HI-41 INF&EvIESw JUNE 1991

R ECOR

B 81W BREAKTHROUGH

THE 805 \ MINI-MONITOR

tteAl cts «web

ott

MUSIC NIGEL KENNEDY'S

BRAHMS CONCERTO

JIRI BELOHLAVEK

AND THE CZECH PO

VIKTORIA MULLO VA

PLAYS MENDELSSOHN

WIN! £2000 WORTH OF LINN HI-FI

tA LINK HOUSE MAGAZINE

BUYING ON A BUDGET: £500 CD SYSTEMS TESTEC

KRELL PRE-AMPLIFIER MERIDIAN A/D CONVERTEF

, LINN HELIX SPEAKER THORENS RECORD DECK \ \C,

\- BUILD A NOTCH FILTER SAVE ON CD OFFER

RA810A

REACH FOR THE BEST

II lth rmended

20W STEREO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

RA820AX

RA820 BX4

30W STEREO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

30W AUDIOPHILE STEREO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

RC/RB850 STEREO CONTROL AMPLIFIER AND 50W STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER

BEST BUY

RECOMMENDED

Three new integrated amplifiers join the product line for 1990. The famous

RA820 (AX) features a larger power supply giving even greater control and refinement. The equally famous RA820BX and RA840BX series of audiophile amplifiers have undergone substantial revision. The BX4's incorporate the very latest understanding of both circuit layout techniques and component selection making them definitive amplifiers in their class. Phone or fax Rotel UK for further information and nationwide dealer list.

UK DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

ROTEL UK, Gamepath Ltd, 25 Heathfield, Stacey Bushes, Milton Keynes, MK12 6HR. Tel. ( 0908) 317707 Fax.(0908) 322704

Fee Ular

Ask someone who knows ...

HIFI NEyS R ECOR EV I EW

REGULARS

5 COMMENT on Nige's Brahms

7 VIEWS letters to the Editor

10 NEWS products, innovations

14 ACCESSORIES CLUB offers

15 SIDELINES by John Crabbe

21 TECHNOLOGY by Barry Fox

23 RADIO by Trevor Butler

24 SAVE ON CD reader offer

25 HEADROOM by Ken Kessler

89 BACK ISSUES

90 REGIONAL DEALER GUIDE

96 CLASSIFIED ADS

FEATURES

13 SHOW REPORTS: spring Trade Shows; Paris hi-fi show

19 COMPETITION: WIN! a Linn hi-fi system 'worth £2000

26 A SIMPLE NOTCH FILTER for home constructors

28 A DIGITAL DECADE: Part 2 of Angus McKenzie's survey

31 FUTURE CODES: Bob Stuart on data compression in audio

EQUIPMENT

36 STARTING POINT: the best CD-based systems for £500

41 THORENS 3001, now with arm: Trevor Butler reports

42 SUPER MONITOR: B&W's 805 loudspeaker reviewed by Martin Colloms

47 QUICK REFLEX: Trevor Butler on the new Linn Helix

48 MERIDIAN 607 analogue/ digital converter tested by Martin Colloms

50 STATE OF THE ART: Ken Kessler tweaks with style

53 ICRELL KBL/ICPA pre-amplifier: full lab and listening test by Martin Colloms

57 POINT COUNTERPOINT: the affordable SA1000/SA100 amp

NEXT MONTH: from the JULY issue, on sale FRIDAY 14 JUNE, HFNIRR will appear on the SECOND Friday of each month

C ontents

JUNE 19 91

COVER: using B&W's Matrix technology, the 805 speaker is a domestic speaker of true studio monitor' quality. Feature review starts page 42. Plnotography by Tony Petch

Build a notch filter to clean up' old recordings: page 26

Win a Linn system, page 19

Technics personal, Philips mini-system, among the host of new products seen at the Spring Trade Shows: page 13

004? enietor See Coo,

f, Paws,

Meridian 607 AID: page 48

MUSIC

59 VIKTORIA MULLOVA profile by Christopher Breunig

61 JIRI BELOHLAVEK talks to Andrew Achenbach

65

67

RECORD REVIEW INDEX

RECORD OF THE MONTH Mullova's Mendelssohn

67 CLASSICAL REVIEWS first authentic' Brahms Requiem; Kennedy's Brahms Concerto; Sibelius's Violin Concerto, original version; Perahia recital

77 REFLECTIONS Archly Mozart piano concertos

79 ROCIC/POPIAZZ all the way from Mike Oldfield to Roachford

84

85

98

CAPSULES short rock reviews

NEW RELEASES the complete CD listing

BACK DOOR Hank Williams, country music pioneer

Mullova: pages 59,67

Hank Williams, whose original singles are now on CD. Page 98

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse

and sell a little cheaper; the people who consider price only

are this man's lawful prey."

JOHN RUSKIN 1819 - 1900

Meridian Digital Audio Systems

MERIDIAN AUDIO Meridian Audio Limited

13 Clifton Road, Huntingdon, Cambs PE18 7EJ Telephone Huntingdon (0480) 434334

Fax (0480) 432948

COMMENT

Editor

Music Editor

News Editor

Editorial Secretary

Contributing Editor

Consulting Editor

Technical Ads isers

Design Consultant

Advertisement

Manager

Advertisement

Sales Executive

Ad Copy Manager

Ad Production Assistant

Ad Sales Secretary

Subscriptions

PubILdter

Steve Harris

Christopher Breunig

Trevor Butler

Sabita Sarni])

Ken Kessler

John (:rabbe

Angus McKenzie

Martin Colloms Stanley Kelly

Nlalcolm Hawkstbrd Rex Baldock

Flick Ekins

Beverley Simpkins

Sophia MeliniotiN

Angela Weekes

Rebekah Briggs

Carol Walker

Carlyn Rainford

Colin Gamm

Editorial and Advertising offices:

Link House, Dingwall Avenue. Croydon CR9 2TA. "fel: 08 I -686 2599. Fax: 081-'60 09-3.

Hi-Fi News & Record Review iniorporates: Stereo. Tape & Tape Recorders. .‘ ifilio ?Sens,

Record News Audio Record Review. The Gra-mophone Record and Which Cl).

Mentber Ow Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Microfilms & Indexing Nlicrohlm and microfiche copies of IIENRR or articles therefrom are available commercially from University Microfilms International. North American applications to: :SO(1 N. Zeeh Street. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, I'M: UK and rest of world: White Swan House, 60 High Street. Godstone. Surrey RH9 8LW. Technical articles of full page length or over in Ili-Ft Netts & Record &lien. are detailed in the Current Technology Index.

Binders Loose-leat hinders for annual volumes of HEN RR are available from Binders. 'X Whalley Road. Wilpshirc, Blackburn, Lancs. BBI 9LE '971 to 1982 are eovercd by two binders flan-JuneJuly-Dec ); subsequent years required one binder each. Price £5.50 cach ( post paid). For earlier years. please ask for quotation.

ABC

Hi-I' i News & Record Review is published monthly on he third Friday of the month preceding cover date by Link House Magazines Lid, Dinguait Avenue, Crchidon CR9 27 A t'E. Link House Magazines is a member of the United Newspapers Group. C) Link House Magazines Lid 1991, all ng4us resersed. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden, save with the permission, is tenting, of the publishers. Distributed by I'MD. I Renuell Rasa, London N7 MX. Tek 071-7.00 4600. Typeset Its Marlin Graphics, Stdcup, Kent. Printed by Passmore Imernanonal, Maidstone, Hens. ISSN 0142-62.)0.

Subscriptions

HFNIRR Subscriptions, 120,126 Lavender Avenue, Mitcham, Slime> CR4 3FIP. Annual surface snail sub..cription rates £23.40 ( UK) and £34.00 ($58.00 US) (overseas). Overseas asrmatf. £54.00 ($92.00 US). USA Postmester please send addrew corrections to US mailing agent: Expediters of the Pnrued Word Ltd, 2323 Randolph Avenue, Avene1,17 07001. Tel 201) 396-9555 Fax: (202) 396-1492. Second-class postage paid at Rahway, IV or additional entry.

I) - avid Bailey's high-contrast shot of Nigel Kennedy, with dress shirt. Paisley head-scarf, and stubble to

rival George Michael's, is an image we'll quickly tire of. It currently meets the eye in London Underground and BR stations; there's the television commercial. with voiceover by Michael Aspel, getting generous exposure; and tabloid inter-views tell of a rapturously received new recording.

Kennedy's Brahms Concerto came with

its own 13 minute promotional Cl), and EMI's press release promising 'a sophist i clued marketing campaign. The recording

of 1991... will have great critical acclaim for a superb performance'.

Last year we had The Four Seasons, on record and film — this month it is released

as an FMI LaserDisc. Nigel Kennedy appeared on chat-shows, in 'Ibis is your life', was seen visiting his favourite Ken-tish 'I'own takeaway. performing Berg's Violin Concerto with punk hairdo and \\ ith white face makeup. On consecutive

weeks he went to Malvern and to Aston Villa, for Radio 4's 'Down your way'. We had the Crystal Palace extravaganza. Then there were the Ferguson ads — as embar-rassing as Andre Previn's had been, for the same company. Can we take another dose of 'hype'?

The packaging is credited to a design team. But did EMI get their money's worth? There's something awkward about the covershot, printed in near-black — as if

Kennedy were constrained by a frame. There's no use of colour, apart from three sea-green dots, which mirror the band and logo on the CI) itself. Substituting green for the customary red still keeps ENII's stuffy CD labelling style, where obviously

there was an opportunity here to laser-

etch a portrait of Kennedy. This would have 'personalised' the product much more effectively than the UK catalogue

prefix NIGE. ( Nimbus have shown the ‘vay in 'picture discs'. ) And surely a golden earth colour is more attuned to

the Brahmsian glow than a water colour?

Then there's the question of the cadenza. Two opportunities lost here.

Most violinists play the one by Joseph Joachim. who advised the composer on aspects of writing for violin. Whilst it was perfectly legitimate for Kennedy ( in the best traditions of the jazz musician) to

'improvise' material, given that the Cl) only plays for 45m there was space for _Joachim's cadenza and the close of the first movement again to allow the pur-chaser to key in his choice. ( Even betbre the collaboration details were thrashed

out. Kennedy was intent on recording a cadenza of his own: interview IIEV/RR Dec '90.) The second point is that it wouldn't have hurt to put in a cadenza

index point ( favoured at one time by EMI, when kw players had the facility, now abandoned by nearly everybody except BIS and Denon ).

In the event, whilst the Brahms shows a very different temperamental aspect from

Kennedy's brashly aggressive Vivaldi with

CHRISTOPHER BREUNIG

the ECO, it clous seem that matching him

in the studio with Klaus Tennstedt has backfired. ( See reviews.) Clearly the demand was for a figure of stature. Perhaps liaitink was regarded as too staid, Sawallisch even more conservative, to appeal to a wide target audience. Inciden-tally, a gesture to the young and unem-

ployed would have been to oiler some initial concession on price. This was common practice on autumn releases in

the 19 -70s and '80s. Perhaps goodwill is no longer part of the recording industry's policies...

My money would have been on Jeffrey Tate. lie's a strong conductor in an

appropriate age-group who might have persuaded his soloist along a less primrose

path. Or he might have set a more virile,

rugged context for Kennedy's rhapsodic manner. The drawback there may have been 'l'ate's lack of rapport with the big

London orchestras. Ile has worked with the 1.PO, much more with the London

Symphony, but his own Rotterdam Philharmonic has yet to have any cachet to a recording company. ( Even Philips only made a handful of I.Ps when Edo de

Waart became their conductor, and the

subsequent Erato material with James Conlon also failed to make real impact.) The big PolyGram hit of 1990 was

Carreras, Domingo, Pararotti`in con-cert'. 'Me marketing campaign for that

was concise and to the point. The event was what it was — although as Barry Fox

reported in January's 'Technology' some clever surgery was done on one track, at the very least. Whatever the claims the record company made, buyers had seen the Rome event on television and knew whether they wanted a souvenir of it.

About the present EMI release there's

more than a touch of blarney. Kennedy's own liner note is perhaps less naive than others have made out, but he's being

disingenuous in suggesting those who liked the Vivaldi will merely find the same duration of music spread to three, not

twelve movements. 'Brahms is allowing himself more time to communicate and explore emotional regions more fully', he says. It's not just the Bailey image that stretches credibility. +

III 1.1 NEV. s 111-.< 0151) RUN 1F%5 1! NE 1991

Best Integrated Amplifier* is even better..

Our goal is perfection and many

advances have been made since the

original Audiolab 8000A. Now there

are six inputs including a video input

to connect your stereo TV or VCR, so

it still matches perfectly to all analogue

and digital program sources.

The slew-free power amplifier

design with FET inputs and peak

current output of over 25 amps is

compatible with all modern Hi-Fi

loudspeaker systems.

While no one ever claimed to

hear the tone control system when it

was switched off we still designed an

even more linear system, so now you

hear even less of what you couldn't

hear before!

As a finishing touch

the fascia is available in

metallic black and all

phono connectors are

gold plated.

Just some of the reasons

why the Audiolab 8000A Integrated

amplifier continues to offer

outstanding sound quality and

exceptional value.

Call or write for information and

details of your Audiolab dealer.

*Voted Best Amplifier 89-90 What Hi-Fi magazine

e=AUDIOLAB Cambridge Systems Technology Limited 26 Roman Way Industrial Estate Godmanchester, Huntingdon Cambs PE 18 8LN, Tel. 0480 52521

•

VIEWS Slew-footed? Dear Sir. Barry Fox might like to know that absurd advertising prose is not confined to Philips. On page 14 (HFN/ RR April ) Audiolab claims to have produced a power amplifier which is 'slew-free'. Perhaps that's their idea of a straight-line response! Dr M E Le Vol, Milton Keynes

Philip Swift, Audiolab's MD, replies: To achieve clarity and elegance in our advertising, it appears we have been too brief. To be correct we should have described the Audiolab power amplifier as having a 'Slew-limiting free circuit

configuration'. Or we could be really absurd and call it 'SLF-CC!

More on impedance matching Dear Sir, On page 66 of the April issue, John Nelson has some quite impassioned words to say on the importance of matching a pre-amplifier's output impedance with the input impedance of its associated power amplifier. This is an interesting theme. Would you consider devoting a page to it some time? Perhaps Mr Nelson could be asked to enlarge on what he said. ( By the way, the Classical Supplement to the April issue was splendid. ) R F Oliver, Herefordshire

Constructive approach Dear Sir, It was really nice to open April's HEVIRR and see John Nelson's name on the page. I have long admired John's radio constructional articles; this man really knows how to build big valve amplifiers, albeit of the RF variety. Are we going to see some audio

constructional articles, John? A pair of monoblock 4CX25013 tube amplifiers should really get the feet tapping. What would you do about the blower noise? These beasties are force air-cooled for those not in the know. As someone hooked on hi-fi since KK

personally sold me some gear many years ago in Canterbury, and a confirmed . construction junkie, I would really like to see more things to build in what is the only hi-fi magazine worth its cover price. Ben Duncan provides good stuff hut not nearly enough of it. A home-made version of PAS 01 sits happily in my system and I've already plugged in my soldering iron in anticipation of PAS 02.

Incidentally, it used to be a pleasure to part with money in Ken's shop. Service like that just doesn't seem to exist any more.

Paul Whatton, Deal, Kent There'll certainly be more from John Nelson - Ed

Mr Silver and Mr Vinyl Dear Sir, The latest chapter of "l'he World according to Jeremy Silver' (*Views' March ) compels me to comment. According to Mr Silver vinyl has

vanished completely' in Japan. What absolute nonsense! Whilst I understand

that any statement Mr Silver may make is bound to reflect the interests of BPI members, this latest wholesale corruption of reality is completely beyond the pale. I simply cannot grasp why the BPI should seek to mislead the music-buying public in this blatant fashion.

As one of the l'K's leading specialist record dealers, I naturally receive a great many magazines from countries all over the world, including Japan. The latest issue of Japan's excellent publication *Swing Journal' includes advertisements from Japanese record shops which directly highlight new releases on, wait for it Jeremy. LP records. Accompanying this issue was a catalogue of new jazz LP releases made throughout 1990 and news in detail of forthcoming vinyl titles due in early 1991, on labels such as Blue Note and Savoy. to name but two. A number of currently available,

recently-pressed new Japanese I.Ps reside on the browser racks of my shop waiting to be purchased by ever-eager vinyl enthusiasts. More titles are on advance order and will appear in due course. Perhaps Mr Silver would care to purchase one of these items, which he will probably suggest are yet another figment of my supposedly fertile imagination. I await the next 'Silvergram' with bated

breath. Neil A Ramsden, Proprietor, The Den, Keighley, Yorks

'Lasaway' pen quotes Dear Sir, I must point out that my remarks on painting the edge of a CD green in ' Pot Pourri' (HFN/RR, April 1990 ) related to a Mitsubishi Pencil Co Posca waterbased pen, purchased from an art shop at less than £2.00. I have not and do not authorize Lasaway to make use of this copy in the promotion of its product at several times that price, as Litsaway has done in its recent press advertising. Martin Colloms, London

AMP-02 review? Dear Sir, Having spent many months, and even more pages on Ben Duncan's AMP-02 project, would it be possible to devote just a little space to an independent assessment by Martin Colloms? This would be quite invaluable for a piece of equipment which it is not possible to audition against others at an audio dealer. I built ( and am still using) AMP-01-M

and I have been very pleased with it, but before committing myself to another project I would welcome some benchmark of how the design compares with respected commercially available units. I did, in fact, read a review of AMP-01-M in your own and a rival( ! ) magazine before taking up my soldering iron on that occasion. I appreciate that final quality depends

very much on the skill of the builder, but since Audio Synthesis do supply ready-built units could one of these possibly be assessed? In particular, I would think the

ready-built phono module would be of interest to many people. Particularly since I see you are about to run articles on PAS-02. Richard K Lloyd, Waterlooville, Hams We hope to publish a review soon - Ed

Moore on The Stuart Hypothesis Dear Sir, I write in reply to Brian CJ Moore ('Views' May ). The nulling test has been offered as an objective method of qualifying an audio component or — more controversially — of proving its perfection. I presented two objections to the scientific merit of the test, in summary. • As a measurement test it is difficult to achieve the accuracy required and the results are less useful than those of *conventional' measurements. • As a subjective test the inherent non-linearity of the human perceptual process means we cannot form a true judgment of the residual signal. I agree with Dr Moore that an imperfect

null will increase the audibility of errors, but how do we assess their significance? My disagreement is not when the residual is far enough below audibility, but for the circumstances where it is audible or approaching audibility. An imperfect null is a different situation but the conclusion must be the same — that because the perceptual process is non-linear, we can only assess a system error in the context of the original signal. As he suggests, simultaneous masking

can predict masking of a simple low-order distortion mechanism; however there are large areas of the spl/frequency space in which simple maskers cannot raise the hearing threshold at all frequencies', thereby leaving higher-order distortion errors and aliases unmasked. There are also distortion mechanisms for which simultaneous masking theory fails; a relevant example has been cited by Gerzon''.

For non-stationary signals ( like music ), as I said in my letter, account must be taken ottoman" backward and binaural masking. There are also non-linear phenomena that lead to signals ( errors in this case) being released from masking'. Dr Moore is well aware of these, having

NEWS & RE( OR!) REVIEW JUNE 1991

Maier C aso

Write or phone for details of your nearest dealer plus latest product information and perceptive advice.

audio research CC The new LSI Line

Stage Amplifier is

pure Audio

Research.

Technical

innovation and

musical excellence

at a price music

lovers can afford. I

Ricardo Franassovici

When it comes to making music, only

the best will do. Absolute Sounds

represent the world's finest names

in audio reproduction. We select

products and dealers with the same

discerning care that you apply

when creating your ultimate system.

When it comes to making music,

there's only one name that matters:

Absolute Sounds—

Partners in Perfection.

ABSOLUTE SOUNDS LIMITED

58 Durham Road, London SW20 ODE Tel: 081-947 5047 Fax: 081-879 7962

Air Tangent, Apogee, Audio Research, California Audio Labs, Classe Audio, Counterpoint, Davidson-Roth, Duntech Audio Limited, Entec, Goldmund, Jadis, Koctsu, Krell, Krell Digital Inc, Magnepan, Martin Logan, Micro Seiki, PS Audio, Sonus Faber,

Theta Digital, Well Tempered Lab, Wilson Audio Specialists.

VIEWS

written an important review on part of this subject s.

Central to my argument is accepting the important difference between tone or noise signals with which we evaluate both audio components and human hearing, and music. In music or speech we do not hear a collection of tones and noises, we perceive 'acoustic objects' that have meaning, created by a pattern-forming process incorporating many partials, their envelopes and trajectories. Incidentally the envelopes of objects are normally long in the context of masking. Distortions tend to follow ( or in digital systems may even lead) the components of the signal and its envelope and to be correlated and cross-correlated with the signal. Some errors will be masked as Dr Moore suggests, others because of their exact properties will not, some may even be enhanced. When errors are not masked they will be incorporated, the 'object' will be perceived differently, and that difference cannot be determined by removing the original signal. I have deliberately avoided value

judgments. To one man the difference between the sound of two violins may be irrelevant, to another it could be worth a million dollars. ( Of course in the strict sense of this discussion the percept of the difference between two violins is 'two violine ) Human hearing is not infinitely

sensitive, it can be fooled and is also capable of fantastic discrimination. If an audio system introduces errors that are well below the masked threshold, they will be inaudible — but we must know where that threshold is and be very cautious in determining it since it is constantly moving. Errors far enough below the absolute ( unmasked) threshold to evade release in perception or by later processing can be neglected. 'I'he problem therefore is bounded. I would encourage anyone interested to

read Dr Moore's book, it is an excellent introduction; for a more detailed treatment I suggest121below. References 1 Stuart. J.R. ( 1990 ) 'High Quality Digital Audio'. Proc

lust Acoust. 12. part 8

2 Carterrette, E.P. and Friedman, M.C. ( 1978)

'Handtxxik of Perception', Ac Press vol IV, ' Hearing'

3 Moore, B.C.J. ( 1990 ) 'Co-modulation masking

release: spectro-temporal pattern analysis in

hearing'. Br fourn Audiology. 24. I 31-1 37

4 Gerzon, M.A. ( 1991) 'Problems of error-masking in

audio data compression systems' AES 90th, Paris

Feb. 1991

R Stuart. Technical Director, Boothroyd Stuart

Super-VHS sound Dear Sir, I think you may be interested in an experiment I tried recently. I recorded an 8 minute track from Lionel Hampton's Made in Japan CD ( live jazz recorded in concert ) from my Marantz CD80 in two ways. First, I used BASF chrome tape on a JVC KDA33 cassette deck, with ANRS (equivalent to Dolby B) ' in'. ( A few years ago, this deck attracted an excellent sound quality rating in a comparative review. The deck's bias setting is set up

for BASF chrome, by the way. ) Secondly, I recorded on BASF chrome

video tape (E 180), with a Ferguson FV37H hi-fi VCR. The comparison indicated to me, with

careful listening, that the VI1S copy was considerably closer to the original CD than the compact cassette version, particularly in terms of realistic dynamics and finer detail. Perhaps hi-fi VHS is a rather neglected domestic recording medium? D Cooper-Smith, Milton Keynes

Cugat that got the cream Dear Sir, Reading the 'Mercury on Silver' interview with Wilma Cozart Fine (Classical on CD supplement, April ) reminded me that I had one Mercury I.P, which had not seen the light of day for a long time. It turned out to be 'The Best of Cugat', Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, recorded at the Fine Studios and produced by EMI in 1961. The record had not been heard On my

present set-up and I was surprised at the detail, accuracy and clarity of the sound and the placing of the instruments. My wife ( with exceptional ears) agrees there is no groove noise at all and not a crack anywhere. I am sure a lot of people would immediately say — ah yes a CD. Compared to all other sources ( BBC tapes and I.Ps ), the sound is brilliant and I can well imagine that if the new CDs are a faithful copy, they may well be best heard through valve equipment. The sleeve details the microphones and mentions the use of an Ampex recorder at 15 ips. Tom Isherwood, Suffolk

DATs all right by me Dear Sir, Readers who own decent tuners and external aerials and who listen frequently to Radio Three should have noticed a considerable improvement in the quality of studio recordings during the last year or so. This is identifiable by greater clarity and definition, extended frequency response, enhanced dynamics and the total absence of the hiss which was associated with earlier recordings, and often was of an unacceptably high level. Indeed recordings may now even be superior to the original live performances. I believe that this improvement is attributable to the replacement by the BBC of analogue recorders by DAT machines; yet, so far as I am aware, this significant advance in recorded sound quality has passed unnoticed by a hi-fi press which is supposed to cater for all readers' tastes and keep abreast of all new developments, because it is pre-occupied — no, besotted — with LP and CD. The BBC deserves to be complimented

upon greatly improved sound and DAT deserves to be recognized for the milestone that it undoubtedly is. From personal experience, I believe

that, although DAT uses the digital principle, the sound it produces is much closer to natural sound than that from CD, and which I presume is due to the use of

tape as opposed to laser. It is also, I believe, preferable to analogue, both LP and tape, since the medium is devoid of the inherent extraneous noises which are inseparable from LP, and hiss, and which is present in even the best of the modern analogue tapes. Consequently, it encompasses all the most desirable qualities for the ideal recording medium, with none of the faults of current alternative systems. It is, therefore reprehensible that the legitimate rights of domestic users to have access to this

process should have been denied by a commercial cartel. The reason given in the press for the

suppression of DAT was that it would enable perfect copies to he taken of CD.1 am inclined to suspect that the truth is that CD would be improved in the transfer; but it is beyond my comprehension why anyone with true appreciation of, and respect, for natural sound should wish to perpetuate the sound of CD. Peter Williams, Rayleigh, Essex

Transport considerations Dear Sir, May I begin by saying that I find yours to he an excellent magazine, full of interesting articles on various hits of hi-fi paraphernalia, yet I believe I have spotted a flaw in your review technique. Most of your CD player reviews treat the player as a single entity, whereas it seems to me all except the cheapest CD players are constructed in two distinct parts, namely the transport and the converter. Why not accept the fact that most

players have a digital-out feed and cater for those of us who upgrade in steps of no more than £500 by reviewing the players as transports as well as complete in themselves, with a known quantity converter such as a 203 stuck on the end of each?

In this way, what may seem to be an average CD player will in fact score highly for its transport capabilities, should someone such as myself wish to upgrade at a later date. They do say 'garbage in — garbage out' don't they? 'Ibis duality in CD players often seems to me to be ignored, perhaps because most reviewers think that the sound of a player is governed completely by its electronics. 'Ibis is by no means a proven fact. I hope the redoubtable Martin Colloms

( and maybe even Ya Kid KK! ) will plan future reviews in this fashion, although I will he infinitely happier if some genius produces a cheap CD player that I can really sit and enjoy! Peter Earnshaw, Southampton

Readers' Letters We reserve the right to edit or shorten letters for publication, which should be addressed to the Editor and must contain no other material or enquiries. Letters seeking advice' will be answered, resources permitting, at our discretion, but we regret that we are unable to answer questions on buying specific items of hi-fi. We cannot answer queries over the telephone.

III- F1 NEWS & RECOJO) REVIEW JUNE 1991 9

CJ'S SMART ELECTRONICS This elegant Sonographe amplifier combination of £995 SA150

high-current, 135W Mosfet power amp and matching SC22 line-

stage Fet pre-amp (6699) and optional SC22P, user installed

phono stage module, made by American specialist firm Conrad

Johnson, is available from high-end distributor Audlofrealcs and

its appointed dealers. Contact 081-948 4153.

PANASONIC SAVES ROCK SCHOOL

Panasonic stepped in to rescue the annual school rock awards, pre-viously sponsored by TSB and Fuji tapes. This eleventh year saw vic-tory for 'Spontaneous Dog', from Bangor Grammar School — the second successive year a band from Ulster has won the competi-tion. A total of 64 groups from schools and colleges around the country took part in regional heats

with eight selected for the final at St George's Hall, Bradford. The judges included Mark Shaw, Woody from Voice of the Beehive, and Keith Wilder of Heatwave. The contest, seen as a major part of schools' musical education, gives the young performers the oppor-tunity to perform using profes-sional equipment. The victorious Bangor group of six musicians, under the direction of music teacher Ian Hunter, won £3000 to share between them, while their school will receive £ 1000 of musical equipment.

Spontaneous Dog from Bangor: Simon Harrison drums, Colin Corbridge rhythm guitar, vocalist Richard Smyth, Robert Sinclair keyboards, Goner Catchpole bass, Steven Jones lead guitar

10

YAMAHA GOES S-BIT PLUS Unveiling its new season of hi-fi separates (HFAI/IiR May), Yamaha

announced the implementation of S-Bit Plus decoding in its CD

players. While the early days saw Yamaha concentrating on

multi- bit DACs, introducing Hi- bit, Super Hi- bit and ladder type

decoders, the company now believes that further improvements

along this route ' cannot be expected'.

Yamaha decided to employ single-bit technology with its obvious advantages of no zero-cross distor-

tion, and improved linearity. S-Bit was the first step in this direction, with [SI devices resulting from this experience leading to the YAC501 S-Bit Plus chip with its I-PDM output system DAC. This is unusual in that it adopts 2nd-order noise shaping and an in-built time-base corrector with isolated clock. While 2nd-order gives a signal-

to noise figure of only 140dB, compared to I 85dB for 4th-order, in the crucial 200-50()IcHz region

in excess of 90dB is obtained with Yamaha's principle, whereas here

BIRMINGHAM'S DOM HALL The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle

graced the stage of the new 2200-seat Birmingham Symphony Hall

on its first night. The programme consisted of Stravinsky's The

Firebird and Ravel's Daphis & Chloe.

This new home for the CBS) is the result of the latest acoustic tech-nology from New-York-based con-sultants Artec. Being sited near a main railway line, the auditorium (part of the multi million pound International Convention Centre ),

had to be based on vast rubber mountings, structurally isolated from the other eleven halls to minimize noise and vibration. A reverberation chamber with adjustable door has been included to extend reverberance while a moveable acoustic canopy hung above the stage matches the acous-tic and visual scales of the hall to the size of the performing ertsem

bic. For non-classical applications, three loudspeaker arrays are con-trolled from a DDA 24-into-8 desk, while a sound cockpit with 40-into-8 desk, will be used within the auditorium for live mixing.

Sound paths between a soloist and listener at the rear of the stalls in the Symphony Hall Birmingham

- .. ---•••••

4th-order yields just 60dB, and 3rd-order 80dB. This means that a more gentle, simplified ( 5th-order ) passive low-pass filter may be used in conjunction with Yama-ha's technique, as opposed to the standard 7th-order. The output of the 2nd-order

noise shaper is a 1-bit analogue signal, negating the need for an additional DAC at this point and allowing the signal to pass straight to the buffer amps which are actually built in to the noise shaper ICs. At its core is IPDM, or Inde-pendent Pulse Density Modula-tion, which is designed to prevent the generation of distortion through the use of independent

output pulses to maintain the rela-tionship between ratios in the pulse row even if the output of the IC is not perfect. An in-built time-base corrector

removes extraneous components in the output to leave just the signal and its carrier. Any jitter generated is removed by sampling the data via an on-board oscillator clock in the digital filter chip, just before conversion to analogue. Therefore the DAC is free from intermodulation distortion. Although Yamaha is initially

keeping its IPDM technique as a company 'exclusive', it is likely that the technology will be released as an OEM product.

IDEAL HOMES HI-FI? This year's 26-day London Ideal Home Exhibition provided the opportunity for hi-fi to be seen by a wider than usual audience as over 627,000 visitors made their way to Earl's Court. Most of the show houses included some form of audio/video system installation, with the Denon D-100 CD-based Mini system in one. Next door Lwtman separates were feeding a pair of Rogers' floor-standing P24s — sited in opposite corners of the room! Luxman's Geoff Lewis said those responsible for the exhibit did not want the hi-fi to 'get in the way'. Philips demonstrated CD-I (May 'News'), Kodak had its new Photo CD player — UK launch '92 — while Pioneer created a complete home movie theatre with its SD-P4011 TV. Using rear-projection, the 50in set, due here next year for some £3500, can cope with dimming of enlarged images through its liquid-cooled picture tubes, special phosphor coating, and lenticular grooved screen which aids viewing from an angle.

HI- F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

WHARFEDALE BACK IN

PROFIT Loudspeaker manufacturer Whar-

fedale, which also owns the Cam-bridge, Leak and Lynx electronics

brands, moved back into pro-

fitability in the last half of last

year. The Leeds-based company

which changed its name from

Audio Fidelity at the beginning of

last year, made a pre-tax profit of

£105,000 after a loss of £319,000

in the same period in 1989. Com-

pany chairman Keith Mellor said

that, although sales from the

speaker and electronics divisions

had been hit by the Gulf crisis and

the recession, underlying demand

and orders remained strong.

Wharfedale is proposing to raise

£2.3m by selling shares to reduce

its bank borrowings.

• Celestion Industries plc has announced an operating profit

before interest of £1.62m for 1990,

a 170% increase over 1989.

COMPETITION WINNERS

First correct answer pulled from the giant HFN/fIR hat of entries to our Yamaha competition (Feb) was that of Ross Howie, who has received his complete Yamaha DSP-based system including the legendary NS1000 Ns. He correctly identified the hidden names as: Rogers, Revox, Rank, Leak, Onix, Linn, and Sony. The winner of our Revox competition (March) was John Hoatson from Fleet in Hampshire. A Revox B77 reel-to-reel recorder complete with microphones is on its way. The answers were: la, 2d, 3a, 4d, Sc. Congratulations to both winners.

SANSUI BACK TO ANALOGUE

Sansui, which had a long-running success in the 1970s with its

SIR222 turntable, is returning to the analogue fold following

co-operation with Dual. The result is the SR211G, a £150

integrated turntable supplied with cartridge and built for Sansui

by Dual in Germany. Contact Sansui Mission, tel (0480) 52777.

FBA AWARDS WINNERS

£30,000 for Leukaemia Research

was pledged to the charity follow-

ing the FBA's Annual Awards

dinner. 'Best Product' Awards

went to: the Linn LPI2 Lingo

(Source Component of the Year).

the Creek 4040 S3 (Amplifica-

tion), Acoustic Energy AEI

(Loudspeaker) and Meridian 203

(Digital Application).

BRIEFING

AUDIO EXCELLENCE, run by

Tony Revelle, has bought Audio

Ts Bristol outlet at 65 Park Street

in a move described as a `beneficial

change of ownership'.

AUDIO TECHNICA has

announced two `popular price' mov-

ing-coils. The £92 0C3 has samar-

ium cobalt magnets while the 005

(at £123) benefits from higher

power neodymium magnets. AT tel

(0532) 771441.

BUILDERS of our DIY radio

aerial (April p43) are advised to

choose an acrylic-based sealant such as Dow Coming's Srylastic 738,

and avoid those which liberate ace-

tic acid which may corrode metal.

JPW Loudspeakers of Plymouth has

won a Queen's Award far Export

achievement.

QED of Ashford, Middlesex has

promised 40 new products during

1991 in what a describes as ' its most

active year to date'. The Systemline

brand is to be 'increasingly dis-

tanced' from the QED brand.

QUAD is changing the paint finish

of its 606 amplifiers to a more

environmentally friendly coating

without solvent base.

SHEARNE AUDIO's amplifier

combination features valve and

transistor circuitry. The £879 pre-

amp offers mrrium-c stage and the

£856 matching full dual mono

power amp is rated at 70W/ch.

Contact (0438) 740953.

NEWS SPRING LAUNCH NOW FOR DCC

Philips' DCC will go on sale in the spring of 1992, earlier than first expected. At a London news con-

ference Jerry Wirtz of Philips said that the launch price of a stand-alone DCC deck would be similar to that of the more expensive type of analogue cassette deck, possibly around £300 in the UK, while car

players might initially be around £400. However, the prices of play-

ers could be brought down once in volume production. Mr Wirtz was not specific on

software pricing, but suggested that retail prices of pre-recorded DCC tapes were not expected to be lower than those of CDs at first. Asked to comment on the

audibility of the PASC data-compression coding system used

in DCC, Mr Wirtz said that com-parisons with CD had not revealed any reliably identifiable audible differences that could be ascribed

to the coding system, but pointed out that if desirable revised coding could be done without obsoleting existing hardware.

NAIM LAUNCHES CD PLAYER

LARGEST EVER PIRATE TAPE

SEIZURE The largest consignment of pirate tapes in history was seized in Lome Togo, it was revealed during the last board meeting of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Over 1.5 million pirate cassettes which had been exported from Singapore were seized by the Togolese authorities. It is estimated that the pirate cassettes would have been worth around $1.4m on the open market. The move is obviously a considerable setback to the pirates' trade in the continent and follows the seizure of 20,000 cassettes three weeks before by the Togolese. The tapes seized con-sisted mainly of African repertoire along with popular French artists including Vanessa Paradis, Michel Sardou and Charles Aznavour. The IFPI said there is still much work to be done to combat the pirate copies, laying much of the blame at the copyright situation in Singapore which currently offers no legal pro-tection to any country other than the UK and the USA. It is under-stood that a single copying plant active in Singapore has admitted to the manufacture of some 700,000 pirate cassettes for export to West Africa each month. The IFPI has a new video on world-wide piracy. • A High Court judge ruled that Swindon-based CD Specialists could not rely on European law to legalise the import of discs of previously unreleased material by The Beatles and pop idol Prince.

Nam Audio's CDS (Compact Disc System) is a £3000, two-box CD player and separate power supply, rather than transport/DAC arrangement. It has taken the Salisbury-based company a long while to appreciate the digital medium. Naim says its new CDS 'sounds as good as the best turntables' yet 'sets new standards for CD', with 'increased fidelity in the RF signals acquired at the laser head', and what is dscribed as 'a radically new treatment of the complex multi-pole output filters'. Nairn Audio, tel (0722) 332266.

HI-FI SPIRIT

There's more to the Metaxa name

than aromatic brandy from

Greece's biggest distillers. Meta-

xas Audio Systems of Melbourne

Australia uses massive 2kW trans-

formers, exposed mains filtering

capacitors in stainless steel with

aluminium cases for its range of

power amplifiers, including the

150W/ ch Solitaire pictured. Con-

tact tel: 010 613 486 2052.

JUNE 1901 111-F1 NEWS & RE( X.)51) REVIEW I I

LOUDSPEAKERS

Power connects

Absolute power connects absolutely

II!

III iLL AIE ))) ACOUSTIC ENERGY

Manufacturers and distributors of the finest audio products

For full details of these products and our dealers contact: Acoustic Energy Ltd

3A Alexandria Road London W13 ()NIP Tel 081-840 6305 Fax 081-579 1761 Telex 266834 ACEXPO G

TARA LABS TEMPORAL CONTINUUM

•epi e ''

SPACE &TIME.

SHOW REPORT

The May 'Radio Show', as it used to be known affec-tionately, returned this year,

although the venues chosen by the various companies were more

widely spread than ever. Trends included the further populariza-tion of DAT, with new personal

and in-car units; the Mini' system taking over from the good old 'Midi' and a distinct move towards more stylish designs in gentler, pastel shades. While several big names were notable by their abs-ence ( having decided to launch on their own premises, rather than as part of the show circus') there was still much to see.

Philips had a 'shop-within-a-shop' exhibition for its dealers at

the prestigious Chelsea Harbour venue. Emphasis here was not so much on new hardware but on the Philips' approach to marketing and

gaining more market share. Audio Products manager Tony Hall out-lined the strategy, a three-pronged approach, with Philips carefully targeting product themes to attack

specific market segments. The youth sector sees an increase in support activity including Philips bum-bags, baseball caps and T-shirts by leading youth fashion houses Joe Bloggs and Pink Soda, together with a national roadshow

of promotional party nights. CD portables featured here as four new models will be launched. Pro-duct themes for the year include

Easyline and Collection ranges, again specifically targeted. Easyline

concentrates on clean appealing styling and ease of use while the

Classic Collection includes a spe-cial design from each product category to mark the company's centenary year. In the hi-fi arena this will mean the FW2017 CD system finished in graphite grey

with a three speaker design incor-porating separate sub-woofer. Launched in September, the

expected price is £650. Back to ' real world' hi-fi pro-

ducts, Philips is concentrating on CD-based systems for 1991. Star attraction is the Series 3(K) to be launched in June. This range fea-

tures Class G amplification with the £399 F310 rated at 55W/ch,

the 70W F320 at £499, and the £599 F330 capable of 100W/ch.

All have programmable Bitstream CD, digital tuner, twin cassette and

one-touch remote including moto-rized volume. August will see Phi-lips in ' lifestyle' mood with two mini systems, the FW2015 at £399 and the £599 FW2019. Bitstream development continues and the flagship CD850 player will emerge in Mark Il form at £ 100 with remote volume and a new chip-set. September will see the £ 159

CD618, bringing Bitstream into the budget sector. With key products like CD-I,

Photo-CD and DCC promised for the next year, Philips knows this

year is critical to build a profitable market share. Aggressive market-ing plans include, for example, the

SPRING UK TRADE SHOWS

CD systems featured strongly in the Philips line-up with the launch of the Series 300

imminent deal with a major band on its sister PolyGram label for a 200-date world tour over two years, aiming the Z3 product at 18-30 year olds. Rather than cramming its pro-

ducts into a hotel suite. Sony took the unusual step of erecting a 45,000 sq ft pavilion in Battersea Park, where no less than 150 new products were announced. As the

amount of pre-recorded DAT soft-ware increases to include Simple Minds and Kylie Minogue, Sony's

existing 55ES recorder will be joined by the 4-head 77ES, which

has improved loading mechanism, two power transformers and eight

complementary 1- bit DA(:s mounted on a high-quality glass epoxy pcb for £999. Exciting tuner news from Sony is the July

One of the range of IVC's new receiziers is this RX-505V(L)T,N;

launch of the RDS-equipped 370 at just £ 140, with 30 random pre-sets. Its hi-fi separates join the

trends of softer looking, less angu-lar design like the new STS170 tuner which, at £99, includes 30 pre-sets and a tuning knob. Sony has now adopted 1-bit

DACs across the board even to the

Discman range. Three midi CD players are introduced, starting with the £ 140 CDPM51; full-width

additions are the CDP491 at £ 1 W which provides peak search, calen-dar display, headphone socket and

variable output with IR remote and digital servo. Even with the VAT increase ( which is not passed on to customers with the new ranges) Sony has been able to implement price reductions of CD models. The CDP791 with optical

Technics' SL-XP700 personal CD — she

slimmest yet

output is just £ 180 compared to last year's price of £200, and the CDP991 is £229.

Amplifiers are seen as a growth market by Sony. New this year is the £ 100 F170 at 30W/ch. The £130 TAF240B at 60W/ch offers a source-direct signal path, while the £ 160 TAF270, rated at 60W/ ch, has rec out selector and an improved pcb layout. Furthering an eventual aim to provide a com-plete UK-designed range of hi-fi separates, Sony has launched two 'UK' amplifiers. The £ 200 TAF440E is an 80W/ch ( rms) mini-malist design, the result of two-

way development between Britain and Japan since last April. A toroidal transformer is used with switched Alps pot in an 'audiophile' construction that

includes gold-plated relays for speaker switching. The higher powered ( 90W/ch) £250 TAF540 is set for August release and has an m-c stage and better power supply

for a 'more full bodied' sound. In its ES range, Sony will be

releasing the X33ES eight-DAC CD player at £ 400, and the CDXP222ES which, at £299, is the cheapest ES player featuring dis-

play defeat and simplified control layout. Concealed controls on the 100W ( rms) TAF670ES amplifier

continue the 'ease of operation' theme which runs to the MOSFET designed TAF770ES, a £600 100W/ch amp with IR remote and

high specification power supply. Sony is keen to increase its market share in many areas and will pre-serve its strong commitment to compact cassette through con-

tinued improvements in electro-mechanical engineering.

Also planned by Sony is the

addition of a top-notch pre-amp to complete its Reference series, and some interesting two-way speak-ers: an effective UK-sourced design of near-monitor quality was in prototype form in Battersea.

So far not known for hi- ti pro-

ducts. Goldstar had a number of 'flyers in its display — units there

solely to gauge dealer reaction to

UK acceptance — such as DAT players from Korea and a really 'budget' CD portable. But also of interest here was the GT2000 CD-ROM drive for IBM PC, XT and AT compatibles. This will be coming

to the UK and supplied with inter-face card, drive and peripherals for

around £400. Aiwa celebrated its 40th

anniversary in a low-key way, put-

ting technology before posterity. Established in June 1951, the com-pany was concentrating on the

future. A CD-based Aiwa separates system could be partnered with a

pair of Celestion speakers in a joint deal. DAT took pride of place with Aiwa as it claimed the largest collection of recorders. Alongside the two-year old £1300 Excelia model, to be replaced in August by the £550 XD-S1100 recorder sporting wooden end-caps, was the now famous HD-S1 portable (£620). Mini DAT is to be laun-ched in July in the shape of the XD-S260, a £500 unit with rounded corners to aid attractive styling and sophisticated feel. Also showing was Aiwa's SC:MS-equipped pro recorder, the HDST at £750 and the MMD100 DAT still video storage system, although there was no UK release date. A world first at Aiwa was the talking personal stereo, so small that it needs a Japanese synthesized voice to tell the user which button's been pressed. The HS-JX707 is expected to sell for around £260. Three new CD players from

Aiwa are the £ 150 XC-500, XC-700 at £ 180, and the £210 XC-900, while August will see new

three-head cassette decks such as the AD-F9 10 at £250 and the £200 AD-F810 along with the 'budget' AD-F410 at £ 100. Akai was making the most of

history. Located in a wing of the Science Museum it proudly dis-played models from 1971 and beyond. New from this manufac-

turer are the £ 160 CD26, a I6-bit 4-times o/s CD player, and the 18-bit 8-times o/s CD57 at £ 180 with peak search and edit func-

tions. The AM47 (£230) is the company's latest integrated amplifier, rated at 120W/ch. The GX95 cassette deck moves into Mark II form for £400. While new models here are the £200 DX57, a 'budget' three-head, and the HX27W twin-deck at £ 100.

Recently detached from the reins of the TGI empire after a management buy-out, Goodmans is poised to release its System 300 series of full-sized separates including GSP360 turntable for £50, and GCD 366 multi-play CD at £ 180. Also promised from this

brand are a host of Midi and Mini systems, portables and even a

£110 cassette-based Karaoke. The company's in-car and speaker line-up is also strengthened with the introduction of new units. Technics gave its dealers a pre-

view of the complete year's offer-

111- 11 NEWS & RECORD RF:VIENV JUNE 1991 I 3

ACCESSORIES CLUB

Use this form to order accessories HFNIRR 001 Fluxdumper: black-ash box £22.95 D HFNIRR 004 Blackhead: m-c step-up transformer; £60.95 D HFNIRR 005 spikes: timber C steel D. inc fixing kit, set of 8, £ 10.25 HFNIRR 006 Flutterhuster: 33.3/45rpm. 220/240 only. OK for most synchronous t/t ( specify type); black-ash case £81.95 0 HFNIRR 007 Carrydis.c: 14 CD's in a 40mm travel pack! £ 12.25 El HFNIRR 009 Headcase: headphone amplifier. 40mW Class A unit allows use of headphones; black-ash case; 220/240V-only £81.95 IIFNIRR 010 News Stand: 19in/430mm housing, 36in high. complete with 5 shelves (3 adjustable) black finish £ 142.95 HFNIRR 011 Mushcrusher: 220/240V mains filter. 5A rating £25.95 HFNIRR 012 Software Storage System: satin black timber ( Medite). stackable, supplied in kit form. LP unit ( 120 capacity) £49.95 D CD/cassette unit ( 40/25) £30.00 C singles unit ( 200) £37.95. HFNIRR 013 Wallnut: wall mounting two-level turntable support complete with two shelves; finish. black £50.95 H FNIRR 014 Stylus Cleaner: ultrasonic cleaner; £ 17.95 IIFNIRR 015 Test CD 11:99 tracks. 75mins £ 12.25 0 Nagaoka LP inner sleeves: pack of 50 £7.25 0 Michell Tenderfeet: aluminium cones. Small £5.45 D Large £8.95 D Cobra Indoor FM antenna: indoor aerial, built-in amplifier £49.95 C: Sicomin CD damper: £27.95 D Extra rings for old type. 20. £2.50 E Audioquest vacuum tube dampers: set of 4 £ 12.25 Audioquest damping sheet: sorbothane. bin x bin self-adhesive £ 12.25 D Good Sound: Laura Dearborn's paperback £ 11.25 D HFN/RR self-build loudspeakers: details available for DCI & Bassett Audiophile records: Cantate Doinino €7.951=1.1.iii al the Pawnshop £ 1.5.95

Alphason Tonearm Lifter: Yes, it really does! £ 14.25 Blacktak: £. 45 per pack of 2 strips C Cl) Feet: Audioquest Sorbothane. Pack of 4 £25.95 D Sfax binaural CDs: Space Sound, £ 17.25 D; Glenn Miller. £ 17.25 E: Warsaw Baroque Soloists. £ 17.25 0: Supercharge. £ 17.25 12; Mozart Edition Vol I. £ 17:25 III; Guitar Crusher Live. £ 17.25 D Decca record cleaning brush: £9.95 D CD Jewel Cases (packs of 10): standard. Sin complete D £6.50: standard Sin, outer only D £5.00; slimline Sin C £6.50; 3in El £6.50. Double Jewel Case, complete (each) D £ 1.75. Sin clear protective sleeve ( pack of 5)12 75p. CD single adaptor. silvered (each) El 60p. Toppers: stick-on spikes: set of fi D £5.95; set of 8 D £8.25. Mission Isoplat: I7in x I3in Medite isolation platform; £28.95 Calotherm: Complete Compact Disc cleaner £2.25 D Calocoat: Hi-Tech Lenscloth £ 1.60 C Ace of Spades Gold spade lugs: £3.99 per set of 4 C Dividers: pack of 10 LP D. CD D. 7in singles C. £6.25 Dividers: pack of 25 LP D. CD III, 7in singles C. £ 11.25 Chesky Jazz Sampler Vol I: ti 12.50 E Kontak two-bottle cleaning kit: £ 19.95 D Soft Shoes (set of three) £ 16.25 El Audio Anthology, Vols 1.2.3 (each) £ 17.25 D; Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, £ 16.25 111; Killer Car Stereo. £ 16.25 C Casino Royak CD £ 10.95 D; Stereo Miking CD £ 12.25 El Finyl: Starter pack. treats 100 discs. £ 15.25 El; Finyl. treatment for 200 discs £25.95 D lsopod: ceramic feet. Set of 3 El £25.95 Insert Audio banana plugs (per pair) £3.95 E The Audio Glossary: J Gordon Holt's paperback £9.95 D Tweek £ 16.95 D High Performance Loudspeakers Vol 4: Martin Colloms £28.50 17:1 Big. Bill Broonzr LP £7.15 D CD £8.95 C Usin . Man Blues LP £ 13.95 D CD £ 13.95 C

NAME (caps please)

ADDRESS _

D enclose POIChequelM0* III I wish to pay by AccessIVisalDinerslAmex* My card number is

111111111111111

All prices include post & packing

Expiry date

Signature Please send orders to HFNIRR Accessories Club, PO Box 200, Bedford, MK40 1YH

Cheques should be made payable to HFNIRR Accessories Club. Delivery subject to availability. Accessories Club hotline .2S 0234 741152

NON UK SALES VAT FREE BUT WHERE APPLICABLE SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL CARRIAGE CHARGES. Photo copies of this form are acceptable. E&OE 'Please delete as nereoarl

GOT THE

BLUES If you haven't you soon will. We've found a pair of

blues releases which are indispensable

espite the odd blues title on Mobile Fidelity, the genre is

not one which you'd normally associate with audiophile sound quality. Indeed, purists would argue that the blues -

in deference to its earthiness - should sound as rough as the message or the playing. I'd be the last to argue, while Editor Harris is still mourning the day the last 78 was released.

But two blues titles appeared within the last couple of months which achieve the near-miraculous: they offer both peerless music and the kind of sound quality which justifies the purchase of your pedigree music machine. And both are available on CD and LP.

Amusingly, the two couldn't be further apart in certain areas. One is modern, recorded in 1990 and produced with every advantage an audiophile disc could possibly have. The other is forty years old, monophonic and was probably recorded on a tight budget and with minimal consideration for the musician. After all, blacks weren't exactly cossetted in the USA in the early 1950s. Furthermore, one of the musicians is young and white, the other was a black man in his late 50s who'd pass away seven years after the recording was made. And yet the two manage to show that such disparate releases can

have a spiritual link, for both are genuine rural blues and about as pure and undiluted as you'll find in this era of MIDI and noise gates and Q Sound. The recent release is Robert Lucas' ear-opening Usin' Man Blues

on the Audioquest label. Audioqu4 is one of the world's top cable manufacturers, and the associatioibias meant access to such talents as Joe Harley, Tim de Paravicini,»Iiin Dent and Kavi Alexander for

production, engineering and mastaing duties. Attention to high-end analogue criteria included the use of custom-built, de Paravicini-designed valve electronics, Blumlein microphone set-up, a complete absence of noise reduction, equalization, compression or limiting, the whole shebang was done live and the chain was analogue throughout. Mastering took place in London. And what you hear is in-the-room dobro and harmonica, with Lucas covering his own compositions and a handful of all-time classics.

Contrast this with Remembering Big Bill Broonzy. Recorded in 1951, in good old Spectorian mono, it features ( except for one track ) just Broonzy on acoustic guitar, with bass backing. Straight folksy blues by one of the genre's deities. I have no idea as to what consituted the hardware which a label would use to record 'race music' in the year before I was born, but I do know that BGO had this transferred by a crew in full sympathy with analogue and with a

clear understanding of the pros and cons of extra processing, which they avoided. The resultant reissue is so lifelike that you'll forget all about its `mono-ness'. Its stark simplicity allows the ear to home in on details so delicate and so subtle that you'll marvel at how they survived 40 years in the vaults. Whether or not these turn you into a lover of the most emotional

genre in the pantheon of popular music depends on whether or not you have a heart under your rib-cage. At worst, you'll enjoy these

just as you would any audiophile releases. At best, you'll leave the listening session shaking from the excitement. I know I did.

Ken Kessler

14 111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

ing, with a number of the products due for immediate release.

Stealing the show was the latest

and slimmest personal CD player. The SL-XP700 is just under 18mm thick and uses a two-DAC, 8-times oversampled 18- bit conversion system, and runs for six hours from

its Ni-Cd batteries, which recharge in about three hours. It sells at

£199.99 Hi-fi separates are highlighted in

the El() 'lifestyle' system at £999. while the SC-C117 'mini-mini' sys-

tem at £549 indicates the shape ot things to come in the 'systems' market, with four 180mm wide

units stackable in various ways with matching speakers and optional cabinet.

'Advanced MASH' conversion and digital servo in the drive sys-tem are the primary technical fea-tures of Technics new £349 hi-fi CD player, the SUPS900, which

also has a silent loading system and transformers, as well as a custom-function system with 'assignable' keys for advanced features. The £269 SL-PS700 also has digital semi and the custom function feature, but, like the lower-range SI,-P6500, 400, 200 and 100 mod-els (£ 199, £ 179, £ 159 and £ 139), which all feature 'ordinary' MASH. New Technics amplifiers

include the £449, 110W/ch SU-VX800, designed using audiophile components and the new 'extended direct drive' signal rout-

Aiwa's ' value for money' CD player range inetude boll! Bustream and MASH models

ing for CD which goes one step further than 'power amp' direct by placing the volume control after the voltage amplification stage to achieve a dramatically improved

signal/noise ratio at the output. The SU-VX700, with 'power amp

direct' facility and some advanced components, offers 90‘v ch and retails at £249.95. Also new are the SUNX600 (£ 199. 65W/ch )

and SU-VX500 (£ 159, 55W/ch). Among other notable Technics introductions are the RS-B606, the company's cheapest-ever three-head cassette deck at £ 169 ( com-plete with Dolby HX-Pro and

linear tape counter), along with a higher-spec model ( with quartz DD motor drive anti record calibration), the RS-BX707 at

£199. A two-head deck budget, the RS-BX 404 is £ 129. Kenwood's spring trade show,

held at the company's own pre-mises, unveiled more than 25 new products including portable and

stand-alone DAT recorders as well as a range of five `third generation 1-bit' Cl) players and an AV

receiver incorporating Dolby Pro-Logic. Kenwood's DX-7030 DAT

machine will sell at £699.95, while the portable DX-7 is £499.95. Top (:I) player in the new standard-

width series is the £299.95 DP-7030, which boasts dual 1-bit con-verters with 3rd-order noise-shaping. Further models all using

the 1-bit technology are the 5030, -4030 and 2030 at £199.95. £179.95 and £ 149.95. The DP-

SHOW REPORT

M6630 player will cost £259.95. Kenwood's remote-control mini-

system, the UD3, incorporates a DSP-based 'Acoustic Intelligence' said to 'automatically maximise sound performance'.

In an effort to regain ' lost ground' in the audio market, JVC had a host of up-coming hi-fi sepa-

rates at its venue. The TD-V5-i ITN three-head cassette deck is added to the company's Digifine range, with the AX-A-t-iITN a new inte-grated amp with symmetrical fas-cia placing the volume control centrally. A minimalist approach was taken over the interior which has a m-m and m-c phono stage and CD direct routing. Not just a

receiver, the RX-505V( I. )TN is seen as a system control centre for AN applications. New Cl) players from JVC will include the XL-Z441TN with the 1-bit PEM DAC

and 4th-order noise shaper now a familiar sight from JVC. User con-venience features include edit, remote and DDRP — Dynamics Detection Recording Processor —

to automatically find the optimum recording level. Added to its existing tuners is the FX3411.TN three-band model at £200.

Despite the leg-work trudging between the various venues of this year's shows, most dealers seemed content with the new ranges and, despite the present economic cli-mate, there was even some frantic

buying reported.+

SIDELINES aving wandered off last month into wine tasting, I must now get down to

the nitty-gritty of amplifier tasting. I say tasting rather than testing because it's the sound that matters, and while it may seem improbable that an amplifier satisfying all

known measurement criteria could audibly degrade a musical

signal, we cannot be certain of this. Hearing is a very complex process, and it would be rash to assume, for

instance ( as pointed out by Bob Stuart in his January letter) that a waveform necessarily masks low-

level distortion components form-ing part of its own structure. Despite an electronics background I don't subscribe to the 'measure-ments reveal all' philosophy, and would certainly not dismiss the idea that some listeners may be able to detect some changes on some types of programme when switching between amplifiers which apparently measure impeccably by normal standards.

That's in principle, but if one is to be fair to all parties it is vital in

practice to be sure than any such

claimed differences do indeed relate to the amplified waveforms and are not peripheral artefacts of perception. It is all too easy to be misled by unnoticed or seemingly trivial distractions and variables, while the notion that very small

sonic differences can be reliably detected without immediate AB comparisons of short repeated stretches of programme has always struck me as extremely dubious Studies in the psychology of perception have shown beyond doubt that the smaller the change in a sensory stimulus, the more necessary it becomes to limit the time gap between A and B if the shift in what is perceived is to tally reliably with the shift of stimulus. This is as much common sense as science, and I've cuivered the ground before ( see 'Objectifying the Subjective', HFN/RR Sept '85), but it cannot be emphasized too strongly that sweeping claims con-cerning audible differences between amplifiers should be tre-ated as warily as dogmatic asser-tions regarding their impossibility. A recent correspondent claimed

that 20-odd years of hi-fi experi-ence had made him fully confident in his own subjective judgements,

yet more than 40 years of such experience has made me steadily less confident. Time and again at listening tests I've had an impress-

ion that a particular short musical passage has changed its sonic char-

acter between presentations, only to discover that I had simply lis-

tened with greater attention dun previously to the passage in ques-

tion, thereby hearing some detail

not noticed before. Subsequent

presentations have then all sounded the same despite the changes of amplifier which I thought f'd been detecting. Like-wise, when monitoring via louds-peakers ‘ine can never be sure that head movements or shifts of listen-

ing position haven't inadvertently altered one's private sound pic-ture. Yet nearly all comparative judgements and ratings of ampli-fiers, (') players, etc, are arrived at in this manner, often with suffi-

cient time gaps between expo-sures to cast serious doubts on the validity of the whole exercise.

It might be argued that some experienced listeners are nonethe-less so acute that these objections can be set aside. Yet when such 'golden ears' have joined in prop-erly controlled blind tests they

have usually found to their amaze-ment that the differences they believed to be obvious are vanishingly small or non-existent. Is there nevertheless anyone out there who could guarantee in an ABX erial to detect the insertion of a good amplifier in an existing reproducing chain? Note, not

detect a difference between mod-els, hut between what goes in and what comes out — surely the ulti-

mate subjective test. Comparing one amplifier with another can in principle only show whether they

sound different, not which is the better. Models A and B might each distort the signal in different ways, which could give rise to a prefer-

ence for one or the other on certain types of programme. A

recording suffering from exagger-ated extreme HF, for instance,

might sound more pleasing on a power amplifier which rolls off gently above 15kHz; but this would not make the latter model

superior, simply less accurate, while such tampering with the response is more properly achieved in the control unit. I happen to believe that the

Walker 'straight wire' test is the only really reliable way of judging

an amplifier by ear, and in last June's 'Sidelines' I offered a head-

phone monitoring version of the idea which uses loudspeaker loads but avoids the distractions of loudspeaker listening. Any model which survives this test or its equivalents ( that is, not alter the

sound between its inputs and out-puts) is for practical purposes a perfect device; yet one doesn't need to stretch into exotic regions in order to find amplifiers which

pass muster. It will probably irri-tate high-end devotees, but I've not yet heard anything which would cause me to pay thousands rather than hundreds of pounds for an amplifier. John Crabbe

III II NEWS & Ra:ORDRFNIEW JUNE 1991 IS

Bigger... Better... Hafler!

--

‘‘ very impressive specification . • . the X1_600 can be

unreservedly recommended.11 GRAMOPHONE SEPT 1989

IT WAS DIFFICULT NOT TO BE IMPRES-

SED A CONSIDERED BLEND OF FLEXIBILITY GOOD SOUND AND VALUE FOR jar MONEY New 1-/JFI Sound June 1989

“this amplifier does indeed represent fine value, while the big and very, natural sound quality must surely place it near the top of any enthusiast's shopping list.., highly recommended. »

Applying the recognised success of the Hafler XL280 amplifier which has a truly linear transfer characteristic, the new XL600 heralds a new era of

affordable high powered accuracy. It has already won wide acclaim amongst press and public alike.

From its gold plated input and output jacks to its relay-protected output, which

exceeds 1000 watts mono and 360 watts

HI-FI CHOICE September 1989

"Superb bass ol, Very high

sipveowvaelr Output

,., me A modestpc:1 6let r h X 0 b...ilitye

represents m

mso e 17

o9ut •...,i ryLuigoh

Cc pc :t41 ppIi. fOirPreS.

WH1

per channel stereo into 8 ohms, this is an amplifier to be compared by any standards with the most expensive alternatives. Audition the XL600 at your nearest Hafler dealer soon.

Wier HW International, 3-5 Eden Grove, London N7 8EQ.

Tel: 071-607 2717

To: HW International, 3-5 Eden Grove, London N7 8EQ. Please send me details of the Hafler Range.

Name Address - Post code

This year saw a new setting for the annual Paris hi-fi show, as the Nikko Hotel was dropped in favour

of the more spacious surroundings offered by the Palais des Congres, while the more esoteric items were to be found at the Sofitel

Hotel in Port de Versailles. British brands were well represented but it was the Japanese majors who stole the limelight when it came to floor area. All the big names were

there in force. The French arm of Denon set

the scene for the event - mini systems. Quite where the dividing

line bt.tween mini and midi is drawn remains blurred. Denon was demonstrating the D-100 sys-tem, seen at the recent London Ideal Home Exhibition and due for

UK release shortly. Even more exciting from this brand was the

'Point Compo', although I under-stand that name will be changed, even for the French market. This 'mini' mini will surely find favour with those in one-bedroom flats

and bedsits. With its 2x5OW — POA 7.5 amplifier, AVP-7.5 pre-amp, DCD75 CD source and sub-woofer on one stand and two

satellite speakers to accommodate, there seemed to be good value for money. Lipman was showing its new 300 Series, now poised for UK release, and comprising T351I.G

tuner, K351G cassette deck, D351 CD player and A351 integrated

amp - all with a champagne finish which extends to the back plate as well as fascia. Star of the Luxman

room though was the £3000 two-box CD player which was destined for the UK's Luxman distributor after the Paris event, so I'm sure

we'll hear more about that. It was DAT to the fore in the

Aiwa room where LaserDisc was

also to be seen in the shape of the I.V-X200 player. This is doubtful for release at home, but the DAT units seen are on their way, said Aiwa UK. These are the XD-S1100 full-width recorder with advanced A/D including 64-times o/s and 4-stage noise shaper at £500,

expected in August, the NSX-D5 Midi DAT due in July, and the Mini version - the NSX D7. Although

available as a part of complete Aiwa systems, particular emphasis

has been placed on their compati-bility with other, or existing, stack arrangements which are of the same proportions.

Lifestyle systems was the way for Technics. Although CD play-ers and other familiar separates

were to be found on the Technics display, the new El0 system was

1111.11.11111EiallAiLLIIMIIMM

The unusual CD Libran `Le Compact Driver' from Log-ram holds 400 CDs, available in professional and consumer forms complete with computer interface

Cabosse speakers - soon to be seen in the UK? Below: Luxman's 300 Series

separates due for UK launch

Technics' stylish, yet simple E I 0 (Imagine') mini stack. Below: Infinity's latest speakers - Reference

SHOW REPORT

placed centre stage, and in a Pers-pex case to keep away clawing hands. Under the banner 'Imagine',

was the SL-E10 MASH CD player with digital servo, CD-edit, and a

host of programme/memory func-tions; the RS-E10 2-motor, quick reverse cassette deck; SA-E10 tuner amp complete with timer, 5 inputs and 25 FM/AM presets, where 60W per channel into 8ohms was quoted. The indepen-dent, bi-communication table-top IR controller was indeed compre-hensive, even informing when the

CD drawer is empty. Without the need to accommodate a turntable, manufacturers have certainly been

able to bring miniaturization to the fore. This is all due for release in the UK in August at around £ 1000 for the complete system; 'simple and slim' are the key words I was

told. With more minis courtesy of Pioneer's ICaido, Sokan and Ken-gai, one could be forgiven for

wondering whether there would be any more genuine hi-fi. There was. Marantz is a brand

with high French profile, and the Paris show gave an opportunity to see and hear the entire Music Link series. Alongside the SC22 pre-

amp and MA22 power amps HFNI RR featured on its cover in April, was the AB9-5C digital audio video controller with its surround-sound processor including Dolby Pro Logic (UK price £3000 with AV-

95M 6-channel amp) and Unix - an intelligent remote sensor. Nearby at Rotel was a collection

of separates reminiscent of a Penta Hi-Fi Show launch last September. Indeed the RFICIO passive control-ler, RHQ10 phono stage and matching RHB10 power amp with

their wooden end caps and silver fascia seemed likely to arrive in Britain under the Michi banner.

Alas that was not to be, although I understand that a UK release is still scheduled following a number of

enhancements - perhaps we shall see them at this year's Hi-Fi Show?

One of the most realistic sound-ing rooms came from our own Linn Products, courtesy of its French distributor MS Systems. The event gave an opportunity for the French public to hear the benefits of fitting a Lingo, and the

chance to win a pair of Index II speakers in a daily draw. Other British companies flying the flag

included Mission, DNM, Target Audio, KEF, B&W, Radford and

Celestion - although they're still known as Ditton on French soil. Indeed they have their own range of Moon speakers such as the

SHOW REPORT

floor-standing 4s and little book-shelf Ditton Is. The major speaker news was from Allison who gave

the world's first public showing of its IC5, extending the IC 10 and 1C20 technology. Due for a September launch in the UK at around £250-300, this 2.51 box has a sloping baffle. Its a two-way design with 4in woofer and con-vex diaphragm tweeter, meaning it need not fire directly at thc listener; there's only a 5dB drop at 20kHz some 90° off-axis, while the crossover has been set at 2500Hz to give stable imaging.

One large room was completely given over to British equipment —

who said our hi-fi industry was on its knees? Driving a pair of Rogers

floor-standing P24s ( now for export-only I understand) were valves courtesy of Beard, an Onix

integrated amplifier, Meridian CD player and Pink Triangle turn-table. The Beard Audio line-up

included the DAP- I DM processor unit, CA506 Class A valve control

amplifier with m-m and m-c phono stage, and CA35 valve phono stage for its already established pre-amp. I almost missed the Tannoy

display, which was next-door to the Sofitel in an amazing sports complex. Here it was the larger

'Prestige' series which saw light of day, including the Stirling, Edin-burgh and giant Westminsters. But, if anything in Paris made one feel really proud to be British ( apart

from a certain Rugby Union match at Twickenham which gave Eng-

land the Grand Slam), it was the

result of the Prix Joseph Leon Award, commemorating the founder of Elipson. This was won by Quad's Peter Walker, who was given a standing ovation by the French hi-fi industry as he col-lected the justly-deserved title. Peter Walker's nomination, for his

achievement in the field of elec-trostatic loudspeakers and amplifier design, was unanimous. The event was well timed for

infinity, undertaking a Europe-wide launch of its Reference range,

comprising six new speaker mod-els across the board. The RSIO,

RS20 and RS30 are two-ways, and the RS40, 11550 and RS60 three-way designs, with UK prices stretching from £ 150 to £650. All cabinets are available in black ash

vinyl, and feature injection.

moulded graphite fibres for strength and polypropylene to aid damping, while an inverted dust

cap has been fitted to both woofer and mid-range cones.

Established French brands also took pride of place, including one already familiar in the UK through its association with DNM.

Rehdeko is known virtually world-wide for its revolutionary

design of an elliptical tweeter with its large membrane and additional 'saucer' which extends the support of the tweeter coil for good HF

dispersion. Similarly unusually shaped drive units were seen in

designs from Espace and Elipson, who even had a triangular unit. Another brand with deep roots in

the French speaker sector is Cabasse. Founded in 1950, it is still largely a family firm. Export

manager Christophe Cabasse has been actively searching for a UK distributor to fill its only gap in a

Europe-wide market. The com-pany is not short of facilities, boast-ing a 2000m3 anecohic chamber

among its total of eight, one echo chamber and a semi-reverberant room. Many of its 17 current

models are named after various boats, reflecting the Cabasse fami-ly's other great love.

The esoteric high end was out in force, although as part of the main

event this year, rather than sited away at a separate hotel. The big names were all showing recent launches as outlined elsewhere in MN/ RR over the past few months.

Sussex-based Reference Imports was demonstrating its Ffr16950

Reference Two speaker giants and the more manageable, more afford-

able, Reference One, now in full production. Both were previewed at The Hi-Fi Show last year. Refer-

ence also had the giant 500W valve monoblock by Raymond Lumley of Portsmouth, these at £10,000 a pair, and the CAT S1.1 valve pre-amp, UK price £4750. In its 19in rack mounting the US-

Speakers or garden seats? Unusual enclosures from Audiolinear

sourced unit looked man enough for the job.

Despite the hot and stuffy hi-fi show coinciding with gorgeous

spring-like weather, the French public were not put off. On the first Saturday alone over 10,000 Parisians paid admittance. Congra-tulations to Jean Marie Hubert and

his team for another highly suc-cessful event, considering the pre-vailing economic climate, which attracted over 85 exhibitors.

Trevor Butler

USA: ACADEMY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIGH END AUDIO

Atlanta, Georgia was chosen as

the venue for the first Awards'

Dinner of the Academy for the Advancement of High End Audio. At the Westin Peachtree Plaza, the world's tallest hotel, the Academy welcomed the largest and most distinguished collection of high end audio luminaries seen outside a CES party.

The awards are the most highly

visible of the Academy's activities, all of which are conceived to

promote the concept of high end

audio outside its traditional audience and to serve the high end community's best interests. To

ensure fairness, and to involve the

international high end community, nominations were accepted from a panel of judges consisting of hi-ft journalists, half of whom were

non-American, with the final selection undertaken by the Academy.

Two sets of awards were

announced, including seven for achievement in separate hi-fi

categories, while the Academy's

Hall of Fame was launched with

its first five entrants. The award

Dan D'Agostino of Krell (left) is congratulated by liFNIRR's Ken Kessler, master of ceremonies for the Academy's Awards evening held in Atlanta

winners were as follows:

Analogue Playback: John Bicht, Versa Dynamics

Digital Playback: Mike Moffatt, Theta

Electonics: Dan D'Agostino, Krell

Loudspeakers: Arnie Nudell, Infinity

Cables & Accessories: (tie) Bruce Brisson, MIT; George Cardas, Cardas

Recording: David and Norman Chesky, Chesky Records

Aesthetic Design: Gayle

Sanders, Martin-Logan

British nominees included Allen Boothroyd and Bob Stuart of Meridian for Aesthetic Design,

Bob Stuart for Digital Playback and Touraj Moghaddam of

Roksan for Analogue Playback. Those installed in the Hall of

Fame were Peter Walker of Quad,

Saul Marantz, Paul Klipsch, AR's founder Edgar Villchur and Henry

Kloss. (All except Kloss have also been recipients of the HFN/RR

Lifetime Achievement Award).

Because of the collective

experience of the Academy membership and because the

recipients of the honours are being

acknowledged by their peers, it is hoped that the awards and the

Hall of Fame will be recognised as

the highest commendations which the industry can bestow. By publicizing its honours, the

Academy hopes to increase

awareness of what is possible in the field of music reproduction in the home.

With such a large gathering of high end industry leaders in one

building, the academy also took the opportunity to hold a general

meeting to discuss future plans, all of which will have an impact on

the development of high end

equipment in the coming years.

Among the ideas discussed was the formation of a committee to establish standards for hardware regarding electrical safety and

compatibility, inspired by the appearance of a variety of non-

compatible digital-to-digital connectors. Plans were also mooted

regarding the promotion of the Academy at the upcoming CES,

and assurances were made that a concerted effort would be

undertaken in future to ensure greater involvement of the high end community outside the USA.

Despite the nervousness of the organizers of this first major social

event in the Academy's brief span, the weekend was generally

regarded as a runaway success.

Special mention was made of the contribution of Jan Mancuso of

Reference Recordings, who worked

ceaselessly to co-ordinate the

various aspects of the event. With such an auspicious start, the Academy looks set to achieve its goal of establishing high end audio

as a serious industry producing desirable products.

Is Ill- Fl NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

COMPETITION

WIN A LIN1\ SYSTEM Linn, one of the stalwarts of the hi-fi industry, is always at the

forefront of technology and this month there's the chance to win

a complete £2000 turntable system featuring the wonderful Linn

Sondek. As always with analogue systems, there will be the option

to upgrade later by substituting a more up-market tonearm,

replacement pick-up cartridge or the retrofit Lingo power supply.

It was in 1973 that Linn Pro- avoided, fluctuations eliminated ducts' founder and managing and the stability and accuracy of

director Ivor Tiefenbrun, working musical pitch maintained. Thus, in his father's precision engineer- the I.P12 is a hard act to follow.

ing company, unveiled the Linn

Sondek I.P12 turntable to a flab-

bergasted hi-fi trade. Here was a product which revolutionised the thinking behind hi-fi systems and how they worked. Seventeen years

later I.inn is sited in a £.-im factory designed by Richard Rogers Part-nership, famous for the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Although no CD player has

emerged from Linn, it isn't that it avoids work in the digital field, although h-or Tiefenbrun is com-mitted to the humble vinyl LP and is thought to be ambivalent

towards CD. His engineers have

designed and built the Numerik, the company's own professional analogue- to- digital converter which is used to record sessions for the Linn Selekt label. Work in Linn's extensive R&D labs is also underway on the Kremlin, Linn's long-awaited FM-tuner which has now reached the pre-production stage, with release imminent.

