By John J. Puccio
You may remember that I don’t do “best-of” lists. “Best” suggests that I’ve sampled everything available, and even though I review a lot of music every year, I have not heard but a fraction of what’s out there. So I prefer to do a simple “favorites” list. Here are a few of the discs (listed alphabetically, to be fair) I heard in 2022 that I enjoyed for their performance and sound.
Anne Akiko Meyers: Shining Night
Music of Corelli, Bach, Paganini, and more. Anne Akiko Meyers, violin; Jason Vieaux, guitar; Fabio Bidini, piano. Avie AV2455.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/06/anne-akiko-meyers-shining-night-cd.html
Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Volume 2
The Middle Quartets: Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Dover Quartet. Cedille CDA 90000 206 (3-disc set).
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/01/beethoven-complete-string-quartets.html
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3
Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano; Pablo Heras-Casado, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Harmonia Mundi HMM902412.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/05/beethoven-piano-concertos-nos-1-3-cd.html
Beethoven Revolution: Symphonies Nos. 6-9
Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations. Alia Vox AVSA9946 (3-disc set).
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/04/beethoven-revolution-symphonies-nos-6-9.html
Concerti All’Arrabbiata
Music of Telemann, Platti, Vivaldi, and Geminiani. Gottfried von der Goltz, Freiburger Barockorchester. Aparte Music AP262.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/01/concerti-allarrabbiata-cd-review.html
Schubert Transfiguration: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9
Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished”; Symphony No. 9 “The Great.” Jordi Savall, Le Concert des Nations. AliaVox. To read the review, click here:
Still: Summerland
Also, Violin Suite, Pastorela, American Suite. Zina Schiff, violin; Avlana Eisenberg, Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Naxos 8.559867.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/08/still-summerland-cd-review.html
Strauss, R.: The Happy Workshop
Also, Serenade, Op. 7. George Vosburgh, Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble. Reference Recordings FR-745.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/03/strauss-r-happy-workshop-cd-review.html
Telemann: Viola Concertos
Overtures-Fantasias. Antoine Tamestit, viola; Sabine Fehlandt, viola; Bernhard Forck, Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin. Harmonia Mundi HMM 902342.
To read the review, click here:
https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/07/telemann-viola-concertos-cd-review.html
By Karl W. Nehring
As we reach the end of another year (how did that happen?) it is our custom to offer a list of some of our favorite recordings from among those we have reviewed over the past year. In roughly chronological order, here are some that I especially enjoyed.
Every Note Is True. The More It Changes; The Eternal Verities; She Won’t Forget Me; For Ellen Raskin; Blue; Goodness Knows; Had I But Known; Merely Improbable; Praise Will Travel; At The Bells and Motley. Ethan Iverson, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jack DeJohnette, drums. Blue Note B003473002.
As the program proceeds, the interplay among the three musicians is fascinating. None of them is showing off, but each of them is exhibiting mastery. The music just flows out of them. Gradually, the influence of baroque and classical gradually shifts until by the time we get to the final track, “At the Bells and Motley,” we are in blues territory. Adding to the appeal of the album is the top-notch engineering. It is simply one of the finest-sounding trio recordings I have ever auditioned. I have argued before that jazz can be thought of as a form of chamber music; this album is a prime example. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/02/recent-releases-no-24-cd-reviews.html
Francesco Tristano: On Early Music. Tristano: Toccata; On Bull Galliard in D; Peter Philips: Fantasia in D Minor; Tristano: Serpentina; John Bull: Let ons met herten reijne; Tristano: On Girolamo Frescobaldi's Quattro correnti; Girolamo Frescobaldi: Partita sopra l’Aria la folia; Tristano; Ritornello; On Cristobal de Morales Circumdederunt Me; Orlando Gibbons: Pavan; Air & Alman; Italian Ground; Ground; Tristano: Ciacona seconda; Frescobaldi: Cento partite sopra passacaglie; Tristano: Aria for RS. Francesco Tristano, piano. Sony Classical 19439917392.
