[Gary Eickmeier]

I've been searching the house frantically these last few months looking for
some extremely precious CDs that I seemed to have lost when we had a minor
flooding incident at the house. I've got maybe 1200 to 1500 CDs, all
selected by me and therefore most of them valuable, but these were special
above demo class discs, unique and probably not replaceable. I finally found
the box that I put them in when cleaning out the room. In addition to such
tidbits as Nelson Riddle's Route 66 by the Cincinatti Pops, That Shearing
Sound by Telarc, Simon Rattle's Jazz Album, a reenactment of some classic
arrangements, John Zorn Filmworks, Papa Doo Run Run, Telarc's California
Project, The Best of Chesky Jazz, Ella in Rome, the Sheffield Drive test CD,
and Les Brown's Digital Swing, there was the inner sanctum, the holy of
holies, creme de la creme, stack of stuff that dreams are made of -
audiophile dreams anyway. I just wonder how many of these any of you have,
or have you heard of them? They a

1. The Digital Domain, the most amazing synthesizer demo I have ever heard

2. Sheffield Track Record and Drum Record, the most amazing imaging demo I
have ever heard

3. Flight of the Cosmic Hippo by Bela Fleck, just an amazing fun romp in
frequency response

4. McCoy Tyner Supertrios, if you are into piano jazz - check Stella by
Starlight

5. Creme de la Creme, Sheffield Labs, the best of their library transferred
to digital

6. McCoy Tyner Live at the Musicians Exchange Cafe, a disc I re-bought from
Amazon because I thought I lost it

7. Ella Swings Lightly with Marty Paich Dek-Tette, superb transfer of a
recording from 1958 (stereo) that illustrates how much we have lost in the
ability to arrange jazz for orchestra or small groups

8. Super Audio Check CD, a Japanese import from the early days of CD, many
sound effects and some music, some unique test tracks such as the same
phrase repeated 5 times, each time with decreasing treble or bass, to see at
which point you can hear the difference

9. Ella's Gershwin Songbook, Norman Granz's crowning achievement, probably
the best jazz vocal album ever conceived

10. Telarc's Rite of Spring, Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland. This album is
worth an entire article all by itself. I have never read a review of it, nor
heard anyone praising it, but my jaw starts out on the floor every time I
play it and progresses from there. It has a flair and a bombast that I have
never heard from any other recording, anywhere. Pure Telarc.

Do these awaken any memories? Do you have any like them to share - I mean,
your EXTREME favorite discs of all time. I also have row upon row of
incredible vinyl discs and a Michel Gyrodisc turntable which I never play,
since the advent of CD. Don't know what my wife will do with them when I go.

Gary Eickmeier

[[email protected]]

On May 29, 5:57*am, "Gary Eickmeier" wrote:
I've been searching the house frantically these last few
months looking for some extremely precious CDs ...
... there was the inner sanctum, the holy of
holies, creme de la creme, *stack of stuff that
dreams are made of- audiophile dreams anyway.
I just wonder how many of these any of you have,
or have you heard of them? They a

1. The Digital Domain, ...
2. Sheffield Track Record and Drum Record, ..
...
Do these awaken any memories? Do you have
any like them to share - I mean, your EXTREME
favorite discs of all time.

If I had to actually sit down and LISTEN to any of these
kinds of discs, I would try and find a pencil and gouge
out my ears instead. I find them about as exciting and
enjoyable as records of train whistles and explosions.

No, my discography of gotta-have-and listen would
be comprised of things like Lorraine Hunt Lieberson with
Emmanuel Music and Craig SMith performances of Bach
cantatas 82 Ich habe genug and 199 Main Herz schwimm
in Blut, a recording that has to be among the most
emotionally intense I have ever heard, Janson's
performance of the Tchaikovsky 2nd with the Oslo
Philharmonic, a combination of an exhilerating
performance (4th movement, especially) and one
of the best senses of actually "being there," Rene
Saorgin's colelction of the complete organ works
of Diderich Buxtehude, Pinnocks Handel Orchestral
Works, an old London LP of Ansermet's Beethoven
7th, the best performance I have heard, and, not to
forget, Gould's first and last recording of the Bach
Goldberg Variations, and incredible study in contrast.

I have been given some of the recordings you
mentioned and I still have them, unopened in
their original shrink-wrap, where they are likely
to remain in perpetuity.I suppose it's the difference
between exciting the ear and thrilling the soul.

If not having or listening to this set of "apetizers"
[sic] and your "creme de la creme" leaves me out
of the inner sanctum of audiophilia, it's a membership
I am happy to be excluded from. Gives me more
time to listen to the music and less time to listen to
the audiophiles and their equipment.

