Respighi: Roman Trilogy (CD review)

Roman Festivals; Fountains of Rome; Pines of Rome. JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Philharmonic. Naxos 8.574013.

Here's an interesting observation to begin: In this day and age when due to financial concerns most of the world's great orchestras find it difficult to produce many recordings (and when they do, they're most often live performances), the Buffalo Philharmonic under the guidance of conductor JoAnn Falletta continues to turn out a stream of excellent performances with the Naxos label. What have they discovered up there in Buffalo that most everybody else is missing? I dunno. But we should not look a gift horse (or buffalo) in the mouth; we're lucky that Ms. Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic are as good as they are.

Anyway, the Italian composer, violinist, and musicologist Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) is probably best known today for his trio of lavishly orchestrated tone poems describing various famous places in Italy, the three works on this disc now known as the "Roman Trilogy." Of course, he wrote quite a lot more, but these three pieces so overshadow the others, the lesser works tend to get forgotten.

Even though Respighi wrote the Fountains of Rome first (1917), Ms. Falletta has chosen to open the agenda with the Feste roman ("Roman Festivals") the last of the trilogy, which Respighi wrote in 1928. For me these are the least-successful parts of the trilogy. Respighi appears to have been trying to outdo himself in the work, and the music becomes more than a little hectic and bombastic as a result. I can only assume Ms. Falletta begins the show with it because it's so brash, and it acts as a sort of overture or curtain-raiser. The music is about as loud and forward as it can be, yet even so Ms. Falletta finds her way to make it all seem more meaningful than it really is, being especially careful to cultivate a refined attitude throughout.

Next, we get the Fountains of Rome (1916), the work that started it all and containing some of the more festive, colorful, and descriptive of the tone poems. Each of the four movements describes a celebrated fountain in Rome, the music, as in the other works, playing without a break. We hear noises of the country, noises of the city, noises of mystical creatures, and noises of crowds, among many other things, the music finally fading away into silence as night falls.

JoAnn Falletta

Ms. Falletta carefully draws out the morning beauty of the opening "Fountain of Valle Guilia at Dawn." It's never too rushed and the contrasts in light and shadow are nicely accentuated. The "Triton Fountain" fairly bursts forth, although, again, not overly dramatically so. Ms. Falletta contains herself, never vulgarizing the music and, thus, making it all the more effective. She takes "The Trivi Fountain at Midday" at a triumphant gait, and she manages the closing "Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset" in a solemn yet stately manner.

The disc's program ends with possibly Respighi's most-popular work, the Pines of Rome ((1924). It opens with a big splash of color in "The Pines of the Villa Borghese," which Ms. Falletta treats in suitably bright, flamboyant fashion, while never trivializing or debasing it. The second movement, "Pines Near a Catacomb," is initially bleak until Respighi opens it up to a more sincere melancholy and finally a kind of regal dirge. Ms. Falletta maintains each of the varying moods without the piece sounding routine or overstaying its welcome. After that, she makes the third movement, the "Juniculum" pines, with its song of the nightingale, as sweetly appealing as any I've heard, the atmosphere easygoing and composed. It is a prelude, really, to the big finale, the "Pines of the Appian Way," maybe the single most-famous thing Respighi ever wrote. The march of ancient Roman soldiers as they return home in triumph along the Appian Way interrupts the tranquility of Nature and the chirping of birds (yes, Respighi left instructions for real bird sounds here). Ms. Falletta maintains a strong control of the march tempo as the steps of the soldiers get increasingly more pronounced and more insistent. It's a splendid production all the way around.

Producer and engineer Tim Handley recorded the music at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, New York in May and June 2018. Starting with the "Roman Festivals" was not only a good curtain raiser, it was a good way to show off the disc's sound. This is one of the most well-rounded sounding recordings I think I've ever heard from Naxos. The sound is well spread out across the speakers; and it's very dynamic and wide ranging. There is a solid bass response present that most engineers are content to dampen for fear, I suppose, of offending some listeners (or blowing up their speakers or earbuds). Although the sound gets a little muddled in the loudest passages, the impact, depth, and clarity are impressive. This is sound worthy of Respighi's music.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:

Optimizing Subwoofer Integration, Part 2

On Optimizing Subwoofer Gain & Phase Angle Using an External Active Crossover Control, e.g., Marchand XM66

By Bryan Geyer

Objective: To optimize each subwoofer’s input gain and phase angle adjustment, at a stated crossover frequency, in a manner that optimally complements mini-monitor main speakers. (I use Spendor’s Classic S3/5R2 speakers, as derived from the BBC guideline).