Designing a high-quality turn-table to retrieve information from an LP and turning it into an accu-

rate electrical model of the music is no easy task Very close mecha-nical tolerances have to be ensured. Vibrations must be

THE PRIZE The LP12 at the heart of our prize is supplied with the Akito direct-coupled tonearm, which uses a

strong bearing mounting, armtube and headshell for optimum mecha-nical integrity. The arm base is mounted to the turntable using three machine screws, providing a

firm fixing and good geometry. Linn's K18 moving magnet is the chosen cartridge in our top prize. This metal bodied moving-coil design uses a specially formulated

rubber damper to achieve opti-mum compliance with low or medium mass arms. Amplification is courtesy of Linn's Intek inte-grated amplifier. The design is a separate pre-amp and isolated

power amp stage. This allows it to be used in two parts, making it easy to improve or expand a sys-tem. It is also fully equipped for moving-coil cartridges. Selected speakers are the Helix Ils (reviewed this month), supplied with the acclaimed Ku-Stone stands. Lengths of Linn's speaker

cable and ( kxilcing to the future) a spare KI8 complete this superb £2000 system which will be instal-led by the winner's local dealer

THE QUESTIONS 1) For which

demonstration method is

Linn famous?

a) single-speaker dems

b) bi-wiring

c) null testing

d) comparator switching

2) The new Linn factory was

designed by which

famous architect?

a) Richard Rogers

b ) Norman Foster

c ) Christopher Wren

d ) Charles Rennie Mackintosh

3) Apart from Linn's m-c

cartridge, a Troika is . .

a) an iron bracket hooked to a

grate

b) an ornament of three

interlaced arcs

c) a Russian vehicle drawn by

three horses

d) an Honours examination at

Cambridge

4) Linn re-cuts its `favourite'

records and markets

them under which

banner?

a ) RPM

b) Platter

c)Selekt

d ) linnk

5) What is Linn's forthcoming tuner

called?

a) Kremlin

b) Kapital

e) Kaaba

d) Karaoke

HOW TO ENTER Simply select what you consider the

most appropriate answer to each of

our questions and complete the

coupon. Don't forget your name,

address, and a daytime telephone

number. Send your entry to: Linn

Competition, H1-11 News & Record

Review Editorial, Link House,

Dingwall Avenue, Croydon, CR9 2TA,

to arrive by first post on 1July 1990.

1 ENTRY FORM

317 Thi Roles

I ) competition is open to I b. adcrb only. kil entrn, oust In, on the entry form

provided: photocopies will lw .,,, cpted but only one entry per reader will be

considered. No other correspondence may be included with entric..

2 ) There will be no cash or other alternative to the prize offered. The winner will he

the first correct entry opened.

3) Employees of link House Magazines or associated companies, and of Linn

Products or its agents, will not be eligible.

4 ) All entries must be received by first post on I July 1991, when judging will be

carried out. The Editor's decision will he final and binding; no correspondence of

any kind will be entered into regarding the competition.

5 ) The prize winner will he notified by post and the results will be published in the

September 1991 edition of 111•N/RR.

6) Entries become the property of Link House Magazines.

7 ) Entry to the competition is taken to indicate acceptance of the rules.

Name and Address

Daytime tel no

DTI& here if you do NOT wish to be sent information on Linn products

ADVERTISEMENT

.DEALER.AWAIIDS. s, °„N,Y, -DEAsimis•

111.01.110110011 11,41011,1,100/1

Vol. 7, No. 1 'Analogue is neither dead nor dying, it is back in the hands of true enthusiasts." So we declared last month. Here is more evi-dence. In the vanguard of phono cartridges is Audio Technica and their flagship cartridge is the tita-nium-bodied ART-1 with boron cantilever. With the finest turnt-able and tonearm it is now possi-ble to extract dynamics, depth and detail denied to (and by) the digi-tally blinkered. Although one can-not claim it is cheap at over £800, a masterpiece of technology is very competitive. In comparison to what, you may ask. We have one only KOETSU 80th Anniversary (Limited Edition: 80 worldwide) in stock, ex-dem (price on applica-tion). The new from Sugano is the equally expensive PRO IV which returns to Rosewood tradition, quite in contrast with Audio Tech-nica's hi-tech approach. The third of the super-cartridges worth updating this month is AUDIO NOTE now manufactured in Europe: the models 102 and Limited will continue but with the promise of a technically and soni-cally upgraded performance.

Cannot afford the exotica? Al! is not lost. Drawing heavily on the technology of the ART- 1, Audio-Technica announce a new range o' cartridges from £509.95 (0C-30) to the affordable £91.95 (0C-3), depending on how well you are challenging the recession. The AT-F3/5 etc. will continue to be available for stylus exchange transactions, but for those fortun-ate newcomers, 0C-series tech-nology offers two intermediate options: 0C-5 at £ 122.95 and 0C-10 at £306.95, prices thanks to the new rate of VAT.

If you think that high technology is for digital products, take a look at how Audio Technica have refur-bished analogue. 0C10/30 wind-ings and terminals feature copper up to 99.99996% purity (PCOCC6N) and neodymium magnets. The former conducts signal through a single molecular crystal, the latter focusses a stron-ger and more stable magnetic field to the point of energy trans-fer. The 0C-10/30 are equipped with tapered gold- evaporated beryllium cantilevers for minimal effective mass and fast energy transmission: contributing to high trackibility. Improved micro-linear stylus shape and diamond polish result in the manufacturer's claimed rating of maintained sonic quality and " hardly abrased" even after 1,000 hours tracking.

THE

M US I CROON/ NEWSLETTER

Audio Technica New Model OC-30

The vitality of research and development of turntables also continues reassuringly at all price points. The latest version of the ORACLE Delphi (the stunning MK IV) is challenged from Britain by the PINK TRIANGLE Anniversary. The MICHELL Gyrodek offers tremendous value in its current stage of evolution, and is joined by an extraordinary matching product, the MC step-up device called the ISO. From all of these manufacturers a choice of lower-priced models are available and well-worth checking out! From the budget turntable specialists, the latest DUAL 505 offers digital-bashing quality for only £ 169. if you don't believe this, ask for a demonstration.

There can be little doubt that the boost to analogue quality since the stimulation from CD has been in "front-end" low-level electro-nics. The " record-player" approach from ROKSAN simpli-fier Hi-Fi by integrating Xerxes, Artemiz and Shiraz with the final step, the integral cartridge ampli-fier on board.

Money-no-object, the very best input for a phono cartridge (or a CD player) is Danish and elle s'appelle Gryphon! The pre-amplifier is the staggeringly

beautiful "XT" which proves con-vincingly that less is more! If you cannot afford this ultimate indulg-ence, then all is not lost. Use your existing pre-amplifier with the Gryphon Head-Amp for £ 1,259 (we have one in Glasgoe ex-dem and slightly scratched for £559) or the Phono Stage (with passive line input) for £ 1,850. The prices for the complete pre-amplifiers include a pair of substantial mono-block power supplies and depend on whether you wish phono or line-only version. Either way, it is the best-sounding pre-amp we have heard: so good that we can actually demonstrate it in print. It is like the air between your eyes and this page.

SECOND-HAND NEWS Amplifier technology reaches new heights of definition and tactile imaging. Strange-but-true that valves offer superior sonic value and performance. Our enthusiasm for AUDIO INNOVATIONS is well-known and for obvious reasons, few of these appear second-hand. We have in Glasgow one Series 1000 Pre-amp ex-dem for £850 and a pair of Second Audio power-amps for £2,150. These mono-blocks are triode designs fo astonishing quality, extremely competitively-priced at £2,995.

SONY"! DEALER

Hr+FI N FRTTiyS

Adde ^. o •

o

June 1991

Bargain of the month is our ex-dem SP- 1 4 from AUDIO RESEARCH at 10% below last month's price: since then the price has risen to a little under £3,000 yet we offer the unrepeatable price of £2.250. We also have demonstrators from MUSICAL FIDELITY for example the asto-nishing MX Pre- and the MA-50 monoblock power amplifiers. Car-ried forward from last month are the ROKSAN Darius loudspeak-ers: yes, we were surprised when a turntable company finally proved to us that their loudspeaker theories could be so right. It seems that our customers will not consider them. The competition is certainly tough, with MONITOR AUDIO giving their adversaries a clean pair of heels at most price points. See previous months' Newsletters - we hate to repeat ourselves!

We have, nevertheless, spoken before about the superiority of NAKAMICHI and the new range offers distinctive style, thorough-bred engineering and yet mid-range affordability. As their adverts say, and here we must agree, unlikely but true! How do they do it? Come in and see! The range of cassette decks will con-tinue this firm's leadership into the nineties, but the CR-7 remains the top. Long ago we stated that it would never be superseded. Thankfully Nakamichi seems to agree with our feelings. Inciden-tally, we have in Glasgow one ex-dem now finally reduced to £995 (last offer: don't all phone at once). The CR-7 has that reassur-ing feel of a Mercedes Benz and is the only cassette deck that seriously takes on DAT.

AT LAST: DIGITAL DONE RIGHT The new generation of Digital Audio Tapes knocks both cassette and CD on the head. The best-sounding machine to-date is, the revolutionary AIWA HD-S1. At £599 it knocks out larger and more expensive full-size DAT machines, not to mention profes-sionally-priced open-reel decks. Unfortunately, the portability may actually discourage serious con-sideration. But this is not a Walk-man nor a personal CD-player. It is a truly revolutionary product: "digital done right", as the Amer-icans put it. The manufacturers claim that the miniature digital to audio converter contains most of the secret! Technically controver-sial, but musically convincing.

The Music Room, 50 Bridge Street, Manchester M3 3 BN. 061-835 1366

The Music Room, 98 Bath Street, Glasgow G2. 041-332 5012

TECHNOLOGY A

s reported in our recent news item IIIFNIRR May '91, p191, Sony has come up with a very clever idea

for extending the recording time of eras-able disc systems.

There are two ways of extending play-ing time. One is to compress the digital code, as is done for CD-I, so that the disc can play through several times, with a different sequence of the recording repro-duced each time through. The other way is to reduce the size of the spots recorded on the disc so that they can be more densely packed to record more digits. Nimbus has been working on denser

optical recording. Usually the technique relies on the use of a blue laser in the

playback machine because its shorter wavelength can be more accurately focused into a smaller spot. Although gas lasers produce blue light, and they are already used for cutting optical disc mas-ters, solid-state blue lasers exist only in

prototype form. Matsushita has led the field in the development of solid-state blue lasers, but they are a long way from being ready. The new Sony proposal, known as

Irister, adopts quite brilliant lateral think-ing. The effective size of the light spot in

both recorder and playback unit is reduced to well below the theoretical minimum size for a spot formed from an infra-red laser and small lens, as used in a domestic CD player. This increases

recording density by a factor of six. With blue lasers, 'lister would increase density by a factor of twenty.

Ulster builds on the magneto-optical erasable recording technology used by the computer industry. An MO disc has a coating of rare earth alloy. During record-ing the disc is bathed in a magnetic field and scanned by a finely focused laser beam. This causes local heating which reduces the coercivity of the coating so that it switches magnetic state.

Because MO discs are not playable on existing CD players, there is no good

reason to adopt the standard sizing of conventional CDs for any future domestic disc recording system. The wavelength of the laser light and small size of the lens puts a finite limit on how tightly it can be focused and how dense the recording. frister works in two stages to make the

spots smaller. First, the disc coating is made sensitive

only to the central core of the beam where the light is most tightly concen-trated and the most heat is generated. So a relatively thick beam creates small spots. The second stage is more difficult, to

read the small spots with a similarly thick

pencil beam. Sony beats the system by making only

the central core of the laser beam capable of read-out. The disc surface has two layers, a lower layer with a high magnetic coercivity ( high resistance to magnetic

change) and an upper layer with a low coercivity. During recording both layers are magnetically switched in spots. But,

prior to read-out, a steady magnetic field erases the recorded signals in the low coercivity top layer. This field is not strong enough to erase the recording in

the high coercivity layer underneath. Dur-ing read-out the laser beam is focused on the low coercivity top layer where there are no magnetic signals remaining. But the

heat from the beam makes the top pick up magnetic information from the lower layer. Again the core of the beam is hottest so signals are transferred from the

lower read in only tiny spots. So the beam can read only reflections from tiny spots in its core. Thus the beam behaves as if it was more

finely focused than optical theory allows. Sony estimates that the six-fold gain in resolution from a laser of 780 nano-metre wavelength is roughly equivalent to the increase theoretically available from a more tightly focused blue laser. The question now is, how does this

affect the fortunes of DCC? Both Sony and Philips believe in the

dual carrier approach, that is to say the sale of music on a playback-only medium (CD) alongside another medium (disc or tape) which can record as well.

Philip's proposal is for CD, plus DCC as the second carrier. Sony's original idea for a second carrier was a small erasable disc which achieved long playing time by compromising sound quality, with data compression. Initially Sony and Philips co-operated on demonstrating the feasi-

bility of this, but it was very much a 'feeler' exercise. Some people inside the record com-

panies worried that if Mini Discs were launched, it could eventually displace CD because the public at large would not notice the lower quality, and they might like the idea of a single carrier that records as well as plays back.

Sony tacitly acknowledges the import-ance of Irister because it creates the opportunity for high quality and long playing time from a small disc. But it is

very unlikely that Irister could be ready to make Mini Disc a serious challenge for DCC in 1992. Doubtless this explains Philip's rapid development of DCC. It would also explain any decision by Sony

to back DCC.

CDTV launch reservations Last month I discussed the impending launch of Commodore's CDTV system,

without Full Motion Video, which looks set to steal a march on the Philips-backed CD-I ( Compact Disc I).

Nolan Bushnell is in charge of the CDTV project. 'CDTV is real,' he says. ' It is going to happen and we are going to force it through. We can really, really change

the world.' The player has no keyboard, just an

infra-red remote control with arrow keys to move a cursor across the screen and

'accept' keys to trigger a function selected by the cursor. Like CD-I, CDTV is a 'buy and play' system. The user plugs the

BARRY FOX

player into a TV set and hi-fi, loads a disc and switches on. There is none of the complicated setting up needed for CD

ROM computer systems. There are 30 software titles now, with

50 promised for launch and 100 by the end of the year. This, says Commodore, does not include `shovelware', the com-pany's pejorative term for software which has been written for existing games for-mat and just routinely converted into new disc format. Likewise, Commodore does not count as CDTV titles the CD plus G

titles already available. 'CDTV', says Bushnell, 'transforms TV

from passive to active medium. It creates a new multi-million-dollar multimedia

business. What is the biography of John Kennedy or Martin Luther King without

their oratory?' Nevertheless, only a few of the 30

program discs running on 20 CDTV machines at the Las Vegas show came close to exploiting the potential for CDTV which Commodore promises. One of the titles demonstrated at the press launch, 'Defender of the Crown', has only very mediocre animation and is already avail-able as a CD ROM game in the UK

Everything suggests that Commodore has pushed the CDTV project through at

breakneck speed. In contrast with the gung-ho American

hype, Commodore UK stresses the ability of CDTV to play CD audio discs. The player puts a graphic on a screen which mimics a CD player's functions and pictor-ially represents a laser tracking a disc. There is clearly already unease inside

Commodore UK over the pricing struc-ture. Seven hundred pounds is too expen-sive for a consumer electronics gadget unless it offers something which consum-

ers feel they must have. And so far there is no evidence of CDTV offering anything

irresistible. The price is also hard to justify on

manufactured content. As Bushnell him-self says: 'CDTV is really an Amiga 500. It combines the Amiga chip set with a CD player.' The Amiga computer sells for under £300 and a bog standard stand-alone CD player costs well under £200. +

11111 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 21

EXPENSIVE TUNER?? THEN HAVE THE AERIAL IT DESERVES

You spend many hours and quite a lot of money choosing that new tuner, so don't ruin the whole effect by fiddling with bits of wire or old aerials. Have the full benefit of the multipath-free, clean signal which only a well designed and properly installe dunit can achieve. If D.X. is your scene, then go for the ultimate in rotatin9 high gain narrow beam systems like our G.23 with 19dB forward gain, 38dB F. to B. and Acc. Ang. down to 15 Degrees or have a "one off" special built, up to 32 elements. GALAXIL CIRCULAR 17-L LLMLN7 STLAr

GAIN 15 9dB L r E3 7,1B I. 74"

WE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, SUPPLY AND FIT

* FM arrays from 4 to 23 Element. TV from 10 to 92 Element. * British-built and designed to withstand our weather. * Interested D.I.Y. advice freely given, backed by our complete range of

masts, brackets, rotors, cables and aerials. Systems available for chimney, loft, wall, or through roof mounting.

* Professional installation service available within a nominal 200-mile radius of LUTON. Full details of this service available on receipt of a large S.A.E. which will bring you our complete "Aerial Guide" which is more than just a list of our products and prices, and carries details of all our services, including MAIL ORDER and site surveys.

SEE THE REST, THEN FOR THE BEST, CALL

RON SMITH

AERIALS 98 ASH ROAD, LUTON, BEDS.

Day — Luton 36561 9.0 to 6.0 Eve — Luton 29560 after 730 pm

Shop Hours: 9.0 to 6.0. Closed Wednesday

5 Minutes from M1 Motorway. Turnoff No. 11

• OUR AUDIO PRO SUB-WOOFER 'REFRESHES THE PARTS

NORMAL SPEAKERS CANNOT REACH' Unlike the famous slogan we have paraphrased, we mean every word of it when applied to our unique 3-way system, based on the BBC-designed LS3/5A compact monitor, and the Audio Pro B1-45 sub-woofer which we import from Sweden. The little LS3/5A units (only 12 x 71/2 x 6'/in) give a middle and upper response of singular purity, while the B1-45 adds to this an extended bass response normally found only in huge and very costly speakers (which often lack the sheer naturalness of the LS3/5A's upper response!). Moreover the B1-45, which is by no means bulky ( 143/4in square x 21in high), can be placed anywhere in your room, 'out of sight, out of mind', or even used as an occasional table; all that confronts the listener is a pair of small boxes, easily absorbed into any furnishing scheme.

Our 3-way system, elegantly finished in Black Ash (though the LS3/5As are also available in Walnut veneer), costs £820; but we also demonstrate the sub-woofer in partnership with the Acoustic Energy AE 1 speakers which can handle much more power, as well as with the incomparable QUAD ESL 63s. Ancillary equipment need not be particularly expensive, and we commend especially the new Denon ' LIFESTYLE' separates ( receiver, CD player and cassette deck), which offer superb results and outstandingly stylish design at a combined cost of £799.95. We also demonstrate the QUAD separates, including the recently introduced CD player and 66 pre-amplifier, as well as modestly-priced components from the JVC and Yamaha ranges. Our extensive stock of classical Compact Discs is available to all who

have purchased equipment from us at a permanent 20% discount; we also demonstrate and supply CD Video players and carry a fine selection of CD Video recordings of Opera and Ballet. In addition, we also supply TV and VHS video equipment, and we cordially invite those who call at our studio for a demonstration to sample the remarkable video recordings by Arturo Toscanini, dating from 1948 to 1952 but only just made available to the public. We can promise you a truly unique and moving experience!

Summer Holidays: our studio will be closed June 9 to 23 incl.

Thomas Ileinitz Ltd MUSIC IN THE HOME 35 Moscow Road Queensway London W2

Telephone: 071-229 2077 Opening hours: 9.30 to 5.30 ( Thurs. 9.30 to I; Fri. 9.30 to 7).

We have STAX headphones with full demo facility. Consult our expert — Mike Mears or write for further information.

STAX EARSPEAKERS

RECOMMENDED SYSTEMS SR-34 Pro ( including SRD4 Energiser) £149.95 SR-84 Pro (including SRD4 Energiser) .. £219.95 SR-GAMMA (including SRD6SB Energiserl ... £309.90 SR-LAMBDA (including SRD7SB) £489.90 SR-LAMBDA PRO ( including SRD7SB) . £ 559.9))

THE ABOVE ENERGISERS ARE CONNECTED TO THE SPEAKER TERMINALS OF INTEGRATED AMPS/POWER AMPS SR GAMMA PRO ( including SRD-X Pro Energiser)

fq(3144-9900 SR-LAMBDA PRO ( including SRD-X Pro Energiser) SR-LAMBDA SIGNATURE (including SRD-X . £709.90 SR-LAMBDA SIGNATURE including NEH'SRM XPRO . £894.90

THE ULTIMATE IN HEADPHONE LISTENING SR-LAMBDA PRO ( including SRM- III ¡'ro Energiser) .. 1:1019 SR-LAMBDA SIGNATURE (including) SRM-T1 En,, r SR-SIGMA PRO ( including SRM-TI Energiser .. . The above energisers are connected to any line level source. Ii:.E1143.4i;P: re amp output, tape recorder output, C.D. player, Tape deck, or tuner. NEWSRM-x PRODRIVER UNIT £419.95 This is a superb new energiser designed for portable I) A T and Pro-Walkmans

(Battery not included) BSI' 60D OPTIONAL BATTERY PACK WITH CASE £119.95 SRM-TI VACUUM TUBE ENERGISER ..... . . £895.00

ALL EXTENSION LEADS IN STOC'E AVAILABLE

THE EXCELLENT STAX QUATTRO 2 C.D. I'LAYER £3000.00 EDI EQUALIZER FOR LAMBDA/LAMBDA PRO . 1:7 DAC.X1 D/A - CONVERTOR VACUUM TUBE £8919)05:

Postage and Packing free in the U. K

HI-FI CARE RETAIL LTD DEPT HFN,

7/245 TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD LONDON WI P 9DP

(MIKE MEARS) 071-637-0371 — 071-637 8911 HUN

VORTEX This New 'Top of the range' Hi-Fi kit from Volt Loudspeakers and Wilmslow Audio utilises a Volt BM 2500.1 bass mid unit and a Morel MDT 33 treble unit. Both units are combined with a high quality passive network in a reflex enclosure with a sloping baffle to inhibit internal cabinet resonance. The cabinet is accurately machined from 18mm M.D.F. (Medium Density Fibreboard).

The kit contains bass and treble units, assembled xovers, long fibre wool, grill fabric etc.

Dimensions: 700 x 385 x 308

Response: 38 hz - 20 hz +/- 3dB Amp suitability: 40 - 200w Impedance: 8 ohms

£710.00 per pair

carriage Ins. £20.00

Wilmslow Audio DIY Speaker catalogue £1 50

post tree (export £3 513) 11E2M ,

Wellington Close. Parkgate Trading Estate Knutsford. Cheshire WA16 8DX Tel: (0565) 650605 Fax: (0565) 650080

telephone credit card = orders welcome

Open Tuesday to Saturday. 4 demonstration rooms available.

111-1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

RADIO T

he end of BBC involvement in Local Radio and the scrapping of Radios One and Two are the

recommendations of a report entitled 'A Better BBC'. Written by prospective Con-

servative candidate Damian Green, the document rejects the idea that the cor-poration should take advertising or that it should be funded by subscription. Green, a former BBC journalist, revives the idea of a body to encourage high quality across television and tackles what he calls • waste-fur spending at the BBC.

His thoughts come at a time when the BBC is strengthening its role in Local Radio and, while I could live without the

likes of Radio One, now broadcasting around the clock on FM, and Radio Two,

to leave community radio up to the commercial sector would be a certain

disaster. As it is many II.R stations are having to join together to ensure their existence. The result is daytime prog-ramme sharing which loses all sense of local input. The presenters are often frightened to include phone-ins which would highlight the massive editorial areas covered by one show being broad-cast on several stations' transmitters. With the tender advertised for the first

Independent National Radio service, the non-pop INRI, the current trend of II.R stations joining forces is only one step

removed. The new Radio Authority has had to reappraise its definition of pop music to include all records which have entered the singles chart since 1960. This would include the likes of Pavarotti's

recording of Nessun Donna, the BBC's World Cup theme. The move was made in an attempt to stop a pop station winning the contract 'through the back door'. The likely winner will have to wait a

little longer, as the closing date for

applications has been extended to 22 May to permit discussions with the Pin. tivei; tariffs for material played on-air. ' Bin who'll be left in the running? The prop-bed light classical music service. Classic

FM, has pulled out of the running. Any serious!'idder will need backers willing to provide up to £50 million over the first three years. And there's now doubt over Lord I lanson's Melody Radio commitment

to the national franchise, leaving some civil servants in Whitehall wondering whether the government's test run of the cash bid system will prove fruitless.

Unrewarded The decision to withhold two Sony radio

awards from this year's proceedings has brought an angry reaction from some within the industry and caught the atten-tion of the national press. The non appear-ance of a radio reporter of the year is 'not a calculated insult' according to Roger

Bolton, head of factual programmes at Thames Television and a former editor of Panorama, who took the unprecen-dented step along with fellow judges

broadcaster Brain Hayes and Netesnight presenter Jeremy P1Lxman. The news

conies as something of a surprise after twelve months which have seen the inva-

sion of Kuwait, the resignation of the Prime Minister, the release of Nelson Mandela and riots in British prisons. BBC Radio's West of logland corres-

pondent David Smeeton was 'incensed' by

the decision. In a letter to the staff journal Ariel, he said: 'I trust that Sony, in appreciating the depth of insult felt by radio newsmen worldwide, will reap-praise their choice of judges for future years'. Strong stuff from this homely figure. The Sunday Times' Paul Donovan went further, calling the action an 'extraordinary rebuke', while the Daily. .11ail headlined its story 'awards snub'.

Sony and its awards committee, chaired

by radio correspondent and travel writer Gillian Reynolds, backed the judges ' per cent'. 'We absolutely endorse their decision', said a defiant Reynolds. Only six entries were received for the reporter award. about half the usual number, and all from the BBC. The judges declined to comment, although it is understood that they felt none of the entries fulfilled the criteria necessary to merit the award — the witnessing of a major news event and the reporting of that event using the 'specific techniques of radio'.

Tlie awards committee also endorsed the conclusion of 'best classical music programme' judges that the standard was so poor that no prize will be awarded in this section. This is a surprise move at the end of what's considered as the best ever year for classical music. The number of entries here reached an all-time low of twelve, half the number received last year. One of the judges was the BPI's Jeremy Silver who said 'none of the nominations really reflected the amazing growth in the popularity of classii:al music'. Rlitlier than down-grade the award, it has been 'reserved'. Ahead of the Sony. the TelevisiOn and

Radio Industries Club has announced the winners of its Celebrity Awards tor 1991. Radio Personality was Radio Two's Desmond Carrington who presents the Sunday Morning programme of 'all-time greats', while the Aiwa trophy tbr Radio Programme of the Year went to Angela

Rippon and the IBC team for Morning Report. BBC Radio Five picked tip the title of 'Children's Programme of the Year' for On Your Marks.

RDS in Europe The BBC's Radio Data System team joined forces with Radio One in France to mark European Radio Week at the beginning of April. The European Broadcasting Union celebrated the event in Strasburg, from where Simon Bates presented his morning

programme at the start of the week-long extravaganza. The Radio One team left their RDS colleagues behind to demons-trate the technology, using car radios in their specially equipped Renault Espace parked outside the Palais Josephine.

All the stops were pulled out as Johnny

TREVOR BUTLER

Beerling, Controller Radio One and chair-man of the EBU RDS steering committee, accompanied RDS Development Manager Mark Saunders to Strasburg to promote RDS in Europe. The Belgians are enthu-siastic fans of the technology, with both French-speaking RTBF and Flemish BRT transmitting RDS, as does Radio France. Over 50 suitable radio models are avail-able in mainland Europe.

Orchestral sponsor The BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra has secured the corporation's largest spon-sorship for its tour of Japan. Hitachi/

Maxell is providing £270,000 to fund the 16-day tour this month. The WS() under its principal conductor Tadaaki Otaka is giving ten concerts in major cities around the country including Tokyo, and Osaka. Many are to be broadcast live.

WC improves reception The Victor Company of Japan has announced success in its endeavours to improve FM-radio signal reception. The Dynas system, proposed and developed by HuC of Germany since July 198", is based on interference rejection and is the result of investment to the tune of [)M 100,000. JVC developed the technol-ogy to produce an IC and is now set to launch it in a car audio system, serving as

licence holder in Japan. The system, an FM demodulator with a dynamic tracking filter, is intended to reject adjacent chan-

nel interference, improving sensitivity by 5dB, and selectivity by over 30dB.

Woman's news The long-running Radio Four afternoon magazine programme Woman's Hour will keep its name when it moves to its new 10.30am slot in September. Acting Editor Sally Feldman was critical of what she called 'some confusion' caused by reports that the programme was being scrapped (see ' Radio' Feb ). ' It is just developing and changing with the times' she said. The 'new' programme will allow more emph-

asis on its live element, although the commitment to broadcasting from the BBC regions is to be maintained.

111.11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 23

READER SERVICE

SAVE ON COMPACT DISCS Can't find the disc you want?

Try the ifFN/RR CD Service. This offer applies to records

reviewed in this issue and listed below. Simply tick the

boxes for the compact discs

you want and fill in the order form. There is a small charge

for post and packing. (Please

note that the HFN/RR CD Ser-vice can supply discs to over-seas readers: overseas orders are VAT-free but additional shipping charges may be added.) For LP and MC availa-

bility, call (0234) 741152.

CLASSICAL

BANTOCK

Celtic Symphony etc ( Handley )

BEETHOVEN

O Piano Sonatas Opp. 101/106 ( Rangell )

BELLINI

La Sonnambula ( López-Cobos )£22.50

BERLIOZ

El Childhood of Christ ( tribal ) £22.50

BOITO

D Mefistofele ( Patafié ) £22 .50

BRAHMS

O German Requiem ( Gardiner) f

D Violin Concerto ( Kennedy,Tennstedt )

BRIDGE

D Three Idylls ( Brindisi Qt )

BRITTEN

D String Quartet 21 Brindisi Qt If

BRUCKNER

D Symphony .1 ( Abbado If

DAVIES (Maxwell)

0 Martyrdom (WS( Magnus ( Rafferty I f

DEBUSSY

D Piano works ( Tirimo ) £7.25

Chamber works ( Nash Ens 1 f

ELGAR

D Symphony I etc ( Matkin If

D Enigma etc ( Dutoit If

GRIEG

D Piano Concerto etc ( AndsnesiGtayenko)

HAYDN

D Symphonies 85/86 ( Wolff )

CI Symphonies 90.92 ( Goodman) e D Symphonies 94/95 ( Harnoncourt )

HOIST

String Quartet I ( Brindisi Qt ) f

KABALEVSKY

D Violin Concerto ( Mordkovitch/Jàrvi )

ICHACHATURIAN

D Spartacus ballet suites ()aryl ) e D Violin Concerto( Mordkovitchjarvi

LISZT

3 Piano Concerto 2 ( AndsnesKitayenko)f

NIENDEISSOHN

D Violin Concertos( MullovaNlarriner I f

MESSIAEN

D Catalogue d'Oiseaux ' etc ( Hill)

MOZART

mphonies 19-23 ( Mackerras) f

\ I osical.loke etc ( Orpheus CO) f

. ,,, lin Concertos K216/219 ( Kettle)) f

strung Quintets K 1-4.406 ( Orlando Qti

'mat If

Piano Quartets I 2 etc ( Muir QiCollard)

. _ string Quartets IC-46) )65 ( Berg Qt If

Violin Sonatas K3- .39 ) Perlman/

Barenboim If

IT Violin Sonatas K301,305 3-9 ( Davie

Black ) f

Piano Sonatas K281 ,28)-292 545

( Larrocha)

D. Songs ( Kirkby/I logwood )

Exsultate, jubilate etc ( Mathis/Kit:elf

NIELSEN

Hymnus Amoris etc ( Segerstam.Parkman I

f D Violin/Flute/Clarinet Concertos ( various

Schwnwandt ) f

3 String Quartets I -4 etc ( Nielsen Qt et al )

£14.50 f

PALESTRLNA

D Missa Assumpta es Maria etc ( Phillips) f

PENDERECKI

3 Polish Requiem ( Penderecki I £22 50

POULENC

Piano works ( Rogé )

PROKOFIEV

3 Classical Symphony etc ( Stephenson) f

D Cinderella suites Clarvi )

SIBELIUS

7 Violin Concerto ( 2 versions )( Kmakos

Vanska I

TELEMANN

Die Tageszeiten ( Schâfer) f

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

7 Symphony 9/Piano Concerto ( Shelley'

Thomson) f

COLLECTIONS

MASSES by TALUS & SHEPPARD

( Guest) f

OPEN AIR - BERLIN '90

( 8 composers. Barenboirn ) f

0 ENGLISH MINIATURES

( ' composers. Ilickox If

3 THE ALDEBURGH RECITAL

( 4 composers. Perahia ) f

REFLECTIONS

BACH

D Italian Concerto etc ( Gould ) 1." 25

BEETHOVEN

Symphony 9 etc ( Szell )£'. 25

HANSON

D Symphonies 1.2 etc ( Ilanson )£'. 25

MENDELS,SOHN

D Symphonies IS) Sawallisch £21 "5

MOZART

ALL DISCS MARKED £ 11.25, • £ 10.25, OTHERS AS INDICATED. PLEASE ADD POSTAGE OF 50p TO YOUR ORDER, OR £1 PER ORDER

FOR TVVO OR MORE DISCS. ALLOW 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY.

I enclose a cheque/postal order. payable to IIEN/RR CD SERVICE. I wish to pay by credit card* Please debit my Access, Visa, Amex or Diners account as below

PLEASE SHIN IIERE IF PAYING BY (Amu CARD All prices include VAT • Please delete where not applicable

ACCESS El VISA D AMEX D DINERS D

Keyboard Concertos 5-2" ( various;

Gardiner I £65.25

PROKOFIEV

Romeo & Juliet suites ( Járvil£725

SCHUBERT

3 Trout Quintet etc ( Demus et al )£". 25

ROCK/POP/JAZZ

GERI ALLEN

.1 the Nurturer •

THE ALMIGHTY

7 soul lkstruction •

AMBIENCE

Never Been lhere •

ATOM SEED

Get In Line • BARRISTER

D New Fuji Garbage £8.95

KATHLEEN BATTLE/JESSTE NORMAN

3 Spirituals In (.oncert f

ELVIN BISHOP

D Don't Let The Bossman Get You Down!

£9.91

BLUE RODEO

D Casino

PAUL BRADY

D Trick Or Freat • JOSE CARRERAS

D Hollywood Golden Classics

JOSE CARRERAS, KIRI TE KANAWA &

OTHERS

D South Pacific £ 10.95

CAL COILING QUARTET

Ohio Style •

WILLIE DIXON

D Hidden Charms

THE FIXX

Dlnk.

E FORD & THE CHECKMATES

The Very Best Of

GALUANO

7 In Pursuit Of The 13th Note

GREEN ON RED

3 Scapegoats I

GENE HARRIS/PHILIP MORRIS

SUPERBAND

World Tour 19901

SCREAMINUAY HAWKINS

D Black Music For White People II

HELLOWEEN

D Pink Bubbles Go Ape £6.95

VINCENT HERRING

D Evidence •

SHIRLEY HORN

You Won't Forget About Me • HUAYNOS & HUATIAS

The Real Music Of Peru £8.95

MICKEY' JUPP

D As lite Years Go By £9.95

ALIAS RON KAVANA

.7:Coming Days • ALBERT KING

D Red I louse •

LINDA GAIL LEWIS

D International Affairs.

DAVE LIEBMAN/FRANCO D'ANDREA

CI Nine Again •

LITTLE ANGELS

ID Young G(xis

NILS LOFGREN

Silver Lining II

TAJ MAHAL

3 Mule Bone •

MEZCLA

Fronteras de Suenos

BOB MINITZER

Art Of The Big Band

MATT 'GUITAR' MURPHY

Way Dim n South £9.95

NINE BELOW ZERO

D on The Road Again

NINE INCH NAILS

D Pretty I late Machine

THE D)AYS

D Emotionally Yours

MIKE OLDFIELD

D Heaven's Open £6.95

ORB

3 Orb's Adventures Beyond The l'Itraworld

•

THE PRAYER BOAT

D Oceanic Feelings £6.95

REM

D Out Of Time • ROACHFORD

0 Get Ready II

KANE ROBERTS

Saints and Sinners

THE ROLLING STONES

Flashpoint

ROXETTE

Joyride è

SIFFRE

D Man Of Reason

ROD STEWART

D Vagabond I leart • OKAY TEMIZ

Misket £9.95

THIS MORTAL COIL

Blood £ 10.95

VARIOUS

D Hardcore Uproar

JOE LOUIS WALKER

D Live At Slim's Vol I

WALTER WOLFMANi WASHINGTON

Sada •

MARGARET WHITING

Margaret Whiting £6.95

HANK M'ILLIAMS

The Original Singles Collection £30.95

TORSTEN de WLNKEL

D Master Touch •

Humanimal Talk •

WHI

D WWII' • THE YARDBIRDS

El On Air £6.95

Little Games £6.95

SEND YOUR COMPLETED ORDER TO: HEN/RR CD SERVICE, PO Box 200, Bedford MK40 IY11. (TEL: 0234 741152). Photocopies of this form will be accepted.

Total disc price

Postage price

TOTAL ORDER PRICE £

Name:

Address:

My account number is: EXPIRY DATE

POST CODE Block letters please. E&OE. Delivery subject to availability

HEADROOM Good news on the Navcom'' front,

for those of you tempted by the DIY sheets of the stuff. Navcom,

in case you've missed the May Head-room', is a rubbery damping/absorption material which matches or exceeds Sor-bothane in all areas, according to the blurb. According to my ears, that's the gospel truth. Unfortunately, it was then unavailable in the UK.

It turns out that Path Group is import-ing the Allsop-made Navcom accessories, which I'll describe in a moment. The 6 x 6in sheets in two thicknesses, mar-keted as the Navcom Tweak-Pak, come from another source. After I phoned Path Group for details about the AlIsm acces-sories and enquired about the Tweak-Pak, the indefatigable Nigel Crump learned that Sumiko in the USA handles it. A kw phone calls later and it's now available in the UK via Path.

Since I wrote the first report. I've tried a few more applications including judicious placement within the MosCode SuperIt Phono Amplifier ( for a project you'll read about in the autumn). As a result, I'm even more convinced that the sheets are a tweaker's dream. But now for the had news: Navcom is as costly as I feared. I'm pretty certain that Nigel said a pack of the two sheets will run to something like £25.

But such is life. I'm learning that the best invariably costs the most. The trio consists of CD Protective Stabilisers ( cir-cumferential rings to you and me) and two sizes of Audio Isolator feet, standard and 'light'. The standard ones will be familiar to both of our readers who own Carver Silver Seven amplifiers, as similar ones are supplied with that wondrous amplifier for placement between the chas-sis and the platforms.

Before I start raving, here's the down-side: a pack of 12 CD rings, which reduce smearing and tighten up the bass and which should be fitted as standard to all CDs, costs £ 12.99. Ouch. The light' feet, which measure 50mm in diameter and just over lOmm in height, cost £24.99 for four. And my favourites — the big standard ones which work a treat under noisy, rattling dot-matrix printers — cost £49.99 for four. They're the same diameter as the 'lights', but nearly three times the thick-ness, with shape-retaining rings. Borrow a set and you'll learn within

seconds why Carver has made these standard equipment with the Silver Seven. I've now tried the feet with the Wadia 3200 CD transport, the Audio Research DAC1 DIA converter, The CAI. Tempest ll SE CD Player, the MosCode Superlt, four sundry pieces of Croft ( all valve), the Marantz CD- 12 and the Limited Edition Gryphon pre-amp. The results were fascinating — the

Wadia, for example, worked best when resting on the ceramic lsopod cones while the CD12 transport benefited from the Navcom — and there was a split among the valve products. Which means that they have to be auditioned alongside the

Isopods, even though the two materials are worlds apart. When I placed the Navcom 'lights' between the CAL front-end and the Audio Research DAC I, stacked because of a shelving shortage, it sounded as if the two were isolated by the size of schism between Labour and Tory.

I'm sure that you'll have no problem finding shops prepared to give quick demonstrations because the demo will only take a few minutes. Listen to what-ever device you think could do with isolation or damping in its natural state, for example the same model CD player you use at home; then ask the salesperson to slip in the Isolators. The benefits aren't evident only with

flimsily constructed gear or budget com-ponents; those of you familiar with the CD12 will know that it's built like a tank. So, shocking as it might seem to ask £25 or £50 for four lumps of what looks like rubber, I have to say that Navcom really is a 'miracle' product. How much suspension of your disbelief

is required to read the rest of this month's column depends on how you respond to band-aids healing wounds in the inaudible regions of the sonic spectrum. That won-derfully crazy Japanese designer, Yoshi Akiba ( who provided us with the wooden triangles to site between your speakers and their stands' top-plates), has two new goodies which should upset many. The one which works in the region

where bats communicate is the Ortho Spectrum AV Doughnut AD-7 Noise Filter. At one time or another, all of us in poor FM reception areas have tried ferrite rings in an attempt to do what the Broadcasting Authority refuses: improve reception. The effects are known and non-mystical. Akiba-San decided to fit ferrite rings to the cables between his CD player and amplifier and the results, as I've since learned, are drastic. The argument, which some may wish to

see as Belt-like, is that the rings are being used in the same manner as ferrite beads which remove unwanted noise, thus augmenting high frequency losses caused by noise components generated by every-thing from home appliances to TV sets. But these aren't any old ferrite rings.

Akiba's company, Ortho Spectrum, developed a special ferrite core which is then sunk into a wooden ring made of spruce which has been treated with the company's Synthetic Damping Liquid. And they're directional, too, the ring being exposed on one side so you'll know which way is up. Or down. All you do is feed your signal leads through the hole and listen. Reverse the rings and listen again, choosing which way sounds better. And what you'll hear are improvements in three main areas. l'he degree will be determined by the amount of crud being generated near your player and by the build integrity of the player itself

Most noteworthy is a lowering of back-ground noise, despite the seemingly unmatchable quietness of CD. You don't

KEN KESSLER

know it's there until it's removed; you'll just have to take my word for it. We're not talking about something as obvious as analogue rumble, but that so-called silence isn't as 'utter as you'd think.

Next, the rings improve image specific-ity. What this has to do with minimising hash and grunge in the infrasonic regions I don't know, as I thought that clues to directionality had to be audible. Whatever the reason, the sound becomes much more '3D'. Lastly, the rings smooth some of the edges and harshness which still taint digital playback s stems.

It's impossible to determine how much of the effectiveness is due to the composi-tion of the ferrite cores, the wooden surround or the damping fluid treatment. But you can still experiment at home with 'normal' ferrite rings, which only cost a couple of quid for a pair. Oh, and don't limit yourself to the CD leads. Akiba-San reckons they work on the mains cords of various appliances ( try 'em on your fridge), computer leads or any other wire which might being generating noise. Drop me a line with your findings; the most informative/amusing reply will earn some goodies from my accessories box. What I won't be sending you, though, is

Ortho Spectrum's other new gem, the I1M-8 AV harmonizer. This is a 190X 105mm suede cloth with which you polish your CDs. But this isn't just any suede, he said, noting that the material has been treated with the aforementioned Synthetic Damping Liquid. You use it as you would the Cremonese/Canon/Pentax/ Calotherm cloth, to polish the playing side of your CDs or LaserDiscs.

Don't ask me how, but a swipe with this improved all types of CDs: untweaked, Finyl'd, CD-Upgraded, Navcom'd and cryogenically frozen. And the improve-ment was absolutely consistent from disc to disc, in the form of a reduction of grain and edginess. Have I made contact with Japan's

answer to Peter Belt or is Ortho Spectrum the cleverest damned company in hi-fi? Once these items go into production. I'll report back with prices and availability. here's hoping that they're as cost-effective as they are tweak-effective. -,j4-

HUH NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE II>) I 25

e;

A SIMPLE NOTCH 1111 11,1

Filters and tone controls may

be unfashionable among

audiophiles, but this variable

notch filter provides a practical

way of improving the sound of

some vintage recordings . . .

by Alan Watling and Reg Williamson

PCB design: component layout (top) and foil pattern (above); but please note actual size à 75mmx 83mm, from edges of foil (shown here reduced). For further information, send SAE to 'Editorial Department (Notch Filter)' at our address (see page S)

Many fine performances recorded over the last forty years have been marred by shortcomings in

the available technology at the time. Setting aside the extremely complex com-puter techniques to 'recover' some of the original sound (eg, Caruso) the only palliatives available to the amateur have been variable filters and equalisers. Despite the trend to label these as audio pollutants ( presumably to save design effort and production costs) to me they remain essential in a domestic environ-ment. If properly designed they are inau-dible in the neutral position or where bypass switches are provided. Two of the most objectionable aberra-

tions to my ears have been ( a) the results from early microphones and ( b) the over-enthusiastic attempts by some recording engineers to sharpen up the 'presence'. Both are obvious in the 2kIlz-4kHz region and are particularly nasty on strings, brass and sibilants. They do, of course, respond to low-pass filtering, but then one loses most of the high frequen-cies where these are available on the master. The reincarnation of vintage recordings in CD format has made the problem more obvious — and you can't blame the pickup. Outside the classical repertoire the disease is widespread, particularly in multiple dubbings. One answer is the 'notch' filter, which

is, of course, not new. I made one over forty years ago to remove the 9kHz whistle from straight radio reception, so that dates me. But today's op-amp circuits can make the job relatively painless with-out winding fiddly coils, so I asked Reg Williamson to design one for a 6db notch variable from 2 to 4kHz to fit in a pre-amp

tape loop or between the pre-amp and power amp. We finally settled on a Q of about 2 at the centre frequency ( 3 kHz); it varies over the tuned range. He will now tell you how it was done; my thanks to him for his time and trouble. AW

Description Whilst the circuit may look a trifle alien, it is really rather simple. A series tuned circuit with a low Q is continuously adjustable between the invert and non-invert inputs of a differential amplifier configured for a gain of unity. The actual tuned circuit is C2 and the C1,R6,VR2,R7 complex. When VR1 is in the 'cut' posi-tion, the tuned circuit introduces a notch into the passive component of the R4, VR1 and R5 network. In the 'boost' position, it is now in a negative feedback loop. Assuming that VR1 is linear and with the control at centre position, the response is quite flat; but for the pure in heart, the tuned circuit may be switched out altogether. As shown in the diagram, it is sensible practice to add a 2M20 resistor across the contacts of Si.

Series tuned circuit? So where's the inductor? Well, since we need a very high value that is also going to be continuously adjustable over a limited range, a real wound component is virtually out of the question. So I've adopted a circuit con-figuration that is just about a couple of decades old. R6,VR2,R7 and C 1 with an op amp is an embryonic version of a group of circuits called gyrators: or sometimes, Generalized Impedance Converters (GIC). So far, to my knowledge, this advanced area of filter design has not influenced commercial audio circuitry at all, although very much common cur-

26 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

CONSTRUCTIONAL

FILTER rency in telecommunications. This simple complex behaves like an inductor in series with some resistance: in this case R6,VR2 and R7. If we assume, for example, that VR2 is fully in series with R7, C 1 connected to the junction of R6 via VR2 slider, then the simulated inductance may be found from the equation:

Ilequiv = ( R7+VR2 ) R6C1

Which, substituting, gives 5.08611 ( R in Kr)). Add a capacitor in series ( C2) and we have a series tuned circuit. The frequency of resonance may be calcu-lated:

Fr= 25330

C2( R7 +VR2 )R6C1

Substituting again, this yields 1.964KIlz (nominally 2KI lz ) — the lowest frequency of the assigned range. To find the upper limit, then swap R6 for R7 in the equation. This then works out to 4.146KIlz (or nominally 41(Hz). By using an inverted log taper control for VR2, the physical rota-tional centre is theoretically the geomet-ric frequency centre, 2.85Kliz ( nominally 3Kliz); and clockwise rotation increases the null or boost frequency. The Q of the tuned circuit is virtually determined by the series resistive components, an inhe-rent limitation of this simple GIC. But in this instance it doesn't matter. RW

db

- 3

-4

- 5

- 6 -4

Showing filter characteristic; boost is also obtainable

Construction A stereo version can be made up from a twin (072) IC for the buffer and a quad (074) for the active filter. The 16 resistors and 6 capacitors can be easily accommo-dated on Veroboard. A well-spaced PCB was designed for the prototype with terminal pins to wire to the two pots. A small +1— 15 volt regulated power supply was also incorporated; this employs the 4195 tracking regulator, which is avail-able from Maplin with a matching PCB and a 100ma 15-0-15 mains transformer. As the consumption is only 10ma, it could even be run off a couple of batteries while you find out if all this is worthwhile to improve a few irritating recordings. ( If batteries are used, decouple them to Ov with 100uF capacitors.) Watch the con-nections to the pots; they are marked +

IN

OUT

for the max clockwise position tag. All the wiring of the prototype was in solid-core ribbon cable; screened cable was not necessary in my instance, although the input leads are normal phono cables. The output is very low impedance and requires no special precautions.

Subjective results Tested over many examples of offending recordings, results ranged from highly effective to very subtle. The flatter your system is the more subtle you will find it. On headphones results are more marked; even high-grade moving-coil headphones have irregularities in the 3kHz region which respond to the tuning of the notch. Personal sensitivity is also irregular. The quietest reaction is from 'golden ears' who normally cavil at half a db variation and can't believe that a great 6dB chunk can pass almost unnoticed. Settings of the frequency knob invariably settle between 3 and 4kHz. Which is why I passed up the design option of a two-octave spread. On an old Beatles recording the varia-

tion removed several characteristics in turn — a tweaker's delight. The design offers 'boost' as well as 'cut'

for no extra charge. This is only a party trick, but can help with some loudspeaker deficiencies. I was really tempted to introduce a third knob marked 'image depth', with no wiring, but I prefer my friends to retain their audio illusions

VARIABLE NOTCH FILTER:

PARTS LiST

lCs TI. 072 and TI. 0-4 ( bracketed tag numbers refer to second channel)

RI 101 4-k 82 102 see table below 83 103 see table below 84 104 18k 85 105 18k R6 106 6k8 R-• lk 10)/108 2M2 (II 101 0.068tzE ( 2 102 1290pF 47(pF + 820pF ) &CA 0.14'. ceramic

VR1 101 twin 10k linear VR2. 102 twin reverse log 10k ( Hemnivalue)10K(

SI 2-pole 2- ay mini toggle

Required Gain

Varlable Notch Eater

OUT

e i?

Strap

o 3

2•

kHz

II \ I 1991 NEWS & RECORD RE\ It \\

Sorne may agree with me that many analogue recordings tended to reduce the spiky top of some types

of microphone, but journalists were mis-taking the slightly harsher sound of the CD as a fault in the latter, rather than the fact that CDs were telling the truth, whereas the old LP was masking it. There were improvements in professional ana-logue-to-digital converters, but these were minor compared with the sound balance problems. I once wrote that ' l'he more you open the window, the more muck flies in'. This certainly applied to all too many early releases, but gradually, in the '80s CD sound got better and better. The bad old days of using too many mies seem to have gone, although some engineers have now learnt how to control more mies properly. I am so pleased to hear many recordings made with simpler techniques, and I find it fascinating to hear some of yesteryear's atrocities now on CD. However, what a thrill it is to hear old great achievements such as the bargain Klemperer Mahler 2 on one disc. What a shock I got, though, when I first heard the re-issue of Verdi's Requiem and Four Sacred Pieces made by Giulini in the early 1960s, which was then so highly regarded. The clearly audible distortion has to be heard to be believed in the Dies Irae. The master-tape must have been driven many dBs into the red on choral and brass climaxes. Nobody grumbled at the time of the original issue, and yet it was torn apart by recent critics.

In some cases, a reissue can sound very gritty, and you may detect many tiny master-tape drop-outs. I discovered many years ago that you can only play an analogue tape a finite number of times, and just a few plays on a poor tape machine can irrevocably harm a master. On one of the Solti Siegfried CDs, I can distinctly hear that the left hand track has been accidentally 'magged up', giving a cockling sound behind instruments such as the French horn. Of course CD will show up bad or

careless engineering so much more obviously than LP. If some think this a disadvantage, then perhaps they should

Benefits: Klemperer's great Mahler 2 went on one disc; also seen, an early Sony promotional card; Philips Bitstream chip and player

GE-iye/t44

Peee00Eive Setbeicie,.

«lr,c, Q VS 044.

to 20,

C/¼ rt44 55 000

SepA #X1.1 £4,

st'o of,97. o ao ""IND

etie.ren ,e,„ so, itt, on.

goticai • '.."'et clisc • .

°n/yi. /3/c"-'0 ane cii.gltei auck but its at free), cof%e iii?igüe /)10.1) e s'ete'' utifiz

ofre, ti?e ̀ , I.s° has a ,et' "'LI») ii ct,a,.4oete'"J' recopaeoec8t. e /aser

/r) t• "re Of the • -neshour • et °f it/St A/Ot "e, it7iS CiiSe 49 ,3/ „ evaj,„ sYstep,, or -fr cer stereo 3-1'stei> 07a /nek%cirotva. e. PhYsicat ,.. 1 ),

even oe .

••Ez i óo /)c

e °1-e)°fateil in

litailimar,„

Part 2: microphones

and engineering changes,

value-for-money and

recent player progress. . .

4kozo,,, •

ePcif tia,.2 40.2

play all their records through a muffled speaker, with added rumble and a hiss generator. I like to hear my sound as realistic as possible, and this includes the reverberation, right down to inaudibility. This does not mean that inaudibility means below noise, but below any sound that is audible in level. So much low frequency information is covered by 1.1? disc rumble. I believe that most audible rumble is on the disc caused by poor and strained pressing, and I agree that the best turntables are probably good enough. Surface ticks, let alone scratches, or plain 'noisy noise' that even annoys oysters, become so much more annoying once you have become used to CDs. Inciden-tally, I find myself very disappointed with FM Radio as a source because of the poorer S/N performance, and the apparent increase in I1F limiting that seems to have come in during the last kw years. Some had tape edits on analogue mas-

ters are all the more obvious when heard from CD. All this criticism might give the reader the impression that I am rather against the CD; but I am most certainly not, as I think that the little disc is the most important development in audio for at least 30 years. The clarity and lack of noise and distortion on the best of mod-ern CDs seems almost magic to an old lag like me, who started a large record collection as a school-boy in the days of

78s. I now find most new recordings much better than those of 1() years ago, and I am so pleased that companies such as DG and EMI are now making some of

the best recordings that they have made in very many years.

Value for money am most alarmed about the controversy

which has been raised in most of the press in the last year or so. I would like to defend the record companies here and I

trust that readers will believe me that I am not biased! I can well remember paying nearly £2 per LP over 30 years ago. The average playing time was about 40 minutes, equivalent to about five 78s. One

could buy quite a few discs which had two Ilaydn or Mozart Symphonies on them, at the maximum, equivalent to seven 78s. Very few discs played for more than 55 minutes, and in any case, these reproduced with a lower playback level necessary to accommodate the longer time. When CDs came out, they were typically about £ 10.50 per disc, and have only gone up by 20% or so. However, now there are budget labels, and the full-price discs of 20 years ago are often around half price. Almost always one gets extra fill-ups, bringing the playing time up to 70 minutes and over, sometimes equivalent to two old IPs. Now some companies have introduced even cheaper series, so we can buy Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto combined with the two Flute Concertos for under £5.

How about the cost of a new recording on CD compared with its production cost? Most new CDs cost £ 12 to £ 13 with a typical playing time well above an hour. There has been a lot of criticism of this in

DIGITAL DECA DE

by Angus McKenzie

11111\ LW & FtECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

RECORDING

some of the press which seems to me to be totally unfair, but based on too much consumer pressure, and insufficient know-ledge of the actual costs of the production of the CD in the first place. Talking typically of classical recordings, a com-pany might pay out £50,000 for musi-cians, conductor, soloist ( if any) and hall hire, not forgetting all the recording and editing costs. If one also considers promo-tion, distribution. CD mastering and press-ing costs, then it is hardly surprising that the trade cost of such a typical disc is around £7.50, the remainder being the dealer profit, and VAT. Just how many copies would have to sell to break even? I hazard a guess at 10,000-20,000, and nearer the higher guess if the company has to add in a proportion for pop issues! Quite frequently, a company might have to wait at least seven years to recoup the initial costs.

Most reissues have their costs already amortized, and there is just royalty to consider as an initial cost, in addition to production costs etc. Thus. 1 hope that I have let the companies off the hook a little, although I feel that there are never-theless some anomalies. Why should a recording made over 30 years ago be still sold at full price, and on three discs instead of two? Peter Grimes is a typical example of this, but I also resent the Karajan Meistersinger at full price. Can EMI still justify Beecham's Scheberuzade at full price with only a rather short fill up? The companies may well get full price for some reissues, but there will always be

resentment at this practice, and the same label may lose sales and image by the practice. Conversely, they regain image

by putting later re-issues at mid-price and by putting greatly extended playing times on a disc, such as Beecham's Sibelius 2nd, and Dvorak's 8th symphonies on the same disc.

So when you hear someone moaning about the price of classical CDs, perhaps you might let them know some more of the facts.

Compact disc players From 1983 to 1986. I was heavily involved in organizing many listening and laboratory tests on CD players, to find out what the differences were in practice. It was extremely important for various con-sumer organizations to know precisely what to print in their local and national magazines, and readers would hardly

believe the trouble and costs that we were all involved in when we were researching these differences. I can well remember being furious when a non-technically-qualified journalist wrote about a rumour that members of what was clearly my listening panel found all the players sounding the same! This was plain inaccurate, and totally misinformed. What actually happened was that after

hearing very many' players reproducing quite a comprehensive programme, the listening panel were of the opinion that many of the differences were very minor compared with the problems of poor

Simple Metv of laser optics

error correction, let alone concealment. The differences between various 'phase l' models were enormous, one well-known model giving clearly audible jumps, clicics, and fudges every minute or so, whilst the best players were almost perfect for an hour or so. By far the best early players were those

incorporating the original Philips 14-bit I.S1. I well remember another model, made in Japan, with a very clear apparent HE lift, which sounded much greater than the single dB boost which it actually' had at 10kilz. All the Philips and Marantz models did indeed sound almost identical, and many' of the panel members were quite happy to say so. This was a very' different attitude from that shown by some journalists who were very worried indeed if they' could not hear any' differ-ence at all between models, or even samples.

In 1983, my colleagues and I could tell every time the difference between a Philips 14-bit player and a Sony 16-bit one, the CDP 101. The Philips had 4-times over sampling, whilst the Sony was sam-pling at the normal rate. l'he Philips definitely sounded smoother, and the Sony had a tendency towards harshness at HE There seemed to be no doubt that the over sampling technique was better in other models, and I remember hearing the Revox prototype player against the Sony', and coming to the same conclusion, although I did not know at first which was which, and that the Revox was based on the Philips chip.

At the time the results of all my tests were published in detail in another maga-zine, as well as a resumé, which was not technical, in a national consumer maga-zine, with their agreement. Yes, there were surprised faces at the time, despite all the care we took to ensure that all the players were heard in a very' good environment. I can well remember how clearly we could hear the differences between analogue original recordings and those made with digital mastering. Noise-

reduction techniques used in the ana-logue master-tape of the Brendel Trout Quintet were easily heard, and the hiss of 30ips masters showed that a few engineers may well have made unwise decisions over the years. Around 1984, we started quite difficult

tests to analyze distortions and noise at very' low reproduction levels. Horror of horrors: we discovered that the famous Philips 14-bit chip actually produced quite marked distortion at a playback level of around — 70dB. We all found it baffling that the Philips machines had sounded so superb but, sure enough, when we played the various test tone tracks at low levels, hut brought up to much louder listening levels, we could easily hear the distortion from the early Philips players. About five years ago many' audio critics and journalists were invited by Philips and PolyGram to attend meet-

ings at Hasselt and Hanover. In the Belgian Hasselt factory, I asked about the 14-bit chip problem, to receive an admission that they knew about it, and that we should not find it on the new 16-bit chip which was just about to be made avail-able. I can remember being told by' Philips that they were making about 50% of the actual CD player decks sold in Europe, which was quite an astounding total.

Listening tests once again showed that the new Philips technology sounded the best, and I always had a feeling that part of the improvement was depth, as well as response, distortion, and other factors. I found it more and more difficult to hear differences, but whether this was because my ears were getting that little hit older, or the players were more similar, I shall have to leave for others to decide. I did buy a Sony CDP 102 in 1985, and

this player did me very well for a few years. I was reasonably happy and con-fident with the I 6-bit decoding with 2-times oversampling, but its main point was the excellent remote control, and fast access to my required track. I can recall one player in 1985 which took about 20 seconds to access a track, and this annoyed some listeners, whilst some others had an amazing amount of pati-ence. Readers who know that I am rather impatient will imagine my feelings!

At about the same time that all this was happening, we saw the introduction of random play, and massive memories, with front panels festooned with buttons. Too many players were being littered with buttons, and I heard so many potential CD player purchasers grumble about all this complexity. So many' of them were pre-pared to pay the money for a top player, but they simply did not want so many buttons. Players were now coming out with separate decoders for each channel so as to give synchronous playback for left and right channels. We had already' shown in my lab that there was a clearly discern-able difference when the 11 microsecond delay in one channel with reference to the other was switched in and out. Image shifts occurred, but it was not at all simple to tell which was correct. It became easy I> 35

111.11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 29

REL Acotisi its . . . Relalitely simple, but effective. This could be the description of the HI, Active Bass Controller (ABC). For the first time, someone has recognised that not everyone has a cathedral sized listening room. With the ABC everyone can enjoy deep bass without boom in any room, no matter how large or small.

(See the Monochord articles in I News December, 1990 & February, 1991).

Time marches on . . . I have not been idle meanwhile. After several requests for something smaller, I have designed

The sub-woofer for the audiophile.

This design includes the REI, ABC and a 100 Watt Mosfet bass amplifier both built-in.

The real breakthrough, however, is the cost!

Stygian bought complete with all electronics is only £345 including delivery and a 2 year Warranty.

Alternatively, with the enclosure sold as a flat pack kit, but all electronics ready-built (including the 2 year Warranty) the cost is now only £295 including delivery.

Available only from:

NEI, Acoustics . . . You'll hear more from us 66 Fairfield Road, Bridgend. Nlid Glamorgan, MI 3llt. Tel: 0636-766093

STYGIAN

Still not convinced, yet intrigued? Then give me a call or drop me a line and I will send you a copy of my Factpack.

Happy listening.

mai

The Sound Exchange.

Musicians and critics throughout the world agree that the Ortofon range of

moving coil cartridges achieve the highest levels of pure and unbiased

reproduction.With our unique Exchange Scheme you can share this

experience by trading in your existing cartridge for a new Ortofon moving coil

cartridge with a 1 5 % discount For details of your local participating Premier dealer contact us today and

exchange your old sound for the musicians choice.

The 1000 series of moving

coil cartridges £600 - £ 1500 °aeon accuracy in sound

Ortofon (UK) Ltd., Chiltern Hill, Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks SL9 9UG. Tel. 0753 889949

The Q range of moving

coil cartridges £ 130 - £450

30 III I \I \\ , .\ II I \I. 1991

TECHNICAL

Awell-established principle of com-munication is that transmission efficiency increases the more

closely the communication channel is matched to the characteristics of the receiver — in this case the human ear. In recent proposals DSP techniques are used to estimate which parts of the audio signal should be inaudible, thereby reducing the amount of information that needs to be stored or transmitted. For simplicity l refer to such systems as 'coders', although of course a channel decoder is also needed to restore the signal.

The idea of coding to improve a chan-nel is not new; pre-emphasis is used in LP, tape and FM radio, and of course Dolby is a sophisticated analogue coding scheme. NICAM is already in use; other more

advanced but broadly similar systems are at late prototype stages. These newer systems attempt to analyse the signal to determine which parts of it are 'redun-dant' or 'irrelevant': those elements are then discarded. Such schemes include Dolby's AC-2 transform coder, and sub-band coders like Philips PASC, MUS1CAM and ASPEC 11,2,31. The last three have roots in a Eureka project and combine research of several European institutions. Recently the International Standards Organisation has suggested the develop-ment of one standard coding scheme to take the best from ASPEC and MUSICAM. If this is achieved, then other schemes ( like PASC ) may fall into line. There is still a risk of confusion since Sony is develop-ing its own coder called SII.ENS. At the time of writing, the final proposals to ISO are just beginning independent group listening tests, so we will have to wait for the final outcome.

Economics and value judgments Obviously the interest in data compress-ion is economic, and the main drive comes from broadcasters. An aim of the DAB terrestrial digital radio system is to he able to fit four stereo programmes in each 1MHz bandwidth. The electro-magnetic spectrum is a finite resource so the less data we need to describe a sound, the less bandwidth is used to transmit it. and the more high-quality channels we can have. Economic decisions use value judgments and bring risks and benefits. If a digital coding system can improve 'IV sound to stereo, somewhere between the qualities of FM and CD, then most would accept this as a step forward. The pros-pect of a radio channel that was better, even without achieving 'CD quality', is also of great interest. A coded, error-correcting DAB channel can tolerate con-siderable interfering noise and does not exhibit the 'birdy errors that plague live music broadcast on analogue FM. On the other hand if the coding cannot

absolutely guarantee CD quality, then I for one am really not interested in the idea that the compact disc could be reduced from Sin to 3.5in diameter — as has been suggested. Nor would I consider it a benefit needing fewer shelves to store my disc collection if the downside is loss

FUTURE CODES: MASKING AND DATA COMPRESSION Systems that reduce the data rate

in digital-audio channels have

recently been announced for

Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB)

and DCC. Bob Stuart describes

how they work and gives a

sceptical proponent's view of the

benefits and risks

by Bob Stuart*

of archival integrity. Some of these value judgments I find easier than others. Try this one on yourself; the choice is between CD quality and an 8-bit/sample option that encodes four channels. The undoubtedly huge subjective improve-ment of accurate three-dimensional sound is offered in exchange for a low-probability, occasional loss of quality, barely detectable even at high listening levels on first-rate equipment.

Coding the audible range The success, or otherwise, of coding schemes must be judged by listening tests. The literature uses terms like 'transpa-rent', 'CD quality', `FM quality' to scale the results achieved. A more complete scale taking account of subjective dynamic range, distortions, wow and flutter, interference and a weighting for the

120

100

100 0hon

144•1

lo1 10»

@@@@@@@ CV 11(

10

Fig 1. l'he thresholds of hearing compared with peak levels of live music and speech. (dB spi)

'normal quality achieved' — as opposed to g the channel capability — ends up for me ;-like this: transparent; CD; reel-to-reel; LP; FM radio; cassette; TV sound; and finally -̀,A, AM radio. The CD channel uses eight-to-fourteen

modulation to encode an audio data rate -; of 1.41Mb/s to a channel of 720kHz capacity for stereo. DAB has the objective of representing stereophonic data at 128, 192, 256 and 384kb/s, ( between 2 and 4.3 e; bits/sample). Papers on the subject sug-gest 'FM quality' obtainable at 128kb/s ( 2 ; bits/sample) and 'CD quality' at 256kb/s (2.9 bits per sample). PASC promises to be the best performer ,!?

using the highest rate of 384kb/s. Fig 1 is probably familiar and shows the

bounds of our hearing. Less than 2% of pà,' the population can reliably detect sounds below the lower curve — MAF ( minimum audible field) — the accepted threshold of hearing. This threshold is often, but not always, modified with age, and can be (M. raised through damage including that c4 from exposure to sustained loud sounds. 50% of the population can hear sounds 10dB above this threshold up to 5kliz. The 120 phon equal loudness curve is also shown, this is the normal upper limit or 'threshold of feeling'. Fig 1 also shows the peak spectrum levels found in live music and speech. The ear has an incredible dynamic range, in the 3kliz region a perfect sound reproduction system needs a working range of 112dB — a power ratio of nearly one million million to one. For a linear PCM system to encode this we need true 18-bit performance.

In a communication channel there is a direct trade-off between data rate (le, bandwidth) and noise. More data can be used to provide a wider frequency response or a larger dynamic range. Now, it would not be smart to develop a broadcast channel with bandwidth less than 16kHz ( 32kHz sampling rate) so low-bit coders need to reduce the dyna-mic range of signal actually sent forward. By way of comparison Figs 2-4 show the

subjective dynamic range potential for CD, FM and LP. Subjective dynamic range is shown by representing the measured

111-1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 31

CO Nexiiiiie level end endlOillty 01 dither

120 00 AI.

000 00

CO 000

I

60 000 /

40 000

!

I

20 000 ,.. l,

--... .......,_ ...-- ,....

o o / "-**--------------'..--

20 oo so loo 1k 100 200

Fig 2. Dynamic range of CD. Gain adjusted for theoretical maximum level of 114dB

FM 111101m. Intl eed euditulitt of noise

120 00 I--- ... ,

Ap

60 000

i k

60 000 i

l

>'''."..----"""...--"--"---------"---'-"jj 2C.000

0 0

,....

--......... /

20.00

...... ..., I./

50 100 I Igi 201(

Fig 3. Dynamic range of FM for comparison with Fig 2

te 11.Z Ift• recording levels ma eicliOilst/ of silent Oroore

'20 00

100 00

OD

^se

000

---,

50 000

ss,

Ns

40 000

\

20 KO

0 0

20 00

10 100 1 10k 20k

Fig 4. Dynamic range of LP, upper curve shows inner

and outer groove, noise of reference silent groove

noise spectrum according to its tone-equivalent significance [ 4,5]. In each case

the maximum level has been adjusted to live music volume.

Fig 2 shows that the 16-bit PCM system does not quite achieve full dynamic range, and similarly, how current FM channels give dynamic range equivalent to 12-bits. Surprisingly LP can be stored using a 10-bit system. So, with the exception of CD or DAT, the channels we currently have fall far short of the target of noise-free reproduction of music at anything approaching natural levels.

Options to reduce data rate How can we reduce the data rate? Well it is in fact true that a PCM channel is not perfectly matched to human hearing, and, in a performance, a microphone can pick up sounds that are inaudible. One way to optimize the channel capacity is to move the noise and errors into these regions of inaudibility; for example you can see how if the noise was not flat, but shaped to follow the threshold of audibility — Fig 1 — then the noise spectrum could be higher at low and high frequencies while remain-ing inaudible. The optimum result for

such a scheme suggests that 11 bits per sample are all that is actually required for a stationary coder that accounted for peak program level and threshold of hearing.

This is about the limit for a static system; further reductions in data rate require dynamic or adaptive techniques. A central feature of music is that it is always changing, a fact that can be exploited to reduce data rates — but nearly always this kind of processing runs the risk of audible information being lost. Errors ( noise and distortion), now depend on the statistics of the signal. Dynamic data reduction schemes include • Companding, the basis of NIC,AM. The dynamic range of the channel is reduced by compressing the signal and restoring it in the decoder. Such systems produce audible noise modulation effects and obscure small signals in the presence of loud ones. • Differential coding. Musical waveforms usually do not change too rapidly, so on average less data is needed to describe the difference between successive samples. The main problem for broadcasters is that differential coding is very vulnerable to error since, in principle, one error changes all following samples. • Non-linear coding. Now here is a mine-field! Instead of representing the wave-form in 2' uniform quantized steps, a power law can be used which changes the step size, increasing it with rising level in some pseudo-logarithmic fashion. •Spectral error-masking. The main root of data compression systems under development. Low bit-rate coders intro-duce large amounts of errors like quan-tization distortion and noise. The princi-ple is to exploit masking properties of the ear to conceal these errors.

Masking Masking is a hearing phenomenon where one signal can make a smaller one, at a different frequency, more difficult or impossible to detect. Each signal, by its presence, raises the threshold of hearing around it. We can plot these changes as new masked thresholds. Fig 5 shows the new thresholds created by tones at 200Hz and 3kHz ( independently), Fig 6 shows the masking thresholds for a lkHz tone at a variety of levels. The new masked threshold resembles the shape of our internal frequency analysing filters ( refer-red to here as auditory filters). The real situation is more complex — the threshold actually follows the internal neural excita-tion pattern at the outputs of the auditory filters. [ 5, 6]

There has been extensive research into masking phenomena over the past 40 years, mainly because these give good insights to the hearing process. It is impossible to review masking in a short

article like this, so for further reading I recommend [ 6, 7]. There is however no doubt at all that

simultaneous masking occurs. Coders exploit this phenomenon and use a power-spectrum model of detectability which essentially suggests that a signal

12o oo lesktng thresholds et 200.10 end 0000

Ap 110.00

100.00

90 000

60 000

70 000 \• I

50 000 i.,‘ ,

f \

\ / I

50.000 \ 1

1 I 40.000

30 000

20.000 \‘‘s

1-s

1 3

I

1 I.

l \,

. V, '...•. J

10 000

0.0 i_ /

-10 00

20 100 k 10k 20k

Fig 5. Masking thresholds at 200Hz and 3kHz

(dB spi)

nested thresholds et 100

100 00

I"

Ap

93 000

93.000

\I

1

60.000

\

I

50 000

t 1 gi 000

30 000

20 NO

a.

1. oOo \

‘.. i ,,,\ \ . ......,....,

, \ .. ..___.\ e ... s ...\-.

I 20 00 20 100 10 100 200

Fig 6. Masked thresholds for narrow-band noise at

'kHz at several levels

temporal ere line oost eimekir9. time in es

100 00 Ap

93.000

60 000

/0 000

50 000

50 000

4o 000 -loo o 0 lop 0 200 0 300 0 400 0 500 0

Fig 7. Temporal masking, dB spi vs. time in ms

will be detectable only if at some point it causes the output of an internal auditory filter to exceed the masked threshold. We shall see later this is not totally adequate.

Music does not consist of continuous tones or noises, so it is important to quantify the way masking starts and stops. Usually a masker will obscure sounds immediately preceding and following it as shown in Fig 7; this is fortunate since

adaptively coding frequency bands pro-duces errors spread out in time, actually preceding as well as following the signal.

How the coder works When the music is quiet only a few bits are needed anyway to describe the wave-form. As the sound gets louder, the masked threshold rises, so we can still use fewer bits and allow the noise and distor-tion to rise also providing these errors can be tucked below the masked threshold.

Currently coders use this principle and gain efficiency by first dividing up the frequency range into a number of bands — rather like an extremely elaborate cross-over — each of which is then processed independently. MUSICAM and PASC use 32 equally-spaced bands ( 75011z wide at

32 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

TECHNICAL

48kHz sampling rate). The masked threshold is periodically estimated by a parallel set of Fast Fourier Transforms (FR') that give the right compromises between frequency and time resolution. Tonality in each band is estimated by comparing the trend between successive FFT windows — noise-like signals tend to change faster — and usually provide more masking than pure tones. A masked threshold is then computed using pre-defined tables that attempt to account for the absolute threshold, tonality and spec-tral time-structure. The signal in each band is quantized

with the minimum number of bits sug-gested by the ratio of the maximum spectral line compared with the estimated maximum masked threshold for that band, Fig 8. Usually this difference can be coded with a small number of bits, the informa-tion to be fed forward therefore is the masked or baseline level ( if it has changed), and the data for that band. The more advanced systems implement adap-tive coding. They simultaneously estimate the errors of coding, and whenever any spare bits are available more precision is applied to needed areas; conversely when the going gets tight the power-law for each quantizer can be modified, effec-tively making the steps further apart. So, the process follows a loop that attempts to minimise the subjective error in every FFT frame until all the bits are used up. Obviously the more bits that are made available, the lower the noise and distor-tion will be.

Potential problem areas So now we have some idea how the system works, where are the likely prob-lem areas? Non-linear quantizing is not fully under-stood: it is likely that such quantizers have noise-modulation problems far exceeding those we see in linear PCM. Cascading. Very little has been published on the problems that arise when a signal that has been encoded and decoded is then re-encoded. It is easy to see how this could happen in the broadcast environ-ment or in recording in compressed format from a broadcast. It is extremely probable that audible degradation will propagate. Objectivity. Now here's a puzzle for the 'below clipping everything sounds the same' brigade. Channels that code accord-ing to auditory-masking models do not behave very well when measured using conventional objective parameters like noise and distortion, where errors of over 2% are routine — see later.

In order to measure the system, we need a DSP instrument that implements the best model we have of human hearing that can flag whenever an error is audible. If the instrument uses the same model as the coder then there will be little to be learned; if it uses a better one then so should the coder.

Useful measurements also require access to the original signal, and null-tests produce unquantifiable error signals. 181

Ezeepl e1 cooing -.nee sn bona 1500 le 2950110

100 DO

.1 Ap

90 000

110.000 I/

70 000

60 000

50.000

40 000

30 000

20 000

000 i10

0.0

1 10k 200

Fig 8. Example lo show dynamic range in one band

sot

set

"ro

Fig

sot 10.