The musical program consists of Tristano originals written in the style of early music masters, Tristano’s “takes” on pieces by some of these masters, along with some more straightforward interpretations of their music. Although there is some variation in style and sonority, largely due to studio manipulation of the sonics and some generally subtle although occasionally surprising electronic effects, Tristano’s musical vision is coherent from beginning to end – clearly a labor of love. If you enjoy piano music – especially if you are a fan of Early/Baroque keyboard music – then this is a release you really ought to consider giving an audition. It’s a knockout both musically and sonically. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/03/recent-releases-no-25-cd-reviews.html
Jóhannsson: Drone Mass. One Is True; Two Is Apocryphal; Triptych in Mass; To Fold & Remain Dormant; Diving Objects; The Low Drone of Circulating Blood, Diminishes with Time; Moral Vacuums; Take the Night Air; The Mountain View, The Majesty of the Snow-clad Peaks, From a Place of Contemplation And Reflection. Paul Hiller, conductor; American Contemporary Music Ensemble (Clarice Jensen, artistic director and cello; Ben Russell, violin; Laura Lutzke, violin; Caleb Burhans, viola); Theatre of Voices (Else Torp, Kate Macoboy, Signe Asmussen, Iris Oja, Paul Bentley-Angell, Jakob Skjoldborg, Jakob Bloch Jespersen, Steffen Bruun). Deutsche Grammophon 483 7418.
Although the idea of electronics, a seemingly meaningless series of vowels, and even the very idea of a “drone mass” itself might sound forbidding and off-putting, the music itself is not so. Rather, it is music that is engaging and immersive, drawing the listener in with its interweaving of the mysterious and the familiar, the acoustic and the electronic, the ancient and the contemporary, the ephemeral and the eternal. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/04/recent-releases-no-28.html
Schubert: The Last Quartets. CD1 String Quartet No. 15 in G Major D.887; CD2 String Quartet No. 14 in D minor “Death and the Maiden” D.810. Aviv Quartet (Sergey Ostrovsky, violin; Philippe Villafranca, violin; Noémie Bialobroda, viola; Daniel Mitnitsky, cello). Aparte AP266.
The final two string quartets of Franz Schubert are two of the great masterpieces of chamber music. If you are relatively new to classical music, please be forewarned that these are not compositions that are going to immediately soothe your ear with pretty melodies. But although yes, the music is dark, its very darkness gives it a focus and intensity that the playing of the Israeli-based Aviv Quartet and the audiophile-quality sonics combine to deliver an intense musical experience that reveals the beauty of Schubert’s writing for these four instruments. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/05/recent-releases-no-30-cd-reviews.html
Prism IV: Danish String Quartet. Bach: Fugue in G minor, BWV 861; Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor op. 132; Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 2 in A minor op. 13. Danish String Quartet (Frederik Øland, violin; Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, violin; Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, cello). ECM New Series 2564.
Over the decades since I have listened to many and owned several sets of the late quartets on CD (the Yale, Emerson, Takács, and Tokyo box sets remain on my CD rack). Now in my later years I suddenly found myself being taught a revelatory lesson by about the late quartets by a relatively young string quartet. From start to finish, Prism IV is a rewarding musical experience that truly does reveal a line though genres and generations. You don’t have to read the liner notes to appreciate that Beethoven revered and studied the music of Bach and that Mendelssohn of course studied the music of Beethoven, but the notes are informative and helpful nonetheless in filling in some of the details. The engineering is up to the usual ECM standard, rich and resonant. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/07/new-releases-no-33-cd-reviews.html
Beethoven: 33 Variations Op. 120 on a Waltz by Diabelli. Mitsuko Uchida, piano. Decca 485 2731.
