PROGRESS REPORT ON QUADRASONICS

PROGRESS REPORT ON QUADRASONICS

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Big, acoustic -suspensionwoofers.

All Fisher speakersystems use a larger -than -you'd -expectacoustic -suspensionwoofer. An exclusivefree -piston design,coupled with an ex-tremely compliantbutyl rubber or butyl -impregnated sur-round and a specially

treated cone, allows a fundamental bassresponse down to 30 Hz without doubl-ing or distortion.

As an additional measure of theirquality, the free -air resonance of Fisherwoofers ranges from 38 to a remarkable10 Hz.

The voice coil is specially de-signed to handle plenty of power. Loud -music lovers appreciate that feature.

Our mid -range is betterby definition. --Virtually all the defini-

tion or 'presence' ofmusical instruments oc-curs in the middle fre-quencies. Fisherspeakers have betterdefinition because,very simply, we use thebest mid -range speakers.In addition to utilizing spe-cially developed magnets(see further below), all of ourmid -range a butyl -impregnated half -roll surround for extra -high compliance (and therefore extremeclarity and smoothness of reproduction).

To prevent interaction with thewoofer, each mid -range driver is sealedoff from the rest of the system in an air-tight enclosure. This, naturally, costsmore to do. But we've found that it'sessential to the characteristic naturalsound Fisher speakers are identifiedwith.

Now, about transient response.There are many people who be-

lieve that the ability of a cone to respondquickly-or transient response-is thesingle most important determinant of aspeaker's sound. That's why we'repleased to tell you that by using newlydeveloped super Alnico magnets withhigh flux density, Fisher woofers andmid -range speakers achieve faster, morepositive control of their cones than anyother speakers being manufactured to-day. Fisher transient response is abso-lutely unsurpassed in the industry.

The reasoning behind ourtweeters is also clear.

Specially designed,sealed -back tweet-ers provide excellentfrequency responseto beyond the limitsof human hearing. Byusing a low -massvoice coil, highs arenatural sounding aswell as unusually

clear and transparent. For wide disper-

sion, Fisher tweeters incorporate a softdome diaphragm. Their impregnatedcotton or formed-mylar constructioneliminates parasitic high -frequency re-sonances and the resultant colorationof sound.

Even the crossover networksand enclosures are special.

In a Fisher speaker system nothingis taken for granted. We know that un-less each speaker does exactly the jobit was designed to do, no more, no less,the overall sound will suffer somewhat.So we've designed band-pass filterswhich, when used in place of conven-tional roll -off networks, assure that eachspeaker will handle only the frequen-cies within its optimum range. Further-more, special quality capacitive andinductive elements are used to achievelowest losses and smooth transition ateach of the crossover points. The sha-p-cutoff 6 to 12 dB per octave networksprevent interactions at the crossoverpoints.

All the time and effort we take get-ting the internal components of ourspeaker systems just right would befruitless if we put it all into an ordinaryspeaker cabinet.

That's why we've designed a bet-ter cabinet. It's constructed entirely ofnon -resonant compressed flake boardrather than vibrant plywood, to eliminatethe boxy speaker sound so common ineven the most expensive plywood-cab-ineted speaker systems. Our speakersystems are tightly sealed and com-pletely filled with AcoustiGlass to pro-vide a high degree of damping.

These design innovations and thispreoccupation with quality holds true forthe least expensive as well as the mostexpensive Fisher speaker system.

0 The Fisher XP -55B, the world'sfinest $49.95 speaker system.This low-cost speaker system

does everything you'd expect a high -cost speaker system to do. It providesbass down to 37 Hz by utilizing an 8 -inch woofer with a long -throw voicecoil. It delivers smooth treble, withwide-angle dispersion up to 20,000 Hz.Crossover occurs decisively at 1,500Hz. (Available with fretwork grille, atslight additional cost.)