Freouencr

104 10

9. Variation of the bandwidth of the internal

auditory filter with frequency [61

100 00

neeetng wan Knee and cure tone It 50(410

Ap

90.000

90.000

n too

?\..,....

60.000

50 DOO

40 000

30.000

\iii 20 000

10.000

/ 0.0

10 DO

20 00

It 100 200 100

Fig 10. Comparison of masked thresholds for tone and

noise masker

Since quality can really only be estimated by listening tests, maybe we can soon see some real effort applied to improving these tests. Archive. Better than CD quality? We shall see. Let us not confuse efficient techni-ques to make real improvements in broad-cast and tape media, with the importance of retaining full archive quality and for-ward compatibility on original material. Better by far to record all the 'inaudible' bits for posterity. Upgrade. Once a system is released into the market, the ultimate performance will be limited by the channel specification and the need to retain compatibility with existing decoders. DSP becomes more powerful and less costly every year, so fairly soon extremely sophisticated mask-ing estimates could be made in the encoder — far beyond those currently used. Noise-gating. An unfortunate potential phenomenon in these coders is that when the going gets tough and the pressure is on for bit allocation, some bands will simply be thrown away. From our work with linear PCM we know that the ear is very sensitive to moving noise-floor,

particularly if it moves in a coherent way and across several auditory filters. Choice of sub-bands. There is a direct relationship between the confidennce and degree of masking prediction and the width correspondence between our audi-tory filters and the sub-bands used in the coder. Remember there are two distinct roles for masking in spectral-masking cod-ers. First, on the basis of snapshots of the spectrum energy, they decide which parts of the signal will be inaudible and can therefore be discarded. Second, the aud-ible part is then coded so that the noise and distortion of coding and decoding will also be masked at replay. The first process, which can only be

judged in the presence of the original signal, will be less successful the more the sub-bands deviate from the width of the auditory filter. Fig 9 shows the way the bandwidth of the internal auditory analys-ing filters vary with frequency. By using 750Hz wide bands, current coders com-bine several auditory bands in the impor-tant mid-range area. Although equal-width bands are easier to calculate in DSP, this deviation means we are more likely to throw away information which later turns out to be significant by an inability to use all the available masking. The second process gives us a

philosophical dilemma. The replay (decoded) signal contains intended aud-ible components and spectrally shaped errors. We have no way to separate the two, so the composite replay signal is perceived as a new whole. The perception process analyses by synthesising 'external acoustic objects'. This normal process is very complex and cues are taken from every acoustic dimension. Power-spectral masking is not the only test we should apply, since by cross-spectral or binaural analysis errors may be incorporated with acoustic features at other frequencies and directions. A coding system can only be as good as

the model we provide it for determining inaudibility. Current schemes fall short of the ideal by operating in mono, by short-comings of the masking models used, and in constraints of implementation.

Difficulties with the model The difficulty with the masking model is that it is developed using a small number of tone or noise signals. In audio research we quickly come up against the problem of how to estimate music reproduction performance from simple psychometric or system hardware measurements. The following difficulties arise: • Human aural perception behaves in a very non-linear way, as the very existence of thresholds and masking indicate. 14, 8, 91 In non-linear systems we have to be very cautious when extrapolating from simple models to eg, music. • Music involves sounds which have meaning and therefore probably accesses perceptual mechanisms not invoked by simpler tests. These sounds go together to form a percept of the sound field based on inferred external real objects. This per-

111F! NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 33

ceptual process can be highly cued, and we have a continuously moving expecta-tion that can be significantly modified by attention. It has been shown in very simple hearing experiments that differ-ences of 6dB can occur in detectability thresholds if the signal is cued, or if the listener knows where to listen compared with random presentations 1101. • Music listening is a considerably more complex task than detecting noises in isolation. A common assertion, with which I disagree, is that because music is more complex it always hides defects even more than simple test maskers. There is good evidence from psycho-

metric testing [ 7, 10], that the simple power model of detection is inadequate and that we should in fact modify it to account for more complex 'optimum detector' or pattern-recognition models. Some signals are much more detectable than the power model suggests if they cause a pattern change across several auditory filters. For example complexes of otherwise inaudible tones or noises can become audible when they are presented together — even if they are widely spaced in frequency. This effect can be up to 6dB and argues for a statistical optimum detec-tion process in addition to a power-spectrum criterion. The question of attention in music or

speech also separates it from the behaviour produced in many masking experiments. The famous 'cocktail party effect' is strongly exhibited in music listening and the way attention moves the sound we perceive is one of the factors I feel presents the greatest difficulty in A/13 listening tests. The next time you are at a live choral performance notice how the various parts blend together but, to a great extent, any individual can be 'heard-out' by watching and attending.

Currently coders risk the following implicit assumptions: • that masking is additive, or at least adding new maskers does not reduce the effect of others. • that the masking is independent of the 'meaning' of the signal, music signals masking in the same way as test signals. To gain some insight into the pressure

operating for bit allocation I have drawn in Fig 10 the masked threshold for a narrow band of noise, and the more complex situation of masking provided by a pure tone. The existence of beats means that the masking is reduced near to tones and their harmonics. Even advanced cod-ers ignore the harmonic issue; those that estimate tonality reduce the estimated masking by some amount when the signal

L --t>

R -I>

IN our.c3—

A/D

DIGITAL IN/OUT

L •AZI-

R DIA

.0>

PASC

is estimated to be tonal. Current coders also ignore the impact on masking pat-terns caused by the aural harmonic tones (produced in the ear itself).

It is clear from the literature that even at 4 bits/sample a tonality estimate will improve the best result — in other words there are not enough bits available to take the lower masking threshold as a matter of course. Estimating tonality is difficult, particularly when music presents many vibrato signals that are still subject to tonal masking behaviour, like group or

solo singing, woodwind and strings. There is another general class of situa-

tions where simultaneous masking breaks down. An effect called 'comodulation masking release' (CMR) occurs when masking signals move simultaneously across several auditory filters; in this circumstance the masked threshold can be lowered by more than 10dB, a massive problem for estimation. 1111 CMR has also been demonstrated for signals moving close to the masker; this within-auditory-channel masking release occurs for exam-ple on an amplitude-modulated tone, where as Gerzon has pointed out, masking can be reduced by over 20dB. [ 12 1 This is particularly relevant since low-bit quan-tization can cause uncertainty in, and therefore modulation of, amplitude of the signal in each band. Obviously the cir-cumstance where the envelope of the sound changes at several frequencies at once in a coherent way, is a characteristic of music in general; there are also many specific and common examples where amplitude-modulation occurs over a wide frequency range (compared to the audi-tory filter) like the voice, violin or flute. There is a complementary effect called

'across-channel masking' (ACM) where with different signal parameters masking can be increased with wide-band signals. My opinion is that in a good number of musical situations CMR will occur and the effect cannot be neglected.

Binaural implications Currently coders process in mono. This risks certain problems, for example: Stereo image. There is a risk in gating and coding the channels independently that objects will be perceived as moving or unfocused in the image. Binaural masking release. There is a well-documented series of mechanisms where masking for one ear is reduced by applying signals to the other. This holds true for tones, noises and speech signals, also for CMR. So there is a risk that monophonic estimates of masking either to establish redundancy in the input, or to

SUBSANO FILTERS

Block diagram of PASC system (Philips)

SUBBAND ENCODER! DECODER

ERROR CORRECTION ENCODER! DECODER

CHANNE MOD& DEMOD

HEAD AMPS <I HEAD

hide distortions and errors of the coder, will occasionally fail in stereo or head-phone presentation. Spatial summation. It is recognised that the ear does not only sum input in the frequency and time domains. There is a less well-researched problem that sounds are more or less detectable depending on their relative directions and perceived coherence in space. Some of my experi-ments indicate a 6dB discrepancy from the simple energy-detector model. Coders would do better if two-channel proces-sing were used to ensure that errors were placed in the same space as the signal used to hide them.

How does it actually sound? As I said at the beginning we do not have final systems to evaluate, and although I have heard demonstrations I am only prepared to comment on evaluations on my own, known, wide dynamic range system. Given that music or speech is the only

real test, and that these signals have complex statistics we have no choice but to do extensive listening tests and watch for deviations. As you might expect errors occur mostly on transient information; on signals with amplitude modulation like choral or woodwind; and on sounds that produce wide dynamics spread over time like the reverberation or echoes in the original acoustic.

The best chance I have had to listen is with a test CD illustrating MUSICAM [ 13]. This disc presents the same pieces of music, first as the original 16-bit linear PCM and then after coding and decoding at 256, 192 and 128kb/s. There are also tracks that present the difference ( error signal) at the three rates. Was it transparent? Of course not, we

have still to reach that point with CD! Improved A/D converters and mastering systems are bringing the best CDs much closer to the true potential of that coding system. On this CD the original signal, whilst

being reasonably clean, does not even represent the best obtainable from CD, more a good average result. Played on D6000 it was clear that even at the highest data rate there was a degradation noticeable mainly as a hardening of the string sounds, as a confusion in the ambient decay, a change in the space around instruments and an important change of timbre of the woodwind. This

last effect was particularly interesting in the way the sound spread out somewhat in space. As the data rate was reduced particularly to 128kb/s, the sound closed in and began to be reminiscent of the effects one gets with a misaligned noise-reduction system. On the other hand, it is very surprising

how good the coded sound was consider-ing the data rate had been reduced up to 11:1. Every listener will have his own response, for me although at 256kb/s I could hear the degradation, it still attained a good standard for clarity, a lack of interfering noises and of course the vital

34 HI.F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

TECI INICAI.

relief of no wow and flutter. I would rate it below CD quality, but well ahead of LP, FM radio or cassette. At 1.4 bits/sample it was still much better than Radio Three. I would prefer to hear different examples, particularly of singing, before making any deeper comparisons. On the example CD, the error signal is

quite high and very different at the three rates, being estimated at audible as 1% at 256kb/s and 6% at 128kb/s.

Since the probability of audible error decreases rapidly with increasing data rate. PASC promises to be the best of these systems — its 4 bits/sample exceeds the MUSICAM examples. Until now I have not heard PASC on my system.

Conclusions Some of the ideas presented in this article must be quite startling. As one dedicated to getting the last drop of performance from audio systems I still recoil from the idea that information in the original sound can be considered irrelevant or redun-dant; particularly on such a simplistic decision rule as mono power-spectrum masking. My own work, which aims to determine the way in which system errors are perceived and their thresholds, leads me to a very cautious position.

If it were possible to lower the calcu-lated masking thresholds by 10dB, then many of the effects I have outlined would be less important, and to be fair one could

29 lo if one listened to the combined signals in mono — especially if the playback was of an instrument such as the harpsichord. (Comments such as 'sounds as if it is being played with leather gloves on'.) What was actually being heard was a fairly slight HF cut, which can be calculated. The incor-poration of two separate converters was definitely an advantage, but to a stereo listener, with average equipment, I sug-gest that the differences once again are more marginal than many critics and journalists might seem to infer.

Philips recently loaned me one of their CD850 bitstream models. With this, I definitely feel that the sound quality is superb, and slightly better than my old Sony. CDs sound clearer and slightly cleaner, but there is also the feeling of a greater confidence level. My only critic-ism is the over-buttoned front panel, and the very complex remote control. I would have liked fewer gimmick features, but with all the excellent technical features included. My motto, these days is KIS (keep it simple], a motto which I guess many HFN/RR readers will share. I begin to wonder if some of us buy complex players to impress friends, or to give more enjoyment in the playback of their favourite pieces of music! Yes, I know that I am 'stirring', but perhaps it is time to be a little more realistic when one is thinking of purchasing new equipment. I don't

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

infer from the literature that attempts are made to increase this margin. But, if we were to just do that then the data rate would probably rise above 6 bits/sample which would not meet the broadcast requirement. On the other hand we have to recognise that for many requirements, including a consumer digital tape medium like DCC, there is great validity in a digital system that is well ahead of competing analogue media even if CD quality is not achieved. I think the very worst thing that pro-

ponents of coding systems can do is to suggest 'transparency'. It is also unwise to claim 'CD quality' without practical mar-ket exposure, especially as this is a mov-ing target. There are enough technical uncertainties to make such claims unsup-portable at this stage; they are inflamma-tory and reminiscent of 'gas-light'. I would be happier if the likely system

made a better match between the coders' sub-bands and our auditory filters. After the standard is set there is still room to improve coders ( and decoders) by applying more and more DSP to masking estimation; but after the channel is fixed some opportunities for improvement will be lost. The greatest fear I have is that, by its

availability, coding will be incorporated sometimes accidentally into material of archive importance. We have made good progress recently improving possible

need to add that I don't believe in putting crowbars in the fuse cupboard to give a lower mains impedance to the hi-fi, nor do I ever intend to buy extremely expensive phono-to-phono leads, nor even crowbars to my Quad Electrostatics or BBC LS5/8 speakers! I am still happy with my Sony 16-bit digital Betamax recording gear with PCM701 encoding and decoding, but

sound quality; let us not lower our guard now to allow any deviation from the other path towards transparency and true archival integrity. ,44-

References 1 Philips promotion, ( 1990) Digital Compact Cas-

sette, the fundamentals' 2 D. Wiese, and G. Stoll, ( 1990) 'Bitrate reduction of high-quality audio signals by modelling the ears masking thresholds'. Preprint 2970, AES 89th conven-tion. 3 K. Brandenburg et al., ( 1991) 'Aspec: adaptive

spectral entropy coding of high quality music signals', Preprint 3011, ASS 90th convention. 4 Stuart, J.R. ( 1990) 'High Quality Digital Audio', Proc Inst Acoust. 12, part 8

5 Stuart, J.R. ( 1991) 'Predicting the audibility, detec-[ability and loudness of errors in audio systems', in preparation for ASS 91st convention. 6 Moore, B.C.J. An introduction to the Psychology of

hearing, Ac. Press 7 Carterrette, EP. and Friedman, M.C. ( 19'8) 'Hand-book of Perception', Ac. Press vol IV, 'Hearing' 8 Stuart, JR., letter to the editor, HFN/RR. December

1990. 9 Stuart, J.R. ( 1991) 'Estimating the significance of errors in audio systems', in preparation for ASS 91st convention. I() Buus, S. et al. ( 1986) 'Decision rules in detection of simple and complex tones', J. ACM & SOC Amer., 80,

1646-1657 II Hall, J.W. et al. ( 1989) 'Comodulation masking release: evidence for multiple cues', J. Acous Soc Amer., 84, 1669-1675

12 Gerzon, MA. ( 1991) 'Problems of error-masking in audio data compression systems' AES 90th conven-tion. 13 Rafael Kubelik, 'Perpetie für Orgel und Orchester', Colin Davis, Bayerischer Rundfunk. BRTD 003 ( CD)

RECORDING

I will consider DAT when all the hype has

gone down. I feel that modern CD players generally

have a playback quality which is approaching the quality of existing CDs themselves, and which would be very difficult to improve on. We will see more convenient models for various applica-tions, and with additional features, includ-ing CD ROM and CDI, but the basic system is highly unlikely to be superseded for at least two decades. The discs them-selves can be superb, but the most impor-tant contributions to quality are the actual performance standard, and the compe-tence and relevance of the recording engineer. Everyone in the business has learnt much from eight years of CD issues, and great strides have resulted from all the massive experiences. I regard LP as dead, but not yet quite buried, as I still play some older recordings. I look for-ward to the Philips digital cassette, but this may be two years ahead yet. I hope that I might have converted a

few stragglers who have delayed the purchase of a CD player. It isn't really that expensive by today's cost of living, so why not give in if you haven't as yet? I would like to conclude by wishing many happy returns to that wonderful little 120mm disc, although isn't it a pity it wasn't that little bit larger, which could have given us 100 minutes playing time? +

35

STARTING POINT

Moving from component review

recommendations to real-world

system building options: this

special review feature looks at the

best CD combinations we've

found at under £500

by Martin Colloms

Adifferent approach has been adopted for this new series on CD systems. It will cover complete

systems — the actual combinations of components which deliver music in your home. Analogue records have been left out of the coverage, not to signify dismis-sal of the older medium but merely reflecting a decision to concentrate fully on CD replay and make sure that all the worthwhile optimizations and combina-tions can be assessed. In this first article a system price range up to £500 will be covered, to include suitable cable and stands, with the choice of models neces-sarily restricted and based primarily on units which have been favourably reviewed in HFN/RR — and are leaders in their class. Prices quoted are in some cases only approximate.

THE CD PLAYERS

Very careful budgeting was specified here, and player prices have been held in the range of £ 150-250. At the top of the heap is the Rotel RCD 855 (£250), whose performance is way beyond that of the average for energy and musical integrity. In fact it sounds like a Marantz SE' model at a far higher price. At a similar outlay in the shape of their 5150 model, Dual now shares Rotel's fundamental design, with the addition of a headphone socket. Phi-lips and related clones have dominated the market at the next lower price level for years, but the situation is now becom-ing confused with the wholesale move to low-bit decoding. Favourite, older multi-bit machines are now being displaced by more costly low-bit in the case of Philips Bitstream designs, higher in price but not necessarily equivalent in performance. Thus the Bitstream Philips CD624 is more expensive than the CD160 II, and the CD41 dearer than the best-buy Marantz CD40 multi-bit model.

At present, bargains can be had in the shape of older best-buy multi-bit models such as the Philips 610 II or 620 and the Marantz CD40, which are currently in

the £ 150-160 range. Another strong con-tender is the Technics SLP277A (£ 160), on the verge of being replaced by the inevitable new model. The JVC is also a helpful possibility at £ 170 while for this investigation we took a chance and tried the brand new and as yet untested Aiwa XC777 (£ 160). But as the field thins out the key contender for our system remains the Rotel RCD 855, which in my view offers the best price/performance com-bination and will not be superseded for some time to come.

THE LOUDSPEAKERS

At a budget level, the most successful model of recent times has been the Celestion Three, of sufficiently high calibre to lie firmly outside the rock-bottom group, yet cheap enough at £ 110 to base an entire system upon. A two-way miniature with a bright and lively charac-ter, the Three thrives on high-quality sources, but requires care in the selection of matching components if the overall result is not to lean in the direction of a thin, rougher and rather forward tonal •balance. Recently, the Three has been joined by the latest model from Wharfe-dale in its Diamond series. Established for some years, the marque has been available in a number of incarnations and at times has enjoyed remarkable success, although each version showed varying degrees of 'character' which sometimes told against wholly successful review findings. This survey provided an opportunity to revisit the Diamond, which in its latest Mk IV form (£ 110) has been so extensively redesigned that a completely open mind is now required. Another speaker which often succeeds

in sounding like a larger model, with significantly more powerful bass than other miniatures, is the Tannoy Ell. This is bigger than a true miniature and is more suited to free-space mounting, as it can sound 'slow' and bass-heavy when located close to the wall. However, handled with discretion, the £ 130 Ell can generate a larger scale sound suited to both rock and classical, while its option for bi-wiring gives further scope for system improve-ment at a modest price.

At the top end of this range, one of the more remarkable newcomers is the Creek CLS20 (£200), which reminded me of a classic Mordaunt Short design — hardly surprising in view of its technolo-gy's origins. It aims to provide a neutral, well-mannered sound, uncritical of music type or source but capable of revealing high quality when it is present. Although not covered here, the KEF C15 is also

well worth considering at £ 120 — an unflappable near-the-wall miniature with an unfatiguing sound, while another con-tender is the Mordaunt Short MS3.20 at £130, which offers strong mid-range musical communication as well as a sweet tonal character.

AMPLIFIERS

The most commonly recommended amplifier in this lower price region is the Cyrus One at £200, now several genera-tions removed from the original and constantly refined to maintain its com-petitive position. Other likely examples include the Pioneer A300 and Arcam Alpha II, each at £ 190, while in the interests of cost saving we also tried the Rotel RA820 AX at £ 150, which includes tone controls. With a helpful hint con-cerning its good compatibility with CD, the final model considered was the Rotel RA820 BX4 at £ 190.

ACCESSORIES

Regarding speaker support, it is possible to omit a stand entirely and simply place the speakers on the nearest furniture, but I would encourage you not to do so. The coupled energy could excite unwanted resonances in cabinets, shelves, etc, suffi-cient to offset most of the inherent quality of the speaker in question. If your chosen speaker wall is solid and structural — brick or concrete — then proper speaker-grade wall brackets (Target or similar) are generally very successful. However, if the wall is a stud type with plaster-board or other similar fabricated material, you will be much better off with a good quality floor-stand — a Linn Kan, say, for minia-tures. A good compromise may be found in a stack of two or three suitable ornamental garden bricks, adjusted and/or bonded to prevent rocking, and resting on the heads of screws driven into the floor and adjusted to give good levelling. With reference to the cable reviews

published last July, based on 5-metre stereo runs, sensible choices for the speakers include Cyrus (£25), Furo-kawa F5 2T 20P (£20 ), DNM (£23)— but note that with the latter the sound may change with runs in excess of 5m or so —

Vecteur CV30 (£30) and CV50 (£50). For a brighter sound with superior bass and dynamics, there is Nairn NAC5 at approx £42. On the line-level intercon-nect side you can make do with the phono cable often supplied with the player, but you could be significantly better off with a selected custom cable such as the Chord (£20) or Sonic Link \\ hite (£ 15), with

CHOOSING 3() III-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW 11'NE 1991

SYSTENIS

the DNM — a top perfiemer for the price — at typically £20 terminated.

SOUND QUALITY

With so many combinations to assess it

was hard to know where to begin, but the best-chance, mid-price combination was identified as the Pioneer A300, "[annoy E 1 1 loudspeakers on Target Audio stands. and a Marantz CD40 CD player. As a check, ordinary speaker wire was chosen, with a standard Sony OK type of phono cable. Total price is around £500. and I doubt that anyone would argue with the overall sound quality delivered. 'Me sys-tem was felt to be well balanced, with a comparatively wide frequency range and quite low coloration. It played all kinds of music well and was essentially free from

any rough edges or fatiguing effects. I ffiund it interesting to attach overall

numbers to quantify sound quality, and pass these on in the hope that you will

find them helpful in valuing the changes. Judging the system critically, a merit value of 10 was chosen, but it was felt that more crispness and definition in the bass would not go amiss. Likewise, although quite smooth, the treble still lacked some air. and a mild graininess was also evident. More stereo depth would also have been welcome. Simple changes were made, involving cabling, to surprising effect. Over the moderate 5-metre run used, hi-wiring with DNM speaker cable £501 provided a welcome increase in clarity all round, and improved still further when supplemented by DNM interconnect, with noticeably superior treble definition. Thus a further £70 expenditure brought about an uplift to 11.5, and better stands could also be chosen at a similar cost.

Cost savings

Some cost-saving substitutions were tried next. The first was to replace the E I I by the Celestion Three, wall-mounted. While the shift in speaker position resulted in a noticeable change in stereo staging, focus and depth, this did not result in any overall loss in fidelity. l'es, there was less bass. but the latter was better timed, more tuneful and less enclosed sounding. ligher up the range che mid and treble of the Three conceded little in definition and clarity to the fine El 1. On balance, the score of 10 still held, with a saving of £20-30 according to speaker mounting. The next attempt at economy con-

cerned substitution of a Rotel RA820 AX for the Pioneer A300 amp. This was also successful, with only a marginal step down to 9.75 for a £40 saving. 'Ibe Rotel conceded little in terms of stereo depth and transparency, and provided a sweet,

neutral and well balanced performance of the whole frequency range. Its rhythmic quality was also good for the money. The final economy involved the use of a

discounted CD610 II or equivalent at a further £20 saving. 'Ibis resulted in the loss of another 0.5, down now to 9.25 overall, with a slightly rougher. less involving sound. but one which still rep-resented good sonic value at a total cost of some £420.

Value for money: the Celestion 3 speaker, Rotel RA820 AX amplifier, and Philips CD620 11

A £500 SYSTEM 111 Fl NEN ee RE( .OR!) REY 1E%

Reproduction

Furniture from Lift.

Liftboy Cabinet the stylish and practical

answer for CD storage. Holding up

to 320 discs Liftboy Cabinet contains

16 Liftboy juniors for single CD's.

Each Liftboy junior can be removed

and browsed with finger-tip ease. Just

the place for your rapidly growing

CD collection. For further information

or " full size" brochure call 0296 615151.

Liftboy juniors for multipack CD's available on request.

LIFT LTD., Unit 11, Triangle Business Park, Quitters LIFT Way, Wendover Road, Stoke Mandeville, GB-BUCKS HP22 5 BL, Phone: 0296 / 615151, Fax: 0296 / 612865 Systems with future

HIGH END AUDIO

211111:1 E XBC°1 :AG: GTE SD ?Al OLD

MARK LEVINSON No 26 Pre amp high gain phono MARK LEVINSON No 28 pre amp with phono balanced MARK LEVINSON ML7 pre amp MSA'MC MARK LEVINSON MUSA pre amp MM/MC MARK LEVINSON No 23 power amp MARK LEVINSON No 27 power amp MARK LEVINSON No 20 Reference monos MARK LEVINSON ML2 Reference monos MARK LEVINSON ML3 power amp MARK LEVINSON ML9 power amp KRELL KSA 80B power amp AUDIO RESEARCH SP9 pre amp AUDIO RESEARCH 070 Mk2 power amp AUDIO INNOVATIONS 500 intergrated amp PINK TRIANGLE PIP Mk 2 AUDIO INNOVATIONS SERIES 1000 pre & power amps MATISSE REFERENCE pre amp CONRAD JOHNSON PREMIER 7 pre amp GRYPHON pre amp GRYPHON phono stage & head amp MODSOUAD phono & line drive AGI BURMESTER 838 & 846 pre amps, gold plated BURMESTER 850 mono blocks, gold plated ARAGON 241KPS pre amp ARAGON 4004 power amp SOURCE TURNTABLE REGA RB300 3D power supply STAX OUATTRO Mk 2 CD player PROCEED PCD player, balanced outputs PROCEED PDT transport PROCEED PDP processor DENON DCD 1560 CD player PIONEER PD91 Reference CD player NAKAMICHI CR7E NAKAMICHI 80300E NAKAMICHI 2X7 (CR7E) SPENDOR S100 speakers, walnut KEF 107 Rosewood • KEF Kube SNELLE Mk2 Oak with Pirates ACCOUSTAT 2 • 2 Electrostatics APPOGEE DUETTA SIGNATUERS. anthracite APPOGEE STAGE, anthracite CARVER AMAZING loudspeakers, piano black WILSON WATTS & PUPPIES Mk2, piano black MERIDIAN M100 active speakers, various woods MERIDIAN M10 Mk2 active, walnut or rosewood MERIDIAN 0600 drgrtal active. rosewood PROAC STUDIO TOWERS. teak PROAC STUDIO 3 • stands

£3500 ex demo £5300 £2500 ex demo £3300 £2500 sec hand £5800 £1650 es demo £3800 £3750 ea demo £5300 £2600 ex demo £3795 £4995 ea demo £ 11000 £3500 sec hand £ 15500 £3500 sec hand £8250 £2000 ex demo £3800 £2500 ex demo £3897 £895 ex demo £ 1700 £895 sec hand £2200 £550 ea demo £890 £1795 ex demo £2995 £1895 sec hand £3000 £1600 sec hand £3500 £5000 ex demo £9000 £3000 ex demo £5500 £1850 sec hand £3109 £1000 ex demo £ 1803 £1500 sec hand £3400 £1750 sec hand £4000 £1000 ex demo £1650 £1150 ex demo £ 1850 £750 ex demo £1380 £1450 ex demo £3000 £1200 ex demo £ 1850 fl 000 en demo£1690 £895 en demo £1395 £400 ex demo £600 £500 NEW£900 £995 ex demo £1500 £350 sec hand (645 £600 sec hand 7 £1000 ex demo £ 1500 £1150 ex demo £2025 £850 sec hand £ 1400 £1400 sec hand £2600 £2995 sec hand £4444 £1850 ex demo £2395 £1350 sec hand £2400 £7500 ex demo £ 10000 £1400-£1850 NE W £3500 £1150 sec hand £2900 £1750 ex demo £2750 £1500 ex demo £2600 £595 sec hand £1380

MANY MORE ITEMS IN STOCK, EFFICIENT SERVICING DEPARTMENT,

WE ARE LOCATED IN WELWYN HERTS. ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

RING FOR DETAILS AND DEMONSTRATION

0438 714038 10.00 am - 7.00pm MON SAT 10 00am - 1.00pm SUN

AUDIO SYNTHESIS

Audio Synthesis are proud to introduce their second generation passive control unit, PAS-02. Available with a choice of 3 types of stereo level control:-the tried and trusted conductive plastic law-faked Boums; the distractingly seductive Penny & Giles (high accuracy version) or the precise and transparent 0.5dB increment stepped attenuator. The attenuator itself is available as a built unit or in kit form with the custom Swiss hard gold plate switch and 88 high precision Holco resistors plus design and build data. For more specific details and background to the attenuator design see our article in last month's issue.

D.S.M. Digital Sources module featured in October & November '90 HFN offers outstanding sonic performance and either 16x4 or Bitstream (SAA7323 dual differential) DACs. Both feature dual mono construction, fast analogue processing, true direct-coupled outputs with excellent cable driving character-istics, tuned-by-ear analogue and digital electronics and a separate heavy duty audio power supply.

A.D.EG. Accurate disc equaliser. In time for the final vinyl. Balanced mc or mm. ADEQ and DSM can either be slotted into the AMID-02 mainframe or housed in a beautifully finished, finely anodised black extrusion matching the audio power supply.

Components, complete kits or built units for all the above products are available, full details are in our AMP-02 brochure — write or call for a free copy.

Audio Synthesis 99 Lapwing Lane, Manchester M20 OUT U.K.

Int tel: +44 61 434 0126 Inland tel: 061-434 0126

38 11111 \ I \\ RI ( ( ) I(D \ II \\

SYSTEMS

Mix and match Returning to the starting point, hut with the Celestions installed, it was time to ty the other amplifiers. These and the CD player had been given several hours to warm up. With little to choose between the

820AX and A300, the £ 190 820 BX4 was installed, First feelings were of some reticence, but these were quickly dispel-led by increasing &Het at the highly musical performance wifiit developed. This didn't sound like a bafget system any more. In context, the change provided a major improvement in sound quality, with the score now 12. Improvement was apparent throughout the range, with much cleaner, faster and surprisingly articulate bass, a more transparent and purer mid-range, and clean treble. It was well matched to the sound of CD. Stereo focus was also improved, and all-in-all this meant that negligible extra expense gave much better value than the cable upgrade tried earlier.

Step forward the Cyrus One and try to follow this classy Rotel act! First impress-ions were of a further but smaller upgrade — sparkling, open and fast sound with lively transients.

lowever, there was a downside to this change, namely a leaner, thinner tonal quality in the mid, and a rougher, grainer treble, which meant that the system was less well balanced and consequently less pleasant to listen to. Also, some mild difficulty was caused by poor channel balancing at the volume setting used for the test loudness, and this is by no means the first time I have commented on Cyrus's volume controls! A score of 11.5 was arrived at, and given

the Cyrus benefits some attempts were made to overcome the drawbacks by further component substitution. Three low-bit CD models were on hand ( Tech-nics SLP 277A, Philips 624, and Aiwa XC777 ), and in theory at least the prover-bial low-bit smoothness could help mat-ters here. The 277 did sweeten the treble, but at a significant cost to the drive and dynamic power of the overall system, while the 624 was neither one thing nor the other and was discarded in favour of a trial of the Aiwa. What a conflicting balance of classic

hi-fi virtue and poor rhythm this pre-sented! On the plus side it was quite transparent and offered good definition in bass, mid and treble ranges. Good depth and focus were evident in the stereo image, while subjectively assessed distor-tion was negligible. Conversely, while transients were lively, it sounded rhyth-mically rather slow — bass, mid and treble timing patterns did not appear to line up and the effect was evident even on clas-sical material. However, if you are not sensitive to this phenomenon the Aiwa is worth checking out, as it was quite a package in other respects.

Returning to the balance problem, speaker substitution was tried next, ie the Diamond IV. This provided a fuller effect than the Celestion, but again was not a

111.1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JI NE 1991

JVC's XL-Z23 I CD player, afine example of low-bit

technology on a budget

Rotel RA820 BX4: stil a very worthwhile upgrade

complete solution — indeed the treble was not as sweet as before despite the stron-ger bass line. The final option was to use the more

expensive CD player, the Rotel 855. This went halfway towards solving our prob-lem, thanks to its purer mid-range and tidier, more neutral treble. Moreover, this better player gave a genuine lift in replay quality to 13.5, but at considerable addi-tional expenditure. I suspect that speakers like the Mordaunt Short 3.20 placed near the wall would be better suited to the Cyrus. In this context, the Arcam Alpha amplifier, although less revealing, would also represent a kinder sound with CD sources, and could also prove to be a good choice for use with middle priced players.

The last lap It seemed politic to return to the Rotel RA820 BX4 amplifier, and once again equilibrium was restored, so now it was right to push forward and maximize the performance of the CD source by persist-ing with the 855 player. These two Rinds could have been made for each other ( they were! ) and the result amply justified the cost as the system rating advanced to 14. Then some money was spent on cabling, £50 or so extra to cover the Naim NAC5 and a Chord interconnect. At last the contribution of these accessories was apparent. The sound was significantly crisper, and more dynamic, with superior transients and a stronger, tauter bass. A

good tonal balance was maintained with the chosen cable system, and this lively and communicative set-up totalled £650, slightly beyond our target area.

Experimenting It scented worth stretching the budget further, with so many speakers still untouched; we went on listening, and the following amounts to a pocket review of the Diamond IV in this system context. It is a high-quality model, fuller sounding and with more bass than the dryish Celestion Three. It has a clean mid and treble range worthy of more expensive speakers, and proved surprisingly analy-tical. It was only just a little behind the amazing Celestion in having less clarity in the lower mid-range and in the bass, and also a moderate loss in rhythm and dynamics. But it is highly recommendable and should be sought out for personal assessment.

Reaching up to the Creek C1.20, the system did step up a notch in scale and authority and could also drive larger rooms with confidence. However. some of the speed and authority shown with the Three was lost, and it was hard to argue that a real improvement had taken place.

CONCLUSION

Of all the components assessed, the best combination of value and performance was achieved with the Celestion Three speakers, the Rotel RCD 855/Dual 5150 CD player, and Rotel RA820 BX4 ampli-fier, with the speakers wall-mounted on suitable brackets. Fine results were obtained here with Naim NAC5 and Cyrus speaker cables, plus DNM, Chord or Sonic Link interconnects. For a significant upgrade in bass extension and tonal balance, the budget could be stretched to include the Creek CLS20 speaker at a supplement of £90.

Conversely, where the budget is strictly limited a surprisingly respectable system can be assembled using Celestion Threes (still on wall brackets), Rotel RA 820AX, and a Philips-based player such as the CD620 or Marantz CD40, with second choices comprising CD610 II, Technics SLP 277 and equivalents, and the JVC XL331. All-found, these packages could be obtained at a total cost of £450. Somewhat surprisingly, genuine hi-fi

sound was obtained with these compo-nents on both classical and rock material. Moreover, the two final systems will readily support the addition of an ana-logue turntable; in the case of the BX4 amp, both moving-coil and moving-magnet cartridges can be accommodated.

Purchasers with a mainly classical orientation, and the scope for free-space location of the speakers on superior stands, should also consider the Tannoy Ell, which sounds on a larger scale — particularly when bi-wired. A supplement of £40 or so is involved, including hi-wire speaker cable.

In the next article the budget limit will be pushed to £ 1000 or so.

We've been awarded n' ten out of ten for service CHECK OUT OUR CUSTOMER CARE PACKAGE BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE ELSE!

MASSIVE CHOICE lop brand names odir

Ihe ,dne De u.

TWO TEAR GUARAMT El minimum on

equipment anger on some brands

DEMONSTRATIONS NY APPORRISE117 IL

suit your convenience 2 studios enlabie

MEET POSMILE FART EXCRAMOS

ALLOWANCE on equipment in full «Hiring

orde

FULLY TRANIE0 SALES STAFF themselves

entruniaStS Operating m an inlorme

trtendly alMOSWere and mth he

knOwledge 10 tell you «hat YOU need lo know

INSTALLATION I DELIVERY by

arrangement and aCCOrding 10 your

requirements

YOU C1100SE NOW TO PAY Cash Cheque Access Visa or Instalment credtt

AFTER SALES SERVICE by On Sile

engineers Mat iS second tO none

MAN. ORIMII available 10 custOmers who

tind Ills Most...Wye/Hen, Ou, deSpatch

debarlment uSually $nip eMin 24 Yours

'TAX FREE EXPORT Tor customers Iront

overseas elute, by personal visil or by Mail

jóL TOPE MARKS

INTEREST FREE CREDIT

THIS MONTH

STOCKISTS FOR: ACOUSTIC ENERGY • ALWRIer • APOGEE • /ACAS • AUDIOLAB

AuMOPLAN • Au010 RESEARCH • BRITISH AUDIOPHILE PRODUCTS CET ESHON• MASSE • COUNTERPOINT • CROF • MATHEWS,

TOLTEC • EPOS • INT • I1ELYIN LABS • KOETSU • AMEN * KRELL LECTRON • LINE • LINO • MAGNERANAR • SAVANT? • MARTIN LOCAS

MERIDIAN. MICHELL • MICROMEGA • WELTER • MISSION CYRUS

MOO SQUAD • MORCH • MOTH • MUSICAL HDELity • NAITAILOCH1

PS AUDIO • PRO AC • PINK TRIANGLE • OED • OUAD • ROGERS ROICSAN • ROTEL • SHAM • SO ACOUSTICS • SW • SP AUDIO

SONUSTABER • SAMOA • SYSTEMDER • TANHoT

KJ WEST ONE — A Sound approach to Hi • Fi 26. New Cavendish Street, London W1M 71J-1 (close to the intersection with Marylebone High St) TEL 071-486 8262/8263 FAX 071-487 3452 Open: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Thurs until 7prn

IN TIMES PAST In times past, we used tube amplifiers and loved them. At Pinewood we still do — JADIS. There is nothing in the world of valves that is more like real music or more beautiful to behold. Our favourites are the wonderful JPL line stage and the JA-30 and JA-80 power amps — all ultra-reliable and so simple to maintain. But if you prefer solid state, let us assure you that KRELL have lately reached new heights of excellence. We love the KSA-1 50: compact, absolutely trouble-free and so musical.

JADIS and KRELL — Pinewood's statement of the absolute amplification.

Just arrived: our COUNTERPOINT SA-9 phono stage. Heaven can wait...

di fiàfr Weereitirmy tto et Ilminster Somerset 0460 54322

POWER CONDITIONERS Purfect Power, Connects Purfectly

You'll hear music like you've never heard it

before with the Pure Power Conditioner

Notice the huge improvement in sound quality when you run your system from a clean mains supply. How do you describe the difference? It's as if all this time your favourite artists have been playing and singing inside a wardrobe ... and someone just opened the door and let them out. You could spend twenty times as much on special cables, plugs, mats etc without achieving a tenth of the difference. Try it for yourself.

The complete answer to mains conditioning. The sophisticated circuitry of the Power Conditioner eliminates all impulse spikes, smooths away every trace of noise and interference

Features include: complete RF filtering, transient voltage suppres-sion, stable output voltage, low harmonic output, interference elimination display, a full 1500W load, high performance, low cost. Made in UK.

PHONE OR WRITE FOR BROCHURES AND DETAILS OF 10-DAY HOME TRIAL

RADAR DEVELOPMENTS LTD 15 Sheep Street, Highworth, Nr Swindon, Wilts SN6 1AA

Tel: (0793) 765256

! Ili \ I 'A If I . 1

T 1 RNTABLIS

Having looked at Thorens' top deck (its £650 3001) in January. I stated a number of reservations,

notably with respect to bass response and suitable tonearm partnerships. It was evi-dent that an SME Series V was too heavy to partner the 3001, even after careful sus-pension adjustment. So, in conclusion I felt that the 3001 had failed in its objec-tive of outperforming its less costly sibl-ing, the 2001 — which, with TP90 arm, was the subject of review back in Febru-ary 1990. While at Ili-Fi Cologne, on Thorens' own turf, I discovered that the 3001 was available in Germany ready partnered with a revised TP90 arm. Tak-ing my criticisms on board, Thorens' UK distributor kindly obtained a European TD3001 with TP9OPS. The three-point suspended sub-chassis

turntable is still as I outlined in January (p67), and it is the arm which is worthy of a closer look. In PS form the TP90 is of good-quality construction with significant mechanical improvements over the ear-lier version: notably a fixed headshell. The mounting and adjustment of cartridge were straightforward, and easier than with many turntable/arm combinations. The arm's bearings were excellent with very low friction, and no play was evident in either plane. While the arm lift/lower provision is not as convenient as with the TD2001 and old TP90, this new arrange-ment does at least offer a removable armboard as a bonus, permitting other makes to be tried with relative ease. About the only criticism to be levelled

at the TP9OPS is the scaling of downforce on the counterweight, which needs sim-plification. This could either be achieved with 1/10th gram markings or through the use of a dial-weight adjuster fitted to the side of the bearing housing — à la Rega. The 3001 itself was very easy to set up

— in fact it was just 30 minutes between taking it out of the box and an up-and-running state. Despite suggestion in the owner's manual that 'suspension is factory fitted', the sub-chassis was not level with the top of plinth, although the belt was

running correctly on the centre of the pulley. A slight adjustment to the left-hand suspension easily rectified this. The whole turntable has obviously benefited from attention to detail in design and manufac-ture, although there are still some niggling doubts concerning the motor mounting. It is fixed using an additional top plate which has just two screws. Incorrect tightening of these causes the whole motor to tilt, thus leading to incorrect running of the belt with reference to the centre of the pulley, even with the sub-chassis level and correctly aligned. Thoren's engineering brains should surely be able to find a superior mounting to match the otherwise consistently high level of design.

Sound quality Immediate impressions when partnered with a Shure Ultra 500 cartridge were of excellent imaging and resolution, whereas the earlier TD3001/SME V did not reveal the innermost qualities of this fine mov-ing-magnet. Stereo width, height and depth were of exceptional quality, too. The image remained rock solid on every type of material tried, sharp in focus on solo instruments yet vivid with full orchestral symphonies. Some initial wor-ries over imaging stability and mild smear-ing were alleviated by removing the detachable finger lift from the headshell and re-balancing the arm.

Both classical and rock orientated mat-erial were reproduced with consummate ease, with never a hint of the sound becoming fatiguing. The softening of the bass experienced with TD3001/SME V combination was completely alleviated. Now extended, bass lines were strong and tight, with even the lowest registers hand-led with precision. There was very little

THORENS 3001

PLAYER This European version of

Thorens' top turntable is supplied

with the revised TP9OPS tonearm

by Trevor Butler

hIFI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

overhang, and no unpleasant resonances noted. Mid-range was delicate, clean and well integrated. Human voice reproduc-tion, often an acid test, was particularly good, with no chestiness or `boxy' colora-tions observed. Orchestral soloists were well defined with pinpoint positioning and good sound level balanced in relation to the rest of the orchestra. The pre-viously obtrusive forwardness of vocals had disappeared as they took on an almost `velvety' feel. Heavy rock music was also handled

well, with excellent imaging. Percussion was judged crisp and well defined, the treble very good, if on the odd occasion a shade thin. This was later found to be due to cartridge selection and a change to one offering more power in the top end rectified the anomaly, as the liF became smooth and natural. One listener com-mented on the absence of sibilance and ringing on soprano vocals, which were reproduced to a high standard. Indeed all instruments were portrayed with a true sense of realism, from a good breathy quality of flute to the crisp attack and even decay of cymbals.

Conclusion This £850 version of the Thorens TD3001 is overall a very pleasing combination of turntable and arm which works extremely well. It is simple to set up and use, well made and pleasant to look at. Silent in operation, it makes listening to vinyl a pleasurable experience. Its well balanced sound quality makes it undoubtedly one of the best integrated turntables available. For those who feel the need to upgrade, my advice is to avoid the SME route and maintain partnership with a lightweight arm. The Naim Aro, reviewed by MC last month, is a likely candidate. Supplier: Portfolio Marketing, 67 New Road, Little Kingshill, Bucks. Tel (0494)890277.

A high-quality miniature monitor

equally at home in studio or

domestic environment

by Martin Gallants

SUPER MONITOR

The high-end Matrix Series from B&W has undergone complete revitalization. Although the flagship

801 has enjoyed dependable sales for some years, particularly on the export market, the smaller Matrix systems have not made so much of an impression in the UK But this is now all set to change with a new range launched late last year, com-prising the large floor-standing 803 (£2045), the somewhat smaller but also floor-standing 804 (£ 1325), and finally the present compact 805 (£915) which requires a high-performance stand. Trials are underway at B&W using Slate Audio stands, and I mainly used a pair of their ultra-solid units for the listening tests. When judging overall cost, it is important to keep sight of stand prices when sup-ports of this high rigidity are employed.

All these new Matrix models see a greater utilization of one of B&W's tradi-tional strengths, their own driver designs, using cones of resin-bonded woven Kev-lar fabric. Also, heavy, inert enclosures with a multi-cell matrix of cross-bracing result in exceptionally low levels of box coloration. Finally, there has been a return to the Bullet or eyeball tweeter configura-tion, where the HF unit is mounted on top of the enclosure rather than on the front panel. Cabinet reflection and diffraction is effectively banished from the treble range. The 805 employs a small and rather

squat enclosure, and can be purchased in one of two forms — with a normal vertical format or a lower horizontal configuration with an offset tweeter position. The ver-tical form was supplied for review, and elicited mixed reactions concerning appearance. It is a change from the usual box form, a difference accentuated by the isolated tweeter, housed in a streamlined pod surmounting the enclosure. Most felt that the 805's proportions were some-thing one had to get used to, and that it was not immediately attractive. But if one accepts that the main reason for its appearance is functional, and that this directly contributes to performance, its looks become easier to accept. Almost a metre high when on the stand, it didn't occupy much floor space and in that respect was relatively unobtrusive.

Summarizing the basics, this is a two-way bass-reflex design ready for bi-wiring, and is fitted with well-designed gold-plated binding-posts with non-moving 4mm hollow cores, thus improving con-tact to the plugs. It is intended for free-space mounting, clear of rear and side walls, and designer John Dibb intends that the system should provide large-scale, free-sounding stereo images with neutral tonality and an extended frequency range. An accessory electronic LF equalizer is provided, but this is entirely optional since the speaker sounded fine without it. If desired, inclusion of this unit ( ideally between pre-amp and power amp) offers user variation of the bass performance (within reason) to suit taste, local room acoustics and intended use. For example, heavy drive with powerful rock prog-ramme would suggest some curtailment of the bass response. The device is energized by a fair-sized

line-cord power-supply with a two-core mains cable of generous length. Nicely finished in satin alloy, the equalizer came preset for the chosen speaker and has the rather technical name of '800 Series Vari-able High Pass Alignment Filter'. A range of adjustments offers boost and cut in the range 10-50Hz, with a final roll-off below 10Hz. The ultimate LF alignment is then 6th-order. As set at the factory, the filter extends the speaker's response by half an octave, le the 805's normal in-room extension to 40Hz is brought down to 30Hz or so.

Technical details The 805 is a 10.5litre system, reflex-tuned by a flared ducted port approximately 65mm long by 35mm in diameter, which tunes the enclosure to 38Hz. Bass and mid ranges are handled by a small driver with an effective diameter of 130mm fitted with a high-Q rubber-based roll-surround. A long-throw unit, this has a high-power 30mm voice-coil wound on a Kapton former, while the cone is a critically flared rigid design made from resin-bonded, specially woven Kevlar. This unit is built on a robust 168mm die-cast alloy chassis having a strength not matched by the wood-screw fixing into a driver panel of

roughly 9mm effective thickness. I would like to see this area reinforced.

For the treble, the latest B&W tweeter is used, a 25mm pure-piston alloy dome mounted on top of the main enclosure in a cylindrical casing. It may be detached for servicing. A small-mesh grille protects the dome, which has an integral phase-plate to suppress the 28kHz final reso-nance and to correct the response in the 15-20kHz range; but the jury is still out concerning the absolute merit of this. The crossover is built as two separate

sections, approximating to a 4th-order acoustic response and time-aligned via backward displacement of the tweeter. The bass section has a high-power cored inductor and a resistively damped elec-trolytic capacitor, while the treble section employs polypropylene film capacitors and another generously rated inductor. Push-on connections are used to the bass unit. The enclosure is a fat Matrix and feels like a brick. The individual cells are filled with polyurethane foam, which has no opportunity to move, and, aside from the bass driver mounting, the build qual-ity and standard of finish are very high.

Sound quality After a sensible running-in period the 805 was installed on the Slate Audio stands, properly floor-spiked and sensibly posi-tioned relative to room boundaries. Good results were obtained with the front panel 1 m from the side walls and 0.75m from the back. Cables included Masterlink Black and Siltech Silver, and power amplifiers were Krell ST100, KSA80B and the Threshold. Pre-amplifiers comprised the CJ PF1 and Krell KSP-7B; signal sources the Lingo LP12-Aro-Koetsu RSII, and, for CD, a Meridian 602-606 combina-tion supplemented by the ARC DAC-1 decoder. Fine results were also obtained with the Meridian 200-203. Reference speakers comprised the KEF R105 II, Matrix 804 ( to be reviewed soon), Moni-tor Audio Studio 10, and Acoustic Energy AE 1. The 805 appeared to be easy to drive and was of above-average sensitivity. Decently high sound levels could be achieved without audible distortion, and up to 150W of wide-band programme was handled with great competence.

It didn't take long for the listening panel to appreciate that this was a speaker quite unlike a number of models issuing from B&W in recent years. It delivered a confident, expressive sound, with fine stereo imaging and engaging dynamics. But it also conveyed a strong sense of rhythm, a rare quality in speakers such as this, which also strive for accurate tonal balance and low coloration.

Demonstrating the balanced quality of a fine all-rounder, when using the best equipment the 805 achieved a truly remarkable standard for stereo imaging, with a level of focal precision and stage depth worthy of far more expensive designs. Stage width was also excellent, the image comfortably exceeding the span defined by the speakers' physical separation. Enclosure readout was so low

42 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

in terms of both box diffraction and coloration that the sonic image was fully detached from the cabinets and their location, the result being a close approx-imation to sonic holography. Specific sound sources were precisely placed within the image, both from left to right and in terms of depth. With the exception of some cases

where the source material was in doubt — for example with recordings having exaggerated breathiness, the treble was heard to be finely blended with the mid-range and tracked accurately through the image. The treble range of many speakers can often sound somewhat dis-embodied, and this can happen with the 805 where a mild wispy graininess in the high treble is caught out by the above suspect programme. Matching electronics with a clean, smooth treble characteristic are essential if this speaker's strongly coherent and regulated character is to be exploited to the full.

Perspectives were well presented, this also being a function of the essentially neutral tonal balance. The 805 lies on the lighter and brighter side of perfection, but only marginally so, and only very rarely did one wish for tonal correction even with poor recordings. In fact, this aspect aside, it is hard to say much about the 805's sound, so accurate was its presenta-tion of known sources. Certainly it lacked the weight and extension of much larger speakers, yet its bass was more than satisfactory in terms of power and clarity, while its pace and tune-playing ability put many bigger models to shame.

Musically, the 805 sounded vital, the bass output being a key factor in this. It correctly brought out the 'energy' in performances, while its high level of clarity resolved impressive levels of subtle detail unobscured by the score's main strands. Singing voice was rendered with low coloration — rather less in fact than that heard from the best of the usual cone-type speakers. Both the characteris-tic rubbery richness of polypropylene and the quack and nasality of many other materials seem to have been skilfully avoided in this new formula. The treble also demanded musical

LOUDSPEAKERS

THE 13M/V 805 approval. Aside from that mild 'sandy' quality in the extreme HF, the sound was sparkling and articulate. Free from hard-ness, and capable of rendering fine orches-tral string-tone, it also did justice to a range of percussion instruments from small bells to cymbal and triangle. These too are presented with low coloration, a tribute to the pod-mounting technique. The latter's 'disconnected' quality that I

noted when this method was first used was absent here, the treble integrating very well with the mid-range.

Lab report For its small size and average sensitivity of 86.5dB/W. the 805 achieved a decent bass response ( — 6dB to 48Hz without the active equalizer, extending down to 40Hz under room conditions) without boom or

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 43

THE SOUND REVOLUTION AND ALL THAT JAZZ . . .

We are the only dealer in the UK to specialise in valve

amplification and turntables exclusively.

This is because we firmly believe that vinyl records played

through such systems come closest to the true sound of

music.

The equipment we stock has been carefully selected to

convey the emotion and vitality we feel is sadly missing on

CD. But for those that need CD players, we find that valve

amplification can help enormously.

Telephone us so that we can arrange a sensible

demonstration and bring along your favourite records to

hear how they should sound. You'll find no hard sell . . .

Just sound advice.

Professional record cleaning service now available. We are also

happy to help you to track down original vinyl pressings.

VALVE AMPLIFICATION

Art Audio

Audio Innovations

Concordant Audio

Conrad-Johnson

Sound Design Studios

TURNTABLES

Kuzma Stabi

Rock Reference

Thorens

VP'

CARTRIDGES

Empire Scientific

London ( Decca)

Lyra

Shure

CABLES

Chord

Kimber

Straight Wire

SPEAKERS

Camber

Pentachord System

SD Acoustics

Spendor

Townshend

VINYL TUBE AUDIO' where music matters

Specialists in Analogue Audio & Valve Amplification

43-45 Fortess Road, London NW5 lAD

071-485 4854

LOUDSPEAKERS

undue emphasis. A minimum input power of 20W per channel is suggested, which should provide peak levels around 94dBA in-room, while up to 100W of unclipped programme will provide up to 102dBA -

sensibly loud if not of disco proportions. Distortion is generally low, and full over-load at II was preceded by moderate blowing and chuffing from the bass-reflex vent. Nonetheless, it did very well for its size. Specified as a nominal 8ohms, the 805's impedance dipped to 5.5ohms at

10kliz, a relatively harmless region, and an overall figure of 7ohms was admissible,

resulting in a 'good' rating ( Fig.3). Remembering that the graphs printed

here employ my new expanded scaling

for frequency response, the 1m axial reference ( Fig.1 ) shows a fine perform-ance, only just straying outside the manu-facturer's tight ± 2dB specification.

Moreover, the overall balance is most uniform. With 3rd-octave weighting, ±2(113 limits were met down to 751Iz (541-1z for ± 3dB), hut with some axial prominence in the crossover region at 3.8kHz ( Fig.2 ). However, off- axis measurement showed this feature to be innocuous, and absent by 5° off axis. Looking at the output in the vertical plane (also Fig.2 ), the result is notable for the symmetry evident at the two 15° axes, indicating very good phase alignment; the off-axis loss is fairly moderate even at crossover. In the lateral plane ( Fig.2

again ) the output sorts itself out quickly,

suggesting that the best sound would be obtained with the speakers in a straight-ahead position, confirmed on audition. The very good lateral off-axis results are

a tribute to the wide directivity and low diffraction exhibited by the separate tweeter design. The 10° lateral off-axis

output at normal height was almost per-fect, and the uniformity was confirmed in the integrated room-average measure-ment ( Fig.4 ) which, allowing for the usual floor notch at 80-10011z, meets 2= 2.5dI3 limits from 3511z to 8kIlz, with negligible energy loss at crossover and a superbly

fiat mid-range. Using high-resolution analysis. UR pair-

matching was seen to be excellent, the

measurement revealing differences between the two of typically ± 0.3d13. with a worst-case error in the main

frequency range of just 1.2d13 at cross-over. But the same display showed that despite its careful design. the grille added

irregularities of + 1.5/-1dB both in the mid and lower treble, the latter apparently due to the proximity of the

grille frame to the tweeter housing. Ignor-ing some minor I.F effects ( possibly the port output), an unwindowed energy,.

time plot showed a tidy decay to - 45(113 in 2ms, while the windowed ETC ( Fig.5 )

confirms this good decay behaviour over a 60dB range and 3.5ms.

Examining the standard waterfall. with

0.1ms rise-time and a 30dB vertical range (Fig.6), the main ridge is associated with the small axial crossover peak at 3.8kIlz and is not present on most axes. 'Ibis graph shows the 805 clearing well from

the starting point at the back, with large areas of its output indicating fine transient behaviour. Expanding the dynamic range

to 60dB, with a 0.2ms rise- time to improve the resolution, the clearing at the

back is more easily seen, and is notable for

its relative uniformity across the band.

Conclusion 'Ibis small loudspeaker may be quite expensive, but its budget has not been squandered. especially as other models in this class are not too far removed in price once the stand question has been taken into account. For example, the Acoustic Energy AEI or AE2, Monitor Audio Studio 10, and Celestion SL600si or -00si all

have their merits and weaknesses, while the 805 encompasses a winning blend of virtues which brings it to the fore.

This reference-grade speaker will happily survive modest ancillaries, but it also has the ability to exploit the best

electronics and sources, so the chosen accessories ought to include quality hi-wire cable and/or bi-amping. Top-class stands are also important. A new genera-tion speaker from B&W. the 805 is a finely

crafted high-performance model, and is firmly recommended.+

B&W 805 LOUDSPEAKER

10 0

14 0

Flit 41547/0 FL Z-3-11 4:57 M Frusta. Fctle - O was/tells

let Frettee

10000

Fig 1. B&W 805: on-axis 1 m response, with LF correction shown dashed

File UsitusF. FM 2-3-11 4:57 PM ;router Vacila - U vtItt/v4Its 0.33 octl

111.0

Lb 0 .1

01 0 .J

01

10

0

„o. to .

lu Fr/utter/ - Mt

Fig 2. B&W 80.5: response family with 3rd-octave weighting, axial plot, ± 15° vertical, 30/45° lateral

101

0

111 0

In Fretoesu

Fig 3. B&W 805: modulus of impedance, LH scale

in ohms

"

Fig 4. B&W 805: room-averaged response (RAR)

File: USUMF.TIll 2-3-11 4 57 RI Euerrtlae Ctn., U Illachtullarrla

so.o

•

Flu tut

Fig S. B&W 805: windowed ETC decay plot

MS MO WOO 1.1 Mg MI m •

13.Z di. 3. 77i 1.10 tI12). II Ile ate (In SOS

Fig 6. B&W 805: MLSSA decay waterfall, 30dB with 0.1ms rise-time

10 0

Do.= ILI 0. Lill tit 11471, l.a asec

1.01.1.0

Fig 7. B&W 805: MLSSA decay waterfall, 60dB with 0.2ms rise-time

Test results

Size ( height x width x depth. cm ) Recommended amplifier power per

channel Recommended placement

40 -.X 20» X 21 20- 10MX

On rigid 55cm stand in free-space

Frequency response within ± 3t1B ( 2m ) 541z- 2001z LF runoff ( ) at lm 48111 Bass frequency extension ( typical 3811z

in-room ) Voltage sensitivity ( ref 2.83V(all m 86.5dB Approximate maximum sound level I 02dBA

(pair at 2m) Impedance characteristics( ease of Good

drive) Forward response uniformity Excellent Typical price per pair ( inc VAT ) £915

Supplier: B&W Loudspeakers Ltd, Meadow Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN I I 2RX. Tel (0903) 750750

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 46

If you live in S. Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham, we are your local Hi-Fi specialist. However, if you live in Surrey, Kent, Berks., Herts. etc . . . . we could be your "local" dealer, since we supply and install systems all over Greater London and Home Counties and even Abroad. The Listening Rooms is one of London's leading spe-cialist Hi-Fi shops, with the principal staff having over thirty years' experience between them. We cater for a wide range of budgets and whether you are thinking of buying a new cartridge or a top end system, our aim is to always provide the best possible sound. We have two comfortable Listening Rooms where you can audition Hi-Fi in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We offer a full installation service and all equipment comes with a two year warranty. The Listening Rooms is also London's leading multi-room Hi-Fi specialist and provides a full planning and installation service.

listening

LINN # EPOS # QUAD # ARCA \I

# CELESTION # MUSICAL FIDELITY

SME # MISSION # MERIDIAN #

MARTIN LOGAN # AUDIO RESEARCH

# DUAL # MARANTZ # YAMAHA

DENON• NAKAMICHI # ACOUSTIC

ENERGY # SD SONUS FABER #

KOETSU APOGEE # GOLDMUND

• hISEKI RE VOX # ROGERS #

MAGNEPAN # MICHELL # DELTEC

• sTAX # KRELL # TANNOY•

MICROMEGA 4 AUDIOLAI3 # PINK A

• SYSTEMDEK # WADIA # BB AUDIO

• \ UDIO PLAN # KEF # MONITOR

AUDIO # PIONEER # ETC

THE LISTENING ROOMS LTD.:

161 OLD BROMPTON RD, LONDON, SW5 OUj

TEL:071-244 7750/59. FAX: 071-370 0192.

VISA ACCESS AMERICANEXPRESS

EXPORT AND CREDIT FACILITIES

Monday- Saturday — 10am-6pm

Nearest Tube: 5th Kensington or Gloucester R d

The Koss JCK-200 Wireless Headphones Now you can enjoy all of the benefits of headphone listening with no strings attached. Roam around the room, dance to a CD, listen in bed. Or whatever else moves you.

Whilst the cord may be missing, the great sound of Koss isn't. The JCK-200 comes complete with soft pneumalite ear cushions that seal out outside sounds to provide a full frequency response with ultra-low distortion, yet they weigh a mere 10 ounces enabling you to enjoy hours of comfortable, fatigue-free listening.

The system consists of a transmitter and battery powered headphones. lb use it, just plug the transmitter into the headphone jack on your receiver, amplifier or VCR, switch on the transmitter and the headphones, and you're ready to go wireless.

jCK-200T Pansmitter

ICK-200S Wireless Headphones

lb appreciate this new Koss technology, go to your nearest Koss dealer and ask for an audition. One listen and you'll never sit still for ordinary headphones again.

KOSS The word on everyone's ears

HW International Ltd, 3-5 Eden Grove, London, N7 8EQ. Tel: 071 607 2717

Please send me full details on the JCK-200 and the full range of Koss headphones plus the address of my nearest dealer:

Name Address Postcode

LOUDSPEAKERS

Good marketing philosophy is one thing, but the products have got to be right. And a number of the

early Linn speakers weren't. The old helix was a case in point, a product unlikely to woo newcomers to the Linn camp. It was prone to delivering unruly amounts of bass, with boxy colorations and a splashy treble. 12st year, Linn's designers sought to improve the matter. The result barely resembles the earlier model — everything

has been addressed, even down to the price which is now set at £349, the new Ku-Stone stands £ 109 extra. The old 200mm bass driver with its

light yet rigid carbon-loaded polypropy-lene cone ( also used in the larger Nexus) remains, together with its large magnet assembly. Still a reflex design, to increase the bass response from a relatively small box ( 515x235x350mm hwd), it pre-serves the rectangular port in an effort to reduce standing waves. Above 31(11z a

Linn-designed treble unit with damped 19mm polyamide dome takes over, its aluminium voice coil ferrofluid-cooled for 80W power handling and better control.

The crossover is a 2nd-order Linkwitz-Riley type, completely revamped from the earlier helix. higher quality capacitors are now used, alongside the former pow-der-forged cored inductors.

Careful attention has been paid to the baffle, with the plastic front now an integral part, which sits flush with the drive units to avoid diffraction problems associated with the earlier design. Although removable to facilitate the fitting of a black stockinget cover, the baffle is well damped with foam. The bass unit is now fitted through the entire 18mm thickness of the enclosure for

added strength, rather than the earlier idea of recessing it by 9mm. The speaker enclosure is made from

18mm chipboard panels, finished in vinyl wrap, and internally braced to reduce resonance. The internal volume is less than the first variant, to give improved tuning and reduce the boominess. Wad-ding has been applied around the tweeter, with the remainder of the cabinet relatively empty. Efficiency is average, and quoted sensitivity is 88dB/W at I m.

As before, bi-wiring is possible, the speaker connections being soldered to the crossover pcb, thus reducing internal wiring. Four millimetre banana plugs are the order of the day, with bare wire or solder tags hard to connect successfully.

The four-page instruction manual sug-gests placement 'close to a wall', with

'ideally the rear of the speaker between 4 and I 2in from the rear wall and at least 18in from any corner'. I certainly agree about avoiding corners but on some material preferred the I 2in as a mini-mum from the rear wall, with the speak-ers angled in eery slightly towards the listener. The manual suggests 5-10°. One of the major changes concerns the

matching stand. Gone is the former steel upright box affair with its plastic mould-ing containing MDF, now replaced by Ku-Stone. Not only is this more stable, but

UICK REFLEX:

THE LINN HELIX Comprehensive revisions have

transformed Linn's mid-price

bass-reflex speaker design

by Trevor Butler

it is mechanically good at damping while being rigid. Dedicated fixing kits give direct connection to Linn speakers while optional top plates allow the stands to be used with a variety of speakers. At just

350mm high, the Ku-Stone plus I lekx II is obviously for those with low armchairs.

Sound quality Auditioning the 1 lelix Ils coincided with my change of amplification, and so

allowed tests with both Musical Fidelity P140s and an Aragon 2004. The immedi-ate sensation was of a very fast, very tight, punchy bass — particularly evident on drums. Control of the lower registers was

excellent throughout, with a good crisp sound maintained, without loss of air. The speed of I.F attack was such that at times it verged on excess with some choral sym-phonies.

I.inn had felt that the treble required attention, calling it 'bright' to the extent that a dealer modification to the crossover was announced. This resulted in a 2.2ohm resistor in the crossover being changed for a 2.7ohm. Certainly with the amplifiers I tried there was no apparent over-brightness, the IIF merely smooth and natural. The alteration is intended to

allow the Helix Ils to be used with a greater range of amps and sources.

While I was happy with the detail provided by the Helix Ils, it was not until I changed amplification to an Aragon 2004 that the full potential of these speakers was reached. The results suggested that, for the first time. I.inn has designed something approaching monitor quality'. (Such was the effect that one listener thought Rogers or Spendors were in use.) . Imaging was superb, with ambient details presented in a most convincing manner. The treble remained crisp, the bass deep and generally accurate — if on occasion veering slightly towards hominess. 'I'he results were lively and cultured. By adopting a soft dome tweeter I.inn

has avoided any tendency for the treble to become metallic or brash — even if these were the words to describe the applica-tion of the IIF unit in the original 1 lelix. The only weakness of I.inn's latest model is the mid-band which is not as strong as in some of the competition, giving rise to minor problems on speech. However, a direct comparison with the recently

acclaimed Epos El 1 (HFNIRR May '91), showed that the helix had the edge when it carne to bass response and control.

Conclusion Why Linn retained the '1 lelix' name on a product which is so greatly improved is beyond my comprehension. Leaning slightly towards the rock rather than classical repertoire. the I lelix II can now stand up to the competition without fear of falling at the first hurdle. It is undoubtedly assisted by the Ku-Stone stands, and shows itself capable of being partnered with amplifiers which tend to reveal weaknesses in lesser speakers. +

Supplier: Linn Products, Floors Rd, Eaglesham, Glasgow G76 OEP. Tel: 041-644 5111.

111.11 NEWS & RECORD RE:MEW JUNE 1991

It has got to the point where it is almost embarrassing to review yet another Meridian digital product, lest I be

accused of joining the Meridian fan club. However, the 607 is a vital introduction, even if its application is rather limited at present. An AID converter, its purpose is to encode real world analogue signals into digital code for transmission to storage units or recorders such as a CD 'U' matie or a domestic R-DAT transport.

A professional recording engineer might well consider a 607, although the lack of a balanced input is something of a

disadvantage. The 607 is a must for the D6000 since it allows this speaker to reproduce existing sources — tape, tuner and analogue disc ( this last if suitably pre-equalized and amplified to a volt or so.

Inputs are via gold-plated phono sock-ets. The 'A' input offers a full level sensitivity of 2V and a higher sensitivity alternative of 530mV. The input impe-dances are 10.2kohms, and a rather lower 3.9kohms for the higher sensitivity. An additional input is available selected

by code `B'. This by-passes the input

does have a red warning light which indicates the last 3dB approach to full level. The option of switchable pre-emphasis is available on the 'A' input, which provides a 6dB or so S/N ratio

improvement where the source is known not to contain high signal levels above 5kHz. Other facilities include the sam-

pling frequency switch which may be set to 44.1kliz and 48kIlz, the former ideal for direct CD mastering.

To some degree, a good performance in the digital audio field boils down to sensible choices for the major processing integrated circuits; origination of these complex devices is quite beyond the

resources of specialist audio makers. The heart of this unit is the latest low-bit, 64-times oversampled Delta Sigma ADC by Crystal, type CS5326; this has stereo inputs and generates a I6-bit output code. (An 18-bit alternative is available in this chip series which will encourage profes-sional users.) At a 44.1kliz prime sam-pling rate, the first alias or ultrasonic

response cannot appear before 1.4MHz and hence a transparent, phase-linear low-

order filter may be placed at the input. In fact, the 'B' input has only a first-order filter at 100kIlz or so, the roll-off partly dependent on source impedance. No chances have been taken with low

level resolution, and a linear analogue-like decay into noise is assured by the opti-mum dither content of I bit of triangular probability distribution signal, this prop-erly hardware generated. This correctly gives a broad band noise floor at the —92dB level, but helps to ensure per-fectly monotonic encoding. In theory,

good accuracy should be maintained to —120dB below full level and indeed below this. Dither thus allows system linearity to transcend the theoretical 16-bit code limitation of 98dB.

The designer has also chosen another costly chip for the digital output gener-ator. It has the advantage of inbuilt sub-code software, and provides a clean

powerful drive to the digital outputs. In fact, it is a full specification RS232 driver of 100mA capability and would serve for balanced drive to the AES-EBU standard. Another feature is the importance

MERIDIAN 607 ADC amplifier, and with a 2.5V sensitivity is

quite an arduous load comprising a 0.01µF capacitor buffered by a 100ohm series resistor. Source impedances above 100ohms will carry some penalty of a mild response roll-off at high frequencies, plus other effects of the load. Here I am thinking of more delicate sources such as a valve-tube pre-amp. The 607 is generous in regard to its SPD1F digital outputs, with two phono plus two optical. The 607 does not have level meters

(usually part of the digital recorder) but

This high-quality digital encoder

will complete a Meridian digital

system, or provide the key

element in a professional-

standard recording chain

by Martin Callow

placed on the generation ot a low, jitter oscillator signal, its performance close to the limit for a 16-bit full bandwidth PCM code. Only one of the two oscillators runs at a time, and this section is placed in its own screened area.

Sound quality The bulk of the listening was done via the direct input which does not have the emphasis option. Careful matching was required in view of the high input capaci-tance and its potential to curtail the input frequency response, and/or heavily load the source. Given tape and direct-cut disc programme, the best driver I had available turned out to be the Krell KSP-7B pre-

amp. A slight loss of quality was observed via the 'A' input (which was buffered) but in some cases this kinder input loading was reflected by a small gain in source quality, offsetting the differences. Judging encoder sound quality is a

difficult task for a number of reasons. For example, there is the largely unknown definition of the source quality fed to it, the lack of comparative references, and the need for an uncompromised replay of

an encoder's digital signal so that it is seen that it is the encoder which is fairly on trial. By a process of substitution and combination it is possible to take control

of these factors and to come up with a rough numerical value which relates reasonably well to scores for amplifiers and for CD players.

A primary application for the 607 is the conversion to the digital audio format of any existing analogue source to feed the

all-digital Meridian D6000 loudspeaker (HFN/RR Jan '91). Using a Meridian

48 81-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

A/D CONVERTER

decoder of similar quality to those used in the D6000 — namely a 606 — the 607 was used as a digital source and fed my best available analogue material: mainly direct cut records by Sheffield Labs. Effectively, the 607-606 link was worked as a fixed-

gain line stage, and it was reasonable to overlook the processing implication across this link. The result was a clear win for Meridian,

with the performance judged comparable to a top class analogue line amplifier, and not greatly different from the replay standard of the CD208 itself. The 607 gave so little of itself that it may confide-ntly be judged as a more than sufficiently

neutral interface for the 6000 speaker and other digital audio electronics.

After clearing this first hurdle, further tests were made with other reference

decoders such as the Wadia 64.4. It is estimated that the accuracy of such listen-ing tests is enhanced by the direct cou-pling of the 607 to the decoders, the latter, in this mode, not suffering those fidelity losses present in CD transports, R-DAT or digital tape mechanisms, inter-faces and the like. These further tests established that the 607 could transmit a respectable level of rhythm, pace and dynamics which, when compared with the other A/D systems tried, indicates that the 607 represents a major advance in the art — excepting the DCS converter which similarly has good image depth. I found the 607 to possess very good trans-parency and also to have a highly musical character, preserving much of the excite-ment and the sense of staging in a performance. Given the supreme sound

quality status of an unadulterated mic-rophone feed from a live performance I would expect the 607 to deliver a quite exceptional digital audio code. Simple

tests with live guitar, voice and flute certainly reinforced this view. It is hard to

be dogmatic about other aspects of its fidelity, and admittedly nitpicking analysis suggests that in the bass, the 607 showed

a firm, crisp quality, with a slight harmo-nic hardening or emphasis — in fact, aurally attractive but not quite neutral. The mid however was very close to neutrality, while stage width was also defined exceptionally well.

Through the treble, the standard remained high: open, clear and free from

subjective distortions such as 'grain' or excessive sibilance, but with a hint of deadness (not treble cut — just a mildly 'mechanical' effect). Compared with 'big name' industry

standard A/D units, the 607 was thought substantially better, the kind of quality audiophiles would love many CDs to be

mastered with — in a sense, the sort of fundamental difference between a fine direct-cut LP and a commercial pressing made from a cutting copy of a tape master.

Lab report This unit is primarily intended for domes-tic use, where maximum signal levels are predefined and where the audio band-width is generally less than 20kHz. Tests taken within these limits confirmed a very good performance for the 607, these standards accurately defined using the DSP analysis section of the latest dual

domain Audio Precision equipment. For example, it was possible to measure linearity to better than ±0.2dB accuracy over a wide dynamic range from zero to —120dB (at 500Hz). In Graph 1 this is plotted from —60 to — 120dB, with 203 Bitstream replay also shown for compari-son. Several runs were made, with the mean result very close to the ideal —120dB intersection. It is virtually per-fectly monotonic with no jumps or mis-sing codes. From full level the total errors were typically less than 0.8dB. The digital filter ( anti alias) was very

fiat, with virtually unmeasureable ripple. The specification notes a negligible error of 0.001dB, while the low-order input

filter generated more deviation than this. Graph 2 shows the effect of generator impedance on the 'B' input. With a 25ohm source the signal was barely 0.3dB down at 20kHz, but when a more realistic 600ohms was in circuit, it was —4dB by 151cHz. Meridian was right to insist on low source impedance for the B input. A 203 decoder response has been

included for comparison where the lower

order replay filter did introduce some ripple. The lowest response showed the 'A' input with a 600ohm source, with the 20kHz loss held to 0.25dB. Above 22kHz

the encoded signal fell very rapidly as the high-order digital filter took effect.

At full level ( — 1dB relative to full code) the distortion was excellent at 96dB down, excluding noise, while a spectrum

analysis showed just 2nd and 3rd harmo-nics, with some mild 'grass' in the 4kHz region at — 100dB. In-band products of 20kHz full level were low, typically —92dB. Cleirly level, the distortion improved, relatively speaking, and at mid dynamic range the spectrum-analysed floor of — 114dB related to full level showed no significant signal harmonics.

Signal-to-noise ratio was as expected with 1 bit of dither, le 92dB unweighted, while pre-emphasis gave an improvement to 96dB where the programme spectral characteristics suggested its use. Pre-emphasis was accurate: it reduces the 20kHz encode headroom by about 8dB. The true DC coupled nature of the 607

was confirmed by the following graphic illustration. Coupled to a 203, a DC source from 0 to 2V was applied to the 607. Sure enough, the 203 provided a corresponding DC output, drifting slightly

as the 203 DC servo fought to try to zero this gross offset. It was reassuring to see time equal to infinity transmitted over this complex digital interface. Of more interest to the digital recordist,

the 607 showed very pure clipping, devoid of overshoot from full level to about + 7dB. Above this point false peak-to-peak codes ensued, though with a fast recovery after overload. For professional work, a soft clamp-limiter might be required to avoid this point being reached. It resulted when the ADC input amplifier clipped on its ± 5V supply rails. The digital output was searched for alias-ing with full level input —6dB up to

300kHz, and nary a squeak was heard: an excellent result. It also seemed quite immune to lower level RF interference. Encode DC offsets were very low, and were set to zero on power-up.

