New Home Audio -Video Systems That Do It AM EMBER 19& $1.50 J ICD 06398

THE MAGAZINE OF AUDIO, VIDEC. CLASSICAL MUSIC, AND POPULAF MUST

How to Put Pizzazz into Your Car Stereo System Special Pullout -900 New Records from A toZ! The Big Switch to Prerecorded CassettesDoom for LPs?

983 NEW PRODUCT ROUNDUP Hundreds of Exciting New Tape Decks, Speakers, Video Recorders and Cameras, Receivers, Turntables, and More! PLUS Lab Tests on 6 New Stereo Components First VCR from Sansui

08398 .11111IIMIsr-W-WCZNIPM...0 11=111.0=1.-611MC..1k_as. 4C_Isr

SAA90High SUPER AVILYN CASSE i Position

OITDK Hph Ellas XlissE0 SA -X90

HIGH RESOLUTION

Laboratory Standard Cassette Mechanism movimmunnsiniagininniammosi

Stevie's cassette is SA -X for all the keys he plays in.

f nqvanw When it comes to music, in high bias record- Froespe...111K *Ns Nam levels without distor- Stevie Wonder and TDK ing with sound per- tion or saturation. are perfectionists. Stevie's formance which 00.111.0.1 Last, but not least, perfection lies in his talent. approaches that of TDK's Laboratory TDK's perfection is in its high-energy metal. Standard Mechanism technology. The kind of The exclusive TDK gives Stevie unsur- technology that makes our double -coating of Atpassed cassette re- newly reformulated SA -X Super Avilyn I Witt liability, for a lifetime. high bias cassette the particles 1-tipcmi=uni TDK SA-X-it's .. . 2OR cassette that Stevie provides . the machine for Stevie depends on to cap- optimum perform- Wonder's machine. Shouldn't it ture every note and r ancefor each fre- be the machine for yours? nuance of every / quency range. And performance. SA -X's super wide 1 SA -X cassettes .iii.,,,; dynamic range give Stevie a and high MOL new dimensionill .iihandle high signal THE MACHINE FORDK YOUR MACHINE CIRCLE 10 ON READER -SERVICE CARD High

VOLUME 32NUMBER 9SEPTEMBER 1982 Fidelity AUDIO CrossTalk by Robert Long Supertweeter response; Poly sleeves for records; More on CX 7 Basically Speakingby Michael Riggs Tonearm talk: antiskating, tangency, effective mass, and resonance 8 *The Autophileby Gary Stock Souping up your car stereo system 10 * New Equipment Reports Bose 601 Series 11 speakers 12 Technics RS-M255X cassette deck19 Adcom XC/van den Hul phono pickup 14 Heath AA -1800 power amp 21 Kenwood KR -90 receiver 18 Cybernet SRC -80 receiver 22 Sound Viewsby Robert Long 24 Faced with the new reality of video, does audio's past have a future? Show and 7 ell *1983 New Products Roundupby Robert Long, Michael Riggs, & William Tynan The marriage of audio and video was the hit of the Consumer Electronics Show 26

VIDEO TODAY & TOMORROW *Hands -On Report: Sansui SV-R5000 video cassette deckby Edward J. Foster A worthy first effort from this audiophile company 38 TubeFoodby Susan Elliott New video programming: cassette, disc, and pay cable 40 Video Q. & A.by Edward J. Foster Satellite TV reception; VHS tape loading; VCR repairs 41

CLASSICAL MUSIC 4utho's Video 38 Bach's "Choruses"-Less Than They Seem? by Joshua Rifkin Evidence suggests that Bach's choruses may have been performed by solo voices 42 Why Do We Need Traviata-or Do We?Reviewed by Kenneth Furie With occasional exceptions, a clutch of recordings is lacking in action 45 * Preview of the Forthcoming Year's Recordings: special pullout section More than 900 titles are listed in our annual survey of upcoming releases 49 Reviews: Horowitz in concert; The Beggar's Opera; Bartok's orchestral works 63 Critics' Choice 64 The Tape Deckby R.D. Darrell 71 Fortepianos .. .and grand pianos of today BACKBEAT/Popular Music Crenshaw Sings Crenshawby Crispin Cioe Traviata: Needed? 45 A singer's songwriter becomes a singer/songwriter 72 The Postwar Jazz TrumpetReviewed by Don Heckman LPs by Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Clifford Brown 74 Pop Reviews: Joe Cocker; Steve Forbert; David Johansen; Pete Townshend 75 Jazz Reviews: Shirley Horn; Bireli Lagrene 77 * Pop-Pourriby Sam Sutherland Are prerecorded cassettes threatening the dominance of the LP? 82 DEPARTMENTS Letters 2 Advertising Index 82 * Reader -Service Cards for FREE Product Information 61 Postwar Horn 74 * Cover Story -EMI,Letters Goose Steps and All Neo-Nazi, Neo-Schman-who cares! The fact Angel remains that Carmina burana ("Carl Orff: Bun- NIGELofExcellence! gled Fireworks . . . or Skillful Effects?." Janu- TheStandard ary] is very entertaining music, and that's more than I can say for 99% of the trash being written

DIGITAL today. WAGNER PLACIDO DOMINGO When composers stop trying to impress LOHENGRIN Opera Duets '4 Kollo Tomowa-Sintow uma AIDA DON CARLO each other and the critics, then I'll listen. In the e Nimsgem Vejzovic FAUST MEFISTOFELE meantime, more Carminas-goose steps and Ridderbusch Kems TRIO SONATAS. Chorus of IM Deutrhe Open & Berlin R1,115amonoc all! GOLDBERG Karajan Robert Mammarella el% i PERLMAN Stowe, Pa. IVA ZUKERMAN lew SANDERS EDDY Stravinsky's Legacy

fr

DS -37815 SELX-3829 S-37934 ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER RAVEL THE KOTO CONNECTION RICCARDO MUTI Bolero Alborada del gracioso "POP" CLASSICS FOR KOTOS

MOZART: VIOLIN Daphnis et Chloe -suite No 2 Mozart 40' Pachebel Canon CONCERTOS MUTI EMra Madigan & More NO.2 IN D NO.4 IN D 1141 Philadelphia Orchestra PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA DIGITAL

Was.. It 1111k D5-37904 DS -37885 S-37930 Circle 59 on Reader -Service Card May I comment on a few points in David Ham- ilton's excellent review of "Stravinsky: The Recorded Legacy" in your June issue? I am no less puzzled than Mr. Hamilton as WHILE OTHERS PROMISE.... to why CBS largely ignored the composer's own WE DELIVER! performances of his piano works, including his ORDER 0TOLL FREYORK E 221.8180 recordings with Joseph Szigeti of the transcrip- AUDIO tions (of which many more were made than is New VIDEO HI -Fl Sony generally known). Why, for example, were Stra- MONIER Sx-4 '129 VIDEO RECORDERS 1139 Walkman -- 0111111111111 400 MR 2650 , '..- '979 vinsky's renditions of the Sonata and the Sere- PONSC74 T.TDer. '115 R-2 PK PIR 7650 .... '949 PICA. 959 '139 TVOINICS SA,206 01-I. SONY x5000 'I'' '569 nade omitted, especially since no editions of the 169 Commodore /VC MR 7300 -' '599 '139 PANASONK PV 5500 ' , '991 music are free from serious errors, some of which 199 111 VIC-20 Computer PANASONIC PT 7790- '919 )KINGS ss..128;err 14, SONY 51 2020 SONY T'T TOM TEDOWICS 914I-101 A, '1019 his recordings correct? TWINICS 011. 31 50,1 w 0- .115 r,- PANASONIC Pv 1775

MANN VII NUN E. 448RCA ONLY ONLY 99 Mr. Hamilton's statement that Stravinsky SONY SYR .5 00' , .0- *799 $13995$2299Sj VGT200 .S '499

NW.. 90-2400 1, ,r '124 VIDEO CAMERAS "recorded as a pianist in the Thirties and For- GAG V3 -RM Cas 1299 STEREO -TO -GO COMPUTERS PANASONIC PK 959

, TUC C341 To,E. ,999 ties" needs to be slightly amended. The compos- '11.;; SONY WALKMAN I " 173 AKA ,001 r 59 SONY WALTMAN ' HARDWARE W4e33 5270-1 I. 11119 '9995 '299 $091 VIALW0N4 AT ARI IWO Comp,tvr, LRCMS-9UTorCo3^,' 1 .749 er's first recording, of five numbers from Les '339 Deluxe Cass Sore:, '929 WARR irt.10, '.9 '91 ATAM 410 CrogramReccxaen '79.90 K M -510SIDPM, TOSINBA KTR01 TaLL sir.. 'IN ATARI 610 INN Dove) 1449.90 COLOR T.V. Cinq Doigts, was made in New York in March KOSS 41USK BON 'AV '64 099 4 momeCOTROuten 1309 SONY 001222902 0011 '459 Wealiers 9946400 Freight Coded reCtodICSSAC.07 sov, '549 WNW PC1900 imincl MOO '229.95 '519 1925 for Brunswick. It still sounds remarkably SAT0OMG4Cass 35 SNAJIP C9-1501Printer fOrOC 1502 .569 SANYO IAG30 A v SnrP '179 '94 EPSON 44140 Monte' 1429 SONY K0-21453 CARTRIDGES '129 SNOW VA5 TTc.V '12990 EP5ONNII100Pover, *679 good, and the character with which he endows STANTOM 5390 NOTE 4 PICKETING MR 3000 '56.90 CAR STEREO these miniatures is a revelation. W.:10 WONICA AT140/C '39.60 199.90 CAR STEREOmoaun CI e Like Mr. Hamilton, I deplore the absence s.ms;a12"'" '52.90 .NA IN CAR SPEAKERS VIDEO TAPES PINNER KI-S1CO,Rece,' sown 9540 '29.90 '199 1E12567.1 203 3 . . '9990 PAIR ROWS K94100 ,ReCR., rt.. SNOW 09140 '1990 .254 4NSEN 1 1069 Coal. .49 90 PAN BLANK CASSETTES of the Stravinsky father -son recording of the JENSEN 995111 4,.... Rr. NOM 11000P 164 90 IN. .249 ANSERI 1 1065 , ',,a,'9390 PAW ..45.4 RE -570 .0,40, 4,01.. '274 FIARREAUM ORDER 12 TAPES JENSEN 12126 .".02. L 15390 PAW Concerto for Two Pianos.(Mr. IKALNIMICT 2010 Auto Rev; '289 1EN114.1.2041 ,a. L,,,.., *2. Hamilton's HEADPHONES ILIMPIANICT 03021 ANY WNW T-120 E.P. .14 95 TOSSMAW. FIS.25 m '449 '36.61 PAW CLARION -5703R OF Yonongi '209 POTS 1S498 '99.05 PAR 19 95 wording suggests that the records were issued in Mori ANY MANDL 750 E E E '24 90 SANYO NGT .Recelyen .69 NONNI 1$495 .11 95 PKWHISS19.-7 1411.90 '66.60 PAIR WY INA*01.430 E. et - '14.95 PANASONIC 0264411 Recover, '144 PICONOOTS.110 '71.10 PAIR . W INER WS 133 90 MARANO ON301 *Nemec' ANY MAIO T 160 f '1995 1938. Actually, they were made in a Pathe Mar- SOTO INDRSCST To. .1119 PICO= T5.011 ,iTo.10 PAIR WY WNW IIGT 120 '3490 CRAM T419 A.,0 Reversc 1199 NOM! n107 '14.95 SONY MORNS, iv, 191 90 '37 90 044 No BRAND 901.500 '1295 coni Paris studio in February of that year, but not SONT COOICORV MITSUOISIO [ANC ANY MUNN WA. 7S0 ,14 95 PIKED TOO LOW TO sovornsE CALL FOR OUR LOWEST 11111995 WE CARRY TAM IT Malta ToK released by French Columbia until March 1951, W=11111/ SONY, 900101, RN mamma my AUDIO TELEPHONES *Japes. saiusorac, nava after U.S. Columbia rejected them on the disin- 00012 TAP391 FINIONA MdlOW 9500 EMON CMAL01 MOVEl 176 T VIDEO GAMES genuous grounds that they were not transferrable NAJTE1 LBW 10r ULM CEC 1.49 COew 199 NU. MALNOONWeiess MAKE* WM 107 UCEM uC 9C 1299 129.95 PANASONIC KAT 1225 109 ATARI Video Came ... '15495 M9311 UOC.90 12.49 R9C09104CAU WNW 570 PANASONK KaT 1520 MATTEL intE411vIsion Game .219 95 to an LP.) The performance provides a much -

ne MA1111 UD35919 '999 ,41onsosio 169 119S COLECO PACEAAN - '59 95 MUNN LN90 2-000 PANASONIC 001 1255 '111 needed guide and corrects several serious mis- WW1/ LE440 ?Mack '237 TEN SA C40 '137 TDK SA C90 '279 GAME CARTRIDGES takes in the published score. As the recording 106 MA C-93 irAttali '929 ATLon Var. Reveo9. 24 95 TM 0C40 '1 17 ATARI 044enclers '2795 shows, the sixteenths in the first movement, TON DOM '1 49 AN N ao '27.99 TOOADC40 '1.34 ATARI Asterolau '27.69 TON ADM '309 ATARIRICA Sows. .24.1113 going from 2/4 to 12/16, are not equal, despite TM 9001 '16.99 the marking. (The meters in the sketchbook are SONYlarcna " 12.49 Imams FREE GIANT SONY UOGC-S0 '9.19 "2/4 = 4/8," and for a time Stravinsky gave the SONY LEM C-99 11.39 23 PARK ROW, DEPT. HF9, NYC NY 10038 RECORD CATALOG SOM FeCr C92 12.99 NOW TO ORM* Ire MAIL 30INNW.% 1.17 ERDIART AND COURTEOUS SHIPMENT SEND MONO' DeDER CERTIFIED CHEK SEND MR YOUR NEE 32 PAGE RECG*0 four groups of triplets at the 12/16 a slightly 1010 INF-91) 13.14 45HER CHECK MASTERCARD VISA fInCfuOR CAr0 numOLH,flterbank TIC AND TAPE CATALOG IFILLE0 WM. OVER SOSTOI NuMLINOW C.9 03424 '2.99 ..c,41.2. dare NW Lignaturo OD NOT aro CASH. PERSONAL AND 8V5RESS5 11000 DFFERENT LISTING9 NOV ScUtOl NNW EC 99 '923 00ECKS MUST CLEAR OUR RAN. BEFORE PROCESSING 5.00ing Handing POPULAR ARTISTS E TITLES N STOCK POP slower metronome marking.) Yet most perfor- Poe FA 1 C-90 '2.34 ciurants CflAP6 954 01 TOM Ortler 4101 3 53.99 mnrnurn ws IMIP TO ROCK JAZZ COUNTRY E wESTERN 05(094090 .2.711 corrnmersi U.5.. MASCO. KAWAN. PUORTO MOO, AI/D CAMADA UST 4100:1 UST PRICE UST PIKE (Continued on page 6) MONONIX NE-Nas C 12.89 (Canadian OMR, A00 10, SM00014 with a `7 m.ncnum MargeTor SAND 9.9S MN Pro01110.90 12.79 31,Prnent. by Illpis,. 00110! [nese ',top, NEW YORK STATE RE9(2,115 8.10 PLEASE ADO SALES 'Ac SORRY NO C 0.0 9 All MINCRUNINS9 WNW, NAND [*POMONA/ 5% Mama ON 149W, FACTORY WNW 114 160% COARANTIM 100 OR NOON &900M TAPES 61.1OR 7,1it SEND FOR FREE 240 PAGE AUDIO /VIDEO CATALOG [Mini CASSETTE CARRT6I 2 HIGH FIDELITY Circle 27 on Reader -Service Card HEAVY VELVET. Massively built. Delicately precise. Elegantly styled. dustcover. All contributing to resonance -free performance. That's Yamaha's PX-2 tangential tracking quartz -locked And if you're big on perfor- turntable. The one that mance but smaller in budget, the knows its way around PX-3 offers an unbeatable cost ' records because it plays performance ratio. ...e411111111- them the same way Yamaha's PX-2 and PX-3. Built like anvils.Yet perform they were cut - straight. as delicately as a butterfly. All to Yet, the PX-2 is not the bring out the music in you. first turntable to do this. Get a load of one at your It's just the first to do Yamaha Audio Specialty Dealer. Or write Yamaha Electronics it with the precise performance and rugged construction Corporation, USA, P.O. Box 6660, the others lack. Buena Park, CA 90622 for Precise performance that exceptional stereo imaging, and more information. results not only in negligible an unbeatable 80dB signal- For the music in you. tracking error and harmonic to-noise ratio. distortion, but also in dramati- Rugged construction such as cally reduced intermodulation 5mm-thick diecast aluminum distortion, minimum crosstalk, base, solid aluminum headshell, precise left/right balance, even a 5mm-thick acrylic YAMAHA William Tynan. Editor -in -Chief- Associate Publisher BES. The only speakers Shirley Fleming. Editor. Musical America Susan Elliott, Managing Editor/ Editor. Backbeat James R Oestreich, in the world that bring Classical Music Editor Michael Riggs. Technical Editor Robert Maddocks. Director of Graphics youmusic in the round. Peter Hemingson. Copy Editor Susan E Fingerhut, Assistant Music Editor Janet Wolf, Mildred Camacho-Castillo. Editorial Assistants Even the most expensive conventional Robert Long, speakers can't create an honest Consulting Technical Editor Edward J Foster, 3 -dimensional image unless Consulting Audio -Video Editor you're sitting at a specific point Contributing Editors Crispin Cioe, R D Darrell. Har- between them. ris Goldsmith, Edward Greenfield, David Hamilton, Dale Harris, Don Heckman. Stephen Holden, Nicho- BES speakers don't care las Kenyon, Allan Kozinn, Paul Henry Lang. Irving Lowens, Robert C Marsh. Fred Miller, Andrew Por- where you sit. They don't even care ter Steven X Rea, Susan Thiemann Sommer. John where they sit. The absolutely S Wilson unique, 360 degree sound that Kathleen Davis. Director of Production radiates in every plane from our Randy Brozen. elegantly -styled enclosures Audio -Video Production Editor Lida A Silverman. accommodates any position you or Music Production Editor Susan M Allyn, your BES speakers care to take. Circulation Director. Subscription Sales Sense the true depth of music any- Dominic Mustello. Circulation Director, Newsstand Sales where. A special gift from BES. William P Johnson. Circulation Service Manager Suzanne Hochman. Direct Mail Manager Steven IRosenbaum, BES speakers. Publisher Music in the round. Model 300 Cover photo George Menda ADVERTISING

©1982 by BES. 345 Fischer Street, Costa Mesa, Ca 92626 1714) 549-3833 Mew York: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc. 825 7th Ave 7th Floor New York N Y 10019 Telephone (2121265-8360 Sey- Circle 8 on Reader -Service Card Mu, Resnick. Advertising Director. Raymond Foster. Associate Director. George Dickey. Record Advertising Mann- er Vella Pellzrnan Classified Advertising Manager Robert Mad - docks Director of Graphics. Kathleen Davis. Director Of ProduC lionJanet Cermak. Advertising Production Manager Cecelia Giunta. Administrative Assistant Midwest: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc. 415 South ioka Avenue. Mt Prospect. III60056 Telephone 1312) 398-7580 Wil kern P Gordon Midwest Advertising Manager Los Angeles: ABC Leisure Magazines. Inc 2020 Avenue of the Stars. Suite 245 Century City. Calif 90067 Telephone WHY PAY MORE ! 12131 557-6482 Tokyo: Japan Advertising Communications. Inc New Ginn Bldg7-3-13 Ginza. ChuCi-ku TOky0 104 Japan Tele- phone 1031 571-8748 Shigeru Kobayashi. President CClarion JENSEN Complete commodore HIGH FIDELITY and MGR FIDELITY/MUSICAL AMERICA are pub- C: iished monthly by ABC Leisure Magazines. Inca division of ABC Dolby & Auto Reverse meSystem Home Publishing. Incand a subsidiary of American Broadcasting Companies. Inc ABC Publishing, IncRobert G Burton. Presi- Call for Price Computer $214 dent Ronald Stuart, Vice President, Finance ABC Leisure Mag- azines.IncHerbert Keppler, Senior Vice President. Photograph- $99 icPublishing Division. Anthony FMorgano. Vice PreSident. Finance. Ernest G Scarfone. Vice President. Graphics and Pro- LL 4 duction. Steven I R200 Rosenbaum. Vice President. High Fidelity Vic i iggiSKI 1 Group Member Audit Bureau of Circulation. Indexed in Reader S J1292 Guide to Periodical Literature Current and back copies of HIGH 5300R 20 Foam( and HiGH FIDELITY; MUSICAL AMERICA am available on microfilm from University Microfilms. Ann Arbor. Mich 48106 SONY. Direct Drive Microfiche copies ol these magazines 11973 forward) are avail. PIONEIEFI 90 Watt Technicscassette able through Bey & Howell Micro Photo Division, Old Mansfield Quartz Lock Deck w/Dolby & DBX Road Wooster Ohio 44691 Digital Closeout Editorial correspondence should be addressed to The Receiver $199 Editor HIGH FIDELITY. 825 7th Ave New York, N Y 10019 Edito. $238 rial contributions will be welcomed and payment for articles accepted will be arranged prior to publication Submissions must ,L-410 $99 be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with rea- sonable cam however the publisher assumes no responsibility 100 available Ion return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts PSLX4 SX6 RSM255X HIGH FIDELITY The Magszlne for Music Listen...TM is pub- lished monthly at 825 7th Ave . New York. N Y10019. by ABC Leisure Magazines. Inca subsidiary of American Broadcasting Weekdays 9-9 Companies. Inc Copyright t 1982 by ABC Leisure Magazines,dan TOLL FREE 800-356-9514 Inc The design and contents are fully protected by copyrightmust Saturdays 9-5 not be reproduced in any manner Second-class postage Paid at New York. New York and at additional mailing offices Authorized as second-ciass mail by the Post Office Department. Over 100 Brands like: Ottawa. and for payment of postage in cash Yearly subscription in U S A and Possessions $13 95 elsewhere S19 95 Single cop- Technics Maxell Sony Cerwin Acutex iesSt 50Subscribers Send subscriptionsinquiries.and address changes to HIGH FIDELITY P O Box 10759, Des Moines. Pioneer Empire Teac Vega Craig Iowa 50340 Change of address Give old and new addresses. including ZIP code Enclose address label from last issue and Marantz Altec Akai Onkyo Scotch allow live weeks for change to become effective Postmaster: send Form 3579 to HIGH FIDELITY, P.O. Boa 10759, Oes KenwoodSharp Dual Audio B.I.C. Moines, Iowa 50340. Postal Identification Number 243820. Sansui Phillips Koss Technica Stanton WISCONSIN DISCOUNT STEREO Jensen Shure TDK Clarion Pickering2417 w. badger rd madison, vvi 53713 608 271 6889 41. C.O.D. Circle 5 on Reader -Service Card O Circle 43 on Reader -Service Card 4 HIGH FIDELITY The new Technics cassette decks with dbx: They don't just reduce tape noise.They eliminate it.

There is a new line of Technics cassette dec

WI Tie Technics RS-M255X goes even further. tilby nai1.14,11.1/kof 1 )(,lby I.11,11'.111111,I, ',WM.' if Of," 14 1.11 /I Technics The science of sound.

CIRCLE 5 ON READER SERVICE CAW Letters

(Continued from page 2) Mr. Hamilton rightly objects to the inclusion of rather than from New York. mances today equalize the sixteenths. the two -piano arrangement, not by Stravinsky. of Robert Craft I can give a partial answer to one of Mr. the Tango. The only completely authentic vv.- New York, N.Y. Hamilton's questions:Stravinsky added the sions of the work are the first (the unpublished repeat between rehearsal nos. 99 and 106 in Jeu vocalise) and the instrumental score of 1953 de cartes just before or just after the first perfor- (which is presented without one of the repeats- HotStuff mance. That he did not follow it in the Telefunk- an editor's decision?). The response to John S. Wilson's review of Val - en recording may have been due to considera- I also regret the inclusion of pieces con- aida Snow's "Hot Stuff" [May) has been fabu- tions of timing -1 do not know. In Cleveland, he ducted by me as if they were "performances." lous-my mailbox is stuffed with requests!I did not use his own (marked) score, and I think Recorded two or three measures at a time and guess that means HF readers like women trum- he simply forgot about the repeat, not having announced as "rehearsal takes," the ten or so peters. conducted the piece in years. pieces testify to my talents as a tape editor, not- Rosetta Reitz As for Stravinsky's "supervision" at the such as they are-as a conductor. Can anyone Rosetta Records New York recording session of October 8, 1966, familiar with Abraham and Isaac conceive of New York, N.Y. I can suggest two still uninvestigated sources: the having to conduct a soundtrack for overdubbing? job sheets, which would indicate the order in And can anyone who knows The Flood imagine / guess that's because 85% of our subscribers are which the music was recorded, and the numerous producing a recording in two sessions, playing men.-Ed. photos taken by Arnold Newman, in one of from music that was still being copied? which the composer might possibly be seen fol- On the rarity of Stravinsky's recordings lowing one or two of the scores in question. Cer- made with established orchestras "after a run of Snaps and Pops tainly Stravinsky heard the Symphonies of Wind fullyrehearsed concert performances," Mr. I was reading "CrossTalk" [August 1981] again Instruments and did not hear the Requiem Canti- Hamilton's explanation is not quite complete. and came across Michael Riggs's solution to the Iles. Before the session he had invited Isaiah Certainly the major orchestras were averse to "shattering snaps and pops" a reader reported Berlin to hear the Canticles, but Edwin Allen, accepting me as a co -conductor (the one excep- hearing while listening to records on a Technics who accompanied Stravinsky to and from the tion being Zubin Mehta, who came in person and SL -B I turntable. He was correct in analyzing the hall, telephoned at his request to inform Sir Ise- graciously invited me to share a program with trouble as static noise, but the manufacturer rec- iah that the composer would not be staying for the Stravinsky), but a dozen of them did accept me ommends a more permanent solution: "Install a Canticles. Stravinsky did hear some of the Mass, and still Columbia did not record. Good record- 100,000 -ohm resistor between the mechanism's the piece he was expected to conduct, but from ings of the Symphony in C and the Symphony of metal base and the motor ground terminal." the corridor, not the control room. And the Psalms, and much more, could have been made Yu -Yuen Chin Orchestral Variations,asIremember, were with the Los Angeles and San Francisco orches- New York. N.Y. recorded after the Canticles. tras, for example. The explanation is that the CBS did not discuss any aspect of the "re- "Columbia Symphony Orchestra" was very corded legacy" project with me, which I regret much cheaper. The CBC Symphony in Toronto Letters should be addressed to The Editor, HIGH only because I could have helped to avoid some was also less expensive: economies included FiDEurv. 825 7th Ave., New York, N.Y. WM. of the hundreds of errors. I could also have led such details as the shipping of recording equip- All letters are subject to editing for brevity and the producers to valuable material. For example, ment from Cleveland, after a session with Szell, clarity.

NewJVC High Grade VHS Tape Now from JVC, the originators of the VHS system, comes High Grade VHS video tape. A tape so advanced, so perfected, that alone it can make a significant difference in the quality of your VCR's performance. JVC High Grade. A video tape that's ultrasmooth, ultrarefined, ultra - sensitive. With it, you'll possess all the advanced qualities required fo- consistent, maximum recording arid playback excellence. What's more, there is no software anywhere that performs better in to- day's world of punishing "slow -speed' VCR features like six hour recording, slow motion, and freeze frame. PIL s, JVC High Grade reduces the poss bility of drop -outs to an all time low. JVC High Grade comes in boti 60 and 120 minute lengths. It's the one new video tape no VCR should be without. See it at your JVC Vidstar dealer today. NC:COMPANY OF AMERICA Nome Entertainment Division 41 Slater Drive Elmwood Park. NJ 07407 .IV(. CANADA INC Scarborough Ont AUDIO CrossTalk

Practical answers to your audio questions by Robert Long

As a matter of fact, there's some argumentlonger be met if you switch from C -90s to To the Dogs? within the industry about the importance of C -120s.And print -through is worse on C - building CX decoders into "mass -appeal" 120sthan itis on cassettes using thicker I'd appreciate your explaining the gear-receivers and the like. One view tapes. rationale behind the new supertweeters. contends that decoded listening is for audio- As you know from your own experi- Since human hearing extends only w philes and that outboard decoders are there-ence with the Nakamichi, however,C-I20s about 20 kHz, why does supertweeter fore the most important format. To put itcan be used successfully on quality decks. response go as high as 50 kHz?-David another way, this camp says, "Nobody isIt's just that they're more likely to cause N. McDuffle, Tupelo, Miss. going to scrap a receiver and buy a new oneproblems-physical or magnetic-than are for the sake of CX." The other view is thatC -90s and C -60s. I'd suggest that when you There are two standard explanations, each CX's creditability amongrecordmanufac- shop for a new deck, you take along some of which can be (and is) disputed. First, turers depends on a supply of midprice CX- C -120s youdon't mind ruining. Try a com- some claim that the hearing of teenagers ready gear-that CX as a medium is boundbination of fast -wind bursts interspersed and young adults, particularly women, can to fail if it remains the private preserve ofwith brief playback. Listen for undue insta- extend considerably above20kHz. Sec- audiophiles and their outboards. bility of pitch (piano or clarinet recordings ond, a rolloff at high frequencies causes At this writing, Sony is not among the are good for this purpose), and keep an eye phase shift at lower frequencies;if this limited number of Japanese companies to out for evidence of physical damage to the effect is audible (which it doesn't seem to have announced built-in CX decoders, and tape. If no problems emerge, the deck prob- be in the amounts normally produced bythe mass-producers' resistance to helpingably will do as well with otherC -120s(at speakers or other components), then a wid- CBS establish the format seems real. Toleast of the same brand), though there can er bandwidth will yield more nearly perfectsome extent, it could be a question of not be no ironclad guarantee. And when you do reproduction within the audible band. Ofundercutting the various digital -disc sys- use C - 120s, remember that with such thin course, records, tapes, and FM broadcasts tems now under development in Japan. tape it's particularly important that you are all bandwidth -limited to some extent, as Dolby C noise reduction represents a always wind up any slack within the cas- are all digital recordings, which are sub-unique situation. Since Dolby B already is sette before inserting it into the deck. Final- jected to very sharp low-pass filtering toan obligatory feature of high fidelity cas- ly, I'd suggest that you stop recording on avoid a severe form of distortion known as sette recorders, deck manufacturers wel- C- I 20s . aliasing comed Dolby C as an inexpensive way of increasing noise reduction and thus compet- ing with systems proprietary to other man- No Nix for CX ufacturers without additional licensing re- Which Poly? quirements. Because CX has no such base to build on, its situation can't be compared I just read a letter in the March issue All this furor over CBS's CX system to that of Dolby C. (designed to increase the dynamic range that says poly sleeves can cause records of LPsJ has me baffled. I should think to become brittle and sound distorted that the record manufacturers would be when played. I got extremely worried open to any viable technique that could Long Times, when i read this because I automatically improve the quality of recorded sound. put all my new records into Discwasher I've heard CX, and it does work. I'll NoC(120) VRP poly record sleeves. Am I hurting admit that CX-encoded discs sound my records?-Dave Hutchinson, Gary, compressed when played without 1 have recorded an extensive library of Ind. decoding, but they're not that much Chrome C-120 cassettes on a Nakamichi worse than conventional records. I don't 700 over the last eight years. Now I need According to Rex Isom, onetime head of see CX as a replacement for pure digital a second deck, but to my dismay I RCA's Indianapolis pressing operation, it's recordings, but it's certainly better than learned that (because of their impossible to know for sure how two plas- paying high prices for expensive imported asymmetrical dual -capstan transports) no tics will react to each other, but some will pressings. quality recorder can play my C -120s leach plasticizers from others unpredict- I don't understand Sam Sutherland's without risk of damage to the tape. Is this ably.According toDr.Bruce Maier, observation. (HF, October 1981] that the true? Do you have any suggestions? founder of Discwasher, the wrong combi- "electronic giants" won't go for CX, if -Cyrelle N. Ratzkin, Cincinnati, Ohio nation can, indeed, lead to weakened record only because of "traditional Japanese vinyl, but he adds that Discwasher studied caution in new format commitments." I don't know of any high fidelity deck- the matter before creating its own poly Sony's close relationship with CBS makes including your Nakamichi-for which C- sleeves and chose its materials for mini- it probable that decoders will be built I 20sare recommended, partly because the mum possible leaching. I would therefore into new Sony consumer equipment, and tape backing is thin and therefore relatively feel confident that the Discwasher product if that happens, other manufacturers may weak. Coatings, too, must be pared down ifis unlikely to cause harm. well follow. After all, Sony and Pioneer, that much tape is to fit within a cassette among others, embraced Dolby C shell, and that means altered recording quickly.-Jay L. Rudho, Elgin Air Force properties-particularly at low frequen- We regret that the volume of reader mail is too Base, Fla. cies. Thus, performance specs can often no great for us to answer all questions individually.

SEPTEMBER 1982 7 AUDIO Basically Speaking

Audio concepts and terms explained by Michael Riggs

effect, thereby preventing the increased dis- frequency tracking. If it is located below 7 Let's Talk tortion and unbalanced groove wear that or 8 Hz, it will exaggerate warp signals would otherwise result. The main (really (which tend to be concentrated in the vicin- Tonearms the only) advantage enjoyed by linear- ity of 5 Hz), and that may in turn cause tracking tonearms is that when properly increased cartridge and loudspeaker distor- designed and set up, they are inherently free tion, mistracking, and pitch instability. We A TONEARM'S JOB IS tohold a cartridge in of both skating and any significant amount generally consider the range from 8 to 12 the correct position with just the amount ofof lateral tracking -angle error. Hz to be optimum. force necessary for proper tracking. Usual- Of course, fine adjustments of VTF Raising the cartridge compliance or lyitis a long, slender aluminum tube and antiskating compensation will be of lit- the effective mass of the arm/cartridge sys- attached to a pivot. At the front is a head- tle value if there is too much friction in the tem tends to lower the frequency of the arm/ shell, in which the cartridge is mounted; at arm's pivots. Excessive friction impedes cartridge resonance; lowering the compli- the other end, behind the pivot, is an adjust- free motion of the arm, causing variations ance or the effective mass tends to raise the able counterweight used to offset the weight in tracking force and excessive groove frequency of the resonance. So if you want of the cartridge when balancing the arm. In wear. However, provided friction remains to use a relatively low -compliance moving - addition, all arms provide some means of lower than about 5% of the VTF (about 50 coil cartridge, for example, you will also adjusting the force with which the stylus milligrams in most cases), you should expe- want a medium- to high -mass arm, of bears down on the record (the vertical track- rience no difficulty. Most modern tonearms which there are many available. But if, as is ing force, or VTF). meet this criterion easily. more likely, you choose one of the many One approach to applying VTF is to One of the most important characteris- high -compliance fixed -coil pickups, you balance the arm with the cartridge installed tics of a tonearm is its effective mass-the will need a relatively low -mass arm to keep and then to move the counter- the arm/cartridge resonance up weight forward just enough to out of the warp frequency range. unbalance the arm sufficiently to Although more such arms are createthedesired downward coming on the market, they are force. This is called static balanc- still relatively uncommon, main- ing, and its only disadvantage is ly because they are more difficult that the turntable must be perfect- to design and build. The usual ly level to keep the force strictly tricks are to use a pared -down vertical to the record surface. If headshell(usually non -detach- the base is tilted, part of the force able, to eliminate the mass of a created by the unbalancing of the connector); a thin -walled, small - arm will express itself laterally, diameter arm tube; and a heavy, causing impaired tracking and disc -shaped counterweight set as excessive groove wear. Dynami- close as possible to the pivots. cally balanced arms, on the other But this approach is con- hand, use a calibrated spring to rbry strained by the need to keep the apply the tracking force. Because arm rigid (to prevent flexing and the arm is never unbalanced, it is insensi- inertia a stylus feels as it moves the car- resonances) and to maintain the ability to tive to orientation and should work well tridge and arm to which it is attached. This balance cartridges of widely varying even upside down or sideways. is not the same as the weight of the tonearm: weights. The most obvious alternative is to Pivoted tonearms have a couple of It depends not just on the amount of mass, shorten the arm, but that would entail an inherent problems, both of which relate to but on how that mass is distributed, as well. increase in tracking -angle error and, there- their geometry. One is that, at best, they That is, mass far away from the pivot makes fore, in tracing distortion. The remaining can hold a stylus tangent to the record a greater contribution to the effective mass options are to reduce the mass of the car- groove at only two distances from the cen- than mass near the pivot. In fact, of two tridge (which, because it hangs right out on ter of the disc. And if an arm is not designed otherwise identical tonearms, one balanced the end of the arm, makes a large contribu- properly or the cartridge is not installed cor- by a large counterweight near the pivot, the tion to the effective mass of the arm/car- rectly, even that may not be achieved. other by a smaller counterweight farther tridge system) or to add damping to the sys- Because lack of tangency translates into away, the one with the larger counterweight tem to reduce the amplitude of the arm/ distortion, turntables usually come with an will have the lower effective mass. cartridge resonance, thereby making its fre- alignment gauge or "protractor" to help Effective mass is important because it quency less critical. you adjust your arm and cartridge for mini- and the compliance (springiness) of the sty- Most tonearms are damped to some mum tracking -angle error. For this to belus cantilever suspension together deter- degree by elastic decoupling of the counter- achieved, the headshell of the tonearm must mine the frequency of the arm/cartridge weight from the arm tube. A few also use turn in toward the center of the record. system's bass resonance. This resonanceviscous -fluid damping at their pivots (see Unfortunately, this also causes the stylus to expresses itself as a peak in the cartridge's HF, July 1975)-a much more effective pull slightly in the same direction-to infrasonic response. If it occurs at too high resonance -suppression technique that has "skate." Consequently, most tonearmsa frequency-above about 15 Hz-it will even been adapted by one manufacturer for include some kind of antiskating mecha- cause a response rise at the very bottom of a combination brush/damping assembly for nism that can be adjusted to offset this the audible range and perhaps impair low- some of its high -end pickups. HF

8 HIGH FIDELITY The Kyocera D-801 Cassette Deck with 3 motors and a direct driven dual capstan... With only 0.02% WRMS wow and flutter. If yoJ think 3 motors impress you, performance. That's where ooth 4 -digit LED electronic tinier/counter think of what they can do for tape Dolby* B and C noise reduction -or precise elapsed time. remaining performance. One drives our dual circuits come in, along with a Sendust ime, stopwatch and memory stop capsTans to insure constant and alloy tape head; electromagnetic and registering time and/or counter high y accurate speed with remark- braking on both take-up and feed reference of recorded programs... able low wow & flutter of 0.02%. A reels: selectable bias and equaliza- and more. tion for all types of tapes: 30-20,000 second motor drives both the take-up But our most impressive feature and feed reels while the third motor Hz response range: full LED function awaitE at your loca audio retailer... gently positions the record/playback indication: feather -touch controls: a demonstration of the D-801... it's heat against the tape surface. An APMR for automatic program search: just one Jf a very impressive list of innovative approach resulting in auto stop: auto repeat. menory and distinguished audio components and accurate head -to -tape positioning a full bank. of operational controls systems from Kyocera...where the and optimal head azimuth alignment. concealed behind a flip -down access future is now! panel. plus the convenience of a But motors alone do not insure top

][9,1 egbernet eq 1 c oo(Uj Lai)°, atones A Division of5c1./COCETa 01982 C"BERNET

Seven Powder Horn Drive. Warren, N.J. 07060-0227 U.S.A. Telephone. (201) 560-0060 Telex. 642529 CYBERNET WARE Circle 3 on Reader -Service Card AUDIO The Autophile

Going on the road with stereo by Gary Stock

al balance problems more easily than any-treble simply by boosting the high end of Souping Up thing else can. the main speakers with an equalizer. In One of the things an equalizer cannotpractice, however, this often doesn't work Your System do well, however, is to give a system with because the additional output is absorbed by small speakers good deep -bass response. the same surfaces that muffled the unequal- You can boost the bassinputwith an equal- ized sound. A pair (or more) of add-on I LISTEN TO A LOT OF car stereo systems, izer, of course, but a small speaker will tweeters small enough to be placed where sometimes on the chance of discovering an simply distort trying to reproduce these lev- they'll sound the best can give you a fresh innovative new approach or a clever instal- els and give you buzzy, fuzzy -sounding acoustic start. lation technique. Most of the time, though, reproduction. The only genuine cure for the Another common malady is insuffi- I'm lassoed into it. As soon as I tell some- no -bass disease is another type of outboard cient amplifier power. Most one-piece AM/ one that I write about stereo equipment for a component called a subwoofer. A subwoof- FM/cassette units have power outputs in the living, he tells me that the system in his car er normally consists of a single large speak- range of 5 to 10 watts (7 to 10 dBW) into 4 doesn't sound as good as the one he heard in er with a flexible edge that enables long ohms. That's enough to drive one pair of the showroom, and five minutes later I'm cone excursions (back -and -forth motions). sensitive speakers in the rather small, air- grubbing around under the dashboard trying tight interior of a car, but if two pairs are to figure out why there's no bass. I am, so involved (or if the speakers are less than to speak, a car stereo pathologist: I take a typically sensitive), the system may be run- quick sonic "tissue sample," analyze it for ning out of juice just as it gets cooking, evidence of acoustical or electrical mala- resulting in clipping distortion and inade- dies, and prescribe appropriate treatment. quate volume. (Of course, rock fans usually Sometimes the ailment's cure can be have a different notion of "adequate vol- fairly straightforward. If the speakers are ume" than do chamber music devotees.) surface -mount units, it may be possible to The solution is an add-on power amplifier, move or reposition them without leaving which connects between the cassette unit holes in the car, to the considerable benefit and the loudspeakers (with an electrical of the system's sound. There's also the pos- hookup to the battery, of course) and pro- sibilitythat somethingis wired out of vides substantially greater power output- phase, or that part of the system isn't anywhere from 15 to 100 watts (111/4 to 20 hooked up at all. But most of the prescrip- Add-on speakers, such as subwoofers and dBW) per channel. For most systems with tionsI dispense to disgruntled car -stereo supertweeters, can be used to improve low - two pairs of speakers, an amplifier rated at owners are for add-on components-elec- bass and treble reproduction. 30 to 50 watts (141/4 to 17 dBW) per channel tronic or acoustical devices designed to should be adequate, though I've seen Volks- solve specific sonic problems. It's usually coupled to the remainder of the wagen demonstration cars fitted with 2,000 The most versatile and widely used of system by a separate amplifier and a cross- watts (33 dBW) of power-enough to these sonic nostrums is the equalizer (some- over network that sends just the low fre- vibrate the needles on the vehicle's instru- times combined with a midsized powerquencies to the subwoofer circuit and routes ment panel. The most important factor to amplifier as an "equalizer -amp"). Like its the midrange and high frequencies to thebear in mind when shopping for a power domestic cousin, an autosound equalizer isother speakers. By mounting one or more amp is its compatibility with your system's a kind of expanded tone control with sever- subwoofers so that they are loaded to the other electronic elements. Car stereo com- al knobs or sliders for adjusting the sound rear by a large enclosed space (such as a ponents aren't as universally interconnecta- levels of specific frequency ranges. A four - trunk or an inner door panel) and carefully ble as home gear is, so check with your band equalizer, for instance, might have a adjusting their levels, you can get the deep dealer before selecting an accessory power knob to boost or cut the deepest bass, a sec- bass to blend smoothly with the sound from amplifier, or stick with an amplifier of the ond one for the upper bass, a third for thethe rest of the system. Voile!! Bass with same brand as your AM/FM/cassette unit. midrange, and a fourth for the upper treble. punch. One last piece of advice: Don't use any Obviously, the greater the number of bands At the other end of the spectrum are of these remedies blindly. Have a knowl- and individual controls, the finer and morespecial-purpose treblespeakers, usually edgeable friend, dealer, or installer listen to precise your tonal adjustments can be. called supertweeters. These are most often the system to confirm the nature of the sonic In home systems, equalizers are com- small dome tweeters (with integral cross- deficiencies. Many dealers understandably monly used to compensate for imbalances over networks to keep out the low frequen- balk at returns of components that have in the source material or to "brighten up" cies) that can be mounted right on the dash been installed and then removed. Avoid the sound of an old recording. In the unpre- or door panel. A pair of supertweeters wasting money on the wrong prescription dictable listening environment of a car, located so that they fire directly at the lis-for your particular auto sound ailment by they're used as a general-purpose palliative teners can compensate for the loss of treble diagnosing correctly the first time. HF to flatten out the bumps and dips engen- information that is caused by poor place- dered by the acoustical irregularities of the ment of the main speakers-facing upward vehicle's interior. An equalizer with five to from a rear deck, for example, or aiming at For news of the latest in car stereo ten bands, individually adjustable for each the driver's socks from a door panel. In the- equipment, see the coverage of the CES channel, can solve the great majority of ton- ory, it might be possible to get extended show in our October issue.

10 HIGH FIDELITY NG

esenting High Bias II and the Ultimate Tape Guarantee. Memorex presents High Bias II, a tape so extraordinary, we're going to guarantee it forever. We'll guarantee life -like sound. ME Extraordinarily flat frequency response at zero dB recording levels, combined with remarkably low noise levels, means music is captured live. Then Permapass,'' our unique oxide -bonding process, locks each oxideparticle- each musical detail-onto the tape. So music stays live. Not just the 1st play. Or the 1000th. But forever. We'll guarantee the cassette. We've engineered every facet of our transport mechanism to protect the tape. Our waved -wafer improves tape -wind. YOU II FOREVER WONDER, Siliconertreated rollers insure precise alignment and smooth, rug safe tapeInovement. To protect the tape and mechanism, we've siLrrounaed them with a remarkable cassette housing made IS 11111112 rigid and strong by a mold design unique to Memorex. We'll guarantee them forever. IR IS IT4L If you ever become dissatisfied with Memorex High Bias II, for MIMOREM any reason, simply mail the tape back and we'll replace itfree. l AUDIO New EquipmentReports

Preparation supervised by Michael Riggs, RobertLong, and Edward J. Foster. Laboratory data (unless otherwise noted) suppliedby Diversified Science Laboratories.

A Bose for All Systems

Bose 601 Series II floor -standing loudspeaker system. Dimensions: 14 by 291^2 Inches (front), 13 inches FOUNDED IN THEmid -Sixties by its name- ninth was placed on a flat front baffle. The deep. Price: MO per pair. Warranty: "full," five years sake, Dr. Amar Bose (then, as now, a pro- rear drivers faced the wall and generated a parts and labor. Manufacturer: Bose Corp.. 100 The Mountain Road, Framingham. Mass. 01701. fessor of engineering at the Massachusetts large amount of reflected sound; the func- Institute of Technology), the Bose Corpora- tion of the single front -firing driver was to ROOM RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS tion has gone on to become one of the provide enough direct sound radiation to DB world's largest manufacturers of high fidel- establish stereo localization. ity 0 loudspeakers.Dr.Bose startedhis That is the way the top -of -the -line 5 researchinacoustics and loudspeaker Model 901 (now up to Series IV) is con- 10 11 design largely out of a sense of frustration: structed to this day. The four other models HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 51( 10K20K As a music lover and amateur musician, he in the Bose line are also Direct/Reflecting boundary -dependent region felt that even the most highly rated loud- on -axis response loudspeakers, although some compromises off -axis (30-) response speakers failed to convey a realistic impres- have been made for the sake of economy. sion of live music. His investigations led SENSITIVITY (at 1 meter: 2.8 -volt pink noise. (For example, they use separate woofers 250 Hz to 6 kHz) 87 dB SPL him to the conclusion that most of the sound and tweeters, rather than equalized full- should reach a listener indirectly, via reflec- range drivers.) One step below the 901 is AVERAGE IMPEDANCE (250 Hz to 6 kHz) tions off the walls and ceiling of the room. 17.9 ohms the speaker under consideration here, the to simulate the conditions of a concert per- Bose 601 Series II. The 601 is a low, floor- formance. And that finding prompted a rad- standing tower designed for placement two ical departure from conventional design to five feet from the nearest side wall and tenets, which was embodied in the compa- within a foot of the rear wall. The body of ny's first important consumer product: the the 601 is a ported enclosure for two 8 -inch Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting loudspeaker. woofers. One of the woofers faces forward, Instead of a tweeter to reproduce the while the other is mounted on top of the high frequencies and a woofer to handle the enclosure, tilted back about 60 degrees, lows, the 901 used a multitude of identical forming part of what Bose calls a Free full -range drivers electronically equalizedSpace Array. The array is completed by for flat frequency response. Eight of these four 3 -inch tweeters carefully aimed to were distributed over two angled panels that establish an essentially omnidirectional ra- formed the rear of the enclosure, while a diation pattern.

12 HIGH FIDELITY ON MAXELL, ROCK'N'ROLL IS REALLY HERE TOSTAY.

Every Maxell cassette is destined to become agolden oldie. Because at Maxell we build cassettes to standardsthat are 60% higher than the industry calls for. Durable cassettes you. can shake, rattle yet theykeep on rolling. Precision engineered tape that even after 500plays still delivers high fidelity. axell So when we say, on Maxell, rock 'n roll 'it.1 Iit. is really here to stay..Be-Bop-A-Lu-La... wedon't mean maybe. IT'S WORTH IT Circle 12 on Reader -Service Card AUDIO New Equipment Reports To make the transition from the woof- high, as is its average impedance. Ranging ers to the tweeters, Bose uses what it calls a from a minimum of 7 ohms at 33 Hz to a Dual -Frequency crossover network, which maximum of 31 ohms at 60 Hz, the imped- enables both sets of drivers to operate ance dips below 8 ohms only twice, at 33 together (at slightly reduced levels) over and 140 Hz; by the standard rating method, almost an octave. This is said to improvethe 601's "nominal" impedance would be the smoothness and spaciousness of the 7.5 ohms. These figures indicate that the 60I's midrange reproduction. The tweeters 601 Series II should be an easy load for any begin operating at about 1.5 kHz, and thedecent amplifier, and we would have no woofers start rolling off at about 2.5 kHz. qualms about running two pairs in parallel In addition, each woofer is loaded by its from the same amp. own subenclosure, which is molded into the Both the on- and off -axis frequency main enclosure. These subenclosures are response curvesliewithin a range of ported into the interior of the loudspeakerapproximately ±5'/z dB from 35 Hz to 16 A carefully balanced mix of direct andand function reflected sound is the goal of Bose's Free to smooth thewoofers' kHz. Moreover, the two curves are quite Space Array. which includes four tweeters response through the midbass, to preventsimilar, even at very high frequencies, aimed in different directions and a woofer boominess. Bose 601 Series II loudspeak-where conventional speakers become in- tilted back approximately 60 degrees. ers come in mirror -image pairs with walnut - creasingly directional. Response is espe- grain vinyl side panels. Amplifier connec- cially smooth through the bass and mid- tions are made via thumbscrew terminals on range, varying only ±21/2 dB from 40 Hz to the rear of the enclosure. 1 kHz on axis and barely more than that off Diversified Science Laboratories took axis. itsmeasurements with a 601Series H After some experimentation, we speaker placed about three inches out fromplaced the 601s several feet from the side the rear wall. The 601's power -handling walls and about a foot out from the rear wall ability proved excellent: It accepted without for our listening tests. The overall sound of distress the full 58 -volt peak output ofthe 601 Series II is rich, warm, and spa- DSL's amplifier-equivalent to 261/4 dBW cious-a hallmark of Bose loudspeakers. (420 watts) into 8 ohms-in the 300 -Hz Bass response, particularly, is full and very pulse test and the 28.3 -volt (rms) maximum extended.Reproduction of instruments level-equivalent to 20 dBW (100 watts) with considerable treble energy-especial- into 8 ohms-of the 300 -Hz continuous- ly plucked strings-is sometimes less clear signal test. Consequently, we were not sur- and detailed than we are accustomed to. On prised to find that the speaker produced the other hand, there is none of the shrill- very low distortion. At a moderately high ness or harshness that is sometimes appar- sound pressure level of 85 dB, total har-ent in loudspeakers with more prominent monic distortion (THD) remained less than treble response. 11/4% over DSL's entire 30 Hz to 10 kHz Taken as a whole, the 601 Series II is a test range and averaged only about 1/2%. fine loudspeaker and a worthy next -in -line Even at 95 dB SPL, THD never rose to to the more elaborate and expensive 901. more than 31/2% and averaged less than Moreover,itsphysical,electrical,and 11/2%. It wasn't until DSL jacked the output acoustical characteristics makeiteasily up to a thunderous 100 dB SPL that signif- adaptable to most home stereo systems and icant distortion began to appear. These are listening environments-a highly desirable excellent results. feature. If the price is within your budget, The 601 Series ll's sensitivity is fairlyyou owe it to yourself to take a listen. Circle 96 on Reader -Service Card

"IF RECORDS ARE CUT with asharp -edged out, the aim has been to minimize the scan- stylus and playing them with a rounded sty- ning radius (the width of the patch over lus causes tracing distortion," a reader oncewhich the stylus contacts the groove) while asked us, "why doesn't someone make a increasing the bearing radius (the height of sharp -edged playback stylus?" "It wouldthe contact patch) enough to preserve the destroytherecord by recuttingthe overall size of the contact area. The smaller groove," we glibly replied. But perhaps it's the scanning radius, the lower the tracing time for us to take another look. The stylus distortion, and the larger the contact area used in Adcom's XC/van den Hul moving - (for a given tracking force), the lower the coil cartridge more closely approximates record wear. Suffice it to say that the van the geometry of a cutting stylus than any- den Hul geometry achieves a new low in thing else on the market, and it performs scanning radius and probably a new high in remarkably well, both on the test bench and bearing radius. Adcom's in the listening room. The depth over which the van den Hul Approximating the shape of a cuttingstylus contacts the groove does require that Masterful stylus while ensuring adequate record andyou take special care to ensure that the sty- stylus life has been the goal of cartridge lus is properly aligned with the groove. It van den Hul designers over the past decade and a half, would not do for the stylus to be tipped for- taking us from spherical tips to elliptical,ward or rearward (rake -angle error), and biradial, Shibata, Pramanik, Stereohedron,thus fail to contact both groove walls uni- Hyperelliptical, and other similar geomet- formly at short wavelengths. (A notice ries and now to the van den Hul. Through- packed with the cartridge warns you to

14 Circle 14 on Reader -Service Card ingm-emap thencame Super Feedforward.Feedforward.

Not many years ago a "high Direct Current) drive circuit.Then, to While Super Feelfo -ward ci-cuitry fidelity" amplifier delivered 5 watts eliminate the remaining vestiges of puts Sansui s AU -D 11 and AU -D 9 with 5% harmonic distortion.Today, high-level, high -frequency dis-ortion amplifiers in a class by themselves, distortion levels bf 0.05% -or even in the amplifier's output stage. Sansui all oLr amplifiers are renownec for 0.005%- in amplifiers with hundreds engineers perfected a unique circuit their musicality, versati ity, and respect of watts and a much wider frequency which, though proposed years ago, for human engineering. Add a Hatch- range are almost routine. has now been realized in a pract cal ing TU tune; to any of Sarsui's AU Reducing harmonic distortion amplifier design. Super Feedforward, amplifiers and you II appreciate the has usually been achieved by using the new Sansui technique, takes the difference 35 years of .7-...ansui dedi- negative feedback. But too much leftover distortion products present in cation to sbund purity can produce. negative feedback can introduce a even an optimally -designed amplifier, For the lame of :he nearest new kind of distortion,TIM (Transient feeds them to a separate. error cor- audio specialist who carries the Intermodulation Distortion) that audi- recting circuit that reverses their polar- AU -D 11 aid AU -D 9 cr other fire bly degrades the musical sound. ity, then combines them so they cancel component; in Sansufs extensive To reduce TIM and other forms of themselves out against the regu ar line of high -fidelity products. w-ite: residual distortion. Sansui developed audio signal. What's left is only the Sansui Elec:tronics Coro., 1250 Valley its DID/DC (Diamond Differential: music, with not a trace of distortion. Brook Avenue, Lyndhu-st NJ P071.

