Saint Saens

Streaming Classical (22-2): Saint Saens
Basic Repertoire (22-1): Saint Saens

With this post, I will renew a feature: posts dedicated to the works of one (or more) composer(s) that constitute Basic Repertoire (label: Classical Music - Basic Repertoire). I obviously won’t first write on giants like Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart, as they had produced way too many great works to be treated adequately in a shorter article. Let’s start with someone who is known but not nearly as well as he should be.

Last year was the Centenary of the death of the great Saint Saens. This was not lost on many quality record labels, which for the last few years had issued a lot of recordings, especially of his lesser known works. The discography has been immeasurably enhanced. First, recommendations for the audiophile favorites pieces.

Symphonies No. 3, “Organ Symphony” is well known. While no recording can fully capture the concert experience, many are positively stirring. The classic BSO/Munch probably cannot be bettered (RCA Living Stereo), and I also highly recommend Detroit SO/Paray (with no less than Marcel Dupre at the organ; Mercury Living Presence) and OSR/Ansermet (Decca). Jean Martinon is also very good (he recorded 2 that are very similar, but the sound qualities are not quite up to those mentioned here). Another very different reading that was recorded upfront is Chicago SO/Barenboim (DG), one of this volatile conductor’s better discs. Naturally, there had been a recent spate of recordings of this warhorse. The piece is so beautiful that it is hard to find a reading that totally disappoints. For a different take, try the very recent Les Siecles/Xavier-Roth (Harmonia Mundi). Rest assured, everything this team does is worthwhile (and in great sound) and the period instrument touches miraculously do not ruin the unabashed romanticism of this score. The coupled Piano Concerto No. 4 is also very nicely played by Heisser.

Danse Macabre and other Tone Poems Many of you have known Danse Macabre since your childhood screening of Disney cartoons. I don’t have a favorite but audiophiles swear by the sonically resplendent Philharmonia/Dutoit (Decca Ovation), which also contains the equally delightful work Le Rouet d’Omphale; usefully it also has 2 violin chestnuts described below very well played by Kyung-Wha Chung.

Carnival of the Animals This (particularly The Swan) is of course an audiophile favorite. As everyone probably has his own favorite, I won’t offer a recommendation. Every big name instrumentalist (like Argerich) has enlisted friends to record this work, and choices are unlimited. Find your own pick.

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso and Havanaise These marvelous pieces sometimes get played because but they are frequently coupled with audiophile favorites Ziguenerweisen (Sarasate), Poeme (Chausson) and Tzigane (Ravel), as in Erick Friedman’s Violin Showpieces (RCA Silver Seal). The title was for the CD only and the material came from different LP recordings, The CD is long oop and fetches a good sum on the second-hand market. It has also spawned many opportunistic “audiophile” remasterings of no merit (XRCD, LPCD, HQCD etc). The material can also be heard on RCA’s Erik Friedman box, also oop but fortunately available for streaming. If you haven’t heard this album, by all means stream the material and see why it is so famous. I won’t say they are all first choice, but Friedman was certainly in his elements when he recorded them. Listen to them and you will know what is missing in many a performance (say, Mutter). For more violin morceaux, elegantly played, I recommend Tianwa Yang (Naxos).

The above works are about the only Saint Saens I’ve ever heard at audiophiles, but there are several that really ought to be in everyone’s collection.

Piano Concerto No 2 (out of 5) This is the only one played often. Obviously, it has its considerable charms. My first encounter is still unsurpassed: Rubinstein with Symphony of the Air/Wallenstein (RCA Living Stereo; better than his remake with PO/Ormandy). For years, there were no real competitors, but now things have changed a little; as detailed below, some recent piano concertos cycles are just lovely, though Rubinstein still reigns.

Violin Concerto No. 3 (out of 3) is the only one well known and it’s a very charming work. Many legendary violinists (like Szeryng and Grumiaux, but strangely not usually German or Russian ones; as an example, Heifetz never recorded this) have recorded this and I urge you to sample their recordings. For an offering in fine modern sound, I like the swift Kantorow (before he turned conductor), ably partnered by the Tapiola Sinfonietta/Kees Bakels (BIS, part of their excellent complete violin works series).