Conclusion This first-rate encoder did precisely what was asked of it. The 607 comes confide-ntly recommended — I can't wait to get it to some serious recording sessions in order to explore its mastering potential!-4'-

MERIDIAN 607 A/D ENCODER

100 0

110 0

0

-60 0 -70 -PO - 20

Fig I. Meridian 607: Linearity below - 60dB (dashed) with Meridian 203 replay (solid line) for comparison

.111161.6 602 601.01.6. Rt.*. 2-6.6.1616-1 6.6.1.. 16061 .• . 01 el

2 0 0

I . 00

I 000

50000

0 0

- 5000

-1 000

Ap 2 000

1 500

1 000

100 106

5000

0

500

n 00

1 50

2 CO

20«

Fig 2. Meridian 607: effects of generator impedance (B input). Top Iwo traces show treble roll off at 25 and 60 ohms; centre line traces, 203 (for reference); lower trace, 600 ohms

Supplier: Meridian Audio Ltd, 13 Clifton Road, Huntingdon PE18 7E 7. Tel: (0480) 434334

Test results 2011z lkliz 20kHz

Channel balance 0.08dB 0.0d8 0.01dB Stereo separation 108dB 105dB 98dB Channel phase difference 0' 0* 0° TFID OdB lexcl noisej -95dB -96dB -92dB THD - 10dB lezel noise] — >-98d1i — rip -70 [ owl noise k1B — >-45d8 — Intermod 19kHz/20kHz, OdB -94d13' Intermod 19kHz/20IcHz, - 10dB -96dBt Frequency response, 20Hz.201diz left +0dB -I) id it right

SIN 20Hz-20kHz unweighted S/N CCIR/ARM, I kHz ref OdB. Input sensitivity ( B, A, AS) Input Impedance

De-emphasis ( error in dB) Spuriae up to 1001cHz, typically Resolution at -90dB, left/right Dimensions (wdh) Typical price ( inc VAT)

+0dB -I) 92dB 93dB

2.5, 2, 0.5V 10M, 10K2, 3K9

%Hz 16kHz <0.02 <0.05 <0.05 -80dB

0.8d11/0.7dB 16 X 1 IX 33cm

£980

'All spuriae better than - 72dB

tNoise 118dB below OdB

tSee text: response varies with source

49 Ill- F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1'191

Interested in accessories worthy

of your mortgage-busting hi-fi?

ART of Italy just might be the

jewel in the crown

by Ken Kessler

STATE OF

THE A.RT

It's no surprise that Audio Reference Technology (ART) is a Japanesentalian confederation. The company is based

in Florence and produces hi-fi jewellery which could only come from the land of Giugiaro and Bugatti. The hi-fi brain behind this range of

executive (audio) toys is Bê Yamamura. As the Japanese have an enviable ability to look like teenagers well into their forties, I

can't even guess at Bê's age. But he moved to the UK in his early twenties, living in London until the recent move to Italy, and he was experimenting with hi-fi in the UK as far back as 1977. Bê, it turns out, was the wizard behind AIR valve amplifiers, hand-built no-compromise mothers which cost the earth and sounded

heavenly. His history also includes (and this will tickle the memories of older

readers) involvement with Studio Beco and Bob Yates, who were so far ahead of the rest of British hi-fi in pioneering high-end that there should be a statue to them in front of FBA headquarters.

Aside from suffering the usual double-crosses and disappointments which so characterised high-end dealings during its infancy, Bê experimented with oddball products and materials which are only now regarded as commonplace. In the late 1970s these pursuits garnered the same disdain which some now reserve for Peter Belt. Among the pioneering efforts were modified Sequerra ribbon speakers, the importation of SAEC arms, Audio Note cartridges, the use of solid-silver wire and speaker ribbons, thread-drive turntables, circuits using pre-war valves and more. In other words, Bê Yamamura was one of the first to introduce Japanese audiophile practices to the West.

In the short time I spent with Bê, I learned two things about him which are crucial to understanding his approach to

hi-fi, and common to the most knowledge-able audiophiles I know, especially those from Japan. In common with Dr Fu, Ken Ishiwata, Yasuo Nakanishi, Saboru Egawa and other legends in the field, Bê has immaculate taste in 20th century arte-facts, and this applies to every topic we discussed: cars, cameras, watches, you name it. He is also fastidious to an overwhelming degree. Both of these traits are reflected in every product bearing the ART label.

Central to Bê's philosophy is the use of a special type of graphite, shaped into accessories which have a number of beneficial effects on CDs and LPs as well

as most of the components in the hi-fi chain. The first, which reached me a few years back, were small square graphite blocks to place under spikes. I've used these ever since under my CD player, with Goldmund spikes in between. The new range adds two larger sizes for heftier products, including speakers. Other accessories include a solid

graphite record clamp, a block which fits between a cartridge and headshelf and a CD damper disc — again made from solid graphite. The use of graphite is said to offer a number of benefits, including excellent mechanical earthing ( the blocks and headshell spacer), damping (the CD damper, the headshell spacer and record puck) and selective conduction, filtering and/or dissipation of stray fields because of graphite's mildly conductive properties (all of the above). Bê firmly believes that much of the

problem with CD playback involves noise in the infrasonic region which affects the audible portions. Because of this, he showed no surprise when I mentioned the AV Doughnuts (ferrite rings) discussed in this month's 'Headroom'. His concern led him to the design of a platform which can

Left, the ART collection; the range includes graphite blocks and CD clamp as well as a

proprietary equipment support

Opposite page, close-up of the ART MC-I graphite-bodied m-c cartridge

ACCESSORIES

be used under or on top of any compo-nent, with its greatest effectiveness demonstrated by use with a CD player. The Puls'Ex Board measures 430X 330 x 8mm, a sandwich consisting of two pieces of Perspex and a filling of a

proprietary material which he wouldn't describe. A mixture of graphite and lead

was suggested by a colleague who examined it. What wasn't in doubt, though, was its clean-up activity. The gains reminded me of the use of a

Flux Dumper or VP! Brick on a tube pre-amp. Stray noises, most barely audi-ble, were reduced or banished com-pletely. When used under a valve pre-amp, residual hum was lowered to a point where it required an extra 25-degree turn of the volume control to match the noise level before the board was inserted. But, as Bê suggested, it was use of the board under digital products which offered the

most impressive results. D/A converters and one-piece players needed the Puls'Ex more than stand-alone transports, but the use of two of the boards under both sections of a two-chassis player resulted in further cuts in background noise and texturing. The platform is not a substitute for

Isoplats or the like, as the improvements have little to do with isolation. In the end, I set a Puls'Ex on top of an Isoplat, then placed the CD components on top of that, with various combinations of graphite blocks, Navcom feet and Isopods between the board and the player for the 'ultimate' set-up. While it looked silly (and preca-rious), the net effect sounded, to my ears, like moving from freebie interconnects to Mandrake or MasterLink. More enlightening, though, was the

addition in the chain of Bê's new cable, at present in pre-production form. It brought back memories of a similar design from Japan, the first I'd seen which employed all-natural materials for the dielectric. Bê's hand-made interconnects consist of thick proprietary copper strands protected by what looks like raw cotton/linen. Details include a carefully-calculated twist to the wires and screw-fitting rather than soldering to the WBT plugs. The cables also feature screening connected at one end only. And they did

for the analogue output of a CD player what the Siltech HF-6 does for coaxial digital transfer. The effect is a slight sweetening of the sound and sensible rounding of the edges, without cutting off

the attack of transients. The ART cables also worked some kind

of magic between my phono amp and pre-amp. Which leads me to the ART MC-1 moving-coil cartridge and Bê's love for analogue. As I mentioned earlier, ART products reflect the fastidiousness of the designer; in the case of the cartridge it meant the most critical set-up I've ever experienced, even tougher than the Row-land Complement. The MC-1 also embodies the full weight

of the company's design philosophy, fashioned as it is from solid graphite. (Even the mounting block in the lavish

packaging is solid graphite.) The body, then, is dense, non-resonant and capable of providing its own intrinsic shielding. The innards consist of hand-wound coils of copper, fitted without yokes; Bê believes that yokes can introduce distor-tions and increase needle chatter. But other aspects indicate a weird sort

of reverse radicalism. After listening to all the available types of cantilever, Bê set-tled on a funky old-fashioned hollow aluminium tube. (I expected this to be graphite as well!) And the stylus? No

micro-line/micro-ridge types here, because Bê feels that they can damage LPs. Instead, it's a conventional elliptical.

Because the cartridge is hand-made and individually calibrated, specifications are listed as 'typically...'. Ideal tracking force, for example, is around 1.5g in a normal arm, though the MC-1 will track at 0.3g in the company's limited edition, hand-made-from-graphite pantograph-styled tonearm when fitted to the company's equally rare air-bearing turntable. The weight of the cartridge varies between 7.5 and 8g. Output is around 0.15mV and the impedance is 3ohm, but — as the cartridge sounds best into 47kohms — this provides no simple recipe for set-up.

In every aspect of installation, the MC-1 proved to be a major pain. The SME V worked beautifully, but conventional approaches to tracking force, VTA and

SRA setting meant little as the MC-1 took over 40 hours to run in to its optimal state. Indeed, the only setting I got 'right' from the outset was overhang; the rest varied with run-in time.

At first the MC-1 sounded hazy and sluggish, especially when compared with the Lyra Clavis which had just vacated the SME. The disappointment was near-total, inspired as I was by all which came before it. But, having nothing to lose and a weekend ahead of me, I went through three pre-amps, a dozen cartridge load-

- ings and a fistful of cables before settling on the MC-1 into the Charman-modified MosCode SuperIt connected to the line-inputs of the Audio Research SP- 14 via the ART cables, burned-in for three days.

It was the substitution of the ART interconnect, though, which made it all fall into place. Gone was the haze, which was disappearing gradually with each hour of usage, while the gloriously deep and rich bass lost its few traces of flab. The midband stayed crystal clear while the top found its sparkle — without picking up traces of grain or sibilance. The MC-1 emerged, after a set-up ordeal unlike any I've experienced, as a delicious alternative to the Clavis and the Koetsu Urushi, falling

precisely between the two. Which makes it one of the finest cartridges. More than any of the accessories, the

MC- 1 ( and to a lesser extent the intercon-nect) enables the listener to understand Bê's approach to sound, because the cartridge is part of the signal path rather than an adjunct.

If the MC-1 has a stand-out virtue, it must be the bottom octaves. The exten-sion seems limitless, yet the weight is in

perfect proportion to the rest of the spectrum. The midband is more like that of the Urushi than the Clavis, warmer rather than cooler. The uppermost signals, too, are Urushi-like, so listeners favouring the absolute precision of the Lyra may find the MC-1 slightly soft-sounding. But the MC-1 matches the Lyra for top-to-bottom consistency. And the MC-1 is quieter than either, despite ludicrously low output

which makes the choice of phono section a quest worthy of an Argonaut. The overall transformation of my sys-

tem, once every ART accessory was instal-led, can be summed up as a relaxing of the sound, as if the amplifiers weren't working so hard, or that the solid-state elements had suddenly changed to valves. The only accessory in the pile which I've yet to assess is the TR-30 cleaning oil, which will have to wait until I use a product which hasn't already been treated with Kontalc. But I must add that I treated a set of leads with the oil and the benefits placed it on a par with Kontak.

This all-too-brief overview of Bê Yama-mura's work merely touches on a half-dozen outrageous and outrageously-priced accessories which deserve full reviews But I don't think that my com-ments will make one bit of difference to those who recoil in horror at the thought of a CD damping disc which costs £85 or three graphite blocks selling for £210, let alone a cartridge at £2800. So we're back to Square One of high end: finding a dealer who can demonstrate the stuff. -1-

Supplier: Audio Reference Technology: via Masaccio 160, 50132 Firenze, Italy. Tel (055) 571013; Fax (055) 570542.

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 51

Jena atouStitS 'SEEK AND YE SHALL

FIND'

Either way the Mana Spirit level is one of the most useful turntable tweaker tools we've come across.

Jason Kennedy. HiFi Choice Feb '90

1990 has got to be the year of the Mana Sound Table. It's as big an upgrade as the ARO was, and at half the price.

Paul Messenger. HiFi Choice. May '90

One could imagine that turntable, arm and cartridge had all been instantly upgraded.

Martin Colloms. Hi-Fi News. July '90

I haven't experienced such a startling improvement through changing a single component for a very long time.

Paul Messenger. Hi-Fi Choice. June '90

The Mana Turntable table seems to have made my deck combine the better aspects of CD with the greater involvement of analogue.

Peter Turner. Audiophile. July '90

The only conventional table recommended by Richard Dunn, NVA Senior. Hi-Fi Review. July '90.

Mana Reference Table (comes with spirit level) £300.00

Mana Sound Table £200.00

Mana Sound Shelf £150.00

Mana Mini Table (approx. 5" high) £125.00

Mana Sound Frame £99.00

Mana Spirit Level £25.00

Prices apply U.K. Mainland only

14 Day Money Back Guarantee

Please send cheque or Postal Order to:

59 Jubilee Close, Pinner, *ma atOUSlitS Middx HA5 3TB

081-429 0118

ON DEM IN KENT Superb equipment from: Michell, Voyd, Systemdek, Townshend, Kuzma, Rega (arms only), Helius, SME, Audionote, Goldring, Koelsu, Milltek, Ortolon, Decca, Audio Innovations, Rose Industries, Audio Technica, Kelvin Labs, Albarry, Sugden, Proac, TDL, Glaston-bury, Snell, Spica, JPW, Celef, Alexander, Ruark, Marantz, Alpha-son, Supra, Kimber, Vecteur, QED, Target, Pirates, Cardas Cable.

PLUS EXCLUSIVELY IN KENT

Conrad Johnson Valve and Solid State Amps and CD Player, Raymond Lumley Valve Monoblocks and Pre-1 Pre-amp, Oakley Preamps, Sonograph pre and power amps, British-built Audiophile products and Sound Lab hybrid and full electrostatic speakers. And in addition:- Basis, Pink Triangle Anniversary and VPI Turntables, Boulder Amplifiers, Diamond Acoustics Loudspeakers and BB Audio and Equinox Phono Stages.

NOW DEMONSTRATING Pink Triangle Turntables, Acoustat Spectra 11 and 1100 Speakers, Chord Power Amps, Meridian 200 Transport and 203 Converter, Dahlquist 008 and 12 Speakers, NRG and MEA Power Amps, Convergent Audio Tech-nology Pre Amp, Cogan Hall Cables and Shure VST-V and Ultra 500 Cartridges.

Acc•

IPROCIRIESSI ÁlliJID110 1M1

Situated 5 minutes off the M2 near Rainhe, Kent, we offer first class no obligation dems here or in the more realistic environment of your own home.

PHONE DAVE ON 0634-389004

Hi-Fi News & Record Review tells you about great speakers you can buy. (Especially when price is no object.)

Speaker Builder tells you about great speakers you can build! (Especially when price is an object.) If you're satisfied to read about electrostatics, ribbons, vented, or closed boxes, subwoofers, horns, T-unes or infinite baffles, that's one thing. But if you want to know what's inside them—in reality as well as in theory, that's another. And if you want to build that speaker of your dreams, knowing why you're doing what your doing every step of the way... well, that's where Speaker Builder comes in, as it has for eleven years.

A quick look at one issue is all it takes to let you decide if Speaker Builder is indeed for you. Use the convenient coupon, or simply call us. If you like it, that great new experience will keep coming. If you don't like it, just say so, and we'll return your money. It's as simple as that.

Please enter my airmailed subscription for.

0 two years (12 issues) at $70 Ill one year (6 issues) at $40 I'm enclosing $ in check/money order Charge to my D Access D Visa card

Exp._/

RIM

Solent.,

Charge card orders also accepted via phone: (603) 924-9464, Mon.-Fri., 9-4. FAX: (603) 924-9467. Remittances in U.S. funds only.

arm& So SpeakerB« L OuDSPE AK J

?

A L

(Please allow up to 6 weeks tor fire 550e1

SpeakerBuikler el f

PO Box 494, Dept. HNO. Peterborough. SR 0345e USA i

THE LOuD52EAKERJOUPNAL

The world's only loudspeaker magazine.

KRELL KPA/KBL PRE AMPLIFIER

With options set to suit the digital

age, Krell's line pre-amp plus

phono section offers the balanced

solution

by Martin Colloms

Times are changing for pre-amplifiers. As Cl) attains audiophile credibility, many new customers

question the need for an analogue disc facility. Alternatively, if an advanced CD system is being added, a new matching pre-amp has to be seen to be 1.P-capable — or the existing pre-amp may be retained as an analogue disc equalizer. Some are eschewing a pre-amplifier altogether, and provided certain matching considerations are handled satisfactorily, very good results can be obtained using just a

passive control unit. However, there is a point where the drive characteristics of high-performance power amplifiers such as the Krell KSA 25 or 150 need to be addressed. Needing to deliver up to 2.5V for full PA output, a control unit typically requires a 3-times gain ( 10dB) for opti-mum use with CD sources. Moreover, these amplifiers have full-performance, balanced input facilities which are best served by balanced cable and a high-performance balanced preamp or control unit. Also, some top-line Cl) systems have

balanced outputs and would similarly benefit from such connections.

Thus the case for the new Krell KB1. line preamp-controller is established. At

£4000, it is a no-compromise line amplifier and matching unit with two fully balanced inputs and balanced outputs. It will condition, match and control under optimum conditions of termination, band-width:source impedance, etc, with a high rejection of hum and spurious RF noise. In this way, state-of-art dynamic range is achieved. In addition, the KB1. accepts another four unbalanced inputs, at the same time offering two unbalanced tape outputs, while it also has unbalanced, or

'single-ended' line outputs. The intention is to set top-line standards whether balanced or single-ended. The facilities include a precision

switched attenuator type of balance con-trol, labelled 'symmetry' with ldB steps, a standard ganged volume control, and a switch for absolute-phase inversion.

Finally, a further switch sets the gain to a low value of 3dB ( x 1.4 ) or 9t1B ( x2.8), thus allowing optimum use of volume control rotation, etc; but these figures increase by 6d13 in balanced mode. With many pre-amps used for CD the normal

NEWS & RE(:()12.1) REVIEV‘" .11'NE 1991 53

volume settings are crowded into the low end of the range, and the moderate line gain offered here is a help.

Some will naturally wish to know if there is an analogue disc facility. Well, if

required, this is available as a self-contained matching unit called the KPA. Costing £3150 and capable of sharing power-supplies with the KBI„ this RIAA unit has been endowed with an unusual degree of versatility. Thoughtful design equalizes both moving-magnet and MON"-ing-coil cartridges, and both may be simultaneously connected while a front-

panel switch alters the overall gain from 36 to 66dB, the latter for m-c models. Another front-panel control allows easy adjustment of pickup loading in eight stages, from 10ohms to I k-ohm, and finally to 47k-ohm for m-m.

To facilitate the tine tonal compensa-tion sometimes required with cartridges, and to some degree granting greater compatibility with a system optimized for a CD source, trimming of the RIAA response extremes is possible. Two front-panel controls provide broad-acting adjustments at the frequency extremes of 2011z and 20k1 lz, with 0.5dB resolution

and a total range of ± 2.5d13. These may be operated while in use without fear of damage. The last control is marked 'balanced' and relates to the KPA's use with a second KPA, providing true balanced input operation for analogue disc. The KPA can of course be used with other line controllers, including passive units, the 66d1) maximum gain being sufficient to drive a number of the more sensitive power amplifiers directly via a suitable passive volume control. The units are handsomely finished in

shades of dark grey brushed aluminium, with slotted black-enamel casework. New blue LED indicators have been fitted which don't glare like the clear green variety that Krell have often used pre-viously. A separated power-supply is used, and the one which powers the KBI. ( and comes with it) may be linked via its

pre-amp to a second K131, or to the matching KPA. Additional power-packs are required for more than two units, while the performance of the KPA may lie enhanced by the luxury of its own power-supply at £500 or so.

Ancillary equipment The following ancillaries were used for the KI)1., KPA and NSA reviews and listening sessions. Speakers ranged from the Apogee Duetta Signature and Stage One to the Acoustic Energy AE3 and the SL700. Reference power amplifiers included the KSA 80B and the ARC C1.120, while pre-amps included the ARC LSI, Conrad Johnson Premier Seven A and PEI designs, plus the Krell KSP-7B and ME

MVX. Cabling was SiItech ribbon, with some silver custom cables and balanced Mandrake. Sources comprised a Gold-mund Studio/T4/Koetsu/Urushi plus a Linnaingo/Ekos/Koetsu RS11. I.ine sources were a Wadia DM64-4/ WT2000, backed by a Meridian 602/606.

Sound quality: KBL line pre-amp The KBI. proved that Krell is continuing to make good progress down the path towards minimal coloration. While a touch of the Krell 'house sound' remained, the tonal accuracy and overall purity of the KBI. made it one of the best line stages ever, and even in the mid-range it offered a challenge to the finest refer-ences. I say even in the mid-range, because it is here that the hint of charac-ter remained, a slightly thickened,

rounded texture, and an almost imper-ceptible closing in of dynamic shading — a trace of 'darkening'. This must he set against an unmistakable degree of excell-ence in so many other areas — for exam-ple, both the bass and treble registers were state-of-art. In the LE range the competition was left breathless by the KBI.'s speed and articulation, extension and grip, and by its open, powerful slam. Excellent bass precision and control were unmistakable. Likewise, the treble showed a smoothness and sweetness which lifted it beyond the norm, while the whole frequency range sounded naturally balanced and integrated, finely coherent. The new Krell also showed major gains

in transparency, and the Klil, may be rated as highly transparent. Love-level detail and ambience were well recovered with seeming effortlessness, supported by very good depth in wide and spacious repro-duction of the stereo image. Recent Krell

pre-amps, such as the still influential KSP-7B, have shown excellent stereo focus and image stability, and the KM. builds on this, adding a further degree of precision and refinement.

Clarity was strong throughout, the unit delivering a consistently high level of detail regardless of programme complex-ity' or level. In this respect it was quite imperturbable. Given the increasing awareness of rhythm and pace, the K111. acquitted itself well in this respect and could easily differentiate between fine multi-bit and bitstream style decoding systems. However, on an absolute basis the Kill. mildly contradicted its supremely confident performance in the bass by delivering less than state-of-art timing and rhythm, and a shade less dynamic con-trast. The overall result was powerful and relaxed rather than upbeat and energetic. Some specialist amplification achieved superior timing, although at significant cost to the overall musical performance as

defined by units such as the KBI, in several areas, such as stereo staging, bandwidth and neutrality. Concerning the various facilities, the

top score of 21.5 was achieved via Source-1 in the Monitor- 1 position, with the gain set to '3dB'. In the 9dB' position some

perceptible hardening and closing in of the sound occurred, although not more than a single point's worth. Provided that top-class cable was used, it was confirmed that the balanced mode of output connec-tion gave the best results with the match-ing Krell power amplifiers, although the single-ended performance was not far behind and did not affect the ranking.

Sound quality: KPA disc unit The KPA stands as one of the most neutral disc equalizers available, inside or outside a pre-amplifier. Of very low noise and with a very wide-open sounding stage, it matched our cartridges well due to its combination of loading and gain controls. Moreover, the fine-tune facility for the response extremes proved useful in bring-ing some models into line, fur example

the HE range of the Monster Genesis. 'Ibe overall sound quality of the KPA

mirrored that of the KB1., and the two complemented each other well. If any-thing, and in the context of available performance, the KPA represents an even lower insertion loss for the audio chain than the KM.. Almost characterless in the most admirable sense, the KPA delivered fine stereo soundstages with impressive stage depth and top-level clarity. Stage width and focus were excellent, and the sound reflected the stability and confide-nce so apparent in this latest Krell series. Where other high priced pre-amplifiers have been incomplete in some respects, I have to accept that the overall perform-ance of this RIAA disc equalizer places it at the top of the list. But one could argue if a new pre-amp at this price level didn't successfully advance the art, then Krell would hardly continue to justify its high reputation.

I commented in last year's Krell power amp reviews that there was no pre-amp available of sufficient quality to exploit them fully. That deficiency has now been

addressed by the KI31.-KPA series, at a level sufficient to partner successfully the newer second-generation power series. NSA 50 etc.

Technology The remote power supply contains an oversized toroidal transformer with its own pre-regulators, and is linked to the pre-amp via a computer grade multipole plug. Separate on-board split- rail regula-tors supply each major stage and each channel. The circuitry is based on a high-performance discrete Class A amplifier stage with low-noise double-differential FET inputs and relatively high-current bi-polar outputs. Those with a true differential input allow for balanced input termination. As is usual, the moni-tor, balance and volume circuitry is single-ended to the double output stage, which generates a bi-phase balanced out-put. The potentiometer is a silky-action model from Spectrol, while channel balance is via switched resistor networks. The disc section has variable gain as

noted above, and begins with a low-noise, complementary input amplifier. This drives a passive RIAA equalizer network,

which includes switched control of the ground resistors to effect mild response tailoring. A buffer amplifier/gain stage follows, since there is an overall loss of 20dB in the passive RIAA network to allow for the necessary LE boost. Top quality metal-film resistors are

used, and the build quality is first class. The amplifier stages run at quite a high

54 111-1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW )I SE 1991

AMPLIFIERS

current and no signal excursion is ever likely to tax the pre-amp. Finally, the

casework is strong and non-resonant, using generous material thickness, and is mainly fabricated from aluminium alloy.

Lab report: pre-amplifier Taking the line amplifier first, distortion was negligible at all levels, including 111; intermodulation. eg - 92dli for 0.5V out-

put. The maximum single-ended output was close to I 2V which tallied with the 60V peak-to-peak claim made for balanced operation. DC-offstas were below the measurement threshold, an important result for the Krell direct-coupled system, while the frequency range extended from below 101Iz to 200k1 lz or so. with a mild ultrasonic rolloff ( Fig I ). Absolute-phase correct, the output provides a very low source impedance of under an ohm, which is ample to drive any conceivable cable length. Volume balance tracking was very good. at better than 0.2d11 over a 60dB range, while channel separation was also very good at typically 90dB. A CCIR' 1111; S,N of 86dB was achieved with 0.5V input on the 'high gain setting, an ample figure for even the best CD sources - and with no hum present in the output. One anomaly was identified, namely a

low and variable input impedance in the singe-ended 'monitor' mode, spanning

7.7k to 9.2k-ohms depending on the volume position, an oddity also noted with the KSP-7B. However. via the normal 'selector' mode the input impedance was fine at 47k-ohms. having traversed a hi-phase amplifier to provide the balanced input. In the listening test a single-ended source was preferred in the monitor

position, since it bypassed the first stage, although the consequences of loading and a small level change needed to be

accounted for.

Lab report: disc amplifier Fig 2 shows the RIAA equalization accuracy, which is extremely good, and the effect of working via 'selector' ( upper

trace) or 'monitor' ( lower trace). With this source the level change was distinctly audible at 0.5dB, and also resulted in a minor response lift at 1011z. Actually, a modicum of RIAA rolloff below 1511z would be more welcome, but the mea-sured fall above 30kIlz is desirable from the point of view of reducing le interfer-ence. The effect of the RIAA 'tone con-trols' may be seen in Figs 3 and 4 for treble and bass respectively. The treble looks straightfiirward, a smooth, broad-acting variation averaging 0.4dB and cen-tred on 10kHz. But in the bass interpreta-tion is complicated by an overall shift of

level to a maximum of 0.35dB. In fact the level at 2011z doesn't change, the whole response simply moving relative to that (Fig 4 ). Ilere the hinge point is at 3011z, so only re,:r low bass will be affectd by this control, and then subtly.

Accurate input impedances were mea-sured as specified, and the disc gain figures of 36 and 66dB were confirmed. Channel separation was nearer 'average'

via the disc input, and sonic asymmetry as evident as regards L-on-R and R-on- I.,

with 70dB a typical value. For a 0.5mV 111F input level, m-c input noise was unexceptional at - 66dli unweighted and -60dB CCIR/ARM, but via the m-m input the figures were fine at - 72dB unweighted and -65dB CCIR/ARNI. No problems were encountered with

input overload or IIF intermod near the overload level via mm. however, on the m-c setting the overload margins were borderline for moving-coil cartridges with a healthy output ( see Fig 5 ). With a mere 8.3dB margin at 20kliz it is fortunate that

recorded modulation rarely increases much above 51:11z. But good overload margins are generally helpful in view of

possible ultrasonic peaks in cartridge response and the spectral energy. of clicks and pops. however, in practice no subjec-

tive problems were tbund, probably due to the zero-feedback passive equalization, which is immune to lock-up and slew.

Conclusion The KPA and KBI. pre-amplifier pair per-formed very well in the listening tests, and while some points of interest were raised in the lab testing, none materially affected the positive outcome. l'he KPA's RIAA equalizer is one of the finest sounding in current production, and is suitable for systems over a price range including the most costly. Perfectionists may add an additional supply or a second KPA, the latter allowing for virtually noiseless balanced input and output operation.

Well matched to the KPA, the KBI, is a balanced-in and balanced-out line control-ler of exceptional sound quality, truly

capable of partnering the latest Krell power amplifiers. The price in undeniably high, but if you have to have this perform-

ance there is really no choice. This duo leaves the competition stand-

ing, and is the best way I know of properly driving the Krell balanced input amplifiers. A firm recommendation. +

KRELL KBL/KPA

NULL I.:MI.1011MR LIM MU/ MIN.@ 0111111.1,1.1

! II II

I t! I 3 4..

,•••

• °`•

Ill I Ili

1'111 I" ! !!!!

i

11 1;

ap'

nab

Fig I. Krell KBLIKPA. npu frequenc:v response in 'selector' mode

Arl.-.10••••••1. fer1,12.-

2 00110

• •

I .•••

' 1,1 ri l

Fig 2. Krell KBLIKPA: RIM accuracy in• 'selector' and 'monitor' modes (upper and lower traces)

WM

• •

2 WO

AD

MX,

Fig 3. Krell KBLIKPA: effect on treble response of RIAA HF adjustment

I•11 100•-1...1. eraa,

IMO

p••

3 NO

• 1.1.

03 Kt II 15,2 13

! .0 !

Ftg 4. Krell KBLIKPA: effect of RIAA LF adjustment

1

'.. ra 1

ea Crl 4 ,. el .

ri 1 I , Il 1

, ' glli L'Ililik ,:

I ' . Jun 1 ; -MA, I ! ilIkii,

1(.1 $ 111.11Pq

i I 11

1

11111

I I

ib I I , 11

p 11111

Fig 5. Krell KBLIKPA: intermodulation spume from 19120kHz tone at 200mV p-p on m-c input

Test results

Distortion I ' gal harmonic distortion rl 05V output. aux input Into-modulation. 19/20kIlz. at 0.5V output. aux input at 11.5V output, disc ( m-m ) at 0.5V output. disc ( m-c)

Noise Disc ( m-m) input ( IIIF. CUR weighted 1

Disc ( m-c ) input ( IIIF. CUR weighted )

Aux/CD input ( 11 IF. CCIR weighted I

Residual, unm righted ( volume control at mull

Input overload Him: I m-m I input I. 111E1

lead Disc ( m-c ) input ( IIIF) AuicCD input ( 111F) Stereo separation Disc input Aux input Channel balance, disc at I kllz Volume/balance tracking Aux

1,111 - 2(k111 -60t11)

Output level ( I 2V max ) Impedance Input data socket type lbw ( item ( phono

I List 1m-c (phono

Aux phono ( hi) t approx • i-k on 'selector'

2011z I kliz -88i1B - eiredB

-92‘18 - 56(.18 ( tor clean output. IlniS (( Nis input)

-65dB ( -2 unwtd, owl hunt )

-61k111 ( umwtd. owl hunt) -86DB ( with 9d11 line gain ) -86d8

20Hz 11(Hz 25.9i1B 25. -dB

15.7dB 15.8dB

201cHz 18 -dB

8.34.111

6S"2(111 65 8 id8 Lit 65‘114 9IkIH ‘Nk.111 81.k1B

ikli1

0 I 0.16 0.15

() 3(111 I I 41V ( 0(10) 0.55ohms

Sensitivity Loading Phase 5.7mV Var up to correct

-17k 1110pEt 0.1>I5triVVar up to correct

4,k'100pFt 195mV 7.7i-9.2k* , correct

Supplier: Absolute Sounds, 52 Durham Road, London SW20. Tel: 081-947 5047.

111-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

OUR COCKTAILS MIGHT SHAKE YOU.

Stocking good equipment is one thing; putting it together to create systems that WORK is another.

At Audio Inc we spend hours experimenting with components to produce combinations which deliver stunning sounds. Our latest concoctions are no exception ... One great new package is the much-acclaimed Kuzma Stabi/

Stogi Reference turntable with Benz Micro cartridge, linked to Croft Series Ill OTL/Super Micro A amps, feeding the new Ruark Crusaders. Smooth, detailed and dynamic.

Small is sometimes beautiful and we've found a gem. Take the Rotel 865 CD player, Mordaunt-Short MS330's and put a Sonic Link amplifier in the middle. Budget magic!

We stock superb equipment from: Acoustic Energy Albany, Alphason, Aragon, Audio Innovatións, Conrad Johnson, Croft, Eminent Technology, Empire, Hunt EDA. JPW, Kuzma, Linx, Luxman. Lyra. Michell, Micromega, Nestorovic, Ortofon, Pink Triangle, PmAc, Proceed, Rote!. Roth well. Ruark, SD Acoustics, Sonic Link, Straight wire, Thorehs, VPI, Wheaton and more...

And for those of you who have just sold the Porsche, the ultimate vinyl experience.

Front end comprises a VII TNT turntable with Wheaton Tri-Planar 3 arm and the sensational Clavis cartridge. In the engine room the peerless Conrad-Johnson Premier Seven A pushing a pair of Nestorovic NA1 Monoblocks, and on the receiving end the immaculate Soundlab A4's. Not so much a system, more a way of life... These are justa few of the hundreds of excellent combinations

which we can demonstrate. However much you want to spend, we can promise some intoxicating sounds.

Call Chris O'Donoghue soon to book a demonstration.

* Just 2 minutes from Hampton Court

* Open IDam - 6pm, Mon - Sat

* All equipment guaranteed

* Major credit cards accepted

* Credit facilities available

44 WALTON ROAD • EAST MOLESEY • SURREY • 081-941-4234

ST15 Capacity 66 videos price £207

CaPacei 9° Cc91459 8,120 LP s Price -

Sfl1 C 270 CD s Price £200

ST1 Capacity 600 LP s price f272

THE PROFESSIONAL SOUND & VISION STORAGE SYSTEM DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER

Whether your collection is records, cassettes, CD's or videos, the ARJAY system is just for you. in fact, at many music studios, stores and libraries throughout the country. ARJAY is considered essential equipment.

Its classic and original design makes the best possible use of available space to provide the ideal storage and display conditions.

You have a choice of the " Record Collection" the "Compact Disc Collection" or the "Video Collection" which consists of units in varying sizes designed specifically for your personal collection. Additionally, the "Combination Collection" has three different sized units, designed for your mixed collection of records, tapes and CD's. Either way ARJAY has designed a unit for your own requirements.

You couldn't put your music collection in better hands.

CONTACT JULIE ON: 081-390 2101 or send the coupon below to:-

ARJAY Ltd. 54 Lower Marsh Lane, Kingston, Surrey KT1 38.1.

Pease send me THE ARJAY Sound Storage System brochure.

Name

Address

•

All prices are ex-works and inclusive of VAT Tel no

POINT COUNTERPOI

AMPLIFIERS

Bargain-hunting and high-end per-formance may seem mutually exclusive terms, but certain brands

have always placed realistic pricing high on the agenda. Most amusing is that the most cost-conscious of all are the valve amp producers, who continue to create some sensational bargains. In this country we have Croft, Audio Innovations and Concordant among others, while the USA has Lazarus, Audible Illusions and Coun-terpoint to carry on the Dynaco tradition. With the exception of Counterpoint, all

of the above are either cottage industry or a cut above; Counterpoint, on the other hand, has grown to big boy level. At least, that's the impression I get from the company's advertising. You don't adver-tise with full colour pages in American magazines when your company is tiny. To accomplish growth when you hap-

pen to be making tube or tube-hybrid products, you have to reach a larger part of the market than that consisting of solder-heads who hang around hi-fi shops and quote magazines chapter and verse. God bless 'em, but there just aren't enough lunatic fringe audiophiles around to support all of the specialist brands. So what does it take for products as esoteric and non-mass-market as valve gear to appeal to a more casual buyer? Two things have always characterized

Can a move upmarket still mean

value for money? Counterpoint

leaves the bargain basement with

its entry level pairing

by Ken Kessler

Counterpoint products. The first is that the products look modern and expensive, enough not to induce techno-fear into those who would eye a chassis bearing exposed valves with something akin to sq,spicion. The second is that Counter-point has always offered affordable pro-ducts, whatever the company may have in the upper reaches of the catalogue. The flip-side, though, is that Counter-

point always wore its compromises on its sleeve, and the price you paid for smart-looking, good-sounding gear was more than the sensible number on the bottom of your receipt. The lower-priced Coun-terpoint models, in my experience, were poorly constructed, noisy and often unre-liable. But the fine sound meant that you put up with it. After all, the poor construc-tion only affected your ego, the noise could be ameliorated with severe tweak-ing and the unreliability usually involved

T••

minor servicing, like the odd naff tube sneaking through the QC programme. Now there's a new generation of small

models to replace such gems as the near-legendary SA-7 pre-amp, to my mind the closest thing yet to a modern equiva-lent of Dynaco's PAS-3. The current entry-level Counterpoint pre-amp is the SA-1000. It shows that Counterpoint paid heed to the charges laid against the '7, related to tube ringing and microphony so bad that you could use it as a substitute for an old valve Neumann.

SA- 1 000 pre-amp The SA- 1000 starts out by not cramming everything into a small chassis. Sleek though the '7 may have been, it couldn't have been too comfortable for the tubes to be lying on their sides in a shallow chassis. In the SA- 1000 they stand upright, with plenty of breathing space. It also allows for a less cluttered fascia, though I must admit that the slighty asymmetrical hodge-podge and undersized controls favoured by the company help neither the aesthetics nor the ergonomics. The SA- 1000, from left to right, offers

the essentials and nothing more: a source selector choosing between one of two phono settings and three line sources, a tape monitor switch, balance, volume, mute and power on/off. No complaints

111-H NEWS & REC()RI) REVIEW JUNE 1991 5"

AMPLIFIERS

here, as that's all you need, though I wouldn't have minded a polarity inversion switch on a product from a company which championed the facility. The only unusual facility is the choice of phono settings, the unit arriving in a high gain mode ideal for the majority of m-cs. To configure the SA- 1000 for the low

gain setting, for high output cartridges, you simply remove a couple of internal shunts which connect pins on the circuit board behind the input selector. This activates the low gain setting while deacti-vating the high gain option. Counterpoint feels that keeping both active would

degrade the sound, so the user makes a choice. One other option is available to phono users who don't like 47k ohm loading for m-cs. Two sets of internally positioned sockets will accept loading resistors should you wish to tailor the sound to best suit a m-c unhappy with the factory setting.

At the back are high quality sockets which accept the various source compo-nents, plus outputs for tape and 'main out' and an earthing post for phono. Aside from the phono adjustments, the only effort demanded of the SA- 1000 beyond basic hook-up is the installation of the

three valves; removal of the lid for this procedure presents the perfect opportun-ity for setting the phono section, ideal if

you don't want to keep removing the lid. The valve complement consists of a pair of 12AX7s and a single 6DJ8, clearly identified and easy to fit.

Details which make the SA- 1000 a more 'real world' proposition than the SA-7 include the hybrid line stage which mini-mizes tube ringing, the aforementioned 'big box' topology and a superior selector switch which shorts out unused inputs to eliminate crosstalk. A pleasant surprise for those moving from an SA-7 to an SA- 1000, in addition to owning a pre-amp which you can touch without sending a thump

or ringing through the speakers, is the presence of an auto-muting circuit which eliminates the clicks and pops that made you feel a 'Kellogg's' logo would have been a more apt decoration for the fascia.

Circuit details, reflecting the hybrid nature of the design, include solid-state regulation (good for extending tube life) and a MOSFET in the line stage to buffer the main outputs from the line valve. The SA- 1000 uses triodes for all amplification stages, with the pair of dual-triode 12AX7 in the phono circuit and each half of the 6DJ8 providing line stage voltage gain for

each channel; a MOSFET supplies current gain. A capacitor prevents DC from

reaching the outputs. ( Chorus of deep sighs of relief...) The power supply con-sists of a high voltage winding off the transformer for the main amplification stages, with a low voltage winding to supply filament voltage, all fully rectified. The net result is a pre-amp which, well,

behaves, something which I found stag-gering considering the ornery nature of its predecessor. It will drive long leads with-out difficulty, it runs cool enough to survive with a gap of only two or so

inches above it and warm-up is remark-

ably quick, the unit reaching optimum performance level in 15-20 minutes.

SA-100 power amp Housed in the same 408x113x322mm (whd) chassis as the SA- 1000, the SA- 100 seems tiny for an amplifier delivering a very real 100W/channel into 8 ohms. Then again, it is a hybrid, so we're not looking at something which has to contain four or eight 6550s. Instead, it uses four 100W MOSFETS per channel for current amplification, but lubies' still get their glow-in-the-dark goodies. The SA- 100 employs four 6DJ8s for all

voltage amplification and driving the out-put stages. The output stages feature the MOSFETs in a complementary-symmetry Class AB configuration, with high bias broadening the SA- 100's Class A range. As a result, the unit runs warmer than its MOSFET heritage might suggest, but it's still cooler running than either an all-tube design or a pure Class A device. The output stage is not included in the

feedback loop, and the amp seems insensi-tive to nasty loads. Star earthing is utilized, and an auto-muting circuit keeps this unit as thump-free as the SA- 1000; a two-colour LED, which switches from red to green after one minute, indicates readi-ness. New -to Counterpoint and featured in the SA- 100 is a copper-plated steel chassis to improve shielding and to short-circuit eddy currents which might find their way back into the audio circuits. The LED and an on/off switch are all

you find on the front panel, while the rear contains phono sockets and proper bind-ing posts for the speaker wire. Installation is straightforward, with only the fitting of the four valves to prevent straight-out-Of-the-box relief for those lacking patience. The SA- 100 reaches optimum perform-ance in minutes rather than hours.

In tandem With a variety of CD players and analogue sources to hand, it was easy to determine that the SA- 1000 retained all of the SA-7's virtues while eliminating its foibles. More telling would be to find out how it mated with the SA- 100 and to find if the SA- 100 bettered the earlier SA- 12. So, being poised to try the pairing with a variety of speakers, I was able to run the Counter-points through the Celestion SL-700 Spe-cial Edition, the TDL 0.5 and £20k's worth of JBL Project K2. And the first thing I learned was that headbangers will not be disappointed.

However compact and reasonably priced the SA- 100, it behaved like a behemoth in the small Krell league. But it lacked finesse when asked to perform like something more musclebound, so it would be wrong to portray it as packing too effective a punch. When used to provide sensible levels, it

complemented the SA- 1000 so perfectly that I soon abandoned matching either piece with other components. The Audio Research SP- 14 revealed the SA- 100s limitations, while running the SA- 1000

through the Aragons into Divas showed that the Counterpoint pre-amp lacked some delicacy. Oh, and the Aragons showed the slightly less-expensive SA- 100 what the difference is between mid-dleweight and heavyweight. But sticking with all-Counterpoint electronics for the heart of a system costing between £3500 and £4500 seemed somehow more appropriate, because you can load the results to be whatever you want them to

be if you persist with mben'match. Judged as a pair, the Counterpoints

excel in detail retrieval and soundstage presentation. This seems to be a Southern California speciality, and it more than compensates for the lack of finesse at high levels. Because Counterpoint has learned how to eliminate background hash and grain, the new models are capable of far cleaner, clearer low level sounds. The Counterpoints sound a bit less lush

that their predecessors, but the presence of valves prevents a surfeit of transistor-itis. It's a boon for CD-based systems, with

both the CAL Tempest lnd the all-transistor Marantz CD- 12 still sounding more like analogue than they might. So far, all is about par for the course, but

I must say that even I, a notorious mid-band fanatic who cares little about the bottom-most octaves, found the sound a bit lightweight, and nowhere was this more evident than with a pair of JBLs containing no less that four 14in woof-woofs. And I was not the only listener to note this on the bigger systems. As far as matching is concerned, I'd rather hear the SA- 100 driving TDL 0.5s or Sonus Fabers or SL-700s. Truly wide-band speaker sys-tems will reveal the minor deficiencies at the bottom, while the smaller systems will keep you blissfully unaware. At the other end of the frequency

spectrum all is well, the Counterpoints sounding sweet and tube-like, but with quick transients and no smearing. But the undernourished bottom end creates an impression of top-end prominence, so be careful not to audition the Counterpoints with speakers 'on the edge'.

Somehow, Counterpoint has managed to replace the SA-7 with a vastly better device for only £898. I say 'only', because the price is far lower than an SA-7 would cost if one hadn't done anything to it beyond adjust for inflation. The same goes for the SA- 100 power amp at £ 1425. Again, the price increase over the SA- 12 would barely cover the changes in the economy, so the company should be congratulated for offering such notable gains at such reasonable prices. The only fly in the ointment has to do

with the market rather than the Counter-

point components per se. They just hap-pen to occupy an upper-middle sector which is perilously close to the lower reaches of the high end. With that in mind, I can say that the Counterpoint package is something of a bargain if you're looking to spend £2000-£2500 and the budget is fixed. But scraping up another 20% will open up an entirely different set of possibilities. -IL

58 111-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

V1KTORIA Mt JI LOVA

Settled in the West,

a violinist in cool

command of her career

by Christopher Breunig

Viktoria Mullova's courageous bid to escape the manipulated life for prac-tising Soviet muscians (now it has

changed, and 'there's no-one left in Russia') was the subject of a television documentary, tracing her arrival in the States in 1983. Had she and her colleague been caught, the offence would have meant prison and the end of a career. Except that Mullova is adamant that she bad no career until coming to the West.

After two years she won her first record-ing contract with Philips — the Sibelius and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos. 'My first record with the Boston Symphony Orches-tra. I had just one session on each concerto. I didn't know anything about recording.' Nowadays she enjoys the recording pro-

cess and the way in which you can listen to the sound production. Whereas concert hall acoustics can obscure subtle nuances, lost even with a supportive orchestra, 'In the recording studio you can do even crazy things!'

This month, Philips release a coupling of the Mendelssohn E-minor concerto — ' It's a very hard piece, because it is all so clear and light' — with the early 1)-minor. She didn't much like that work at first, then found that it seemed to please audiences. ' It's nice. It seems that people do enjoy it'. But having recorded it, Viktoria Mullova is not sure that she'll be performing it again.

Similarly, she's dropped the Paganini First, which she also did for Philips — and had mastered at 12. She took that up because it presented a technical challenge. With maturity, she finds the technical

problems more, rather than less easily solved. Even so, adding a new piece to her repertory means careful study, setting the music aside, then resuming work on it. Only after testing herself in concert performances does Mullova think it appropriate to record.

'It is important not to rush. You have to make recordings when you feel the pieces are ready. I can run anything through in two weeks, if I really need it. But...' Her most impressive concerto coupling

was released in 1989. That too was made in London: Shostakovich's First Concerto and Prokofiev's Second, with the RP() under Previn. ' It [ the Schostakovich] is very deep and inside. There are very strong feelings but they are all hidden. It's very expressive — the music is not like the Prokofiev, where a lot more is happening. It's got lots of pain, deep pain.'

Today, Shostakovich's writing is seen as very political, concerned with repressive forces. 'Yes, you can hear this in his music, in the first movement: the tragedy.' But, per-sonal to him? 'You can take it any way. For him it was a great tragedy.' What was going on around him? 'Exactly.'

INTERVIEW

In an earlier interview you were critical of David Oistrakh's later recording. You found it 'rather feeble'?

'You know, I have discovered another recording, with Mitropou/os, which I had not heard. It was made when Oistrakh was younger. It depends on which record — the same with Kog,an's Brahms.' [She was a pupil of Leonid Kogan at the Moscow Conserva-tory when she won the 1980 Sibelius Com-petition at Helsinki. At the time of our interview Viktoria Mullova had ben rehearsing the Brahms concerto, and we had touched upon Kogan's admirable 1960 EMI recording under Kondrashin.]

Viktoria Mullova does not play the Shosta-kovich Second. though she acknowledges it as 'a good work'. She does play both Pro-kofiev Concertos, but prefers the G-minor for its intimacy — 'Especially the second movement. Wonderful'

Exploration of 20th-century work stops for the present at the Schoenberg Concerto, which she is learning — no fashionable Schnittke. The Alban Berg is also in prepara-tion. 'That doesn't mean I can go on stage and play it. It is quite easy technically. compared to the Schoenberg. No compari-son really.' The Schoenberg Violin Concerto is difficult for audiences, too. 'Because it is not played well. If someone is struggling...' It cannot be done, Mullova argues. with limited rehearsals and it is very hard for the orchestra She rejects the suggestion that agents

exert pressure to perform more popular repertoire.

'No, no. I decide it. Nobody pressures me, actually. Sometimes it is difficult ( butl now I can afford to say no, and to choose which concerts to play. Not to play too much.' Even so, her schedule of 70 concerts a year she thinks is too much.

Viktoria Mullova would Father play five or six different concertos in the year, even though it would be easier to repeat just one. First performances she finds tense then it eases up. Would she vary her interpretation according to the accompanist? For example, playing with the Berlin Philharmonic then

the Philharmonia? She says no, her view of the music would be constant. You look very relaxed on the platform,

very calm. 'Do I ? How should I look? Should I shake?' Yes, tremble and make lots of mistakes! 'I do make mistakes and I am very nervous, too. If it docsn't show... but what did you mean calm?' Just your manner. 'Yes. I don't move much.'

It is in England, or the 'cold countries,' she says, where her playing is considered by some critics to be cold. 'Strangely enough, never would they say this is Italy, or in France or in Germany.' I think we like to put names to people — to

say, oh, she's the ice-maiden. 'Yes, I scream at this.' ] But she concedes

that this negative tag may even work in her favour.] 'Then, I have always sold-out con-certs in England, so who cares!' As a child she learned violin because the

family apartment was too small to accommo-date a piano; anyway, a violin was cheaper. For the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition which she won, Mullova was able to borrow an instrument from the State Collection; now she has a 1723 Strad purchased at a London auction. She had hated the competi-tion system, yet it was the only choice for a Soviet artist.

After her debut record, Philips released the Four Seasons. Last year's outstanding recital programme with Bruno Canino was of 20th-century music, but her first solo disc offered JS Bach, Bartok, and Paganini — odd bed-fellows. The range, apparently, was deliberate: three big pieces written for unaccompanied violin. In time, Viktoria Mul-lova would like to record a complete Bach edition. Nothing immediate seems to be planned but one might hope for the Bartok 2 and Stravinsky Concerto. She would not use other recordings as a

means to study a new work, but admits if she heard something effective 'I might steal that!' +

PHILIPS DISCOGRAPHY

SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto/TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto (Boston SOlOzau,a) 416 821-2 VIVALDI: The Four Seams (COB/Abbado) 420 216-2 Recital —is BACH: Partita in B, BWV1002, BARTOK: Sonata/PAGANINI: Introduction & Variations (unacc) 420 948-2 PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto 2/ SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concerto 1 (RPO/Previn) 422 364-2 Recital — PROKOFIEV: Sonata in D, Op.9-iai RAVEL: Sonata/STRAVINKSY: Divertimento ( from the ' Fairy's Kiss') (iv. Bruno Canino, pno) 426 254-2 MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concertos see 'Record of the Month'

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 59

Excellence within reach . . . conrad-johnson

PF-1 FET PREAMPLIFIER / MF-200 MOSFET AMPLIFIER

1,JDIOLL3 -;1 1.1 le) ! I ti :?< 7

15 Link Way, Ham, Surrey TW10 7QT. Tel: 081-948 4153. Fax: 081-948 4250

El

PHONE 0474 560521

FAX 0474 3337E2

P. M. COMPONENTS LTD SELECTRON HOUSE SPR1NGRE_AD ENTERPRISE PARK

SPRIPiGHE_ACI RD. GRAVESEND, KENT DA1 1 MID

TELEX 916371 TOS-PNI

I- 11!1-I Valves ‘>.

Golden Dragon Special Quality Hi-Fi Pre Amp

Valves 12AT7A/E81CC 4.95 12AU7A/E82CC 4.95 12AX7A/E83CC 4.95 6DJ8/E88CC 7.95 E F86/6267 7.95

Shuguang Golden Dragon Matched

Special Quality Power Tubes

(38C15/EL84 6.95 per pair 6CA7/EL34 15.00 per pair 6L6GC 15.00 per pair 6550A 32.00 per pair KT66 20.00 per pair KT88 39.50 per pair 211NT4C 45.00 per pair 845 49.50 per pair 2A3 39.50 per pair

Siemens Valves ECC81 E81CC PCC88 8201/E81CC E F86

3.50 5.50 2.50 6.45 5.50

Mullard Special Quality E8OCC 25.00 E81CC/6201 6.45 E188CC/E88CC 8.50 E182CC 7.50 E288CC 17.50 ELM 4.50 EL86 2.75 M8136/ECC82 7.00 M8137/ECC83 7.95 M8162/ECC81 5.50

British 'RAF' Military Spec.

CV2492/E88CC CV378/GZ37 CV2975/EL84 CV4085/EF86 CV4003/E82CC CV4004/E83CC CV4024/E81CC

Teonex Valves 6DJ8/ECC88 6SN7GT 12AT7/ECC81 12AV7/ECC82 12AC7/ECC83 EF86 KT66 EL34 61468 PL519 GZ34

6.50 4.50 4.50 7.50 6.50 6.50 4.50

1.50 3.15 1.95 1.50 1.85 3.50 5.00 4.50 9.50 4.85 4.50

Please ask tor any tube not listed Trade enquiries welcome.

How to buy. You may phone our sales desk 0474 560521 124 hour answering service) and order by credit card or send your order with cheque/postal order and we will despatch all en stock items the same day.

UK orders p&p £2.50 per order. Please add 15. VAT to prices shown E port orders welcome, carriage at cost.

General Electric USA Range

6CA7/EL34 6CG7/6FG7 6DJ8/ECC88 6L6GC 6LF6 12AT7WA/6201 12AU7A/ECC82 12AX7A 12BH7A 211/VT4C 6080 6146BM298A 6550A 7027A 7308/E88CC 758/A/KT66 7868 8417

11 50 4.95 3.95 10.50 14.50 6.50 3.95 6.50 6.50

25.00 9.50

15.00 16.95 13.95 8.95

11.95 11.95 11.95

T HE PENTACHORD LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM

Compact, versatile, beautifully finished - a truly full range speaker for lovers of good music. The miniatures are made of real wood (oak or ash): the matching low bass unit can be sited anywhere in the room.

Pentachord Loudspeakers

49 Rusholme Road, London SW15 3LF

Telephone (081) 788 2228

ego 7

F AN ADVERT Ïs IN PRINT, S IT PROPER?

Most advertisements are perfectly proper. A few are not. The Advertising Standards Authority not only monitors over 850

advertisements every month, it ensures compliance with the rules in the strict

ASA

Code of Advertising Practice. So when you question an advertiser. thev have to answer

to us. 'lb ilnd out more about the role of the ASA. please write to Advertising Standards Authority. Department X.

Brook house. lbrrington Place. London WC1E 7HN.

Is donated In the Interests or high standards In athertlaentento

01 I 111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

INTERVIEW

With the process of democratisation well under way in Czechoslovakia, Chandos became the first Western

company to sign an exclusive contract with the legendary Czech Philharmonic Orches-tra and their newly appointed Musical Direc-tor Jiii Belohlávek. We can expect four CDs per year over the next four years from this source and the repertoire covered will be as adventurous as ever...

After graduating from the Prague Academy of Arts Bélohlávek studied con-ducting with Sergiu Celibidache. What, I wondered, did he gain most from the great Romanian conductor's tutorship?

'I would say that he entirely changed my studying habits and my whole attitude and approach to music. Celibidache's approach was and is based on a detailed and very profound analysis of the musical stucture of any piece. The way he insisted on a know-ledge of the smallest details and how they are adopted into the structure as a whole was something I had never come across before. He also demanded that we studied really hard and intensively — up until then I had honestly found my studies quite easy-going and light! — but his teachings affected me profoundly and will stay with me for the rest of musical life'. He has a reputation as a demanding figure,

hasn't he? What about his outspoken views on the whole concept of recording?

'Well, yes, he absolutely rejects records. For him music is an art which cannot be identically repeated. Every next attempt is a new creative action. Yet to my mind the benefits of conserving individual interpreta-tions on record are obvious — with them one can create a better overall picture of any given work, I feel.'

Staying with conductors for the moment, I read somewhere that Kubelik had con-ducted in Prague recently?

'That's right, he did Ma Vlast for the beginning of the Prague Spring Festival — the first time he had returned to Czecholovakia in forty years. It was such an emotional occasion and he admitted afterwards that the whole experience had helped him to recover physically, to regain his strength and energy after his long illness. We hope and pray to get him back to do more things with the orchestra — it would be really marvellous if we could tempt him back.'

Talich, Kubelik, Ancerl, Neumann and now yourself — you must of course be aware of the tremendous tradition you inherited.

'Yes, not only fully aware but sometimes I feel a bit shaky about the responsibility which I have been given, as well as a great joy and excitment of course. k's up to me to maintain this spirit of excellence, this herit-age which is in the orchestra's bloodstream, and which now has been handed down to me. You know, concerts are all very well, but the rehearsals are where the really hard work is done. The concerts arc like the pinnacles, but you must keep the founda-tions in good working order!"

Tell me more about the Chandos contract. Well, for the orchestra it is very exciting.

Despite all our records for Supraphon the commercial exposure of the Czech Phillhar-monic has been very low in the West, but now, with the help of Chandos, that should all change. Initially we will be concentrating on building up a distinguished collection of some of the most important Czech reper-toire; but at the same time we will be balancing this with recordings of non-Czech repertoire such as Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, a Ravel Daphnis, a Hindemith

LIM BELOHLAVEK

New Musk Director of the

Czech Philharmonic — under

an exclusive recording contract

with Chandos

by Andrew Achenbach

collection, and so on.' I noticed that the first disc contained Josef

Suk's enchanting Fantastic Scherzo. There will be more Suk, presumably?

'Yes, that is one of our prior commit-ments. His Fairy Tale and the Serenade for Strings will be coupled together on one disc, for example.' And what about this masterpiece Asrael? 'You know, we were down to rehearse

and record that piece over a three-day period, but President Bush came to visit our country and the castle where we normally rehearse was in use! But don't worry, it will definitely happen soon. It's such an amazing piece, still not really played enough; although in Britain the audiences do seem far more receptive to this music than in other countries. I know that Libor I Pesekj has played this piece in Liverpool for inst-ance. l'he Czech Philharmonic has tried many times to promote Asrael — we played it in Vienna, for example, where it had a good response, but not an ecstatic one. It would also be nice to eventually do the later pieces like Ripening but it's all a matter of time. One of the things we have agreed with the Chandos management is that from an artistic point of view the ideal results always come when a recording is tied in with a previous public performance — this never used to happen with Supraphon — and the whole orchestra is very much looking forward to making recordings this way.' And then there's Martinu, of course. 'Yes, I have already recorded a lot of his

music for Supraphon, from the very early

Czech Rhapsody to the very late Parables and Estampes. These, as well as the opera The Miracle of Our Lady, have appeared already and the reviews were very enthusias-tic. In addition we have done all the Piano Concertos, the Rhapsody from 1928 and the Overture from 1954 — not great music perhaps but still very fresh and enjoyable.' There is an awful lot isn't there? People

complain that he simply wrote too much. 'You know, in my opinion this is not a

matter to complain about! It just gives you more opportunity to choose what you think are the best pieces. For me the Sixth Symphony is the best of the cycle, closely followed by the First. The First will be on the next • Chandos release coupled with the Double Concerto, The Fourth is also wonderful, whereas the Fifth is more diffi-cult for the listener. I think — it's a very personal work, written especially for the Czech Philharmonic. And we have also already recorded his Field Mass which will be coming out later.

'I suppose my love for Martinu's music goes back to the days I sang in a chidren's choir and we often sing his Cantata The Opening of the Wells, a lovely, lovely piece, full of patriotism and homesickness. Then later at the Prague Academy I studied cello and played his three sonatas for that instru-ment — splendid pieces, all of them.' So when can we next expect a visit to

these shores? 'I will be touring Britain with the Czech

PO in the autumn of '91 as part of the Dvorak Festival [ jointly planned by both Belohlavek and Pesek to commemorate 150 years since the composer's birth I. and we shall also be appearing at the Edinburgh Festival. You know, touring has always been a very important part of the Orchestra's existence — they travelled abroad frequently with Mr Neumann — but from now on we will be able to tie our tours in with the new Chandos releases, and this extra publicity is something which we are naturally very excited about.',/-

111- F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 61

ve tee etuseess \oc D lees acvc \'\erteS 0\ ekee0te, \le\ 00SOC\

‘1‘.‘

eeeeb'e\-ee ''\1 see Ceere er\ eieee C#0‘‘ VÇ)4

etee e Wes\ °).6leee. e2's cee

es,

see 1,199 6..1:9191;3** S.155 egc151;:s)..

7:1\2;,'solt;",eestemodese eliteitsf,?;.:::E l,i1:9:5ne691err S1199555.

see

t.,.4,:i5f3. • f>,%ese. e• • '' rike,(05,),, See

see

¡lee

S159.195

••••Cg. Stl‘9119155535;3;

Pffira. e ,, tee

s••••,3 çm,,,•••• tePeel

09 re t ;

•

te ,e e te

ec.%s

s ecie 'Jeep Og el cas\

ocr, • . o q 51% jee• • \\'i.

0 ÇL 2

:5i19'14:5;5.';t51:11,5i. £;'1':21e ?g„'Iccg0

5e) °" oce\Obo

ces e"e oe\ezate

see zeezeo egg

Dee ?0> ófe, Dec,

ee e 6)9,

• • 3 Sex, Ohre05

e S. 69 95 6119e

•Jr. Woe see L•11. See 1US

0 955 S1995

S21995 1A.Caopuctso\

1 0°/0

See 0.-me sew

eeee .655

S17595'0 06915 Sike 95 15.6.14691\ • • 055

^,e \ tee • .• See. 019::".„

see t2949

S,99 G11955

•

t•Pieo S.19 95e

9

g5s tee • se

eoe SE59e

Sill149,35,35; S16955

gee

S.

toe tee see tee sloe

S7.19 95 G199 e. •

slew • 10els

enCose a ceeicaelcatd No. Vieri Date

Nacee Petess

G599 e

ç.-•

S.699 ç.• q.'3 S149 95 ç.'30

09 95 See S.169e tee gee se% e eapeoue see v7; see g), aee çrs, Ge9 55 0. 15e9 ° S.699 •-• G199 95' • ec) S • tee. •

tee see ,

see 0955 L249 e g) 09955 SO, Gee • •

e S149 95'S0', S13915 SS), S,119 95,SO, G199 e ,ço

• adoel,e4 erepees see e• Se 199 e •

C»?. te c,2e- e

%\5,c,:''''e see CbZ,51,e t1195e'

C..G'C S219 55.

0300 I e‘ No:

THE HIGH END When it comes to the truth of tonal accuracy, depth, detail, dynamics but most of all real music, the items listed below are a selection from our comprehensive range of the very best equipment available that approaches this goal. Most of these items are

used by audiophiles and reviewers worldwide as a reference standard by which others are judged.

BASIS 1 r — Now accepted the world over as possibly the most accurate and ,i , most musical turntables ever produced. Also they are possibly the easiest to set up and the most reliable. Built from solid - -••••! acrylic and lead composite, their appearance is stunning. The Ovation The Debut Gold Standard

CONVERGENT AUDIO Now used in the States as a true reference pre-amp by many top reviewers. The depth and ét. fl,

TECHNOLOGY soundstage, detail and clarity and most of all musical involvement cannot be beaten. SL1 Reference

If you have been through all the transistor amplifiers and still feel M •F•A• something is missing then we talk the same language. Valves... and I.•

the MFAs are the best we've heard so far. The M200s are an le. excellent match for our Diamond Acoustics Reference I s. Offering dynamics, detail and depth like no other valve amplifier we have . Models available

ever heard. 75-200W triode The new Magus preamp is now in stock and has beaten all our other switchable

References at the mid-price level.

Isl•R•G• The sound of valves is not everyone's choice however, so if you prefer the sound of solid state, the NRGs will surely please. The NRGs are the best of the Moss-Fet designs we've come across offering first-class reliability with a 5-year GT and sound to match.

Models available

2-400W Pure ' Class A

SOLEN We are fully aware that some of the above may not be within everyone's reach so the Solen range may help. Internationally they are

Models available - VALVE recognised to be as good as some top-rated equipment at up to ten Classic B35,

times the price. Maybe not quite so powerful but breathtaking in their Tiger B50,

HYBRIDS musical qualities. Caruso B100

DIAMOND ACOUSTICS. ENSEMBLE. ACOUSTAT Speakers are personal. We think that our own designed Diamond Acoustics Reference Is and 2s are the best you can buy, well we would wouldn't we. They are, however, a little special, offering an incredibly spacious and detailed sound, powerful and dynamic. The Ensemble are recognised the world over for their tonal accuracy and they do not take up much space either. The Acoustats are a

superb range of electrostatic loudspeakers. The 11 and the I 100 being hybrids with an integral bass box, the 2200 and the 3300s

being full range. If you like the sound of a panel loudspeaker, then these have got to be incredible value for money. Diamond

• •

Acoustics Acoustat Ensemble

COGAN—HALL The cable controversy ever reigns. Some manufacturers say that cables are not that important. Others say

that if if the rest of the system is 100% then you don't need special cables. That's a bit like putting two-star "' petrol in a Rolls-Royce. The Cogan- Hall cables are one of the best cables currently available but not the most expensive. They are made from copper tubes and so have twice the surface area. These cables are

used worldwide by many top reviewers. I believe these cables are the single biggest improvement to any

system without changing a component part.

—c.-

Interconnect and speaker cable

available in most lengths

We have just taken delivery of a few SHINON red cartridges and matched with the

STOP PRESS GRAHAM arm and BASIS turntable we have again lifted the performance of analogue to new heights.

REFERENCE IMPORTS SPECIALIST DEALERS REFERENCE SURREY HI-FI — GODSTONE, SURREY 0883 744755 CHANTRY AUDIO — NOTTS 0777 870372

DORCHESTER HI-FI — DORCHESTER 01062 64977 ZEUS AUDIO — BELFAST 0232332522 BRENTWOOD MUSIC CENTRE — ESSEX 0277 221210 LINTONE AUDIO — GATESHEAD 091-477 4167 INIPORTS PROGRESSIVE AUDIO — KENT 0634 389004 AUDIOCRAFT — UXBRIDGE 0895 53340

ART OF MUSIC — CORNWALL 0566 86649 THE RIGHT NOTE — BATH 0225 424334

ACOUSTIC ARTS — WATFORD 0923 245250 HIGHLAND ANALOGUE — INVERNESS-SHIRE 0381 DOUG 20655BRADY HI-F1 — LONDON 071 179 4010 AUDIOSUITE — ABERDEEN 0224 625635 HEATHFIELD SUSSEX MUSICAL PREFERENCE — NORFOLK 0953 789 562 0435 868004

HI II \I a5 • It! ( ORD RI 5 11 55

RECORD REVIEWS CLASSICAL

BANTOCK

6- Celtic Symphony etc ( Handley

BEETHOVEN

67 Piano Sonatas Opp.101/106 ( Rangell)

BELLINI

6' La Sonnambula ( López/Cobos )

BERLIOZ

68 Childhood of Christ ( Inbal)

BOITO

69 Mefistofele ( Patané)

BRAHMS

68 German Requiem ( Gardiner)

68 Violin Concerto ( Kennedy/Tennstedt)

BRIDGE

69 Three Idylls ( Brindisi Qt)

BRITTEN

69 String Quartet 2 ( Brindisi Qt )

BRUCKNER

69 Symphony 4 (Abbado)

DAVIES (Maxwell)

69 Martyrdom of St Magnus ( Rafferty)

DEBUSSY

70 Piano works ( Tirimo)

70 Chamber works ( Nash Ens)

ELGAR

"0 Symphony I etc ( Slatkin)

'0 Enigma etc ( Dutoit)

GIUEG

71 Piano Concerto etc ( Andsnes/

Kitayenko)

HAYDN

-1 Symphonies 85/86 ( Wolff

I Symphonies 90-92 ( Goodman)

- I Symphonies 94/95 ( Hamoncourt)

HOIST

69 String Quartet I (Brindisi Qt)

KABALEVSKY

72 Violin Concerto ( Mordkovitchjarvi)

KHACHATURIAN

69 Spartacus ballet suites (Jarvi)

72 Violin Concerto ( Mordkovitchlarvi)

LISZT

- I Piano Concerto 2 ( Andsnes/Kitayenko)

MENDELSSOHN

'a- Violin Concertos ( MullovaIMarriner)

MESSIAEN

72 alogue d'Oiseaux etc ( Hill)

MOZART

'2 Symphonies 19-23 ( Mackerras)

72 Musical Joke etc ( Orpheus CO)

'2 Violin Concertos K216/219 ( Keulen )

72 String Quintets K174/406 ( Orlando Qt/

lmai

"2 Piano Quartets 1/2 etc ( Muir Qti

Collard )

-2 String Quartets K464 465 ( Berg Qt)

'3 Violin Sonatas K3---3-9 ( Perlman/

Barenboim)

-; violin Sonatas K301/305 3--

Davishlack)

-3 Piano Sonatas K281 284 292 545

( larrocha )

"3 Songs ( Kirkby/Hogwood)

-3 Exsultate, jubilate etc ( Mathis/Klee)

NIELSEN

73 Hymnus Amoris etc ( Segerstam/

Parkman)

74 Violin/Flute/Clarinet Concertos ( various/

Schonwandt )

74 String Quartets 1-4 etc ( Nielsen Qt et al)

£14.50

PALESTRINA

74 Missa Assumpta es Maria etc ( Phillips )

PENDERECKI

-4 Polish Requiem ( Penderecki)

POULENC

74 Piano works ( Roge)

PROKOFIEV

74 Classical Symphony etc (Stephenson)

75 Cinderella suites (Járvi)

SIBELIUS

75 Violin Concerto (2 versions )( Kavakos'

Vanska

TELEMANN

7 5 Die Tageszeiten ( Schafer)

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

75 Symphony 9/Piano Concerto ( Shelley/

Thomson)

COLLECTIONS MASSES by TALLIS & SHEPPARD

76 ( Guest)

OPEN AIR- BERLIN NO

76 ( 8 composers, Barenboim )

ENGLISH MINIATURES

76 ( 7 composers, Hickox )

THE ALDEBURGH RECITAL

76 ( 4 composers. Perahia)

REFLECTIONS BACH

-- Italian Concerto etc ( Gould)

BEETHOVEN

7 Symphony 9 etc ( Szell)

HANSON

77 Symphonies 1/2 etc ( Hanson)

MENDELSSOHN

77 Symphonies 1-5 ( Sawallisch)

MOZART

77 Keyboard Concertos 5-2- ( various,

Gardiner )

PROKOFIEV

7' Romeo & Juliet suites ()kw°

SCHUBERT

77 Trout Quintet etc ( Demos et al)

ROCK/POP/JAZZ

GERI ALLEN

'9 The Nurturer

THE ALMIGHTY

79 Soul Destruction

AMBIENCE

80 Never Been There

ATOM SEED

81 Get In Line

BARRISTER

79 New Fuji Garbage

KATHLEEN BATTLE/JESSTE NORMAN

84 Spirituals in Concert

ELVIN BISHOP

84 Don't Let The Bossman Get You Down!

BLUE RODEO

"9 Casino

PAUL BRADY

'9 Trick Or Treat

JOSE CARRERAS

79 Hollywood Golden Classics

JOSE CARRERAS, KIRI TE KANAWA &

OTHERS

79 South Pacific

CAL COLLINS QUARTET

80 Ohio Style

WILLIE DIXON

84 Hidden Charms

THE FIXX

80 Ink

GALLIANO

84 In Pursuit Of The 13th Note

GREEN ON RED

80 Scapegoats

GENE HARRIS/PHILIP MORRIS

SUPERBAND

81 World Tour 1990

SCREAMIN'JAY HAWKINS

84 Black Music For White People

HELLOWEEN

81 Pink Bubbles Go Ape

VINCENT HERRING

81 Evidence

SHIRLEY HORN

84 You Won't Forget About Me

HUAYNOS & HUAYLAS

81 The Real Music Of Peru

MICKEY JUPP

81 As The Years Go By

ALIAS RON KAVANA

84 Coming Days

ALBERT KING

84 Red House

LINDA GAIL LEWIS

BEST OF THE MONTH Bantock orchestral works

Nielsen Concertos

'English Miniatures' _

67

I 73

76

81 International Affairs

DAVE LIEBMAN FRANCO D'ANDREA

81 Nine Again

LIME ANGELS

79 Young Gods

NILS LOFGREN

84 Silver Lining

TAJ MAHAL

82 Mule Bone

MEZCIA

80 Fronteras de Suenos

BOB MINTZER

8-a Art Of The Big Band

MATT "GUITAR" MURPHY

84 Way Down South

NINE BELOW ZERO

84 On The Road Again

NINE INCH NAILS

81 Pretty Hate Machine

THE 03AYS

84 Emotionally Yours

MIKE OLDFIELD

82 Heaven's Open

ORB

84 Orb's Aventures Beyond The Ultraworld

THE PRAYER BOAT

82 Oceanic Feelings

REM

82 Out Of Time

ROACHFORD

82 Get Ready

KANE ROBERTS

82 Saints and Sinners

THE ROLLING STONES

82 Flashpoint

ROXEITE

84 Joyride

IABI SIFFRE

84 Man Of Reason

ROD STE1VART

83 Vagabond lion

OKAY TEMIZ

83 Misket

THIS MORTAL COIL

83 Blood

VARIOUS

84 Hardcore Uproar

JOE LOUIS WALKER

84 Live At Slims Vol I

WALTER WOLFMAN WASHINGTON

83 Sada

MARGARET WHITING

83 Margaret Whiting

HA« WILLIAMS

83 The Original Singles Collection

TORSTEN de WINIŒL

80 Master Touch

80 liumanimal Talk

Will

84 WWII'

THE YARDBIRDS

83 On Air

83 Little Games

INFORMATION

CLASSICAL REVIEWS are based on the Compact Disc, unless indicated • (LP). The catalogue number is followed by total playing time, and equivalent LP/MC (Musicassette) numbers. €() = monophonic recording. (a) indicates date of first UK release, eg, on LP — now CD, or LP reissue. ROCK/POP/JAZZ REVIEWS are based on the LP, unless shown: CD. Equivalent MC number is given in brackets. (NB. Musicassettes are not reviewed in HFNIRR.) RATINGS Recording and Performance are separately graded as a summary of each review. In Rock/Pop/Jazz the numerical rating also reflects musical content. An additional star — A* or I* — denotes outstanding quality. (e) Hi-Fi News & Record Review

Recording: Performance

A I Veal/ Good 2 Good 3 Moderate

D 4 Poor H H Historical

I II- El NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 1,9

Your Hi-Fi choice

ORO AUDIO Of MARS ASSOCurriOM

THE ULTIMATE IN SOUND ADVICE

lopi* Reading

READING READING

HI-FI CENTRE

•

• elkGuildford

Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON HAMPSHIRE AUDIO

GUILDFORD PJ HI-FI

3 IN THE SOUTH Each store is a prominent independent

BADA member, and offers a minimum

of 2 single speaker demonstration

studios and 17 years of specialised

hi-fi sales and service. The stores

are totally independent but share

the same enthusiastic dedication and

professionalism giving you guidance and

unrivalled expertise.

