan in Bos- posthumous celebrity in this country has little to do ton in1912-13. Hemade his (apparently controver- with memories of their live performances. Much the sial) presence felt in opera, spent most of his later same could be said of Weingartner. Kleiber's fading years symphonically in the concert halls of London, repute may well be restored by the emergence of his Vienna, and Paris, was an esteemed pedagogue and son Carlos; he left many fine recordings to further the frustrated composer, and died in Switzerland, self - cause. De Sabata, however, was forced by poor exiled from Nazi Europe. His books on conducting health to retire early; since he left but a handful of and interpreting the Beethoven symphonies are still records, he must remain a relatively shadowy figure. widely read, and phonographic annals will forever Both in the opera pit and in the concert hall, De Sa- honor him as the man who recorded the first cycles bata had the reputation of a brilliant showman and of the Beethoven and Brahms symphonies. ' an enticing sensualist. He was also an erratic inter- Kleiber (1890-1956) and De Sabata(1892-1967) preter, as is evident in the reissued performances, were also fine opera conductors, and De Sabata was, which range from incandescent to superficial and like Weingartner, a composer. Both were active in perverse. the U.S. in the 1920s, and though each reappeared His 1946 London Philharmonic accounts (in a two - here after the war-Kleiber conducting the NBC disc London Treasury album) of Sibelius' En Saga,

94 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Top to bottom: Felix Weingartner, Erich Kleiber, and Victor de Sabata- a chance for reassessment via recordings

tor's chosen sonority inappropriately glossy and superficial. The last two movements are better: a lively enough scherzo (with the trio taken pretty much in tempo) and a quite live finale. A much better case for De Sabata as a Beethoven interpreter is made by his Pastoral (reissued on Brit- ish EMI's World Records label), recorded in Rome a year after the items in the London Treasury set. The Augusteo Orchestra (later renamed the Santa Cecilia Orchestra) doesn't have the easy blend of the LPO, and there are one or two instances of uncertain ensemble. While I question De Sabata's expansions at several points-notahly at the end of the finale-this is a suave, super -intense, Latinized reading, often similar to Toscanini's NBC version and, in the woodwind department especially, often more bucolic and more lovingly phrased by the Italian instrumentalists. The reproduction is a shade less opulent than that of the London performances, but there is more finely etched detail. Many of Kleiber's Beethoven recordings I had not heard for some years until recently, when I listened to all of them again, rediscovering just how distinguished they are. His Eroica, for example, is one of the few that can rival Toscanini's for slashing, ner- vous momentum. The 1955 Vienna recording is Kleiber's second Eroica. The earlier one (with the Concertgebouw), originally on 78s and an early London LP. has never been reissued. Actually one might say that the Vienna recording has only been reissued: It first appeared several years after the conductor's death, on the budget Richmond label. The reason for its delayed appearance has never been clear. Could the exacting Kleiber have been unhappy with the sound of the orchestra, which is clear and incisive but also unpleasantly thin and acerbic? The Concertgebouw recording had a more dated but also more mellow tone quality, and, judging from the old Richmond reissue of the contemporaneous Con- Berlioz' Roman Carnival Overture, and Wagner's certgebouw Seventh, London might have gotten a "Ride of the Valkyries" are as supercharged as Tos- more agreeable sound by restoring the Concertge- canini's and often, as in the supplely molded intro- bouw rather than the Vienna Eroica. Both perform- duction to the Berlioz, more flexible; indeed his En ances have their points of interest. The later one, Saga unleashes an almost orgiastic outburst. By any which includes the long exposition repeat (in the reckoning, these performances are masterfully led new mastering London has fit the first two move- and, for their time, remarkably realistic -sounding. ments uninterrupted on Side 1; the Marcia funebre The Sibelius Valse triste is also tenderly done, al- had a side break on Richmond). is perhaps slightly though a bit mannered in its rubato. more unified and intense. De Sabata's Eroica from the same sessions is, on Kleiber's famous 1953 Fifth has survived its com- the whole, of the self-indulgent school of Men- pression to a single disc side fairly well. The Concert- gelberg, Koussevitzky, and Furtwangler-but with- gebouw strings seem a bit edgier now, but detail re- out their compensating energy and conviction. From mains exemplary and the brass sounds full and the outset the sonority is inappropriately lush, and lustrous. This is remarkably fine engineering for its virtually every trace of rhythmic ostinato is given a period and-save for the lack of stereo-sounds no soft -focus treatment that softens outlines until the more antiquated than, say, the reissued Szell/Cleve- whole first movement resembles the Liebestod. The land performance on Odyssey. Marcia funebre is less listless, but I find the conduc- The first three movements are led with terse conci-

SEPTEMBER 1977 95 sion; rhetorical gestures are virtually eliminated, and recording, but for those of Schmidt-Isserstedt (Lon- the whiplash articulation leaves a smarting sting in don OSA 1159), Bohm(DC 2707073), and, most suc- its aftermath. The finale still disappoints me some- cessfully, Kempe (in Seraphim SIH 6093). what; despite its properly majestic beginning, itis Weingartner's vocal quartet, closely miked, ac- static and detached compared with the volcanic cording to the practice of the day, is magnificent. The drama and energy that Toscanini (in his 1939 record- ladies (Luise Helletsgruber and Rosette Anday) are ing) and Cantelli (in his 1954 NBC Symphony broad- secure; Georg Maikl's woolly German tenor is, I sus- cast) managed at a similar pace. pect, just the sound Beethoven intended for the alla The coupling for the Fifth, Kleiber's 1949 London marcia; and Richard Mayr, the original Baron Ochs, Philharmonic version of the Mozart Fortieth Sym- contributes a stupendously sonorous and musicianly phony (which also turned up recently in Turnabout's opening recitative-he sings the run on "freudenvol- "Great Mozart Conductors" set, THS 65033/5), is an- lere" on a single breath without the slightest trace of other distinguished albeit controversial inter- strain. No doubt because of 78 time considerations, pretation-one might call it "astringent" rather than all repeats are omitted, but don't hesitate for a min- "demonic." Kleiber sets brisk, vehement tempos and ute: Here, for less than the price of one mediocre con- seems intent on screwing the tension even tighter, at cert, is a performance that is indeed for the ages. the same time eschewing the surging operatic quality I enjoyed Weingartner's Eighth far more than I sought by Casals and Toscanini in favor of clipped, used to. His Vienna recordings often fluctuated in detached phrasing and a pure, cool, treble -oriented tempo more than those he made in London and Paris; sonority. The outer movements work best; the min- some of this may have come from the more lingering, uet seems rushed and impatient. In line with his clas- less disciplined style of the prewar VPO (is it all that sical outlook, Kleiber uses the symphony's original different today?), and some from the combination of version, without clarinets, but his omission of the Vienna's reverberant Konzerthaus and the dis- first -movement repeat is surprising. The sound is continuity of four -minute 78 sides (the London stu- clear but a shade strident, and there is some scratch dios were generally drier, those in Paris positively from the original shellac discs. cramped). With Kleiber's Pastoral and Seventh yet to reap- The Allegretto scherzando of the Eighth, that fa- pear (in the case of the former, I hope we will get the mous jibe at Malzel's metronome, gets off to a lurch- later Concertgebouw recording rather than the Lon- ing start, giving an ironic twist to Beethoven's humor don Philharmonic one), that brings us to his Ninth, that Weingartner undoubtedly never intended. heard in interesting juxtaposition with Turnabout's There are other imprecisions and vacillations, but reissue of the1935.Weingartner Ninth, which it Weingartner brings out quite a bit of relevant detail strongly recalls. and mixes fierceness with geniality engagingly. The propulsive first movement is taut and intelligent, though it lacks the fire and thrust of Tosca- BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3, in E flat, Op. 55 nini's. The scherzo (without repeats, like Weingart- ICJ(Eroica). Bawer Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9. ner's) is clear and a bit prim: the timpani mark their SisEuus: En Saga, Op. 9; Valse triste, Op. 44. WAG- rhythm neatly but never rise above chamber -music NER: Die Walkiire: Ride of the Valkyries. London Phil- dimensions. The Adagio (broken at a judicious point harmonic Orchestra, Victor de Sabata, cond. LONDON TREAS- in this single -disc format) has a good sense of motion, URY 62022, $7.96 (two discs, mono, automatic sequence) and the finale, after a strangely small -scaled, met- [from DECCA/LONDON originals, 1946]. ronomic delivery of the instrumental recitatives, is Sermonic Symphony No. 6, in F, Op. 68 (Pastoral). admirably done. The vocal quartet-Hilde Gueden, Orchestra dell'Augusteo (Rome), Victor de Sabata, Sieglinde Wagner, Anton Dermota, and Ludwig cond. EMI ODEON SH 235, $5.98 (mono) [from HMV originals, Weber-is particularly eloquent. The 1952 recording, 1947] (distributed by Peters International). though several years older than the Eroica, is much BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3, in E flat, Op. 55 more flattering to the Vienna Philharmonic strings. ICI(Eroica). Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Erich Kleiber, This may not be Kleiber at his greatest, but it is none- cond. LONDON TREASURY R 23202, $3.98 (mono) [from theless a distinctive performance. RICHMOND B 19051, 1959; recorded 1955]. Weingartner's Ninth was a landmark recording in BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5, in Cminor,Op. 67.* B MozaaT: Symphony No. 40, in Gminor,K. 550.' Con- its day, and it comes out even more impressively in certgebouw Orchestra* and London Philharmonic Or- this splendid reissue. The obtrusive rumbling bass of chestra*, Erich Kleiber, cond. LONDON TREASURY R the original 78s and the first Columbia LP transfer 23232, $3.98 (mono) r from LONDON LL 912, 1953; * from has been tamed, and timbres have been solidified DEccA/LoNooN originals, c. 1949]. and brightened considerably-note the rustle of the BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, in D minor, Op. 125. strings at the beginning of the first movement and the Hilde Gueden, soprano; Sieglinde Wagner, alto; Anton solid, compact sound oftimpaniand woodwinds in Dermota, tenor; Ludwig Weber, bass; Vienna Sing- the scherzo. verein, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Erich Kleiber, Notwithstanding some bobbles in the playing and cond. LONDON TREASURY R 23201, $3.98 (mono) [from LONDON some strange manhandling of tempos (e.g., the end of LL 632/3. 1952. and RICHMOND B 19083, 1961]. the otherwise poignantly expressive Adagio and the BEEmovEN: Symphonies: No. 8, in F, Op. 93; No. 9 in rather tame pace for the "Freude, Tochter ails Ely- D minor, Op. 125.*. Luise Helletsgruber, soprano*: sium" section of the finale), the strength and dignity Rosette Anday, alto*, Georg Maikl, tenor*: Richard nMayr, bass' ; Vienna State Opera Chorus*, Vienna Phil- of Weingartner's noble conception remain impres- harmonic Orchestra, Felix Weingartner, cond. TURNABOUT THS sively intact forty years later. Indeed this perform- 65076/7, $7.96 (two discs, mono, manual sequence) [from ance has served as a model, not only for the Kleiber European COLUMBIA originals, 1935-36].

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reviewed by ROYAL S. BROWN SCOTT CANTRELL ABRAM CHIPMAN R. D. DARRELL PETER G. DAVIS SHIRLEY FLEMING ALFRED FRANKENSTEIN KENNETH FURIE HARRIS GOLDSMITH DAVID HAMILTON DALE S. HARRIS PHILIP HART PAUL HENRY LANG IRVING LOWENS ROBERT C. MARSH ROBERT P. MORGAN JEREMY NOBLE CONRAD L. OSBORNE ANDREW PORTER H. C. ROBBINS LANDON PATRICK J. SMITH SUSAN THIEMANN SOMMER

Maurizio Pollini-Beautifully played Beethoven

BACH: Organ Works, Vols. 1-2. Lionel Rogg, He does little that isn't mentioned in some Prelude. in which some of the figurative organ. ANGEL S 37264 and 37265, $7.98 baroque treatise on performance practices, passages are so rushed as to sound merely each SO -encoded disc. but large questions are raised-and scarcely trivial. Far worse than the overdriven tem- vol. 1 (organ of the Sore Monastery Church. Denmark): answered-by his use in Bach's organ music pos are Newman's often gross exagger- Fantasies and Fugues: in C minor, S. 537: in G minor. S. 542. Fantasies: in C minor, S. 562; in B minor, S. 563; in C. of basically foreign conventions (such as ations of agogic accents-thereby destroy- 5.570; in G, S. 572; in C minor. Vol. 2 (organ of St. Peter's those of the French harpsichord literature). ing all sense of an integral Cactus-and the Cathedral. Geneva). Toccatas and Fugues: in D minor, S. 538 (Dorian); in F, S. 540; in D minor, S. 565. Toccata, Even allowing for these significant ques- hugely overdone rallentandos at the ends of Adagio, and Fugue, in C. S. 564. tions. Newman's musical ideas-many of pieces. So drastic are the tempo fluctua- which, taken by themselves, are both creations at the beginning of the A minor Prel- FRBack: Preludes and Fugues for Or- tive and eminently supportable-would ude that one honestly wonders whether gan (24); Chorale Preludes. Anthony have been much more persuasive had they Newman will make it to the end. Too. he Newman, organ of the Wooster School, Dan- been applied with more discretion. It is pre- has a maddening habit of playing different bury, Conn. [Clifford F. Gilmore and Michael cisely this lack (to my mind) of discretion, sections of a work at different tempos that Whiton, prod.] Vox OSVBX 5479 and 5480, of subtlety. of that basic and elusive quality have no relationship among themselves. $10.98 each three -disc SO -encoded set the French treatises call merely le bon gofit Registrations are often similarly unfortu- (manual sequence). ("good taste"), that made listening to these nate. We hear too much of a brutal plenum records one of the most trying musical ex- sound that lacks either charm or historical Anthony Newman caused quite a stir in the periences I can remember. authenticity. As a secondary sound to alter- late '60s and early '70s with his somewhat First of all, Newman seems often to culti- nate directly with the plenum. Newman iconoclastic Bach performances, some of vate velocity for its own sake: notes fly by sometimes resorts to mere flutes at eight- which found their way onto Columbia rec- at such dizzying speed that the mind cannot and four -foot pitches. producing such an ords. Now, beginning a series of the organ perceive even a gestalt of broad melodic extreme dynamic change that whole meas- works for Vox, he offers his latest thoughts and harmonic contours. Some particularly ures are lost for the hearer as his ears read- on most of the larger preludes, toccatas, egregious instances occur in the big F. minor just. Withal, there are too many kaleido- fantasias. and fugues, along with a few cho- scopic stop changes in irrational places. rale settings. (Four selections from these providing anything but illumination of tex- two three -disc sets-the Toccata, Adagio. tures. forms, and structures. All thisis and Fugue in C. the Passacaglia and Fugue Explanation of symbols made worse by Newman's choice of instru- in C minor, the Prelude and Fugue in E flat. Classical ment. a two -manual, twenty -three -stop. and the ubiquitous Toccata and Fugue in D Budget mechanical -action organ built in 1974-75 minor-have also been issued on a Turn- by Henderson and Wilson. Some of the about single disc, QTV-S 34856.) 1:11 Historical softer sounds (which we hear all too rarely) As in his previous Bach recordings, New- Reissue are pleasant enough. but the searing ple- man demonstrates a formidable technique. num is dominated by brash, pseudo -French scurrying through busy passagework at Recorded tape: reeds and screaming mixtures. The vivid breakneck speed without the least hint of Open Reel recording does nothing to flatter the instru- imprecision. He stilldelights in boldly 8 -Track Cartridge ment's less presentable sonorities, and the unorthodox registrations, and he has lost se Cassette discs are cut at such a high level as to pro- none of his penchant for liberal application duce distortion on even the best equipment. of inegalite and additionalornamentation. After Newman's idiosyncracies, it was a

98 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE real pleasure to turn to Lionel Rogg's new tain wildness and unpredictability, a kind noted that the Angel sonics are agreeably Bach recordings on Angel-drawn from his of searing humanity that make it good to bright and much better focused than, say, latest complete Bach cycle (his third), as is hear now and then. those of Karajan's recent Missa Solemnis. the recent Seraphim disc (S 60245) of the or- This may not be the deepest inter- For my taste the DG set presents a sound of gan concertos. For these performances, he pretation currently available, but it is very more sinew and delicacy; note the harp de- has chosen newish classic -styleinstru- beautifully played and wonderfully well retails so suggestively brought to the fore in ments by such present-day builders as Mar- produced (at. of course, a decidedly pre- the first movement, the compactly forward cussen and Metzler. mium price). H.G. rhythm of the timpani in the dirgelike pro- These performances. which mostly rep- cessional of the second, the interaction of resent the best of contemporary ideas on strings, brass, and percussion in the contra- playing Bach, will only strengthen Rogg's puntal sixth. The string pizzicatos of the enviable reputation. He has a particularly BRAHMS:Ein deutsches Requiem, Op45*; fourth movement, though, are as effectively compelling sense of rhythm that, while ad- Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56a; brought out in the Angel version as in the mitting the most elegantly handled agogic Tragic Overture, Op. 81. Anna Tomova-Sin- DC, and some may argue that the more dif- accents, maintains a strong and steady for- tov, soprano*; Jose van Dam, bass -bari- fused Angel sound gives more of the char- ward motion. In the Fantasia in G minor he tone*, Vienna Singverein*, Berin Philhar- acteristic Brahmsian weight and heft with projects just the right degree of freedom monic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, cond. little loss in tonal refinement. within an insistent rhythmic impulse, and [Michel Glotz, prod.] ANGELSB 3838, $15.98 In a way, the new discs are a modern SO -encoded discs,automatic se- the result is singularly exciting. So accom- (two sonic counterpart to the 1948 set, much ad- plished is his handling of rhythm, in fact, quence). Tape: itif 4X2S 3838, $15.98. mired in its day, and in performance terms that Rogg even makes a persuasive case for Comparisons: Karel/in/Berlin Phil. DO 2707 018 too the new reading is subtly closer to the that old warhorse, the D minor Toccata and Klemperer/ Philharmonia EMI SLS 821 (see text) 1948 one. Tempos seem a bit slower and Fugue. What is perhaps most astonishing is more relaxed than those on the DG. And- that he can make even monophonic lines Karajan's affinity for the German Requiem partly the resultof the more diffused and repetitive figurations so interesting, as has been evident since his 1948 Vienna sound-the feeling is often more expansive he does in the Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue recording, and his superlative early -Sixties and communicative, phrases are permitted in C and the G major Fantasia. Rogg is DG version remains very much available. to relax liltingly instead of being held in rather more conservative about registration His third account complements but by no place with coiled sinew. than, say, Michel Chapuis (whose Bach in- means supersedes the latter. Jose van Dam's lyricalbass -baritone tegrale is available here on Telefunken), In general, the new Angel set gives a more lacks the black weight and expression of Je- and one sometimes longs for a bit more forward but less impeccably detailed per- rome Hines's true bass (in the Ormandy color, but almost everything is logical and spective. This may be partly the result of recording), but he gives the music with tasteful. My only real disappointments are disc mastering. (I haven't heard the British beautifully resonant, centered tone and that he eschews the manual changes clearly edition yet, but from past experience there exemplary musicality. In the Karajan/DG implied in the echo effects of the G major is often a wider dynamic range and more set Eberhard Wachter was also heard to Fantasia and that he slaps on the full organ vivid instrumental detail.) But it should be best advantage, but to my ears his manner for the grave section at the end of the Adagio inS. 564-how much lovelierit would have sounded on the eight -foot Gedeckt and tremulant he uses for the accompaniment in the Adagio! In any case, the instruments at Sore Cr The best classical records (Marcussen) and Geneva (Metzler) are all on Rogg's side, and the recordings capture a reviewed in recent months very nice spatial perspective. Unfortu- nately, the Angel pressings are mediocre at best-considerably inferior to the Seraphim ALstruz: Iberia. Block. CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CS 2120 and 2121 (2), June. disc-and the generally murky sound gives BACH: Cantatas, Vols. 15-16. Harnoncourt. TELEFUNKEN 26.35305 (2), 26.35306 (2), Aug. way to an unpleasant degree of distortion BEETHOVEN Symphonies (9). Haitink. PHILIPS 6747 307 (7), July. in louder passages. Fm afraid that, failing a BRAHMS:Piano Concerto No. 2. Solomon, Dobrowen. TURNABOUT THS 65071, Aug. remastering from Angel. those for whom DEBUSSY:La Mer; Prelude a l'apres-midi. RAVEL: Bolero. Solti. LONDON CS 7033, Aug. sonic quality is important will want to FRANCK: Symphony (with Faure: Pelleas). A. Davis. COLUMBIAM 34506. Symphonic Vari- search out European pressings. S.C. ations; Les Djinns (withD'Indy: Symphony). Ciccolini, Strauss. ANGEL S 37247. Aug. HANDEL,A. SCARLATTI: Vocal and Instrumental Works. Blegen, Cooper, Schwarz. COLUMBIA M -4518. Aug. BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Piano and Or- HAYDN: La vera costanza. Norman, AhnsjO, Dorati. PHILIPS 6703 077 (3), Aug. chestra, No. 4, in G, Op. 58. Maurizio Polfini, MAHLER: Symphony No. 9. Giulini. DG 2707 097 (2), July. piano; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Karl MoNiEmEZZI:L'Amore dei tre re. Siepi et al., Santi. RCA RED SEALARL 2-1945 (2), Aug. Bohm, cond. [Werner Mayer, prod.] MoNTEvERoi: Vespro della Beata Vergine. Soloists, Ledger. ANGEL SB 3837 (2), Aug. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530 791, $7.98. MUSSORGSKY: Pictures. Giulini (orch. Ravel; with Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1). DG 2530 783. Tape:19,3300 791, $7.98. Joselson (with Prokofiev: Visions fugitives). RCA RED SEALARL 1-2158. July. OFFENBACH:La Vie parisienne. Crespin, Mesple, Plasson. ANGEL SBLX 3839 (2), June. In certain respects, Pollini's way with the PROKOFIEV: Symphonies Nos. 1, 7. Weller. LONDON CS 6897, June. Beethoven G major Concerto recalls that of PUCCINI:Suor Angelica.Scotto, COLUMBIA M 34505, July. Walter Gieseking in the '50s. He doesn't. Horne, Cotrubas, Maazel. to be sure, skim over the introductory PuRCELL: Come ye sons of art; Love's goddess sure. Soloists, Munrow. ANGEL S 37251, Aug. chords in the flippant manner of the latter's RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 2. Vasary, Aranovich. DG 2530 717, June. prewar recording (also, by the way, with RACHMANINOFF, GLINKA: Songs. Vishnevskaya, Rostropovich. DG 2530 725, July. Karl Bohm), but he features a rippling, ScHusERT: Trout Quintet. Tashi, Silverstein, Neidlinger. RCA RED SEAL ARL 1-1882.Beaux gracefully abstract treatment of passage - ArtsT110. Rhodes, Hortnagel. PHILIPS 9500 071. June. work that others have inflected more emo- SHOSTAKOVICN:Symphony No. 14. Rostropovich. COLUMBIA /MELODIYA M 34507, June. tionally and-like Gieseking-his coloristic Simuus: Symphony No. 1; Finlandia. C. Davis. PHILIPS 9500 140, June. and sonorous inclinations veer to the light THOMSON: The Mother ofUs All.SantaFe Opera, Leppard. NEW WORLD NW 288/9 (2), July. and brilliant. (Some would call it "Mozar- WAGNER: Die Walkiire (in English). Hunter, Bailey, Goodall. ANGELSELX 3826 (5), Aug. teen.") Another point of similarity is the WYNER: Intermedio.SOLLSERGER: Riding the Wind I. CRI SD 352,July choice of the less -heard of Beethoven's two DAVID MuNitow: Music of the Gothic Era. AacHiv 2710 019 (3), July. Art of the Netherlands. first -movement cadenzas (also favored by SERAPHIM SIC 6104 (3). Aug. Brendel, Gilels, and Moravec); it has a cer-

SEPTEMBER 1977 99 was a little pugnacious and the voice less ways a fine craftsman, made a rather re- freely produced than Van Dam's. Anna To- markable transition from a nimbly classi- mova-Sintov gives her fifth -movement solo cal, tidy, but somewhat superficial style to much the same flutelike purity that Gun- something altogether more profound and dula Janowitz brought to the DG recording, personal. The two mature sonatas are ex- but her timbre too seems a trifle warmer pansive, are full of unexpected colors and and fuller. harmonic turns, and carry seeds of the Ro- In sum, Karajan has done it again: This is mantic movement soon to take wing in the as fine a German Requiem as can be found music of Weber and Schumann. in the catalog. It should be noted, however, Frederick Marvin is a deeply introspec- that Klemperer's equally impressive, some- tive sort of player, and he has been given what more toughly stoical performance has distantly miked, low-level reproduction been available for some five years in Eng- that adds atmospheric beauty to his many land in a remastering clearly preferable to ravishing pianissimos and even mutes the the Angel edition. Klemperer brought out impact of louder passages. Unfortunately, some uniquely interesting details of brass the potential magic of his performances is writing in the second movement, and this sometimes marred by noisy pressings-a transfer has unearthed much illuminating pity, since there is obviously fine sound on commentary from the woodwinds; over-all the master tapes. brightening gives a cleansed, strengthened Comparison with the recent Firkusny reassessment of this muscular and unaf- version of Op. 77 (on Candide CE 31086, a fected but greatly affecting interpretation. collection of Bohemian classical keyboard With the Requiem compressed from four music) is instructive. Firkusny's timing of sides to three, the English set also includes Yehudi Menuhin 22:57 as opposed to Marvin's 35:12 seems al- the impressively granitic Klemperer ac- Winning new adherents for Delius most too great a difference to believe. Fir- counts of the Tragic Overture and Alto kusny omits the exposition repeat in the Rhapsody (with Christ a Ludwig as the fine The violin/cello concerto of the previous first movement and takes a considerably soloist). year (1915) isn't quite at that level but has tougher, brisker (but by no means insensi- I am less enthusiastic about the fillers in breathtakingly lovely moments. It is built in tive) view of the music. Since his swifter, the new Karajan set. The conductor has three interconnected sections (with cyclic tighter reading also benefits from a closer, never had much luck with the Tragic Over- treatment of the melodies) and draws on a more impactive (and impressively so- ture. His earlier version, with the Vienna martial idea (said to be a "tolling bells" norous) piano recording, listeners coming Philharmonic for London, was hobbled by comment on the First World War) and some "cold" to this music would probably get a exaggerations of tempo and accent. The expressively lyrical subjects. The work's more immediately positive impression new reading, less mannered, is nonetheless big problem is that Delius just wasn't adept from this extroverted version. But the im- bloated in sound and lumbering. Other at blending the solo characters of violin and portance of Marvin's project cannot be de- recordings have worked with a similarly cello, and in fact wrote more effectively for nied. H.G. leisurely view (e.g., Klemperer, Walter/Co- the latter instrument in the 1917 cello so- lumbia Symphony, Szell, and Toscanini/ nata and the 1920 cello concerto. NBC), but with Karajan's, emphasis centers Menuhin's leisurely and soulful treat HINDEMITH: Sonatas for Organ (3). George so oppressively on the grim solidity of the ment of the violin concerto, with discreet, Baker, organ ofSt. Maximin, Thionville writing that the equally important tensile sympathetic support from Meredith Davies (France). [Jean -Marc Cochereau and qualities of the phrasing simply vanish into and the Royal Philharmonic, can't help but Frangois Carbou, prod.] DELOS FY 026, gooey amorphousness. The Haydn Vari- win new adherents, at the same time pleas- $7.98. ations are far more successful, in fact quite ing those who've long waited for a modern exquisitely shaped and colored. Yet, as recording as authentic in spirit as either of One of the happiest recent developments comparison with the 1962 performance in EMI's Forties recordings-the genteel, old- for collectors of organ records is the agree- the DG set shows, Karajan's tempos have fashioned Sammons/Sargent on Columbia ment whereby the American Delos label become a shade slower, making the already (currently available on World Records SH will be releasing some of the outstanding slightly deliberate Variation No. 2 posi- 224) and the more propulsive Pougnet /Bee- organ recordings being made by the French tively angular and sedate, dulling the mer- cham on HMV. Close calls there may be at FY label. This arrangement promises the curial edge and thrust of the scherzando times, but the soloist's technique does hold six organ symphonies of Vierne recorded at Variation No. 5 and the festive No. 6, and up. Menuhin and Tortelier are a well -mated Notre Dame by Pierre Cochereau as well as lending an aura of constraining torpor to team in the double concerto, and both per- a complete Bach cycle by the brilliant the exultant final peroration. H.G. formance and recording improve substan- young American George Baker, and it has tially over the only previous. version, on already produced some remarkable albums Pye. I did, however, note some sonic fuzzi- of organ works by Dupre, Milhaud, and an DELIUS: Concertos: for Violin and Orches- ness in the double concerto that wasn't con- American -music anthology. These initial tra; for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra. Yehudi spicuous in the violin concerto. A.G. releases are all distinguished by exciting Menuhin, violin; Paul Tortelier, cello; Royal playing, recorded sound that is at once inci- Philharmonic Orchestra, Meredith Davies, sive and atmospheric, and immaculate DUSSEK: Sonatas for Piano, Vols. 1-2. Fred- cond. [John Mordler, prod.] ANGEL S 37262, pressings. erick Marvin, piano. [Robert F. Commagere, $7.98 (SO -encoded disc). Such is emphatically the case with this prod.] GENESIS GS 1068" and 1069', $7.98 Hindemith album, which offers one of the The violin concerto (1916) not only is the each. most vivid organ recordings in memory. Sonatas: in B flat. Op. 35, No. I*: in C minor, Op. 35, No. finest of Delius' four concertos, but belongs 3'; in F sharp minor. Op. 61 (Elegie harmonique)'; in F mi- The 1969 Alfred Kern organ in the Church among the half dozen or so basic master- nor. Op. 77 (L'Invocation)° . of St. Maximin at Thionville, France, is pieces with which to start a Delius library. exemplary of the very finest contemporary Although discernibly subdivided, its single These two discs begin a projected series of organ -building, and its luscious sonorities movement isa dreamy, ineffably poetic all the sonatas by Jan Ladislav Dussek are perfect for the music. "The voicing," as rhapsody thatislike the outcry of a (1760-1812), a fine composer who had the the program notes rightly observe, "is clear, wounded bird in the midst of sun -drenched, misfortune of being overshadowed by but not rough; full, but not overpowering." exotically beautiful marshlands. Itis not Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert. Like Cle- The acoustical setting is most lavish, but without opportunities for pyrotechnic dis- menti, he is best known for the sonatinas he the recording maintains a perfect balance play, but it is one of those works whose ba- composed for pupils and wealthy patrons, between intimacy and spaciousness, and sic quality is rarefied, inward, and musing. the more substantial compositions in both the bass frequencies have been captured (Chausson's Poeme and Vaughan Williams' cases having fallen into undeserved limbo. with especial solidity. l.ark Ascending would fit nicely as disc As the four works on these discs-two of Baker uses the instrument's resources mates.) them early, two later-show, Dussek, al- with the utmost sensitivity, and his playing

100 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE 0111111111Mary,...m

is both assured and refined. His tempos are reading quite special. (This recording, inci- problems throughout, ranging from missed sometimes a bit brisk (as in the first move- dentally, includes the brief, optional viola notes, imprecise rhythmic relationships, ment of the Second Sonata) but scarcely and flute parts in the first and last move- and unclear textures to the omission of more so than Simon Preston's on Argo ments, played by John Graham and Samuel whole phrases (one in each of the two so- (ZRG 663). Indeed, while both Baker and Baron, respectively.) natas). A recording, after all, is not a live Preston offer superb performances, it is to ThefirstthingtosayaboutNina performance (these performances were not the Delos album (and its demonstration - Deutsch's recording of what Vox calls played "in concert"); and such inaccuracies quality sonics) that I expect to be returning Ives's "Complete Works for Solo Piano" is become increasingly irritating with contin- regularly. S.C. that it is far from complete. Such works as ued listening. Nor, at least in this case, is the The Celestial Railroad, The Anti -Aboli- problem offset by a feeling of spontaneity tionist Riots, and Some Southpaw Pitching, and immediacy. On the whole, Deutsch's Ins: Sonata for Piano, No. 2 (Con- to name only a few, are missing. A more se- readings seem rather tentative and in some B cord). Gilbert Kalish, piano. [Marc J. rious problem is musical: Since Deutsch cases (above all in her arrangement of the Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz, prod.] NONE- (correctly) feels that Ives's compositions do Variations on "America" for organ) rather SUCH H 71337, $3.96. not lend themselves to "set piece inter- uncertain. Her performances, it should be Ives: Piano Works. Nina Deutsch, pi- pretation" (for that matter, what really in- said, are not helped by the recorded sound, ano. Vox SVBX 5482, $10.98 (three teresting music does?), she has decided to which is terribly dull and muddy and fur- discs, manual sequence). leave her performances "unedited." This ther obscures the already dense fabric of Sonatas. No. 1; No. 2 (Concord). Three -Page Sonata. means that there are countless technical Ives's piano writing. Emerson Transcriptions (4). Variations on'America" (arr. Deutsch). March in G and D. Waltz -Rondo The Seen and Unseen. The Belle of Vale (err. Deutsch).