0 The Fisher XP -56, the world'sfinest $79.95 speaker system.A full -range speaker with charac-

teristically Fisher sound, in a beautifulwalnut cabinet. It has an 8 -inch wooferwith a long -throw voice coil that deliversclean bass down to 35 Hz. Its 3 -inchtweeter is responsible for the clean up-per midrange and treble all the way outto 20,000 Hz. (Available with fretworkgrille, at slight additional cost.)

CDThe Fisher XP -60C, the world'sfinest $99.95 speaker system.If you want outstanding power -

handling capacity and good bass, andyou won't pay more than $100 for them,this is the only speaker for you. It usesa massive 10 -inch woofer with a free -airresonance of 22 Hz. In its airtight enclo-sure, fundamental bass responseextends down to 35 Hz. A 21/2 -inchextended - bandwidth tweeter providespure treble tones to 20,000 without col-oration or break-up. (Price includes lat-ticework grille.)

®The Fisher XP -65-K, the world'sfinest $109.95 speaker system.A 3 -way system with a lot of ad-

vantages. Bass response starts at 33 Hz,made possible by a 10 -inch woofer witha free -air resonance of only 20 Hz. Themidrange is handled by a 5 -inch driver,responsible only for those frequenciesbetween 600 and 3,000 Hz. At 3,000 Hz,a 3 -inch tweeter with a 9/16" voice coilsmoothly takes over, reproducing theaudio frequencies out to 20,000 Hz.(Price includes fretwork grille.)

OThe Fisher XP -66C, the world'sfinest $129.95 speaker system.There are quite a few speaker

systems at this price, but this FisherXP -66C challenges them all. This 3 -waysystem uses a big 12 -inch free -pistonwoofer with a free -air resonance of 20Hz. Midrange frequencies are handledby a 53/4 -inch driver made of a newresonancecone tweeter is used for extremelywide -dispersion and smooth uppertreble. The XP -66C offers lifelike repro-duction of the most complex musicalpassages at an ordinary bookshelfprice. (Price includes latticework grille.)

0 The Fisher XP -7C, the world'sfinest $169.95 speaker system.The reason that the XP -7B sounds

so smooth is that it's a 4 -way system.There's a massive 12 -inch acoustic -suspension woofer, and not one, buttwo 53/4 -inch drivers, each assigned adifferent section of the midrange. Andthere's a pair of 3 -inch wide -dispersioncone tweeters.(Price includes latticeworkgrille.)

0 The Fisher XP -9C, the world'sfinest bookshelf speakersystem.The Fisher XP -9C, at $219.95, is a

true 4 -way speaker system, as theworld's finest bookshelf system posi-tively must be. (Crossover takes placeat 500, 1,200 and 5,000 Hz.) The wooferis huge: 15 inches in diameter, with a12 -lb. magnet. There's a pair of matched5 -inch midrange drivers. A hemispher-ical dome tweeter delivers the lowertreble frequencies. A dome super-tweeter finishes the job smoothly, to thelimits of audibility.

FisherWe invented high fidelity.

Model for model,dollar for dollar, Fisherspeaker systems have

a wider frequencyrange, lower distortion,

cleaner transients,better dispersion andless overall colorationthan any other brand,

regardless ofdesign features or

engineering claims.

Only 500! ($2 value!) Send for your copy ofThe Fisher Handbook, a fact -filled 80 -page guide tohigh fidelity.This full -color reference book also includescomplete information on all Fisher stereo components.Enclose 50C for handling and first class postage.*

Fisher Radio, Dept. SR -10, P.O. Box 1367Long Island City, N.Y. 11101

Name

Address

City State Zip

The number of different loud-speaker designs offered to the prospec-tive buyer today is nothing short ofstaggering. There are almost as manyengineering approaches as there aremanufacturers, and each particular de-sign philosophy is affirmed to be theone true faith.

Even the sophisticated audiophilewho knows his amplifiers and cartridgesstands bewildered amidst the permu-tations and combinations of driverdesigns, speaker configurations, cross-overs and enclosure types.

Our advice is: stop, don't panic,listen. Because the only justification fora new and different engineering featureis the sound.

