MusicWeb Listening Room

Click pic to enlarge.

The MusicWeb Listening Room

In my last Classical Streaming article I mentioned the classical webzine MusicWeb International. I read it every weekday (no reviews on weekends) for information on new issues (and re-issues). Few webzines have similar daily outputs. It is also unusual in that it reviews a lot of new music by living composers, many obscure. They also review a lot of historical recordings on small labels that are unfortunately not usually available for streaming. Another interesting feature is that the same recording is often passed on to a another different reviewers (I enjoy particularly when there are different views).

Despite my having read them for years, I have never read about their Listening Room! Now, they have a proper one, quite expensive to boot (here are details). Good equipment, but the only one I'd choose to own if I have the dough is the Meridian 808. Now, THAT's the way to play a CD! Many years ago a friend lent me an old version of the 808, configured only as transport. I was quite shocked how good it sounded. Likely the best transport I have have heard (yes, they all sound different).

But what is more interesting than the equipment is how the reviewers listen to music. Here is the latest episode. These are seasoned reviewers and concert goers, and many read music. In the listening note they talk about timber, air and ambience. Audiophiles who want to get into classical music should read this on how to listen.

Altec 515 416 414 A7 A5 604 605 Mini Overview

Click pics to enlarge. Top, The A5 system of our friend R .

Altec Loudspeaker Systems

Revised 3/31/22: Minor corrections. Addition to Overview.

Audio Digest The latest Herb Reichert Gramophone Dreams column in Stereophile (here) features a system that appeals greatly to this horn and SET fancier. It is an Altec based system of his friend (right pic, from Stereophile). It is certainly an interesting read, as the system also features a 32” Fostex super woofer (I have only heard similar vintage Hartley - to good effect, and I have always wanted one) and Japanese Asano design based amps, which I have always wanted to hear but I think I have not. Incidentally, I think the speaker wires used are Belden 9497, which this blog has long championed.

I note that the 1505 horn is driven by two 288 Drivers (look at the left horn), using surely a bifid adaptor. This is a bona fide setup practice but in "real" home audio setups not necessarily desirable (but this room is large) and one often sees just one used (another factor is the cost of the expensive 288). The addition of a tweeter/super tweeter is common practice, ribbon or not.

Given that I have heard more than my share of vintage Altec horn systems (see Overview below), most interesting for me was the use of 12” 414 woofers, whereas all the others I have heard have been 15" 515 or 416. Although 2 x 12" woofers add up to more surface area than a single 15", my experience tells me that it will not have the authority of the latter. There are many reasons for this, but I think 2 units of anything in parallel will have timing differences (just as monoblocks) that shave off performance, no spec and tolerance being perfect. Also, the 414 does not reach as low as the 15", though it is likely a little more agile. But, in this case, if done right it is moot, as the host has the mighty 32" super woofer (though single I have no doubt its authority, and I, being practical, have not been an advocate of duo sub).

This system is also interesting to me also because the woofers are replicas (or re-issue) by Great Plains Audio, employing Alnico magnets. ALL the Altecs, from stunningly good to appallingly bad, that I have heard before used vintage drivers, so I am very curious how this modern iteration compares (there is no way materials will be the same, no matter the claim). We should also note that the all-important crossover was provided by the same company (for more, see Overview below).

Mini Overview

First, I stress, I am far from an Altec specialist, though I am certainly an Altec Enthusiast. My YL horns in NYC employ 416 woofers, and that is all the Altec loudspeaker components that I have. For those interested in technical aspects, I offer none and there is an encyclopedic amount of info on the net. But I have had the good fortune to have heard a lot of genuine Altec loudspeakers, both in HK and in the US, and here offer my thoughts on some classics. Keep in mind many opinions on the internet come from people who have not heard much of other people's systems.

Alnico vs Ferrite Just to say most of what I heard were Alnico, favored by horn afficionados. When it comes particularly to woofers, on spec's some may prefer Ferrite. 

Altec A5 I have heard many of this in Hong Kong and NYC. Original Voice of the Theater cabinets with 515 woofers and 288 driver(s) and 1505 (or, 1005 or 805) horns. Although A5 has long been the Holy Grail of SETdom, few of the ones I heard sound entirely normal in a home setting. With the original crossover, with low powered SET, the Treble, with a fast leading edge and somewhat dry (almost uniquely Altec traits), would seize the stage, whereas the bass would typically need a lot of work so as not to be a wooly mess. With higher powered amps, the bass would improve a little, but still not enough. "Updated" crossovers culled from advices everywhere imho prove to be equally unreliable. IMHO, the 515 in original cabinet is for a very large space and not usually suitable for home. I also have my doubts about the 515 woofer. In the Tri-State area, I was lucky to have heard 3 pretty good A5 setups. The one I am most familiar with is Andy's "casual listening" horn system (as he insists horns are not for classicals, which I disagree with), which uses the 515 (in an "A7" cabinet, same as A5) and, first, JBL components (here) which was later changed to Altec 288 (here; so an "A5" without a metal Altec horn). Good as it may be for jazz and pop, I have always thought the quality of the bass could be improved, particularly when it comes to orchestral music. In his not-so-big living room, I think this is at least partly due to corner placement (more below). In NJ, I heard Leo's A5 with the 805 horn (here). The space was much larger and, although it was a tad sharp, orchestral music was rendered quite well. The best is likely our friend R's A5 (bought from Paul; details here), which we spent a lot of time fine tuning, and it plays classicals pretty well. Even better was the A5 of Ivan in HK, in a large space (right pic; details here).

Altec A7 I have heard quite a few of this too, both in HK and NYC, usually to good effect, with less problem than A5. Our friend Kevin's sounds good (left pic; details here). In this article, I wrote a lot on my thoughts on Altec that are only briefly touched upon in this mini overview. Long ago in HK, I have also heard the A7-500, but most of us horn afficionados would prefer the horn to be outside of the cabinet (not just clearer but the image would be taller).

A5 vs A7  For my money I believe the question to ask is not which is better but which is better for you. A well implemented A5, in a large space, will be the better in absolute terms, but keep in mind that most setups do not get even close, and many sound simply terrible. On the other hand, most A7's sound reasonably good even from the start. From my experience with the Altec's of my NYC friends, it's all about implementation, and Kevin's A7 sounds just as good (when in-room) as the others' A5's.  The other question to ask is if you are a tinkerer or if you think you are persistent and a problem solver: if so, A5 will provide plenty of opportunity; if not, better stay with A7. So, let's examine what makes the difference. High Frequency Driver There is little question the 288 is more legendary (and costly) than the A7's 807, but do not forget the former was designed to work with the 515 and multi-cell horns whereas the latter was designed for use with the 416 and sectional horn (811). Horns If you have the room and dough, I do think the larger the horn, the more the cell, the more "live" the sound. Hence, when well done, a 1505 is better than a 1005/805. Incidentally, I usually prefer a metal horn to wood. Woofer and Crossover If you look at the spec's the 416 goes higher than the 515 (1,600 vs 1,000 Hz) and should have a higher crossover point. To me, given that the A5 and A7 have the same enclosure, to my ears the 416 simply sounds better, and it's not just a question of a fuller mid-bass. To me, this is the reason why the A7 usually sounds more balanced. Even then, the sound of the A7 is still lean in the bass. Cabinet Iconic as it may be, I don't think the A5/A7 cabinet is good. The same 416 in my YL horns is fuller, more dynamic and goes much deeper than in Altec (here).

Altec 604 I am very familiar with this iconic loudspeaker (produced from 1943-1998, only rivalled by Klipsch). Long before the inception of this blog, I have heard several pairs in HK, with variable success. My good friend Hoi used to tweak his alnico 604s (and later 605s) all the time. Although a duplex, it has all the familiar Altec traits: superb presence (could be dry) but difficult to tame, even wooly, bass. That is with SET amps. More wattage gets better bass. He tried all sorts of things, like bi- and tri-amping and even electronic crossover, and drove himself (and us) crazy. But the best 604 I've heard was at Vincent's (right pic, details here). In NYC, Kevin also got one (here and here).

Altec 755 Earlier alnico ones are generally equated with Western Electric. These legendary fullranges are fairly commonly encountered. The cabinet is utterly important in how they sound. A coming article is on the WE 755 and will offer more details.

Altec Model 19 This employs the 416 woofer. I have only heard this one briefly in a HK shop. Driven by a PP tube amp, it sounds full and authoritative. It is less efficient than the horns mentioned so far and thus not first choice for SET fanciers.

Electronic Crossover Most attempts at using an active crossover have some excellent hifi attributes, but at the expense of some other parameters. Few are completely successful, to say the least. That said, the best A5 I have heard remains that from decades ago, in a Brooklyn house. The host used different amps for each driver, including massive Parallel PP 6550 for the 515! But I discourage this approach in general.

Super Tweeter and Subwoofer Almost all horn users add a super tweeter - that gives more air (and likely improves the bass), but we're not going to go into that topic now. Fewer people add a subwoofer, but I believe that is essential for Altec A5 and A7 and 604, to counter the leanness of the bass (mind you, HR's friend has a 32" woofer and that does it). Regular readers will know I am a sub man, especially for bookshelves, and these Altec's often don't sound like they have more bass than bookshelves. Grant you, I am not even a seismic bass man - I am not a metal rock thrasher, but classicals need proper bass support too.

Placement The horn cabinets being big, it is a reflex to push them into the corner, but I believe that is a big mistake. From the A5, A7 and 604 examples I cited above (start from here and click other links), if you read all the links, you will discover that all the best sounding ones are in-room. With Altec's, corner, or against the wall, placement not only does not augment the bass, but smears up the bass - much better to be in-room.

I am no theorist - in fact, in audio most of the under-achievers are long in theory and short in listening skills. There, my capsules on how to approach some of the greatest loudspeakers around. YMMV. Be warned, Altec is exciting stuff, but treacherous territory. Even the seasoned get roughed up.

ICL/Softone Model 1 Bias Instructions 2A3 300B

Click pics to enlarge. Top, innards of ICL Model 1. Note the 2 trim pots to the right of the triode sockets (V103). Note to the pots' right are printed Plate Current (Max and Min). Note towards the Upper Right corner the test point TP1.

ICL/Softone Model 1 Bias Instructions

This post came about because my friend wosirsir, whose audio forays (Quads and then my Tannoy Canterbury and EAR 509) I have chronicled many times in this blog, sent me a wechat pic of ICL/Softone Model 1 that he's listening to (see pic below).

It must have been at least 20 years ago that I bought from Japan the Model 1 2A3 and rather liked it. I just loved the quirky look. Later, when a Model 1 300B became available on the second-hand market I also grabbed it. They are basically the same amps (maybe a few components have different values, likely the anode resistors, and slightly higher Plate Voltage for the 300B; of course bias current differs).

I had so many amps, like Sun Audio, that I spent very little time with my ICL's. But when I returned to Hong Kong in 2020, towards the end of my stay I decided to fire up my SET amps and Ruark Crusader III and was pleasantly surprised, even shocked, that they worked so well together. The ICLs just sailed with the Ruark‘s, very musical.

The Model 1's have long been discontinued and can only be had second-hand. Here's the problem. This is a FIXED BIAS amp, and when swapping tubes one must re-bias. This article is to show how to do it.

As I use old stock tubes I had to re-bias the amps. For my 2A3, I used RCA double plates. No, I have never tried NOS WE300B in my Model 1. I emailed ICL/Softone and they replied. So I was good. Some years later, my hard disc crashed and I wanted the info and wrote them many times with no answer. As a last resort, I asked on AudioAsylum and the good folks helped me out (Tre' had the same email reply that I had before, and he rescued me). Here it is again:

***The procedures of the adjusting current of Model1 amplifier******

There is a place of a high voltage in the amplifier.
Open the bottom panel.
You can see the two pots near by 2A3 Sockets on PCB.
Two pots are used for adjustment of the plate current of 2A3.
Pot is set for the plate current of 2A3 to 45mA.
The operation of 2A3 of us is as follows.
Voltage of plate 310V from 300V
Current of plate 45mA from 40mA
Load resistance 5K ohm

At first, set two pots to MIN position for setting the plate current
to minimam.

And,You can see TP1 terminal right side of PCB.
TP1 is an output of the high voltage stabilization power supply.
TP1 has the voltage from 310 to 315V.
The direct current resistance value of the output transformer of
Model1 is 120 ohms.
The current of the plate is obtained from the difference of the
voltage of TP1 between the plate of 2A3.
Pot is adjusted so that there is a difference of the voltage of the
TP1 between plate of 2A3 in 5.2V from 5.4V when the current of the
plate is adjusted to 45mA.

120ohms * 45mA = 5.4V

So as to wait for the stability of operation, you must watch the plate
current for 10 or more minutes.

Because it is a high voltage, the inside of the amplifier is
dangerous.
You mast pay attention and be carefully.

When the short-circuit even a little is occurred, the high-voltage
stabilization power supply is broken.
Please pay attention.

For Model1-300B amplifier.

Two pots are used for adjustment of the plate current of 300B.
Pot is set for the plate current of 300B to 55mA.
The operation of 300B of us is as follows.
Voltage of plate 335V from 325V
Current of plate 55mA from 50mA
Load resistance 5K ohm

Pot is adjusted so that there is a difference of the voltage of the
TP1 between plate of 300B in 6.2V from 6.6V when the current of the
plate is adjusted to 55mA.

120ohms * 55mA = 6.6V

So as to wait for the stability of operation, you must watch the plate
current for 10 or more minutes.

Application Notes: 1) You must have a load, so connect the upside down amp (make sure not to topple it, very easily done) to some loudspeaker; 2) Make sure the volume is ZERO; 3) Turn the Multimeter to DC Voltage; 4) Apply the Red Probe to TP1; 5) Apply the Black to Chassis; 6) Turn the Trim Pots so that they show the desired Voltage; 6) Keep in mind you can use the Formula to run the tubes even more conservatively, which I prefer. e.g, for the 300B amp, if running at 50 mA current, Voltage needs only be 6V.

This will not be the last of my articles on ICL. This article has a brief.summary.

Circa Dec 2020, HK. Front left, 2A3 - Note the Glass bottle 6SJ7, which is a MUST, way Superior to Metal Tube Stock. Front Right, 100V San Ei 6BM8 amp. Rear left, Studer A730, right 300B.

At Wosirsir

Audio road trips & the Metzner Starlight

By mrgoodsound

Since I began collecting vintage audio equipment 3 years ago, my favourite weekend pastime has been driving to far-off places to pick up rare gear. It's an opportunity I take up at least twice a month to clear my head from a heavy week of my day job by cruising the Ontario countryside, meeting new people, and coming home with a new audio toy (or several). This weekend was one of the most interesting excursions yet, taking me to Acton, a small town with a population of under 10,000. 

First, a little backstory. I have been collecting vintage turntables in some sort of misguided quest to find 'the one'. Two years ago I made an offer on a Metzner Starlight that popped on eBay. It was grossly overpriced so I did not think my lowball offer (which was still overpaying) would be accepted, but of course it did. I was naive about these sort of things back then and expected things to kind of just work. When it arrived it had a number of issues that I realized would not be easily solved and I put it aside in frustration for a long time. I recently pulled it out of storage to disassemble and clean it, determined to get it working, but disaster struck: I foolishly polished the printing straight off the fascia of the unit.

I was disheartened a second time by this Metzner, and put it aside again. Sure enough another one popped up on eBay, this time the seller was local. I immediately considered bidding, stopped myself, paced back and forth, then decided to only bid at the last second. Of course I won. The seller reached out to me offering local pickup, and that is how I met Pat from Acton, Ontario. More on the Metzner later.

Pat lives on a beautiful 120 acre plot of farmland. The quality of the air in the countryside is different. It allows for calmness and clarity of thought, the benefits of which I immediately lose when driving back to the city. Probably why I make so many stupid audio purchases. I met Pat in his yard and he welcomed me into his garage to look at the turntable. I immediately recognized that I was dealing with another serious enthusiast. His garage had it all: Altec, Ampex, Electrovoice, McCurdy, McIntosh, Northern Electric, Presto, and so on. Classic American and Canadian audio equipment everywhere you looked, much of it professional or studio equipment. Cutting amplifiers, tape machines, an Altec 604 RWB in its original cabinet, multi-cell horns, oh my. 

There was a lot of equipment I had only read about or seen photos of, and now here it was in the flesh. I asked Pat for a tour to which he obliged. He would point at things and start talking about them only for me to interrupt and name it. 'Yeah, I know, that's a Presto cutting amp.' This was ignored the first few times until he finally turned to me and exclaimed; 'How do you know what that is?'. I could only grin in reply.

Eventually I came out of my daze and entered scavenger mode, asking if he was selling anything else. 'Sure, what are you looking for?'. I mentioned I was looking for a small amplifier, and he pointed to a diminutive tube amplifier sitting on the shelf. At first glance it looked like any Magnavox, RCA or Zenith console amplifier I had seen before. A 12AX7 drove a pair of EL84s for single-ended output. Upon closer inspection, a cool English-made Plessey electrolytic capacitor was spotted, and the output transformers were distinctly un-American. My best guess is the amplifier came from a Canadian console. 

I asked Pat to hook it up to make sure it was all working, and then noticed a distinct lack of any turntable set up anywhere. 'Oh yeah, I mostly listen to tapes in here'. No kidding, the walls were lined with tapes, pre-recorded and home-made. A Sony reel-to-reel in the corner was connected to the mystery console amp with some cursing. Pat pulled out a tape for our impromptu listening session. 'Do you like Joan Baez?'. Are you kidding? Do you even have to ask?

In a few moments, Baez was singing Dylan out of two enormous wall-mounted Electrovoice speakers. Her voice was clear, warm and larger than life. I guess if you ever want to audition equipment for someone to purchase, cheat and use a tape source. 'I'll take it'. We spent a while longer talking tonearms and speakers before I thanked Pat for his time and took the Metzner and amplifier home.

The mystery console amplifier does indeed sound quite good. I can't say I've ever heard an EL84 amp I didn't like. Single-ended ones with vintage iron are especially sweet. Like almost all console amps, this one needs a pre-amp. Its voice is a little too naked and the playback speed a little too quick without one.

Back to the 'star' of our show, the Starlight turntable. It's a rather unique machine, manufactured in the early 1950s in Japan for Robert Metzner of California. Metzner is probably more well known for his other venture of importing Akai reel-to-reel machines to the US and his company Califone who sold tape machines and record players to the educational market. The Starlight uses a direct drive system, in which a motor-driven worm gear interfaces with a series of two discs. The second disc is mounted on the platter shaft and its position may be altered for variable speed control a la Lenco. It's an incredibly simple and effective drive train, similar to the earliest electric gramophones, and unfortunately largely vanished from the marketplace after the 50s. There are a few different revisions of the Starlight with a different top plate and controls, but the basic motor system is the same.

The Starlight has two major problems which make restoration a pain. First, the worm gear has a rubber coating which wears over time and becomes noisy. Voice of Music in the US sells refurbished worm gears. Second, the platter sleeve was made from quite cheap stamped aluminum and is prone to wear, resulting in platter wobble. There is no easy solution here, if the platter sleeve is worn you must have a machinist make you a new one, preferably from bronze or brass. This was the case for my first Starlight, thankfully this new one is much better in that regard and I think the original sleeve can be left.

Other annoying tidbits include a glued-on cork mat which must be scraped off, an integral 45 RPM adapter which must be popped off, and rubber motor grommets which have hardened and must be replaced. I may write a follow-up article on the results when the restoration is done. I am determined to get this player working. Thank you to Pat! See some more of his collection below.

Ukranian Classical Composers and Musicians

Click pics to enlarge. Above, Kuchar conducts his orchestra.

Letter from Shenzhen (22-5): Ukranian Classical Composers and Musicians, Past and Present
Streaming Classical Music (22-4): Ukranian Classical Music, Past and Present

And now on to more Ukranian Classical Music figures, including those living. Mind you, classical music is greatly politicized now. Unfortunately so.

Composers The “national” school is regarded to have started with Boris Lyatoshynsky, whose career was mostly under Soviet rule (wikipedia). He studied in the Kiev Conservatory under Rheinhold Gliere (also Ukranian; classical fans will likely know of his gargantuan Symphony No. 3, Ilya Mourametz). I had so far streamed his Symphonies No. 2, 3 and 4 (Naxos) and do not regret it. The music is reminiscent of many of his forebearers as well as contemporaries (for more details, see MWI). His Ukranian Quintet is quite satisfying and can be heard on an excellent recent Naxos release, Ukrainian Piano Quintets, recorded in Kiev (2020). I don’t think I shall return to his works often, but I prefer them to his teacher’s works. On the same disc is a work by a much more important composer, his student Valentin Silvestrov, whom I have followed and championed for years. If you don’t know Silvestrov, it’s time you do. Even the great Arvo Part reveres him. I suggest starting with his ECM catalogue and orchestral works, like the Symphonies. His chamber works and songs can be quite sparse for a beginner, but his “simplicity” hides art and, importantly, is never too simple. For these times, you may want to try the substantial and dark Requiem for Larissa (ECM). Incidentally, the last work on the Naxos disc is the Simurgh-Quintet by a name new to me, Victoria Poleva, whose minimalist-modernist style (for lack of a better word; quite different from the much more mechanical Americans) pairs well with Silvestrov’s. I shall definitely stream more of her works soon. A find!

But by far the most prominent Ukrainian composer is Sergei Prokofiev, born in the Donetsk region (now claimed by Russia; mind you 80% of that population want to be with Russia [as with Crimea] rather than the current Ukraine; so many subsets in the new Cold War). Prokofiev needs no mention. One of his minor works is On the Dnieper, the last word being a river that originates in current Russia, that courses through the Ukraine and Belarus and then empties into the Black Sea. BTW, the Donetsk regional airport is named after him!

Orchestras and Conductors Without doubt, there are many excellent Ukrainian orchestras. The most recorded Ukranian orchestra is the Ukranian National Symphony, based in Lviv. This is because their long-time conductor, Ukranian-American Theodore Kuchar (raised in Cleveland), was, and is, a Naxos (and older Marco Polo) stalwart - and an excellent conductor whom I have long followed. It is also because this excellent orchestra always play with verve and commitment and great color. The aforementioned Lyatoshinsky Symphonies featured excellent playing in great sound. This orchestra had also recorded for Naxos an underrated and estimable Prokofiev series. They also recorded many discs in the American Classics series. A great and hard working orchestra, now surely in peril and disarray in Lviv. By far my favorite recording of Kuchar is the Bizet/Shchedrin Carmen Suite (with the equally excellent Ukranian State SO, with which he has often recorded too). This is one of my favorite pieces - the percussion and strings scoring is simply ingenious. IMHO, their reading is superior to most, including well lauded Fiedler (RCA) and the venerable Rozhdestventsky (EMI, Melodiya), the latter favored by Chinese audiophiles. The Naxos recording is not perfect, a little bloated, but the excitement is palpable. Incidentally, in this post, Kuchar speaks about his recent exit from Ukraine. Read this, particularly what the person who advised him to exit says, and reflect on how this war came about! There are other notable Ukranian conductors in the West. The most prominent is Kirill Karabits, long time head of the Bournemouth SO, whose family is still in the Ukraine. In fact, his father was teacher at the conservatory and contemporaneous with Lyatoshinsky and Silvestrov. Another is rising star Oksana Lyniv, who made many inroads in the male-dominated conducting world, including conducting at Bayreuth. The former is a good musician but I am not quite as enamored of his orchestra today as many UK critics (breeding ground of vastly over-rated Rattle; best work they have done was for Paavo Berglund and Louis Fremaux). As for the latter, not many recordings but I shall seek her out.

Justice or Cancel Culture? After what happened to Gergiev and Netrebko (see last post below), I just read (on slippedisc, link above) an indignant Tugan Sokhiev, a good conductor whom I have heard on record and in person many years ago in Sydney as chief of the SSO. He resigned from both the Bolshoi Theater and Orchestre National de Capitole de Toulouse (I consider this a protest against cancel culture). And Currentzis and MusicAeterna (whom I have praised in this blog) was held up for a big European production. And Danielle Gatti, fired from the Concertgebouw for sexual harassment, now is slated to stand in for fired Gergiev. Why un-cancel Gatti when cancelling Gergiev? Is this all correct? You make up your mind, as I have made up mine.

Past and Older Musicians of Ukranian Origin I named the most famous ones in my last post (right below), and here are more. Historically minded listeners will know Rosina Lehvinne, Moriz Rosenthal, Alexander Brailowsky, Alexander Siloti, Benno Moiseiwitsch. And two of my favorites: Miecyslaw Horzowski, whose late recordings with Nonesuch are gems as much as his earlier recordings; and still under-sung Alexander Slobodyanik.

Current Musicians of Ukrainian Origin I am sure I have missed a few. When it comes to pianists, foremost in my mind is the excellent Vadim Kholodenko. And then there are Anna Fedorova and Ukranian-American Alexander Gavrylyuk (who had appeared in HK before). When it comes to violinists, there is the excellent Ukranian-American Oleh Krysa. And then, of course, the excellent Illia Bondarenko, whom I have heard on records befor. Her recent social media (Instagram?) video of her playing a Ukrainian folksong in a basement amid bombing had gone viral. Last, but not least, there is the case of Ukranian-American Valentina Lisitsa, who was a bona fide Ukranian but who has long sided with Russia and who as a result was recently disfavored much in the West. She rose from youtube fame to mainstream artist (with past Decca albums). From what I have heard on records she is an excellent pianist. She has recently signed a contract with the excellent French Naive label and has a concert coming up imminently, on April 8 at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. Let’s see if she gets cancelled!

Let me finish on a lighter note. Milla Jovovich, an Ukrainian-American best known as an actress, whose works under the great Luc Besson was much more impressive (The Fifth Element; The Messenger: Story of Joan of Arc) than those under Wim Wenders (Million Dollar Hotel and Palermo). Less known is that she’s a musician also.

Joan of Arc

Ukrainian and Russian Stories

Click pics to enlarge. Top, Brighton Beach.

Letter from Shenzhen (22-4): Ukrainian and Russian Stories

Ukraine and New York
All real New Yorkers, who pride themselves for their diversity, know more about Russia and the Ukraine than the average US citizen. While the upper class may only know the “Russian” Tearoom adjacent to Carnegie Hall, those who are into different cultures and cuisines know the Russian center is Little Odessa, in Brighton Beach, next to Coney island. For some info of this district, home to the largest Ukranian and Russian (mosty Jewish) diaspora in the West, read this.

When you walk around where I live in NYC, that is Flushing, you would not know that, long before it became Chinatown, it held a large Russian Ukranian Jewish population. Now, only a handful of senior citizens are left of that population. Next to my apartment building is a nursing home, where some of them live. On a sunny day, you will see them sitting on the bench outside, chatting in Russian. A few years ago, there used to be a deli around the block that sells Russian and Polish sausages (like Kielbasa), cured meats and various foods. So I have tasted Russian ham etc. The workers have Asian faces, being Central Asian descendants of ethnic Koreans (Stalin doubted their loyalty and removed them from Eastern Russia an re-settled them in Central Asia). I really miss that shop. The bread and deli counter were infinitely superior to that of the usual American supermarket.

Walking South from where I live, before reaching Jamaica, there is one of NYC’s many Hasidic neighborhoods. The Hasidic movement originated from the Ukraine. BTW, these are anti-vaxxers! Not just for covid, but for everything. Not so long ago, they were responsible for New York’s Measles breakout. For more about Ukranian Jews, there are any number of entries on line (here is one). Their Klezmer music is also sometimes encountered in otherwise classical albums.

Stigmatized Russian Musicians
All NYC classical fans who actually go to concerts (which is most of them, in a city like NYC, brimming with events) know even more. Given the large number of Ukrainian-Americans in NYC, every time Gergiev or Pletnev or Netrebko, allegedly Putin-supporters, appears, you can be sure there is a small protest force outside, especially Carnegie Hall. Today, as casualties of the war (maybe just excuses), Gergiev had been fired from Munich PO, Netrebko had withdrawn all her appearances. Is this just? Read this great post from a German musician (the site has other interesting snippets on Ukraine).

Ukraine in Classical Music
Kiev was made famous musically by Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (as orchestrated by Ravel; others you can safely forget) which concludes with the Great Gate of Kiev (does not exist). The sixth episode depicts two Jews, one poor, one rich - the musical caricature is not exactly flattering. This piece is known to some non-classical listeners through Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

But of much greater relevance, not just a namesake, is Shostakovich’s harrowing Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar, which employed Yevstuchenko’s poem of the same name that is a remembrance of the mass execution of Jews by the Nazi’s outside Kiev. It’s ironic that there are debates about Neo-Nazi’s in the Ukraine now.

Now, as befits a blog that advocates classical music, information about great classical musicians from Ukraine. The list is long - very long. I will only mention past greats, not current musicians, some of whom are on the battle fields now.

Vladimir Horowitz I want to start with him, because his own history, much documented in biographies, reflect the history of Ukraine. BTW, his mono recording of Pictures is legendary. In the 1919 Ukrainian-Russian war, his family lost everything. His elder brother died from the war and his second eldest brother suffered from mental illness and later committed suicide. Young Horowitz had to perform to earn money for the family. In 1921, he met fellow Ukrainian Nathan Milstein, who stayed with the family for 3 years. Horowitz gradually became very famous and as agent for the government played for laborers, factory workers and soldiers. In 1924 Arthur Schnabel discovered him and urged him to emigrate to the US. In 1925, he did, with Milstein, with the unlikely help of Trotsky.

Fellow Ukranian expats include Gregor Piatigorsky, Shura Cherkassky etc. Many musicians with Ukrainian roots stayed in Russia, like David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter. Need I say more? In terms of ethnicity, only the last was not Jewish. Those mentioned above are so famous that every classical listener will recognize them. Two lesser known names from the Ukraine are Rotislav Dubinsky, founding member of the great Borodin Quartet, and his wife, under-rated Luba Edlina (the latter born in Kharkiv, now much in the news). They emigrated to Canada and formed, with Yuli Turovsky (also Jewish), my favorite trio, the Borodin Trio (all their Chandos recordings are worthwhile; the latter also directed the estimable I Musici de Montreal, on the same label).

Due to the times they lived in, the memoirs or biographies of some of these great musicians make for gripping reading, but most are oop. I have Nathan Milstein’s oop From Here to the West, and it will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Ditto Rotislav Dubinsky’s Stormy Applause: Making Music in a Worker's State (which I also have, also oop). In the shaded text below are some great pages that I found on the net. Stalin and Prokofiev famously died on the same day and the Borodin Quartet was called to duty, and so was David Oistrakh etc, I assure you reading it is worth your time.

On March 6, 1953, at 5 in the morning, the telephone rang. I picked up the receiver and heard the voice of Yaroslav Alexandrov.

''You know why I'm calling so early. . . .''

''Has the inevitable occurred?''

''Yes. Vice Minister Kholodilin himself called me; they need a quartet. I'll let you know when and where. Be ready. Tails and black tie.''

''I don't have a black one.''

''Get one! Make it yourself. I'll call back.''

Five minutes later, the phone rang again.

''Are you ready? Leave now. We'll meet in the Composers' House, and from there to the Hall of Columns.''

''Why the Composers' House?''

''Oh, you don't know yet. . . . Prokofiev also died. At the same time.''

''What a nightmare.''

''Kholodilin said to bring Tchaikovsky.''

''For whom?''

''Both.''

''That's no good,'' I said. ''Prokofiev didn't like Tchaikovsky.''

''Want to call the Vice Minister yourself?''

He hung up.

The streets were still dark as I passed through side alleys to the Composers' House, where Prokofiev's body lay in its coffin. In the lobby, several composers were standing, smoking. I shook everybody's hand. In the hall, a closed coffin stood alone in the center. A funeral wreath leaned against the piano.

Vice Minister Kholodilin appeared.

''Hurry up!'' he said. ''Where is the quartet? We've got to hurry. It will be difficult to get through the crowds.''

The rest of our quartet, violinist Yaroslav Alexandrov; cellist Valentin Berlinsky, and Rudolf Barshai, our violist, arrived together.

''It's already impossible to get through the center,'' Alexandrov explained. ''We had to go around.''

''Get your instruments ready,'' Kholodilin hurried him. ''What are you playing?''

''You suggested Tchaikovsky.''

''We also have Beethoven,'' I put in.

''Tchaikovsky is good,'' Kholodilin said. ''We'll begin right away.''

The wreath was laid on the coffin. Everyone in the hall, including the workmen, stood silently. Kholodilin gave us a nod, and we began the slow movement from Tchaikovsky's Second Quartet.

We had played about half of the movement when Kholodilin stopped us. ''Enough, fellows. Time to go.''

Moscow's streets were filled with people heading toward the center of the city. At Pushkin Square, we could get no farther. ''There's nothing we can do,'' Kholodilin said. ''I'll call the police.''

We waited a long time. Finally, about 20 policemen, all large men, appeared. The policemen formed a ring around us, firmly linking their arms, stepped back a little and with a running start pushed into the crowd. We moved forward a bit and came to a stop. The three largest policemen drove a wedge into the crowd. The rest rushed behind them, pulling us along.

Several times, we were squeezed by the crowd. We held our instruments tightly to our bodies and swam with the current.

All the side streets were full of people fighting their way into the main stream. There were still a few blocks to go.

The policemen worked twice as hard.

Suddenly, it became quiet. We were brought to the stage entrance of the Hall of Columns. I fell to the floor, exhausted. Kholodilin leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. He wiped his forehead, looked at us and asked, ''Still alive? Then let's go.''

We climbed up the long stairway to the hall. Next to me, holding his chest, walked the composer Mikhail Rauhverger.

''What a misfortune! To think that a week ago we were sitting together at the table.''

''At the table?'' I asked him, amazed. ''How come?''

''At his place. He was showing us his latest composition.''

''Oh, you mean Prokofiev. I thought . . .''

''No, no. Of course, I meant Prokofiev. I wanted to ask you; why did you choose to play Tchaikovsky?

Please understand me, I like Tchaikovsky very much, but Prokofiev. . . . You see, his taste was different.''

''I know,'' I said. ''But we were told what to play.''

''Even at the funeral?''

''At the funeral, before it, and after.''

He smiled. ''Oh, I see.''

The State Orchestra was already seated on the stage with their conductor Alexandr Gauk standing at the podium. More musicians crowded quietly backstage. Kholodilin stood up on a chair and looked around above everybody's heads.

''Where is the quartet?'' he demanded. ''Get on stage. Sit down and watch Gauk. You begin as soon as the State Orchestra finishes, and continue until the Bolshoi Orchestra takes their places. Then I'll tell you what to do next.''

We sat on the corner of the stage. I glanced at Gauk and gave him a slight nod, but he did not respond. A look of horror was fixed in his eyes.

In the center of the hall, surrounded by three rows of guards, Stalin's body lay in an open coffin. From behind a curtain, a group of high-ranking party leaders emerged and proceeded to the coffin. I recognized Vyacheslav Molotov, Lazar Kaganovich, Georgi Malenkov, along with Lavrenti Beria, the chief of police. David Oistrakh walked past us, violin in hand, and stood next to Gauk. Oistrakh raised his violin, Gauk his baton. The hall was filled with the sounds of Tchaikovsky's ''Serenade Melancolique.'' Oistrakh played with a deep expressive tone.

A river of humanity flowed into the hall. There was loud sobbing, cries and howling.

We saw a tall, gray-faced man walk up to Oistrakh.

''Suslov,'' Alexandrov whispered to me, referring to Mikhail Suslov, the leading Soviet ideologue.

Oistrakh, still playing, bent over and was told something. His playing sped up, becoming lighter and less expressive. Suslov returned to the honor guard.

We kept our eyes on Gauk. He conducted the last chord and held it a long time, signaling us with his frightened eyes. I raised my violin and nodded back. As the orchestra players quietly left the stage, we began to play Tchaikovsky's Second Quartet for the second time that morning. Then the stage filled with members of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra. The new conductor was terrified as well. I turned to him and he immediately started the orchestra without giving us time to finish.

Since we had no further instructions, we sat at our places, listening to the music. When the orchestra stopped, a piano started up from the other corner of the stage.

The violinist Pavel Mirsky, holding his case, walked to the edge of the stage and looked sadly at the coffin. Two men in identical suits ran up to him, tore the case away, pinned his arms behind his back and dragged him away. After the piano, a choir sang, then Oistrakh, Lev Oborin and Svyatoslav Knushevitsky played the first movement of Tchaikovsky's trio.

AT 3 O'CLOCK, THE GOVERNMENT leaders reappeared. In the same order, they proceeded to the center of the hall and surrounded Stalin's coffin.

I put my violin into its case.

''Don't go too far,'' Alexandrov said. ''They could call us any minute.''

I walked into the foyer and saw Oistrakh sitting by the window. I bowed from a distance. He held out his hand.

''I heard this is your second funeral today.''

I nodded.

''How was it there? Many people?''

''About 15.''

''So few? Prokofiev picked the wrong day to die.''

We spoke quietly to the strains of solemn music from the hall. Musicians walked by and bowed to Oistrakh. Oistrakh nodded back to each.

For some time, we listened silently to the music. Then Oistrakh said, ''The main thing is not to lose your identity and to continue working.'' He looked me in the eyes and smiled. ''You have a quartet. That is such joy! You can forget everything else in the world. I'm playing a lot of chamber music these days. Tomorrow we were going to give the first performance of two trios, but because of the mourning, all concerts have been canceled.''

''For three days?'' I asked.

''Yes, three days.''

''And we have to stay here?''

''I'm afraid so.''

''It's a pity we don't have a chess set,'' I said. ''I was in such a panic this morning that I forgot everything.''

''I have a pocket set,'' Oistrakh whispered.

''Do you think?''

''We can cover it with music.''

He placed the small chess set in the score of a trio by the composer Arno Babadzhanian. I called my moves in a whisper, and he carefully moved the flat pieces. He played very well; the time was unlimited, and the mournful music pleasant.

LEV OBORIN BROUGHT us back to reality. He bent down to Oistrakh and said, ''Babadzhanian is beside himself. He says you have been studying the same place in his trio for two hours now.''

Then he looked at the music. ''Oh, that's what it is! Very ingenious. Bravo!''

''How are things in there?''

''About the same as before. It's impossible to get out. I'm hungry. Whatever there was in the buffet is all gone now.''

I remembered that I had eaten nothing since early morning.

''Do we play again?'' Oistrakh asked.

''Not today.''

''And the quartet?''

''I really can't say. If they don't bother you, that means you're not needed.''

''Well, then?'' I turned to Oistrakh. ''Shall we finish studying the rest of the trio?''

''Why not? Only let's turn pages from time to time.''

We played several more games. Gradually, it grew darker and more difficult to see the pieces.

''Shall we stop with this one?'' Oistrakh suggested. ''I think we've spent the day very fruitfully.''

PUBLIC ACCESS TO Stalin's body had ended for the night, but we remained in the Hall of Columns. People slept backstage and in the foyer, in chairs and on the floor, wrapped in overcoats or just in their tuxedos. Avoiding the sleeping bodies, I walked through the foyer and came to the front stairway. There, too, people slept, but there were a few free steps. I sat down and closed my eyes.

I immediately saw that morning's crowd, with myself in the middle of it, being swept in one direction, then another. People with distorted faces stretched their hands toward me, grabbed my violin, reached for my face and hair. Someone behind me grabbed my shoulder and started to shake me. The violin slid out of my hands and fell in the mud. Immediately, people stepped on it, there was an unbearable noise, I tried to bend down, but they held me and shook me. . . .

I opened my eyes. Alexandrov was shaking me by the shoulder.

''You know how to sleep! We have to go. They're starting again. We play before the orchestra comes.''

I straightened my back and got up. ''Did you sleep?''

''Not a wink. All night, Kholodilin and I were making a schedule. Let's go.''

Carrying our instruments, we came out on stage and sat down. We played, the orchestra took their places, we finished, and while the orchestra began playing, Kholodilin left us the day's schedule on Alexandrov's music stand. We were to remain on stage and fill all the gaps between the orchestras. They changed, but we stayed. Over and over again, we played Tchaikovsky's Second Quartet. Everything began to appear unreal, repeating itself as if in a strange dream. And again, people walked in, heads bare, looking at the coffin with the same expression of grief and humility.

Toward evening, I fell asleep with my violin in my hands. Alexandrov nudged me. I fell asleep once more and he nudged me again.

''Don't fall off the chair,'' he whispered. ''We have to play now.''

When it grew dark, the doors were closed, and we left the stage, scarcely able to move our stiff legs. We sat on the steps where I had slept the previous night. A young musician from the Radio Orchestra, Dimitri Shebalin, approached us and sat down. From his pockets he took out a bottle of wine and some paper cups, and said, ''Well, what are you going to do?''

''Drink,'' I said.

He broke into a wide smile. No one had smiled here for the last two days.

''Sounds good to me,'' he said, filling the cups.

''Why not? The king is dead, long live the king!''

''Quiet, quiet,'' Alexandrov said. ''The king is dead, but still. . . .''

THE THIRD AND final day came. We still had had nothing to eat. Contact with the outside world was maintained only by those who could make their way back after going out into the streets. They said that people kept coming and coming. An enormous jam developed from which there was no exit, and new people kept squeezing it tighter and tighter. At first, trucks were used to restrain the crowd. But the pressure grew even stronger, and the trucks themselves were eventually swept away by the flow of people.

Late in the evening, we put mutes on our instruments and began Tchaikovsky's ''Andante Cantabile.'' We played quietly, without vibrato, the way Russian folk songs are sung. The delicate sound of the quartet drowned in the incessant noise of the slowly moving crowd. We played through the middle and suddenly the quartet sounded louder.

I looked around the hall. The procession had stopped, only the soldiers remained by the coffin. The orchestra had disappeared; we were on stage by ourselves. Kholodilin walked up and said, ''Another five minutes and that will be all. You can go home.'' We played through to the end. The last sound faded away, and we walked off the stage.

- ROSTISLAV DUBINSKY

Postscript: The tragedy in Ukraine has seized the world’s imagination. Why War? With time, different narratives and views have manifested themselves, especially in this part of the world. There is no doubt that there is a big power struggle with big money behind. Behind the absolute tragedy, this is the dirtiest politics I have witnessed in years. I’ll be succinct - let’s just say while I condemn Russia’s act and any war, I am also not at all in sympathy with the US and EU and NATO for their long-time actions and private motifs. If America really promotes human rights and not selectively turns a blind eye due to oil money and geopolitics, let an American president sanction and sever relationship with Saudi Arabia’s disgusting Crown Prince (who is not increasing oil production) and do justice to Khashoggi (it’s been 3 years). As for war criminal trials, don’t forget American presidents and generals who manufactured excuses to invade another country. As a member of the Asian-American community, whose lives are being imperiled in the US right now, I think the US has to own up to its own dark present and past history rather than spreading information that it’s the world’s savior. Enough of this ghastly stuff.

DIY Ground Box using Tourmaline stone chips

Click Pics to enlarge.

Letter from Hong Kong (22-2): E Lo goes Tweaking

Revision 3/13/22: E Lo has changed the box to a wood one. Boc now housed in a Cuban Cigar Box! :-) Smoky, heh?

Inspired by mrgoodsound's post, one day after work, I went to a Hifi shop selling their own brand of tube gears and a lot of gadgets.

First I bought some spikes for my speakers at 22 USD for a set of 6. While they didn't seem to change or improve the sound, the good thing is it's easier to move around and adjust (compare to my plastic pads glued under the speakers stand's base).

Then I saw a box made of 3mm solid copper that was full of stone chips. The guy told me that it is a Grounding Box and just the copper box costs almost 400usd!

There are some really polarizing views in various hifi forums on the use of the uber expensive ground boxes like those by Entreq, Audio Revive, Synergistic Research and the latest "cheaper" one from Kojo (almost 400usd still!) Some despise these as snake oil and some claim they  lead to substantial improvement in sound quality.

But it also comes to my mind that the Tourmaline stone chips sells only for less than 20 USD per kilo! So I immediately think to DIY one of my own. I bought a kilo of Tourmaline stone chip and went home and grabbed a plastic takeout box and some unused 47Lab cables that were just lying around. 

Well, if I can spend less than 20 USD to experiment, if it works, it's a bonus and if it doesn't, it won't hurt my wallet either!!

It took me less than 30 min to trim the cable and fill up the box with stone chips and I also threw in some RCA connectors and Wood Cubes that doctorjohn gave me, plus some black stones from a bracelet. I may put other stuffs in it later. The uy told me to fill it up to 80% and then cover it up and I did exactly the same. I then hooked the Box up to my 47 Lab Gaincard, which does have grounding posts for each channel.

Before I had this idea, I have always heard a pop sound through my system as soon as my wine fridge compressor stops. So I'm damn sure grounding of my system was poor. Part of the reason  for the grounding experiment is to eliminate the pops and the box seems to work on this.

OK, enough of the preparation and words, the most important question is how does it affect the system or not affect it? It does changes the sound, and also in a good way! I immediately noticed the noise floor was brought down and details from the background that was hiding before have become so clear that  ambience sound is more obvious. Music instruments definitely sound more defined. Sounds like knuckles knocking on the body of the guitar, plucking of string, and the different kits in the drum set are much easier to follow and interesting to hear/see. Without altering the sound signature, it improves the clarity of the system by a significant margin.

After I experienced the beneficial effect of Ground Box, I wondered what would it sound if I grounded my Wattson Emerson? The effect is smaller but is noticeable. Everything improves slightly in a good way! But still I don't think I 100% like what I have heard. 

Have I missed anything? Oh yes, my icOn4 AVC preamp! I use the same wire to ground my Gaincard and hooked my icOn4 in series to the ground box. There's actually another huge difference! I mean it's like hearing a different system. I guess since preamp handles small signals, any minute RF will interfere and mask the final signal to the power amp.

Now the system sounded drier and less airy but instruments were playing more convincingly and obviously clearer. Bass quantity was less than before, a tad tighter though. Separation was better as noise floor was brought down further. I kept comparing and the change is not small at all! Well, it did not seem to sound quite right yet. I then detached the earth from the Emerson DAC. Instead of earthing the amp and preamp in series, I earthed them separately and, voila, everything was back to normal. Images fleshed out; separation improved; Warmth and Air returned. Seems like this is the best combination so far! One must go through trial and error. Also on a YouTube video, a guy also advises to use a meter to test the voltage drops at different points (screws, connectors and chassis) to find the lowest voltage drop for best earthing location! And the drop can be varying in each and every screw indeed!

IMHO if one takes the snake oil view since manufacturers charge outrageous money for it, one simply loses another good opportunity to improve one's system. Next, I'll get a wooden cigar box for my ground box chassis and see how it's like😉.

P. S. I had persuaded my friend Kwong to use Earth box and he did and hooked the ground box to his Audionet SAM and Holo Spring DAC and immediately felt the improvement. He had even asked me to buy more of the Tourmaline stone chips! BTW, I bought more chips and made another ground box and hook it to my CD player and the initial impression on improvement is positive! Will conduct more listening session to confirm. 

Two of my friends has already used subwoofer based on my recommendations and both are happy with the results! And they are going to try DIY Ground Box too! It's always fun if you got hifi buddies to try different things together and gain from it.

Below shows the original plastic takeout box, now replaced by a wood one shown on top