Letter from Shenzhen (23-9): Either/Or, Tale of Two Preamps
Updated 3/24/23: Minor editing, and some more info on Liss added.
Editor: The Sub-Heading refers to my listening experience using 2 preamps that complement each other. Sometimes when I find the sound of a recording not to my liking, I make sure I listen to it on the other preamp, which may save the day. This bit of audio experience I shall briefly detail more at the end of this article. First, the recordings.
In one of the Streaming Posts last year, I lamented the dislocation of Tugan Sokhiev, one of Russia’s (and the world's) pre-eminent conductors, who resigned as director from both his French post (Toulouse) AND the highly prestigious Bolshoi Theater, thus robbing us of a potentially highly competitive Shostakovich cycle (with the Toulouse Warner had already released No. 8 and 10).
Browsing prestomusic today, to my surprise I see an imminent release by the dissolved team; it’s due in April, them being accompanists for my heroine Elizabeth Leonskaja in Beethoven 3 and 4. Warner indicates this was from 2017-8 concerts. I’m looking forward to it but can’t help wondering if this is a way for Warner to partially fulfill their contractual obligations, which are surely in limbo. My view: Toulouse forced out Sokhiev, the best director they ever had, who over a decade raised their profile and brought them a priceless Warner recording contract that other orchestras as good or better than them (truth: many out there) would kill for; Toulouse should have the decency to release Warner of any obligations. It’ll take years for Toulouse to regain the footage they have lost - not likely. When Art gets used by Politics, the only losers are the Artists.
And so a potentially excellent Shostakovich cycle by Sokhiev was violently aborted. Instead, mediocre conductors like Giancarlo Noseda soldiers on with useless UK recordings (LSO Live; NSO Washington are equally bad; only praised by UK press;). Avoid his spineless Shosty cycle. This fellow has never produced any significant stuff, in any area, but the UK press always inexplicably praise him. Ditto LSO, which, despite their high individual skills, now make one impersonal and underwhelming recording after another. No personality. Ditto over-rated conductors, like Rattle, who goes on to water down other orchestras. Emperors without clothes.
Russian conductors (and musicians) are unfairly shunned like the plague by decision-wielding me-too politicians and bureaucrats (a few brave Austrian official voices notwithstanding). Have you noticed that even Russian labels (like Mariinsky’s own) have few new issues? That’s a sad void. And so it’s an obligation to promote the few recordings that trickle in.
Dimitry Liss, who heads the phenomenal Urals Philharmonic, has received coverage here before. Now, he is giving us Shostakovich 10 (Fuga Libera), a work which is close to his heart. This was not the first time Liss has recorded this. Just compare this to the previous recording he did with his other orchestra, the Phil Zuidnederland, and you shall be impressed by the superiority of the Russians. Listeners who really know Shosty will know why he MUST be continuously performed by Russian musicians, no matter who’s in charge. And then there is the excellent and substantial release of two of Prokofiev’s best works, Symphony 2 and PC 2 (pianist Korobeinikov).
While we’re on Shosty, fortunately there ARE worthy UK efforts recently, from the team of BBC Phil and Storgards. Their newest release of 12 and 15 is refreshing (Chandos), no less because of the rarity of 12, which I somehow have always loved. The enigmatic 15 is of course a masterpiece. The team’s previous 11 was good too, and this one is promising as a cycle. Not exactly heart-on-sleeve, but meticulously crafted, paced and delivered (unlike the clueless Noseda). Very good sound.
Too many unworthy recordings, but all is not lost. Occasionally we have a GREAT one. Now, Stravinsky is not even considered all-Russian really, given his long exile and sojourn in the West. But he was. And NOTHING is more Russian than his masterpiece Les Noces (Russian Wedding). This is not an easy piece to listen to, especially as it is sung in Russian. If you note the genesis of the piece, it has a convoluted history. The version most often performed is the later 4-piano version, not Stravinsky’s first choice. And so I have listened to it as such, until I recently came across this stunning original 1919 version, which the composer has only partially finished (completed in 2007 by Theo Verby)! Featuring Cimbaloms and Pianolas, no less! The performance by Ensemble Aedes and Les Siecles under Mathieu Romano is beyond reproach (Aparte). As I streamed it on NML, I was able to read the fascinating booklet notes, where the vocal coach showed how she devised ways to teach the French choir how to enunciate Russian, and indeed they sound quite authentic! A labor of love! The filler is a curiosity, Bolero arranged for choir! Sound is stunning - this is goose pimple material! This is my Album of the Year! I don’t see anything coming close. The only caveat is certainly not every reader will find it comfortable listening, though I fail to see why someone who likes Le Sacre will not like this. And audiophiles should flock to this stunning recording (as they should to Berio; see below).
As I let the tremendous colors of the performance wash over me, I was reminded of some past moments of utter joy. One from long ago, when I first listened to Berio’s epoch-making Sinfonia. The raucousness, the jaw dropping thrills on a good system (in case you want to listen, there are many good recordings out there now, say, Chailly on Decca)!