Cello Concerto No. 1 (out of 2) is the better known one, and has been recorded by many great cellists like Rostropovich and Tortelier, but I recommend a dark horse (Walevska on Decca). Given the large number of good French cellists, there are many good ones among recent offerings; I pine for Bertrand with the excellent Lucerne Symphony under Gaffigan (who can do no wrong; Harmonia Mundi).

What about the rest of the symphonies and concertos? Are they worth our attention? In this age of streaming I’d say it is an emphatic yes. The master’s music is always engaging (even his prodigious youthful works) and it’s always time well spent. If you want to relax after some strenuous listening (yes, good music can be challenging, even relentless), he’s your man.

Symphonies We have treated No. 3 above. As for the rest of the Symphonies (2 more aside from 1 and 2), they have always been neglected. For years we only had the very fine set by ORTF/Martinon (EMI). It is astonishing that just very recently no less than 3 cycles of his symphonies were issued. They are all very fine and there’s very little to choose between them. Suit your own taste. French National O/Macelaru (Warner) probably has the most powerful playing, but the Liege Royal Phil/Kantorow (BIS) play most sinuously (this is an under-sung orchestra). I haven’t heard the Utah SO/Thierry Fischer (Hyperion; not available on NML) but I’d bet they cannot beat the other two. Audiophiles (Americans mostly) tend to praise their regional orchestras to the sky (another example is Kansas on over-rated Reference Recordings) but, sorry to say, despite their power, they often lack the last ounce of tradition, vision and finesse that even “second-tier” European orchestras possess.

Piano Concertos Aside from Rubinstein’s No.2 (RCA, noted above), I have treasured the historic recordings of all 5 by French Doyenne Jeanne-Marie Darre (EMI, good mono). These works have received particularly great attention recently. Aside from the cycle by Descharmes (Naxos, noted below), there are great contributions by Chamayou (Warner), Kantorow (junior; BIS), Heisser (HM, noted above). A feast! Of course, all respectable French pianists of years past have recorded these works, but my feeling is these newer challengers are better.

NAXOS’ Comprehensive Survey Naxos has contributed greatly to the Centennial, All under the guidance of the excellent Malmo SO/Soustrot. Their Symphonies, from a few years back, are no less worthy than those mentioned above. The cello works (Schwabe), Piano concertos (Descharmes), and Violin works (Tianwa Yang) are all top-tier. Sonically very fine too.

Other Works The great composer was so prolific that we all have a hard time keeping up. There are innumerable chamber and solo works, for every imaginable combination. Not to mention vocal works. Maybe another time.

A Personal Favorite The cumbersome name is Caprice d’apres une Etude en forme de Valse (Caprice after an Etude in the Form of a Waltz). IMHO this work is top-tier, no less than any Saint Saens. BUT, it is an arrangement by the great Belgian violin virtuoso Ysaye (loved by the composer himself) that is really astonishing. The above-mentioned Kantorow’s disc of Violin Concerto No. 3 (BIS) contains this, and it is a fine performance, but my heart belongs to an older, more measured, recording featuring Yan Pascal Tortelier (similarly a violinist turned conductor, EMI), now likely only available buried in the EMI/Warner set of Birmingham/Fremaux.

Incidentally, I grew up with Fremaux’s and Martinon’s recordings, and they are still very good, but the modern recordings have sonic advantages.

I hope you have enjoyed this first installment.

Subwoofer!!! Wowed!

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Letter from Hong Kong (22-1): E Lo wowed by Subwoofer

Editor: E Lo actually struggled for quite a while before arriving at satisfaction. This is par for the course. Although I suspect audiophiles secretly dig the frustrations of others (especially if they themselves have been stuck), I am still glad he spared us the details...:-)

All through my hifi journey, I have not been a fan of the subwoofer. I have never craved mega bass; rather I think of myself as one who prefers quality over quantity. Even after having skimmed through many articles about subwoofers on this website, I still did not develop even a slightly urge to try. How wrong was I!