I, I. I. I. WEN ,. IMMO

.:.sue_ 1 .A11111111,

NMI CALIK.O. ONILTPC. OLOCX. CPC21111

own tiSYND4111Z/11 WWI TU S9

gLEC7011

-A41 441 41 -1 ) ) wed Simoul Au' -4 AMPLIFIER INTEGRATED A4C GAIN AU -011 -2 MONO SELIGTOR tr I o

vOLumf REC SELECTOR a TAPE PLAY r-141114 W INC F MM Off lAL AVLE TUNER. .SOURCE

I S -IV :1 I

SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORPORATION"M°...."."1011MONNIN Lyndhurst. New Jersey 07071, Gardena, CA 90248 Sansui Electric Co., _td.. Tokyo. Japan ansui CIFCLE 14 ON READER -SERVICE CARD AUDIO New Equipment Reports Adcom XC van den Hul moving -coil phono cartridge, adjust the pickup and your tonearm until the with multiradial (van den Hul) diamond stylus. Price: atively close agreement between the results S400. Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor. cartridge's top surface is parallel to the discobtained with low -frequency and mid -fre- Manufacturer: Stylus made in Switzerland. cartridge surface.) Such an exotic geometry also assembled in Japan for Adcom. 9 Jules Lane, New quency twin tones suggests correct stylus Brunswick, N.J. 08901. requires an exceptionally tight manufactur-rake angle, as well. The low -frequency ing tolerance on the side -to -side orientation arm/cartridge resonance (with the XC/van FREQUENCY RESPONSE & CHANNEL SEPARATION (test record: JVC TRS-1007 Mk. II) of the stylus relative to its shank. Rake- den Hul mounted in a SME 3009 Series II angle and orientation errors will increaseImproved arm) was well placed, but rela- 0 44- high -frequency intermodulationdistor- tively strong. 5 tion-the very thing that the van den Hul 10 The long contact area of the van den 15 stylus is designed to minimize. Hul stylus does seem to highlight surface 20 Both our ears and Diversified Science noise (whether due to the pressing, wear, or 25 Laboratories' tests affirm the precision ofdust) and pre -echo. This is our only com- 30 the Adcom XC/van den Hul's fabrication. plaint, however. The XC/van den Hul has a HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K Second harmonic distortion is about the remarkable ability to track the most difficult Frequency response lowest DSL has measured: less than 1% at 1 L ch +1/4,-W. dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz records and to reproduce the most subtle R ch 4411. -V4 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz kHz on the right channel and barely above nuances of the music.Itnegotiated the Channel separation 25 dB, 1.6 to 20 kHz; that on the left. Twin -tone intermodulation >15 dB, 100 Hz to 20 kHz highest levels of all our standard test bands distortion (IM) measurements averaged an save one, on which the distortion was still SENSITIVITY (1 kHz) 0.68 mV/cm/sec excellent 1.5% at 20 centimeters per second only minor. Rarely do we find a cartridge CHANNEL BALANCE (1 kHz) ±

Report Policy: Equipment reports are based on labora- reports in advance of publication, and no report or por- tory measurements and controlled listening tests. Unless tion thereof may be reproduced for any purpose or in any otherwise noted, test data and measurements are ob- form without written permission of the publisher. All re- tained by Diversified Science Laboratories. The choice of ports should be construed as applying to the specific equipment to be tested rests with the editors of HIGH samples tested. HIGH FIDELITY and Diversified Science FIDELITY. Samples normally are supplied on loan from the Laboratories assume no responsibility for product per- manufacturer. Manufacturers are not permitted to read formance or quality.

16 HIGH FIDELITY tad SOUND be - HANS FANTEL the in- ian tic ize ed Sony Cooks Up a Top Tape ire to 'as Tape makers literally can't leave well enough calls je ne sais quoi. The sauce analogy applies even to at- ith alone. Just as tape development had reached the titudes. Tape manufacturers typically are as mum about his well -enough level, with the better brands sound- their concoctions as any professional cook might be about his ing very good indeed, some manufacturers seem his hollandaise. When interviewed in his laboratory, Mr. ;he eager to outdo their own - and anyone else's - T. Hirano, Sony's top tape wizard, declined in fluent Eng- o I achievements. lish to divulge particulars. But he confided that the excep- his Competition, innovation, and sheer cussed perfection- tional attributes of his UCX-S formulation arise from a it's ism aside, the question arises whether such compulsive combination of three factors: er- pushing of limits really brings practical benefits to the lis- First, the magnetic particles forming the working lso tener. In the case of Sony's new UCX-S cassettes - the parts of the tape have been shrunk in size by nearly 30 per- e" latest champion in the international tape derby - the an- cent, making a finer and more uniform dispersion on the la- swer is a decided yes. tape. This may be Lkened to grain in photographic film. lc - The nature of these benefits is best understood by way The finer the grain the sharper the image. Or, to invoke the of analogy. Tape is to a recorder what film is to a camera. the proper explanatory concept, the smoother surface can cci Even the best camera can't take good pictures with poor "resolve" more image detail, just as finer lines can be of film. Similarly, no tape recorder can sound better than drawn on smooth paper than on rough surfaces. Similarly, kct the tape running in it. Just as the grain and pigments of a smoother grain structure :n a recording tape can resolve lot film determine the quality of a photograph (other factors smaller waveforms, thereby permitting higher frequen- be being equal), so the frequency response, dynamic range cies and finer sonic detail to be captured. he tnt Secondly, ways have been found to arrange the parti- cles so they don't stick to the tape in a crisscross pattern ted like trees in a logjam. The new process allows more of the ite- `Formulating a tape is like rod -shaped particles to be packed in parallel, like tree - trunks in a raft. This yields multiple benefits: It provides ur- a smoother - and hence more receptive - surface on ap- flavoring a sauce. Not just which the magnetic signal can be inscribed. The greater oul density of the tightly packed particles concentrates more the ingredients count, but magnetic force into a given area (about 500 billion parti- ent cles it each millimeter co! tape) so that greater loudness ion peaks can be accommodated with less distortion. What's ek. also their proportion.' more, hiss is reduced by the regularity of the particles. >al- rer Thirdly, the basic material itself has been improved ual by new methods of spiking each iron particle with mole- ;ay and noise characteristics of a tape determine the quality cules of cobalt, so as to heighten such magnetic properties of a recording. as coercivity and retentivity. These determine how faith- lm In Sony's UCX-S, these factors have been slightly but fully the tape "remembers" the music entrusted to it, and Ins perceptibly improved over previous norms, and the ear how much sonic detail it recalls on command. To be less readily and gratefully registers the difference. In critical metaphoric and mare precise about it, retentivity is 1800 up. listening comparisons with other ferricobalt cassettes Gauss and coercivity is 650 Oersted - uncommonly high ges (i.e., cassettes made with cobalt -treated iron oxide), the values assuring that this tape will be on its very best n a treble not merely seemed extended in range but also more molecular behavior when jolted by the impact of the B' on- natural in character. Credit for this goes to the greater musical signal. treble capacity of this tape, which obviates any need for Although developed at Sony's laboratories at Sendai, Al- false emphasis in the upper range. As a result, timbres in northern Japan, the new tape is to be domestically LL ost and textures of orchestral music assume a very pleasing, produced in Alabama and Texas. With a list price of $5 for ied lifelike vividness. By the same token, the so-called tran- a one -hour cassette, it is much less expensive than the so- ide sient response - the ability to render short, sharp sounds called metal tapes, yet in most practical uses virtually fril with appropriate clarity - is also enhanced, for this es- equivalent to their performance. ov, sential aspect of sound also requires smoothness of treble. the cha

)1a1 Talking to the originators of the new tape, one gains his mu right. Yet the exceptional merit of this tape is not confined the impression that they were inspired, at least in part, by to the upper range. The bass also comes through with friendly rivalries withir Sony's corporate empire. Tradi- cal nail genuine depth and solidity not usually attained in cas- tionally, Sony tape has stood in the shadow of the compa- Boro settes, and the noise level remains happily unobtrusive. ny's more eye -caching developments, such as Trinitron pianofi No single technical advance can be credited for all TV, the Betamax, and its excellent stereo components. he wa: these virtues. After all, formulating a tape is rather like The new tape represents a bid for a bit of the limelight and 1856, at flavoring a sauce. Not just the ingredients count, but also is-to borrow a phrase from my college yearbook - most a whit their proportion, blend and texture - plus what the chef likely to succeed.. 1,-)82The NeA York Reprinted by Per rfllsSlO, 111 write a

-400011.0. '4411111ftwarainvv.'"Ieftwe"111"-"%agomasoPAllb".11111610104111".".""11111',...

WE THOUGHT THIS NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW WAS FIT TO PRINT

1982 Sony Tapes Sales Co.. a Dor of Sony Corp of Amen, 5- P. uL ,rk ' SONY! AUDIO New Equipment Reports

TUNING (UP/DOWN) SELECTOR (PHONO FM MEMORY PRESETS AM TAPE 1 TAPE 2)

AC POWER

VOLUME HEADPHONES --6 _.- ::-._

SPEAKERS A. B (ON OFF) LOUDNESS 1 H GH FILTER FM MODE (AUTO-STEREO-WITH-MUTE/MONO) BASS TUNING MODE (AUTO/MANUAL) TREBLE BALANCE -MEMORY

Beauty and KENWOOD's KR -90 IS A modest -price, mid- dBf. We'd still prefer a meter as an aid in dle-of-the-road receiver that is altogether antenna orientation, but Kenwood's three- modern in concept, styling, and operation LED display is more useful than most of the Budget, and does its job efficiently and essentially those with five LEDs. unassumingly. As such it avoids both the The KR -90's slimline design confines Kenwood Style cliches of the past (a confusion of bulk with all of the lights to a shallow "stripe" across Kenwood KR -90 AM FM receiver. Dimensions: 171/4 quality, for example, that's belied by its the top of the faceplate. For the most part, by 213 inches (front panel), 12 inches deep plus trim proportions) and those of the present, clearance for controls and connections. AC this works quite well (the "power -meter" convenience outlets: one switched (100 watts max.), particularly the gaudy technological glitter LED display-a feature we've never really one unswitched (200 watts max.). Price: 5330. of so many competing models. liked-is appropriately unobtrusive,for Warranty: -limited," two years parts and labor. Aside from its slim profile, the KR- Manufacturer: Trio-Kenwood Corp., Japan; U.S. example), except that the tops of the num- distributor: Kenwood Electronics, Inc., 1315 E. 90's modernity is proclaimed immediately bers in the frequency readout disappear if Watsoncenter Rd., Carson, Calif. 90745. by the tuning section's digital dial and the receiver is placed very far below eye FM tuner section memory buttons.Sixstations on each level, making, for example, 97.1 MHz band-FM and AM-can be preset, and MONO FREQUENCY RESPONSE indistinguishable from 9! .7 MHz. (This DB the memory hangs in even during power number -chopping is not unique to the KR- 0 outages. Atypically, there is no pilot light 90; just make sure you place it where you 5 to indicate that the memory is ready to be RIMY 01 can see the readout.) HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K programmed. But for about five seconds Kenwood uses the same selector but- +115,-3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz after you press MEMORY, the KR -90 will ton and input jacks for TAPE 2 and AUX and STEREO RESPONSE & CHANNEL SEPARATION memorize the frequency shown on the dis- provides no dubbing switch as such. But the DB play when you touch any of the preset but- KR -90 does enable you to dub from TAPE 2 0 tons. The automatic scan mode stops when- to TAPE I or to record (on TAPE I) from the 5 ever it reaches a receivable station; both it 10 AUX, depending on how you've chosen to -15 and the manual mode stop at the ends of the use the second tape -monitor input. Thus, 20 dial (that is, they don't jump to the opposite though the flexibility is still limited when 25 end of the dial the way most tuners do), compared to fancy receivers (including 30 which seems to delight the tradition -minded 35 Kenwood's own), it's greater than you ame among us. Progress along the dial is nor- HZ 20 might expect from a cursory examination of 50 100 200 500 11( 21( 5i< 10K 20Kmally in 100 -kHz (half -channel) steps for Frequency esponse the controls. A receiver at this low a price L ch +1, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz FM and 10 -kHz steps for AM, taken at a can't try to be all things to all users. R ch +11/2, -21/2 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz clip that is fairly, but not agonizingly, slow. That observation might apply to the Channel separation 31 dB, 50 Hz to 15 kHz A back -panel switch converts the tuning KR -90's technical performance as well. FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING increments to 50 -kHz steps for FM and 9- Kenwood has many models that will out- DB kHz for AM for countries (or future devel- spec this one in most respects from power opments here) requiring these options. 10 rating to FM sensitivity, but the necessary We have been rather unhappy about compromises have been cannily made and 20 the change from meters to LED displays to in many cases involve no audible or other- 30 indicate signal strength and we were there- wise significant limitation. FM listeners in fore disappointed at first to observe that the fringe areas will discern slightly more hiss 40 KR -90 has only three LEDs in its array (as than they would with some of the best gear, 50 opposed to the fairly standard five -lamp but otherwise the KR -90 may well prove display). Our fear was that this would aurallyindistinguishable from receivers 60 reduce still further the information to be costing more than twice as much. wrested from the display. Not so: Each DBF 0 10 20 30 40 50 The tone controls are a little unusual: 60 70 80 90 100 LED grows progressively brighter as signal stereo quie ing (noise In their boost positions, they behave like mono quietng (noise) strength increases, reaching full brightness peaking types (with maxima of more than Stereo sensitivity (fo 50 -dB no se suppression) only near the illumination threshold of the 10 dB centered on 50 Hz and 10 kHz in the 44 dBf at 98 MHz, with 0.34% THD + N (451/4 dBf at 90 MHz; 4415 dBf at 106 MHz) next, thus yielding a quasicontinuous dis- bass and treble, respectively); in their cut Mono sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression) play from about 15 dBf (a point at which positions, they are shelving types, witha 201/2 dBf at 98 MHz there is marginal mono and no stereo recep- Muting & stereo thresholds 213/e dtitl maximum cut of 10 dB. Whether or not this Stereo S,N ratio (at 65 dBf) 671/4 dB tion) right up into what is generally consid- subtle alteration in contour was deliberate Mono S N ratio (at 65 dBf) 771/2 dB ered the "full-strength" region around 65 on Kenwood's part, it strikes us as a desir-

18 HIGH FIDELITY CAPTURE RATIO 1 dB able nicety. Diversified Science Laborato-knob between settings for a near approxi- ries tested the loudness contour at three vol- mation of the sort of continuous, unde- SELECTIVITY (alternate -channel) 49 dB ume settings, representing a 20 -dB range, tented action that probably would have been HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD N1 and obtained virtually identical curves: aa better choice for such a model in the first stereo mono at 100 Hz 0.27°. 0.19% dip of about 9 dB between 100 Hz and 2 place. at 1 kHz 0.11°. 0.063% kHz, with very nearly flat response outside Pseudostepped \townies like the one at 6 kHz 0.27% 0.13% that range. This seems to match some the- on the KR -90 are often found in equipment STEREO PILOT INTERMODULATION 0.079% oretical "bass -loss" predictions for low-too modestly priced to permit a true stepped level listening reasonably well, but ulti-control, with the ultraprecise level settings IM DISTORTION (mono) 0.025% mately we consider loudness compensationand tracking such would afford. That Ken - AM SUPPRESSION 583/4 dB more a question of subjective taste than ofwood has followed current fashion is not to PILOT (19 kHz) SUPPRESSION 83 dB objective science. its discredit, however: The company must The detented volume control deliverssupply what buyers demand. The remark- SUBCARRIER (38 kHz) SUPPR. 833/4 dB steps of 11/2 dB or so over much of its range; able thing about the KR -90 is that, for a Amplifier merlon in other parts of the range, however, thedesign of modest power and price, it incor- steps vary from no change at all to 3 dB orporates so much of what is good in current RATED POWER 143/4 dBW (30 watts) channel more. Though the detents are quite closeaudio design and so little of what is arbi- OUTPUT AT CLIPPING (both channels driven) together (there are about forty of them in thetrary and affected. It's just a very nice little 8 -ohm load 161/4 dBW (42 watts) channel 4 -ohm load 173/4 dBW (60watts) channel full rotation), it is easy to perch the volumereceiver-very nice indeed. 16 -ohm load 141/4 dBW (261/2 watts) channel

DYNAMIC HEADROOM (re rated power. 8 -ohm load) +21/4 dB

HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD: 20 Hz to 20 kHz) RIM EQUALIZATION+<1/4, -1/2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; PHONO OVERLOAD (1 -kHz cupping) 165 mV at 143/4 dBW (30 watts) <0.024% -5 dB at 5 Hz at 0 dBW (1 watt) 0.015% PHONO IMPEDANCE47.2k ohms; 110 pF INPUT CHARACTERISTICS (re 0 dBW; A -weighting) FREQUENCY RESPONSE sensitivity S N ratio DAMPING FACTOR (at 50 Hz) 65 0. -1 dB, 17 Hz to 47 kHz; phono input 0.49 mV 77 dB +0,-3 dB, <10 Hz to 79 kHz aux input 29 mV 82 dB HIGH FILTER -3 dB at 5.2 kHz; 6 dB/octave

RECORDING MUTE MEMORv COUNTER SEARCH CONTROLS

EJECT

AC POWER TIMER MODE -wail INPUT LEVEL HEADPHONES -We ADJUST.

TRANSPORT CONTROLS MIKE INPUTS (L. R) NOISE REDUCTION (DOLBY B OFF DBX TAPE DBX DISC) OUTPUT LEVELADJUST. L

WITH THIS MODEL,the second DBX deckavailable to permit its exclusion from a self- Technics' DBX we have tested from Technics (the first, therespecting deck), and there is a DBX disc RS-M270X, was in our February issue), theoption that decodes phono signals routed "Simple designers have evidently decided to tryvia the deck. We called this last feature one what might be called a simple -machineof the 270's most important in view of the Machine" approach. There is virtually nothing themagnificent dynamic range available from user need fuss with once he has decided onDBX discs; in the meantime, a catalog of Technics RS-M255X cassette deck, with DBX and the noise reduction setting and the record-DBX prerecorded cassettes has appeared, Dolby B noise reduction. Dimensions: 17 by 4 Inches (front panel). 121+2 inches deep plus clearance for ing (or output) level. Tape type is deter- giving the user another option. The tapes controls and connections. Price: $380. Warranty: mined by a cassette -keyhole sensor, andare potentially more problematic than the "limited," two years parts and labor. Manufacturer: Matsushita E:ectric Industrial Co.. Ltd.. Japan: U.S. bias/EQ matching is done automatically;records because of their higher inherent distributor: Technics, 1 Panasonic Way, Secaucus, each of the available settings ("normal," noise (typically about 10 dB closer to signal N.J. 07094. "chrome," and metal-there is no provi-maxima), making it more likely that the PLAYBACK RESPONSE (TDK test tape -20 dB DIN) sion for ferrichromes) is factory -adjusted. noise could still be heard under some con- DB Thus, the RS-M255X is both exceedinglyditions. Our experience with the cassettes 0 simple to operate and relatively simpleso far, however, has produced much the 5 11401111 I I 1 internally. And this, in turn, helps maintain same subjective reaction as did the discs: In HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 214 5K 10K20K the fairly modest price-particularly so forparticular, the emergence of the music from L ch +12,-4 dB, 40 Hz to 12.5 kHz R ch 4 1. -23/4 dB, 40 Hz to 12.5 kHz a deck engineered with enough care toutter silence at the beginning of the tape is achieve the flat response demanded by "ad-unfailingly uncanny. vanced" noise reduction systems, includ- One part of the design that is not sim- ing DBX. ple is the fluorescent real-time tape counter There is Dolby B as well, of courseand its various functions. As a straight (too many Dolby B prerecorded tapes are counter-that is, displaying arbitrary num-

SEPTEMBER 1982 19 AUDIO New Equipment Reports

RECORD/PLAY RESPONSE, TYPE 2 TAPE ( -20 dB) DBMYeu 14 0 r -- 5 1111111111111101111lliiiiiiill____ HZ 20 50 100200 500 1K 2K SK 10K 20K Lch tEi +1, -3 dB, 37 Hz to 19 kHz II 1E21221 MB NM 0 MI 3 31171 1101 Rch +1, -3 dB, 37 Hz to 18.5 kHz with Dolby B noise reduction ° I ---- R ch 4 11/2, -3 dB, 37 Hz to 15.5 kHz with DBX noise reduction - - Rch 4 21/2. -3 dB, 41 Hz to 15 kHz multi counter F uorescent meter /Peak hold

RECORD/PLAY RESPONSE, TYPE 4 TAPE (-20 dB) memory repeat multi counter mode 5 DB *was.ie Ist,, 6 0 *oft tape/Miff7m lassiralitcal 5 I t HZ 20 50 100 200 500 11( 2K 5K 10K 20K Noise Reduction output level Lch 4212,-3 dB, 38 Hz to 20 kHz 'ape R ch Dolby°'' 4-3 dB, 37 Hz to 19.5 kHz NR with Dolby B noise reduction chsc 3 Rch +1,-3 dB, 37 Hz to 16 kHz with DBX noise reduction -- R ch + 33/4, -3 dB, 41 Hz to 16 kHz

RECORD/PLAY RESPONSE, TYPE 1 TAPE (-20 dB)

DB rwaiww 0 With the MULTI COUNTER, you can repeat any selection 5 as many as sixteen times, skip any number of selections up to twenty, or see the recording time remainingon a cassette side. HZ 20 so 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K Noise reduction options are Dolby B, DBX tape, and DBX disc. Lch +1, -3 dB. 37 Hz to 17.5 kHz - Rch +1, -3 dB, 37 Hz to 17 kHz hers that keep track of your whereabouts ononds. According to the manual, recording with Dolby B noise reduction the tape in any transport mode-it has one levels should be adjusted to yield maximum Rch +1, -3 dB, 37 Hz to 15 kHz with DBX noise reduction feature we hadn't encountered before in thisreadings of +4 dB (+6 dB with metal tape) - . - R ch +2, -3 dB. 41 Hz to 14 kHz form: a motion indicator formed of the fourwithout DBX noise reduction and +6 dB sides of a smalloat the far right of the S/N RATIO (re DIN 0 dB; R/P; CCIR/ARM-weighted) (+8 dB with metal tape) with DBX, allow- Type 2 tape Type 4 tape Type 1 tape numeric display. Each of the letter's fouring the display to flick up to the next cali- without noise reduction segments illuminates in turn to indicatebration point only occasionally in each 53 dB 513/4 dB 50 dB with Dolby B both the direction and the speed of thecase. 623/4 dB 611/2 dB 593/4 dB takeup hub. These recommendations are only with DBX* An automatic repeat function works in 761/4 dB 771/2 dB 763/4 dB roughly confirmed by Diversified Science conjunction with this counter mode-eitherLaboratories' measurements, which were INDICATOR READING FOR DIN 0 DB (315 Hz)' rewinding from the tape's end to 000 or Type 2 tape +4 dB (with 1.6% distortion) made with three tapes suggested by Tech- Type 4 tape + 6 dB (with 2.4% distortion) rewinding from 000 to the tape's begin- nics: TDK SA as the basic Type 2 ferrico- Type 1 tape +6 dB (with 0.42% distortion) ning-for as many as sixteen plays before itbalt, TDK MA as the Type 4 metal, and INDICATOR READING FOR 3% DISTORTION (315 Hz)' shuts down. When you're recording, you Maxell XL -IS as the Type 1ferric. (The Type 2 tape +8 dB (for +2 dB DIN) can index the tape length to 15, 23, 30, 45, manual's table of suggested tapes, though Type 4 tape +6 dB (for +1 dB DIN) or 60 minutes, representing the recording Type 1 tape 12 dB (for +51/2 dB DIN) evidently prepared with some care, already time on C -30s through C -120s, respective- is out of date for the U.S. market: It does DISTORTION (third harmonic; at -10 dB DIN)' ly. (Yes, this is one of the few decks to Type 2 tape 5 1.8%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz not include XL -IS, among others. Nor does Type 4 tape 5 1.4%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz admit that C -120s are out there waiting to it include any Type 2 C -90s or any of the Type 1 tape 5 0.85%. 50 Hz to 5 kHz be used.) From then on, as long as you stayC- I 20s for which the countdown timer is ERASURE (100 Hz) 603/4 dB in the recording mode, it will display theprepared.) time remaining on the cassette side. You As you can see from the 3% distortion CHANNEL SEPARATION (315 Hz) 481/4 dB can pause in the process without penalty,figures (representing the midrange maxi- INDICATOR "BALLISTICS" but if you rewind to redo a portion of the mum recorded level, or MRL), the Type 2 Response time 121/2 msec tape, the counter loses track. Decay time 380 msec tape will safely accept a little more level Overshoot 2-4 dB The counter also works in either direc- then the manual suggests, and the Maxell tion of fast tape wind in conjunction with SPEED ACCURACY 2.0% fast, 105-127 VAC ferric (a superpremium Type 1) will accept the search mode: It can be set to skip anyconsiderably more. Since the latter's head- FLUTTER (ANSI/IEEE weighted peak; R/P) number of selections to a maximum toroom is 51/2 dB above DIN reference level ±0.10% twenty. This function works well if there is and its noise is 591/4 dB below it (to take the SENSITIVITY (re DIN 0 dB; 315 Hz) a blank of at least four seconds betweenDolby B figure), its total dynamic range is line input 100 my selections. (Though, like others of the sort, mike input 0.52 mV 651/4 dB-the best of the three tapes despite itisnot foolproof-particularly withthe "penalty" ofits120 -microsecond MIKE INPUT OVERLOAD (clipping) 74 mV recordings of wide dynamic range.) When equalization. (All the noise figures appear MAX. OUTPUT LEVEL (from DIN 0 dB)1.07 V you use the recording -mute button for this about 2 dB better than those shown here purpose, the display registers the duration when they are measured with A -weighting, *Unless otherwise specified, all data measured with DBX (in noise reduction turned off. For a discussion of dynamic - seconds) of the blank you have incidentally . ) range factors with DBX, see text. inserted. When we consider DBX noise reduc- The fluorescent -bar metering is cali-tion, these numbers become more difficult brated from -40 to +18 dB, with intervalsto follow because of the compander's of 2 dB between display elements in theaction. Although DBX does not require the range just above the 0 -dB mark, which careful level calibration of Dolby and other lights at 4 to 6 dB below DIN 0 dB, systems, each DBX machine does have a depending on the tape in use. A peak -hold "reference level" of sorts where playback feature retains maxima for about 11/2 sec- level is constant whether the DBX circuit is

20 HIGH FIDELITY A Quick Guide in or out. In the M255X, this occurs at some about 90 dB of total dynamic range, as 7 dB below DIN 0 dB-or at about -2 dB promised by DBX. And some of the DBX to Tape Types on the meters. Below this point, DBX prerecorded tapes do trigger the +15 and action raises the signal level during record- +18 meter elements on playback, though Our tape classifications. Type 0 through 4, are based pri- ing and lowers it reciprocally on playback observance of Technics' more conservative marily on the International Electrotechnical Commission measurement standards. (compressesitupward and expandsit recommendations probably is advisable to Type 0 tapes represent "ground zero" in that they downward, respectively); above the refer- prevent overload, particularly with signals follow the original Philips -based DIN spec. They are ferric tapes. called LN (low -noise) by some manufacturers. re- ence level, the process is reversed, with unusually rich in highs. quiring minimum (nominal 100%) bias and the original. downward compression in recording and Part of the moral of the foregoing is "standard" 120 -microsecond playback equalization. that you shouldn't worry if the metering fig- Though they include the "garden variety' formulations, upward expansion in playback. High-level the best are capable of excellent performance at moder- signals therefore dance the limbo, in a man- ures look a bit weird in a DBX deck. Some ate cost in decks that are well matched to them. ner of speaking, under the MRL of the readers of our last such report seemed to Type 1 (IEC Type I) tapes are ferrics requiring the same 120 -microsecond playback EQ but somewhat high- tape. need an explanation for Technics' unusual- er bias. They sometimes are styled LH (low -noise, high - Midrange MRL with Type 2 tape, forly low 0 -dB calibration. The point is that output) formulations or "premium ferrics." Type 2 (IEC Type II) tapes are intended for use instance, measures +14 dB on playback- you must know how to read the meters for with 70 -microsecond playback EC and higher recording not because the tape really was recorded at the deck, noise reduction system, and tape bias still (nominal 150%). The first formulations of this this high a level (which would be incredi- type you are using, and the Technics man- sort used chromium dioxide: today they also include chrome -compatible coatings such as the ferricobalts. ble), but because a signal recorded at the ual tells you just how to do that. The RS- Type 3 (IEC Type III) tapes are dual -layered fer- MRL (actually about +2 dB DIN, as the M255X is also easy to use, can produce richromes, implying the 70 -microsecond ("chrome) play- back EQ. Approaches to their biasing and recording EO data show) is expanded to +14 dB by DBX excellent tapes, and is possessed of appeal- vary somewhat from one deck manufacturer to another. action. All three tapes, in fact, deliver this ingly old-fashioned good looks. And it Type 4 (IEC Type IV) are the metal -particle, or "al- loy' tapes, requiring the highest bias of all and retaining "14 dB of headroom"-which, when add- doesn't cost a bundle. the 70 -microsecond EQ of Type 2. ed to their DBX noise figures, providesCircle 98 on Reader -Service Card

"STURDY" AND "MASSIVE" are the words when the AA- I 800's power switch is on Heathkit's that popped to mind when we first laid eyes remote, turning on your preamp will cause on an assembled Heath AA- 1800 power the power amp to begin drawing current Incredible Hulk amplifier. Time and experience have not directly from the wall socket. This thought- changed our initial assessment: The thing is ful feature protects your preamp's power Heath AA -1800 power amplifier. In metal case. built like a battleship. Heath says its weight switch from having to handle currents larg- Dimensions: 19 by 7'/ Inches (front), 153/4 Inches deep, plus clearance for handles. Price: 5600 is fifty pounds, much of that concentrated er than it probably was designed for, while (available In kit form only). Warranty: "limited," in an extraordinarily hefty power trans- still enabling you to turn on your entire sys- ninety days parts and labor. Manufacturer: Heath tem with a single switch. Company, Benton Harbor. Mich. 49022. former. The front panel is sized and drilled for mounting in EIA-standard 19 -inch racks The AA -1800's output relaystays RATED POWER 24 dBW (250 watts) channel and has carrying handles at each end. The open for eight seconds after the amp is OUTPUT AT CLIPPING (both channels driven) only other adornments are a pilot LED, a turned on and opens immediately when it is 8 -ohm load 253/4 dBW (375 watts) channel protection LED (which comes on if the amp turned off, to prevent any turn -on or turn- 4 -ohm load (see text) off transients from reaching the loudspeak- 16 -ohm load 233/4 dBW (240 watts) channel overheats), and clipping -indicator LEDs for each channel. ers. Tice relay will also open if DC or ultra- DYNAMIC HEADROOM (re rated power, 8 -ohm load) sonic signals appear at the output or if the +21/2 dBW The center of the back panel forms a large V, so that none of the controls or con- amplifier overheats. However, since the HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD; 20 Hz to 20 kHz) nectors stick out behind the amp. Each AA -1800 has a large number of ventilation at 24 dBW (250 watts) 50.048% at 0 dBW (1 watt) <0.01% channel has an RCA pin -type input jack; slots in its top cover and heavy extruded output binding posts that will accept banana heat sinks down its entire length on both FREQUENCY RESPONSE (at 0 dBW) +0, -1/4 dB, 10 Hz to 49.3 kHz plugs, spade lugs, or bare wire; and an input sides. overheating seems unlikely except in +0, -3 dB, 10 Hz to 200 kHz level control. There is also a 10 -amp pow- cases of abuse or malfunction. According to Heath, the amplifier circuit itself is fully SiN RATIO (re 0 dBW; A -weighted) 91 dB er -line fuse, a three -position power switch (on, remote, and off), and two line cords. complementary throughout, with differen- SENSITIVITY (re 0 dBW) 110 mV The heavier cord plugs into a wall outlet, tial inputs and with output transistors con- DAMPING FACTOR (at 50 Hz) 175 while the lighter one is to be connected to a nected in a series -parallel array. switched outlet on your preamp. Then, Our kit builder reported no special

SEPTEMBER 1982 21 AUDIO New Equipment Reports problems other than the unit is rather heavy 8 ohms. Indeed, it delivered almost its rated and unwieldy and therefore difficult to 8 -ohm output into 16 ohms. With a 4 -ohm move from one place to another. The load, the power -line fuse blew when the instruction manual is generally thorough output reached approximately 253/4 dBW and clear, and a test meter is included in the (375 watts), which prevented DSL from kit for assembly checkouts, troubleshoot- determiningtheactualclippingpoint. ing, and setting the output -stage bias cur- Whatever it is, we doubt that many people rent. However, unlike some other kit man- will ever need more. Harmonic and inter- ufacturers, Heath does almost none of the modulation distortion are low enough to be work for you. All the individual compo-completely inaudible at any point below nents must be sorted out, inserted into their clipping (which is accurately indicated by correct positions on the circuit boards, and the front -panel overload LEDs). None of soldered into place. This means that you the other data give any cause for concern, must proceed carefully and be prepared to either, and we encountered no problems or devote some time to the job. We also feel evidence of unusual behavior in our use that you should probably have some previ- tests. ous kit -building experience before attempt- In short, the AA -1800 is as fine an ing a project as ambitious as this one: The amplifier as one could want: well built, son- AA- 1800 does not strike us as a good ically neutral, and powerful enough for just "starter" kit for a novice. about any reasonable domestic application. Diversified Science Laboratories' test And provided you don't mind spending a data document consistently excellent per- few evenings behind a soldering iron, its formance from the AA- 1800. It deliveredprice is a bargain. substantially more than its rated power into Circle 95 on Reader -Service Card

ME MORY TUNING - I PRE SE TS MOM NM (UP. DOWN) 9 5.9 It E ft It E trw, qj.ejn- TUNING MODES BALANCE

AC POWER-.a VOLUME

HEADPHONES TAPE MONITOR, DUB (1. 2) SPEAKERS A, B (ON/OFF) AUDIO MUTE (ON/OFF) MODE (STEREO/MONO) BASS- LOUDNESS (ON/OFF) TREBLE FILTERS (HIGH, LOW) SELECTOR (AM FM FM BLEND/AUX MM PHONO/MC PHONO)

THOUGH ITS NAME IS NOT YETexactly atortion figures, but here runs approximately Cybernet's household word in this country, Cybernet is an order of magnitude higher), and more not unknown here, either. It is the ratherthird harmonic than second shows up in the Component self-effacing parent company-or possibly midrange at full power; but the figures are step-parent-to Infinity andKLH, andnot high enough to cause concern, and the Receiver under its own name, itis the direct progen-listening quality was judged quite clean. itor of two brands of home entertainment Phono impedances are well chosen for most Cybernet SRC -80 AM FM receiver. Dimensions: 17 by gear. The fancier by far is Kyocera; the purposes, and phono response is very flat 4 Inches (front panel), 151/4 inches deep plus Cybernet name itself appears on an audio acrossthe audio band-particularly clearance for controls and connections. AC convenience outlets: two unswltched (100 watts max. line that reaches from relatively inexpen- throughthe moving -coil input-with each). Price: $450. Warranty: "limited," three years sive compact systems to a moderate -price enough rolloff below 20 Hz (again, partic- parts and labor. Manufacturer: Cybernet Electronics Corp., Japan; U.S. distributor: Cybernet International, component line,of which thepresent ularly for the moving -coil input) to help Inc., 7 Powder Horn Drive, Warren, N.J. 07060. receiver is an example. The SRC -80 makes control infrasonics. no pretenses of audiophile status (that's left The high- and low-cut filters are of To Order Test Report Reprints, send us to Kyocera), but it's more than strict depart- only limited value. Both have gentle slopes a letter with the following information: the ment store fare. As such, it appears to take and therefore have to begin well away from type of product, the name of the product, up a position near the middle of Cybernet's the frequency extremes they are designed to the model number, manufacturer, and the entire stereo line. address in order to create any appreciable issue in which the test appeared. Also The stronger of the receiver's two sec- effect. For that reason, they do more to the enclose a self-addressed stamped enve- tions is the amp/preamp. It delivers more lope and send to Test Report Reprints, music and less to the rumble and hiss than High Fidelity, 825 Seventh Ave., New than its rated power, which is already more might otherwise have been the case. The York, N.Y. 10019. Requests for three or than minimal, and does so with quite low tone controls are better behaved: Their fewerreprintswillbefilledfree -of - distortion. High -frequency IM is a littlemaximum swing of boost or cut runs to charge. higher than average in this price class (it between 10 and 15 dB, with the treble peak- usually is on a par with the harmonic -dis- ing at 20 kHz and the bass shelving below

22 HIGH FIDELITY FM tuner section 100 Hz. Loudness compensation addsmatic mode, the tuner samples each station MONO FREQUENCY RESPONSE about as much at the extreme top end as itit comes to; another pushbutton makes it DB does to the bass (again, it shelves below 100stop when you like what you're hearing. 0 Hz). If that's not quite to your taste, you can There are some oddities here and else- 5 touch it up with the tone controls, thoughwhere that you should know about, though HZ 20 50 100200 500 1K 21( 51( 10K 201( many who use loudness compensation willmost may seem unimportant. The tuner- +21h, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 15 kHz feel no need to do so. The detented volumeuniquely in our recent memory of compo- nents-has no muting circuit. The cacoph- STEREO RESPONSE & CHANNEL SEPARATION control is reasonably smooth for such a DB device, though our sample has one "blind"ony as you tune manually across the dial is 0 spot in the middle of its range, where threequite startling if you've never heard such a 5 detent positions deliver the same listeningreceiver before. The manual, though digni- -10 level. fied in appearance, is peppered with annoy- 15 20 The tuner section is basically quiteing typographic errors and, more impor- 25 sensitive, but because of some normally tant, contains a number of passages that are 30 inaudible hum components, its measuredso badly written as to be unintelligible. as SWAM signal-to-noise ratio is a shade lower than(What questions we had were resolved by HZ 20 50 100 200 500 11( 21( sk 101(20K average for this price range. And the alter-experimentation.) Though there are two Frequency response nate -channelselectivity,whichisonly convenience outlets, neither is switched L ch +21/2, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 15 kHz moderate, argues against using the SRC -80with the receiver's own AC power. As a R ch +21/2, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz Channel separation 33 dB, 150 Hz to 2 kHz; in fringe areas where alternate and evenmatter of fact, it never turns off completely, >28 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz adjacent channels may both contain sta- either: When you release the power button, STANDBY FM SENSITIVITY 8 QUIETING tions. There is aBLENDoption to cancela red LED goes out and a green u0 high -frequency noise when receiving weakLED lights to indicate that power is still stereo stations. (Cybernet, like some otherreaching the memory, so your station pre- 10 companies, confusingly refers to this as asets won't be "forgotten." % 20 \ "multiplex filter.") And the automatic In the main, this is a receiver without search and station -memory (seven each onserious surprises one way or another. If it's 30 the two tuning bands) functions work well. not the sort one invites the neighbors in to 40 The search and manual tuning advance byshow off, it also is not one for which apol- one full channel (200 kHz on FM and 10ogy need be made. Perhaps the best way to 50 \ kHz on AM), so tuning is fairly rapid, evencharacterize it is to say that it does compe- 60 \\\...... _ if you step manually, and extremely fast intently the job for which it was designed, and 444ww fast -scan (automatically, or with the buttonat a reasonable price. D8F0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10 held in). In the STH (short -time -hold) auto-Circle 97 on Reader -Service Card - stereo quieting (noise) mono quieting (noise) Stereo sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression) 39 dB( at 98 MHz, with 0.54% THD+ N RIAA EQUALIZATION (38 c1131 at 90 MHz; 3814 dBl at 106 MHz) SUBCARRIEP (38 kHz) SUPPR. 75 dB fixed -coil phono +1/4, -1/2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz: Mono sensitivity (tor 50 -dB noise suppression) - 444 dB at 5 Hz 151/4 dB( at 98 MHz Amplifier section moving -coil phono ±-1/4 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; 23 dBf Stereo threshold -10 dB at 5 Hz Stereo S N ratio (at 65 dBf) 6434 dB RATED POWER 17 dBW (50 watts) channel Mono S N ratio (at 65 dBi) 6612 dB OUTPUT AT CLIPPING (both channels driven) INPUT CHARACTERISTICS (re 0 dBW; A -weighting) 1E0,2 dBW (71 watts) channel sensitivity &fit ratio CAPTURE RATIO 11/2 dB 8 -ohm load 4 -Ohm loac 193/4 dBW (94 watts) channel aux 23 mV 79V4 dB SELECTIVITY (alternate -channel) 47 dB 16 -ohm load 1634 dBW (47 watts) channel fixed -coil phono 0.37 mV 731,5 dB moving -coil phono 15.5 µV 7434 dB HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD N) DYNAMIC HEADROOM (re rated power, 8 -ohm load) PHONO OVERLOAD (1 -kHz clipping) stereo mono -21/4 dB fixed -coil phono 140 mV at 100 Hz 0.60% 0.28% moving -coil phono 5.8 mV at 1 kHz 037°C 0.12% HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD; 20 Hz xi 20 kHz) at 6 kHz 0.42% 0.19% at 17 dBW (50 watts) s0.033% at 0 dBW (1 watt) s0.017% PHONO IMPEDANCE fixed -mil phono 49.8k ohms; 240 pF STEREO PILOT INTERMODULATION0.32% FREQUENCY RESPONSE moving -coil phono 46 ohms IM DISTORTION (mono) 0.048% +0, -Vz dB, <10 Hz to 20.5 kHz; -3 dB at 49.2 kHz DAMPING FACTOR (at 50 Hz) 59 AM SUPPRESSION 62 dB HIGH FILTER -3 dB at 3.3 kHz; 6 dB octave PILOT (19 kHz) SUPPRESSION 56 dB RUMBLE FILTER -3 dB at 11C Hz: 6 dB octave

CONVERSION TABLE FOR POWER OUTPUT

About the dBW WATTS dBW WATTS c BW WATTS dBW We currently are expressing power in terms of 1.00 0 10.0 10 100 20 11 125 21 dBW meaning power in dB with a reference (0 1.25 1 12.5 dBW) of 1 watt. The conversion table will enable 1.6 2 16 12 160 22 23 you to use the advantages of dBW in comparing 2.0 3 20 13 200 these products to others for which you have no 2.5 4 25 14 250 24 15 320 25 dBW figures. 3.2 5 32 4.0 6 40 16 400 26 5.0 7 50 17 500 27 6.3 8 63 18 630 28 8.0 9 80 19 800 29

SEPTEMBER 1982 23 AUDIO Sound Views

Comment on the changing audioscene by Robert Long

tronics have traditionally been categorized, Does Audio's all in search of something that is more than money the sum of its product -concept parts. Ina time Past Havea way, I suppose, it's a sort of dialectic, in SAVE freight which unexpected syntheses emerge from Future? the struggle between opposites -the audio CASSETIE TAPES and video poles of home entertainment AFTERLOOKING Al ALL the new goodies - SONY UCS -X 90 NEW HIGH BIAS TAPE** 530.00/10 yielding, for instance, video equipment SONY SHF-90 STANDARD BIAS TAPE.***26.00/10 and some of the old ones -at this year's with stereo sound capability or hybrid SONY EHF-90 HIGH BIAS TAPE 27.00/10 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, SONY FER-90 HIGH BIAS PREMIX **** 28.00/10 audio/video amplifiers and receivers. Giv- TDK MA -C90 METAL CASSETTE TAPE *** $49.50/10 and after ruminating on what I saw prepar- en that so much of the inventive rethinking TDK SAK -C -90 NEW PREMIUM TAPE **** 38.00/10 atory to writing portions of the new -prod- TDK OD -C-90 °prim STD. BIAS **** 27.00/10 of product definitions is taking place in the TDK SA -C90 SUPER AVALIN TAPE 24.53/10 ucts coverage in this issue, I've come to the TDK C-90AD NEW AUDUA TAPE 20.00/10 Orient, one is tempted to define the rela- BASF PERFORMANCE C-90 QUALITY TAPE saeLoom conclusion that radical and potentially dis- tionship by the equation: yin + yang = BASF FRO II OR III C-90 SPECIFY **22.00/10 turbing change is imminent in home elec- MAXELL C-90 LN LOW WISE TAPE **** $23.50/12 yen. MAXELL C -601D ULTRA DYNAMIC 23.00/12 tronics. Not that change is anything new in In any event, money is very much MAKELL C -901D ULTRA DYNAMIC 29.50/12 our field: It has been the one constant of MMELL UD4CL-C60 TYPE I OR II **** 29.50/12 involved. So many forces are at work to MAKELL ID -XL C-90 TYPE I OR II *** 39.50/12 high fidelity during the many years I've change the economic foundations of the arts REEL. TO REEL TAPE been a devotee. But this change may be the and their media of dissemination: cutbacks TDK IX -35-90 NEW 71N. $60.00/10 most revolutionary in recreational listening in public funding (in this country, at least), TDK IX -35-180M NEW 10 1/2 IN 170.00/10 since the radio boom of the early Twenties. MRCELL UD-35-90 ULTRA DYNAMIC 7" 57.50/10 rapid growth of cable systems and cable- MAXELL UD-35-180 SAME ON 10 1/2" 153.00/10 And I suspect there are many involved inbasedservices,theproliferationof MMELL UDKL-35-90B BACNDATED XL 69.50/10 audio -manufacturers and consumers MAX ELL UD4CL-1808 SAME CN 10 1/2 198.50/10 communications satellites and the prospect SCORCH 207R-90 PDLY-POSITRAK *** 55.00/10 alike -for whom the fruits of this revolu- of direct broadcasting by satellite, rising SCOTCH 207 R-180 10 1/2 IN 192.00/12 tion will prove bitter. costs for producing or attending live events, VIDEOTAPE Consider, by way of illustration, some the growth in home computer ownership TDK L-500 BETA TAPE $100.00/10 of the things that have occurred in the Sony and in computer -accessible services (every- MAXELL L-750 BETA TAPE 130.00/10 BASF T-120 VHS 2-4-6 TAPE 120.00/10 product line over the last year or two. There thing from advanced TV games to research was, of course, the Walkman. Combining a AUDIO T1L7NICA CARTS. SHURE CARTRIDGES libraries), and so on. Changes this swift, MODEL 155 -LC $105.00 V-15 TYPE 4WRITE miniature battery -powered cassette trans-this broad, and this fundamental would MODEL 140 -LC 66.00 V-15 3 HE $70.00 port, stereo heads and electronics, and an MODEL 125 -LC 49.00 M-97 HE hardly go unnoticed in the best of times, but 49.00 ultralightweight headset, it was the first AUTOMOTIVE STEREO in a period when we're all budgetingmore member of a new and stunningly successful PIONEER KE-2100 ELECTRONIK READOUT WRITE! carefully than we would have a few years PIONEER KP-8500 AM -FM CASSETTE *6* 140.00 equipment genre. Then came Profeel video PIONEER KE-5100 DIGITAL DOCK 215.00 ago, each outlay is clearly made at the PIONEER UKP-7600 MINI -SIZE DECK ** 199.00 components, comprising separate mix -and- expense of another. This, in turn, exagger- TS -695 6x9 3 -WAY SEER. SYSTEMS.*** 82.50 match video monitors, TV tuners, and loud- TS -696 6x9 2 -WAY SKR. SYSTEMS**** 66.00 ates the attrition that inevitably affects com- WRITE FOR ALL PIONEER AUTOMOTIVE PRICES !III speakers, all with provisions for connection panies that embrace the status quo. JENSEN 8-405 AM -FM IN DASH CASS.** $168.00 to a conventional stereo system for sound JENSEN T -4I5 AM -FM CAW PRE -AMP ** 185.00 Let me put it more concretely. Last JENSEN A-30 MATCHING POWER AMP. ** 41.00 quality commensurate with the "high fidel- January, at the Las Vegas Consumer Elec- JENSEN J-2033 6x9 TRIAK0 II SPKRS. 94.00 ity" picture. This idea is not entirely new JENSEN J-2037 6x9 00 -AX II0 SPRRS* 68.00 tronics Show, my eye was caught by some WRITE OR CALL FOR OTHERS INCLUDING SANYOIIII (Andrea, for one, promoted TV componen- opera on laser discs. Surely it was Placido HEADPHONES try a generation ago), but Profeel's ability SONY -50T NEW SUPERLIGHTWEIGHTS $33.00 Domingo, and surely the excerpt was from NOSS MODEL. HV-4( STEREOPHCIVES 41.50 to take advantage of the stereo soundtracks Conies d'Hoffmann, though such a record- KOSS MODEL FRO -4K NEW PRO PHONES 49.50 on many of the latest video discs and tapes SDI/WEISER !ID -40 NEW LIGNTWEIGITTS 20.00 ing was not among those listed at the Pio- SENNHEISER 1D-224 SUPERB LISTENING 80.00 makes it a concept whose time seems to neer Video booth where I saw it.I stood have come. Next came the digital recording enthralled. The voice, the bearing, the col- system on which Richard Warren reported send for free catalog or, the sound -even the acting and the last month ("On Location with a Digital direction: Surely this was one of the great Name Deck"). Consisting of a lightweight, porta- Hoffmanns and one of the great ways of Address ble VCR and a matching digital audio pro- City experiencing it! Later, when the Metropol- State Zip cessor, it links Sony's 1(ideo tape technolo- itan Opera broadcast its highly acclaimed gy with the fruits of the company's work on new Hoffmann with Domingo, it proved the compact digital audio disc. Now Sony something of an anticlimax after the video illinoii0%WM has added a pocket -portable TV receiver 12 East Delaware Place disc. Has this experience altered my desire Chicago 60611 called the Watchman (see "Video Fronts," to buy conventional stereo recordings? Has August). And in prototype is a wristwatch/ it reduced my willingness to accept record- Phone Now snooze-alarm/radio. (312) ed opera as an audio -only spectator sport? 664-0020 The common denominator of these I'm not sure, but I am sure that I want to products is that they all cut across the hack- experience more good video opera with TOLL FREE neyed definitions by which consumer elec- (800) equally good sound (which PBS doesn't 621-8042

24 HIGH FIDELITY always offer) and that I'm willing to back this intention with part of the family's home -entertainment budget. And that means taking something away from some other part of that budget- which includes records, stereo equipment, and so on. I'm therefore convinced that McIntosh some of the dollars that once went into audio will now go elsewhere-to those STEREO CATALOG realms where new technologies and techno- logical combinations have created exciting and FM DIRECTORY new possibilities. The bitter nub within all this is the fate Get all the newest and latest information on the new that may come to many a worthy audio McIntosh stereo equipment in the McIntosh catalog. In addition you will receive an FM station directory that company. I say "worthy" because we all covers all of North America. owe a debt of gratitude to those manufac- turers who have challenged mediocrity by being unwilling to accept "good enough" in high fidelity reproduction. For more than three decades, these companies have been expanding thefrontiers of technology. Though some of the steps they've taken have been minute, the total progress has r 1 been immense. McIntosh Laboratory Inc. There have been times, I must admit, East Side Station P.O. Box 96 when the purpose of high fidelity has been Binghamton, N.Y. 13904-0096 forgotten: when the minutiae of sound SEND reproduction have obscured the music or NAME other content they were intendedto enhance. Unfortunately, for some of the TODAY! ADDRESS best minds in audio, one of those times is CITY STATE ZIP _ now. It is futile to argue the virtues of Class L A circuitry, for instance-virtues that may not even have audible consequences-in If you are in a hurry for your catalog please send the coupon to McIntosh. For non rush service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine. the face of such overriding sonic problems as those caused by warped discs. With alternatives as varied and as provocative as CI-cle 56 on Reader -Service Card those we now have beckoning us to alto- gether greener pastures, such arguments increasingly resemble scholastic debates over how many decibels can fit on the head An invitation of a pin. Audio companies as diverse as Ma- for discriminating listeners. rantz,Jensen, and NAD/Proton have If you wish to own the world's finest audio components, end if entered the field of home video, and RCA you are willing to pay accordingly, we invite ,50ou to clip the has outfitted its new monitor receivers and coupon below. In return, we will promptly senc you, via First stereo -sound video disc players with speak- Class mail, a complete packet of information on our Swiss ers and other audio acoutrements. There and German -made Revox audio components including a seems no doubt that we have been overtak- 24 -page color catalog and a list of Revox dealers. Write en by new technologies and rapidly chang- today, and learn the full story behind Europe's premier ing markets. Yet some of audio's movers audio component manufacturer. and shakers don't seem to have noticed. Nor do some of audio's consumers. But while the purists are entirely within their rights to bar television and computers and the rest from their homes, businessmen can 110111..10Mor. 9(130 "2 seldom afford the luxury of anachronistic thinking. Some may be able to survive because they offer products of unique qual- ity and proven merit, but a shrinking market : i for old-fashioned audio is sure to squeeze out many whose passing weallwill regret. I should consider anyone who would Mail -o: look me in the eye and claim to be able to REVOX Studer Revox America, 1425 Elm -lilt Pike, Nash'.ille, TN 37210 predict where the consumer electronics industry will be in a decade from now cer- Name_ tifiably insane. But I'm sure of this: The future belongs to the flexible. HF Address Phone City State LIP

SEPTEMBER 1982 25 1983 New Products Roundup A comprehensive look at the latest audio, video, and audio -videocomponents unveiled at the Summer ConsumerElectronics Show

AFTER SEVERAL YEARSof courtship, audio ters and stereo -simulation circuits, and recover its wind, now that CBS is really and video finally tied the knot this June in expanders and equalizers with characteris- starting to build up its catalog of encoded Chicago's cavernous McCormick Place tics optimized for dealing with the common records, but the future of stereo AM is dif- convention center. The occasion was the inadequacies of television sound. In fact, ficult to read. Because of the FCC's unfor- 1982 Summer Consumer Electronics Show the "audio" component that drew the most tunate decision not to dictate any one of the (CES), and the participants were legion. On attention and comment was Jensen's audio- five contending systems, the question is the video side, we saw a veritable explosion video receiver, which combines a stereo being slugged out in the broadcasting mar- of component systems, with high -resolu- receiver with a television tuner and is com- ketplace-a chaotic process that may serve tion monitors and TV tuners that invariably plete with wireless remote control and all only to kill stereo AM before itis even included provisions for linking stereo sound the necessary switching facilities for both hatched. outputs from video disc players and VCRs media. One can hardly help but think that This is not to say, however, that the to high fidelity audio systems. That devel- such multipurpose units are the vanguard of field was devoid of new products-far opment was complemented by introduc- the high fidelity future. from it. The following reports detail the tions of stereo -capable VCRs and video Otherwise, the audio scene was rela- highlights of what we saw. Audio electron- disc players, with Dolby B and CX noise tively subdued. The first glow of the digital ics (amps, preamps, tuners, and receivers) reduction, respectively, to bring the rela- Compact Disc is visible on the eastern hori- and tape equipment are covered by Robert tively high residual noise of television zon, but production (as opposed to proto- Long, loudspeakers and record -playing audio under control. type) players and discs will not be shown equipment by Michael Riggs, and the new On the audio side, we saw far more until the January CES and probably will not video gear by William Tynan. Experienced awareness among manufacturers of the be in stores until a few months after that. readers may notice that our coverage is strength of the video market. Many of the And the two main ready -for -market techno- more condensed than in the past. Some new audio components shown in Chicago logical innovations-CX noise reduction items not discussed here were noted in last had inputs for sound feeds from video disc for audio discs and stereo AM-seem month's preview; many others will appear and tape players. There were also video- almost dead in the water as far as consumer in future issues in "High Fidelity News" oriented features, such as dynamic noise fil- hardware is concerned. CX may very well and "VideoFronts."

tomers just now. The trends of the last year offers eight new rack systems and has five or two continue-more and larger square receivers as well. The three top models all and rectangular buttons, yesterday's state- have SEA graphic equalizers, the compa- of-the-art circuits reaching ever lower price ny's Super -A power -amplifier circuit, and points, and bolder colors on faceplates, tuner presets.Prices for the new JVC with digital and quasidigital tuners and tun- receivers top off at a moderate $570 for the ing aids and similar devices spawning read- R -X80, rated at 181/2 dBW (70 watts) per outs and LED displays wherever you look. side, and range down to a modest $210 at Electronics Consequently, most of the models are in the budget end. With four new tuners and middle and low price ranges; the all -stops- five integrated amps in addition (plus the pulled flagship models that show the way rack and minirack systems), JVC's intro- for entire product lines generally remain ductions are among the most comprehen- DESPITE COLUMBIA'S BUILDUPof CX- from last season, and the emphasis is on sive in the industry this time around. encoded discs and the FCC's approval oftidying the fleet. Hitachi has two new moderate -price stereo -AM broadcasting (albeitwithout All of Pioneer's new entries, for exam- receivers ($260 and $170) for its systems, specifyingastandard),there seemsat ple, are sold as systems, leaving its sepa- plus three integrated amps, ranging up to present to be no ground swell of support for rates line essentially untouched. Six are in the $320 HA-M44-at 173/4 dBW (60 either from the hardware companies. The Pioneer's Syscom rack -cabinet series; the watts) per channel, the company's most big receiver companies that dominate home seventh is the $800 X-30 component array, powerful integrated yet. Fisher has concen- audio these days don't seem to be planning which includes a cassette deck, but not the trated on systems, including (as a sign of to lay anything very startling on their cus- optional ($235) PL -X50 turntable. JVC the times) audio -video systems that can

26 HIGH FIDELITY switches and rheostats that characterize CX Receivers conventional designs. Moderate -price inte- grated amps, receivers, and systems are Though many com- among the new entries. Technics, too, has panies are adopting concentrated on moderate prices ($240 and a wait -and -see atti- $190) in its new receivers. '1 1 F - tude toward CX, a Sherwood, by contrast, has introduced Marantz 5R-620CX few, such as Marantz a whole new high -end S-6000 series of sep- and Onkyo, have CX arates, including the $350 S-6040CP MOS- disc decoder circuits FET power amplifier with 20 dBW (100 built into their new watts) per channel, the $250 C-6020CP - preamp with a built-in CX decoder, and the - - - receivers. CBS plans °mg similarly priced S-6010CP digital AM/FM . s T to release many new tuner. And Accuphase, once sold here by CX titles in the com- Teac,is now back via D&K Imports. Onkyo TX -51 ing months. Among its elegant new offerings are the $3,500 M-100 mono power amp and $2,200 C-240 Precision Control Center preamp with front -panel four -position im- incorporate Fisher video components with ing and sound), has added both to its sys-pedance -load switching for each of two stereo sound capability. And it's worth not- tems and toits Audio Purist separates. phono inputs and individual head amps with ing in this context that Sansui-a company Among the latter, the most impressive arehigh -frequency trim circuits for each phono that's prominent in both systems and sepa- probably the L -02T FM tuner and L -02A input. Another Japanese purveyor of premi- rates and that is adding new models in both integrated amp, which when used togetherum components, Denon, has added the categories this year-has finally gone into function as a $5,000 "receiver" with 221/4PRA -6000 preamp, in which it continues its video gear [see "Hands -On Report" in thisdBW (170 watts) per channel and benefit pursuit of circuitry that uses no negative issue], while RCA has added some stereo from Kenwood's most sophisticated low - feedback. The phono preamp section is said audio components for its new stereo -sound distortion amp and tuner circuitry. Similarto be flat to 500 kHz. CED video discs and players. circuitry is incorporated in the $330 M- I -andberg's $695 Model 3011 tuner Harman Kardon has a new receiver at power amp and $225 C- Ipreamp in the and $995 Model 3012 integrated amplifier the low end of its line: the $220 hk-330i, same line. (with 20 dBW, or 100 watts, per side and with wideband low -feedbackcircuitry. Sony has continued to add models thatincluding a digital -disc input) can be com- Kenwood, which recently introduced an incorporate internal IC signal processing,bined to form a $1,700 receiver, among the audio -video receiver(thatis,astereo using its proprietary chips to replace themost luxurious ever offered. Revox has receiver with provisions for video switch- complex signal paths through front -panel added the $2,300 B-740 power amp, a con - A Sampler of New Tuners, Receivers, and Amplifiers Most new tuners, amps, and receivers are at middle and low prices as the trends of the past year or two continue. Common features include bolder colors on faceplates, microprocessor -based digital and quasi - Lumen RX-103 Receiver digital tuners and tuning aids, and a variety of front - panel displays showing what circuits are active at any particular time.