The other association was not so apparent. I thought of Gergiev, now completely ostracized by the West. I recalled his magnificent concert performance of Prokofiev’s Love of Three Oranges with the Mariinsky in 2008 that I had the fortune of attending in NYC. I still remember it vividly, so authentic and thrilling! The Russian colors of this rarely performed (or staged) Prokofiev piece is as strong as Stravinsky’s.
My words then shall serve now equally well: "...The performance makes you really ponder the empty slogans used to promote many also-run conductors and orchestras...
There is a whole contigent out there worshipping mediocrity, giving standing ovations to undeserving performances. Sign of the times. Thankfully, we still have the Russians..."
Since we mentioned LSO before, here are my concert reviews of Gergiev that include his LSO visit in NYC in 2009. Believe me, the LSO don't play like that now with most conductors.
I also thought of him as I had just recently watched a (Tidal) older video album of him conducting Prokofiev Symphonies 1 and 5, and PC 1 with a very young Trifonov. It’s fabulous stuff, magnificently played by all. You can stick with your Noseda, I’ll follow my Russians.
For something more angular, I’m a fan of the music of Grazyna Bacewicz and have previously recommended her String Quartets (Silesian on Chandos) and Violin Concertos (Kurkowicz on Chandos). Her string music for orchestra are somewhat more astringent, but well worth listening to, as performed by the Primuz Chamber Orchestra (Dux).
Another surprise is Rafael Payare. I didn’t like a previous album of his (of all composers, Shostakovich) but I was surprised to see him conduct the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in Mahler 5 (on prestigious Pentatone no less). Doing some research I was surprised that this new name to me is now director of the MSO, an orchestra I have long loved. Well, the recording is superb, with coiled tension and great playing, and in great sound! I don’t know why M5 is so popular in concert programs - most conductors fail in live performances (like the flaccid BSO/Andris Nelson and Baltimore/Marin Alsop I heard at Carnegie some years ago).
For something more angular, I’m a fan of the music of Grazyna Bacewicz and have previously recommended her String Quartets (Silesian on Chandos) and Violin Concertos (Kurkowicz on Chandos). Her string music for orchestra are somewhat more astringent, but well worth listening to, as performed by the Primuz Chamber Orchestra (Dux).
The exceptional find for me is Maria Milstein, Moscow-born and Holland based. Her Prokofiev playing are now references for me. Both the Concertos, with the Phion Orchestra under Otto Tausk (Channel), and the Two Violin Sonatas album (which includes Prokofiev)(Challenge) with husband Mathieu van Bellen, are indispensable. Van Bellen is also violinist of the excellent Busch Trio. All together, they deliver an excellent Dvroak Piano Quintets album (Alpha). Maria Milstein and her pianist sister Nathalia also shine as duo in several excellent albums (Mirare). As if that’s not enough, Maria is also part of the Van Baerle Trio, which also includes a personal fav, pianist Hannes Minaar, and they do excellent work (Challenge).
Next, two German violinists. Arabella Steinbacher is no stranger and always delivers. Also, as a major violinist, she has recorded a lot of less known works, like Milhaud. Her newest Bach album (Pentatone) refreshingly pairs the 3 concertos (I hate issues that do without the double concerto, my favorite; here it features the equally excellent Christoph Koncz) with 2 significant Arvo Part works. And then a name that I have only previously encountered in chamber music recordings, Veronika Eberle. The Beethoven VC with LSO/Rattle (LSO Live) is very good, but the new, unorthodox and long cadenzas by Jorg Widmann seriously rattled many critics. I must say I enjoyed it!
Finally a male! Daniel Rowland, formerly of the Brodsky Quartet, is very active in chamber music. (Challenge) has issued several excellent recordings with friends. The most palatable one for most listener should be Exstasis, which is mostly Piazzolla. There are also a few tunes composed by Bandoneonist Marcelo Nisinman, who grew up with the master a constant presence in his house. No wonder the authenticity of his playing and compositions! The highest honor I can pay to this group is that they are the BEST tango quintet after the master’s own (and there are quite a few others in the same stable, but none measure up to this one)! On the same label Rowland has also recorded excellent albums of the music of Vasks and, the latest, that of Ukranian Silvestrov. Of the Quintet members, Ukranian Pianist Natacha Kuritskaya and Serbian Cellist Maja Bogdanovic have recorded albums with Rowland (and on their own) and I fully intend to explore them.
Speaking of the Brodsky Quartet, their Golden Oldies album (in celebration of their existence) of encores is more fun than usual (Chandos).
Since we were on Prokofiev PC2, I found another older but highly worthwhile recording (with the PC1) by unknown-to-me Ukranian pianist Anna Shelest and the Janacek Phil under Niels Muus (Sorel). Great sound and playing all around.