Considering the length and backbreaking difficulty of Ives's Concord Sonata, it is remarkable how many good recordings are available. The ones by Kirkpatrick, Man- del, and Kontarsky, for example, all have ROSTRA,A0VICH much to offer. And now this new one by Gilbert Kalish can take its place among the best; indeed, in many respects it seems to me superior to all the others. Kalish's reading differs from any I have TCHAIKOVSKY heard, most immediately in the tempos, which are considerably slower than those on the other available versions. At firstI found the slow pacing rather distracting. SMPHONIES particularly in the first two movements, where a sense of strong forward rhythmic motion is essential to the underlying musical idea. These are the most complex four movements, however, and after repeated listenings it becomes apparent what Kalish is up to. His tempos enable him to bring out the countless textural details- piled together both vertically and horizontally in what usually sounds like a complex mass of sound-with surprising clarity. He unravels Ives's extraordinarily rich poly- phony, enabling the listener to distinguish an unprecedented degree of surface detail. and projects the sequential relationships arising from the constantly changing mo- tivic fabric with an unexpected trans- parency. The realtestfor such a readingis whether, despite the slow tempos, the larger rhythmic flow can be sustained. Kal- ish passes impressively: Rather than sacri- fice the larger view to a kind of microscopic scrutiny of the individual parts, he balances his tempos so that the over-all shape emerges clearly. And when the music absolutely demands a fast and driving motion. as at the end of the second movement (marked "as fast as possible"), he is easily Tchaikovsky is in equal to the task. Technically, the performance is cleaner my blood. and more precise than any I have heard: but I understand his it is also deeply thought and very moving. One senses a firm grasp of the meaning of music in the the score, something that-despite its elu- siveness-must be communicated ifthe deepest of my heart. Concord is to make any sense whatever. Whether dealing with the hymnlike sim- - Rostropovich plicity of much of the third movement, the jazz -influenced sections of the second, or pet iolly Priced 7 Record Set SGE-31347 the "transcendental" endings of both outer movements. Kalish lends the music a qual- CIRCLE 3 ON READE 1 -SERVICE CARD ity of ease and naturalness that makes his

SEPTEMBER 1977 101 Take a close The sonatas come offbest. although Despite the high artistic quality of most Deutsch's account cannot compare with numbers in this Mass, the conductor is look ata better the better versions already available. They faced with a most difficult task because of are sluggish (even when tempos are fast) the multiplicity of styles. Mozart. with his record cleaner. and undisciplined. in regard not only to de- seismographic sensitivity,could absorb tails. but to the larger shape. To cite only any idiom overnight and immediately use it Audio-Technica one example. the presto section at the end with natural ease. Thus we have in this of the fourth movement of the First Sonata. Mass pretty nearly everything current in AT6002 which should sound like the culmination of Italian and Austrian music: languid Nea- a long process of rhythmic and dynamic in- politan cantilena. coloratura aria, fugue. tensification. lacks force and excitement. and startlingly somber drama (as in the Among the shorter works included. the "Crucifixus," with its ominous muted trum- most interesting are the four Emerson pets), each number as an entity represent- Transcriptions. previously unavailable on ing one prevailing fashion. Moreover, itis disc. Each of these is a sort of spinoff from quite obvious that the young composer the first movement ("Emerson") of the Con- wanted to demonstrate his prowess. and cord Sonata, taking off from-or gradually the festive consecration of the orphanage in working toward-an idea from the sonata the presence of the empress and her court and developing itin a different way. (Ac- offered a good opportunity for such a dem- tually. this description really only applies onstration. Mozart also welcomed the fine to the first and third transcription. as the large orchestra maintained by the orphan- This is an A -T scanning electron microscope other two are virtually identical to sections photo of the dirt that must be removed if your age, using three trombones, four trumpets, records are to sound clean. Its dirt that is of the Concord. at least in the basic musical and drums in addition to the standard pre - falling on your records even as you listen. substance.) classic orchestra. What the twelve -year -old There are also a couple of early pieces could not do was to compose an entire from Ives's Yale days (played in a very per- Mass as a stylistic whole: it is the conductor functory manner), an extremely interesting who must somehow pull together this little waltz (a title that gives little indication of musical art gallery into a semblance of un- the true nature of the piece!). and one of the ity. (Curious that this supreme stylist did Five Take -offs. The piano arrangement of not attain a true liturgic -idiomatic unity in the Variations on -America." already men- his Masses until the very last one, the Re- tioned. doesn't work well: Essential parts of quiem.) the original must be omitted, including fre- Claudio Abbado does a commendable orgii. (169x enlargement) quently the bass line. which results in a job. Apparently he decided against achiev- complete-and fatal-alteration of the un- ing homogeneity by toning down the galant Our unique carbon fiber brush sweeps derlying harmonic structure. each groove literally hundreds of times as element and emphasizing the serious as- the record plays, just before the stylus For comparison.I would suggest Alas pects of the music, the usual way perform- touches the groove. The carbon fiber brush Mandel's Desto recording of the "complete ers deal with the contradictions of eight- helps conduct static charges away, making piano works" (DC 6458/61). Although ne eenth -century symphonic church music. groove cleaning easier. And the incredibly more "complete" than the present set (in- Instead he presents every section of the small 6 micron diameter reaches deep into terestingly. the only works the two sets the groove for the smallest particles. work faithfully in whatever its style and share are the two big sonatas and the short does it so well that our pleasure in hearing Three -Page Sonata), it does contain more good music well performed considerably music: and Mandel's performances are very lessens the constant surprise atbeing good. Desto's sound much clearer. R.P.M. tossed from Hasse to Gluck, with Eberlin in between. He is assisted by an exceptionally LECOCO: La Fille de Madame Angot-see compatible solo quartet, a solid chorus, and the Vienna Philharmonic, which needs no Offenbach: La Grande-Duchesse de Gerol- encomium. stein. The sound is good, though there is an echo that affects the choral fortes; the un- MozART: Missa Solemnis in C minor, K. 139 needed organ also contributes to this slight Immediately behind the brush, our velvet (Waisenhaus). Gundula Janowitz, soprano. thickening of the sound. But this is a fine, pad captures and holds dust particles as Frederica von Stade, mezzo; Wieslaw Och- interesting, and enjoyable recording. P.H.L. you play. And moisture released from an man. tenor; Kurt Moll, bass; Rudolf Scholz, inner reservoir helps to dissolve stubborn organ; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna deposits to prevent static build-up. Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, NICOLAI: Die lustigen Welber von Windsor. cond.[Rainer Brock, DEUTSCHE prod.] Frau Fluth Edith Mathes (s) GRAMMOPHON 2530 777, $7.98. Tape: Anna Reich Helen Donath (s) 3300 777, $7.98. Frau Reich Hanna Schwarz (ms) Fenton Peter Schreier (t) Sparlich Karl -Ernst Mercker (1) Reviewing the Kegel/Leipzig recording of Herr Ruth Bernd Weild (b) this Mass (Philips 6500 866. December 1975), Sir John Falstaff Kurt Moll (bs) Herr Reich Siegfried Vogel (bs) I mentioned the long -held doubt that a boy Dr CatuS Claude Dormoy (be) This 4 -way attack on dirt (brush, pad, Narrator Helmuth Strassburger (spkr) liquid, and conductive path to ground) is not yet thirteen could have composed such uniquely effective. For proof, clean a record an accomplished. highly expressive. and Berlin State Opera Chorus, Berlin State Or- with any other system. Then "play" it with dramatic work. a doubt that had led schol- chestra, Bernhard Klee, cond. [Eberhard the AT6002. You'll find dirt removed by the ars to advance its date from 1768 to 1772. Geiger and Rudolf Werner, prod.] DEUTSCHE AT6002 that was left behind by other Even so. one could hardly believe that a six- GRAMMOPHON 2709 065, $23.94 (three discs, cleaners. Try it today. Just $9.95 at all Audio-Technica dealers. teen -year -old would be capable of such ma- manual sequence). Tape: 3371 026, turity and inventiveness. But modern musi- $23.94. cology has unequivocally established that audo-technica. thisisindeed the so-called Orphanage Of at least nine operas based on Shake- INNOVATION L; PRECISION , INTEGRITY Mass composed in 1768. and K. 139 was speare's The Merry Wives of Windsor be- AUDIO-TECHNICA U.S., INC. changed to K. 47a, all of which goes to show fore Verdi's Falstaff only one has survived Dept. 97H-1. 33 Shiawasse Ave. (fortunately) that the roots of creative into the modern repertory, and that prima- Fairlawn, Ohio 44313 In Canada: Superior Electronics. Inc. power are and will remain a mystery even rily in the German-speaking countries: Otto in the age of psyz:hiatry. Nicola i's Die Iustigen Weiber von Windsor,

liC HICH FIDELITY MAGAZINE first performed at the Berlin Court Opera in politan Opera performance in 1900. with Introducing 1849. Nicolai and his librettist Hermann S. Sembrich and Schumann-Heink as the Mosenthal look Shakespeare's potboiler at wives, found little favor. and the New York the new pretty much its own level of bourgeois City Opera's production. about twenty farce. without importing from Henry IV years ago (using sets for the Verdi opera). any deeper aspects of the fat knight's char- didn't make any enduring impression: in AT605 acter. In fact. the merry wives (only two of America. the work's primary life has prob- them. for Quickly is dropped) are the center ably been in college and workshop produc- FEEDBACK of attention in this version: Sir John re- tions. mains essentially the butt of their practical And. of course. on recordings, of which FIGHTER! jokes. rather than Boilo's and Verdi's richly there were two in the early days of LP. A sympathetic portrait of good-humored ras- wartime radio tape from Berlin found its cality. The romance of Fenton and Anne way onto Urania: I haven't heard the whole Page (Anna Reich.inthe German) is thing. but various excerpts have turned up prominently and more conventionally dis- on BASF discs devoted to Irma Beilke (Frau played. with Fenton's two rivals. Slender Fluth). Walther Ludwig (Fenton). and Georg (Sparlich) and Dr. Caius (who in Verdi lost Hann (Fluth). From these, I should account his French background and accent). both its present unavailability no major loss: the present-nothing here of the enchanting singing solid but often overly vehement. the way in which Verdi's young lovers flicker in sound rather congested. Oceanic offered a and out of the central imbroglio for barely dialoguelessLeipzig performance (more seconds at a time. recently listed as Olympic 9102/2. in a quad The action begins with the equivalent of rechanneling!) with Kurt Bohme as a strong Verdi's second scene, the wives comparing Falstaff but serious weaknesses elsewhere their identical letters from Falstaff. and in the cast. proceeds rapidly to the laundry -basket epi- For some years now. the item of choice sode. Nicolai's second act picks up the in- has been an Electrola set (1C 183 30191/3) terview between Ford (Fluth) and Falstaff. from Munich in the early Sixties, led by shows us Anna and Fenton in love (with the Robert Heger. with Got llob Frick (Sir John). rivals eavesdropping), and concludes with Ernst Gutstein (Fluth). Kieth Engen (Reich), Fluth hreaking up Falstaff's second visit to Fritz Wunderlich (Fenton). Ruth -Margret his wife: this time the knight is smuggled Putz (Frau Fluth). Gisela Litz (Frau Reich). out in woman's clothes and suffers a heat- and Edith Mathis (Anna). Including exten- ing on the way. In Act III. the Windsor For- sive spoken dialogue, this was evidently in- est masquerade is planned and Anna de- tended primarily for German consumption. though Angel offered a single disc of high- vises an exchange of costumes to bring Now, enjoy freedom from acoustic feed- about the wedding she wants rather than lights for a while. Perhaps with an eye on back with the new AT605 Audio Insulator either of the two she doesn't. The final theinternational market. Deutsche System from Audio-Technica. scene, in the forest. corresponds to Verdi's. Grammophon's new offering trims the dia- Add the AT605 System and stop howling There's more of Shakespeare's plotin logue quite drastically.substitutinga from feedback at high sound levels, reduce this version. and not always to the good. chuckling. lip -smacking narrator who con- dis'ortion or cartridge mistracking from sound The first two acts end rather similarly. and fers on the whole affair the tacky aura of a energy conducted from speaker to turntable. one can't help feeling that Boito was wise to German equivalent of Lux Radio Theater. Solve problems of outside vibration trim out that second prank. Still. Mosen- I sympathize with non -German -speakers like subways, heavy trucks, or jarring foot- thal's libretto provides ample activity and who don't enjoy sitting through long steps. Or reduce transmission of annoying reasonable variety, onto which Nicolai has stretches of dialogue, however clever or sound to adjacent apartments with the AT605 poured more than a modicum of really ex- well spoken. and I also think it a good idea System under your loudspeakers. Gain new freedom of speaker placement, and improve pert music. The most ingenious pages are to have something in between musical performance especially of high-energy, those of the final scene-most of the mate- numbers that weren't intended lo be run on. low -frequency transients. rial introduced in the light-fingered and DC's method, while solving both these The slightly -curved justly popular overture and then reserved problems, introduces an alien presence. a bottom surface of each for the evening's end: fairy music in the distancing intermediary who keeps crop- AT605 flattens as weight vein of Weber and Mendelssohn. brightly ping up between us and the illusion of an increases so that only and elegantly scored. Fenton's bosky sere- operatic performance-besides which this the right number and nade is another famous number. leading to fellow is particularly annoying. the sort you size of resilient rubber projections support a gently passionate love duet with obbli- don't want in your living room. (He also your equipment. Four gato solo violin and then to a bouncing neglects to explain the significance of the insulators support up to scherzando quartet. Itis in the lengthy fi- 'Snip -;"Snap- exchange between Cajus 36 lbs. (9 lbs. each). nales. obviously aimed al Mozartean prece- and Sparlich during the big last -act scene: The felt -covered upper support is easily dents, that Nicolai distinguishes himself Those are the passwords by which each adjusted for accurate leveling. A precision most specifically from less ambitious con- thinks he isidentifying Anna-but she's bubble level is included. And each unit is temporaries such as Lortzing, hut through- fixed it so that they elope with each other enclosed in an attractive brushed chrome housing. out the score the level of melodic invention instead.)Ithink abridged dialogue is the is tangibly higher. if without the subtlety of best answer. and the people in this record- If feedback limits the quality of your ing do so well with the snatches that remain system, or restricts your choice of equipment phrasing that Peter Cornelius lavished later location, the AT605 Audio Insulator System on his Burbler von Bagdnd. It's a resource- (e.g. the stretch before the Fluths' duet. Nn. can help. At all Audio-TechnIca ful work, and a charming one if we expect 8) that I wish they had been given more. dealers for lust $24.95 suggested from it nothing deeper than a few low Es (Thal aside. the major barrier to enim retail. Win the fight for Sir John. whose only solo number is a ment of the new recording struck me as a against feedback ponderous Trinklied (to a text borrowing a certain fierceness,occasionally in the per- today! few lines from the Clown's song at the end formance and rather consistently in the re- of Twelfth Night) that strikes me as the corded sound. This last can he made more score's only real failure. tolerable with a twist of the treble control, As I've noted. the Wives has been firmly so that every little sibilant doesn't spit at audio-technica fixed on its native hoards ever since its pre- you. though the sound never matches the INNOVATION a PRECISION a INTEGRITY miere. though like the rest of the non -Wag- clean. compact hut 4)m:ions work of the AUDIO-TECHNICA U.S.. INC. ()ern 97H-2. 33 Shiawassee Avenue nerian German Romantic literature it has Electrola engineers. In general. the singers Fairlawn, Ohio 44313 resisted transplantation. A single Metro- ire rather Close upon you. which may have In Canada Superior Electronics. Inc.

SI I'll. \Intik 1977 103 omething to do with one aspect of the worth. CharlesI,ecocq s Kale di. Madam'. I erceness: Peter Schreier.inparticular. Angol. however. rates aplug. timer the hardly ever sings softly enough, which composer is apt to be unfamiliar to nonspe- rather spoils the effect of his serenade, and cialists.Themusic is tuneful. spirited.and Bernd Weikl, in the duet with Falstaff. is expertlycrafted.and Connoisseur persistently vehement in tone, even when Society's Pathe-derived recording (released he ought to be conciliatory. in France in 1973) is more persuasive than The DG cast has some definite strengths. either of the new Offenbachs The two merry wives are vocally firmer These works pose a variety of perform- than their opposite numbers, though also ance problems. not the least of them dra- less characterful because less rhythmically matic: Much of the creative energy in the li alert. In olden days. there were Frau Fluths brettos is directed toward entwining the who combined both qualities: Try Marga- characters in the most elaborately compro- rethe Siems on Rococo 20 or Erika Wede- mising liaisons possible Contemporary kind on Rococo 5297-both fluent and witty. diences seem to lyric found the resulting with some brightly voiced extra cadenzas- discomfort hilarious (perhapsin accord or Lotte Lehmann on Electrola 1C 147 with Woody Allen's suggestion that sex is 29116/7, mostvivacious of all despite some dirty "only if you do it right' ). but it would rough going in the coloratura. Edith Mathis require uncommonly skillful direction to seemed better suited. indeed, to the more make most of these pieces attract i it to to- placid Anna. which she sang for Electrola. a day's very different audience. bit more smoothly than DG's Helen Do- Recordings might seem a sensible way of nath. lifting the burden of their hooks from these Kurt Moll.in splendid voice, could expert scores. but good theatrical music-as hardly be bettered as Falstaff; it's a rich. all of this is-doesn Iseparate easily from steady. even instrument, and his sense of itscontext. And the musein any case humor is rather lighter than Gottlob Frick's raises serious obstacles of its own. SWIM' of (the latter, by the time of the Electrola Kurt Moll them (e.g.. the dearth of decent singers in recording, could on occasion sound some- Unsurpassed as Nicola, s Falstaff the French repertory) are familiar from at- what ossified). In neither performance. cur- tempts at performing French opera in gen- iously. do Fluth and Falstaff succeed in eral: some of them relate to the general un- making much of the lengthy recitative pre- willingness to take "light-' opera seriously. The Grand -Duchess Regine Cresp, ceding their duet (one of relatively few ex- Wanda Mady Mespie (s) As David Hamilton wrote in "The Secret tended bits of recitative in the opera); to Fritz Alain Vann I t) Life of a Waltz- (FIE*. October 1975): "The hear how delightful this can be. go hack to Prince Faul Charles Bu, NepomLc Tibert Ra- .) enduring fate of so-called 'light music is to 1903. when Wilhelm Hesch and Leopold General Bourn Robert Massaro 01 be taken-well. too lightly.... I.ight music Demuth went atit with all the variety of Baron Pack Claude Melon, (b) is not merely less well -made 'heavy' muse.. Baron Grog Francois I. oup ( bs) pace and inflection that one expects from, (plus smaller roles) but music with an entirely different pur- say. Gielgud and Richardson (Court Opera its Chorus and Orchestra of the Theatre du pose. crafted (at hest) with equal Classics CO 333). finesse." Schreier's deficiencies have been men- Capitole (Toulouse), Michel Plasson, cond Of the present conductors. much the [Georges Kadar, prod.] COLUMBIA M2 34576. tioned, and it must he added that he is in most successful is lean Doussard an Ma- $1598 (two discs, automatic sequence) competition with the late Fritz Wunderlich. dame Angol: only he phrases with the ur- who may love his high notes rather more gency and sensuousness to turn tunes into than he should-but then they are pretty ir- B OFFENBACH: La Penchole. emotionally important slateinents. and his resistible. Wunderlich's recording of Fen - La Penchole Regine Crespin (s) orchestra-that of the Opera-Comiqur -is Paquin() Alain Vanzo (I) ton's serenade is excerpted domestically on Don Pedio de Hinoyosa Jacques Trigeau (h) much the most responsive of the three. Mi- Seraphim S 60043. but an even lovelier ver- Comte de Panatellas Gerard Friedmann (b) chel Masson «tines much closer to Dous- Don Andres de Ribrera Jules Basin (bs) sion was made by Peter Anders in 1937: (plus smaller roles) sard's level than Alain Lomita' d. and over- dubbed half a tone too high on Telefunken all Columbia's Grande- Duchesse seems to Narratons by Alain Decaux; Chorus of the HT 25 (now out of print), this displays the me a happier venture than Frato sPeri- ideal of liquid German lyric tenor sound. Opera du Rhin. Strasbourg Philharmonic Or- chole. (Like Erato's hoist. Perichoir has chestra, Alain Lombard, cond. MUSICAL HER- and is phrased with masterly ease and di- been issued by Musical Heritage Society ITAGEMHS 3518,'9,$9 90 ($7.00 to mem- rectness. but is also scheduled for domest it. release The smaller roles in both casts are com- bers; two discs. automatic sequence). Tape MHC 5518 9. 513.90 ($9.90 by RCA.) Plasson has the right idea but petently taken. DG offering the bright idea to mem- doesn't yet project the suer sfull etni)- bers). (Add 95c postage; Musical Heritage of a real Frenchman to sing Dr. Cajus, for an 1iona Ivariety. Lombards intelligence and absolutely authcntic accent. Bernhard Klee Society, MHS Building. Oakhurst, N.J. 07755.) musicianship are never in doubt. hut the keeps things moving along well, and the or- performance is somewhat bloated and chestra does good work for him, especially LECOCO: La Fille de Madame Angot. overinflated. There is rarely any real rhyth- in the overture. But Heger's boys are even Clairette . 'ay Mespie(s) Mlle Lange mic drive. as can be heard by comparing the better, and the old master, taking a more re- Amarant Denise Benoit ( ms old Markevitch recording (currently avail- laxed view of the score, succeeds in bring- Pomponrret Charles Buries (t) able as EMI/Pathe 2C 053 1)869/70): the lat- Trenitz Jacques Loreau (t) ing it to a bigger. more colorful climax in Ange Pitou Bernard Sincla,r (b) ter. although weakish in the title rule and the sparkling last scene. Against this, you Larivaudiere Michel Roux (b( faded in sound, seems to me on balance might want to weigh the fact that Heger Louchard Gerard Criapws (bs) preferable. makes a number of "standard" cuts (not, I Paris Opera Chorus, Opera-Comique Or- In casting. all three companuts have think, a disastrous loss), and that Electrola chestra, Jean Doussard, cond. CONNOISSEUR drawn from the pool of the better French gives a libretto only in German (a real prob- SOCIETY CS2 2135, $15.96 (two discs, man- singers of recvni ypdrs. It s a small pool. as lem because of all that dialogue). ual sequence). witness the substantial overlap: more to the But you might also want to consider the point. the level of talent isn't very high. We fact that still another new recording of the Given thescarcity of recorded Offenbach. it can be grateful for the prevailing minime opera is on the stocks, for London. with Ra- is perhaps enough to note the arrival oftwo tense. but there's very hi Ile thatrises fael Kubelik conducting and Karl Rid- new recordingshard on the heels of Angel's above. Mady Mitsplit has !wen France's derbusch as Falstaff. Perhaps caution is in Vie porisienne (SBLX 3839. June 1977). Both foremost lyrec soprano for .1 decade. but its order. D.H. are good enough to give pleasure to devo- a smallishmace Attractive onlyin the tees. but neither is good enough to warrant middle (and inone tone color). wthlittle OFFENBACH: La Grande-Duchesse de Ge- extended discussion-or. I suspect. to per- real freedom in its handling. Sad to tell. she rolstein. suade those unconvinced of the composer's is probably the most accomplishedsinger

104 HI(.111 WWI)titON/INI heard on these recordings, and that just than eye' have had lately. but for the dist inc sines special affinity with quintessenttally isn't good enough. Offenbach requires at- tivitballeticgraceand theatricalelle( f;tillic ballet mesh(' are sure io stitniddle tractive. freely used voices to realize the liveness of the ballet music. the breezy marked interestinhis promised hirther special qualities that underlie the decep- freshness of the Basque airs and dam es F\II 'Angel riteordings tively simple writing in his operettas. Isit and the imaginatively kaleidoscopic or such a large leap. after all. from Perk:hide's chestral scoring throughout letter song to Antonia's "Elie a fui"? These still vital and piquant Mira( lums 11inraKY-KONSAKOv: May Night Erato's Perichole. Regine Crespin. is of areallpersuasively enhanced by !Ivan- 131y Of th.L3ke 2!ci I course an artist of proven sensitivity. hut tiliilly transparent Pathe-Marconi arcurd S,!e, La.. AnLi her problem is primarily vocal. That the in- mg (first -vale in stereo -only playback...yen r) strument is seriously out of balance has airierinquildriphony) oflean -Baptiste been clear for some years. hut the problem Iklari'sauthenticallyidiomatic perform ArP.P,K,Cr-r.v311,1 has not been evaded with a run of lower -ly- ances Ile s.1 now conductor to init and to C;Pr,arly ing roles. which only highlight the relative most American listeners no youngster. but MOSCOW Radio Chorus and Orchestra weakness of her chest voice. Indeed I find veteran tuhana and cellist turned onto(' VladimirFedoseyev cond DEUTSCHE her more at ease as Perichole. a soprano for withthe encouragement of Charles GRAMMa'HON 2709 063 S23 94 (three discs. role, than as the Grand -Duchess, a mezzo Munch. The present examples of his oh manual sequence) role. Both Alain Vanzo and Charles Buries are serviceable tenors, the latter's lighter. somewhat smoother sound the more agreeable:I have heard worse than both. but I ARTISTS THAT LEGENDSARE MADE OF would hope for something better than either. An instructive sign of the times is the miscasting of Robert Massard as General Classical Jazz/Pop Boum in Grande -Duch asse-one of the ELGAR: THE MUSIC THE ESSENTIAL. more interesting performances in these set,. MAKERS; PARRY: BLEST JO JONES (especially in the spoken dialogue). but at,. PAIR OF SIRENS "Acelebration for the vizir there no basses in France? JanetBaker, LondonPhil- of jazz drummers ... notable Columbia scores highest in presentation harmonic Choir and Orches- for the reunion (on 2 num- tra, Sir Adrian Boult bers)of the original Basie Grande-Duchesseisperformed withas VSD 71225 rhythm section and the Count much spoken dialogue as the crammed dist. himself, who plays as he has MISCHA ELMAN PLAYS never played before. . In- sides will allow-the old Leibowitz record- KREISLER FAVORITES ing included more of it. but at the expense dispensable." "Viennese warmth and charm SATURDAY REVIEW of heavy musical cuts-and the booklet are replete in this collection VSD 101/2 contains text and translation. (The omitted of a dozen short selections dialogue, however. is not printed. which written by or associated with TOM PAXTON: NEW Fritz Krelsler . . . Elman is means that one must refer to the plot syn- SONGS FROM THE opsis to fill in some plot gaps.) Connoisseur an ideal interpreter of these works." BILLBOARD BR1ARPATCH Society's Modome Angol disc sides too are SRV 367 Born on the Fourth of July; well filled. but no printed texts are pro- Talking Watergate; There vided. (There isa detailed plot syn- MUSIC OF LOVE AND Goes the Mountain; Did You LAMENTATION: VOCAL Hear John Hurt?; etc. opsis.) Erato has scrapped the dialogue of MASTERPIECES OF Perichole in favor of narrations by Alain MONTEVERDI AND "Tom Paxton's new repertoire CAVALLI contains some of the tough- Decaux: since this makes it impossible to est and most poignant songs perform the work as a dramatic entity any- Heather Harper, Gerald he has ever written." English, Hugues Cuenod; way. wouldn't the narration do just as well Bath Festival Ens., Raymond MELODYMAKER, London printed in the booklet? It doesn't survive re- Leppard VCS 10124 VSD79395 peated listening well. Musical Heritage does provide text and translation, but in an JANAZEK: CONCERTINO; JOE VENUTI IN MILAN MLADI; IN THE MIST withLino Patruno & his unnecessarily awkward layout. K.F. Gervase de Peyer, Lamar friends Crowson, Neill Sanders, After You've Gone; Sweet Melos Ens. VCS 10121 Georgia Brown; The World PIERNE: Cydalise et le chevre-pied Suites. is Waiting for the Sunrise; Ramuntcho. Overture on Basque Themes. BEETHOVEN: SETTINGS Honeysuckle Rose; etc. OF IRISH, SCOTTISH, Pans Opera Orchestra. Jean -Baptiste Man, AND WELSH FOLKSONGS "top jazz violinist 1977" cond. [Greco Casadesus, prod IANGEL S DOWNBEAT Critics Poll Accademia Monteverdiana, VSD79396 37281. $7.98 (SO -encoded disc). Denis Stevens "Of the 10 settings,1 war Gabriel Pierne (1/363-1937)is one of those particularly pleased by 'Sion' LARRY PAULETTE: and 'The Sweetest Lad,' and WHAT MAKES A MAN unfortunate composers fated to be known surely nobody would want A MAN? (outside his own country) almost exclu- to miss Beethoven's own set- with orch., Manny Albam, sively for a Pops -encore trifle. in his case ting of 'Auld Lang Syne'." cond. the Entrance of the Little hums. Yet he was WASHINGTON STAR Our Day Will Come; One important enough in his own day to sin: - SRV 356 SD Hundred Easy Ways to Lose teed Franck as organist at Ste. Clotildit. to MOZART: FLUTE a Man; Take Me Home With CONCERTOS NO. 1 You; etc. succeed the eponymous founder is conduc- (K. 313) & 2 (K. 314) and "(Paulette) was the most not- tor of the Concerts Colonne. and. toward ANDANTE (K. 315) able draw in the recent off- the end of his life. to record many of his Julius Baker; Antonio Broadway smash'Let My own works. Among these were the first of Janigro &Felix Prohaska People Come,' and he has the two suites drawn from his highly suc- conducting the most devastating debut LPof 1977 in WHAT cessfulpastoral -balletCydoliseetle "/do not remember hearing any better performances on MAKES A MAN A MAN?" chavre-pied (1919-1923). from which the discs." HIGH FIDELITY WHERE IT'S AT, New York Little Fauns episodeis drawn. and the SRV 364 SD VSD79386 Basque bilk -theme overture drawn from the incidental music to Pierre Lofts no- Sugg. list price. munichu. good to have them (now aug- SRV and VCS series - $3.98 per disc mented by the second Cythilise suite) back VSD 71225, 79386, 79395 & 79396 - $6 98 each VANGUARD geT VSD 101/2 -S798 (2 discs for the price of 1) in the recorded repertory-not only as a RECORDINGS FOR THE CONNOISSEUR Vanguard Recording SocietyInc71 West 23 St . New York. N Y 10010 more adequate representation of Pierne CIRCIE 46 ONPFADERSERVIr'S CARD