Conditions: Set subwoofers for internal crossover off (bypass mode), polarity = 0, and phase angle = 0˚. Set the external crossover controller for your chosen frequency, with the polarity switch (XM66 labels this control “phase”) at +, Low Cut and Sum off, Hi-Pass = 0, Lo-Pass = 0. The “Damping” control setting is optional; see below.

Position a microphone + step-up transformer, on a stand, at listening position. Monitor mic output via a AC millivoltmeter. I use a common low impedance dynamic microphone (Shure’s SM57-LC, plus their related A85F step-up transformer), and a Instek GVT-417B millivoltmeter with (old-style) analog moving cursor display; it makes the null obvious.

Input a sine wave signal (I use a Instek GAG-810 generator) of 1 Vrms at the crossover frequency. Use the system’s main volume attenuator to set the final output SPL, and…

(1) Set the external crossover’s “Damping” control as desired. I prefer damping = +2. This introduces a mild, localized +2 dB response bump at the selected crossover notch.

(2) Set both subwoofers for power off. Drive both main speakers to a high SPL (approx. 82-86 dB, C-wtd.) at the chosen crossover frequency, using the system’s main volume attenuator. Take note of the exact position of that control knob; set same in next step.

(3) Set left channel subwoofer for inverted polarity. Then turn on that subwoofer to output the crossover signal from the left channel low-pass output, using same volume setting as above. Alternately adjust left subwoofer input gain and phase angle controls to attain minimal SPL. The consequent null will display on the millivoltmeter as a very distinct notch. When done, restore normal polarity setting to left subwoofer.

(4) Repeat same process for the right channel subwoofer; left subwoofer power off.

(5) When finished, assure that both subwoofers are properly reset for normal “auto-on” operation; also for normal (not inverted) output polarity.

Summary: This procedure assures that output from each subwoofer will be optimally phase-coincident with the combined output from both main speakers at the assigned crossover frequency and specified listening position. Also that the individual subwoofer-to-main speaker output ratio will be ~ 2:1 (subwoofer up by +3 dB). Extended listening experience indicates that this 2:1 weighting is aurally optimum with most programming. To accommodate special exceptions (or satisfy alternate bias), use the XM66 lo-pass and hi-pass stereo level controls. They’re all stepped (±1 dB/step, with ±5 dB range), so it’s easy to alter or restore (and visually verify) this baseline 2:1 output ratio when desired.

Discussion…

This method for setting subwoofer gain and phase angle is based on the approach promoted by ace subwoofer veteran Barry Ober, a.k.a. “The Soundoctor.”  We differ on some details and means (Barry doesn’t utilize any instruments), but this classic inverted polarity/nulling concept works well, and it’s more accurate than other alternatives. The key advantage stems from the fact that this procedure simultaneously combines the sonic output from both sources (mains + sub) at the same time that both adjustments are applied. This simulates actual use, and encompasses the impact of room resonance. An abrupt and distinct SPL cancellation will occur when the converging bass waveforms are of equal amplitude and opposing polarity (phase shifted 180˚) at the monitored location and frequency. Adjust subwoofer input gain and phase angle to attain minimal output (maximum metered null). Later, after normal polarity of the subwoofer has been restored, this same adjustment will then assure that the crossover wavefronts exhibit coincident phase and maximum SPL.

The normal guideline for accomplishing this process suggests setting each channel independently, by matching one subwoofer against one main speaker at a time. This is instinctive, and it will assure the desired phase matching. But it will also yield a precise 1:1 subwoofer-to-main speaker output ratio, and that’s not aurally appropriate with most programming. The low bass will clearly need ~ +3 dB more emphasis to sound optimally balanced. While it’s always possible to increase the subwoofer weighting later, simply by advancing each subwoofer’s input gain, it’s more elegant (and likely more accurate) to optimize this gain adjustment at the same time that the phase angle matching is done. And it’s quite easy to do this—just phase-null each subwoofer’s output against the sound emerging from both main speakers, rather than from just one main speaker. That will yield a 2:1 individual subwoofer-to-individual main speaker output ratio, and a 2X aural power boost is = +3 dB.