1.144444

Kenwood Audio Purist L -02T Tuner 1111111111,-. &maul Z-9000 Receiver

/73. //////1/0/001111111111RIMAMM

rfOlint Sony TA-AX44 Integrated Amplifier Hitachi HA -M44 Integrated Amplifier _

Yamaha C-70 Preamplifier Akai AA -R22 Receiver

27 SEPTEMBER 1982 the microcassette's true calling. The think- Two Novel ing seems to be that if little is good littler is Tuning Circuits better, that the microcassette is as cute as anything, and thatsonicallyit'sabout Improvement of bor- where the compact cassette was, sonically, derline reception is when it began its march to stardom. Based Carver TX -11 Tuner the design goal be- on this analysis, many observers predict a hind Carver's Asym- bright commercial future for the medium. metrical Charge -Cou- The contrary opinion points out that the pled FM detector cir- compact cassetteisdeeply entrenched cuit and NAD/Pro- everywhere, that the public's sonic tastes ton's Schotz Vari- are much more sophisticated than they were in the compact cassette's salad days, and able -Bandwidth PLL that extraordinary (and expensive) detector. 1111"116 means-metal tape, or even deposited- NAD 7150 Receiver metal tape, for instance-must be used to achieve high fidelity results with the micro- cassette. Perhaps most important, skeptics claim,isthat confusion over transport sumer versionof the professional Studer A- where around $300, which should be wel- speeds,track configurations, and noise 68. Quad Electroacoustics has introducedcome news to that company's many fans. reduction have robbed the microcassette of its first new tuner in years: the $625 FM -4, And devotees of CM Laboratories-and ofthe format compatibility on which the com- which is designed around a microprocessor U.S.-built equipment-will welcome a re- pact cassette's initial success was so firmly programmed to automatically make allceiver, with a built-in CX decoder,now based. So manufacturers wishing to hedge switching decisions for muting and AFC. being prepared for the market by thatcom- their bets are trying microcassette equip- Turning, finally,to the U.S.-basedpany. For earlier introduction is the $700 ment, but not going too deeply into it. separates specialists, we find lots of new CM DB-120 integrated amplifier.-RL Olympus, the company that started it gear, most of which extends existing lines all with the original Pearlcorder microcas- in directions already charted. Often the sette portables,fhas finally adopted the ste- introductions are based on a design princi reo track format. Its latest model, the $200 ple or a quality standard. Much of the inter- SR -11, combines a two -speed metal -bias est here centers around two FM -tuner cir- recording deck with a stereo FM tuner, a cuits announced last year, but just now lightweight headset, and a leatherette case going into production. Both greatly im- to create a personal portable whose multiple prove borderline reception. One isthe capabilities make a strong argument in Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled FM detec- favor of the format. And Sony has come up tor in Carver's $550 TX -I I. The other, Tape and with two new portables, the high-perfor- known as the Schotz Variable -Bandwidth mance M-50 microcassette Walkman play- PLL detector (after engineer Larry Schotz), Tape Equipment er with FM tuner pack and the M-80 Sound - will be incorporated into Proton car and about AM/FM/microcassette recorder, both table radios and into the NAD 4150 tuner in the $200 range. ($318) and 7150 and 7120 receivers ($550 For the inveterate recordist, however, and $300, respectively). PERHAPS THE MOSTnoticeable influence on it's Sony's TC-MR2 deck that is most inter- Carver is also introducing the C-4000 new consumer tape equipment is that ofesting. Except for its styling, which tilts the integrated amplifier, which combines the personalportables.Sony's astonishing control panel at an angle that promotes ease company's Magnetic Field Amplifier (rated (and, in some quarters, wholly unexpected) of use but prevents stacking other units at 20% dBW, or I20 watts, per channel, yet success with the original Walkman has above it, the $250 deck is a close relative of weighing a scant 15 pounds in this incarna- caused manufacturers to scramble for a home compact cassette models. It includes tion) with its Sonic Holography circuit, plus share of the market. As a result, many vari- a manual recording -level adjustment plus a the usual preamp functions. In separate ants on the original concept are available. defeatablelimiter (most microcassette preamps, Amber has introduced two ver- The first personal portable with DBX has equipment employs automatic level con- sions of its new Model 17: The "straight been introduced by Panasonic, and a num-trolsthat compromise performance), a line" SL- I 7 sells for $495, while the full- ber of designs attempt to fit an FM or AM choice of metal or "normal" bias, a record- function FF-17 goes for $725. The compa- tuner into the cramped confines of the tape ing mute andPAUSE.In addition, its head- ny also has a $400 AM/FM tuner. And PS player-without using the familiar cas- phone -output level control and DC power- Audio has added a $700 integrated. sette -shaped adapter modules. The boldest supply input can both be useful for field Mark Levinson's latest, designed toapproach to the space problem, adopted by recording. the company's traditional no -compromiseseveral companies (including Hitachi and A number of manufacturers offer standards, is a two -chassis system that willSharp), reverses this idea: A minimal cas- microcassette decks as part of their so- sell for less than $3,000: the ML -11 power- sette player slips into and becomes part ofcalled rack -system lines. And have done so amp (17 dBW, or 50 watts, per side) andwhat might be called a maxiboombox orfor some time. JVC has introduced products power -supply module, and the ML -12 con- minimicro stereo system. This is, perhaps, of this sort, but also has two separate slim- trol preamp module. And there is a $1,600the logical extension of an idea that sur- line decks-one for microcassettes and one J-FET control preamp from Nova Electro-faced earlier this year: add-on speakers tofor compact cassettes-whose specs and Acoustics, the CPA -100, for which a $300 "depersonalize" personal portables. And,features make interesting reading. Both plug-in head amp is available. of course, a number of new models includeoffer ANRS/Dolby B noise reduction (the At less heady prices, there's a newrecording capability. two are considered interchangeable these $135 moving -coil head amp, the Plexus But the most interesting part of thisdays by Dolby Laboratories), a bias posi- JP -1.And this fall a tuner kit is expected indesign activity, which often has a distinctlytion for metal tape, logic -controlled trans- the David Hafler line: the DH -I10 atsome- cut -and -try flavor, are the attempts to findport functions, and music scan; additional

28 HIGH FIDELITY basic controls are also similar. The compact cassette model (D -E3, $300) has a pop -out Personal Portables drawer to hold the cassette (required by the Lots of attention remains cen- slimline format), a Super-ANRS option (for tered on personal portables, high -frequency headroom extension), and with the microcassette for- provision for "chrome" (Type 2) tapes. mat making substan- The microcassette version (D -M3, $330) tial inroads. Olympus, offers a two -speed (15/16 or '1/22 inch per sec- Hitachi, Sharp, and ond-one-half and one -quarter the speed Sony are among those for compact cassettes, respectively) trans- port design. Even with ferric tape, the com- with micro units. pact -cassette modelhasslightlybetter response specs and lower wow and flutter than the microcassette model (presumably operating at its faster speed) does with met- al tapes-which is to be expected. And the initial literature gives no noise spec for the microcassette unit-possibly because such a measurement has yet to be standard- ized. JVC also has new conventional and "audiophile" compact -cassettedecks, ranging up to the $800 DD -99 with the company's B.E.S.T. automatic tape - matching system; several models feature Dolby C noise reduction. Sony has applied its microprocessor controls to the $650 TC- FX1010, which it calls the "world's first fully computerized self -monitoring cassette deck." In fact, the faceplate owes a little to 2001 and even more to Piet Mondrian. Most of the full -line equipment companies have introduced at least one or two decks. Technics and Hitachi have their first models with separate transports for recording and Olympus SR -11 playback, enabling built-intape -to -tape dubbing; Onkyo has added its second. Many of the top decks incorporate Dolby C; of Teac's five new models-all of New Dolby C Decks which employ Dolby B-two have Dolby Many top decks have C and two DBX noise reduction. Akai uses Dolby C noise reduc- B and C in both of its newcomers-a $750 tion. Teac includes it in microprocessor -controlled model andits two of its five new least expensive bidirectional-while Lux - man has DBX in two and Dolby C in one of .11110111111111111111Mme... decks, Akai in both its 41. its five introductions. And Revox has added G newcomers, Luxman in one of its five new a Dolby C version of its cassette deck, the Revox 13-710 Mk..1 $1,995 B-710 Mk. II. decks, and Revox in its As usual, a number of useful tape new B-710 Mk. II deck. accessories have been announced, includ- Almost every new cas- ing some from Discwasher and a new line sette deck has either from Maxell, but two unusual items really

p4- C C DBX, Dolby B or Dolby caught my eye. One is a tiny dual -element C. stereo microphone from Sony, the $40 ECM -101, designed to plug directly into Luxman stereo minijacks. The other is a case for video cassettes, inspired by the Franklin Library book bindings, with marbelized endpapers and so on. They cost about what the garden-variety plastic cases go for- $5.00 or so. I only wish Compton Interna- tional, which makes them, and Video - Aka, C3-F39R Audio Electronics, which distributes them, would come up with something similar for audio tapes to hold my three -cassette opera sets. The makers of blank tape presently are preoccupied with catching up with each other-particularly in the video field. Last ieac V -66C winter's introductions have made offering a

SEPTEMBER 1982 29 premium formulation that improves on HG Dubbing Decks a competitive must, while standard formu- Almost every company lations are appearing in the new 1-160 and has at least one dub- L-850 or L-830 lengths (for VHS and Beta, bing deck. These mod- 11t.w respectively,theformer running eight hours in the slowest, EP mode). A nine els employ separate -

hour (in EP) T-180 has been demonstrated transports for playback MOO by PD Magnetics. and recording within a Sansul D-9913 In audio tapes, there's a new brand- single chassis, letting Yamaha. which is offering C -90s and C -60s you copy tapes without in one Type 4 (metal) and three Type I (fer- a second recorder. In ric) formulations. Fuji has revamped its NM. most cases, copying is line, which now consists of FR Metal Type done in real time. 4, FR-lI superpremium Type 2, FR -I super- premium Type 1, ER premium Type I, and

Hitachi D -W700 DR Type 1 tapes. TDK, too, has reformu- lated many of its tapes, all of which appear in new packaging, though most of the type designations remain the same. The excep- High Performance Decks tionis AD -X, which replaces OD to become the highest -performance Type I Flagship cassette decks tape in the TDK line. And Sony has added include IVC's DD -99, UCX-S. a premium Type 2 tape. Sony and which incorporates the JVC also have new metal tape microcas- B.E.S.T. automatic tape settes. adjustment system, and Technics RS-M255X Arguably the biggest news there is in Sony's TC-FX1010, a ful- tape this season, at least from the audio- ly computerized deck. phile point of view is that the catalog of Technics' RS-M255X has DBX-encoded prerecorded cassettes has built-in DBX disc and already reached fifty titles, including the tape noise reduction. enthusiastically received "Music of Ma- nuel de Falla." (DBX cassette EC -7039) by Enrique Batiz and the Mexico State Sym- JVC DD -99 phony. -RL

Sony TC-FX1010 Speakers Tape, Etc. EXPERIENCE IS NO HANDICAP to innovation, While no breakthroughs have occurred in au- as witness the clever Dual -Dome tweeter/ dio tape formulations this year, many lines midrange driver Acoustic Research has have been upgraded. Accessories include developed forits new Lambda System Sony's ECM -II stereo mike with mini jacks speakers. Both driver elements use the for use with portables. same mounting plate and magnet structure, which enables the'/4-inch tweeter and 11/2 - inch midrange domes to be placed much closer to each other than would otherwise be possible. According to AR, this physical proximity prevents acoustical interference 11111 11111 between the outputs of the two driver ele- TDK Professional ments in their crossover range, so that they Maxell EW-340 Electronic Cassette Winder Reference Series act as a virtual point -source. The result is 0 said to be essentially uniform response over a wide angle, vertical as well as horizontal. AR is using the Dual -Dome unit in its floor - standing AR-9LS ($750)-a four-way, 11111 I 11111 five -driver replacement for its very success- Sony ECM -1 1 Stereo Mike ful AR -9 and AR -90 loudspeakers-and in its new top -of -the -line bookshelf -type loud- speaker, the four-way, four -driver AR- Fuji Cassette Line 98LS ($450). The company has also intro- duced its first minispeaker-the $110 AR -

30 HIGH FIDELITY new small speakers are the Design Acous- tics Point Source systems: the two-way PS - 8 ($180) and the three-way PS -10 ($250). Intended specifically for placement on a shelf or stand, both speakers have deep cab- inets and down -firing woofers slot -loaded by an integral base for extended low -fre- quency response in a small enclosure. This enables the front baffle, on which the high - range drivers are mounted, to be relatively narrow, for low diffraction. The PS -8 uses an 8 -inch woofer and a11/2 -inch dome tweeter, while the PS -10 has a 10 -inch woofer, a 5 -inch midrange, and a 1 -inch dome tweeter. Phase Technology has combined a pair of its compact PC -60 loudspeakers with its new PC -50 subwoofer to form a three-piece sensibly,the PC -60/50 JBL L-250 Acoustic Researzh AR-9LS Polk SDA-1 system called, ($500). Other Phase -Tech introductions Innovative Designs include the two-way PC -65 ($200), with an New approaches to old problems characterizeAR's new 9LS, 8 -inch flat -piston woofer and a I -inch dome which tackles acoustical interference between driverswith tweeter, and four new models in the High unique tweeter/midrange units, BL's L-250,which seeks to min- Technology series, ranging from the $90 imize diffraction via a truncated, asymmetricalpyramid design, HT -28 to the $250 HT -42. And 3D Acous- image tics, which got itsstart with a highly and Polk's SDA-I, which produces a very realistic stereo regarded three-piece system, has a new by a still -secret method. speaker called the Decade ($200). The unit uses a 10 -inch resistively loaded passive 1ms, with a 4 -inch woofer and a %-inch (whose slender, columnar cabinet strikes radiator, a 6 -inch woofer, and a %-inch dome tweeter. me as particularly handsome) is rounded dome tweeter. Another noteworthy development is out by a top -mounted 8 -inch woofer, while New speakers also come from Schiller Park, Ill., and Hope, Ark., homes of two of Polk's floor -standing SDA- IStereo Di- the Nine has a 10 -inch woofer and a 31/2 - mensional Array. Until patents are granted, inch convex -diaphragm midrange. Config- the oldest names in domestic loudspeakers. Jensen's Concert Series (out of Schiller the company is being very tight-lipped ured for wall or shelf placement, the Model Park) comprises three models, ranging about how the system works its magic. All Eight ($345) uses the same midrange and from the two-way Model 820 ($120), with we know now is that the two speakers must tweeter as the Nine, together with a top - 1230 be connected to each other as well as to an mounted 8 -inch woofer. Like all other Alli- an 8 -inch woofer, to the three-way ($200), with a 12 -inch woofer. All have thatthey seem ableto son speakers, these models are designed to amplifier and vented enclosures. The latest contender produce an uncannily realistic stereo im- interact with room boundaries in such a way age. Shown only in prototype, the system as to deliver flat acoustic power response. from Hope is the Klipsch kg2 ($200), a should be available around October for Bose's latest are the Model 501 Series compact sealed -box system with an 8 -inch approximately $1,700 per stereo pair. III ($340)-an updated and restyled ver- woofer and a proprietary dhorm tweeter. Revox, whose market has always been JBL is launching an all-out assault on sion of the veteran 501 Series II-and the the high end, is introducing two premium the state of the loudspeaker art with its L- entirely new Model 201 ($130), which mid -size speakers: the $400 Forum B and 250, a floor -standing four-way with a 14 -combines a 6 -inch woofer and a 2 -inch the $600 Plenum B. Both are three-way inch woofer, 8 -inch lower -midrange and 5 - tweeter in a compact, stylish bass -reflex inch upper -midrange cones, and a I -inchenclosure of precision -molded black plas- bass -reflex systems with dome tweeters and Infinity,which dome tweeter. The L -250's designers chose tic. The 201's tweeter fires outward past a midranges.Meanwhile, manufactures a wide spectrum of loud- the shape of the enclosure-a truncated, large vane that can be turned to alter the asymmetrical pyramid with rounded edges speaker's radiation pattern at high frequen- speakers, has seven new models, four of and a sloped baffle-to minimize diffrac- cies and thereby adjust the spatial properties which use the company's new PolyDome polypropylene dome midrange along with tion and to align the acoustical centers ofof its reproduction. The woofer is angled the drivers. The L-250 will be available in aslightly inward to establish a firm stereo EMIT planar electromagnetic tweeters and polypropylene woofers. They range from variety of finishes and will sell for approx- image. imately $2,400 per mirror -imagepair. In fact, small speakers seem to be the $260 Reference Standard 6, with a sin- JBL's other new entries are the B-460 pouring in from all over. A prime example gle 8 -inch woofer, to the $585 Reference Standard IIIA, with two 10 -inch woofers. ($900), a true subwoofer with an I8 -inch is B&W's new "leisure monitor," the The other three are budget models, extend- driver in a large ported enclosure; the com- striking LM -1 ($265 or $295, depending on ing from the two-way RS -9 ($100), with a pact, two-way L -I5 ($150), with a 61/2 -inch enclosure), designed for use as a compact 61/2 -inch polypropylene woofer and a dome woofer and a 1 -inch dome tweeter; and the home speaker or as a main speaker for cars, LT- I minispeaker ($250), with a 5% -inch boats. and recreational vehicles. It uses a tweeter, to the three-way RS -7 ($200), with an 8 -inch polypropylene woofer, a 5 -inch woofer and a I -inch dome tweeter in a cast 41/2 -inch woofer and a I -inch dome tweeter polypropylene midrange, and an EMIT metal enclosure. and is available in a variety of colors. In a From Allison come three new speakers somewhat similar vein is ADS's Model tweeter. As usual, some of the best sound at the in oak -veneer acoustic suspension enclo- 300W ($175)-a restyled version of the sures. The Models Seven ($225) and Nine established Model 300C, with a walnut - show came from the Acoustat suite, where the company was showing off its new Mod- ($495) are floor -standing two- and three- veneered wood cabinet in place of the ear- electrostatic way systems, respectively, withI -inch lier model's metal enclosure. el Two+Two full -range ($1,000). This floor -to -ceiling version of convex -diaphragm tweeters. The Seven Perhaps the most interesting of the

31 SEPTEMBER 1982 position, and tracking force-are standard- A Sampler of New Speakers ized. All you have to do is plug in a pickup As usual, you can find a speaker in just about any size or and you're ready to play records without problems of mismatch or misalignment: shape. Typical of the compact stylish variety are the Bose 201 The cartridge's inherent performance is the and Design Acoustics PS -I0. In all cases, more attention is be- only limitation on playback quality. Tech- ing paid to appearance. nics has said that it would like the P -mount system to become a universal standard. That may be too much to expect, but the Summer CES gave clear evidence of progress, especially among pickup manu- facturers. All the established P -mount lines have new members, including Technics' $50 EPC-P28, Audio-Technica's $125 AT - I 22LP, Ortofon's $115 TM -20H and $350 TMC-200 (the only moving coil among the new introductions), and Shure's $80 M- 96LT and $45 M-94LT. Four other compa- nies-Stanton,Pickering,Empire, and ADC-have introduced their first models Koss Kossflre 110 in the format. Stanton and Pickering have three pickups each in their respective L and Infinity Reference Standard 6 TL series, ranging in price from $60 to $110. ADC's four Integra XT induced - Allison Nine magnet pickups are priced from $60 to $135, while Empire's six LT -series plug- ins range from the $50 280LT to the $150 1080LT.

Design Acoustics PS -10 New turntables with P -mount arms include Sherwood's first two in the format: The belt -drive ST -903 ($200) and the direct -drive ST -905 ($280). Both are lin- ear -trackers, as is Technics' new program- mable SL -6 ($300). Perhaps more interest- ing from Technics, however, isits com- pletely new line of pivoted -arm turntables Boss 201 Klipsch kg2 3D Acoustics Decade with P -mount sockets instead of standard headshells. These range all the way from the manual belt -drive SL -B10 ($100) to the automatic quartz -lock direct -drive SL -Q30 the Model Two is similar in concept to the ($220). The company says it expects other previouslyintroduced Models Six and manufacturers will follow its lead. Eight; like them, it will play very loud with Naturally, there are also quite a few excellent horizontal and vertical dispersion. new pickups for traditional -style tonearms, Another manufacturer of unconventional including models from Sony, JVC, Stan- flat -panel speakers, BES, has two new ton, Empire, Ortofon, and even Technics. models: the $270 SM-250 Mk. 11 and the The latest entry from Sonic Research is the $390 SM-255 Mk. II. Record -Playing Sonus Super Blue SB-11 ($195), with a Koss also has two newcomers: The Lambda stylus mounted in line with the first is a baby brother to the original 210/ Equipment cantilever, rather than perpendicular to it, Kossfire, called the 110/Kossfire ($150), as is the usual arrangement. One of the with a 10 -inch woofer, aI1/4 -inch mid- THE BIG NEWS IN RECORD -PLAYINGgear is show's surprises was a line of four moving - range, and dual 11/4 -inch tweeters in a book- not a startling technological breakthrough coil cartridges from Klipsch, which until shelf -size vented enclosure; the second is a or an exotic new product, but what might be now made only loudspeakers. They seem to smaller two-way system calledthe called a minitrend toward adoption of Tech- differ from one another mainly in the com- Dyna*Mite M/80 (approximately $115), nics' P -mount tonearm/cartridge connector position of their cantilevers: aluminum for with two 41/2 -inch woofers and a1 -inch system. It originated several years ago with the MCZ-2 ($215), boron for the MCZ-7 dome tweeter. the SL -10 linear- (or tangential-) tracking ($325), ruby for the MCZ-10 ($375), and Other companies with new speakers turntable, which came with a special car- diamond for the MCZ-110 (price not yet include Yamaha, which has four models tridge that plugged directly into a socket in announced). Denon's latest high -end mov- with rigid,lightweight titanium carbide the tonearm. Subsequent Technics linear - ing coil, the $1,000 DL -1000, uses a boron dome tweeters and midranges, rangingtrackers (as well as one introduced early cantilever and a tiny low -mass stylus tip to from the two-way NS -20T ($145) to thethis year by Hitachi) incorporated similar achieve extended frequency response and three-way NS -70T ($375); and RTR,arms, and a number of manufacturers in good trackingatlowverticaltracking whose four G -Series speakers range fromaddition to Technics, including Ortofon, forces. the $160 G -40B, with an 8 -inch passive Shure, and Audio-Technica, brought out Revox, Sansui, JVC, and Optonica all radiator, an 8 -inch woofer, and aI -inch compatible cartridges. have new tangential -tracking turntables. dome tweeter, to the $400 G -350B, with a The beauty of the system is that the Revox's B-791 ($750) has a direct -drive 12 -inch passive radiator, a 10 -inch woofer, important parameters-such as arm mass, motor and comes with a Shure cartridge and a I -inch dome tweeter.-MR cartridge weight and compliance, stylus installedinitsLinatrack tonearm. The

32 HIGH FIDELITY The P -Mount Minitrend Many cartridge manufacturers will be offering models compatible with Technics' P -mount tonearm/cartridge connector system. The simple plug-in design standardizes parameters such as arm mass, tracking force, stylus position, and cartridge weight and com- pliance.

Audlo-Technica AT-122LP

Technics SL -030

Pickering TL -3 OrtoIon TM -20H

Stanton L -747S Empire ADC Integra XT Sherwood ST -903

A Sampler of New Turntables New models offer a variety of features. For example, the tonearm on 1VC's L - E600 is mounted under the lid, while Optonica's verti- cally styled RP -1 I4VL has twin tonearms, allowing you to play both sides of a record without turning it over. Sansui's XR-05 and Dual's 505-I are lower - priced additions to existing

lines. Optonica RP-114VL

Eansui XR-05

Dual 505-1

SEPTEMBER 19112 33 Optonica RV- II 4VL ($300) is a vertical model with twin linear -tracking tonearms, Signal which enable you to play both sides of a record without turning it over. JVC's new Processors units are the L -E3 ($290) and the compact Video's influence is L -E600 ($200), which hasitstonearm evident in new signal mounted on the underside of its lid. The processors that are company also has a couple of new turn- designed to improve Audio Control ten equalizer tables with pivoted arms. One (the $650 the notoriously poor QL-A75) has a mechanical "Dynamic Q - quality of TV sound or Damping" system in its tonearm's counter- to provide switching weight, while the other (the $500 QL- Y55F) relies on an electronic servo system for both audio and to control the low -frequency arm/cartridge video inputs. A num- resonance. ber of new audio -ori- Besides its two new linear trackers, the ented switchers, ambi- P -L40 ($265) and the programmable P -L50 ence enhancers, and ($360), Sansui has introduced the XR-Q5 equalizers are also ($370), which is a lower -priced version of being offered. its XR-Q7 Silent Synchrotor turntable, and three conventional direct -drive units with Radio Shack Audio Spectrum -Analyzer prices from $135 to $200. Among Harman compiter program Kardon's three new belt -drive turntables is one of the most interesting in this season's crop. Designated the 1-60 ($400), it uses a spring -suspended floating subchassis for acoustic isolation and comes with a disc - stabilizing weight and an amazingly shock - absorbent platter mat.All threeunits, including the $300 T-40 and the $220 T-20, ADC Sound Shaper Thirty equaNzer have truly low -mass straight tonearms with detachable headshells and three -position dbx switches for trimming lead capacitance. ROO MI MEI IR Yamaha's four stylish new models, DBX 200 switching Unit which range from the semiautomatic belt - drive P-200 ($150) to the automatic direct - as a level control (with an overload indica- The David Hafler company has intro- drive P-700 ($270), also sport low -mass tor), plus five bands of equalization (withduced an octave -band equalizer kit, the tonearms, as does Dual's latest ULM turn- center frequencies cannily chosen to ad-$300 Model 160. Of course, if you don't table, the semiautomatic belt -drive Model dress thefamiliar shortcomings of TV feel like building it, you can buy it factory- 505-1 ($130). Finally, there are two new sound), an adjustable DNR dynamic noiseassembled for $400. ADC's Sound Shaper front -loading turntables from Sony-the filter, and a defeatable comb -filter stereoequalizer line has four revamped models PS-FL1 ($230) and the PS-FL3 ($300)- simulator for mono sources. with LEDs built into their slider knobs for and five new units from Hitachi, ranging Even Audio Control'sthree newease of calibration. The equalizers range from the semiautomatic belt -drive HT -21 "conventional" equalizers are called "vid-from the $130 SS -5, with five bands per ($100) to the automatic direct -drive HT -68 eo-ready"-that is, they have separate ste-channel more or less evenly spaced across ($260).-MR reo inputs for TV audio and switching to the frequency spectrum, to the $400 SS -30, select either video sound or the normal ste- with ten octave bands per channel, a pink- reo -system feed, plus taping options. Thenoise generator and spectrum analyzer, and Audio Control Five ($150) and Ten ($270) unusually flexible dubbing and monitoring are, respectively, five- and ten -band stereocontrols. Akai has introduced two models: equalizers whose channels are individually the $130 EA -G30 with five evenly -spaced controllable, but whose sliders are pairedbands and the $280 EA -G90 with ten Signal by frequency band to simplify making iden- bands. JVC, Onkyo, and Fisher have added tical or similar settings in the two channels. an equalizer apiece to their respective com- Processors The Ten Plus ($330) adds a warble -toneponent lines, while Yamaha and Pioneer generator, calibrated microphone, and ana-has each added an equalizer and a timer. and Accessories lyzer to the model Ten. (Yamaha's equalizer also incorporates the Perhaps even more clearly a product ofcompany's spatial expander circuit.) ACCESSORY ELECTRONICS are governed by our times is the $20 Audio Spectrum Ana- Sansui's addition to its accessories line considerations much the same as those lyzer program offered by Radio Shack tois a $240 reverberation amplifier, the RA- influencing major components these days. owners of its TRS-80 color computer. It 990, designed so that its bucket -brigade cir- And Audio Control-whose equalizers and displays 27 third -octave bands, from 31.5cuitry can be used in a variety of ways: to related products have become so well- Hz to 12.5 kHz, as vertical color bars cali-simulate "hall sound" with an extra pair of known-has dramatized the point by intro- brated in dB, with two response character-speakers, to mix more "space" into a dry ducing what it calls a Video/Audio Detail- istics (peak and RMS) plus a freeze hold.recording, to create "duet" effects, and so er. The $130 unit is intended as a problem - Though the company's product description on. Among the larger consumer -electronics solvinginterface between the normally has a good deal to say about its use as mul-companies, Technics' list of introductions noisy and restricted mono sound of the vid- ticolored psychedelic display, the analyzeris by far the most elaborate. There's a new eo media and the glories of a stereo audio obviously can be a useful audio tool asSpace Dimension Controller ambience- system. There are such obvious necessities well. simulation unit (the $200 SH-8040), two

34 HIGHFIDELITY The fancier Signet (the TK-20) includes swivel earpiece mounting-like "real" Headphones headphones, as a home listener might say. Though you'd have no trouble find- Meanwhile, there are four new ultralight ing traditional headphones, the cen- models from Signet's parent company, ter of attention continues to be the Audio-Technica, ranging from the $35 ultralightweight variety designed es- Point 2 to the $90 Point 6 and including a pecially for use with personal porta- folding model in the $40 Point 2F. And bles. Many models come with mini/ Nakamichi hasintroducedanopen-air standard plug adapters. dynamic headset, the $70 SP -7, that it says was developed on the basis of new research to provide subjectively flat response for critical monitoring applications. Finally, the most improbable accesso- ry of many seasons: Eyephones. Yes, friends, you're supposed to put them on like sunglasses and see colors that respond to the music. "Eyephones block out visual distractions the same way earphones block out sound distractions," says the blurb- which conjures up an image of Venice, Cal- ifornia, with plugged -in rollerskaters both blind and deaf to the world around them. The price of this madness is $25. -BL

Koss K/6XLC timers, a twelve -band octave equalizer (the of -phase modulation in a stereo LP, for $200 SH-8045), and more. instance) to keep the effect tied as much as New entries from DBX include up- possible to the ambience information actu- dates of two existing models, as well as aally contained in recordings. The Bench new expander and the $130 Model 200 mark approach is now available in a second switching unit which handles an encode/ product: the Janis AAS-1 Ambience Access decode noise reduction system (like DBX's System ($1,050). It presumes a maximum Video own), three signal processors, and threeof six speakers (front, side, and back for tape decks. Both of the updated models are, each channel, though signals for the front HOME VIDEO HAS ENTEREDan exciting new in fact, signal processors: the Model I BX speakers remain unprocessed) plus a Janisera, in which component video systems (a Series Two dynamic range expander subwoofer. If the subwoofer is not used, a product category itself scarcely more than a ($250), and the Model 120 Subharmonic deep -bass boost can be applied to the back year old) are being merged with traditional Synthesizer for the re-creation of bass fun- channels as a substitute. stereo setups to form integrated home - damentals lost in recording (also $250). Russound, whose clever way with entertainment systems. At present, most of Last, but not least, is the 4BX-essentially simpleswitching devices haskeptit these "systems" are composed of separate a 3BX with wireless remote control and a amongst us while many competitors have audio and video components laced together feature called Impact Restoration that regu- come and gone, has a new speaker switch - with yards of shielded cable. But already lates the expansion process according to the box, the $55 SWB-4. And from Englandwe are beginning to see such crossover speed of the input signal, to put back the comes a whole line of interestinglittle components as audio -video amplifiers, au- punch in peak -limited transients. goodies under the QED brand name. One ofdio videoreceivers,audio -video signal One of the season's most exotic intro- the newest is the SP -150 Protech speakerprocessors, and audio -video tape decks. ductions is the Modulus -EC, a $750 perfec- protector. The garden-variety SP -150 ($85)These functional amalgams seem so logical tionist electronic crossover from Audible adds only 0.025 ohm of resistance to theand convenient that it's hard to believe they Illusions that uses low -noise tubes for thespeaker lines and uses a relay to disconnect will not become more the rule than the high -frequency section and solid-state de- the speakers when it encounters any of a exception. vices for the bass section. Levels and four number of fault conditions. Its sensitivity What distinguishes a component video switchable crossover frequencies are con- increases above 5 kHz in recognition of the system from a conventional television set is trolled from the front panel of the rack -extra fragility of tweeters. For systems inthe way it organizes the functions necessary mount chassis. And Ace Audio, which spe- which the power amp already has adequate for the reception and display of television cializes in relatively simple devices, has protectionagainstshortcircuits, QEDbroadcasts. A standard television receiver added the $110 Model 4100b bandpass fil- offers theperfectionist model SP -150Thas a picture tube (and associated electron- ter, with slopes of 18 dB per octave below($95). This variant replaces the 150's relay ics), a tuning section, a low -power mono- 20 Hz and 12 dB per octave above 20 kHz,with a semiconductor switching devicephonic audio amplifier, and a small loud- and the $132 Model 4000-X24, an ultra -called a triac that creates adeliberateshort speaker of about the same quality as those sharp (24 dB per octave) infrasonic filter. in the presence of faults. found in modest transistor radios-all on Both of these models combine passive and In headphones, Koss has two moder- the same chassis. In a component television active circuitry. ate -price standard models (the $30 K/6X system, each of these elements is broken We have mentioned before in passingand the $40 K/6XLC with level control), out individually, for maximum flexibility. the Benchmark ambience -enhancement plus a second ultralight model aimed at theThere's a video monitor, a television tuner, system, which is rather more sophisticated personal -portables market: the $20 P- 19. separate speakers, and so on, each with its acoustically than most other delay lines. It Signet has two new lightweights, which,own chassis or enclosure. In most cases, works almost exclusively with the stereo like the Koss model, come with standard these components have been designed for a difference (L-R) signal (the vertical, out - phone -plug adapters for their mini plugs. higher grade of performance than is found

SEPTEMBER 1982 35 The 19 -inch video monitor's design is Component Audio -Video said to reduce typical screen overscan from Systems 15% to 5% and geometric distottion from An aura of excitement surrounds this 10% to an average of 1%. A special circuit new product category, which com- enables the monitor to display a stable pic- bines both audio and video func- ture with sync -signal levels as much as 60% tions on a single chassis or offers below optimum. And a rated horizontal res- olution of 350 lines is achieved by using the separate audio and video compo- full NTSC video bandwidth of 4.2 MHz, nents as parts of an integrated au- instead of the 3 -MHz bandwidth used by dio -video system. The goal is top- most television sets. quality television pictures with high Other names new to video include one fidelity stereo sound. from the audio industry-Marantz-and two from photography-Canon and Pen - Mitsubishi Component tax.Marantz's top -loading VR-200 Video System ($1,295) is the first Beta deck with stereo sound and the first VCR of any kind with Dolby C noise reduction. Other audio fea- tures include gold-plated input and output jacks, LED recording -level meters, auto- matic and manual input -level controls, and a stereo headphone jack. The VR-200 also Jensen AVS-1500 Audio + Video Receiver has a five -event, fourteen -day programma- ble tuner, Betascan at nine times normal 'n ordinary TV sets. (The parallel to home function wireless remote control. speed in forward and reverse, and a full- audio is very strong: Component video sys- NAD/Proton's video tuner/audio function wireless remote control. tems are to television sets as component preamp handles all standard video and high- Both Pentax and Canon are offering a audio systems are to stereo compacts.) In an level audio sources. Highlights include ran- color video camera and a portable VHS integrated audio -video system, audio and dom-access tuning for 105 channels (VHF, deck. Pentax's camera incorporates a tri- video functions (such as FM and TV tun- UHF, midband, and superband cable), electrode Vidicon imaging tube with sepa- ing) may be combined in a single unit, or wireless remote control, separate audio and rate red, green, and blue outputs. Other fea- various audio and video components may video IF circuits to minimize interference tures include an f/ 1.6 lens with 6:1 (14 to be linked through a central switcher. between the video and audio modes, and a 84mm) power zoom and macro -focusing Many broad -line electronics compa- Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) IF filter tocapability. With its high -gain switch on, the nies, such as RCA, Sony, Zenith, Ken- reduce color shifts. Standard preamp con- camera can operate in light levels as low as wood. Sanyo, and Fisher, are now offering trols are included, along with a stereo head- 70 lux. It weighs just slightly more than 4 component video or audio -video systems phone output and outputs for a stereo ampli- pounds and consumes 6.5 watts in normal (see "CES Preview," August). And twofierorself-contained3 -watt powered operation (or 1.7 watts in STANDBY). companies that were not previously in-speaker system in the NAD/Proton moni- Canon's VC -10A camera uses a Sati- volved in video-Jensen and NAD/Pro- tor. (The company plans to offer a matching con imaging tube to enable operation at ton-introduced systems at the June Con- biamplified speaker system in the future.) light levels as low as 30 lux. Its f/1.4 lens, sumer Electronics Show. Jensen's system, for example, com- prises a VHS video cassette recorder with stereo sound capability and a choice of two audio -video receivers, two high -resolution monitors, and two speaker systems. Most unusual is the company's $990 AVS- 1500 Audio + Video receiver, which combines an amplifier rated at 50 watts (17 dBW) per channel, a digital AM/FM tuner, and a 133 - channel, cable -ready TV tuner on a single chassis. A separate headphone output with selector switch and volume control enables Mann& VR-200 one person to watch TV while another lis- tens to FM. Two outboard speaker systems can also be accommodated. Among the fea- tures of the AVS-1500's audio section are several that are distinctly video -oriented, including an adjustable Dynamic Noise Canon VC -10A Color Camera and VR 10A Recorder Reduction (DNR) circuit, for eliminating hiss, and ambience -enhancement and pseu- New Video Companies dostereo circuits for enlivening mono TV Joir ing the ranks of video compa- sound. The AVS- 1500 comes with a full - nies are those formerly associated function wireless remote control. Jensen's solely with audio (Jensen, Marantz, four -head AVS-4400 VHS machine and NAD/Proton) or photography ($1.595) is typical of current top -of -the -line (Pentax and Canon). Models in- VCRs. It includes an eight -event, fourteen - clude cameras, VCRs, and TV mon- day programmable tuner, stereo sound with Pontiac PC-1C003A Dolby B noise reduction, and a fifteen - itors.

36 HIGH FIDELITY Video Disc Players Many new CED players now have stereo ca- pability, and CX noise reduction is found on two RCA models and Pioneer's and Sylvania's laser disc players.

Sylvania VP -7200 which has an 11 to 70mm variable -speed audio. Panasonic's PV -1780 ($1,495) is a fourteen -day programmability and a full - power zoom and a Solid State Triangulation stereo deck with Dolby B noise reduction. function remote control.Hitachi's VT - (SST) automatic focusing system,can It has four heads, is programmable for eight 9710A ($1,695) is a four -head stereo deck focus on objects as close as three feet away. events over fourteen days, and includes with an eight -event, twenty -one -day pro- An electronic viewfinder displays white variable slow-motion and two high-speed grammable tuner and a twelve -function balance, light level, and battery condition, scan modes. From Mitsubishi comes the wireless remote control. Fisher's FVH-525 and has pause and fade indicators and a tape four -head HS-303UR ($1,300), which has ($950) is a five -event, seven-day model, counter. The viewfinder can also be used Dolby noise reduction, an eight -event. while Sharp's VC -9600 VHS deck ($1,200) with a built-in character generator to com- fourteen -day programmable tuner, a fine - has a detachable remote -controlpanel. pose titles for superimposition. The VC -10 edit circuit that eliminates glitches between power -assisted front -loading, and a 105 - weighs about 51/2 pounds, including the successively taped scenes, and an eighteen - channel tuner. NEC's VC -737E Beta unit viewfinder and a unidirectional electret function wireless remote control. Quasar's also offers front loading, plus 133 -channel microphone on a telescoping wand; its pow- first stereo VCR with Dolby is the VH- cable -ready tuning, an eight -event, four- er consumption is rated as 6.5 watts. 5623UW ($1,550). It includes a 105 -chan- teen -day timer, and provisions for a wired nelcable -ready tuner with eight -event. remote control.-WT The sheer number of video products intro- duced at CES precludes our covering them all in detail this month. What follows is a Home Video sample of the new models; many more will Recorders be covered in future issues. A growing number of top -of - Video Disc Players: Backers of the VHD the -line video decks have format have officially confirmed a delay in stereo audio recording capa- its launch until June 1983. Meanwhile, new CED-format players are being offered by bility and Dolby noise reduc- Hitachi,Toshiba, Sanyo,Zenith. and tion. Full -function remote RCA. The four models in RCA's line range control is also common. in price from $300 to $450: the top -of -the - line SGT -250 features stereo sound, visual search, and infrared remote control. New laser -format players include those from Pioneer (see "Preview." August), Sylva- nia, and Magnavox. Sylvania's VP -7200 ($750) has CX noise reduction, while Mag- navox's 8010 ($750) has stereo audio -out- put jacks, a video -output jack, and a per- . \ Panasonic sonal -computer jack. Component Video Systems: Joining the ranks of Sony, Sanyo, RCA, Zenith, Ken - wood, and Pioneer in offering video com- ponent systems are Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and Fisher. Panasonic's Omni Series com- prises a 19 -inch color monitor, an electron- ic tuner, an equipment rack, and matching speakers. Mitsubishi's system uses a 25 - inch monitor and a separate tuner/control center. The company says its monitor can also function as a personal -computer video MM. 11,-1 display capable of handling as many as twenty-five forty -character lines. 4tairtimp Home VCRs: New top -of -the -line VCRs Hitachi VT9710A generally reflect the recent emphasis on

SEPTEMBER 1982 37 Dc

HANDS-ON REPORT

11111111111U1111111 1:35 -3 Sansui I 111E111111111111M11 SV-R5000 Video Deck A worthy first effort from this audiophilecompany

This Hands -On Report was conducted under the supervision of eight -event programming capability, and a formed with the automatic fine tuning Edward J Foster. Consulting Audio -Video Editor of HIGH FIDELITY and Director of Diversified Science Laboratories relatively full -featured wired remote con- (AFT) off. The tuner spans the normal VHF trol. We were somewhat surprised, howev- and UHF channels (2 through 83), but can- WITH MORE AND MORE audiophiles adding er, that a company with such extensive not directly accommodate cable TV chan- video to their home entertainment systems, experience in the audiophile field did notnels, and thus is not "cable ready." it's no surprise that a growing number of incorporate Dolby -encoded stereo sound, The SV-R5000 relies on line power for audio manufacturers are now offering com- now found on a growing number of VCRsthe programming clock and memory. Thus, ponents for the videophile, too. Sansui is atslightly higher prices than the SV- even a temporary outage will erase the pro- one of the most recent additions to the ranks R5000. gram memory; the clock reverts to 12:00 of video equipment companies. Itsfirst Sansui's deck is top -loading, with four- a.m. Sunday and blinks as a warning. Per- product is the SV-R5000 ($1,200), a VHS - teen -channel electronic tuning. As received haps to remind you that the deck requires format machine with standard (SP) andfrom the manufacturer, thefirst twelveconstant power, the "off' ' position of the extended (EP) play recording capability and channels are set for the standard VHF line- function switch is labeled STANDBY. In that SP/LP/EP playback. up (channels 2 through 6 and 7 through 13); setting the head drum is heated to prevent Sansui's approach might be deemed the remaining two are set for the UHF band. moisture condensation when the ambient cautious: The SV-R5000 does not break To reassign a channel, you lift the panel to temperature is low. There is no DEW warn- new ground in performance or features, but the right of the cassette well, set the channel ing lamp as such. it is not strictly pedestrian, either. Rather, it switch to the appropriate range (low -band At the end of a tape, the deck rewinds is an example of the solid engineering that VHF, high -band VHF, or UHF), and then automatically to the beginning, unless MEM- should appeal to the average videophile tune to the desired channel with the corre-ORY has been engaged, which causes the who wants electronic tuning, fourteen -day/ sponding thumbwheel. Tuningisper - tape to stop at "0000" on the mechanical

AM& AM. 411111. Aft. Ti -411YOL.,...11 warities wenommimium

Functional design of Sansui's front -loading SV-R5000 VHS deck places audio and video inputs at bottom of front panel, clock and programming controls at center front, and tuning controls for presets at right top under flip -up panel.

38 HIGH FIDELITY antenna and the UHF input to the TV via 300 -ohm twinlead. One 300 -ohm -to -75 - ohm balun transformer is included, as is a length of 75 -ohm coax cable. The rear pan- el also contains direct video and audio (pin) Operating the outputs. With thefront -panel ANTENNA SELECT switched to TV, you can view one Remote Control program while recording another; whenev- The SV-R5000 includes a ten -function wireder the VCR is turned off, the antenna auto- remote control unit that plugs into a front -panel matically transfers to the TV receiver (re- jack. Using it, you can change channels sequen- gardless of the switch setting) so the set will tially as well as command the normal deck func- function in a normal manner. tions: REW (rewind), FE (fast forward), REC Directvideo- and audio -inputpin (record), PLAY. AUDIO DUB, PAUSE, and STOP. Via jacks are on the front panel. An adjacent REW and FE, you also can search the tape for the switch determines whether the deck will start of your program. Although the RV -5 remote control unit does not have illuminated legends, record from its own tuner or from the aux- those on the deck are visible from a distance once iliary inputs. There is no camera input as you become acquainted with their positions. such: The auxiliary jacks are used for this Lamps are provided for FE/SEARCH, PAUSE, PLAY, purpose, and the camera must be externally REW/SEARCH, REC, and AUDIO DUB. There is also powered. Although the direct audio -input one for power, another to indicate when the TV is jack requires a relatively high signal level, a being fed from the VCR, and a pair that indicates special microphone input enables connec- tape speed (either EP-the slowest-or LP; if no tion to a high -impedance mike. Cameras lamp islit,the deck isin the standard. SP with a remote -pause switch can be plugged mode). into a separate front -panel REMOTE PAUSE jack. counter. To prevent accidental erasure, resumes when the button is released. Search This deck uses a brushless, quartz - auto rewind does not function in the timed operates in either the SP or EP mode, but locked, direct -drive drum motor and sepa- recording mode. As another safeguard, you not in LP. Search speed is approximately rate sets of video heads for its two recording can't change channels once the deck is in seven times normal in the SP mode, and speeds_ Color accuracy at both speeds was REC without pressing STOP or PAUSE. twenty-one times normal in the EP mode, very good. In the fast, SP mode, definition You can keep the SV-R5000 in PAUSE while normal FF and REW, which can only was sharp and chroma noise very low, and for about five minutes (we measured six), be entered from STOP, are substantially fast- we found this speed preferable for serious after which the deck automatically switches er. Although SEARCH produced a picture recording. On EP, picture quality suffered to STOP. Compared with other decks we clear enough for its intended purpose, the and wow and flutter were much more have used, this one seemed to be subject to SV-R5000 again seemed to create more noticeable. Tuner sensitivity in our fringe greater -than -average picture breakup (noise noise bars and picture tearing in this mode reception area was about equivalent to that bars) when switched to PAUSE from REC, than other VHS machines we have used. of a reasonably good TV set. although the picture cleared within two or And our receiver lost sync for several sec- Sansui's SV-R5000 is a worthy first three seconds. One or two noise bars usu- onds each time we engaged forwardeffort from a technological leader in the ally appeared on the screen when we SEARCH. In reverse SEARCH, the picture audio field. It neither purports to be nor is engaged PAUSE during playback. There is rolled continuously. the most feature -laden VCR on the market. no FRAME ADVANCE. On the rear panel is a standard 75 -ohm But it does what it has been designed to do High-speed search in either direction coax input for the VHF antenna and a 75 - with a level of competence that bodes well can be executed in PLAY by pressing and ohm output feed to the TV receiver. Stan- for future models. BF holding FF (or REW). Normal playback dard screw terminals connect with the UHF Circle 94 on Reader -Service Card

1St BUN

rm. 11.1iN I- /2:0 0 Lica Programming the SV-R5000 Programming the SV-R5000is quite straight- play; you advance it by pressing PROGRAM NO. the deck turns on ten seconds earlier to allow the forward. The clock and program timer are set via Pressing SET initially advances the tuner through tape to load-the duration of the recording is set a three -position display SWitCh (PROGRAM SET/ the various channels (each blinks in turn) until a (in 5 -minute intervals up to 395 minutes). CLOCK/CLOCK SET) in conjunction with five push- desired one is reached. SELEcr memorizes that After you've completed the necessary pro- buttons (PROGRAM NO., REPEAT, CANCEL, SELECT, channel and switches over to the day of the week gramming you return the display to CLOCK, and SET). In CLOCK SET, SELECT advances sequen- you wish to begin recording.Again, SET choose the recording speed, and set the function tially through second, minute, hour, and day; SET advances through the first week and into the next switch to TIMER. You can check the programming advances the count on each. The function being (indicated by a "2nd" in the display). SELECT by switching the display to PROGRAM SET and adjusted blinks in the display until you advance memorizes the day and switches to the starting advancing to the desired program number. Once to the next one. hour. In a similar manner, SET advances the hours in memory, a setting can be repeated by pressing In PROGRAM SET, the number of the program count, SELECT memorizes itand switches to REPEAT, or it can be canceled by pressing CAN- appears in the bottom left-hand corner of the dis- minutes. After the starting time has been set- CEL.