Although I had been contented with my setup, I have not stopped searching for hifi nirvana and was constantly looking for ways to upgrade my system without hurting my wallet. I always believe experience can save you wasting big bucks, LOL! The numerous articles, including DJ's many posts, claim that once hooked up to a subwoofer, one will never let go, and also that there is no need to buy an uber expensive one to achieve the goal. Eventually, I began looking at a cheap 2nd hand one in HK’s most active 2nd market review33.com to see if there was any good deal around. I saw many great brands like SVS, Velodyne etc. Then I noticed that there was an Audio Physics 10" active Sub selling for 200 USD and, without much thought, I brought it home!

I didn't have the luxury to place it at different spots. So, it's sitting next to the right side of my Dynaudio Crafft speaker, with bass driver facing me.

There are a few ways of connecting it and I chose (Hi Level) direct wiring from the speaker binding posts of my 47 Lab Gaincard, which I think is most direct and best way (Footnote 1).

I have then spent months listening to it, experimenting with different settings in gain, volume and crossover frequency, plus the option of using single or dual Humpty Power Supply for my 47.

Single or Dual Humpty This is a love and hate situation. After prolonged listening, the difference is obvious. Single sounds rawer, and grainy, with slight gain in speed but with loss in control, clarity and separation, at least in my setup. With duo Humpties, the overall sound is not slow, nor cool, but just a tad polite, yet with control and stability (Footnote 2).

Part of the politeness I suspect is probably due to the new Gotham speaker wires I was using with the Crafft. It replaced the speedy Mogami I was using before. However, I feel the gain in overall clarity and texture is worth the loss in speed so, for now, the Mogami is used for hooking up the sub (Grimm TPR is still gathering dust).

I finally have to admit while 47 Lab 50w x2 can drive my Crafft admirably, it's still a difficult speaker to drive. With the 100W D class subwoofer, it frees up the Crafft.

Settings on my Subwoofer After much trial and errors (I am going to spare you the pain of going through mine), my settings are: High Gain (Footnote 3), Higher than average Volume and High Crossover Frequency. At least it works for my setup. Crossover frequency is now set to 80 Hz, and Gain and Volume roughly 60% in both. It seems to work fine for me, different from what people generally prefer (lower settings; Footnote 4).

So, do I get thundering bass? To be honest, I'm more interested in getting the "side-benefits" than the added bass oomph. But I must say the result is far more than I had hoped for and I am pleasantly surprised!

So, what did I gain? The bass has indeed absolutely improved in many ways: I have now got real bass - the fullness, the size, the bounciness and authority are there, and the definition of bass has vastly improved.

The bass now does have the scale and authority of floorstanders. Ultimate density and impact are still not the best, but the ripe and sinewy bass is there.

What else? Overall clarity has improved significantly as well; soundstage has expanded; timbre and rhythmic portrait has improved so much that my previous listening experience could be described as behind a piece of plexiglass, or reading with glasses that are under-prescribed. Gone are the slight smearing and smudge!!

Overall, music presentation is analog-like, relaxed, with no digital glare. It is dead on timing, with natural microdynamics, wide soundstage that extend beyond the speakers (if the recordings have it). Instruments separate clearly while seeming to gel with each other cohesively. Timbre is brilliantly accurate’ midrange is clear, free from grain, with no added euphony, and is non fatiguing! Treble maintains the noble and sublime quality of the Esotar tweeter (Footnote 5). Overall, a balanced system with zero MSG and highly enjoyable. It is not type of sound that tries to grab every second of your attention, which can sometimes be too much of good thing and may not be the best especially when you just want to relax and submerge yourself in music.

I especially find it very well suited in listening to pop and jazz. plus a bit of funky and soul music.

Listening to Toto's Taking it Back, the intro phrase that was played three times can be heard distinctly in three positions. First, the left, then moving to halfway between left and middle, and then dead centre. Previously, I did not pick up the progression at all.

Overall, it seems like I'm rediscovering every recording I have been listening to, even songs that I’ve heard 100s of times!!!

