Some hits and a miss (from an audio POV)

[Jenn[_2_]]

Recent finds:

CD:

Music for Band by Percy Grainger
Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
Reference Recordings

FANTASTIC interpretations of music by my man PAG. Jerry is, IMO, the
best conductor currently working with wind bands. The sound is
incredible.

Corigliano: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
Falletta/Buffalo Philharmonic
Naxos

I just heard the world premiere of the wind band version of this
important new work. It's really stunning music, if you like Corigliano,
which I do. Fine sound.

Corigliano: Circus Maximus
Junkin/U of Texas Wind Ensemble
Naxos

An incredible piece of music, very well recorded, including the musket
shot at the end. It must have been a real chore to record this, as
there are players all over the hall. I was at the first performance, in
Carnegie Hall 3 years ago. SUPER playing and EXCELLENT recording.

LP:

Toshiba repressing of "Let it Be"
An excellent pressing of the Beatles' last release, sonically better
than the original, IMO.

Bramhs: Piano Concerto 2
Giles/Reiner/CSO
Cisco rerelease of RCA LSC-2219

This is the first Cisco/RCA that I've heard, and it's very, very good.

R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel/Death and Transfiguration
Reiner/VPO
Classic Records rerelease of RCA LSC-2077

Probably the definitive recordings of these works. Quality of sound
about equal to the CD.

Smetana: Ma Vlast
Kubelik/VPO
Speakers Corner rerelease of Decca SXL 2064

This is the "miss", I'm afraid. The sound is not good. As SC has done
so well on other Decca recordings, the obvious guess is that the
original tape is not good. Too bad, as the most important thing (the
performance) is stunning. I recommend a pass, unless you really want
the performance.

[calvin coolidge]

On Apr 5, 5:03�pm, Jenn > wrote:
> Recent finds:
>
> CD:
>
> Music for Band by Percy Grainger
> Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
> Reference Recordings
>
> FANTASTIC interpretations of music by my man PAG. �Jerry is, IMO, the
> best conductor currently working with wind bands. �The sound is
> incredible.
>
> Corigliano: �Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
> Falletta/Buffalo Philharmonic
> Naxos
>
> I just heard the world premiere of the wind band version of this
> important new work. �It's really stunning music, if you like Corigliano,
> which I do. �Fine sound. �

This sounds like my cup of tea. I'll search it out. Thanks!

[MINe109]

On Apr 5, 7:03*pm, Jenn > wrote:
> Recent finds:
>
> CD:
>
> Music for Band by Percy Grainger
> Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
> Reference Recordings
>
> FANTASTIC interpretations of music by my man PAG. *Jerry is, IMO, the
> best conductor currently working with wind bands. *The sound is
> incredible.
>
> Corigliano: *Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
> Falletta/Buffalo Philharmonic
> Naxos
>
> I just heard the world premiere of the wind band version of this
> important new work. *It's really stunning music, if you like Corigliano,
> which I do. *Fine sound. *
>
> Corigliano: *Circus Maximus
> Junkin/U of Texas Wind Ensemble
> Naxos
>
> An incredible piece of music, very well recorded, including the musket
> shot at the end. *It must have been a real chore to record this, as
> there are players all over the hall. *I was at the first performance, in
> Carnegie Hall 3 years ago. *SUPER playing and EXCELLENT recording.

I've only head this on a tour recording, but, yes, it's quite a
colorful piece.

> LP:
>
> Toshiba repressing of "Let it Be"
> An excellent pressing of the Beatles' last release, sonically better
> than the original, IMO.
>
> Bramhs: Piano Concerto 2
> Giles/Reiner/CSO
> Cisco rerelease of RCA LSC-2219
>
> This is the first Cisco/RCA that I've heard, and it's very, very good.

This performance has had a checkered history on cd: the first issue
on RCA was botched. I heard improvement on an XRCD but not enough to
enjoy the string sound.

> R. Strauss: *Till Eulenspiegel/Death and Transfiguration
> Reiner/VPO
> Classic Records rerelease of RCA LSC-2077
>
> Probably the definitive recordings of these works. Quality of sound
> about equal to the CD.
>
> Smetana: *Ma Vlast
> Kubelik/VPO
> Speakers Corner rerelease of Decca SXL 2064
>
> This is the "miss", I'm afraid. *The sound is not good. *As SC has done
> so well on other Decca recordings, the obvious guess is that the
> original tape is not good. *Too bad, as the most important thing (the
> performance) is stunning. *I recommend a pass, unless you really want
> the performance.