[[email protected]]

On May 29, 10:57*am, wrote:
On May 29, 5:57*am, "Gary Eickmeier" wrote:

I've been searching the house frantically these last few
months looking for some extremely precious CDs ...
... there was the inner sanctum, the holy of
holies, creme de la creme, *stack of stuff that
dreams are made of- audiophile dreams anyway.
I just wonder how many of these any of you have,
or have you heard of them? They a

1. The Digital Domain, ...
2. Sheffield Track Record and Drum Record, ..
...
Do these awaken any memories? Do you have
any like them to share - I mean, your EXTREME
favorite discs of all time.

If I had to actually sit down and LISTEN to any of these
kinds of discs, I would try and find a pencil and gouge
out my ears instead. I find them about as exciting and
enjoyable as records of train whistles and explosions.

No, my discography of gotta-have-and listen would
be comprised of things like Lorraine Hunt Lieberson with
Emmanuel Music and Craig SMith performances of Bach
cantatas 82 Ich habe genug and 199 Main Herz schwimm
in Blut, a recording that has to be among the most
emotionally intense I have ever heard, Janson's
performance of the Tchaikovsky 2nd with the Oslo
Philharmonic, a combination of an exhilerating
performance (4th movement, especially) and one
of the best senses of actually "being there," Rene
Saorgin's colelction of the complete organ works
of Diderich Buxtehude, Pinnocks Handel Orchestral
Works, an old London LP of Ansermet's Beethoven
7th, the best performance I have heard, and, not to
forget, Gould's first and last recording of the Bach
Goldberg Variations, and incredible study in contrast.

I have been given some of the recordings you
mentioned and I still have them, unopened in
their original shrink-wrap, where they are likely
to remain in perpetuity.I suppose it's the difference
between exciting the ear and thrilling the soul.

If not having or listening to this set of "apetizers"
[sic] and your "creme de la creme" leaves me out
of the inner sanctum of audiophilia, it's a membership
I am happy to be excluded from. Gives me more
time to listen to the music and less time to listen to
the audiophiles and their equipment.

On the one hand I think it I a good idea to have a battery of SOTA
recordings to help discern the capabilities of the hardware. OTOH I
have always believed that the point of the hardware is to serve the
music. The music being stuff that is not always well recorded. There
are however some SOTA recordings with great music. The Sheffield drum
record may not be the most amazing recording when it comes to musical
content. But Bella Fleck, McCoy Tyner and Lauren Maazel are the real
deal.
If you are looking fro great sonics and great music there is plenty to
choose from. The thing that amazes me is how few audiophiles pay
attention to the mastering. That's the key to getting the music you
love with the best possible sonics.

[Rick[_4_]]

Dick, another ablum I find very emotional, and listenable is "Pops Goes The
Trumpet" with Al Hirt, Arthur Fiedler, and The Boston Pops.
"la Virgen de la Macarena (Monterde__Arr: Hayman) and "Eili Eili
(trraditional__ Arr: Jacchia) are two of the most soulful and mournful tunes
I have ever heard from a b_flat trumpet.
In "A Trumpeter's Lullaby (Leroy Anderson), Hirts horn is as delicate as
the flutes that accompany him.
If you can find this ablum - give it a listen - you won't be
disapointed. So far I have only found it in vinyl (RCA Victor Red Seal Mono
LM-2729...Stereo LCS-2729

Rick

wrote in message
...
If I had to actually sit down and LISTEN to any of these
kinds of discs, I would try and find a pencil and gouge
out my ears instead. I find them about as exciting and
enjoyable as records of train whistles and explosions.

No, my discography of gotta-have-and listen would
be comprised of things like Lorraine Hunt Lieberson with
Emmanuel Music and Craig SMith performances of Bach
cantatas 82 Ich habe genug and 199 Main Herz schwimm
in Blut, a recording that has to be among the most
emotionally intense I have ever heard, Janson's
performance of the Tchaikovsky 2nd with the Oslo
Philharmonic, a combination of an exhilerating
performance (4th movement, especially) and one
of the best senses of actually "being there," Rene
Saorgin's colelction of the complete organ works
of Diderich Buxtehude, Pinnocks Handel Orchestral
Works, an old London LP of Ansermet's Beethoven
7th, the best performance I have heard, and, not to
forget, Gould's first and last recording of the Bach
Goldberg Variations, and incredible study in contrast.

I have been given some of the recordings you
mentioned and I still have them, unopened in
their original shrink-wrap, where they are likely
to remain in perpetuity.I suppose it's the difference
between exciting the ear and thrilling the soul.

If not having or listening to this set of "apetizers"
[sic] and your "creme de la creme" leaves me out
of the inner sanctum of audiophilia, it's a membership
I am happy to be excluded from. Gives me more
time to listen to the music and less time to listen to
the audiophiles and their equipment.