Each store has in common 10 significant

quality manufacturers — ARCAM,

AUDIOLAB, CELESTION, CREEK, LINN,

MERIDIAN, NAKAMICHI, PROAC, QUAD

and ROTEL.

Each store offers a selection from KEF,

MICHELL, MARANTZ, MUSICAL

FIDELITY, REVOLVER and ROGERS but

also has its own chosen favourites such as

DENON, MONITOR AUDIO, NAD, REGA,

RE VOX and SONY.

VISA

RE.1111g HI»FI CENTRE

4 Queens Walk, Broad Street Mall, Reading, Berks. RG1 7QF Tel: 0734 585463 Opening hours: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Thurs 10am-7pm. (Closed for lunch 2pm-3pm except Sat) Open Mondays during December

di a 3 Bridge Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4RY Tel: 0483 504801 Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

HAMPSHIRE 'DI°

8-12 Hursley Road, Chandlers Ford, Hants. SOS 2FU Tel: 0703 252827 & 265232 Opening hours: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Thurs 10am-8pm. Closed Mondays except in December.

•

reviews CLASSICAL

BANTOCK: Celtic Symphony El The Witch of Atlas 11 The Sea Reivers D A Hebridean Symphony RPoiliemd/ei, Hyperion CDA 66450 ( -3m 30s ) also MC

There's obviously a keenly imaginative, fasti-dious musical mind at work here. Despite an overriding impression of heady sensuality. scoring is always lucid, with countless exam-ples readily revealing the composer's textu-ral mastery. Take the beautifully luminous string euphony at the trance-like — I was even reminded of Gorecki! — start of the Celtic Symphony ( 1940), rapturously real-ised by RP() strings, by the way, or long stretches of The Witch of Atlas, which contains writing of notably inventive, ear-tingling piquancy — in fact, considering the composition date of the latter ( 1902) how many other contemporary British figures ( Elgar apart, of course) were writing with comparable confidence and bravura tor such outsize orchestral forces. I wonder? And yet, despite many incidental beauties

and sonic thrills along the way. I remain essentially unconvinced. What bothers me most about Bantock's music ( even after repeated hearings ) is a dearth of real distinc-tion and personality, as i‘ ell as a worrying tendency towards rhapsodic aimlessness — especially true of the Hebridean .Symphony of 1913, which for much of the time sounds like a superior soundtrack for some Scottish Tourist Board travelogue. It follows, then, that the best thing on Hyperion's well-filled survey is the dashing seascape 7'he Sea Reivers ( 1917 ), an exhilarating three-and-a-half minutes spent in the swash-buckling company of a hand of Hebridean pirates.

Still, for all my initial doubts ( and bearing in mind my long-standing affection for Ban-tock's touchingly garrulous tone-poem few at the Fair — in Beecham's magical 1950 recording), I for one fully intend to persevere, a prospect made doubly pleasur-able by a superbly committed RPO response under the tireless Vernon Handley, and by

another Tony Faulkner 'spectacular': ema-nating from a helpfully reverberant ( and undisclosed ) venue, this is stunningly natu-ral sound, state-of-the-art indeed. [A*:1]

Andivre.lchenbach

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in A, Op.101 D in e, Op.106 Andrew Range!, (pno) Dorian DOR-90143 (73m -43s) Conifer

Op.101(i): Schnabel 3m 58s. Kempff 3m 35s; Gilds slower at 4 ID I 2s; Rangell 5m ¡ Ss. And what are those horrible accents in ( ii ) created by lengthening the opening semi-quaver ( bars 0, ends of 8a, 11 )? Why the drastic slowing, after some awkwardly negotiated trills 16-18? Turning hack to ( i ) we find two unmarked ritards in 2. -I, every harmonic resolution underlined, the pace slowed again — even more so when Beeth-oven is foolish enough to suggest mollo espress. Now the big discovery fie Mr Rangell is clearly that not only did Beeth-oven want the big chords at the climax aepeggiated but that he did not intend to write Etwas IchhaW , a little lively ( as Tovey has it), hut 'a little sleepy'. The Vivace is riddled with dips and lunges. harmonies 'meaningfully' caressed; its trio needless to say is ' tin peu triste' then accelerates off only to falter all over the place in its continuation section. 'Ah... So.... sighs the pianist, reaching the pause-marked domi-nant close: Allegro finale, 12. At the climax of the fugue ( a delicately spread totally unwanted arpeggio) once more: 285 ) the I. 'R hands are unsynchronized at bar- lines. lest you should fail to grasp their independence.

It's clear that we have another member of — what did Max Harrison say? — the New romantics'. The pianist here has as full an understanding of the Hammerklavier as Brendel, Gilds, hut he lacks the self-control to project that understanding. Often the sound per se is beautiful, the rubato luring — until it crashes over the edge, fraying one's patience. Take a few examples from

Op.106(ii): it's obvious that Beethoven brings the even piano line to an abrupt close at forte (6/7). why labour its humorous gruffness? Why slow so much in the dimi• intend° 35-39? The point is made by the dynamics. Do we need all the jiggery-pokery to tell us something occurs at 46/47 — are listeners then deaf to the change to Ulf triplets? And ( finally ) why cannot Tempo / after the Prestissimo he simply that? ! Key the Cl) back to the beginning: it's faster! Op.106 Adagio: Kempff 16m 27s,

Schnabel 17m 56s, ! Eschenhach — longest of all. at 2--im 16s1, Rangell 21m -#85 — Dorian's last track starts, exceptionally. at the Allegro risobao. This great slow movement almost conies off but a persistence in luftpausen, occasional desynchronizing chords for emphasis and an unhelpful lack of distinc-tion between triplet- semiquavers demisemiquavers (cg 33. 35) mar this. Things go well at the difficult area from 85; suddenly ugly spread L'H chording appears at 95. From 113 right through to the final ppp is good, with some luminous sonorities effective in Dorian's recording, though Rangell's pacing isn't really convincing. Taken as a whole, though IA:41.

CbriSlOpbCr BreUllig

BELLINI: La Sonnambula Aliberti/Aler/Ellero dArtegna/Ch & Orch Deutsche Oper Bolin/López-Cobos BMG/Eurodisc RD 69242 (2C1)s. 123m)

This recording was made during two con-cert performances given at the Deutsche Oper in February 1990 ( apparent Is the first Bellini at that theatre for nearly thin) years). There is no perceptible audience noise, though the final applause ( 1m 13s) is deemed worthy of its own cue-point. The soloists are recorded too far forward for my taste, the chorus too far back. Otherwise the sound is clean and fresh. The performance enshrines the usual

damaging cuts ( second verses all go ) hut is nevertheless very decently sung and played.

RECORD OF THE MONTH MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concertos Vikffiria Mullova ( v1n)/ASII'Marriner Philips 432 077-2 (-Om 36s)

A point that Viktoria Mullova wanted to stress in our conversation ! interviewl was how much she had enjoyed the recording collaboration with Sir Neville Marriner here. Certainly, the Academy sounds more engaged in the E-minor Concerto than when they recorded it with Joshua Bell Deccal — not just a matter of timings, although Bell/ ASM is longer by I m in each of ( i X ), or of acoustic: the Philips sessions ( St John's, Smith Square) yielded a far more satisfting result than in Decca's thick-sounding Abbey Road Studio 1 production. There's a very slight glassiness of tone or nervy attack in the first minute or so ( Bell is particularly strenuous in his accentuation here) but quickly the performance settles into one of the most appealing on records. 'Ibis is partly because Sir Neville is so attuned to her essentially cantabile style ( listen to the subtlety of expressive phrasing in the open-ing measures, before the warlike orchestral antis). The central section of the Andante fades with exquisite tenderness, as Mullova

resumes her silvery thread of melody she seems to have all the time in the world for measured inflections and refinement. Has that middle section, with its ostinato, or near-trill figuration, ever sounded so bliss-fully secure? The listener might well pause before ( iii), to reflect on such wondrous quality. But, if the finale's vivace swings along with capriciousness and elegance, that is nothing in comparison with the corres-ponding movement in the concerto com-pleted when Mendelssohn was only 13. Simply marked Allegro. this is a Paganini-like piece combining infectious dance rhythms, gypsy cadenzas, and darting orchestral sec-tions covered in a myriad embroidery of rapid notations for the soloist's mercurial fingers and bow. According to Philips, Mul-lova learned the work especially for the recording; her accomplishment is breathtak-ing. l'he sensitivity she brings to the young composer's innocent Andante covers its teenage uncertainties with seeming total acceptance. ( Never on this record do you feel that Viktoria Mullova plays a note with self-regard. ) If only she were to be seen in e London more often! IA:11

Christopher Breunig

I II-FI NEWS & RR:ORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

Lucia Aliberti's Amina, far from effacing memories of Callas, actively reminds one of that singer, both in inflection and occa-sionally even in timbre. Callas is. of course, a good model to take, and there is artistry in Aliberti's shaping of line and delivery of coloratura. Her 'Ah! non credete is disting-uished, and she crowns it with a splendid *Ah! non giunge'. Despite weak diction, this is an involving interpretation. John Aler's Elvino is thin and tense in

tone, and indeed characterless at the top of his range, but he moves around the notes well enough, bringing out the neurotic unappealing side of the young landowner, rather than his incipient charm. Francesco Eller° d'Artegna conveys well the maturity of Rodolfo and is in general excellent. Equally enjoyable is Jane Giering's plaintive lisa, a strong attempt at a difficult part that is often overlooked. There's nothing much wrong with the orchestral and choral con-tributions ( except, again, diction), and ICfpez-Cobos shows himself sensitive to Bel-huts lyricism. So why all the insensitive cuts? If this was Mozart, there'd be an international outcry. The booklet has nothing of value in the

way of articles, and stage directions are completely absent from the libretto. The booklet and case display a ghastly repre-sentation of Amina sleepwalking, naked apart from a flimsy see-through nightie, which must qualify for the Most flick). CD Booklet Coter of the Year award. [8:1/2]

George Hall

BERLIOZ: L'Enfance du Christ Zimmermann (sop)IAler ( ten)/Schulte (bar)/Dean. Kong (basses)Ilamburg NDR Ch/Cologne Rad Ch/Frankfurt RSOlInbal Denon CO-76863/64 (2CDs. 90m 36s)

Following hard on the heels of Cleobury's Gothically spacious Childhood (April p.82 ), this further instalment in Denon's Berlioz cycle faces severe competition from that version and from Davis's classic 1977 recording. It differs from both in taking 6m Itss overall, which might suggest a perform-ance without languors; yet while Inhal does indeed serve the thrust and drama of Herod's Dream and its appendages in Part 1 of the Trilogy with great effect, he seems to relapse at times into something near to tedium in the more subdued parts of the subsequent, more 'devotional' episodes. This also tended to happen in his Requiem, and while I continue to admire Inhal's ability, at best, to achieve a suitable Berliozian fervour, he seldom matches Davis. fie instance, in maintaining a sense of rhythmic poise regardless of the music's pace. The Child-hood is arguably the most difficult of Ber-lioz's works in this respect (q. those long, isolated notes preceding the Epilogue, a bridge between the human and divine which can all too easily collapse if not properly tensioned) and of course a great deal depends on the soloists. The vocal team here is generally compe-

tent and well-matched, with Stafford Dean doubling as Herod and the Ishmaelite father, and John Aler as Narrator and the Centurion. Margarita Zimmermann's Mary and Eike Wilm Schulte's .loesph are convincing. hut Philip Kling's Polydortis is let down by a very wobbly vibrato. As is usual with Inhal. everything seems to have been tackled with great care, while the recording team have set out the forces in a very pleasing fashion, with nothing ever unduly thrust fürward. Choral contributions are effective, and while

the angelic passages cannot match the rever-berant distancing achieved in Cleohury's King's College Chapel. I was generally very impressed by what Denim have managed here within the Alte Oper's acoustic. So. fine sound but a variable performance. 1A:1/2/3]

John Crabbe

BRAHMS: Ein deutsche Requiem Charlotte Margiano (so/))/Rodney (bar)1Montererdi ChlOrch Rérolution-naire/Gardiner Philips 432 140-2 ( 65m 48s) also MC

Essentially an extension of the EBS. John Eliot Gardiner's new 'Orchestre Revolution-naire et Romantique' will allow him explora-tion of the later repertoire with appropriate orchestral timbres. In this first such exercise he seeks to replace 'Wagnerian sostenuto' by a more accurate, sharply coloured palette — his booklet note makes particular reference to horns, oboes and timpani. The disc also introduces two new solo singers. This may be seen as the antithesis of the late-Karajan style: whose 1983 Vienna Musikverein recording is, incidentally, now reissued on one CD 1DG 431 651-21. and is 10m longer in duration, corresponding only in ( iv). But Gardiner sensibly makes no claim to sup-plant great 'orthodox' recordings ( which must undoubtedly include Klemperer's own Deutsche Requiem with Philharmonia forces). Gardiner's interpretative cues come from contemporary writings (Joachim), and the fact that Brahms, 35 at the time, was then studying compositions by Schütz, Handel and JS Bach. The first example of the Spring-like

radiance of this reading comes at 3m 19s with the words 'reap in joy', the Monteverdi Choir tautly focused ( albeit beautifully recessed in Wilhelm Hellweg's St Jude's, London production). There's nothing puny about the big funeral march crescendo with trombones and timpani in ( ii), 'All flesh', but the flowing middle section has an intimate, almost ethereal quality. The chorus 'How lovely are. has a smoothness reflecting the long relationship held between conductor and singers. Of the two soloists, the baritone has a voice finely suited to sacred music; the Amsterdam soprano is given a comparatively

diffused balance — there's an urge to raise the correct replay level in ( v). Conscien-tious singing but... well, pedestrian: a less remarkable debut. Hear how the quality lifts as Gilfry enters once more, how the senses

to his unbroken legato line at 'entschlafen' ( 1m 29s- 38s). Unlike Karajan, Gardiner shares with Haitink and Klemperer a persuasively flowing tempo in ( vi ) for the text ' For here we have no continuing city'. The bursts of energy in the latter part of( vi ). with its choral fortes, and the tempo rela-tionship of the final counterpoint suggest to me a more comprehensive grasp of Brahms than was shown in Gardiner's Beethoven Mass in D. And the corresponding fugue from 6m 2:7s in ( iii) is just as effective. It's all very much in control, and the sopranos' bright clarity at the beginning of the closing movement even seems to bring us hack to that opening climax from ( i ). warmly round-ing out the work. One's overall response is that Gardiner satisfies all the demands we have come to expect of the Requiem: it's spacious, there's nothing freakishly ' revolu-tionary', simply none of the sorts of viola-tions that Norrington perpetrates. or the preposterous idiosyncracies that litter liar-noncourt's work. [A:1*/2]

Chrislopherlireumg

BRAHMS: Violin Concerto Nigel kennedr 0,110/1.PDTennstedt EMI CD NIGE 3 ( 45m 54s) also I.PiMC

For EMI to match their enfant terrible with Klaus Tennstedt — a conductor of determina-tion and genius — must have seemed the perfect commercial solution. Musical aspects on one side, it should restore the 'credibility' Nigel Kennedy was said to he sacrificing for popular acclaim. But in the event, it strikes me that he becomes secon-dary to the will of his accompanist in his new Brahms recording — in a way reminisc-net of the Ferras/Karajan ( I); ). Let me say at once that producer Andrew Keener and his engineer Mike Clements have balanced the solo violin against orchestra with impecc-able taste — a promotional sampler I received in advance of the complete record-ing suggested a bass boost to the finale, like a pop recording, but this anomaly does not

68 111-F1 NEWS & RECORD RUN'IEVU JUNE 1991

reviews CLASSICAL

feature here. This movement is taken at a normal tempo; indeed I thought some of the final pages over-animated by Tennstedt (cg the triplet figures at 327-8, 331-2 — sensa-tionalized?). And Kennedy's p leggiero play-ing is frequently very beautiful here. Quite marvellous is David Theodore's

oboe solo in the Adagio: as fine as his IPO predecessor Leon Goossens's with Kreisler/ Barbirolli. The pacing of ( ii). though, is very slow, even without consideration of its relationship with ( i). But it is the exceedingly slow first movement which makes this issue hard to recommend. Most critics have suggested that Kennedy is wholly culpable. The evidence suggested by timings, comparing Tennstedt's earlier Elec-trola recording with Ulf Hoelscher ( 1980), leads to a different conclusion. Precisely 3m longer overall, ( i) is now 20% slower up to the soloist's entry, with the passage before the leaping figures f marcato even more lingering. Almost everything Kennedy then does is consistent with that flexibly extended lead-up. Agreed, the lusingando [intimate — lit. 'flattering'] passage around 220 is desperately slow ( soloist as it were manoeuvred into this position), but the trough leads this time to the soloist taking up the dotted motif, and a quickening of pulse. Yet, whatever rationalizations one produces, it must be said that Kennedy is very rhapsodic, and that whilst the LPO's playing is magnificently clean, and Tenn-stedt's heroic concept patently sincerely held, after some 300 bars the listener wearies of it — so much to take in yet the Brahmsian peaks still seeming to stretch endlessly before us.

Like Milstein, Heifetz and Kreisler ( whose cadenza is played by Menuhin, and in Hoelscher's recording), Nigel Kennedy devises his own first-mvt cadenza, rather than deferentially performing Joachim's. It's a mostly satisfying reworking of material from the movement, nicely improvisatory in feel, but with some banal linking elements which I hope will become superseded with time. At least with this artist you feel confident that his interpretation of the work will grow, and not remain in stasis. In later years Kennedy will surely differentiate those passages requiring less expressive weight, in order to create a proper sense of forward movement. Even in a comparably spacious version, such as the Menuhin/Furtwângler Lucerne recording [ EMI] — though that is actually 4m 20s quicker in ( i), 2m 04s in ( ii) — there is a sense of continuous flow, largely due to the quicksilver responses between soloist/conductor, Menuhin clearly operat-ing with the greatest of confidence in that partnership. Here, it seems that Kennedy's determination to match Tennstedt has resulted in a waywardly protracted, ulti-mately insupportable account, especially of the opening movement. IA:2/(3)1

Christopher Breunig

BOITO: Mefistofele MartoniTakács/Dom ingo/Tedesco/Rwney/ Hz ngaroton Opera chorus/Hungarian State Orchestra/Patané Sony Classical CD 44983 ( 2CDs. 139m)

Though one might not place it among the best, Boito's Mefistofele is certainly the most ambitious Italian opera of the 19th-century, even more so, one assumes, in its original five-hour version ( 1868), now no longer extant, than in the shorter revision ( 1875-6 ). In cutting his work by half Boito reduced it to a kind of Italian Scenes from Goethe's

'Faust', and dramatically there are definite holes in the fabric ( the end of the Witches' Sabbath is inconclusive). As a composer he demonstrates a real if part-time talent. There are large swathes of unsatisfactory music in the opera, when a kind of deadness takes over ( parts of the Prison Scene, for inst-ance). But the imaginative sweep of the Prologue in Heaven is astonishing ( this was a favourite piece of Toscanini's), and with its panoply of choral and orchestral forces and off-stage brass, its almost Mahlerian evoca-tion of cosmic vistas and vast spaces, it makes an unforgettable impression ( and is superbly captured here, with a wonderfully broad range of dynamics). Nothing there-after quite lives up to it, though there are good episodes, such as the lyrical and witty Garden Scene. But the earnest, even ponder-ous nature of much of Faust's music makes him a less human figure than either Gounod's or Berlioz's hero. Domingo recorded this role in 1974 for

Rudel, and if he is now slightly more effortful his is still a well-managed performance, replete with some fine lyric singing. Less successful is Eva Marton's Margherita, and quite how a Turandot and Elektra hopes to convince in this music I don't know. She misses the vulnerability of the character by several miles simply because hers is essen-tially a 'Don't mess with me, fellas' kind of voice. It is not what is wanted. She has more luck with Helen of Troy ( the sheer lux-uriance of her tone is a help) but it's still hardly sensuous. There is in any case no reason why the same singer should tackle both parts; or indeed ( as here) either. Another inappropriate bit of casting is Sergio Tedesco's Wagner; he's supposed to be Faust's pupil, but sounds like Domingo's grandfather. Tamara Takács's Dame Martha is, appropriately, rich and ripe. The raison d'être of the set is, I suppose,

Samuel Ramey's Mephistopheles. Ramey has been the lynchpin of a number of successful revivals of the opera, and clearly revels in the opportunities it presents for an over-the-top portrayal of wickedness at its most cocky and attractive ( as did his predeces-sors, notably Chaliapin). He gives a good, old-fashioned performance and one that is undeniably effective. There is energetic, well-paced and inherently theatrical con-ducting from the late Giuseppe Patané, securing superb playing from the Hungarian State Orchestra in what was his last perform-ance in the studio ( though the Hungaroton Opera Chorus sound stretched and occa-sionally out of focus).

In sum, an opera that does not live up to its promise in a performance of some qual-ity, splendidly recorded. Good booklet. [A:1/3] George Hall

BRITTEN: String Quartet 2/BRIDGE: Three Idylls/HOLST: String Quartet 1 Brindisi Qt Conifer CDCF 196 (55m 25s)

A beautifully turned, excellently prepared reading of Britten's ever-compelling master-piece. In the endlessly rewarding Finale the Brindisi employ a welcome degree of expressive freedom, although the scamper-ing spirits in the Scherzo have darted more eerily elsewhere. Perhaps in the final analy-sis it's all a shade too under-projected — to my way of thinking there's not quite the sense of overwhelming authority which the Amadeus [ Deccal display in abundance; nor do they bring to this score the same cumula-tive intensity ( to say nothing of the fearlessly

wide dynamic range) of the Britten Quartet on a recent Collins release. A thoroughly likeable account nonetheless — I've already replayed it often. Truthfully engineered too. The second of Frank Bridge's Three Idylls

has gained a certain fame as the source of the theme for his talented pupil's masterly Varia-tions Op.10, and it forms the centrepiece of a charming triptych. As always with early Bridge the workmanship is impeccably solid, the inspiration touchingly direct: the Brin-disi perform these lovely miniatures with exquisite grace and refinement. Gustav Hoist's daughter Imogen was, like

Bridge and Britten, a composition student at the Royal College of Music, and her First Quartet from 1946 displays impressive craft. It's in just two movements: an attractively eventful Lento with variations followed by a bustling, vigorous Scherzo. Lively playing once more. A useful debut disc. [A:1].

Andrew Achenbach

BRUCKNER: Symphony 4 VPO/Abbado DG 431 719-2 (68m 39s)

It would be misleading to describe Abbado's as a personal view of the symphony because that might imply wilful manipulation of tempo. In fact the essence of the interpreta-tion lies in Abbado's giving himself time to mould phrases without losing impetus. He achieves this by adopting extremely slow basic tempi and sustaining them firmly. This is probably the slowest recorded perform-ance that I have ever heard — to take Klemperer's famous Vox recording as a yardstick, Abbado is precisely 33 1/4 % slower overall. [Though only 12 1/2 % slower than Klemperer/EMI! — Mus Ed]. There is no doubt that Abbado joins the

'big league' ( Biihm, Jochum, Karajan, Klemperer, Wand) of recorded Fourths, yet there are some arguable aspects. For exam-ple, Robert Simpson perceptively describes the start of the slow movement as 'a plain marching tune' and when the atmosphere darkens he calls it 'a cortège', but since Abbado's speed is so far below Bruckner's prescribed Andante quasi Allegretto, the movement is more a ' meditation' throughout.

Orchestral playing is generally magni-ficent and a rare, tiny flute error during the repeat of the Scherzo seems almost gratify-ing, since it does not occur on its first-time statement. It must be tempting to dub those huge Bruckner repeats and I have yet to be convinced that such a thing never occurs. Abbado's glowing, weighty textures are

well represented by the tonally gorgeous recording, although weightier underpinning by double-basses might have enriched it further and, especially in the first movement, timpani seem held back. Abbado seems to prefer using these instruments as 'organ pedals' and underplays their military charac-teristics. A noble reading in which it is possible to

overlook the unusual breadth and revel in the golden sound. [A:1/2] Antony Hodgson

MAXWELL DAVIES: The Martyrdom of St Magnus Music Theatre Wales/Scottish Cham Opera Ens/Rafferty Unicorn-Kanchana DKP(CD) 9100 (72m 16s)

There was a time when it seemed that Maxwell Davies had cornered the market in intense, psychotic music-theatre. In many

NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 69

ways his Eight Songs for a Mad King remain the grotesque melodrama to which other contributions to the genre aspire. Certainly the small ensembles which the 1960s' Davies made such a feature of his work can on some level be considered an anarchist (or perhaps anti-Christ) equivalent to the orderly progressions of Britten's Parables for Church Performance. The present work also takes a Christian

story as its starting point; but it is certainly not a Christianity that Britten, or indeed anyone steeped in Anglican orthodoxy, would recognize. Davies's is a harsher, even pagan world, in which magic, rites and ritual have just as great a force as any sombre eucharist.

It is this element of wild, almost hysterical intensity that the ensembles here catch so well. At any moment one feels the world could collapse into a screaming cacophony of uncontrolled terror. Davies is a master of claustrophobia: he packs so much intense emotion into such tiny spaces that one almost longs to get free.

It is managed by a mixture of heightened melodrama, which ultimately is the inheri-tance of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, and a capacity for ironic stylistic parody — as when a group of 'reporters' start giving us an account of events in impeccable journalistic and musical jargonese.

It would be dishonest to say the results make pleasant listening. But then, they are not meant to. Those whose only desire from music is that it should transport them to some distant never-never land will no doubt give this and similar offerings a miss. Those with courage, however, may find themselves richly rewarded by a dramatic experience of rare and vivid intensity. The final Miracle scene is moving precisely because the com-poser has created such a hellish environ-ment that divine intervention is the only way out. The recording is a trifle dry; but this

emphasizes the event's almost hostile intimacy. Good luck! [A:11 Simon Cargill

DEBUSSY: Piano Works (Vol.1) - 12 Etudes D Estampes C L'isle joyeuse Martino Tirimo (pno) IMP MCD 14 (71m 20s)

Amazingly, we are already spoilt for choice where recordings of the Debussy Etudes are concerned. Time was when this incompara-ble masterpiece ( together with Ravel's Gas-pard, the most deeply imaginative of all 20th-century piano compositions?) lan-guished in obscurity, dismissed by critical orthodoxy as dry and academic. Today, there are intriguingly diverse offerings from Mitsuko Uchida ( Philips), Garrick Ohlssohn (Arabesque) and Gordon Fergus-Thompson (ASV), to name but three, though — unforgiv-ably — Gieseking's treasurable if fallible account ( EMI) remains unavailable. And now there is another performance to

add to that distinguished list, one as personal and absorbing as any. All these interpreta-tions are alive with novel insights beneath a deceptively urbane surface, with a keen sense of 'voicing', of striking textures. har-mony and rhythm. Tirimo is truly witty and engaging in the mischievous and radiant transformation of five-finger patterns in ( i) (he should prove an excellent guide in the no less adroit reworking of fundamental problems in Dr Gradas ad Parnassunz) and shows a rare sense of the eerie play of light and shade, of an almost Spanish passion and luxuriance beneath a deceptively noncha-

lent and Gallic surface, in He shows greater repose than the hyper-active t chida in ( iii) and is innately lyrical in ( iv). In ( v) (octaves) he is much less virtuosic than. say, Pollini ( whose Festival Hall account will apparently be complemented by a DG recording), modifying its energy with a constant awareness of underlying mystery and poetic impulse. In ( vi ) the melody is. for once, strongly etched as marked, and the result is haunting as well as vivacious. The Eighth and Tenth, surely the gems of the set. are deeply reflective, and in directions such as un pochettino rubato, pp and subito, armonioso ( Etude ix ) Tirimo is richly inclu-sive. In ( xii) the accent is thrown to and fro, the basic 3/4 intricately shifted to avoid all monotony; and if the central lento molto rubato is less insinuating than from 1,chida or Ohlssohn, all these performances nonetheless suggest an uncanny insight into Debussy's interior and mystic-ally fluctuating world. Tirimo's view of L'stampes is, again. daringly free and luxuriant, yet beautifully true to the text — light years away from the dry literalism that passes for authenticity in so many traditional French circles. Lisle joyeux, too, is hardly less alive to the music's energy and sensuousness. I have already heard the complete Pre-

ludes ( Vol.2), finding them every bit as revelatory. The recordings are beautifttlly natural; and Tirimo's accompanying notes are, most interestingly, as direct as his performances are subtly indirect. [A:11

Bryce Morrison

DEBUSSY: Violin Sonata El Sonata for flute, viola and harp D Syrinx for solo flute D Cello Sonata C:1 Les Chansons de Bilitis Delphine Seing (reciter)/Marisa Robles (hrp)/Nash Ens Virgin Classics VC 791 1482 (68m 21s) also MC

Nothing to cavil at seriously here. These are all finely accomplished, thoughtful perform-ances, and the concert as a whole should give great pleasure. Individually there are perhaps stronger accounts of each work available: sensitively as Marcia Crayford plays in the Violin Sonata, she has not quite the fabulous assurance or silky purity of tone of Oistrakh I Philips] or ChungiDeccal— the latter forming what I can only describe as an inspired partnership with Radu I.upu. Simi-larly. I would not rate this latest version of the Sonata for flute, viola and harp above the Melos Ensemble's famous recording from the early 'sixties, which displays a deftness, textural transparency and sense of fantasy still unmatched to this day. However, Christ-opher van Kampen and Ian Brown do make a very strong showing in the wonderful Cello Sonata, rivalling even Rostropovich and Brit-ten ( Decca again) in their mercurial response to this enigmatic piece's daunting range of moods, and the chansons de bilitis are intoned with proper heiratic grace and car-beguiling refinement. Thoroughly atmos-pheric, warm-toned sound too. [A:11

Andreu,Achenbach

ELGAR: Symphony 1 D In the South LPOISlatkin RCA RD 60380 (73m 36s)

When Slatkin chooses to be slow in Elgar, he is — as usual — very slow indeed, but ( also as usual ) I remain convinced. It's a question of co-ordination: if you start with in the South, you'll find very few deviations from the basic

vigorous tempo, as Elgar establishes it, right through to the second principal theme (poco meno mosso. Fig.I 3 ): Slatkin manages to convey the right feeling of nobihnente, lazgamente, even in the wistful duet for clarinets. without slackening the pace. On the other hand, of course, the First Sym-phony's Adagio is consistently slow, with room for all the incredible details Elgar marks ( and a little more besides — I warmed to the extra gloss on the air-treading canta-bile melody, the greater suspense of the brass chords before it ); but then, you think, there can't possibly be more time to spare for that most wistful of codas. Wrong again: still there is the same sense of phrase-making, the same tenderness in hushed dynamics, at an even more exalted level of concentration. I could go on — to try and argue the

long-term case, for example. for taking the very opening motto theme of the symphony so slowly — but that takes us into deeper waters; suffice it to say that the gains for the sheer poetry of the work's most intimate moments are immense. Conflict and confi-dence have a tremendous drive behind them: the timpani are over-boisterous for my tastes in the final charge to the winning post, and elsewhere you may find you need to turn the volume high to get a fuller sense of orchestral body, but it's refreshing to hear woodwind detail glinting so often through the fast-changing textures. I shall treasure this Elgar First as a persuasive alternative to Barbirolli and Boult; if anything. Slatkin has even more to say about the expressive possibilities and refinements of Elgarian introspection. [A/(B):1*/1] David Nice

ELGAR: Enigma Variations C Falstaff .liontreal ,SO/Dutoit Decca 430 251-2 (63m 24s) also MC

Rather an unequal coupling, as it turns out. With its admirably scrupulous, no-nonsense (some would say bland) manners, Dutoit's Enigma is certainly enjoyable in its way, but ultimately it's more a calling card for the supreme virtuosity of his Montreal players as they are put through their paces than any cogently realised, deeply-felt whole. That desirable component Elgarian glow may well be largely absent, But Dutoit's own familiar, ingratiating brand of delightfully airy orchestral texture is consistently on hand to offer compensation of sorts. ( Having said that, though, Decca's sound is almost too well-lit — any true pianissimi are very few and far between, it must be admitted. ) Yes, Elgar's wonderful score is delivered with a quite breathtaking assurance and glamour, but there's precious little emo-tional undercurrent or any real affection to proceedings, I'm afraid.

Falstaff is something else entirely: I sense a far greater involvement and urgency here. Under Dutoit's intensely energetic yet warm-hearted guidance ( tempi are generally swifter than is the norm) the Nlontrealers play with great application and drive. It's as though everybody is simply revelling in the countless opportunities afforded by Elgar's ever-wondrous scoring — a true voyage of discovery, in fact. Not that it's all just devil-may-care bravado: there's genuine humour in the blustering depiction of Sir John's boastful exploits and his subsequent drunken descent into slumber ( marvellously bloated sounds from principal bassoon), and tenderness aplenty too for both Dream Interludes. Perhaps in the closing pages there isn't quite the same degree of pathos as

Ill- Fl NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

reviews CLASSICAL

engendered by Barbirolli. in his classic EMI recording with the Hallé from the mid-sixties, but then again, who could honestly hope to rival such a performance of tower-ing humanity and idiomatic character? Sum-ming up: only an oversize bass-drum in Decca's otherwise exemplary sound-picture proves a minor distraction in what for me represents some of the best work I've heard from Dutoit in ages. For this Falstaff, then, at the very least a resounding 'bravo! IA/A*:2/

A lUirele A chenbach

GRIEG: Piano Concerto III 6 Lyric Pieces, Op.65/LISZT: Piano Conerto 2 Leif Oie Andsnes (pno)/Bogen Mawr-mon Kit«yenko Virgin Classics VC 791 1982 (77m 57s)

Leif Ove Andsncs is a 21 year old Norwegian virtuoso who comes to us without the often dubious accolade of a major competition success. Critically acclaimed performances at the Edinburgh Festival and forthcoming engagements with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic etc are far more to the point, a heady and early success made beautifully clear by this often very remarkable recorded debut. Andsnes's Grieg is already powerful and assured, the first movement cadenza daringly rhetorical, the finale as brisk and salty as the Adagio is hauntingly dreamy and introspective. By the highest critical standards ( recorded per-f)rmances by Lipatti. Curzon. %Amerman. Lupu, Bishop-Kovacevich etc) his rhythm and sonority are, perhaps, insufficiently vivid and varied, but elsewhere his ardent changes of pace and direction blow all cobwebs from an over-familiar score, are unsentimental, fresh and envigorating. 7'he lyric Pieces, which find Grieg at his most sombre and modernist ( they make Debussy's trite dis-missal of Grieg seem quaint rather than perceptive) are an even greater success; indeed, it is hard to associate such musical poise and maturity with a pianist so young. His I.iszt, too ( an apt coupling: Grieg's Concerto was, after all, heavily influenced by Liszt). is totally compelling. Flourishes and cadenzas are brilliant rather than flashy, the final Allegro deciso goes at a cracking pace, and throughout the performance is as auda-cious as it is serious. The orchestral contributions are alert and

sympathetic to the soloist's individuality, and the recordings are realistic rather than sensationalist. Clearly, this first recording represents a major talent and Andsnes's forthcoming disc ( also for Virgin ) of the three Chopin Sonatas is eagerly awaited. IA:11 lbyce Morrison

HAYDN: Symphonies 85 & 86 St Paul Chamber Orch/Wolff Teldec 2292-46313-2 ( 51m 55s )

Under Hugh Wolff — chief conductor since 1987-8 — the playing of this fine orchestra seems to have become, if anything, even more skilful than when Dennis Russell Davies conducted them in excitingly reveal-ing performances of 18th-century music.

l'he recording is brilliant and has striking presence. It does somewhat favour the front of the orchestra but this helps pinpoint the remarkable string playing, and although brass and timpani are a little set-back they remain exciting in fortissimo where Wolff allows them full rein. In addition, the con-tinuo harpsichord is very well balanced and is played with great imagination.

Except perhaps in 85( i ) and 86( ii ) Wolffs tempi tend towards swiftness. Repeats are logical and in the minuet of 85 both halves are repeated both before and after the trio, hut in 86 we have the final reprise of the minuet without repeats. Stylish playing, élan and drive are evident in all the outer movements and dynamic contrasts are graded with admirable subtlety.

For a conductor so concerned with impetus, the indulgent tricks which Wolff plays in the trios of both minuets come as a shock. No complaint about the finesse of balance in 86( iii ), where strings drop away on the first repeat to leave a strong bassoon lead, but the approach to tempo is eccentric: starting just below tempo, the trio's speed winds right down until the last few bars. In 85( iii ) the collapse is even more devastat-ing, with the trio becoming ever more somnolent before it finally falls asleep. Within this strange approach. there also lurk internal rhythmic manipulations. Come hack Sir Thomas Beecham — all is

forgiven! Although you indulged in the occasional whim, you always respected the forward progress of Haydn's music... [A:1/41 Anton.), Hodgson

HAYDN: Symphonies 90, 91 & 92 Hanover Band/Goodman Hyperion CDA 66521 ( '9m )

Roy Goodman makes good sense when, in his notes, he says that he will 'omit trumpets where they are an alternative to horns'. This occurs where horns are in C-alto ( trumpet pitch) which often makes their parts iden-tical to those of the trumpets, give or take a note or two. Symphony 90 is such a case, and I don't mind the trumpets being left out, hut the decision to omit timpani also is illogical. All authentic scores include them except that in the New York Library of Congress, and there it is because the parts were lost rather than omitted. Denied tim-pani, one of Haydn's grandest symphonies is deprived of its power and drama. Haydn's subtle way of delaying drum entries until it is possible to emphasize a second statement of a wind phrase is one of the most serious losses, as is the enfeebled impact of the

,z1 finale's fanfares. Other disappointments include the trio: spoilt by grace notes being shortened giving a choppy effect: and in the Andante there are uncomfortable slight tempt) shifts both during and between varia-tions.

By contrast, 91 is splendid throughout. Goodman's lively tempi lift the music and pulse eagerly forward, the Andante is super-

!«•; bly buoyant and the minuet really dances. Much of the same spirit informs 92 'The

;%. Oxford' although the Minuet is surely faster

here than its Allegretto marking intends. The recording is less clear — it is not always easy to tell when flutes join violins for unisons; timpani, although presumably 'period' and played with hard sticks, sound warm and round with not much character or detail. This contrasts with the excellent balance of the harpsichord from which Goodman directs, which clarifies moments of impro-visatory imagination whilst still infiltrating its timbre throughout the orchestra.

Repeats are adequate, only the second in 90( iv ), 91( i ), 92( i ) and 92( iv ) being omit-ted, and minuets have them both before and after trios. Even if one writes off Symphony 90, the

remaining 52 minutes taken for 91 and 92 represent good value. 90 IA:41, 91 [A:11, 92

Anton y Hodgson

HAYDN: Symphonies 94 & 95 Concertgebouw/Harnoncourt Teldec 9031-73148-2 ( 4 3m 23s)

Delight and disappointment intermingled. Allegro movements are full of vigour, the Concertgebouw plays excitingly, and inter-nal balance is immaculate. Slow movements are never allowed to drag and the swiftish Andante of the 'Surprise' has a superbly judged shock chord. l'he other surprise in this work is the unexpected timpani onslaught at bars 233-234 ( 3m 16s) of the finale: it sounds thrilling here. Far less pleasing is the Minuet which, although marked Allegro molto, sounds awkwardly fast — an effect exaggerated by shortening the long grace notes. The unwise choice of speed becomes even more obvious as the trio, entering a bar late, fails to keep up the hot tempo. If Jochum's is the standard 'ordinary' tempo, at 74 seconds for the minuet section without repeats, then Har-noncourt is surprisingly fast at 58s. Toscani-ni's notorious wild rush took a mere 41s yet he did keep the trio up to speed. No.95 is less controversial — the strong,

uncompromising approach to the opening Allegro seems all the more dramatic for opening out into the major with blazing brass in the coda. Harnoncourt is swift but expressive in the succeeding movement and there is no undue haste in the Minuet where, this time, the grace notes are kept properly long. Regrettably, the trio again goes slack. I suppose one could argue that it is a sort of 'cello concerto' but it still sounds danger-ously like 'slowing down for the hard bit' and the sense of dance is ruined. The reprise of the minuet contains a very indulgent pause. In the finale, the tricky fugal writing is played superbly — colourful, exciting sound here as everywhere. [A*:2]

Antony Hodgson

KHACHATURIAN: Spartacus — Ballet Suites 1-3 RSNO/Jiirvi Chandos CHAN 8927 (62m 53s) also MC

I defy anyone to play the opening number of the First Suite ( ' Introduction and Dance of Nymphs') and not be instantly hooked. It's impossible not to be captivated by such winning melodic appeal, gorgeously sump-tuous yet never clotted orchestration ( I love Khachaturian's imaginative use of the piano to add spice to already opulent textures) and the sheer spontaneity and endearing honesty of it all. Under Jarvi that unforgett-able, heart-stopping tune for the 'Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia' is tempered with a degree of understatement ( and is all the

more moving for it), yet there's absolutely no shirking the intense physicality of the more uninhibited — and how — dances elsewhere. Exhausting, perhaps, to listen through at one sitting, but I've found that each individual suite makes a marvellously toothsome package in its own right. It goes without saying that the RSNO play their hearts out for their former chief ( this group's charismatic principal clarinettist is an artist of the highest calibre), whilst the sound itself abounds in that now-familiar Chandos lustre and all-engulfing sense of spectacle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to play this collection straight over again. EA*/A:1*/1 Andreu, Achenbach

KHACHATURIAN: Violin Concerto/ KABALEVSKY: Violin Concerto Lydia Mordkovitch (vIn)/RSNOlfürvi Chandos CHAN 8918 (53m 14s) also MC

Sounding for all the world like an updated version of the Tchaikovsky — some of the cribs in ( i) are positively outrageous! — Khachaturian's own fiddle concerto ( 1940) has a similarly strong melodic lure, whilst at the same time it offered dedicatee David Oistrakh ( who also couples these two works on a Chant du Monde CD) plenty of grateful opportunity for dazzling display. The music itself is never merely empty-headed, though; there's an impressively solid craftsmanship about the finished product, and Khachatu-rian's ever-colourful scoring ( with the influence of his native Armenian folk-idiom never absent for very long) is always most beautifully judged. The tenderly reflective central Andante sostenuto is an especially appealing creation, whilst the frothy Finale is all frolicking gaiety and delightful caprice. Unfortunately Kabalevsky's altogether sligh-ter ( and far shorter) concerto from 1948 indulges in its fair share of note-spinning, although it too can boast a slow movement of genuine, winsome charm. Both pieces are delivered here with immense dash and panache by these performers, and the recording is as vividly natural as we have now come to expect from this particular source. [A:1] Andreu, Achenbach

MESSIAEN: Catalogue d'Oiseaux (Book 7) E La Fauvette des Jardins Peter Hill (pno) Unicorn-Kanchana DKP (CD) 9090 (62m 55s)

This disc is self-recommending. Anyone who has sampled Peter Hill's previous recordings in this Messiaen cycle will agree that both in terms of musicianship and engineering they seem destined to be unsurpassed for a very long time.

Messiaen is one of the most difficult of composers to represent successfully on record. Leaving aside a Catholic mysticism which seems to suggest that each recreative act involves a communion with the incor-pereal and knowledge of half the bird life in France, the consistent block structures — while apparently ideal from a crass editing point of view — make internai and overall coherence a formidable problem. This is Hill's chief. strength: he has the intellectual capacity to see each work as a whole, while not compromising local characterization of gesture. He is master of that very sort of flourish that Messiaen's piano writing needs. The sound could hardly be bettered. It

had the ideal mixture of firm depth and steely brilliance. Recommended. [A/A*:1*]

Simon Cargill

MOZART: Symphony 19 in E, K132 El 20 In D, K133 D 21 in A, K13412 22 in C, K162 El 23 in D, K162b Prague COIMackerras Telarc CD 80217 ( 73m Ils)

Sir Charles continues his series of Mozart symphony recordings with the Prague Chamber Orchestra with five works com-posed in Salzburg between July 1772 and May 1773. The first three are in four-movement form ( for 19 we are given both extant slow movements, one after the other), the two later ones in the three-movement pattern of the Italian overture. There is plenty of variety here, both in orchestration and expressive range, and the Prague players manage hardly ever to sound pressed at the very rapid tempi that Macker-ras favours. They are strong and robust readings, though the minuets ( and the alternative Andantino grazioso of 19 ) have an attractive lilt. The recording is resonant, yet the precision of the playing and the modest size of the orchestra help see to it that the sound remains bright and clear almost throughout, with neat detail ( and the continuo harpsichord making a distinctive contribution ).[A/B:1[ Peter Branscombe

MOZART: Ein musikalischer Spass, K522 Galimathias musicum K32 D German

Dances K567; K605 E Dances and Mar-ches Orpheus Chamber Orchestra DG 429 783-2 (69m 55s)

A generous selection warmly performed. Mozart's Musical Joke is played with simple directness — no nudging the listener in the ribs here. There seems no great advantage in using orchestra as opposed to solo strings, since it makes this obtuse music a little comfortable — but there is much radiant tone and one is struck by moments of surprising beauty: for example, amid all the crude parody, the second part of the trio becomes a meltingly lovely moment. The ten-year-old Mozart was amazingly

inventive in his 17-movement Galimathias musicum. Had the pieces averaged more than a minute per movement the ideas might not have been sufficiently sustained, but this is an ideal companion for the most mature dances — the six of K567 and three of K605, the latter ends with an excellent sleigh-ride (though the later return of the first trio section is disturbingly different in pace). The posthorn is — from the sound of it — represented by flugel-horn. I do, however, miss the hurdy-gurdy which Erich Kleiber used so effectively in the trio of the second dance. The remaining dances are sturdily performed: there is great vigour in La Bataille and Die Leyerer. Maybe a conductor would not have allowed one or two shifts of tempo — especially the slackening of pace near the start of the March K335, which should surely have used timpani to support the trumpets. The recording is warm, rounded and

beautiful — balance is exemplary and it is not the engineers' fault that timpani have rather too much bass content. [A:1/21

Antony Hodgson

MOZART: Violin Concerto in G, K216 in A, K219 Concertgebouu, CO/Isabelle Van Ken lez (vin/dir) Philips 426 715-2 (49m 27s)

Van Keulen's last set, Stravinsky's music for

violin and piano 1420 953-2 J, was marred for me a little by intonation inaccuracies. I must say that her first entry in K219 ( where the orchestral reverb fades to silence) also disconcerted me: it's the rather curious way in which she places the note in context. To my ear, some of her pitching consistently wavers towards sharpness, her tone to pas-sing scratchy discoloration. Elsewhere there are balancing pleasures in musical vigour and some dead-centre accuracy. She is given, or has asked for, an Oistrakh-like forward presence; but her Mozart playing hasn't that masterful ease, let alone insight, shown in his Berlin Philharmonic/EMI set ( pure joy to the ear — studio hum excepted). The G major Concerto is marginally the finer perform-ance, but in both works the orchestra supports with equal warmth and keenness. The players really do sound like a chamber ensemble. A spirited dise — in a lively acoustic too — which is a rather more attractive whole than parts would suggest. Van Keulen provides her own cadenzas here. ( I am not sure about the new black leather

and lace look — but perhaps it's one way to keep up with the Kennedys and Mutters.) 1A:2/3] Christopher Breunig

MOZART: String Quintet in le, K174 13 in c, K406 Orlando Qt/Nobuko ¡mai ( via) BIS CD-433 (66m 28s)

With this pairing of the first two string quintets the Orlando Quartet and Nobuko 'mai complete the undertaking of which I reviewed the first two volumes in the February 1990 issue. It would be nice to be able to say that I had enjoyed the third CD more than the earlier two, but I find the recording just as inappropriately aggressive and over-resonant as before, and the per-formances uncompromisingly gruff ( except when, as in the trio of K406, they are almost velvety smooth). Readers who enjoyed the first two volumes may confidently buy more of the same, for there is no doubting the technical skill and commitment of the play-ers. [B/C:2/3] Peter Branscombe

MOZART: Piano Quartets 1 & 2 [Il Adagio & Fugue in c Jean-Philippe Collard (pno)/Muir Qt EMI CDC 754 0082 (70m 10s)

The piano quartet performances remind one a little of the Previn recording: strongly articulated, occasionally aggressive quasi-concerto readings that are nevertheless very satisfying. Collard's playing lacks the ulti-mate refinement of light and shade — the kind one remembers so graphically from Curzon, for instance — but he does carry conviction. It is because of the nature of his performance and, to some extent the nature of the writing, that one almost overlooks the contribution of the string players. These are nicely integrated, and do not allow them-selves to be dominated by the keyboard, but can nevertheless be more readily appreci-ated in the Adagio and Fugue. This has always seemed more consistently satisfying than the original two-piano version of the fugue, which may be why Mozart subse-quently arranged it. FA:1] Kenneth Dommett

MOZART: String Quartet in A, K464 D in C, K465 'Dissonance' Alban Berg Qt EMI CDC 749 9722 (57m 41s)

As recently as last September EMI brought

72 111•Fl NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

reviews CLASSICAL

out three CDs of Mozart quartets played by the Alban Berg — the first two of the Haydn' set, and the final four. The same players coupled the 'Dissonance' with the ' hunt' on the Teldec label five years ago. The Alban Berg Quartet is a marvellous team, and all four players are fine individualists too when the composer invites. What I find dis-appointing here is the combination of an almost ruthlessly resonant recording ( made in the Evangelical Church at Séon ) and the high-voltage playing which, particularly in the fast movements, runs the risk of ironing out some of Mozart's subtleties of phrasing and articulation. Such is the case with the Allegro that succeeds a here properly pro-found Adagio in K465. Indeed, the slow movements of these works show players and recording at their hest, with a more relaxed poise. Anyone looking for an unostenta-tiously excellent coupling of these two wonderful works need look no further than the Chilingirian Quartet on CRI). [ 13:21

Peter Branscombe

MOZART: Violin Sonatas K377, 378 & 379 I Lzak Perlman ( vIn ) Daniel Barenboim (pilo DG 423 229-2 (52m 02s)

Some years ago this duo gave us a recital of Mozart violin and piano music which won approval for its clear and unfussy approach. This, however, is disappointing. The same qualities arc present here, though now they appear unnaturally exaggerated. The sound is unacceptably strident, and the directness which animated the earlier recording has been replaced by a lack of spontaneity. Barenhoim's performance is marred by a tendency to 'musical elocution' — over-careful phrasing and occasional self-conscious emphasis — Perlman's by an uncharacteristically 'beefy' nonchalance. neither particularly well suited to music intended primarily for domestic entertain-ment. 113/C:2 ] Kenneth Dommeit

MOZART: Violin Sonatas K301, 305, 377 & 379 Howard Davis ( Nu) L'figinia Black (bpd) CRD 3435 ( I m 30s) Chandos

Whatever the historical rights and wrongs. the harpsichord in mature Mozart sounds anachronistic, even more anachronistic than the modern grand. Having said that, it has to be admitted that it is unlikely to be more discreetly employed than here — none of the clattery quality that overwhelms so many chamber music performances where it is used — and by the end of the first movement of K3"". which opens the record. one has almost come to ternis with it. 'Me balance, being slightly in favour of the violin, helps smooth out the roughest edges, and the liveliness and stylishness of the playing by both partners makes for pleasurable listen-ing. The G major sonata. K3'9 is duplicated in DC's PerlmattBarenboim recital and pro-vides comparison of a sort, sufficient at least to demonstrate the superiority of ( RD's less celebrated artists and their more natural sound. If Virginia Black had opted for a fortepiano one could have been e% en more enthusiastic. IA:I l Kenneth Dommett

MOZART: Piano Sonatas K281, K282, K284 & K545 :Mein de Lamwha (pm)) RCA RD 60907 ( 65m (I Is )

Big Mozart on a big modern piano but with

11111 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

wonderful clarit I hese are M ' Inc of Mozart's more straightforward works: K281. 282 and 284 are from a set of six written around the time of the composer's 19th birthday and K545 is the late ' little keyboard sonata for beginners' which we have all tried to play at some time. Although the works are not technically demanding, their simplicity is deceptive. "Mc single- 1u ne melody line of the Rondeau of K281. II r example, is tar from easy to articulate convincingly.

Not only does Larrocha take such matter. in her stride, but throughout she achiey remarkable transparency and her welcome neglect of the sustaining pedal results in detail worthy of harpsichord of ffirtepiano.

Big is also the word for the recorded sound. for the piano stretches from speaker to speaker. I approve of high notes to the left and low to the right and record keyboard instruments that way myself, hut normally one reduces tlw spread so as to equate with that heard 'live'. listen to this disc on headphones and one has the illusion of being inside the piano. Despite this, the overall tone is warm, bright and beautiful, recorded in a faintly nimbly location with a hint of thumping from the hammers. Simple phrasing, bouncing rhythm — even

in slow movements and the long final variations of K28-I — and elegance of phrase are among the attractive qualities of these mature reading.. A disc for those who love the modern plano — Mozart would have been surprised but not. I think. displeased. IB:11 Antony Hodgson

MOZART: 'Aer tranquillo' & 'L'amerô' re pastore, K208) L 'Voi avete un cor fedele', K217 Il 'Ah, lo previdi!', K272 II 'Ruhe sanft' & `Trostlos schluchzet Phi-lomele' (Zaide, K344) L 'Nehmt meinen Dank', K383 L 'Ch'io mi scordi di te?', K505 Emma Kirbkr ( up)'.-1.1.1//fikizwood Oiseau-Lyre 425 835-2 (55m 09s)

A deliciously bright, stylish tribute to Mozart. Emma Kirkby — what can one find to say about her that has not already been said many times? — is in happy form, unfailingly neat, accurate, decorous. The programme, nicely uniting the familiar and the compara-tively unfamiliar, the virtuosic and the dis-armingly simple, gives ample opportunity. for Miss Kirkby to delight her admirers. indeed to add to their ranks. In '12amerii she languishes with the assistance of Christ-opher Hirons's expressive violin obbligato; in the incomparable ' Cilio mi scordi di te?'. Moiart's farewell to his first Susanna, it is Steven Lubin at the ffirtepiano who elo-quently. takes over the CUM more exacting

role of solo partner. 'Ah. lo previdi!' has little expressivity beyond that achieved effor-tlessly' by remarkable technical expertise, but in '‘'oi avete un cor fedele' the changes of tempo and mood are vividly conveyed. Christopher Hogwood and the AAM provide neat, clear-textured support, and the record-ing is as fresh and faithful as the singing. IA:11 Peter Branscombe

MOZART: Exsultate, jubilate L Ave verum El Inter natos mulierum, K72 LI Regina coeli, K276 III Sacred arias Edith ..tlathis (sop)/Tallis Chamber Ch/ECO/ Klee Novalis 150 064-2 ( 5'm 39s) ASS'

Compilation records like this made up largely of excerpts. plums plucked from richer puddings, are difficult to assess on any' but performance ternis. On such grounds this should prove attractive. The arias refer-red to are the Landate dominion solos from the Vespers K339 and C-minor Mass, two from the early Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots (plus the sinfonia, which acts as an introduction to the record), and the Benediaus from the Mass K25. Mathis's clear, direct delivery brings to her music a welcome touch of the spiritual, a nicely gauged corrective to Klee's punchy. direc-tion, and natural ( and understandable) tendency to emphasize operatic connata-tions. Having said that, the roaring lion in the first excerpt from Die Schuldigkeit sounds more like a cooing dove. The choral pieces are well done, though there are more transcendental versions of the Ave rerun! available. The other two are comparatively unfamiliar pieces which have been recorded before, though the catalogue is not overbur-dened with alternatives and we shall prob-ably hear them again ( and again? ) during this celebratory year. Spacious, well balanced sound. [A:11 Kenneth Dommett

NIELSEN: Hymnus Amoris Er] Sleep Ell Springtime in Funen El 3 Motets Soloists/Children's Chorus/Danish National RSO & Ch/Segerstam/Danis! National RCChIParkman Chandos CHAN 8853 ("5m 34s)

The least familiar work here is Sleep ( Soy-nen ). Woldike recorded it, as he did every-thing else in this collection, but I have been unable to locate a UK release. Nielsen wrote it in 1903-4, about the same time as the Helios Overture. Since it is largely introspec-tive ( Simpson sees parallels with Brahms's Schicksalslied), it is not difficult to see why it has not achieved the popularity of the lyrical Hymnus or the celebratory. "'linen. A dramatic middle section representing a nightmare, decidedly un-Brahmsian, is more individual, and caused a hit of a furore at the first performance. Its manifest virtues do not over-ride the fact that it is not really typical of the Nielsen we have come to cherish; and Segerstam, while giving a reasonably good account of it, is rather stiff and unyielding. Nielsen collectors, however, will certainly welcome its appearance. Both the other main choral works have been well repre-sented in the past by the near-classic Wol-dike recordings. though Veto's alternative version of ¡"unen (the only other one released here on CD) has a freshness and clarity that Segerstam fails to match. Ile does have the advantage of a better programme and longer playing time though. The Motets are new to Cl). They are psalm

settings but without any overt religious

713

impulse. Parkman's chorus has the required objectivity, hut a shade more warmth would have been welcome. Could not Decca he persuaded to transfer the Woldike readings to Cl). since they are in every respect authoritative? [A: I 21 Kenneth DOMMen

NIELSEN: Violin Concerto D Flute Con-certo D Clarinet Concerto Kim *Wren (1,In)/7bke Lund Christiansen (J1t)/Niels Thomsen (clt)/Danish National RSO/SchOnu,andt Chandos CHAN 8894 ( 79m 51s)

To get all Nielsen's concertos onto one record is something of a triumph. And to have them all so well played is an added cause for celebration. The Violin Concerto is already represented on CD by several good performances, some possibly more sophisti-cated than this, but few with more gusto or vitality. Schonwandt, the principal guest conductor of the orchestra, and a frequent visitor to these shores, displays throughout an almost instinctive feeling for Nielsen's idiom that puts him up with Schmidt and Blomstedt. When considering the two wind concertos one is tempted always to draw comparisons with the recordings made by the two artists Nielsen wrote them for. It is perhaps about time to look on the work of the two players here without backward glances. Both survive the scrutiny unble-mished and each gives us a compelling account of his concerto ( in Thomsen's case a decidedly quirky concerto) that stands comparison with any now available. Add fine, well-balanced sound and we have here a Nielsen record to bring unequivocal plea-sure and praise. [A:1 *1 Kenneth Dommett

NIELSEN: String Quartets 1-4 D String Quintet D Wind Quintet** Carl Nielsen Qt/Borge Mortensen ( Hari Vestlysk Chan; Ens" DG 4312 156-2 ( 2(:Ds. 154m 05s)

These recordings date from the 1970s: the Wind Quintet from 1974, the rest from 1977 and 1979. For some reason they were never previously released here, possibly because, with the exception of the wind piece, recordings of Nielsen's chamber music have never enjoyed a long shelf-life in this coun-try. The quartets are all relatively early' works, the last being a 1919 revision of an original written in 1906. 'Ibis is the only one to give much evidence of Nielsen's indi-viduality, though the others are attractive enough. There have been a few previous recordings, the hest having been the integral set by the Kontra Quartet on two RCA I.Ps, now deleted. It is to he hoped that these will he restored, since the performances have more strength and variety than the present ones, which seem careful and somewhat colourless by comparison. The String Quin-tet, Nielsen's only excursion into the medium, is also early. It dates from 1887-8. Incidentally, Simpson lists it as having only three movements though there are in fact four. It is a likeable if at times ungainly composition with hints of Gade. among others. The Wind Quintet has had some good recordings, notably by Athena on a Chandos disc, hut no really outstanding ones in recent times. The Vestj sk scion has its moments, and compares favourably with Athena, so there is no obvious reason for its not having been issued here. but neither boasts the subtlety of the original Danish Wind Quintet version. Average: IA:2].

Kenneth Dommelt

74

PALESTRINA: Missa Assumpta es MariaO Missa Sicut lilium

Scholars/Phillips Gimell CDGIM 020 ( 71m 30s)

Not only does this release bring the total number of Palestrina's masses recorded by the Tallis Scholars to seven, hut it demons-trates two stylistic extremes of the patriarch of sacred Renaissance music.

hissa Assumpta est llana is remarkably bright for the time. major ( as opposed to modal ) tonality being far more skilfully used here than in the writing of almost any other contemporary composer. Missa Sic-lit !ilium, however, is a product of Palestrina's musical and/or Christian alter two. its con-templative mood lacking the fervour of the later work, hut still grabbing attention with its complex counterpoint and sensuous text setting. Another reason for Assumpta est liai-jas

brightness is its full scoring: six parts with doubled soprano and tenor. A fairly high tessitura ( a range in which the Scholars positively shine) for the top line keeps the overall range quite wide too, and permits great textural diversity in sections for differ-ent voice pairs, the beautiful exchanges at 'miserere nobis' in the Gloria being only the best examples. A progressive trait in this late mass is the

basically syllabic approach, always bursting with vitality, to the text. With exquisitely neat consonants and elegant vowels never failing to match Palestrina's intended elastic-ity. the Scholars glide through each line with an impelling forward motion quite free from tension.

Despite their different effects. both these masses demand acoustic space, and both get it. A release of some of the best of Palestri-na's work, performed superlatively, and clearly recorded ... literally ' brilliant'! [A*:11 Helena Stouynyl

PENDERECKI: Polish Requiem Soloists/llararian RS ChINDR Orch & Ch./ Penderecki DG 429 720-2 (2C1)s, 88m) recorded live

The transformation of Penderecki from avant-garde extremist to purveyor of North European tonal gloom has not been an altogether happy one.

While his early works — not least the monumental St Luke Passion — made stun-ning effects thanks to his brilliant ear for sonority and extreme hut simple gestures. his more recent attempts to recapture the gravity of utterance of his finest music has led to a succession of works preoccupied with winding, semtione-inflected lines often weighed down by a lack of rhythmic fluency.

Basically Penderecki can only express one thing at a time — and because of this he instantly rules himself out of the league of great composers, whose very essence lies in their emotional plurality. The result, alas, in this case is a grandiloquence that suggests the composer has somehow been seduced by the would-he gravity of his own rhetoric. The results remain impressive, and there is no arguing with the fact that the Poles have a great deal to lament over. But this heart-on-sleeve public oratory, while no doubt just as deeply impressive to his own people as the sombre music of Shostakovich was to fellow Russians, somehow does not export nearly so well. To lament the dead is not enough: the truly great Requiems — for instance Mozart's lor Verdi's' — shed light on the condition of the living. Penderecki can only

offer endlessly sombre threnodies for a world that already knows too well what a hellish place it is.

Still, recording and playing are excellent, and those who love to respond to the distinctive Russian melancholy of. say. Rach-maninov will find much with which they can identify. IA:11 Simon Cargill

POULENC: Piano Works (Vol.2) Pascal Rogé (pno) Decca 425 862-2 (62m 37s) also MC

Recital discs of this sort have long been a favourite of record companies hut, concen-trating as it does on some of the lesser known piano music of Poulenc. this one is particularly welcome. One could hardly ask for a more persua-

sive advocate. Pascal Rogé combines the characteristically Gallic virtues of polish and fluidity with a firm sense of line to produce playing that is at once exquisitely apt yet never less than challenging. For challenging some of the music is.

It is all too easy to dismiss many of Poulenc's piano works as engaging trifles in a post-salon-music tradition. True, there is much to beguile the listener — the deliciously cheeky Humoresque which opens the disc sets the mood of much that is to follow. But there are also more weighty utterances — notably the powerful Theme Varié, with its references to both Bach and Stravinsky.

If one is to have but a single CD of Poulenc's piano music, this must surely be it — with characteristically clean Decca sound as the perfect bonus. IA:1] Simon Cargill

PROKOFIEV: Classical Symphony Ll Flute Concerto El Overture on Jewish Themes D Sonata for Unaccompanied Violins III Scherzo for four bassoons Jonathan Snowden (110/ Lonekm Musici Stephenson Conifer CDCF 173 ( 64m 09s)

There are many good things on this disc: hut ultimately it is a slight disappointment. It is more a case of programming than playing. After two welcomely imaginative recordings of works by Arnold and Panufnik, here we are saddled with yet another version of Prokofiev's ubiquitous Classical Symphony.

reviews CLASSICAL

Surely there was some other work that Conifer and the project's sponsors Technics could have chosen?

Still there is no arguing with the playing

itself. For while it never quite reaches the level of greatness. it does provide an eminently safe recommendation for a new-comer. The style is light and buoyant, and there is even a wickedly period' feel about some of the string articulation.

Problem: will our delighted newcomer he equally enchanted with the remainder of the disc which, in programming terms. is frankly something of a hotch-potch? The symphonic version of the Overture on Jewish Themes jogs along happily enough. though some may feel it needs a touch more of the Fiddler on the Roof As for the sonata for unaccom-panied unison violins, and the two-and-a-half minute bassoon scherzo, they are interesting finds but hardly forgotten masterpieces. The result is something of a curate's egg —

compounded by the fact that the flute concerto is simply a transcription of the composer's Op.94 Sonata. which works bet-ter in the composer's own version for violin and piano. Still, the sound and playing are excellent, and there are no doubt bassoon quartet fanatics out there somewhere. [A:1/ 21 Simon (alga I

PROKOFIEV: Cinderella — Suites 1 & 3 RSNOIJiirti Chandos CHAN 8939 (55m 29s)

Like its companion single disc of Romeo and Juliet suites l'Reftections'j and the four-disc set of symphonies, this is more of Jarvi's Prokofiev repackaged for centenary year: unlike them, it contains previously unissued material. Five of the tracks were recorded last year, and now go to make up complete suites with the excerpts still keeping Peter and the Wolf company ' CHAN 85111 and 'End of the Fairy Tale' as it featured in Prokofiev's Op.110 Waltz Suite.

No.1 of that sequence. 'In the Palace', has not found its way across from its original home with the Sixth Symphony, which is a pity as it would certainly have tipped the scales in favour of inspired music here over the merely serviceable — and an awful lot of the latter is in the Third Suite. Still, Jarvi obviously enjoyed the belly-dancing Ethio-pian beauty encountered by the prince on his travels, first violins swaying mysteriously in the muted middle-section rites of the 'Dance of Seduction'.

*Ile best of the music in the Third Suite

belongs to the l'as de Deux, sufficiently spacious yet with a firm sense of direction in the wandering phrases of horns. bassoons and cellos. As this sequence has it. midnight struck long before the Prince and Cinderella came to know each other; the SNO holds the spell, from the miraculous wisps of wood-wind solos in the Fairy Godmother music (freely treated) right up to those mon-strously shrieking, rasping clock chimes, though the rather scrawny articulation of Cinderella's variation ( at the end of the sixth number) does for a moment suggest the SN() string sound before Jarvi's long-term transformation. In short, I would have been hard pressed to guess what was recorded when, though that says something for the unusual consistency of Chandos's work in the SN() Centre over the years. One more plea, finally, for the complete Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet from these forces: the music is, after all, sufficiently different from the suites to stand alongside them. 1A:11

Datld Nice

SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto (original and final versions) Leonidas Kavakos (1,1n)11,ahti SO/Vünskü BIS CD 500 (75m)

Positively bursting at the seams with good things, and full of the most lavishly con-ceived helter-skelter solo passage-work, the first movement of Sibelius's Violin Concerto in its original form ( 1903/4) seems wild and undisciplined next to the tight-knit urgency of the revision ( 1905 ). In attempting to do justice to a bewildering proliferation of basic material Sibelius rather lets his inspiration run away with him on occasion ( there are two cadenzas, no less — he subsequently dropped the second completely ); yet some of the discarded ideas in this movement have real vision about them, none more than that wistful little motif first heard at 3m 435 (and again later at 1-im 04s) which posses-ses something of the enchanting caprice of the Humoresques to follow. The central Adagio di motto is least

affected by changes, although here too Sibelius's at times chronic tendency towards exhibitionism does threaten to undermine his beautifully achieved craft — witness, for example, the soloist's cringingly incon-gruous, high-lying spiccato passage in the sublime coda. In this earlier finale the overall mood is now more implacable ( and rather less of a romp, rhythmically speak-ing), an impression reinforced by Sibelius's predominantly grey orchestral palette, with low wind and trombones especially lending a dark-hued, menacing character to antis.

This original score is recorded only with the express permission of the composer's family ( it will be 2007 before they allow another hearing, apparently); young Greek virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos certainly makes out a persuasive case for it. His silvery-toned contribution gives very great pleasure, and he seems fully up to the formidable tech-nical demands of his part ( no mean feat! ). I.ikewise, his performance of the final ver-sion we all know and love is neat, thoughtful and profoundly musical. Osmo Viinskii and the excellent Lahti SO provide most idioma-tic support throughout, and, as ever, BIS

have given us a natural, concert-hall balance, though some will find the soloist a bit too backwardly placed if anything. A fascinating document. Now, can BIS let us have Sibe-lius's first thoughts on the Fifth Symphony, I wonder? IA:1(1/11] AndrewAchenbach

TELEMANN: Die Tageszeiten Bach/Georgallochwitz/ManmelFreibmwer Vocal Ens/Collegium Musicton Freibingl Schafer BMG/DHM RD 77092 ( 53m 40s)

'May we now have Telemann's beautiful cantata Die Tageszeiten?' was my request when reviewing two versions of ¡no ( HEN/ RR April), and BMG quickly reminded the Music Editor of their DHM issue. Die Tageszei ten gives ample evidence that

even at the age of 78, Telemann's powers appeared undiminished. The construction of the work is almost symphonic: a three-part Overture is followed by depictions of Morn-ing, Midday, Evening and Night represented in solos by soprano, contralto, tenor and bass respectively, and each section is formed of aria-recitative-aria-chorus.

Wolfgang Schafer conducts the work in a lively manner. He is always swifter than Helmut Koch in his lyrical DG version of the early 1960s, and is at pains to clarify the detail of the various obbligato instruments —

trumpet with soprano. viola da gamba with contralto, flutes with tenor, bassoon with bass. Orchestral playing is clear-cut and the internal recorded balance exemplary. The conductor ensures crisp rhythm in the arias but does indulge in an occasional inorganic tempo change. Examples can be found in the linking section of the second aria for bass in 'Night' ( 1m 54s) and in the development of the first movement of the Overture ( from about 2m 20/305 and again on the repeat). At these points the change of tempo is so rhythmically abrupt that one wonders if the fault should be laid at the door of the tape editor.

Despite these minor details, this is a stylish presentation. The soloists are excel-lent ( particularly Hans-Peter Blochwitz, the lyrically elegant tenor), although their voices are perhaps a little forward and each is placed centrally — not usual in concert performance. The modestly sized choir ( 16-strong ) sounds both confident and powerful in its four brief choruses. [A/13:1]

Anton.), Hodgson

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony 9 D Piano Concerto Howard Shelley (pno)/LSO/Thomson Chandos CHAN 8941 ( 56m 50s) also LP/MC

A distinctly uneven achievement Bryden Thomson's VW cycle may well have been (his scorching symphony 4 was surely the highlight), but it concludes here with a strongly argued account of the enigmatic, woefully underperformed Ninth. I imagine some listeners will find ( i) insufficiently maestoso in Thomson's hands, and yet there's a compensating ( and thoroughly convincing) underlying momentum and cogency which I have not previously associ-ated with this movement. No complaints, either, about ( iii). whose gleefully malicious hob-goblins prance around in suitably oafish manner — the ISO saxophone trio are obviously having a field-day. If 1 miss any-thing it's a sense of repose in those quieter episodes in ( ii); mystery, too, has little part to play in Thomson's bold, assertive view of the Finale. Overall, then, an urgently com-pelling, youthful-sounding interpretation of some astonishingly vital music, excitingly recorded to boot.

It was an invidious task indeed for Howard

Shelley to try and repeat the overwhelming artistic success of his superb 1981 tyrita

performance of the powerful V\\ (.oncerto, hut his masterly assumption of what is an exhaustingly big-honed solo part must once again be counted a veritable triumph. Moreover, Thomson and the LSO are by no means outranked even in comparison with the superbly committed backing from Ver-non Handley and the RPO on that earlier account. Inevitably. I suppose. there isn't quite the same astonishing degree of elec-tricity and rapt concentration on show ( in the 'Romanza' especially ); however, no one coming to this remarkable work for the first time could be left in any doubt as to the considerable pull of its lovable. uniquely craggy personality.

Piano orchestra balance has been most tastefully judged on this new Chandos CD. although once again a big church acoustic does slightly blur orchestral detail — tech-nically that outstandingly well engineered Lyrita I.P remains unsurpassed ( one of the finest analogue recordings ever, in my estimation). An excellent coupling all the same. [A:1/11 Andreu'.4cbeiduich

111-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 "5

COLLECTIONS MASSES by TALUS and SHEPPARD St John's Cambridge /Guest ASV CDGAU 114 ( 63m 55s )

The inevitable risk in singing music as well known as Sheppard's Western It .1/ass and Tallis' Missa Salve Intemerata lingo is that lesser performances may he easily exposed as such. Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened here; despite the well balanced and interesting programme, St John's choir are not at their best here, and music of this period is remarkably unforgiv-ing to the amateur.

Admittedly, there are places when they do rise to the inspirational levels of the music: the bass syncopations at 'pleni sunt cocu' iii the Sanctus of Western Wind are sung with as much audacity as Sheppard wrote, while the brisker passages in the Tallis mass bowl along with much vivacity.

But this confidence is severely shaken as soon as technical demands rise above nor-mal; Tallis's style demands all phrases, espe-cially those in high registers, to he drawn out with an almost oily smoothness, and carefully shaped at each end. There are serious wobbles in the treble and uncom-fortable Jicta (clashing or unexpected accidental) notes in the Gloria, and rather crude phrase entries throughout. The concluding motet Verhum Caro lac-

bun est best illustrates the problem. It is an exuberant setting using the high treble parts so typical of Sheppard and, though the performance is certainly spirited, it lacks the necessary shine to sustain such a bright sound without becoming strained. A performance hard to recommend in the

face of better recordings of these great works ( although far worse exist ). A:2 31

Helena .Su ) 11.ard

OPEN AIR — BERLIN '90 WAGNER: Meistersinger Prelude/LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody 2/DVORAK: 2 Sla-vonic Dances/MONIUSZKO: Halka — Mazurka/ENESCU: Romanian Rhapsody 1/MOZART: Marriage of Figaro — over-ture/GLINKA: Russian & Ludmilla — overture/LINCKE: Berliner Luft BPO/Barenhoim Teldec 2292-46329-2 (60m 14s)

Hans Scharoun's Philharmonic design became known as ' Karajan's Circus'; here the Berlin Philharmonic really are playing in a tent — a concert given last June in the city's Waldhühne. Given that applause overlaps the music, that a ripple of laughter greets the clarinet in the I.iszt, that a child cries during a quiet passage, and that the acoustic carries the ambient wash of the outdoor event across the sound, what value has this Cl) for the English collector? Because we hear a side of Daniel Barenhoim's character ‘ir-wally never represented when he plays or conducts, or makes records. He's a musician who wears his seriousness — his Furtwângler inheritance if you like — on his sleeve. On

this occasion he plays to the crowd, shows a flair for amusement, without losing the opportunity to bring pieces of value to his audience. The I.iszt Hu/um/Ian Rhapsody shows an area which might yield a valuable future recording; the Wagner exhilarates. Contrast the Mozart overture ( under the -OD barrier) with the sobriety of its counterpart in his new Erato studio complete opera. Ile cuts across the applause with a swaggering

RUSSIall, a challenge to the dexterity of the players. The booklet offers no infiirmation on Lincke's Berliner t, hut it's self-evident

that this has become the city's equivalent to Vienna's Radetzky — the Berlin audience not only clap but they whistle the refrain. What a roar of applause! It's hard to listen, foreign though the event may he, without a tear, a laugh, or a shiver to the nape of the neck. Buy a copy ... [A/B:H(*)]. or something.