Japanese-born British pianist Mitsuko Uchida (b. 1948) has long been one of my favorite musicians. Not only does she play wonderfully, but her modesty and charm are world-class. Despite a long career throughout which she has been known primarily as a specialist in the Viennese masters who has won wide acclaim for her performances and recordings of Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven, this release is Dame Mitsuko’s first recording of the Diabelli Variations. Her performance comes across as thoughtfully balanced, able to express depths of emotion without ever sounding forced; neither too excitable or rushed in the lighter moments nor overly drawn-out and melodramatic in the softer, more reflective passages. Particularly noteworthy is the way the recording closes out, Variations XXIX-XXXIII. These variations have a little bit of everything, blessed with some of the most sublime soft and slow passages extant. This is a truly first-rate recording of a sometimes-overlooked masterpiece. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/07/piano-potpourri-no-7-cd-reviews.html
Víkingur Ólafsson: From Afar. Bach: Christe, du Lamm Gottes, BWV 619 (Arr. G. Kurtág); Schumann: Study in Canonic Form, Op. 56 No. 1; Bach: Adagio from Sonata for Solo Violin in C major (Arr. Víkingur Ólafsson); Kurtág: Harmonica (Hommage á Borsody László) (From Játékok / Book 3); Bartók: Three Hungarian Folksongs from Csìk; Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 116, No. 4; Kurtág: A Voice in the Distance (From / Book 5); Birgisson: Where Life and Death May Dwell (Icelandic Folk Song); Bach: Trio Sonata No. 1, BWV 525: 1. Allegro moderato (arr. G. Kurtág); Kaldalóns: Ave María (Arr. Víkingur Ólafsson); Kurtág: Little Chorale (From Játékok / Book 1); Mozart: Laudate Dominum (Arr. Víkingur Ólafsson); Kurtág: Sleepily (From Játékok / Book 1); Schumann: Träumerei Op. 15, No. 7; Kurtág: Flowers We Are (From Játékok / Book 7); Adès: The Branch (Az Ág); Kurtág: Twittering (From Játékok / Book 1); Schumann: Vogel als Prophet Op. 82, No. 7; Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 116, No. 5; Kurtág: Scraps of a Colinda Melody – Faintly Recollected (Hommage à Farkas Ferenc) (From Játékok / Book 3). Víkingur Ólafsson, grand piano, CD1; upright piano, CD2. Deutsche Grammophon 486 1681.
The musical selections for the most part are brief, many lasting less than two minutes. Although the brevity of the tracks and variety of the composers might seem to portend a crazy quilt of styles and moods, the overall impression given off by the album as the program moves along from track to track is actually quite consistent. From the opening brief snippet of Bach, which is calm and reflective, Ólafsson seems to be inviting us to join him in contemplating the beauty, peace, and joy to be found among the 88 keys of the piano. Intimacy and playfulness are two defining characteristics of the music on From Afar. And that music has been recorded not once, but twice, for this release, as Ólafsson explains: “This album contains two recordings of the same music, one made on a Steinway concert grand and the other made on an upright with a layer of felt covering the strings, a permanent soft pedal.” Ólafsson’s liner notes are both interesting and informative. This is an interesting, involving, and endearing album that further enhances the growing reputation of this supremely talented and insightful master of the keyboard. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/10/vikingur-olafsson-from-afar-cd-review.html
Mosaic. Debussy: Beau Soir (transcr. J. Heifitz); Première Rhapsodie; Tárrega: Recuerdo de la Alhambra (transcr. R. Ricci); Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte (transcr. V. Borisovsky); Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera; Fauré: Élégie in C Minor, Op. 24; Papillon, Op. 77; Berceuse, Op. 16 (transcr. T. Butorac); Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. 1 (transcr. P. Cassals); Albéniz: Tango in D Major, Op. 165, No. 2; Akira Nishimura: Fantasia on Song of the Birds; Pablo Casals: El Cant dels Ocells (Song of the Birds); de Falla: Siete canciones populares españolas (transcr. E. Cólon) - I. El Paño Moruno; II. Seguidilla Murciana; III. Asturiana; IV. Jota; V. Nana; VI. Canción; VII. Polo. Wenting Kang, viola; Sergei Kvitko, piano. Blue Griffin BGR 609.
There just seems to be something special about the Chinese-born violist Wenting Kang (b. 1987), who has pulled together a captivatingly colorful and lively program of music that she has chosen to play so expressively on the viola, not the instrument for which they were originally written. As you can see from a glance through the titles above, the bulk of her program comes from French and Spanish composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. From start to finish, Kang and Kvitko – who, in addition to playing the piano, also served as recording engineer and producer for this release, an impressively talented individual to be sure! – bring heartfelt expression to this lyrical collection, with the rich tone of the viola sounding “just right” for these pieces. Please understand what I mean when I say that Mosaic is not just another violin recital, which it obviously isn’t. What it is is something very special indeed. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/09/new-releases-no-34-cd-reviews.html
Mozart: The Piano Sonatas. Robert Levin, fortepiano. ECM New Series 2710-16 (7 CDs).