Si Pi I SIHFN 1977 May Night is one of the several popular work might prove enjoyable to American recommendable. Russian operas (Mussorgsky's Fair at So- audiences. Inasmuch as the heroine rather fades rochinsk, Tchaikovsky's Cherivichki, and Meanwhile, itis pleasant to have a from the scene after Act I and the several Rimsky's own delightful Christmas Eve are recording domestically available. As is the important character roles remain just that, others) drawn from the youthful Gogol's set case with so many contemporary Soviet May Night depends for its musical effec- of Ukrainian tales. None has ever estab- recordings that replace older mono sets, tiveness largely upon quality in the roman- lished itself in Western repertory, doubtless this performance doesn't have quite the vo- tic tenor lead, Levko, and in the orchestral because literary and stage works based on cal expertise, or the sense of something ex- playing. These two elements are strong in folk superstitions and traditions, and on tra -special in the important character roles. this performance, though always in the colloquial rural humor, make cross-cultural to be found on the earlier recording by the rather foursquare fashion (little attention transferences rather badly. Bolshoi (MK 05404/9-for some commen- to rubato or to dynamic shading) character- Yet while May Night is by no means one tary on this performance. see Part II of my istic of the current generation's renditions of Rimsky's major operatic creations, it is a Russian opera discography. EIF, January of nineteenth-century opera. East or West. piece of definite theatrical charm and many 1975). But the quality gap is narrower than The tenor, Konstantin Lisovsky, isnew to musical beauties; I should think that a pro- in most such instances, and since the set me. He has a fine, ringing voice of almost duction that found some equivalent for the also offers some of the better Soviet stereo heroic contour, but with more spin and flu- character types and social attitudes of the sound and fine DG pressings.itis surely idity than is usual in Slavic voices of the sort-it is well centered, has clean vowel formation, and moves fairly smoothly through the break. One can hear a splendid For 14 Years Dmitri or Ghermann in the voice, and perhaps some of the spinto or dramatic Italian We've Filled Mail Orders parts as well. He sings with less variety and blandishment than did the more lyrical Ser- The Way Customers Like gei Lemeshev on the earlier recording, and Ordering records, tapes, cassettes, blank tapes by mail can be a great convenience. doesn't seem able or inclined to deal much and can save ybu loads of money. Of course, you have fo deal with a company like in the softer dynamics. but he sings a firm NATIONAL RECORD PLAN that's established, successful, and that believes pleasing line, is not clumsy, and has some excite- Ihe customer is the only way to keep the customer That's the way we do business. ment up top-I hope we'll hear more of him. We are not a club-we are the leading independent record and tape mail order firm in the U.S. We send fresh, perfect records or tapes. packed so that damage seldom The orchestral performance is similar: occurs. We double-check to prevent errors We send CASH refund if (on rare occa- The execution is good, Fedoseyev's ideas sions) we can't deliver. So order up. all you want, at these really fantastic discounts. are clear and direct, there is plenty of life. SALE ENDS SEPT. 30, 1977 and altogether there's nothing to complain of unless one is looking for the extra color sensitivity, the final flexibility in tempos RECORDS and phrasings, that can impart real magic to UP 50,OFF sections of such a score. TO ALL LABELS, ALL ARTISTS Ludmilla Sapegina is another singerI /0LIST! ALL SELECTIONS, NO LIMIT. For list prices, see Schwann catalog. haven't encountered previously. Her medium -weight mezzo has some of the sharp- LIST.PFR LP SALE PRICE SAVF GAS, SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY ness and intonational fuzziness so often $3.98 It's hard to beat these prices in any store, $2.39 anywhere! NEED CATALOG? Send $1 for heard from Slavic female singers when she 4.98 2.49 SchwannIf you order catalog, we extend is singing at full voice, but she isn't really 5 98 2.99 Sale ending date to give you more time to wobbly or wiry. and when she sings at 6.98 3.99 order. lower dynamics a steadier movement and 7.98 4.79 8 TRACK CASSETTE ($7.98 List)$4.99 prettier timbre are in evidence. Olga Pastu- For all other list prices, your discount is 40% shenko shows a quite charming lyric soprano as the maiden finally released from her watery enchantment by Levko in Act Ill; Anna Matushina, on the other hand, is RCR SPECIAL in the most acidulous tradition of Russian ENTIRE RCA CATALOG character sopranos-as with some of our CLASSICAL & POPULAR musical -comedy performers, this sort of sound must convey something to Russian 010 . SALE PRICE audiences with respect to a character type, $3.98 $1.99 but is just about unlistenable on any other 4.98 2.39 grounds. non 6.98 3.79 The role of the Mayor is in the hands of ARL3-2109 ARL4-18R4 that expert veteran character bass. Alexei Houston Grand Starring Price.Do- 7.98 4 49 Opera-N Y.Perfor. mingoMilnesLe- 8 TRACK & CASSETTE (87 98 List) $4.69 Krivchenya, and the performance has the mance Featuring Du. vine cond d color and sagacity one might expect of him. ref set List along with more vocal solidity than his Bose Heyward 3 rec. 40:0(NATIONAL RECORD re- ord setList 823 94 $31 07 SAI F cent recordings had led me to expect. Ivan SAI E PRICE $12.87 PRICE $16.99 PLAN (not a club) Budrin's Kalennik is another clever, vocally OUR GUARANTEE robust performance. Cash refund it we can t deliver Record er Dept. HF-4 44 West 18th St. Yuri Yelnikov and Gennady Troitsky are tape replaced at no charge arr., one play. if defective New York, N.Y. 10011 both adequate to their more modest assign- ments, though the former does not equal MADER NOW. SALE ENDS SEP. 30,1977list items wanted on any sheet of paper. Ghte the very amusing work of Shevtsov in the ARTIST, TITLE (I ABEL and NUMBER. it known), PRICE older performance. The choral work is fine, State whether LP, 8 -TRACK or CASSETTE the engineering clean and straightforward, Type or print YOUR NAME. ADDRESS, ZIP CODE if hardly imaginative. DG's booklet in- (If not sure ni pore, send .e,ough Ic rr war- we well trnmedrafely refund any nVnruayrneir I Mending Cliorgo-85e for firstI P tape- nefor,4-h additional I Por tape. plus 40e insurance to, entire order cludes a sensible introductory essay in Eng- Add applicable local SALES TAX Pleas+ send them nr money order for total (sorry, no Coo) American Ex- lish by Martin Cooper, a second essay on press. Bankamencard (Visa), Master Charge arreorwd-give name on card. number. expiration date and sign Rimsky's place in Russian operatic tradi- order Minimum credit card order. $10 \NATIONAL RECORD PLAN, Dept.mF.4 44 West 18th St., New York, N.Y. 10010 tion by Dorothee Eberlein (in French and 10, Continued on page 110 CIRCLE 50 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

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SEPTEMBER 1977 1(17 IT HAPPENED THAT, as the initial releases on the HNH Records and Quintessence labels arrived, I was engaged in gathering infor- HNH & Quintessence: mation for this month's annual recordings preview. For me (and, I suspect, for many by Kenneth Furie readers as well) each year's preview pro- Impressive Debuts vides a graphic reminder of how much classical recording activity there is, and of course the preview deals only with records tersson's Eight Barefoot Songs sung by the tomo Arriaga's Symphony in D. which. issued for general sale in the U.S. veteran baritone Erik Saeden and using or- along with his overture to Los Esclavos fe- It's a useful reminder, for the classical chestrations by Dorati himself. lices, is performed by the English Chamber record business, measured by the sales To my knowledge the Dorati Fifth has Orchestra under Jesus LOpez-Cobos (HNH standards of the pop world of the Sixties not been released anywhere before now. 4001). The symphony was composed not and Seventies, sometimes seems like a long before the composer died in 1826, just hobby. It's also worth remembering that shy of his twentieth birthday, but I find it so new releases represent only a tiny part of doggedly classical -conventional as to won- the classical story, and that even if we con- der whether we would bother with it if the sider the entire current classical catalog we composer hadn't died so young. The cause are talking about a mere sampling of the to- is not helped by L6pez-Cobos' somewhat tal worldwide output from the more than soggy performance and the rather spongy seventy-five years of serious recording. One engineering by Spain's Discos Ensayo. of the nicest qualities of classical records is Ensayo largely redeems itself with a their durability: Good ones travel well and pleasant disc of Vivaldi vocal works: Psalm never become obsolete; indeed historical 126 (Nisi Dominus) and two motets (lnvicti perspective often increases their interest. bellate and Longe mala umbrae terrores) The real problem is what to do with all Dorati's Mahler isof the no-nonsense sung by mezzo Teresa Berganza, with the those records. In quite different ways, these school, which I count to the good, but this ECO under Antoni Ros-Marba (HNH 4012). two new labels represent valuable and Fifth happens to be grander and more pow- And fans of Carlo Bergonzi will enjoy his highly successful initiatives, building cata- erful than I expected on the basis of the Ensayo collection of arie antiche accom- logs out of licensed material that either has equally strong but rather leaner Sixth he panied by pianist Felix LeviIla (HNH 4008). never been issued domestically or has al- did a couple of years back with the Na- The tenor is not, however, in very good ready been in and out of SCHWANN. tional Symphony. The second movement is voice, and his huff -and -swell phrasing is al- HNH Records is a logical outgrowth of somewhat undercharacterized, but on the most as inappropriate to the music as the. what was formerly HNH Distributors. whole this seems to me as good a Fifth as piano accompaniments. HNH's Harvey Neil Hunt has made a spe- there is, and the recording (produced by Heartily recommended to baroque afi- cialty of seeking out smaller European James Mallinson) is outstanding. I am less cionados, by contrast, is a cleverly pro- companies that have no U.S. dist:ibution- taken by the folksy melancholia of the Pet- England's Unicorn, CRD, Lyrita, and Vista; tersson songs, whose primary interest for Sweden's Bis and Caprice; France's Har- me is Dorati's vivid orchestration. Saeden monia Mundi and Decca. Their records, not is in considerably better form here than he surprisingly aimed at distinctly specialized was as the Speaker in Ingmar Bergman's audiences, have found a responsive follow- Magic Flute film; these performances pre- ing here, and that success has led to the sumably date back some years. creation of the new label, which will offer Even more impressive from a sonic titles from some of those and from other standpoint are two 1975 Lyrita orchestral sources. recordings: E. J. Moeran's G minor Sym- In recognition both of the quality of the phony (1938) played by the New Philhar- source material and of the sophistication of mania under Sir Adrian Boult (HNH 4014) its market. HNH Records is a deluxe, full - and Bax's Seventh Symphony (1939) played price ($7.98 -per -disc) line. The jackets, stur- by the London Philharmonic under Ray- grammed Bis disc by the Stockholm Cham- dier than those of most American releases, mond Leppard (HNH 4010). The engineer- ber Ensemble (HNH 4011), combining two featureattractive and carefully chosen ing style is somewhat more distant than I baroque and two contemporary works for cover art, with liner notes of generous might ideally desire, but of its kind it could string ensemble. The latter pair-Lars-Erik length (variable in quality, but uniformly hardly be better, especiallyinthe Moeran: Larsson's Concertino, Op. 45, No. 9 (one of a serious in intention) and texts and trans- Orchestral textures are beautifully regis- dozen works composed between 1953 and lations for all vocal works. More important, tered, with a wealth of detail all very natu- 1957), and Aulis Sallinen's Kamarimusiikki the records themselves are of exceptional rally in place-a terrific test for cartridges. I (1975)-are no less ingratiating than the in- quality. In cases where I have been able to I suspect that the recorded sound and Sir vigorating early works, Johan Helmich Ro- compare the new discs with previous is- Adrian's wonderfully sympathetic reading ,man's Sinfonia No. 20. in E minor, and the sues, the HNH-mastered disc has been at considerably enhance the virtues of Moe- Telemann G major Concerto for two violas least equal-and arguably superior-to the ran's only symphony. To his credit, the and strings. Also from Bis come two instru- European equivalent in clarity, presence, composer had the sense to build the sym- mental discs featuring cellist Frans Helmer - and dynamic range. And so far, at least. phony out of tiny ideas, and there is no de- son, heard alone in the Bach Fifth Cello HNH seems to have found a way of getting nying the attractiveness of the persistent Suite and Britten's Op. 72 Suite (HNH 4016) high -quality domestic pressing; my copies bursts of wind color. The Bax symphony, and with pianist Hans PSlsson and violinist are about as close to flawless as we have his last, is also skillfully made, and also, to Arve Tellefsen in the Faure and Shost akov- any right to hope. my hearing, decidedly modest in inspira- ich piano trios (HNH 4007). All thp. perform- Since the HNH material is highly special- tion -1 would just as soon take my Sibelius ances are vigorous but tonally and inter- ized. the attraction of individual releases at first hand. Perhaps it's unfair, but while pretively a bit severe; still, both discs can be will vary according to one's interest. I listening to these works I am unable to put recommended to those interested in these would certainly accord pride of place, how- out of mind the fact that by the time of their unconventional, but effective, couplings. ever. to what appears to be Antal Dorati's appearance Vaughan Williams' first four While the Quintessence list does include first Mahler recording, the Fifth Symphony symphonies had been written and played. material new to SCHWANN (of special inter- with the Stockholm Philharmonic (HNH Such works unquestionably have a place est are the titles that have existed sub rosa 4003/4, two discs), coupled with Allan Pet- in the catalog, and so too does Juan Crisos- in the Reader's Digest Recordings series),

108 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE the bulk consists of reissues, and the bulk with members of the NBC Symphony (PMC of those, at least in the first release, come 7007), as passionate as one might expect from RCA. Quintessence has been two and sounding surprisingly good in this re - years aborning, since the legendary R. Peter channeling. (There is also a rechanneled Munves joined Pickwick International fol- Stokowski disc of LisztHungarianRhap- lowing his years with Columbia and RCA. sodies and Enesco Romanian Rhapsodies, NEW! Munves thinks he can couple his demon- PMC 7023, for those who like that sort of strated marketing savvy with high quality thing.) None of the other rechannelings and budget price ($3.98 per disc) to widen sounds better than listenable to me(all the classical market, and both Quintes- mono records are so "electronically en- Two sence series-"Critic's Choice" and "Clas- hanced"), but Pierre Monteux's excellent sics for Joy"-are designed with special at- 1954 Debussy La Mer with the Boston Sym- Major tention to groups presently on the fringe of phony is welcome all the same (PNIC 7027). the classical market. especially as now coupled, with the 1955 Wagner Books! The "Critic's Choice" discs contain per- Nocturnes(in true stereo). Also welcome Richard Wagner in Bayreuth formances of fairly standard repertory by back are Sir Thomas Beecham's 1958 EMI by Hans Mayer artists of high reputation, packaged with "Favourite Overtures" with the RPO (Ros- critical endorsements based on their previ- sini's Cambiale di matrimonio and Gazza Reflections on Wagner's Ring ous incarnations. Munves sees this as a way ladra, Mendelssohn'sMidsummer Night's by John Culshaw of guiding the newer classical buyer Dream and Fair Melusina, and Berlioz' Richard Wagner in Bayreuth is the inti- through the bewildering array ofSCHWANN Corsaire; PMC 7004) and Morton Gould's mate story of the amoral, hedonistic, listings, but more to the point for HF read- 1962 RCA Sibelius miscellany (Swan of arrogant megalomaniac who attained ers is the fact that a large number of inter- Tuonela,Lemminkainen's Return, Fin- international recognition as a musical esting performances hereby enter (or re- landia, Valse triste,andPohjola's Daugh- genius-and of Bayreuth, the quiet Ba- enter) the catalog. ter;PMC 7022). Heading the list are four RD discs by the The "Classics for Joy" series is frankly varian town he made famous. late Jascha Horenstein, all reflecting the directed more toward the light -classical Reflections on Wagner's Ring is a com- powerful integrity of his musicianship. His market, as reflected in such RCA -derived pilation of John Culshaw's acclaimed 1962 Dvotak NewWorldSymphony with items as "Jalousie: Classics in a Light Saturday Metropolitan Opera broad- the Royal Philharmonic (PMC 7001) is like Mood" (PMC 7018), "Clair de Lune: Clas- no other performance I have heard: almost sics in a Romantic Mood" (PMC 7025). cast intermission talks-a masterpiece terrifyingly stark, unrelenting, even tragic. "Hallelujah! The World's Greatest Cho- that no opera lover (and certainly no Niceties of tone color are subordinated to ruses" (PMC 7019), and collections of Grieg student of Wagner) can afford to miss. rigorous rhythm, angular phrasing, and (PMC 7016) and Bizet (PMC 7024). But even These are only two of the wide selec- sonic power; I'm not sure whether I ac- in this series 'here are attractions for more tually like it, but it's an awesome, emotion- seasoned collectors, foremost among them tion of carefully chosen books made ally draining experience. Less controver- a Teldec collection of works by Julius Futik available to HIGH FIDELITY readers sial, but of comparahle strength, are the (including, of course, theEntry of the through Music Listeners' Book Service. 1962 Brahms First with the London Sym- Gladiators-you may not know it by name, Others are listed below. phony (PMC 7028), the 1968 Tchaikovsky but you'll know it) in suitably lively per- Fifth with the New Philharmonia (PMC formances by Vaclav Neumann and the No.1102 RICKARD WAGNER IN Bantam. Hans Mayer. Czech Philharmonic (PMC 7038). An enthralling history of Wagner. his family, and the little 7002-coupled with a 1967 Sir Adrian Bavarian town he made famous. Boult /London Philharmonic Marche slave Two rechanneled Fiedler/Boston Pops/ $16.50 from Columbia House), and the 1965 Rach- RCA discs, though faded in sound, remain No. 601 RRFLICTONS ON WAGNER'S RING. John CuIslune. An invaluable compilation of information based on Cul- maninoff SecondPiano Concerto and quite live in spirit: a collection of overtures shaw's Saturday Metropolitan Opera broadcast intermis- PaganiniRhapsody with Earl Wild and the (Rossini'sWilliamTell, Harold's Zampa, sion talks $6.95 RPO (PMC 7006-to be followed by the bal- Thomas's Mignon, Offenbach's Orphee aux No. 512 Season WITH SOLTI. William Barry Furlong. ance of the Wild/Horenstein Rachmaninoff enfers, Suppe'sLight Cavalry,andNi- A sustained close-up view of Georg Soin and his Chicago set). Wild is also represented by a strong colai'sMerry Wives;PMC 7013) and a Jo- Symphony. Human and readable 612.50 coupling of the Tchaikovsky First Concerto hann Strauss assortment (PMC 7015). That No. 600 Ourt Two Leas. Hanna RodaInskl. (1962) and the Franck Symphonic Vari- expertballet conductor Fistoulari gives The story of Artur Rodzinski's turbulent career in the ations (1968), conducted by, respectively, characteristically lyrical performances of world of music. told by the woman who shared it with him Anatole Fistoulari and Massimo Freccia parisienne and LesSylphides with $10.95 (PMC 7003). the RPO (PMC 7029), while those willing to No. 34' THE GLORY OF THE VIOLIN. Joseph Wechsberg. Two other conductors who recorded ac- settle for suites from Tchaikovsky'sNut- Illustrated. A fidcle fancier's delight from the pen of the famed New tively in the stereo era before their deaths crackerand Swan Lake ballets could do Yorker author, who delves into all aspects of the violinin- are also heard in noteworthy RD releases. worse than the Boult performances with cluding the fascinating business of buying, selling rind The third of Sir John Barbirolli's four the New Symphony of London (PMC 7010). cheating $8.95 recordings of the Sibelius Second Sym- Quintessence's packaging is serviceable Check or money order must accompany your order. phony, made in 1962 with the RPO (PMC enough, and the pressings are quite reason- No cash or C.O.D.'. please. 7008), is a resplendent performance that has able for a budget label. That the disc mas- Allow 60 Days for Delivery. been judged by more ardent Sibelians than tering has been done with some care is I (including Gramophone's Robert Layton) made clear by fine (if, overly brightened) r the best of the four. And I have never en- sound of the Reader's Digest recordings. HIGH FIDELITY joyed Respighi'sPinesof Rome more than I made by the team of producer Charles Ger- I MUSIC LISTENERS' BOOK SERVICE I did in Rudolf Kempe's 1964 RPO recording Dept HW hardt and engineer Kenneth Wilkinson. I 2160 Patterson Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214 (PMC 7005); the coupled StraussDon Juan Clearly future Quintessence releases bear I Here's my check for $ Please is also first-rate (though his later Dresden close watching, and there will be a lot of send me, postpaid, the books I've circled below. recording for EMI is better still), and for them: Unlike those record people who con- good measure a 1962 Dorati/RPO Salome's centrate on new releases at the expense of I 602 601 512 600 341 I Dancehas been thrown in. backlist. Munves plans to market his whole I Among the "Critic's Choice" reissues, I catalog aggressively, and in order to build Name am most taken by the 1954-55 Stokowski up a catalog he envisions releasing 20-25 I Address recording of the substantially complete records three or four times a year for the I City. State & Zip middleactsof Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake first two years or so. I-

SEPTEMBER 1977 109 .NewReleases from Gremalilla German only), and a translation and trans- literation of the libretto by Cooper.C.L.O. Three new releases from THE IUBAL TRIO -First Recording GREGG SMITH 1977 Naumberg Award Winner Edmund NaJera Secundum Lucam for Chamber SCHUMANN: Piano Works, Vol. 4. Karl Engel, orchestra, Organ. Soloists 6 Choir Peter Schickele:Cantata-The Lowest Trees Have Tops- with John Graham, Viola piano. TELEFUNKEN 46.35287, $31.92 (four i.s-1013 Ursula "amlok: Haiku Settings discs, manual sequence). Dale Jernenson. Requiem for a City for Jerome Jolles: Songs from Wadsworth Six Choirs and Tape//Tanka Pieces for Studies After Paganini Caprices, Op. 3; Toccata, Op. 7; Solo Soprano. Flute A Clarinet c,-ionlE AN and KENNETH WENTWORTH Concert Studies on Paganini Caprices. Op. 10: Hu- PianoRusic of Andre Singer: moreske, Op. 20; Nachtstucke, Op. 23; Pieces, Op. 32: Gs -1014 ThreeEtudes//Sonata for Two Pianos A Fugues, Op. 72: Waldszenen. Op. 82: Bunte Blatter. Op. Franz Schubert: Four male Choruses 99: Albumblatter, Op. 124; Variations on an Original Song of rvriani Nine Parables to Franz Kafka's AMERIKA for Narrator 6 Piano Theme. (..s ion PHIL LIP RE HF EL DT,Clarinet U-1016 Victor Saucedo: Ran 1.X. for Clarinet A Tape Nicolas Flagello: Symphony of Winds Vol. 4 of Engel's Schumann series reprises Jonathan Kramer: Renascence for Clarinet, Tape Serenata - N. Flagello, Conductinn Delay Syster and Prerecorded Tape both the good and the less good aspects of PREVIOUS REIFASt% "ichael Horvit: Antiphon !Ifor Clarinet % Tape its predecessors. At his best. Engel is a LONG ISLAND CHAMBER ENSEMBLE steady and frequently really artistic expo- i.,-1016ELSA LUDEWIG-VERDEHR,Clarinet cS-1007 Roy Harris 6 David Diamond Rario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Clarinet Sonata FS -1108 Alan Hovhaness 6 Karel Husa nent of this problematical composer. That Elliott ,rtor oastorale for Clarinet 6 Piano (,S-1009 William Vollinger, Paul Reif best reappears here in the Bunte Bltitter, the Vincent 'tudv for Clarinet Coln A Jeffrey raufman Nachtstiicke, the Albumblatter, and the Op. 10 collection of Paganini Studies 'paler Innuirie, invitee (which are more creative, less literal and academic than the Op. 3 studies). The owl GRENADILLA REGCRDS Sew York residents Nachtstiicke,infact,are interpretively add Sales tan Evrmaci BOX 279 NEW YORK, N.Y. 10010 rather similar to the splendid Arrau per- $6.95 each formances (Philips 6500178) in their weight, nicety of detail, and conveyance of tortured CIRCLE 14 ON READER -SERVICE CARD introspection. Engel's Bunte flatter may lack the miraculous delicacy of Richter's very personal readings (Melodiya/Angel Buy with confidence '11 SR 40238), but by any other standard he of- THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN MAIL ORDER. IT'S fers compassionate, unsentimental, emo- CALLED EXPERIENCE! WE HAVE 28 YEARS! :1) tionally stable sensitivity. (He does Ci) especially well by the concluding "Ge- schwindmarsch.") 0) JVC On the other hand, the delicately scented - Ca PIONEER :;::.::4 Waldszenen are bruised by Engel's lumber- cn ing literalism and heavy finger action. "Jo- CD ger auf der Lauer" makes one long for the liachnics unparalleled swiftness and agility of Rich- ter's unforgettable DG mono performance, SEND FOR QUOTES BUY FROM NEW ENGLAND'S and "Einsame Blumen," "Vogelals AND PRICE LISTS LARGEST STEREO HOUSE Prophet," and "Abschied" all lack poetry. 146 Old Brokfield Road, Danbury, Conn. 06810 The "Jagdlied" has none of Richter's slash ARSTOW----txn (203) 744-6421 (212) EN9-6212 and 'vibrancy. Not since Backhaus have I Mon. -Fri. 9:00-5:30 Sat. 9:00-3:00 heard so unimaginative a presentation. The Toccata, one of the most demanding CIRCLE 7 ON READER -SERVICE CARD pieces in the repertory, ought to be reserved for virtuosos. Engel, a steady pianist,is plainly getting by here only by a hairs- breadth (the performance gives evidence of aliat having been spliced together practically phrase by phrase); he simply hasn't the con- Records currently Brass Quintet The Defense of Corinth trol to separate the essential voices from available Eight Pieces for Four Musicians Wrestle the trivia, and the resultis opaque and Timpani Everywhere plodding. Concerto for Orchestra Somewhere in between the extremes is Col M-30112 Fantasy About Purcell's VOX SVBX 5353 the Humoreske, which is sensibly phrased Variations for Orchestra Fantasia Upon One Canon for 3 Note In Memoriam Igor and well projected but lacking the inter- Col MS -7191 Odys Y-34137 Stravinsky pretive spark of the recordings by Richter Double Concerto for Sonata for Flute, Oboe. (Monitor MC 2022), Arrau (Philips 839 709), Harpsichord, Piano Desto 7133 Cello and Harpsichord Soon to be released and Yves Nat-or even those by Kempff and 2 Chamber (DC, deleted) and Frankl. CSP AMS6176 A Symphony of Three Orchestras The sound is strong, ringing, and sup- Ser 12056 Orchestras Col MS -7191 ported by ample bass tone, the processing None 71234 A Mirror on Which To None 71314 Duo for Violin and extremely quiet. H.G. Dwell Quartets No. 1 and 2* Piano None 71249 None 71314 CBS Records Three Poems of Advent D-1007 Sonata for Cello STRAUSS, R.: Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59. Robert Frost Quartets No. 2' and 31 None 71234 Tne Marschailin EvelynLear (s) Col M-32738 Heart Not So Heavy Voyage Sophie Ruth Welting (s) Eight Etudes and a as Mine Unicorn/Transatlantic Marianne Legmetzei Netly Morpurgo (s) A Milliner Renee van Haarlem (5) Fantasy Musicians Wrestle The Harmony of Morning Octavian Frederica von Stade (ms) Woodwind Quintet Everywhere Tell Me Where Is Fancy Annina Sophia van Sante (ms) A Singer Jose Carreras(t) Can 31016 None 71115 Bred VOX Valzacchi James Atherton (t) Pulitzer Prize 1960 Pulitzer Prize 1973 Grand Prix du risque, Charles Cros, Paris Marschailin sMaior-Domo Wouter Goedhardt (t) Scores for these recordings available from Associated Music Publishers. An Animal Vendor FaninaisMaior-Domo Performance rights: Broadcast Music, Inc. 40 West 57th Street, New York 10019 Matthiis Coppens (t) An Innkeeper Adnaan van Limp! (t)

HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Faninal Derek Hammond Stroud (b) strongly one way or the other. Evelyn Lear opera no other way. I would note that those A Notary. A Police Commissioner Henk Smit (b) Baron Ochs Jules Bastin (bs) sings a conscientious and generally unfussy interested in the Angel recording-which, Netherlands Opera Chorus, Rotterdam Phil- Marschallin, but the voice is reasonably se- even apart from Schwarzkopf, has many harmonic Orchestra, Edo de Waart, cond. cure only in the middle, making for long admirable qualities-should seek out the PHILIPS 6707 030, $31.92 (four discS, manual stretches of discomfort for both singer and current British edition (SLS 810), which has sequence). Tape: O. 7699 045, $23.85. listener, and she lacks the individuality of a sonic crispness and sheen most appro- Comparisons: the similarly reduced Maria Reining (Rich- priate to Karajan's conducting. The Angel Reining. Jurinac, Gueden, Weber, Klaiber /Vienna Phil. mond) and Marianne Schech (DG). Regine edition, by comparison, decidedly sounds Rich. RS 64001 Crespin (London) too was recorded past her its age. Schwarzkopt, Ludwig, Stich -Randall, Edelmann. Karajan/Philharmonia Ang. SDL 3563 best, but her vocal problem-persistent flut- Much of Ruth Welting's voice is warm Crespin, Minton, Donath, Jungwirth, Solti/Vienna Phil. terwill not be equally bothersome to all and attractive, but like so many coloraturas Lon. OSA 1435 listeners. That leaves two relatively healthy . Ludwig, Jones, Popp. Berry, Bernstein/Vienna Phil. she cannot carry that tonal solidity and Col. NM 30652 Marschallins, Christa Ludwig (Columbia) color into the upper reaches, where Sophie and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Angel), be- has so much important music. I am hard Edo de Waart has begun his operatic tween whom itisfor me no contest. put to choose among her, Teresa Stich -Ran- recording career boldly. On records Schwarzkopf's famous interpretationis dall (Angel), and Helen Donath (London), Rosenkavalier has drawn from some steeped in an idle narcissism than I find re- but have no difficulty preferring Hilde Gue- mighty good conductors-ErichKleiber, volting; others, of course, would have the den (Richmond), Rita Streich (DG), and Herbert von Karajan, Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein-something like their very best; in such company even Karl Biihm's very good DG recording, now out of the catalog, sounds rather ordinary. And De Waart seems to start with a handicap: The Rotter- dam Philharmonic is a good orchestra but announcing.. hardly in a class with the Vienna Philhar- monic (Kleiber, Solti, Bernstein), the Phil- harmonia in its glory years (Karajan), or the Dresden State Orchestra (Bohm). Records As itturns out, De Waart's Rosen- kavalier, made in conjunction with a Hol- land Festival production, is a beautiful job. inReview quite beautifully played. It's a warm and sane performance, moderate in both tempo and temperament. "Moderate" does not mean bland. If De Waart projects neither 1977 the boisterous vigor of Karajan and Solti nor the audacious (and largely successful) expansiveness of Bernstein, it is not at the Edition expense of rhythmic firmness; his rhythms, in fact, are uncommonly and unostenta- tiously well defined, and he manages tempo transitions, which in this opera occur on al- It's new! The 22nd comprehensive edition of the "bible for most every page, positively and fluently. record collectors." This is obviously not a Rosenhavalier awash in sentimentality, but neither isit This 480 page hardcover volume contains all reviews of classical and inexpressive-this is a stronger opera than semi -classical music appearing in High Fidelity during the past year. the schmaltz -wallowers realize. What De Reviews cover all types of music - vocal, orchestral, chamber, and solo Waart doesn't provide, at least not yet, is - medieval to contemporary. subtlety of phrasing within his commendably firm framework, the shading of All available formats shown -discs, tape, cartridges, and tempo, dynamics, and color that illumi- cassettes, in stereo and quadriphonic. nates individual lines without disrupting Written by High Fidelity's staff of knowledgeable and noted critics. the opera's essential flow. Which is one Arranged both alphabetically and by musical category for ready way of saying that his reading does not reference. Complete index, including an index of performers. equal Kleiber's incomparable one. It is perhaps most like &ohm's, a performance 11.1 NMI OM NMI NM IS OM IIM IIIM MI MI Ell Mil NM im whose musicianship and uneccentric integrity have worn well; I find on rehearing that Records in Review, 1977 Edition, 15 Day Trial Examination Form I like it more than I used to, and I expect De Yes! Please sendme _ copy(ies) of the brand new 1977 Edition of Records Waart's to hold up well too. in Review for 15 days trial examination If dissatisfied in any way. I may return the books) The cast is good enough, but exceptional for a lull credit or refund within 15 days. I payonly $14.95 per book, plus $1.00 for shipping only in the Octavian of Frederica von 1-1 Master Charge El BankAmericard I i enclose S _ . . ElCharge to LJ Stade. Her previous recordings have given My credit card number is generous indication of her interesting inten- I master charge VISA' tions, but the actual singing has too often I TT T TT I lacked note -to -note continuity. Here her I Master Charge Interbankr- T -T- Fi 1 singing is poised and smoothly knit, the U I characterization ardent, impulsive, and al- I Card Expires Signature together winning. I am startled to find my I Mail to: Wyeth Press. Box 550, Great Barrington, MA 01230 devotion to Sena Jurinac (Richmond) chal- I lenged, but at least on a preliminary basis I Nome I am tempted to rank Von Stade on Jurinac's I level, which places her above such excel- I Address lent singers as Irmgard Seefried (DG). I I Christa Ludwig (Angel), and Yvonne Min- I City ',tote Ltd ton (London). Allow 4 k .ket,ks tur delivery HF 8 // About the others I find it hard to speak RWIRIBIRSI MO Me MI me imp MI =MINI==NI

SEPTEMBER 1977 Lucia Popp (Columbia). Ochs is a problem. Does coarseness of The $395 Dahlquist and spirit have to take the form of conspicuously grotesque loutishness? (How often does it in real life?) To iny mind that standard approach hopelessly trivializes the the $1100 Infinity use character,substituting comic -stripgro- tesquerie for the really dangerous inner qualities that make him such a tragic mis- this midrange driver. match for Sophie. Someday I would love to hear an entire Ochs with the vocal quality and interpretive control of Alexander Kip- nis' recording of the letter scene (on Sera- phim 60124). Fortunately we have one recorded Ochs pretty near that level: Ludwig Weber (Richmond). Though in his mid -fifties at the time, Weber made remarkably few concessions to advanced age, and his respect for Strauss's writing gives the character a basic dignity I consider essential to the opera's dramatic sense. The only other recording that even casts Ochs as a singing role is the Columbia, where Walter Berry's singing happily reflects very minimally the So does our $200 Phase H. nasty grubbiness of his stage portrayal. I had hoped that Jules Bastin, a singer who has demonstrated some sensitivity, might raise Ochs above stereotype. He doesn't, and I frankly don't know what he's doing. It's not the gross boorishness of Kurt Acoustiphase Behme (DG) or the murky, make -do inele- A Tribute to Sound gance of Otto Edelmann (Angel) or the strained Viennese archness of Manfred P.O. Box 207, Proctorsville, Vermont 05153 1802) 226 7216 Jungwirth (London), all carefully and consistently executed performances and all, to my mind, dramatic travesties. (In fairness, CIRCLE 1 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Jungwirth does seem to be realizing the mu- geTDK AMPEX sic as faithfully as he can, but the voice isn't es much to start with.) What itisis an el12,a anonymous and disjointed exercise. Bas - tin's isn't a great voice, but it is capable of more than this -Ochs turned into a compri- mario. An even odder Hosenkovolier tradition is Blaoxesaxe perpetuated here in the casting of Faninal. 14 a Surely the requirements of the role are clear rl CASSETTE TAPES enough: a secure high baritone with some ud,o Magr.ct.cs C-sO 3p8 i9 for 3 CC Maxell U -90 I 74 real handling ease. Yet only Angel's Eber- E Maxell UDC -90 2 55 hard Wachter and DC's Fischer-Dieskau fit STEREO COMPONENTS Maxell UDC -120 3 45 Maxell UDXL 1or 2 C-60 2 22 that description. (The latter doesn't do all Maxell UDXL 1 or 2 C-90 3 12 that well, but that's due to his familiar Largest selection of top name Memorex C.90 3p4f 4 99 for 3 Scotch C-90 3p8 3 99 for 3 prissiness, not to vocal unsuitability.) Phil- brands try us and see Scotch Master 1C. 90 2 79 ips' Derek Hammond Stroud is a worthy Sony C-60 1 29 Sg;rlY C-90 1 79 singer, but it should have occurred to some- 0 Sony C 120 2 29 body that Alberich. his most famous role, is TDK DC 90 I 14 It's worth a call TDK D C 1 56 a poor recommendation for Faninal. (At 1DK D C 120 1 98 that, he's better than his Richmond. Lon- TDK D C 180 1186rinuteS) 2 88 TDK AD C-60 1 62 don. and Columbia competitors.) No more (301)488-9600 TDK AD C-90 2 40 successful, but for less mysterious reasons. TDK AO C 120 3 30 I CK SA C-60 1 98 is the casting of the Italian Singer. for Jose CD T DK SA C 90 2 88 Carreras merely joinsadistinguished line REEL-TO-REEL MexeII UD50-60 1200 ft 3 87 of tenors (on records Nicolai Gedda, Lu- Maxell U035 90 1800 ft 4 50 I I II ciano Pavarotti. Placid() Domingo) who 11) I Mexell UD35 180 3900 111U-. 12 00 z Scotch 206 1200 11 3 99 04 don't seem to have realized that Strauss's )4 Scotch 207 1800 ft 4 49 musical joke was primarily on the singer, Scotch 212 1800 It 3 59 INV 4/7)/46A Scotch 214 3b00 I 99 especially if he expects to walk in and toss TDK L 1800 4 64 the arid off. Carreras. normally a singer of H/:///l/4 8 TRACK //id)//dh////i/ 44/6 Memorex 2 pk 90 ma, 459 tor impeccable taste, is reduced to bellowing Scotch 2 pk 90 min 3 59 for the whole thing, no doubt praying that each R Musk World stanza will end before his respiratory sys- 6330 Franktord Ave tem collapses. Baltimore, Md 21206 33 Park Row NYC 10038 12121 732-8600 The supporting cast dues its job, and the All mail answered within 24 hours MAIL 0 RS ACCEPTED For shipment Mho, recording is unobtrusively first-rate. The 24 hours send money order or certified check accompanying materials are lavish but not to Two peeks delay on personal checks Please add Phone Daily 9 AM to 9 PM E52 00 per order tc, sn.ppng & hanahno N Y S very helpful: the German text is in the main Hesdents add aPG111-4121e salas tax. NO COD s booklet, but the English -a singing trans- Saturday 9 AM to 4 PM Mintmunt Order 12 Tapes Phone 1301) 488-9600 lation --is in a separate one (which also con- Write for prices onothertapes tains a French singing translation, if you've CIRCLE 19 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 20 ON READER SERVICE CARD HIuN F11)E1.111 MAGAZINE the service of considerable musical and The Narrative and Curse finds her in less Fdramatic intelligence. good voice than the other excerpts: occa- Soon thereafter, she became what Con- sionally flat, with some pronounced froggi- ti. rad L. Osborne has aptly described as "a ness in the tone. With everything so effort- anever -quite -converted mezzo," moving fut, even the simplest phrases, the shape of a- from Kundry (Bayreuth 1951, on Richmond) the scene simply vanishes; she's singing all- M to Isolde and the Briinnhildes (in Furtwan- out all of the time, with nothing left to gler's 1953 RomeHingand 1954 WalkUre, punch home the final curse. And Blatter on Seraphim), as well 'as Fidelio (also with here sounds like a parody of Modl in a Furtwangler. on Seraphim). The voice lower register, which makes the inclusion reached up to high C. the singing was rich of Brangane's song a decidedly mixed and creamy, the registers still pretty coher- blessing, except that it does lead to part of ent -and the singing now began to be effort- the scene with the potions, where Modl gets ful in the other sense, with a modicum of off a few phrases with really tellinginten- scooping, attacking notes from below, and zione. an incipient tremolo around the break. That All in all, this makes for a pretty expen- heavy breath pressure hardly ever let up, sive souvenir of an Isolde who on other oc- and the technique required not only fre- casions (and perhaps in other parts of the quent breaths, but big ones. A handsome role -1 would like to hear her sing"Mir er- woman as well as an intelligent one, she koren! Mir verforen!")may have been com- found much favor with Wieland Wagner, pelling but isn't often so on these discs. I and was a Bayreuth regular through the Fif- harbor a thought that the interesting mate- ties, but the hard use eventually took its toll rial here could have been squeezed onto a and she turned to singing character roles. single disc; the Prelude aside, there's only a Madl never recorded a complete Tristan, bit over an hour here, and given the limited and the current reissue from Telefunken dynamic range that surely could have been constitutes the complete commercial docu- managed. mentation of her work in the part -an oddly Connoisseurs of fantasy in liner notes assorted package. I'm afraid. The Love will perhaps treasure the blurb's assertion Duet comes first, on two sides and starting about Modl that "it was not possible to dis- right after Isolde's extinction of the torch. cern that she was thereby taxing herself to but with the more -or -less standard "Big the limits of endurance"; on these discs, Cut" (from Tristan's"DemTage!dem alas, it's all too evident. The blurb is given 'roger to Isolde's"Dochesrtichte sich der in English and German, the texts only in Frederica von Stade verscheuchte Tag"). The slow parts of this German, nastily run on rather than set in An Octavian to rival Jurinac's are the best. MOW making the consonants poetic lines. D.H. cleave into her luscious tone to good effect, ever wondered how Rosenkovolier goes in Wolfgang Windgassen fresh, clean, and French). Over-all, the recording strikes me generally accurate, Johanna Blatter accept- as an interesting supplement to the Kara- ably in tune. and conductor Arthur Rother jan, Solti, or Bernstein. if I could have only following Wagner's instructions rather one version, it would certainly be the Klei- carefully: Iparticularly like the way he ber; then I would be inclined to add the fas- keeps the climax of the "So stiirbenwir" cinating and quitedifferentBernstein. passage from getting out of control. But which also supplies the Kleiber's one seri- elsewhere the tempos are not really fast ous Lick:avocally assured Marschallin. enough -or. at least, propulsive enough to K.F. compensate for the slowness that one pre- sumes the singers have imposed (from BAROQUE CONCERTO IN ENGLAND.Thames WAGNER: Tristan and Isolde (ex- Rother's Prelude, one would not expect him Chamber Orchestra, Michael Dobson, cond. R cerpts). toharbor excessivelyFurtwanglerian [Simon Lawman, prod.] CRD 1031, $7.98 Isolde Mar Ina Modi (s) urges). And while these slower tempos do (distributed by HNH Records). Brangane Johanna Blatter (ms) facilitate some matters (intonation, for ex- Mom: Concerto for Two Oboes and Strings, in F. SOT= I istan Wolfgang Windgassen (t) ample), they do complicate Madl's breath- Concertos: for Strings, in E minor; for Two Violins, Cello, and Strings, in B minor. WOODCOCK: Concertos: for Oboe Berlin Municipal Opera Orchestra, Arthur ing problems; at the very end, she is re- and Strings, in E flat (with Neil Black, oboe); for Flute and Rother, cond. TELEFUNKEN 26.48020, $15.96 duced to three -note ascending glissando Strings, in D (with William Bennett, flute). (two discs, mono, manual sequence) [from gasps rather than proper phrases. Telefunken originals, recorded c. 1952-53]. The recorded sound doesn't help much, Like Neville Marriner's Academy of St.

Prelude. ActI: Weh, ach wehe! dies zu dulden! . . either, with the singers up close, the orches- Martin -in -the -Fields, but unlike Christo- Welcher Wahn! Kennst du der Mutter Kunste nicht? tra's dynamic range compressed into the pher Hogwood's Academy of Ancient Mu- Act 11. Isolde! Tristan! Geliebter! . . 0 sink' hernieder 0 ew'ge Nacht. Act III' Liebestod background, and the whole business heav- sic, Michael Dobson's Thames Chamber ily monitored (you can hear the engineers Orchestra uses modern rather than period One of several Wagnerian ladies prominent sneaking the level down to make headway or replica instruments, except of course for during the interregnum between Kirsten for the final climax). Whatever dynamic Celia Harper's Flemish -styled Adlam Bur- Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson. Martha WWI contrast this performance may have had to nettharpsichord. Dobson himself, long (b.1912 according to Telefunken's liner begin with was ruthlessly ironed out before principal oboe with the London Philhar- notes: 1913 according to Kutzsch/Riemens) it got to us. monic and Menuhin orchestras, proves to began lateasa singer, and began as a Next comes Rother's shapely but unre- be a skillful if extremely self-effacing con- mezzo. Her debut role in 1943wasas Hum- markable Prelude, recorded with rather a ductor who is, here at least, an out- perdinck's Hansel, and she first came to in- papery edge to the strings, and a Liebestod standingly imaginative program -maker. ternational attentionasKlytainnestra in that must he chopped up for breath more Four of his present selections are, if not Mitropoulos' 1950 Elektro performances in frequently than any other in history -until record firsts, most likely new to American Florence (recorded by Cetra and now avail- the very end, when Miidl takes the final disc catalogs. able on Turnabout THS 65040/1). Even phrase("HOchste Lust") ina single breath. The anonymous work was originally then it was a rather special sound, a curious by dint of letting up on the pressure and published by Walsh in 1734 as the fourth of and compelling combination of brightness. floating the final note. It's a good effect, and Handel's twelve so-called oboe concertos, power, and effort (not effortful in getting one wishes she had learned to integrate it Op. 3, in a mixup with a batch of Italian around the notes, but in color, the result of into her singing on some sort of regular concertos Walsh was simultaneously pre- heavy breath pressure), and obviously at basis. paring for publication. Handel undoubt-

SIT I EMBER1977 113 Now, Clean. ClearSound At Higher Volume- BEFORE Lets You Use edly roared in protest and made sure that MORE his own No. 4, also in F, was properly in- v,tval,ont fed to cluded in all later editions, but the music it- BASS self is not entirely unworthy of its Han- AFTER WITH LESS DISTORTION S delian attribution even if-now that we know better-it does reveal some signifi- Stereo muddy with volume up? Clem Cm at Higher Volum Heavy bass causing speaker cant stylistic differences and only remotely howl? These are symptoms of TOP QUALITY GEAR 11" approaches the Old Master's grandeur and acoustic feedback ca sed by speaker vibrations being coupled to your phono cartridge, via floor and furni- LOWEST PRICES inventiveness. It has its own delightful mo- ture. The result: distortion. Place our handsome vinyl PROMPT DELIVERY ments, though, not least in its stately Si- walnut veneer ACOUSTI-MOUNT shock absorbing platform under your turntable for up to 30013isolation SAVE ON FREIGHT ciliano, all of which are enhanced by excep- Helps evenhigherpricedturntables.Hirsch -Houck tionally tangy oboe parts and the vividly Laboratories report "a record player on an Acousti- SELECTION Mount can actually be placed directly on a loudspeaker dose recording (which, however, is high cabinet with virtually no likelihood of feedback, even enough in modulation level to benefit by at a loud listening level." Jolla. Hirsch ler STEREO BSR REVIEW: "We doubt that any other $15 investment GARRARD lowering the playback level). could make such an improvement in a record -playing KENWOOD DYNACO The Boyce concertos (two of four long system."Forfurtherreductionofstructure -borne forgotten and unpublished) aren't quite up vibration,useourcompression -dampeningpolished B.I.C. SANSUI aluminum -finish SPEAKER PODS under the four corners to the best of his "symphonies," but they of your speakers-for up to 40dB isolation. They let DUAL PIONEER yen play your stereo louder without disturbing your add considerably to our appreciation of neighbors! Use more bass, getless distortion. May and more than 50 others Boyce's creative range. The E minor work is allow reduced tone arm tracking pressure for longer stylus life. Guaranteed to increase your stereo's per- fascinating for its frank use of Messiah mo- formance or your money back! PLEASE REQUEST PRICE QUO- tives, given somewhat more homespun t- - - - - SEND TODAY - - - - - treatment than Handel's own but marked NETRONICS R&D LTD.. Dept. HF-9 Phone (203) 354-9375 TATIONS ON YOUR CHOICE by a distinctive if quite different person- 333 Litchfield Road, New Milford, CT 06776 OF QUALITY STEREO GEAR ality. However, the most arresting and un- Please send: SATISFACTION OR MONEY BACK expectedly delectable works are the flute _16x13Y2 Agouti -Mountturntableplatform at $15.00 plus $1.50 postage & handling and oboe concertos (respectively, Nos. 8 _19x131/2Aceeoti-Mountturntableplatform at and 12 of a set of twelve published by $17.50 plus $1.50 postage 8 handling. Component Walsh in 1727) by the flutist/composer Rob- _Speaker Pods at $11.95 per speaker (4 pods) plus $1.50 postage & handling per order (Speakers ert Woodcock, who doesn't even rate cita- over 45 lbs. Need 2 extra pods per 15 lbs. wgt tion in most reference books and whose Total enclosed (Conn. resadd sales tax) $ Discounters brief entry in Grove's can supply only a "?" (Canadian residents please add $1.00 per item.) for both birth and death dates. Whenever Name Dept. 9HF he was born and died, Woodcock was once Address 17565Meadowood not only very much alive, but gifted with City State Zip Lathrup Village, Michigan 48076 both a sense of puckish humor and poi- O Check to receive information or direct drive turf L table kits. 313-559-1270 gnant songfulness. And he is given belated -J justice by Dobson and the superb soloists, CIRCLE 31 ON READER -SERVICE CARD oboist Neil Black and flutist William Ben- nett. R.D.D...... WILHELM KEMPFF: Bach, Handel, and Gluck Arrangements. Wilhelm Kempff, piano. [Ru- AUDIO dolf Werner, prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON SAVE 2530 647, $7.98. CONSUMER STEREO Kempff, who comes from a family of organ- NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL STEREO ists, actually began to play that instrument OVER 80 BRANDSSTOCKED before his legs were long enough to reach ytarHEADQUARTERS the pedals. This collection of his own ar- For Famous Brand PHASE LINEAR SANSUI rangements reflects that interesting cross- PIONEER BIC pollination of baroque Lutheran organ tra- Electronics By Mail DYNACO TEAC dition and secular Romantic pianism. One 1150 N. Powis Rd., West Chicago repeatedly hears Kempff's fondness for ripe III. 60185 (312) 293-1825 KENWOOD A -R bass tones and sensual harmonic richness All OrdersShipped In AKAI SONY allied to a penchant for penetrating clarity Factory -Sealed Cartons ALTEC-LANSING and austere starkness. Whereas Dame Write Or Call For Myra Hess's more famous version of "Jesu The lowest Prices bleibet meine Freude" is purely pianistic in Anywhere! its quiet, flowing simplicity, Kempff's ver- ...... sion-more angular and sometimes more Wisconsin dramatic-makes one conscious of reedy MILLION SSS INVENTORY pipes and ringing ambience. Particularly ef- Discount fective, in terms of both arrangement and LOWEST PRICES ON performance, is the "Wir danken Dir, Gott, RECEIVERS TURNTABLES TUNERS SPEAKERS CHANGERS CARTRIDGES wir danken Dir," which turns out to be TAPE DECKS AMPLIFIERS HEADPHONES Audio none other than an enriched version of the CALCULATORS COMPACTS CAR AUDIO lessot rich:78..! R1:160,85 famed Preludio of the E major Violin Par- 101) Discount Audit) tita. Kempff creates a dazzling array of col- (312)293-1825 Please write or phone for price HF-9 ors and timbres here, and though Roman- Date quotations on your choice ticism runs rampant, it never runs amok (as Please sena me a quote on of audio equipment in Rachmaninoff's far less tasteful bowd- lerization). MR MS 2517Whalen Lane Kempff's octogenarian fingers can still Madison, Wisconsin 53713 handle intricate patterns and part-writing with brilliant precision, and what a won- 608 - 271-6889 derful ear he has for color and texture! He CIRCLE 44 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 48 ON READER -SERVICE CARD 114 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE creates a velvety legato through a combina- however, with the MacDowell Woodland tion of digital flexibility and resourceful Sketches. First of all, Hiller labors under pedaling, and he is not loath to show his the misapprehension that MacDowell got bare fists when an assertive phrase dictates. his idea for poetic titles from Schumann, Indeed, some listeners may be slightly put something that is contradicted by history: if off by the prominence he gives to the inner he got the idea from anyone, it was from chorale voice in "Wachet auf" or the afore- Grieg. Second. the set is perversely called mentioned "Jesu bleibet meine Freude," but Op. 61 throughout: itis Op. 51. Third, no- I love the mixture of gentility and stubborn where are the names or numbers of the cho- toughness. sen five Sketches (out of the ten in the set) DG's sound again recalls the deep, solid specified. For those who are curious, they pickup given Kempff's mono Beethoven so- are (in order of appearance): "A Deserted nata cycle, and the surfaces are flawless. Farm" (No. 8), "From Uncle Remus" (No. 7), H.G. "At an Old Trysting-Place" (No. 3), "By a Build a high -qual- Meadow -Brook" (No. 9), and "Told at Sun- ity.multi -element PIANO MUSIC IN AMERICA: Vol.2, set" (No. 10). stereo speaker B 1900-45. Roger Shields, piano. Vox And the abridgment of the work leads to withthisand a SVBX 5305, $10.98 (three discs). a strange editorial decision in the finale. In staple gun and save up to 50% ANTHER.: Sonata No 2 (Airplane) B . Sonata. Op. his notes Hiller makes much of the fact that over the cost of ready -built 26Fuga: Nocturne. Op 33 CARPENTER: Impromptu. "Told at Sunset" quotes "rather exten- speakers. No cabinetry. No soldering. COPLAND: Variations. Coteau.: Exultation; Invention; Aeo- Just affordable quality with a few hours lian Harp, Advertisement. GERSHWIN: Three Preludes. sively" from earlier pieces in the set. The work. Send for our free 48 -page catalog - GRIPPES: Roman Sketches, Op. 7: Nos. 1, 3. HARRIS: So- last seven measures are a (by no means ver- manual if you think you could handle it nata, Op.1.Ivan: The Anti -Abolitionist Riots; Some Southpaw Pitching; Sonata No. 2 (Concord): The Alcotts. batim) quotation from No. 5, "From an In- MACDOWELL: Woodland Sketches, Op. 51: Nos. 3, 7-10. dian Lodge," which is omitted in this I can handle it. HF E PisTon: Passacaglia. RIEGOEN: New and Old (six ex- recording-and so too are those final meas- Send me my free 48 -page catalog-manudi cerpts)Ruocale: Evocations. Scaussatt: Three -Score Set. SESSIONS: From My Diary. Twosome: Sonata No. 3; ures of "Told at Sunset"! Hiller blithely ex- Ten Etudes (two excerpts). plains that they were "cut in this perform- NAME ance, because it [the quotation] would have It seems a bit odd to begin a collection of introduced an extraneous element in this ADDRESS American piano music written between reduced versionofthe Woodland 1900 and 1945 with such way-out pieces as Sketches." CITY STATE LIP Ives's Anti -Abolitionist Riots and Some Nor is the MacDowell the only work Southpaw Pitching, which, though com- given here in abbreviated form. Shields of- posed in 1908 and before, are more unortho- fers only two of Griffes's four Roman dox in sound than any of the other pieces in Sketches, two of Thomson's Ten Etudes, fpeakeelaV the album. But they do emphasize the fact six of the twelve movements in Riegger's Dept HF-E. 550035th NE. Seattle. WA 98105 that Ives walked alone, and that in a New and Old, and the finale from Barber's chronological sense his career was basi- piano sonata. Rarely, however. has so cally finished by the end of World War I. much American music of the first half of Following these wild little works with the our century been set forth with such clarity details far less radical "Alcotts" movement from and sympathy, and the engineering is excel- A DIFFERENT KIND the Concord Sonata makes for a clever lent. I.L. FREEOF RECORD CLUB transition back to the miniatures of Edward TREMENDOUS SAVINGS MacDowell, the impressionistic essays of FREDERiC FinwsKI: On evert record and tape in print Charles Tomlinson Griffes, and the accom- Piano Recital. Frederic no agree to purchaseobligations of any kind plished academicism of John Alden Car- Rzewski, piano. [Ilhan Mimaroglu, prod.] FIN- DISCOUNTS OF 43% TO 73% penter, the composers chosen (according to NADAR SR 9011, $6.98. eimfg suggested listspecial catalog RI=Mt Variations on "No Place to Go but Around." tea' ,ii', hundreds of titles and artists Lejaren Hiller's program booklet) to repre- BRAXTOtt P-JOS4K-D-(MIX) EISLER: Sonata No 3 ALL LABELS AVAILABLE sent American music written before World ,n-luaing most imports through special custom War I. ordering service -guarantees satisfaction The 1900-45 period, says Hiller, breaks SCNWANN CATALOG RECORD MART Advertisement lists thousands of titles naturally into three parts: the years before classical pop on country etc the First World War, the 1920s, and the r 1 DISCOUNT DIVIDEND CERTIFICATES years between the Depression and World KING KAROL'S NEW EVERYDAY Dividend Gifts -certificates War II. (This strikes me as an exceedingly redeemable immediately for extra discounts strange-and historically faulty-break- NEWSLETTERS down.) The 1920s are represented here by LOW PRICE POLICY! informational news and happenings in the Henry Cowell, George Antheil, George ON EVERYTHING ALL LABELS' norld of music special super sale listing, SUPER -FAST MAIL ORDER SERVICE DISCOUNTACCESSORY GUIDE Gershwin, Roy Harris, and Aaron Copland Diamond needles cloths tape cleanerset,: (some curious choices!), while 1930-45 is MFG. SUGG. RECORDS OUR QUICK SERVICE typified by Carl Ruggles, Roger Sessions, LIST PRICE same day shipping on many orders Virgil Thomson, William Schuman, Walter 3413 2.79 rarely later than the next several days Piston, Wallingford Riegger, and Samuel 4,98 3.79 100% IRON -CLAD GUARANTEES 5,48 4.19 -all pr dui'.. Arid ,er, , Barber. sahstaction is unconditionally guaranteed Among the rarities I found especially in- 648 4.49 7198 5.69 Discount Music Club is a ncobligation membership club teresting were Carpenter's 1913 E flat minor that guarantees tremendous discounts onallstereo Impromptu, Antheil's 1922 Airplane Sonata TAPES records and tapes and lets you buy what you want...when (it is about time, I think, for an Antheil re- .6,98 4.99 you want... or not at allif you choose. 7138 5.99 These are lust a few of the money -saying reasons to write vival), Harris' 1928 Op. 1 Sonata, Thom - for tree details. You can't lose so why notfill out and son's 1930 Sonata No. 3 and the two sam- 8-18 6.99 mail the coupon below for immediate information. ples from his 1943 Ten Etudes, and the six Mail Orders to KING KAROL RECORDS DISCOUNT MUSIC CLUB. INC DEPT. 08-0977 movements from Riegger's 1944 New and Dept. HF, P.O. Box 629, ti 650 Main Street. New Rochelle. N.Y 10801 Old. Roger Shields, currently artist -in -resi- Times Sq. Station, dence for the North Carolina State Arts New York 10036 Name Add 501 fcr 1st item & 251 Council, plays these-and the more familiar for each additional item. Address New York State Residents pieces-with unusual sensitivity and con- City siderable virtuosic bravura. add applicable sales tax. Send $1 for complete catalog State lip Both he and Hiller have great difficulty, CIRCLE 22 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 10 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

SEPTEMBER1977 I i5 ADVERTISING INDEX Pap No. Kay No. Big titles, empty music. Nowhere in his Hungarian -born. English -based producer 1 Acoustiphase 112 49 ADC Phono Cartridge, A Division of liner notes does Frederic Rzewski explain Alexander Korda gave the film world some BSR Consumer Products Group 11 either what "No Place to Go but Around" of its most endearing early romances, of 2 Allison Acoustics Inc 44 is, even though his extended composition is both the swashbuckling and the fairy tale - 3 Angel Records 101 fantasy varieties. Of the latter, The Thief of 4 Audio Discount Warehouse 149 supposed to be variations on it (a pre-exist- Audio Technica U.S. Inc. 16, 102, 103 ing theme? a 1960s catchphrase?), or the Baghdad, begun in 1938 and completed in complete meaning of Braxton's enigmatic 1940, was one of the most ambitious. It has BASF 85 title. At least Rzewski's own composition, a also remained one of the most popular Bose Corp. 22 films of its kind, thanks in large part to its 6 BSR Consumer Products Group 41 big, chordal crescendo -decrescendo with a smooth rhythmic flow and a pseudo -tran- special effects, to the acting by its young In- 7 Carston Studios 110 scendental technique, is pleasant enough to dian star. Sabu, and to the music by Carter. Elliott 110 listen to. But its flashy pianism and militant Korda's compatriot, Miklos R6zsa. 8 Celestion Industries 12 R6zsa's score, his tenth effort for the Classified Ads 146, 147 pretensions (Bandiera Rosso is quoted ex- Component Discounters 114 tensively toward the middle) do not save it films and his fifth for Korda, was the most from sounding like amateurish improvisa- elaborate and developed he had done to 9 DBX, Inc. 45 tion not really worth immortalizing on disc. that date. The almost nonstop musical ac- 10 __Discount Music Club 115 companiment plays such an integral role in Discwasher, Inc 139 Anthony Braxton's P-JOS**4K-D-(MIX) 11 District Sound 73 is typical of any number of performer -ori- the narrative that The Thief of Baghdad 17 Dual 6.7 ented pieces: Its various aleatory puzzles can almost be classified as a film musical- are no doubt fun for the soloist to put to- there are, in fact, several songs that, al- 12 Empire Scientific Corp 62 gether. But to the listener, the music sounds though blended into the music track, are ac- 13 Fried Products Co 149 like yet another in a long string of pointless, tually a part of the action. More important, pointillistic maneuvers with almost no however, are the lush, symphonic episodes 14 Grenadilla Society Records 110 originality, save the use of a few interesting that continually manifest Wass's gift for warm lyricism, spectacle -evoking grand- High Fidelity's Test Reports 143 chords and clusters here and there. 15 Hitachi Sales Corp. 120 Unlike Braxton and Rzewski, both of eur, and exciting, modernistic action music. whom were born in this country, the late Of the ninety -odd minutes of music 16 Icelandic Airlines 141 Hanns Eisler (1898-1962) was born in Ger- Rozsa wrote for Thief, something over forty 18 Illinois Audio 149 are contained on this most recent Film Mu- 19 International Hi-Fi Distributors 112 many, even though he spent eleven years in the U.S. Probably best known for his film sic Collection release. There are those who 20 J & R Music World 112 music and a book he wrote on the subject, will feel that this milestone score deserved 21 JVC America, Inc. 14, 15 Eisler was also a devout socialist who often a double -record set. While this sort of film Kenwood Cover IV became involved in the application of and its music are not entirely my cup of tea, 22 King Karol Records 115 Marxist theory to music. (He did not fail to I regret some of the omissions, in particular 23 Klipsch & Assoc 129 get blacklisted in the McCarthy years and thesinuouslysinister"Silvermaid's 24 Koss Corp. 9 was thereafter forced to leave this country Dance," which strongly hints (as does the Lux Audio of America Ltd. 97 in 1948, just as he had been obliged to seek "Blue Rose" sequence that is included) at exile from Nazi Germany in the 1930s.) Rozsa's later Spellbound and is an essential Marantz Co. 36.39 There is nothing Marxist about his Third facet of the musical narrative. On the other 25 Maxell Corp. of America 55 hand, I am irked by some of the things that 26 Maxell Corp. of America 10 Piano Sonata (1943), however. The style 27 McIntosh 73 strongly recalls that of the Berg piano so- are here. The "Sailor's Song," for example, 28 Memorex Corp 4 nata, minus the latter's expressive depth badly sung by Bruce Ogdon, may bring Micro Seiki 13 and plus a good deal more vigor. More ad- back the movie's opening sequence for 30 Mitsubishi Audio Systems 20, 21 Music Listeners' Book Service 109. 148 vanced in style than Rzewski's variations, some, but I find it an intrusion. Worse still more listenable than the Braxton doodle, is the attempt by one Powell Janes to sound 50 National Record Plan 106 the Eisler sonata bears the mark of sincere like Sabu singing a dreadful little ditty en- 31 Netronics Research & Development ....114 and accomplished musicianship, even if it titled "I Want to Be a Sailor"; the result is Nikko Electric Corp. of America 57.60 is not apt to find a permanent niche in the the sort of thing you would expect from a 32 Olympus Corp. of America 25 repertoire. And, by golly, its title gives a forty -five -year -old TV kiddie -show host. 33 Onkyo 43 clue to what the music is supposed to do. For all this, most of the disc excellently 34 Optonica Electronics 53 As a pianist, Rzewski gives energetic, displays the many sides of Rozsa's skill as a 35 Phase Linear Corp 26 committed performances that show a big, film composer, and it has been beautifully 29 Pioneer High Fidelity Cover II,1 impressive technique. (It is hard to judge recorded and performed by Elmer Bern- his interpretive abilities from the music on stein and the Royal Philharmonic Orches- Radio Shack 51 tra. Rather foolishly, though, most of the Record Mart 115 this disc.) But this is the second Finnadar 36 RTR Industries 24 disc I have heard on which the piano could music was unnecessarilyreconstructed have stood some tuning. The recorded from a piano score by Christopher Palmer 37 Sansui Electronics Corp. 32, 33 sound is quite good. R.S.B. and Anthony Bremner. For although the Save the Children Federation 107 Schwan n Record & Tape Guide 49 jacket notes state that the "original full 38 Scott, H.H., Inc 31 scores have not survived or at least have Sennheiser Electronic Corp 46 not been traced," they do in fact exist in the 39 Shure Brothers, Inc. 71 Syracuse University library. This informa- 40 Sony Corp. of America 90.91 Sound Guard 133 tion was given to Bernstein well before the Speakerlab, Inc. 115 disc went into production but was ignored. 41 Stanton Magnetics 2 At any rate, film -music buffs interested in 42 Stereo Corp. of America 149 Superscope, Inc. 150, Cover III hearing more of the Thief of Baghdad score should try to obtain an English United Art- 43 T DK Electronics 27 ists reissue (UAS 29725) of a 1957 RCA Teac Corp. 34, 134, 135 recording of suites from both Thief and an- Time -Life Records 17-19 44 Top Discount Audio 114 other Korda/Rozsa masterpiece, The Jungle 45 Toshiba America. Inc 47 Book. In spite of the Leo Genn narrations THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD. Original film Score that, although good in their own right, Ultralinear 5 somewhat mask the scores, the music (in- 6, 7 by Miklos Rozsa. Royal Philharmonic Or- 17 United Audio Products chestra, Elmer Bernstein, cond. and prod. cluding the "Silvermaid's Dance") makes 46...... Vanguard Records 105 FILM MUSIC COLLECTIONAlbum 8, $8.00 plus the disc an excellent complement to the 60C handling, to members only (annual mem- new release-and the narration on the 48 ...... Wisconsin Discount Audio 114 United Artists reissue has been modified for Wyeth Press 111 bership $5.00; Elmer Bernstein's Film Music Collection,Box 261, Calabasas,Calif. Thief so that it does not step on the music. Yamaha Audio 29 91302). R.S.B.

116 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE o 3n di cu inc m ccl cn ig3 3. 3 5 z' 3 -. V.% c 7-7 Cr) 0 m C5 0 2 :Z.g y3 - E> -I CF:s-14 0 3 ya- 7. g g 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 I 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 4631 4732 4833 3449 3550 3651 5237 5338 5439 5540 5641 5742 5843 5944 6045 I 4631 4732 4833 4934 3550 5136 5237 5338 5439 5540 41 4257 43 44 45 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 I 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 7156 72 7358 7459 6075 9176 9277 9378 9479 9580 9681 9782 9883 9984 100 85 101 86 102 87 103 88 104 89 105 90 I 9176 9277 9378 9479 9580 9681 9782 8398 9984 100 85 101 86 87 88 89 105 90 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 I 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 102 103 104 N c_ I 117 118 119 120 rzi 121151136 137 138 139 152122 153123 154124 155140125 156141126 142127157 143128158 159144129 145130160 131161146 132162147 133 163148 149 164134 165150135 151136121 152122137 153138123 139 124154 140125 126 127 128 129 130 141 142 143 144 158 145 131161146 147 148 149 150 132 133 134 135 0 p) 7 7(D 7' -1 5 Q (1) m0Ce) o Cca 7 -"- 0cb CL o 159 160 162 165 O ci CD CD - F) FD' 155 156 157 163 164 CDo.> Ct. 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OHIO ..-- CD I G) (r3 - ..... gr S-) 09- -, ,.. - -c, c_art , _ CD 91 95 101 < .c0 ciCD 106 107 92 108 93 109 94 110 111 96 112 97 113 98 114 99 100115 116 102117 103118 104119 105120 BUSINESS REPLY MAIL No Postage Necessary if Mailed in the United States O 717' I ic --=f:. . 0)6713c FD*-- .1 El)cca) 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 o.0 17 C) ,...,-, 151136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 161146 147 148 149 150 Postage will be paid by: co (0r- M at-10a) 7 CL...., a. EI3 4,(0 CDa) 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 162 163 164 165 CD "I NAME_ 1 Sound Avenue -. cpca.- . BCD" :i Cl'le0 0 0a)a: 0CITYADDRESS I am a subscriber 0 I am not a subscriber STATE ZIP EJN1 Marion,FIDELITY Ohio 43302 ..... lj a s p_3 0C co ra2E 2 a ). t, 8 0 5- a) 2 f.0E3Q :E. " !,`r") -w c o) MmEa(i 3 a3 E.ra OCCIC.r OC. `4)g2 0 -0 a.o. -c o mo_:6O'at C CLVm0 c t' DI- o OE0 co 7,3E Cf) .._ . . 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E to ..c a) -.-.cac oco coc co> -- -0 -o a)> t m) ,-,a)0 co) 2 co P.O.Reader Box Service 14306 77 P.O.Reader Box Service 14306 77 -) 0-to -0... 0.12 ._...7.co 0 , .c a) o 0 a) a.- -gym,_ .... -0 0 >- _oTo .c_ E) a C i-.c c a-,2 _o-0co N o?, PINK IVY Cincinnati,Annex Station Ohio 45214 FlurELITYH Cincinnati,Annex Station Ohio 45214 D specialPlease rateenter of: my subscription to HIGH 15 issuesFIDELITY for onlymagazine $9.47 at the E 22 issues for only $13.88 I prefer a full year of High Fidelity/MUSICAL AMERICA. I'll receiveD 33 issues for only $18.87 I Permit No. 111 First Class all of High Fidelity plus 40 pages each month of news and reviews I Cincinnati. Ohio Name opera,of important etc.-for only musical $18.00 happenings throughout the world-concerts, E7JR No postage stamp necessary .1 matted HiBUSINESS the limier' States REPLY MAIL CityAddress State Zip Postage will be paid by- AnnexP.O.Reader Box Station Service 14306 77 High Fidelity -15 issues add $2.00; 22 issues add $4.00; 33 issues add $6.00. High Fidelity/MUSICAL AMERICA-for one year add $2.00. For postage outsideE] payment U.S.A. & possessions:enclosed E bill me FWELITIrH Cincinnati, Ohio 45214 Bargain -basementmusicassettes. Vox Productions, 211 E. 43rd St., New Many American connoisseur collec- York, N.Y. 10017. tors may not know about the mush- rooming numbers of classical music Priceless instrumental voices of the cassettes selling at budget and even past. For what can be saved through bargain prices. For generally these ei- by R. D. Darrell the foregoing economy -class tapes, ther appear overseas and as a rule are even the most budget -conscious con- not brought in by importers like Pe- noisseur may be able to afford the ters International, or they are pro- $23.98 cost of the late David Munrow's duced here primarily for sale via mail- vide no movement details. As always, crowning masterpiece, Angel's 4X3S order or special dealers-and hence the bargain -buyer must take care, but 3810 combination of two Dolby XDR denied SCHWANN listings. I'm in- the best choices offer fine music and cassettes with a sumptuously illus- debted to the knowledgeable conduc- fair to very good sound at what must trated and informative 100 -page book. tor/connoisseur/critic William Rad- be rock -bottom prices. (For catalog Together they bring back to ex- ford -Bennett for calling my attention and dealer information, write Sine hilaratingly pungent life the instru- to the possibility of privately import- Qua Non Productions, 1 West St., Fall ments, individually and in ensemble, ing cassettes in such British budget River, Mass. 02720.) of the Middle Ages and the Renais- lines as EMI's Musicway, Executive, sance. This is without question the and Greensleeves series, DG's Privi- CCC changes. Since my earlier re- finest -ever achievement of its kind, lege and Heliodor, Philips' Sonic and ports on tape -pioneer Julius A. Ko- not only for incredibly expert per- Fontana, English Decca's Ace of Dia- nins' budget mail-order productions, formances on the period and replica monds, etc. Their prices range from there have been changes in name, instruments themselves, but for the around £1.75 to £2.50, which at current prices, and some policies, but none at embodiment of their sounded timbres exchange rates convert to quite rea- all in the highest of Dolby processing in appropriate period pieces delec- sonable dollar costs. But just as I was standards. What's now the Classical table fur their own musical-as well as considering some discussion of the Cassette Company (no longer Club) representational-sake. generallywell -processed examples has nineteen new releases, including Radford -Bennett lent me, it has be- ten normal -length programs drawn Busier than ever majors. Along with come more urgent to hail both the de- from earlier extra -long ones; and the extraordinary Munrow work, but of a novel American series and prices range from $3.95 to $7.95. As be- there are a number of other current news of expanded domestic activity fore, the recordings are mostly Angelreleases,fiveConnoisseur on the part of several other specialist reissues, but a featured one (CCC BP Society/Advent deluxe CR/70 new- labels. 57, $6.95) hasn't yet appeared in any comers, and big batches of new Lon - The newcomer is the Sine Qua Non disc edition: Delius' rhapsodic, magi- dons, Philipses, and RCAs clamoring label, some six years old in the disc cally haunting cello sonata and the for attention-all of them nowadays in world, now expanding into cassettes three fascinating violin sonatas, per- Dolby processings. Of the few I've with more than fifty titles already and suasively played by the respective been able to hear so far (more later), forty more coming soon. Marketing is teams of Alexander Kouguell and Da- I've particularly relished the follow- mainly via bookstores plus some, but vid Hancock and Derry Dean and ing: not all, record dealers; the repertory is Eleanor Hancock, and superbly re- Connoisseur Society/Advent E 1052 so far confined almost exclusively to corded and processed. and 1053 ($7.95 each), which demon- reissues of older recordings and some Impressive in different ways are the strate how a master virtuoso, the Ar- relatively new ones not previously re- firsttaping of Mussorgsky's Kho- gentinian Bruno Leonardo Gelber, leased in the U.S. I've certainly never vanshchina in the powerful if rough can freshly illuminate even such often encountered a better bargain than the Margaritov/Sofia National Opera ver- and well recorded standards as the double -play Dolby cassette (SQN 147) sion (CCC CP 48/49, $15.90; libretto two Brahms piano concertos. They of the 1964 Ristenpart/Saar Chamber $2.00 additional) and a set of thirteen are played here with Decker and the Orchestra versions of the four Bach "Popular Symphonic Marches" (CCC Munich Philharmonic (No. 1) and suites for $3.98. (That's the normal A 58, $3.95) by Winograd and the Vir- with Kempe and the Royal Philhar- selling price; there is a "suggested re- tuoso Symphony of London-a 1960 monic (No. 2) in exceptional, noble retail price" of $5.98.) And among the Audio Fidelity spectacular stillre- corded performances and well-nigh singles (suggested retail price $4.98, markable for its vivid sonic presence. ideal cassette processings. but sticker -priced $2.98 each), there's (For the complete 1977 catalog, write London CS5 6881 and 7032 ($7.95 another rejuvenated old-timer in the the Classical Cassette Company, 118 each), respectively Alicia de Lar- Basch/Reinartz program of familiar Route 17, Upper Saddle River, N.J. rocha'snear -definitivesurveyof baroque trumpet concertos (SQN 07458.) Manuel de FaIle's piano works and 7753) and a sonically up-to-date (1975) the first new recording in some years Stravinsky program (L'Histoire du . With more to come. Besides other of the lively Meyerbeer-Lambert bal- soldat, Dumbarton Oaks Concerto, SQN and CCC cassettes (and possibly let Les Patineurs, augmented by Mas- wind octet) crisply played by the some of the latest from Everest/Olym- senet's Le Cid ballet suite and Ariane Nash Ensemble under Elgar Howarth pic), I hope to report soon on the ex- excerpts, robustly recorded by Bon- (SQN 2011). panded production of Musical Heri- ynge and the National Philharmonic. However, another recent issue from tage Society cassettes ($4.95 each to Philips 7300 517/8 ($7.95 each), with the EMI Classics for Pleasure series, MHS members) and the new series, Colin Davis and the Boston Sym- Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony by distributed by Vox itself, of Vox/Can- phony continuing their Sibelius sym- the promising young conductor of the dide/Turnabout programs ($4.98 phony series begun with Nos. 5 and 7 Halle Orchestra, James Loughran, is each). The complete 1977 MHS disc more than a year ago. Popular favor- less satisfactorily processed in SQN catalog with cassette equivalents is ites No. 1 (with Finlandia) and No. 2 2008 than in its British Musicway edi- available for $1.00 from the Musical here are given arrestingly fresh read- tion. And while all SQN cassettes are Heritage Society, MHS Building, Oak- ings, magnificent orchestral playing, Dolby, there are no notes, and some la- hurst, N.J. 07755. And for a leaflet list- and warmly lucid recording. Out- bels (like those of the Bach suites) pro - ing its first fifty cassette releases, write standing triumphs all around.

SEP I EMBER 1977 119 Output shaft (Record guide) PS -58 PHONO MOTOR 2 Motor: Unitorque DC servo motor 16 -pole gear motor Rotor automatic mechanism Wow & flutter: 0.025% W R. M. S. S/N ratio: 74dB Magnet (8 -pole) CARTRIDGE Type: Vertical magnet type Frequency response: 20Hz-20.000Hz

Speed control

Drive coil x 2 ..41141111

4 Yoke

Ball Cap

Brushless. Slotless. And Coreless. For flawless direct -drive operation. Hitachi's Unitorque Motor. Hitachi's Unitorque motor turntable ispulsations. In fact the performance is so unlike any other turntable in the world. perfect...tests show wow and flutter at Brushless. Slotless. And coreless. It 0.025%, an almost 40% improvement uses two star -shaped flat coils for bal- over conventional motors. The torque ancing and distributing torque evenly. generated is even, balanced, almost The unitorque motor is a non - flawless. commutator DC servo motor with an And when you generate flawless 8 -pole rotary magnet and flat, square torque, you not only get flawless speed. coil configuration. The construction is You get what you really want in a turn- HITACHI completely free from brushes, slots and table. When a company cares, cores, and free from motor "cogging" or Flawless music. it shows. Hitachi Sales Corporation of America, 401 West Artesia Boulevard, Compton, California 90220 Herbie Hancock's Fifth Incarnation by Len Lyons

uick. throw in another patch!" shouts the en- The ARP signal takes off across the sea of multicolored gineer. Like a kid with a new toy (and look- lc\ el indicators on the San Francisco Au:omatt's 32 - ing like a kid with his new hairstyle). Herbie Hancock track hoard. is bent over an ARP 2600. He strikes a key and yells "We can't lock into the rig it beam anyntore,"en- back. "Take that, you guys-we'll get 'ern this time!" gineer Fred Catero cautions. :throwing switches with both hands. The author, a !me -lance writer and contributing "Fire phaser 1." his assistant advises. editor toDown Beat.won the 1976 Ralph J. Gleason Then the phone rings. and it's producer David Memorial Awa.-d for fit:: friticism. Rubinson. the boss. He been listening is on remote

4- CIRCLE 15 ON READER-SERVCE CAME speakers in his office upstairs. The road manager is in "Little by little, things that happened in the stu- the control room and answers the phone: "Hello, Mis- dio became more prominent in the shaping of the mu- sion Control. ... No, this is the soundtrack for Star sic. Now I go in with a basic drum, bass, and piano Wars." The overdub ends with a round of laughter. chart sketch. When it comes to the other instruments, After the playback, Herbie is not so lighthearted. especially synthesizers, I never know what I want until "That's hazerei," he decides. "Is that how you say it?" I hear it. The recording process itself becomes part of Catero, Herbie's engineer since the "Headhunters" al- the composition of the music. bum, assures him that it is. Hazerei is Yiddish for junk. "I even work that way at home with my eight - Herbie is not upset, however, because this is all track recorder and all the keyboards around me. I'll start off with an idea, do an overdub, and then see how "I think music is better things are coming out. I'll have to admit it makes me than it's ever been, not worse." kind of lazy-I don't put too much down on paper anymore. Paper is slow. By the time I'd write some things part of his new process of composition. Keyboards are down, the idea would be lost." no longer his only instrument, though they are legion Herbie's "finished product" has come under fire (the Oberheim and Yamaha polyphonic synthesizers, in recent years, ever since he deserted pure jazz for an the ARP 2600, Odyssey, and Pro Soloist, ARP's String allegedly longstanding desire to play like James Ensemble, Hohner's Clavinet, the Fender Rhodes Brown and Sly Stone. His music was soon known as electric and Yamaha electric grand pianos, not to funk, or as the aficionados tend to pronounce it, overlook the Baldwin acoustic in the studio for this "fonck." Now there is a lingering debate over whether session). The newest instrument is the recording stu- Hancock is a populist hero who communicates with dio itself. Herbie improvises his music, which he often the masses or simply a sellout to commercial taste. His refers to as "the finished product," on the Automatt's detractors claim he was making more lasting music in new computerized overdubbing system. the Sixties with his sparkling acoustic solos with Miles "It all began when we were doing 'Crossings' and Davis' band, and in the lush harmonics of his `Sextant.' " he explains. (These were the Warner al- "Maiden Voyage" and "Speak Like a Child" albums bums by Herbie's avant-garde octet of the late Sixties, on Blue Note, the adventurous Warner LPs, or his in- which he eventually disbanded as insolvent.) "Patrick dividual compositions such as Watermelon Man or the Gleeson was playing synthesizers for us, but we expansive scores for Blow Up and Fat Albert Rotunda. weren't doing much with overdubs. Then, during one "There might have been more happening musi- session, our equipment manager turned on a random cally in a technical sense," is Hancock's counter to his resonator which picked up and filtered all the noises in critics, "but that's not the criterion of good music. My the studio. We really liked parts of the tape and made definition of good music is what feels good. I try not to a loop by stretching it across the desks, file cabinets- listen to music from a technical standpoint. I hear mu- everywhere! We spliced together what we wanted and sic the way a normal person hears it. Look, it's ob- used it as a rhythm track for Rain Dance on 'Sextant.' vious-most people don't respond to the Warners and

122 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Blue Note music. If they liked it. they'd buy it. Isn't technical capabilities. "The sound isn't hyped," he that how it works?" says. "but it's not dull either. I have to be very careful Perhaps. But that argument may ignore the de- not to get gimmicky because electronics do lend them- gree of promotion he's received from Columbia, his selves to it. The only way I know to avoid it is to use label since the 1973 release of "Headhunters," which your own musical taste. It's not the nature of synthe- turned gold. And what if pop audiences have been sizers to be gimmicky. so it isn't fair to blame the ma- sold the simpler and more easily repeatable style? In chines. The machines just do what you tell them to." any case, one thing about Hancock's argument is cer- As films are made in the cutting room. Hancock's music often takes shape in the editing session after all "When you cut, the tendency the playing is done. But there are pitfalls. which he's learned to avoid. "When you cut, the tendency is to is to save all the hot parts. save all the hot parts. But that doesn't work. If you put But that doesn't work." all the hot parts together, you lose the contrast. you don't get the tension and release, and it decreases the tain: This straightforward, congenial. and articulate heat of the hottest parts." musician believes it steadfastly. For a talented composer. there are unavoidable "I think music is better than it's ever been, not consequences of cutting. One of them for Herbie is worse," he adds. "There's a lot more variety, more in- that his pieces with improvisation usually end up telligence in the arrangements. more creativity in the pared down to... well, AM listening size. "I can write structure. I'm just not very critical of music these days longer compositions for an album, but nobody's ever because, for the most part, I like what I hear. I'm not going to hear them. They would be too long for air- tired of funk either." play. People's span of attention stretches three to five Most significantly, he is in the midst of another minutes. After that they'll change the station. metamorphosis. The album that he was working on at "It used to be like cutting off a piece of my body. the Automatt (due out in late fall) may please even his Now I say. go ahead! Cut out my solo. I don't care. I'm erstwhile fans. Aside from channeling more creative not married to it as much as I used to be. and I think thought into the recording process, his music seems that's good. You can become self-indulgent if you're to have developed an orderly complexity and depend- not careful. To think every moment in your music is ability that give it a sense of constant motion. When something people want to hear! You might want to I described the playbacks as "not funky, but rhythmi- hear it. but that doesn't mean the guy sitting next to cally baroque," he laughed: "I never thought of it that you wants to hear all that crap. You can become too way, but I'd have to agree with you. I think it's the way personal about your own music, and I don't want to be the different instruments interplay rhythmically." that way." The arranging also seems to have greater clarity The fact that Hancock refers to his own music as and better definition of the musical voices, a virtue hazerei and crap, even jokingly, is provocative. Cer- that Herbie modestly attributes to the Automatt's tainly he has no reason to be so self -deprecating. But there is an effort to become "egoless." deriving from his commitment to Nisherin Shoshu Buddhism. He claims that it was while chanting the sect's mantra, "nam myoho renge kyo" (literally translated as devotion, mystic law, cause and effect, vibration), that he was liberated from the "intellectual snobbery" of jazz. Buddhism is still prominent in his life, and he believes that through chanting he has become more perceptive about himself. "My wife [Gigi] isn't a Buddhist -yet. She tells everyone she gets the benefit of my practicing." Interestingly, Herbie speaks only of practicing Buddhism, not music. "I've been spending more time on myself as a human being. rather than as a musician. I'm trying to be a better husband and father [he has one daughter, Jessica, age seven]. I figure if I succeed in that, it will be reflected in my music anyway." Back in the Automatt's control room. engineer Ca- tero tells Herbie: "Get the sound a little edgier. a little sawtoothier, a little square -wavier, if you know what I mean. I think the decay is too long." Herbie has a different idea. and he tries another patch on the synthesizer. "Hmmm. let's see what we've got now." he mutters. The process continues. He improvises another track. a revised composition. and very likely part of his new musical identity.

SEPTEMBER 1977 123 Automated Radio: The Future Is Upon Us by Todd Everett

Does your favorite radio station sound better There are three types of multiple -cartridge ma- lately? Do the announcers sound more profes- chines currently in use. One is a carousel, in which sional, the music brighter and more consistent? Or twenty-four cartridges rotate around a hub/playback don't you pay enough attention to notice any differ- head combination. The others are of the stacking -tray ence? Well, listen closer. Because chances are what type, one with a separate playback mechanism for you're hearing is a result of the biggest revolution in each cartridge tray in the system, the other with a radio since the 30 -record playlist: automated radio. single playback head for all and a motor that locates Automated stations broadcast every type of mu- and cues each cartridge as it is needed. All three sys- sic, from country to classical, across this continent, Eu- tems have their advantages and disadvantages-the rope, and Asia. Virtually every one of the 7,500 or so carousel seems to be falling into disfavor due to its stations in the U.S. is affected by it in varying degrees. relative clumsiness and frequent upkeep problems, al- A totally automated station can run completely by though it should be pointed out that most station computer -directed hardware for days at a time with- equipment needs all but constant maintenance. out a human being within shouting distance. In fact, although the process is less than twenty years old, "A totally automated station about 20% of this country's stations are currently computer -run, including many of the highest -rated in the can run ...for days at a time biggest markets. without a human being The key to the whole system is the programming within shouting distance." cartridge or "cart," a piece of hardware that looks something like a standard 8 -track cartridge and works Of course it soon became evident to station man- in the same, endless -loop way though at 71/2 ips rather agers that if all other elements of their programming than the familiar 33/4. Jingles and most commercial could be automated, there should be a way to elimi- copy have been on tape for years; more recently, pro- nate the disc jockey as well. There was-record all of gram staffers in tightly formatted stations have been the patter in advance. With this in mind, the reasons prerecording their playlist cuts on cartridges. The ben- for automation's rapid ascent become self-evident. efits are many. Any sound enhancements-re-equal- Some of those reasons cause even the medium's ization for a punchier sound, slight speeding up for strongest proponents to become squeamish about brightness, editing to desired playtime-can be made being quoted. Most station managers I've talked to in advance. Also, there's no chance of playing the say that they're either considering it or have done it wrong side or of putting a scratchy copy on the air, for reasons of quality control. The guy down the street, and cueing is instantaneous and sure. though, has done it because it's cheaper. Both justifi- Early on, a disc jockey or his engineer would cations are valid. manually insert cartridges into a player and press the Quality can be controlled, goes the argument, be- ON button at the appropriate time to start the prere- cause the announcer's voice tracks can be prerecorded music, commercial, news, weather, special recorded. Pronunciation mistakes and fumbles can be port, contest, etc. Later, a switching system was devel- corrected. Program content can be predetermined ab- oped: A 25 -Hz cue tone coded onto a cartridge or solutely, an important factor in these days of sophis- open -reel tape automatically triggered a relay, stop- ticated programming methods and highly paid con- ping one cart and starting another. Computer memory sultants. As one particularly candid general manager units followed, and soon the cycle was limited theoret- says, "You can design the most perfect format in the ically only by the number of tape decks available to world and have an announcer foul it up because he in- the station. Human hands, even to change tapes, could terjects his own tastes." There's no danger ofthatif the be eliminated. patter is recorded in advance.