Fisher takes a completely prag-matic approach to speaker design. Wesay yes to anything that makes aspeaker sound better. We say no to any-thing that only makes a speaker readbetter. As a result, when you buy aFisher speaker, you're buying sound,not some intangible hi-fi mystique.

Let's face what the politicianswould call the gut issue here. When aman puts down, say, $169.95 for aspeaker system, the nagging questionon his mind is: "Am I getting the verybest sound this kind of money canbuy?"

Fisher can confidently answer"Yes!" to that question, no matter whichparticular Fisher speaker is the case inpoint. We know all the alternatives ineach price category and have evaluatedthem in our laboratories. We are puttingcur reputation as the world's largestcomponent manufacturer on the linewith each speaker model we offer. Ifthere were a better way of making anyone of them, that's tne way we wouldmake it.

Now let's examine some of theengineering features that are meaning-ful in terms of actual sound and relatethem to the specific performance char-acteristics of Fisher speaker systems.

If you want something doneright, you do it yourself.The Fisher philosophy of speaker

production is to let one engineeringteam retain full control of the speakerdesign, from concept to shipping car-ton. (The alternative would be to buywoofers from one supplier, mid -rangedrivers from another, tweeters from stillanother, and install them all in a cabinetordered from a furniture factory. Thereare some good speakers made this way,but we don't think it's the best possiblemethod. Fisher is a high-fidelity manu-facturer, not a contractor.)

*Please glue or tape coin or coins on coupon. 0210712

Prices slightly higher in the Far West. Overseas and Canadian residents please write to Fisher Radio International, 'Long Island City, N.Y. 11101.

Once and for all,let's clear up all thetechnical confusionabout loudspeakers. a,

11,11.-

True Tangent TrackingFirst time in an automatic turntable!The diagram over the photograph shows howthe tone arm articulates, constantly adjustingthe angle of the cartridge, and keeping thestylus perpendicularly tangent to the groovesthroughout the record. Space-age pivotry andcomputerized design have made it possible toplay the record at exactly the same angle asit was cut. Reproduction is truer, distortionsharply reduced, record life lengthened.

Consider that there are 3,600 seconds ofarc in a degree - and that a conventionaltone arm will produce up to 4 degrees trackingerror-or 14,400 seconds at full playing radius.Compare this to the Zero 100 tracking error,calculated to measure a remarkable 90 sec-onds (160 times lower!) and you will see whythis Garrard development obsoletes the armgeometry of every other automatic turntable.

1:1 Test reports by some of the industry's mostrespected reviewers have already appeared,expressing their enthusiasm. These reports arenow available with a 12 -page brochure on theZero 100 at your dealer. Or, you can writeto British Industries Company, Dept. J 31,Westbury, New York 11590.

Mfg. by Plessey Ltd. Dist. by British Industries Co.

01(less base and cartridge

ZERO 100 Garard's newest model,is the or ly automatic turitablE achievir g zero tracking Error.

Modestly priced at $189.5C, this most advanced record playingunit is a ''abulous array of i naginative, responsible iinovaticns:

Variable speed control; illuminated strobe; magnetic anti -skating(ar entirely new principle); -Jiscous-dampec cueing; 15° vertical

tracking adjustment; the patented Syr ohro-Lao synchronous motor;and Gar-ard's excIL sive two-poirl record sipport. Al engireer-ing triumph, the articulatirg tone arm, is cemonst-ated below.