Although Mozart’s piano sonatas are not – at least for me – not quite at the same exalted artistic level as those by Beethoven or Schubert, they are still wonderful works, full of marvelous melodies and a wide range of emotional expression. To have a complete set presented to us by an artist such as the American musicologist and pianist Robert Levin (b. 1947) is an occasion worth noting. There are extensive liner notes that discuss the music, including Levin’s reconstruction work, and the instrument. Ah, the instrument… The album cover proclaims that the sonatas are performed “on Mozart’s fortepiano.” There is an essay discussing the construction, sound, and history of the instrument included in the liner notes, in which it is noted that Mozart himself did some of his composing on this instrument, which was later gifted to one of his sons, and that Mendelssohn once tickled its keys. Of Levin’s profound knowledge of Mozart’s music and his ability to play it in an appropriate style there can be no doubt. Indeed, the music flows from his fingers with remarkable facility. For lovers of Mozart’s piano music, this set is going to be a must-have. The only reservation that keeps me from making an enthusiastic general recommendation is the sound of the instrument itself, a sound that is closer to that of a harpsichord than to a modern piano. For some, that will not be an issue, but for others, it might well be an insurmountable obstacle to their listening enjoyment. Still, everything about this release is first-class. The packaging, the liner notes, the performances, the engineering – this is truly an outstanding release.
Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas Volume 1. No. 3 in B-flat Major K.281; No. 13 in B-flat Major K.333; No. 17 in B-flat Major K.570. Orli Shaham, piano. Canary Classics CC19.
Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas Volumes 2 & 3. Vol. 1: No. 9 in A Minor K.310; No. 12 in F Major K.332; No. 18 in D Major K.576. Vol. 2: No. 9 in A Minor K.310; No. 12 in F Major K.332; No. 18 in D Major K.576. Orli Shaham, piano. Canary Classics CC21.
There are several contrasts between this set and the Levin set reviewed above. Most obviously, the Levin set is complete, while this new set by American pianist Orli Shaham (b. 1975) is ongoing (Vol. 1 was released in 2020, Vols. 2 & 3 in 2022, with Vols. 4 and 5 slated for release in the spring and summer of 2023, respectively). Another striking contrast is in the sound. While Levin recorded his set on “Mozart’s piano,” Shaham has chosen to record on a modern Steinway. As a further note about sound, the recording producer and editor for the series is the veteran Erica Brenner and the recording engineer for Vol. 1 and most of Vol. 2 was the late Michael Bishop (1951-2021), whom audiophiles may recognize as the engineer responsible for many of those spectacular Telarc recordings of days gone by. Following the loss of Bishop, engineering duties were taken over by Robert Friedrich, himself a top-rate engineer. Rest assured that Ms. Shaham – and your ears – have been afforded some state-of-the-art sonics. Ms. Shaham observes in the liner notes remarks that Mozart “taught the keyboard to sing.” There is indeed a fluid, singing quality to Shaham’s playing that is engaging and pleasurable. Add to that the beautifully captured sound of her piano and you wind up with Mozart recordings that are well-nigh irresistible. Levin and Shaham reviews here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/11/piano-potpourri-no-8-cd-reviews.html
Schubert: Piano Sonata in G major D894; Piano Sonata in E minor D769a (fragment; formerly D994); Piano Sonata in A major D664. Stephen Hough, piano. Hyperion CDA 68370.
Hough brings an interpretive touch to the music of Schubert that somehow sounds “just right.” He puts plenty of emotion and feeling into his playing, but never takes it over the top. You can feel his great love for this music, but his interpretations never sound overly sentimental. Moreover, the warmth of his playing is enhanced by the warmth of the recording. The music of Schubert, the artistry of Hough, and the production values of Hyperion (not just the engineering, but also first-class liner notes and cover art) make this a highly recommendable release. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/04/piano-potpourri-no-6-cd-reviews.html
Hellbound Train: An Anthology. Steve Tibbetts, guitars/percussion/dobro/piano; Marc Anderson, congas/percussion/gongs/steel drum/handpan; with Jim Anton/Eric Anderson/Bob Hughes, bass; Michelle Kinney, cello/drones; Marcus Wise, table; Tim Weinhold, vase/bongos; Mike Olson, synthesizer; Claudia Schmidt/Rhea Valentine, voice. ECM 2656/57 455 7480.