124 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Also, taping can be done anywhere and by any dreds of thousands of dollars, what with doing com- announcer or personality. Syndication of these voices mercials. hosting TV game shows, and all the rest. But has become a highly lucrative business, as it can make there aren't many of that quality around. What there any 250 -watt rural station sound for all practical pur- areplenty of is the guys who are making two dollars an poses like the big city's highest -rated 50,000-watter. hour and who sound like it. Automation eliminated And why not? They use the same golden -toned dee- that problem." jays. Syndicators are careful that the same voice isn't What it also eliminates is jobs. Since the an- heard on competing stations in the same market, and nouncer doesn't have to wait through each song or some voices have a variety of air names for different news report, it takes him only half an hour to record a stations. tour -hour shift. One can easily do the work of the six "Having your local staff has its advantages, of or so who generally man a station. This, say the station course," cautions a major -market program director. managers, frees the staff to prepare their ad libs for the "The right guys can talk about local ball games, for in- next day, write ad copy, sell air time to sponsors, cruise stance, or what's happening down at the corner store, the local high school, sweep the studio, and still have and it'll come out interesting. But how many right time to read "Help Wanted" inBroadcasting. guys are there? The top -rated jocks on a major station Among the strongest opponents of automated ra- can make upwards of $50.000 a year. Some earn hun- dio are the schools that prepare the average voice on the street for a high -paying career on the air. (Colum- bia School of Broadcasting and Don Martin are two, along with the matchbook type.) Most of the careers aren't that high -paying to begin with, and the number of openings is decreasing rapidly. Industry estimates indicate that only about five hundred people per year are hired as new, full-time disc jockeys, and that the average deejay earns less than $200 a week. The number of engineers, too, is cut down radically when a station automates. Although a typical nonautomated station may have two or more licensed engineers on call to maintain and repair equipment (larger stations have engineers "produce" shows as well, handling the records and tape and freeing the "It soon became evident to station managers that ... there should be a way to eliminate the disc jocicey."

deejay to simply announce), an automated station needs only one engineer to swab tape heads, grease wheels, and occasionally plug in a new printed circuit board. The Federal Communications Commission requires that one minimally licensed person be present at the transmitter at all times to read and log power dials and the like. Automated stations can even eliminate that person: KRLT in South Lake Tahoe, Cali- fornia, for instance, has had its meters installed near the telephone switchboard of a nearby hotel. When there's no one in the studio or at the transmitters-after working hours or on weekends, for instance-hotel operators, holding the required and not -hard -to -get certifications, perform the monitoring and logging. A '" Still another personnel problem is eliminated by V V. automation, at least at present. With the government's strong minority hiring requirements, station owners are feeling strong pressure to hire more members of various social and ethnic groups than they may feel prudent. Their automated format, of course, serves as a disqualifier and transfers any pressure to the out-of- Top: A typical automation setup: Commercials are in curt racks at left, music is on the four open reels. town syndicator. Bottom: Cartridge rack of the single -playback head variety, And then there are those stations "down the one for each vertical bank. street" who transfer to automation to save money.

SEPTEMBER 1977 125 How much money? A lot. An automated system that from any telephone. After completion of the live in- does everything except transmit broadcast signals sert. the computer will continue the scheduled pro- costs anywhere from $20,000 to $70.000 complete. gram, in correct sequence. Routine equipment mal- That investment can be amortized and depreciated: functions, such as tape breakage, can be automatically disc jockeys' and engineers' salaries can't be. Further. located and corrected within half a second. The com- a sophisticated system can be leased for less than puter can even turn room lights on and off and start $1.200 a month, a price that puts it within the range of the morning coffee pot. Its program can be adjusted just about anybody who has enough money to buya station in the first place. "Among the strongest opponents... But what exactly can a sophisticated automation are the schools that prepare system do? First, it can broadcast music, commercials. and prerecorded patter in any predetermined order. the average voice on the street That order can be changed at any time by simply typ- for a high- paying career on the air." ing new commands into a computer via a standard typewriter keyboard. The program can be interrupted via a terminal located anywhere in the world, as long for network -feed newscasts or local time and weather as there are telephone lines to the station-the pro- signals. Live reporters in the field-at the scene ofa gram director's living room, for instance, or a studio breaking news story, from a sponsor's place of busi- that is some distance from the transmitter. Every com- ness, or anywhere else-can signal the computer with mand can be recorded for after -the -fact study. and all a remote device that looks like a cross between a calcu- broadcasted material can be automatically logged on lator and a pocket beeper to put them on the air direct an output terminal that looks and works something like

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01:5,:.:1'SPO 11 ',1 01:53:6PN 15 61 Tir,LE Oi:50:5P3 12 01 MUSIC 02: 01:33-001 iS 01 MUSIC 02:05:18011 10 41 TIME 02:05:240E 14 01 MUSIC 02:07:42PM 01 36 wESTERN AIRLINES (3 FOR 2) :60 CM 02:03:4100 Di 21 NEUSUEEK MkGRZINE 'COVER STORY':30 CM 02:09:11PM 11 OD MUSIC 02:11:5300 15 OD JINGLE 02:12:02PM 12 OD MUSIC 02:14:53PM 13 OD MUSIC 02:19:25PM 10 OD TIME 02:19:26PM 14 OD MUSIC 02:22:31PM 01OD GENERAL TELEPHONE 'THINK. TWICE' :60 CM 02:23:30PM 01 23 FORD 'GRANADA' :60 CM 02:24:29PM 11 OD MUSIC 02:23:16P3 15 OD JINGLE 02:28:2PM 12 DD MUSIC 02:31:42PM 13 OD MUSIC 02:33:58PM 10 OD TIME The above program log 02:33:59PM 14 OD MUSIC output terminal records 02:36:54PM 11 00 MUSIC every piece of music. every 02:39:42PM 01 32 REIEL'S MESS' SHOPS :30 CM 02:40:11PM 01 13 MULTI -SCRUB 'TESTIMONIALS' :30 CM commercia4 time signal, 02:40:41PM 15 OD JINGLE special insert, etc. to 02:40:45PM 12 00 MUSIC the I/100th of a second. 02:44:P2PM 13 DO MUSIC

126 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE a teletypewriter.That devicecan be interfaced with a time is called for. the playback head is engaged. (The system that automates billing to clients. telling them system usually uses two cartridges, one with even and exactly when and how longto the hundredth of a sec- one with odd minutes. to allow for cueing and recy- ond -each commercial ran. And all of this equipment cling time.) Local temperature readings are produced can run unattended for up to three da s at a time! in the same way- by recording every possible temper- Do the systems sound automated? They can and ature in advance. A sensor located outside the station often do sound mechanical. This is especially true on so-calledbeautiful -musicstations.playingback- ground material often referred to as "wallpaper." Se- "The unions are pricing lections are curtly back -announced with no emotion their members right out of whatsoever, and the disc jockey sounds as though he is the business." working a twenty -four-hour shift. But a carefully pro- grammed system can fool all but the most alert of listeners. Announcers can prerecord jokes. telephone determines what reading will be cued up at any par- calls, conversations with a real or imaginary partner. ticular time. More usually. though. weather reports make intentional mistakes. and do just about anything are recorded with each news update. The only require- else that a spontaneous. on -the -air deejay can. Time ment is that the voice giving the time or temperature checks are inserted by the computer from a prere- be either the same as that of the preprogrammed mu- corded reel, using a system similar to the telephone sic announcer (this is done in advance. shift -by -shift) company's. First, every minute of the day is recorded or otherwise accounted for ("... and now, here's Joe by an announcer. Then the computer automatically Smith with the weather"). advances that tape minute by minute. and. when the There are mistakes. of course, and not always intentional ones designed to confuse the listener. Mis- cues do take place from time to time. and are generally the fault of whoever put the 25 -Hz signal on the program source. The computer's time clocks are dead accurate: If a network news feed isn't timed exactly. the newscaster may find himself cut off early by the return to local programming, and if the network put it on too early. his report might start in the middle of a sen- tence. Equipment breakdown does occur. though much of it can be corrected before the audience becomes aware of it. Proponents of automation point out that the computers make far fewer errors than their human counterparts. If there is a battle between the revolution's advo- cates and opponents --and there surely is-quality is not the main issue. It is money, both profits to the station and losses to those displaced by automation. In many markets, automated stations have captured the highest ratings and demand the highest premium for advertising time. There was a recent ratings upheaval in Los Angeles when KRLA, an automated outlet for a strange combination of rock oldies and contemporary sounds, beat out long-established Top -40 shouter KHJ. for years the undisputed champion of the teeny - bop market. (At least two more of the area's currently top -ten -rated stations are fully automated, one a soft - rocker and one an outlet for beautiful music.) But even when the live stations can demand higher rates from sponsors. automation's lower overhead, particularly in markets where the engineers' and air talent's unions are strongest, generates higher profits. even to lower -rated stations. To put it another way. the unions are pricing their members out of the business. And. especially since the system's proponents are for the most part station owners- the ones who have and spend the money --automation is surely the shape of radio's future. Arguments against it may be valid. Top: Input terminal for programming automation equipment. but for now radio promises to become as centralized "Time of day" is current; "address code," "source/function," and homogenized as television. and "spot/ sec" determine what will be played and when. Bottom: Time signal cartridges with odd -numbered minutes Next month, BACKBEAT'S music -business consultant, on the top machine. even -numbered minutes on the bottom. Jim Melanson, will discuss syndicated radio.

SEP ['EMBER 1977 127 Input Output Instruments and Accessories

Quantum Audio QM -168 Recording be assigned to four different buses for a blessing for installations where space is Console. For those about to build an 8 - mixing. The back of the Model QM -168 at a premium. The QM -168 retails for track recording facility or add a 16 -track has thirty-two XLR connectors for mi- S5.900. remix capability to an existing studio. crophone and line inputs, two for echo CIRCLE 121 ON READER -SERVICE CARD Quantum Audio has a new mixing desk send and two for echo return, and eight thatis a cut above the boards in the more for program outputs. Phone jacks Acoustic 115 Amplifier. "I his is a very at- 52.000-S4.000 price range. The QM -I68 include control -room monitor, studio tractive instrument whose well-defined. has sixteen inputs. each with a mike/line monitor, and cue output. Molex connec- recessed control panel uses status lights selector and a 15 -dB switchable pad at tors are also mounted in the back panel (LEDs) to indicate power. revert,, and the mike preamp. Two echo send pots. for connecting the power supply, an op- volume conditions. There are two inputs two cue send pots. a panpot. eight bus se - tional patchbay. and optional 16-chan- marked 0 and -10. the latter for instruments with a higher signal output. Adja- cent to them is the BRIGHT switch, followed by the VOLUME. BASS. MIDRANGE. and TREBLE controls. REVERB and MASTER VOLUME are both activated by means of a durable external footswitch (supplied). making it possible to have two preset volumes, one for lead and one for rhythm playing. The decay of the reverb unitis exceptionally smooth, and the range of both volume controls very broad. Aside from FOOTSW ITCH. back -panel jacks include PREAMP OUTPUT and POWER AMP INPUT for patching in an external -effects device such as an equalizer Quantum Audio QM 168 Recording Console or echoplex. In the studio. PREAMP OUT- PUT can also be used to drive a direct line lect switches. mute (cut) and momentary nel direct units. Phantom powering for to the board without interrupting the sig- solo switches. and a low -noise conduc- condensor microphones is also available nal to the power amp. (On some of the tive plastic fader are also included in as an option. models, a notation under PREAMP OUT- each module. The equalizers are three - Microphone inputs are balanced PUT incorrectly states "disconnects band. with each band selectable at one of 1,200 -ohm lines. Line inputs are unbal- preamp output." The manufacturer in- two frequencies. The selection of eq. fre- anced, as are the echo returns and the forms me that it belongs instead under quencies has always been a difficult deci- program outputs. All monitor lines are sion. and Quantum seems to be trying to high impedance. 2,500 ohms, and max- cover a lot of bases with a few players. imum level is +21 dBm. Frequency re- For example. the high -end equalizer is sponse of the console is rated at ± I dB selectable at either 4 -kHz peaking or 12 - from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. and distortion is kHz shelving, while the low -frequency specified as less than 0.17( THD from +4 equalizer offers either peaking at 300 Hz dBm to + 18 dBm into a 600 -ohm load. or shelving at 100 Hz. The midrange fre- Model QM -168 requires 120V AC. 60 quencies of 800 Hz and 1.8 kHz are both watts. weighs 75 pounds. and measures peaking. 28 by 20 by 8.5 inches. The flexible monitor section is com- This looks to be a very versatile mix- plete with a panpot on each channel, as ing desk and has many of the features well as a gain control and an on/off not usually found on the less expensive switch. TALKBACK has its own level con- boards. Little things like panpots on the trol and automatically mutes the control - monitor selectors. built-in talkback with room monitors when depressed. It can a level control, and two cue mixes en- be fed to studio speakers. cue buses, and abling a stereo headphone mix for over- program outputs by means of selector dubbing make all the difference when switches located nearit.Also inthe you spend a lot of time working at a con- monitor section are the two cue masters sole. All the switches feel good. if a trifle and the echo return masters. which may small, but the compactness of this unit is Acoustic 115 Amplifier

128 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE POWER AMP INPUT. SO it goes.) achieve tremolo. vary the depth. and go nals were just what we'd always heard The overall picture is dimmed some- about as far out as you might imagine. and been pleased with. proving that our what by the fact that the Model 115 EFFECT permits switching from one pre- ears weren't deceiving us. The Model doesn't quite deliver the clarity or full- set effect to another. The REVERB control 1250 is rated at 60 watts rms. has two 12 - ness of sound we would like to hear. is attached to a small Accutronics spring. inch speakers. a two -conductor AC plug. While distortion and special effects seem and the back of the amplifier has jacks and a MIDRANGE control that appears to to be the order of the day, there are still for an optional Quadra-Sound Foot - be more decorative than functional. times when a musician just wants to plug Switch and preamp output. Oddly. there is no polarity switch, mak- in and play it straight. There is also a It was puzzling to see all of these well - ing it necessary to reverse the plug at the tendency for the amp to distort some- thought -out controls sitting atop a not - wall socket if and when hum persists. what when fed by a hot signal source, so -well -sounding amp. Just to double- The unit weighs approximately 45 and I was told by the technician at check our instruments and cables. we pounds. measures 211/2by 26 by91/ Acoustic that he uses the -10 input when plugged into the old reliable Fender Pro inches. and retails for $319.50. playing his guitar. Reports from our Reverb and Polytone amps. But the sig- CIRCLE 122 ON READER -SERVICE CARD field-testing musicians ran from "sounds all right" to some less flattering remarks. Basically the Model 115 is a good amp with room for improvement. It measures 22 by 21 by 10 inches, is rated 50 watts continuous, and sells for $399. CIRCLE 123 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

Hohner 1250 Lead Guitar Amplifier. The 1250 tops Hohner's new line of musical instrumentamplifiers,whichranges from the 8 -watt student model to the 60 - watt bass amp. This one is a well -put -together package of controls and options built around an amplifier that is unfortunately not good enough to take advantage of them. We field-tested the Model 1250 with a Fender Telecaster. ARP Od- yssey synthesizer, and a Fender Rhodes piano but found in each case that it overloaded and broke up very easily with our

So your listening room won't accommodate a KLIPSCHORN' . Then Klipsch gives you a choice. Large, small, horn -loaded bass, direct radiator bass. All non -corner speakers. Yet all except the Hohner 1250 Lead Guitar Amp HERESY have the same drive components. Even with it the attempts to produce an ordinary clean only difference is a 12" instead of a 1 5" bass driver. And each sound. No matter what combination of Klipsch speaker is individually tested to meet Klipsch standards. preamp and power amp settings we used. Ask your dealer to show you how closely the children approach this sound remained thin and lacked the the father in true sound reproduction. Mail this coupon for characteristic "body" found inbetter information on the complete Klipsch line. amps. Front -panel controls include BRIGH I. NORMAL, and KEYBOARD INPUT JACKS. klipschr PREAMP and MASTER volume controls. BASS, MIDRANGE, and TREBLE eq. a RE - P.O. Box 688 H-9, Hope, Arkansas 71801 VERB control. RATE and DEPTH for the Please send me your latest brochure and list of dealers. built-in low -frequency oscillator. and an Name EFFECT selector. The inclusion of the oscillator is a great idea and enables the Address user to create some marvelous effects without the use of outboard equipment. City State Zip By applying the low -frequency modu- Canada Superior Electronics. Inc lating signal to the input. you can CIRCLE 23 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

SEPTEMBER 1977 If You Can't Afford More Mikes... Try Binaural by John Woram

B, the time these words see print, the last vestiges all the senses: hearing, certainly, but also sight and, to of the nationwide epidemic of delirium bicenten- a lesser extent. smell, touch, and taste. Since the niulis presumably will have run their course. The phonograph record captures only sound, it can be ar- country will be back to what passes for normal. and we gued that that sound needs some enhancement to may begin taking small pleasure in realizing that be- make up for the missing ingredients of the live per- fore tricentennial fever strikes we shall all have been formance. The recording, it might be said, should also long since done in. be somewhat "larger than life" in order to survive the Of course. those of us who are addicted to the para- transfer to disc or tape. phernalia of sound recording are not out of the woods Even the ancients assumed this-photos of Tosca- just yet, for this year marks the centennial of sound nini conducting the NBC Symphony reveal three mi- recording. Now, what better way to celebrate than to crophones suspended some fifteen feet above the sell off your car, house, or whatever, go out and buy a stage. Some years later, a total of nine microphones trunkful of microphones, and plunge full tilt into the was used for the Leinsdorf recording of Lohengrin. recording scene? Admit it: You've been toying with The outputs of the three on the orchestra were com- the idea. haven't you? Or are you just reading "Studio bined to give a good left -center -right blend of the in- Circuit" because your copy of the Wall Street Journal strumental ensemble. Two additional sets of left, cen- didn't show up on time? Well, we know better. Chances are. you want to honor the centennial by making better recordings than ever. And for this, "For realistic sound reproduction you'll need lots and lots of microphones. right? Not of almost any live performance, the necessarily-more does not always mean better. True. fewer microphones the better." you'll often wish you had a easeful. but sometimes you can do as good a job or better with only two. In fact. if you really use your head. you can come up with a ter. and right microphones were set up, one to favor recording superiorin sound quality to anything the soloist, the other to favor the chorus. All of this you've bought in the store recently. because many gave the engineer the control he needed to get just the commercial LPs would have been better if fewer mi- right blend of forces and achieve a convincing replica crophones had been used in recording. of the original performance. Well, then, why not go That may sound like a put-down to those who think several steps further and put a microphone on each that a session is not "happening" unless you can't see section of the orchestra and chorus? Then the engineer the musicians through the forest of microphone could balance the timpani against the harp, the horns stands. But think about it for a moment. When you go against the bassoons, the sopranos and altos against to a concert or listen to a recording, how many ears do the tenors and basses, and so on. you use? The answer raises yet another question: Why Stop! It's time to think again. Yes, the engineer do we need more microphones than ears? And would have greater control, but you wouldn't like wouldn't it be nice if we could use our ears more what you heard. For now we've gone too far. You-the directly in the recording process? concertgoer-hear each subsection as it arrives at your Psycho -acousticians will quickly explain that our listening position. Obviously, the front -row violins are concert hall experiences involve a complex mixture of a lot closer than the altos on the rear riser. But the microphones, each placed very close to a subsection, will pick them up simultaneously. Microphone I picks up John Woram, one ofBACKBEAT's audio consultants, its instruments at the same instant that microphone 2 is the author of The Recording Studio Handbook. He does. and so on throughout the entire ensemble. The is also a free-lance recording engineer and the associ- result is a truly instantaneous recording, and your ear ate editor of db. rebels. And no wonder, for it cannot be everywhere at

130 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE phone? Not really possible. but there is a recording technique that is perhaps the next best thing: binaural ("two ears") sound. Somewhat like the periodic rein- vention of the wheel, in the last year or two people have been rediscovering the joys of binaural recording-some of these being its utter simplicity, startling realism. and. best of all, low cost. A little background on the differences between stereo and binaural sound may be in order. Almost a quarter of a century ago. William B. Snow wrote. "It has been aptly said that the binaural system transports the listener to the original scene. whereas the ster-

An early "multimil:e" setup: Toscanini & the NBC Symphony once and has never heard anything like this before! The moral of the story is that, for convincing, realistic sound reproduction of almost any live performance. the fewer microphones the better. Keep in mind that the chart -bound pop multitrack recording. which uses sixteen or more microphones, is not a live performance: rather it is a recording performance with a different-though equally valid-set of values from those of the live situation. So we seem to have two distinct methods of recording. In the first, we use very few microphones and capture some sense of acoustic perspective. (The technique is less common in jazz and rock than in classical The dummy head-first step in binaural recording performance but should be used if that kind of ambience is desired.) Once the microphone setup has been worked out, the engineer will have relatively eophonic system transports the sound source to the lis- little control as the recording progresses or during tener's room."* On the off chance that the quotation postsession rebalancing. On the other hand, the multi - doesn't answer all of your questions about binaural mike exercise places the engineer in almost complete sound. let's reconsider the advantages of the ideal command of the forces marshaled on the other side of two -microphone recording session. Presumably. one the control -room window. Balances may be set and re- microphone will favor the left side, the other the right, set ad infinitum, but the recording won't ever have a with center information picked up equally by both. sense of performing -hall realism. A host of signal - The listener will of course hear the left microphone processing devices-from digital delay lines to elec- from the left speaker, and so on. Since the distances tronic reverberation chambers-are available to simu- between the microphones. the speakers, and the ears late the missing ambience. and although these gadgets are tenuously related at best, something happens to are impressive, they cannot replace the real thing. that ultimate realism. It may be spectacular, yet it's The successful engineer-whether a full-time pro- not quite the same as being there. The solution is de- fessional in the most up-to-date super -star studio or a ceptively simple-but it has a built-in catch. talented semipro working off the back of a station The first step in binaural recording is to build or buy wagon-should know when to use twenty micro- a "dummy head," that is. a model with the general phones and when to use two. Both techniques have size. shape. and acoustical characteristics of the hu- their advantages, but it is important to remember that man head. Then put a small omnidirectional micro- neither offers the best of both worlds. It's always a phone at each ear location. Like the ear itself, the om- tradeoff of control for perspective or vice versa. nidirectional microphone hears sounds arriving from Until now, we've been talking about the micro- all directions. Of course, the dummy head interferes phone's performance as a sort of surrogate ear. But 'The Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound." Journal of the Society of Motion what about the ear itself becoming a surrogate micro- Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.. November 1953.

SEPTEMBER 1977 131 with those sounds arriving from the opposite side of the room. but that's exactly what your own head does. Now set up the dummy head in an optimum listening location at the recording site, and with each microphone record onto a separate track of your tape recorder. Listen to the playback through headphones. and you'll hear an incredibly realistic recording. If you didn't know better, you'd swear the performance was actually taking place before you. And why not, for the headphones have, in effect. transported your ears back to the recording site. And now for the catch. What will this binaural recording sound like when played through speakers? Unfortunately. it does not stand up very well at all and conies out sounding almost monaural. To understand The microphone/speaker headphone

ear cup is a tiny microphone. The headphone wearer becomes his own dummy head (no snappy comments permitted) and, via his tape recorder electronics, hears the binaural recording as it is being made. Of course. the recording may be played back later over any stereo headphones. For binaural recording, there's really no point to having a console, so with a reliable cassette deck on a shoulder strap. anyone can become his own walking recording studio. It can get to be a bit of a strain trying to keep very still during the recording. but this is important. since slight head movements affect the binaural pickup. During playback. the room will seem to move about-an interesting novelty effect that in time becomes annoying. For this reason, it makes sense to The essentials for a binaural session mount the system on its own dummy head. which can then be placed on a microphone stand. why, let's reconsider that dummy -head recording ses- With the introduction of low-cost binaural record- sion. Actually. each microphone hears pretty much ing systems. and their increasing popularity with the same thing (just as your ears do), with only some semipro recordists. there is every reason to look for an barely perceptible time -of -arrival differences-after eventual increase in the number of commercially all, the microphones are hardly a foot apart. But it is available binaural recordings. At the moment. there just this sort of information that your brain requires to are but a handful around. most of fair -to -middling create the sense of "being there." musical interest. When these almost identical signals are played But what if the binaural sensation could somehow through loudspeakers, both ears hear both signals and be transferred to loudspeaker reproduction? Well. your brain can no longer tell them apart. So you hear maybe it can. Still in the research and development what sounds like a just so-so monaural recording. Per- stage is JVC's biphonic system. a speaker reproduc- haps it is for this reason that, up until recently. binau- tion system in which sounds seem to originate not only ral recordings have not really caught on with the pub- from the speakers, but from the area between the lis- lic. After all, most casual listeners use speakers. If a tener and the speakers. JVC has been demonstrating recording doesn't sound so hot in conventional stereo. the system at college shows and audio conventions it just won't sell. around the country. and one of the great pleasures of But lately. the semipro (or advanced amateur, if you attending these demos is to watch the incredulous prefer) has been doing his own recording. He or she looks as disembodied voices seem to leave the speak- roams the countryside looking for interesting per- ers and advance toward the listener. formances to record. What is needed is a simple yet ef- Although biphonic sound is not yet commercially fective (and inexpensive) method of capturing these available. most readers have been around long performances. The ultimate goal is not a chart -busting enough to know that today's blue-sky research project gold record, but merely a functional recording for will be taken for granted by tomorrow's recordists. In personal use. the meantime. try a little binaural. It may get you Under the circumstances, binaural recording be- started recording with a minimum of fuss and a max- comes a natural. In fact, the Victor Company of Japan imum of enjoyment. Then again, you might want to (JVC) has taken the process one step further by intro- stay with the twenty -microphone setup. The impor- ducing a combination stereo-headphone/binaural- tant thing to realize is that there is more than one way microphone system. The user simply wears the head- to make a recording, and no one technique is right all set while recording. Built into the outer shell of each the time.

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One of the reasons is that we've been making them for a long, long time. In 1955, TEAC came on the scene with the first in a long line of A TEAC LASTS A fine open reel tape recorders. LONG, LONG TIME Since then, of course we have develcped a sister line of cassette decks. Bat our fIrst love remains open reel tape recording equipment: the truest rnethcd of sound reproduction available today. Consider the alternatives. If yo -J want top -of -the -line quality, but only need bottom -of -the -line features, the A-2300SX is the buy of the year. From there, you oan add DOLBY.* larger 101/2" reels, four heads, auto reverse, four -in/ two -out mixer, memory stop, 15 ips, four channel Simul-Sync, and variations thereof. In short, as long cs you're getting a tape deck, can you conjure up a single reason it shouldn': be a TEAC?