I have this work from Kubelik leading the Chicago Symphony on a mono
Mercury Living Presence. That cd is hard to find, but there's a box
set also available inexpensively in an mp3 set on Amazon.

Stephen

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
calvin coolidge > wrote:

> On Apr 5, 5:03?pm, Jenn > wrote:
> > Recent finds:
> >
> > CD:
> >
> > Music for Band by Percy Grainger
> > Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
> > Reference Recordings
> >
> > FANTASTIC interpretations of music by my man PAG. ?Jerry is, IMO, the
> > best conductor currently working with wind bands. ?The sound is
> > incredible.
> >
> > Corigliano: ?Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
> > Falletta/Buffalo Philharmonic
> > Naxos
> >
> > I just heard the world premiere of the wind band version of this
> > important new work. ?It's really stunning music, if you like Corigliano,
> > which I do. ?Fine sound. ?
>
> This sounds like my cup of tea. I'll search it out. Thanks!

Cool. Warning though: These are not settings of Dylan's MUSIC, just
the words. The music is in Corigliano's musical language.

[calvin coolidge]

On Apr 5, 6:35�pm, Jenn > wrote:
> In article
> >,
> �calvin coolidge > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Apr 5, 5:03?pm, Jenn > wrote:
> > > Recent finds:
>
> > > CD:
>
> > > Music for Band by Percy Grainger
> > > Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
> > > Reference Recordings
>
> > > FANTASTIC interpretations of music by my man PAG. ?Jerry is, IMO, the
> > > best conductor currently working with wind bands. ?The sound is
> > > incredible.
>
> > > Corigliano: ?Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
> > > Falletta/Buffalo Philharmonic
> > > Naxos
>
> > > I just heard the world premiere of the wind band version of this
> > > important new work. ?It's really stunning music, if you like Corigliano,
> > > which I do. ?Fine sound. ?
>
> > This sounds like my cup of tea. I'll search it out. Thanks!
>
> Cool. �Warning though: �These are not settings of Dylan's MUSIC, just
> the words. The music is in Corigliano's musical language.

I'm a bigger fan of Corigliano than Dylan, which is why I think I
would really enjoy it.

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
calvin coolidge > wrote:

> On Apr 5, 6:35?pm, Jenn > wrote:
> > In article
> > >,
> > ?calvin coolidge > wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > On Apr 5, 5:03?pm, Jenn > wrote:
> > > > Recent finds:
> >
> > > > CD:
> >
> > > > Music for Band by Percy Grainger
> > > > Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
> > > > Reference Recordings
> >
> > > > FANTASTIC interpretations of music by my man PAG. ?Jerry is, IMO, the
> > > > best conductor currently working with wind bands. ?The sound is
> > > > incredible.
> >
> > > > Corigliano: ?Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
> > > > Falletta/Buffalo Philharmonic
> > > > Naxos
> >
> > > > I just heard the world premiere of the wind band version of this
> > > > important new work. ?It's really stunning music, if you like Corigliano,
> > > > which I do. ?Fine sound. ?
> >
> > > This sounds like my cup of tea. I'll search it out. Thanks!
> >
> > Cool. ?Warning though: ?These are not settings of Dylan's MUSIC, just
> > the words. The music is in Corigliano's musical language.
>
> I'm a bigger fan of Corigliano than Dylan, which is why I think I
> would really enjoy it.

Great, I just didn't want there to be a misunderstanding! ;-)

The lyrics are those of:
Mr. Tambourine Man
(in fact the full title is: "Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob
Dylan")
Clothes Line
Blowin' in the Wind
Masters of War
All Along the Watchtower
Chimes of Freedom
Forever Young

Just happens to be 8 of my favorite 9 Dylan lyrics!

As an aside, the soprano on the recording (and for the premiere of the
wind band version that I heard in Austin) is Hila Plitmann. She is the
wife of one of my favorite living composers, Eric Whitacre. She has
turned into a favorite of contemporary composers, not only because of
her stunning voice, but because she also has perfect pitch and a
photographic memory, so she can learn these difficult modern scores
relatively easily. With lack of rehearsal time being what it is in
professional symphonic music, those qualities are a real plus.