SEPTEMBER 1982 39 VIDEO TubeFood

New video programming: cassette, disc,pay and basic cable by Susan Elliott

Video Cassettes Show; The Last of Sheila; Night Moves; Guns of Navarone. Ode to Billy Joe; Portnoy's Complaint; MCA Videodisc (laser): Melvin and FEATURE FILMS THX 1138; A Night at the Movies 1958-Howard; Raggedy Man; Dracula; The Blay Video: Magic; The Night Porter. Auntie Mame and Hook, Line, and Stinker;Seduction of Joe Tynan; House Calls; Play Columbia Pictures Home Entertain-1957-The Prince and the Showgirl and Misty for Me; Galaxina; Battlestar Galac- ment: Neighbors; Hardcore; Bob and Car-Greedy for Tweety; 1957-The Wrong Mantica; The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood; ol and Ted and Alice; The Pixote; Unionand A Star Is Bored; 1955-Battle Cry and The Sting. City; Absence of Malice; The Last Detail;Speedy Gonzales; 1954-Dial M for Mur- MGM/UA (CED): Cat on a Hot Tin Cactus Flower. der and My Little Duckaroo. Roof; Rich and Famous; Buddy Buddy; Electric Video: Werewolves on Wheels; Wizard Video: Dr. Minx; Gladiators:Cannery Row; True Confessions. The Losers; Simon, King of the Witches. The Challenge. Pacific Arts Video Records (laser): MasterVision: The Man & the Snake The Endless Summer; Hungry i Reunion; (Ambrose Bierce); The Pearl (John Stein- TV SERIES/FILMS Derek & Clive Get the Horn. beck). Paramount Home Video: Star Trek: Paramount Home Video (laser): Har- MCA Videocassette: Halloween IISpace Seed. old & Maude. (stereo in VHS); Ghost Story; Silence of the Video Images: Kelly (Kraft Television RCA Selectavision (CED): The Big North; Diary of a Mad Housewife; Blue Theater, 1951); The Ruggles (1951); JaneSleep; Coming Home; You Only Live Collar; Two Mules for Sister Sara; JoeEyre (Westminster Studio One SummerTwice; Time Bandits; The Eyes of Laura Kidd; The Gangster Wars; Heartbeeps; Theater, 1952); Man Against Crime, Vols. Mars; Some Like It Hot; Everything You Private Lessons (stereo in VHS); Family 1 and 2 (1956); Dodsworth? The Prudential Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Plot; The Seven Per Cent Solution; DeathFamily Playhouse, 1950); Ozark Jubilee. Were Afraid to Ask); The Deep; The Pro- Valley; Coogan's Bluff; Missing; The Bor- Warner: Saturday Night Live (host,ducers; Superman; Dirty Harry; The Horse der; All Night Long; The Last Married Cou- Steve Martin -1978); Saturday Night LiveSoldiers; California Suite; Tess; Modern ple in America; Gallactica 111: Conquest of(host, Richard Pryor -1975); This is Elvis. Times; The Three Musketeers; Last Tango the Earth; The Great Waldo Pepper. Worldvision Home Video: The Fugi- in Paris; The Adventures of Robin Hood; Media Home Entertainment: Thetive (last two episodes); Elvis; Hanger 18;White Lightning; "10"; The Sailor Who Haunted Strangler; The Inspector General;Birth of the Beatles. Fell from Grace with the Sea; Dr. No; Love The Terror. at First Bite; Stripes. MGM/UA Home Video: Rental:CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING Twentieth Century -Fox (laser): Pat- Whose Life Is It Anyway?; Shoot the Moon; Columbia Pictures: Pinocchio in Outerton; Casablanca; The Producers; The Space. Pennies from Heaven.Sale: Rich and Sound of Music; The King and I; Hello Dol- Famous; Buddy, Buddy; Cannery Row; MCA: The Marvelous Land of Oz (ste- ly; Tom Jones; West Side Story; They Shoot True Confessions. reo in VHS). Horses, Don't They? Planet Video: Snake Fist Fighter; Walt Disney Home Video: Swiss Fam- Challenge the Dragon; Black Belt Fury; ily Robinson; Freaky Friday; Justin Mor-Pay Service Premieres Dragon vs. Needles of Death. gan Had a Horse; A Day at Disneyland. Thorn EMI Video: Summer Solstice; Warner: Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Bravo: Tell Me a Riddle; If; Oh, What a Movie. The Bushido Blade; The Burning. Lovely War; 81/2 (subtitles); / Vitelloni (sub- Twentieth Century -Fox Video: Rent- WorldVision: Scooby Goes Holly- titles). al: Star Wars. Sale: Hair; Key Largo; Cle-wood; Top Cat; Casper and the Angels; Cinemax: How I Won the War; Breaker opatra; Goldfinger; Deadly Dust; The PinkScooby and Scrappy Doo; Adam Ant; JackMorant; Murder at the World Series; Panther Strikes Again; Evilspeak; Theand the Beanstalk; Secret Squirrel; BlackRashoman. Making of Star Wars/SPFX The EmpireBeauty; Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Home Box Office: Mommie Dearest; Strikes Back; On the Right Track; 99 andSpace (all animated). Outland; All the Marbles. 44/100% Dead. Showtime: Outland; Mommie Dearest; POPULAR MUSIC VCI Home Video: Le Bad Cinema All the Marbles; Looker; An Eye for an Eye; Series: They Saved Hitler's Brain; Creep- MGM/UA: The First Barry Manilow All Night Long; Sphinx; Tess; Harry's War; Special. ing Terror; The Crater Lake Monster; Hill- Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears; Heart- billys in a Haunted House. Thorn EMI: Totally Go -Go' s. land; Key to the City; Badlanders; Calla- Vestron Video: The Changeling; Trib- Warner: Spyro Gyra; An Evening with way Went Thataway; Mark Twain Theater; ute; Picnic at Hanging Rock; MadameLiza Minnelli. Huck and the Pirates; Broadway on Show- Rosa; La Grande Bourgeoise. time: Morning's at Seven. INSTRUCTION VidAmerica: Under Capricorn; Hu- The Movie Channel: Mommie Dearest; man Experiments. Video Gems: A Touch of Magic inOutland; All the Marbles; Death Valley; Video Gems: War in the Sky (narrated Close-up. Looker; Moscow Does Not Believe MCA: The World of Martial Arts. in by Peter Lawford). Tears; Heartland; Agency; Circle of Two; Video Images: The Elusive Corporal;Video Discs Hell Night; High Risk; Deadly Games; The Reet, Petite, and Gone. Exterminator; The Boogey Man; Ned Kelly; Warner Home Video: Rental: Arthur.FEATURE FILMS Harry's War; A Little Romance; Ship- Sale: So Fine; Splendor in the Grass; Columbia Pictures(laser):Gloria; wreck; Gulliver's Travels; Alice, Sweet McCabe and Mrs. Miller; Agatha; The Late Stripes; Bridge on the River Kwai; TheAlice; The Boss's Son; Free Spirit.

40 HIGH FIDELITY VIDEO FAA.Q.

Your video questions answered by Edward J. Foster

QIused to cringe at the sight of my tionary, and once you've locked onto one car repair bill-until I took my you need not move the antenna until you VRC into the shop and was charged wish to aim toward another. $148, most of it for labor. Why should Each satellite has a number of trans- video equipment be so expensive to fix (inponders (or channels), which carry network this case, repairs were "adjustment of programs, pay -TV movies, etc. What pro- clutch tension" and a "complete check- grams you receive does depend on your out" of the VCR)? Can I make adjust- location, because satellite reception must ments like this myself and save money?- be line -of -sight. Obviously, European sat- William H. Andrews, Chicago, Ill. ellites may not be "viewable" from much of the U.S.. and vice versa. And the terrain AFrankly, a VCR is substantially morein your area may interfere with signals of are we complex than an automobile. (Cars, some satellites that are very low on the hori- after all, are gross mechanical devices that zon.(Even trees can attenuatesignals haven't changed significantly in decades.)enough to make reception impossible.) A always the A VCR technician must have considerablegood satellite -antenna dealer could advise electronic and mechanical knowledge andyou on reception in your area. The Heath lastones extensive, detailed training in the operation Company has a $30 site survey kit (catalog of each model. Not surprisingly,such number SRA-8100-10) that can help you expertise goes at a premium. By the timedetermine if your location is appropriate for called? the shop adds overhead and even a smalla satellite earth station. Because our prices have become the profit, you probably end up paying in the standard of comparison And with good vicinity of $50 per hour for service. QI have heard that in the VHS format reason We are one of the largest Of course, we have no way of know- it is necessary to have the tape re- sellers of video equipment with ing whether the charges in your specific turn to the cassette housing before fast SONY. J VC, Panasonic, Hitachi, case were justified. But we would advise winding. Is this because the tape leader Advent, and over 25 other major against attempting to repair your VCR must engage the take-up reel before fast lines in stock. And because we yourself without adequate knowledge and winding?-John Skowron, Bowie, Md. carry one of the largest inventories equipment. of video equipment. we must sell at below competitive prices. ANo. In both the VHS and Beta for - So. if you are looking for video tape QI've read about home satellite-tele- mats, the tape is permanently affixed recorder/players, blank and vision dish antennas, but I'm con- to the reel hubs within the cassette (as in an pre-recorded video tapes, color and fused on what specific benefits they offer. audio cassette), so it is not a question of the black -and -white video cameras. Also, does where you live (California vs. leader "engaging the take-up reel." How- video games, home computers. France, for example) have anything to do ever, differences in tape handling do exist color televisions, video discs, with the TV programs you can receive?- between the formats. projection (giant screen) televi- Neal Chazin, Pasadena, Calif. In the Beta format, tape is withdrawn sions and video accessories of any from the cassette and wrapped around the kind, call the others first, get their best price. Then call us last. AA satellite dish antenna enables you to video drum as soon as the cassette is loaded We won't match It ... We'll beat It! into the deck; it remains wrapped until you receive the many broadcasts relayed Phone through orbiting satellites. The satellites eject the cassette. In old VHS machines, Toll Free1-800-327-0596 receive signals transmitted from earth and tape wrap didn't occur until you pressed then they rebroadcast them to other points PLAYorRECORD.As soon as you hitSTOP, in,por,d,,(305) 9407542 on earth. Because the transmitting power of thetape returned to the cassette. Also, an current communication satellitesis very interlock returned the tape to the cassette low, a large dishis needed to receive before you could fast wind in either direc- enough of the signal to overcome back- tion. Such VHS decks lacked the "fast ground noise. Therefore, home satellitesearch" feature of many Beta models. antennas are usually about 12 feet across. Recent high -end VHS machines do offer I /866 IP( () ROA() ,r4 IYr, A\ f (When the direct -broadcast, or DBS, satel- fast search, but the tape continues to return MIAMI f E f 31() lites are in operation, you will be able to to the cassette wheneverSTOPis pressed, so receive their signals with a much smallernormal fast winding is still performed with INTERNATIONAL WHOLESALERS OF MIAMI. INC dish-say 3 feet across-because they will the tape in the cassette. 17866 IPCO FOCIAD (11 E5th WE MIAMIFt 33162 Send 112.00 for our 192 wimp 9419910g, colouring use a much more powerful transmitter.) Although it may be annoying to wait L_I our prime on .11 mayor manuloclurers. To receive a specific broadcast, your the ten seconds or soittakes a VHS antenna must be aimed at the correct relay machine to load when you press PLAY and LAST FIRST INTIAL satellite. These operate in a geosynchro- unload when you pressSTOP,The delay is nous orbit, in which their angular velocity worth it.It's safer to fast wind the tape of revolution matches the earth's angular when it's in the cassette than when it's in CITY STATE ZIP contact with a rotating head drum. It saves CARD NO. EXP. DATE velocity of rotation about its axis. Viewed PHONE ON WRITE US FOR THE LOWEST PRICES wear on both the tape and the video heads. ANYWHERE? WE GLADLY HONOR AMERICAN from earth, such satellites appear to be sta- EXPRESS, VISA OR MASTER CARD SY PHONE LOR MAIL

Circle 34 on Reader -Service Card SEPTEMBER 1982 41 Bach's "Choruses" Less Than TheySeem? Documentary evidence suggests, and performances bearout, that the chorusesmay have been sung by solo voices. by Joshua Rifkin

THINK OF THE LASTchoral performance you tute an integral part of even the most opu-concentrate on one admittedly exceptional, attended or took part in. More likely than lent vocal textures. Numerous pieces givebut exceptionally informative, set of parts: not, everyone sang from his or her ownperformers the express option of omitting those to theSt. JohnPassion, S. 245. Bach copy of the music. Vocal groups nearly them; and even more simply do not call for performed this work at least four times-in always perform this way; they could notthem in the first place. 1724, in 1725, in 1728 or 1730, and at an very practically do otherwise. Nor do they uncertain date during the very last years of seem to have done otherwise since at leastSince Johann Sebastian Bach grew uphis life. At each performance after the first, 1600-not, at any rate, to judge from thewithin the traditionIhave outlined,it he introduced changes into the composition surviving performance materials of suchshould come as no surprise to discover that and thus into the parts; these changes prove composers as Schutz, Biber, Handel, Mo-the original performance materials to hisespecially valuable in reconstructing his zart, and Schubert, to name just a few.cantatas,Passions, and other concerted vocal forces. These materials differ from ours today in vocal works conform to its dictates in every Only a handful of parts survive from giving the singers parts containing only respect. Yet this discovery has implications the first performance, so we should start our their individuallinesrather than vocalthat many have found surprising, someexamination with that of 1725. Counting scores; but as notational, theoretical, andeven alarming. To understand the furor, we one part no longer extant but whose exis- documentary evidence all make clear, theymust take a look at Bach's materials them- tence we can safelyinfer,thevocal invariably provide a separate part for eachselves. materials used on this occasion comprise singer. Given restrictions of space,Ishall the ten parts listed in the accompanying If earlier choirs kept the same ratio of box. Those for the ripienists date from the singers to music as we do, then the parts previous year; Bach had the others newly they used can obviously furnish precise evi- Undoubtedly theliveliest session at last November's annual meeting of the American copied. The four parts that I have associated dence of their size and disposition. A sur- Musicological Society in Boston was devoted with the concertists contain all the recita- vey of this evidence yields two principal to Bach's choral works. Joshua Rifkin was tives, arias, choruses, and chorales; the ten- findings.First,it confirms the familiar scheduled to deliver a paper setting forth the very radical notion he has been developing in or further includes the Evangelist's narra- belief that vocal ensembles of the seven- recent years-that Bach's "choruses," or at tion, the bass the words of Jesus. The ripie- teenth and eighteenth centuries generally least some of them, may originally have been no parts include the choruses and chorales, had fewer members than their modern suc- sung one singer to a part; Robert Marshall, as well as choral interpolations for two cessors: Mozart and Haydn, for example, of the University of Chicago, was scheduled to respond. For a variety of reasons, the rau- arias; the bass of this group also contains appear to have presented their Masses with cous, abbreviated session barely got the issue the music for the role of Peter. Not enough no more than twelve to eighteen singers in into the open. Though in our limited space we of the two interlocutors' parts survives for all. More important, the parts show that a can't hope to air it fully, we did at least want us to say much about them; judging from to give it wider circulation. We therefore chorus did not always mean the same thing parallels elsewhere, however, they would that it does to us. invited Rifkin to state his case (herewith) and Marshall to respond (next issue). Under the probably have contained only their particu- Before 1750 in particular, musicians ground rules finally hammered out and lar roles and directed the singers to remain regularly used the wordchorusto describe a agreed to by both parties, Rifkin will have the silent in the choruses and chorales. last word-albeit a briefer one. group of solo singers. These singers, often Read according to the normal practice referredtoas To support his presentation in Boston. concertists,performed Rifkin and his Bach Ensemble mounted a full of the time, this material would indicate "solo" and "choral" numbers without dis- performance of the B minor Mass, with the that the 1725 performance of theSt. John tinction; their parts, accordingly, contained choruses sung by the soloists; this was sub- Passion involved no more than ten sing- everything in a piece that fell within their sequently repeated in New York and recorded in the studio by Nonesuch. Listed in the ers-only eight of whom ever sang at once. respective ranges, whether recitative, aria, recordings preview elsewhere in this issue, This latter number in particular falls suffi- chorus, or chorale. If one had sufficient the album is now scheduled for release next ciently below even the most conservative forces, one could double the concertists at month. Rifkin' s association with Elektra I prior estimates of Bach's vocal forces for us appropriate spots with extra singers called Nonesuch has been long and fruitful, ranging from the early "Baroque Beatles Book" to ask whether we can really trust it. May ripienists, who received special parts that (which he is now considering redoing on we not, for example, assume that extra omitted everything sung by the concertists "original" instruments) and classic read- singers read along from either the concert- alone. This addition, of course, created pre- ings of Joplin rags to a recent Bach Cantata ists' or the ripienists' parts? cisely the sonority that we now regard as the No. 210. His musicological credits include contributions to the NewGrove Dictionary For the concertists' parts, the answer hallmark of a chorus. Yet contrary to what and various scholarly journals.-Ed. to this question begins with a detail of a we might imagine, ripienists did not consti- single number, thearia "Mein teurer Hei-

42 HIGH FIDELITY land." This movement combines a solo not seen things this way. The traditional position imagines a chorus of twelve, with bass line with a four -voice chorale; the parts 4.4 r" r distribute the five lines as follows: three singers-a concertist and two ripie- Soprano + Soprano ripieno nists-reading from each part. This theory, Alto + Alto ripieno developed in connection with the Leipzig CHORALE Tenore + Tenore ripieno sacred music, attempts to reconcile long - Basso ripieno held beliefs about the number of singers SOLO Basso available for that repertory with the actual

The bass part supplies the key. Clear- stateof Bach's performance materials. ly, if Bach had even one extra singer read- Unfortunately,neitherthe documentary ing from this music, he would have found a evidence on which the theory supposedly way to have him double the chorale line, rests nor the parts themselves do anything either by entering that line together with the to sustain it. solo or by a directive sending him to the egh Bach drew the singers for his Leipzig ripieno part. The absence of any such cantatas from the first of four choirs into device can only mean that Bach intended which he had to divide the pupils of the the part for the concertist alone-which, in Thomasschule. School regulations called turn, means that he must have intended the for this group to have eight members; and three remaining parts for solo singers as though Bach sought to raiseits size to well. twelve-because, as he stated in a memo- A revision made in connection with Brandum of 1730, frequent absence due to the next performance, that of 1728 or 1730, illness rendered it otherwise incapable of

confirms this absolutely. In this presenta- . - 8performing the eight -voice motets needed tion, Bach replaced the opening number 5in the liturgy-we do not know for sure whether he succeeded. Even if he did suc- sung in 1725 with a different one-the cho- Cover page of Bach's early cantata Gott ist rus "Herr, unser Herrscher," which in fact mein Konig, S. 71, bearing the notation ceed, moreover, he still could not have had opened the Passion in its earliest version. "ab 18 6 22"-thus specifying eighteen or twelve singers in his cantatas; for as we To make the replacement, he sewed a new twenty-two parts, depending upon whether learn from the same memorandum, he reg- piece of paper over the first page of each the four ripieno voices (indicated else- ularly had to use three or more of his best voice part. The new pages bear identifying where) are added to soloists choristers to play in the accompanying labels more precise than the earlier ones. instrumental ensemble. Considering the Those for the tenor and bass now read Ten - he did not use the ripienists themselves. In undependable health of his pupils, an esti- ore Evangelista and Basso Jesus, respec- other words, the citizens of Leipzig hearing mate of even eight singers to a cantata tively, and the upper two parts carry the the St. John Passion under Bach's direction seems on the optimistic side. headings Soprano Concert[ato] and Alto for the last time heard all its choruses and As for the parts, it takes some effort to Concert[ato]-the better, no doubt, to dis-chorales-from "Herr, unser Herrscher" see how three singers could have performed tinguish them from the corresponding ripie- to the concluding "Ach Herr, lass dein lieb from them, since they never indicate just no parts. The inscriptions in the sopranoEngelein"-performed with onlyfour where the two ripienists who ostensibly and alto especially leave no doubt as to the singers. read along with each concertist should and number of singers Bach intended them This brings us to the implications spo- should not sing. More important, several for. ken of earlier. Almost without exception, sets of parts-something over an eighth of The ripienoparts must also have Bach's performing materials lack ripieno the surviving total-show exactly how served for only one singer each. As we have parts, containing only one copy of each many singers would have used them seen, Basso ripieno includes the role ofvoice line in the score-typically, four. If, through clues of the sort encountered with Peter, while that of Pilate apears in a sepa- as with the St. John Passion, he always fol- the St. John Passion; and as in that case, the rate part-and this would scarcely have lowed the custom of having only one singer evidence always leads to the conclusion that happened if Bach had two singers reading perform from each part-whether or not Bach meant eachpartfor one singer from the ripieno part. In sum, therefore, the the set included materials for ripienists- only. materials for the Passion bear out the infer- then we would have to imagine his chorus The parts containing this evidence ence that we initially drew from them: In its as normally consisting of no more than four include those to the two other Passions giv- earliest performances at least, the work singers in all. en by Bach for which we still have original called for a mere ten singers. vocal materials: the St. Matthew, S. 244, Despite the unexpectedly small size ofNeedless to say, previous scholarship has and the St. Mark Passion of Reinhard Kei- the choir, however, the performances them- ser, which Bach presented in 1726. The sig- nificance of this becomes clear if we set all selves would not have sounded allthat St. John Passion, S. 245: three Passions in the broader context of unusual to modern ears, given the presence Parts used in performance of 1725 Bach's activities during his early years at of ripienists in the choruses and chorales. Concertists' parts But things take a different turn with the Leipzig. Liturgical practice required that Soprano the second of his choirs, like the first, final version of the Passion. For this presen- Alto include singers capable of performing can- tation, Bach again revised his older parts, Tenore (includes Evangelist) tatas and similar music. On Good Friday, painstakingly inserting, removing, or trans- Basso (includes Jesus) he could evidently add these singers to posing entire numbers or smaller sections. Ripienists' parts (copied 1724) those from the first choir, something impos- The four ripieno parts, however, remained Soprano ripieno sible on regular Sundays and feast days, untouched; Bach did not even bother to Alto ripieno when the two groups had to sing in different delete Peter's music from the bass part, Tenore ripieno churches. Presumably, therefore, the eight even though he transferred the role to a Basso ripieno (includes Peter) voices that make up the basic vocal comple- newly copied part that combined it with that Interlocutors' parts ment of the St. John Passion represent the of Pilate. Clearly, he did not use the ripieno [Tenore Servus] (lost) combined forces of both choirs, the first parts on this occasion; and their omission [Basso Pilatus] (fragment) has no rational explanation other than that serving as the concertists, the second as the

SEPTEMBER 1982 43 ripienists. TheSt. MatthewPassion uses in 1728 or 1730. We thus have an almostentire liturgical calendar. Once more, in essentiallythe same body of singers, unbroken record of his Good Friday musicother words, we have no real choice but to although Bach now treats the second four as throughout these seven years; hence despiteassume that Bach normally presented his an independent choir. Only the concertists' the incomplete state of the Keiser parts-cantatas with concertists alone, one reading parts for the Keiser Passion still exist, so we and despite the fact that the extant parts forfrom each part in the original materials. cannot determine the total vocal scoring for theSt. MatthewPassion only date from a this work; nevertheless, it seems clear that revival in 1736-we can establish that hisBach, then, did indeed follow the practice Bach's first choir when performing it, too, first choir performed concerted music withof his time; and if we wish to follow his would have consisted of four singers. no more than four singers at a recurringpractice, we must orient our performances As we have seen, Bach performed the point in virtually every year of his earlyto what the original parts tell us, however St. JohnPassion in 1724 and 1725-his Leipzig period. Since the constitution of the minimal the resulting forces. But do such first two Good Fridays in Leipzig-and thechoir, like that of a college football team, forces truly reflect Bach's intentions, as Keiser Passion in 1726. He apparently pre-would have remained the same throughout distinct from what he had to put up with? I, sented theSt. MatthewPassion in both 1727 the academic year, what holds true for for one, would not presume to answer, as I and 1729, and he gave theSt. JohnPassion Good Friday must also hold true for the claim no direct line to his thoughts. I see no reason, however, to believe that he thirsted endlessly for even the modest group of massed voices typical of baroque perfor- AIMEMIIP GWEITNCS mances today. After all, he expressed no known dissatisfaction with the very small NMI WrIE IMENEMIT TOM" body of singers at the ducal chapel in Wei- 11/A5 r wow v: mar, for which he wrote his earliest contin- uous series of church cantatas; nor did he seem to have qualms about presenting the Kyrie and Gloria of what later became his B minor Mass to the electoral Saxon chapel in Dresden-an institution he admired with- out known reservations, yet which, at the time he submitted this music, seems to have had only one tenor in its ranks. The manu- scriptthat Bach submitted,moreover, makes his expectations perfectly clear: We have only five voice parts-soprano I and SHURE II, alto, tenor, and bass-and none of them shows so much as a trace of instructions that - one could plausibly relate to ripienists. In any event, the recent practical expe- rience of the Bach Ensemble in performing and recording the B minor Mass with only one singer on each vocal line has brought "Our tests show that the "... (The V15 Type V) design not only from the forth some lessons that may help put the Shure V15 Type V not is definitely the FINEST beginnings of micro- issue of Bach's vocal scoring in a less heat- only lives up to the pickup Shure has ever groove technology but claims made for it, but in ed perspective than some would have it made, which makes it well into the future of the occupy. For one thing, the use of solo virtually every respect one of the finest ever LPdisc.."-FM Guide OUTPERFORMS the best voices-at least when pitted against an made, period:"- High (Canada), June, 1982 ensemble of the proper size and proper cartridges we have pre- Fidelity, July, 1982 "... It may be safe to say instruments-does not lead to any unusual viously tested....lt is hard"...In a world of that this cartridge's excel- problems of balance. Some difficulties to imagine how the V15audiophile discs with lent tracking ability is remain, of course, but no more than one Type V could be demanding tracking NUMBER ONE in the would find in virtually any Bach perfor- improved significantly. requirements,the Shure world. Provides exquisite mance, no matter what the forces; and in It offers the MOST PER- V15 Type V KEEPSAHEADand elaborate sound.."- countless places, the polyphony gains new FORMANCE in the most of the times:"- Swing Journal (Japan), clarity and immediacy. The experience has areas, plus the most con-Rich Warren, Chicago May, 1982 also shown that the music itself creates an venience and safety in Sun -limes, June 4, 1982 Find out why the critics "aural illusion" in fully scored passages: installation and opera- "(The V15 Type V) are so excited: Send for Solo voices in ensemble, especially when tion:'- Julian Hirsch, REDEFINES its maker as free fact -filled brochure doubled orintricately accompanied by Stereo Review, June, 1982 a pioneer in cartridge AL694A. 8 instruments, become all but indistinguish- able from a larger chorus. In fact, one really loses nothing by wiping away the overlay of ripienists that we have so indiscriminately applied to Bach's finely wrought teitures; the music sheds some weight, perhaps, but takes on new flexibility and incisiveness. Callforthe name of This itself does not prove such a perfor- the dealer nearest you mance historically correct; but for those 800-323-6556. Ask for Dept. R15. who accept the interpretation of the evi- InIllinois: 800-942-6345. Ask for Dept. R15. dence that I have sketched here, the musical gains come as a decided-and decidedly Shure BrothersInc., 222Hartrey Avenue, Evanston, IL 60204 welcome-bonus. HF Circle 50 on Reader -Service Card

44 HIGH FIDELITY z OU

S V

The scene between Germont and Violetta (here Robert Merrill and Teresa Zylis-Gara), one of Verdi's greatest: What is at stake? With occasional exceptions, a clutchof recordings- new andold-is conspicuously lacking in action. Reviewed by Kenneth Furie

The Gernionts, father and son, are unlikely disseminate it, or how many viewers are merely a physical gesture (:we'll talk about to figure in anybody's list of favorite oper- relieved at not having to take it all seriously why; the difference is important)-Ger- atic characters. But the figure of Violetta tonight (jar more, needless to say, than will mont could be seen dealing with: (a) his Valet), is a deeply felt creation by Dumas be disappointed at the same discovery). It's immediate physical reality, which is to say (based on real life, after all) and is given still no good. a condition of extreme fatigue, and (b) his universal releance by Verdi's music. -Conrad L. Osborne, "Does Opera Stink complex relationship with his son. -Humphrey Burton, EMI booklet After All?"(Keynote,September 1981) It's this "dealing with" that makes the sitting down an action. Let's consider for In my judgment, the underlying difficulty the moment just the matter of coping with with all our operatic theater, from manu- fatigue. :n this connection, we might say script page to curtain call, is our failure to ACOUPLE OF SEASONS AGOthe Finnish bass that Germont is sitting down(action)in proceed from any proper definition of char- Matti Salminen set the New York musical order to get some physical relief(objec- acter action. The failure is the same in the world on its ear when, during the betrayed tive),and what he's seeking relief from(ob- compositional process as in performance- King Marke's long outpouring in Act II of stacles)istheresultof hisprevious both operawrights and performers leave it the Met'sTristan,he got down on onecircumstances, most conspicuously the re- out. Composers don't imagine actions and knee. Talk about theater! Music drama hadcent ordeal of the interview with Violetta. don't write them-they write something struck the Big Apple. So it's small wonder In addition, the fatigue is a powerful obsta- else. Performers don't know how to derive that a few months later Cornell MacNeilcle to Germont's new objective(s),the the actions from the text, so they perform didn't so much as cause a raised eyebrowone(s) in pursuit of which he is singing the something else. Same error in both cases, when, :n Act II ofTraviata,he merely sat aria. and it is the most crippling that can be down. 3ermont has objectives?!In"Di made;itrenders drama impossible. He sat down between stanzas of"DiProvenza"!?You mean it's not just a spiffy Doesn't matter what else you imagine to Provenza,"and in the process produced cantilena opportunityforthe baritone? take the place of true character action, andabout the only moment of human connec- Ans.: (I) Yes. (2) Bu: of course. (3) That's it doesn't matter if you record it, broadcasttion in the performance. In the action of right. it, film it, videotape it, or how widely yousitting down-andit was anaction, not We all have objectives, both long- and

SEPTEMBER 1982 45 short-range, in every waking and sleepinggenerally concerned withilluminatingsary.It can create the human basis for moment of our lives. Everything we do, we slices of reality, it unsurprisingly tends toactions that willaccount forthe score, mak- do in pursuit of some objective or combina- focus not on everyday events, but on thoseing it the logical and necessary expression tion of objectives.In the case of this that might seem on their face improbable. of the reality of these characters. moment in Germont's life, I think we can To putitmildly, Germont's is not This much involves no conjecture at establish two with a minimum of controver- everyday behavior. In the normal course ofall: We know that Germont has come north sy. Having with enormous difficulty suc- events, he probably wouldn't pop into Flo- with two objectives, to separate Violetta ceeded in extracting from Violetta herra's. But for that matter, neither would heand Alfredo and to bring Alfredo home. promise to cut all ties with Alfredo, he has, be anywhere near Paris, a place fromThe first is of more immediate importance, first, to cushion the shock of her "Dearwhich-in his present view of the world-because the wedding depends on it, but it Alfredo" letter and, second, to persuade his nothing good can be expected. So whathas isn't necessarily more important. In fact, son to come back home with him. brought him here? Most obviously, concern Germont's behavior seems to me to make The way Germont is normally talked for his daughter. In order to secure her mar- sense only if the two objectives are of more about, the only question about him is how riage, he must at all costs get Alfredo out ofor less equal importance. unsympathetic a character he is. This is the clutches of That (shudder) Woman. What is at stake for Germont? What he dangerous for two reasons. First, all it can This is certainly a powerful objective, tells Violetta is: "Alfredo's father is beg- lead to is opinions and attitudes, and opin- and Germont has every reason to expect itging you, here and now, for the fate, the ions and attitudes can't be performed. Sec-to be difficult to achieve. In fact, it proves future of his two children." This statement ond, these opinions and attitudes, by over- far more difficult even than he imagined, aseasily gets lost in the shuffle, first because looking Germont's true stakes, make a Violetta turns out to be so different from the the existence of Alfredo's sister is news to muddle of the character, and consequently tramp he has been mentally sparring withVioletta (hmm), and second because start- of a good chunk of the opera. We get for hours, or days, or maybe weeks. To hising immediately with "Purasiccoine"both sucked into puzzling over how the villain of amazement, he is impressed by her. More,Germont and Violetta deal almost exclu- Act II, Scene 1, becomes the champion of sively with the sister. But the concern Ger- outraged womanhood in Act II, Scene 2, mont voices is for the fate of both his chil- and then, uh, well, sort of maybe a good dren. guy (?), albeit too late, in Act III. Is good guys vs. Look at this situation from the father's Is good guys vs. bad guys really what standpoint. According to everything he Traviatais about? Well, there's no law to bad guys really believes about what constitutes a good and stop anyone from seeing the opera as the productivelife,bothhis childrenare story of the unraveling of Violetta's trans- what Traviata doomed. His daughter is at present unmar- formation from a shady past to maidenly is about? riageable, his son a no -account wastrel. If purity, at the hands of a nerd lover and his we assume that he is a widower (this is brutish father. I can't say that this reading is explicit in Dumas), we may begin to feel wrong.All I can say is that it strikes me as the force of his belief that everything he has boring, superficial, and above all unhelp- helikesher. He feels sorry for her. In all in life, and everything that will succeed him ful-unhelpfulinthatsuch black -and - likelihood he is attracted to her. And eachin death, is in mortal jeopardy. white reduction renders the opera prettyof these feelings becomes a new obstacle The crucial element here is that for much irrelevant to any real -life considera- for him, making it that much harder to Germonttime is running out.Whether or tions, which are rarely black and white. demand what he must demand. not we agree with his social views, I think This simple-minded reading leaves the Still, what he needs from Violetta, hewe can all empathize with his parental con- opera vulnerable to such plausible -sound- needs so badly that he can't relent. Andcern, and I think anyone who has felt the ing charges as the unbelievability of Ger- because her need-to hold on to Alfredoclock of mortality ticking away can identify mont's turning up at Flora's in Act II, Scene and the new life she has made with him-is with his awareness that his own time is lim- 2. Surely a man of his social standing would powerful too, Verdi was able to fashion one ited. never be caught in such disreputable sur- of his greatest scenes. But what makes it a What if, to sharpen that sense of mor- roundings! great scene isn't that it's filled with emo- tality, we imagine that Germont has specif- Which brings us back to the issue oftions. What makes it a great scene is thatic and immediate grounds for concern? He believability that was at the heart of my two characters are launched into a frenzy ofhas been experiencing, say, chest pains. At February consideration, "What Makes an actions, actions that will become more pre- first he sloughed them off as merely an Opera Good?" If this were real life rathercise and resonant as both characters' objec- effect of the negotiations over the marriage. than opera, would the word "never" trip sotives and obstacles are defined more specif- But the pains persisted, and came more reg- lightly off our tongues as it seems to in the ically and made more powerful. ularly. Lately he has been unable to sleep, assertion that Germont wouldneverturn up All of which, powerful as it is, takes us waking up constantly in a cold sweat and in at Flora's? Especially given the evidence of only through the Violetta/Germont scene. a state of terror. He sees himself dying, and our eyes and ears, that hedoesturn up at What, then, is"Di Provenza"about, or the then his children . . . his children. . . . Flora's. much -despised cabaletta? And what does Now my hypothetical heart condition If you were to tell me that this arrival is drive Germont to Flora's? Since space pre- isn't necessary to the opera, and even if a improbable, I would agree. But much of cludes any detailed musicodramatic consid-performer and director were to use some- what happens in real life is no less improb- eration (though you might investigate thething along these lines to help pin down able. In real life, for example, we might aria on your own for evidence of Germont'sGermont's stakes,itwouldn't translate well say, "It's incredible that Britain and fatigue, for the pattern of his manipulation, directly into something visible to the audi- Argentina would go to war over the Falk- for the second -stanza tactical shift), let me ence. In other words, I amnotproposing land Islands," by which we wouldn't mean just suggest a scenario concerning Ger-that the baritone go around clutching his that what has actually happened isliterally mont's stakes. chest. incredible. All we mean is that itshouldn't I don't offer this scenario as a neces- The physical condition might affect his be credible, rationally speaking. sary or even a finished "interpretation," behavior, but it would do so only as a "con- Unfortunately, neither in life nor in art but rather as the kind of background work ditioning force." The value of such a con- do events conform neatly to our expecta- that, properly pursued, can make the behav- dition to the performer would be: (a) to tions of rational behavior. And since art isior of the characters both logical and neces- heighten and make more precise his objec-

46 HIGH FIDELITY tives,(b)to add precise and strong obsta-the action is directed. In the execution of I don't hear any sort of Violetta in cles, and (c) to influence the nature of his the action, you are not seeing or listening to either recording. Still, the earlier one, now actions. yourself, you are not watching 'how.' Younudged out of the catalog by its nominal And this brings us to a crucial issue: should leave yourself wide open-withreplacement, is smartly sung, and Suther- the frequent and mistaken assumption thatexpectations-as to what the result of the land is partnered there by Carlo Bergonzi either words or music by themselves, or foraction will be. Will it succeed or fail? Whatand Merrill, neither terribly forceful in per- that matter words and music combined, are will be done back to you by the person orsonality but both eminently suitablein actions. They aren't. Words, music, and object which will then propel you into thevoice-happily so, since this was the first physical gestures are potential instrumentsnext doing?" uncut Traviata on records, entailing above of action. all the inclusion in full of the tenor and bari- Take a fairly simple example, early in Now what,you're probably wondering, tone cabalettas in Act II. Sutherland doesn't the Violetta/Germont scene. When Ger-does all this action business have to do with make much of the other major restorations, mont introduces himself as the father of the six Traviata recordings ostensibly under the second stanzas of Violetta's "Ah! fors' Alfredo, that "rash one, who is rushing to review? The answer is, by and large, not a lui" and "Addio del passato," but in the hisruin, bewitched by you," Violetta whole lot, which is the point. scene at Flora's, Piero de Palma, the excel- responds emphatically, "I am a lady, sir, Not that these recordings are uniform- lent Gastone, got to sing the story of Piquil- and in my home. Allow me to leave you, ly unfortunate. RCA's Gold Seal reissue of lo the matador as a solo, an agreeable vari- more for you than for me." Except for a the 1960 recording with Anna Moffo, Rich- ant that I've encountered otherwise only in sustained string chord inthefirstbarard Tucker, and Robert Merrill, conducted London's 1968 Berlin recording conducted ("Donna son io,Si-"),this whole response by Fernando Previtali,isnot only the by Lorin Maazel (about which more in due is unaccompanied, which suggests a mea-cheapest Traviata currentlylistedin time). sure of rhythmic latitude. SCHWANN,but probably, all-around, the There's nothing individual about John But that latitude is there for the deliv-best. And fans of Mario Sereni (I'm seri- Pritchard's conducting, but he does respect ery of an action, not to help the singer show phrase shapes, which consequently take on us how she feels about either Germont or some life of a sort, a decidedly low-level her situation. In fact, and I think this is Ver- sort. By contrast, Richard Bonynge's con- di's point, singing the line in strict rhythm The modern opera ducting of the new recording, which is also may make itimpossible to execute the uncutis death itself. There is the feeling action. Yet singers normally make choicesconductor exercises that a set of interpretive choices has been here that are calculated only for their effect made at some remove from the perfor- on the audience. If we say that Violetta'sever more control, mance, in which those choices are rigidly main objectives here are to release anger at yet nothing happens. enforced by performers in total innocence Germont's insult, to put him in his place, of whatever logic may have lain behind and to break off the interview, what sense them-cf. Hagen above, on the difference does it make for her to be playing with between really doing and mechanically drawn-out vocal inflections? ous-I am one) will appreciate Angel's dipdoing. Why, for example, the frequent dy- into the archives for a 1958 Lisbon perfor- Bonynge's cast is not disposed to dis- namic drop from forte to piano going from mance that's rather more representative of rupt his machine. Not surprisingly, Suther- "pia per voi" to "che per me"? (Amonghis simple, vigorous Germont than the pre- land now sings the music noticeably less many others, Renata Scotto makes this vailingly pacific 1959 studio recording withwell than before, especially where tonal choice in the new Angel recording.) I sup- Victoria de los Angeles, conducted by Tul- firmness is called for, and in the purpler pose a choice like this has something to do lio Serafin (Angel SCL 3623). passages there is a suggestion of prima - with the singer's idea of what Violetta feels But good grief, look at those dates: donna emotionalizing that has nothing to do about Germont and herself, but it has noth- 1960,1958. Those are the oldest recordings with the pursuit of Violetta's needs. (Ha- ing whatever to do with her immediate real- in our group. Is there nothing to be said for gen: "In the execution of the action, you ity, which is that she has been insulted and the newer ones, which feature some of ourare not seeing or listening to yourself, you is damn well going to do something aboutleading lights of the here and now? are not watching 'how.' ") it. By coincidence both of the digital jobs Luciano Pavarotti's recordings of the What she in fact does is importantare remakes for their divas, whose firstTraviata duets with both Sutherland (an because of what it shows Germont aboutrecordings appeared simultaneously nearly unappetizing 1976 duet collection, London her, and the action with which he responds twenty years ago. And Scotto's new Vio- OS 26449) and Mirella Freni (the Modena will in turn change her image of him, and so letta is in some respects an improvement recitalrecently released on Jubilee JL on through the scene. But note that all ofover the earlier one (with Gianni Raimondi 41009) suggest that Alfredo might even this happens because both characters are and Ettore Bastianini, DG Privilege 2726 now be a good role for him. The complete pursuing their individual needs in accor-049, two discs). But the state-of-the-art recording fails to confirm this, finding him dance with all their surrounding circum- replacement editions as a whole don't stand mostly in a state of vocal push, with the stances. Our involvement comes through up terribly well to the "obsolete" old ones, upper -range hardness and personal charm- being drawn into their actions. which themselves were hardly among thelessness that normally accompany it.I'd This means that the normal opera - pulse-quickingest. have thought too that, vocally at least, Ger- singer habit of choosing and honing inflec- I think it would be fair to say that Vio- mont would lie favorably for Matteo Man- tions that are then carefully and mechani-letta is a role that just never really clicked uguerra, but the voice seems all out of cally executed just won't do. As Uta Hagen for Joan Sutherland. It's tempting to chalk whack here, sounding hollow and strained. writes in Respect for Acting: this up to a temperamental mismatch,Has he beenlisteningto Aldo Protti "Really doing something is quite dif- something to do with irremediably Anglo- records? ferent from mechanically doing it, or sim- Saxon phlegmatism, but why should this so Except for a decent Flora (Della Jones) ply clicking off mentally that you're doing particularly have afflicted her Violetta? and Grenvil (Giorgio Tadeo), the support- it,or showing the audience that you'rePerhaps because even in her younger years ing cast ranges from mediocre to poor. I doing it. When you are really in action, you she became active only in florid writing, don't care for the choral or orchestral work are engrossed in the action and alert to itsand Violetta isn't, "Sempre libera" not- either-a more severe than usual case of possible effect on the object toward which withstanding, a coloratura role? Anglo-Italian non -entente. To complete the

47 SEPTEMBER 1982 sweep, London's sound is cold and hard, I can't imagine what might have been recovers. (Muti's tempos, you'll notice, are blaring forth from a perspective of no iden- intended by the denatured, nearly vibrato- by no means invariably fast.) tifiable acoustical presence. less preludes, except perhaps to distinguish Other listeners may be more charmed Angel's new recording, also uncut, this performance from the sloppy emotive by Alfredo Kraus's Alfredo, even in his does have an identifiable acoustical pres- habits of Italian tradition, but those expres- present vocal condition-not all that differ- ence. It sounds to me like a high-school sive habits at least produced something. For ent, really, from that of 1958, but still con- gymnasium, so that we're either in a gym-the best kind of "traditional" Italian con- spicuously more gulpy rising over the break nasium witnessing an opera take place orducting, compare Previtali, but atthat, and harder -pressed once risen. For me, witnessing an opera take place in a gymna- Scotto's 1962 conductor, Antonino Votto,what might legitimately have passed in sium. Nor is the sense of an opera taking got considerably more lifelike and involv- 1958 for interpretive simplicity, even nobil- place enhanced by the weak supporting ing playing from the Scala orchestra than ity, now sounds like simple absence of per- cast, another solid Grenvil (Roderick Ken- Muti does from the Philharmonia. sonality, and there has never been much nedy) excepted. Neither do this British cho- Muti'sisthe kind of performanceallure in the acid tone. All credit to Kraus rus and orchestra show much feeling for the whose surface attractions quickly wearfor his durability, but for an Alfredo of this idiom. thin, at least for me. The shame is that Scot- vocal weight (i.e., light) I prefer to have the Where is Riccardo Muti in all of this? to-heard for once in a role that suits hervocal bloom and engaging personality of Well, as usual he can be heard fussing over voice, even at this late date-is working Cesare Valletti in my favoriteTraviata,the articulation markings (e.g., the off -the -beat here more honestly than in the dramatic- 1956 RCA recording conducted by Pierre accents in "Addio del passato")and pre- weight roles she has been negotiating in Monteux, with Rosanna Carteri and Leo- serving the integrity of the score (no nasty recent years by means of such calculated nard Warren-out of print, naturally. octave -higher conclusions for"Sempre posturing. However, as in the"Donna son Of course the chief interest of the 1958 libera" and Alfredo's cabaletta). Occa- io"instance noted above, she seems mostly Angel set is Callas, and she is worth hear- sionally an unexpected choice makes anintent on illustrating Violetta's feelings. ing. The voice isn't in terribly good shape, interesting effect, as with the bitingly quick This she often manages affectingly (the last and in certain moods Ihave found this gambling scene. At the same time, though, act is rather nice), and in some conversa-squalling unlistenable. Would wewantto Ihave to wonder whether this slashing tional passages she actually attempts tocon- hear the second stanzas of her arias? All the pace, effectively as it may evoke Alfredo's verse. same, there is a dramatic intelligence fitful- state of mind, plausibly represents the Unfortunately no one else on thely at work here, most productively in the progress of the card game, which is after all premises shows any interest in pursuing the big scene with Sereni. the overall activity characterized here. dynamics of human interaction. Not Renato And I Is this, though, the sort of performance have the same doubt aboutBruson, certainly. He sings Germont'sone might want to listen to repeatedly, or Muti's reading as a whole-very much amusic, which lies almost entirely in his even more than once? I think it's a terrific "reading" rather than a doing, concerned good octave, between Fs, in such a consis- idea for the record companies to clear live- with attitudes and states of mind rather than tently round, pleasing tone that one may not performance material for commercial re- needs and actions. In accord with the by immediately notice how monotonous he is; lease, but this workaday specimen doesn't now familiar paradox of modern operatic Merrill is by comparison a whirlwind ofexactly fire the cause. conducting, the conductor exercises ever actions, Bastianini a model of subtlety. It We may still envy those 1958 Lisbon- more precisely gauged bar -to -bar and note - really is a pleasure to hear a contemporaryers the supporting cast that could be assem- to -note control and yet nothing happens.Germont launch so full-throated a"Pura bled. We might even envy them the prosaic There's hardly any sense of meaningful siccome,"his first stretch of sustained sing- conducting of Franco Ghione if the best we line, in fact hardly any sense of destination ing. And yet in this very moment the scene can muster is the likes of Bonynge, Muti, in the progress from note to note. sinks into a torpor from which it never (Continued on page 81)

VERDI: La Traviata. CASTS: (I) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Violetta Valery Maria Callas (s) Anna Moffo (s) Mirella Freni (s) Joan Sutherland (s) Valerie Masterson (s) Renata Scotto (s) Flora Bervoix Laura Zanini (s) Anna Reynolds (ms) Hania Kovicz (ms) Della Jones (s) Della Jones (s) Sarah Walker (ms) Annina Maria Cristina de Liliana Poli (ms) Gudrun Schafer (ms) Marjon Lambriks (ms)Shelagh Squires (ms) Cynthia Buchan (ms) Castro (ms) Alfredo Germont Alfredo Kraus (t) Richard Tucker (t) Franco Bonisolli (t) Luciano Pavarotti (t) John Brecknock (t) Alfredo Kraus (t) Gastone Piero de Palma (t) Piero de Palma (t) Peter Bindszus (t) Alexander Oliver (t) Geoffrey Pogson (t) Suso Mariategui (t) Giuseppe (omitted] Adelio Zagonara (t) [unidentified) Ubaldo Gardini (5) Edward Byles (t) Max -Rend Cosotti (t) Giorgio Germont Mario Sereni (b) Robert Merrill (b) Sesto Bruscantini (bs-b)Matteo Manuguerra (b)Christian du Plessis(b)Renato Bruson (b) Baron Douphol Alvaro Malta (b) Franco Calabrese (b) Rudolf Jedlidka (b) Jonathan Summers (b)John Gibbs (b) Henry Newman (b) Messenger Manuel Leitao (b) Sergio Liviabella (b) [unidentified] William Elvin (b) John Kitchiner (b) Christopher Keyte (bs) Marquis d'ObignyVito Susca (bs) Vito Susca (bs) Heinz Reeh (bs) John Tomlinson (bs) Denis Dowling (b) Richard van Allan (bs) Dr. Grenvil Alessandro Franco Ventriglia (bs) Hans -Joachim Giorgio Tadeo (bs) Roderick Earle (bs) Roderick Kennedy (bs) Maddalena (bs) Lukat (bs) (1) Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro SaoOrchestra, Lamberto GardeIli, cond.MUSICAL (5) (in English) English National Opera Carlos (Lisbon), Franco Ghione, cond.ANGEL HERITAGESOCIETY MHS 834486, $23.25Chorus and Orchestra, Charles Mackerras, cond. ZBX 3910, $20.96 (mono; two discs, automatic($14.85tomembers)(three discs,automatic [John Fraser, prod.] EMI SLS 5216, $27.96 (two sequence). Tape 4Z2X 3910, $20.96 (two cas-sequence). Tape: MHC 226486, $15.50 ($9.90discs, manual sequence). Tape: TC SLS 5216, settes). [Recorded in performance, March 27,to members)(two cassettes). (Add $1.60 for ship-$27.96 (two cassettes). (Distributed by Brilly 1958.] ping; Musical Heritage Society, 14 Park Rd.,Imports, 155 N. San Vicente Blvd., Beverly (2) Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra,Tinton Falls, N.J. 07724.) [From BASF KBLHills, Calif. 90211.) Fernando Previtali, cond. [Richard Mohr, prod.]21644, recorded 1973.] (6) Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Her Majes- RCAGOU) SEALAGL 2-4144, $11.96 (two (4) London Opera Chorus, National Phil-ty's Royal Marine Band, Philharmonia Orches- discs, automatic sequence). Tape: AGK 2-4144,harmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge, cond. tra, Riccardo Muti, cond. [John Mordler, prod.] $11.96 (two cassettes). [From LSC 6154, record-[Christopher Raeburn, prod.]LONDONLDR ANGELDSCX 3920, $33.94 (digital recording; ed 1960.] 73002, $38.94 (digital recording; three discs,three discs, manual sequence). Tape: 4X3X (3) Berlin State Opera Chorus, Berlin Stateautomatic sequence). 3920, $33.94 (three cassettes).

48 HIGH FIDELITY Preview of the Forthcoming Year's Recordings

NOT WITHOUT SOMEPUSHING and prodding, format, please note the following use oflower-case letters without parentheses. For we managed to fit all the cats into one bag: symbols and abbreviations, alone or intechnology and packaging: Number of Here is this year's entire preview of forth- combination: For performing groups: Pdiscs, where known, in multi -disc series is coming classicaland theater and film (Philharmonic), R (Radio), S (Symphony),given in parentheses at end of listing; other releases. As always, some of the lists look 0 (Orchestra), C (Chamber), Ch (Chorus,parenthetical symbols include s (if single ahead an entire year and more, others just a Choir), St (State), Op (Opera), Ac (Acade-discs rather than set), r (domestic reissue), few months, and all plans are subject to my), Ens. (Ensemble), Qrt. (Quartet), Qnt.h (historical),d (digitalrecording), m change. (Quintet), Fest. (Festival), or their foreign - (mono), a (nondigital audiophile). Initials To help penetrate the mystery of ourlanguage equivalents. For voice ranges: and first names appear only as needed.