The leader. Always has been. TEAC Corpc-aticn of America 7733 Telegraph Road .c TEAC 1977 Montebello, California 90640 In Canada TEAC is cistributecl Dy White Electronic Development Coi?otrition (1966) Ltd. *Dolby is a trademark of Doby Laboratories, KEN EMERSON SAM SUTHERLAND TODD EVERETT ARIEL SWARTLEY DON HECKMAN NICK TOSCHES JIM MELANSON JOHN S. WILSON JOHN STORM ROBERTS support focused on The Session-Danny Kortchmar (guitar), Dr. Clarence McDonald (keyboards), Lee Sklar James Taylor: (bass), and Russ Kunkel (drums). There are occasional elements of '70s pop-the No More Kinks discofiedrhythmguitarthatlightly pushesYour Smiling Faceand the razor- by Sam Sutherland edged, harmonizing slide guitars that flash menacingly in /Was Only Telling a Lie-butthe basic arranging style re- stores the old intimacy. Asher and engi- James Taylor: JT. Peter Asher, pro- assumed out of reach by his songs, Tay- neer Val Garay have emphasized that ducer.Columbia JC 34811, $7.98. Tape: lor had short-circuited a critical roman- scale with typical clarity and detail in Lei JCT 34811,WJCA 34811, $7.98. tic dimension-a certain fatalism. His their production work, while preserving songs have since traced his compara- a looser, occasionally gritty energy to James Taylor's records have chron- tively centered domestic life with the The Session's ensemble playing-an- icleda mellowing process that con- same confessional candor that made his other quality sometimes blunted or ob- tinues to make orthodox rock fans-and earliest, most despairing songs so affect- scured altogether in recent Taylor al- critics in particular-rather uncomfort- ing; yet the problems have become sub- bums. Similarly, the varied and able. Although his first two albums drew tler, and Taylor the man-older, more elaborate backing vocals have, for the musical and verbal shape more from confident, hiswoundshealing-no most part, been replaced with the basic folk and country idioms than from rock longer cloaks himself in incipient trag- harmony approach of the earlier records. & roll,the result was a crucial '60s edy. There are still ballads that permit The resulting framework showcases archetype of the psychically bruised, ul- the songwriter to display his craft, using Taylor's miniatures of self-examination timately romantic singer/songwriter. It now -familiar melodic ideas to support more effectively than any album in was a portentous role, perfectly mirror- typically contemplative metaphoric ob- years. ing the era's high seriousness and self- servations. But by acknowledging that Yet, ultimately, "JT" is most convinc- consciousness. But Taylor failed to sus- his life now revolves around marriage, ing as a singer's record, not as a collec- tain it, for reasons heretical to counter- kids, and the quiet anxiety of the '70s, tion of new songs. Taylor's conservatism culture chic: He became popular, ac- Taylor admits cautious optimism and as a composer has made his melodic de- quired wealth and property, and with his transforms his impact. As his gentle hu- velopment over the years rather min- marriage to Carly Simon settled down mor and essential sentimentality come to imal. That, coupled with his similar re- rather conventionally. The couple's ini- the fore, the new effect becomes sooth- straint as a lyricist, and an introspection tially hermetic life hardly diminished a ing rather than disturbing. now robbed of its disturbing force (on certain Brahmin glamor. In light of that shift, both Taylor and There We Are,he and his wife are "like By achieving the kind of solace once his various mid -'70s producers have children forever/Taking care of one an- sought to spice his more relaxed material other/While the world goes on without with a broader instrumental range. us. . ."), fill many of his newer songs When Lenny Waronker and Russ Titel- with echoes of his earliest work. Only man assumed the producers' mantle with when his meditations turn toward an un- "Gorilla" (1975), they augmented the derlying desperation-as in the gentle artist's long-term studio and stage part- alienationof Another Grey Morning- ners, The Session, with a variety of other does he approach the gravity of his best. rhythm players and soloists chosen to The album's highlights turn out to be complement him. The resulting tracks Taylor's interpretations of two non - were typically elegant, the playing expert originals. OnHandy Man,a venerable and intelligent. Yet shifting the focus rocker, producer and singer encapsulate away from Taylor's voice and guitar of- their low-key romanticism, translating ten trivialized the material, the larger an ebullient advertisement for sexual forces striking an uneasy compromise prowess into a dewy-eyed ballad paced with the artist's passivity. by clopping percussion and shaded by With his move to Columbia, Taylor Leah Kunkel's subtly aching backing has been reunited in the studio with Pe- harmonies. Itwill doubtless infuriate ter Asher (seeBACKBEAT,June '77), his rock traditionalists, but it works: Taylor manager since the late '60s and, as pro- has always been a crooner, and his han- ducer, the co -creator of Taylor's basic re- dling of the song is both supple and pre- corded personality on his first four al- cise. On Kortchmar'sHoney, Don't bums. Asher's understanding of his Leave L.A.,singer and band create a po- client's appeal has led him to move back lar opposite ofHandy Man.Launched Taylor-low-hey romanticism toward the original, with instrumental by avolley of raw,Stones -flavored

136 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE rhythm chords, the song is a funny, nasty Burton Cummings: My Own Way to to the album cover photo is a saving vignette, using a Grade -B movie view of Rock. Richard Perry, producer. Portrait grace. It won't make him a rock & roller, glamor to provide lyric hooks. Taylor PR 34698, $6.98. Tape:EPA PR T 34698. but it may make him a hit. A.S. begs his lover not to leave for fame and PRA 34698, $7.98. fortune on the Riviera, all the while Peter Frampton: I'm in You. Peter barely restraining an underlying distrust Burton Cummings is no innovator. His Frampton, producer. A&M SP 4704, and anger that erupts wonderfully when inspiration is drawn not from trail- $7.98. Tape: ROO CS 4704,*C8T 4704, he mutters "bitch" or interjects a soulful blazers, but from journeymen: It's Bob $798. ' "C'est vrai, baby" into the chorus. The Seger and Steve Miller who are cited in Peter Frampton's first album since the lyric's farcical vantage point frees Taylor the album dedication for their contribu- to sing with good-humored zeal, and the tion "to rock & roll as a modern art monolithic "Frampton Comes Alive!" can't really hope to compete with its result is more engaging than any of the form." Of course both Seger and Miller predecessor's strengths. "Alive!" record's graver meditation. s.s. have had highly successful albums after years of plugging away in the ranks of eclipsed his previously modest success Ry Cooder: Show Time. Ry Cooder, pro- the almost -prominent, and Cummings, by racking up more sales than any LP in ducer. Warner Bros. BS 3059, $7.98. former lead singer of the Guess Who, the history of the American record busi- Tape: WO M5 3059,0 M8 3059, $7.97. would like to follow their example. ness, largely because the artist had used the two-disc/concert format to frame his The best thing about Ry Cooder is his But the title of his second attempt is pure bravado. "My Own Way to Rock" best songs from four studio albums. So spirit. He does ethnic music without its single -LP length, lower is closer to pop. Producer Richard Perry even with sounding folky. He knows that the price, and the inclusion of two covers, may have toughened up a collection of dumbest hillbilly band makes better mu- "I'm in You" forces Frampton to compete Cummings' own, often -unfocused coma positions by including songs by Seger, with his own earlier pragmatism. Instead Leiber and Stoller, and the Righteous of five years, he's had just more than one to finish these songs, and, despite the Brothers, but these are presented in an confident punch of the playing and an unusually soft-spoken manner. The re- equally upbeat-and marginally ob- sult is a kind of elegant pop, which as it sequious-liner comment assuring us Pe- turns out is better suited to Cummings' talents than raw frenzy anyway. ter's revved up indeed, the gap shows. Amid the Guess Who's barrage of Part of the problem lies in a gradual shift toward a more melodic pop style electric guitars, his growls habitually that was positively obscured on sounded posed rather than properly pos- "Alive!": Love songs that plumbed a sessed. Perry's relaxed settings have sometimes cloying innocence (like the turned those mannerisms to Cummings' hit singles Show Me theWayand Baby I advantage, emphasizing the nice guy un- Love Your Way, both originally written der the grit. As a result, on cuts like Come and recorded for his fourth studio al- on By (in which a rock & roll stud prop- bum) were offset by the tougher, sexier ositions a young lady fan) he sounds rock energy of early songs like All I humorously self -deprecating instead of Want to Be and Do You Feel like We Do. overanxiously macho. His limitations Those tunes had been designed primar- are more evident on the softer ballads ily as instrumental vehicles for Framp- like his ownTimeless Love,but Perry's ton's bracing guitar work, which remains touches-chiming backgroundvocals, simplified instrumentation-again pro- his most attractive asset; elsewhere on his early songs, he balanced this more rugged energy against his delicate acoustic stylings and pleading ballads. Ry Cooder-hot stuff "I'm in You" accurately depicts Frampton's regression to a conventional sic than the purest, most socially aware pop romantic stance (despite an ample folksinger. You get the feeling listening selection of faster r&b and rock -based to his peculiar sort of eclecticism that arrangements), simply because he in- Cooder would cut a Nazi marsch if the vests more in bathetic testaments of de- chord changes appealed to him. votion, as in the pretty but simplistic title His last album was a collection of Ha- song. His singing reflects this shift as waiian guitar music. This one begins well: Where he once ranged from a pre- with School Is Out, a Gary "U.S." Bonds cise, low-keyed ballad style to a more hit from 1961, then touches black gospel abandoned blues attack on rockers, (the traditional Jesus on the Mainline), Frampton now brings a gushing emo- modern r&b (James Carr's The Dark tionalism to virtually all his vocals. Com- End of the Street), and musica nortena pared with the more mature nuances of (Viva Sequin and Vo!vet.,Volver), and his debut album, "Winds of Change" closes with a full-blown, seven -and -a - (1972), this new sense of melodrama half -minute version of Ray Charles's Cummings-closer to pop than rock Smack Dab in the Middle. You never get the impression here that vide what his client presumably left at Cooder is singing what he's singing be- home. Explanation of symbols cause it's quaint or trendy, but that he's Modesty, like discretion, is one of the 4fa Cassette singing it because it's hot stuff. It is, and deadly sins of rock. But in Cummings' ie. 8 -Track Cartridge so's this album. N.T. case, willingness to confine self-assertion

SEPTEMBER 1977 D g ) seems mannered and jejune. ballad What I Did for Love is polished recording business. He seems to have all Yet Frampton's success can't be dis- with total concern for both the individ- the natural qualifications: good looks, missed as a fluke, and his canny preser- ual phrase and the progress of the lyric. spectacular stage presence, and an abun- vation of the production and arranging A Tender Touch is a classic example of dance of musical gifts. So, since his stu- styles of earlier albums (he has produced her approach to her own lyrics, moving dio work has thus far failed to produce a himself since the outset of his solo ca- through tentative and shifting moods to solid hit, the obvious next step was to reer) does succeed in giving "I'm in a final moment of resolution and deci- drag out the mobile units and record him You" continuity of style,if not sub- sion. stance. The partial success of his more And then there's the uptempo Aretha. hard -edged songs, like Tried to Love, Touch Me Up, a sexy piece backed by shows he is still capable of convincing gutty punchy brass, moves from chal- rock. But as long as he chooses to blunt lenge to exultancy with the sexiness of that impact with sentimentality, as he maturity-self-assured and outgoing, not does here, Frampton's work falls short of trickily seductive. In Clark Terry's jovial the scope it once promised. s.s. scat vehicle Mumbles, she takes another successful shot at the opposition: Her Aretha Franklin: Sweet Passion.La- scat -singing is square on the beat com- mont Dozier, producer. Atlantic SD pared with either the great jazz singers or 19102, $7.98. Tape: IN CS 19102, SIJTP with Aretha herself in gospel vein, but 19102, $7.98. it's engaging enough to suit Terry's After a flurry of synthesizers, a high hammy cheerfulness. voice floats like smoke in a breeze, then So far, so splendid. Unfortunatzly, not bursts in a shower of petals. Aretha an- everything is this rosy. Some of Lamont nihilating the opposition in the first four Dozier's production is dandy, but some bars of Break It to Me Gently. Not only is overornate. As Touch Me Up is en- by her voice, though that's still as easy hanced by tasty brass and backup vocals, with tenderness and power. Not just by What I Did for Love goes under to the her sense of timing, though she plays all -too -familiarfive-and-dimestrings with the beat like a cat with a feather. and yoyos going "000-000" in the back- Above all by something more important ground. Nor is Aretha herself con- than either: the subordination of tech- sistently on form. The title cut opens nique to interpretation, turning craft into admirably with gully -low piano by art. Franklin herself, spitting brass, simple That art is almost everywhere on strings that (for once) work, and a vocal "Sweet Passion." In When I Think About that moves from earth -mamma to an You there's a vocal break that reminds us equally physical but more lyrical vein. Jarreau-noncommercial triumphs Aretha Franklin was a founder of the But the piece doesn't build from this be- take -off -and -flysoul-ballad-it'slike ginning, it just goes on 'til it stops. something Louis Armstrong might have There are three real duds. After a crisp in concert. But Warners went one step played, driving it all home with simplic- and simple guitar and keyboards open- further: They recorded him in the ex- ity and power. Every tone in the slow ing, overproduction and lack of convic- tremely felicitous environs of a Euro- tion sink No One Could Ever Love You pean tour, singing a lively mixture of More. Meadows of Springtime never re- original material and unhackneyed covers from its film -score -pastoral start, pieces by outside composers. and the spoken introductionisonly Well, sad to say, Jarreau still hasn't slightlyless embarrassing than most. produced a commercial record. If any- And Sunshine Will Never Be the Same is thing, "Look to the Rainbow" includes a tiresome and undistinguished piece of some of the least commercial, least com- musical wallpaper. Aretha sings it as if it promising work I've ever heard from matters, but it doesn't. him. The tracks are almost all more than Duds are duds, and a pity, but six -to - six minutes in length, which is not pre- four on is about the best odds life offers. cisely the way to break into the Top 40 More important, Aretha at her frequent singles market. And Jarreau's backing- best still explores the emotional ramifi- fine, workmanlike support that it is-is cations of sex in a way that her rivals never more than a platform for him to can't approach and most of the git- stand on. In these days of heavy produc- downers can hardly comprehend. J.S.R. tion and dense sound, that is not going to cause AM program directors to jump for joy either. Al Jarreau: Look to the Rainbow.Al But wait a minute, there's another Schmitt & Tommy Li Puma, producers. consideration to keep in mind: Jarreau Warner Bros. 2 BZ 3052, $9.98, (two doesn't seem to give too much of a damn discs). Tape: Ink BZ5 3052, C BZ8 3052, about all of this, and his company is will- $10.98. ing, for the moment, to let him do things his own way, even if the results don't sat- It's a mystery to almost everyone who's isfy the accountants. heard him-and especially to Warner That's good news to anyone who cares Bros.-why Al Jarreau has not yet made about hearing a gifted musician work in I ranklin-turningraftleiart a bigger splash in the stormy seas of the his own medium. Jarreau's is obviously

I3 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE live performance. He plays to, interacts "Staircase" may lack some of the energy DISCWASHER® with, and delights in that kind of contact and spontaneous enthusiasm of the Co- that drives too many pop performers up logne recordings, it more than compen- presents the wall. The essence of his art is the sates with some of the most fascinating, building of intensity-getting into a song complex -yet -passionate piano improvi- to the point where he is past the lyrics, sations I've ever heard. I say "improvi- past the sometimes -silly rhetoric of pop sations" with some trepidation. Jarrett RECORD sentimentality, and into a vamping, chooses not to inform us-nor should he bouncing, rhythmically energizing ex- -how much of his music is impromptu, amination of the inside of the music. He how much planned. Yet linkages and uses his voice like an instrument. (Yes, I intersections of ideas all have the feel CARE know that's a cliché, but for once it's an of sudden inspiration rather than ra- accurate description.) He buzzes, hums, tional preplanning. One could probably shapes his mouth to change the reso- best describe his method as through - BASICS nance of a tone four different times be- improvisation: absolute musicinthe The finest record care system is fore letting it go, and improvises like a purest, most immediate sense. Discwasher, and the research of the world -class jazzman. He is that most Jarrett has assigned a title to each side: Discwasher labs shows four ways to ironic of entities-a performer who starts Staircase(with three movements); dramatically extend the fidelity of your at pop music and winds up at jazz. Hourglass (withtwo movements);Sun- discs: If there are problems here, they are dial(with three movements); andSand 1. Beware of the heat monster. Tak- due mostly to the overenthusiasm and (with three movements). The titles are ing records from very coldcon- lack of perspective that are inevitable in significant, presumably, to the composer, ditions to hot conditions,or play- live recordings: Too many of the tracks, but they are in no way programmatic. ing records at temperatures in especially Jarreau's songs, have similar Which is interesting, since despite its excess of 90° F, accelerates record tempos and similar harmonic and rhyth- nonprogrammatic origins his music is wear and distortion. mic patterns. Not even Jarreau is good deeply rooted in an almost nineteenth- enough to sustain our listening interest century romanticism; powerful images 2. Beware of a "clean" stylus. A for, say, three or four six -minute. course through virtually everything he stylus may look clean, but can be middle -tempo rhythm tunes. (Of course plays. glazed with contamination after becoming part of the aura of his live ac- Staircasebegins with a lyrical, explor- playing two or three records. This tion would be a different story.) And his atory, even a trifle tentative stance. Jar- glaze holds dust which abrasively interpretations of some of the other ma- rett lets things hang for most of the first destroysrecords. Discwasher's terial-the title cut andBetter Than Any- movement but in the second bursts out SC -1 Stylus Cleaner is the best thingin particular-are eccentric to the with a busy, extremely complex poly - way to keep your clean -but -dirty point of confusion. rhythmic improvisationthatactually stylus really clean. His absolutely superb updatingof builds in intensity for nearly eight min- 3. Do not replay records quickly. Paul Desmond's lightweightTake Five. utes. It's an extraordinary performance. Playing a record more than once however, is a wonder to hear. I can think The final brief movement is like taking a every hour causes chemical and of no other singer who would have the deep breath, agentle, epigrammatic physical stress to the vinyl that guts to eventry to scatin 5/4. Jarreau not melody vaguely reminiscent of Satie. will eventually destroy the album. only gets past the unusual meter. but The second movement ofHourglass 4. Clean micro -dust before playing. makes it work in a way that vastly im- changes pace so dramatically thatit Micro -dust is attracted to records proves on the original material. No, it's might easily have been split into two. and may not be noticeable. Play- not commercial, but itisAl Jarreau, and The first movement is Jarrett's closest ing a dust -contaminated record that's something. D.H. approach to straight -ahead jazz improvi- welds this micro -dust into the sation on the album; it cooks with a grooves. The Discwasher brush Keith Jarrett: Staircase. ManfredEi- near -funky left-hand pattern that builds with a few drops of D3 fluid is the cher, producer.ECM 2-1090, $9.98 (two insistently and continuously. Starting off finest, most convenient way to discs). Tape:00 CT 2-1090,4E 8T 2- the second is a jaunty, Continental air remove this threat to your val- 1090, $11.98. that metamorphoses into a beautiful, uable record collection. soaring melody. (Jarrett seems so caught For technical information on the com- Well, Keith Jarrett's back at his solo pi- up in it that one can hear almost imper- plete line of Discwasher products, see ano again. out to confuse and delight all ceptible pauses in his line as he waits- your hi-fi specialist or discriminating those people who can't listen to music for just a millisecond-to hear where his record store. without finding a label for it. They won't muse will lead him.) find much relief here. His four excur- Sundialholds together extremely well sions through the width, breadth, and structurally. Percussive left hand melo- depth of the acoustic piano-each an al- dies lead the way in the moody and de- bum -side in length-are unclassifiable in clamative first movement. What follows any traditional sense, but there is one is busy and interactive, as inStaircase, convincing statement that can be made two hands moving in almost continuous about them: They only could have been counterpoint to each other, interrupting played by a musician who knows and un- the line here and there, as it builds, to in- derstands jazz. terject massive struck chords. The final ddiscwasher inc. This outing, Jarrett's first solo effort movement is lyrical and moody again, since the impressive "Koln Concert" with enough traces of Tatum to remind 1407 N. Providence Rd. (ECM 1064 and 1065), was recorded in us of Jarrett's noble predecessor on the Columbia, Missouri 65201 Paris in 1976; it is also the first solo stu- solo piano. dio album he has made since 1971. While Continuedon page 141

SEPTEMBER 1977 139 ally haunted mindscapes. While that fatalism remains an under- current on this album, especially on the most successful cut, Midland Maniac, the new songs seldom allude directly to either Traffic's austere impressionism or the Davis group's propulsive white soul. Instead, there is a greater range of tempos and an emphasis on comparatively upbeat declarations of love and devotion (Hold On and Let Me Make Something in Your Life). And Winwood's supporting players-generally held to small ensembles for each song and drawing from his former Traffic partners like Capaldi and Rebop Kwaku Baah as well as Eng- lish and American musicians-add a number of modest but effective r&b Former Traffic Leader touches to his lush organ settings. Time Is Running Out, a track that may dismay older fans and invite accusations Travels the Solo Route of incipient discoism, exemplifies this re- newed affection for r&b through its use by Sam Sutherland of galloping clavinet, chanted unison vocals, and intricate rhythm guitar figures. But Winwood's awareness of contemporary black music cannot be confused teve Winwood's first solo album ar- sive sense of history. Indeed, Traffic fans with wholesale appropriation: Those k..7rives exactly ten years after the un- will likely view this effort's arrival as same traits can be found in early Spencer veiling of his longest -lived and most in- seven years late, for he began work on a Davis Group records. And Capaldi's fluential band, Traffic, and that timing solo LP in 1969 only to transform it into threatening lyric, laced as it is with eco- amplifies the record's subtle but perva- the group's reunion, "John Barleycorn logical images, seems a far cry from the Must Die." Although "Steve Winwood" feral silliness of most disco lyrics. continues Traffic's atmospheric use of The most affecting songs here are eclectic instrumental details culled from those that bridge the extremes of brisk jazz and Third World music, its compact rhythm playing and introspective bal- arrangements and supple pacing also lads: On Midland Maniac, Vacant Chair, suggest a partial return to the r&b clas- and Hold On, he has mated medium sicism of his first records with the Spen- tempo ballads with a restrained but cer Davis Group in the mid -Sixties. hypnotic undertow of syncopated His potential as a soloist has been ob- rhythm parts and percussion effects. On vious from the beginning of his career. Maniac, the best of these, stately organ At the age of fifteen, he made his debut and vocal legato achieve a striking ten- with an astonishing single hit, Gimme sion when pitted against that bubbling Some Lovin, which carried the Davis chassis of bass, drums, guitar, and piano. name but drew its furious momentum Similarly, Vacant Chair, with lyrics by from Winwood's raw, jubilant blues Viv Stanshall, is a meditation on death shout, soaring organ lines, and romping that employs that same tension to build piano. That record and an even tougher toward a lovely, if baffling, refrain sung follow-up, I'm a Man, were classic blue- in what I'd guess to be a Near Eastern or eyed soul records: Winwood's authority African language. over his material, even then largely self - On this album, Winwood reconciles composed, could easily be mistaken for the lost innocence and spiritual anguish the work of some rough -but -ready new that were recurrent Traffic themes with soul contender or a canny white inter- the simpler energy of his earliest work. If loper like Detroit's Mitch Ryder or New his reserve prevents him from broad- York's Young Rascals. Chart success, ening to the full potential of his talents though, revealed that the source of that he still succeeds in defeating any conten- gruff yet agile voice and those surging tion that his powers as a singer, song- keyboard choruses was a Birmingham, writer, and musician have waned. "Steve England, teenager barely out of short Winwood" is flawed but compelling pants. proof that, at twenty-eight, the artist is With Traffic, that hearty blues ma- still capable of encouraging growth. chismo role changed dramatically. The moody austerity of their later music and Steve Winwood. Steve Winwood & Chris the introspective surrealism of both Jim Blackwell, producers. Island ILPS 9494, Capaldi's and Winwood's lyrics made $6.98. Tape:IFIN 2CI 9494,[7181 9494, Winwood-new emphasis is upbeat lovi, songs the band's best records dark, emotion- $7.98.

140 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE p Continued from page 139 LeftyFrizzell. Of the two, Frizzell was a hick. Of the many younger artists he in- ig Sand is somewhat jazz -like in its open- the more popular. and the greater singer. spired (George Jones, Merle Haggard, ing, notably because of apersistent osti- But Hank died at the age of twenty-nine, even Elvis Presley). Willie Nelson nato bass line. The second movement is in 1953. and the tragedy of his death lent learned best, and you can hear a little- pastoral in feel, recalling the darker sec- myth to his life. He is still regarded as the sometimes a lot-of Lefty in all of tions of Mendelssohn's Scotch Sym- ultimate and archetypal country singer. Willie's best work. phony, and is succeeded by the lullaby Lefty Frizzell died in 1974 at the age of The first side of this album consists of strains of the third. Jarrett wraps it up forty-seven, forgotten and unmythi- Frizzell songs from 1950 and '51, the with a shadowy recollection of the paral- cized. earliest and most successful years of his lel -fifth ostinato in the opening. Lefty's achievement, beyond his awe- recording career. Nelson chose the more Unquestionably, all this is quite an some powers of voice, was the deepening melancholy pieces: Mom and Dad's achievement. Unlike the jazz piano and broadening of the sensibilities of Waltz, Look What Thoughts Will Do, soloists of the past, Jarrett does not use Texas honky-tonk music. He was a poet and those eerie love songs, such as I Love predetermined chords of popular tunes but not a wimp, a country singer but not Continued on page 144 with the built-in comfort of section- alization, contrast, harmonic colors. etc. Starting from scratch, he must provide everything and this can cause problems. Since his orientation is romantic rather than contemporary, his choices are limited. He lacks-to go to the other end of the spectrum-the technical virtuosity of a Liszt and the harmonic complexity of a Chopin. Of course, he does not have the benefit of precomposition. Nonetheless. he has a tendency to fall into patterns that are more persistently sequential than they need be and into harmonies and modalities that lack chromatic potential. In part, that is simply a matter of aesthetic style, choice, and manner. But I suspect that as Jarrett develops and ma- tures, his musical palette will become more expansive. In the long run he will. I think, become one of the important musical voices of our time-regardless of how he classifies his music. D. H .

Willie Nelson: To Lefty from Willie. Willie Nelson, producer. Columbia/ Lone Star 34695, $5.98. Tape: 00 CT 34695,0!.] CA 34695, $6.98. In the early '50s, those years between the end of the classical honky-tonk era and the dawn of rockabilly, two men ruled country music: Hank Williams and Next time you plan a trip to Europe, make sure you visit the unique country. Where can you find: Europe's b ondest blondes? Europe's highest geysers? Europe's greatest glaciers? Europe's largest waterfalls? And where can you find moonlike craters where the astronauts trained? More volcanos than anywhere else on earth? Historic landmarks of the world's oldest continuous parliament? Celebrations marking Europe's youngest republic? The answer to all of these questions is-ICELAND. Next time you plan a trip to Europe. make sure you visit Iceland. The only thing it may cost you is time well spent. Because you'll save enough money on Icelandic's lowest jet fares to Luxembourg to pay for your stopover in Iceland. Or, you can hop over from New York or Chicago for longer tours. See an erupting volcano. Take a cross-country pony trek. Next time you plan a trip to Europe, ask your travel agent about Icelandic Airlines. Or phone Icelandic Airlines, for folders about Iceland and lowest jet fares to Europe. In New York State, phone (212) 757-8585. Nelson-no more Outlaw nonsense Elsewhere in U.S., phone (800) 555-1212 for local toll free number. CIRCLE 16 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

SEPTEMBER 1977 141 David Murray: Low Class Conspiracy. Michael Cuscuna, producer. A delphi AD 5002, $6.95. The popularity of disco/jazz notwithstanding, an important new generation of young jazz musicians is arriving. Tenor saxophonist David Murray, freshly minted from a mcIld that bears traces of Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and Al- bert Ayler, is one of the most important. In the stark con- fines of a trio situation-with bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Phillip Wilson-he plays a stunning brand of contemporary jazz that puts music first-not commerciality. His remarkable seven -and -one -half -minute solo on Extreminity Jazz is one of the bright beacons in mid -Seventies music. D.H. Lee Ritenour: Captain Fingers. Skip Drinkwater, producer. BY DON HECKMAN & JOHN S. WILSON Epic PE 34426, $6.98. Tape: NO PET 34426,03 PEA 34426, $7.98. Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, Barry Altschul: Japan Suite. Paul Bley & Carol Goss, producers. Improvising A rusts, IA I Making the jump from ace studio musician to up -front star 373849, $6.98. has been a popular procedure ever since Mitch Miller gave up the oboe and Leon Russell began recording his own This is the revival of a trio that was one of the best avant- songs. Guitarist Ritenour joins the parade in this sadly mis- garde jazz ensembles of the Sixties. Recorded last year at a directed outing. The simple fact is that the world really isn't Japanese music festival, "Japan Suite" includes what sounds sitting around waiting for yet another overarranged, over- like two extended improvisations-one on each side of the produced, jazz/rock/disco recording. Having heard Rite- album. Pianist Bley's playing is as astonishing as ever-one nour in more modest surroundings, I know he can play- wonders why he has never received more attention. Pea- and play well. But his few pleasant moments here even- cock's return to jazz after a lengthy hiatus should enliven tually fall prey to terminal L.A. slickness. D.H. the future of the acoustic bass, and Altschul is the very model of the modern jazz percussionist. World class con- Warren Vache: First Time Out. Bill Borden & Bucky Pizza- temporary jazz playing, all around. D.H. relli, producers. Monmouth -Evergreen M ES 7081, $6.98. Tal Farlow: Second Set. Ed Fuerst & Don Schlitten, pro- Unlike most young musicians who grow up in Dixieland ducers. Xanadu 119, $6.98. surroundings, Vache is not guided by some style of the past. Although he comes out of the very active New Jersey tradi- Recorded in 1956, at the same time as Farlow's earlier disc, tional jazz scene, he is, first and foremost, a good trumpet "Fuerst Set" (Xanadu 109), this is a special treasure for fol- player who is not tied to any identity except his own. On this lowers of Eddie Costa, the brilliant pianist who died in debut disc he shows control and imagination on several 1962. With Vinnie Burke on bass and Farlow on guitar, he unaccompanied duets with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. He has the accompaniment and the space to fully develop the also leads a sextet, with Kenny Davern on soprano sax, that earthy, driving momentum of his urgent, hammered swings through some pop standards and combines the best phrases upon which he built his solos. Farlow and Burke get of traditional and contemporary jazz. The combination of their chances, too (it's a very relaxed session), but it's these two streams and Vache's own polish and assurance Costa-both as soloist and in the closed, responsive en- make the disc unusually fresh and vital. J.S.VV. semble passages-who makes the set special. J.S.W. Mal Waldron, Gary Peacock: First Encounter. Catalyst Paul Gonsalves: The lin11 0 S Aires Session. Catalyst CAT 7906, $6.98. CAT 7913, $6.98. Pianist Mal Waldron's roots go back to Billie Holiday and During the Ellington band's 1968 tour of South America, Thelonious Monk, but he also has been active around the two members-tenor saxophonist Gonsalves and trumpeter edges of every avant-garde jazz movement since the Fifties. Willie Cook-recorded this set with an Argentinian rhythm His collaboration with Peacock (recorded in Japan) has too section. Gonsalves gets away from the grinding cliches that many stylistic confrontations to work as a totality. But when took too much of his time with Ellington and instead em- each player spins off in his own direction-Waldron into phasizes his lovely, warm ballad style. Even an uptempo epigrammatic pointillism, Peacock into a duplicitous mix of Perdido is done with substance and taste. Still more impres- Sixties funk and Seventies modernism-there are moments sive is Cook, a trumpeter rarely recorded and almost never of rare beauty. D.H. heard to play in this light, airy muted style; he provides a beautifully balanced foil to Gonsalves. J.S.W. The World's Greatest Jazz Band: On Tour. Barker H ickox, Ronnie Laws: Friends and Strangers. Wayne Henderson, producer. World Jazz S-8, $6.98. producer. Blue Note LA 730H, $6.98. Tape: 1119 CA 730H, Considering the personnel changes in the World's Greatest EA 730H, $7.98. in recent years and a series of records that were needlessly Ronnie Laws is the latest member of his gifted family to hit hackneyed, this is a welcome recovery for both the band the big time. But his gifts have been obscured by the formu- and its approach to recording. Taped at a concert in Swe- laic success of his first two albums, "Pressure Sensitive" and den, it has some of the ensemble's most viable musicians- "Fever." Like them, "Friends and Strangers" is a predict- Ralph Sutton, Billy Butterfield, Peanuts Hucko, Al Klink, able stroll down the disco/jazz lane: Swooping synthesizers, and George Masso, in addition to coleaders Yank Lawson squeaking strings, and endlessly repetitive rhythm patterns and Bob Haggart. As a bonus, Maxine Sullivan makes an peer out from behind every bush. Dull stuff; but if all you appearance in appealingly cool -voiced form. But to wind want is to move your feet and let your brain go out to lunch, up an otherwise fresh disc with The Saints suggests that the Laws will help you do it. D.H. band is still apt to blight itself with triteness. J.S.VV.