American guitarist Steve Tibbetts (b. 1954) has been making imaginative music with his guitar for more than four decades. This two-disc compilation includes tracks from his previous seven ECM releases: Northern Song (1982), Safe Journey (1984), Exploded View (1986), Big Map Idea (1989), The Fall of Us All (1994), A Man About a Horse (2002), Natural Causes (2010), and Life Of (2018). Hellbound Train features 28 tracks spread over two CDs. CD I, which leans toward the more electric, high-energy side of things, contains 11 tracks: four from The Fall of Us All, five from A Man About a Horse, and one each from Exploded View and Safe Journey. CD II leans more to the acoustic side, containing 17 tracks: three from Natural Causes, three from Safe Journey, five from Big Map Idea, four from Life Of, and two from Northern Song. As an overview of Tibbetts’s body of work for ECM, it certainly serves its purpose. It’s an amazing collection. If you have never heard Tibbetts before, you really need to audition this album. Review here: https://classicalcandor.blogspot.com/2022/12/recent-releases-no-40-cd-reviews.htm
KWN
Beautiful Passing, for violin and orchestra; Mnemosyne’s Pool, for symphonic orchestra. Anthony Marwood, violin; David Roberston, Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Canary Classics CC22.
By Karl W. Nehring
What we have here is something of an international mix, which is certainly not uncommon in the world of classical music. The composer, Steven Mackey (b.1956), was born in Germany to American parents and raised in California. According to Wikipedia, not only is he a composer and a professor of music at Princeton, he is an accomplished electric guitarist who has performed on that instrument along with the Kronos and Arditti Quartets as well as the New World and Dutch Radio Symphonies. The violin soloist, Anthony Marwood MBE (b. 1965) was born in London and has made more than 50 commercial CD recordings. Adding to the international mix is of course the Australian orchestra, led by American conductor David Robertson (b. 1958), who was the orchestra’s chief conductor at the time these recordings were made (2015 and 2017). Some classical music lovers might recall that Robertson led the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 2005 though 2018, and adding to the international dimension, was director of the Paris-based Ensemble Intercontemporain (EIC) from 1992-2000.
Mackey explains that “Beautiful Passing was inspired by the experience of watching my mother die. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2004. She was treated with chemo and radiation, won the first round, and was able to dance with me at my wedding in 2006. She remained cancer-free until a recurrence in 2007. Around that same time, we found out that we were expecting our first child. My mom was so excited and vowed to fight the cancer (again) and meet her grandchild.” Sadly, Mackey and his wife lost their pregnancy, and when they told his mother, she replied that although she felt confident that they would go on to have a family, she would not be able to hang on another year to meet her new grandchild. A mere week later, she called Mackey to tell him it would be her last day. He spent that final time with her at her apartment, working on his laptop at her insistence. One of her final instructions to him was that he should “please tell everyone I had a beautiful passing.” Although Mackey’s account might lead to the assumption that this concerto would be a soft, reflective, peaceful composition, it is actually for the most part more on the brash, boisterous side. The violin gets some lyrical lines to play, but is often seemingly attacked by harsh outbursts from the orchestra. It is not easy listening; however, it is not harsh and dissonant. The solo violin part is entrancing throughout, with Marwood really getting a chance to chance to show what he can do on his instrument.
Despite Beautiful Passing being given title billing for this release, it is actually the shorter of the two compositions included, coming in at 24:33 versus 42:50 for the five-movement Mnemosyne’s Pool. about which Mackey writes, “deals with memory within the music itself, and in so doing it deals with our memory, the human capacity for memory and the act of remembering.” (Mnemosyne was the mythical Greek goddess of memory – it is in her honor we term a memory aid a “mnemonic device.”) Like the concerto, it is richly scored, dynamic – but more varied in mood and sonority. After the brash opening movement, tiled Variations, the second, Déjá vu (Medley), offers a nicely melodic contrast. The briefer third movement, appropriately titled Fleeting, is infused with rhythmic energy and functions much like a symphonic scherzo. The mood becomes more serious in the following movement, titled In Memoriam A.H.S., which Mackey says he composed as a memorial movement for his father-in-law. Moving but not morose, it is the emotional highlight of the composition. The final movement is the longest and most musically complex. Titled Echoes, it could likely stand on its own as a nearly 13-minute concert piece that showcases what the orchestra can do. It makes quite the sonic impression, which has been well captured by the recording team, as is the rest of the program on this disc There is not enough deep bass to challenge subwoofer setups, but that would seem to have more to do with scoring than engineering. This may not be an audiophile demonstration CD, but it is perfectly suited for conveying musical enjoyment. Recommended to all but the more strongly conservative musical tastes.