To me, this is one of the most substantial upgrades in my hifi journey and I can only regret that I have not done it much sooner! (Footnote 6)

I told my friend Kwong about my experience, and he immediately bought a Rogers AV subwoofer and had some painful experience in setting up. With his Audionet SAM driving the high and mids of his Auioplan small floorstander (and super tweeter), and power amp driving the bass of Audioplan and subwoofer, the improvement is again significant after some very careful adjustments of the settings. Both of us are now happy believers of subwoofers!!

As for you, WAIT NO FURTHER, GO GET A SUBWOOFER IMMEDIATELY, LIFE IS SHORT!!!!!!!

Editor's Footnotes: (1) All active subwoofers offer Low-Level (Line Level) and High Level (power amp output) connections. Each has its advantages and disadvantages - the former likely sees more impedance variations than the latter; (2) The more fluid performance of a single Humpty had been noted by some reviewers before. This raises questions about the use of separate power supplies and monoblocks in "higher end" (and over-kill DIY). Think about this. McIntosh MC40 x 2 and MC75 x 2 are well recognized to not sound as good as their stereo counterparts MC240 and MC275; (3) This appears unique to Audio Physics (imho not a bad company). I know of no sub that has this Gain setting. Mind you, AP designed these for their own smaller loudspeakers, and other users must adapt. It's great the E Lo surmounted the problems; (4) Audiophiles jealously guard their main loudspeakers and are reluctant to "contaminate" the "special" woofers of their preferred speakers. But they are highly mistaken. Better bass delivery eases everything and will open up things, as E Lo had noted. In terms of crossover frequency, I have always found a higher point to be more coherent. Never cross lower than 60-70-80. I assume you are using small speakers; (5) The Esotar is likely the most famous Dynaudio tweeter ever. It was used in many high-end loudspeakers, from Ruark to Sons faber. I still own the SF Electa Amator II, which imho is better than the I, but the I commands a higher price because of the Esotar (many samples have seen repairs). The Esotar is also used in the legendary Extrema; (6) I beg to differ. It takes time, a LOT of time (and money misspent), to mature. If E Lo had done these 10 years earlier, when he was likely more tempestuous, he would have dismissed the whole thing! The subtle changes take experience to recognize. Don't we all regret our many decisions of our youths! Take Home Message: As E Lo implied. the real benefits of a subwoofer are not necessarily in the bass department, but felt in overall musical presentation.

Accordion Salon Folk Music

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Streaming Classical Music (22-1): Byways - Accordions, Folk and Salon Music
Letter from Shenzhen (22-2): Byways of Classical Music

Happy New Year, I have a lot of Streaming advice to air but my compulsive self and penchant for long articles impede progress. So, I decided to jump-start the year on a lighter note. Byways, or Crossovers, or...

Accordion Though familiar to many who listen to folk music, the accordion is not really a classical musical instrument, yet its coloristic potential has been recognized by many modern composers, including (the great) Berio. Today, there are many virtuosi who actively transcribe music for this instrument. For myself, I love the sound of the instrument, as it invokes simple joy and nostalgia (used in many great films).

This is a temporal narrative. Just recently, I was stunned by Russian-Canadian Alexander Sevastian’s Bach recording (Analekta). It is of course a closely miked recording, yet it conveys the bowel sound of the instrument that is not at all unlike the mighty church organ (without the hall sound and reverb). An audio trick, but a good one.

Aroused, I dug more into this musician. I listened to his other excellent albums. Too bad he had recently passed away, but I learned that he was in a “light classical” ensemble called Quartetto Gelato. I streamed some of their albums (Linus, Marquis, etc), not available on NML but are on China’s Kuwo streaming platform. The first one I streamed was Mazurka, and it gripped me. This is a great group, capable of anything. I have long been familiar with “salon music”, from the olden times of Alfredo Campoli to now. Not many albums command total attention. But this group is superior. I urge you to explore. Although I listened to them on Kuwo, I am sure they are on Spotify and Tidal. In the coming days I shall stream more of their stuff.

This kind of ensemble is not uncommon. For Americans, Bluegrass derived Bela Fleck should be familiar, but, for classical oriented person like me, I prefer the Ensemble Gelato, not the least because of the bass weighting of the Accordion. But, I’d take this opportunity to recommend again anything played by banjo wizard Chris Thile, who has appeared with Fleck, Yoyo Ma and the likes (his Sony Bach albums are gems).