It’s very common now for pianists to experiment with improvisations and instruments like fortepianos, old pianos, even harpsichords and clavichords etc, but few has taken things to the dimension that Anthony Romaniuk does. On Perpetuum (Alpha) he plays on many keyboards, including synthesizer! Most are short classical pieces but some are improvisations. A string of short pieces (beloved by this chic label’s producers I must say) can lose traction after a short while but somehow Romaniuk maintains interest. I shall later explore his earlier album in the same vein, Bells.
Polish jazz pianists seem to make a specialty of playing Bach (like Jacques Loussier did long ago). Marcin Masecki’s new album with the MACV (on the obscure Warsaw Chamber Opera label) has one concerto each of Bach, CPE and Mozart. NML indicates “arranged by Masecki” but I hear only some embellishments and jazzy cadenzas. He has an earlier album of Bach concertos with pianist Piotr Orzechowski (Decca), on which he plays a Wurlitzer and Orzechowski a Rhodes! The latter instrument was played at a very slow tempo (surely due to the slow response), not suitable for all listeners, but a curiosity!
Polish Organist Julian Gembalski delivers a superbly idiomatic Bach Organ Concertos (despite the name, these are solo works) album (Musicon). These can sound boring in lesser hands, but here they live and breathe. Wonderful style and sound!
Heading the list is the recording of the 2 masterpieces of Mozart’s String Quintets, K515/6 by the Ebene Quartet with Antoine Tamestit (Erato). Not since the augmented Grumiaux Trio (Philips) have I heard a more competitive recording! This recording shades out the very good one by the augmented Van Kuijk Quartet (Alpha) but the latter’s Mozart Quartets are just wonderful and among the best!
I listen to every recording of the wonderful Brahms Horn Trio. Among the current crop, my favorite is Marie-Luise Neunecker, as usual coupled with the Ligeti homage. How can this recording not be good, as it features the usual partners of one of my favorite violinists, Antje Weithaas (BIS)!
Anything by Tetzlaff and associates is not to be scoffed at. The latest is Schubert’s Piano Trios with Lars Vogt (Ondine), who has passed away recently. The tempo is slow, the playing detailed yet gentler than usual, but given the circumstances (of Vogt's passing), one possibly reads a little more into it. Worth exploring. For a different way of playing, from a different era, listen to the same pieces performed by Grumiaux, Fournier and Magaloff (Philips mono, on Tidal).
I listen to every recording of the wonderful Brahms Horn Trio. Among the current crop, my favorite is Marie-Luise Neunecker, as usual coupled with the Ligeti homage. How can this recording not be good, as it features the usual partners of one of my favorite violinists, Antje Weithaas (BIS)!
Anything by Tetzlaff and associates is not to be scoffed at. The latest is Schubert’s Piano Trios with Lars Vogt (Ondine), who has passed away recently. The tempo is slow, the playing detailed yet gentler than usual, but given the circumstances (of Vogt's passing), one possibly reads a little more into it. Worth exploring. For a different way of playing, from a different era, listen to the same pieces performed by Grumiaux, Fournier and Magaloff (Philips mono, on Tidal).
Speaking of the Brodsky Quartet, their Golden Oldies album (in celebration of their existence) of encores is more fun than usual (Chandos). Very sweet!
The classical Saxophone has basically been usurped by jazz. But it does not need to be so. A fresh force is Huw Wiggin. His new album Rhapsody (Onyx) features more new works than the older Transcription dominated Reflections and is better for it. I enjoy his new album better than many a new jazz album!
Either/Or: 2 Preamps
Recently, I was loaned a Nobsound (Douk) E6 Preamp, which uses the unusual 2J27S Direct Heated Pentodes. The chassis is very small and the tubes sticking out are big (almost size of a shorter vintage 6SN7) but the sound is big (Review here). Before this, I have been using the modified Eastern Transmission Audio (ETA). In a nutshell, the diminutive Nobsound has a bigger, bolder sound, bigger images, but less control. The ETA has somewhat smaller images but greater depth and better dynamic gradations.
I stream mostly on NML, which has a leaner sound sometimes. I also do Tidal, which seems fuller, but colored. With some recordings, neither seem perfect. Sometimes switching from one preamp to the other brings improvement, even change of view of the performance. Let me just cite 2 examples using albums covered above.
When I streamed the Van Kuijk recordings with the ETA, I frequently feel the sound to be a little on the white side. This is a consistent observation of the Alpha label. When I switched to the Nobsound, the strings instantly became just a little fuller sounding. Just what it needs. On the other hand, when I streamed the Schubert Trios with the Nobsound, things are just not as woven as I’d like. Switching to the ETA firms up the piano and knit things together.
You get the gist. Which one is more accurate? I don’t look at it that way. Truth, whether in audio or politics, has many facets. In audio, unlike in reality, we can search for truth as long as we want. Nothing is forced down our throats.
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