KWN
John J. Puccio, Founder and Contributor
Understand, I'm just an everyday guy reacting to something I love. And I've been doing it for a very long time, my appreciation for classical music starting with the musical excerpts on the Big Jon and Sparkie radio show in the early Fifties and the purchase of my first recording, The 101 Strings Play the Classics, around 1956. In the late Sixties I began teaching high school English and Film Studies as well as becoming interested in hi-fi, my audio ambitions graduating me from a pair of AR-3 speakers to the Fulton J's recommended by The Stereophile's J. Gordon Holt. In the early Seventies, I began writing for a number of audio magazines, including Audio Excellence, Audio Forum, The Boston Audio Society Speaker, The American Record Guide, and from 1976 until 2008, The $ensible Sound, for which I served as Classical Music Editor.
Today, I'm retired from teaching and use a pair of bi-amped VMPS RM40s loudspeakers for my listening. In addition to writing for the Classical Candor blog, I served as the Movie Review Editor for the Web site Movie Metropolis (formerly DVDTown) from 1997-2013. Music and movies. Life couldn't be better.
Karl Nehring, Editor and Contributor
For nearly 30 years I was the editor of The $ensible Sound magazine and a regular contributor to both its equipment and recordings review pages. I would not presume to present myself as some sort of expert on music, but I have a deep love for and appreciation of many types of music, "classical" especially, and have listened to thousands of recordings over the years, many of which still line the walls of my listening room (and occasionally spill onto the furniture and floor, much to the chagrin of my long-suffering wife). I have always taken the approach as a reviewer that what I am trying to do is simply to point out to readers that I have come across a recording that I have found of interest, a recording that I think they might appreciate my having pointed out to them. I suppose that sounds a bit simple-minded, but I know I appreciate reading reviews by others that do the same for me — point out recordings that they think I might enjoy.
For readers who might be wondering about what kind of system I am using to do my listening, I should probably point out that I do a LOT of music listening and employ a variety of means to do so in a variety of environments, as I would imagine many music lovers also do. Starting at the more grandiose end of the scale, the system in which I do my most serious listening comprises Marantz CD 6007 and Onkyo CD 7030 CD players, NAD C 658 streaming preamp/DAC, Legacy Audio PowerBloc2 amplifier, and a pair of Legacy Audio Focus SE loudspeakers. I occasionally do some listening through pair of Sennheiser 560S headphones. I miss the excellent ELS Studio sound system in our 2016 Acura RDX (now my wife's daily driver) on which I had ripped more than a hundred favorite CDs to the hard drive, so now when driving my 2024 Honda CRV Sport L Hybrid, I stream music from my phone through its adequate but hardly outstanding factory system. For more casual listening at home when I am not in my listening room, I often stream music through a Roku Streambar Pro system (soundbar plus four surround speakers and a 10" sealed subwoofer) that has surprisingly nice sound for such a diminutive physical presence and reasonable price. Finally, at the least grandiose end of the scale, I have an Ultimate Ears Wonderboom II Bluetooth speaker and a pair of Google Pro Earbuds for those occasions where I am somewhere by myself without a sound system but in desperate need of a musical fix. I just can’t imagine life without music and I am humbly grateful for the technologies that enable us to enjoy it in so many wonderful ways.