As mentioned, the accordion has raised its head in recent times. Even I caught up. Richard Galliano first called, and I cherish his Bach album (DG). And then DG followed with “sexy” Ksenjia Sidorova, whose programs didn’t really arouse me. But then now I have discovered that her earlier albums (Alpha and Champs Hill) contain much more challenging material! You should stream those, rather than DG. This is a serious musician. And now Sevastian, whose recordings are more “masculine” and have much weightier recorded tones than the more refined sound of Sidorova.

When it comes to Accordion, one cannot escape Astor Piazzolla and the Tango. But, as one reviewer remarked, it’s a tribute to these musicians that their best tracks are not Piazzolla!

Russian Folk Music And the accordion’s cousin Bayan. I have long loved Russian folk music. The Russians play their folk music with an orchestra sporting variously sized balalaikas (and the Chinese orchestra copied that with the erhu) with the support of bayan and dorma. One of my favorite albums is the Balalaika Favorites (Mercury). Indeed that is my number one Mercury album, and that says a lot for a hifi addict. For those who can source it, an equally worthwhile album with even more folk music (like Troika) by a more modern iteration of the same Osipov Orchestra is Evening in Moscow (Moscow Nights) 莫斯科近郊的晚上 (Hong Kong label Hugo, 雨果, excellent sonics). I never tire of hearing these.

Salon Orchestras As mentioned, Salon orchestras have long been around. I’d like to remind you here of an audiophile favorite, Maastricht Orchestra’s Serenata (originally on Philips). This orchestra sported crossover prince Andre Rieu but is favored by silly audiophiles for its bird song. However, musically it is pretty satisfying.

Hard to Categorize Finally, I urge you to listen to classically trained Chinese composer Gong Linna 龚琳娜. Her song tante 忐忑, is improvisation based, in an invented “Chinese style” that in my opinion is no less worthy than any of Jazz’ greats. It fully deserves its viral spread and innumerable imitations on 斗音Tik Tok.

I hope this is short and sweet. It has been for me, and I hope so for you too. All the best in 2022.

Swan Lake

Click pics to enlarge. Above, note the locked feet in the corps. Below, the esplanade.

Jan 3, 2022, Bay Opera, Opera House
Shanghai Ballet
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake, Grand Version
Letter from Shenzhen (22-1)

With Chinese New Year on the horizon, the lockdown of Xian and a smattering of cases in many provinces surely have put immense pressure on Chinese health officials. Miracle of miracles, a string of performances in Shenzhen, at the Bay Opera, Concert Hall and Grand Theater went on as usual to end 2021 and start 2022. Shenzhen Art lovers had been well served! If not for living so far away, I’d have attended more of those performances, particularly those of the National Beijing Opera (traditional Chinese opera).

I’ll have it out: this was a miraculous performance that will remain in my memory for a long time. True to its name, it was Grand indeed.

The choreographer is English Derek Deane, who used to lead the English National Ballet. This ballet is well travelled and has had many versions and revisions over the years, even an amazing one “in the round” (Derek Deane on 20 years in the Round). English critics were not at all completely impressed, at least equivocal, in their reviews. Witness the Guardian 2016 Review.

This Ballet is one of Shanghai Ballet’s signature pieces and they have taken it on the road often, to great accolades. The SB’s official website (Chinese, English) quotes a Dutch review. Damn! This very production actually toured NYC in 2020, at the start of the pandemic! I don’t usually closely follow ballet so I missed out! Doubly regrettable since it had the estimable City Ballet orchestra in the pit (their excellent Christmas Nutcracker run is a NYC institution). This 2020 Review of NYC performance is excellent, and I urge you to read it as it pretty much sums up my feelings.

I watched the “matinee” performance, as it made the 2 hour travelling each way more manageable. It was a magnificent day and I took in the nearby waterfront like a fish to water. It was reminiscent of Hong Kong, but the air was better and there were less people (even on a holiday), enabling a more leisurely feel.