AAG MUSIC AESTHETIC AUDIO Faure: Songs. Von Stade, Collard. Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice. M. Marshall, Grube- AAG cassettes are duplicated in real time on Aesthetic Audio cassettes are duplicated in real rova, Baltsa; Ambrosian OpCh, Philharmo- TDK SA -X tape from digital intermasters. time on BASF Pro II chrome tape. Program nia 0, Muti (2, d). Many releases are available in Dolby C for- notes are included. 1983 will feature many Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 2, 4. Mutter; mat. Paperback -sized containers feature full orchestral and piano releases and selected Phi'tharmonia 0, Muti (d). program notes. recordings on digital audio cassettes in both Offenbach: La Perichole. Berganza, Carreras, VHS and Beta formats. Bach: Cello Suites (6). Grossman (3s, d). Bacquier; O&Ch of the Theatre du Capitole Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 17: Bagatelles, Hindemith: Clarinet Sonata (Pearson). Pou- (Toulouse), Plasson (3, d). Op. 126 (6). Gcldsmith (d). lenc: Clarinet -Piano Sonata (Pearson): Clar- Prokotiev: Violin Concertos (2). Perlman; BBC Bridge, Frank: Viola Sonatas (2).Britten: inet -Bassoon Sonata (Gaff). Kelly (a, r) SO, Rozhdestvensky (d). Lachrymae. R. Clarke: Sonata. Appel, Pet - On the Lighter Side, Vols. 1, 2. Robin Davis 0 Ravel: Bolero; Alborada del gracioso; Daphnis finger (d). (2s, a, r). et Chloe Suite No. 2. Philadelphia 0, Muti Cage: Vocal -Percussion Works. Clayton; Pierce; (d). Aesthetic Audio, P.O. Box 478, Carlin, Nev. Shankar: Raga-mala. Shankar; London PO, Paul Price Percussion Ens. (a, r). 89822. Schubert: Piano Sonata. D. 960: Impromptus Mehta (d). Stravinsky: Pulcinella; Small -Orchestra Suites (2); Allegretto. Goldsmith (a). AFBC David Jolley: Romantic Horn Works (by Gliere, (2). St. Martin's Ac, Marriner (d). Nielsen, Saint -Satins, Schumann, Scriabin, Bellini: Adelson e Salvini. R. Wolf, Zucker, Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Sleeping Beauty; Nut- R. Strauss) (d) Siegling; Association for the Furtherment of cracker. Philharmonia 0, Lanchbery (3,3,2; Bel Canto (live, 1972) (3). d). AAG Music, 200 Varick St., New York, N.Y. Rossini's Rivals (works by Valentino Fioravanti, Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto (Spivakov); Ca- 10014. Mercadante, G. Pacini, Federico Ricci, Vac- priccio italien. Philharmonia 0, Ozawa (d). cai). Amlen, s; Bosworth, ms. Wagner: Lohengrin. Tomova-Sintov, Vejzovic, Kollo, Nimsgem, Ridderbusch; Berlin PO, ACANTA (West Germany) Association for the Furtherment of Bel Canto, Karajan (5). (distributed by German News) Inc., I1 Riverside Dr., Apt. G, New York, Placido Domingo: Opera Duets. N.Y. 10023. Favorite Strauss Waltzes. Johann Strauss 0, Berlioz, Liszt, Wagner: Songs. Weikl (d). Boskovsky (d). Brahms: Songs. Fassbaender (d). ANGEL Christopher Parkening: Guitar Recital (d). Franco Bonisolli, A Portrait of (2). Ransom Wilson: Baroque Flute Concertos. Los Montserrat CaballE, A Portrait of (2). Bach, C.P.E., J.C.; Goldberg: Trio Sonatas. Angeles CO (d). Helen and Klaus Donath: Vocal Recital (Schu- Perlman, Zukerman, Sanders, Eddy (d). bert's Shepherd on the Rock, with Kloecker, Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (6). Linde Con- Angel Records, 1750 N. Vine St., Los Angeles, et al.) (d). sort (2, d). Calif. 90028. Mirella Freni, A Portrait of (2). Beethoven: Archduke Trio. Perlman, Harrell, Lucia Popp: Vocal Recital (d). Ashkenazy (d). Hermann Prey, A Portrait of (2). Britten: Young Apollo (Donohoe); Scottish Bal- ARABESQUE lad (Donohoe, Fowke); Canadian Carnival; French Songs (4) (Gomez). Birmingham SO. Gilbert and Sullivan: Patience: The Gondoliers Rattle (d). (excerpts). Briercliffe, M. Green, Fancourt; ACCENT (Belgium) Bruckner: Symphony No. 4. Berlin PO, Tenn- D'Oyly Carte Op Company, Sargent (2, h). (distributed by AudioSource) stedt (d). Haydn: Keyboard Concerto in D. Op. 21. Haydn: Keyboard Sonatas, Works. Kohnen, Debussy: Danse sac,* et danse profane (Los Mozart: Concerto No. 23. Lubin, fortepia- harpsichord. Angeles CO, Schwarz); Suite bergamasque. no; Mozartean Players, R. Wilson (d). Soler: Keyboard Works (harpsichord, piano); Ravel: Introduction and Allegro (Tokyo Jones, D.: Symphonies Nos. 8, 9; Dance Fanta- Quintets; Two -Organ Concertos; Vocal Qrt., et al.). Allen, harp (d). sy. BBC SO, Bryden Thomson. Works (4s). Donizetti: Maria Stuarda (in English). J. Baker, Bach Meets Chopin: Keyboard Preludes. Mar- Zelenka: Sonatas for Two Oboes, Bassoon, Plowright,Rendall;English National tins, Lima, pianos (2). Continuo. Dombrecht, Ebbinge, Bond, OpCh&O, Mackerras (3, d). Hermann Baumann: The Romantic Horn, Vol. 2. Kohnen, Van der Meer. Faure: Requiem; Messe basso. Auger, Luxon; Works by Schumann, Schoeck, Weber. Konrad Junghanel: French Flute Music. King's College Ch, English CO, Ledger (d). Paul O'Dette: Venetian Lute Music.

SEPTEMBER 1932 49' Arabesque Recordings, 1995 Broadway, New F -A -E Scherzo. Sparf, Westenholz (2). BRIDGE York, N.Y. 10023. Chopin: Ballades (4); Barcarolle. Scheja. Dvotak, Tchaikovsky: String Serenades. New Crumb: Apparition. Ives: Songs. DeGaetani, ARCHIV Stockholm CO, Panula. Kalish. David Starobin: New Music with Guitar, Vol. 2. (released by Deutsche Grammophon) Franck: Organ Works (complete).Sanger (3Q. Works by Gerhard, J. A. Lennon, Takemit- Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (6). English Con- su. cert, Pinnock (2, d). Glazunov, Larsson: Saxophone Concertos. P. Bach: Orchestral Suites Nos. 2, 5. Cologne Savijoki; New Stockholm CO, Panula. Bridge Records, Inc., P.O. Box 1864, New Handel: Recorder Sonatas (complete). Pehrs- Musica Antigua, Goebel (d). York, N.Y. 10116. Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (12). English son, Schuback, Ericson. Concert, Pinnock (3, d). Hindemith: Ludus tonalis. Steen-Ndkleberg. BRILLY Kothily: Organ Works (complete). Fagius. Handel: Coronation Anthems (4). Westminster See Calig, Classics for Pleasure, Damzell, Hype- Abbey Ch, English Concert, Preston (d). rion, Pierre Verany. Brilly Imports, 155 N. Purcell: The Fairy Queen. Harrhy, J. Smith, J. San Vicente Blvd., Beverly Hills, Calif. Nelson, Priday, Penrose, Stafford, W. Ev- 90211. ans, M. Hill, Varcoe, D. Thomas; Montever- di Ch, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner CALIG (West Germany) (3, d). (distributed by Brilly) Vivaldi: Four Seasons. Standage; English Con- cert, Pinnock (d). Bach: Organ Recital. Lehrndorfer. Conversation galante: French Rococo Music by Bach, Kohler, Mozart, Soler: Two -Organ F. Francoeur, Guillemain, A.D. Philidor, Works. Graf-Raff Duo. and Quentin. Cologne Musica Antigua, Goe- Brahms: German Folksongs.Jelden,H.D. bel (d). Wagner. Gregorian Chants: An Anthology of Major Debussy: Preludes, Book II. Reinhold. Feasts.Miinsterschwarzach Benedictine Haydn: Harmoniemesse. A. Kraus; Mainz Bach Monastery (5). Ch&O, Hellman. Mendelssohn: Organ Works (with works by ASTREE (France) Swiss composers). Scheidigger. (distributed by AudioSource) Mozart: String Trio, K. 563. Vienna Trio. Strauss, R.: Wind Sonatinas. Munich PO Solo- Bach: Lute Works, Vol. 2. H. Smith. Pianist Cecile Licad plays Chopin, Dvo- ftik, Schumann for CBS Masterworks. ists. Barraque: Sequence; Chant apres chant. Nen- Gunter Fetz: Organ Recital. dick, N. Lee, Lyloff; Copenhagen Percus- From Bach to Cage. Wiirzburg Conservatory sion Group, Prisma C Players, Veto. Percussion Ens., Fink. Haydn: Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 34, 46. Badura- Kuula; 0. Merikanto: Piano Works. Heino- Skoda, piano. nen. Mozart, F.X.: Flute -Piano Rondo. Reinecke: CBS MASTERWORKS AUDIOFON Undine Sonata. Schubert: Trockne Blumen Bach, J.C.: Sinfonia concertante in A (Zuker- Variations. Aitken, R. McCabe. man). Boccherini: Cello Concerto, G. 482. Bach: Violin Partita No. 2. Paganini: Caprice Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 (Scheja); Sinfo- Ma; St. Paul CO, Zukerman (d). No. 24. Ysaye: Sonata No. 2. Rosand. nia concertante, K. 364 (Lysell, Sparf). Bach: Cello Suites, Vol. 1. Ma (d). Beethoven: Eroica Variations. Mozart: Rondo, Stockholm Sinfonietta, Wedin. Bach (and sons): Trio Sonatas. Rampal, Stern, K. 511. Rameau: Gavotte avec six doubles. Ravel: Miroirs; Valses nobles; Sonatine. Irizu- Pamas, Ritter (d). Bar -Man. ki. Bart6k: String Quartets (6). Juilliard Qrt. (3, Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 3, 21. Bar - Sammartini, Telemann, Vivaldi: Recorder d). Man. Concertos,Pehrsson; Drottningholm Ba- Bart6k: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 2. Zukerman, Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos.28,30. roque Ens. Neikrug (d). Shure. Sibelius: Orchestral Works (complete). Vols. 1- Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 4,I I .Pera- Brahms: Handel Variations.* Shure. 8. Goteborg SO, Jarvi (8s). hia. Chopin: Etudes (10). Mendelssohn: Fantasy, Sibelius: Piano Works (complete), Vols. 3, 4. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12, /3. Gould Op. 28: Rondo capriccioso. Bar-Illan. Tawaststjema (2s). (d). Faure: Barcarolle No. 3. Franck: Prelude, Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps. Royal Op0, Beethoven: String Quartets, Vols. I (Nos. 1-6), Chorale, and Fugue. Ravel: Gaspard de la Ehrling. 2 (Nos. 7-11). Juilliard Qrt. (3, 3; d). nuit. Wild. Robert Aitken: The French Flute, Vols. 2, 3 (R. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6.Cleveland 0, Liszt: Dante Sonata; Hungarian Rhapsody No. McCabe). Works by Bozza, Debussy, loll - Maazel (a, r). 2. Bar -Man. vet, Marais, Widor, et al. Beethoven: Symphony No. 7. English CO, M.T. Liszt: Polonaises (2); Legend No. 2; Vallee Hans Fagius: Old Swedish Organs,Vol. 4. Thomas (d). d' Obermann .I. Davis. Works by Albrechtsberger, C.P.E. Bach, Bolling: Suite Inspiration (Suites for Jazz Piano Schubert: Moments musicaux.* Shure. Bach, Beethoven, Johnsen, Mendelssohn. and Flute, Violin; Picnic Suite). Rampal, Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 958, 960. Shure The French Saxophone (works by Boutry, Fran- Zukerman; Lagoya; Bolling (3, r). (2s). caix, lbert, Milhaud). P. Savijoki, Rahko- Brahms: Ballades (4); Rhapsodies, Op. 79 (2). Schumann: Piano Sonata No. 3.* Shure. nen. Gould (d). David Bar-Illan: Encores (Bernstein: Age of Josef Holecek: The Romantic Swedish Guitar. Brahms: Symphony No. 3; Haydn Variations. Anxiety: Masques; works by Ben Haim, Cho- Works by Holecek, Koch, Simai, Soren- New York P, Mehta (d). pin. Debussy, Liszt, et al.). son. Bruckner: Symphony No. 3. Bavarian RSO, *coupling nor yet determined lb and Wilhelm Lanzky-Otto: Horn -Piano Works Kubelik (d). (by Bentzon, Heise, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne, Vol. 1. Von PM&J Productions, Inc., 2710 Ponce de Leon Nielsen, Schumann). Stade; Royal PO, Almeida (d). Blvd., Coral Gables, Fla. 33134. Jakob Lindberg: English, Scottish Lute Music Charpentier: Messe de minuit. Grand Ecurie et (2s). C du Roy, Malgoire (d). AUDIOSOURCE Clas Pehrsson and Thomas Schuback: Recorder - Chausson: Concert, Op. 21. Perlman, Bolet; Keyboard Works (by Castello, Frescobaldi, See Accent, Astree,Proprius. AudioSource, Juilliard Qrt. (d). 1185 Chess Dr., Foster City, Calif. 94404. Hovland. Staeps, Telemann, Van Eyck). Chopin: Etudes, Op. 10 (12); Scherzo No. 2; Jukka Savijoki: Contemporary Finnish Guitar Ballade No. 1; Nocturne, Op. 15, No. I. BIS (Sweden) Works (by Bergman, Heininen, Nordgren, Licad (d). (distributed by Qualiton) Rautavaara). Debussy: Nocturnes (3) (Ambrosian Singers); Scandinavian Romantic Male Chorus Works. La Mer. Philharmonia 0, M.T. Thomas (d). Brahms: Violin Sonatas (3); Viola Sonatas (2); Lunds Students&ngare. Donizetti: Maria di Rudenz. Ricciarelli, Nucci;

50 HIGH FIDELITY La Fenice Ch&O, libal (3). Walter), 8 (Cleveland O. Szell) (r). piano id). Dvotak, Schumann: Piano Quintets. Licad, Brahms: Symphony No. 1, Academic Festival Palm Cou-t Theater 0, Vol. 2. Goodwin (d). Marlboro Qrt. (d). Overture; Symphony No. 2, Tragic Overture: Vienna Nights (works by Lehar, J. Strauss II, et Dvothk: Symphony No. 4. Philharmonia O. A. Symphony No. 3, Haydn Variations; Sym- al.). Johann Strauss 0, Rothstein (d). Davis (d). phony No. 4. Cleveland 0, Szell (4s, r). Elgar: Enigma Variations; Pomp and Circum- Liszt: Les Preludes; Hungarian Rhapsodies CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE (U.K.) stance Marches Nos. 1-4. Philharmonia 0, Nos. 1, 2: Mephisto Walt: No. 1. New York (distributed by Brillv) A. Davis (d). P, Bernstein. Philadelphia 0, Ormandy. (r) Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik; Overtures Brahms: Symphonies (4): Overtures (2): Haydn Faure, Franck, D'indy: Piano -Orchestra Variations: Alto Rhapsody. Halle 0, Lough- Works. Entremont. Philharmonia 0, Du - (Nozze diFigaro,Zaubefflote,etal.). Columbia SO, Walter (r). ran (4, r). toil. Chopin: Etudes (complete). Hobson. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue: Second Rhapsody; Strauss, J. H: Waltzes (Blue Danube, et al.). Dvorak: Symphony No. 9. London PO, Macal. Variations (Los Ar.geles PO). Preludes (3). New York P, Bernstein (r). Favorite French Orchestral Spectaculars (Du- Mozart: Clarinet Quintet: Oboe Quartet. A. M.T. Thomas (d). Marriner; Hunt; Chilingirian Qrt. Gesualdo: Madrigals, Book VII. Cologne Colle- kas: Sorcerer's Apprentice; et al.). New York Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 23, 24. Hobson; gium Vocale. P, Bernstein (r). English CO, Gibson. Handel: Messiah (Dutlin version). Grande Ecu- Favorite Russian Orchestral Spectaculars (Bo- Orff: Ca -mina burana. S. Armstrong, R. Cook; rie et C du Roy, Malgoire (3. d). rodin: Polovtsian Dances; et al.). New York Halle Ch&O, Handford. Rampal. P, Bernstein (r). Haydn: Flute Trios, Op. 100 (6). Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2: Paganini Stern, Rostropovich (d). Thirty-five additional titles to be released in 1983 Rhapsody. Tirimo; Philharmonia 0, Levi (d). Haydn: String Quarters, Op. 76 (6). Tokyo Qrt. will complete 100 -disc series. Tallis Scholars: The English Madrigal School. (3). Haydn: Symphonies hos. 35,38, 39, 49, 58, 59. CBS Masterworks, 51 W. 52nd St., New York, L'Estro Armonico, Solomons (3. d). N.Y. 10019. COMPOSERS RECORDINGS (CRI) Haydn: Violin Concerto No. 1. Vieuxtemps: Bazelon: Sound Dreams. J. Heiss: Capriccio.

Concerto No. 5. Cho-Liang Lin; Minnesota CENTAUR Rosenman: Chamber Music No. 5. Collage. 0, Marriner (d). Dvorak: String Quartets Nos. 10, 12, 14. New Biscardi: At the Still Point. Picker: Violin Con- Ives: Symphony No. 2. Concertgebouw 0, M.T. certo (Schulte). American Composers 0, World Qrt. (2. a). Thomas (d). Mozart: Piano Trios (3). Philadelphia Trio. Dunicel. Monteverdi: Vespers. Grande Ecurie et C du Carter: Symphony No. 1: Holiday Overture; Santiago Rodriguez: Piano Recitals (a). Roy, Malgoire (2, d). Pocahontas Suite. American Composers 0, Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-4. Perahia; Centaur Records, Inc., P.O. Box 23764, Baton Dunkel. English CO (d). Rouge, La. 70893. Carter: Syringa. DeGaetani, Paul; Speculum Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 38, 39.Bavarian Musicae, Group for Contemporary Music, RSO, Kubelik (d). CHALFONT Sollberger. Concerto for Orchestra. New Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 2: 3, 5. Zuk- (an affiliate of Varese Sarabande; distributed by York P. Bernstein (r). erman; St. Paul CO (2s, d). Discwasher) Del Tredici: Syzygy. Fest. CO, Dufallo (r). Prokoflev: Love for Three Oranges, Lt. Ktje Liszt, Reger, Reubke: Organ Works. Raws- Gideon; Sessions; B. Weber: Piano Works. R. Suites. Los Angeles PO, M.T. Thomas. thome (Liverpool Cathedral) (rzi. Black. Prokoflev: Violin Concertos (2). Stern, New Vaughan Williams: Toward Harbison: Full Moon in March. York P. Mehta (d). Region (Birmingham Ch): Orchestral Arnold; Boston Musica Viva, Pittman. Ravel: Bolero; Albo-ada del gracioso; Rapsodie Works. Birmingham SO, Del Mar (d). Kreiger: Dance for Sarah: Theme and Varia- espagnole; La Valse. 0 National de France, Williams, J.: Flute, Violin Concertos. Lloyd, tions.Matthews: Aurora. Tanenbaum: Maazel (d). Peskanov; London SO, Slatkin (d). Contradictions. Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Home, Nucci, Lewis. R.H.: Chamber Concerto. London Sin- Ramey; La Scala Ch&O, Chailly (3, d). CHANDOS (U.K.) fonietta, R.H. Lewis. Three Prayers of Jane Rossini: Giovanna d'Arco; et al. Home, Martin (distributed by Sine Qua Non) Austen. Gregg Smith Singers, Smith. Sere- Katz. nade. Burge. Rossini: II Turco in Italia.Caballe, Nucci, Alwyn: String Quartet (d). Mamlok: Sextet; When Summer Sang. Wid- Ramey; National PO, Chailly (3, C). Bax, Bliss, Vaughan Williams: Clarinet -String does: Acanthus; Tirzah; Sonatina. Various. Schoenberg: Ode to Napoleon; Song of the Works. Hilton; Lindsay Qrt. (d). Morris, R.: Karuna; Inter alia. L. Nelson: Wood Dove (Jessye Norman). Serenade, Op. Bax: Tone Poems. R. Strauss: Four Last Songs Poem of Soft Music; Nocturne: Flute Thing. 24 (Shirley -Quirk). Ens. Intercontemporain, (Harper). Ulster 0, Bryden Thomson (d). Huntingdon Trio. Boulez. Beethoven: String Quartets. Delme Qrt. (d). Rochberg: Symphony No. 2. New York P, Tor- Schubert: Piano Sonata, D. 894. Perahia (d). Brahms: Piano Trios (3). Borodin Trio (d). kanowsky (r). Schubert: String Quartets Nos. 12, /3. Juilliard Elgar: In the South; Froissart; Cockaigne. Scot- Rorem: Women's Voices (Katherine Ciesinski); Qrt. tish National 0. Gibson (d). Nantucket Songs (Bryn-Julson). Rorem. Sibelius: Symphony No. 2. Toronto SO, A. Gershwin. Athena Ens. (d). Roussakis: Voyage. Sollberger: Angel and Davis (d). Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 3 (Van Kamp- Stone. Wuorinen: Arabia felix. Group for Strauss, R.: Ein Heldenleben. New York P, en). Webern. Nash Ens., Rattle. Contemporary Music. Mehta (d). Holloway: Orchestral Works. London SO (d). Schuman: Night Journey. Endymion Ens., Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty (excerpts). Na- Kodhly: Songs. Luzon (d). Goldberg. tional PO, Stokowski (a, r). Mozart: Symphonies. English CO, Gibson (d). Subotnick: Parallel Lines. C ens. Last Dream of Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4. Cleveland 0, Prokoflev, Shostakovich: Cello Sonatas. Boro- the Beast. La Barbara. Maazel (d). din Trio (d). Thorne, F.: String Quartet No. 3. Hudson, Weill: Die Dreigroschenoper. Lenya, Schellow; Schoenberg: Pierrot lunaire (Manning). We- Zeavin, Hill, Grossman. Nature Studies. bern: Concerto, Op. 24. Nash Ens., Rat- Briickner-Rfiggeberg (2, r). Jubal Trio. Cologne Collegium Vocale: The Most Beautiful tle. Rosi and Toni Grunschlag: Two -Piano Works Madrigals. Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2; 4,5.Scottish (by Ballou. Dello Joio, Hindemith, Mil- Alexander Lagoya: Guitar Works (by Beetho- National 0, Gibson (2s, d). haud). ven, F. Couperin, Handel, Sor) (d). Strauss, R.: ,Songs. Cahill, Vignoles (d). New England Conservatory Ch (works by Bar - Mormon Tabernacle Ch: Greatest Hits of Christ- Stravinsky: Symphonies of Winds; Songs (Man- kin, Ceely, Davidson, Monod, Peyton). De mas (r). ning). Nash Ens., Rattle. Varon. Mormon Tabernacle Ch: Sacred Choruses (by Tchaikovsky: The Months. Artymiw (d). Faure, Poulerc, Verdi, Vivaldi, et al.) (d). Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 (orig. version). Composers Recordings, Inc., 170 W. 74th St., Waverly Consort The Christmas Story. London SO, G. Simon (d). New York, N.Y. 10023. Encore: Popular Favorites. Cantilena 0, Shep- CONSORTIUM GREAT PERFORMANCES herd (d). Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 (Columbia SO, John Ireland, His Friends, and Pupils. Parkin, See GSC Recordings, Laurel Record. Consor-

51 SEPTEMBER 1982 tium Recordings, 2451 Nichols Canyon, Los Sor, Tarrega: Guitar Works. Celedonio Romero Ravel: La Valse. London SO, Abbado (d). Angeles, Calif. 90046. (a). Paganini: Caprices (24). Mintz (d). Stravinsky: L'Histoire du soldat. Los Angeles CP2 Puccini: Turandot. Ricciarelli, Hendricks, Do- CO, Schwarz (d). mingo; Vienna StOpCh, Vienna PO, Karajan Cage: Freeman Etudes (8). Zukofsky, violin. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6. Philadelphia 0, (3, d). Rudhyar: Five Stanzas. Colonial SO, Zukofsky. Ormandy (d). Saint -Satins: Symphony No. 3. Cochereau; Ber- Epic Poem. R. Black, piano. Baroque Virtuoso Organ Works (byBach. lin PO, Karajan (d). Bruhns, Buxtehude, Hanff,J.L.Krebs, Schumann: Lieder. E. Mathis, Eschenbach (3). Released by Musical Observations, Inc., 45 W. Oley). Britton (a). 60th St., New York, N.Y. 10023. Schumann: Symphonic Etudes; Arabeske. Pol- A Distant Mirror: Fourteenth -Century Music. lini (d). CRD (U.K.) Folger Consort (a). Stockhausen: Licht: Donnerstag. Stockhausen, (distributed by Qualiton) et al. (4). Strauss, J. II: Waltzes (Emperor, et al.). Berlin Faure: Piano Works (complete). Crossley (5). PO, Karajan (d, r). Handel:Trio Sonatas: Recorder Sonatas. Stravinsky: Ebony, Dumbarton Oaks Concer- L'Ecole d'Orphee (2, 2). tos; Chamber Works. Ens. Intercontempo- Schumann: Songs. Sarah Walker. rain, Boulez. Marches for Brass Ensemble. Locke Brass Con- sort (d). Stravinsky: Songs. Bryn-Julson, A. Murray, Tear, Shirley -Quirk; Ens. Merry It Is While Summer Lasts: Medieval and Intercontempo- rain, Boulez. Renaissance Works. St. George's Canzona. Verdi: Aida. Ricciarelli, Obraztsova, Domingo. CRYSTAL Raimondi; La Scala Ch&O, Abbado (3, d). Zemlinsky: String Quartets (4). LaSalle Qrt. (3 Bubalo: Five Brass -Percussion Pieces. Cleve- [2d, 1r)). land 0 members. Griffith: Plagal Alterna- Berlin POC Ensembles. Works by V. Albrici, A. tions. Duff, D. Miller. Watson: Violin -Clar- Berger, Boccherini, Bruch, Funck, G. Gabri- inet -Piano Trio No. 1. Roberts, Johnson, J. ell, Grillo, Haydn, Khachaturian, J. Klengel, Jones. Mendelssohn, Mozart, G. Muffat, Pezel, Creston: Saxophone Suite (C. Heiden). Heiden: Rossini, A. Scarlatti, S. Scheidt, StOrl, J. Violinist Shlomo Mintz plays the Paganini Sonata (C. Heiden). Stein: Sextet (West- Strauss II, L. Viadana, Zelenka (5, d). caprices for Deutsche Grammophon. wood Wind Qnt.). Minor. Berlin PO 100th -Anniversary Edition (r). Vol. 1: Goodman, J.: Four Songs on Poems of Jimenez. Early Recordings.E.Kleiber,Nikisch, Alavedra,s;Soni Ventorum Wind Qnt. The digital recordings above, along with Delos Pfitzner, R. Strauss, Walter (5, m). Vol. 2: W.O. Smith: Eternal Truths. Soni Vento- entire Digital Master Series disc catalog, wil Wilhelm Furtwangler. Works by Beethoven, rum. Thome: The Yew Tree.Alavedra; be issued in direct -from -digital, advanced Bruckner, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Schu- Washington U. Contemporary Group, Sing- technology cassettes, duplicated in real time mann, R. Strauss, Wagner (6, m). Vol. 3: her. on TDK MA -R metal particle tape, with the Herbert von Karajan. Works by Beethoven, Mozart: Wind Serenade, K. 361. Toronto C HX Pro process, in both Dolby B and C. Cer- Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Mussorg- Winds, Webber. tain analog discs will be reissued, pressed, sky, Ravel, R. Strauss, Tchaikovsky (7). California Brass Ens.: Merry Christmas. like the new releases above, on Teldec or Vol. 4: Celebrated Soloists. Anda, Ferras, Michael Chunn, trumpet,cornet (works by JVC supervinyl. Gilels, Kempff, Ma, Mutter, Rostropovich, Bitsch.Bozza,Casterede,J.Hartmann, Delos Records, Inc., 2210 Wilshire Blvd., Suite Zeltser(5).Vol.5: Guest Conductors. Marie, H. Maury). Gibbons. 664, Santa Monica, Calif. 90403. Abbado, Bohm, Fricsay, Maazel, et al. (6). James Gillespie, clarinet. Works by Danzi, Har- Vol. 6: Herbert von Karajan (4, d). vey, Mathias. COLLECTOR'S SERIES Lowell Greer, horn. Works by Bozza, Busser, J. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON (new midpriced line) Charpentier, Dukas, Gagnebin, Poulenc, Saint -Satins. Beethoven: Diabelli Variations. Barenboim (d). Berg: Lulu: Suite. Three Pieces, Op. 6. Alten- Arthur Pryor, trombone. Early -1900s recordings Beethoven: Late String Quartets (6). Amadeus berg Lieder (5) (M. Price). London SO, with Pryor Band, Sousa Band, et al. Qrt. (4). Abbado (r). St. Louis Brass Qnt. Works by Bach, End, T.R. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5. Los Angeles PO, Ginastera, Saint -Satins,Tailleferre: Harp George, Horovitz, Maurer, Mouret, Speer. Giulini (d). Concertos. Zabaleta; 0 National de I'ORTF, Virtuosic Violin -Viola Duos (by Handel -Hal- Bernstein, L.: On the Town: Suite. Divertimen- Martinon (r). vorsen, Martin& Toch, Villa -Lobos). Gadd, to. Slava! A Musical Toast. Facsimile. Israel Hindemith: Cardillac.SOderstrOm,Fischer- Schotten. PO, Bernstein (d). Dieskau; Cologne RCh&SO, Keilberth (2, r). Melvin Warner, clarinet. Works by Martino, Brahms: Violin Concerto. Mutter; Berlin PO, Honegger: Symphonies Nos. 2 (Wesenigk), 3. Penderecki, Stravinsky, Weber. Karajan (d). Berlin PO, Karajan (r). Froydis Ree Wekre, horn. Works by Chabrier, Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 1. 2. Berlin PO,Lalo: Namouna; Rapsodie norvegienne. 0 Cherubini, Saint -Satins, Schumann, H. To- Karajan (2s, d). National de l'ORTF, Martinon (r). masi. Debussy: Images (3): Prelude l'apres-midi Liszt: Hungarian Coronation Mass. SzecsOdy, dun faune. 0 de Paris, Barenboim (d). Tiszay, Simandy, Farago; Budapest Corona- Crystal Record Co., 2235 Willida Lane, Sedro Elgar: Enigma Variations; Pomp and Circum- tion Church Ch&O, Ferencsik (r). Woolley, Wash. 98284. stance Marches Nos. 1, 2; Crown of India: Milhaud: Le Carnaval d'Aix. Satie: Parade. March. BBC SO, Bernstein (d). DAMZELL (Canada) Monte Carlo National Op0, Fremaux. Rous- Franck: Symphony in D minor. Saint -Satins: Le sel: Bacchus et Ariane. Lamoureux 0, Mar- (distributed by Brilly) Rouet d'Omphale. 0 National de France, kevitch. (r) Bauer, R.: Tabito. Gellman: Sonate pour sept. Bernstein (d). Schoenberg: Piano, Violin Concertos. Brendel, G. Hayes: First Perceptions. Sona Nova. Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 82, 87. Berlin PO, Zeitlin; Bavarian RSO, Kubelik (r). Schumann: Piano Sonatas, Opp. 11, 14; Novel- Karajan (d, r). Released by Polygram Classics, Inc., 137 W. etten. A. Hewitt (2s). Loewe: Ballads. Fischer-Dieskau, Demus. Lortzing: Der Wildschiitz. E. Mathis, Schreier, 55th St., New York, N.Y. 10019. DELOS Prey; Berlin StO, Klee (3). Mendelssohn: String Quartets (complete). Me- Beethoven: Symphony No. 1: Prometheus Over- los Qrt. (4, d). DIGITECH ture. Los Angeles CO, Schwarz (d). Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 12, 20. R. Ser- (released by Sine Qua Non) Beethoven: Symphony No. 6. New York Y CS, kin; London SO, Abbado (d). Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3. Chopin, Liszt: Schwarz (d). Mozart: Thamos, Konig in Agypten. Holl; Salz- Piano Works. Schenly (d) Schubert: Piano Sonata, D. 960. Rosenberger burg Mozarteum 0, Hager. (d). Prokofiev: Five Melodies. Borok, violin; T. Mussorgsky -Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition. Yampolsky, piano (d).

52 HIGH FIDELITY DISCOCORP Barber, Bernstein, Copland, Stothart: Piano Schnittke: Violin Concerto No. 3. Stravinsky: Works. Parkin (a). L'Histoire du soldat (Leister, Aloys Kontar- Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 (RAI-Turin Bergsma: String Quartet No. 4. Foss: Quartet sky); Pastorale. Kremer, Berlin PC Ens., 0, Rossi). Mozart: Ccncerto No. 24 (0 No. 3. Gershwin: Lullaby. Kronos Qrt. (d). Nelsson. National de l'ORTF, Cluytens). Haskil (live, Carter: String Quartet No. 2; Elegy. Foss: Wagner: Die Walkure. Jessye Norman, J. Alt- 1960, 1955). Quartet No.I.B. Herrmann: Echoes. meyer, Minton, Jerusalem, Moll, T. Adam; Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 21, 32. Badura- Kronos Qrt. (d). Dresden StO, Janowski (5, d). Skoda. R67-sa: String Quartet No. 2. B. Herrmann Wolf: Goethe Lieder. Schreier, Sawallisch (d). Beethoven: Violin Concertc (Southwest German (arr. F. Steiner): Psycho. Kronos Qrt. (d). Fritz Wunderlich Sings Lieder and Opera (2). RSO, Rosbaud). Brahms: Concerto (North Sculthorpe: String Quartet No. 10. Schifrin: Fritz Wunderlich Sings Operetta (2). German RSO, Schmidt-Isserstedt). Neveu Canons. Kronos Qrt. (d). Distributed by Tioch Productions, Inc., 65 W. (live, 1949, 1948) (2, h). Siegmeister: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 3; Theme Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 3, 10. Mozart: 55thSt.,Suite 9E, New York, N.Y. Sonatas, K. 304, 454. Grumiaux, Haskil 10019. (live, 1957) (2). Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 (BBC SO, EVEREST Boult). Beethoven: Sonata No. 26. Back- Mahler: Das klagende Lied. Zylis-Gara, Reyn- haus (h). olds, Kaposy; Ambrosian Singers, New Phil- Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 (North German harmonia 0, W. Morris (r). RSO). Wolf: Italian Serenade (Berlin PO). Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. 1. Baker, G. Knappertsbusch (live, 1962, 1952). Evans; London PO, W. Morris (r). 9.Munich PO, Bruckner: Symphony No. Mozart: Flute Concertos (2). Rampal; Lamou- Kabasta (live, 1943) (h). reux 0, Goldschmidt (r). Chopin: Ballades (4); Preludes (24). Cortot Art of the Flute Trio (works by Bach, J. -B. Loeil- (1929, 1926) (h). let,Pepusch, Telemann). Rampal, Du- Falls: Harpsichord Concerto. Falls. Seven Pop- schenes, Gilbert (r). ular Spanish Songs. Barrientos, Falls. Piano Eighteenth -Century Portuguese Keyboard Mu- Works. Vines. (1930, 1928, 1929) (h). sic. Blumental, piano. Grieg: Piano Concerto. Debussy: Fantaisie. Gieseking, Frankfurt RSO, Schroder Musica Antigua Ens.: Medieval and Renaissance Songs and Dances. (1951). Pianist James Tocco performs Chopin and works by Americans for Gasparo. Renaissance Music from Advent to Christmas. Schumann: Symphonic Etudes; Waldscenen; Ambrosian Singers, McCarthy (r). Romances, Op. 28 (3). Gieseking (1952). l'chaikovsky: Violin Concerto (Barbirolli). Vi- and Variations. Mandel (a). Everest Records, Concourse Level, 2020 Ave- valdi: Concerto in G minor (Collingwood). nue of theStars,Century City,Calif. Elman; London SC (h). EURODISC (West Germany) 90067. Discocorp, Inc., P.O. Box 771, Berkeley, Calif. Bach: Cantatas Nos. 4, 134; 36, 61; 40, 50, 110; GASPARO 94701. 68,172;71;79,80.Auger, Wenkel, Schreier, S. Lorenz; Leipzig New Bach Col- Bach, C.P.E.: Keyboard Sonata in A minor. DOMINUS legium Musicum, Rotzsch (6s). Bach, J.C.: Oboe Quintet in F. Bach: Flute Bach: Mass in B minor. Popp, Watkinson, Sonata, S. 1030. Oberlin Baroque Ens. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 2 (Fumet). Mozart: Buchner, T. Adam, Polster; Leipzig Ge- Bach: Organ Works, S. 542, 546, 548, 561, 615, Divertimentos, K 136, 138. Bernard Tho- wandhaus 0, Schreier (3, d). 622. Harbach. mas CO, Thomas (a). Boccherini: Cello Concerto, G. 479. Haydn: Beethoven: Cello -Piano Variations (complete). Bach: Violin(s) Concertos, S. 1042 (Bobesco), Concerto in C. Vivaldi: Concerto, RV 401. Phillips -Blumenthal Duo. 1043 (Bobesco, Blandeyrac), 1064 (arr.) Geringas; RIAS (Berlin) Sinfonietta, Ha- Chopin: Preludes (complete). Tocco. (Durand, Malaquin, Mailer). Bernard Tho- ger. Couperin, F.: Les Nations: La Francoise. Hot- mas CO, Thomas (a). Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4, 7; 5; 9. Leipzig teterre:Flute Sonata.Sainte-Colombe: Dominus Records, 215 W. 13th St., Apt. B, Gewandhaus 0, Masur (3, 2, 1). Suite for Two Bass Viols. Oberlin Baroque New York, N.Y. 10011. Donizetti: L'Elisir d'amore. Popp, DvorskY, Ens. Weill, Nesterenko; Munich RO, Wallberg Forqueray, A.; M. Marais: Suites. Cleveland (3, d). Baroque Soloists. EB-SKO PRODUCTIONS Handel: Harpsichord Suites, Book 1(8). Krapp Griffes, MacDowel: Piano Works. Tocco Franck, Szymanowski: Violin Sonatas. Skow- (2). (4s). ronski, Isaak. Handel: Organ Works; Six Fugues, Op. 3; Musi- Ramesu, Royer: Pieces de clavecin. Craw- Helen -Kay Eberlev: American Girl (soprano cal-Cloik Works. Krapp. ford. arias by Barber, Copland, Floyd, Hoiby, Handel: Virginal Suites, Works. Krapp (2). Reger: Suite, Op. 103a; Serenade, Op. 14Ia Menotti, Moore). Isaak. Lehir: Das Land des Liichelns. M. Schramm, (Willoughby, flute). Helen -Kay Eberley: Opera Lady, Vol. 2 (soprano L. Schmidt, Schock, G. Braun, Gruber, Schubert: Atpeggione Sonata. Trevani: Viola arias by Charpentier, Cilea, Giordano, Korn - Dicks; Berlin SO, Stolz (2). Sonatas (3). Zaslav Duo. gold, Leoncavallo, Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, Mozart: Bassoon, Oboe Concertos. Lemke, Basel Viola da Gamba Trio. Works by C.P.E. Wagner). Isaak. Passin; RIAS (Berlin) Sinfonietta, Shallon. Bach, J.G. Graun, J. Jenkins, Schenck. Vincent Skowronski: Vincent Alone (solo violin Mozart: Flute Concertos (2); Andante, K. 315. James Tocco: Piano Works (by Downey, Heiden works by Bach, Hindemith, Prokofiev, Galway; Lucerne Fest.' Strings, Baumgart- et al.). Wieniawski, Ysaye) (2). ner. Mozart: Piano Sonatas, K. 279-84, 309, 311, Gasparo Co., P.O. Box 120069, Nashville, Eberley-Skowror ski,Inc.,17261/2 Sherman 312, 400;457,475, 5331494, 545, 570, 576. Tenn. 37212 Ave., Evanston, III. 60201. Badura-Skoda (3, 2). Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 36. Czech PO, GERMAN NEWS ECM Sawallisch. See Acanta, Grand Prix, Preiser, Rubini,Voce. Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3; Two -Violin Jarrett: Concers (live). Jarrett (3, d). German News Co., Inc., 220 E. 86th St.. Reich: Tehillim. Reich and Musicians. Concertone, K. 190 (Grindenko). Kremer; New York, N.Y. 10028. Vienna SO. ECM Records (distributed by Warner Bros. Palestrina: Tu es Petrus Mass, Motet. St. Hed- GM RECORDINGS Records, Inc.), 509 Madison Ave., Suite wig's Cathedral Ch, Berlin PO Brass Ens., 512, New York, N.Y. 10022. Bader. GM Recordings (Gunther Schuller, president) is Schnittke: Concerto grosso (Grindenko). Sibe- an enterprise in bringing together the worlds ENTR'ACTE lius: Violin Concerto. Kremer; London SO, of contemporary classical music and jazz, in (distributed by Southern Cross) RothdestvensIcy (r). both new performances and issues of previ-

SEPTEMBER 1982 53 ously unreleased material. tier. yas, Gregor; Slovak PO, Ferencsik (d). Berg: Chamber Concerto. Kolisch, R. Sherman; Brahms: Cello Sonatas (2). Pidoux, Pennetier. Haydn: Seven Last Words (orig. version). Hun- Schuller. Brahms: Violin Sonatas (3); Viola Sonatas (2). garian StO, Ferencsik (d). Berg: Violin Concerto. Krasner; Stockholm PO, R. Pasquier; B. Pasquier; Pennetler (2s). Haydn: Songs, Canzonettas. Csengery, s; Bil- Busch (h). Buxtehude: Violin-Gamba-Continuo Sonatas son. fortepiano (d). McLennan: Vocal Works. B. Morgan, O'Riley. (4). Boston Museum Trio. Haydn: String Quartets, Opp. 71 (3), 74 (3). Organ Works. J. Christie. Cesti: Orontea. Concerto Vocale, R. Jacobs (3). Tatrai Qrt. (3). Schuller: The Power Within Us. Evitts; Crane Charpentier: Action; Les Antiennes. Les Arts Haydn: The Ten Commandments. Mozart: Music School O&Ch, Schuller. Symbiosis. Florissants, Christie (2s). Canons. Gyor Girls' Ch, Szab6. A.&M. Ajemian, W. Rosenberger. Jacquet de la Guerre: Harpsichord Works. Jeney: Hymn to Apollo; For Glass and Metal; Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto. Schuller: Buckley. Spliloquium No. 3. Tuba Capriccio. Phillips; Schuller. Janequin: Le Chant des oiseaux. Clement Jane - Kodaly: Hdry Janos. Takacs, Nagy, Gregor; Hungarian StOpCh&O, Ferencsik (3) (musi- GunMar Music, Inc., 167 Dudley Rd., Newton cal numbers available separately, 2). Center. Mass. 02159. KodIly: Hart' Janos (excerpts); Folksong Ar- rangements; Choruses (2). Kodaly (HMV GRAMAVISION/EDITIONS BLOCK recordings, c. 1928) (m, h). Beuys and Paik: In Memoriam George Maciu- Kodaly: Hymn of Zrinyi (Nagy); Jesus and the nas. Beuys, Paik (11/2). Traders; Norwegian Girls; et al. Hungarian Corner: T(h)rill; Gong. Pictures of Pictures. R&TVCh, Ferencsik. Corner (2s). Kodgly: Jesus and the Children; Tantum ergo; 0 Higgins: Emmet Williams' Ear. Satie: Premiire Come, Emmanuel; et al. Lehotka, organ; pensEe Rose + Croix. Higgins. Miskolc Children's Ch and Oratorio Ch, Schnitzler: Green; Yellow. Schnitzler. Remenyi. Wyschnegradsky: Quarter -Tone Music. Psalmus hungaricus; Missa brevis; Wyschnegradsky (11/2). Budavdri Te Deum (Budapest Ch). Concerto; Electronic Art Ens.: inquietude. Summer Evening. Hungarian StO, Budapest PO, Kodaly (1956-60) (3). Gramavision, Inc., 260 W. Broadway, New Kodaly: Szikely Lament; Evening; Sdndor Sik York, N.Y. 10013. Mezzo -soprano D'Anna Fortunato sings a Te Deum; et al. Hungarian R&TVCh, Sap- recital for Grand Prix. szon. GRAND PRIX Koss: Todesfuge; In memoriam; Cantatas (Kar- (distributed by German News) quin Ens. inthy, Nagy). Mendelssohn: Piano Trios(2).Mirecourt Josquin des Prez: Missa Pange lingua. Boston Kreisler: Aucassin et Nicolette; Tambourin chi- Trio. Camerata, J. Cohen. nois; La Precieuse; et al. Csaba, Kocsis. D'Anna Fortunato, ms: Vocal Recital. Machaut: Messe de Nostre Dame. Boston Cam- Liszt: Ave Maria; Pater nosier; 0 salutaris hos- Gilbert and Sullivan Exotica (includes voices of erata, J. Cohen. tia,et al. Lehotka, organ; Jeunesses Ch, Gilbert and Sullivan and a dramatic musical Marais: La Gamme. London Baroque. Ugrin. documentary). Round, D. Adams. Monteverdi: Four-, Five-, Six -Voice Madri- Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (Budapest version); gals. Concerto Vocale. Wayfarer Songs (Takacs, ms). Hungarian GRENADILLA Rameau: AnacrEon. Les Arts Florissants, Chris- StO, I. Fischer (2). tie. Maros: Fragment; Ricercare; Kaleidoscope; Cohn, J.: Concerto for Violin, Piano. Winds. Four Studies; Contrasts. Keuris: Divertimento. New Amsterdam Rore: Musica sopra le stanze del Petrarcha. Hil- liard Ens. Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 4 5. Hungarian Ens. StO, I. Fischer (d). Cohn, J.: Piano Sonata No. 4. Kupferman: Lit- Schutz: Kleine geistliche Konzerte. Concerto Vocale. Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 21, 22. Eder tle Sonata; Ostinato burlesco. Schumann: Qrt. Symphonic Etudes. M. Estrin. Vivaldi: Trio Sonatas "a Pisendel" (4). Boston Museum Trio. Schubert: String Quartets Nos. 8, 10. Takacs Diamond: Violin Sonatas (2). McDuffie, W. Qrt. Black. English Medieval Sacred Music. Hilliard Ens. French Clarinet Sonatas. Faucomprez, Raes. Szokolay: Hommage d Koddly; Cantata (Ady); Huybrechts, Lekeu: Violin Sonatas. Druian, DEploration; Concertino. Kalish. Playford's Dancing Master. Broadside Band, Barlow. Vtkida: Barabbas; Farewell; Stabat mater. Imbrie: Flute Concerto (San Francisco Concert Verdi: Ernani. Sass, Lamberti, L. Miller, Ko- 0, Sayre). Muczynski: Flute Sonata. San - Harmonia Mundi U.S.A.,2351 Westwood vats; Hungarian StOpCh&O, Gardelli (3, d). can: Sonatine. Baker. Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90064. Wagner: Lohengrin (excerpts). Rig6, Nemethy, John Russo, Lydia Walton Ignacio: Clarinet - Simandy, Jambor, Losonczy; Hungarian Piano Works (by J. Cohn, Laderman, M. HUNGAROTON (Hungary) StOpCh&O, Klemperer C 'Klemperer in Bu- Richter, J. Russo). (distributed by Qualiton) dapest," Vol. 4; 1948) (m, h). San Francisco Contemporary C Players. Works Bach, C.P.E.: Cello Concertos, Wq. 171, 172. Istvan Gdti Sings Lieder (by Brahms, Schubert, by Boone, Chihara, W. Peterson, Roch- Schumann, R. Strauss, Wolf). Ranki. berg. Onczay; Franz Liszt CO, Rolla. Bach: Cello Suites (6). Perenyi (3). J6zsef Gregor: Great Buffo Arias and Scenes Grenadilla Records, 142-25 Pershing Crescent, Bach: Violin -Keyboard Sonatas, S. 1014-19. (from Donizetti's Don Pasquale, L'Elisir; Suite 2F, Kew Gardens, N.Y. 11435. Csaba; Kocsis, piano (2). Mozart's Enylihrung, Nozze, Zaide; Rossi- ni's Beethoven: Fidelio(in Hungarian).Bathy, Barbiere, Cenerentola).Hungarian GSC RECORDINGS Matyas, ROsler, Maleczky, Szekely; Hun- StOpCh, Savaria SO, Pal. (distributed by Consortium) garian StOpCh&O, Klemperer ("Klemperer Hungarian Folk Music Collected by Koddly in Budapest," Vol. 3; 1948) (2, m, h). (from cylinders) (2, m, h). Paul Hindemith Anthology, Vols. 8 (works for Hungarian Folk Music, Vol. 3 (ed. Rajeczy) (4, flute; two flutes; two saxophones; oboe, pia- Bellini: Songs. Kincses, s; Sziics. Chopin: Mazurkas, Waltzes, et al. Ferenczi (2, m, h). no; trombone, piano;clarinet,piano. m). Songs and Dances from Hungarian Manuscripts strings), 9 (String Quartets Nos. 1, 2; Los Chopin: Preludes, Op. 28 (24). Ranki. (with Handel: Mi palpita it cor; Telemann: Angeles Qrt.), 11 (Quartets Nos. 5, 6). Corelli: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (12). Franz Liszt Trio). Minter, ct; Collegium Musicum. HARMONIA MUNDI FRANCE CO, Rolla (3, d). Handel: Concerto in F (Franz Liszt CO); Sona- HYPERION (U.K.) Bart6k: Piano Works. Helffer. tas, Op. 1, Nos. 3, 4, 6 (Penis, harpsichord; (distributed by Brilly) Bezzozi, Geminiani, Sammartini: Oboe Sona- Sarkozy, viola bastarda; Vajda, bassoon). Berkeley; Patrick Dickinson: Organ Works. tas. Piguet, Coin, Parker-Zylberajch. Czidra, recorder. Bate. Brahms: Ballades (4); Waltzes (16). Penne- Haydn: Harmoniemesse. Tokody, Takacs, Gul- Brahms, Schumann: Songs. Songmakers' Al -

54 HIGH FIDELITY Piano Sonata No. 2; Etudes manac. narda:Mass, Op. 18, No. 1.Arkansas U. Rachmaninoff: (9). Ashkenazy. Bruckner:Motets (complete).Croydon Sing- (Fayetteville) Schola Cantorum. Tableaux, Op. 33 Symphony No.2; Symphony No. ers. Hasa:String Quartet No. I.Rainier:Quartet. Rachmaninoff: (Soderstrom). Concertgebouw Caccini, G.; Puliaschi:Coloratura Tenor -Bass Alard Qrt. 3, Vocaase 0, Ashkenazy (2s, d). Songs.D. Thomas; Rooley. Rorem:Last Poems of Wallace StevensRees, Cello Concerto No. I .Schumann: Clementl: Piano Works. J. McCabe. S.Robinson, Lowenthal. Zaimont:The Saint-Saens: Clarinet Conce-tos Nos. 1, 2.King; Magic World.Evitts, Fitz, Feinberg. Concerto.Harrell; Cleveland 0, Marriner (d). Crusell: De Larrocha (d). London SO, Francis. Souster:Sonata for Cello, Piano, Percussion, Schubert:Piano Sonata, D. 960. 9. Vienna PO, Solti (d). Crusell:Clarinet Concero No. 3.Weber:Con- Winds.Capricorn Players.Driftwood Cor- Schubert:Symphony No. Symphony No. 3; Manfred.Vienna certo No. 2.King, Landon SO, Francis. tege (computer -generated). Schumann: Crusell:Clarinet Quartets.King; Allegri Qrt. PO, Menta (d). Leonarda Productions, P.O. Box 124Radio Symphony No. 5; Symphony No. Debussy, Poulenc, Saint-Saens:Part -Songs. Shostakovich: City Station, New York, N.Y. 10101. 12, Overture on Folk Themes.Concertge- Light Blues. bouw 0, Haitink (2s, d). Lasso:Works for Holy Week, Easter.Pro Can- Symphony No. 7; Tapiola.Philharmo- tione Antigua, Turner. Sibelius: nia 0, Ashkenazy (d). Panufnik:Sinfonia voti ea.Sessions:Concerto Bostcn SO, Ozawa. Verdi:I Masnadieri.Sutherland,Bonisolli, for Orchestra. Manuguerra, Ramey; Welsh National Purcell:Airs and Dialogues.Kirkby, D. Thom- OpCh&O, Bonynge (3, d). as; Rooley. Sutherland, Rubinstein, A.:Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 4.How- Verdi:La Traviata (highlights). Pavarotti, Manuguerra; National PO, Bon- ard. Schubert:Piano Sonatc, D. 960.Bishop-Kova- ynge (d, r). Vladimir Ashkenazy: World's Best -Loved Piano cevich. Fifth;ChopinSecond; Stanford:Songs, Vols. 1, 2.Griffett, C. Benson Concertos(Beethoven Second;Schumann; Tchai- (2s). Rachmaninoff L'Apres-midi d'un dinosaur: Bassoon -Piano kovskyFirst)(3, r). Christmas Music.Philip Jones Brass Ens.(d). Works(by Elgar, Hurlstone, Pierne, Saint- Saens, et al.). L. Perkins, Hancock. Fireworks.Philip Jones Brass Ens. (d). Leslie Howard: Virtuoso Piano Encores. Luciano Pavarotti: Yes, Giorgio (soundtrack) (d). Parley of Instruments: German Baroque Concer- Mezzo-soprano Katherine Ciesinski sings tos. Alma Mahler songs for Leonarda. LONDON JUBILEE Vienna PO, Solti LABEL "X" LONDON Beethoven:Symphony No. 3. (r). (distributed by Southern Cross) Ashkenazy Beethoven:Piano Sonata No. 29. Bruckner:Symphony No. 4.Vienna PO, Bohm Addison, J. II:Amcrous Adventures of Moll (d). (r). Symphony No. 5, Leonore Overture Flanders (film score).London Sinfonia 0, Beethoven: Handel:Messiah.Sutherland, Bumbry, McKel- Addison (r). No. 3; Symphony No. 6.Philharmonia 0, lar, D. Ward; London SO, Boult (2, r). Arnold, M.:David Copperfield (film score).0, Ashkenazy (2s, d). Mahler:Symphony No. 2.Harper, H. Watts; Arnold (r). Boito:Mefistafele.M. Freni, Caballe, Pavarotti, London SO, Solti (2, r). Axt:Ben-Hur (film score).Breil:Birth of a Ghiaurov; National PO, De Fabritiis (3, d). Schubert:Trout Quintet.Curzon; Vienna Octet Fitzwilliam Qrt. Nation (film score).Honegger:Napoleon Borodin:String Quartets (2). (r). (film score).Nev. Zealand SO, Allen (d). Brahms:Piano Concerto No. 1.Ashkenazy; Released by Polygram Classics, Inc., 137 W. Josephs:My Side of the Mountain (film score). Concertgebouw 0, Haitink (d). London Sinfonia 0, Mathieson (r). Chopin:Piano Works.Ashkenazy (continuation 55th St., New York, N.Y. 10019. of cycle) (d). North:Dragonslayer (film score).National PO, MMG North (a). Chopin (arr.):Les Sylphides.Thomas:Hamlet Rersa:Sodom and Gomorrah (filmscore). Ballet Music.Weber -Berlioz:Invitation to Handel:Messiah (excerpts; electronic).Elmer Rome SO, R6zsa (r). the Dance.National PO, Bonynge (d). IselerSingers,Synthescope Ens. (CBC Jacqueline Schweitzer-Grau: Piano Works(by Falla:The Three -Cornered Hat(Boky);El Amor Series) (d). Debussy, Poulenc, Ravel, Sauguet) (a). brujo(Tourangeau). Montreal SO, Dutoit (d). Rodgers and Hammerstein:State Fair, King Gabrieli, G.:Brass Works.Philip Jones Brass and I, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Carousel, LAUREL RECORD Ens. (d). Sound of Music Excerpts.Milsom, Du Bois, (distributed by Consortium) Handel:Royal Fireworks Music; Gboe Concer- Pedrotti; Winnipeg SO&Ch, Kunzel (CBC tos(Koch). Stuttgart CO, Miinchinger (d). Series) (d). Baker, D.N.:Concerto for Two Pianos. Jazz Handel:Water Music.Stuttgart CO, Miinchin- Festival of Folksongs. Vol. I (Austria, British Band. Strings, and Percussion(C. Webb, ger (d). Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Scan- (Diggory). Hornibrook);Give and Take Haydn:Die Schopfung.Burrowes, Greenberg, dinavia).Dorothy Shaw Bell Ch, Gregg Baker. Wohlers, James Morris, Nimsgern; Chicago Smith Singers, Texas Boys Ch, Texas Little Bloch, E.:String Quartets Nos. 1, 2.Pro Arte SO, Solti (2, d). SO, Smith (d). Qrt. Haydn:Symphonies Nos. 102, 103.London PO, Ofra Mornay: Cello Encores(by Chopin, Falla, Bloch, E.:Violin Sonatas (2).Kamei, Vallecil- Solti (d). Gershwin, Paganini, et al.). Aide. lo. Janatek:Jenhla.Soderstrom, Randova, Popp, Music for Percussion: Transcriptions by Harold Muczynski. Muczynski:Piano Works, Vol. 2. Dvorsk9; Vienna PO, Mackerras (3, d). Farberman(works by Beethoven, Berlioz, Szymanowski:String Quartets (2).Pro Arte Mahler:Symphony No. 9.Chicago SO, Solti (2, Bizet, Pachelbel). Farberman (d). Qrt. d). Twentieth -Century American Chamber Opera Miihlfeld Trio.Works by Brahms, Muczynski, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky:Violin Concertos. (Barber,A Hand of Bridge;Blitzstein,The Tejevic. Chung; Montreal SO. Dutoit (d). Harpies;Foss:Introductions and Goodbyes; Western Arts Trio, Vols. 5.6. Works by S. Mozart:Concert Arias.Gruberova; Vienna CO, Gershwin:Blue Monday Blues;D. Moore: Adler, Beethoven, Dvotak, Genzmer, Mi- G. Fischer (r). Gallantry;Najera:To Wait, To Mourn;Schu- chelet, Smart. Mozart:Le Nozze di Figaro.Te Kanawa, Popp, man:The Mighty Casey).Gregg Smith Sing- Von Stade, T. Allen, Ramey. Moll; London ers, Long Island Symphonic Choral Associa- LEONARDA PO, Solti (4, d). tion, Central Florida CO, Smith (3). Ashkenazy; Philhar- Beach:Cabildo.Missouri U. (Kansas City) Con- Mozart:Piano Concertos. Moss Music Group, Inc., 48 W. 38th St.. New monia 0 (continuation of cycle) (d). servatory. York, N.Y. 10018. Boulanger, L.:Clairieres dans le ciel(Kristine Mozart:Piano Concertos Nos. 19, 22.De Lar- Ciesinski). A. Mahler:Four Songs(Kather- rocha; Vienna SO, Segal (d). MOBILE FIDELITY Prokollev:Romeo and Juliet Suite; Symphony ine Ciesinski;. Taylor. Symphony No. 2.Royal PO, Hildegard von Bingen:Kyrie eleison.Leo- No. 1.Chicago SO, Solti (d). Rachmaninoff:

55 SEPTEMBER 1982 Temirkanov (a, r). concertantes. London Sinfonietta, Chailly. Rochberg: Quartet No. 7. Concord Qrt. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, P.O. Box 919, Lincoln Center C Music Society Live in Concert, Bartok: Cello Rhapsody. Jangiek: Fairy Tale. Chatsworth, Calif. 91311. with. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Works by Prokoflev: Sonata. Grossman, Walsh (d). Barber (Wadsworth), Wolf (Juilliard Qrt.). Boccherini: String Quintets, Vol. 2. Carmirelli, Soavi concenti: Baroque Lute -Guitar Works (by Ens. Boccherini (d). MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY Calvi, Carbonchi, Diesel, Granata, Matteis, Bolcom:. Violin Sonata No. 2; Duo Fantasy; Bach: Cantatas (complete, chronological or- Visite). R. & C. Strizich. Graceful Ghost Concert Variations. Luca, der), Vol. 3. Gachinger Kantorei, Stuttgart Carol Wincenc and Eliot Fisk: Flute -Guitar Bolcom (d). Bach Collegium, Rifling (3, 'hr). Works (by Giuliani, Godard, Gossec, Pou- Brahms: Clarinet Quintet. Mozart: Quintet, K. Bach: Organ Works ( complete), Vol. 2. Alain (4). lenc, Ravel, Satie). Anil. 91. Zukovsky, Sequoia Qrt. (d). Bach -Mozart: Prelude and Fugue. Mozart: Brahms: Piano Works (5). Schumann: Ara- Oboe Quartet; Piano Quartet, K. 493. An beske: Kinderszenen. Moravec (d). die Musik. Bridge, Frank: Piano Quintet: Phantasie Trio. Bloch, E.: Sacred Service. Berkman; Zemel Ch, London Music Group. London SO, G. Simon. Carter: Piano Sonata; Night Fantasies. Jacobs Britten: String Quartets Nos. 2, 3. Alberni (d). Qrt. Del Tredici: In Memory of a Summer Day. St. Cassad6, G.: Cello Suite, Sonatas. Shuman. Louis SO, Slatkin (d). Charpentier: Judith. L. Russell, Alliot-Lugaz, Dvotak: Czech Suite; Wind Serenade. Los Goldthorpe, Tomlinson; English Bach Fest. Angeles CO, Schwarz (d). Ch and Baroque 0, Parrott. DvoiIk: Violin Concerto; Romance; Mazurek. Cherubini: Midee. Callas, Scotto, Picchi; La Luca; St. Louis SO, Slatkin (d). Scala Ch&O, Serafin (3, r). Elgar: Symphony No. 2. Halli 0, Loughran. Corelli: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (12). Cantilena Griffes: Piano Sonata in F: Three Tone Pic- 0, Shepherd (3, d, r). tures; Fantasy Pieces; Roman Sketches. N. Debussy: Pelleas et Melisande. Yakar, Tappy, Lee. Huttenlocher; Monte Carlo OpO, Jordan (3) Handel: Harpsichord Suites (3), Works. Kipnis Elgar: Piano Quintet. Ogdon; Allegri Qrt. (r). Pianist Randall Hodgkinson plays works by (d). Griffes: Songs. Shelton, Esham, Gubrud, Opa- Martino and Sessions for New World. Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 33, Nos. 1,2. lach; J. Goldberg, Garrett, Muraco. Sequoia Qrt. (d). NAUTILUS Haydn: Baryton Trios, H. Xl: 59, 71, 96, 113, Jangeek: In the Mists; On the Overgrown Path 126. Hsu, Arico, D. Miller. Beethoven: Symphony No. 2; Egmont Overture. (excerpts). Moravec (d). Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 94. 103. London PO, London PO, Scholz (d). Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17, 23. Goode; Leppard. Mozart: Symphony No. 41; Overtures: Die Zau- Orpheus CO (d). Janitek: Glagolitic Mass. Slovak PO, Slovak. berflote; Le Nozze di Figaro. London PO, Palestrina: Pope Marcellus Mass. Pro Cantione Langlais: Organ Works (complete),Vol.2. Scholz (d). Antigua, Turner. Labounsky (3, d). Mozart: Wind Serenade, K. 361. Marlboro Poulenc: Oboe Sonata: Trio: Sextet. Roseman; Palestrina: Pope Marcellus Mass. Pro Cantione alumni, Moyse (d). Kalish; New York Woodwind Qnt. (d). Antigua, Turner. Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet; Sleeping Beau- Prokoflev: String Quartets (2). Sequoia Qrt. (d). Puccini: Le Villi. M. Richardson, D. Parker, ty Suite. Philharmonia 0, Siegel (d). Salzedo, C.: Harp Suite: Ballade; Scintillation; Christianson; Adelaide SO and Fest. Ch, Luciano Pavarotti: Bravo Pavarotti (a, r). Traipsin' Through Arkansas. Lehwalder (d). Fredman. Schubert: Octet. Boston SC Players (d). a Purcell: Dido and Aeneas. Kirkby, J. Nelson, Nautilus Recordings, P.O. Box C, San Luis Schubert: Piano Sonata, D. 958: Liindler, D. Obispo, Calif. 93406. D. Thomas; Taverner Ch and Players, Parrott 790 (12). Goode (d). (d. r). Schumann: Piano Works, Opp. 5, 6, 9, 11, 16, NEW WORLD Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2. Scottish Na- 17. Rosen (3). tional 0, Gibson (d, r). Colgrass: Déjà vu; Light Spirit. Druckman: Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8. Beethoven: Kon- Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2. Nova Trio. Aureole. St. Louis SO, Slatkin. zertsatz, WoO 5; Romances, Opp. 40, 50. Schubert:Violin -Piano Works (complete). Copland, Cowell, Gideon, Talmo: Songs. Luca; Rochester PO, Zinman (d). N.&I. Gotkovsky (3). Bryn-Julson, Sperry, Cassolas; Da Capo C Stravinsky: Piano -Duet Reductions: Petrushka; Stravinsky: Symphonies (3);Ode.Scottish Players. Three Pieces for String Quartet. Jacobs, National 0, Gibson (2, d, r). Martino: Fantasies and Impromptus. Sessions: Oppens (d). Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Works. London SO, Piano Sonata No. 2. Hodgkinson. Thomson: Four Saints in Three Acts. 0 of Our G. Simon (2, d, r). Persichetti: Mass: Winter Cantata; Love. Phila- Time, Thome (2, d). Weber: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 3. Westney (d). delphia Mendelssohn Club, Tamara Ysaye: Solo Violin Sonatas. Op. 27 (6). Castle- Weill: Violin Concerto. N. Gotkovsky; Frank- Brooks. man. furt RSO. Schoenberg: Violin -Piano Fanta- Back in the Saddle Again: American CowboyArt of the Mandolin. Sheynkman, mandolin; sy. Webern: Four Pieces. N.&I. Gotkov- Songs. The authentic cowboy and the media Macaluso, guitar. sky. tradition-a retrospective including original Calliope: Renaissance Dances (d). Deborah Minkin: Eighteenth -Century French field tapes of Van Holyoak, Carl T. Sprague, Netherlands Saxophone Qrt. Works by Bozza, P. and Italian Theorbo Music: German and et al., and reissues of Tex Ritter, Ed Bruce, M. Dubois, Glazunov. French Baroque Lute Music (2s). Sons of the Pioneers, et al. (2, h). Western Wind: Traditional Christmas Carols (d). Two -Piano Works (by Foote, Gilbert, Grainger, New Music Consort. Works by Cage, Cowell, L. EXPLORER. SERIES MacDowell, Persichetti). Riva, C. Morgan. Harrison, Crawford Seeger. Bulgaria, Music from. Musical Heritage Society, 14 Park Rd., Tinton New World Records, 231 E. 51st St., New York, Chinese Zither, Music of the. Chen. Falls, N.J. 07724. N.Y. 10022. Romania, Folk Music from. Sweden, Music in. MUSICMASTERS NONESUCH Upper Volta, Music of, Vol. 2. (manufactured and distributed by Musical Heri- Bach, C.P.E.: Keyboard Concertos. Wq. 16, West Indies. Music from the. tage Society) 32. Hamilton, harpsichord; Los Angeles CO, Nonesuch Records, 962 N. La Cienega Blvd., Faure: Violin Sonata No. 1. Prokoflev: Sonata Schwarz (d). Los Angeles, Calif. 90069. No. 1. Salerno -Sonnenberg; Rivers. Bach, C.P.E.; Haydn: Keyboard Fantasies in Handel: Chamber Works. Aulos Ens. (d). C. Mozart: Fantasy, K. 475; Sonata, K. Johnson, J.P.: Piano Works. Albright (d). 533. Bilson, fortepiano. OISEAU-LYRE (released by London) Scarlatti, D.: Keyboard Sonatas (12). Tipo, pia- Bach: Mass in B minor. J. Nelson, Baird, Doo- no. ley, Fast, Hoffmeister, Brownless, Opalach, Bach: Violin Concertos (4). Schroder; Ancient Sorabji: Le Jardin parfumi. Habermann. A.W. Schultze; Bach Ens., Rifkin (2, d). Music Ac, Hogwood (d). Stravinsky: Dumbarton Oaks Concerto; Danses Barber: String Quartet; Dover Beach (Guinn). Handel: Theater Music. Ancient Music Ac,

56 HIGH FIDELITY Hogwood. Pearl will also initiate an Opal Series of historical Philharmonia 0, Scimone (3, d). Mozart: Symphonies. Ancient Music Ac, limited editions, with artists to include J. Schubert: Mass No. 2. Vienna Boys Ch, Vienna Schroder, Hogwood (conclusion of cycle). Coates and Elwes; Feuermann; I. Friedman; SO, Harrer (d). Moritz Rosenthal. Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 2, 6. St. Martin's Ac, Marriner (d). OPEN SKY PHILIPS Strauss, J. II, Josef: Waltzes, Polkas. Vienna And Thou Beside Me (RubiRya: of Omar Khay- Boys Ch (d). yam).J.Carradine,narrator; C ens., Albinoni: Concertos, Op. 5 (12). I Musici, Car- Strauss, R.: Till Eulenspiegel; Tod and Verklar- Kosins. mirelli (2, d). ung. Concertgebouw 0, Haitink (d). Ida Haendel:Violin Works (by Heuberger, Bach: Cantatas Nos. 211, 212. Varady, Baldin, Tartini: Violin Concertos. Accardo; English CO Kosins, C. Scott, et al.). Fischer-Dieskau; St. Martin's Ac, Marriner (d). Burl Ives Onstage. (d). Telemann: Oboe Concertos (5). Holliger; St. Tales and Fables for Young and Old. J. Carra- Bach: Violin Partita, S. 1004; Suite, S. 1009. P. Martin's Ac, Brown (d). dine, narrator; Pastiche Wind Qnt. Tippett: Triple Concerto. Pauk, Imai, Kirsh- baum; London SO, C. Davis (d): Open Sky Records, Meher House, 10735 Ver- Wagner: Transcriptions for Piano. Kocsis (d). non, Huntington Woods, Mich. 48070. Widor: Organ Symphonies Nos. 5, 10. Chor- zempa (2, d). OPUS ONE Michala Petri: Recorder Concertos (by Carr, Corelli, Lorenz, Van Eyck). Chance, N.L.: Exultation and Lament. Hitch- 7 0 cock, Trigg. Duos III. Emelianoff, Lester. PHILIPS SEQUENZA Creshevsky: Sonata (electronic). English, Nat- vig, and Le Baron: Improvisations (3). Hor- Mozart: Don Giovanni, Enffiihrung Wind Ar- wood: Dynamite (film score).Brownell, rangements. Netherland Wind Ens. (r). Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes, Orpheus; Le Sacre du Heslip. printemps. London SO, C. Davis (2s, r). Freedman, Hal: Dominoes; Bartok Précis; Ring Bishop- Précis (electronic). McMillan: A Little Cos- Stravinsky: Piano -Wind Concerto. Kovacevich; London SO, C. Davis. Violin mic Dust. Lifchitz. Froom: Ballade for Fender Rhodes and Piano. Concerto. Grumiaux; Concertgebouw 0, Bour (r). La Brecque. F. Martin: Flute -Piano Bal- Pianist Zoltan Kocsis plays his own tran- lade. Pope, Robson. Pelosi: Seven Interven- scriptions of Wagner for Philips. Released by Polygram Classics, Inc., 137 W. tions. Garth. 55th St., New York, N.Y. 10019. Gerber, S.: Dylan Thomas Settings (5). F. Mar- tin: Gesiinge des Ariel (5). New York All Romero, guitar (d). Beethoven: Piano Trios, Op. 11: Op. 70. No. I PREISER (Austria) Saints Church Ch, Michno. (distributed by German News) Gerber, S.: Song Cycles (2). F. Martin: Chants Beaux Arts Trio (d). de Noel (3). Tsandoulas: Elia. I. Arnold, s; Berlioz: Damnation de Faust (excerpts). Liszt: Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1; Pieces, Opp. 118, et al. Faust Symphony. Wagner: Faust Overture. 119. Goldin. Hyla: Pre -Amnesia. T. Smith. Revisible Light. Concertgebouw 0, Dorati (2, d). Brahms, Schumann: Songs.Holl,Konrad Hyla. Lauth: Pieces of Eight. Lauth. Brahms: Hungarian Dances (21). K.&M. La- Richter. Levy, E.: Viola Sonata. Ricketts, Shenk. Moy- beque . Haydn: Nelson Mass. Beretovac, Lipovsek, T. Ian: Flute -Horn -Piano Trio. Nugent, Wake- Brahms: Waltzes (16); Rhapsodies, Op. 79 (2); Moser, Holl; St. Augustin (Vienna) Ch&O, field, Hulbert. Piano Pieces, Op. 118 (6). Bishop-Kovace- Wolf. Martin, F.: Dedicace; Quant n' ont assez fait vich (d). Joseph I: Regina coeli. Leopold I: Missa angeli do -do. Bogdan, t; Michno; et al. Canons and Bruckner: Symphony No. 9. Concertgebouw 0, custodis.S.Dennis, Gotz, Samadzadeh, Folksong Transcriptions. New York All Haitink (d). Eder; St.Leopold (Vienna) Church Ch, Saints Church Ch, Michno. Chopin: Ballades (4); Fantaisie-Impromptu, Vienna Akademischer Orchesterverein CO,

Op. 66. Davidovich (d). Gabriel. Opus One, P.O. Box 604, Greenville, Maine Chopin (arr.): Les Sylphides. Gounod: Faust Pfitzner: Songs, Vol. 2. Holl, Konrad Richter. 04441. Ballet Music, Concert Waltz. Rotterdam PO, Salmhofer: Heiteres Herbarium. R. Strauss: Zinman. Kramerspiegel. Patzak, W. Klien. PANDORA Debussy: La Damoiselle flue. Duparc: Chan-Strauss, J. II: Die Fledermaus. Herzog, Die- Bach: Transcriptions for Piano by H. Bauer, son triste; L'Invitation au voyage. Ravel: trich, Philipp, et al. (1907) (2, h). Brahms, Saint -Satins. Goldstein. Sheherazade. Ameling, Janice Taylor; San Josef Greindl Sings Arias and Scenes. Operas by Beethoven: Violin Sonatas (Kreutzer, it al.). Francisco SO&Ch, De Waart (d). Gounod, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Verdi, Wag- Rosenthal, Auer, Franck: Symphony. Bavarian RSO, Kondrashin ner (h). Brahms: Handel Variations;Waltzes(16). (d). Modest Menzinsky: Complete Recordings (2, h). Goldstein. Handel: Concerti grossi, Op. 3 (6). St. Martin's Vocal Collections: Gina Cigna (Vol. 2); Miliza Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances (two pia- Ac, Marriner (d). Korjus (Vol. 2); Tito Schipa (Vol. 5); Dmitri nos). Tufts: Fantasy on Paganini's Other Handel: Violin -Continuo Sonatas (9): Fantasy. Smirnof Umberto Urbano (Vol. 3); Ales- Theme. N.&N. O'Doan. Brown, Vigay; St. Martin's Ac C Ens. (2, d). sandro Ziliani (h). Schumann: Fantasy, Op. 17. Neal O'Doan. Haydn: Seven Last Words, Op. 51. Kremer, Arthur Grossman: Art of the Bassoon. Collier. Rabus, Causse, Iwasaki (d). PRO ARTE Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76, Nos. 4, 6. Pandora Records, 901 18th Ave. E., Seattle, Orlando Qrt. (d). Bach, C.P.E.: Keyboard Concerto, Wq. 23. Wash. 98112. Liszt: Piano Concertos (2). M. Dichter; Pitts- Bach: Concerto, S. 1054. Leonhardt, harpsi- burgh SO, Previn (d). chord (d). PEARL (U.K.) Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor; Legends (2); Beethoven: Symphony No. 7. Collegium Aur- (distributed by Qualiton) Lugubrious Gondola (2). Brendel (d). eum (d). Brahma: Violin Concerto (Blech). Bruch: Con- Mahler: Symphony No. 4. M. Price; San Fran- Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4, 6, 8. Cologne certo (Goossens). Kreisler (2, h). cisco SO, De Waart (d). RSO, Wand (1, 1, 2). Leoncavallo: / Pagliacci. Sabajno (1907) (h). Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 28, 29; 39, 41. Dres- Debussy: L'Enfant prodigue (Jessye Norman, Mozart, Weber: Bassoon Concertos. Camden den StO, C. Davis (2s, d). Carreras, Fischer-Dieskau); La Damoiselle (h). Rachmaninoff: Paganini Rhapsody. Saint - flue (Cotrubas, Maurice). South German Creators of Operetta (h). Saito: Piano Concerto No. 2. Davidovich; RCh, Stuttgart RSO, Bertini. The Tenors (5, h). Concertgebouw 0, Jarvi (d). Donizetti: 11 Campanello di notte farsa. Baltsa, Vocal Collections: Alexander Kipnis (2); John Rossini: Mose in Egitto. J. Anderson, Gal, S. Casoni, Gaifa, A. Romero, Dara; Vienna McCormack (Vol. 3) (6); Jarmila Novotnd Browne, Fisichella, E. Palacio, K. Lewis, StOpCh, Vienna SO, Bertini (d). (2); Lawrence Tibbett (2). (h) Raimondi, Nimsgem; Ambrosian OpCh, Dvollik: Piano Trios (4). Odeon Trio (3s, d).

SEPTEMBER 1982 57 Tchaikovsky:Nutcracker, Swan Lake Suites. Bons -Bons aus Wien: Waltzes(by Lanner, PIERRE VERANY (France) Utah SO, Abravanel (r). Mozart, Schubert, et al.). Boskovsky Ens. (distributed by Briny) Solid Gold Baroque(works by Albinoni, Bach, (r). J. Clarke, Gluck, Handel, Pachelbel, Tele- Mischa Elman Plays Kreisler.Seiger (r). Liszt:Via crucis.Aix-en-Provence Fest. and mann). Janigro; Prohaska; Somary; Stokow- The Virtuoso Guitar (Diaz),Oboe(Lardrot), Cathedral Chs, De Zeeuw. ski (r). Trumpet(Wobisch). Solisti di Zagreb, Jani- Songs and Dances of Provence.Ens. Polyphonic gro (3s, r). Antigua, Esquieu. BUDGET CASSETTE LINE Sortiliges de la harpe indienne. (new series of high -quality, remastered reissues Cochabamba. Vanguard Recording Society, Inc., 71 W. 23rd Tableaux de chasse et portraits baroques.Puli, from Cardinal, Everyman, and Historical St., New York, N.Y. 10010. harpsichord. Anthology series) VARESE SARABANDE Anderson, L.:Favorite Works (15).Utah SO, VOCE Abravanel (r). Beethoven:Symphonies Nos. 8, 9.OS del Esta- (distributed by German News) Bach:Cantatas Nos. 4, 50, 140; Magnifica! in D.Vienna StOpCh&O, Prohaska (2s, r). Chnarosa:L'Impresario in angustie.Gatta, G. Bach, P.D.Q.:Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach.Schick- Galli, Londi, Bottazzo, Bruscantini, Tajo; ele (2, r). RAI-Naples 0, Colonna.L'Italiana in Lon- Beethoven:Symphonies Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7; Over- dra (excerpts).Ligabue, Villa, Malacarne, tures (4).P Promenade 0 of London, Boult Montarsolo; Gerelli (m). (2) (4s, r). Jantikek:Beginning of a Romance.Janska, Ph- Beethoven:Symphony No. 5.Schubert:Sym- byl, ICrejcik, Hladik, Novak; Bmo RSO, phony No. 8.Vienna StOpO, Prohaska (r). Jflek. Chopin:Polonaises (5); Andante spianato. Petrel's: /Promessi sposi (excerpts).Olivero, Brendel (r). Campora, Savastano, Nabokov; San Remo Dvotrik:Piano Quintet.P. Serkin, Schneider, SO, Farina (m). Galimir, Tree, Soyer (r). Verdi:Les Vipres siciliennes.Brumaire, Bon- Dvotak:Symphony No.9.Vienna StOpO, honune, Peyrottes, Baran; BBC SO, Rossi Golschmann (r). (3, m). Enesco:Romanian Rhapsodies(2) (Golsch- mann). Liszt:Hungarian Rhapsodies (2) VOX BOX (Fistoulari). Vienna StOpO (r). (manufactured and distributed by MMG) Gabrieli, G.:Ceremonial and Processional Varujian Kojian and his Utah Symphony Schumann:Piano Works, Vol. 6 (includes duet Music.Gabrieli Fest. Ch&Ens., Appia (r). perform Berlioz and Brahms for Varese. and chamber works).Frankl (3). Gershwin:Rhapsody in Blue; Piano Concerto in F(Lowenthal).American in Paris.Utah SO, Abravanel (r). do de Mexico, Batiz (2, d). VOX CUM LAUDE Berlioz: Haydn:Symphonies Nos. 103, 104.Vienna Symphonic fantastique.Utah SO, Ko- (manufactured and distributed by MMG) StOpO, Woldike (r). jian (d). Bach:Gamba Sonatas (3).Rosen, cello; New- Liszt:Hungarian Rhapsodies (6); CAM& Brahms:Symphony No. 3; Tragic Overture. Utah SO, Kojian (d). man, harpsichord (d). obstinf.Brendel (r). Berg:Lulu Suite Copland:Prairie Journal.Harris:Symphony (Battle);Lyric Suite.Cincinnati Mahler:Symphony No. 1.Utah SO, Abravanel SO, Gielen (d). (r). No. 6.Pacific SO, Clark (d). Brahms:String Quartets (3).Tokyo Qrt. (d). Mozart:Piano Concertos Nos. 9, 14. Falls:Nights in the Gardens of Spain(Zuk);El Brendel; Chavez:Symphonies (6).London SO, Mata (3, Solisti di Zagreb, Janigro (r). Amor brujo.OS del Estado de Mexico, Benz (d). d). Mozart:Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 21.Mat- Haydn:Keyboard Concerto in D. Op. 2!. Chopin:Preludes (13).Schumann:Noveletten, thews; Vienna StOpO, Swarowsky (r). Op. 21.Richter (d). Mozart:Piano Quartets (2). Mozart:Concerto No. 22.Zuk, piano; Los P. Serkin, Schneid- Mendelssohn:Piano Concerto No. 2. er, Tree, Soyer (r). Angeles CO (d). Schu- Liszt:Dante Symphony.Utah SO, Kojian (d). mann (arr.):Konzertstiick, Op. 86.Frankl; Mozart:Piano Works, K. 310, 396, 511, 573. Cincinnati SO, Nelson. Brendel (r). Mozart:Symphonies Nos. 31, 36; Don Giovanni Overture. Mendelssohn:Piano Trios (2).J. Laredo, Rob- Mozart:String Quintets, K. 515, 516.Griller London PO, Batiz (d). Mussorgsky:Khovanshchina Prelude.Prokof- inson, Kalichstein (d). Qrt.; Primrose (r). Prokoflev: Mozart: iev: Romeo and Juliet (excerpts).Rimsky- Prodigal Son.U.S.S.R. SO, Rozh- Symphony No. 41; Overtures (2).Vien- destvensky. na StOpO, Prohaska (r). Korsakov:Russian Easter Overture.OS del Prokofiev:Scythian Suite.Stravinsky:Firebird Mussorgsky -Ravel:Pictures at an Exhibition. Estado de MExico, Royal PO, Batiz (d). Suite.Minnesota 0, Skrowaczewski. Mussorgsky: Ravel:Rapsodie espagnole: La Valse: Pavane Khovanshchina Prelude.New Respighi:IlTramonto(Tokyo Qrt.); Philharmonia 0, Mackerras (r): pour une infante difunte; et al.OS del Estado Songs(At- kins). Scotto; Tokyo Qrt. (d). Purcell:Come ye sons of art; Rejoice in the Lord de Mexico, Benz (d). Yardumian:Symphony No. 2(Chookasian); Schubert:Moments musicaux (3); Impromptus, alway; My beloved spake.Oriana Ch&O, A. D. 899, Nos. 2, 4. Deller (r). Armenian Suite.Utah SO, Kojian (d). Schumann:Fantasie- stacke, Op. 12, Nos. 5.7. Richter (d). Schubert:Piano Quintet.Matthews; Vienna LTD SERIES Schubert:Piano Sonatas, D. 575, 625; 664, Konzerthaus Qrt. (r). (reissues from Remington, Urania, etc., pressed 784.Richter (2s, d). Schubert:String Quintet.Alberni Qrt.; Igloi (r). on German vinyl; 1,000 numbered pressings Schubert: Sibelius: String Quartets Nos. 12, 14.Tokyo Symphony No. 2.Utah SO, Abnivanel per title) Qrt. (d). (r). Scriabin:Symphony No.3.U.S.S.R. Stravinsky:L'Histoire du soldat.Stokowski (r). Hindemith:Harp -Woodwind Concerto.Skal- Stravinsky: kottas:Greek Dances (12).San Francisco R&TVSO, Fedoseyev. Petrushka.London SO, Mackerras Shostakovich: (r). LittleSO, Millar (first stereo release; a, r). Orchestral Works and Transcrip- tions. Tchaikovsky: Pfitzner:Symphonies Nos. 2(Vienna String SO, Rozhdestvensky. Nutcracker; Swan Lake.Utah Tchaikovsky: SO, Abravanel (1, 1; r). Rapt),3(Dresden SO, Bohm [m]) (a, r). Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake Stravinsky:Symphony inThree Movements Suites.U.S.S.R. R&TVSO, Fedoseyev. Tchaikovsky:Symphony No. 6.Vienna StOpO, Waldteufel: Golschmann (r). (Furtwangler). Tchaikovsky:The Tempest Waltzes (4), Polkas (2), Mazurka, Galop.Cincinnati Pops 0, Kunzel (d). Telemann:Flute Suite in A (Fekete). Vienna PO (a, r). (Baker);Concertos Dances from the Opera (2). Solistidi Zagreb (r). Villa -Lobos:Bachiana brasileira No. 7; ChOro (by Bizet, Delibes, Gou- No. 6. nod, Massenet, Mussorgsky, Ponchielli, Vivaldi:Four Seasons(Tomasow);Flute, Pic- Berlin RSO, Villa -Lobos (a, r). Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky).Cincin- colo Concertos(Baker):Concertos for Di- Digital releases distributed by Discwasher, 1407 nati Pops 0, Kunzel (d). verse Instruments. Solisti di Zagreb, Janigro N. Providence Rd., Columbia, Mo. 65201. Mostly Zukerman (3s, r). (works by S. Bodinus, F.A. Varese Sarabande Records, Inc., 13006 N. Doppler, E. Kohler, Kuhlau, Saint -Satins). Best of Bach(2, r). Saticoy St., N. Hollywood, Calif. 91605. P.&E. Zukerman, Sanders (d).

60 HIGH FIDELITY NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 550 PITTSFIELD. MASS.

Postage will be paid by addressee High Fidelitu Reader Service 82 P.O. Box 1143 Pittsfield, Mass. 01202

HIGH FIDELITY's Reader Service Program puts you in contact with manu- facturers anxious to send you free information about L their merchandise and ser- vices. Simply circle the key numbers that match edi- torially featured or adver- tised products in which you have more interest. Please be sure to com- plete the name and address section of our postage -High Fidelity paid reply card, including your zip code, to insure accurate delivery of bro- chures. Allow four to six weeks for processing. FREE PRODUCT DATA You may also use the re- ply card to contact our edi- tors: we are interested in you and in your opinions, so feel free to complete that section of the card in confidentiality. Thank you.

a. a. N I NEW! Ct

READER a) SERVICE NOW INVITES 1 Uf YOUR EDITORIAL ac COMMENTS! U) a) Q) ai EA

C

0 4F,8 5 0, 0 a mm o Q,C Cl) c C - O 0. CD 0 - O0- - O000 OO0 CD co CD - EAeft inco a (no co Cl) CO AO Cn CDCD co O CD CD CD COO co NFW! CD co O READER SERVICE EA EA C.)6 EA C.71 )N.) NOW INVITES CP 0 Ul CD YOUR Ooo o N a000 EDITORIAL

*13 3-4ACD Ca 41. COMMENTS! 0 lo CD CD CD CO CO CO CO HIGH FIDELITY's Reader Service Program puts you in contact with manu- facturers anxious to send you free information about _J their merchandise and ser- vices. Simply circle the key numbers that match edi- torially featured or adver- tised products in which you have more interest. Please be sure to com- plete the name and address TM section of our postage - High Fidelit paid reply card, including your zip code, to insure accurate delivery of bro- chures. Allow four to six FREE PRODUCT DATA weeks for processing. You may also use the re- ply card to contact our edi- tors: we are interested in you and in your opinions, so feel free to complete that section of the card in NO POSTAGE confidentiality. NECESSARY IF MAILED Thank you. IN THE LyNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO.550PITTSFIELD, MASS.

Postage will be paid by addressee High Fidelity Reader Service 82 P.O. Box 1143 Pittsfield, Mass. 01202 CLASSICAL Reviewed by: John Canarina Nicholas Kenyon Reviews Scott Cantrell Allan Kozinn Kenneth Cooper Paul Henry Lang R. D. Darrell Irving Lowens Peter G. Davis Karen Monson BARTOK: Bluebeard's Castle, Op. 11. Kenneth Furie Robert P. Morgan CAST: Harris Goldsmith James R. Oestreich Judith Elena Obraztsova (s) Matthew Gurewitsch Conrad L. Osborne Bluebeard Yevgeny Nesterenko (bs) David Hamilton Andrew Porer Hungarian State Opera Chorus and Orches- Dale S. Harris Patrick J. Smith tra, Janos Ferencsik, cond. [Laszlo Beck, prod.] R. Derrick Henry Paul A. Snook HUNGAROTON SLPD 12254,$15.98(digital Joseph Horowitz Susan T. Sommer recording). I'm afraid that this recording does not con- tribute much to the phonographic fame of BartOk's somber and fascinating opera, measure by his discovery and careful study Bluebeard's Castle.Why the Hungarians, of the native folk music of his country. who have an abundance of good singers, Although one finds here clear exam- chose to engage two Russians to sing in ples of the first two phases of this develop- Hungarian is anyone's guess. The phonetic ment, in, respectively,Kossuthand the two coaching, though, was admirably thorough; suites, the third and most significant stage especially the bass, Yevgeny Nesterenko, is not well represented. This is surprising, enunciates with easy precision in almost since thelastthree of these orchestral flawless Hungarian. He acquits himself in works, thePortraits, Pictures,and Four the role of Bluebeard with distinction, pro- Pieces. were written between 1910 and jecting emotional depth and nuance, all the 1912, when Bart6k's full maturity was while singing well in a clear voice. The oth- already evident in other media. The opera er protagonist, Elena Obraztsova, has a Bluebeard's Castle,for example, the com- fruity contralto tinge in the lower register, poser's first unqualified masterpiece, was Arpd.d Job: a flair for Bandit's music and her powerful voice can go very high, completed before work on the Four Pieces though not without acquiring a strident and began. Yet the latter work seems much less unfocused quality that blankets the words. beard has as yet reached the poetry, drama, individual and assured-not only when At times, as when she demands the opening vocal excellence, and orchestral virtuosity compared with the opera, but also alongside of the last door, she virtually barks. Nor do of the old mono conducted by Walter Suss - such earlier works as the piano Bagatelles, the usually excellent Hungaroton engineers kind and recorded by Peter Bartok (Bart&Op. 6 (1907), and the First String Quartet help her; she is closely miked, exacerbating 310/11). P.H.L. (1908). BartOk's biographer Halsey Ste- her shrillness, and the forward sound has vens goes so far as to suggest that if the little spatial quality. BARTOK: Orchestral Works. composer had continued in the direction of Janos Ferencsik, albeit a competent Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra*, Buda- the Four Pieces, it would have "led to a conductor presiding over a fine orchestra, is pest Symphony Orchestrat, Arpad Jo6, cond.morass of stagnation"; and Bart6k himself [Brian B. Culverhouse, prod.] SEFEL SEFD must have had reservations aboutthe not a sophisticated dramatist, does not sep- 5005/9, $15.95 each (distributed bySefel arate phrases well, and does not allow the Records U.S.A.,12 Maple Leaf Dr., Parkpieces, since he did not bother to orches- telling little tempo modifications and un- Ridge, N.J. 07656). trate them until 1921, nine years after they written pauses so essentialin dramatic 5005:Kossutht; Four Pieces, Op. 12*. were completed in piano score. music. His pace is a bit uniform, though 5006:Suite No. 1, Op. 3; Two Portraits, Op. 5.t Nevertheless, these symphonic works things improve somewhat on the second 5007:Suite No. 2, Op. 4; Two Pictures, Op. 10.* are of concern to anyone seriously interest- side. The great pentatonic melody that 5008:Dance Suite; The Miraculous Mandarin, ed in Bartok, and these three discs provide a opens the opera is bereft of the mystery it Op.19: Suite.*5009:Concerto for Orches- convenient way of acquiring all of this rel- should initiate. And to cite another case, the tra.t atively rarely heard music. The perfor- wondrous sighs in the orchestra when the Released to coincide with last year's hun-mances, here and in the collection as a door opens on the "white tranquil lake" do dredth anniversary of Bart6ks birth, thiswhole, are about equally divided between not evoke tears of sadness; the glocken- collection provides a welcome occasion for the Budapest Symphony and Budapest Phil- spiel, too much in evidence, lends to the surveying certain aspects of the Hungari-harmonic Orchestras, both under the direc- heartrending threnodya certainbril- an's orchestral works. The first three discstion of thirty -one -year -old Hungarian con- liance-the very thing that should have include all of his published orchestral music ductor Arpad Job, currently music director been avoided. Even so, the scene where without soloist composed before World of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. All Bluebeard invokes the greatness, wealth, War I: the First and Second Suites, Opp. 3 of these early works, played by the same and beauty of his domain, will leave every- and 4, theTwo Portraits,Op. 5,the Two two orchestras under the direction of Mik- one shaken, as it did me. Pictures,Op. 10, and the Four Pieces, Op.los Erdelyi, have appeared on Hungaroton I wonder why the little ballad that 12, plus the early symphonic poemKossuth as part of that label's complete recorded introduces the legend was omitted; it is an (without opus number, composed in 1903, edition of Bartok. For comparison, I relis- integral part of the book. On the other hand, but not published until 1963). This repre- tened to those earlier releases (all but the as is Hungaroton's wont, the accompanyingsents a significant portion of his total output First Suite, which I did not have available); pamphlet gives not only the complete textin that formative period during which he without exception I find the new ones supe- cum stage directions in four languages, butmoved from an essentially Germanic style rior.Aside from occasional details (for also a fine essay about the opera by Gyorgy heavily indebted to Strauss, through a more example, the overly breathy sound of the Kroh, which contains interesting, impor- Lisztian one influenced by Hungarian pop- extended bass -clarinet solo that opens the tant, and hitherto unknown materials. Still, ular music, to, finally, a wholly personal third movement of the Second Suite), the the fact remains that no recording ofBlue- musical language shapedinsignificantnew readings are brighter,clearer, and

SEPTEMBER 1982 63 CLASSICAL Reviews

HENZE: Tristan. Francesch, Henze. DG 2530 ber Players. No Aim PAD 107, April. Critics' Choice 834, July. TCHAIKOVSKY: Orchestral Works. London MARTINU: The Greek Passion. Mitchinson, Symphony, Simon. CHANDOS DBRD 2003 (2), The most noteworthy Tomlinson, Mackerras. SUPRAPHON 1116 3611/2 June. releases reviewed recently (2), April. TELEMANN: St. Luke Passion. Banchetto MOZART: Piano Works. Schiff. LONDON CS Musicale, Pearlman. TITANIC TI 88/9 (2), July. ALKAN: Piano Works. Smith. ARABESQUE 7240, Aug. TIPPETT: King Priam. Harper, Tear, Bailey, 8127-3 (3), July. PURCELL: Dido and Aeneas. Kirkby, Thom- Atherton. LONDON LDR 73006 (3), March. BEETHOVEN: Diabelli Variations. P. Serkin. as, Parrott. CHANDOS ABRD 1034, May. WAGNER: Tristan and Isolde. Gray, Mitchin- RCA ARL 1-4276, Aug. RAMEAU: Hippolyte et Adele: Suite. Petite son, Goodall. LONDON LDR 75001 (5), July. BEETHOVEN: Fidelio. Altmeyer, Jerusalem, Bande, Kuijken. HARMONIA MUNDI GERMANY WEINBERGER: Schwanda. Popp, Jerusalem, Nimsgem, Masur. EURODISC 300 712 (3), Aug. IC 065-99837, June. Nimsgem, Wallberg. CBS M3 36926 (3), July. CAVALLI: Ercole amante. Palmer, Cold, Cor- SCHUBERT: Lazarus; Mass, D. 167. Arm- CENTENARY EDITION OF BARTOK'S boz. ERATO STU 71328 (3), May. strong,Johnson, Guschlbauer. ERATO STU RECORDINGS, VOL. 1. HUNGAROTON LPX DEBUSSY, FAURE: Songs. Ameling, Bal- 71442 (2). May. 12326/33 (8), June. dwin. CBS M 37210, Aug. SCHUMANN: Orchestral Works. Dresden THE LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD DOWLAND: Songbooks (4). Consort of Mu- State, Sawallisch. ARABESQUE 8102-3 (3), July. STRING QUARTET. EMI RLS 765(3), sicke, Rooley. OISEAU-LYRE DSLO 508/9 (2), STENHAMMAR: Symphony No. 2, Op. 34. June. 528/9 (2), 531/2 (2), 585/6 (2), Aug. Stockholm Philharmonic, Westerberg. CAPRICE THE TANGO PROJECT. Schimmel, Sahl, FALLA: The Three -Cornered Hat.Batiz. CAP 1151, June. Kurtis. NONESUCH D 79030, Aug. VARESE SARABANDE VCDM 1000.170, June. STRAUSS, R.: Alpine Symphony. Berlin Phil- VIENNESE SONATAS FOR VIOLIN AND HAYDN: Keyboard Sonatas (5). Marlowe. harmonic, Karajan. DG 2532 015, Aug. PIANO. Brainin, Crowson, Kraus. BBC 22313 GASPARO GS 218, June. TANEYEV: Piano Quartet. Cantilena Cham- (2), July.

much better balanced. Job shows a real flair ital recording). Tape: 3302 014, $12.98 (cas- tone has become less scrawny and more sol- for Bartok. His conception of the music is sette). id, that the expert instrumentalists play with clear, and he seems able to get what he The Argentine conductor Carlos Paita greater togetherness and involvement. That wants from both orchestras. Compared withappears to be one of those "inspirational" they still have a way to go is also demon- Erdelyi, he is a more vigorous and demand- types -which is a euphemistic way of call- strated by an occasional characterless wind ing leader. Moreover, Sefel's sound is con- ing him erratic. An early collection of phrase and by patches of squareness in the siderably better than Hungaroton's. (Unfor- famous overtures (LOD 771) had instances general execution, but in the main, this is a tunately, however, Sefel provides nothing of frenetic, sloppy playing but was, for the very fine orchestra under a deeply caring comparable to the extensive, generously most part, flammable and exciting; an musician. illustrated program books furnished by account of the Eroica (LOD 774), on the My chief quarrel with Giulini has less Hungaroton for its Bartok releases.) other hand, was simply dull and rhythmi- to do with his slow tempos per se than with Still,neither Budapest orchestra cally spineless. his predilection for protracted, long-drawn- matchesthe best playing of Western This Brahms First, though, is unequiv- out ritards. The resultis heaviness and groups. Minor ensemble problems occur ocally one of the best on records: It has rhythmic dislocation. Despite the ostensi- relatively frequently, and intonation -par- impetus and vital tension, a surging cumu- ble beauties of the performance, the obtru- ticularly in higher passages for strings -is lative energy, and a voluptuous tonal rich- sive rhetoric had me chafing at the bit soon not always entirely secure. For the two ness that is nevertheless kept under strin- after the start. remaining Sefel discs, devoted to later com- gent control. From all of this one might Giulini observes the long exposition positions that are much better-known and assume that Paita works in the freewheeling repeat in the first movement; Paita omits thus available in multiple versions, one will manner of Furtwangler, yet this perfor- same. B.G. want to weigh the alternatives carefully. mance -for allits high -voltage expres- Boulez' recording of The Miraculous Man- sion -is far closer to the disciplined, eco- darin (the full ballet, not just the suite, as CHASINS: Piano Works -See nomical performances of Toscanini, Can- Griffes. here) and the Dance Suite (CBS M 31368), telli, and Van Beinum. In fact, having a coupling that duplicates the present one, recently reheard two awesome live -perfor- CHOPIN: Ballade No. 1, Op. 23 -See is more precise, although his Mandarin mance air checks (Toscanini/NBC, May Recitals and Miscellany. does lack the intensity of Jo6's. As for the 1940; Cantelli/ Boston, March 1954),I Concerto for Orchestra, the many versions marveled at how closely Paita's reading CORRETTE: Carillon des morts- See Gilles. offer an embarrassment of riches. But for resembled them. (There is even an added me, the old Reiner one with the Chicago timpani roll at bar 415 in the finale, which Symphony (RCA AGL 1-2909) more than one hardly ever hears anymore these puris- DEBUSSY: Quartet for Strings, in G holds its own with recent versions I've ticdays!) The National Symphony, a minor, Op. 10. RAVEL: Quartet for heard. R.P.M. recording ensemble analogous to the Lon- Strings, in F. don Philharmonia initsearlydays, Galimir Quartet.[Seymour Solomon, BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1, in C minor, produces a rich, "mature" sound, and prod.] VANGUARD AUDIOPHILE VA 25009, Op. 68. betrays its youth only with a few slightly $12.98 (digital recording). National Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos ragged pizzicatos. Lodia's digital sound, Paita, cond. [Antony Hodgson, prod.] LODIA The two most frequently played examples LOD 779, $17.98 (digital recording). Tape: LOC with pungent strings, full-throated windsof French chamber music aren'tinter- 779, $17.98 (cassette). (Distributed by Brilly and brass, and prominent, biting timpani, changeable. Debussy's quartet, the older by Imports, 155 N. San Vicente Blvd., Beverly fully captures the excitement of a real per- a decade, is rougher -hewn, Ravel's more Hills, Calif. 90211.) formance event. The recording has splendid classical and controlled; it's the difference BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2, in D, Op. dynamic range. between an expressionist Van Gogh and 73. Under Carlo Maria Giulini's patient, Matisse. But even with their divergencies, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Car- loving leadership, the Los Angeles Philhar- the two works tend to respond similarly to a lo Maria Giulini, cond. [Gunther Breest, prod.] monic has been making strides. Already, variety of uniform treatments; in fact, the DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2532 014, $12.98 (dig- this performance documents that the string only instances where this wasn't so were in

64 HIGH FIDELITY the old (long -deleted) RCA Juilliard edi- Jemmy Twitcher John Gibbs (b) The Beggar's Opera never had a com- tion, whose disciplined classicism benefit- Macheath James Morris (bs-b) poser as such. For his wicked play about ed Ravel but made Debussy sound rigorous Peachum Alfred Marks (bs-b) London's criminal lowlife-on both sides Stafford Dean (bs-b) and dry, and the 1957 Budapest coupling Lockit of the law-John Gay (1685-1732) bor- The Beggar Warren Mitchell (spkr) (CBS MS 6015), whose excess of italicized rowed all the tunes he needed. Dr. John The Player Michael Hordem (spkr) Pepusch's contribution consisted of instru- sentimentality was fatal to Ravel but merely London Opera Chorus, National Philhar- injurious to Debussy. monic Orchestra,Richard Bonynge,cond.: mental accompaniments (apparently un- Not too many collectors will remem- Anthony Besch, dialogue ed. and dir. [Andrew wanted by Gay originally) plus an overture ber an ancient shellac album of the Ravel, ComaII, prod.] LONDON LDR 72008, $25.96of his own composition. Since his orches- recorded for Polydor under the supervision (two discs, manual sequence). Tape: LDR5 trations survive only as figured basses, of the composer. The Galimir Quartet of 72008, $25.96 (two cassettes). some scrt of arrangement is necessary in that performance is three -fourths changed If you're wondering what happened to thoseorder to perform the piece, and the one that here (actually, the ensemble's personnel other fellows whosenames used to beFrederic Austin made for the famous 1920 has changed many times over), but like the hyphenated with Gay's, the answer will Hammersmith revival, as revised in 1922, Juilliard's, its influential leader remains at help us define exactly what this new record- has been probably the most widely used. the helm. (Joining Felix Galimir on Van- ing is. (Austin,incidentally, was the Pea - guard are second -violinist Hiroko Yajima, whose husband, Samuel Rhodes, plays viola in the latest Juilliard edition, CBS M 30650; violist John Graham; and cellist The ALLSOP 3 Timothy Eddy). Among so many splendid versions of cassette deck cleaner these works, past and present, it is difficult to cite one as "best," except on purely per- recommended by YAMAHA sonal grounds. But the Galimir approach is a little different from the various "norms." These are not sensuous readings-although the rich, clean, lustrous sound certainly 111111111111MMIIMIIMMMIIM doesn't deprive them of tonal suavity-but MMIIIIMEM111111111111111.MMENE intellectually reasoned and structural ones. MINI There is more than a bit of Albert Roussel here, with tempos just a shade solid and the sonority permeated by a hint of tartness and linearity. The old Loewenguth readings for Vox had something of this quality, too, but MINI weren'tnearlysoconfident and well N MI played. Knowing Ravel's and Debussy's own performances of their music, I suspect N NE that both composers would have been emi- MEM -.Imp' nently satisfied by these serious, complete- W IN P ly uncosmetic statements. Markings are =INt meticulously respected, and yet, for all the literalness, there is still sufficient poetry to MIN create the requisite moods. MN Of recent, and recently deceased, edi- IIMME111111.111111MMIIM1111111111111 tions,I am unfamiliar with those of the Melos (DG 2531 203), New Hungarian MEMEMEMEMIIIIMEMEN (Turnabout TVC 37001), and Danish (Va- lois, deleted) Quartets, but of the ones I do The makers of high quality Yamaha audio products, like the K-960 cassette deck. know, the Galimir joins the Orford (London know that abrasive dry cleaning methods can damage their precision tape heads. Treasury STS 15440) and LaSalle (DG That's wny they recommend ALLSOP 3. Yamaha knows the patented, center wiper 2530 235) at the top. (The Tokyo, CBS M maintains a constant and complete swabbing action across the entire tape head. 35147, gives exquisitely refined polish to Moistened with a specially formulated solution, the virgin wool pads lift oxide and other residue M.F, that distort sound quality. Pius, the two both pieces but suffers from shrill, wiry AND GR AWARDPRIX components of dirt that can reproduction.) N.G. outercartridgesclean ruin valuable cassettes by snarling and "eating- the tape.IN ALLSOP 3 and Yamaha. Two big names DRUCKMAN: Windows-See in audio quality. two great partners for the best sound Moevs. around.