Christopher Brelillig

ENGLISH MINIATURES BALFOUR GARDINER: Overture to a Comedy/QUILTER: Three English Dances O Where the Rainbow Ends — Suite/WALTON: Siesta/BAX: Mediterra-nean/WARLOCK: An Old Song/GERMAN: Three Dances from `Henry VIII'/ GOOSSENS: By the Tarn ,Vorthern Sinfonialfickox EMI CDC 749 9332 ( 61m I 8s )

Richard Ilickox's delightful hour-long tour through largely unfrequented English back-waters is launched on its way by Balfinir Gardiner's tripping ( and once extremely popular ) little Overture to a Comedy, which, despite Gardiner's own dismissive attitude towards it later in life, does his reputation no harm at all. Both Quilter offerings enshrine examples of extremely well-crafted, charm-ingly ingenuous light music of a most agreeable kind, even if, ultimately, it's very much a case of ' in one car, out the other'. German's miniature dance suite is similarly diverting, whilst perhaps displaying a rather more indelible melodic gift than with those other two composers.

That pair of irresistibly sophisticated post-cards from the Mediterranean by Walton and Bax are properly sultry and sensuous in turn, and Eugene Goossens's tiny nature-poem By the Tarn turns out to be a real gem, intensely atmospheric and evocative ( 1 do wish Unicorn-Kanchana could be persuaded to reissue their excellent recording of his remarkable First Symphony) — as good a place as any to sample the Northern Sinfo-nia's highly affectionate, sensitive playing. But it's Warlock's wistful An Old Song that I keep on returning to here: an infinitely touching essay, laden with an aching, and very Delian, melancholy and nostalgia (although Boult's now-deleted Lyrita per-formance with the LP() was, I recall, even more gravely beautiful and withdrawn than the present account). Some over-projected percussion in the Bax apart, Brian Culver-house's production is unobtrusively vivid and natural-sounding. IA:1/11

Andrew Achenbach

THE ALDEBURGH RECITAL BEETHOVEN: 32 Variations in c/ SCHUMANN: Faschingsschwank aus Wien/LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody 12

Consolation 3 in D 4/RACHMANINOV: Etudes-tableux — Op.33:2 D Op.39:5, 6 & 9

Murray Perahia (pilo) Sony Classical CD 46437 (58m 58s)

This eagerly awaited recital is a tribute both

to Murray Perahia's friendship with Vladimir Horowitz and to his constantly expanding musical horizons. I.ike all truly great artists Perahia appreciated Horowitz as the ulti-mate pianistic sorcerer, and was clearly both awed and fascinated by a unique magnetism and charisma. No less characteristically, in his Liszt and Rachmaninov he turns this recently found interest and concern super-bly to his own advantage. His Rachmaninov is never hectic or lurid in Horowitz's indeli-ble way, yet his uncanny precision and sensitivity are scarcely less recognisable. His rubato in the C major etude is gloriously free, the intensely Slavonic melody phrased and arched with inimitable grace and rap-ture, the central ' Red Riding Hood' night-mare of the A-minor recreated with a rare mix of stealth and brio. No.5 in E-flat-minor is far less tempest-tossed than from its more obviously celebrated interpreters ( Horo-witz. Cliburn, Kissin etc) yet Perahia's res-traint could never he confused with sobri-ety, and his patrician sensibility sheds new light on every bar.

In Liszt's 1)-fiat Consolation only the late Sir Clifford Curzon excelled Perahia in clarity and elegance ( alas, never captured on disc ) but in the Hungarian Rhapsody Pera-hia's pianism glistens and scintillates with the most liberating subtlety and assurance. Instructions such as dolce grazioso, and the picturesque brilliance of the final pages find

Perahia in his element and make one at once look ahead to possible recordings of the Sonata. Concertos etc.

In more familiar Perahia territory the playing is just a little less vital and illuminat-ing. though admiration rather than quarrels are prompted by his superbly energetic and judicious view of the Beethoven Variations. Nothing is given with undue expressive weight — these are not, after all, the Diabelli — and authority in the more obviously taxing numbers ( 18, 19, 21 etc) is unquestionable. The twin 'dark pearls' of the set ( 23 and 30 ) arc go im with the most distilled simplicity. and the entire performance suggests a robust commonsense that sweeps all exag-geration to oblivion.

'flic recordings. however, are too close fir comfort, and in the Schumann Perahia's distinctive sonority ( its aerial lightness and sheen ) as well as the music's grandeur and exultance are often qualified. Here. I found some of his performance, for all its charac-teristic finesse, lacking in fancy or the sort of excitement conjured by other more vir• music performances on record ( Alicia de Larrocha on Decca, Andrei Gavrilov on EMI, and an alternately outrageous and endearing account by Ivan Davis on an Audiophon import). Perahia's Intermezzo in particular is disappointingly 'straight' by comparison with such adventure.

Yet, overall, this is an immensely disting-uished recital and I can only exhort all Doubting Thomases to hear PerahiaX 1.iszt and Rachmaninov, where he truly spreads his wings. 'Ibis is not a ' live' recital but one recorded shortly after an Aldhurgh Festival Concert. IC:1] Blyce Morrison

111-11 NEWS & RECORD RIN'IEW JUNE 1991

reflections CLASSICAL

BEETHOVEN: Symphony 9 El Fidelio Overture Addison/Hobson/Lewis/Bell/ Cleveland Orch & Ch/Szell Sony Classical CD 46533 (72m 52s) C) 1963, '68 When SzeIl enthusiasts meet, reminiscences get around to his New Philharmonia Beeth-oven 9, given in Nov '68 — with Heather Harper and Janet Baker in the solo quartet. His Cleveland recording from 1961 ( pro-ducer Howard Scott) was on Maestro' [42532 — worth seeking out] but reappears here with improved presentation and a filler taken from Paul Myers's programme of four Leonora overtures, partly taped in London (1967) — a thrusting Abbey Road recording with hints of tape flutter on the winds/horns in the opening bars (on the analogue LP too). No matter, IA:11. Sony place this as track 6, giving an access point for the vocal part of the finale of the Ninth. Unfortunately, they have chosen to 'glamourize' the sound: adding reverberation which discolours the brass interjections in the scherzo ( I almost thought SzeII had added sidedrum!). It's a powerful, Classically direct Ninth, chilly in its textual clarity and marred by a hard-driven final Prestissimo now sounding need-lessly 'spitty'.113/C:11 Christopher Breunig

HANSON: Symphonies 1 & 2 III Song of Democracy Eastman Shool of Music Ch/ Eastman -Rochester OrchlHanson Mercury 432 008-2 (66m 40s) C) 1960,'58,'57 These examples of Mercury's 'Living Pre-sence' recording technique sound a bit edgy now, especially round the upper registers. The transfers to CD have preserved the advantages of the medium however, without apparently 'tarting' them up. As to the music, it is not the kind of Americana to make the admirers of Ives, Carter or Cage drool; it is good solid centrist stuff with whiffs of Sibelius, and occasionally, Richard Strauss. Symphony 1, the 'Nordic', may conjure up the spirit of Box (who was also influenced by the Finn) though Hanson could not to be wholly content with cold, empty northern landscapes. The 'Romantic' is riper, warmer, with, in the finale, a nod in the direction of the composer's Nebraskan Amerindian neighbours. As with MacDowell and Busoni the gesture is discreet.

Enjoyable of their kind, these symphonies are not great music but they are genuine — authoritatively played, of course, and nice to

come back to now and again. One might suppose The Song of Democracy to have been fathered by the war: it sounds like it. Instead it dates from 1957 and celebrates an education association centenary. The sort of thing Americans seem to love — Whitman and his 'fair auroral skies' — it is, like the occasion, eminently forgettable. [A/B:11

Kenneth Dommett

MENDELSSOHN: Symphonies 1-5 Donath/Hansmann/KmenttINPO & Ch/ Sawallisch Philips 432 598-2 ( 3CDs, 193m 42s) 0 1968 With only the loss of the Ruy Blas overture, this restores to the catalogue the finest of all Mendelssohn cycles — before, in ranking order, the Abbado/DG, Masur/BMG, Karajan/ DG and Masur/Teldec compact disc sets. What is immediately striking is Sawallisch's balancing of voices within the orchestral textures. His tempi are natural, and he secures wonderful string playing from the New Philharmonia — listen to them in 1( ). Indeed, this scintillating account of Mendels-sohn's First Symphony — written at fifteen — makes you wonder why it's so rarely heard in concerts. (Surely, a worthwhile alterna-tive to Beethoven 1 or 8?) The 1967 productions still reproduce convincingly with, in 2, Pitz's Chorus and the solo singers convincingly set against orchestra; layouts avoid breaks ( couplings are 1/3, 2, 4/5), and the old LP booklet notes are intact. [A/B:11

Christopher Breunig

MOZART: Keyboard Concertos 5-27 CI 2 Rondos Malcolm Bilson, Robert Levin, Melvyn Tan (f-pnos)/Eng Bar Sols/Gardiner Archly 431 211-2 (9CDs, 626m 45s) 0 1984-89 All Mozart's original keyboard concertos are here, but not the seven early works based on other composers' sonatas. Included are the Concerto for two keyboards, K365 (with Robert Levin) and for three keyboards, K242 (Levin/Tan). The Rondos K382 (an alterna-tive finale for K175), and K386 (probably an early finale for K414) complete the music part; words are supplied in a superbly produced booklet of 144 pages. Since the playing time averages nearly 70 minutes and the set retails at around £60, it is outstand-ing value. I usually tire quickly of Mozart's piano

concertos, despite their skill and endless melodic variety. This set, however, held me through a fortnight of listening due to the use of appropriate fortepianos and the mar-vellous support offered by the period tones of the orchestra. Opinions have differed as the series progressed, and it must be admit-ted that some works are less revelatory than others, but on the whole I find the project a resounding success. Only a mad reviewer would plough

through the whole set, but this mad reviewer found the experience fascinating, enlightening and educational. One learns, for instance, how Mozart wrestled with the genre. He found a Baroque-influenced form and made it ready for Beethoven. Work by work he refined and experimented, discard-ing the early introduction of the soloist in K271 ( Beethoven consolidated this experi-ment three decades later in the same key),

a but recognising the value of wind instru-• ments from the start. Bach's sons occa-^ sionally used wind in keyboard concertos c but Mozart featured them increasingly in all • but four ( K413-5 & 449), and even here ad -171 lib parts exist and are used effectively by `n Gardiner. I think it wise not to have recon---,, structed trumpet and timpani parts for K459

in F: the music hardly needs them. Mozart grew so fond of wind instruments that he

'allowed them to open K450. A favourite Mozart gambit is a dotted

marching rhythm. So obsessive does it become in K495( i ), and so fascinated was he by Haydn's use of its in Symphony 47, that there is an almost comical reference to his friend's work at the end of the development. But in 1773 the influence was still pre-Classical. K175( ) is severely businesslike, K238( i )

drives forward with barely flagging momen-tum, and so on, but as the series progresses light and shade, variety and relaxation enter increasingly. This, I feel, is where too many pianists fail: they treat Mozart as early-Romantic rather than late-Classical, and introduce rounded edges and anachronistic 'expression'. Hear almost any modern per-formance of K466: muted attack, soulful wind phrases, meek weeping in the piano part. This misrepresents the D-minor of 1785. Gardiner articulates the opening syn-copations crisply, trumpets and timpani crack in like lightning and thunder, and Bilson is defiant rather than resigned.

Perhaps some grace-notes in earlier works should be longer than this — and someone grunts at times — but overall the Mozart year is immensely enriched by this stimulating set, balanced and recorded with an expertise to match the artistry. [A*:1*1

Robert Dearling

PROKOFIEV: Romeo &Juliet — Suites 1-3 SNO/Jeirvi Chandos CHAN 8940 ( 78m 27s) 0 1985-7 Centenary year regrouping of the three Suites used as couplings in the SNO/Chandos Prokofiev cycle: highly ( and rightly) praised in David Nice's recent Radio 3 appraisal of the ballet/excerpts recordings. Disregarding the story-line, but making a balanced selec-tion as a concert sequence, the composer set down the first two suites prewar, then in 1946 his Third Suite served as a kind of trailer to a Moscow production of the ballet. The ripe, richly resonant Chandos sound certainly has the edge over Decca's 'Ovation' disc ( ISO/Abbado), and the Scottish Orches-tra's evident involvement is infectious. [A*/ A:1] Christopher Breunig

SCHUBERT: Piano Quintet, D667 'Trout' Notturno, D897 fiirg Demus (f-pno)I

Collegium aureum BMG/DHM GD 77216 (48m 31s) 0 1971 Perhaps the first 'authentic instruments' recording, this glowing account remains for me one of the short-list Trouts. CD transfer is exemplary, and all the gatefold LP sleeve information is replicated. ( Demus plays a c.1830 Conrad Graf.) The quintet and trio filler were recorded in the Cedernsaal of the Schloss Kirchheim, which imparts warmth to the occasionally strained intonation and tonal thinness of violins. ( Worth replacing the Decca manufactured LP, if not the later HM/Electrola copies.) [A/A*:1]

Christopher Breunig

GLENN GOULD PLAYS BACH — Italian Concerto El Partita, BWV825 I:7 French Suite, BWV813 0 Toccata, BWV915 El other excerpts Glenn Gould (pno) Sony Classical CD 42621 (69m 14s) ® 1960-82 Gould compilation has excerpts from The Well Tempered, five Goldberg variations [later recording] and four Inventions; French title and liner notes. Yet another dip into the legacy of the eccentric Canadian singer-pianist and irritant ... that is, until the spell takes over. On the one hand those dreadful rolling chords and roaring descant, on the other sheer elegance, freedom and articulacy of almost mechanical evenness. [B/C:H] Christopher Breunig

HIFI NEWS 8r RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 77

e The most extensive range of quality products in the south-east. Backed by our

service department and wide ranging delivery service. Please phone or call in

for a demonstration or a copy of our new in house magazine. 14à1.1

352 354 Lower Addiscombe Rd. Croydon, Surrey CRO 7AF. Tel. 081-654 1231/204

The Hi-fi Emporium

-We have always said that we mould not make a CD player until

we could make one that sounded as good as the best analogue

turntables . . ." Naim Audio

review ROCK/POP/JAZZ

GERI ALLEN: THE NURTURER Blue Note (CD) CDP 7 95139 2 ( 53m 10s)

Geri Allen continues to be up-and-coming. She was noticed 'favourably when drummer Paul Motian and bassist Charlie Haden asked her to complete their trio. Playing on top of one of the most deceptively chal-lenging rhythm sections in con-temporary jazz may have been a daunting enough task. but Allen continues to progress. For this CD she has put together a sextet which combines reflective sensi-tivity with outgoing, digging-in energy. Saxophonist Kenny Gar-rett plays less commercially here, and I like Marcus Bel-grave's trumpet playing. Jeff Watts, drums, and Robert Hurst. bass, boot things along on this enjoyable session, and Allen shows poise and a good sence of space and dynamics. Not world-shattering, but eminently listen-able. [A*:21 Ken Hyder

BARRISTER: NEW FUJI GARBAGE Globestyle (CD) CDORB 067 ( 57m I 5s )

Don't be put off by the title. This is no musical garbage. Barrister is a Nigerian with a very personal set-up. involving 11 percussion-ists, a kit drummer and three vocalists. The only other instru-ments are the sparsely-played keyboard and Hawaiian guitar. The music is named Fuji after the Japanese mountain of love, and performances are punctuated by members of the audience slap-ping big money bills on the sweating foreheads of the musi-cians. Of course, you don't really need to know any of this to enjoy the music. What's remark-able about it is the way the players pace the density and intensity of very long pieces (there are just two numbers on this CD). A lot of the tune, the rhythm may be held by just two or three percussionists. Then, every now and again, others come in with percussive state-ments. The keyboard and sliding guitar sound like they've come in from another session, adding another challenging dimension. If you are familiar with Kpanlogo music, you'll probably recognise similarities in this music. It adds up to some of the most exciting African music for some time, sounding African rather than Afro-rock. [A:1] Ken Hyder

BLUE RODEO: CASINO WEA CD 9031-72770

( 37m 39s)

I'd always rated Blue Rodeo as an okay band, good enough to pay their way but nothing special. That was prior to hearing casino, on which someone was smart enough to ally the Toronto

TWO SECONDS...

'lynx ANGELS: YOUNG GODS Polydor 847 846-2 (58m 17s)

THE ALMIGHTY: SOUL DESTRUCTION Polydor 847 961-1 ( pre-release tape)

Having both been hailed as the 'future of British Rock' 18 months ago, Little Angels and The Almighty release their 'make or break' second studio albums almost simultaneously.

I.ittle Angels have diversified at the expense of identity. 'Boneyard', the first single, promised great things, but the rest of the album is way short of the mark with only the first half-dozen of the 13 cuts mak-ing any impact. There's a nag-ging feeling of déjà -ru throughout, as influences such as Foreigner, Elton John. Aeros-mith, Styx or Def Leppard are blatantly paraded. Over-production by the Thompson/ Barbiero team sabotages the weak songs, with Toby Jepson's warbling sounding thin and

unconvincing at times. Little Angels have failed to consoli-date the success of their debut and have made little progress as a songwriting unit. They need to abandon their quest for Stateside FM-radio acceptabil-ity and go back to the drawing board. [13:31 'Me Almighty are a different

kettle of fish altogether. If Blood Fire and Love was an auspicious debut, then Soul Destruction exceeds all expectations as its successor. A dozen diamond-hard gems are belted out with such fervour, pure attitude and aggression they simply cannot he ignored. Musically, we're talking a hyb-rid of The Cult and Motorhead; high-octane biker rock and heads-down, no-nonsense boogie being the order of the day. Produced and mixed by Andy Taylor. the result is both accessible and powerful; cap-turing the true spirit of these rock 'n' roll renegades from North of the border. Quite simply, awesome! [A*:11

Ian Ken yon

fivesome's talents to that of Pete Anderson, producer de-luxe to the likes of Michelle Shocked, Martin Stephenson. Dwight Yoakam et at At which point, as they say in the best commercials, my life was changed — or cer-tainly my opinion of Robbie Robertson's protégés. For Casino is a great return to the best sounds of the '60s, with songs like What I Am Doing Here' sounding like The Byrds and Monkees uniting for a Dylan bash, Till 1 Am Myself Again' proving a great angular jangle and 'You're Everywhere' closing an entertaining ten tracker on a suitably cheesy chunk of humour- filled. Dansette-tlavoured rock. And I haven't yet mentioned the ultimate — 'Two Tongues', which emerges from a fuzz-toned haze to a rise and plunge organ soirée The Band would have been proud to call their own. [A:1*[ Fred Dellar

PAUL BRADY: TRICK OR TREAT Fontana Records 848 454-2

There are few songwriters more deserving of success than Paul Brady. Yet despite the praise heaped upon him by Knoptler.

Clapton, Turner, Raitt and many others, he still remains relatively unknown. Brady's songs echo his Irish background but are in no way folksy, as Tina Turner's ver-sion of his 'Steel Claw' demons-trates. His own recordings are more mellow, but he still leans towards the soft rock side with the emphasis on melody and arrangement. For 7'rick Or Treat. he has assembled an awesome band including David Paitch, Jeff Porcare, Michael Landau and Freddie Washington. He duets with Bonnie Raitt on the title track. Production is deftly hand-led by Wayne Yurgelun with a star team of mixing engineers including Neil Dorfsman, who is currently finishing off the next Dire Straits album. Paul Brady doesn't leap out with hit after hit. He takes things gently but his songs have depth and beauty which are greatly enhanced by the superb and subtle produc-

tion. [A:11 Neville Farmer

JOSE CARRERAS: HOLLYWOOD GOLDEN CLASSICS Eastwest 9031-73793-2 ( -16m 38s)

JOSE CARRERAS, KIRI TE KANAWA AND OTHERS: SOUTH PACIFIC CBS MK 42205 ( 61m 23s )

The tenor now enjoys the kind of fame that sets his fans at concerts applauding an intro before he has sung a note, and the 14 tracks here are, with one exception. familiar themes from Kern to Cahn, with Mancini coming off best with two tunes. The exception is 'You Light lip My Life' from a film of the same name, and chosen as his favourite track by Carreras in a recent radio interview. All com-positions are superbly arranged by George Martin, who merits all praise as producer and conduc-tor here — but it is a new aspect of CD leaflet information to find that the arranger shares equal credit with the composer/ lyricist. so that 'White Christmas' is listed as by 'Berlin-Martin-

*l'he recording, inciden-tally, is short measure in these days of CDs playing an hour or more. [A*:1] Carreras shared the honours with Dame Kin i in the all-star London recording of South Pacific, to which I gave a performance star when the LP was reviewed in 1986. The CD adds clarity and presence to a recording, which deserves to survive as one of the great clas-sics of its time. It can now be seen that Kin i adapted better to the Rodgers style than Frederica von Stade did with Sound of .11usicz she also voiced Hammer-stein's words better than the latest diva Wilhelmenia Pernan-dex did in her 1984 Gershwin recordings. [A*11 Denis Argent

111.E1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE IW I

CAL COLLINS QUARTET: OHIO STYLE Concord CCD 4477 ( 54m 17s) Distributed by New Note

Jazz also flourishes in the vast areas between New York and Los Angeles, where most records and reputations are made. This, from Cincinnati, recalls territory bands' of the 1930s, said to be equals of more famous orches-tras of bigger cities. Famous as one of the best mainstream guitarists and a Concord record-ing regular, Collins here goes back to his roots and shows how good his old colleagues can be. They are Jerry Van Blair on flugelhorn, Lou Lausche on bass and Tony Sweet on drums. Van Blair had played in the jazz-fusion group Chase, but here uses lyrical mainstream ballad style in such favourites as 'East of the Sun' and 'Ghost of a Chance', a duet with Collins. He also has guitar solos in reflective mood such as that neglected Arlen song ' Ill Wind'. Final quartet track has super solos for all in 'Until the Real Thing Comes Along'. Its best part is the lovely middle eight, and indeed the whole CD is full of inspired improvisation on themes which are themselves worth keeping in the jazzmen's repertoire. [A:1*]

Denis Argent

THE FIXX: INK Impact/EMI CDP 745000-2 (52m 19s)

It is a long time since I have heard anything by The Fixx, a band which have achieved respectable cult status in Amer-ica but mean little here. I must admit that I found a lot of their early work rather lacklustre but this is a most enjoyable album. A rock band, The Fixx delve into balladeering on one hand and near New Wave racketeering on the other. They have certainly mellowed since their early

albums, with a very mature pro-duction quality and catchy melo-dies. Influences are drawn from across the board, but Fixx man-age to infuse their songs with their own character, largely through distinctive vocal treat-ments. There are no real bound-aries broken with this album but 'Still Around' is a great song and 'All The Best Things' is good for a singalong. I suspect that The Fixx may remain pretty obscure in Britain because they seem not to appeal to Britain's radio sta-tions in the way they do in America. The Fixx are good but not that good. [A/B:1/2]

Neville Farmer

GREEN ON RED: SCAPEGOATS China WOL 1001

After springing to prominence as one of the noisy wave of Amer-ican guitar bands of the 1980s, the band suffered from a series of problems which culminated in the collapse of their then record company Red Rhino. Now they are safely ensconced on China Records, for whom, as singer Dan Stuart admits, they make no money whatsoever. This scanda-lous state of affairs should change ( but probably won't) with the release of Scapegoats The band have been through a good few producers in its time, and this time it's the turn of Al Kooper. He has done a good job, although this set does not see any dramatic change in musical direction. The sound is still dominated by Stuart's growling and broody vocals, punctuated by the thrillsome guitar of the other main man, Chuck Prophet. The songs are the expected sun-fried epics and chief among them are ' Gold In The Graveyard' and 'Baby Loves Her Gun'. In these days of polyun-saturated pop, it is vital you get some meat in your diet. Prefer-ably raw. [A:11 Pete Clark

HUMANIMAL NON- MAGIC? TORSTEN DE WINKEL: MASTER TOUCH veraBra CD no 12 (40m 51s)

TORSTEN DE WINKEL & HELMUT BATTLER: HUMANIMAL TALK veraBra CD no 23 (44m 15s)

AMBIENCE: NEVER BEEN THERE veraBra CD no 30 (49m 56s)

MEZCLA: FRONTERAS DE SUENOS Intuition (CD) INT 3047 2 (45m 45s)

One of the characteristics of German labels is that they seem to put out a very large number of releases — you may think far too many. Vera Brandes is a successful agent who brings a lot of American jazz artists over to Europe. But as well as contemporary jazz, her record company is interested in latin music and the kind of adult-orientated rock that some people think of as classy. It's this last category which alarms me, for this kind of music seems fixated with technical perfection and slick-ness and the exclusion of untreated emotion. Master Touch has Jaco Pastorius-soundalike bass playing, and a whole lot of musicians who make a living by sounding like someone else. But even the

inclusion of luminaries like Billy Cobham and Randy Brecker fails to lift the music to anything I'd want to play more than once. [A*:2/3] Huma-nimal Talk is similarly unre-markable, a slick studio Odys-sey of music lacking in focus. Like so much in this genre, it falls between a lot of stools. Its not jazzy enough for jazzers, and not raunchy enough for rockers. And it might even be too loudly throbbing for New Age fans. [A*:2/3] The Ambi-ence disc is just as sanitized, although this time it's a Euro-rock/world-music extrava-ganza. I tried very hard to find something positive to say about this, but I did not find anything. [A*:3] And then, Cuban new music

from Mezcla. Now, Cuban music is known for its drum-ming. But if you want new Cuban music you've got to replace the real' thing with drum machines. Then you sit down the rest of the musicians and singers in front of Eurovi-sion song contest videos. Finally, you put them into a studio with string-synths and other electric toys, and you've got new Cuban music. [A:3/41 If this appeals to you, and you have dificulty obtaining these discs, try veraBra Records, 73 Loraine Mansions, Widdenham Road, London N7 9SE.

Ken Hycier

HI-1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JI NE 1991

reviews ROCK/POP/JAZZ

GENE HARRIS AND THE PHILIP MORRIS SUPERBAND: WORLD TOUR 1990 Concord CCD 4443 ( 6Im Distributed by New Note

Superband indeed, as I said of their New York concert release last year, and several of the stars from Concord (j 39" are still here in fine form. Harris leads. like Ellington. from the piano, and he solos on two of the best tracks here: Duke's 'Don't Get Around Much Any More' and 'Warm Valley'. On a third Elling-ton theme, 'Battle Royal', the six soloists include the great Ray Brown on bass. The other Il tracks, arrangers' favourites like Rodgers' Lover' and Hefti's Girl Talk', feature stars such as Gary Smulyam on baritone and the ever-muted Harry Edison. Arran-gers' credits include such great names as Frank Wess, Al Cohn. Bill Berry and the band's alto star, Jerry Dodgion. The record-ing was in Sydney NSW. and Nat Hentoffs notes do not exagger-ate when he praises the way both the band's crackling energy and the ballad lyricism come across. [A*:1*1 Denis Argent

HELLOWEEN: PINK BUBBLES GO APE EMI EMC 3688 ( pre-release tape )

Following the departure of lyn-chpin guitarist Kai Hansen, there's been a two year hiatus since their last studio album. But although they are now back to full strength, with new boy Roland Grapow handling six-string duties, it has to be said that this is a major disappoint-ment. After the quality and depth of the two Seven Keys albums, Pink Bubbles is throwaway and quirky, with the title cut and 'Heavy Metal Hamsters verging on the ridiculous. Elsewhere, there's hog-ordinary Maiden-style plagiarisms, the token tcutonic ballad and a production job from Chris Tsangarides that has neutralised the oddball eccentricity which was pre-viously so endearing. The only saving grace is the excellent 'Kids Of The Century', a real rip- snorter that combines melody, power and originality to startling effect. They may have enjoyed a larger budget to record this, but the bottom line is that. without Hansen, they struggle to make any lasting impression. [B:3] /an Kenyon

VINCENT HERRING: EVIDENCE Landmark LCD 1527-2 ( 56m 52s ) Distributed by New Note

He's a modernist on alto, so it's no use my complaining because he doesn't play like Benny Carter or Johnny Hodges. But equally, it's worth saying that it's far from

easy listening. There is, for example. the title track using a Thelonious Monk theme which is stated to be 'tough hut play-able'. l'he challenge to the play-ers is clearly meant to he a challenge to the listener too, and it is therefore music meant for fellow musicians who can best understand and admire how the challenge has been met. The last track, 'Soul Leo', is the most accessible: bluesy, with ostinato rhythm from bass and drums while the alto swoops around. often into soprano sax range. dropping here and there into a dissonant low phrase. It all sounds like the soundtrack for an imaginary film — a cult film, of course. [A/B:1/2] Denis Agent

HUAYNOS & HUAYLAS: THE REAL MUSIC OF PERU Globestyle (CD) CDORBD 064 (i'm 48s)

If ever a music suffered at the hands of tourist showbiz, it was Peruvian. How many bands lia', e you heard playing diluted pan-pipe music while shouting 'Olé!' and being 'colourful'? And most of us outside Peru have never heard the gorgeoush extrava-gant music captured on this CD. It's extravagant in its sound and vitality, but most of all in its spirit. While you can discern the Spanish influence. the Inca Indian music seems a stronger ingredient. Along with the Indian harp, handclaps and per-cussion, there are violins and banks of saxophones and clar-inets. and the reeds give the music a wonderfully vibrant flavour. This is celebratory music Very often it's the music from the poorest people which is the happiest and most gener-ous; and this music reaches out and grabs you, and you'd need to be pretty hard-hearted not to respond. [A/11:1* Ken Hyder

MICKEYJUPP: AS THE YEARS GO BY On The Beach FOAM 2

Manchester may be top of the heap on the contemporary rock scene. But Southend still rules when it comes to blue suede country and good old-fashioned rhythm 'n' booze, as Mickey Jupp is eager to reaffirm. The opening track, 'Standing At The Cross-roads Again', tells all you really need to know. A goodtime blues, it reworks the clichés. 'I woke up this morning — like I usually do: he sings, forgetting the tally of woes that usually accompanies the opening phrase and moving on to sound most un-Delta-like with lines about getting clad in 'slippers and a dressing gown'. Jupp's blues, y'sce, are of the happy kind. 'Maybe I'll hump into some famous names — Robert Johnson, Elmore James', he enthuses. You know that if he

ATOMS & NAILS ATOM SEED: GET IN LINE Heavy Metal Records HMRXD 163 ( 38m -(9s )

NINE INCH NAILS: PRETTY HATE MACHINE Island Records 848 358-2 (-8m 485) (:1)

Success for Faith No More and The Red Hot Chili Peppers means we are likely to see an explosion of the funk-metal genre. Atom Seed and Nine Inch Nails are two very talented outfits, capable of carving niches of their own within this relatively con-stricted musical style. Atom Seed is a brash street-

wise quartet that assimilates rock, funk, metal and psychedelic influences into an intriguing sound of its own, which is punctuated by heavy duty, rapacious bass lines and broody, at times hypnotic lead guitar. The ten cuts display imagination, variety and a keen sense of dynamics throughout with the 'Shake That Thing', 'Shot Down' and 'Castles In 'Me Sky' highlighting their

undoubted talents to best effect. If anything from The Cult to Faith No More is your bag, then the Atom Seed are for you. [A:2] From Cleveland, Ohio, Nine

Inch Nails are the brainchild of Trent Reznor, a dreadlocked acid casualty suffering severe depression. Written entirely by Reznor on computerised keyboards, he fuses elements of rap, industrial metal and punk into a venomous melee of septic white noise and scornful ranting. At times, the likes of Test Department, Jesus And Mary Chain and Bauhaus materialise as strong influences, but just as you think you've tied Reznor down, he doubles back and goes off up yet another musical avenue, to confuse the listener once more. 'Head I.ike A Hole', "l'errible Lie' and "l'he Only Time' are dark, agnst-ridden statements of despair and frus-tration infused with a pop-sensibility, which renders them suitable for wider consump-tion. Approach with caution. IA:11 Ian Kenyon

does, he'll buy 'em a pint and a packet of crisps. The thing about Jupp is his utter likeahility. It's impossible to dislike anything he does, he he making all the old Bo Diddley moves on 'No Place Like Home' or serving up reggac-ised blues in best Clapton style via 'Not Wanted Anymore'. He has all the right sort of chums too. People like bass guitarist "l'ex Comer, once of Ace; ex-Feelgood drummer The Big Figure; and guitarist Ed Dean who's worked with Juice On The Loose, Bees Make Honey and half a dozen other bands who wouldn't shame your collection. 113:1/2] Fred Dellar

LINDA GAIL LEWIS: INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS New Rose 238 CD ( 35m 33s )

Rockier than Mickey Gilley, raunchier than Jimmy Swaggart and nearly as rugged as brother Jerry Lee. Vet). its that lovable Lewis family, rock ' n' country's other end of the seesaw to The W'altons, back in action again. Linda Gail is not your average girl next door. She plays piano with all the audacity of The Killer and sings in a voice that's old-time-hillbilly lubricated by city groove-juice. And here on this made-in- Memphis set, she eases in tastily enough via a rendering of Billy Swan's 'I Can Help' hut really moves up a gear or two for the tough blues of 'Tongue And Cheek' and a live pick-you- up- and- dump-you-down-in-a-sweating heap re-run

of Gram Parsons"Las Vegas'. Elsewhere there are okay ver-sions of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds' 'They Called It Rock' and Edmunds and Will Birch's 'Al On The Jukebox', a 'Sud-denly Single' that'd please even Opt's' hardliners, and a Steve Forbert-aided rendition of 'Clean Cut Kid' that should get a few people wondering about the identity of back-up vocalist 'Bob Memphis'. Navy. it can't he. Can it? IA:11 Fred Dellar

DAVE LIEBMAN/FRANCO D'ANDREA: NINE AGAIN Red (CD) RR 123234-2 ( 52m ,t2s) Dist by Harmonia Mundi

When players who have stretched jazz to the limits come back and re-examine standards, they can often produce a fresh-ness that's a welcome change from 'formula' standard playing. This CD bristles with re-worked standards which are made to sound like new tunes. Liebman played saxes with Miles Davis and Elvin Jones and is a kind of modern all-rounder. He and pianist D'Andrea play with a looseness which makes the music float, and it sounds like an effortless performance. They sidestep the duo-prone trap of trying to make up for missing bass and drums by over-playing, and they exude relaxed joyful-ness — especially on their mis-chievous version of'Sweet Geor-gia Brown'. And on 'Sophisti-cated Lady' they're simply serene. IA*:11 Ken fIvder

11111 NEWS & RE((IRI) REVIEW JUNE 1991 MI

TAJ MAHAL: MULE BONE Gramavision CD GV 79432-2 Distributed by (;RP

There ain't one damn thing wrong with this record. Nary one duff track or a moment when the interest starts to fade. Quite worrying really. Most releases reach a point where, like commercial time on TV, you can nip out and make a quick cup of Horlicks. But not this time. For Taj has latched on to his most absorbing project in ages and based his songs around the lyrics of Langston Hughes, black America's greatest poet. Mule Bone started out as a three-act play but faded into obscurity, where it remained for 60 years until rescued by a former execu-tor of the Hughes estate. Now Taj has taken it as his inspiration and shaped the results into the most entertaining blues-based release that's likely to come your way this year. 'Jubilee', the instrumental opening theme, sets the same, it's good-timer. rag-timey and lays out an obvious welcome mat. 'Graveyard Mule' which follows, is Bo Diddley revisited, with 'Intermission Blues' starting out as a grunt 'n' groan, scat 12 bar before mutating into something completely different. I could go on. Every track is worthy of investigation. Everything is as fresh as the blues must have been at the starting gate. Could be that, though the one-time Rising Son has made nigh on 30 albums, this could be the best so far. All I know is that I felt a whole lot better after playing it. And that is a fact. [A*:1*) Fred Deliar

MIKE OLDFIELD: HEAVEN'S OPEN Virgin Records V2653

With a dozen chart albums already behind him and 17 years in the business, HtYll S Open is the final contractual commit-ment to Virgin Records. Com-prising just half a dozen cuts. Heaven's Open has Oldfield handling all the lead vocals for the first time. Side one features five rock-orientated tracks in a laid back style that lapses occa-sionally into jazz, funk, reggae and soul, delivered in a sophisti-cated but ultimately forgettable manner. Side two consists entirely of a single piece which hasts almost twenty minutes, and goes under the name of 'Music From The Balcony'. This is more typical Oldfield fare, a tedious and drawn-out instrumental, lifted from the mire in places by excursions into avant-garde jazz-rock. As a package, Heaven's Open is both dull and predict-able. [B:41 Ian Ken )'on

THE PRAYER BOAT: OCEANIC FEELING RAC Records PL 74818

Kevin Moloney is the producer who brought us Fairground Attraction. He is a young Irish-man with a brilliant pair of ears and a love of natural sounds, so it is little surprise that The Prayer Boat. also Irish, lean heavily in the folk direction. The open sound of the album lets the all-important lyrics and occa-sionally Dylanesque melodies show to best effect. Ireland's finest session men enhance the arrangements with cello, flute

and violin while the hand — led by the Tinley brothers — handle the standard guitar. keyboard. bass and drums lineup. The songs are strong, but I don't hear an obvious single, which may mean that no-one else will get the chance to hear them on the radio. So you'll have to take my word for it when I say that if you like good Irish-ish ballads, well recorded, you will like this. IA:11

,Vepille Farmer

REM: OUT OF TIME Warner Bros 7599-26496-2

The world has a lot to thank REM for. They proved that it was possible to play defiantly unfashionable bass drumsiguitar voice pop music, and simul-taneously keep it intresting and sell loads of records. Therefore, people have tended to overstate the case for RE, and see them as the ultimate saviours of rock 'n' roll, which they are not. Out Of Time is, however, a very fine record indeed. Anyone expect-ing the rather brash approach of the last effort will be dis-appointed, but not for long. 'los-ing My Religion', the first single, is a fine example of the under-stated excellence which stalks the record. 'Me truly besotted also get their first real chance to actually hear some of shaman Stripe's lyrics — much good it

will do them. Other quiet gems include 'Near Wild Heaven' and 'Shiny Happy People', but the whole is a better prospect than the parts. [A:1 J Pete Clark

ROACHFORD: GET READY Columbia 656 705

When CBS were wetting them-selves over Terence Trent D'Arby and EMI was pushing Hugh Harris as two great white-influenced black artists, Muff Winwood told me to watch RoachfOrd, who he had recently signed. When the album failed first time around I thought he must have been wrong, but an extra push from the record com-pany revived sales and young Mr Roachford charted. Since then he has been recording furiously, overcoming the usual difficult second album pains to produce a fantastic recording. I don't believe there is a had song on here. His vocal perfbrmance is staggering, the tunes are infec-tious and the production is fault-less. The songs swing from soul to rock to American folk. He is equally at home in all these areas and leaves his wonderful vocal stamp on every number. Buy this. [A* :11 Neville Farmer

KANE ROBERTS: SAINTS AND SINNERS Geffen Records 9 24320 2 (45m I5s)

Having quit the axe-wielding

duties in Alice Cooper's band, macho muscleman Kane Roberts is blatantly aiming for the Bon Jovi/Skid Row end of the market with his second solo effort. It's a highly polished, easily-accessible collection of soft-rock anthems, co-written by the ubiquitous Desmond Child. On the up. tempo rockers, Roberts certainly delivers the goods, with 'Wild Nights', 'Fighter' and "I'm Far Gone' blasting forth in a style not unlike Alice's 'Raise Your Fist And Yell' period. Although this is a marked progression from his downbeat debut, Roberts is in danger of losing his identity under the production/writing machine of Desmond Child. (A:2/31 Ian Keil.yon

THE ROLLING STONES: FLASHPOINT CBS ( advance cassette )

This is a live album by popular rock 'n' roll combo, The Rolling Stones. It has the extra selling point of a couple of new songs — 'Sex Drive' and 'High Wire'. The first of these is so limp that it is a straight mockery of its title, the kind of feeble funk the band can produce when all are asleep. The second tune gained some notori-ety from its anti-war lyrics, has a little more pep in its step, but is otherwise unremarkable. That leaves us with the live stuff. As live stuff goes, it's not too had as a record of the group's latest bank-busting exercise, but it isn't in the class of Ya-Yas. Or even Got Live If You Want It. Never-theless, 'Start Me Up' is ont of the great kickstarters, and for every lurking turkey — and let's face it, 'Sad, Sad, Sad' is a raging gobbler — there's something to compensate — say, 'Factory Girl' or a campy 'Ruby Tuesday'. Needless to say, it is immacu-lately produced and Charlie Watts still drums with the gods. If contemptuous familiarity is not a problem, then purchase this with confidence. [A:1/21

Pete Clark

FRANK STALLONE: DAY IN DAY OUT Al Records CD CDFS 1 ( 31m 21s) Distributed by BMG

Surprise, yet not a surprise. While we all knew that Rock's brother was okay in bit parts and supporting roles and that he could even warble adequately, until now he has always placed himself among the street-corner rockers. After High School he formed Valentine, a band that included John Oates, and toured with the likes of Bonnie Rain, BS&T and Ten Years After, even cutting an album for RCA. He's since done solo stuff, always rock-oriented. But here's the switch. Day in Day Out is an album of Sinatra-styled oldies, dressed in swing gear. And it's

82 111.11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

reviews ROCK/POP/JAZZ

remarkably good, even though virtually every track invites a comparison, the song set includ-ing creations that Sinatra has made virtually his own — 'Witch-craft', 'Lonesome Road', 'At Long Last Love', 'Day In Day Out', 'One For My Baby' — plus ' In Love In Vain' ( memorable in the David Allyn version ) and 'Beyond The Sea', which Darin annexed for prosperity. It's to Stallone's credit, along with that of big band arranger Sammy Nes-tico, that Stallone doesn't suffer unduly by such comparisons. He swings with considerable power, phrases in an understanding manner and generally outguns the likes of Harry Connick with ease. Maybe he's not the next Francis Albert but he could qual-ify as a Bobby Darin replace-ment. [A:1] Fred Del lar

ROD STEWARD: VAGABOND HEART Warner Brothers 7599 26598-2

Rod has great taste in songs and manages to gut an interesting spread of tunes across every album. But somehow he seems to sanitise them to such an extent that they all blend into one. The line-up of producers is impressive on Vagabond Heart — Trevor Horn, Patrick Leonard and Lenny Waronker, Richard Perry. The songwriters are even better — Marvin Gaye, Paul Brady, Tom Waits, Van Morrison. But listening to the whole album is something of a trial simply because Rod always sounds the same. Admittedly 'Downtown 'I'rain' is a good single and 'Rhythm Of My Heart' isn't bad either hut the duet of ' It Takes 'Iwo' with Tina Turner is diabo-lical — a parody of the real soul and rock and roll that both have handled so well in the past. Still. I suppose the fans will love it. To me it just sounds like a Vegas cabaret act churning out covers. (A:2/31 ,Veville Farmer

OKAY TEMIZ: MISKET Sonet SNTCD 1031

Okay is a Turkish percussionist with classical and traditional training who says, This record is a culture bombardment'. Well it is certainly diverse in its influences. Synthesiser blends, sort of, with ghatam, saxophone with ne)'. 1be result is a curious mishmash of Indian, Turkish, European jazz, Egyptian and pop and frankly I don't think it works. The compositions are often

very alluring with clever little hooklines creeping amongst the quarter tone harmonies and occasional dissonance. But something about it makes it sound like the worst music ever created to blend with flock wall-paper and late night spicy meals. 111:21 Neville Farmer

THIS MORTAL COIL: BLOOD 4 AD Records (pre-release tape )

After a five-year break, 'Ibis Mor-tal Coil swing back into action with their third and final album, a 21-track double comprising a dozen new compositions and nine offbeat cover versions — these range from Australian cult band The Apartment, through country singer Rodney Crowell to ex-Byrds members Gene Clark and David Crosby and Xymox keyboard player Pieter Nooten. Masterminded by Iv° Watts-Russell along with John Fryer and Martin McCarrick, the line-up is as flexible as ever, featuring guest vocal appear-ances from Kim Deal ( Pixies), Tanya Donelly ( Throwing Muses), Heidi Berry and Caro-line Crawley as well as TM(, regulars. Blood is a diverse and rich package, that explores a variety of themes and moods. At times it is melancholy and atmospheric, with moments of ethereal beauty; elsewhere, there's depressingly sombre monotony that occasionally lapses into overblown preten-tiousness. [B:2/31 Ian Ken .yon

MARGARET WHITING: MARGARET WHITING Capitol CDP 7931942

Margaret Whiting fully deserves this Collector's Series (1). She is usually labelled as daughter of Richard Whiting, one of the best 'second division' songwriters of the 1930s — but he died when she was 14, and the main influence in her career was Johnny Mercer, and there could have been nobody more asser-tive in stressing the importance to a singer of a real care for the words. She is quoted as having been influenced by Ethel Waters, Mildred Bailey, Judy Garland and Frances Langford — good com-pany indeed. But what makes her a singer worth a CD reissue today is her respect for the words without losing an easy and relaxed sense of rhythm. All tracks from 1943 to 1956 have been digitally re-processed from the original session tapes, so there is hiss. But this CD is still sheer pleasure, giving us a fair sample of a most musicianly singer who still sounds good today. And she's still singing at 67. [Hi Denis Argent

HANK WILLIAMS: ME ORIGINAL SINGLES COLLECTION Polydor 847 194-2 ( 72m 24s; -. 1111 30s: 'AIT1 32S)

Who'd argue with claims which state that ol' Hank was the most important country crooner of them all? He took the stuff out of the hills and into the jukeboxes and added wit, lyrical genius,

style and a whole lot more that just wasn't quite so important to most of his predecessors. ( I know all about Bob Wills, so please, no angry letters ...) Although Hank's been treated in a scholastic manner before ( in Japan especiall)). this set man-ages to sidestep the overkill approach in which the essentials are swamped by curios. That's fine for completists, but it can render a set unlistenable. In compiling this 84- track set, Colin Escott has avoided the trap. It contains every single ( or 78 to be precise ) released under Hank's name during his lifetime, in chronological order and taken from undubbed masters rather than the later, remixed atroci-ties. 'l'o add spice for those of a collector mentality, extra mate-rial includes Hank's first known recording — taken from a knack-ered acetate and sounding like it — plus other unreleased or unaltered tracks. Then there's the 20-page, 6000 word booklet, rare photos and track-by-track 'nfo. A flawless product? Indeed t is. [II:1*/2] Ken Kessler

WALTER WOLFMAN WASHINGTON: SADA Pointblank VPBCD 4 (CD) ( -17m 19s ) Distributed by Virgin

A contemporary city blues album, recorded in Switzerland. Sada, which foresakes all bound-aries, features Washington cut-ting a course through Stax-tough, gospel, and sheer funky-butt that makes nonsense of the belief, held by some, that blues are just chunks of 12-bar bore-dom. The closing 'What's It Gonna Take' is the ultimate in exuberant jump, replete with powerhouse bass, guitar soars and wild, gospel-inclined back-ups. while a romp through a ' I Got A Woman' edges nearer to Fats Domino than Brother Ray, coming up perky and kitted out with Toni Fitzpatrick's jaunty sax. But the quiet killer is the title track, a love song dedicated to the Wolfman's daughter, on which Washington harks back to his Nat Cole influences to create a track that has all the hallmarks of a classy commercial hit. IA* : 11 Fred Della,.

YARDBIRDS ORGY

THE YARDBIRDS: ON AIR Band OfJoy (advance cassette)

THE YARDBIRDS: LITTLE GAMES EMI ( advance cassette )

True to its word, the Strange Fruit subsidiary Band Of Joy has come up with a double 1.P/single CD collection that 'Bird-fanciers will find irresisti-ble. The label has released in a gorgeous package all the sur-viving BBC sessions which the band recorded during 1965-8; it means that the bootlegs ( the only source for this material prior to the release of On Air) can be put into storage. In addition to the hits, the set contains a fistful of otherwise unavailable titles, like the near mythical 'love Me Like I Love You', and it disproves John Atkinson's belief that they

'sucked live'. Remember: these are no-overdubsilii e- in- the-studio sessions, surprisingly devoid of warts. The sound is glorious mono and the sense of discovery makes them seem newer-than-new. [ 1***J stuff.

EMI, too, has something for Yardbirds fans, releasing onto Cl) the t ' S-only Little Games I.P, which previously appeared here as another EMI (:i) com-pilation. The 10 tracks have been augmented by rare sing-les' A. and B-sides, with this new edition adding a second version of that £ 100 seven-incher, 'Good Night Sweet Josephine' and a forgotten gem from Together. the band formed by Keith Relf and Jim McCarty after the Yardbirds folded. By my retkoning, then. there isn't much official mate-rial left to transfer ... once Charly puts its fantastic box set on to CD. 1A/B:21 Ken Kessler

111-F1 SEWS & RECORD REVIEW JENE 1991 M.i

ROCK/POP/JAZZ capsu/es KAT1FILEEN BATTLE/JESSYE NORMAN: SPIRITUALS IN CONCERT Deutsche Grammophon 429 790-2 (67m 39s) As with Dame Kill's heavy-handed treatment of Broadway tunes, spirituals in a classical milieu seem somewhat too solemn. The joy and emotion these standards would reflect when performed by, say, the Rev James Cleveland's choir have been replaced with a po'faced perfectionism. 1A:2/31

ELVIN BISHOP: DON'T LET THE BOSSMAN GET YOU DOWN! Alligator ALCD 4791 ( 39m 48s) Bishop's second for Alligator is more of the same: down-home, good-time, rockin' boogie punc-tuated with sizzling guitar work and a tongue perilously close to the cheek. Flickers of the fire shown 26 years ago with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band are still evident, but Elvin's settling into a Grandpa-Walton-of-the-blues groove which seems more comfortable. [A:1]

WILLIE DIXON: HIDDEN CHARMS Silvertone ORE CD 515 (47m 06s) Every elder bluesman wants to follow John Lee Hooker's suc-cess with The Healer. While Dixon's latest has garnered its Grammy, it's unlike the accessi-ble, glossy, star-studded affair which introduced Hooker to a new generation. Instead, it's a low-key, almost gentle set which will have Chess die-hards sighing with relief; in many ways Hidden Charms is actually more satis-fying than The HealerNatural blues from the genius behind some of the greatest of the genre's performances during the post-war boom. [A:1** *]

GALLIANO: IN PURSUIT OF THE 13th NOTE Talkin' Loud/Phonogram 848 493-1 Talkin' Loud/Phonogram 848 493-2 (66m 55s) With jazz-flavoured rap the cur-rent craze, this mellower exam-ple of the fusion should satisfy all of those wearing Nikes and base-ball-hats-akimbo, but who har-bour a secret worship for, say, doo-wop. While somehow lack-ing the sensual appeal of vintage Sinatra, this is what must surely pass for seduction music in the 1990s. IA:1/2]

SCREAMIN' JAY HAWICINS: BLACK MUSIC FOR WHITE PEOPLE Demon FIEND CD 211 (54m 09s) The title of the year, without doubt, but it ain't quite the truth: this stuff is far from diluted. Then again, Hawkins at half-strength is

potent beyond belief. Raucous R&B from the genre's original wild man, but featuring odd material like two from Tom Waits, plus — honestly — '01' Man River'. [A/13:2]

SHIRLEY HORN: YOU WONT FORGET ABOUT ME Verve 847 482-2 (71m 14s) This reached No 1 in Billboard's jazz chart and with much jus-tification. Horn is a captivating vocalist with excellant taste in material; the bonus of backing musicians like Wynton and Brandford Marsalis, Miles Davis and Toots Thielemans might have helped sales but it's better to think of their presence as recognition of Horn's talent. A treat for those who thought this style ended with Roulette's first incarnation. IA:1/11

ALIAS RON KAVANA: COMING DAYS Chiswick/Ace CDWIKD 94 (60m 19s) One of those borderline cases who appeals to the folk/roots crowd while possessing the kind of rock suss and energy which you'd think would scare a chewy-crunchy into the trees. As eclectic as a bag lady's wardrobe: sea chanty swing, country blues, sub-Chris Rea throat ticklers and the kitchen sink. 1A:11

ALBERT KING: RED HOUSE Essential/Castle ESSCD 147 (45m 29s) After nearly a dozen AK reissues in the past 12 months, it's great to report that the man is back with an all-new recording — his first in five years. King, never the most adventurous of bluesmen, found a groove from Day One which made his records among the most easily-recognized. With Red House the sound has been updated but the style remains the same. Fortunately, King is inimitable, so the style's worth sustaining. [A:1/11

NILS LOFGREN: SILVER LINING Essential/Castle ESSCD 145 (49m 34s) Having wasted far too many years as a sideman to the Bore, er, Boss, ace guitarist/gymnast Lofgren is back with a superb set picking up right where he left off. Despite having shared the stage with a man who never heard the term 'scansion', Lof-gren hasn't succumbed to pre-tence, so this could be the most honest rock release of '91. [A:1]

BOB MINTZER: ART OF THE BIG BAND DMP CD-479 (62m 26s) Slightly spicier than usual wall-paper music you expect of audiophile labels, with Mintzer applying the big band shtick to some sharp originals. The nod to the purists includes covers from

Glenn Miller and the Gershwins, though those same purists may balk at the 1990s arrangements. Mintzer may not have intended it this way, but Art Of The Big Band is actually a nice intro to the genre for those who'd rather not listen to transfers of 78s. [A/A*:2]

MATT 'GUITAR' MURPHY: WAY DOWN SOUTH Antone's/Sonet ANTCD 0013 (47m 26s) Unbelievable as it seems, this is Murphy's first solo release. Known best for his work in The Blues Brothers and as a sideman to the stars, Murphy is as hot a blues guitarist as you'll ever hear, so it's about time he had his own showcase. His sound is Southern soulful, Stax-y and funky to the max — just what you'd expect if Robert Johnson had lived long enough to strap on a Telecaster. IA:11

NINE BELOW ZERO: ON THE ROAD AGAIN China Records (Pre-release tape) Welcome return of one of the country's best R&B/party outfits, with Greaves and Feltham in tow. Stunning harp work, fresh originals (do we detect some Born Againism here?) and choice covers, including a reverent reworking of the Canned Heat title track. [A/B:1/2]

THE fflYS: EMOTIONALLY YOURS EMI ( Pre-release tape) Radically updated sound from this stalwart band of soul survi-vors, including token rap tracks of all things. But the °Jays are the voice(s) of experience, and it shines through despite the dressing of mutton as lamb. We should be grateful that they're willing to make the effort. [13:2]

ORB: ORB'S ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ULTRAWORLD Big Life BLRDCD 5 ( 53m 14s; 59m Ols) Double-disc debut from a fairly imaginative ambient outfit, likened in the press release to Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd — which may explain the shot of Battersea Power Station inside. For the most part, this set is easy on the ears, its 110 minute dura-tion ideal for accompanying a finger-wrinkling soak in the hot tub. As it won't put you to sleep, there's no fear of drowning under its influence. IA/A*:1/21

ROXETTE: JOYRIDE EMI CDP 7 96048 2 ( 59m I 1s) Ten years from now, this band will be remembered with the kind of affection which Abba earned only after its demise. It's not just that both groups are/ were Swedish: Both are/were hit machines capable of writing instantly memorable tunes •

which shoot up the charts. There's something a touch more cynical, though, about Roxette, and Joyride sounds like a crash course in formulaic soft metal and stadium fodder. But it makes for great radio. [A:21

LAB! SIFFRE: MAN OF REASON China Records (Pre-release tape ) Nice to think that Siffre keeps on choogling, haunted as he must be by ' It Must Be Love'. And what you get this time around is far tougher than might be expected from a latent schmaltz merchant. Fine R&B feel, abso-lutely wonderful arrangements, dynamite material — here's hop-ing he can get TV spots hipper than on Wogan. [A:1]

VARIOUS: HARDCORE UPROAR Dino Entertainment DINIV20 20 recent dance/club smashes from Ralph Tresvant, Black Box, 808 State, Adamski and the like. Nice way of acquiring the mate-rial, not that this genre offers much for those who only listen. [A:1/2]

JOE LOUIS WALKER: LIVE AT SLEW'S VOL 1 Demon FIEND CD 212 (54m 06s) Powerful, atmospheric live set from one of the current genera-tion of young bluesmen. Grittier and a bit more 'purist' than Cray, Walker is a ferocious guitarist. Amusingly, though, one of his bottleneck forays sounds like the Delta by way of the Rolling Stones; then again, Cray nods to Clapton. Roll on Vol 2. IA:11

WWIII: WW/II Hollywood Records (Pre-release tape) With a name like that what do you expect? Hard and heavy thrash and tracks with titles like 'Time For Terror', 'Call Me Devil' and the rather subtle 'Atomic Sex Appeal'. Every cliché imagin-able has been employed, from nuts-in-a-vice vocals to blinding guitar work. Variety can be found, however; check out the band's cover of Bolan's hippie anthem, 'Children Of The Revolution', which borders on the heretical. [B:2]

CHARLIE WATTS: FROM ONE CHARLIE UF0Jarz UF02 ( 28m 04s) The Parker purists might sneer and Stones fans will have to be open-minded. Watts reprinted and boxed his 1964 book Ode To A High Flying Bird and added a CD featuring Peter King, Gerard Presencer, Brian Lemon, David Green and himself on skins. It's a gorgeous package, a warm tribute and the sweetest intro to the 'Bird's music you could ever want to hear. IA:1]

84 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

MEIME CLASSICAL 13TH CENTURY SONGS

ENSEMBLE ALCATRAZ ELEKTRA NONESUCH 7559 79240-2 A L BENIZ/GRANADOS: GUITAR TRANSCRIPTIONS

PRO ARTE GUITAR TRIO ASV CD WHL 2061 A L BINONI: ADAGIO. 3 SYMPHONIES. OBOE CONCERTOS

SCIMONE/SOLISTI VE NETVRISTE NPART SAARLAND RADIO ERATO RESIDENCE 2292 45557-2

ANON: IMSSA SALBURGENSIS, PLAUDITE TYMPANA SE GARRACOLL EGIUM AUREUM/MONTSERRAT.TOLZ CHOIRS

BMG OHM RD 77050 ARIAS

GIGO THE OPERA SOCIETY OSCD219 ARIAS 8. SONGS

MELBA Nell, THE OPERA SOCIETY 05CO218 BACH J.S.: 6 BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF EUROPE DG 431 6602

BACH JD.: BRANDENBURGS 2 8 5, SUITE 2, ETC BACH J S BRANDENBURGS 2 85 SUITE 2 ETC

ERATO RESIDENCE 22924567-2 BACH J.S.: GOLDBERG VARIATIONS

KOOPMAN ERATO 2292 45326-2 BACH J.S.: ORGAN WORKS, CONCERTOS. CHORUSES

ALAIRLEPPARDCORBOZ ERATO RESIDENCE 2292 45561-2 BACH J.S.: ST MATTHEW PASSION

RILLINGDACHINGER KANTOREVCOLLEGIUM STUTTGART SONY CLASSICAL CD 46544

BACH,J.S.: CANTATAS 1311/1I 19.30 WINDSBACHER BACH CHOIR/MATHIS/KALLISCH

BAYER BR 100 162

BA C,i6t)SPI:.4>erAPieren°,,5.eA"greorg, 1°53/416/8 ERATO 2292 45644-2

B AC KJ.S.: MOTETS EIW1/ 225,231 GARDINER ERATO 2292 45389-2

BACH,J.S.: PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS FERGUS-THOMPSON ASV CO DCA 759

BACH,J.S.: STMATTHEW PASSION/ST.JOHN PASSION HARNONCOURT:CONCENTUS MUSICUS WIEN

TELDEC 9031 73479-2 BACH,J.S.: TOCCATA ADAGIO AND FUGUE.ETC

KOOPMAN NOVALIS 150 066-2 BACH,J.S.: TOCCATAS,PARTITAS BWV 912,114,910,828

MATTAX IHPSCHDI KOCH INTERNATIONAL 37046-2 BACH,J.S.: VIOUN CONCERTOS BWV 1041/42/61264

pEABODY'TAYLORIVLNSrKAPP,PHILHARMONIA VIRTUOSI SCHWANN 316 054

BEETHOVEN: FIDEL» (COMPLETE)11957) KARAJANDOLTZ/JURINAC CLAQUE GM 2007/8

BEETHOVEN: OVERTURES ABADDONIENNA PO DG 429 7622 GH2

BEETHOVEN: SONATAS BADURA.SKODA ASTREE AUE 86961/2

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 1 82 MARRINERST MARTINS ACADEMYPHILIPS 432 2742 PSL

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 1 83 TOSCANINPNBC SO RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL GD 60252

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 1,6 CASALS/MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

SONY CLASSICAL CO 45891 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 1,6,EGMONT OVERTURE

SZELL CLEVE LAND ORCHESTRA SONY CLASSICAL CD 46532 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 267

TOSCANININBC SO RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL GD 60253 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 416

TOSCANININBC SO RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL GD 60254 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 4,5

CASALS/MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA SONY CLASSICAL CO 46246

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 5 I 8 TOSCANINI NBC SO RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL GO 60255

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONIES 7,8 CASALS/MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

SONY CLASSICAL CD 45893 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY 2,EGMONTBRAHMS: HAYDN VARS

CASALS/MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA SONY CLASSICAL CD 46247

BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY 6, PIANO SONATAS GUSCHLBAUERDARBIZETNEW PHILHARMONIA

ERATO RESIDENCE 2292 45563-2 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY 9

TOSCANINI/SOLOISTS/NBC SO RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL GD 60256 BEETHOVEN: SYMPHONY 9,FIDELIO OVERTURE

SZE LL/CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA SONY CLASSICAL CD 46533 BE LLINI: BEATRICE DI TENDA (COMPLETE)

VOTTODUTHERLANDCAMPORA ( 19611 CLAQUE GM 200410

BERG: VIOUN CONCERTO,CHAMBER CONCERTO CHUNGDOLTLCHICAGO SO/ATHERTON LONDON SINFON1ETTA

DECCA 430 349 2(0M) BERLIOZ: L'ENFANCE DU CHRIST

GARDINER SOLOISTRMONTEVERDI CHOIR/LYON OPERA ORCH ERATO 2292 45275-2

BERLIOZ: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE, LES TROYENS (E2C) CONLORAMY'FRENCH NATIONAL ORCH

ERATO RESIDENCE 2292 45566-2 BIBER: TRUMPET SONATAS / SCHMELZER: TRUMPET MUSIC

PCKETTNEW LONDON CONSORT DECCA 425 834 21014) BLISS: CELLO CONC.,THE ENCHANTRESS,HYMN TO APOLLO

HANOLEYANALLFISCH,FINNIENLSTER ORCH CHANDOS CHAN 8618

BLISS: PASTORALMUSIC FOR STRINGS HICKOX'JONES NORTHERN SINFONIA

CHANDOS CHAN 8886 BLISS: VIOLA SONATA,PIANO WORKS

PARDI STURROCK CHANDOS CHAN 8770 BORODIN: QUARTET 2JTCH AIKOVSK Y. QUARTET 3

BRODSKY QUARTET TELDEC 2292 46319-2 BRAHMS/MENDELSSOHN, VIOLIN CONCERTOS

xUE-WEISOLTON/LPO ASV CO DCA 748 BRAHMS/WOLFMAHLER: LIEDER

SCHMIDTGARBEN DG 431 6492 GH BRAHMS, CELLO SONATAS 1.2

JERIE KLANSKY BAYER BR 100 133 BRAHMS, EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM

GARDINERMARGIANODILFRYDRCHESTRE REVOLUTIONNAIRE PHILIPS 432 1402 PH

BRAHMS: PIANO CONCERTO P40.1. 4 BALLADES GILELSJOCHUMEIPO DG 431 5952

BRAHMS, PIANO CONCERTO 60,2. OPUS 83 POLLINLABBADO VIENNA PO DG 431 5962

BRAHMS, SERENADE 1/WAGNER, SIEGFRIED-IDYLL ST MARTINS ACADEMY CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

PHILIPS 426 2982 PH BRAHMS: SEXTET NO 2,TRIO FOR HORN,VIOUN 8 PIANO

BRAHMS SEXTET NO 2 TRIO FOR HORN VIOLIN 8 PIANO SONY CLASSICAL CD 46249

BRAHMS: SONATAS FOR PIANO AND VIOUN BARENBOIM DanieVIUCKERMAN PInchas

DG 431 5992 BRAHMS, SONGS

AMELING/JANSEN HYPERION COA66444 BRAHMS, SYMPHONY 1,HAYDN VARS.5 HUBGARIAN DANCES

ORMANDYPHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA SONY CLASSICAL CD 46534

BRAHMS: SYMPHONY 1,TRAGIC OV.,ACADEMIC FEST. OV. HAITINKCONCERTGEBOUW PHILIPS 432 2752 PSL

BRAHMS, VIOLA SONATAS OP 120,1 1 120/2 ULRICH KOCHNIAKAMURAPREIZER

BAYER EIR100037 BRAHMS, VIOLIN CONC.,PIANO CONC.LSYMPHONY 4

OISTRAKH RICHTER/PEDROTTINONDRASHIN/CZECH PO MULTISONIC MU3 10020-2

BRAHMS: VIOLIN CONCERTO,SONATA NO 2 ZUKERMANDARENBOIMDRCHESTRE DE PARIS

DG 415 8382 GGA BRITTENMPPETTLUTOSLAWSKI

LONDON BRASS/HIND TELDEC 2292 46442-2 BRUCH: COMPLETE WORKS FOR VIOLIN 8 ORCHESTRA

ACCARDOWASUR'LEIPZIG GEWANDHAUS ORCH PHILIPS 432 2822 PSL3

BRUCKNER: SYMPHONY 9 BARENBOIMDERLIN PO TELDEC 9031 72140-2

BRUCKNER: SYMPHONY 9 KARAJAN/BERLIN PO DG 431 4682 GGA

BUSONI: PIANO CONCERTO,FANTASIA CONTRAPUNTISTICA POSTNIKOVAROZHDESTVENSKI/FRENCH NATIONAL ORCH

ERATO e92 45748-2 BUXTEHUDE: CANTATAS

KOOPMAN/AMSTERDAM BAROQUE ORCHESTRA ERATO 2292 45294-2

BYRD: MASS FOR FOUR VOICES CHRIST CHURCH CHOIRDARLINGTON

NIMBUS NI 5287 CALLAS & GIGU AT SANREMO (1954-82) COLLECTION

CALLASDIGLI SUITE COS 1 5006

CANTELOUBE. SONGS OF THE AUVERGNE DAVRATH,DE LA ROCHE KINGSLEY

VANGUARD 08 8002 72 CARTER: THE MINOTAUR,PIANO SONATA,SONGS

SCHWARTZDOLOISTS/NY CHAMBER SYMPHONY ELEKTRA 7559 79248-2

CEREROLS: MISSA DE »SSA DE GLORIA SEGARRNMONTSE PRAT ESCOLANIA & CAPELLA

BMGDHM RD 77057 CHARPENTIER: FUNERAL MUSIC FOR MARIA TIERESIA

DEVOS ERATO 2292 45339-2 CHOPIN COMPACT EDITION

CHOPIN COMPACT EDITION DG 431 5792 CHOPIN/RACHIAANINOV: CELLO SONATAS

ROUSI/LAGERSPETZ ONDINE ODE 748-2 CHOPIN: 17 WALTZES

LUISADA DG 431 7792 GH CHOPIN: 3 WALTZES, MAZURKAS, ETUDES

BURIN Stanslay DG 431 5852 CHOPIN: ANDANTE SPIONATO.POLONAISES,ETC

BRENDEL VANGUARD 08 4023 71 CHOPIN: BALLADE IN G MINOR, WALTZES. MAZURKAS

ZIMERMAN Kryslun DG 431 5892 CHOPIN: COMPACT EDITION

CHOPIN COMPACT EDITION DG 431 5792 CHOPIN: PIANO CONCERTO 1, SOLOS

PIRES/SEBORBOEGNEFVJORDARMONTE CARLO ORCH ERATO 2292 45570-2

COPLAND: APPALACHIAN SPRING.ETC WOLFF ST PAUL'S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

TELDEC 2292 46314-2 CORELLI, 6 CONCERTI GROSSI FROM OP. 6

PINNOCK/ENGLISH CONCERT ARCHIV 431 706-2 CORELU: CONCERT GROSSI

SCIMONE/I SOLISTI VENETI ERATO 2292 45215-2 COUPERIN: LES NATIONS

MUS/CA ANT/OUA KOELN ARCHIV 427 1642 AGA2 CRESTON: SYMPHONY 2

AMOS/KRAKOW PO KOCH 37036-2 D'INDIA: IL TERZO LIBRO DI MADRIGALI A CINQUE VOCI

ROOLEY CONSORT OF MUSICKE RCA RED SEAL P077119 DEBUSSY/RAVEL/STRAVINSKY/ROUSSEL (roc 1965-74)

BOUR SW GERMAN RADIO SO ASTREE AUE 7800 DEBUSSY: LA MER,1301TE A JOUJOUX,L'APRESMIDI

LOMBARDSTRASBOURG PHILH ORCRJORDANDASLE SO ERATO 2292 45569-2

DE LALANDE, TE DEUM, CONFITEBUFI TIBI COLLE AUX/ENSEMBLE DE NANTES

MUS/FRANCE 2292 45608-2 DELIUS: SONGS

GOLDEN (sop) KOCH 37043-2 DENISSOV: SYMPHONY

BARENBORVORCHESTRE DE PARIS ERATO U92 45600-2

DONIZETTI: DON PASQUALE (COMPLETE) ( 1967) SCOTTO/ALVA CLAQUE GM 2011/12

DU CAURROY: REQUIEM, MOTETS SAGITTARIUS ENSEMBLE/LAPLENIE

MUSIFFLANCE 2292 45607-2 DURUFLE: REQUIEM, 4 MOTETS

CORBOZ/BERGANZANAN DAM/COLONNE ORCH 8 CHOIR ERATO 2292 45230-2

DVORAK: PIANO CONCERTO,SYMMIONY FIRKUSNY,KUBELIK/CIECM PO MULTISONIC MU3 10019-2

DVORAK: PIANO QUINTET OP 81 SCHNEIDER/GALIMIRIREE/SOYERDERKIN. Pew

VANGUARD 06 8003 71 DVORAK: VIOUN IL CELLO CONCERTOS

PRIHOOA/NAVARRADROMBHOLCDRAGUE RADIO SO MULTISONIC MU3 10039-2

DVORAK: VIOLIN CONCERTO, ROMANTIC PIECES SLATKIN/UTO UGRPHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA

BMG CLASSICS RD 60431 DVORAK: VIOUN CONCERTO.ROMANCE

ZEHETMAIRINBALPHILHARMONIATELDEC 2292 4632B-2 ELGAR: SYMPHONY NO.I. IN THE SOUTH

SLATKIN/LONDON PHIL BMG CLASSICS R060380 FALLA/STRAVINSKYMILHAUD

ZIEGLERMATRIX ENSEMBLE ASV CD DCA 756 FRANCAILOTHERS: 20TH CENTURY STRING MUSIC

MAXYM/CAMERATA ASSINDA ESSEN SCHWANN 311 145

FRANCK: LES BEAUTITUDES JORDAN/SOLOISTS/RADIO FRANCE PHILHARMONIC

ERATO 2292 45553-2 FRANCK: SYMPHONY,PSYCHE

BARENBOIMDRCHESTRE DE PARIS DG 431 4682 GGA

FRANCK: SYMPHONY/UY: SINFONIA BELGICA CLAESNANDERNOOTDELGIAN RADIO 8'TV SO

AUTOGRAPHE AUT 148 008 FRANCK: VIOUN SONATA/SZYMANOWSKI: MYTHES ETC

DANCZOWSKAZIMERMAN DG 431 4692 GGA FRENCH OPERA ARIAS

FRENCH OPERA ARIAS DECCA 421 876 203AI GERBER: BASSOON WORKS

WALKERCICHIRDANCRAIOVA PO GALLO CD 620 GERSHWIN: AMERICAN IN PARIS, PORGY (EXCERPTS),ETC

MEHTANEW YORK PO TELDEC 2292 46318-2 GLAZUNOV: THE SEASONS,CONCERT WALTZES,STENKA RAZIN

ANSERMET SUISSE ROMANDE ORCH DECCA 430 348 2(0M)

GLUCK: LES PELERINS GARDINERDOLOISTRLYON OPERA

MUS/FRANCE 2292 45516-2 GOSSEC: REQUIEM.SYMPHONY

HOUTMANN/SOLOISTS/LIEGE SO SCHWANN 313 041 GRIEG: SUITES-HOLBERG,SIGURD JORSALFAR.LYRIC

LE PPARDiENGLISH CHAMBER ORCH PHILIPS 432 2772 PSL

GRIFFES/MACDOWELL: PIANO SONATAS LANDES KOCH 37045-2

HANDEL: 8 HARPSICHORD SUITES TILNEY ARCHIV 427 1702 AGA2

HANDEL: FIREWORKS MUSIC, 3 CONCERTI GROSSI PINNOCKENGLISH CONCERT ARCFIIV 431 707-2

HANDEL: FIREWORKS.HARP CONCERTO,ORGAN CONCERTO PAILLARD,LASKINE ALAIN ERATO 2292 45562-2

HANDEL:IL PASTOR FIDO,TERPSICHORE,ALCINA (EEC) GARDINERENGLISH BAROQUE SOLOISTS

ERATO 2292 45378-2 HANDEL: LA RESURREZIONE

KOOPMAN/ARGENTA/AMSTE ADAM BAROQUE ORCH ERATO 2292 45617-2

HANDEL: ORGAN CONCERTOS (EXCERPTS) KOOPMANAMSTERDAM BAROQUE SOLOISTS

ERATO 2292 45613-2 HAYDN: 2 VIOUN CONCERTOS,SYMPHONY 25

KUECHLIyInvFISCHER 4/AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN HAYDN ORCH NIMBUS NI 5258

HAYDN: ENGLISH LOVE SONGS NELSON/THORNBURGH KOCH 37044-2

HAYDN: SYMPH 104,TRUMPET CONC,2-TRUMPET/ORGAN CONC LEPPARDANDRE/ALAIN ERATO 2292 45568-2

HAYDN: SYMPHONIES 85,86 WOLFRST PAUL S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

TELDEC 2292 46313-2 HAYDN: SYMPHONIES 81,90,92

FISCHER AAUSTRO-HUNGARIAN HAYON ORCH NIMBUS NI 5269

HAYDN: SYPHONIES 45,46,47 GOODMAN/HANOVER BAND HYPERION CDA66522

HAYDN: SYPHONIES 94 II 95 HARNONCOURTCONCERTGEBOUW ORCH

TELDEC 2292 73148-2 HAYDN: WELSH FOLKSONGS

PEARCE/DRAKE HYPERION CDA66104 HENZE: COMPASES,VIOLIN CONCERTO 2,APOLLO

HENZESOLOISTRLONDON SINFONIETTA DECCA 430 347 2IDM)

HINDEMITH: MATHIS, METAMORPHOSES, CONCERT MUSIC BERNSTEIN/ISRAEL PO DG 429 404-2

HONEGGER: SYMPHONIES 2 AL 4,UNE CANTATE DE NOEL ANSERMETDOLOISTRCHOIRRSUISSE ROMANDE ORCH

DECCA 430 350 2(DM) IVES/CARTER/FELDMAN/ADAMS/UPSHAW

ADAMS/ST LUKE'S ORCHESTRA ELEKTRA 7559 79249-2 KORTENGAS: GRAND HOTEL (OPERA)/MEMORIA

PORJOLAITAPIOLA CHOIR ONDINE ODE 749-2 LA DIVINA: ARIAS ( 1949-54) COLLECTION

CALLAS SUITE CDS 1 5001 LA VOCE: ARIAS (1955-57) COLLECTION

CALLAS SUITE CDS 1 5002 LALO: SYMPHONY,RHAPSODIE,LE ROI D'YS-OVERTURE

ALMEIDA/MONTE CARLO OPERA ORCH PHILIPS 432 2782 PSL

LISZT: 6 HUNGARIAN RHAPSODIES,CSARDAS BRENDEL VANGUARD 08 4024 71

LISZT: A FAUST SYMPHONY BERNSTEIN/RIEGEUTANGLEWOOD CHORUS/BOSTON SO

DG 431 4702 GD4 LISZT: HEXAMERON/BERL102: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE

HOWARD HYPERION COA66433 LLOYD WEBBEFI: THE SYMPHONIC LLOYD WEBBER

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA TELDEC 9031 73742-2

LUEHBECK/SCFIEIDT/BRUHNS: ORGAN WORKS WALCHA ARCHIV 431 5512 AGA

LUTOSLAWSKI: STRING QUARTET KRONOS QUARTET ELEKTRA 7559 79255-2

MAHLER: SYMPHONY 4,SONGS OF A WAYFARER SZELLDASKINCLEVELAND ORCH/VON STADE/DAVIS AS/PO

SONY CLASSICAL CD 46535 MARSHALL: 3 PENITENTIAL VISIONS,HIDDEN VOICES

MARSHAL.Ingram (electronlc tape) ELEKTRA 7559 79227-2 MARTINU: SYMPHONIES 1,3,5

ANCERL/CZECH PO MULTISONIC MU3 10023-2 MARTINU: SYMPHONIES 1-6

NEUMANFICZECH PO SUPRAPHON 5U85382-2 MARTINU: THE PARABLES,ESTAMPES

BELOHLAVERCZECH PO SUPRAPHON 4140-2 MENDELSSOHN: CLARINET SONATA, ETC

SCHUMACHEFVALBERTDELLER BAYER BR 100032 MENDELSSOHN: STRING SYMPHONIES 10,11,12

MUSIC' PHILIPS 432 2802 ,'S, MENDELSSOHN. SYMPHONIES 1-5

SAWALLISCHNEW PHILHARMONIOPHILIPS 432 5982 PE: MENDELSSOHN: SYMPHONIES 3,4,FINGALS CAVE OV.