CIRCLE NO 103 ON READER SERVICE CAFD

StereoOCTOBER 1971 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 4

THE MUSICTHE BASIC REPERTOIREMozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" MARTIN BOOKSPAN 57

JOANNA SIMONOur cover girl, a leading American mezzo, talks about her career WHIJAM LIVINGSTONF . 68

MUSIC IN THE AIRAn aspect of ecology that has not yet received the attention due it PAUL KRESH 70

RANDY NEWMANA young songwriter who seems to break all the rules ROBERT WINDELER 74

IN AND OUT OF SCHWANNThe fate of the mono record may rest in the catalogers' hands RICHARD FREED 76

ON THE SUBJECT OF BAD BALLET MUSICOn discs, it is decidedly not what it is in the theater ARLENE CROCF 102

"THE WONDER OF THE AGE: MR. EDISON'S PHONOGRAPH"Via Argo's new album, the talking machine talks about itself PAUL KRESH 132

THE EQUIPMENTNEW PRODUCTSA roundup of the latest high-fidelity equipment 14

AUDIO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSAdvice on readers' technical problems LARRY KLEIN 20

AUDIO BASICSAssembling the Music System RALPH HODGES 26

TECHNICAL TALKLoudspeaker Efficiency; Hirsch -Houck Laboratory tests of the Bose 501 speaker system, the Pio-neer SX-2500 AM/stereo FM receiver, the Advent 201 cassette tape deck, and the Tandberg 4000Xtape recorder JULIAN D. HIRSCH 33

THE FOUR -CHANNEL FOLLIES (ACT II)Sorting out the confusions created in a year's development time LARRY KI.EIN 58

QUADRASONIC HARDWARETesting three four -channel matrix adapters JULIAN D. HIRSCH 64

QUADRASONIC SOFTWAREWith four channels hooked up, what do you play on them? PAUL KRESH 66

TAPE HORIZONSEqualization: Record and Playback CRAIG STARK 146

THE REVIEWSBEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH 79

CLASSICAL 85ENTERTAINMENT 121

STEREO TAPE 141

THE REGULARSEDITORIALLY SPEAKING WILLIAM ANDERSON 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8

GOING ON RECORD JAMES GOODFRIEND 48ADVERTISERS' INDEX 146COVER: AT THE FOCAL POINT OF FOUR CHANNELS, MEZZO-SOPRANO JOANNA SIMON; PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE PENDLETON; CARPETCOURTESY W. & J. SLOANE, NEW YORK

Copyright © 1971 by Ziff -Davis Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Stereo Review, October 1971, Volume 27, Number 4. Published monthly at 1 ParkAvenue, New York, N.Y. 10016, by Ziff.Davis Publishing Company-also the publishers of Airline Management. Boating. Business & Commercial Aviation,Car and Driver, Cycle, Electronics World, Flying, Modern Bride, Popular Electronics, Popular Photography, Skiing, Skiing Area News, Skiing Trade News, andTravel Weekly. One year subscription rate for U.S., U.S. Possessions and Canada, $7.00; all other countries, $8.00. Second class postage paid at New York, N.Y.and at additional mailing offices. Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment of postage in cash.SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: Forms 3579 and all subscription correspondence should be addressed to Stereo Review, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 1099,Flushing, N.Y. 11352. Please allow at least six weeks for change of address. Include your old address, as well as new-enclosing if possible an address label froma recent issue.

Stereo ReviewPUBLISHER

LAWRENCE SPORN

EDITORWILLIAM ANDERSON

MANAGING EDITORWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

EDITORIAL COORDINATORROBERT S. CLARK

TECHNICAL EDITORLARRY KLEIN

MUSIC EDITORJAMES GOODFRIEND

ART DIRECTORBORYS PATCHOWSKY

ASSOCIATE TECHNICAL EDITORRALPH HODGES

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITORVIVIENNE WINTERRY GOODMAN