GAY: The Beggar's Opera (ed. Bonynge and Gamley). CAST. Polly Peachum Kin Te Kanawa (s) World Leaders In Fidelity Cleaning. ALL603 Lucy Lockit Joan Sutherland (s) Angela Lansbury (ms) Mrs. Peachum ALLSOP, INC. Jenny Diver Ann Murray (ms) P O Box 23. Bellingham, WA 98227 U S A (206) 734 -9090 Telex 15-2101 Allsop BLH Dolly Trull Anne Wilkens (ms) Mrs. Trapes Regina Resnik (ms) Filch Anthony Rolfe -Johnson (t) Matt of the Mint Graham Clarke (t) Circle 2 on Reader-SarvIce Card

SEPTEMBER 1982 65 CLASSICAL Reviews chum of that production, from which lively simple, however tricked-up-is asked to and original approach to the rhetoric of the excerpts were recorded in 1920 and 1922. carry a burden I don't believe it can, at least French baroque style. It might have electri- These have been reissued, along with addi- not without huge quantities of performing fying resultsin the music of Lully or tional orchestral arrangements conducted imagination, which isn't in great supply Rameau. by Austin, by England's World Records, as here. The Belgian choir has not,Ithink, RTRM 501. I might warn you that my copy On the other hand, I can't say I'd enjoy appeared on Archiv before;its sound is is badly warped.) hearing more extensive dialogue "read- attractive and well matched to the expected In the new edition on which London's ings" by the opera singers in this cast. War- stylishness of the Cologne Musica Antigua. recording is based, Richard Bonynge and ren Mitchell and Michael Hordern achieve The instrumentalists play the Corrette Car- Douglas Gamley have gone beyond previ- more professional results as the Beggar and illon splendidly; it's a sort of mournful, ous arrangers, junking even Pepusch's the Player, the speakers who introduce the angular Pachelbel canon, which lumps overture, effectively removing him fromplay and intervene at the last minute to along like a slowed -down chime of bells. the work's authorship. Like Austin, they divert it from its impending tragic ending, Like much else on this intriguing disc, have been fairly free in dropping, reorder- but even they settle too easily for effect- odd. N.K. ing, and fleshing out musical numbers. oriented line readings. Their arranging is done with a considerably The recording acoustic out-Broadways freer hand, however, and they have also felt those Broadway -cast recordings thatat- GRIFFES: Piano Works. free to tinker with some of the tunes, and for tempt to penetrate your cranium directly, Denver Oldham, piano*; Charles Tomlin- others to compose completely new ones. without the intermediation of air. Complete son Griffes, piano rollt.[Elizabeth Ostrow, The arrangers describe their work as texts are bound into London's doublefold prod.] New WORLD NW 310/1, $15.96 (two discs, manual sequence). "an adaptation for singers [i.e., as opposed album, which alsoincludes extensive Three TonePictures,Op.5;Fantasy to "singing actors"] and a full size (double notes. K.F. woodwind) symphony orchestra." What Pieces, Op. 6; Roman Sketches, Op. 7; Sonata in F; Three Preludes; Legend; De profundis; Dance they think they have achieved with their GILLES: Requiem.* CORRETTE: Car- in A minor; Pieces: in B flat; in D minor; in E.* wildly eclectic choice of styles is "gentle illon des morts. The White Peacock, Op. 7, No.I .t parodying of a wide range of eighteenth-, Anne -Marie Rodde, sorprano*; Jean Ni- GRIFFES, CHASINS: Piano Works, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century musical rouet, countertenor*; Martyn Hill, tenor*; Ulrich Constance Keene, piano. [Jane Courtland styles," and while I'm less sure about Studer and Peter Kooy, basses*; Ghent Collegi- Welton, prod.] PROTONE PR 155, $8.98. who's parodying whom, I expect that many um Vocale*, Cologne Musica Antigua, Philippe GRIFFES: The White Peacock, Op. 7, No. listeners will find the result clever and snaz- Herreweghe, cond. [Onno Scholtze and Andreas 1; The Fountain of Acqua Paola, Op. 7, No. 3; zy, at about the level of cleverness and Holschneider,prod.] ARCHIV 2533 461, Sonata in F. CHASINS: Preludes: in D, Op. 10, snazz you might encounter these days on $10.98. No. 5; in F sharp minor, Op. 11, No. 1; in E flat minor, Op. 12, No. 2; in C minor, Op. 13, No. I. Broadway (allowing for the more classical Jean Gilles's Requiem is an extraordinariiy Narrative. Three Chinese Pieces. vocal and orchestral resources used here). If famous piece by a little-known composer. It COMPARISONS-Griffes: this sounds to you like a recommendation, achieved posthumous fame, being heard at Mancinelli (Opp. 5, 6, 7, Sonata)MHS 3695 then you'll very likely enjoy the set. almost every fashionable funeral in late- Jochum (Opp. 5, 7, Preludes) And itis kind of cute.I enjoy it in eighteenth -century France, including those Golden Crest CRS 4168 small doses, and I might enjoy it more if the of Rameau and Louis XV. Ironically, the Charles Tomlinson Griffes was without vocal opportunities created by the arrangers families who commissioned it from Gilles question one of the most gifted of all Amer- were more successfully realized. Te Kana- found it too expensive to perform, so the ican composers, and it's good to have avail- wa, as the underworld chieftain Peachum's composer petulantly declared he would able New World's comprehensive antholo- daughter, sings prettily but without much keep it for his own funeral-as he did: gy of his piano music-especially in such personality, while Sutherland, as the jailer Campra conducted it, and then introduced it fine and sensitive performances as Denver Lockit's daughter, sings rather blowsily to Paris. Michel Corrette later expanded the Oldham's, in his recording debut. and with too much "personality" of the pri- scoring of the work and added an odd little Oldham is a first-rate pianist, a little ma -donna sort. Gay's wide-ranging and Carillon des morts,included here-though cooler in his approach to Griffes than Con- pungent satire is thus reduced to a squabble this recording otherwise follows Gilles's stance Keene and considerably more dis- between rival divas over Their Man, who in original instrumentation. cerning than Veronica Jochum. Before this the person of James Morris-producing There have been previous recordings release, the interpretations of choice were that damned gloppy sound in his upper of the Requiem, including one released last those of Aldo Mancinelli (Lenore Eng- midrange-seems hardly worth fighting year by Musical Heritage Society (MHS dahl's MGM recording of Opp. 5, 6, and 7, over. The only characters who come to any 4439), nicely sung and adequately played long out of print, is not really competitive in kind of life are the senior Peachum (Alfred by the Santa Cruz Festival Baroque Ensem- any case because of outdated sonics); MHS Marks) and Lockit (Stafford Dean). The ble and Chamber Choir conducted by John manages to squeeze well over an hour of most entertaining singing comes from Ann Hajdu. But the Archiv disc attempts a quite music onto a single disc without undue dis- Murray and Anne Wilkens as the "ladies" different stylistic approach, and a rather tortion, and Mancinelli's version of the who set Macheath up for arrest in Actdisconcerting one. Playing down atall sonata is more poetic and penetrating than points the old-fashioned grandeur of the Clive Lythgoe's (Philips, deleted). Now, The spoken text has been edited with piece (derived from theBrands motetsof however, Oldham sweeps the field. We care by Anthony Besch, and we can't com- Versailles), both choir and orchestra culti- have here not only all of Griffes' published plain that London has been stingy-the vate a fluffy, insubstantial sound. Beats are music, including first recordings of the four disc sides run more than 125 minutes. elided, rhythms flexible, and lines deftly posthumously publishedLegend(1915) and Still, we might wonder about the balance molded. It takes a little getting used to, and ofDe profundis(1915), but the first appear- between dialogue and music. In their orig- I was not sure initially that it served all parts ances on disc of four brief unpublished inal form, Gay's sixty-nine "airs" wereof the music equally well; the solo sections pieces dating from 1915-16. The album mostly quite brief. The more elaborate the benefit from the light expressiveness, but also includes an interesting curiosity, a per- musical arrangements, the more necessary the choral sections sound underplayed. Yet formance of "The White Peacock," Op. 7, it becomes to cut numbers and to pare down by the end of a first listening I was con- No. 1, by the composer, taken from a piano the dialogue, with the result that this funda- vinced, and a second hearing only served to roll cut for Duo -Art in 1919. mentally simple music-and itremains emphasize that this is a highly individual If Oldham's artistry does not disap-

66 HIGH FIDELITY point, the jacket notes, normally among the (5:00), Jochum (4:41) -except for Oldham most attractive features of New World(4:04) and Keene (3:36), but that is of small packaging, leave much to be desired. To consequence. begin with, this is not Griffes' complete Many will prefer Keene's warm, rich- piano oeuvre;I don't understand Newly Romantic readings of the sonata and the World's title, "Collected Works for Pia-two best-known Roman Sketches ("The Foi Information no." I can understand omitting the teaching White Peacock" and "The Fountain of cal 854-8989 , pieces published by Schirmer in 1918-19, Acqua Paola") to Oldham's. The Protone to which Griffes was unwilling to attach his disc has a wider dynamic range, and Keene RECEIVERS name, and a case can be made for omitting is a more impetuous performer The flip IVC R1110 30* 5143.00 Sony S1RVX6 419.00

91140 10he cY 234 30 5111815 343 00 incomplete compositions; but if the four side restores the music of Abram Chasins to 0X60 55w ch 289 30 STR0X4 284 00 STRVX3 unpublished pieces dating from 1915-16 the SCHWANN catalog. Keene should know Onion 111 20w CI, 1 call 219.00 1021 30w ch 1 -for lowest STRVX2 178.95 Sansui are included, why exclude the unpublishedhow to play the music of this almost forgot- 11431 45w ch 1 price 39002 243 00 C ten senior citizen; she and Chasins once Technics11626 $360.00 49002 299 00 Variations, Op. 2 (1898), the Four Pre- SA222 30w ch 203.00 59002 349.95 ludes, Op. 40 [sic] (1899-1900), and the made some duet recordings of his works. 3A203 30* ch 175.00 19002 464 95 58424 275.00 89002 539 00 Rhapsody (1912-14)? It is a puzzlement. The four preludes (tiny miniatures) and the Sherwood 3200 30w ch $175.00 Ootonica SA5107 165 00 And a minor annoyance, the notes onNarrative (more ambitious),pleasant, 91 40w ch 215.00 585207 255.00 50w ch 269.00 SA5407 315 00 O individual compositions do not appear in Rachmaninoff-like pieces, stand up rather 60w ch 339.00 Poneer SX4 122 00 SX5 151 00 the order of performance, a situation com- well. The once -famed Three Chinese Pic- SX6 200 00 Sx' 339 00 O plicated still further since Oldham doesn'ttures have dated badly. I.L. V1 play them in published order. Side 1, for TURNTABLES SPEAKERS example, contains Op. 5, Nos. 1, 3, and 2, JANAtEK: Glagolitic Mass. SIB 303 $ 99 50 AR 1151 call and Op. 6, Nos. 2 and 1, in that order. On AA 2115 1 Of Felicity Palmer, soprano; Ameral Gunson, SO 202 84 95 the other hand, the notes progress in order SLD 303 114 95 AA 111 I write U) alto; John Mitchinson, tenor; Malcolm King, 51.0 202 99 95 AA 445 1 of composition -Op. 5, Nos. 1, 3, 2; Op. bass; Jane Parker -Smith, organ; City of Birming- SL5 134 00 call SIDI 225 00 or

6, Nos. 1, 3 -with confusion worse com- ham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Simon St 7 255 00 write pounded on the subsequent sides. Rattle, cond[John Willan, prod.]ANGEL.DS Dual 1258-52 115 00 1268-55148 00 EQUALIZER Furthermore, the notes by Edward 37847, $10.98 (digital recording). Tape: 4XS 508-55124 00 m

60255 183.00 . Maisel, who wrote the standard biography 37847, $9.98 (cassette). AC, >S Van $137 95 6270-55182.00 SSI Mark II 72.95 (7) COMPARISONS: of Griffes (soon to appear in a revised and Numark 10 240013 10 8a- 115 00 m DG 138 954 expanded edition), are ridiculously per- Kubelik 25008 10 Bard 139 00 Jflek Sup. 1112 2698 functory. They do not even include the CASSETTE DECKS poetical epigraphs by Fiona MacLeod (Wil- By my count, this makes the eighth version IVC 110CIf 5112 00 Orkvo 14:C11 call for liam Sharp) and others that Griffes attached of lanadek's Glagolitic Mass to appear on CO: 127 00 (.7) n()C3L 146 00 TAW 0. price to his compositions. As is well-known, LP -an extraordinary tally for such an 110040 189 00 CA '0 unusual work that makes highly unusual Technics RSM 2181 14 00 Aiwa AD 3100159 00 Griffes was fanatical and just about indefat- RSM 225155 00 AD 3500265 00 igable in his search for appropriate epi- demands on performers. The score requires RSM 250 0189 00 AD 3a - 398 00 RSV 255 238 00 AD 3. 198 00> graphs, and would leave his compositions a large orchestra; a chorus singing in a dead nameless until he found just the right one. language (Slavonic); a soprano and tenor m , FISHER HEADPHONES m Surely, if Griffes himself felt so strongly able to cope with the ferociously difficult ! COMPACTS 7:1 too low Sennheisef400 $25.95 about this matter, a commentator could at tessitura of their solos (but an alto who has 414 44.95 LS 120 to 420 48.95 least let the listener know exactly what the only two brief phrases); a virtuoso organist; ICS 439 I advertise 424 63.95 nN composer selected. and a conductor who can keep the whole TAPES - 430 69.95 222 66.95 More than a full page is devoted to an apparatus together while communicating Min. 10 DC. 00110 45.50 -Zci) HVA 39.70 the music's rugged grandeur and fervent 3.95 essay by Gerald Stonehill on the reproduc- Full Metal Tapes C90 tm( 35.95 C ing piano, but Stonehill manages to avoid intensity. Maxe.I UDXLIIS 3.79 WA 29.95 Maxell UDXLII 2.85 Pro II 49.50 FDA $4C90 2.55 informing the reader just when Griffes Janadek's vision makes every effort 11610 24.95 111K :AXC90 3.19 Fi) worthwhile -the exhilarating impact and 1.35 made his recording of "The White Pea- FDI1C90 ASP to, Walkman 922.09 0> BASF ProlIC90 2.49 indomitable spirit of this music grip the ear I Ill cock," giving instead the date of his con- Walkman TS310 113.95 tract with the Aeolian Company; and much from first note to last, even in a less than rn valuable space is totally wasted with photo- perfect performance. The composer's pan- VIDEO EQUIPMENT WALKABOUT Z theistic celebration of life simply cannot be Sony SI. 500, $579 00 Waxman I $ 83 pp graphs of the Duo -Art reproducing piano SL 5800 789 00 Walkman II 89 95X -4 used to make the recording of the Griffes resisted, a physicalization of God in nature SL 5600629 00 Walkman III 95 950 that vibrates in every measure. "Always SL 2000 1115.00 Aiwa C5J1 132 50V) co piano roll and a close-up of the roll itself (kotuner timer) Toshiba KTRI 98 00V) 0 showing the label, but too small to be leg- the scent of the moist Luhadovice woods," Rada) FM for JVC 2650 979 00 Walkman 16 It26 00 V) ible. Even the discography is incomplete, he once wrote -"that was the incense. I 7650 999 00 JVC PC 5 289 00 Sanyo C7 239 00 M omitting David Dubal's recording of "The felta cathedral grow out of the giant 7300 649.00 XI Fountain of Acqua Paola," Op. 7, No. 3 expanse of the woods and the sky stretching Panasonic PV 5500 959.00 PV 1275 499.00 0 (MHS 3808). far into the misty distance. A flock of little PV 1770 869.00 Z A word about the Griffes piano -roll sheep were ringing the bells. Now I hear the VIDEO TAPES C X performance is perhaps in order. Unfortu- voice of each archpriest in the tenor solo, a TDK T120 $11.25 Sony L830 14.00 Panasonic T120 10.95 Sony L750 12.95r- 0 nately, the wooden sound makes it impos- maiden angel in the soprano, and in the Max ryii 1120 11.50 sible to learn anything much about Griffes choir -our people. The tall firs, their tips For orders as a performer. We do know that he did not lit up by the stars, are the candles and dur- V15.4 cn (1) call Toll FreeL - consider himself an instrumentalist of virtu- ing the ceremony I see the vision of St. I 1-800-847-4226 IT1 oso caliber, and that is certainly demon- Wenceslas and I hear the language of the VISA strated. Interestingly, he plays "The White missionaries Cyril and Methodius."It MASTERCHARGE Peacock" considerably more quickly would be impossibletofindabetter 0 (4:29) than most other pianists who have description of the Mass's intent and effect. Brand new merchandiseco 00 recorded it-Mancinelli (5:25), Engdahl No wonder that, when an uncomprehending shipped within 24 hours cr) 4908 16th Avenue Po SEPTEMBER 1982 Circle 1 on Reader -Service Card P. Brooklyn, NY 11204 CLASSICAL Reviews critic of the first performance announcedthat characterizes much of the late music. their own. And I'm not sure the piece works that JanRek, now an old man, had at last Mid& is a thoroughly delightful, infectious- on the terms Moevs sets out in his notes-at become a believer, the composer fired off aly joyful work that I suspect will be a fre- least in this performance. For one thing, the curt reply: "No old man; no believer." quent visitor to my turntable. bell that symbolizes immutability does not Simon Rattle's view of the score is Gerard Schwarz continues to impress always stand out clearly against the score's closer to Kubelik's warm-hearted perfor- as a conductor of great musicality and intel- sometimes thick percussive layers; even mance than to the more extroverted Jfleklectual curiosity (though I wonder to what though it emerges clearly at the end, the interpretation. The orchestral textures on extent a sextet needs to be conducted). This point is not made as strongly as the liner this digital disc are seductively lush and is but the latest of a series of discs notable notes suggest. Moreover, the elements of always exquisitely balanced, although therefor unhackneyed and worthwhile reper- destructive chaos don't seem all that chaot- is no lack of rhythmic energy and bitingtoire, appropriate juxtaposition of pieces, ic-much less successfully destructive- attack. I miss some of the boisterous athlet-and fresh and winning performances. The until the work's final moment. To many, icism and brazen splendor that characterize Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is certain- the score's emblematic use of minor sec- the best recorded versions from Czechoslo- ly a major ensemble in its category, worthy onds and its complex rhythmic structures vakia, but on the whole this is a moving and of standing comparison with similar groups may seem chaotic enough from the start. deeply felt account of the Mass. The solo- in Minnesota and in England. Highly rec- Yet until the very end, the order Moevs has ists deal with their arduous parts capably ifommended. J.C. established remains virtually intact, and the not with quite the ecstatic abandon of their brief stretches of stormy percussive rum- Czech counterparts. Angel has produced a MOEVS: Concerto Grosso for Piano, bling that presumably represent destructive recording of astonishing clarity, far more Percussion, and Orchestra.* DRUCK-forces are invariably followed by orchestral appealing than the rather muddy sound on MAN: Windows. and piano passages that, however agitated, the latest Supraphon issue, and for many Wanda Maximilien, piano*; Raymondare just as well ordered and structurally the superior engineering will tip the scales DesRoches, Richard Fitz, Louis Oddo, Bruce sound as those at the start. in favor of the newcomer. The complete Patti, and Stephen Payson, percussion*; Orches- On the other hand, onceI stopped Janeek collector, though, will obviously tra of the Twentieth Century, Arthur Weisberg, cond. [Carter Harman, prod.] COMPOSERS RE- looking for the composer's signposts and need both discs. P.G.D. CORDINGS SD 457, 8.95. set aside the work's philosophical intent, I discovered other charms. The solo piano JANAtEK: Idyll; Wadi. Both these works have won prizes --the writing is captivating, and Wanda Maximil- Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Gerard Moevs, ten years after its completion, the ien plays it brilliantly. I am less taken with Schwarz, cond. [Marc J. Aubort and Joanna Stockhausen International Composition most of the percussion scoring, although Nickrenz, prod.] NONESUCH D 79033, $11.98 Prize in 1978; the Druckman a Pulitzer in here, too, there are attractive moments (digital recording). Tape: DI 79033, $11.98 1972-and they share a curious structural (cassette). amid the less imaginative, noisy "destruc- trick, in which an element of orchestrationtive" patches. As in the Druckman, the In case you hadn't noticed, we are in thestands as an extramusical symbol. In theOrchestra of the Twentieth Century plays midst of a Janadek revival-about which Moevs, a bell marking the work's sixty -with enthusiasm and precision, although you will hear no objection from me. The beat spans becomes the lone survivor of ahere the recording is less vivid. A.K. late works are at the crux of all this activity, disintegrating orchestral structure and thus. with heavy concentration on the operas. It writes the composer, "an affirmation thatSTRAUSS, R.: Songs (9). was an interesting idea, then, to couple one there exists a level that destruction cannot Sylvia Sass,soprano; Hungarian State of the late pieces with an early one. Those reach . . . a sense of being, maintainedOrchestra, Ervin Lukacs, cond. [Jeno Simon, whose knowledge and recognition of Jana- amidst the mounting chaos." In the Druck- prod.] HUNGAROTON SLPX 12397, $9.98. dek is confined to the output of his incred- man, the "windows" are cracks in the Four Last Songs; Zueignung, Op. 10, No. 1 ibly productive final decade would find it dense orchestration, through which we hear (orch. Heger); Cacilie, Op. 27, No. 2; Verflihr- difficult to identify the composer of the fleeting allusions to earlier styles, blendingung, Op. 33, No. 1; Das Rosenband, Op. 36, No. 1878 Idyll; the great musical personality we in and out of Druckman's richly coloristic I; Meinem Kinde, Op. 37, No. 3. have come to know is barely hinted at fabric. These are, he writes, "moments outSass is in strikingly better vocal shape here

here. of time-shadows of ghosts . . . asthan when I last heard from her, and the The Idyll is a seven -movement suite though, having looked at an unpeopled wallvoice is under sufficient control, top to bot- for string orchestra (not to be confused with of windows, one looks away and senses the tom, to embolden her to attempt really to the actual string suite of a year earlier), after -image of a face." sing the Four Last Songs, which we more most lilting and agreeable but a trifle bland. Druckman's piece, while somewhatoften hear either glided over or treated by It certainly couldn't be mistaken for Dvo- more abstract, is the more immediately sat-lighter -weight sopranos. She may not pull it Mk, whose serenade for strings Janatek not isfying; its attractively shifting orchestraloff completely, but the music takes on an only knew but had conducted, though it's colors pull the listener in from the openingunexpected solidity in its chromatic wan- obviously the work of a talented composer bars, and interest never flags. To describe dering and skipping. in the process of finding himself. As Ber- the work is to make it sound like an eclectic If there's nothing strikingly illuminat- nard Jacobson points out in his perceptive bag of orchestral tricks, which it decidedly ing about these performances-including liner notes, Janadek is beginning to enter is not. Certainly, the effects are there-those of the five songs on the flip side- the world of Moravian folksong and dance, snapping strings, glissandos, and raspy, there's a great deal of pleasure to be had in as the themes and rhythmic impulses of thenoodling trumpets-but they never seem their basic format, including the robust Idyll make clear. pointless or overdone. Nor do the refer-orchestral accompaniments. Noteworthy The spiky,Stravinskian sextetfor ences to earlier compositional styles seemamong the B-side selections is the first ste- winds Mid& (Youth), in spite of its title,jarringly out of place. The work benefits, reo recording I've come across of the nearly was written when the composer was seven- too, from a committed and quite excitingnine -minute "Verfuhrung." ty. Here we find the familiar hallmarks of reading and a well-balanced, bright record- My favorite Four Last Songs, the late Jankek, the melodies derived from ing. mono Della Casa/Bohm, has slipped out of speech rhythms, the terseness of phrases. The Moevs has far less textural appeal, the catalog again; you might keep an eye As befits the instrumentation (a standard although its early moments and a late dia- out for London Treasury R 23216. Of the wind quintet plus bass clarinet) and the logue between piano and pitched percus-.current listings, the Janowitz/Karajan (DG title, there is none of the fierce grimness sion have an attractively tactile quality of2530 368, coupled with Death and Trans -

68 HIGH FIDELITY figuration) is notable for its cool if imper- provides variety enough in his ceaseless yet empty exercises in futility. The sound, sonal beauty, while the Te Kanawa/Andrew undulation and nuance. For all his lapidar- spliced together from various concert per- Davis (CBS M 35140, with five orchestral ian delicacy, he nevertheless preserves an formances, is a mite hard and airless but songs, duplicating only "Zueignung" from element of rhapsodic, ecstatic wildness so adequate. the Sass selection), although quite beautiful essential to some of the more "Spanish" The same Rachmaninoff performance too,is vocally and orchestrally warmer- pieces. shows up in a collection of works that dupli- hued-probably thesafestall-around The Chopin F minor Ballade stands up cates the aforementioned London recital, choice. K.F. remarkably well to the famous 1952 Horo- culled and quickly pieced together from witz recording (RCA ARM 1-2953). Com- material available to RCA, which will also parison with that classic shows, as usual in be releasing the actual transcription of the VERDI: La Traviata-Seepage 45. his recent work, a bit more fussing with concert. The Chopin ballade, recorded in details and inner voices, a fractional falling - 1947, though less expansive and convinc- off of flow and momentum; but how ing than the one from Horowitz' 1965 Car- remarkably little deterioration there is. This negie Hall concert (on CBS; see below), Recitals and velvety, nuanced, and technically quite has infinitely more grace than the disastrous splendiferous reading is very gratifying- 1982 account. And while I have never par- particularly after the depressingly disjunct ticularly admired the coyness and preciosity Miscellany "mad -scientist" G minor Ballade from of Horowitz' Kinderscenen, I freely admit Horowitz' recent London telecast. that both this 1950 account and its mid - 1960s CBS counterpart are infinitely pref- VLADIMIR HOROWITZ AT THE The Chopin F minor, of course, is a masterpiece (even with some of its salient erable to the televised rendition. MET. CBS has gotten into the act, too, with a Vladimir Horowitz, piano. [John Pfeiffer, details-like the rest specified before the stormy coda-high-handedly ignored, as three -disc anthology comprising allthe prod.] RCARED SEALATC 1-4260, $15.98 (dig- ital recording). Tape: ATK 1-4260, $15.98 (cas- Horowitz does in both of his versions), but Chopin recordings Horowitz made during sette). [Recorded in performance, November I, Liszt's ballade can be banal and billowing. his years with that company (1963-72). 1981.] In a way, Horowitz' poetic re-creation ofThe sound varies-predictably, in view of D. SCARLATTI: Sonatas for Keyboard: in this piece is even more miraculous than his its different dates and locations; some is A flat, K. 127, L. 186; in F minor, K. 466, L. Chopin. The oceans of sonority and wispy sumptuous and bronzen, some (much, sur- 118; in F minor, K. 184, L. 189; in A, K. 101, L. sprays of color make the work riveting, prisingly, from the later sessions) merely 494; in B minor, K. 87, L. 33; in E, K. 135, L. even if only ephemerally. spiky. But the German pressings are mag- 224. CHOPIN: Ballade No. 4, in F minor, Op. The two "encores" arelikewise nificently quiet, and obvious care has gone 52. LISZT: Ballade No. 2, in B minor. CHOPIN: into the production of this valuable docu- Waltz in A flat, Op. 69, No. 1. RACHMANI- splendid. This version of Chopin's A flat NOFF: Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5. Waltz blends parts of both-considerably ment (M3 36935; Richard Killough and VLADIMIR HOROWITZ: The Horo- different-texts (with perhaps a dash ofThomas Frost, prod.). H.G. witz Concerts, 1979-80. Horowitz' own vodka?). Again, the perfor- Vladimir Horowitz, piano. [John Pfeiffer, mance has an airborne, suavely graceful lilt ROBERT THOMPSON: The Twentieth - prod.] RCAREDSEAL ARL 1-3775, $9.98. notably missing from the London television Century Bassoon. Tape: ARK 1-3775, $9.98 (cassette). [Recorded version. The Rachmaninoff prelude, for all Robert Thompson, bassoon; London Sym- in performance.] its deliberation, is full of jolting incisive- phony Orchestra*, English Chamber Orchestrat, Op. SCHUMANN: Fantasiestiicke(3), ness. Geoffrey Simon, cond. [Brian Couzens, prod.] 111; Nachtstiicke, Op. 23: No. 3, in D flat; No. The other "new" Horowitz collection MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETYMHS 4553, $13.95 4, in F. MENDELSSOHN: Scherzo a capriccio, offers his first recording of various works ($8.95 to members) (digital recording) (add in F sharp minor. RACHMANINOFF (arr. Horo- by Schumann and Mendelssohn, plus his $1.60 for shipping; Musical Heritage Society, 14 witz): Sonata for Piano, No. 2, in B flat minor, Park Rd., Tinton Falls, N.J. 07724). Op. 36. second attempt at Rachmaninoff's mon- DOWNEY: The Edge of Space.* G. CHOPIN: Ballade No. 1, in G minor, strously diffuse Second Sonata. His Men- JACOB: Concerto for Bassoon, Strings, and Per- Op. 23.* RACHMANINOFF: Sonata for delssohn Scherzo a capriccio (not to be cussion. t J. ANDRIESSEN: Concertino for Bas- Piano, No. 2, in B flat minor, Op. 36.t confused withthewell-known Rondo soon and Winds. SCHUMANN: Kinderscenen, Op. 15.* capriccioso, Op. 14) has a demonic energy VIVALDI: Concertos for Bassoon and Vladimir Horowitz, piano. [John Pfeiffer, and, in place of the mere facile animation of Strings (4). reissue prod.] RCARED SEALXRL 1-4329, most Mendelssohn scherzo -type pieces, a Robert Thompson, bassoon; London Mo- $7.98 (mono/stereo). Tape: XRK 1-4329, $7.98 feeling of poised deliberation and charac- zart Players, Philip Ledger, dir. [Brian Couzens, (cassette). [From RCA originals, 1947*, 1950t, terized phrasing. The two Schumann works prod.]MUSICMASTERSMM 20018, $8.98 [from 1980t.] show a dichotomy in treatment: Horowitz' MHS 4323, 1980]. Concertos: in C, RV 472; in C minor, RV Vladimir Horowitz, whose admiration for Op.1 1 lFantasy Pieces, larger in scale 480; in A minor, RV 498; in B flat, RV 504. theturn -of -the -century belcantostyle than usual, have anguished "swirl" in No. (e.g., Mattia Battistini) is no secret, was in 1 and a feeling of demented massiveness in Bassoon aficionados may form a relatively "good voice" for his recital last November No. 3, but in between, a lovely simple lyr- small minority of today's home listeners, at the Metropolitan Opera House. In fact, icism. Similarly, the treatment of the last but their fervency is disproportionate to he comes close here to equaling his out- two of the four Night Pieces alternately their numbers-and even those have been standing recordings of Scriabin (CBS M delights (in the Faschingsschwank-like No. increasing as the ever expanding baroque 31620) and Schumann (Kreisleriana, CBS 3, full of rollicking energy) and annoys (in discography reveals the inexhaustible trea- MS 7264; F minor Sonata, RCA ARL 1- the outrageously flippant treatment of the sury of music in which the double-reed 1766). postlude, No. 4, which should be glazed bass -baritone of the woodwinds plays so He plays an unusual assortment of and measured, even muted). The Rachma- vital a role. There haven't been, unfortu- Scarlatti sonatas with his unique combina- ninoff sonata is still a tour de force, but nately, as many modern works in which it's tion of pearly yet biting sonority and glis- there was more cogency and pristine control given a starring rather than supporting part. tening detail. He does not vary repeats with (also better tonal control) in Horowitz' So it's no mean feat for the American bas- embellishment-as some outstanding 1968 CBS edition (M 30464)-still the ver- soonist Robert Thompson to have somehow younger Scarlatti players do (e.g., Andras sion to hear, if you must hear this monstros- drummed up grants (from both the Univer- Schiff, Hungaroton SLPX 11806)-but ity, one of Rachmaninoff's most overfilled sity of Wisconsin -Milwaukee and the Wis-

SEPTEMBER 1982 69 CLASSICAL Reviews Five of the music worldfinest consin Arts Board/National Endowment for the Arts) to make possible the present instru re made "Twentieth -Century Bassoon" program. rum. Thompson and two fellow faculty mem-

/mg rowan° bers-composer John Downey (b.1927) ATOK and conductor Geoffrey Simon-traveled to England in the winter of 1980 to record it wriorarmin uNolortrann. tx.10115 NNW with British orchestras and a Chandos pro- SA 35\180m GX50120E3m duction team. To be sure, Downey's 1978 "space fantasy,"a Hemnannesque exercisein eerie sound effects, is almost as pretentious as the empurpled prose of its jacket notes. But apart from promising its ingenious cre- AD190 arrow MA -11 ator a warm welcome in film and TV studi- AiI os, the recording is genuinely impressive for the lucidity and melodramatic power with which the full London Symphony has been digitally captured-and for the saving V1982 DK I1,k1 grace of amusing contrasts between the Like any fine musical instrument,cassette in any bias category. contrived sonics and the jaunty bustling - TDK Professional Reference audio TDK's genius is just as evident around or plaintive songfulness of the bas- cassettes and open reel tapes are in SA/EE (Extra Efficiency) and GX soon solos. products of genius. At TDK, it's the open reel tapes. SA/EE is the first There are more substantial rewards, genius of constantly -advancing audio open reel tape based on TDK Super however, in the 1946 concerto composed technology. Like the technology you'llAvilyn technology. GX is the master's for-and worthy of-the greatArchie find in our newly -reformulated MA -R mastering tape with its ultra -wide Camden by British master -craftsman Gor- metal, SA -X high bias and AD -X dynamic range and high MOL. don Jacob (b. 1895) and in the tonally pun- normal bias cassettes. Each has been gent1963 concertino with woodwind manufactured to incredibly strict, new accompaniment by the neoclassicist Jur- audio standards. The result is a degree riaan Andriessen (b. 1925), the son, neph- of clarity and sound quality ew, and brother of other noted Dutch com- D posers. Throughout, exceptionally vivid unmatched by any competitive THE MACHINE FOR YOUR MACHINE recording makes the most not only of Circle' SOon Raeder -Service Card Thompson's seemingly effortless virtuosity but also of his rarer knack for making irre- sistibly infectious his personal sense of fun ADIFFERENT KIND WED and relish. FREEOF RECORD CLUB YOU CAN'T GET The same gifts will have far wider TREMENDOUS SAVINGS RETAIL STORE SERVICE AT audience appeal in the Musicmasters reis- on every record and tape in print - sue of the 1980 Vivaldi program I praised no 'agree to purchaseobligations of any kind (September 1981 "Tape Deck") in DISCOUNTS OF.43% TO 73% LOW MAIL ORDER its off mfg suggested list special catalog MHS ferric -cassette edition.Its fine RV features hundreds of titles and artists PRICES? 504 Concerto is, I believe, a first recording; ALL LAIIIS AVAILASUI including most imports through special custom IT TOOK US YEARS TO its equally fine RV 472 and 480 Concertos ordering service-guarantees satisfaction PERFECT A WAY OF GIVING YOU fill gaps left when the Walt/Zimbler ver- SCNWANN CATALOG sions (RCA, c.1960) went out of print; and lists thousands of titles. classical, pop. tau. country. etc FULL SERVICE we never can have too many good perfor- DISCOUNT DIVIDEND CERTIFICATES mances of the favorite RV 498, perhaps the DividendGifts-certificates -RISK FREE- most delectable of the nearly forty bassoon redeemable immediately for extra discounts concertos Vivaldi wrote, mostly for his NEWSLETTERS BUYING AT LOW MAIL ORDER informational news and happenings in the Ospedale della Pieta girls' orchestra, which world of music special super sale listings PRICES. CALL NOW AND must have includedatleast one quite DISCOUNT ACCESSORY GUIDE FIND OUT HOW' extraordinary bassoonist. Diamond needles. cloths. tape cleaners. etc * All top name brands QUICK SERVICE Here Thompson's extraordinary tech- same day shipping on many orders * Same day shipping nicaltalents and personality projection rarely later than the next several days * No -deposit ordering seem to have inspired everyone involved- 100% IRON -CLAD GUARANTEES on all products and services-your total * No lemon guarantee not only the British players and Chandos satisfaction is unconditionally guaranteed * Lifetime service (analog) recording team, but in particular Discount Music Club is a noobliption membership club * Free money -saving harpsichordist -conductor Philip Ledger, that guarantees tremendous discounts onallstereo whose delicate yet vibrantly ringing contin- records and tapes and lets you buy what you want when advisory service you wantor not at allif you choose. uo part is one of the very best of its kind I've These are lust a few of the moneysaving reasons to write ever heard. Apart from a purist's mild for free details. You can't lose so why notfill out and 1-301-488-9600 regret that period rather than modem instru- mail the coupon below for immediate information Daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat. til 5 p.m. ments weren't used here, my only com- dina [6:1CSO NOUmrt'srtreM.,11SIC CLUB, INC Dept. 8-0982 INTERNATIONAL plaint concerns the pointless use of long - P 013:, 2000 NA kodielle. N Y10801 HI Fl outmoded Fanna identifications rather than (lame DISTRIBUTORS, INC the now preferred Ryom (or even the once Address MORAVIA CENTEh standard Pincherle) numbers; I've supplied INDUSTRIAL PARK City the Ryom numbers in the heading. BALTIMORE, MD R.D.D. State Zip UNMIMINISOMINI 21206 Circle 51 on Reader-ServIce Card arcie 43 Uneauer-aervice 70 HIGHFIDELITY CLASSICAL The Tape Deck

Critiques of new cassette and open -reel releases by R. D. Darrell more attractive timbres of the Belt/Walter up his recent preludes with the six Images Fortepianos replica used by Bilson and Levin in last and three Estampes, in comparably magical June's Vol. I of their current Mozart series recordings (Philips 7300 965, $10.98). Although period instruments have come to for Nonesuch (N4 78013). But there's still more: Peter Serkin be considered essential to the authentic per- ...and grand pianos of today.The gives a magisterially eloquent reading of formance of medieval and renaissance latest "complete" four-hand/two-piano se- Beethoven'sDiabelliVariations (RCA Red music and are winning increased accep- ries (all seven sonatas, K. 426 Fugue, K. Seal ARK 1-4276, $9.98, no notes), to be tance for the baroque repertory, their desir- 501 Variations, and K. 365 Concerto) is by proudly set beside his father's memorable ability remains debatable for rococo and Rudolf Firkusny and Alan Weiss, with 1955 Columbia version; Yugoslavian su- classical works. There, even (or especially) David Zinman's Rochester Symphony in pervirtuoso Ivo Pogorelich's accounts of connoisseurs are likely to find exorbitant the concerto (Vox Cum Laude box, VCS Beethoven's Sonata, Op.1 I 1 , and Schu- the loss of modem tonal brilliance and loud- 9010X, two extended-play cassettes,mann's Symphonic Etudes (Deutsche ness-particularly for Haydn, Mozart, and $21.98). No earlier integral set seems to be Grammophon digital/chrome, 3302 036, Beethoven masterpieces. But of course no available on tape, and this new one boasts $12.98) are no less spectacular or indul- either/or choice must be faced: Most con- ungimmicked recording, deft, unmannered gently idiosyncratic than his earlier analog/ cert and recorded performances of these playing, and admirable restraint in eschew- ferric Chopinrecital (DG 3301346, "standards" always will rely on modern inganachronisticsonicbrillianceand $10.98); and Charles Fierro is the latest to instruments. What purists crave are just weight. remind us-in overemphatic performances occasionalopportunitiestohear closer The same K. 365 Concerto is given a and heavy sonics-how old-fashioned approximations of what the composers and grander symphonic and Romantic if less MacDowell's once acclaimedFirst Modern their contemporaries actually heard. And "Mozartian- reading by Christoph Esch- SuiteandKelticSonata seem nowadays for some of us it is the piano music of the enbach (doubling as conductor) and Julius (Nonesuch H4 71399, $5.98, no notes). time that proves to be most provocatively Frantz with the London Philharmonic, in fascinating when played on true or replica expansively warm EMI recording (Angel Pianos, coincidentally, dominatethe lat- late -eighteenth- or early -nineteenth-century 4XS 37903, $9.98, no notes). The prime est additions to the open -reel catalog of fortepianos. appeal here is in the coupled K. 242 Three - Barclay -Crocker (11Broadway, New To be sure, it takes time to readjust Piano Concerto, which features as added York, N.Y. 10004). They are led by the aurally to somewhat wooden or metallic soloist none other than versatile West Ger- long -anticipated return of Lili Kraus to the highs and decidedly less reverberant lows, man Chancellor Helmut Schmidt! (But can zesty folksong and dance settings, chil- but with familiarity one learns to relish the you distinguishhis individual contribu- dren's pieces, etc., of her onetime teacher, suitability of such tonal differences to the tion?) Bartok (Vanguard/B-C E 71249, $8.95). music itself-above all, to that intended for Unarguably, only the real McCoy in And in a companion "Fantasies" reel (E home or salon rather than concert -hall per- pianistic ring, impact, and fluent articula- 25003. $8.95) she brings the same personal formance. And current fortepiano tapings tion can meet the unconscionable bravura authority, enhanced by Vanguard's vividly provide near ideal examples in the fantasias demands of the near mythical mid -nine- robust recording,to the great Schubert C.P.E. Bach improvised over the years teenth-century Alkan, who wrote what his Wanderer Fantasy and shorter works by 1753-87 and the four -hand and two -piano admiring contemporaries Berlioz and Paga- Bach (S. 903), Haydn(H.V11:4), and sonatas, etc., Mozart wrote from 1765 (age nini might have composed had they concen- Mozart (K. 397). nine!)to1787 (four years beforehis trated on keyboard music. It's good to be From Alfred Brendel's most recent death). reminded of this great original by his prin- Beethoven sonataseries,thefavorite The eighteen Bach fantasias (some cipal proponent, Ronald Smith,inan Moonlight, Pathetique,andAppassionata less than a minute in duration, the longest incredibly virtuosic and vividly recorded are combined (Philips/B-C G 9500 899, more than eleven) have just been recorded, (EMI, 1977) "Alkan Project" (Arabesque $10.95)-uneven but always distinguished for the first time as a complete set, with Counterpoint big box, 9127-3, $14.94, readings in ringing sonics, with a wide great panache by Evelyn Garvey on a Beltbrief notes only), which features the twelve dynamic range. One of the two reels featur- replica of Mozart's Walter fortepiano of fabulous Op. 39 Etudes and five shorter but ing piano with strings leaves me lukewarm: 1786 (Spectrum SC 246, $4.95, plus $1.50 no less extraordinary pieces. the 1976 British CRD recording of Schu- shipping, from Spectrum, Harriman, N.Y. And just as obviously, the modern pia- mann's Op. 44 Quintet, in which pianist 10926).Invaluableas documentations, no's full liquidity and resonance are needed Thomas Rajna's expertise is largely negat- these odd, multifarious pieces reveal that for the keyboard music of Faure and Debus- ed by the Alberni Quartet's vehemence and Carl Philipp Emanuel inherited a consider- sy. The former is superbly represented by high -end harshness-qualities even more able sense of humor as well as creative the octogenarian grande dame of French evident in the coupled Schumann Third genius. pianists Magda Tagliaferro, who joins Quartet (Vanguard/B-C E 0083, $8.95). On two different replica instruments, young Daniel Varsano in the irresistibly And ! also found it helpful to tame the over - Steven Lubin and Anthony Newman play charming Dolly and the larger -scaled Op. intense highs in the Vienna Haydn Trio's all Mozart's Sonatas, K. 448 and K. 497, with 19 Ballade (two -piano version) and plays too vividly close recordings of the three infectious high spirits if occasional overve- two solo nocturnes, with Varsano adding a "standard" Brahms piano trios (Telefunk- hemence (Arabesque 9125, $7.98). But I third (CBS Mastersound digital/chrome, en/B-C 0 635471, double -play, $18.95). may be a bit biased in my preference for the HMT 37246, price at dealer's option, no But with that bit of tone control, this mar- more restrainedperformance (withall musical notes). And continuing his love velously invigorating music's dramatic vi- repeats observed) of K. 497 and for the affair with Debussy, Claudio Arrau follows tality is triumphantly freed. HF

SEPTEMBER 1982 71 )1363 CM)BE Ics CrenshawSings Crenshaw A singer's songwriter becomesa singer/songwriter. by Crispin Cioe

FOR YEARS THE BOTTOM LINE has been recorded it last year, and I counted scores of ing to Jimmy Reed and Bo Diddley. Manhattan's premier showcase club,a people singing along. By the time the bandBackbeat: What were your first bands place where record companies love to debutstarted into thefirststrains ofRockin' like? hot new acts and fawn over proven money- Around in N.Y .C.,half the audience was up Crenshaw: Most of the ones I started play- makers. That's where singer/song- and dancing, a rare occurrence at this rathering with after high school were hard -rock writer/guitarist Marshall Crenshaw and his staid venue. Clearly, Crenshaw's secret liesoutfits that did both covers and original spiffy rock & roll trio played last June; itin his songs-songs designed, with near material. was their first New York appearance since perfection, to hum along with and dance to. Backbeat: Were you writing songs then? the late spring release of Crenshaw's widely You just can't help it. Crenshaw: Not very much, but I was fool- acclaimed debut album, and the glow of Several days later, he and I chatted in success was everywhere. I had been asked ing around with recording all the time. Warner Bros.' midtown offices. The twen-Detroit used to be a hotbed of studio activity to play alto sax with the opening act, Dan ty -eight -year -old Detroiter looked as dap- in the '60s. When the economy changed Dailey, so I was looking forward to getting per as ever, despite a late -night perfor- there in the '70s, lots of demo studios went a backstage view of Crenshaw in prepara- mance the evening before. tion for our interview. down the tubes, and a band I was in bought one. It had a Scully 4 -track machine, some He cuts a cool, moderately flashy fig- Backbeat: You grew up in Detroit, a town Neumann mikes, and a weird mixing con- ure onstage, decked out in saddle shoes, not known foritsrockabillytradition. sole made out of old Altec PA mixers. It salmon -pink golf trousers, a Brooks Broth- Where did that influence come from? was a really funky little studio with tube ers white knit sport shirt, and modishlyCrenshaw: The Everly Bros., Buddy Hol- short hair. He projects a certain boyish amps and great sounds. I was in there all the ly, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Knox-those time, messing around with special projects energy on his twangy guitar, but keeps his are the artists who really got through to me I'd make up for myself. It was a hobby of solos to an absolute minimum. Crenshaw'swhen I was too young to think about it very playing is steeped in '50s rock tradition, mine to pull apart a record that I liked and much. But I also couldn't help but listen toa analyze it note for note, trying to figure out with a nod to '60s guitar styles and an '80s lot of r&b. everything that was on it, why, it sounded dedication to high-tech audio precision. His Backbeat: Would you say your playing like it did, and so forth. I did that with songs Buddy Holly -influenced nasal croon, while reflects that? like not earth shattering, is Loverby Les Paul andSittin' in the at once sad andCrenshaw: I'm not really definite aboutBalcony,by Eddie Cochran. hopeful, wise and innocent. His band, what's reflected in my sound, but weare Backbeat: How did theBeatlemaniatour which includes brother Robert on drumsdoing a cover of the Parliament's oldiecome about? and bassist Chris Donato, is tight and driv- Look at What I Almost Missedin our liveCrenshaw: I had seen an ad in my home- ing, the perfect complement to their lead- show. And when a guy recently told me that er's fluid, melodic rockabilly beat, Beatle- town newspaper asking musicians to submit I had the whitest -sounding voice he'd evertapes of their renditions of Beatles tunes. I ish guitar parts, and thoroughly modern lyr- heard, it really got to me. First, because Icut a demo in my parents' basement of ic outlook. I reallyhavelistened to a lot of r&b. AndShould Have Known Betterwith my brother As Marshall and Co. kicked into theirsecond, because I think that if it weren't for first set, Robert on drums, and I got the part. I stood by the side of the stage the influence of black music, the pop cul- Backbeat: Then what? observing the audience. Despite the record ture of this country would be stinko, noth-Crenshaw: Well, I toured with them for label personnel, critics, and radio deejays, ing. The only music with no black influence eighteen months, and I ended up moving to there was a large percentage of paying, adu- is stuff like what the Carter Family does,New York. My brother was already here, latory fans present. I noticed two tables of which is great music, to be sure. But forattending a fly-by-night electronics school, girls singing along on the plaintive chorus, me, the real magic in c&w happened with and in March of '78 I just decided to leave "Will her heart ever be satisfied, there she guys like Jimmy Rodgers and Hank Wil- Beatlemaniato write my own material and goes again with another guy." A few songs liams, who were influenced by blues sing- form my own band. I had a Teac 4 -track and later, Crenshaw playedSomeday, Some- ers. As for myself, I get as excited listening way, I was still experimenting. Robert and I first popularized when Robert Gordonto old Sun Records rockabilly as I do listen- would record his drums at a rehearsal stu-

72 HIGH FIDELITY SAVE$ ON AUDIO "W VIDEO CALL TOLL -FREE 800-221-0974 RECEIVERS TURNTABLES TECHNICS SA -424 5207 TECHNICS /Lai $132 PIONEER $84 $210 TECHNICS 111.-030 $117 SONY STA.-03 5,69 DUAL CS -9270 CALL SONY STR,04 CALL SONY PS FLS CALL TECHNICS IA -222 $109 PIONEER PL $119 ONKR0 Tx. I CALL DUAL CS 106 CALL CASSETTE DECKS CARTRIDGES TECHNICS FM -64255X $211 SHURE 915-V CALL AK. 01.15. 1231 SHURE Viele $90 $441 PIONEER C 7 -FIR 11119 SHURE 145791 $44 014010 TA -630D111 Sin PICKERING 080.3000 SON, TCF 30 CALL PICKERING 010-4000 843 TEAC v-9518 $399 PERSONAL STEREO BLANK TAPE PANASONIC RR 1950 1119

BASF PRO i C-90 $26 AIWA CS -J1 $149

TOO SA -II C-90 ' 839 PANASONIC RE -10 859 TDB SA -C-90

16XELL IlD-XL II C-90 $35 CAR STEREO JENSEN J-2033 124 854 44,77ELL UD-XL ITS C-90 149 JENSEN J-2037 pc 840 VIDEO JENSEN JI0418 $85 PANASONC PV -5500 CALL JENSEN RE511 5255

PANASONIC PK-002 CALL JENSEN RE -512 8245 RcA VFT-440 CALL MITSUBISHI CAR STEREO CALL 505151,2500 CALL PIONEER CAR STEREO CALL CALL or WRITE for your lowest prices on over 80 major brands! ALLMERCHANDISE IS BRAND NEW, ANDFULLYGUARANTEED Quantities limited. Prices subject to (mange without notice Write Or Call For fro. Catalog! Call Toll -From Night -Owl Line! dio, and then bring the tapes home and fin- Warner Bros. 1100-221.0974 ish them. But I really wanted to play in front Backbeat: Warner gave you the go-ahead 11 NY AK HI Call Toll-Fraol Morday - Saturday 000-327-1531 of an audience with my own band, because to produce yourself, but a few weeks into 9arr -5 :30 pmE.S.T. Morday - Friday the sessions, you started working with Got- I figured it was the best way to find out if I OR CALLI2121253-8888 5:30 - 10PmE.S.T. was doing anything good or not. tehrer. What happened? STEREO CORPORATION Backbeat: The true test. . . Crenshaw: Well, I wanted to do the record as casually as possible to get a good feeling OF AMERICA Crenshaw: Yes-I was all for slugging it Dept 209 out in the clubs. But by the same token, I'd on it. But at the same time, we'd been play- 1629 Flatbush Ave..Brooklyn, N.Y. 1 12 10 had bad experiences with bands in Detroit: ing the songs so much live that I'd lost ego problems, counterproductive working touch with them. I needed to have someone Circle 29 on Reader -Service Card arrangements, and soforth.Itsounds push me at that point-to infuse some strange, but I wanted this band to be as energy. Richard came in one day and gen- close to not being a band as possible-the erated all kinds of enthusiasm, because he's communication had to be that good. Robert like that. He also had great ideas. For and I auditioned about fifty bass players, instance,I'doriginallywritten Rockin' MO Ong? and when we heard Chris, we immediately Around in N.Y .C. as a kind of Ramones- Be sure and send us your new knew he was right. From a musical stand- style, fast rock number, and he came up address 8 weeks before you move so you won't miss any copies of point, the three-piece format challenges us with the idea to give it a little more space, HIGH FIDELITY. to stay on top of the overall sound. the way we do it on the record. I'd have to Anyway, it was early 1980, and I had say that between his ideas, his energy, and And please include an old mailing written a batch of songs, which in fact end- his oddball sense of humor, Richard made label from our magazine when writing us about your subscription. ed up being the basis for most of the mate- the whole thing happen. rial on my debut LP. I started taking cas- Backbeat: So the entire album was a copro- Write to: settes of the tunes around to producers, and duction? HIGH FIDELITY, one day Richard Gottehrer, who was pro- Crenshaw: Actually, Cynical Girl is left P.O. Box 10759, Des Moines, Iowa 50340 Change of address. ducing and managing Robert Gordon at the over from the beginning of :he project, time [and now produces the Go-Go's], when I was still producing myself. Richard Enter new subscription.1yr. $13.95 bill me called and said he was interested in The remixed it, but the tune is basically my pro- payment enclosed Usual Thing for Robert. Then he asked me duction. Also, the B side of my first single, Addl postage: $3 per year outside U.S.. its poss if I had more material, and I said give me a Someday, Someway, is a 4 -track demo I couple of days. I went home and rewrote made in my apartment four years ago called AFFIX LABEL

Something's Gonna Happen for Gordon, You're My Favorite Waste of Time. I did it changing it from a folk-rock type thing with while I was still in Beatlemania, before I r11 you have no label handy, print O_D addressheri clanging guitars to more of an Eddie Coch- was thinking of having a band. To tell the ran rockabilly format.I even borrowed truth, I was surprised when the label sug- 11/4. name please print some of the little stops and the staccato bass gested I use it for the B side. / address line from Cochran's Come on Everybody. Backbeat: One of your album's most They ended up using four tunes, then the unusual aspects is the vocal arranging- state 7,0 Colit I whole album got scrapped because Richard simple, but quite effective. L______and Robert parted company. Robert finally Crenshaw: I've been very influenced by New Andress made another album with another producer, things like the early Supremes records on name using three of my songs. And I eventually Motown, where the two girls sang in uni- released Something's Gonna Happen onson. Those "baby, baby" passages were address Shake Records, an independent label. It did about as sparse as you can get. but so pow - City pretty well locally and led to my deal with (Continued on page 81) state ZIP code

SEPTEMBER 1982 73 BACKBEAT Reviews EBET ROBE,. TOM COPi

A continuous succession of brass creativity: Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Clifford Brown The Postwar jazzTrumpet Reviewed by Don Heckman

Miles Davis: We Want Miles mined now to put a new face on jazz trum- sectionalization. But once again, a guitar - Teo Macero, producer pet as he was with his Harmon -mute workheavy rhythm dominates and he spends Columbia C 2-38005 (two discs) of the mid -Fifties, his Spanish -tinged Gil most of his energies on pointless noo- Freddie Hubbard: Keystone Bop Evans collaborations of the early Sixties, dling. and his fusion -jazz of the late Sixties. Coleman Hawkins retained a powerful Freddie Hubbard & Ed Michel, But this time something is missing. influence on jazz throughout most of his life producers. Fantasy F9615 Davis is playing with more sheer technical by associating himself with each newly Woody Shaw: Master of the Art control of his instrument than he has in a arriving generation of young musicians, Michael Cuscuna, producer long time, and that's all to the good. But the while at the same time maintaining a strong MusicianE 1-60131 melodic invention and the superb harmonic sense of his own musical persona. Until Clifford Brown & Max Roach: intuitiveness that characterized his earlier very recently, I would have said Miles was Pure Genius, Vol. 1 phases are gone, replaced by a dogged doing the same thing. Now I'm beginning Max Roach, producer determination to build a style based on to have my doubts. rhythmic accents and sound effects. It's no Musician E1-60026 Neither Hubbard nor Shaw are what accident,I suspect, that most of the sixmight becalled "young" musicians. FOUR RELEASES FROM FOURmasters of thepieces here make only minimal harmonic Indeed, each has been on the scene for a post -World War II jazz trumpet offer ademands upon the players. couple of decades. Yet both have had chance for comparison that is just too good Back Seat BettyandFast Track,for remarkable success in hanging on to the to resist. One could make a good case, inexample, are both staples in the current creative energies of their youth. Hubbard fact, for a continuous succession of brassDavis repertoire; they are, quite simply, has chosen recently to dip rather freely into creativity stretching from Miles Davis torhythmic sketches disguised as composi- the a.o.r pop -jazz waters; those recordings Clifford Brown, back to Davis and on totions. Once the rhythm establishes its jazz- can and should be considered as purely Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. (Onerock and rhythm & blues groove, nothing commercial activities. Fortunately, he bal- could, that is, if there were no Dizzy Gil-changes. Repetition piles upon repetition, ances them with pure jazz blowing sessions lespie and Fats Navarro fans around.) and it is left for Davis and saxophonist Bill like this one, recorded late in 1981 with Joe Since his return to active playing,Evans to interject a not -very -fascinating Henderson, Bob Hutcherson, and a West Davis seems to have been seeking an iden-array of choppy, accented notes and Coast rhythm section. "Keystone Bop" tity as both the alpha and the omega of thatphrases.My Man's Gone NowandKix finds Hubbard sounding absolutely stun- postwar creative stream. Certainly the evi-promise more, the former because it's a ning, fully in command of what is, even dence of this two -disc "We Want Miles"Gershwin tune, the latter because Davis has under the worst of circumstances, an amaz- concert collection suggests he is as deter-invested it with some interesting harmonic ing technical fluency. On the classicBody