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article ,
"Gary Eickmeier" wrote:


10. Telarc's Rite of Spring, Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland. This album is
worth an entire article all by itself. I have never read a review of it, nor
heard anyone praising it, but my jaw starts out on the floor every time I
play it and progresses from there. It has a flair and a bombast that I have
never heard from any other recording, anywhere. Pure Telarc.

That really is a stunning recording. The performance is not my favorite
Rite, but still wonderful. The recorded sound is fabulous. An aside
that might be interesting to some: When Telarc was first starting up,
they were, of course, strapped for cash. Frederick Fennell, the
conductor of the first symphonic digital recording in the U.S (and my
mentor; I was present at those Cleveland sessions) and Lorin Maazel, the
conductor of that recording of the Mussorgsky Pictures that was among
the first Telarc releases, spoke on the phone and decided to offer to
Telarc to delay their pay for the session for up to a year, to help with
the finances. Their offer was accepted, and Fred and Maazel were paid
some 6 months after their sessions.


Do these awaken any memories? Do you have any like them to share - I mean,
your EXTREME favorite discs of all time. I also have row upon row of
incredible vinyl discs and a Michel Gyrodisc turntable which I never play,
since the advent of CD. Don't know what my wife will do with them when I go.

She should send them to me! ;-)

[Gary Eickmeier]

"Jenn" wrote in message
...

That really is a stunning recording. The performance is not my favorite
Rite, but still wonderful. The recorded sound is fabulous. An aside
that might be interesting to some: When Telarc was first starting up,
they were, of course, strapped for cash. Frederick Fennell, the
conductor of the first symphonic digital recording in the U.S (and my
mentor; I was present at those Cleveland sessions) and Lorin Maazel, the
conductor of that recording of the Mussorgsky Pictures that was among
the first Telarc releases, spoke on the phone and decided to offer to
Telarc to delay their pay for the session for up to a year, to help with
the finances. Their offer was accepted, and Fred and Maazel were paid
some 6 months after their sessions.

Thanks for that, Jenn. Interesting. I have just never heard a "Rite" that
sounded quite like it. The others seem like they were done by a high school
band in comparison.

She should send them to me! ;-)

This is a serious problem - having all these discs, I mean. I will never
listen to them again during my lifetime. Anyone else out there who collects
vinyl (there are people that do that) would already have what they want.
Perhaps I could sell them to a dealer or on E-Bay, but I would have to
catalogue them, right? And how to ship them...

Gary Eickmeier

[Steven Sullivan]

Gary Eickmeier wrote:

10. Telarc's Rite of Spring, Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland. This album is
worth an entire article all by itself. I have never read a review of it, nor
heard anyone praising it, but my jaw starts out on the floor every time I
play it and progresses from there. It has a flair and a bombast that I have
never heard from any other recording, anywhere. Pure Telarc.

This was a 'digital LP' in the days before CD, and I used to own it in that form back in the early
80s. I recall it mainly for the buxom lady in silhouette on the cover, and for the
*absurdly* slow, drawn out solo timpani whacks during one section --
exaggerated well beyond what the composer intended, and clearly there just to
'show off' digital.

So, not the most tasteful performance, but it did have 'flair', and arguably this is not
a piece that should be done 'tastefully'.

(I prefer Stravinsky's own stint conducting Le Sacre with the Columbia SO,
a 1960s recording that finally got the digital version it deserved when it was released on SACD
some years back) (2-channel only, though)



--
-S
We have it in our power to begin the world over again - Thomas Paine

[Sonnova]

On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 01:53:24 -0700, Steven Sullivan wrote
(in article ):

Gary Eickmeier wrote:

10. Telarc's Rite of Spring, Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland. This album is
worth an entire article all by itself. I have never read a review of it,
nor
heard anyone praising it, but my jaw starts out on the floor every time I
play it and progresses from there. It has a flair and a bombast that I have
never heard from any other recording, anywhere. Pure Telarc.

This was a 'digital LP' in the days before CD, and I used to own it in that
form back in the early
80s. I recall it mainly for the buxom lady in silhouette on the cover, and
for the
*absurdly* slow, drawn out solo timpani whacks during one section --
exaggerated well beyond what the composer intended, and clearly there just to

'show off' digital.

So, not the most tasteful performance, but it did have 'flair', and arguably
this is not
a piece that should be done 'tastefully'.

(I prefer Stravinsky's own stint conducting Le Sacre with the Columbia SO,
a 1960s recording that finally got the digital version it deserved when it
was released on SACD
some years back) (2-channel only, though)

I have that. I agree. It's a great version artistically and it sounds superb
too. That first spate of non-compatible (no Redbook layer) Sony releases of
Columbia Masterworks recordings by Stravinsky, Walter, Bernstein, Szell,
Ormandy, etc. is what convinced me that SACD was "the audiophile's digital
format".