PRODUCTION EDITORPAULETTE WEISS

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSMARTIN BOOKSPAN

NOEL COPPAGEDAVID HALL

DON HECKMANJULIAN D. HIRSCH

BERNARD JACOBSONGEORGE JELLINEK

IGOR KIPNISPAUL KRESH

REX REEDPETER REILLY

ERIC SALZMANCRAIG STARK

LESTER TRIMBLEROBERT WINDELER

LONDON EDITORHENRY PLEASANTS

ADVERTISING DIRECTORROBERT UR

ADVERTISING MANAGERJAMES J. SULLIVAN

ADVERTISING SERVICE MANAGERMARGARET DA NIELLO

GROUP VICE PRESIDENTELECTRONICS & PHOTOGRAPHIC

FURMAN HEBB

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERSTANLEY NEUFELD

Editorial and Executive OfficesZiff -Davis Publishing CompanyOne Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016212 679-7200Andrew KuhnMidwestern Office: The Pattie Group4761 West Touhy Ave.. Lincolnwood. III. 60646312679-1100Arnold S. HoffmanWestern Office9025 Wilshire BoulevardBeverly Hills, California 90211213 CReatview 4-0265; BRadshaw 2.1161Western Advertising Manager Bud DeanJapan: James YogiOji Palace Aoyama, 625, Minami Aoyama6-Chome. Minato.ku, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: 407.1930/6821

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EDITORIALLYSPEA<NG3y WILLIAM A\DERSO\

11=M111111111111111111111111111=111111111ir

FOUR TYPES OF COMPATIBILITY

IN1930, an English mathematician turned poet and critic published a book, called Seven

Types of Ambiguity, that has since attained the status of a minor classic in literarycriticism. I recall flagellating my mind with its slippery subtleties and quibbling quidditiesin college, telling myself the while that they might all be useful some day in unravelingone of life's little conundrums. I thought that day had surely arrived recently when I satdown to sort out for my own understanding the tangle of announcements, press releases,claims, counterclaims, assertions, evasions, rumors, gossip, and simple fairy tales thattogether make up the hottest audio topic of the moment-quadrasonics ( -phonics, etc.). Itturns out that, although of four -channel ambiguities there is no end, they seem not to be ofthe type that critic William Empson had in mind-they are not, in short, accessible to thetools of literary criticism, however well they may lend themselves to those of the marketplace.

Nonetheless, midway along the pathway of my researches I stumbled upon a factor thatpermitted me to see forest where before there had been only trees. That factor is the ratherelusive one of compatibility, and I suspect that it will turn out to be the central issue in thetechnological skirmishes ( and perhaps even the main event) that are about to be joined.Moreover, it develops that working up the mental muscle required for reading Empsonwas apparently not an entire waste of time, for I turned up not just one kind of com-patibility, but four. Three of them, it seems to me, are of the sine qua non variety, and thefourth is self -resolving. Put in question form, they are:

1. Will the new four -channel recordings ( disc or tape) be compatible with "old"stereo equipment ( stereo stylus, four -track tape deck, etc.), furnishing two -channel stereosound unaltered either in quantity or quality? Will they work on mono FM radio?

2. Will the new four -channel equipment ( a four -channel matrix decoder) be com-patible with ordinary stereo recordings ( disc or tape), reproducing them ( either as two -channel stereo or as "augmented" quasi-quadrasonic) without sonic distortion? Will it dothe same for mono recordings?

3. Will the new four -channel equipment offer inter -media (disc, tape, and radio)compatibility as two -channel stereo does now?

4. Will the different four -channel systems be compatible with one another-forexample, will material recorded for use with the Columbia system reproduce satisfactorilyon the Electro-Voice system, and vice -versa?

It is obvious that, if compatibilities 1 through 3 are satisfied, 4 will in time work itselfout in the marketplace. What is not so obvious, however, is that as of now there appears tobe a great reluctance within the industry to discuss the subject of four -channel sound ontape. The industry seems to be toying with the idea of making discs quadrasonic in thematrix format and tapes quadrasonic in the discrete format. RCA's Q8 discrete cartridgesmay have influenced some of this thinking (Columbia, at least for now, seems to be goingalong with it ), but it obviously makes a shambles of compatibility. But there is another

neon argument against it-an economic one-that is even stronger. When 78 -rpm phonographdiscs first appeared, they were recorded on only one side. Manufacturers soon learned howto double their capacity by using both sides. Next, development of the mono LP more thandoubled capacity, a further doubling came with stereo, and now there is another withquadrasonic. The same progression, moreover, is evident in tape: from 15 ips originally,to 71/2, to 33/4, and now, with cassettes, a brilliantly realized speed of 17/8 ips. The name ofthe game here, borrowed from communication theory, is information density. It is hardlya law of nature, but it is nonetheless an easily discernible trend-which the industry wouldappear to be on the verge of reversing: discrete four -channel recording takes twice asmuch tape as ordinary stereo. I hope that record producers are not planning on finding outthe hard way that anything on a disc can be taped-even matrixed quadrasonic.