This procedure will accomplish close phase matching of the subwoofer-to-main speaker outputs at the crossover frequency, at the listener position*. However, an inherent time-of-arrival disparity will remain because the related low-pass filtering entails group delay on the order of some 12 - 16 msec. in the crossover region, so subwoofer output will lag the main speaker by about one wavelength (equiv. 13.5 - 18 ft.). Regardless, after the two signals are accurately phase-matched at the listener site little evidence of the offset will be apparent. Its effect is obscured because the delay is still well short of the known fusion interval (30 msec.) that acousticians identify as the minimum interlude needed to discern separate sounds as separate events**. The impact will be perceived primarily as a small boost in the low bass response. In sum, this time-of-arrival disparity is too brief to be of practical concern.

The best way to re-synchronize time-of-arrival within the context of a two channel stereo system would be to digitally delay the main speaker outputs. The circuitry required to implement that delay isn’t commonly provided in a subwoofer crossover control unit. While there’s little apparent need to institute this “sync fix”, it could prove useful in special situations, e.g. when the subwoofers must be spaced at longer distances from closer main speakers, thereby increasing the subwoofer offset delay.

*Boundary limitations implicit in most home listening rooms make it unrealistic to expect wide area phase matching over an extended low frequency range without adding extensive acoustic treatment. Regardless, this reality should not be construed as a significant shortcoming—refer 4.8.1 and 4.8.2 of Floyd Toole’s opus Sound Reproduction, 3rd edition (Routledge, 2018, ISBN 978-1-138-92136-8).

**Per Toole, refer “fusion zone,” section 7.6.4 of “Sound Reproduction,”  3rd edition.

BG (December 2018)

Tales from the East (CD review)

Music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. EStrella Piano Duo. Sheridan Music Studio.

Svetlana Belsky and Elena Doubovitskaya are superb pianists on their own; together as the EStrella
Piano Duo, they are doubly superb.

On this, their debut album, they play music by Russian composers who were inspired by the styles of the Middle East. Here's a rundown on the program:

Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka:
1. Dance Russe
2. Chez Petrouchka
3. La Semaine Grasse
4. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade: "Festival in Bagdad"
Borodin: Prince Igor, "Polovetsian Dances":
5. Andantino
6. Allegro Vivo
7. Allegro
8. Presto
9. Prokofiev: Suite-Fantasy on Cinderella

As these are all familiar orchestral pieces, it would be easy to claim the major attraction of these newly recorded works is the EStrella Duo performing them in arrangements for two pianos. But such is not entirely the case. They are more than a novelty. The pianists are consummate artists who together bring new pleasures and new insights to much traveled roads. These are, for all intents and purposes, new pieces of music, not merely new arrangements.

The first set of selections is from Igor Stravinsky's ballet Petrushka, arranged for two pianos by V. Babin. The "Russian Dance" is a good curtain raiser, a good overture to begin the program that follows. It is zesty and robust, and the two pianists play it with an easy yet virtuosic élan.

At first, I thought I'd try to distinguish the styles of the two performers, but it was a hopeless cause. They both play with such acumen, their agility on the piano so keen, I'm sure they could have at any time reversed pianos and parts, and I would never have known.

EStrella Piano Duo

Next we get the "Festival in Bagdad" from Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov's exotic suite Scheherazade, arranged for two pianos by M. Zelenaia and EStrella. Now, this was most interesting. It's such a well-known piece, I was afraid I was going to want to head straightaway to the orchestral version. Instead, I wanted to hear more of the full suite from EStrella. Maybe they'll consider it for their next album. As much as I enjoyed the selection of tunes they offer here, a single, complete work would have perhaps been just as good or better.

After that we find the "Polovetsian Dances" from Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor, arranged for two pianos by V. Babin and E. Doubouvitskaya. From the fiery excitement of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Festival in Bagdad" to the lovely opening melody of the "Polovetsian Dances" makes a starling and satisfying transition in the proceedings, at least until Borodin himself transitions into the livelier sections. Again, the two pianists play with electric precision, all the while capturing the mystery and exoticism of the score. The magical gymnastics of their playing make the EStrella Duo a captivating set of performers.

The program concludes with Sergei Prokofiev's Fantasy-Suite from the ballet Cinderella, arranged for two pianos by A. Gottlieb and E. Doubovitskaya. It's the longest item on the menu, and it's the most modern. It doesn't daunt the two performers in the least, and the duo's sensitive performances should keep most listeners wanting to come back for more.

Producer Susan Merdinger and engineer Victor LeJeune recorded the music at PianoForte Chicago Studios in August 2018. The sound is very clean and very dynamic. The miking is not unreasonably close up, so it resonates with some natural studio bloom. The two instruments are clearly delineated, the separation not too obvious but certainly realistic.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below: