Crossovers, Piazzolla, Bach, and the Persecution of Russian Artists

Streaming Classical (22-8): Crossovers, Piazzolla, Bach, and the Persecution of Russian Artists

Classical Streaming Tip The online vendor Prestomusic actually operates a good site, with expert staff putting out weekly articles on new releases, and even interviews. I usually keep a tab open for them. The search function is very useful because the user configurable album display includes quick review capsules from varied sources - convenient on artists and albums new to me. They also have a jazz department. I actually tried a few but, again here, I’m too much of an oldie to find much that I like (or that haven’t been said; more on this jazz conundrum maybe later - imho it’s worse than the state of the Classical).

"Crossovers"

I think this issue is a great one, featuring many exceptional albums. Unusually, this time I shall start with some materials that have crossover tones, which I judge to be suitable even for the majority of regular audiophile readers, who do not listen to that much classical, if at all (and if they read this column). I am using the term broadly, meaning in the absence of a full orchestra, often in redacted transcriptions.

Mind you, behind the scene, I actually often scour various streaming services for alternative material. However, much as I try, not much really fulfill my expectations. For a classical devotee, I actually belong to the minority that try out a lot of modern works by rigorously trained recent or current composers. Even there, not much really catch my imagination. The ones I like are mostly “European”, but that is a big compass. Even the classical companies, like DG, are promoting crossover composers but, for me, most of the albums disappoint. Take Max Richter, I have no interest in listening further to his works. Neither am I so sure of the now-fashionable current crop of young Icelandic and Baltic composers.

Christian-Pierre La Marca is a name new to me, one of an amazing crop of highly capable French cellists. He latest album Cantus (Sony) is a superbly well curated, mostly transcribed, miniatures under a pious canopy, but it works very well. This album gave me joy and comfort, just as the Tine Helseth trumpet and organ album (LAWO) I recommended last time (later I listened to her other crossover and pop albums but they do nothing to me). Another, more serious, album on the same label, Paris-Moscou, is also very good (well, the name is risqué now, no? Perhaps they should burn the remaining stock? Of course not). His previous album Cello 360 (Naive) incorporates music from even earlier, viol music, and it’s also quite good. However, I draw the line at Wonderful World, much more crossover and a potpourri that didn’t at all work for me. BTW, La Marca is cellist of the Trio Dali, whose initial formation had the fine violinist Vineta Sareika (now first violin of the famed Artemis Quartet) and they were winner of the Frankfurt Piano Trio Competition. Their playing is refined and patient. Too bad there were only 2 albums (Fuga Libera) of this incarnation: A refreshing Schubert Trios and a classy and austere Ravel disc. Unlike many of their French contemporaries, their sound is always supple.

Signum Saxophone Quartet Previously I waxed lyrics about the Calefax Reed Quintet’s Dido and Aeneazz (Pentatone), a jazzy infusion of life into Purcell’s immortal work. That was a class act, a scholarly and inspirational effort that succeeds on a rarefied level. The Signum Saxophone Quartet’s offering is much more modest, but bears some resemblance in its sound world. Their latest release, Echoes (DG), is surprisingly captivating and elevating. Somehow, the transcriptions work (for these ears) even better than the origin; perhaps virtuosic breathing control injects life into even minimalist materials that can otherwise be banal. Fabulous playing, and a good try for DG.

Black Pencil This unusual quintet comprise Recorder, Panpipe, Viola, Accordion and Percussion. It’s latest album, Come Out Caioni, is based upon reconstructions/arrangements of the music collection of medieval monk Johannes Caioni. I must say although the sound world is engaging, it has predecessors. Black Pencil resembles a modernized, more austere and reduced version of the Atrium Musicae de Madrid under Gregorio Paniagua, whose various recordings, La Spagna (BIS), La Folia and Musique de La Grece Antique (Harmonia Mundi), are all audiophile classics (and I love and recommend them highly). The Record Label, Dreyer Gaido, was utterly unknown to me, but deserves mention for recording unusual repertoire with a Near East emphasis. I intend to peruse some of the vast offerings.

Piazzolla American Clave Recordings
In this Blog, I have previously mentioned my reverence for the master’s Zero Hour and Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night (Nonesuch), part of the American Clave recordings, which now Nonesuch has re-issued in full. The shorter items are just as fabulous, as the master’s rock-solid quintet was just formidable. Pianist Pablo Ziegler may be the most famous, but I’d like to single out the playing of violinist Fernando Suarez Paz - what wizardry! It is the exact equivalence of Ray Nance’s playing in Autumn Leaves in Ellington’s Mood Indigo, one of my desert island tracks. Thank you Gidon Kremer and his likes for popularizing Piazzolla, but Suarez Paz shows us how it should really be played. It matters not what kind of quintet, what kind of genre, Piazzolla is tops in material and ensemble perfection. Immortal.

Bach - Simple but Not Too Simple
Bach with a fine pulse? Veterans show us how well the music can sound played conservatively (but not overly so). Big names, from Perahia to Schiff (you can add tens) make us take note, but it’s not uncommon too that somewhere along the line they make us a bit unsettled over their twists (losing the line). The music is protean and not meant to be smooth sailing at all times. Sometimes players of reserve (and inner strength) guide us further than those who rely on sheer brilliance. Keyboardist Helmut Walcha (DG), particularly on the organ, is a great example. On the harpsichord, of more recent vintage, I really admire Celine Frisch’s Goldberg (Alpha; and there are lots of other Bach albums that I’ve yet to explore). The sound of the instrument is just right, rich and not indulgent, and an hour just flows by. One would expect that of her, as her ensemble Cafe Zimmermann is wonderfully expressive in all music Bach. Then there is Trevor Pinnocks’ traversal of the Well Tempered Klavier (DG), monumental and a lifetime’s work, but, again, the sound of the instrument is very soothing.

Switching to the piano, Niklas Sivelov is undeservedly relatively obscure outside Scandanavia. I knew of him only because I happened to have heard him (serendipity!) at Queens College (near my NY home). The recital was highly memorable (indeed I remember it as well today) and I wrote about it in my classical blog (here). Imagine my surprise when I found he has my review on his website. Recently I was very happy to have found that he has just recorded a whole lot of Bach (AMC Amcharra). I sampled a lot of it and everything I heard were played in a natural, refreshing and spontaneous manner, corresponding to what I had the privilege to have heard at the concert. I can listen all morning (the best Bach compels a marathon) whereas I cannot do that with many bigger names (some mentioned above). It distills down to what is the self, as critical jargon always uses the dubious term “selfless”. The term is confusing, often used to excuse unimaginative and literal playing. The thing is, we really cannot be selfless - what good musicians aim for is to enter the composer’s mind, while largely obeying the score. For Bach’s keyboard works, what I think is that it is easier for the good harpsichordist or organist (more homogeneous instrumental textures), but quite complex for the pianist. From Sivelov, I hear Bach feeling most contented and joyous and whatever the pianists highlights is always at one with the flow; rarely was I thrown off the path, as happens so often with most more self-conscious pianists. This is not at all accidental, nor surprising, as this pianist is also a respected pedagogue, known composer and, last but not the least, an improviser! That’s a hell of a lot under one roof (his precious skull). Many pianists past and present have tackled Bach wholesale, but few, if any, have been as successful across the board - Sivelov’s accomplishment no doubt stems from his being a complete artist (Gulda is another who springs to mind, although he had a stingier flavor). There is much I still have to get through, and that’s all good. If you feel adventurous, try him playing his own piano concertos (Naxos) - pretty wild stuff but definitely worthwhile, for my taste perhaps more interesting than those of his late-romantic compatriot predecessor Stenhammar, whom he champions (the pianist’s definitive recordings are also on Naxos). Kudos! An artist of the highest caliber. I really hope to hear him in concert again!

Piano Dieties

Famous as many musicians are, it takes even more intangible factors to advance to the deity class. Aside from early or untimely death (Neveu, Lipatti, Haskil) and other catastrophes, perhaps rare appearances and frequent cancellations help (Michaelangeli, Kempff), and general unavailability is surely a factor. Grigory Sokolov, who (like Celibidache) for a long period eschewed recordings, has long attained the status. His recent live recordings (DG) I have followed. While worthwhile, they can be wayward. His latest At Esterhazy Palace is one of his best. It features of course Haydn, but it’s the Schubert Impromptus, D935 that really captured me for the formal perfection and austerity.

My idol, Ruth Slenczynska, nearing a hundred years old, had never stopped playing and teaching but had lied under the radar until very recently, when Decca did her justice by re-issuing her American Decca recordings, an indispensable set. I was very happy then but imagine my surprise when Decca recently issued a new recording, My Life in Music! Boy, what a life-affirming album filled with a lifetime’s knowledge. The album starts with Rachmaninov and Barber, pivotal figures in her early life, and then various others. The playing is gentle, but complete at every level. This is an album for which you should drop everything and just listen hard. It sounds deceptively gentle but the subtleties are ravishing. Just sample Track 2, Rachmaninov’s thrice familiar Prelude, Op 32/5, and you shall be hooked. I have not heard better. Good for you, Decca! Somebody there cares!

Young but Formidable Chopin Stylists Two Chinese North Americans stand tall here. Canadian Bruce Liu won the 2021 Chopin Competition in dramatic fashion, and DG has just issued his first album, culled from competition rounds. It has deservedly received universal acclaim, indeed accolades. It’s exhilarating from start to finish, and the last cut, a Chopin Variations, is just plain and simple perfection! His many somewhat older but still very young DG stablemates have released many good Chopin albums in recent years, but this one is just one of a kind. A must. It’s notable that one of his mentors is his fellow Canadian, previous Chopin winner Dang Thai Son, one of my heroes!

And then there is 2018 Leeds winner, American Eric Lu, whose 2020 album (Warner) of Chopin Preludes (and Schumann Ghost Variations) is equally distinguished. These are 2 of the very best Chopin recordings in the past few years.

Mahler Transcriptions Even as a fan of transcriptions, I had thought the kaleidoscopic nature of Mahler’s writing for the huge orchestra would be off-limits. Not so. As previously recommended, Zlata Chochieva’s (re)creations (Accentus), which has a single one (of Symphony No.3), engaged me. So, when I learned (via MusicWeb) of Beatrice Berrut’s Mahler disc Jugenstil (La Dolce Vita), I rushed to it, and was I delighted! She made transcriptions of several symphonic fragments and most were delightful (though No. 6 less so). A great effort! I was delighted when my memory was refreshed that long ago I had recommended her album (Fuga Libera) with cellist Camille Thomas (who is now DG). Her Liszt albums (Aparte) are also outstanding. Come to think of it, I should not be surprised, as a good transcriber can make a meal even out of morsels. Liszt is the greatest exponent of the art. And then there is the Glenn Gould’s singular transcription of Wagner (Sony), simply marvelous! Back full circle to Zlata Chochieva, her newest release, Chiaroscuro (Naive), a surprise pairing of Mozart with Scriabin, is excellent. It did occur to me that the fast Scriabin Prelude, Op 15/2, is not so far off Mozart’s sound world.

The Romantic Orchestra
Where are the Romantics Today? Judging by the incredible level of the German orchestras now, a lot of them in German speaking countries. Isn’t it a dichotomy that the term “Teutonic” has a “negative” connotation of stoicism and poker-faced determination? But think clearly, most of the greatest breath-taking slow movements were composed by Germanic composers. It started with Mozart (think Piano Concerto No. 21, Symphony No. 40), but I think Beethoven actually has the largest number of headily romantic slow movements. Think the slow movements of the Moonlight, Pathetique Piano Sonatas, the Second and Ninth Symphonies, not to mention those of the concertos. And then Brahms and Bruckner, for me the greatest of the romantic composers (complemented only by the Russians Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov). If you ask me, the greatest romantics living today are the collectives of the superb orchestras mentioned here!

Leipzig Gewandhaus This orchestra’s greatness can be gleamed from two of their recent releases. An excellent Brahms cycle conducted by Blomstedt (Pentatone). Together with the recently recommended Eschenbach (below), they rival the golden standards of Walter, Klemperer and Jochum, and in superior sonics. And then there is their Strauss box with Andris Nelsons (DG). This mega orchestral work compendium was shared with the Boston Symphony. Now, Nelsons is a frustratingly uneven conductor, and his Bruckner cycle with the Gewandhaus can only be counted as a failure. However, he is much more suited to Strauss (tone painting, less structural issues) and had proved himself before with the Birmingham SO (Orfeo). The interesting thing to me is, a critic declared the two orchestras as so great as to be indistinguishable! Huh? Yes, the BSO are regal and play very well, but IMHO, aside from some excellent Shostakovich (DG), their partnership with Nelsons has its weak point - a lack of urgency and even flabbiness. And then tonally, they are different. Here, the BSO Alpine Symphony and Don Quixote are rather uneventful. The greatest performances here are by the Gewandhaus, capped by an absolutely stupendous Thus Spake Zarathustra, now a top choice, bar none (yes, even including Reiner). This orchestra had made some very fine recordings of Mendelssohn (who built the orchestra) under its former director Chailly (Decca). On the same label, the conductor has released a new recording, Musa Italiana, with his new La Scala orchestra. The program (Mendelssohn, Schubert and early Mozart) is interesting and refreshing, a very good disc. It is interesting to compare the two orchestras in the Italian Symphony. Good as the Italian players are, unless you want less vibrato and a leaner sound, the Leipzigers are much more characterful and sweeping.

Konzerthausorchester Berlin This is likely the lowest ranking of the Berlin orchestras, yet under Eschenbach, they proved to be sublime in Brahms (Berlin Classics), and now, a disc of that early romantic, Weber (Alpha), that is just superb. Mind you, I regard Weber as someone who is harder to bring off than any other German Romantics, and this disc of some of the composer’s best works, though short in playing time, is just a perfect recording!

Czech Philharmonic Well, this Central European orchestra is a great one but, for long, they have not had effective musical directors. Bychkov has been around, but I’m not sure at all he is the one. Nonetheless, despite their uneven recent Decca efforts (Tchaikovsky and others), the recent Mahler Symphony No. 4 (Pentatone) is a winner, notwithstanding soprano Chen Reiss’ less than seraphic singing. Mind you, I had attended their M2 live in NYC (here).

Shostakovich and Persecution

Big orchestral recordings are understandably fewer during the pandemic. Finally, there are some! Warner has issued the Symphony No. 5 with the Rotterdam Phil under Israeli Lahav Shani. It’s a very good recording that makes this warhorse sound fresher than usual.

The regrettable case of Tugan Sokhiev This excellent conductor, who was also director of the Bolshoi, over more than a decade, single-handedly brought the second-tier Orchestre National de Capitale de Toulouse to the world stage. After a series of very fine and critically acclaimed recordings on Naive (Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky etc, which I urge you to listen), the team made it to big time on Warner. In 2020, they inaugurated a Shostakovich cycle with the Symphony No. 8. And the second installment, No. 10 has just come out. Both are sensational for the conductor’s galvanization. Well, what has promised to be a Shostakovich cycle for the 20’s is now put to an end. No doubt due to nonsensical pressure, Sohkiev had just resigned from his French orchestra - and also his Russian one. I consider this an artist’s protest and I feel sorry for him. I also feel sorry that the promising Shostakovich cycle shall be no more. The Toulouse orchestra will not find anyone close to Sokhiev’s caliber, but I don’t feel sorry for them. Shostakovich was against persecution of anyone, but these recordings of 2 of his greatest symphonies seemed to be destined for the remembrance of the current persecution of great Russian artists. Shostakovich would not have approved of war, but neither would he have approved of the persecution of artists.

Shindo Petrus Telefunken EF800

Editor's Note: Calling Reader ERIC

This brief note is just a little housekeeping.

Under my 2011 Year in Retrospective article, reader ERIC asked whether I know what's the tube sitting next to the 412A in the Shindo Petrus, I didn't know.

More than 10 years on, reader GORD had just kindly posted the answer: it is the Telefunken EF800. Thank you Gord! This is the kind of support that keeps me going!

Watt Emerson Tidal Qobus Graphite Subwoofer Hi vs Low

Click pics to enlarge. The Editor thinks this marvelous photo by the author is a perfect analogy for audio - even a small shift in vantage point yields a different vista .

Letter from Hong Kong (22-5): ELO's Eternal Hell/Heaven

Editor: ELO has been compulsively tweaking his system. Basically, his system is a very simple one, and the tweaks he has been doing, elaborate or not, are like ornaments. Some of these are rather divergent in narrative, so I have taken the editorial liberty of separating the copious material into 3 articles for better organization. This is the first.

Audiophiles are a nervous bunch. Sometimes I suspect my setup, though very decent, is perhaps a little more hifi than musical, and therefore constantly look for ways to improve, which was why I had been undergoing a series of tweaks with methodologies that are all over the map. Basic Equipment:

Wattson Emerson Analog --> iCon4 --> 47 Lab Gaincard --> Dynaudio Crafft/Audiophysics Subwoofer.

To try to improve on the musicality yet maintaining the essential bite or spark is a really hard balance to achieve and is creating havoc to me recently. Here is a list of the tweaks that I have been going through:

1) DIY Earthbox , two boxes (one for digital, one for analog)
2) Power Supply to my WEA - iFi Power+ vs Rayaudio Power Supply
3) Audio Signal Isolation Transformer from Rayaudio
4) Van Den Hul MC Silver IT/ Gotham GAC4/ 47 Lab cables/ Rayaudio's IC
5) Subwoofer connection high level/low level, endless debate
6) Graphite block
7) Tidal vs Qobus
8) Wattson Emerson Analog vs Madison (newly released top streamer/DAC)
9) Schumann Device

Even with my simple system, depending on the how and where in application of tweaks, there are an infinite number of permutations. Given that you need to repeat numerous times a set of songs which you like and are familiar with to fairly compare different setups, I really got hearing fatigue big time! How was the overall result then? My current setup yields some decent sound but I feel it's not the best yet so I cannot conclude 100%!

In this article, I'll try to express my findings on individual tweaks but pardon me for the lack of  assessment on the overall improvement. Maybe one day I would go back to original mode and see if I have missed out a lot by taking away all the tweaks. But man, as my listening time is limited every day I just want to sit down and listen to music, not analysing differences!

Old Chinese saying is true, "Additional incense burner adds another ghost": whether there is gain or loss, there's no guarantee and this is the pain and yet pleasure of this hobby...

From Top to Bottom: Schumann device, Earthbox for digital, and for non-digital

1) DIY Earth Boxes Redux
Please refer to my previous post - it does works. But recently, I spoke to another guy who is intrigued by Earthboxes. He bought many different Earthboxes of different materials and discovered that each has different characters (good/bad). The choice of earth wires, earth box material, earthing material used/quantities/mix ratio all play important roles. Sound even changes if you shake the box accidentally!!! Man I got to stop somewhere and draw the line!! Verdict - Yes of course!

Editor: I have followed in ELO's footsteps, and shall write it up later...I agree, very much worth trying!

2) Power Supply by Rayaudio
Ever since I purchased my WEA (Emerson) over a year ago, another upgrade that I have always had in mind was its power supply. I had been using the iFi+ power supply with satisfactory results but deep down I knew the sound can be further improved by implementing a proper power supply. Enter Rayaudio...(sic)

3) Audio Signal Isaolation Transformer by Rayaudio
Now this little gadget really impressed me at Ray's studio, so I took it home...(sic)

Editor: 2) and 3) are actually big topics with deep implications. Both deserve more detailed treatment, and ELO had written a lot on it. So it shall be another article, second of this series. I assure you it shall be worth the wait.

4) Van den Hul MC Silver IT
I came across a pair of VdH MC Silver IT, the first generation of the most famous IC from VdH, which was selling for more than 1500USD for a meter run at the time!!! An astronomical sum for a young lad freshly graduated from college!...(sic)

Editor: Indeed an "iconic" cable, which most self-respecting hifi elders have surely used. I am usurping ELO's perceptive observations, which will serve as a jumping platform for a very small Overview on VdH. This will be the third in this series.

:5) Subwoofer Input: Low Level (Line in) vs High Level (from amplifier's Speaker terminal)
I never bothered with using low level input as high level input was recommended by Steve Guttenberg and a few hifi buddies. However, Ray opined that line out without going through high level is more direct path. In fact, he prefers low level output directly from source if it is available. Kwong swore that there are immediate improvement in speed, clarity and detail of bass and urged me to try. Since I do not have sub out in my iCon4 , I opted to use a Y- RCA jack and hook up pre-in end of my Gaincard input from iCon4. Comparison was used between using my VDH MC Silver IT and my old Mogami i.c. Turns out VDH is a bit euphonic and sweet while Mogami added some attack and bite but took some moisture away. Still comparing, but immediately, I notice that the gain level will need to be turned down quite a bit to achieve the balance (still meddling with the settings). There is a difference, but initially I tend to prefer the ripeness and easiness of bass from high level. However, after prolonged listening, I found the low level in does have a better attack , timing and bass definition and I'm really satisfied with the change! Verdict: Low level in for now....LOL. And it's a case by case. While REL designer prefers high level, PS Audio prefers low level, same as icefox had told me. Will give a follow up later.

Editor: while the Sub Low Level In seems like a more "direct" path, the impedance change introduced by the additional load is not to be neglected - direct does not equate unchanged! Of course, since subs allow for both input methods, it is a no brainer to try both out. For most systems, High Level In has less connectivity issues.

6) Graphite Blocks

While I was suffering from the tweaking hell/heaven, Kwong handed me some graphite blocks (2" in diameter and 1" in thickness). I placed them under my 47 Gaincard and, all of a sudden, there was a huge improvement in details and microdynamics - without being too dry, harsh or cold. With the smoothness and musical character of Ray's PS, the whole system now seems to balance out better. Both addition seems to compliment each other and works in good marriage. I tried to put a few blocks under the PS. It further cleansed the background noise but the effects were slight. I have ordered some more to put under my speakers. Hopefully, not too much of a good thing. Verdict: Recommended! Provides a cleaner sound that has better separation and definition.

7) Tidal vs Qobus
Another heated debate! While most audiophiles will likely prefer Qobus, both are very good! Imaging on Qobus is definitely better but Tidal, where sound is slightly smeared in comparison, has more body and roundness. Due to the hassle of obtaining Qobus account (I needed to ask my relative for help in settng up an account in Australia), I slightly prefer Tidal with more body, less details but larger music collection. Verdict: Tidal for now but surely no clear winner, depends on your preference but you actually hear more details through Qobus.

8) Wattson Emserson Analog vs Madison
I only had the loaner for a week, but I really thank the distributor for passing it on to me. Regrettably I could not find sufficient time to fully access the real potential of Madison, given the ever changing tweaks happening concurrently during the comparison of the two devices. Suffice to say, Madison, right out of the box, in stock mode, was at least 30% improvement over my WEA with iFi+ Power supply! I may put out another post based on my limited time with this nice Streamer/DAC!

Madison goes for 3199 euros. It comes with a volume control built in;  Leedh processing and dual Cirus DAC chips to improve the sound; with balanced and RCA outputs; optical and digital in; headphone input; packing a lot of great features in box that is larger than WEA yet still compact. Whether it is your cup of tea will depend on what you are ultimately looking for. It is however, designed for as a one-for-all solution with highest quality and at an affordable price (still reasonable for what it has). With Leedh volume control, one may even abandon the preamp if one plays only digital sources. But the price difference is the main factor, as it is almost double that of the Emerson Analog. For me, the big question is whether I can take out my iCon4 as a solution and use solely Madison as preamp/dac/streamer? What are the pros and cons? No answer from me yet but for those who have other digital sources ready to connect to Madison and a pair of nice cans to listen to music, it will be a no brainer!! Verdict: Not out yet~😎

9) Schumann Generator Editor: Don't hold your breath. This is quite ephemeral but we are trying to assess the effect. It shall be a future joint article between ELO, Kwong and me.

Wrap Up
How is the overall sound compare to the original? This is a million dollar question for me and I simply DO NOT have a clear answer but I feel I hear more details and quieter background and now with the low level in to subwoofer using my Mogami interconnect which is known to have speed and attack, it has more immediacy and attack definitely! And most importantly, my body starts to rock and my feet is tapping involuntarily, that is a good sign!

As I had discussed with Kwong, a good system vs an average one is like the performance by a top vs mediocre background vocalist (I admit there are a lot of brilliant background vocalists; Whitney Houston used to be one). Another analogy is that you are driving a Porsche 911 at full speed and in a hair splitting moment come to a sudden and abrupt stop at the very edge of the cliff: your heart had leaped out of the car into the air while the body is still inside. Or would you prefer the sedan car gently and safely brake to a comfortable stop at 2 feet away from the edge of the cliff ?

Another analogy, it's like when you are listening to violin performance. You are being thrown into the mid air by a violin stroke but when you finally gather your senses, the violin stroke goes completely in the opposite direction, and then you start catching up, and then, without noticing, it goes again the opposite direction and that keeps repeating! If you rather prefer a constant velocity and gentle acceleration and deceleration, it is your choice! But I prefer to be swung in mid air and experience standing at the edge of a cliff !

Hope I am one small step closer to my ultimate goal to audio Nirvana!

Bottlehead Moreplay 6V6 pre-amp review

By mrgoodsound

Story time! I entered audio through the headphone space in 2015, so I have basically been aware of Bottlehead through their well-known Crack headphone amplifier kit for as long as I have been in the hobby. I considered building a Crack back then but I was only nineteen, mostly penniless and scared of messing something up. I saved my lunch money and bought a second-hand Valhalla 2 instead, and the rest was history.

Fast forward to 2022 and I was still sleeping on Bottlehead kits. I got into some pretty esoteric stuff, had the opportunity to own a boatload of tube amplifiers and pre-amps both new and old, and in general thought I was 'past' what Bottlehead was offering in their catalog. Parafeed, constant current sources and stepped attenuators? It was all a little too 'modern' for me. Of course this was a very foolish position, and the more I read about their circuits the more intrigued I became. I learned that parafeed topologies go back to the neolithic age of amplifier development and have very real world advantages. It turned out that these Bottlehead guys understood a thing or two about tubes. 

The completion of a project involving restoring a Heathkit AA-32 to its factory schematic left me itching to build something new. I was set on amplifiers, headamps and phono stages so this left the equally interesting Moreplay and BeePre preamps in the Bottlehead catalog. Factoring in the cost of 'good' 300B tubes, the BeePre became a little too bourgeois to scratch the project itch and so the Moreplay was ordered. The idea of a single-stage triode-strapped 6V6 line stage was very interesting, and I especially like the 6V6 because good sounding vintage examples from the 1940s are still plentiful and affordable.

The Bottlehead Experience

Bottlehead is a relatively small shop, so kits take a few weeks to pack and ship from when you place your order. The anticipation builds, and you have plenty of time to study the digitally provided assembly instructions and decide on if/how you want to finish the included wood base and aluminum top plate. I had some leftover satin ivory spray paint from a Lenco restoration and had recently ordered a copious amount of instrument-grade varnish from Italy, so I was all set.

Once the kit had shipped, Bottlehead reached out to let me know there was a misprint with the aluminum top plate, and before I could even reply they had overnighted a new one with DHL. It ended up arriving before the kit did. Talk about customer service! I used the spare misprinted top plate for testing paint finishes before committing to the build.

The build itself was very straightforward. If you have a modicum of experience with tools like a soldering iron, wire strippers and a digital multimeter; then building the kit is much like putting together Legos. Step-by-step instructions with photographs coupled with frequent resistance checks to ensure everything is going together correctly should make the Moreplay a satisfying experience for a first-time kit builder. If you don't have any experience soldering, you can easily get started with an inexpensive breadboard project from Amazon or eBay. Bottlehead also has a series of YouTube videos which cover everything from base & hardware assembly to soldering tips to help build their kits.

Building the kit was a blast, the electrical assembly took me 2 and a half evenings and everything worked the first time I turned it on. There is a quote on the Bottlehead home page: “No one ever eats just one potato chip, and no one ever builds just one Bottlehead kit. I’ve now built 6.” Unfortunately I can confirm this is true, I am already considering which Bottlehead kit to build next, even though I don't need any of them!

Moreplay Performance

For simplicities sake I have mostly gravitated towards using amplifiers with built-in volume controls. My experience with pre-amps has largely been confined to vintage units such as the Eico HF-85 which despite having fantastic tone also has a frustrating amount of self-noise, too much gain and a plethora of functions modern users will not appreciate. The 'best' pre-amp I have used is the Truth unit I wrote about previously, but that has no gain and will only slot into a select few systems from a usability and synergy perspective.

The Moreplay is now the 'best' pre-amp that I can recommend with very few reservations (being a kit, using tubes) and represents an insane value for the $450 base price. Add $100 for a decent pair of 6V6 and materials for finishing the base. When I first hooked up the unit with the stock tubes (late 60s Soviet surplus) the frequency extremes were truncated and soft, but the unit immediately impressed with its midrange, depth and presence. I expected this and immediately replaced the tubes for a pair of 1940s Marconi 6V6G. High & low frequency presence returned, the sound became sharp and lively, beautiful overtones appeared, and overall I was reminded immediately of the sound of the Truth pre-amp with just a hint of 'tube' richness. Really, just a hint.

No noise. I cranked it all the way and I could not even hear filament hiss with my ear right up to my ~97db/w speakers. I only heard a faint hum which was from DC offset in my mains supply affecting the power transformer on my power amp. The Bottlehead website states they placed the volume control after the gain stage to provide "a lower noise floor and a consistent sonic signature when used with highly sensitive amplifiers and/or speakers". Yup, confirmed! My speakers are really sensitive and I barely have the volume control up but the Moreplay sounds great even with the attenuator all the way near the bottom, and there is a large usable range of volume across many different recordings.

Experiments with headphones

I went from impressed to really impressed when I had the idea to connect the Moreplay in-between my MacBook's line out and a solid-state headphone amplifier (Eddie Current SS) I had on hand. Using the Sennheiser HD600 headphones without the Moreplay they were driven well: the sound was very clear and direct, with good dynamics, but a little monotonous and with dull overtones. With the Moreplay, the sound became richer, the bass became big and juicy, and again appropriate sharpness returned to high frequency harmonics with no perceptible loss in clarity or intonation. 

Of course this test was purely academic, I do not plan to use a dedicated line stage in a headphone system, but it demonstrated the Moreplay belongs to an elite class of components which lengthen the signal path but also improve the transmission of music. I bet many passive pre-amp diehards would consider switching camps after trying the Moreplay in their systems. The best part was when I turned the volume control on both the headamp and Moreplay all the way up and still only heard a faint hiss in my headphones coming from the AC filaments of the 6V6s.

In summary the Moreplay represents a fantastic value, even if you were to pay a modest sum to have one built for you. I can only fantasize about how much better the BeePre is. With no boutique components and a very simple circuit, it has that bold and direct octal-base sound that the sea of faceless commercial 12A*7 line stages cannot really hope to contend with. Highly recommended.

May Day Chinese Orchestras

Letter from Shenzhen (22-8): State of the Chinese Orchestra
Streaming Classicals (22-7): May Day Offerings

The gestation of what North-Americans know as Labor Day had a long and interesting history (here). Americans and Canadians assume that it falls on the First Week of September, but in many countries it falls on May 1st, and is known also in the West as May Day or International Worker’s Day (see link cited).

In China, May Day is kind of a major holiday. Although the private sector and some government agencies may get only 1 day off, for students it’s a longer holiday, this year a 3-day one. Due to lockdowns in many major cities, CCTV 15 (Channel 15 of China’s mammoth Central TV) mounted a 5-day Orchestral Festival, with tele performances by many of China’s Orchestras (with the notable exception of Shanghai Philharmonic, the city being deep in lockdown). Each evening, between 9 and 10 pm, there was about an hour and half of music.

Some of these can still be watched on the CCTV website. This article shall be of interest to very few people, and so I have been tardy in writing this up. As a result of CCTV's keeping only 1 week on demand, Part I and II can no longer be watched. In 3 days, no link will work.

4/30 Part I (no link)
China Philharmonic, Huang Yi 黄屹
Yellow River Piano Concerto, 2nd movement (soloist Chen Sa 陈萨)
Dvorak New World Symphony, 2nd and 4th movements
(Conductor Huang I have praised in my last article; this Dvorak is better technically and in visual quality than the one with the Kunming Orchestra. Chen is laureate of Leeds, Chopin and Van Cliburn, but this concerto is not at all a personal fav).

China Symphony Orchestra, Li Xincao 李心草
Mahler Symphony No. 7, 5th movement
(I am thoroughly surprised by the unidiomatic performance. Li was recently scheduled to conduct this symphony with the Shenzhen Symphony before covid policies forced a cancellation. He’s a conductor whom I have watched conduct the HKPO many years ago, and I expected much more of him).

Central Opera Orchestra Yang Yang 杨洋
Verdi Triumphal March (from Aida) and La Forza del Destino Overture
Elgar Salut d’Amour
(I particularly enjoyed the Forza, a favorite of mine).

National Opera Orchestra, Lv Jia 吕嘉
Mozart Divertimento in G
Beethoven Pastoral Symphony, 1st movement
(Lv Jia is a conductor whom I have watched many times, reliable and always with a singing line.)

5/1 Part II (no link)
Central Ballet Orchestra, Zhang Yi 张艺
Tchaikovsky Polonaise
Khachaturian Love Pas de Deux (from Spartacus)

Central Conservatory Orchestra, Yv Feng 俞峰
Beethoven 9th Symphony, 1st movement

Orchestra Academia (of the Central Conservatory, Shao En 邵恩
Prokofiev Classical Symphony
Brahms 4th Symphony, 4th movement
(veteran En Shao, as he’s known overseas, is an excellent conductor, an IMG artist, who has recorded quite a bit, for Naxos and others, and I’ve heard him to great effect many years ago. The performances here are highlights of the present series - the Prokofiev is superior to most accounts by western orchestras, supremely alert and conjuring up the feeling of my favorite by Nicholai Malko on EMI).
(A word on the orchestra. Very Confusing. This is the orchestra of a branch of the Conservatory, dedicated to promotion of Chinese musical styles and values. Well, the “academic” stuff I know nothing about (nor do I care) but this orchestra is damn good, better than the regular orchestra, which should be composed of both faculty and students. The irony is, there are more expats in this orchestra and they played only western music here! Go figure)

Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Lin Daye 林大叶
Mahler 1st Symphony, 1st and 2nd movements
(this is a repeat of the previously aired performance)

5/2 Part III (link)

Hangzhou Philharmonic, Yang Yang 杨洋
Beethoven 5th Symphony, 1st and 4th movements

Beijing Symphony, Tan Li Hua 谭利华
Lehar Gold and Silver Waltz
Tchaikovsky excerpts from The Seasons
(I a great fan of Lehar. His waltzes should be more often played. This one is a nice surprise. In contrast, the Tchaikovsky was just so-so, and it is a very hard piece to bring off.)

Guangzhou Symphony
Saint Saens Cello Concerto No. 2 (conductor Yv Long 余隆; Soloist Pan Chang 潘畅)
Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto (conductor Jing Huan 景焕; Soloist Xie Nan 谢楠)
(Yu Long, the most prominent conductor in China, head of many posts, and associated with both the HKPO and NYPO, is imho more successful as a diplomat or an ambassador than conductor. He is a bore on the podium. the Butterfly Lovers' Concerto is known to every Chinese. I wasn't expecting much, but, amazingly, an ultra dynamic performance under Lady Conductor Jing Huan, and the passionate soloist is great too; one of the highlights in this series)

Harbin Symphony Tang Muhai 汤沐海
Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony, 4th movement

5/3 Part IV (link)
Xi’an Symphony, Sun Ying 孙莹
Beethoven Coriolanus Overture
Dvorak 8th Symphony, 1st, 2nd and 3rd movements
(This conductor is interesting to me. Steadfast, unhurried and firmly anchored in the bass. He produces a darker sonority, which suits the Coriolanus. The Dvorak is fine but I'd have preferred a little more abandon. China's Christian Thielemann?)

Suzhou Symphony
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
(A refreshing change. Decidedly quirky harpsichordist.)

Tsingdao (Qingdao) Symphony, Tuo Peng 拓鹏
Stravinsky Firebird Suite followed by Chinese tone poem
(lackluster)

Guiyang Symphony, Zhang Guoyong 张国勇
Rachmaninov, 2nd Symphony, 3rd movement
(Zhang, star pupil of the great Rozhdestvensky, is a staple of Chinese musical life. I’ve heard him many times, and he always delivers).

5/4 Part V (link)

Lanzhou Symphony, Li Xincao 李心草
Yellow River Concerto, 1st and 4th movements
(I skipped)

Wuhan Philharmonic, Liu Peng 刘鹏
Haydn 96th Symphony (stately classical, but could be more smiling)

Sichuan Symphony, Hong Yichuan 洪毅全
Sibelius 2nd Symphony, 1st, 3rd, 4th movemnts
(OK, but lacking the last ounce of oophm.)

Hebei Symphony
Mascagni Caviliera Rusticana Intermezzo (conductor Tuo Peng)
Shostakovich, 10th Symphony, 2nd and 4th movements (conductor Zheng Guoyong)
(where is the lyricism in the beautiful Mascagni?)