4 STEREO REVIEW

ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANYWilliam Ziff PresidentW. Bradford Briggs, Executive Vice PresidentHershel B. Sarbin. Senior Vice President and SecretaryStanley R. Greenfield, Senior Vice PresidentPhilip Sine, Financial Vice President and TreasurerWalter S. Mills, Jr., Vice President. CirculationPhillip T. Heffernan. Vice President. MarketingFrank Pomerantz, Vice President, Creative ServicesArthur W. Butzow, Vice President, ProductionEdward D. Muhlfeld, Vice President, Aviation DivisionIrwin Robinson. Vice President, Travel DivisionGeorge Morrissey. Vice PresidentSydney H. Rogers, Vice President

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805 BURT BACHRACHPlays His HitsKapp LP, 8TR, CASS

Compareant

see!

800 ELTON JOHN11-17-70Uni LP, 8TR, CASS

765 5TH DIMENSIONPortraitBell LP, 8TR, CASS

769 LESLIE WEST-MOUNTAINWindf LP

768 DAWNCandidaBell LP, 8TR, CASS

804 LORETTA LYNNCoal Miner'sDaughterDecca LP, 8TR, CASS

660 MARVIN GAYEWhat's Going OnTamla LP, 8TR, CASS

306 THE WEAVERSAt Carnegie HallVangu LP, 8TR, CASS

203 PAUL MAURIATEl Condor PasaPhili LP, 8TR, CASS

30 BEST OF BUFFYSAINTE-MARIE(2 record set)Vangu LP

50 CROSBY, STILLS,NASH & YOUNG4 Way Street(2 record set)Atlan LP, 8TR, CASS

663 RARE EARTHOne WorldRarEa LP, 8TR, CASS

704 BEETHOVENPiano SonatasYorks LP, 8TR, CASS

200 MYSTIC MOODSCountry Lovin' FolkPhili LP, 8TR, CASS

32 IAN & SYLVIA'SGREATEST HITS Vol. 1(2 record set)Vangu LP

WITH NO OBLIGATION

60 JESUS CHRISTSUPERSTAR(2 record set)Decca LP, 8TR, CASS

/68 PARTRIDGE FAMILYJp To DateBell LP, 8TR, CASS

764 MOUNTAINNantucket SleighrideWindf LP

767 MOUNTAINClimbingWindf LP

603 VERY BEST OFLOVIN' SPOONFULKamSu LP, 8TR, CASS

307 COUNTRY JOE Mc -DONALD Hold OnIt's ComingVangu LP, 8TR, CASS

See for yourself why over 13/4 million record and tape collectorsClub of America when other record or tape clubs would have accepted

Columbia RCACitadel Stereo Tape Capitol Columbia Stereo IT

Record Club Cartridge Service Record Club Record Club Tape Clublas adv. in ,as adv. in las adv. in (as adv. ;n ias adv. inTV Guide Esquire Look Playboy EsquIre

Oct. 3. 19701 Nov. 1970 Jan. 26, 1971; Feb 1971) Oct. 19701

paid $5 to join Recordthem free.

RECORD CLUB OF AMERICA

CAN YOUG 00SE FROMALL LABELSLP OR APES

NO NO NOINCLUDINGCARTRIDGEA 0 CASSE TiE

AP S

NO NO

Choose any LP or tapeon any label! No excep-tions! Over 300 differ -

YES! ent manufacturersincluding Capitol, Co.lumbia, RCA, Angel.London. etc.A 'MINIMUM"No

NUMBER 0

UST YOU Bur

RECORDS ORTAPESHOW MAN

10

obligations! Noyearly quota! Take as

NONE! many. as few, or nothmg at all if you so deode!