DAVIS 4/BAVARIAN RADIO SODZELL/CLEVELAND ORCH SONY CLASSICAL CO 46638

MENDELSSOHN: SYMPHONY 2 KARAJANDOLOISTS/CHORUS/BERLIN PO

DG 431 4712 GGA MENDELSSOHN/SYMPHONY 4,0CTET

CASALS/MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA SONY CLASSICAL CD 46251

MENDELSSOHN: WEDDING OF CAMACHO KLEEDOLOISTRRIAS BERLIN ORCH

SCHWANN 314 042 ME SSIAEN: VINGT REGARDS SUR L'ENFANT JESUS

OGDON DECCA 430 343 2(DM) MOZARTLEBRUN/BACH,C.P.E.: OBOE CONCERTOS

GOODWIN/PINNOCRENGLISH CONCERT ARCHIV 431 8212 AFI

MOZART: "FIAFFNER SERENADE, NO1TURNA' SERENADE RISTENPAARTSAAR RADIO ORCH ERATO 2292 45559-2

MOZART: 2-PIANO WORKS,PIANO DUETS MOZART 2-PIANO WORKS PIANO DUETS

PHILIPS 422 5162 PME2 MOZART: 5 WIND DIVERTIMENTLDUOS

PRINZ/SCHMIDUZEMAN 0G 431 4722 GGA2 MOZART: 6 "HAYDN QUARTETS

ARTIS QUARTET SONY CLASSICAL CD 46522 MOZART: ARIAS

VARIOUS ( 1906-19381 NIMBUS NI 7822 MOZART: CONCERTOS 6365.414,502

SEREIN FIDERKIN PSCHNEIDE TV/MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCH SONY CLASSICAL CD 46255

MOZART: DON GIOVANNI (EXCERPTS) LEINSDORRSIEPVCORENNIVILSSON/PRICE (L)

DECCA 421 875 2IDA) MOZART: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

BARENBOPASOLOISTSDERLIN PCERATO 2292 45501-2 MOZART: LE ROUE DI FIGARO (EXC FOR WIND ENSEMBLE)

MINKOWSKVLES MUSICIENS DU LOUVRE ERATO 2292 45597-2

MOZART: MASSES:REQUIEM,CORONATON,GREAT,SOLEMNIS HARNONCOURTCONCENTUS MUSICUS WIEN

TELDEC 9031 72479 MOZART: PIANO CONC. 9, FLUTE & HARP CONC.

PAILLARDDIRESRAMPAL LASKINE ERATO 2292 45558 .

MOZART: PIANO CONCERTOS 22 (K482)I, 23 (64811) SCHIFFVEGH/CAMERATA ACADEMICA SALZBURG

DECCA 425 855 2(DH) MOZART: PIANO CONCERTOS K27I,K449

BRENDEDJANIGROM SOLISTI DI ZAGREB VANGUARD 08 4015 71

MOZART: PIANO QUARTETS Galin K478, EOM K 493 RUBINSTEIRGUARNERI QUARTET RCA GOLD SEAL GD 60406

MOZART: PIANO SONATAS (COMPLETE) UCHIDA PHILIPS 422 5172 PME5

MOZART: PIANO SONS VOLUME 2, K 281, 282, 2M, 545 DE LARROCHA ALICIA BUG CLASSICS RD 60709

MOZART, SCHAUSPIELDIREKTOFVSALIERI:PRIMA LA MUSICA HARNONCOURTDOLOISTRCONCERTGEBOUW

TELDEC 2292 43201-2 180ZART: SERENADE I0,SONATA FOR BASSOON 8 CELLO

MARLBORO FESTIVAL SOLOISTSMAHELLER SONY CLASSICAL CO 46248

MOZART, SONATA K310.FANTASY IN CmIn,RONDO ETC BRENDEL VANGUARD 08 4025 71

MOZART: SONATAS 6282,293,294 LUBIMOV ERATO 2292 45618-2

MOZART: SONATAS K282,457.FANTASIE K475 TOMSIC KOCH 37040-2

MOZART: SONATAS KV279, 280,281 LUBIMOV ERATO 2292 45615-2

MOZART: STRING QUARTETS 14-23 ALBAN BERG QUARTET TELDEC 9031 72480-2

MOZART: STRING QUINTETS 6515.516 ARTIS QUARTET/SCHNITZLER SONY CLASSICAL CD 46483

MOZART: STIAPH 47 PIANO CONC.21,EINE KLEINE NACFITM. PAILLARD/GUSCHLBAUEFVPIRES ERATO 2292 45560-2

MOZART: SYMPHONIES 25,26.21 PINNOCK/ENGLISH CONCERT ARCHIV 431 6792 Ar,

MOZART: SYMPHONIES 25-41 GLOVER/LONDON MOZART PLAYERS

ASV CO DCM 510 MOZART: SYMPHONIES 28,27,28.30,32

GLOVERLONDON MOZART PLAYERS ASV CD DCA 762

MOZART: VIOIN CONCERTOS 2.3,5,RONDO 2 ZEHETMAIFVPHILHARMONIA TELDEC 2292 46340-2

MOZART: VIOUN CONCERTOS 1,2,3 ZUKERMANDT PAUL'S CHAMBER ORCH

SONY CLASSICAL CD 46539 MOZART: VIOUN SONATAS (COMPLETE)

MOZART VIOLIN SONATAS (COMPLETE) PHILIPS 422 5152 PME7

MOZART:FIGARO(OVVENESCU, ROMANIAN RHAPSODY 1 BARENBOIM/BERLIN PO TELDEC 2292 46329

OPERATIC RECITAL CHALIAPIN NIMBUS NI 7823,4

OPERATIC RECITAL TIBBETT III/41926-19391 NIMBUS NI 7825

PACHELBEL: GREATEST HITS, CANON IN D GALWAY/TOMITNLAINE BUG CLASSICS GD 60712

PAGANINI: VIOLIN CONCERTO 1 (WITH SAINT-SAENS 3) SHAHAM,SINOPOLI,NYPO DG 429 786-2

PAIS/ELLO, MANDOLIN CONCERTOS SCIMONE/ORLANDVFRATI'LEVITZI SOLISTI VENETI

ERATO 2292 45239-2 PARRY: SYMPHONY 5,ELEGY,FROM DEATH TO UFE

BAMERT/LPO CHANDOS CHAN 8955 PHILIDOR: CARMEN SACCULARE

MALGLOIREAA GRANDE ECURIE MUSIFRANCE 2292 45609-2 PIAZZOLLA: FIVE TANGO SENSATIONS

KRONOS QUARTET ELEKTRA 7559 79255-2 POPULAR RUSSIAN MELODIES

URAL COSSACK CHOIR SCHWANN 314 048 PROKOFIEV: ROMEO II JULIET (EXCERPTS)

DUTOITMONTREAL SO DECCA 430 279 210H) PROKOFIEV: SONATAS 1,2.3,VISIONS FUGMVES,ETC

LILL ASV CO DCA 753 PUCCINI: MADAMA BUTTERFLY (EXCERPTS)

SERAFIN/TEBALDIDERGONZI/COSSOTTODORDELLO DECCA 421 B73 2113A)

RACHMANINOV: CONCERTOS 1,4.PAGANINI RHAPSODY ENTREMONT/ORMANDY/PHILADELPHIA ORCH

SONY CLASSICAL CD 4654: RAMEAU: HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIE,6 CONCRTOS

PAILLAREVPAILLARD ORCH ERATO 2292 45565 2 RAVEL/MILHAUD/ETC: SAXOPHONE DUETS

BENSMANWRISCHE SCHWANN 310 071 RAVEL: PIANO CONCERTO/MOZART: CONCERTO K 453

ARGERICKDRENDELABBADO CLAQUE GM 1006 RECITAL: BEETHOVEN/CHOPIN/GERSHWIN/ETC

CAMP/SI/JAZZ TRIO CLAQUE GM 1007 REYNOLDS: WHISPERS OUT OF TIME

SONORSAN DIEGO ENSEMBLE NEW WORLD 80401-2 RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: SCHEHEREZADE,CAPRICCIO,EASTER

roue-

NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

JUNE CLASSICAL URMANDY,PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

SONY CLASSICAL CD 46537 ROSSINI: WILIJAM TELL (COMPLETE) (1956)

ROSSVFISCHER-DIESKADCEROUETTI CLAQUE GM 3001/3

RUSSIAN ORCHESTRAL WORKS BARRASAN DIEGO CHAMBER ORCH

KOCH 37042-2 SAINT•SAENS: CELLO CONC/HONEGGER: CELLO CONC.ETC

LLOYD WEBBER/TORTELIER.Y P /ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCH PHILIPS 432 0842 PH

SALIERI: CONCERTOS SCIMONEI SOLISTI VENETi ERATO 2292 45245-2

SCHNITTKE/PART/OTHERS: RUSSIAN CHAMBER MUSIC GERINGABOTHERS SCHWANN 310 091

SCHOENBERG: CHAMBER SYMPHONY NO 1,SERENADE MARLBORO FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

SONY CLASSICAL C045894 SCHUBERT/HAYDN,M.: GERMAN MASSES

MUNSTER DOMCHORNAN HUSEN/FLOTH CALIG CAL 50 824

SCHUBERT: TROUT QUINTET SERKIN/LAREDDNAEGELLPARNABLEVINE

SONY CLASSICAL CO 46252 SCHUBERT: TROUT QUINTET. VIOUN SONATA OP 162

SCHNEIDER/TREESOYEBLEVINESERKIN. Peter VANGUARD 08 8005 71

SCHUBERT: LIEDER LUDWICeGAGE DG 431 4762 GGA-

SCHUBERT: PARTSONGS SINGPFIONIKER VOCAL ENSEMBLE

CALIG CAL 50 899 SCHUBERT: OUINTET,SHEPHERD ON THE ROCK

VALENTE/WRIGHT SEAN INMARLBORO FESTIVAL SOLOISTS SONY CLASSICAL CD 45901

SCHUBERT: ROSAMUNDE (COMPLETE INCIDENTAL MUSIC) OTTERABBADOCHAMBER ORCH OF EUROPE

DG 431 655-2 SCHUBERT: SONATAS DOSIS 0840,GERMAN DANCES

BRENDEL VANGUARD 08 4026 71 SCHUMANN: FANTASY,SYMPHONIC ETUDES

BRENDEL VANGUARD 08 4027 71 SCHUMANN: UEDER

SCHREIEBESCHENBACH TELDEC 2292 46154-2 SCHUMANN: SYMPHONIES 2,4 (rec 1926,1926)

PFITZNEFVBERLIN SO KOCH 37039-2 SCHUMANN: WORKS FOR CELLO

JERIEKLANSKY BAYER BR 100 140 SHOSTAKOVITCH: CELLO CONC./TCHAIKOVSKY/GLAZUNOV

ROSTROPOVITCH (celloyOZAWNBOSTON SO/BERLIN SO DG 431 4752 GGA

SHOSTAKOVITCH: PIANO SONATA 2, PRELUDES HARBO ELEKTRA 7559 79234

SIBELIUS: SYMPHONIES 455 BLOMSTEDTSAN FRANCISCO SO DECCA 425 858 2(DH,

SOLER: SONATAS ROWLAND (HPSCHD) NIMBUS NI 5428

SOWERBY: FORSAKEN OF MAN WILLIAM FERRIS CHORALE NEW WORLD 80394-2

STRAUSS,R.: DON OUIXOTE.ROMANCE,TILL EULENSPIEGEL SCHIFF H ,MASUBLEIPZIG GEWANDHAUS ORCH

PHILIPS 426 2622 PH STRAUSS.R.: EIN HELDENLEBENiELGAR: ENIGMA VARS.

HAITINKCONCERTGEBOUW190 PHILIPS 432 2762 PSL STRAUSS.R.: UEDER

GRUBEROVAHAIDER TELDEC 2292 44922--STRAUSS.R.: ST1IIMUNGSILDER,5 PIECES OP 3

SALOME ( plano) SCHWANN 310 103 STRAUSS: OBOE CONCERTO, WORKS BY FRANCAIX, SATIE

DE LANCIErPREVINiLSO BMG CLASSICS GD 87989 STRAVINSKY: PULCINELLA, LE CHANT DU ROSSIGNOL

BOULEZSOLOISTSORCHESTRA NATIONAL ERATO 2292 45382-2

STRAVINSKY: SUITES-FIREBIRO,BAISER,PULCINELLA TEMIRKANOV,RPO RCA RED SEAL RD 60394

STRAVINSKY: SYMPH OF PSALMS,ETC/ POULENC: 4 MOTETS PRESTON CHRIST CHURCH CHOIRIONDON SINFONIETTA

DECCA 430346 2(DM SZYMANOWSKI: MASOUES,METOPES,FANTASY,FOUR STUDIES

LEE HYPERION CDA66409 TARTINI: VIOLIN CONCERTOS

UGHLSCIMONEI SOL/STS VENETI ERATO 2292 45380--TAVENER 1944): SACRED MUSIC

ST GEORGE S WINDSOR/ROBINSOHJUDD HYPERION CDA66464

TAVERNER: MISSA SANCTI WILHELMI. MOTETS SIXTEEWCHRISTOPHERS HYPERION CDA66427

TCHAIKOVSKY: LITURGY OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTEIAUS VERHOEFFSOLOISTSJURLOV CHOIR MOSCOW

SCHWANN 313 075 TCHAIKOVSKY: PIANO CONC. NO 1, VIOLIN CONC.

ARGERICHrOUTOIT,RPO/KREMERMAAZEL/BP0 DG 431 6092

TCHAIKOVSKY: SYM NO. 1, VARIATIONS ROCOCO' ROSTROPOVICH (CesorKARAJAN6po

DG 431 6062 TCHAIKOVSKY: SYMPHONIES 254

ABBADONIENNA RO/NEW PHILHARMONIA DG 431 6u4.

TCHAIKOVSKY: SYMPHONY 2, ROMEO it JUUET MASUBLEIPZIG GEWANDHAUS ORCH

TELDEC 2292 44943-2 TCHAIKOVSKY: SYMPHONY 4,FATUld,VOYEVODA

SLATKINSAINT LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCH BMG CLASSICS RD 60432

TCHAIKOVSKY: SYMPHONY 5.SERENADE, ORMANDY/PHILADELPHIA SONY CLASSICAL CD 46538

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS (GREGORIAN CHANT) RUHLANDCAPELLA ANTIOUA MUENCHEN

TELDEC 9031 74159- 2 TELEMANN: LA CHANGEANTE

STANDAGBCOLLEGIUM MUSICUM 90 CHACONNE CHAN

TELEMANN: TAFELMUSIK PAILLARD PAIL LARD ORCHESTRA ERATO 2292 45179-2

TELEMANN: TRUMPET,OBOE CONCERTOS,SUITES ETC PAILLARD ANDRBBILGRAM ERATO 2292 45571-2

TRUMPET CONCERTOS ANDRE VARIOUS DG 419 8742 GGA

VARIOUS: 20TH CENTURY GUITAR MUSIC AUSSEL GHA GHA 126 007

VARIOUS: 20TH CENTURY GUITAR MUSIC ISAAC GHA GHA 126 008

VARIOUS: MADRIGALS CONCERTO DELLE DONNE ROOLEYCONSORT OF MUSICKE RCA RED SEAL RD 77154

VARIOUS: TROUVERES 1175-1300 SEOUENTIA BMGMHM RO 77155

VERDI: AIDA LEVINEMILLO,ZAJICKDOMINGOMORRIBRAMEWNY MET

SONY CLASSICAL CO 45973 VERDI.) LOMBARDI ( 1969)

GAVAZZENVPAVAROTTI SCOTTO CLAQUE GM 2015/6 VERDI: RIGOLETTO (EXCERPTS)

PAVAROTTI. CAPPUCC ILLI ROSSI THE OPERA SOCIETY OSCD216 VERDI: SICILIAN VESPERS (COMPLETE)(1955)

ROSSICEROUETTVCHRISTOFF CLAQUE GM 2017/8 VERDI: TE DEUM, REQUIEM (EXCEFCITS)

PAVAROTTIrHORNEGHIAUROWSCOTTO/ABBADO THE OPERA SOCIETY OSCD216

VERDI: UN BALLO IN MASCHERA (EXCERPTS) BARTOLETTITEBALDWAVAROTTPMILNEBRESNIK/DONATH

DECCA 421 874 BOA) VIVALDI: 4 SEASONS/PACHELBELJALBINONI/PURCELUBACH

SCHNEIDERHANSAUMGARTNEFL LUCERNE FESTIVAL STRINGS ARCHIV 431 4792 AGA

VIVALDI: 0 INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTI PINNOCKENGLISH CONCERT ARCHIV 431 710-2

VIVALDI: FOUR SEASONS PEABODYKAPPrPHILHARMONIA VITUOSI

SCHWANN 000316055 VIVALDI: KYRIE,GLORIA,BACH JS, MOTETS

REGENSBURG CHOIFLSCHNEGT ARCHIV 427 1422 AGA VIVALDI: MAGNIFICAT VIVALDI: GLORIA,OSTRO PICTA

HICKOX/SOLOISTSCOLLEGIUM MUSICUM 90 CHACONNE CHAN 0518

VIVALDI: VIOLIN CONCERTOS (VARIOUS) GRUMIAUXNEGRI/DRESDEN STAATSKAPELLE

PHILIPS 432 2812 PSL VOLANS. HUNTING.GATHERING

KRONOS QUARTET ELEKTRA WAGNER GALA

WAGNER GALA DECCA WAGNER FLYING DUTCHMAN (COMPLETE) ( 1944)

KRAUSSMOTTERMANN LAUOIS

7559 79253-2

421 877 2(DAI

LCD 2-4007

WAGNER: GOTTERDAMMERUNG (COMPLETE) ( 1953) KRAUSSWINDGASSEN LAUDIS LCD 4-4005

WAGNER: GOTTERDAMMERUNG (COMPLETE) ( 1957) KNAPPERTSBUSCH LAUDIS LCD 4-4013

WAGNER: LOHENGRIN (COMPLETE) ( 1954) JOCHUIVININDGASSEkk FISCHER-DIESKAD ADAM

LAUDIS LCD 4-4015 WAGNER: MASTERSINGERS (COMPLETE) ( 1943)

FURTWANGLER LAUDIS LCD 4-4008 WAGNER: ORCHESTRAL EXCERPTS FROM OPERAS

JORDANSASLE SOGUSCHLBAUEBBAMBERG SO ERATO 2292 45564-2

WALTON: SYMPHONY I. VARII CAPRICCI THOMSON'LPO CHANGOS CHAN 8955

WEBER: CLARINET CONCERTOS JOHNSON/GROVES/ECO ASV DCACD0747

WOLF-FERRARI: IOW° CONCERTINO,CONCERTO ZOBOLI,MAXYL4FOLKWANG ORCH

SCHWANN 311.113 ZIMMERMANN: DIE SOLDATEN

KONTARSKYSTUTTGART OPERA TELDEC 9031 72775

POPULAR ABDELWAHAB, Mohammed

VOLUME 6 ( 1931-321 A DDERLEY QUINTET, Nat

TALKIN ABOUT YOU A DDERLEY, Cannonball

THE POLL WINNERS A DDERLEY. Cannonball LANDMARK LCD 13052

AT THE LIGHTHOUSE Jazz A DDERLEY. Cannonball LANDMARK LCD 13062

CANNONBALL TAKES CHARGE Jazz ADDERLEY, Cannonball LANDMARK LCD 13072

CANNONBALL IN EUROPE Jazz AEROSMITH COLUMBIA 4608972

TOYS IN THE ATTIC Rock AFTER THE DANCE TELSTAR TCD 2501

VARIOUS Soul AK ENDENGUE, Pierre CELLULOID 668822

SILENCE World AKIYOSHI, Toshiko/LEW TABACKIN BIG BAND NOVUS JAZZ ND 83106

COLLECTION Jazz AL TALL A MULUK EL•HWA EREDE RDCD 002

VARO AL-ANDALUS World

ALBION BAND, The RAW

TOPIC TSCD 457

EIRSACD 105 Rock

ALARM, The IRS

;990 Folk ALIAS ROY KAVANA CHISWICK CDWIKD 94

COMING DAYS Rock ALL BECAUSE THE LADY LOVES ROUNDABOUT MAGIC ICD

CENTRED Rock ALLEN. Terry SPECIAL DELIVERY SPDCD 100 -

L UBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING) ALLIN, G.G. DANCETERIA DANCE) 064

HATED IN THE NATION Rock AMBMOUS LOVERS ELEKTRA 7559609812

LUST Dance AMEVRICRAiONUPSENSIONERS ON ECSTACY CREATION CRECD 095

ANDANZAS SONGS OF SOUTH AMERICA NORTHEASTERN NR 5007 VARIOUS

ANDERSON. Ray GRAMAVISION GV 794542 WISHBONE AU

ARMORED SAINT METAL BLADE CDZORRO 20 SYMBOL OF SALVATION Me

ARMSTRONG, Louis COLUMBIA 4630'5' 22 HOT FIVES VOLUME II Jazz

ARMSTRONG, Louis TCM TCMC 33006 THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG CONNECTION VOLUME 6 Jazz

ARMSTRONG. Louis TCM TCMC 33007 THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG CONNECTION VOLUME 7 Jazz

ARMSTRONG, Louis JAZZMEN 62550018

T SPAN OF THE YEARS VOLUME 4 Jazz

A T VARIOUS OLD GOLD OG 3214

R n R AUTOPSY PEACEVILLE VILE 025CD

MENTAL FUNERAL CAAYO MANGOISLAND CWM.I.DtraMld: 1061 BAABA MAAL

BABO. Joan VIRGIN VGC 1 RECENTLY Folk

BAILEY, Chas NEW ROSE ROSE 253CD DEMONS -

BARBER'S JAZZ IL BLUES BAND, atria TIMELESS MUG 555 ECHOES OF ELLINGTON VOLUME 1 Jazz

BARBER'S JAZZ I BLUES BAND. Chris TIMELESS corro 556

BARBOZA, Raul ECHOES OF ELLINGTON VOLUME 2ERDE Jazz

KING OF CHAMAME WRDCo2 001

BARRY, John POLYDOR 8490952 THE VERY BEST OF JOHN BARRY MOR-Inst

BASIE, Count COLUMBIA 4600612 THE ESSENTIAL COUNT BASIE VOLUME I Jazz

BASIE, Count BBC RPCD 785 COUNT BASIE VOLUME ONE - 1932 TO 1938 .1822

BASIE. Count JAZZMEN 62550019 KANSAS CITY AND BEYOND VOLUME 4 Jan

BE THANKFUL: AN ATTACK SAMPLER ATTACK COAT 115 VARIOUS Reggae

BEAT HAPPENING SUB-POP EUROPE SPCD 11143 DREAMY Rock

BECKER. Jason ROADRACER PERPETUAL BURN

BEGLEY. Ph(lornena, AND MICK FLAVIN RITZ IN HARMONY

BEIDERBECKE, Bin COLUMBIA VOLUME II

BEL. Albin. GENIDIA BE YANGA

BEL. Mbilia GENIDIA BOYA YE

BEL, Mbilla GENIDIA DANS KENYA

BEL. 616111. GENIDIA BA GERANTS YA MABALA

BEL. MbIlla GENIDIA CONTRE MA VOLONTE

BELL. William STAX BOUND TO HAPPEN WOW

BENATAR, Pat CHRYSALIS TRUE LOVE

BENNETT, Tony/COUNT BASIE THE VOCAL TOUCH

BERGON21, Jeny LINEAGE

BERRY, Chuck VOGUE 670101

BERRY, Chuck VOGUE 670100 BEST OF CHUCK BERRY VOLUME 2 1958-60 Rock

BEST OF CHUCK BERRY VOLUME 1 1955-1957 Rock BERRY, Chuck VOGUE 670102

BEST OF CHUCK BERRY VOLUME 3 1960-1965 Rock BIG BAND VERVE 8451532

VARIOUS Ekg Band BIG TROUBLE HOUSE COMMUNITY 3 COMM 39052

MOUTHFUL OF VIOLENCE Rock BILE. Mani MAD PRODUCTIONS CD 5271;

10TH ANNIVERSARY (BEST OF) BISHOP. Elvin BONE

DONT LET THE BOSSMAN GET YOU DOWN BLACK RAIN VIRGIN

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

BLAtik %teen BOY BLEY, Paul

BLUES FOR RED BLIND WILUE JOHNSON YAZOO

SWEETER AS THE YEARS GO BY BLUES BAND ARIOLA

BRAND LOYALTY BLUES SARACENO MUSIDISC

NEVER LOOK BACK EILUNSTONE, Colin ESSENTIAL

COLIN BLUNSTONE SINGS HIS GREATEST HITS

CLUD DU DISQUES ARABE MA 017 World

LANDMARK LCD 15282 Jazz

LANDMARK LCD 13042

ACE

RED RECORD

RR 95282 Rock RITZCD 0061

Country 46696/2 Jazz GENCD 1020 World GENCD 1016 World GENCD 1014 World GENCD 1010 World GENCD 1022 World CDSXD 970 Sou1 CCD 1805 Rock

VELVET TOUCH VTCD 5850 Noslaya

RED RECORD 1232372

World ALCD 4791 Blues CDV 2607 OlmsrSnows COCK/ 302 Blues 1232382 Jazz YAZCD 1078 Blues 261319 Blues 106482

ESSCD 139 Pop

BODINES LONDON 8282452 BLACK 8 WHITE Rock

BOGLE, Eric GREENTF1AX CDTRAX 040 VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS Folk

BOILING POINT: MUSIC FROM HOT COUNTRIES WORLD CIRCUIT WCD 022 World

ARTLOS EFA 01819CD Rock

CREATION GRECO 092

BOMB PARTY NATIVITY

BOUNTY HUNTERS WIVES WEDDINGS AND ROSES

BOWIE. David STATION TO STATION

BOWIE, David YOUNG AMERICANS

BOYS. The LIVE AT THE ROSY

BROWN, Chubby POLYDOR FROM INSIDE THE HELMET

BROWN. Dennis BLUE MOON LIVE IN MONTREUX

BROWN, James POLYDOR HOT ON THE ONE

BRUBECK, Dave COLUMBIA TIME OUT

BRUFORD, Bill EG BILL BRUFORD - MASTER STROKES

BUCKS FIZZ JET LIVE AT THE FAIRFIELD HALL CROYDON

BUDDAH MODERN SOUL SEQUEL VARIOUS

CABARET VOLTAIRE CREPUSCULE TWI 9442 BODY 8 SOUL Ind* Dance

CANDLESTICK PARK MIDNIGHT MUSIC CHIME 111CD RE INVENT THE WHEEL

CANNON'S JUG STOMPERS YAZOO YAZCO 1082 CANNONS JUG STOMPERS - COMPLETE

CANVEY ISLAND ALLSTARS ON THE BEACH FOASACD 4 ESCAPE FROM OIL CITY Rock

CARLOS GARDEL SONGBOOK MILAN CH 715 VARIOUS Laen Am

CARPENTERS. The REVOLVER IMO 10112 COLLECTION MORNocal

CARR. James ACE CDCH 310 TAKE ME TO THE LIMIT Soul

CARROLL. Llanne, 6 ROGER CAREY JAZZ ART JARTCD 1 THAT S LIFE Jazz

CARTER. JohrvI3 BRADFORD 0 T/TAPSCOTT QT NOVUS JAZZ ND 83107 WEST COAS I Hu I

CAR Y, Marlin RIGHT OF PASSGE

CAVEMAN POSITIVE REACTION

CHANDLER, Omar OMAR CHANDLER

CHAVIS, Bono» B00200 S BREAKDOWN

CHAVIS, Boob» ZYDECO HEE-HAW

CHEAP AND NASTY BEAUTIFUL DISASTER

CHERRY. Don MU (THE COMPLETE SESSION)

CHERRY. Don MAGNETIC MRCD I i I LIVE AT THE MONTMARTE VOLUME 1 Jan

CHERRY, Don MAGNETIC MRCD 112 LIVE AT THE MONTMARTE VOLUME 2 Jan

CHRIS AND COSEY PLAY IT AGAIN SAM BIAS I 79CD PAGAN TANGO Rock

CLAIL, Gary DE CONSTRUCTION PD 74965 THE EMOTIONAL HOOLIGAN Dance

CLARKE, Terry MINIDOKA MI 001 BUDDY'S WAITING ON FLATLAND ROAD Rock

CLIMAX BLUES BAND SEE FOR MILES SEECD 316 THE HARVEST YEARS Byes

CODEINE GLITTERHOUSE OFICI3 0135 FRIGID STARS Rock

COLE, Nat KIWI SUBMARINE DATOM 5 EARLY AMERICAN MOR-Vocal

COLEMAN, TIMELESS CDSJP 129 AMSTERDAM A FTER AFTER DARK Jazz

COLLINS, Sam YAZOO YAZCO 1079 JAILHOUSE BLUES Blues

COLT/BANE QUARTET, John MAGNETIC MOW 106 THE COMPLETE 1962 STOCKHOLM CONCERT VOLUME 1 Jazz

COLT/BANE QUARTET, John MAGNETIC MOCO 109 THE COMPLETE 1962 STOCKHOLM CONCERT VOLUME 2 Jazz

COLTRANE, John MAGNETIC MOW 104 THE COMPLETE GRAZ CONCERT VOLUME 1 Jazz

COLTRANE, John MAGNETIC MRCD 105 THE COMPLETE GRAZ CONCERT VOLUME 2 Jazz

COMMODORES. The MOTOWN WD 72101 ZOOM Soo

CONFLICT MORTARHATE MORTCD 006 INCREASE THE PRESSURE Punk

CONWAY, Rau SEE FOR MILES SEECD 310 THE EP COLLECTION MOR.Inst

COOPER QUARTET, Bob FRESH SOUNDS FSCD 167 FOR ALL WE KNOW Jodo

COVEN, Randy MUSIDISC 106492 FUNK ME TENDER

CRAY, Robert MERCURY,PHONOGRAM 8302452 BAD INFLUENCE Blues

CRICKETS. The EMI CZ 420 THE LIBERTY YEARS Rn R

CRONSHAW, Andrew TOPIC TSCD 447 THE ANDREW CRONSHAW CD

RECEIVER ORCO 142 CRY BABYS, The THE CRY BABYS

CURTIS, Mec BLUE JEAN HEART

CUTTING CREW BROADCAST

CUTUGNO, Toto 16 HITS

CYBERAKT1F TENEBRAE VISION

DAHL JIB ULTRA UNDER

DANGEROUS LIAISONS VIRGIN CDV 2583 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FIlms.Shows

DANIELS, Eddie GOP GOP 96352 ' THIS IS NOW Jazz

DAVIS, &Idle Lockjaw/SONNY STITT LRC JAZZ CDC 9028 EDDIE LOCKJAW DAVISSONNY STITT Jazz

DAVIS, Miles SONY FRANCE 4679582 MILES DAVIS STORY Jazz

DAVIS, Mlles COLUMBIA 4608272 MILESTONES Jazz

DAVIS, Miles COLUMBIA 4509852 PORGY 8 BESS Jazz

DAVIS, Mlles MAGNETIC MOW 102 FREE TRADE HALL VOLUME I Jazz

DAVIS, kIlles FREE TRADE HALL VOLUME 2

DEADICATED VARIOUS

DEATH IS JUST THE BEGINNING VARIOUS

DEATH POWER THE BOGEYMAN

DEGVILLE, Martin WORLD WAR FOUR

DEKKER, Desmond 14 GOLDEN REGGAE HITS

DELIVERANCE THE BOOK OF LIES

DENNY, Sandy, & THE STRAWBS SANDY 8 THE STRAWBS

DER PLAN DIE PEITSCHE

DESTINY NOTHING LEFT TO FEAR

DI MEOLA, N GREATEST HITS

DIBANGO. Manu SOFT 8 SWEET

DICKIES, The WE AREN T THE WORLD

DICKIES, The LIVE IN LONDON - LOCKED 8 LO

DIE KREUZEN GONE AWAY

DION LOVERS WHO WANDER

EMI

EMI

RECEIVER

TOPIC

PROFILE

MCA

SONET

SONET

CHINA W,CO 1002 Rock

AFFINITY CDAFF 774

CDEMD 1020 Rock COP 7964362 Rock ORCO 135 Punk 8490942 Comedy CDBM 1016

412 Soul 4606112 Jazz EGCD 67 Rock JETCD 1001

NE XCD I r, Soul

Jazz TSCD 452 Folk FILECD 406

PR:CPA D 10057 Dance SNTCD 1042

e&J 1043

CHARLY CDCHARLY 264 Rockablly

VIRGIN CDSRN 1 Rock

ARCADE FRANCE ARC 56032

WAX TOAS EURO WAX 118CD Rock

TRIPLEX 1X93172

MAGNETIC MOM 103

ARISTA 354179 Rock

NUCLEAR BLAST NB 043CD Rock

VIRULENCE VIO 100CD Metal

RECEIVER ARCO 138 Rock

HERMANES SILVER KWEST 5169

AVM M 9e9 Rock

HANNIBAL HNC° 1361 Folk

ATATAK EFA 03750CD Rock

ACTIVE CDATV 18

SONY HOLLAND 4669952 Jazz

SOUL PARIS CD 63703

DANCETERIA DANCD Rock

RECEIVER ORCO 13' ADED Rock TOUCH 8 GO TGLP 37CL

Rock ACE CDCH 943

Pop

146 11141 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

JUNE POPULAR

°JON li THE BE/MONTS ACE CDCH 966 PRESENTING DION & THE BELMONTS,RUNAROUND SUE Pop

DION, Celina EPIC 4672032 UNISON

DIORIO, Joe MAGNETIC Pop 103 EARTH MOON EARTH Jon

DIRT TUPELO TUPCD 019 SHE MALE SUGARPUSSY DRILL THE MINX Rock

DISCHARGE CLAY CLAYCD 107 THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES - LIVE Punk

DIXIELAND VERVE 8451492 VARIOUS Jazz

DIXON,A.Tne ORGAN OF THE TOWER BAILDLERAOLOM BLACKCPralir IZI.Inst DIXON, RegMeld GRASMERE GRCD 44

MUSIC MAESTRO PLEASE' MOR.Inst DOGS D'AMOUR CHINA WOLCD 1007

STRAIGHT Rock DOGS D'AMOUR, Tho CHINA WOLCD 1006

ERROL FLYNN Rock DOGS D'AMOUR, The CHINA WOLCD 005

A GRAVEYARD OF EMPTY BOTTLES Rock DOLPHIN BROTHERS VIRGIN CDV 2434

CATCH THE FALL Rock DON'T STOP...DOOW0P1 TELSTAR TCD 2485

VARIOUS Doo Woo DORSEY BROTHERS. The SUBMARINE DAwF 4.1

LIVE AT THE BIG APPLE 1954-55 Nos, .. DORSEY. Jimmy. AND HIS ORCHESTRA ASV() 5052

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Jan DR FEELGOOD LIBERTY COP 7959342

STUPIDITY - Rock DR HOOK Si 'THE MEDICINE SHOW PICKWICK PWKS 4046

SYLVIA'S MOTHER Country DREW. Kermy JAZZ CITY 6605.210

THE RAINBOW CONNECTION Jazz DROPERA RECFIEC RECOEC 32

FRITH Fred 8 FERDINAND RICHARD DRUMS VERVE 6451482

VARIOUS Jan DUB SYNDICATE ON-U SOUND ONUCD 6

CLASSIC SELECTION VOLUME 2 R DURL/TTI COLUMN FACTORY BENELIM 002C0

LIPS THAT WOULD KISS Rock DUSING SINGERS. Deed NEWPORT CLASSIC NCD 80059

RAGS AND RICHES Nra DYLAN. Bob COLUMBIA ,,etela

THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUMES 1-3 I5LP3 CASS 3 COI Rock ED 0.0.1, DA BULLDOGS PWL AMERICA POLYDOR 8483262

LIFE OF A KID IN A GHETTO Rap EDISON, Harry Sweets 'JONAH JONES LRC JAZZ CDC 9030

HARRY SWEETS EDISON.JONAH JONES Jan ELDRIDGE. Roy HEP HEPCD 1030

HECKLERS HOP Jon ELLINGTON, Duke COLUMBIA 4608232

BLUES IN ORBIT Jazz ELLINGTON, Duke FRESH SOUNDS FSCD 141

THE DUKE SD J SPECIAL WITH HODGES GONZALVES Jan ENDRESEN. sweet ECM 8417762

SO I WRITE Jan ENO. Brian E G EGCD II

HERE COME THE WARM JETS Rock ENO, Brian E G EGCD 17

TAKING TIGER MOUNTA N Rock ENO. Orion E'G EGCD 21

ANOTHER GREEN WORLD Rock ENO. Orlon E G EGCD 32

BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE Rock ENO, Brian E G EGCD 53

APOLLO Rock ENO, Brian E G EGCD 64

THURSDAY AFTERNOON Rock ENO, Brian E G EGCD 65

MORE BLANK THAN FRANK Rock ENO. Brion/DAVID BYRNE E G EGCD 48

MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS Rock ENUFF SNUFF ATCO/EAST WEST 7567916382

STRENGTH Rock EVANS TRIO, Bill FRESH SOUNDS JLCD 1

LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES 1973 - GOMEZ MORRELL Jan EVANS TRIO, Bill FRESH SOUNDS JLCD 2

MORE LIVE IN BUENOS AIRES 1973 AND 1979 Jan EVANS. Bill TIMELESS CDSJP 329

THE BRILLIANT BILL EVANS Jan EVANS. 11111 JAZZ CITY 66053018

SUMMERTIME Jan EVANS, Lucky Lopez BORDERLINE BORD 001CD

EVIL EXTREME NOISE TERROR SINK BELOW SINK 3CD

HOLOCAUST IN MY HEAD Motel FALL. The COG SINISTER 848t5e9l 42

SHIFT WORK Rock

FMA1 gertLASSICS Pop 1. POLYDOR 8478102

FAMOUS JAZZ SINGERS VOLUME 3 JAZZMEN 62550016 VARIOUS Jan

FATIMA MANSIONS, The RADIOACTIVE RARO 10242 VIVA DEAD PONIES Rock

FAUCHY, Alex ACP ACPCG 005CD MAMAN PAS PLERE World

FIVE KEYS. The CHARLY CDCHARLY 285 DREAM ON Soul

F1vEPENNY PIECE. The IDEAL CDIDL 113 5 PENNY PIECE Folk

FLAMING LIPS CITY SLANG EFA 04064CD PRIEST DRIVEN AMBULANCE Rock

FLATT, Lester, a EARL SCRUGGS BEAR FAMILY BCD 15472141

FLEE REKKERS C5 1948-1959 i4 CD BOX SET) Country

C5CD 564 JOE MEEK 'S FABULOUS FLEE REKKERS Pop

F°Urtii4 Nagou BELLY DANCE SONODISC CD 10048

FRANCIS, Connie HERMANES WMCD 4587 AMONG MY SOUVENIRS Country

FRANCIS. Connie POLYDOR 8477512 SPOTLIGHT ON CONNIE FRANCIS MOR.Voul

FREE MAN CREESE BALANCE BALCD 1 BALANCE

FREE SPIRIT COLUMBIA MOOD 182 VARIOUS

FRIEDMAN, Dun CHISWICK CDWIKD 98 DEAN FRIEDMAN, WELL WELL SAID THE ROCKING CHAIR Pop

FULLER. Blind Boy YAZOO YAZCO 1060 TRUCKIN MY BLUES AWAY Blues

GAMMAGE, Phil NEW ROSE ROSE 249CD KNEEL TO THE RISING SUN

GARCIA, Carlos ORCHESTRAL TANGOS

GASLINI. Giorgio AYLER S WINGS

GAYE, Marvin MOTOWN THAT'S THE WAY LCVE IS

GENERAL LAFAYETTE PLAZA FIER ROT

GENESIS VIRGIN ABACAB

GENESIS VIRGIN DUKE

MILAN CH 732 Ulan Arn

SOUL NOTE 1212704 Jazz WD 72736 Soul PZA 009CD

CBRCD 102 Rock CEIRCD 101 Rock

GERSHWIN, PEARL GECO 9483 GEORGEGCM NOA HWIN PLAYS GEORGE GERSHWIN Nostalge

GHOSTS OF LOVE STARWARD SWCD 108 NOTHING BY CHANCE

GIBBONS, Comb FLAPPER PASTCD 5734 WITH THE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS Nostalgia

GIBSON BR011IERS HOMESTEAD HMS 1-1332 THE MAN WHO LOVED COUCH DANCING Rock

GIUFFRE. Jimmy SOUL NOTE 1211582 LIQUID DANCERS Jazz

GOLSON. Benny TIMELESS CDSJP 235 THIS IS FOR YOU JOHN Jazz

GONG DECAL CC:M.1K 76 YOU Rock

GOODMAN. Benny JAZZMEN 62550020 SWING DEFENDER VOLUME 2 Jan

GORE, Leoley MERCURYPHONOGRAM 81037402 GOLDEN HITS Pop

GRAPPELU, Stephen' BLACK LION BLC 760150 STEPHANE GRAPPELLI MEETS BARNEY KESSEL Jazz

GREEN ON RED CHINA WOLCD 1001 SCAPEGOATS Rock

GREEN ON RED CHINA WOLCD 1013 HERE COMES THE SNAKES Roce

GRINER, Linda MOTORCITY CDMOTCLP 60 BITTER END Soul

GROUNDHOGS, The BGO BGOCD 77 WHO WILL SAVE THE WORLD, THE MIGHTY GROUNDHOGS' Rock

GRUSHECKY, Joe, L THE HOUSEROCKERS ROUNDER CDROU 9030 SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS Jan

GUILTY BY SUSPICION VARESE SARABANDE VSD 5310 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Frans,Shows

GUITAR AND BASS VERVE 8451502 VARIOUS Jan

GUITAR SUM ACE COCHO 318 THE THINGS THAT I JSED TO DO Blues

GUITAR'S PRACTISING MUSICIANS MUSIDISC 106502 VARIOUS

GUTHRIE. Woody TOPIC TCD 446 COLUMBIA RIVER COLLECTION Folk

WIDOW. Travio ICHIBAN ICH 1101CD WINNERS NEVER QUIT

HAFLER TRIO, The TOUCH TO 16 MASTERY OF MONEY

HALALI, Salim DISQUES ARABE W 036 EN TUNISIE World

HALL AFLAME IRS EIRSACD 1049 GUARANTEED FOREVER Rock

HAMEL, Hersh FRESH SOUNDS FSCD 150 HERSH HAMEL S SONG BOOK FEAT ART PEPPER Jazz

HAMPTON. Lionel TIMELESS CDSJP 175 mADE IN JAPAN Jazz

HAMPTON. Lionel BBC RPCD 852 LIONEL HAMPTON - 1929 TO 1940 Jan

HAPPY MONDAYS BAKTABAK CBAK 4046 UP ALL NIGHT Spoken

HARDBEAT AND BASSUNE OZONE OZONCD 009 VARIOUS

HARDY. Francois* VOGUE 600309 FRANCOISE HARDY STORY VOLUME 4 1967-1969 Pop

HATCHER JAZZ QUARTET, Pail. NEWPORT CLASSIC NCD 60009 RISE AND SHINE Jan

HEADS UPI ROADRUNNER EM 93192

HEATHEN ROADRACER RO 93312 VICTIMS OF DECEPTION Rock

HELTER SKELTER SANTA ROSALIA SANTACD 001 CONSUME

HENDRIX. Mad BAKTABAK LINT 5006 INTROSPECTIVE Spoken

HENSON-CONANT, Debomh GRP GRP 96362 TALKING HANDS Jan

HERMAN. Woody COLUMBIA 4808252 THUNDERING HERDS 45-47 Jan

HICKS. Mom. WING 8472092 MARVA HICKS Soul

HIGHLANDER 2 - THE OUICKENING BRONZE 9031736572 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FranaShows

HILL IL WILTCHINSKY TELSTAR TCD 2479 ROMANTIC GUITARS MOR-Inst

HILL, Andrew BLUE NOTEEMI CDP 7949712 BUT NOT FAREWELL Jazz

HINES, Eorl BLACK 8 BLUE OLE 590732 HINES 74 Jan

HIT PARADE VINYL JAPAN ASKCD 5 MORE POP SONGS Mee

HOLIDAY. Bilge SONY HOLLAND 4670292 THE BEST OF BILLIE HOLIDAY Jan

HOUDAY, Billie COLUMBIA 4633332 THE QUINTESSENTIAL BILLIE HOLIDAY VOLUME IV Jan

HOUDAY, Billie JAZZMEN 62550016 TRANSITIONAL YEARS VOLUME 7 Jan

HOLIDAY, Billie VOCAL TOUCH VTCD 5651 GOD BLESS THE CHILD Jan

HOLLIDAY. Michael SEE FOR MILES SEECD 311 THE EP COLLECTION

HOLMES BROTHERS ZENSOR IC'SI PIS 103 IN THE SPIRIT Blue,

HOIAEBOY VIRGIN CDV 2574 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Fams Shows

HONEGGER, Arthur MARCO POLO 8223134 NAPOLEON LA ROUE MERMOZ LES MISERABLES Nostalgra

HOODOO GURUS. TM RCA PD 90558 KINKY Rock

HOOKER, John Lee BLUE MOON CDBM 070 NOTHING BUT THE BLUES Blues

HOUGHTON WEAVERS, The IDEAL CDIDL 110 THE HOUGHTON WEAVERS Folk

HUNTER, len SONY HOLLAND 4675082 THE VERY BEST OF IAN HUNTER Rock

HURT, Mississippi JoIm BLUE MOON CDBM 083 HOT TIME IN OLD TOWN TONIGHT Blues

HWAKES, C CHRYSALIS CCD 1812 BUDDY eer. _ ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Pop

I LOST MY HEART IN HEIDELBERG INTERCORD INT 892691 VARIOUS Folk

I LOVE YOU GEFFEN GEFD 24371 I LOVE YOU

I SHALL SING! TROJAN CDTRL 289

IF I ONLY HAD TIME OLD GOLD r;G9T13 VARIOUS

VARIOUS Pop IFIELD, Fronk SEE FOR MILES SEECD 312

THE EP COLLECTION Pop IMAGINATION RCA NO 74322

BODY TALK Soul INFORMATION SOCIETY COLUMBIA 4677772

HACK Dance INSIDE OUT MEANTIME COX 032CD

SHE 5 LOST HER HEAD Rock INSPIRAL CARPETS COW DUNG 14CD

THE BEAST INSIDE Inee INVADERS OF THE HEART KK KK 039CD

WITHOUT JUDGEMENT ISAACS G MUNICH Mg 024

LOVE IS OVERDUE ISLET BROTHERS, The EMI CZ 5121

THE COMPLETE UA SESSIONS Soul JACKSON, Joe VIRGIN AMERICA COVUS 34

LAUGHTER AND LUST Rock JACKSON, Millie SOUTHBOUND CDSEW 2038

LIVE AND UNCENSORED Soul JACKSON. Tony STRANGE THINGS STCD 10003

JUST LIKE ME Pop JAMES FONTANAPHONOGRAM 8485952

GOLD MOTHER Rock JAMES. Colin VIRGIN CDV 2542

COLIN JAMES Rook JASPAR. Bobby WITH FRIENDS FRESH SOUNDS FSCD 166

WITH MUNdELL LOWE RENE THOMAS Jazz JEFFERSON. Carter TIMELESS CDSJP 126

THE RISE OF ATLANTIS Jan JEREMY DAYS, The POLYDOR 8439982

CIRCUS HEAD Rock JOHNNY LAW (yes, II Is a group) METAL BLADE CDZORRO 18

JOHNNY LAW Metal JOHNSON. Joy Jay FRESH SOUNDS FSCD 143

AT THE CAFE BOHEMIA 57 JASPAR FLANAGAN/ITTLE Jan JONES, Aled PICKWICK VVIPD 109

PIE JESU JONES. George EPIC 4680992

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES Country JONES, Hank LRC JAZZ CDC 9026

WITH THE MERIDIAN STRING QUARTET Jan JONES, Torn DOVER CCD 20

CARRYING A TORCH MOR Vocal JONES. Vince INTUITION INT 30482

TRUSTWORTHY LITTLE SWEETHEARTS Jazz

RAISED ON RADIO JUDAS PRIEST

STAINED GLASS JUNCOSA, Sylvia

IS JUNK MONKEYS

FIVE STAR FLING JUPP, Mickey

AS THE YEAHS GO BY KANOUTE. Kemong

FARAFINA KBB (MICHAEL VILLMOW'S BIG BAND) LIPSTICK

N KEEL, %word MFP

CLOSE TO MY HEART KELSALL, Phil GRASMERE

BLACKPOOL MAGIC

COLUMBIA 4679922 AOR

COLUMBIA CD 32075 Rock

GLITTERHOUSE GRCD 0139 Rock

FUN AFTER ALL CDAFTER 9

ON THE BEACH FOAMCD 2 Rock

KOCH 322013 World 890042 Jan CDKEEL 1 MOR-Vocal GRCD 43 MOR.Inst

KHAN. %scot Satoh All STAR CDSR 023 HOUSE OF SHAH 1HIT REMIXES) Bhangra

KHAN. %we Satoh All STAR CDSR 021 NUSFIAT AGAIN Elhangra

KID PHARAON MERRY-GO-ROUND, The DANCETERIA DANCD 059 DEEP SLEEP Rock

KILLER BEES, The DANCETERIA DANGO 053 LIVE IN BERLIN

KILLING JOKE E G KILLING JOKE

ra.9.57 Rock

KILLING JOKE E G EGCD 58 WHAT S THIS FOR Rock

KILLING JOKE E G EGCD 59 REVELATIONS Rock

KILLING JOKE E G EGCD 60 FIRE DANCES Rock

KILLING JOKE EG EGCD 61 NIGHT TIME Rock

KILLING JOKE KG BRIGHTER THAN A THOUSAND SUNS

KILLING JOKE E'G OUTSIDE THE GATE

KIMOKO. DALLY IL SOUKOUS STARS KABAKO TOBINA

KING CRIMSON E G IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON

KING CRIMSON E G LIZARD

KING CRIMSON ED ISLANDS

KING CRIMSON ED LARKS TONGUES IN ASPIC

KING CRIMSON E G STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK

KING CRIMSON E G RED

KING, Albert STAX ILL PLAY THE BLUES FOR YOUrLOVEJOY

EGCD 613 Rock EGCD 73 Rock 381022 World EGCD . Rock EGCD 4 Rak EGCD 5 Rock EGCD 7 Rock EGCD 12 Rock EGCD 15 Rock CDSXD 969 Blues COCHO 320

S.INDIN THE BLUESrri-IE BLUES Blues KINGSTONIANS ATTACK COAT 114

SUFFERER Rewe KINKS, The BAKTABAK CNT 5005

INTROSPECTIVE Spoken KOITE. Sourakate & D.KOUTATE KOCH 322412

LES GRIOTS World KONITZ TRIO, Lee, FEATURING BILL EVANS MAGNETIC MACE) ' •

LEE KONITZ TRIO AND QUARTET FEATURING BILL EVANS Jan KORNER, Alexis BG0 BGOCD 102

A NEW GENERATION OF Jazz KOTTKE, Lao BOO BGOCD 101

MUDLARK KRAVITZ, Lenny VIRGIN AMERICA CDVUS 31

MAMA SAID Pop KUPFERBERG, Tull SHIMMY DISC SDP 9133CD

NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN KYOTO COURT ORCHESTRA LYRICHORD LLCT 7126

GAGAKu World LA MUERTE PLAY IT AGAIN SAM BIAS 189CD

KUSTOM KAR KOMPETITION LACY, Steve SOUL NOTE 1212102

MORE MONK Jan LACY, Steve, & MAL WALDRON NOVUS JAZZ PD 83098

HOT HOUSES Jeu LAINE, Frankle HERMANES - MAMMOTH MMCD 571.,

RAWHIDE MOR•Vocai LAKATOS, Sandor. 1, HIS GYPSY BAND QUINTANA DUI 903009

HUNGARIAN GYPSY MUSIC Folk LAOUAN 4TH 8 BWAY ORCO 559

NOTES OF A NATIVE SUN Hip Hop LAW, The ATLANTIC/EAST WEST 75678219`...

THE LAW Rock LAWAL, Gasper GLOBESTYLE CDORB 071

KADARA World LEARY, Pool ROUGH TRADE R 20812632

THE HISTORY OF DOGS Rock LEARY, Paul ROUGH TRADE R 20812632

HISTORY OF DOGS LEE. Brenda HERMANES WMCD 5570

BRENDA LEE SINGS HER MOST BEAUTIFUL SONGS MOR.Vocal LEGENDARY BLUES BAND ICHIBAN ICH 9001C0

U B DA JUDGE Blues LEJEUNE, Eddie, IL THE MORSE PLAYBOYS ROUNDER CDROU 6043

IT'S IN THE BLOOD Gem LES THUGS DECOY DYL 23CD

INTERNATIONAL ANTIGOREDOM FRONT Rock LEVEL 42 POLYDOR 8310812

THE EARLY TAPES Dance LEVY. Banington GREENSLEEVES GRELCD 509

ENGLISHMANGOBIN HOOD LIEBMAN, Dare OWL

WEST SIDE STORY Jazz LILAC TIME, The FONTANAPHONOGRAM 8348352

THE LILAC TIME Rock LILAC TIME, The FONTANAPHONOGRAM 8386412

PARADISE CIRCUS Rock LITTLE CHARLIE AND THE NIGHTCATS SONET ALGO 4794

CAPTURED LIVE Blues LOFGREN, Nils ESSENTIAL ESSCD 145

SILVER LINING Rock LONDON COMMUNITY GOSPEL CHOIR MFP COMFP 5731

GOSPEL GREATS LONG TALL TEXANS, The RAGE

OWLLC 061

ICerreCD 1 oft SINGING TO THE MOON Rock

LONG WALK HOME VARESE SARABANDE VSD 5304 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Films:Shows

LONG, Glenn PICKWICK PINK 146 GLENN LONG. HIS PIANO 8 ORCHESTRA VOLUME 2 MOR.Inst

LOUISS, Eddy MAGNETIC NTCD 101 SANG M LE Jazz

LOVE, Monle COOLTEMPO CCD 1720 DOWN TO EARTH Rap

LUBRICATED GOAT BLACKEYE BLACKCD 011 PSYCHEDELICATESSEN Rock

LUNCH, Lydlo PATHOLOGICAL PATH 006CD CONSPIRACY OF WOMEN Spoken

M.C. BUZZ B POLYDOR 8490672 WORDS ESCAPE ME

M.C.BREED L DFC M C BREED 8 DFC

MABELE, Aurlus EMBARGO

MACHITO MACHITO AND HIS SALSA BIG BAND 1982 Jazz

MADE IN SWEDEN MAGNETIC MRCD 106 VARIOUS Jazz

MAESTRO. Johnny, & THE CRESTS ACE COCHO 322 THE BEST OF THE REST OF JOHNNY MAESTRO TFIE CRESTS -

MAGHESFIKAR. Late EMI INDIA CDPMLP 5336 CLASSIC SONGS FROM FILMS

MAGNA CARTA SEASONS

MAHER, Big Joe GOOD ROCKIN DADDY

MAKE SOME NOISE VOLUME 1 AIM VARIOUS

MALEVOLENT CREATION RC THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

MAMA'S BOYS MEN LIVE TONITE

MAN MACHINE STEP INTO TIME

MANTOVANI & HIS ORCHESTRA THE MUSIC OF LOVE

MANTRONIX VIRGIN IN FULL EFFECT

MANTRONIX VIRGIN MUSIC MADNESS

MANUFACTURE VOICE OF WORLD CONTROL

MANZANERA, PhD 801 LIVE

MANZANERA, Phil GUITARISSIMO

MIT SPIÉPZIHN HAT MAN NOCH MARLEY BOOKER, Cadet'.

AWAKE ZION MARSALIS, Ellis

PIANO IN E SOLO PIANO MARSH. Warne

NE PLUS ULTRA

SDEG SDE 4103CD Rap

JIMMY'S JIP 021CD World

TIMELESS CDSJP 161

VIRGIN

E G

BEAR FAMILY TF1AUME DANCETERIA

ROUNDER

HAT HUT

World VERTIGO/PHONOGRAM 8464472

Folk POWERHOUSE POW 4102CD

AMID I Dance RC 93812 Metal CC/MEN 114 Rock

OUTER RHYTHM MMAN 004CD

PICKWICK PWKDance 4039P MOR.Inst DISCO 74 Dance DISCO 50 Dance

NETTWEK EUROPE NET 030CD Rock EGCD 26 Rock EGCD 69 Rock BCD 15536 Pop DANGO 067

2Dell' 2100 Jazz ARTCD 6063 Jazz

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

JUNE POPULAR MARTINO, AI CAPITOL CZ 415

THE EXCITING VOICE OF THE ITALIAN VOICE OF MOR-Vocal MASS ABSTRACT ART 090CD

RUSHINGFLOODPERFUME McCONNELL Rob, AL GREY. BENNY POWELL CONCORD CCD 4451

LIVE Jazz McGREGOR, Chris/ARCHIE SHEPP MAGNETIC RECD 017

EN CONCERT A BANILIEURES BLEUES Jazz McGRIFF BIG BAND, Jimmy LAC JAZZ CDC 9027

TRIBUTE TO BASIE Jan McLAUGHLIN, John SONY HOLLAND 4670102

GREATEST HITS Jan McRAE, Carmen NOVUS JAZZ PD 83098

SARAH - DEDICATED TO YOU Jazz MEAN RED SPIDERS BOO GBCD 1

DARK HOURS MEKONS BLAST FIRST BFFP 080CD

CURSE OF THE MEKONS MENTAL CHURCH EPIC 4678162

THE HUMAN FACTOR Rock MEZZOfORTE RCA ND 74131

SURPRISE SURPRISE Dance MIDNIGHT OIL COLUMBIA 4509032

HEAD INJURIES ROCK MIKE 81 THE MECHANICS VIRGIN CDV 2662

WORD OF MOUTH Rock MILANES, Pablo MESSIDOR 25905

QUERIDO PABLO MILKSHAKES, The BIG BEAT CDWIKM 20

MILLER BAND, Slave FAME ee.32„ 20 ROCK 6 ROLL HITS OF THE 50S A 60S

SAILOR Rock MILLER ORCHESTRA, The NOW Glenn SUBMARINE DAWE 46

BACK TO THE MILLER SOUND (kg Band MILLER, Ned BEAR FAMILY BCD 15496

FROM A JACK TO A KING Country MILU VANILLI, The Real CHRYSALIS CCD 1819

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH Pop MINGUS, Charles CANDID CCD 79042

MYSTERIOUS BLUES Jazz MISTER BIG

LEAN INTO IT MITCHELL Guy MFP

ALL TIME HITS MOCK TURTLES, The IMAGINARY

17-90 THE SINGLES MONK. Thelonloua

THE COMPOSER

ATLANTIC/EAST WEST 75678220, Rock CDMFP 5908 MOR- VOLA ILLCD 019 Rock

COLUMBIA 4633382 Jaco

. BEAR FAMILY BCD 15529(41 BLUEGRASS 1959-69 (4 CO BOX SET) C'

MONTOUU, Tate, LMUNDELL LOWE FRESH SOUNDSFSe162 SWEET N LOVELY VOLUME 1 Jazz

MONTOUU. Tate, Ili MUNDELL LOWE FRESH SOUNDS FSCD 162 SWEET N LOVELY VOLUME 2 Jazz

MONTREAL JUBILATION GOSPEL CHOIR BLUES BEACON 10082 GLORY TRAIN Gospel

MONTREAL JUBILATION GOSPEL CHOIR BLUES BEACON 10062 JUBILATION II Gospel

MOODY, Janes NOVUS JAZZ PD 83111 HONEY Jazz

MOONEY, John POWERHOUSE POW 4101CD TELEPHONE KING

MOORE, Christy NEWBERRY CM 24 SMOKE 8. STRONG WHISKY Folk

MORAZ, Patrick/BILL BRUFORD E G EGCD 63 FLAGS Rock

MORGAN. Sonny, li THE SEYCHELLOIS MISSION MISSCD 1990 COCO DE MER •

MORRISON. Alexander LOCHSHORE CDLOC 1061 SCOTLAND Ethnic

MORSE BAND, Steve MCA (USA) MCAD 10112 SOUTHERN STEEL Rock

MORTON, Jelly Roll MUSIC MEMORIA MM 30380 THE COMPLETE JELLY ROLL MORTON'S RED HOT PEPPERS Jazz

MOTHERS, The ELEKTRA 7559610222 FIRST BORN Rock

MOTORCITY SOUND OF DETROIT, VOLUME 5 MOTORCITY MOTCLP 5 VARIOUS Soul

MOVING TARGETS ROADRUNNER TG 93042 FALL

MOTET, Alison COLUMBIA 4682722 HOODOO Rock

MUJURU, Ephat LYRICHORD LLCT 7407 RHYTHMS OF LIFE Ethnic

MUKESH EMI INDIA CDPMLP 5415 A RETROSPECT World

MURRAY OCTET, David BLACK SAINT 1201392 HOPE SCOPE Jan

MURRAY. Muni GRP GRP 96332 AMANI A W MURRAY J822

MUSICAL FEAST HEARTBEAT COMB 084 VARIOUS Reggae

NAMES, The FACTORY BENELUX MN 009CD SWIMMING AND SINGLES Rock

NATASHA CHEEKY JD 48 NATASHA Jan

NAVAJO SONGS FROM CANYON DE CHELLY NEW WORLD NW 4062 VARIOUS Wed

NEAL, Kenny WALKING ON FIRE ALLIGATOR AB,LuV, 4795

NECROSANCT A V M VOVCD 680 EQUAL IN DEATH Rock

NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN FURTIVE 4681122 GOD FODDER Rock

NELSON, Bill IMAGINARY ILLCD 024 LUMINOUS Rock

NELSON, Rick MAGNUM FORCE CDMF 078 LIVE AT THE ALADDIN Rock

NELSON, Ricky EMI CZ 417 THE BEST OF RICKY NELSON VOLUME 2 Pop

NERVE RACK MEANTIME COX 03ICD EXPERIMENTS IN FACIAL HAIR Rock

NE VILLE BROTHERS, The FAME COFA 3255 UPTOWN

NEW JACK CITY GIANT 7599244092 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Rap

NEWMAN. Joe FRESH SOUND FSCD 135 THE COUNT OMEN WITH WESS FOSTER POWELL Jazz

NICO ELEKTRA 6, 75596109 MARBLE INDEX Rock

NIKOLA AND HIS FRIENDS QUINTANA OUI 90300 SONGS AND DANCES FROM THE BALKANS Folk

NINE BELOW ZERO CHINA WOLCD 1014 ON THE ROAD AGAIN Rock

NITZSCHE, Jack VARESE D 07220 STARMAN films/Shows

NORMAKJESSTE/BATTLE/OTHERS DG 429 7902 GM SPIRITUALS (CARNEGIE HALL CONCERT) Gospel

NORTH INDIA: CLASSICAL CHANT PLAYASOUND PS 65068 VARIOUS World

NOTHING BY CHANCE STARWARD SWCD 108

GHOSTS OF LOVE r IWSC% RÁ 1039 NUMAN, Gary IRS OUTLAND Rock

0 CONNELL, Bill JAZZ CITY 66053019 LOVE FOR SALE Jazz

O'JAYS EMI USA CDMTL 1060 EMOTIONALLY YOURS Dance

ODER, St. Louis Jimmy DA MUSIC CD 35082 STORY OF BLUES VOLUME 8 Blues

OHIO PLAYERS WESTBOUND CDSEWD 039 BEST OF THE OHIO PLAYERS Dance

OLD AND NEW DREAMS BLACK SAINT 1201132 A TRIBUTE TO BLACKWELL Jazz

OLDFIELD, Mike VIRGIN CDV 2262 CRISES Rock

ORB, The BIG LIFE BLRDCD 005 THE ORBS ADVENTURES BEYOND THE ULTRAWORLD Dance

ORIENTAL HIT PARADE SONODISC CD 15001 VARIOUS

ORIGIN, The HUT HUTCD 001 ORIGIN Rock

ORIGINAL CAST EPIC VIVA 12 MATADOR FamsJShows

ORIGINAL LONDON CAST FIRST NIGHT CASTCD 23 FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE Jazz

ORIGINAL PARIS CAST FIRST NIGHT CASTCO 22 LA REVOLUTION FRANCAISE 11789-17941 Folms/Shows

ORTEGA, Anthony HAT HUT ARTCD 6065 NEW DANCE' J

EPIC azz 4630862 OSBOURNE, Om DIARY OF A MADMAN ROCK

OSCAR ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

OSTERTAG, Bob ATTENTION SPAN

OUEDRAOGO, Amick», B FASO LAMOGOYA COLE BOBO

OUT FOR JUSTICE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

OVERLORDS, The ORGANIC,

P.I.L. 9

PACHECO, Johnny CASANOVA LOS AMIGOS

PAGE, Patti

VARESE VSO 5313 Films/Shows

RECREC RECDEC 33

TILE KOCH 322415 World

VARESE VSD 5317 Fiirns/Shons

ANTLER SUBWAY AS 5030CD Rock

VIRGIN WV 2588 Rock

FANIA GDP 540 Latin Am

HERMANE% WMCD 5582 HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW Nostalgia

PAIGE, Elaine RCA PO 74932 LOVE CAN DO THAT Pop

PALMIERI, Eddie FANIA CDML 56 PALO PA RUMBA Latin Am

PAPA WEIABA & VIVA LA MUSICA ESPERANCE CD 8438 LOVE KILAWU World

PARADISE LOST PEACEVILLE VILE 25CD GOTHIC

PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA, The NEWPORT CLASSIC NCO 60069 THE WHISTLER AND HIS DOG Jazz

PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA, The NEWPORT CLASSIC NCD 60039 ON THE BOARDWALK

PARNKIN, klendy/VARIOUS DRESS CASUAL

PATTERSON, eTAKING CAltb& BUSINESS

PAYNE, Lee FORTY SEVEN SUMMERS

PENA,PecolHELTAWST MARTIN IN PENA MISA FLAMENCA

PEPLOWSKI QUARTET, Ken ILLUMINATIONS

PERKS, Katie SEA OR AIR

PERRY, Lee Scralch IN SATAN S DUB

PERRY, Phil THE HEART OF THE MAN

PIANO VARIOUS

POESIE NOIRE MARIANNE

POLYNESIAN PERCUSSION, SOUTH PAC DRUMS PLAYASOUND PS 65066 VARIOUS Wood

PONDER, Jimmy LAC JAZZ CDC 9031 JIMMY PONDER Jazz

PONS, Lily MASTERSOUND DFCDI 1rl THE ART OF THE COLORATURA Fens/Snows

POP MIER PRETTY THINGS, The

EMOTIONS PRICE, Alan

LIBERTY PRIEBOY, Andy

UPON MY WICKED SOUL PRIEST, Maxi

MAXI PROPHET. Michael

GUNMAN PSYCHEDEUC FURS

ALL OF THIS 0 NOTHING Rock PUENTE, TIlo CONCORD CCD 4448

OUT OF THIS WORLD Jazz PUKWANA, Dodo/JOHN STEVENS AFFINITY CDAFF 775

MBIZO RADEBE (THEY SHOOT TO KILL) World PUNK'S NOT DREAD SINK BELOW SINK 002CD

VARIOUS Punk QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE BG0 BGOCD 88

COMIN THOU Rock QUINTETTE OF THE HOT CLUB/REINHARDT SUBMARINE DOLO 12

IN PARIS 1935-36 Jaco

Jazz SONY CLASSICAL CD 45998

Class Cross KENTACE CDKEND 098

Soul ROUND 1 ROCO 2

THE FIELDS NIMBUS 0E' NI 5288 Class Cross

CONCORD CCO 4449 Jan

PLASTIC HEAD PLASCD 024 Rock

DANCETERIA DANGO 066

CAPITOL •

VERVE 8451472 Jazz

ANTLER AS 5039CD Rock

218e,

ARISTA 261160 Rock

FONTANAPHONOGRAM 8467052 Rock

ARIOLA 261390 Pop

RUDE 106652

VIRGIN DIXCD 50

GREENSLEEVESRarCD 506

COLUMBIA 46° ? l0°2

EXTENDED POWER RAGGA HIP HOP 2

VARIOUS RAGGA TWINS, The

REGGAE OWES ME MONEY RAIN TREE CROW

RAIN TREE CROW RAINEY. Ma

MA RAINEY S BLACK BOTTOM RAKHA, Alle/ZAKIR HUSSEON

TABLA TRADITION RAP ANNIVERSARY

VARIOUS RAPPIN' IS FUNDAMENTAL

THE DOO•HOP LEGACY RAVEN

ARCHITECT OF FEAR REBIRTH BRASS BAND

REBIRTH KICKIN IT LIVE RED KROSS

THIRD EYE REDHEAD KINGPIN & THE F.B.I.

THE ALBUM WITH NO NAME REDMAN, Dewey

LIVING ON THE EDGE REED, Jimmy

BIG BOSS MAN REED. Lou

LEGENDARY HEARTS REEDUS, Tony

THE FAR SIDE REEVES. Dianne

I REMEMBER REMBRANCITS, The

THE REMBRANDTS REMLER, Emily CONCORD CCD 4453

RETROSPECTIVE VOLUME 1 - STANDARDS Jazz RHODES, Sonny ICHIBAN ICH 9002CD

DISCIPLE OF THE BLUES Blues RINGLETS TRIO, The RUMBLE RUMBCD 003

ROCKS/BIG APPLE JIVE RIVER VARESE VSO 5298

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Films/Show, ROACH GROUP, Ma:, WTI ABBEY UNCOLN MAGNETIC MRCI3 110

FREEDOM NOW SUITE LIVE IN EUROPE 1964 Jazz RODRIGUEZ, Silvio MESSIDOR 15977

OH MELANCOLIA ROGIE, S.E.

THE NEW SOUNDS OF SE ROLLING STONES, mi

FLASHPOINT ROLLINS, Sonny

LIVE IN PARIS 1963 RONALD, Terry

ROMA ROSE AMONG THORNS

NOISE INTERNATIONAL NO 1693 Metal

MANGO/ISLAND CIDM 1063 Hip Hop

SHUT UP AND DANCE SUADCD 2

VIRGIN CDanceDV 2659 Rock

YAZGO YAICE) 1071 Blues

EMI INDIA CDPSLP 5427 World

4.6 BACO 564

AIM Rap

Dance 0876282 Rock CDROU 2106 Jazz

ATLANTIC/EAST WEST 7567821482 Psychedelic

TEN DIXCD 106 Rap

BLACK SAINT 1201232 J8.2

INSTANT COINS 5042 966

RCA ND 89843 Rock

JAZZ CITY 66053016 Jazz

BLUE NOTE/EMI COP 7902642 Jazz

ATCO/EAST WEST 7567914122

S P V

ROUNDER

WORKERS PLAYTIME PLAY 18CD ROGIE World

ROLLING STONES 4681352 Rock

MAGNETIC MRCD 101 Jazz

MCA MCAD 10241

OTC/ i7DCD 6 ROSE AMONG THORNS •

ROSETTE EMI CDEMD 1019 JOYRIDE Pop

RUBALCABA TRIO. Gonzalo BLUE NOTE/EMI COP 7954782 DISCOVERY LIVE AT MONTREUX Jan

RUBALCABA, Gonzalo MESSIDOR 15999 MI GRAN PASION

RUSSELL Leon SEQUEL STOP ALL THAT JAZZ

RUSSELL Leon. AND MARC BENNO SEQUEL ASYLUM CHOIR

RUTH'S REFRIGERATOR MADAGASCAR SUDDENLY A DISFIGURED HEAD

RUTH'S REFRIGERATOR MADAGASCAR SUDDENLY A DISFIGURED HEAD PARACHUTED

RUTS DC, The DANCETERIA RHYTHM COLLISION DUB

SAGOO, Bally STAR WAM BAN (REMIXES)

SAIGON KICK THIRD STONE SAIGON KICK

SANDOVAL Arturo MESSIDOR TUMBAITO

SANDOVAL Anuro GRP FLIGHT TO FREEDOM

SCAGGS. Ricky PICKWICK LIVE IN LONDON

NEXCD 152 Rock NEXCD 152 Rock MAD 012C0 Rock MAD 12CD Psychedelic DANCE/ 054 Punk COSA 020 Bhangra 7567916342 Rock 15974

GRP 96342 Jan PWKS 4048 Country

SCOFIELD. John ELECTRIC OUTLET

SCREAMING TRIBESMEN, The BLOODLUST

SEDAKA, Neil THE HOLLYWOOD CONCERTS

SEOUL NATIONAL ORCHESTRA KOREAN COURT MUSIC

SEPTIC DEATH NONE OF YOUR ATTENTION

SEPULTURA ARISE

SHADES OF RHYTHM SHADES OF RHYTHM

SHAMEN, The EN-TACT

SHANNON, Del ROCK ON

SHANNON. Del LOOKING BACK

SHARKEY, Furgal VIRGIN CDV 2642 SONGS FROM THE MARDI GRAS Rock

SHEILA E WARNER 7599262552 SEX CYMBAL Pop

SHEPP, Archie/HORACE PARLAN MAGNETIC RECD 015 FIRST SET Blues

SIFFRE, Lehi CHINA WOLCD 1008 SO STRONG Pop

SILLY SISTERS (PRIOR 8, TABOR) TOPIC TOCO 450 NO MORE TO THE DANCE Folk

SILVESTRI, Alan VARESE VSD 5302 PREDATOR 2 Films/Shows

SIMON, Joe SOUTHBOUND CDSEWD 971 MOOD, HEART AND SOULTODAY Soul

SIMONE, Nina NOVUS JAZZ ND 83101 THE BLUES Blues

SIMPLE MINDS VIRGIN CDV 2300 SPARKLE IN THE RAIN Rock

SIMPLE MINDS VIRGIN CDV 2660 REAL LIFE Rock

SINATRA, Frank CAPITOL CZ 390 WHERE ARE YOU, MOR-Vocal

SINATRA, Frank CAPITOL CZ 391 COME SWING WITH ME , MOR•Vocal

SKATALITES DANCETERIA DANGO 045 STRETCHING OUT

SLADE RCA THE SLADE COLLECTION 81-87 Rock

SLAMMER HEAVY METAL HMRXD 170 NIGHTMARE SCENARIO Metal

SLEDGE, Percy INSTANT COINS 5041 WARM AND TENDER LOVE Soul

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY COLUMBIA 4681262 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Instrumental

SLINT TOUCH 8 GO TGLP 64CD SPIDERLAND Rock

SMALL FACES SEQUEL NEXCD 163 GREEN CIRCLES - FIRST IMMEDIATE ALBUM Rock

SMASHING ORANGE NATIVE NTVCO 066 SMASHING ORANGE Rock

SMITH, Lonnie Liston LRC JAZZ CDC 9032 LONNIE LISTON SMITH Jan

SMOKEHOUSE ICHIBAN ICH 9003CD LETS SWAMP AWHILE Blues

SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS CHISWICK CDWIKM 97 RIDE BLUE DIVIDE Rock

SNOW, Hank BEAR FAMILY BCD 15488,5 THE THESAURUS TRANSCRIPTIONS IS CD BOX SET) Country

SOHO VIRGIN HEDCD 1 NOISE Dance

SONIA 6 ARPEGE ACP ACPCG 008n L'ANMOU CE CE PA AN JE World

SONIC YOUTH DOG DGCD 21634 THE DIRTY BOOTS EP

SOSKIN, Mark JAZZ CITY 66053020 OVERJOYED Jaco

SPACEMEN 3 FIRE REFIRECD Ott PERFORMANCE Rock

SPEAR OF DESTINY VIRGIN DIXCO 59 OUTLAND Rock

SPEAR OF DESTINY VIRGIN CDV 2549 THE PRICE YOU PAY Rock

SPECIAL EFX GRP GRP 96402 PEACE OF THE WORLD Jazz

SPERMBIRDS DEAD EYE EPA 15779CD THAN% - LIVE Metal

SPONGEHEAD COMMUNITY 3 COMM 39182 LEGITIMATE BEEF Rock

SRINIVAS, U GLOBESTYLE CDORB 01,, MODERN MANDOLIN MAESTRO World

STAFFORD, Jo CAPITOL CZ 414 CAPITOL COLLECTORS SERIES NOR-Vocal

STALLONE, Frank Al FSTCD I DAY IN. DAY OUT Rock

STARGAZERS, The ACE CDCH 312 BACK IN ORBIT R n R

STARR, Freddie MFP CDMFP 5909 AFTER THE LAUGHTER MOR-Vocal

STARR, Kay CAPITOL CZ 41I CAPITOL COLLECTORS SERIES MOR-Vocal

STAN COMPILATION ATLANTIC 7567822182 VARIOUS R a B

STEWART, Al EMI CDEMC 3590 CHRONICLES - THE BEST OF Folk

STEWART, AI FAME COFA 3253 YEAR OF THE CAT Folk

STEWART, John BEAR FAMILY BCD 15518 THE COMPLETE PHOENIX CONCERTS Country

STRAIT. George MCA MCAD 10204 CHILL OF AN EARLY FALL Country

STUDIO ORCHESTRA, The CAMPION RRCD 1303 SOUNDTRACKS - KILAR ,5 MALECKI FtImstShows

SUN DIAL, The UPO UFO 1CD OTHER WAY OUT

SUNDAY ALL OVER THE WORLD E'G EEG 21012 KNEELING AT THE SHRINE Rock

SWANS YOUNG GOD YGCD 003 WHITE LIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF INFINITY •

SWING OUT SISTER FONTANA 8382932 KALIEDOSCOPE WORLD Pop

SWING OUT SISTER FONTANA 8322132 ITS BETTER TO TRAVEL Pop

SWITCH VARESE VSD 5312 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Films/Show,

SYLVIAN, David SECRETS OF THE BEEHIVE

TABOR, June A CUT ABOVE

TABOR, June AOABA

TABOR, June ABYSSINIANS

TABOR, June AIRS AND GRACES

TAJ MAHAL MULEBONE

TAYLOR, Little Johnny THE GALAXY YEARS

TEENA MARIE MOTOWN COMPACT COMMAND PERFORMANCES

TEMIZ, Okay SONET

GRAMAVISION GV 84052 Jazz

RATTLESNAKE RAT 512CD Rock

HERMANES WMCD 5569 Pop

LYRICHORD LLCT 7206 World

PUSMORT PUS 0023010 Metal

ROADRACER RO 93282 Rock

Zn T 9031741042 Dance

ONE LITTLE INDIAN TPLP 22CD Dance

SILVERTONE ORECD 514 Rock

CONNOISSEUR VSOPCD 161

THIS MORTAL COIL BLOOD

THOMAS. Henry THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS

THOMAS. Irma SIMPLY THE BEST LIVE

THOMAS, Ricky DOING THE MOONWALK

THOMAS, Rufus DO THE FUNKY CHICKEN

THOMPSON, Lucky LUCKY THOMPSON

TIMELESS 15TH ANNIVERSARY VARIOUS

TORN CURTAIN ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

TORTOISE CORPSE WORLDS GOT A PROBLEM

TOTAL VIRULENCE VARIOUS

VIRGIN

TOPIC

TOPIC

TOPIC

TOPIC

CRAMA VISION

ACE

4AD

YAZGO

ROUNDER

TROJAN

STAX

LAC JAZZ

TIMELESS

VARESE

TOMBSTONE

VIRULENCE

roe.