The leads were performed by the second cast of Feng Zichun 冯子纯 (Odette/Odile) and Tu Hangbin 涂汉彬 (Siegfried). The night before, they were performed by the better known pair seen in NYC and Europe.

The choreography, not so much for the leads than for the corps, is more stylized and geometrically patterned than more traditional versions (here my cheap concession ticket in the balcony, with its aerial view, actually confers an advantage). It was certainly a completely different viewing experience than the ABT and the Russian one I watched decades ago at City Center (NYC). The leads, especially Feng, danced beautifully, technically perfect (axial alignments of the limbs, even in turmoil, as in being snatched by Rothbart, were something to marvel at, not a whit less impressive than her Western counterparts,) even if slightly reticent in emotional expression, particularly as Odile (she is very young). But, of course, for this ballet, the corps have the pivotal role (punt intended). And it is here that the immensely high standard of the Shanghai Ballet manifests itself. Despite the height disadvantage when compared to Western corps, they are truly outstanding, the synchronicity truly astonishing, especially for such a large corps (48 swans in the corps! hence the name “Grand Version”). The way the members daisy-chained and locked their feet against each other (see pic above) was ravishingly beautiful. As was the way they folded themselves on the ground (for Odette, this also signifies hurt). The patterning are purposeful, as they do remind one of flocks of swans, some pronate and some standing. Rigorously regimented as it may be, the beauty is enormous, and is a case of function (emotional expression) following form. I urge you to watch some video clips. There is strangely nothing much on youtube, though there may be more from English troupes like the ENB, which I have not had time to investigate yet. On Chinese Bilibili there are some footages, but they are rather crude in quality:

Excerpts: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1LA411e76h/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.7

Act III and IV (I and II not available): https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV19q4y1N7Tk?from=search&seid=345722668198498571&spm_id_from=333.337.0.0

Credit must be given to the Set and Costume designer, Peter Farmer. Indeed, when the curtain first lifted, I was under the impression that I was watching a Watteau painting! Of course, that would not have happened without the aid of the superb Lighting by Howard Harrison. A complete triumph for production values.

Classical Ballet is thriving in China, and many provinces have their own troupes. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Liaoning Ballet presented a more traditional Swan Lake. I’d love to have seen it, but one must choose sometimes. The 2 ladies in front of me said the Liaoning moved along more and was more dramatic (likely with cuts). Shenzhen doesn’t have that many full-length ballets, so it’s really unfortunate that these 2 troups duplicate repertoire. That’s a common occurrence even in event-rich cities like NYC, where one could hear several Mahler 5th’ in one year without the other ones.

I love ballet, but I love even more classical music, so my views are dependent also on the musical contribution. So, as in Opera, I am selective. In Ballet, For Tchaikovsky, even if I love musically the most Swan Lake, and I frequently play the whole thing through my audio system, I do think its set pieces, various Pas de Deux (or Trois or Quatre etc) are not as enticing as the Nutcracker, but its almost Wagnerian apotheoses are eminently thrilling. I have still to get into Sleeping Beauty. Otherwise, my hands down favorite is Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, which moves along more than Tchaikovsky’s creations. Ballet is a product of the Romantic era, but acts like Delibes’ Sylvia and Coppelia, good as they are here and there, in inspiration fail to sustain an evening, and are frankly not up to the standards of Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev. I otherwise rather prefer more recent neoclassical choreographers, like Balanchine, who knew his classical music, be it Bach or Stravinsky.

As intimated above, a good Ballet orchestra is an asset. Regrettably, perhaps due to pandemic concerns (just the company without musicians was 100+) this performance was to a taped soundtrack. It was decently performed and the sound was “reasonable” (identifiably solid state and digital) but of course it was not at all like the real thing. There were small gaps which allowed the audience to clap for the performers. This was good. The team all deserved it. Ah, but a live orchestra would have enhanced it beyond measure. Given that the Shanghai environs have some smattering cases, I have no complaints, and am grateful that the performance happened at all.

A Remarkable Success! It is also a testament to the quality of Tchaikovsky’s score, which, no matter your viewpoint, is a masterpiece.