William (Bill) Heck, Webmaster and Contributor
Among my early childhood memories are those of listening to my mother playing records (some even 78 rpm ones!) of both classical music and jazz tunes. I suppose that her love of music was transmitted genetically, and my interest was sustained by years of playing in rock bands – until I realized that this was no way to make a living. The interest in classical music was rekindled in grad school when the university FM station serving as background music for studying happened to play the Brahms First Symphony. As the work came to an end, it struck me forcibly that this was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and from that point on, I never looked back. This revelation was to the detriment of my studies, as I subsequently spent way too much time simply listening, but music has remained a significant part of my life. These days, although I still can tell a trumpet from a bassoon and a quarter note from a treble clef, I have to admit that I remain a nonexpert. But I do love music in general and classical music in particular, and I enjoy sharing both information and opinions about it.
The audiophile bug bit about the same time that I returned to classical music. I’ve gone through plenty of equipment, brands from Audio Research to Yamaha, and the best of it has opened new audio insights. Along the way, I reviewed components, and occasionally recordings, for The $ensible Sound magazine. Most recently I’ve moved to my “ultimate system” consisting of a BlueSound Node streamer, an ancient Toshiba multi-format disk player serving as a CD transport, Legacy Wavelet II DAC/preamp/crossover, dual Legacy PowerBloc2 amps, and Legacy Signature SE speakers (biamped), all connected with decently made, no-frills cables. With the arrival of CD and higher resolution streaming, that is now the source for most of my listening.
Ryan Ross, Contributor
I started listening to and studying classical music in earnest nearly three decades ago. This interest grew naturally out of my training as a pianist. I am now a musicologist by profession, specializing in British and other symphonic music of the 19th and 20th centuries. My scholarly work has been published in major music journals, as well as in other outlets. Current research focuses include twentieth-century symphonic historiography, and the music of Jean Sibelius, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Malcolm Arnold.
I am honored to contribute writings to Classical Candor. In an age where the classical recording industry is being subjected to such profound pressures and changes, it is more important than ever for those of us steeped in this cultural tradition to continue to foster its love and exposure. I hope that my readers can find value, no matter how modest, in what I offer here.
Bryan Geyer, Technical Analyst
I initially embraced classical music in 1954 when I mistuned my car radio and heard the Heifetz recording of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. That inspired me to board the new "hi-fi" DIY bandwagon. In 1957 I joined one of the pioneer semiconductor makers and spent the next 32 years marketing transistors and microcircuits to military contractors. Home audio DIY projects remained a personal passion until 1989 when we created our own new photography equipment company. I later (2012) revived my interest in two channel audio when we "downsized" our life and determined that mini-monitors + paired subwoofers were a great way to mate fine music with the space constraints of condo living.
Visitors that view my technical papers on this site may wonder why they appear here, rather than on a site that features audio equipment reviews. My reason is that I tried the latter, and prefer to publish for people who actually want to listen to music; not to equipment. My focus is in describing what's technically beneficial to assure that the sound of the system will accurately replicate the source input signal (i. e. exhibit high accuracy) without inordinate cost and complexity. Conversely, most of the audiophiles of today strive to achieve sound that's euphonic, i.e. be personally satisfying. In essence, audiophiles seek sound that's consistent with their desire; the music is simply a test signal.
Mission Statement
It is the goal of Classical Candor to promote the enjoyment of classical music. Other forms of music come and go--minuets, waltzes, ragtime, blues, jazz, bebop, country-western, rock-'n'-roll, heavy metal, rap, and the rest--but classical music has been around for hundreds of years and will continue to be around for hundreds more. It's no accident that every major city in the world has one or more symphony orchestras.
When I was young, I heard it said that only intellectuals could appreciate classical music, that it required dedicated concentration to appreciate. Nonsense. I'm no intellectual, and I've always loved classical music. Anyone who's ever seen and enjoyed Disney's Fantasia or a Looney Tunes cartoon playing Rossini's William Tell Overture or Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 can attest to the power and joy of classical music, and that's just about everybody.
So, if Classical Candor can expand one's awareness of classical music and bring more joy to one's life, more power to it. It's done its job. --John J. Puccio
Contact Information
Readers with polite, courteous, helpful letters may send them to classicalcandor@gmail.com
Readers with impolite, discourteous, bitchy, whining, complaining, nasty, mean-spirited, unhelpful letters may send them to classicalcandor@recycle.bin.
Anne Akiko Meyers: Shining Night
Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Volume 2
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3
Beethoven Revolution: Symphonies Nos. 6-9
Concerti All’Arrabbiata