142 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE Brand New! 1977 Edition High Fidelity's Test Reports

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The new 1977 edition of High Fidelity's Test Reports is packed with more than 200 test reports of currently available stereo and four -channel equipment and accessories, including: Receivers Headphones Amplifiers Tape Equipment Turntables & Pickups Speakers Tuners...and more! This new book is bigger and better (HighFidelity's Test Reports than ever before! 300 pages of 1977 Edition in-depth analyses with charts, tables, 1 Sound Avenue, Marion, Oh o 43302 Please send me copies of the 1977 H gh pictures and prices, plus a guide to Fidelity's Test Reports at $2.95 each, plus $.50 postage and hancling, total $3.45. technical audio terms. Name Order now. Indicate the number of Address copies you want and return your City State Zip check or money order with this form. koi(add tax where applicable) D7JFJ en me MMMMMMMMMMM aaaaa

SEPTEMBER 1977 14_1 Continued from page 141 pretty noteworthy. He's chosen the most work, sound like first takes after a long You a Thousand Ways and I Want To Be uninspired material of some of the finer, night, some of the songs make no literal with You Always, pleasant on their sur- though lesser -known, songwriters sense whatever, and the cover is a collage face but disturbed by dark, desperate un- around. Pete Wingfield (18 with a Bullet that could have been thrown together dercurrents. a couple of years back) wrote the title even more quickly than what's inside. Songs from Frizzell's autumn years, tune, and Jack Tempchin and Jules And, again characteristically, the re- 1965-74, comprise the second side. She's Shear of the Funky Kings, progressive sult is as brilliant as it appears spon- Gone, Gone, Gone is a light rocker. Rail- country -type Marshall Chapman, and taneous; as genuine as most other al- road Lady, written by Jimmy Buffett and Randy Edelman some of the other cuts. bums are calculated. Jerry Jeff Walker, is one of the finest lat- The closest thing to a winner is Temp - What's atypical is the sheer accessi- ter-day train songs. I Never Go Around chin's Slow Dancing, which seems to all bility of the material. Most of the songs Mirrors was Lefty's last great record: but put Newton -John to sleep. on Side I are what would pass as country austere, almost surreal, but at the same Perhaps surprisingly, the more no- in most rock & roll circles-you can even time a killer honky-tonk number. Willie table tunes are by Farrar and by the hum the melodies although the singer Nelson is not the singer Lefty was, but singer herself. His Cooling Down, about he's done a lovely job here. And what a a love affair on the wilt, is at least suited relief the album is from the gushings and to Newton -John's delivery, and her cloyings of all that Outlaw nonsense.N.T. Don't Ask a Friend, is-at the very least- the equivalent of just about anything Olivia Newton -John: Making a Good else on the album. Also, she seems more Thing Better. John Farrar, producer. interested in this piece than in most of MCA 2280, $7.98. Tape: O MCA C the rest. 2280,W MCAT 2280, $7.98. Like its predecessors, "Making a Good Thing Better"is professionally Newton -John's seventh album is, sadly, produced and as tasteful as all get out. her most insipid yet. The novelty of her There's doubtless a good deal of enjoy- baby -doll vocalizing is evidently wear- ment in its grooves for any solid fan. ing thin on the public, as her noticeably Newton -John no doubt has the talents, decreasing sales demonstrate:Please but this LP's chief fault is its failure to Mr. Please was her last gold single, live up to its title. T.E. though she's released seven since and her albums are now only selling in the hun- Neil Young: American Stars 'n Bars. dreds of thousands, rather than the mil- Neil Young, David Briggs, & Tim Mulli- lions. (I said she was selling less, not that gan, producers. Reprise MSK 2261, there aren't still a lot of old softies out $7.98. Tape: eV M5 2261, ER M82261, there!) $7.97. "Making a Good Thing Better" is also her first LP to be recorded in its entirety This album might blow Neil Young's Young-atypically accessible in Los Angeles. In addition to producer whole reputation-or at least a good part John Farrar, who's also played guitar on of it. himself frequently has trouble staying in all of her previous work, Newton -John is Young has, rather deservedly, come to tune, but that's part of his charm. Side 2 surrounded largely by the same people be known as one of rock & roll's quirkier is even better, with two songs guaran- who play on everybody else's L.A. musicians-due both to his reticence to teed to become Neil Young standards: recordings. Not that this one sounds like go public and to the unevenness of his Homegrown, which sounds like a everybody else's;it sounds like every recording career. He'll release an album planned sequel to Ronstadt's arrange- other Olivia Newton -John album. The every year or so, and he has twice ment of his Love Is a Rose, and Like a shortcomings are in the vocal perform- scrapped projects entirely at the last mo- Hurricane, an eight -minute guitar freak - ance and in the material, not in the comment. The latest instance was a three - out combining the best elements of puter -perfect backing tracks. disc best -of compilation, "Decade," that C,S,N&Y's Southern Man and the In a sense, what Farrar has done is was to include outtakes from earlier ses- Springfield's Bluebird. Wonderful. sions with the Buffalo Springfield and For those committed to Young weird- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and some ness, there's still hope, manifested in the of his own more obscure material (like ballad Will to Love. It's a one-man show. Sugar Mountain, which has been re- and his vocals and instrumentals drift in leased several times on the B side of vari- and out of what sounds like slamming ous singles but never on an album). doors, dropped shoes, and heaven only "Decade" got to the test -pressing stage- knows what else. But the song is quite with some review copies even sent out- pretty. and was suddenly withdrawn. In its place The playing throughoutisprofes- is "American Stars 'n Bars." sional, with guitarist Frank Sampedro a Well, now, that's pretty quirky behav- standout. To keep up with Young, he'd ior, and it probably cost Young a couple better be. of bucks in no -return expenses. And the The other day, I heard an instrumental new album has the look of a typical, of his earlier Heart of Gold in a restau- rather spontaneous, Young project. rant over a canned -music system. Could There is material that's as much as three be the public's catching up with him. years old, together with some that was Somehow, I hope not. We need a few recorded just prior to release. Young's cult figures around to give us perspec- Olivia-too much baby doll vocals, and some of the instrumental tive. T.E.

141 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE capable of dreaming up riffs of his own, he steals them from others. This album rocks smoothly and unoriginally, with Miller's bland, distant vocals and liberally applied synthesizer creating a "lost in the ozone" effect reminiscent of his Pop/Rock first record, made almost ten years ago. Helen Reddy: Ear Candy. Kim BY KEN EMERSON Fowley and Earle Mankey, producers. Capitol S011640, $7.98. Tape: 119 4X0 11640, Fania All -Stars: Rhythm Ma- FANIA $8X011640, $7.98. chine. Jay Chattaway, pro- ALL-STARS ducer. Columbia PC 34711, Rhythm It's hard to imagine an odder $6.98. Tape: 101 PCT 34711, MACHINE coupling than Helen Reddy onciudincr with Kim Fowley, longtime PCA 34711, $7.98. Fue ISM Wes The OnOlAvnIce fa1NOY (FIPPeenuts (The Pin VnclarlUubileo L.A. rock scene -maker. The in- Despite the departure of Ray congruity makes "Ear Candy" Barretto (whom Mongo Santa- intriguing but uneven, at times quite grotesque. The Fifties maria replaces on congas), the doowop parodies and the elaborate special effects can be All -Stars are just that: some of quite funny, yet Reddy, always a rather stiff and humorless the best Latin players around. singer, seems ill at ease. The mock -nasty Baby, I'm a Star is In their eagerness to popularize salsa, however, they often a joke that misfires, mostly because one suspects it's the way end up adulterating it. Though the percussion section cooks Reddy really feels. here, Jay Chattaway's arrangements keep the lid on with top-heavy brass, strings, and oohing and aahing vocal cho- Jean Ritchie: None but One. Al Steckler and Ron Frangi- ruses that are strictly from Muzak. The chili is good, but it's pane, producers. Sire SA 7530, $6.98. Tape: 41 SA 7530H, smothered in Velveeta. $7.98.

Ian Hunter's Overnight Angels. Roy Thomas Baker, pro- Despite the fact that Jean Ritchie is in her mid -fifties, her ducer. Columbia PC 34721, $6.98. Tape:IFN PCT 34721, wobbly Appalachian soprano still sounds girlish, especially !]PCA 34721, $7.98. on a traditional song. "None but One" fuses the old with the new: folk with electric instruments, venerable ballads with Ian Hunter's last album suffered from the sterile sound that recent songs written by Ritchie. The arrangements are ec- often results when good musicians who don't ordinarily lectic and often quite elaborate, but the earnest purity of play together meet for a one-shot studio session. He's got a Ritchie's vocals (accompanied by Janis Ian, Mary Travers, real band on this record, which explodes with bashing, mad- and Oscar Brand, among others) makes it all sound simple- cap energy and recalls Hunter's Mott the Hoople days. If it and quite touching. doesn't quite recapture them, it's only because most of the songs lack the autobiographical intensity of his most com- Cat Stevens: Izitso. Cat Ste- pelling work. vens and Dave Kershenbaum, producers. A&M SP 4702, Barry Manilow: Live. Barry $7.98. Tape:41 CS 4702,e18T Manilow & Ron Dante, pro- 4702, $7.98. ducers. Arista AL 8500, $11.98 To call "Izitso" Cat Stevens's (two discs). Tape:filffl 5301 8500,4g 8301 8500, $11.98. best album in five years is to damn it with faint praise. It de- Barry Manilow's spectacular, serves more than that. The cast -of -dozens roadshow songwriting is forceful and the comes on like Up With rhythms rocking (Old Schoolyard is a potential hit single), Includes: LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT/ People-packaged pep and the dense arrangements for a battery of keyboards and syn- I WRITE THE SONGS/MANDY synthetic sincerity. The hi- thesizers consistently interesting, and the playfulness less larious medley of Manilow's commercials (for State Farm puerile than in the past. Stevens will probably always sound Insurance, Dr. Pepper, etc.) unwittingly points out their naive, but this time around he's far from insipid. similarity to his later, equally commercial, songs: They all swell to the same inspirational choruses. And Manilow un- Jimmy Webb: El Mirage. George Martin, producer. Atlan- dermines the schlocky grandeur of his two hits, Could It Be tic SD 18218, $6.98. Tape:011 CS 18218,0.3TP 18218, $7.97. Magic and Mandy, by collapsing them together. On his new album, Jimmy Webb devotes a sad song, If You See Me Getting Smaller I'm Leaving, to his "borderline ca- The Steve Miller Band: Book of Dreams. Steve Miller, pro- reer." Ironically, it may be the best thing he's ever written. ducer. Capitol SO 11630, $7.98. Tape:ffik 4X0 11630, .78X011630, $7.98. The same goes for all of "El Mirage," whose overwrought beauty is redeemed from banality by the drama and desper- If cleanliness is next to godliness, Steve Miller's on the side ation of Webb's romanticism. Sumptuously orchestrated by of the angels, for he's an immaculate guitarist. Heaven may George Martin, the record ravishes the soul. Does that frown, however, on one of his nastier habits: Evidently in- sound like hyperbole? It's a hyperbolic album.

SEPTEMBER1977 145 DIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Dis- count prices for Shure, Pickering, Stanton. Empire, Grado and ADC. Send for free catalog. All merchandise BEST Ela brand new and factory sealed. LYLE CARTRIDGES. HIGH Dept. H, Box 69, Kensington Station. Brooklyn, New York IN THE 1/4----mx 11218. For Fast Service, call TOLL FREE 800-221-0906.

FIDELITY CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE NOW READING ONE WORLD! OF HIGH FIDELITY'S best read pages! Use it yourself when you want to sell equipment, or a service. or want to let the avid music listener know about anything. High Fi- Order famous British loudspeaker components direct at CLASSIFIED delity Classified, 130 East 59th St.. N.Y. 10022. discount prices. Build your own top quality hiti and disco 130 East 59th St., New York, N.Y. 10022 speakers Save 50-70°. Send today for free catalogue and SEARCHING? WRITE DISContinued RECORDS, 444

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OLD RADIO PROGRAMS, 50c!! AM TREASURES, BOX FANTASTIC OLD RADIO PROGRAMS ON TAPE. 192, NC, Babylon, N.Y. 11702. Reels. cassettes, 8 -track. Free introductory catalog Ra- dio Memories, Box 2297, Newport News. VA. 23602. wanted to buy RAREST CLASSICAL, SOUNDTRACKS, SHOWS, PERSONALITY LPs. Huge catalog 50c. Grammy's Attic, 78 RPM RECORDS Collector selling instrumental clas- USED MONO. AMP. WANTED -HARMAN KARDON Box 181, Bluffton, SC 29910 sical collection. List available. DeLeeuw, 720 Fort Wash- MODEL (Trend C-300) High Price. Phone (212)629-1968. ington Ave., New York. N.Y. 10040. 2 PANASONIC RF-60 HEADSET FM STEREO RA- SOUNDS GOOD PLATINUM AND GOLD ALBUMS! POSTPAID! LPs, list DIOS. MANNY'S RECORD SHOP, 114 4th Ave., NYC, NY presents a new LOW 56.98. only 55.57. 8 -Tracks and cassettes, list $7.98. only 10003. $6 27 Catalog $1.00. Soundco, Box 1539-C, Bellevue, in mail order Nebraska 68005. CAPITAL MUSIC TAPES: Guaranteed school and instructions jamproof ; Extra high output/low noise for INDIRECT DISCS cut from 100 dB dynamic range tapes full dimensional sound. recorded by Dick Burwen. MISTY -The Petty Trio. In- CLASSES IN MUSIC RECORDING. RECORD PRO- CASSETTES: 60 min./343.39; 90 cludes Rhinestone Cowboy, Feelings, Leroy Brown, Wild DUC710N, PUBLISHING, DISC MASTERING, FILM min./3-$4.59 Flower, and Misty. Made in Germany on Celia label, BL -3. RECORDING. Taught by famous engineers and produc- 8 -TRACK: 45 min./3-$3.39; 90 THIS IS THE ONE -piano solos by Dick Wellstood. In- ers. Held in 16, 24 track recording studios. Contact: UNI- min./3-$3.99 cludes Paganini's Thing, Keepin' Out of M6chief Now, VERSITY OF SOUND ARTS, 2040 Ave. Of The Stars, 4th SPECIAL ONLY $1.98 You Are the Sunshine of My Life, The Steeplechase. You floor. Century City, California 90067 (213) 553-4742. Go to My Head. Rosetta, Sugar, and Giant Steps. On Au- LET IT BE-BEATLES, LP diophilelabel, AP -120. $15.00 each postpaid. Send FREE: Catalog of low priced albums and check or money order. Massachusetts residents only add publications tapes. 5% sales tax. DECIBEL RECORDS, Dept. 7, P.O. Box 631. SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER, add Lexington, Massachusetts 02173. .85c handling to: LISTENEWS s r Ner SOUNDS GOOD / 4821 Irving Park FREE AUCTION LISTS O.C.'s, SOUNDTRACKS, PER- icks

Chicago, Illinois 60641 SONALITIES, JAZZ SPECIFY LIST. "Want Lists" filled REVIBN FINDER RECORD-

send to: AGM Records LTD, 1619 Broadway, N.Y.0 N.Y. ING EiVIEW 1110E1 ' :e wates SHOW ALBUMS -Rare, out -of -print LPs. 64 -page list 10019 . COMPONENT REVIEW !NM t .,ANNUAL INDEX tor 61.00 ROBBER BRIDEGROOM 7" STEREO, 331/2,4 a . OPERA CROSS-REFERENCE. PER- songs -Jerry Orbach; Virginia Vestoff 53.95; La Strada, Max Steiner's Magnificent Movie Music. Over 130 scores on over 70 tapes, reel or cassette. Demo 53.50 FORMER CROSS-REFERENCE. ARTICLE INDEX' DEMONSTRATION Mate Hari EP $3.95; Bakers Wife cast LP $.9.95. Broad- OUALiff RECORDING LIST. SPECIAL FEATURES REVIEWS AND ARTICLES sr way -Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown, CT 06829. postpaid. Catalog free. Max Steiner Music Society Li- CHARTER RATE S12 PER TEAR ISSUPT01- brary, Dept HF, Box 1274, Kankakee, Illinois 60901 .-r- P.O BOX 15251 Dept. HF, New Orleans U. 10115 ADVENT PROCESS CR / 70 CASSETTE RECORD- INGS. The best in the world. Hard to find? Don't give up. Write for tree catalog and dealer list. Advent Corporation, r 1 Dept. CHF. 195 Albany St.. Cambridge. Mass. 01239. HIGH FIDELITY "HISTORICAL OPERA DISC 8 TAPE -Magnificent Classified Advertising Department quality, speedy service. Greatest live performances of past 50 years. Reel, cassette, disc. Free Catalog. Histor- 1 130 East 59th St., New York, N.Y. 10022 212-826-8393/94 ical Recording Enterprises, Box 12, Kew Gardens, N.Y 11415 " Michael Littleford, Classified Advertising Manager IPlease run the following classified advertisement in the next available I

NOTICE: RECORD RATERS WANTED Iissue No experience required Each month we ship you NATIONAL LP's to rate. "You keep LP's." We pay postage. In return for your opinion, you' I I can build your LP collection. A small membership fee is required. "First come basis." Send' no money For application write: E.A.R.S.. INC-Dept HF 3725 N. 126th St' I Brookfield WI 53005 I I Name BASF TAPE: All widths 40-50% off. All tapes guaran- I Address teed! INTERGALACTIC, 1043 Kids,Troy. Michigan 48084 City State Zip RARE OPERA TAPES Over 3000 on reels from world wide sources. Some available on cassettes Details Telephone COREY. Box 1123. Malibu, California, 90265. YOUR MAIL-ORDER TAPE SPECIALIST IN WASH. RATE: For Regular and Display, see scnedule above. "CASH MUST D.C. SAME DAY SHIPMENT -DISCOUNT PRICES. BASF. SCOTCH, MAXELL, TDK 8 CAPITOL. FREE PRICE LIST. ACCOMPANY ORDER. Closing two months prior to issue. SAXITONE TAPE SALES. 1776 COLUMBIA RD. N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009.

SEPTEMBER 1977 147 Music in Print

Handbook ABBA: Arrival. AP. 11 songs. $5.95. Sweden has sent us Orrefors glassware. of the Saab.and Liv Ullman. Now it's managed to undo all the good work with Multichannel ABBA. avocal quartet of cloned Car- penters. The group's orchestral back- Recording ground is grandiosely electronic, either Here is very possibly the single most booming or shimmering, and the printed important book on sound recording page cannot approximate even an iota of for the layman or professional who the recorded sound quality. wants to make quality recordings of Although thereisa certain quaint musical groups. For the first time, here's charm in their lightly accented singing. a book that covers it all- dubbing, the intellectual level of ABBA's original special effects, mixing, reverb, echo, material (except forFernando. their first synthesis- for both stereo and four - hit) couldnot challenge the sophistica- channel recording. Simply circle tion of a Mouseketot. Pass this one up- No. 781 on the coupon. you'll grow out of it. Maybe they will. "Handbook of Multichannel Record- ing" is only one of a wide selection of too. carefully chosen audio books made Peter Frampton: Anthology. Big 3.37 available to HIGH FIDELITY readers through Music Listeners' Book Service. songs. $7.95. (Many of the selections are not readily For thosewho can't survive without a available in bookstores.) Choose your large fix of Frampton. the "Anthology" books from the list, circle the numbers is a well -transcribed discography of thir- on the coupon, and enclose your check ty-seven self -penned songs culled from or money order. That's all there is to it. no less than eight individual LPs. In no No. 781 HANDBOOK OF MULTICHANNEL RECORD- case is any of these albums represented ING. F. Alton Everest. A comprehensive volume of 322 pages. with 201 completely. but then Mr. Frampton's illustrations. covering all aspects of live recording in disc mentors are given to reissuing al- both stereo and four -channel formats Paperbound: 57.95. Hardbound: 510.95. ready -recorded material at will, in differently tailored record jackets.Ialso Frampton of the methadone syndrome No. 603 DURABLE PLEASURES. A Practical Guide to Better Tape Recording. Hans Finite'. noted several lyrics at variance with the Written in nontechnical language by one of the most recorded performances. respected writers in the field. this illustrated volume is rior quality. making recycling for any a mustfor all tape recordists whether beginners or Listening to Frampton is akin to tak- purposes whatsoever an impossibility. old hands 58.95. ing methadone to relieve your Mick Jag- Who is kidding who? No. 756 FOUR -CHANNEL STEREO . . FROM ger withdrawal pains; it's a great idea. SOURCE TO SOUND. 2nd Edition (1974). Ken W. but it doesn't always work. Sessions, Jr. Complete technical and nontechnical information The Entertainer's Songbook. CMC, 75 on all approaches to four -channel sound. both discrete The Homecoming and Other Great and matrix Paperbound: $4.95. Hardbound: $7.95. songs, $7.95. Compiled by Piano Solos. Top Country Hits of 1976. Big 3. 76 No. 640 SELECTING AND IMPROVING YOUR HI-FI Jan Thomas.WBP, 27 songs, $4.95. SYSTEM. (1973) Harvey Swearer. songs. $7.95. A handy guide to what to look for what to expect. and what to avoid in setting up or expanding your home Amodest delight: distinctive, but not Great Songs of the '40s. Big 3, 38 songs. audio system Paperbound: 54.95. Hardbound: $7.95. difficult, piano transcriptions of pleasant 53.95. Check or money order must accompany your order. material. Here you will findRhapsody in Top Hits of 1976. Big 3, 44 songs, $4.95. No cash or C.O.D.'s, please. Blue inthe Deodato arrangement; a Evergreen and Other Great Love Songs. Allow 60 days for delivery. complete -with -fingering version of Scott WBP, 48 songs, $5.95. Joplin's The Entertainer (arranged by Happily this month's folios include no HIGH FIDELITY Ada Richter); art -deco piano embodied fewer than five that will serve the needs I MUSIC LISTENERS BOOK SERVICE I in Eddy Duchin's styling of Lullabyof Dept HW of the vocalist (as opposed to the rock - I 216o Patterson StreetCincinnati. Ohio 45214 I Broadway;a delicious '20s tea -dance group aficionado). More than a thou- tango.Jalousie,brilliantly adapted by I I sand pages of good. solid m.o.r. material Here'snycheckforS Please send Henry Levine; and all sorts of other con- are offered in various categories, and all me. postpaid. the books I've circled below I I fections. even Van McCoy's The Hustle. of it is moderately easy to play and en- Satisfaction guaranteed. for the pro as 781 003 756 640 joyable to sing. I well as the home pianist. Name Far and away the best of these collec- I I tions is "The Entertainer's Songbook." Address I ZZ Top: Fandango!WBP, 12 songs, Although relying heavily on in-house I $5.95. City. State. 8 Zip copyrights, editor Pat Perkins and pro- I I The paper on whichthese self-indulgent ducer Dennis O'Donnell have not hesi- snippets are printedis of a coarse, infe- tated to tap the catalogs of other corn-

I4S HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE PRICE WAR petitive publishers intheir successful quest for literate. unhackneyed. ar- AMERICA 's el VALUE LEADER rangeable songs that will please the au- STEREO CORPORATION OF MICA dience as well as the performer. The folio fills a great need and I urge you to add it to your library. Big 3 has favored us with three big singers' volumes. two of which are for specialized tastes. "Top Country Hits of 1976" fudges slightly by including a few graybeards-Peace in the Valley (1939). Release Me (1954). and Sixteen Tons

(1947)-but on the plus side offers many AUDIO DISCOUNTING STARTED IN worthwhilemid -Seventiescopyrights NEW YORK & NOW WITH THE END OF recently recorded by Linda Ronstadt. FAIR-TRADE WE ARE SURE THAT NO Cash McCall. Freddy Fender. Lynn An- ONE CAN BEAT OUR PRICES WE DISCOUNT OVER 60 MAJOR BRANDS derson. and other stalwarts of the genre. "The 0 produces less bass energy than either Advent, but it is much cleaner in this area. A OVER 10 YEARS OF RELIABLE SERVICE "Great Songs of the '40s" is an excellent female on our listening panel stated that she IN THE MAIL ORDER FIELD. compendium of nostalgic material from LARGEST INVENTORY/LOWEST PRICES! would pick the Advents for shaking the dust off WE GET THE BEST DEALS FROM THE that currently hallowed era. Heads -up her windows, and the 0 for listening to music." MANUFACTURERS: YOU GET THE BEST editing might have caught a few omis- -The Sensible Sound Vol.1, No. 1 DEAL FROM US. DON'T DELAYII! sions in the pertinent information de- THE MODEL 0 IS A MODERATELY -PRICED WRITE US NOW FOR LOWEST Piece QUOTE LOUDSPEAKER; part of the advanced technol- partment: While most of the songs from WRITE SHOP BY PHONE' movie musicals are credited as such. It ogy of the FRIED SIGNATURE SERIES. Each loudspeaker has a family resemblance, and yet OR CALL (212) 253-8888 Happened in Sun Valley and Our Love N V TIME is different from the "pieces of paper in a box' FOR FREE Affair are not. The first is. of course. from STEREO 9-5 MON. THRU SAT. which infest the American market. Further in- PRICE CATALOG .J.stennarge Bankame,ard the film of the same name. and the sec- formation is available from franchised FRIED ond was sung by Judy Garland in Strike dealers. or by letter inquiry to: STEREO CORPORATION OF AMERICA Up the Band. Big 3's "Top Hits of 1976" is. with a CO., 14-F 1629 Flatbush Ave Ong few exceptions, essentially a low -budget 7616 City Line Ave.. Brooklyn. New York 11210 OMR regrouping of their own barely two - FriedPRODUCTSPhila.. PA 19151 month -old folio. "The Best of the Super- CIRCLE 13 ON READER -SERVICE CARD CIRCLE 02 ON READER -SERVICE CARD stars." The rationale behind this escapes me. Some explanation is also due for the mysterious contents listing of two INAUd10 DISCOUNT "bonus songs." Neither one-/ Love Mu- sic. Part I. and Memories Are Made of WAREHOUSE SALES This-is to be found anywhere in this col- DIRECT TO PUBLIC lection and certainly not on the pages in- SAVE! dicated. unless printed in invisible ink. A MONEY TIME FREIGHT "HOT STUFF rather kinky editorial choice. which I QUA_ITY STEREO EQUIPMENT sincerely hope is not the start of a trend. AT LOWEST PRICES IF YOU CAN BUY IT 4NY CHEAPER YOU COULD is the inclusion of the McDonald's com- k YOUR REQUEST FOR QUOTA- DO 2 TO 5 YEARS mercial. You. You're the One. No com- TION RETURNED SAME DAY ment. FACTORY SEALED CARTONS - 1111 Trailing the pack is good old Warner GUARANTEED AND INSURED U Bros. ("Evergreen and Other Great Love U 14 SAVE ON NAME BRANDS LIKE Songs"). which as usualinsists upon El:ALL THE HOTLINE TOLL FREE A.D.C. KLH overkilling us softly with their songs that OUT OF STATE have been re -re -re -printed in each suc- A.R SHIRE DYNACO II cessive WB folio ad nauseam. Perhaps a KOSS MI800-631-2175 FISHER SONY case can be made for the repeated inclu- IN IN NEW JERSEY III sion of some of these well-worn classics. PIONEER such as Summer of '42 and How Can You AND MORE THAN 50 OTHERS mm. 800-822-8926 M ME Mend a Broken Heart of Gold: but the BUY THE MODERN WAY Write Today FREE Audio Catalog IIII Beatles' Long and Winding Road. Cole BY MAIL-FROM ElMASTER CHARGE/BANKAMERICARD111 HONORED ON Porter's Night and Day. Sedaka's Laugh- 1111 MAIL A PHONE ORDERS 1111 ter in the Rain, and Lightfoot's If You Could Read My Mind are still very much milAUDIO DISCOUNT a =.111/ mis NAREHOUSE SALES purchasable in other steady -selling WB 111 15 Monmouth Rd W Long Branch N J077,,4 III composer collections and should be im- Please rush me your FREE Audio Catalog mediately retired from active duty on the Mina/ IIIName In omnium gatherum circuit. iaaudio II Address . ELISE BRETTON Department217H 1.1 City In Ill State A P-Almo Publications 12 E.Delaware Place Zip ii Big 3-Big 3 Publications Chi:ago, Illinois60611 CMC-Chappell Music Corp. 111111HINNIIIIMIIIII WBP-Warner Bros. Publications 312-664-0020 CIRCLE 4 ON READER -SERVICE CARD

CIRCLE 18 ON READER -SERVICE CARD SEPTEMBER 1977 The Revolulionary Wow & flutter:DM. SignaVnoise ratio:62 dB. Introducing the incredible Elcaset itself -just as in reel-to-reel. system. Developed by Sony to bring Result: lowest wow and flutter, you unsurpassed cassette sound. superior tape/head alignment, even A The Elcaset tape is as wide as better frequency response. (see diagram). I* reel-to-reel tope:'/a"2Tape All -new tape formulation with moves twice as fast: 33A ips. 4thicker oxide coating and thicker Result: the widest dynamic range,polyester for highest quality sound. the widest frequency response, the Automatic tape formulation cleanest sound ever offered in a cas- 5 adjustment. Small holes encoded sette format. Unlike the standard on the cassette case "tell" the Elcaset cassette, the Sony Elcaset sound is not deck what type of tape is being used compressed, constrained. It's expan- (SLH, FeCr). The Elcaset then automati- sive and full. It "breathes:' It's true cally adjusts both bias and EQ for high fidelity optimum performance. 3The tape is lifted out from the CLOSED LOOP DUAL CAPSTAN SYSTEM CAPSTAN I REC. HEAD CAPSTAN

e cassette and guided across the PINCH ROLLER PIS HEAD PINCH ROLLER 2 heads by a stabilizing pin in the deck E. HEAD

0 - ELCASET sorryElcaset se:25 Hz -22 kHz,±3dBr* An engineering triumph, the Sony EL -73Sony's 3 -head system offers the

Stereo Elcoset Deck was designed precise tape/head align- exclusively for the new Elcaset tape. ment possible. All three heads are AClosed -loop dual capstan tape made of ferrite and ferrite-a super- drive. One of the most advanced strong formulation that lasts up to tape drive systems now available, it 200 times longer than standard perm - assures constant tape -to -head contactalloy. Head surfaces are mirror - pressure, low wow and flutter and smooth for friction -free tape travel and virtually nonexistent modulation noise.optimum -ape/head contact. Incredibly The 3 -motor system starts with a close tolerances in the head gap 2DC servo motor for utmost assure widest frequency response. reliability. A sophisticated feedback cir- 4Direct coupling of playback head cuit corrects for line voltage fluctua- iovvith the FET first -stage reproduc- tions, and other speed -altering tion amplifier significantly reduces factors. This is the finest tape recorder distortion, improves signal/noise ratio motor system money can buy. Proof? and frequency response linearity. Wow and flutter of only .04%. Also available: The Sony EL -5 Stereo Elcoset Deck. Includes many of the some high performance features of the Sony EL -7 of a lower price.

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WRMS FeCr rope. Dolby'"out FeCr rope ""TM Dolby Lobs IncSource 50-,y Corp (0) 1977 Superscope. Inc 20525 Nordhon SrChatsworth CA 91311 Prices and mode.s 5.JOJeCt to change without not ce Consult the Yellow Page; for your nearest Superscope deale INTRODUCING THE RECEIVER YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T AFFORD.

KENWOOD M 9T ERE. RECEIVER MODEL KR -.107

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The new Kenwood KR -4070. with the famous Kenwood tuner It's got 40 watts of power per and other outstanding features, channel, minimum RMS, at 8 ohms, at that price, is unheard of. from 20 to 20,000 Hz, with no How did we do it? more than 0.1°0 total harmonic That's what Pioneer and distortion. Marantz would like to know. And it costs less than S300'.` The new Kenwood KR -4070. That kind of power, along Performance is now affordable. KENWOOD For the KENWOOD Dealer nearest you, see your yellow pages, or write KENWOOD, 15777 S. Broadway, Gardena, CA 90248

*Nationally advertised value. For information purposes only. Actual prices are established by Kenwood dealers. Handles optional.