CDV 2471 Rock TSCD 410 Folk TSCD 449 Folk TOGO 432 Folk TSCD 298 Folk CV 794322 Jazz COCHO 96, Soul WD 72527 Soul SNTCD 1031 Jazz DAD 1005CD

YAZGO 1080 Jazz CDROU 2110 Soul CDTRL 288

2'1ffle 036 Soul CDC 9029 Jazz CDSJP 315 Jan VSO 5296 FilmeShows CORPSE 001CD Metal VIA 102CD Metal

mug

88 111.1:1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 199 I

JUNE POPULAR

TOUSSAINT, Allen KENT ACE COKENM 036 FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM Soul

TOWNSHEND, Pete VIRGIN CDV 2592 IRON MAN Rock

TOY DOLLS, The RECEIVER ARCO 139 FAT BOBS FEET Rock

TREORCHY MALE VOICE CHOIR, The MFP COMFP 5,303 SHOWSTOPPERS Choral

TROMBONE VERVE 8451442 VARIOUS Jan

TROUBLE METAL BLADE CDZORRO , PSALM 9111E SKULL Metal

TROUT BAND, Walter PROVOGUE PRO 70202 LIFE IN THE JUNGLE Jazz

TRUMPET VERVE 8451512 VARIOUS Jan

TUBB. Erneet BEAR FAMILY BCD 1549E451 LETS SAY GOODBYE LIKE WE SAY HELLO (5 CD BOX SET) Country

TURNERS KINGS OF RHYTHM, Ike GNARLY COCHARLY 263 TRAIL BLAZER R n R

TURNER. Ike 8 Tine EMI CZ 422 THE BEST OF IKE & TINA TURNER Rock

BEGGARS BANQUET BEGA Il 7C0 U, Piwo. NOW IS HEAVEN

WALLEY BAND. Dwight SEQUEL TWILLEY DONT MIND

TYKETTO DGC DONT COME EASY

UDO TIME BOMB

UGLY AMERICAN OVERKILL VARIOUS

UK E G UK

UK SUBS FALLOUT FLOOD OF LIES SINGLES 82-85

UK SUBS FALLOUT GROSS OUT USA

ULTRA SAX. CLARINET AND FLUTE VERVE VARIOUS

UNCHAINED MELODIES II TELSTAR VARIOUS

UPRIGHT CITIZENS RUDE OPEN EYES OPEN EARS KISS ME NOW GE OVERKILL TOUCH & GD THE SUPERSONIC STORYBOOK

BABY S NOT A GURU VAUGHAN. Sarah

GOLDEN HITS VAUGHAN. Sarah

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC VAUGHAN. Stevie Rey

CANT STAND THE WEATHER VAUGHAN. Stevie Ray

SOUL TO SOUL VELVET MONKEYS

ROTTING CORPSE AU GO-GO VENUS BEADS

INCISION VINSON. Eddie Cleenheeds

KIDNEY STEW

Rock NEXCD 158 Rock DGCD 24317

RCA PD 74953 Rock

AMPHETAMINE REPTILE ARRCD 140 Rock EGCD 35 Rock FALLCD 018 Punk FALLCO 031 Punk 8451452 Jazz TCD 2515 Pop RUDECD 010 Rock TGLP 70CD

SEIK ONE SBKCD

MERCURY PHONOGRAM 8248912 Jazz

VOCAL TOUCH VTCD 5852 Jazz

EPIC «55712 Rock

EPIC 4663302 Rock

SHIMMY DISC SDE 8905CD Rock

ROADRUNNER EM 93242 Rock

BLACK & BLUE BLE 595132 Jazz

VIOGRESSION EXPOUND AND EXHORT

VIPIN RAFI KI YAADEN VOLUME 3

VIPIN RAFI KI YAADEN VOLUME 4

VOCAL VARIOUS

VOMITO NEGRO THE NEW DRUG

WAKEMAN. Rick THE CLASSICAL CONNECTION

ASPIRANT SUNSET WALDRON QUARTET. Mel. %Miffing JIM PEPPER TUTU 888118

OUADROLOGUE AT UTOPIA VOLUME 1 Jan WALKER VIRGIN CDV 2497

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FlensShows WALKER. Scott PHILIPS 8382122

SCOTT WALKER SINGS JACQUES BREL Pop WANNABE TEXANS SNAT SNAT 002CD

ALCOHOL IS A CHEAP PERFUME Rock WAREHOUSE RAVES 5 RUMOUR CDRUMD 105

Dance FONTANA,PHONOGRAM 8347762 WAS NOT WAS)

WHAT S UP DOC WASHINGTON. Welter Woltmen

WOLF AT THE DOOR WATAFM

UMOJA World WATERBOYS, The ENSIGNCHRYSALIS CCD 1845

THE BEST OF THE WATERBOYS Rock WATERSONS, The TOPIC TSCD 136

FROST AND FIRE Folk WATKISS, Cleveland POLYDOR 8490752

BLESSING IN DISGUISE Jan WATSON, Johnny Guitar CHARLY CDCHARLY 267

GANGSTER OF LOVE R d B WAITS QUINTET. Charlie UFO UFO 0002CD

FROM ONE CHARLIE Jan WAY. Darryl IRS EIRSACD 1056

UNDER THE SOFT - WEATHER REPORT SONY HOLLAND 4669962

GREATEST HITS Jan WESS, FionluMARSHAL ROYAL, RICK WILKINS CONCORD CCD 4452

LIVE AT THE 1990 CONCORD JAZZ FESTIVAL Jan WETTON. John ED EGCD 70

KINGS ROAD 1972 Rock WHITE LION ATLANTIC 7567821932

MANE ATTRACTION Rock WHITEMAN, Peel SUBMARINE DAWE 05

A GREAT COMBINATION WHITTAKER, Roger PICKWICK PWK 4044P

SONGS OF LOVE d LIFE MOR-Vocal WIGGINS, Gerry CONCORD CCD 4450

MAYBECK RECITAL HALL VOLUME 8 Jan WILEN, Berney FRESH SOUNDS FOCO 165

NEWPORT 59 WITH AKIYOSHI HAYNES Jan WILLETTS, Dave SILVA SCREEN SONGCD 902

ON AND OFF STAGE films Shows WILLIAMS, John VARESE OSO 5262

EARTHQUAKE FlIn.Shows

TOMBSTONE CORPSE 002CD Metal

T SERIES SVCD 1059 World

T SERIES SVCD 1060 World

VERVE 8451512 Jazz

ANTLER SUBWAY AS 5045CD Ind. Dana,

AMBIENT AMB 51.4 Rock

AMBIENT ABM 1M Rock

ROUNDER CDROU 2098 RBB •

KOCH 322414

WILLIAMS. John VARESE VSD 5277 THE EIDER SANCTION Ellms, Shows

WILSON. Cassandra JMT 8344432 SHE WHO WEEPS Jan

WILSON•JAMES, Victoree EPIC 4674732 PERSEVERANCE Dance

WINCHESTER, Jesse SEE FOR MILES SEECD 231 THE BEST OF JESSE WINCHESTER Rock

WINTER, Edgar SONY HOLLAND 4675072 THE BEST OF EDGAR WINTER Jan

DRILL WIRE MUTE

DOCUMENT AND EYEWITNESS WITNESS A&M

HOUSE CALLED LOVE WONDER, Stevie MOTOWN

WHERE 11A COMING FROM WOODS LITTLE BIG BAND, Phil CHESKY

REAL LIFE WOODS, Phil NOVUS JAZZ

PHIL WOODS LIVE WOODS, Phil PHILOLOGY

CATANIA CITY BRASS ORKESTRA WRAY, Link CHISWICK

LIVE IN 85,GROWLING GUITAR WYNETTE. Temeny PICKWICK PWKS 4047

THE FIRST LADY OF COUNTRY MUSIC Country X-RAY SPEX RECEIVER RRCD 140

LIVE AT THE ROXY Punk XTC VIRGIN CDV 2399

SKYLARKING Rock XTC VIRGIN CDOVD 308

EXPLODE TOGETHER Rock YARDBIRDS EMI COEMS 1389

LITTLE GAMES Rock YARDBIRDS, The EMI CDEMS 1389

LITTLE GAMES Rock YES ARISTA 261558

UNION Rock YLD MUSIC FOR NATIONS COMEN 113

FOOLS PARADISE Rock YO VO ATLANTIC 7567916052

MAKE WAY 4 THE MOTHER House TONDO SYSTER 8 SOUKOUS STARS KABAKO 381002

BAZO World YOU'RE THE INSPIRATION COLUMBIA MOOD 1.'2

VARIOUS Pop YOUNG GODS, The PLAY IT AGAIN SAM BIAS 188CD

THE YOUNG GODS PLAY KURT WEILL Rock ZAPPA, Dweezil BARKING PUMPKIN COGRUB 19

CONFESSIONS Rock ZAPPA, Frank BARKING PUMP =ZAP 38

THE BEST BAND YOU NEVER HEARD IN YOUR LIFE Rock ZAPPA, Frank ZAPPA CDZAP 30

ZETWAL & FREDDY DE MAJUNGA JIMMY'S KRAM.KRAM

ZEVON, Warren VIRGIN SENTIMENTAL HYGIENE

ZORN, John HAT HUT COBRA

ZUCCHERRO LONDON

COSTUMM 70 Rock WIRE 0130CD Rock 3971242 Rock WD 72108 Soul JD 07 Jan ND 83104 J CDazz 214W38.392 Jazz CDWIK 972

JIP 022CD World CDV 2433 Rock ARTCD 26040 Jazz 8490632

HUI NEiRT-

RECORMkEVIEW

January 1980 August 1989

September 1989 March 89

BACK ISSUES If you're missing a vital back number, our Back Issues Service can help

can supply single copies of most issues from the years 1989 and 1990: simply cut out or

photocopy the coupon. or write with your requirements and remittance to:

Miss Sabita Sarran. Back Issues Service, 11EN RR Editorial Dept. Link House Magazines Ltd, Link

House, Dingwall Avenue. Croydon CR9 2TA, United Kingdom.

Please make sure that your remittance I cheque or postal order international money order I is for the correct

amount and is payable to 1.1N K 110USE \I \CA/INES LTD.

We welcome credit card orders. hut please note that we ( ANN( ii take credit card orders by telephone. Please

note that the following issues are NOT available:

January 1990 February 1990

June 1990 July 1990 August 1990

September 1990 February 1991

PHOTOCOPY SERVICE

We can supply photocopies of any article published in MN RR. for which the charge is £ 1.00 per article ( 1'1( ) or £2.60 per article ( overse(Ls airmail ). 'Fo avoid dela when requesting photocopies, please quote issue date, author and title as accurately as possible.

BACK ISSUES ORDER FORM

To: Back Issues Service. IIFN RR Editorial Dept, Link House Magazines Ltd. Link

House. Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 /EA. 'K

Please send me the following hack iNSUCK:

I copies in total I

Prices including postage are as follows. Please tick the service

you require. OVERSEAS ZONE 1: OVERSEAS ZONE 2:

£5.25 per copy £5. -5 per copy =1

( ZONE I: t SA, Africa. India. South East Asia )

( ZONE 2: Australia. japan. (:hina. New Zealand. Far East ) El 'ROPE ( EEC ) and El • ROPE ( OTHER ) £3.95 per copy 171

UNITED KIN(1)01%1

£2.60 per copy O

I enclose my remittance please debit my credit card•

in the sum of F.

AMEX D

CREDIT CARI) No

EXPIRY DATE:

SI(iNATURE:

DINERS O VISA OMASTER CARD

NAME.

ADDRESS -

Please note that all orders will he fulfilled promptly hut surface mail delivery times may be extended to more than 28 days.

E & OE

*delete where not applicable

11EN ( u, 1)1

111.11 NEWS & RE( :ORD RFNIFAS )1'NE 1991

THE MUSIC SHOP FINE RECORDS

32 George Street Hove, Sussex, BN3 3YB

Tel: 0273 723345 WE URGENTLY REQUIRE YOUR UNWANTED CLASSICAL CD'S

FOR CASH.

personal callers only

MUSIC & VIDEO EXCHANGE

56 NOTTING HILL GATE

LONDON W11

071 727 0424

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HIPI

RECORDS TAPES / CD'S VIDEOS

WANTED FOR CASH OR EXCHANGE

NONE REFUSED!

GA Rare Records Ltd.

We buy and sell

LP vinyl records

Over 100,000 titles in stock

Mail orders accepted

G&A Rare Records Ltd.

139 West 72nd Street

New York, NY 10023

212 877-5020

acoRn Incorporating Peter Russell's Hot Record Store Est. 1959

Mail Order Specialists in Jazz, Blues, Big Bands, R&B, Latin American,

British Dance Bands, Stage, Screen, Nostalgia, etc. Large stocks of CDs, LPs.

n Tapes, Books and Videos Many second-hand and out-of-print LPs Free Lists. Callers welcome by appointment

GROVE HILL, VICTORIA ROAD, BARNSTAPLE. DEVON EX32 8DS. TEL: 0271 43477

VISA

n. „ \,„ o o

beel'Oeie.'"")

-^

27 Marmion Road, Southsea (0705) 812397

enee DS MAIL ORDER C.D's

BLUE NOTE/BLUE BIRD CD'S AT £7.75

CATALOGUE OF OVER 5000 CD'S AVAILABLE — PRICE £2

FOR DETAILS TELEPHONE. 0992 25436

ALL AT CRAZY PRICES

5 Prospect Road, Cheshunt, Herts EN8 9QX FAX 0992 640644

ADVERTISERS' INDEX

Absolute Sounds 8 H.W. International (Koss) 46 Music Room, The 20 Ron Smith Aerials 22

Acoustic Energy 12 H.W. International (Hafler) 16

Arjay Interiors 56 Hampshire Audio Ltd 66 Ortofon (UK) Ltd 30

Audio Inc 56 Heinitz T Mr 22

Audio Synthesis 38 Hi Fi Care Retail Ltd 22 PM Components 60

Audiofreaks 60 Pentachord Loudspeakers 60

K.J. Leisuresound 40 Pinewood Music 40

Cambridge Systems Technology 6 Progressive 52

Chandos Records Ltd IBC Lift UK Ltd 38

Radar Developments 40

Dynamics 38 Mana Acoustics 52 REL Acoustics 30

Meridian 4 Reference Imports 64

Gamepath Ltd/Rotel IFC Mike Manning 78

Sansui Mission Ltd OBC

Sevenoaks Hi-Fi Centre 62,63

Spalding Electrical Ltd 78

Speaker Builder 52

The Listening Room Ltd 46

Vinyl Tube Audio 44

Wilmslow Audio 22

90 111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991

SPECIALIST GUIDE A o N

C-r7 PAUL GREell HI-FI LIMITED

at HARPER FURNISHINGS Customers Ca, Pail;

B&W Loudspeakers • Nakam ' chi A&R Quad Musical Fidelity Spendor • Rogers Krell Audio Research Kef • TM. • Merldian

Technics Sony Aiwa • Yamaha • Arcam Creek and many many more

Closed Mondays

(Customers Car Park)

Kensington Showrooms: London Road, Bath, Avon.

Tel: Bath 316197

BERKSHIRE

QUALITY HI-FI AT ITS VERY BEST

Arcam, Audio Lab, Aiwa, Beyer, Creek, Celestion,

Exposure, Finestra, Linn Products, Meridian, Michell, Nakamichi, Philips, Proac, Quad, Radford,

Rega, Rogers, Roksan, Rotel, Royd, Sennheiser, S.M.E, Sony, Stax.

READING HI-FI CENTRE 4 QUEENS WALK

BROAD STREET MALL READING RG1 7QF

TEL: (0734) 585463

131 Ck 1 \ (. 11 \ \ 11111Z1-.:

Aylesbury HI-Fidelity

THE real HI-fl specialists in Buckinghamshire

Ariston. Arcam. AKG. Alphihon. Audio Technica. ADC. AR. Beyer. BLQ. Castle. Celestion. Denon. Dual. Exposure. Goldring. Goodmans. Grado. Gyrodek. Hero. Fleybrook. Harmon Kardon. KEF. Lins. Monitor Audio. Moth. Michell. Mantra. Musical Fidelity

Morrdaunt-Short. Maranu. Monster. Nagaoka. NAD. NVA. Ortofon. Proton. QED. Radford. Rata. Roksan. Rotel. Royd.

Rogers. Revoit Revolver. Ruark. Sennheiser. SME. Something Solid. Sperslor. Systemdek. Tannoy. Target. Teac. Thorens.

Walker. Wharfedale, 'Yamaha

98 Cambridge Street, Aylesbury, Bucks.

0296 28790

OPEN 1 narn-Eipm. Monday-Friday, 9.10am-5.30 Saturday o redit card tat lilies Available

BUCKINGHAMSHIRES PREMIER

HI - FI DEALER

ARCAM . DENON . LINN PRODUCTS

NAIM AUDIO . MERIDIAN. ROTEL

YAMAHA . NAD . QUAD. TRIPOD

NAKAMICHI . REGA . CREEK. EPOS

MORDAUNT SHORT. CELESTION

65 CASTLE STREET, HIGH WYCOMBE

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

0494 31682 / 464670

til l \I vo, & RI ( ORO RI II \‘ Il \ I 1991

CHESHIRE

ASTON AUDIO

iriso nirNT Ir s TOPE AXANOE

1,11-X1,11141. , CHili

-

TEL: 0625 582704

HI-FI SPECIALISTS

YAMAHA REVOLVER

:AMBRIIXXE CELESTION

AKG TANN()Y SENNHEISER

NAKAMICHI AUDIOLAB KEE

AURA WHARFEDALE Ft& W

QUAD SANSUI TECHNICS

MARANTZ DUAL DENON

MONITOR AUDIO NAI)

SPEND()R MISSION SME

MORDAUNT-SHORT

ROGERS A t1DIOQUEBI

MERIDIAN DELTEC

AUDIO-TECH N ICA

ROKSAN ARCAM

4 WEST STREET, ALDERLEY EDGE, CHESHIRE.

DOUG BRADY HI-FI KINGSWAY STUDIOS,

KINGSWAY NORTH, WARRINGTON. WA1 3NU.

Tel: 0925-828009 FAX: 0925 825773

Open 6 days

LINN * NAIM * QUAD * CAMBRIDGE *

ARCAM * MERIDIAN * NAKAMICHI *

REVOX * KRELL * AUDIO RESEARCH *

ORACLE * SONY * DENON

also at — COVENT GARDEN AND 401

SMITHDOWN ROAD, LIVERPOOL 15.

Tel: 051-733-6859. Closed Wednesday.

ASTON AUDIO

MUSICAL EVENING

HI-FI SPECIALISTS

MERIDIAN D6000 DIGITAL REFERENCE SPEAKERS AND 600 SERIES

ELECTRONICS AT

THE STANNEYLANDS HOTEL, WILMSLOW, CHESHIRE.

WEDNESDAY 19TH JUNE 1991 8.30pm

FREE TICK ETS AVAILABLE FROM

4 WEST STREET, ALDERLEY EDGE, CHESHIRE.

TEL: 0825 582704

CUMBRIA

.-(rdéehezez<Yenle Ye.e.Jr.e• (Audio Consullenk)

Why not viol us tor what could be a unique experience in buying real value or money sound reproducing equipment' We otter a chance to heal the closest approach to the original sound in wonderful surroundings in the tales (only / miles trim Junction 40 on Mbl Demonstration by mutual appointment ot

QUAD - Alt MONITORS - REVOX - CASTLE Hear these combined in tlie Remo Multi- Room System including Ouad ESt 63, anP ALC SCIA 20s Back up demoneratrans in your own home can be arranged anywhere in Norlh England and Scotland We also offer B&B holiday accommodation for prospective customers and for those who just want lo listen to music'

We are also agents ter PARA/11Z SONY SUGDEN SUMO - SPENDOR tOWNSHEND

ROCA REFERENCE 'URUKIPM CABLE PRIMARE WAPAICHI RAW KU the NEW AV INTERNATIONAL AMPLIFIERS ICDb avarlablel

Detail, from In Seeley, Pair Place, Walennalock-on-Ullswaler, PronittI. Cumbna CAII OLIL ,we are 200yds past waiermiduk Church) Phone 07684 86235

DERBYSHIRE

Active Audio ARL,AM ALL:ILL ,ONS. CELESTION. CYRUS.

DENON. KEF REFERENCE, MERIDIAN. MARANTZ.

NAKAMICHI, PIONEER. REVOLVER.

RAYMOUND LUMLEY. ROKSAN, ROGERS,

ROTEL. TANNOY. ETC. ETC

I ULL DEMONSTRATION AND HOME TRIAL FAC1_ ITIES

ACCOUNT AND CREDIT CARDS,

Active Audio 12 Osmaston Road

The Spot, Derby

Tel, (0332) 380385/335185 CLOSED WEDNESDAY

THE CUITANTE IN SOUND ADVICE

EAST MIDLANDS AUDIO STUDER - REVOX

SALES - SERVICE - SPARES

Revox All High Speed £480.00

Revox 677 MK II BS NEW £1,300.00

Revox PR99 High Speed f1,400

Revox 8215 NEW in Stock f1,100.00

Revox H One Cassette f970.00 Revox H Two CD Player £920.00

Studer 667 Stereo 15IPS £1,800.00 Revox B126 CD Player £800.00

Revox B260 Tuner f 1,000.00

M3500 Microphone £125.00

ALL PRICES PLUS V.A. T.

FULL REVOX RANGE INC. H SERIES POA

WE WILL SERVICE ANY REVOX PRODUCT, INCLUDING 36 SERIES TAPE MACHINES.

PLEASE CALL 0246 — 275479

FAX 0246 — 550421

D 0 R SE T

Dorchester Hi Fi Ltd Hear, Here!

On Demonstration in Dorset The Solen Tiger and

The Acoustat Spectra lli

17 Durngate Street, Dorchester,

Dorset DT1 1JP. 0305 264977.

We also stock classical LPs CD's Tapes.

E E

CLONFY à e a IiI/Plre8///

— emu illelte8/111 4111M IL•4

55 Main Street, Blackrock

Dublin. Tel: 0001-888477 0001-889449

Linn, Rega. Creek, Naim, Castle, INakamichi, Arcam, Croft, Rogers, Audio

Research, Magnaplanar, Classé. Closed all day Mon/Thur & Fri open till 9pm

Major credit cards welcome

9

SPECIALIST GUIDE

. . sounds outstanding

ADC • AKAI • ARCAM • • BANG & OLUFSEN • CELESTION CAMBRIDGE AUDIO • • DUAL • HARMAN KARDON MERIDIAN • MORDAUNT-SHORT • MUSICAL FIDELITY PIONEER QUAD • RUARK • SONY YAMAHA

'Ippong drul Saffron 11,Iden onlv 148 HIGH STREET EPPING • ESSEX • TEL :(0378) 74242

26 KING STREET • SAFFRON WALDEN ESSEX • TEL (079w 23728 70 SOUTH STREET • BISHOP'S STORTFORD • HERTS • TEL : 10279) 656401

GREATER LONDON

Fed up with 'Top-End Hype"

and the sound of CDs?

contact-

"The Cartridge Man" It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to get the best - listen to my Koetsu-and-Decca-eater.

Also agents for Croft. Sugden. Thorens 8r Pentachord Speakers.

081-688 6565

HEREFORDSHIRE

ENGLISH audio IN HEREFORD

\ream. % tiili,, limos anon,. Celestion. I. reels,

rus, Deltee. De , Dual. IIe hruok, ,IPW, Marantz, Slicromega. \Hs, • , \ loth, Musical

Fidelits S.‘D, Sakamichi. Pink Triangle,

Rogers, Rotel. Roark. Sstenidels, "[annoy

Free installations; ( • redit Facilities: Sers ice Dept.

Nlon-Sat 10-6

95. 51 hilt-cross Road. Hereford 111432, .1 os I

HERTFORDSHIRE

27, Hoekerill St, Bishops Stortford, Herts. 0279 506576.

1988 Sony Hi-Fi News Regional Award Winner F.B.A. National Dealer Award.

1989 Sony Hi-Fi National Award Winner F.B.A. National Dealer Award.

1990 Sony Hi-Fi Regional Award Winner

NEED WE SAY MORE

1. N

MARPAUL HI-FI Come to our office in Hartley

ON DEM, Pink Triangle, Ortofon, Audio Technica, S.M.E., Moth, Croft, Radford Valve Amps, Mordaunt Short, Monitor Audio, SD Acoustics, Radford CD, Audioquest. Cables made to order.

"Come listen to the NEW TVA50 Mentmore Valve Amp"

"All Mail Order"

Replacement valve service. Home Dem's + Many more.

Access/Barclay/Amex.

Phone 04747 3098.

3A The Parade, Ash Road, Hartley, Dartford, Kent DA3 8HE.

LONDON

DOUG BRADY HI-FI

18 MONMOUTH STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON WC2H 9HB

Tel:071-379 4010. Fax 071-497 9205

OPEN 7 DAYS

LINN o NAIM • QUAD • CAMBRIDGE •

ARCAM • MERIDIAN • NAKAMICHI • REVOX

• KRELL • AUDIO RESEARCH • ORACLE •

SONY • DENON e D&M • ROKSAN •DELTEC

Also at Warrington and Liverpool (see Cheshire)

,

¡F.>EXPERIENCE

B.A.D.A. keiltyr MEMBER

_EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED IN A GOOD HI41 STORE JUNE is ARCAM month in London and at

most stores. Special displays and demonstrations. Plus the latest information

and some exclusive Super Deals.

Tel. Enquiries to (071) 580 3535 LONDON - 227 Tottenham Court Rd - BIRMINGHAM GLASGOW - LEAMINGTON - BELFAST - BRADFORD

ANALOG AUDIO (141-FI Specialists)

849 High Road, London N12 Tel: 081 445 3267

I irk hley's Centre for ( elestion, Denon, Dual, Marantz, NAD, Onkyo, Pioneer, Proton, Rotel, Yamaha. Stockist of full ranv of speakers and

electronics for all major manufacturers. Pli 'ase phone for details.

All+1 MARKETS} The place where people care about hi-fi

I. 0 N 0 N

UDIOY E\ UE MIMI AUDIO CONSULTANTS AND RETAILERS a

24 CHURCH ROAD, CRYSTAL PALACE,

LONDON SE19 2ET— TEL: 081-771 7787 SALE OF EX DEMONSTRATION EQUIPMENT.

RING FOR DETAILS Stockists of. LInn Hi-Fi. Nam Audio. Creek,

Audio Tech. Epos, Denon. Dual. Revolver. Archidec, BLO, Nakamichi, Yamaha. Marantz, Mana Acoustics.

Monitor Audio etc. 2 single speaker demonstration rooms.

Interest Free 8. Various Credit Facilities Available

All equipment delivered 8. installed, Comprehensive turntable rebuilds etc

2 year warranty Open 10-5.30pm.— Closed all day Wednesday

LANCASHIRE

MONITOR SOUND

• A & R Cambridge • Ariston U Castle • Celestion U Creek 3 Denon 3 Dual 3 Foundation U Harwood

• Marantz 3 Monitor Audio U Mordaunt-Short • Pioneer 3 Philips CDU Quad U Rogers ▪ RoteIU Revox 3 Sennheiser 3 Sony 3 SpendorU Tannoy IR Technics U Thorens

111 Yamaha etc.

Two-year guarantee Private listening room

Excellent comparator demonstrations

54 Chapel St.,Chorley, Lancs. Telephone (02572) 71935

MIDDLESEX

The Finest Hi-Fi Shop in Middlesex • Friendly knowledgeable staff

• Excellent Listening Facilities

• Expert impartial advice

• Impressive Range of Equipment

27 Springfield Rd., Harrow, Middlesex Telephone: 081 -863 0938

British

&re 'li':sdeciCee"

111 I I s.1.511.› & RECORD li \ I. 1991

SPECIALIST GUIDE WEST MIDLANDS

griffin AUDIO BIRMINGHAM

ee'Aew

rs!

S r(4"-

ROM, MORDAUNT SHORT. ARCAM. LINN. MONITOR AUDIO. ¡Pos. NAIM. MISSION, PROA. DUAL. ROTEL CVRile CREEK. NAKAMICHI. DENON. MARANTZ

RE VOX. QUAD

94 BRISTOL ST.. BIRMINGHAM 692 1 3 5 9 . TUE -SAT 10am-6pm

TO ADVERTISE IN

THIS SECTION CONTACT ON

081-686 2599 EXT. 447

YOUEB • CREEN • ARISr

e CREDIT AVAILABLE

DEMONSTRATION FACILITIES

PART EXCHANGE

I Musical pproacb

37 HIGH ST. ALDRIDGE

0922 57926

7 7310kl• AoNN

N O R 0 L K

etude:ad lox de "Wake Vega«

Situated near the country town of Wymondham close to the All and A140, get away from pressure and bustle.

Relax amongst Norfolk's countryside and enjoy some of the world's finest audio equipment.

AUDIO INNOVATIONS • ACOUSTAT • ATC BASIS • DELTEC • SOLEN • VOYD

REFERENCE IMPORT'S MAIN AGENT MF A, NRG & CHORD AMPLIFIERS

DIAMOND ACOUSTICS & ENSEMBLE SPEAKERS COGAN HALL CABLES

Demonstrations are our pleasure, here or in your home Home Trial • Full Installation

The Professional Approach to High•End Audio Please ring Keith Jordan, 0953 789562 ANYTIME.

NOR THANTS

Classical- Sounds-. Specialists in Audio equipment & Recorded Music. Aude 13QUIWnent - stockists of Musical Fidelity. Duel. Rotel. CED, Spender. TEX., Nakarnehl, Celesta,, Dual. B8W, Mordaunt-

Shod, Rogers. Philips, Aura Seneheiser We mule you to listen BEFORE YOU BUY for both Aude

and Recorded musc. The largest selectee oF CDs & cassettes in Northants

WATUNG COURT, 84E WATUNG ST EAST, TOwCESTER. NORTHANTS NN12 7BS. TELEPHONE (9327) 359599

OXFORDSHIRE

arcam

acoustic energy

audiolab

creek

denon

dual

epos

heybrook

1Pw

( t tir e him products

marantz

meridian

mission cynis

mordauna-shon

naiin audio

quad

rotel

yamaha

demonstration room and 2 Tear guarantee

; 0)295) 2721

STAFFORDSHIRE

Active Audio ARCAM. AUDIO INNOVATIONS. CELESTION, CYRUS DENON. KEF- REFERENCE, MERIDIAN. MARANTZ, NAKAMICHI. PIONEER. REVOLVER, RAYMOUND LUMLEY, ROKSAN. ROGERS. ROTEL. TANNOY. ETC. ETC

FULL DEMONSTRATION AND HOME TRIAL FACILITIES ACCOUNT AND CREDIT CARDS

Active Audio 95 Stafford Street

Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Tel (0782) 214994

THE ULTIMATE IN SOUND ADVICE

PRIVATE CAR PARK AT REAR

STAFFORDSHIRE

.eût CREFK•A

CREDIT AVAILABLE

DEMONSTRATION FACILITIES

PART EXCHANGE

Musical Approach

UNIT 7, WOODINGS YARD BAILEY SI STAFFORD

0785 55154

e7 33.1310e • A01111fil•elOte

Active Audio ARCAM. AUDIO INNOVATIONS. CELESTION, CYRU DENON, KEF. MERIDIAN, MARANTZ. NAKAMICHI. PIONEER. REVOLVER. RAYMOUND LUMLEY. ROKSAN. ROGERS, ROTEL, TANNOY, ETC, ETC

FULL DEMONSTRATION AND HOME TRIAL FACILITIES

ACCOUNT AND CREDIT CARDS,

Active Audio 29 Market Street,

Tamworth, Staffs.

Tel (0827) 53355.

MEM

THE ULTIMATE IN SOUND AGVICE

SUR R E Y

URRFY HIFI

SPECIALIST HI-FI OUTLET DEMONSTRATION ROOM - PARKING

• RADFORD • MARANTZ • ACOUSTAT • MUSICAL FIDELITY • MICHELL • TDL • TANNOY •

WADIA • KELVIN LABS • ROTEL • LUMLEY • ENSEMBLE

Just 2 minutes off Junc. 6 M25, (A25)

GODSTONE 0883 744755 45 Hi h St, Godstone, Surrey RH9 8LS

We are probably the only specialist HI-FI Dealers who record as well as listen to live music. With this expertise we can recommend equipment trom the following manulatturers

Audio Innovations, AudTon, Audionote. Beyer. Decca. Denon Goldring. Helios. lecklin Float. IPW. IBI., Marantz. Nagaoka Nakarnichi. Ortolon. Pink 1 riangle. l'irates. OED. Reference Renos. Rotel. The R.k, Sennheiser. Snell. Sony. Sugden.

Systemdek. Target. Teac. Valdi. Voyd . Yamaha etc SECOND RAND EOUIPMENT AVAILABLE RING FOR DETAILS

Neiv, second hand records & VP! Cleaning Service available

emcIBRi,) 5 Mead Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7DY

Tel: ( 0252) 714555 Monda, to Saturday I lam - born 21E

I iemonstration, by Appointment Closed Tuesfl..,

1-11-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JUNE 1991 93

SPECIALIST GUIDE 1' s

Roksan. Musical Fidelity. Marantz, JPW. Bryston, Yamaha. Acoustic Energy. JBL,

Tannoy, Monitor Audio. Harman Kardon, Castle, Onus, Epos, Rotel

and other fine equipment

'14e pokeveicaft7 Comfortable Demo Roots Knowledgeable and friendly staff

66 Upper North Street Brighton Telephone 0273 775978

Lato might Wednesday 8pm Closed Mondays

SONY DLE A LE R

i-FireArnn-, ,

69 London Road Bnghton 0273 609431

ops come es>

%,«

etttIes 4 Albert Parade Green Street Eastbourne 0323 31336

Excellent Listening Facilities

29 London Road POOSITIOUth 0705 663664

LATE NIGHT WEDNESDAY - 8 PM. CLOSED MONDAYS

Me40ex Jew&

MID SUSSEX ELECTRONICS

'EXPOSURE • MANTICORE ROKSAN • AR • NAD • CAMBRIDGE • 138W • ONIX •

MONITOR AUDIO • TANNOY • NAKAMICHI • DENON. RUARK • PIONEER • AURA • DUAL

• PHILIPS • CELESTION •

163-165 CHURCH ROAD, BURGESS HILL, WEST SUSSEX

Tr (0444) 242336

IIIFI MARKETS VISA

Bowers &Wilkins WORTHING 1 LITTLEHAMPTON RD WORTHING

WEST SUSSEX

TEL. (0903) 64141

EXPLANATIONS DEMONSTRATIONS INSTALLATIONS

LASER DISC SPECIALIST PAL DI(.il I AL 6: ANALOG)8t

LASER DISCS STOCKED PHONE FOR FREE CATALOGUE

MAIL ORDER THROUGHOUT UK & EUROPE

STOCKISTS OF PIONEER CLD 1450 & 1200 LASER DISC PLAYERS. QUALITY SURROUNI)

SOUND AUDIO VISUAL EQUIPMENT& AWARD WINNING HI-Fl.

72 Terminus Road, Eastbourne E.Sussex BN21 3LX Tel (0323) 640911

WEST SUSSEX

IIÉSTEIR 1-1C-111-1 If It LIMY

Retailers of quality audio equipment 7 St. Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex P019 1SJ Telephone 0243 776402 Closed Mondays

YORKSHIR

Audio Projects 45 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 1DP.

Tel. 0532 304565.

Open Tues.—Fri. 9.30-6.00.

Sat 2.50-5.30.

HiFi SPECIALISTS.

cEle WILEY (ThARTI E f flRfl

64 & 85 BEANCROFT ROAD

CASTLEFORD

WEST YORKSHIRE VVF10 5BS

Tel (0977) 553066/556774

Stockist for All Leading Manufacturers Full Demonstration

Facilities closed Wednesday

I N T RNA TIONAL LP'S FROM RUSSIA. Worldwide pop, rock, hardrock, jazz titles in Soviet pressings on Melodiya Label. Also large choice of Soviet Music: Pop, rock, jazz, new wave, hard rock, heavy metal, folk, classical. All LP's are mint, unplayed. Why not write for details and free lists to: Sergei I. Zayats, pr. Pobedy, 16kv. 134, 252135 Kiev- I35, U.S.S.R. (F)

ALPHASON SONATA TURNTABLE: all usual refine-ments and of course as one would expect with Alphason arm and AT430E OCC cartridge fitted, superb 'text book' reproduction, immaculate-boxed, any sensible offer around MOO considered. 081-598-58701(0836) 295655. ( F)

rAu—dio—Ca—bls e Direct — —

I Considering an e.votic audio cable? I I We probably have it. Free system I I consulting from the cable experts. I

*Free shipping on purchases. *39 brands. 194 cable products.

I * Free of all U.S. taxes. I * Ask about our other audio I

I products including top qualit. I

guaranteed ililLç .b.

(nie Cable Compan I

"CALL WRITE OR FAX FOR DETAILS

I (215) 297-8824, or fax (215) 297-8661 I

I p.o.box 579, point pleasant, pa 18950 J

HI-FI NENAS is now available in Australia. within 2 weeks of publication. Also back issues are available.

Please contact:

Audio Q Imports, 64a Burwood Road,

Hawthorn 3122, Victoria, Australia.

Tel: (03) 813-3691

TO ADVERTISE

IN THIS

SECTION

CONTACT

081-686

2599 EXT. 447

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW J1'NE 1991

CLASSIFIED Advertisements for this section must be pre-paid. The rate is 55p per word (private), minimum £14.00 incl. of VAT. Box Nos. £.00 extra. Trade rates 66p per word, minimum £18.00 incl. VAT. Copy and remittance for advertisements in August issue must reach these offices by 17th June 1991 addressed to: The Advertisement Manager, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2TA. Please include name and address. Cheques made payable to Link House Magazines Ltd. NOTE: Advertisement copy must be clearly printed in block capitals or typewritten, illegible copy will be returned.

Classified Lineage Advertisements cannot be accepted over the telephone

Replies to Box numbers should be addressed to the Advertisement Manager, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA, and the Box No. quoted on the outside of the envelope.

FOR SALE- Private GARRARD 401 TURNTABLE with SME 3009 pick-up arm. Very good condition, hardly used. £ 175. Tel: ((173886) 349 after 6pm. (F)

PIONEER REFERENCE SERIES PD-91 ultimate com-pact disc player. CI-91a cassette deck. F-9I direct decoder tuner. M-90a power amplifier 230‘‘ ' (DIN). C-90 a control amplifier mounted on black project audio unit. All boxed. instructions, only one year old, offers. c. £2000. Box 0757. ( F)

QUAD 44/405.2 100 wpc £ 195/£170 or £325 pair o.n.o. v.g.c. with original instructions. Can demo. Surrey/ Hants/Sussex border. Tel: ( 0420) 475575 ( eves). ( F)

QUAD ELECTROSTATIC LOUDSPEAKERS. Fac-tory reconditioned two years ago by Quad. Superb sound system, will upgrade any hi-fi dramatically. original handbook. £265 (0285) 650972. 5-7pm. ( F)

CROFT PREAMP + AUDIO SOUTH STEP UP. Croft SMA. perfect. £350. Audio South transformer. £95. (cost £ 160). 100 ohms. Suit most cartrigcs. 081-579 3376. Andy. ( F)

KEF 105/11. Still sets a reference standard, with its smooth treble and probing bass. £450 the pair, will demonstrate. Tel: Crabbe. 081-653 1695. ( F)

SD ACOUSTIC SDI SPEAKERS, boxed, mint condi-tion. never used. new £ 1100. will accept £750 o.n.o. Tel: (0932) 569193. ( F)

REVOX 877 REEL TO REEL TAPE DECK. Recently serviced, good condition. £575 o.n.o. Contact Peter on 071-228 2223. ( F)

MERIDIAN COMPONENT AMPLIFIER. Seven mod-ules three tape MC MM CD AUX £275. Tel: ( 0344) 774403. ( F)

QUAD 606 POWER AMP. QUAD 44 pre-amp. latest colour excellent condition £595. Cambridge Audio CD3 CD Player. mint £459. Rogers A75 Amplifier perfect £89. Tel: Harlow ((1279) 426647. ( F)

QUAD 303 pre-amp good working condition. Offers. Tel: Mr G. Shorter after 6pm. Tel: (181-460 2584. ( F)

SONUS FABER ELECTRA' LOUDSPEAKERS. true high end sound. genuine reason for sale, mint condi-tion, £750. Tel: (0384) 293955. ( F)

WILSON WATTS AND PUPPY'S mint condition £6500. Nakamichi 11100ZXL limited gold plated. Stun-ning condition. P.O.A. Goldmund T3F arm under two years old. £2500. Tel: (0903) 61213. ( F)

MARTIN LOGAN CLSII. Eight months old, guaran-teed three years. £2350. Sony CD552 DAC 702 £675. Mandrake DAC Interconnect 1/.im £40. Tel: 081-670 6411. ( F)

NAIM NAC42.5K pre-amp for sale due to recent upgrade. mint condition, complete with packaging. etc. £130. Tel: Derek Cooil (day) (0798) 812345 (eve) (0903) 717207. ( F)

PIONEER CD1450 LASER DISC PLAYER. Pioneer A400 amplifer. Wharfedale Diamond Four speaker all less than six months old. Will not split. System only £450. Tel: evenings only 071-301 4283. ( F)

BOSE 901 IV complete with equaliser and own stands. Walnut veneer. Boxed excellent condition. Unlimited power handling. Will demonstrate £900 o.n.o. 071-828 4755 evenings. (G)

ROWLAND COHERENCE ONE. immaculate, recently factory tweaked and upgraded to near MKII, £2075. Can demonstrate and negotiate ( 0638) 714981. (F)

CELEST1ON 700 SPEAKERS £785. Meridian 207 Pro C.D. £650. Quad 606 amp £375. All items boxed and in excellent condition. Tel: (0252) 622873 after 6pm. Buyers collect. (F)

FOR SALE- Private AUDIO RESEARCH SP8 MKII pre-amp in excellent condition with manual and packaging. £700. Kimber K.C.A.G. silver interconnect 11/2 metres. £290. DNM 1/2 metre £9. ((1787) 247897 eves. ( F)

LINN LP12 + P.S.V. £300, OASIS A + P.S.V. £250. \lphason Xenon MCS £220. Moth RB250 (rewired. Linn type mounting) £70. Hclius Orion £300. Croft micro and head amplifier £ 150. Quad 33 pre-amp £50. (0254) 59012. ( F)

KRELL KSA 80B Power Amp £2.200. SME V Tonearm £500. Koetsu Red £300. Krell PAM 1 preamp £400. All in excellent condition. Offers considered. Tel: Letchworth ((1462) 481397 after 6pm or weekends. (F)

MANA ACOUSTICS 3-tier reference tables (2) spe-cially built 3 months ago. £275 each (£375). Various other accessories. Please ring for details. D. Haze11 (0628) 823772 eves/we. (F)

REVIEWERS EQUIPMENT CROFT MICRO IIA pre-amplifier. with Ortofon moving coil transformers. Moth Turntable. Rega Arm Stilton/Audio Technica AT-F5OCC Denon POA-4400A Power Amplifers. Acoustat Spectra II Speakers Tel: 081-785-9866. All equipment boxed and immaculate. ( F)

ALPHASON SONATA TURNTABLE: all usual refine-ments and of course as one would expect with Alphason arm and AT430E OCC cartridge fitted, superb 'text book' reproduction, immaculate-boxed. any sensible offer around £600 considered. 081-598-8870/(0836) 295655. ( F)

MAGNEPLANAR MG-3's recent Foundation stands £1250. One of the hest phono pre-amps available Vendetta Research SCP-2 separate power supplies etc. sec Stereophile recommended components £ 1650. Tel: (0235) 833181 evenings. ( F) KRELL KMA 160s £3500. Magnum monoblocks offers invited. Audio Research LSI £850. Celestion SL6()00 subwoofers £750. Kef BMX/ bass driver £55 ( for monochord). Apogee Caliper Signatures. anthracite £1750. Tel: Lowestoft (0502) 585508. ( F)

REVOX A77 2-TRACK 3-1/4 /71/2 IPS. recent Bauch service, new heads, performance to original specifica-tion. Mint condition - demonstration through Quad equipment. Packing, manual, etc. £320. Tel: Luton ((1582) 418611. ( F) AUDIO RESEARCH SP9 MKI pre-amplifier. D115 MKII power power amplifier ( fully serviced), Celestion 700 speakers. A classic combination at £2.500 o.n.o. Might split. Tel: (0235) 850393 after 7.30 pm. ( F)

SONY ESPRIT E901 PREAMPLIFIER, E900 power amplifiers £ 1750. Mission Mechanic Toncarm £350. Technics SL110 Turntable with SME300911 Arm £ 175. Tel: 081-361 0409 after 7pm. ( F) YAMAHA FX3 STUDIO SIZED MONITORS. 15 inch base unit ported design weight 17 kilos each. Very rare. Cost £2500 new. Mint condition bargain at £950 o.n.o. Tel: 081-451 6340. ( F)

TEAC PI-DI reference compact disc player seperate converter and drive unit, 2 box system', beautiful sound. extremely rare. Current list price £4500, boxed. mint condition, genuine reason for sale £ 1950 o.n.o. Tel: 081-451 6340. ( F)

LUXMAN C05-M05 pre-power amplifier combina-tion. Pure class A 105 watts, monolithic design with large V.U. meters. Pre-amp Class A operation both mint very rare. cost £4500 new, bargain at £2,200 o.n.o. Tel: 081-451 6340. ( F)

MARTIN LOGAN SEQUEL II SPEAKERS. 7 months old. Immaculate £2100 (£2900). Anex FE150 mains supply unit, 6 months old. Remarkably effective £275 (£530). D. HazeII eves/we. (0628) 823772. ( F)

FOR SALE -Private LINN SONDEK LP12 TURNTABLE Ekos arm, Troika cartridge, £975. Naim Amplifier 32.5/Hi-Cap/250 £1075. All in immaculate condition and boxed. Tel: 981-360-6321. (F)

CROFT. FOUR CHASSIS CD PRE-AMP. Specially built by Glen Croft 12 months ago. Neutral without coldness. £1350 (£2000). Please ring for details. D. HazeII (0628) 823772 eves/we. (F)

AUDIO RESEARCH SP14 PREAMP. 7 MONTHS OLD £1675. Classic 120 power amps 5 months old £3700. All as new 081-997-2288 days. 081-748-6679 evenings. (E)

CROIT OIL MONOBLOCK POWER AMPS SERIES 3.05A. 75w.p.c. specially built by Glenn Croft 18 months ago. £2000 pair (£3000). Please ring for details. D. HazeII eves/we. (0628) 823772. (F)

FOR SALE -Trade CARTRIDGES, HEADPHONES, Hi-Fi Furniture, Accessories, Tapes, Floppy Discs. Sennheiser, Shure. Apollo, Allsop, TDK, Maze11, Sony, That's, Ampex, Scotch, JVC. All Goods brand new. Very low prices. (0283) 702875. ( F)

ACTIVE CROSSOVER FOR SUBWOOFERS. High quality, low noise, two models, one for stereo bass amplifier, one for monoblock. From £ 150 including VAT. Pentachord Loudspeakers, 49 Rusholme Road, London SW15 3LF. Tel: 081-788 2228. (X)

APOGEE CALIPERS, taupe, perfect, boxed, only £895; Audio Research D-125. perfect. £2450; Gold-mund ST-4, mint, £2990; Goldmund ST-4 fitted with T3-F arm, £3850; Magneplanar MG lila, as new, £1650; MG 25R, as new £995; Apogee Centaurs, as new, £1200; Audio Research SP-9, £900; Classe DR-8, £1875; Mana three-tier tables, fabulous sound but won't fit our new layout, telephone for details. Pine-wood Music, Ilminster, Somerset. Tel: (0460) 54322. (F) NEW EARS! For too many years we tried to sell and hear old hi-fi. Now we sell and listen with pleasure through new Croft valve amplifiers and new Tannoy Speaker Systems. For details phone or write - Midland Radio Supplies, Maypole Lane. Birmingham B14 4PE. Tel:021-430 7817. (X)

CONVERT your 16-bit CD player to 2nd-generation bitstream with our latest upgrade, which incorporates Philips' SAA7350 differential-mode bitstream DAC plus a very high quality dedicated analogue section built entirely from audiophile-grade components. This modification is available for most Philips-based I6-bit 4x oversampling CD players, within which it will dramatically improve sound quality to give truc state-of-the-art performance for £350. For more information contact Geoff on 071-379 7635 Covent Garden Records, 84 Charing Cross Road. London. WC2H WA. (X)

HIGH END XD SALE. Spendor SIO0 on permanent dem. BB100, SME. Mitchell. Dynavector, Spica, Source Tif. All in excellent condition. Luton 503835/c/ o (0238) 561348 special deals available. ( F)

POOR BASS? Been told deep bass is impossible in a small room? Rubbish! Use the REL Active Bass Controller and hear deep deep bass without room boom. Tel: for leaflet REL Acoustics (0656) 766093. (F)

AN OASIS IN A HIGH END DESERT! Art of Music of Launceston. Cornwall are specialists in Reference Standard Hi-Fi Equipment including the amazing Acoustat Speakers and Cogan Hall Cables. For the best in the west. Tel: Gabrielle on (0566) 86649. ( F)

NEWS & RECORD REVIEW _JUNE 1991' 91

CLASSIFIED WHERE HAS THE VINYL GONE?

BECKENHAM RiCORD CENTRE SPECIALISTS IN THE PROTECTION OF

ENDANGERED SPECIES! •

DIRECT CUT. ORIGINAL MASTERS. 1/2 SPEED. REFERENCE, PROPRIUS, OPUS 3, CHESKY,

LINN. SHEFFIELD LAB, ECM, WILSON, GRP. CONCORD, VIRGIN CLASSICS ETC AND ALL CONVENTIONAL LABELS

SEND A 6 / 9 SAE FOR NEW LISTS

FROM OUR CURRENT BEST SELLERS WE PARTICULARLY RECOMMEND:-

CHESKYS, f13.25 PROKOFIEV LT.KUE Ex STRAVINSKY NIGHTINGALE RC 10 MUSSORGSKY - PICTURES AT. NIGHT ON, RC30 RACHMANINOV - PIANO CONC, No .2 CR 2 RI MSK Y KORSAKOV - SCHEHEREZAOE RC 4

ALL OTHER TITLES IN STOCK ON LP & CO •

LYRITA @ £10.99 HOWELLS-QUARTETS SACS 68 BOULT - VARIOUS MARCHES SACS 71 IRELAND - SONGS - B.LUXON SACS 65 COATES - VARIOUS PIECES SRCS 107

THESE ARE THE ONLY TITLES STILL AVAILABLE

WILSON AUDIO £13.49 DVORAK - TRIO IN E W8416 WINDS OF WAR a PEACE - STIRRING BRASS VAR W8823

CENTER STAGE - BRASS MUSIC FROM THE STAGE W8824

MAGNUM OPUS - VIDOR. BACH ETC ORGAN MUSIC ALL OTHER TITLES IN STOCK OR TO ORDER

•

NEW! ON IN AND OUT RECORDS (rl £12.25 CHICO FREEMAN- SWEET EXPLOSION - SAXFUSION

JAMES BLOOD ULMER- BLUES RIB • SOUL 150GR. VINYL - LIMITED TO 2500 EACH - SUPERB!

• LINN-RECUT oi £.99

BEETHOVEN - SYM No 5 - KLEIBER REC 02 BARTOK RAVEL - PIANO CONC. No 3 KATCHEN R EC 01 BEETHOVEN - PIANO CONC No 1 - DOUBLE (it, £ 13.99 R EC 03

• LINN (a £8.99

CAROL KIDD 1ST LP. AK H 003 CAROL KIDD - ALL MY TOMORROWS A K H 006 CAROL KIDD - NICE WORK AK H 006 CAROL KIDD - THE NIGHT WE CALLED ... A K H 007

A WHOLE NEW RANGE OF LINN IN STOCK - MORE TO COME! • PROPRIUS (it £9.25

CANTATE DOMINO - CHRISTMAS MUSIC LAUDETE VOLS 1 a 2 - BAROQUE CHORAL VAR ANTIPHONE BLUES - JAZZ AT THE PAWNSHOP A MUSTI DOUBLE L.P. £16.99

MANY MORE TITLES iN STOCK AND TO ORDER •

REFERENCE (1i £ 16.49 RAVEL - RR.35 'LISZT - RR 25

COPLAND - RR 22 /TAPELMUSIK - RR 13 YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD BIG BAND- RR 14

MANY MORE TiTLES iN STOCK & TO ORDER • OPUS3 (rs, £13.49

TEST LPS. VOLS 1,2,3. LARS ERSTRAND JAZZ VIBES 8302 THOMAS ORNBERG - DIXIELAND JAZZ 8003 KNUD JORGENSEN - PIANO JAZZ TRIO 8401

MANY MORE TITLES IN STOCK & TO ORDER •

SHEFFIELD LAB <it £13.45 WAGNER - VARIOUS LAB 7 PROKOFIEV - ROMEO & JULIET LAB 8 JAMES NEWTON HOWARD - POWERFUL ROCK LAB 23 STRAVINSKY FIREBIRD LAB 24

MANY MORE IN STOCK & TO ORDER •

SOME RECENT ARRIVALS KEITH JARRETT -TRIBUTE - DOUBLE LP ON ECM (13 49 KENNY WHEELER - LARGE & SMALL - DOUBLE LP ON ECM £ 13.49 JOHN SURMAN - RD TO ST IVES ON ECM £8 49 JOE SAMPLE - ASHES TO ASHES f 7 99 DIANE SCHUUR - PURE SCHUUR ON GRP £8.49 CHICK COREA - ACOUSTIC BAND - ALIVE ON GRP £8 49 CLAUS OGERMAN -MICHAEL EIRECKER ON GRP f 8 49 FRANK POTENZA- SOFT & WARM - SUPERB FUSION GRP £8.99 MILES DAVIS & J.L.HOOKER - HOT SPOT £7S9 LOW BLOWS - BRILLIANT HARMONICA BLUES SAMPLER£7.99 TANITA TIKARIM - EVERYBODYS ANGEL NEWLP £7.99 STING - SOUL CAGES NEWLP £7.89 VAUGHAN EROS- FAMILY STYLE 2X R B GUITARS £7.1119

AND MANY MANY MORE . WE ARE SPECIALIST VINYL RETAILERS AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR SUPERCUTS WE HAVE ACCESS TO ALL LABELSCOVERING BLUES. RIB UK AND IRISH. FOLK. ELECTRONIC. NEW AGE JAll.

FUSION, COUNTRY ETC ETC AND BACK CATALOGUE OF ALL KINDS 8 CURRENT RELEASES

WE ALSO STOCK AND CAN OBTAIN A RANGE OF COMPACT DISCS THAT REFLECTS AND IN MANY CASES EXTENDS BEYOND OUR VINYL STOCKS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PHONE REGARDING STOCK. NEW

RELEASES OR SPECIAL ORDERS -WE WOULD LIKE MBE YOUR REGULAR ANDONLY SUPPLIER,

MAIL ORDER FROM STOCK WE DISPATCH SAME DAY AND SPECIAL ORDERS

ARE DEALT WITH PROMPTLY UPON RECEIPT WE PACK VERY CAREFULLY AND ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ARE WELCOME BY PHONE UK PI, Rates £1 00 I at LP - 35p each thereafter

OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS MOST WELCOME POSTAGE RATES ON APPLICATION

- • - WE ARE OPEN FOR BROWSING MON-SAT

64 BECKENHAM RD, BECKENHAM, KENT, BR3 4LS. 081-658-3464 FAX. 081-663-6626

FOR SALE- Trade

Audiophile Components Catalogue

Audiophile Guides • Balance Control

kit • capacitors • contact breakers •

contact enhancers • diodes e drive units • enclosures • inductors •

interfence suppression • Kimber Kable

mains transformers • polarity testing • potentiometers • power supplies •

record cleaning • resistors • solder •

switches • Torlyte Amplifier Boxes • • •

plus application notes, hints, tips and

advice on building with the best

Fully revised & updated

(on Recycled Paper!)

U.K. Postage free Overseas send U.S $2 bill or 4 IRC. Europe - send 3 International Reply Coupons.

Russ Andrews

Russ Andrews Limited Edge Bank House, Skelsmergh, Kendal,

Cumbria LA8 9AS

Telephone ( 0539) 83247

CLEARANCE ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE2 SPEAKERS XD APOGEE CENTAUR SPEAKERS XD ARCAM 2 SPEAKERS XI) AUDIOPLAN KONTRAST 2 SPEAKERS ED AUDIO RESEARCH SP9 MK2 PRE-AMP XD AUDIO RESEARCH CL30 POWER AMP XD AUDIO RESEARCH SPI 1 Mk2 PRE-AMP XD AUDIO RESEARCH 0125 POWER AMP XD AUDION INTRO PRE-AMP XD AUDION REFERENCE PRE-AMP XD DELTEC PDMI DAC SH KRELL KSA Kb POWER AMP XD MERIDIAN 207 CD PLAYER SH MERIDIAN M20, STANDS SPEAKERS XD MICROMEGA CLASSIC CO PLAYER XD MUSICAL FID. P140 POWER AMP SH PINK TRIANGLE PIP PRE-AMP XD P.S. AUDIO 4.6 PRE-AMP XD REVOX B150 INT. AMP. XD REVOX B126 CD PLAYER XD SONUS FABER AMATOR SPEAKERS XD SPICA TC50 SPEAKERS XD

XD= Ex-den; SH=Second Hand. Full list on request.

£699 £1,479 £229

C1,850 £1,599 £1,999 £2,995 £2,995 £497 £647 £249

£2,750 £699

£1,199 £799 £199

£1,995 £750 £499 £499

£1.795 £399

K J. West One 26 New Cavendish Street. London W1M 7LH Telephone 071-486 8262/8263. Fax No 071-487 3452 Open: Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm, T hors until 7pm

FalcottlY SPEAKERS )Send for our FREE price list

PL19 & Focal data sheet, we ask for is a large S.A.E.

(32p stamp) or $2 bill (air) overseas)

SYSTEM DESIGNS (Total Kits): Focal, KEF Constructor Series, etc.

DRIVE UNITS FOCAL, KEF, Audax, Celestion, Coles, Peerless, Seas,

Elac Metal Dome, Siare, Scanspeak, etc. Also Group/Disco Units

CROSSOVER NETWORKS - Active & Passive Components,

Accessories, Polypropylene Caps. Expert advice via our enquiry service.

ELEKTOR-KEF PL301 Units, Networks & Components

Full details from FALCON ELECTRONICS

(Dept H.F.N.) Tabor House, Mulbarton, Norfolk NR14 8JT (0508) 78272

(Proprietors: Falcon Acoustics Ltd.)

FOR SALE- Trade STATE-OF-THE-ART means replication of master-

tape; our moving coil cartridge achieves this for £55. Paying more is totally unnecessary. Sugden AU41C/P pre/power amplifiers £595. Tel: 081-905 6331. (G)

RECORD CLEANING PERFECTED Want to know more about the only effective vvay to clean and preserve records? Send for our explanatory booklet on the Nitty Gritty System.

kK.J.WESTONE, Dept NGN,

e 26 New Cavendish Street , LONDON W1M Tel:071-486 8262163 Fax 077-4873452

WANTED VALVE AMPLIFIERS BOUGHT FOR CASH Also buy/sell all good quality Hi-Fi. Export/Mail Order available, Acess/Eurocard/Mastercard/Visa. Haden Boardman (0942) 57525. Restoration service and mod-ifications available for all valve amplifiers. (G) VINTAGE VALVE HI-FI & RADIO - Decca, Garrard 301, Leak, Quad, Radford, Radios, SME, Tannoy, Thorens, Valves, etc. Buyer calls all areas. Wanted list available. Vintage, Mangotsfield, Bristol. Fax: 0272-575442. Tel: (24 hours) (0272) 565472. (X) A.K.G. P7E, P8, P8E, and P8ES stereo cartridges. Stylus condition irrelevant. Tel: 081-688 6565 for price. (F)

JR149 MARK II SPEAKERS must be in perfect condition. Tel: London 081-847 1534. (F)

GROVE'S DICTIONARY OF MUSIC & MUSICIANS: 1954 edition, 10 vols, hardback or 1976 paperback version. Tel: Lubbock 081-653 1695. ( F)

PUBLICATIONS BERLIOZ & BEETHOVEN. Strange bed-fellows, but they were both full of ideas and opinions which influenced their music and helped to shape the Roman-tic Age. The thoughts, beliefs and attitudes of each are examined in highly praised biographies-with- a-difference by one-time HEN/RR editor John Crabbe. Hector Berlioz - Rational Romantic and Beethoven's Empire of the Mind are available from bookshops at £6.95 each, and if your stockist doesn't have copies on his shelves, tell him that each can be ordered from Messrs Kahn & Averill. Or you could try your local library. Either way, they make an intriguing read. ()US)

SERVICES TROUBLED BY EXTERNAL NOISES? Hum, or interference on your equipment? I may be able to help, write with brief details and telephone number (South/ North London areas only). S.N. Gall, 9 Highview close. Potters Bar, Hcrts ENG 5PE. ( F) RESTORATIONS OF CLASSIC EQUIPMENT by electronics engineer, suitably qualified (degree/MAES) and nearly 40 years experience. Quad service agent and specialist knowledge of Radford, Leak, Rogers, Arm-strong, etc. Extensive workshop enables original design standards, accompanied by detailed reports. 7 days Woodford, Essex. Tel: 081-504 5467. (X)

TURNTABLES. ARMS. CARTRIDGES. STYLI.

CONNOISSEUR; GARRARD; GOLDRING; LENCO; ORTOFON: SHORE; SME; THOFtENS.

All available. Genuine Spares Service. Repairs. Overhauls Cartridges & Specialist styli for Early Recordings - 78s & LP.

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS

TECHNICAL & GENERAL PO BOX 53, CROWBOROUGH. E.SUSSEX. TN6 2BY

TELEPHONE: 08 92 65 45 34

Specialist REVOX Service

From one of the smallest, yet best equipped Service Labs in the North. Service 8 Calibration in less than 8 hours. Mail order spares. Most makes serviced.

Dealer enquiries welcome.

Brian RLuts ...when quality is important

Tel. 061-499 2349 Fax. 061-499 9381 (near Manchester Airport)

111-E1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW' JUNE 199

CLASSIFIED I T NI N

RD MANAGER

AUDIO ELECTRONICS GUILDFORD

CANON RESEARCH CENTRE EUROPE IS CANON'S FIRST OVERSEAS RESEARCH AND

DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, WORKING ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF RESEARCH

PROGRAMMES FOR THE CANON GROUP THROUGHOUT EUROPE.

IN JANUARY THIS YEAR A NEW COMPANY. CANON AUDIO, WAS FORMED TO

MANUFACTURE AND MARKET AUDIO PRODUCTS ON A GLOBAL BASIS,

WE NOW REQUIRE AN EXPERIENCED ELECTRONICS ENGINEER TO SET UP AND LEAD A

TEAM RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING NEW PRODUCTS FOR CANON AUDIO

YOU SHOULD HAVE EXCELLENT ELECTRONICS SKILLS. IDEALLY GAINED IN AN AUDIO

ENVIRONMENT AND A WELL ORGANISED AND MOTIVATIONAL MANAGEMENT STYLE

IN SHORT WE NEED SOMEONE WHO GETS THINGS DONE!

OUR AIM IS TO PRODUCE INNOVATIVE AUDIO ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS, INITIALLY TO

COMPLEMENT A NEW RANGE OF SPEAKERS, BUT IN THE LONG TERM TO DEVELOP A

FULL RANGE OF AUDIO EQUIPMENT. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT SOME OF THESE PRODUCTS

WOULD NOT BE PURELY ELECTRONIC AND WOULD INTEGRATE WITH OTHER

TECHNOLOGIES WHERE APPROPRIATE,

THE REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS PACKAGE OFFERED IS UNLIKELY TO DISAPPOINT

IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND DRIVE WE ARE SEEKING

PLEASE WRITE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, ENCLOSING YOUR C.V. TO: DR. PAUL

OTTO, CANON RESEARCH CENTRE EUROPE LTD, UNIT 17, FREDERICK SANGER

ROAD, GUILDFORD, SURREY GU2 5YD.

Canon

HIFI NEWS RE( OR 11..\\

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS ORDER FORM Rates: Trade:

66p per word. Min £ 18.00

Private: 55p per word. Min £ 14.00.

PLEASE PRINT IN BLOCK CAPITALS

Box No's: (These rates are £3.00 extra inclusive of VAT)

Debit my credit card account (tick as appropriate

Card Expiry Date

Credit Card No:

VISA .&" LI

NNE RIO.

PPRE SS

IIIIIIIIIIIIF1T1 Signature

To: HI- Fl NEWS, please publish the above advertisement for insertions under the heading Cheque/P.O. to be made payable to LINK HOUSE MAGAZINES PLC and send to Hi Fi News, LINK HOUSE, DINGWALL AVENUE, CROYDON CR9 2TA. Is a Box No. required? Yes H No 1. If no, please include remittance to cover name and address and/or tel. no.

Name Address

BACK DOOR

COLIN ESCOTT

11 nevitably. Hank \Vilhams has been accorded the boxed set treatment. It's strange — almost alien — to see his

work enshrined on the disc-lets; ironic too, because Williams was the consum-mate singles artist ( equate singles with 78). Ile understood economy of express-ion, and the importance of a melody that

hovered in the mind after its allotted two-and-a-half minutes was up.

In terms of forging a legend. I lank could have done no better than burn out at the age of 29, before his fire grew dim and he lapsed into the inevitable trap of self-parody. His death. on New Year's Day 1953, though, created an onerous prob-lem for his record label, MGM ( subse-quently purchased by PolyGram ). Hank had been recording for six years, one of which was lost to a union recording han. By the time he died he left 30 singles. with another, 'Your Cheatin' Heart'. in the can ready to roll. It was MGM's task to husband those singles and a few unissued tracks in a way that would maximise the mileage to he gained from them. It was a

task to which they brought predictably little taste and respect. As the face of country music changed,

so the completion of Hank Williams' recorded legacy changed: the fiddle and steel-guitar solos were edited out to he replaced by lead guitar and piano solos; echo was added, drums too, and — by the mid-60s — strings, choruses and Hank Williams Jr had been added. His music was repackaged in a bewildering multi-plicity of albums with endless overlap, duplication, all clouded by the uneasy feeling of never knowing quite which version you were getting. When I yeas handed the task of re-casting I lank Wil-liams' legacy into a boxed set. I decided to go back to basics: the 30 or so singles he recorded during his lifetime, bereft of subsequent embellishment, and presented in the order in which he recorded them. Thankfully, no-one had considered such an approach before. Hank Williams had originally recorded

onto 161,1 acetates, and, just prior to his death, onto tape. After his death the acetates had been transferred quite expertly to tape, and the original tapes still existed, although the acetates were probably destroyed in the '70s. After the assets of MGM were carved up. Turner Broadcasting System ( owner of CNN) acquired the movies and the movie soundtracks. The sound-tracks were still held on acetate, and it was assumed that all acetates held soundtracks. It's probable that TBS destoyed the Hank Williams acetates after they discovered that they didn't contain soundtrack material. With the acetates went the alternate takes. The natural sound of flank Williams on

tape and acetate is shrill; I lank had an edgy voice in the high register, and his hand included fiddle, steel-guitar, and lead and acoustic guitars all working the treble

Hank Williams' was the first

true 'great' of country music.

Now the singles are resurrected

in a CD boxed set

frequencies. That fact is masked by the 'warmness' of 78rpm and 1.13 pressings. With this in mind, Dennis Drake, the chief engineer at PolyGram's tape facility in Edison, New Jersey, played back the tapes through an old tube console, and re-EQ'd them to approximate the duller or, if you prefer, warmer sound of 785 and I.Ps. The sum of Flank Williams' recordings

didn't remain at 30 singles and a few abandoned songs for long. From the moment of his death additional material started coming out of the woodwork. Music publishing demos, live recordings and home recordings appeared — more of them every year.

In 1990 a gentleman from Griffin's Radio Shop in Montgomery, Alabama

appeared at PolyGram, accompanied — inevitably — by a lawyer. They held an acetate, quite identifiably by hank Wil-liams, on which was inscribed a date in 1942, sonic six years before Williams was known to have recorded. hank, then 18 years old, was not yet an accomplished songwriter, but the acetate was of undeni-able historical interest. PolyGram leased it, and that 1942 song, ' I'm Not Coming Ilome Anymore', leads off the boxed set. None of the noise reduction processes, though, could compensate for the surface

damage and signal loss, and the perform-ance remains one to file under 'intriguing' rather than 'essential'. A year earlier one of Hank Williams'

supporting acts, Big Bill I.ister, had revealed the existence of another acetate, this one containing a demo of a Williams song that Lister recorded, There's A Tear In My Beer'. With an eye for an angle, hank Williams' son, hank Jr overdubbed himself and a band. They also took the only performance footage of hank Snr and integrated Ilank Jr into it. The scene in which Hank Jr moves between Hank Snr and his band defies any jaw not to drop. A 2"-year-old father is duetting with his

40-year-old son. Considering that Hank Snr was singing 'they, Good Looking' rather than 'Tear in My Beer' in the footage makes it all the more remarkable. In the contractual machinations that led up to the release of 'Tear In My Beer', Warner Brothers ( Hank Jr's label) were given rights to the overdubbed perform-ance, and PolyGram were assigned rights to the unduhhed original by Hank Snr. Inevitably, the undubbed original is included on the boxed set, together with one other unissued song from the flip-side of Lister's acetate. The balance of the songs on the set are

home demos. In the wee hours, his back and his wife giving him hell. Hank would

often record on to a little wire recorder (the precursor of tape recorders) or an acetate cutter. Some of those songs are among his most moving; even at home Hank could only perform with go-for-broke intensity. Make no mistake, though, it is the

original singles that form the true core of this collection. The singles tripped from emotion to emotion like steping on peb-bles in a stream. In 1951, for example, he released: 'Cold Cold Ileart', 'I Can't Help It', ' hey Good Lookin' and 'I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow' in succession. Hank Williams' life was an American

tragedy, not played out before the tabloid gossip papers, as it would have been today, but diarised obliquely in haunting couplets. In his hands, composition, pro-duction and performance coalesced to produce the most important body of recordings in country music.+

hank Williams: The Original Singles Colleaion... Plus was released in England in February 1991. It

comprises 3 CDs and a booklet. Catalogue number:

Polydor 847- 194-2.1

HI- F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW JCNE 1991

CHAN 8897 CD ABTD 1508 MC CHAN 8950 CD ABT3 1544 MC

Clic PIIIIII3/11111111Ç

— JIRI BflOHLAVIK —

*RINI -Srliphoy h. " Ifinlaisies symphoniquusl

Oliailaslicke Scher/0

CHANDOS

Jit'í Belohlávek and the Czech Philharmonic

Orchestra exclusively on Chandos

Chandos are proud to present the first two recordings

of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

with Maestro Bélohlávek, under their new

exclusive contract

The music of Martinú, Janáóek, Suk

kliApeos,

MARTINÙ SymphuyMLI [ladle Coocérti

CHANDOS RECORDS LIMITED Chandos House - Commerce Way - Colchester - Essex CO2 8HO - UK Tel: 44 (0) 206 577300

&ISOM ulate ou,

ti Award. Winning

British Hi-Fi

-1‘—'41;eene're:r"rele?"-:

. t„.

HUNTINGDON PE 18 SED ENGLAND PHONE ( 04E30)527 7 7 TELEX 32333 FAX (0480) 432777