74 HIGH FIDELITY and Soulhe teases the live audience by ent way, structuring an improvisation that eyeballshas come up with as strong an playing the verse toStardustand then sud- bounces back and forth between the basic album as any of his finest mid -'70s efforts. denly shifting gears into the equally famil- tempo andhalf-time.Lover Manand Like those LPs-"Joe Cocker" and iar tune of the melody. OnOne of a Another What's Newwere virtual standards for bop "Stingray"inparticular-"Sheffield Kind,which makes up all of Side 1, hemusicians, and Brown and Rollins deal Steel" comprises a disparatesetof tunes takes off in a flight of improvisational fancy with them adroitly; also included is another put forth in Cocker's inimitable rocks -in - that provides an object lesson in what con- version of the Brown -Roach anthemDaa- the -throat singing style. temporary jazz is all about. Saxist Hender- houd.Since "Pure Genius" is identified as At his most inspired, Cocker is truly a son, who has sounded a bit subdued lately, Vol. 1, Elektra/Musician presumably has masterful interpreter. He has transformed is full of life, his solos laced with the wildmore tapes from this period. Let's hope material like the Beatles' cutesy-pooWith a passions of his early work. Add vibist Hut- so. 111F Little Help from My Friendsandthe cherson to the mix and you have a concert schmaltzyYou Are So Beautifulinto rag- recording which, unlike the Davis set, is a ged, soulful numbers of his own creation. must -buy. Bloodstone: While nothing here is as immediately mem- Woody Shaw's "Master of the Art" We Go a Long Way Back orable, "Sheffield Steel" is his most con- also features Hutcherson, but its mood is Isley Bros. & McKinley Jackson, sistent work in years. Backed by the mes- merizing rhythms of drummer Sly Dunbar closer to just another day at the office. producers. T -Neck EZ 38115 Shaw loosens up somewhat on the standard and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, Cocker and we get a sense of his playing's roars and whispers his way through compo- Diane, Bloodstone is a five -man vocal group that 400 sitions by Bob Dylan (the celebrativeSeven lovely lyricism. But Walter Davis' had a short string of ballad hits in the early sounds underdevel- Days),Randy Newman (a drunken love Years Ago Tomorrow '70s, most notablyNatural High.After dis- oped, andSweet Love of Minesmacks of song calledMarie),and Bill Withers(Ruby appearing in a tangle of business hassles, Lee),among others.It's a testament to updated Horace Silver; Shaw gets off a the band resurfaced this year with a new pleasantly conversational solo but doesn't Cocker's imagination that Jimmy Cliff's label and a hit single, from which this oft -recordedMany Rivers to Crossis one of really seem to care very much. The same is album takes its title. Misterioso, the LP's best cuts. true of Thelonius Monk's Bloodstone's stock -in -trade is the kind which receives what is surely the most Along with Dunbar and Shakespeare. of multidimensional harmony singing that keyboardist Wally Badarou has a lot to do depressingly confused reading I've eversuch outfits as the Dells, the Manhattans, heard of this inherently provocative piece. with the disc'ssuccess: The evidence and the Stylistics first popularized in the extends from his horn -chart synthesizer on Given Elektra/Musician's interest in pro- '60s. Unlike most of the above, though, viding a felicitous setting for its artists, it's the slcwed-down funky strutLook What Bloodstone writes much of its own materi- You've Done tothe churchy organ shadings a shame that Shaw's first outing for the al, which rounds out the proceedings quite label couldn't have been a better showcase ofMary Rivers to Crossto the bleating sax- effectively. for his unquestioned skills. Maybe next ophonelike insouciance of Steve Win - True to form, Side 1features nothing wood'sTalking Back to the Night.Robert time. intricate,and Both Shaw and Hubbard would proba- but ballads-sensuous, Palmer and Jimmy Cliff both contribute charmingly arranged.How Does It Feel bly identify Clifford Brown as a principal vocals on several tracks, and guitarist Adri- uses an extended chorus vamp at its closean Belew's lofty embellishments spruce up influence on their playing-certainly as that deftly mixes falsettos over a repeated, much of one as Miles Davis. And they an otherwise lackluster reading of Andy harmonized phrase, topped with a creamy Fraser'sSweet Li' I Woman would be correct in doing so. Brownie'ssax solo by Earth, Wind & Fire's Don articulate translation of the Fats Navarro/ But what makes "Sheffield Steel" Myrick. OnWe Go a Long Way Back,lead exceptional is Cocker's guttural gargle of a Dizzy Gillespie bebop style was one of the singer Harry Williams' earnest tenor grad- great accomplishments of postwar jazz. voice. Few singers are as readily identifi- ually builds to a peak of falsetto ecstasy that able; fr wer interpreters are as adept at mak- (That he did it all while he was still in hisdelicately lifts the song's nostalgic mood. early twenties is all the more amazing.) His ing outside material sound like their own Bloodstone is the first outside group creation. It's good to hear Cocker in fine and Max Roach's "Pure Genius, Vol. 1" signed to the Isley Bros.' T -Neck label. The dates to 1956 and is everybit as valuable as form again. STEVEN X. REA Isleys,assisted by Detroit r&b veteran Elektra/Musician's stunning Charlie Parker McKinley Jackson, have produced a very set from 1953, "One Night in Washing- basic, tightly functional sound that wisely Steve Forbert ton" (see BACKBEAT, June). Clearly the avoids the overbearing synthesizers run- label is accomplishing its goal of finding Steve Burgh, producer ning rampant on the r&b charts these days. Nemperor ARZ 37434 unreleased material from the Fifties. The more uptempo material-mostly found The basic Brown -Roach group (with on Side 2-shows Jackson's horn and George Morrow on bass and Richie Powell The very virtues that made Steve Forbert's string charts to be meticulously funky and debut album so arresting now seem likely to on piano) is brightened considerably here well thought-out;My Kind of Woman,for by the presence of Sonny Rollins on tenor. doom his fourth to comparative limbo. instance,features aninspiredcall -and - "Steve Forbert" may even falla hair- Thisissuperlative jazz,its excellence response interplay between horns and the unlimited by style, period, or feeble fidelity breadth short of matching "Alive on Arriv- quintet's vocals. That Bloodstone has made al" in the quality of songwriting or :he of sound.I'll Remember Apriland52nd such a strong comeback statement is proof Street Themeprovide vivid reminders of directness of performance, but these new of the group's resiliency and, one hopes,songs still capture the slightly breathless how fast bebop musicians sometimes ultimate staying power. CRISPIN CIOE played. Unlike many of today's artists, they ebullience and the underlying romanti: were never reluctant to test the outer limits optimism that seemed so riveting a of their skills. Brownie's long solo onApril short years ago. If the new album doesn't contains many unsure moments in which he Joe Cocker: Sheffield Steel turn heads, it will only be because Forbi_. scrambles to make the changes, but there Chris Blackwell & Alex Sadkin, himself has chosen to return to his initia, are just as many moments of startling, high- producers. Island IL 9750 conservative values. speed inventiveness. From desperation, Characteristically,thesesongsare sometimes, comes a soaring imagination. Joe Cocker, the boozy -voiced British belter steeped in pop traditions while couched in Rollins takes the challenge in a differ- with the flailing fingers and the bloodshot the unvarnished inflection. of a singer who

SEPTEMBER 19112 75 BACKBEAT Reviews honed his skills in the classic guise of the cruiser that could have been written for Lit- good will. "Live It Up" is a recovery. It solo troubadour. Backed by Robbie Kondor tle Milton or Wilson Pickett tenyears ago. summarizes his life in rock with new read- (keyboards), Hugh McDonald (bass), Bar- Yet he never apes his influences; his dis- ings of songs that have been in his act for ry Lazarowitz (drums), and various pinch tinctivevoice, immortalized on Eagles years, with originals from his solo albums, hitters on guitar (including producer Steve standards like The Best of My Love,is at and with material from his glory daysas a Burgh) Forbert plays amplified pop/rock once plaintive and urgent, full of those New York Doll. The LP is with warmth and assurance, every element filled with unique inflections that are now part of the enthusiasm and felicitous musical connec- touching familiar resonances from the past rock lexicon. Even on an r&b classic, like tions. two decades. His songs come out of that Johnny Taylor's 970s soul anthemI've He follows his impassioned same context, achieving the subtle triumph French- Been Born Again,hisflat Midwestern ette,which conjurs up both Levi Stubbs of of sounding well-worn at first listen. drawl adds a personal dimension.Party - the Four Tops and Ronnie Spector of the To certain numbers, Burgh and For- town,which describes an ideal, who -cares- Ronettes, with deeply felt performances of bert have added country finery(You're let's -party place, uses a backing chorus of Darn Right, songs those singers first recorded:Reach a cocky exercise in honky -ton - revelers, one of whom is John McEnroe. Out I'll Be There kin' high spirits) or punchy brass/reed andIs This What I Get for Commonplace dreams of American life, Loving You.On his own accents (courtesy of the Uptown Horns), MelodyandDon- treated with a combination of humor and na,he uses lessons learned from writers but throughout the central attraction is For- insight, are wrapped aroundan unobtru- like Holland -Dozier -Holland and Goffin & bert's gushing passion as a vocal interpreter sive, guitar -driven rocker, providing ample and the hardy melodic character of his King to create statements that are compara- proof of Frey's role in shaping the Eagles' bly forceful and touching. He stitches songs. His works still contain people who persona. are recognizably "modern"-hip enough together three numbers made famous by the For all his rock proclivities, Frey has Animals (songs that Springsteen has also to know what their current options are, old- an equally developed gift for pop ballad found central to his concerns, and has done fashioned enough to long for a spiritual and writing. She Can'tLet Gois a Spanish - emotional center to their lives. The singer's in concert), sings them in his gruffest sounding lament with a beautifullyre- growl, and brings out their romance and hints of flippancy are, as before, offset by a strained melody. The One YouLovecom- mitigating generosity of spirit. struggle, escape, pride, and vulnerability. bines another pretty theme with strongyet Johansen appreciates the sublime There are sly, uptempo exercises in subtle lyrics about an affair that didn't rustic philosophy(He's Gotta Live Up to goofiness of such songs asBuild Me Up work; it features the memorable line: "Are Buttercup (which ends with a splash of His ShoesandIt Takes a Whole Lotta Help) you gonna stay with the one who loves you, that again portray the singer as wise Basie-like piano), and he charges recklessly - or go back to the one you love?"That Girl, through his best-known nonhits, beyond -his -years, but Forbert's main suit Funky but the aforementioned Seger collaboration, is Chicand may be his ballads, which achieve that Personality Crisis.Recorded in based on an unaffected pentatonic melody Boston with a band that only retains one same destination with less apparent calcula- and swirling organ washes that recall the tion. On OhSo Close (and Yet So Far member of the ill-conceived "Here Comes best of Allen Toussaint's New Orleans the Night" congregation and adds a key Away)he depicts the "precious torture" of rhapsodies. seeing an old lover now happily married, participant in lead guitarist Huw Gower Frey's talents have been exposed for (formerly of the Records), "Live It Up" is while BeautifulDianaconjures a passion years, so it would be inaccurate to call "No an enormous amount of fun. This music is prized above innocence itself. Nowhere is Fun Aloud" a debut. But on hisown, he loose, it's rough, and it's human. there any allusion to contemporary pop's shows an exuberance and a musicalcom- MITCHELL COHEN current shifts in fashion, or any inkling that mitment that seemed to be lacking toward Forbert cares. That stance may cost him a the end of the Eagles' long run. He could Nicolette Larson: platinum constituency, but it is certainly a well develop into a major solopresence in All Dressed Up and No Placeto Go badge of honor. SAM SUTHERLAND pop -rock. CRISPIN CIOE Andrew Gold, producer Glenn Frey: No Fun Aloud David Johansen: Live It Up Warner Bros. BSK 3678 Glenn Frey, Allan Blazek, Ron Nevison, producer Nicolette Larson and Andrew Gold, & Jim Ed Norman, producers Blue Sky ARZ 38004 pop Asylum E 1-60129 purveyors of the "L.A. sound," tied the matrimonial knot sometime last year. Since "Live It Up" communicates a love for the then, the tuneful twosome must have been The Eagles formally disbanded earlier this emotions that rock & roll can express; it's a spending too much time in the sun. With year, but rumors of internal tensions had celebration of how a rock professional can Gold wielding everything from the studio been circulating since the problem -plagued remain a rock fan. David Johansen simply knobs to synthesizers and guitars, "All sessions for their last studio LP, "The Long has terrific taste in music, a belief in its Dressed Up and No Place to Go" epito- Run." Now virtually all five band members capacity to merge passion and craft, and a are concentrating on solo mizes everything that's wrong with the careers.For gregarious ringmaster personality that music of the Southern Californian clique Glenn Frey, the ex -Detroiter who migrated comes across most appealingly on stage. with which this couple associates: west to start that '70s supergroup, the move Itis Live LPs usually don't do much more than tired, uninspired, and so laidback that it seems natural; his first solo album's casual- mark time in a performer's career, nor do might as well be horizontal. ly polished, r&b-tinged surface barely con- they attempt to. But there are certain artists This is Larson's fourth album since her ceals a prodigiously talented singer/song- who seize thelive -disc opportunity to debut album and hit single writer who learned his craft well at the (Gotta Love)in reveal something that hasn't come out in '78. Before then, she was a backup singer Eagles' helm. their studio works. Warren Zevon and Joe for Neil Young and Commander Cody. She Like Bob Seger-a friend since child- Ely have done that recently; now David should go back to being one. Half the time hood and coauthor of this disc's That Johansen has too. her vocals are so shoddy that Gold has to Girl-Frey'sr&b and early rock influences Considering that his stardom is about double track them: On Dusty Springfield's lend depth and believability to his music. nine years overdue, you might expect des- '60s gemI Only Want To Be with You,on Rather than sounding like a jaded, seen -it- peration, or sourness, to surface in Johan- Jackson Browne'sI'll Fly Away (Without all rock star, he comes across as sincere, sen's music, and in fact his last two albums, You), and on a handful of other tunes by the utterly unpretentious, and often quite fun- "In Style" and "Here Comes the Night" likes of Lowell George, Paul Barrere, and ny. I FoundSomebody is a Stax/ Volt -style almost punctured his audiences' enormous Allee Willis, Nicolette sings in an awkward 76 HIGH FIDELITY warble, devoid of any emotional edge. She a mood builder. Like Ahmad Jamal, one of fares a little better on Leon Russell's upbeat her influences, she makes brilliant use of Say You Will(backup courtesy of Linda silence, of the tension and emphasis that Ronstadt, Wendy Waldman, and Nicolette) astutely placed blank spaces can create. She and the Larson/Gold collaboration /Want gets full value from her lyrics-holding, You SoBad. But this still sounds like the stretching, and shading them. She uses her stuff of an aspiring chanteuse's demo dramatic instincts effectively but subtly, fit- tape. ting them into the easy pulsation that under- Of course, the musicianship is perfect. lies most of her songs. When Horn sings a Gold (guitars, keyboards, and mandolin), bossa nova, such asMeditation,one can bassist Scott Chambers, drummer Rick understand Davis' initial response; she is Shlosser, saxman Jim Horn, keyboardist the vocal equivalent of his muted trumpet of Mark Jordan, and guitarist Fred Tackett are the '50s-intimate, intense, simmering. allslick and professional; together they Her piano is supportive, colorful, and so sound as cool as a cucumber in a salad much a part of the proceedings that it is bar. often difficult to decide if it is her singing or One can hardly think of a more appro- her playing that dominates a song. priate title for Larson's latest effort than the How a talent like Horn's, once recog- one she and Gold have bestowed. Indeed, nized, could have been ignored for so long this gaggle of gushy L.A. music makers is a mystery. Rest assured that if she goes have all the right attire-economical guitar The inimitable Joe Cocker-See page 75. on making records like this, she'll never be licks, sprightly piano runs, a socko rhythm ignored again. JOHN S. WILSON section, and the latest in studio high -tech -- and, obliquely, inStar- Bireli Lagrene: Routes to Django and, more than ever before, they are going Exquisitely Bored dom in Action).His cautionary view of the absolutely nowhere with it. STEVEN X. REA Jan Jankeje, producer flip side of the tribal ethic(Uniforms)Antilles AN 1002 Pete Townshend: All the Best restates the same chilling sense of mindless Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes conformity conjured thirteen years ago inDjango Reinhardt died in 1953, but even Chris Thomas, producer "Tommy."Communicationis a rock &during his lifetime guitarists tried to emu- Atco SD 38-149 roll oxymoron, making its point eloquently late his bright, flowing, rhythmic style. through artful gibberish, whileNorth Coun- Many of his fellow gypsies (he was born in Pete Townshend's third solo album is easily try Girl isa deft arrangement (by Town-a caravan in Belgium) even followed his his most ambitious, possibly his best, andshend) of the old traditional love ballad. two -fingered fret board approach, which he yet another persuasive argument that the There is no formal concept behind thehad developed of necessity after the other Who's chief visionary is creating moreselection of songs. But the singer's pen-fingers of his left hand were paralyzed in a arresting and adventurous music on his ownchant for returning to his past concerns and fire. producer Chris Thomas' deep, clean but than he has in recent years for that venera- It isn't unusual, then, to find a gypsy exciting sonics give the whole a sense of ble quartet. Such a comparison may seem guitarist who plays in Django's style. It is shape. As such, the album progresses even- like heresy, yet freed of the band's sense of unusual to find one who plays it as well as ly from its opening cosmic sermon to the history and its now -familiar stylistic code, Bireli Lagrene. Lagrene does not simply the guitarist/songwriter can move boldlyautobiographical specifics of the last twocopy, either. "Routes to Django" contains Somebody Saved MeandSlit Skirts, into experimental areas.that his partners nosongs, no Reinhardt compositions and only three which share Townshend's marriage as a ref- longer seem interested in. of his pop standards. Lagrene not only erence point. SAM SUTHERLAND "All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese approaches outside material the way Djan- Eyes" signals this shift with its striking go might have, he even writes like his mod- opener,Stop Hurting People.Its surprising el: lowly descending minor melodic lines, post -disco rhythmic bottom, richly orches- long, flowing passages, sudden flourishes. tral synthesizer and keyboard parts, andJazz And despite the fact that he was only thir- impressionist spoken lyrics sound closer in teen years old when he made this album, he style and substance to David Bowie than the plays with total relaxation and self-assur- Who. Its text interweaves themes fromShirley Horn Trio: All Night Long ance. Furthermore, no matter what he Townshend's past work-spiritual ideal-Nils Winther, producer plays-blues, ballad, bossa nova, waltz- ism in love of all kinds-and typicallySteepleChase SCS 1157 he swings, just like Django. skewers any hint of self-righteousness with Recorded in a German club, "Routes flashes of self-criticism. More than twenty years ago, a young pia-to Django" finds Lagrene mostly in the That oscillation between his carefully nist and singer from Washington, D.C. context of his regular quartet, patterned on couched Deism and his grasp of social real- released her first record album. Miles DavisDjango's Quintet of the Hot Club of ism has been apparent in many of Town- heard it and was so impressed that he flewFrance. With two rhythm guitars and a bass shend's songs over the past decade. Anoth- her to New York to meet her and thento back his lead, the only thing missing is er thread that continues here is the contra- insisted she share the bill with him at thethe Hot Club's violin. Four guests-piano, diction between the youthful zeal of the ear- Village Vanguard. Yet despite such an aus-vibes, trumpet, and violin-appear occa- ly Who and the self -deflating lessons that picious beginning, Shirley Horn has re-sionally, effectively breaking up what oth- come from age. These days, however, he mained outside of the jazz world until justerwise might have been too persistent a par- seems less obsessed with that conflict. The last year, when she was asked to sing at theallel. Bireli's sound is basically Django's, weary resignation that once concluded such Northsea Jazz Festival in Holland. Sincebut his influences also include a bit of Char- musings is supplanted by a kind of peace, as her performances there-which this albumlie Christian, some bebop, and even classi- well as a renewed fascination for external documents-she has been busy living up tocal guitar. In sum, he is marvelously secure events rather than internal dialogue. and even exceeding the expectationsin the way that he handles both the Django Thus we hear that narcissism poisons aroused two decades ago. idiom and his own additions to it. the atmosphere of Southern California (in As both a singer and a pianist, Horn is JOHN S. WILSON

SEPTEMBER 1982 77 High JAPANESE IMPORTS. Large selection of Audiophile quality pressings from Fidelity LOWER Japan and Europe. Regular new ship- Classified LOUDSPEAKER ments. 24 hour service. Low prices. Dealers only write or call: DISC TRADING COMPANY, P.O. Box 606-HW, MAIL TO: 825 7th Ave.. 6th Floor. New York, N.Y. DISTORTION 10019. Phone: 212-265-8360 Carrboro, North Carolina 27510. (919) GENERAL: all copy subject to publisher approval. 942-3142. First line caps. Users of P.O. Box MUST supply permanent address and telephone number before ad can run. New Subsonic Filter CLOSING DATE: 1st of second month preceding cover date. model 4000-X24 im- provesbassperform- CLASSIFIED RATES: regular type, per word: lx- ance (24dB/octave $2.30; 3x-$2.25; 6x-$2.10; 12x-$2.00. Words in slope). FREE CATALOG. caps -10c extra each. IMPERIAL type, per word: 1s- ACE AUDIO CO., 532- $3.10; 3x-$2.95; 6x-52.85; 12x-$2.75. Words in 5th St, East Northport, caps -150 extra each. Minimum 15 words. Box num- NY 11731-2399. bers: $2.50 additional per insertion to cover cost of han- dling and postage. Display, per inch: 1x-$365; 3x- $355; 6x-$350; 12x-$295. STEREO REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED!!! LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES!!! OVER 100 BRANDS!!! KRASCO PAYMENT WITH ORDER: Send check, M.O., MAS- Rep. HF, 998 Orange Ave., West Haven. Conn. 06516. TERCHARGE or VISA No. and expiration date to: Classi- fied Dept., HIGH FIDELITY, 825 7th Ave., 6th Floor, New POLYPROPYLENE DRIVERS, RIBBON TWEETERS, York, NY 10019. PLANS, CROSSOVERS, REPLACEMENTS, NEW 1982 Catalog $1.00. SOUNDBOX, Dept HF, 411 South Carlisle For Sale Street, Philadelphia 19146. CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-826-0520 FOR ACOUSTAT. ATTRACTIVE PRICES: DYNAVECTOR, DAHLQUIST, NAD, CARVER, TANDBERG, DENON, DENON, GRACE, FULTON, STAX, FR, AMBER, HAFLER, dbx, 3D, B&W, THORENS, DCM. LINN ITTOCK, ASAK. ALSO, SOTA SAP- GRACE, DYNAVECTOR, MICRO-SEIKI, VANDER- STEEN, BEDINI, ARISTON. THE SOUND SELLER, 1706 PHIRE, QUAD. COD SHIPPING. S.A.S.E. MAIN ST., MARINETTE, WI 54143. QUOTES. 713-728-4343 MAURY CORB, 11122 ATWELL, HOUSTON, TX 77096 DISCOUNT CAR STEREO 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE SONY. ALTEC. JENSEN. PANASONIC. RADAR DETECTOR. CLARION. PIONEER. BLAUPUNKT. ROADSTAR. CBS. ALARM SYSTEMS. MAXELL TAPES FREE 40 PAGE NEW BREED FOR PRICES AMID INFORMATION C/U-1., (516)6654670 P 0 BOX 3.391M BAYSHORE N Y 11706 eiN ALL MERCHANDISE CARRIES HI-FI DISCOUNT MANLMACTuRE S WARRANTY CATALOG AUDIO REPLAY IS NEW ENGLAND'S LEADING No.62 The VMPS Tower II dealer in secondhand audio. Now you don't have to come is a six -way. high efficiency, to New Haven to browse through our inventory. Two dol- Lowest prices extremely linear home reproducer with many of lars will bring you our current listing, typically 100-200 the features and most of the performance of our on audio items long. We recondition and warranty what we sell, so highly acclaimed Super Tower 11a/R system. components! you can shop with confidence. Audio Replay, Dept. HF, Fast service! The Tower II generates no more than 0.7010 THD 252 Park St., New Haven, Ct. 06511 from 22Hz to 30kHz with 1W input. Sensitivityis Fully insured! 99d13/1W/1m, and maximum undistorted output CABLE TV DESCRAMBLERS AND CONVERTERS. Mi- In factory capacity an enormous 126d8/1m. High perfor- crowave antennas and downconverters. Plans and parts. sealed mance and great operational flexibility are afforded Build or buy. For information send $2.00 C&D cartons! by three level controls with 50d8 of adjustment Electronics, P.O. Box 21, Jenison, MI 49428. range, single -amp or switchable biamp operation with no external crossover required, a minimum DISTRIBUTOR PRICING! Audio Research, Thorens, phase, completely nonresonant driver/enclosure Robert Grodinsky Research, Haller, Onkyo, Technics. B design with separate 12" subwoofer (slot -loaded). and W, Meridian, Vandersteen, Mirage, Sumiko, Dynav- actor, Stax, and more...For information: P. K. Audio, polypropylene 12" lowbass and midbass drivers. ---11EPRODUCT10111,-eno Inc. 4773 Convention Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 or (504) polypropylene cone midrange, dome tweeter ana 924-1001. (201) 227-6720 your choice of flat -screen piezo or optional nbbon 7 Industrial Road, Fairfield, N.J. 07006 (-3d13 at 50kHz) supertweeters. HARMAN KARDON high technology Hear the Tower II and the other floor -standing separates, receivers, cassette decks; VMPS systems, including the Mini Tower 11 SAVE 50% BUILD YOUR OWN SPEAKER SYSTEM. ($309ea kit. $439ea assem), Super Tower/ R ELECTRO-VOICE Interface, A,B,C,D Write McGee Radio Electronics. 1901 McGee Street, ($649ea kit, $969ea asseml, and the Super speaker systems; THORENS turntables. Kansas City, Missouri 61408. Tower 11a/ R ($999 -1199ea kit, $1499 -1699ea All products in stock-immediate ship- WE WILL NOT BE BEAT!! Lowest Pricesassem) at the dealers listed below, or write us for ment. East (904) 262-4000; West (213) full information and copies of test reports from 243-1168. Anywhere! Super Selection-Full War- Bert Whyte, B. V. Pisha. Hifi News E. Record ranty-Fast Delivery Hi-FI-Hi-End- Review, and Hifi Buyers Guide. WE HAVE IT ALL!! Audio and Video Car Product and Video. Visa-Mac Call VMPS AUDIO PRODUCTS Tape, Accessories, Recording Equip- Now-(203) 934-5291 AUDIO PEOPLE, a division of (tone Audio ment, Fine Audio Components. KNOWL- 1000 Orange Avenue, West Haven, CT 1016 Contra Costa Drive, El Cerrito, CA 94530 EDGEABLE Staff! COMPETITIVE Prices! 06516. (415) 526-7084 FREE Buyer's Guide! SOUND IDEAS, ACCURATE, QUALITY AUDIO. Reason- Hear VMPS at The Listening Studio. Boston; Mike Hilliard Dept. HF, Box 671, Cary, NC 27511-0671, Audio. Shreveport. LA. Star Audio. Oklahoma City; Odin (919) 467-8578. able Prices! Car/Home. Send stamp: Sound. Longmont. CO, Bedini Electronics. Sylmar. CA; A Denco Audio, P.O. Box 6104-H, El Vidd Electronics. Long Beach. CA. Sounds Unique. San BEST SOUND PER DOLLAR: 3D, NAD MISSION. Theil, Jose. CA, The Listening Post. San Francisco: The Long Ear. Monte, CA 91734 (213) 961-6158. Eve- Big Bear Lake. CA; (tone Audio, El Cerrito. CA. Dynavector, Amber, Astatic, Snell, Ohm, etc. Shipping nings, weekends. MONTHLY SPECIALS Paid. AudioFile, 1202 South Congress, Austin, Texas 78704 (512)443-9295.

78 HIGH FIDELITY An even HAFLER, FRIED KITS, KLIPSCH, SAE, Equipment For Sale CARVER, more. In stock. Immediate, FREE shipping! READ BROTHERS IDEAL ACOUSTICS. Luxman, Klipsch, NAD, Nakamichi, better Ruby. STEREO, 593-C King Street, Charleston, and comparable lines fully represented. Custom installa- tions. Complete service center. Visit our outstanding South Carolina 29403. (803) 723-7276. showrooms 110 Willow Rd.. Starkville, MS. 39759 (601) So What's New?? 324-1020. Consider the following - DIRECT SOUND MARKETING can pro- Tapes & Records vide you with virtually any brand of au- 1 800 245 3986 dio or video components (including the TAPE WORLD TDK MAR -C90 ow MAXELL XL I or PS -90 3 19 esoterics) at extremely competitive pric- TDK MA -C90 4.49 MAXELL LIDXL I 31 IIC90 .. 2.99 10K SAX -C90 3 59 MAXELL UDC -90 2 19 ing, on an in -stock basis. Moreover, we TDK ADX-C90 3.29 MAXELL UD35.90 5 39 TDK SA -C90 ,,,,,2.59 Sony UCXS-C90 3 29 TDK SA -C60 2.09 BASF Pro //CPO 269 maintain a complete service facility to TDK AD -C90 2.09 FUJI FX I or II -C90 2.69 TDK D -C90 ,,,,, 1.49 F p Mare C90 4.99 handle any service problems. So, if TDK 7,120NG 14.99 70K 110-01 (Head Donn.). 13.99 you're looking for price, selection, fast TDK 7-120. L-750... ,,,,,11.99 LORAN. MAXELL VIDEO... CALL WE WILL HONOR ANY PRICE IN THIS BOOK 3 50 Shipping any tan order in US VISA. MC. COD no extra charge Ceders shipments, in-house service and com- shipped within 4 Pays by UPS Personal checks 1 week delay PA add Saila to petent advice we have it all, and more. 220 Swing St Buyer PA 16001 412483.4621 Before you buy anything please call us at 404-233-9500 for more information. Or OPEN REEL TAPES from studio masters. Philips. Argo, Telefunken. Vanguard, Unicorn. Catalogue $1.00. Barclay write to DIRECT SOUND MARKETING, Crocker, Room 1470-H, 11 Broadway. NYC 10004. 3095 Bolling Way, N.E., Atlanta, Ga SEARCHING FOR OUT -OF -PRINTS? Try for 30305. For your convenience use your Discontinued Records, 444 South Victory, Burbank, M/C, Visa or AMEX for fastest service. California 91502 (213) 849-4791. Sales tax charged to Georgia residents only. FREE ALBUMS Through the use of its moving SUBSCRIPTION TV DECODER KIT, coil technology, Dynavector has $39.00. Includes parts, manual and IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR OPINION. We need Record Raters. Your opportunity to created the new 23R -reducing etched board. Informative catalog on build a substantial album Collection. Small the size of its popular ruby other subscription TV products $2.00. membership feeWrite EARS. Dept.HF, Box 10245. Milwaukee. WI 53210 cantilever to one-third the size J&W Electronics P.O. Box 61-E, of conventional cantilevers- Cumberland, RI. 02864. JAZZ -SWING -BIG BAND BROADCASTS. TRAN- whie dramatically improving Save 60% to 75%, Build Your Own SCRIPTIONS LAST 50 years exclusively Reels cassettes 75 pg. catalog $2.50. Refundable. Citation P.O. Box performance. Speaker Systems. P/C crossovers, 23644, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33307. This shorter cantilever -only woofers, mids, tweeters, instructions. ORGAN ANC CHORAL RECORDS. For free catalog 2. mm in length -has several Complete selection, HI-FI, M.I., Pro, write Gothic Records, PO Box 743-A New York. N.Y. advantages: The problems of Disco and Auto Systems. Send $2.00 for 10101. catalog refundable with purchase. DKI frequency dispersion along the 1930-1962 RADIO PROGRAMS. $1.00 HOUR! Informa- cantilever are greatly reduced, Audio, Box 284, Davis, IL. 61019. tive 250 page catalog $1.25. AM Treasures, Box 192HF, Babylon, N.Y. 11702. while undesirable resonances are FREE SPEAKERKIT CATALOG: 16 proven designs, us- ing JBL EV. Also available: 200 drivers' specifications, SHOW ALBUMS -Rare, out -of -print Ips. 64 -page list minimized, creating more life -like Thiele data. $3. GOLD SOUND, Box 14tH, Englewood, $1.00. Broadway -Hollywood Recordings. Georgetown, scund. CO. 80151. (303) 789-5310 CT. 06829. STORE: 68 Sugar Hollow (Route 7) Danbury, Because of its shortness and Conn. material, the 23R's resonant Inventions Wanted FREE OPERA VIDEO CATALOG & $5 frequency is well above 50kHz. INVENTIONS WANTED. FREE CONSULTATION, NO certificate Magnificent performances Rubber damping is eliminated IDEA TOO SMALL.. Disclosure registration. Potential cash from the capitols of Europe. HRE, P.O. and performance is unaffected by or royalties from manufacturers seeking new ideas. For Box 12, Kew Gardens, NY 11415 free information on how to register your ideas, call or variations in room temperature. write: AMERICAN INVENTORS Corporation, 59 Interstate "SOUNDTRACKS, SHOW, NOSTALG3A & JAZZ -FREE In short, the 23R offers a Drive, Dept HF West Springfield, MA 01089 (413) 737- Catalog & Offering List -A-1 Record Finders, P.O. Box 5376. A Fee Based Marketing Company. Offices Coast 75071-H. L.A. CAL. 90075." superb combination of size, To Coast. shape, material and cartridge VIENNESE OPERETTA RECORDS, INC. Extensive range, superb vocal perfor- technology. Miscellaneous mances, on currently available LP's. Audition the new 23R Ruby DIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Discount Free list. P.O. Box 50-B, Dover, Mass. cartridge for its ability to prices for Shure, Pickering, Stanton, Empire. Grado, 02030. reproduce sound with stunning Audio Technica, Ortofon, Acutex Sonus and ADC. Send realism, brilliant tonal balance S.A.S.E. free catalog. LYLE CARTRIDGES, Dept. H. Box OVER 600 AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS 69, Brooklyn, New York 11218. For Fast C.O.D. Service. AVAILABLE! Detailed monthly Bulletin and exquisite detail. call TOLL FREE 800-221-0906. N.Y.: (212) 871-3303. offers latest releases, Special sales and RECORD COLLECTORS SUPPLIES. S.S.B. CARD- more. 20% off initial order! Send for BOARD JACKETS 504. PLASTIC LINED SLEEVES 15c. FREE catalog issue. The Essentials OPERA BOXES, 78 SLEEVES, ETC. POSTAGE $2.00. FREE CATALOG. VISXMC PHONE ORDERS. 614-299- Marketing, Dept. HF-8, P.O. Box 7724, 0476, 614-272-6715, DAY OR NIGHT. CABCO 301-5. Eugene, OR 97401. Dynavector BOX 8212, COLUMBUS, OHIO 43201. FREE HIT LP'S, Currently Released Al- World leader in moving -coil cartridges COLLEGE STUDENTS! -Improve your grades! -Term - bums, ALL ARTISTS, Free Details, paper catalog -306 pages -10.278 titles -Rush $1.00 Dynavector Systems USA (Refundable!) -Research, Box 25916R. Los Angeles, MUZIK, 855-HF8 Main, Springfield, MA 1721 Newport Circle 90025. (213) 477-8226 01105. Santa Ana, CA 92705 (714) 549-7204 0 1982 Dynavector

SEPTEMBER 1482 79 "This may be the first slick OPEN REEL TAPE - MOSTLY AMPEX product worth getting a 641, used once, unspliced, unboxed. 7" Office Equipment hold of." 1800' 50 reels; $65.00 sample: $2.00. Typewriters: Save up to 60%. Free Catalog. Brand STEREO -Chicago Sun -Times Ten 3600' 101/2" reels; $27.50. sample: names, factory direct pricing, SMITH -CORONA, OLI- $2.50. New, premium cassettes and 8/ VETTI, OLYMPIA, BROTHER, ROYAL. Full warranty, Track cartridges available. Sample: sealed cartons. Most orders shipped within 48 hours. "Our ears tell us this product is AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TYPEWRITER, Dept. MM, $1.00 each. AUDIO TAPES, Box 9584-J, 745 Alexander Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, 609-452- a smashing success . . . Gruv ALEXANDRIA, VA. 22304. (703) 892-8722 7500. Glide geometrically elevates VISA/MC. some disks and systems to near IMPORTED & DOMESTIC CLASSICAL Musical Instruction perfection . . . the listener is recordings. Also JazziGlfts/Books. Full POWERFUL NEW KEYBOARD PLAYING COURSE. 64 page catalog. $1.00 (refundable) Exciting Benefits. Free Details, Write: ProMusic. Box 86E. transported 20 rows forward Brookfield. CT 06804-0086. into the lap of luxury." MUSICAL CONCEPTS, Box 53HF9, Ce- darhurst, N.Y. 11516. AUDIOGRAM #17, 1/82 Tape Head Cleaner LIVE OPERA TAPES. INCREDIBLE VA- RIETY. FREE CATALOGUE. Live Opera. PROTECT YOUR TAPES!!! Meets WESTERN ELECTRIC SPECIFICATIONS ELECTRA-SOLV aerosol tape head Box 3141. Steinway Station, L.I.C.N.Y. cleaner. Allow 4 to 6 weeks delivery. $5.95 plus $1.50 for 11103. handling. P. 0. Box 95101 Atlanta, Georgia 30347

Genuine GOLDEN AGE RADIO -your best source for radio tapes. Free catalog. Box 25215-J. Portland, Oregon 97225. Publications POSEIDON RECORDS -MUSIC OF Video Tape/Disc Guide HOVHANESS. Available from Crystal (1st ed.) -3 vol. set Records, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284 Comprehensive reference guides providing Send for Catalog. Genuine over 7,000 video/disc listings for sports and recreation, movies and entertainment and TOSCANINI, great conductors, instrumentalists. Live con- children's programs. Gives program certs; reels, cassettes. Free lists. state artists, CRAA. BOX 1112HF, El Cerrito, CA 94530. descriptions, where-to-buy/rent, formats, casts, directors and producers. Only $17.95 GRUV SELLING PRIVATE COLLECTION COMPLETE OPER- plus $1.50 shipping and handling. Supplies AS, OPERETTAS, VOCAL RECITALS, GUITAR, PIANO, limited. , OINK SPANISH, MANY EUROPEAN OR OUT -OF -PRINT LISTS $1 REFUNDABLE SIERLE, 88 BOULEVARD, ABC Leisure Magazines -Dept. B, EA DE SUITE 203, PASSAIC, NJ 07055. 754 4th Avenue, "'MOTES RECORD FIDEDV Brooklyn, NY 11232 STATIC CLASSICAL RECORDS. IMPORTED FROM RUSSIA. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery RE µ1iNeCoNDi Melodia label. Large selection. Free catalog. Znanie. bring!brim, 5237 Geary Blvd. San Francisco. CA 94118 L Iit,e .8LIVE You closier_atoperform" "RECORD OF SINGING", OTHER RARE CLASSICAL 11010110 JAZZ VOCALS. S.A.S.E. to: Gold. 279 Collingwood, San Francisco, CA 94114. evEN.00,..._._% Place Your NV WI 4.60t Business Opportunities Own Ad! GRUV-GLIDE IMPROVES YOUR OWN RADIO STATION! AM, FM, licensed, unlicensed, low cost transmit- HIGH FIDELITY CLASSIFIED RECORD FIDELITY! ters! Free Information. BROADCASTING, ORDER FORM Box 130-D9, Paradise, CA 95969. RATES PER WORD: 15 word minimum Gruv-Glide is a new dry record No charge for zip code treatment that maximizes the fidelity of BUSINESS FOR SALE: Custom home Regular Type: $2.30 per word. records as well as reduces friction, audio -video installations; tapes; Imperial Type: $3.10 per word. Discounts for 3 times; 6 times; & 12 times eliminates static electricity, improves records. Box 5478, HHI, SC 29938 Check one: Regular Imperial tracking and cleans record surfaces. STEREO SALES REPRESENTATIVES All top brands, 3x El6x Ej 12x One treatment lasts indefinitely, too. highest commissions plus super rebates. Sales kit plus Name There is no doubt about it. Records leads furnished for your area. Call 9am to 9pm toll free 1- 800-638-8806 or 1-301-488-9600. Company treated with Gruv-Glide sound better. Ask for a demonstration at your Address favorite audio specialist or record Wanted To Buy City State/Zip store. WANTED; MCINTOSH, MARANTZ, WESTERN ELEC- Phone TRIC TUBE EQUIPMENT. 713-728-4343 MAURY CORE, Signature Send inquiries to Trego Sales, 11122 ATWELL, HOUSTON. TX 77096. 2239 Benedict Canyon Dr., Beverly Payment must accompany order. MCINTOSH, MARANTZ TUBE AMPS. THORENS TD - Hills, CA 90210 (213) 274-8351. 124. Garrard 301, 401. Western Electric tubes, amps, Send to: Yetta Peltzman HIGH FIDELITY tweeters. speakers, horns. Te1:213 576-2642 825 Seventh Avenue New York, N.Y. 10019 SCHWANN RECORD AND TAPE GUIDE, (212) 265-8360 now available by subscription. Includes Payment enclosed $ 12 monthly issues of Schwann-1, 2 MASTER CHARGE Card # C semi-annual issues of Schwann-2, An- VISA Card #-- nual subscription $25.00 U.S. and Pos- Please print or type message below or on sep- is sessions $35.00 Canada and Mexico, all arate paper. other foreign $40.00. Order from:

Rozoil Lubricant Co Schwann Record & Tape Guide, P.O. P 0 Box 19003 Las Vegas. NV 89119 Box 2131, Radnor, PA 19089. 80 HIGH FIDELITY' DO WENEED TRAVIATA? come to think of it, is what opera is usually (Continued from page 48) turned into in the real world. Lamberto Gardelli, and Charles Mackerras. The recordings Ilike best might be Forced to a choice, I'd pick Gardelli, if described as balanced -ensemble types. The Bea without much enthusiasm. He at least has aPrevitali/RCA is a reasonable substitute for basic feel for the shape of the music. He the Monteux/RCA, and of course it's better hasn't done much, though, to moderate the recorded. Moffo's Violetta, one of her most Recording Germanic quality of his East Berlin forces, successful roles, is honest and involved, and his lack of imagination becomes at and Tucker is a surprisingly graceful as well times almost defiant: The chords overas unsurprisingly forceful Alfredo. Also Engineer! which Violetta makes her Act II entrance worth watching for is the 1968 Romanian positively clump. Mackerras' conducting is recording, in Italian, with Virginia Zeani's efficient and faceless. more individual Violetta, the healthy Al- Both Mirella Freni and Valerie Mas- fredo of Ion Buzea, and a rather distin- terson have lovely voices and pleasant per- guished Germont from Nicolae Herlea sonalities-good starting points for Vio- (Electrecord ECE 0374/6). This set too letta, but only starting points, and neither makes standard cuts. singer is working in a situation that encour- What about more complete perfor- ages a more active stance. The Englishmances, in the absence of the Pritchard/ National Opera performance is especially London version? Maazel (London OSA disappointing in this regard, since the main 1279, two discs), who includes one stanza reason for doing the opera in English would of Violetta's arias and of both cabalettas, appear to be the possibility of a more imme- offers much the most successful of the con- diate connection to the words, on the part of ductor -dominated Traviatas,with some performers and audience alike. distinctive work by Pilar Lorengar and Gia- And yet, even allowing for the limita- como Aragall, bearable work by Dietrich tions of Edmund Tracey's translation, it'sFischer-Dteskau, and a good supporting clear that the words have been grafted onto cast. Perhaps the best case for the cabalet- the musical line rather than made integral tas, though in single -stanza form, is made with it. For one thing, no solution has been by Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes in found, or maybe even sought, for the the otherwise hard -to -recommend Carlos admittedly thorny problem of reconciling Kleiber recording (DG 2707103, two the choppier quality of English sounds with discs). the legato intent of the musical line. As a For the whole opera, every note, the Learn in result, the music tends to sound pecked at choice by default would be Montserrat Audio fundamentals Labs more than sung, except when Masterson Caballe ,Bergonzi, and the younger chooses to glide over the text and trust herMilnes, with Georges Peeve conducting Control Room & Console Labs intent to the musical line. (RCA LSC 6180). HF Studio Synthesizer Lab The MHS performance, originally is- Digital Logic Lab sued here on the domestic BASF label, has CRENSHAW a decent if unremarkable supporting cast. (Continued from page73) Disc Cutting Lab Sesto Bruscantini was in his fifties at the erful. So I like to use as little as possible. time of this recording and sounds it, but he Backbeat: Does the music come first? Obtain your Diploma in is a sensible artist. Franco Bonisolli puts his Crenshaw: Usually,yes.After I've beefy tenor to reasonably good use, and he worked on it to the point where it's ready, Multi -track makes a stentorian effect with the one stan- another guy comes in and writes the lyrics. Recording Technology za of his cabaletta included. The English Of course, the other guy is me, and I try to in one year, or B.S. Degree credit. National performance includes single stan- keep the lyrics compatible with the melody zas of both cabalettas (this is a bit mislead- and overall concept. Fall '82 Quarter starts ing in that the baritone cabaletta-a poten- Backbeat: Your lyric themes are fairly con- Thursday, September 30th. tially interesting piece, I'm just about alone sistent. They often depict a self-reliant kind in thinking-really isn't constructed in two of guy who knows what he wants and has Winter '83 Quarter starts neat stanzas), though little is made of them. very specific ideas about the world he Monday, January 3rd. John Brecknock sounds here like at most a inhabits. G&S tenor, and not a particularly good one. Crenshaw: Maybe, but as far as general CcIl or write tor 24-pg illustrated brochure Christian du Plessis has a distinctly promis- themes go, I like to say that I don't ever take ing baritone but is expressively absent. anything very seriously. In fact, I often end 212/677-7580or As you might guess, I'm not terribly up writing about that particular attitude in sympathetic to the view expressed by Rob- and of itself. An exception might be Rock - 1-800/847-4187 (Toll -tree octs+de of N Y Stale) ert Lawrence in the Schirmer vocal score: in' Around in N.Y.C.-moving to this city "La Traviata is essentially a prima donna's from a sterile Midwestern suburban envi- opera. It stands or falls by the performance ronment was a very big thing in my life. In Institute of the singer who assumes the part of Vio- the song I tried to capture the feeling of of Audio letta." What seems to me to stand or fall in driving through New York in a taxi late at Research this view is not an opera-i.e., a drama in night, with the lights flashing by. 64 Universiq Place music that engages our sense of ourselves Musically, I want to do stuff that both Greenwich Village and the world around us-but the spectacle reflects my own taste and that other people New York, N.Y. 10003 (sadistic or masochistic, depending on your will be interested in, and my tastes honestly Established vantage point) of a woman suffering to the span styles and decades, from Buddy Holly 1969 licensed by N Y Stale Dept of Education accompaniment of pretty tunes. Which, to the Fleshtones. HF Approved for Veterans Training

SEPTEMBER 1982 81 circle 11 on Feeder -Service Card BAC KB EAT ADVERTISING INDEX Pop-Pourri Key No. Page No. Trends to watch in the music industry 2 Allsop Inc 65 by Sam Sutherland that have been available on LP. Most esti- 59 Angel Records 2 Cassette Tape mates argue that all prerecorded tapes will

1 Audio Spot 67 gamer fully half the market for recordings Turnaround within a year or two; major labels are already seeing cassette sales for specific THE LENGTHENING SHADOWof the music 8 BES 4 top -selling artists reach parity with LPs. industry's recession has seen tape technol- Taken together with the implications ogy frequently singled out as one of the of the first consumer digital audio systems, principal culprits; the practice of home tap- which use tape rather than disc technology 3 Cybernet Intl, Inc ing is viewed as a virtual parasite consum- to store and retrieve programs, the cassette ing untold billions in potential dollars that now seems poised to serve as the interim might otherwise constitute prerecorded tape consumer configuration untiltrue home 32 Denon America, Inc. Cover III and disc sales. Yet, as music publishers and digital software becomes the popular stan- record companies form ranks around the dard for recorded sound. 51 Discount Music Club 70 Matthias -DeConcini bills-proposed legis- Recent major label developments sug- 53 Discwasher, Inc. Cover IV lation aimed at compensating copyright gest this trend isn't going unnoticed. This holders for that lost income-it's hearten- spring, PolyGram Classics announced a ing to find that some of the industry's chief- new line of Deutsche Grammophon cas- tains aren't so myopic after all. Illinois Audio settes offering ninety -minute programs un- 24 That home tape recorders might also available on disc and attractively priced. 45 International Hi Fi 70 represent a boon to the consumption ofShortly thereafter, Warner Communica- music has often been obscured amid the tions'three 34 International Wholesalers of record companies (Warner pitched battle between the audio hardware Bros., Atlantic, Elektra/Asylum) revealed Miami 41 trade and its uneasy if necessary partners plans for a new series of cassette antholo- who make recordings. Now, many of the 11 Institute of Audio gies pairing two hit albums from a single same corporations party to the "Saveartist or group, again priced to the consum- Research 81 America's Music" coalition (the lobby forer's advantage. Both DG's cassettes and the aforementioned bills) are actively pur- Warner's "2 for One" tapes mark a rever- suing the tape market. sal in the trade's traditional pricing strate- That path would seem obvious, given 27 J&R Music World 2 gies: Until recently, many labels charged the cassette's gradual rise to power in recent more for tapes than discs, despite the fact JVC Company of America 6 years. Yet it's worth remembering that the that the startup costs for tape duplication are format was initially presumed fit only for lower than those for mastering and pressing dictation, its role in the sale of prerecorded LPs. 12 Maxell Corp. 13 music deemed "plus business" to those Warner reportedly has other cassette- who saw themselves engaged in therecord only projects in the works, and it's certain 56 McIntosh Laboratory 25 industry: Until the mid -'70s, all tape con- that the other corporate titans are watching Memorex Corp. 11 figurations accounted for only a small share these maiden efforts closely. The econom- of the total prerecorded music market, with ics of manufacturing argue that the cassette cassettes representing the narrowest slice of may, in fact, be a key to the continued prof- the pie. Considering the mediocrity of the itability of specialized music no longer Revox 25 typical high -speed -duplication commercial commercially viable on LPs produced on a cassette, dubbed onto poor quality tapelarge volume/high-overhead scale.Wit- housed in cheap shells, it's hardly surpris- ness, for instance, the recent emergence of 14 Sansui Electronics Corp. 15 ing that cassettes were an afterthought in cassette -only recordings catering to collec- the marketplace. tors. 50 Shure Brothers, Inc. 44 Today,recording companies need These ventures may not answer the Sony Corp of America 17 only consult their sales printouts and market long-standing question of technical quality research data to glimpse a very different in prerecorded tapes, an issue the corpora- 29 Stereo Corp. 73 future from that implied by the cassette of ations' research insists is peripheral to all but Studer Revox 25 decade ago. Its compact size and double-a fanatical minority of buyers. But even edged convenience of recording capabilityhere, there is evidence of revised thinking. have been buttressed by strides in recorder Companies like Arista and Capitol claim circuitry and tape formulation, as well as 10 TDK Electronics Corp. Cover H they've improved their sonics, and several the advent of portable auto and personal smaller jazz labels have followed the lead 60 TDK Electronics Corp. 70 hardware designs, to give the venerable LP of the best classical lines in making play- a run for its money. The success of the per- 5 Technics 5 back standards higher. These modest tech- sonalcassetteplayerinparticular has nological steps, when coupled with the new underlined the format's appeal to consum- repertorial thrust, begin to seem like long ers who haven't traditionally been heavy LP strides-strides away from therecordbusi- 43 Wisconsin Discount Stereo 4 buyers. It has also demonstrated the cas- ness and toward a truemusicindustry Yamaha Audio 3 sette's ability to reap repeat sales for titles adaptable to changing software needs. HF

82 HIGH FIDELITY The same pick-up technology developed for our $1,000. DL -1000 Low Mass Moving Coil Cartridge...

...can be found on our Boron -cantilevered $275. DL -207...

...and on our split -cantilevered $100. DL -300 MC Cartridge.

The perhaps ultimately ?ow effective tip mass of Denon's most expensive cartridge establishes new standards for cartridge tracing and m nunal record wear (the recommended stylus force is a mere 0.8g). Yet the basic design configuration of the DL -1000 is co-nmen to many Denon cartridges. For example, an amorphous deposition Boron cantilever (witi the highest rigizity/ weight ratio known) is also used on Denon's new DL -207, as is Denon's original dual damping if ec h- anism, which effectively cancels resonances in the two critical portions of tie musical bandwidth. More amazing, perhaps, s the fact that Denon's Aaast expensivecartridge, tt'e DL -300, benefits from much of the technology that has made Denoi Moving Coil 2a-tridges tie wold's reference standard for years. Like the DL -1000, it features a cross- cal armature (for better stereo separation and imagery), a poleless magnetic structure (for vastly reduced weight), and a sing e -point can - Never suspension system (for maximum compliance and strength). Denon igyAillareabcr. more than name alore. Imagine what well do next.

00? " AMR St RVICI CAMP Derlon 4 .1 In, r IVO F., rt eld. N Take the Perfect Path Home Discwasher Perfect Path,. R EVOX Cassette Head Cleaner B 710 MiCROCOMPu7 f ,L LED CASSETTE TAPE DECK At home or in your car, nothing cleans cassette heads easier or safer than the Perfect Path Cassette Head Cleaner. In one pass, the non- discwasher PERFECT MTh- abrasive fibers gently remove signal reducing magnetic oxides from the tape heads...and without messy swabs or damaging fluids. At CINisette Head Cleaner the same time, they carry away debris from

OP% 1 along the entire tape path. The result... ON restored response and improved fidelity from your cassette deck. Discwasher, the world leader in record care, minmppoorseirrollillnow offers unparalleled tape care. Take the Perfect Path Cassette Head Cleaner home... for sound maintenance you need.

A. Response with clean heads.

B. Response after 3 hours play with stan- 2 CBa dard tape. a.) ,7) C. Restored response, to within 1 dB, after -o _a)-o one pass of the Perfect Path Cassette Head 6 Cleaner. 2 -0 o-= B Zi 8 e6 ct 10

2kHz Frequency 20kHz diorztiN discwashee PRODUCTS TO CARE FOR YOUR MUSIC 1407 North Providence Road, P.O.Box 6021 Columbia, MO 65205 A DIVISION OFJENSEN an IRMARK Company CIRCLE 53 ON READER -SERVICE CARD