HOW MUCHMuST YOU $59.76 $83.76 $59.76SPEND TO

to totoUL IL OUR toLEGAL $71.75 $95.40 $71.76

BL CATION

$49.80

$59.80

$41.70to

$47 70

You don't have to spendZERO a penny because you're

not "legally obligated"DOLLARS to bay even a singlyrecord or tape!

CAN YOU BUYANY RECORDOR TAPEYOU NO NO NOWANT AT AD15G01157'

NO NO

Your discount up toALWAYS! 7,9es%, t)erses. ,GLina r;I ;tile,

thirdNo exceptions!

RECEIVEUNORDERED

DO You EVER

RECORDS ORTAP S

YES

ere are no carswhich you must return

NEVER! Only the records andtapes you want are sent

and only when you askI nd thHOW LONGMUST you 5 to 6 5 to 6 5 to 6WAIT ORSELECTIO S weeks weeks weeksTO ARR vE

5 to 6weeks

5 to 6weds

NO LONG YOH' order processedsame day received. No

WAITS! shipping on cycle.

500 ARETHA FRANKLINLive At Fillmore WestAtlan LP, 8TR, CASS

.11w.rorttitko..lonoi,

\kali

766 PARTRIDGE FAMILYALBUMBell LP, 8TR, CASS

604 BREWER & SHIP-LEY TarkioKamSu LP, 8TR, CASS

703 RIMSKY-KORSAKOVScheherazadeYorks LP, 8TR, CASS

404 IKE & TINA TURNERWorkin' TogetherLiber LP, 8TR, CASS

107 HAMILTON, JOEFRANK & REYNOLDSDunhi LP. 8TR. CASS

305 PDQ BACHThe Stoned GuestVangu LP, 8TR, CASS

268.FLIP WILSONPot LuckWand LP, 8TR, CASS

269 JOSEPH'S. THEAMAZING TECHNI-COLOR DREAMCOATScept LP, 8TR, CASS

TYPICAL

"EXTRA DISCOUNT" SALE$4.98 LPs average as low as $1.96$5.98 LPs average as low as $2.25$6.98 LPs average as low as $2.56

Savings of 63% or more from recent Club sales upto $4.42 per LP. Start these giant savings now ...not after you fulfill your obligation like the otherclubs. You can even buy Capitol, Columbia, and RCAVictor albums at a lower average cost than throughtheir own clubs!

LabelList

Price

AverageClub

PriceAndy Williams-Love Story Colum 5.98 2.25Anne Murray Capit 5.98 2.25Ed Ames-This Is RCA 6.98 2.562001-A Space Odyssey MGM 6.98 2.56Mary Travers-Mary WarBr 4.98 1.96Creedence Clearwater

Revival-Pendulum Fanta 4.98 1.96Miles Davis-Bitches Crew Colum 5.98 2.25Love Story-Soundtrack Param 5.98 2.25Perry Como-It's Impossible RCA 5.98 2.25Bloodrock-3 Capit 5.98 2.25Santana-Abraxas Colum 5.98 2.25Worst of Jefferson Airplane RCA 5.98 2.25

RECORD CLUB OF AMERICA-The World's Lowest Priced Record and Tape Club6 STEREO REVIEW

Any 1 TaForti.,, e will,

ie ,ssH:bi,up toowl" ere $20.94

TO BUY ANYTHING EVER!

Yes, take your pick of these great hits right now! Choose any 3 Stereo LPs (worth up to $20.94) or any 1 Stereo Tape (cartridgeor cassette, worth up to $13.96) FREE .. . as your welcome gift from Record Club of America when you join at the low lifetimemembership fee of $5.00. You can defer your selection of FREE items and choose from an expanded list later if you can't find3 LPs or 1 Tape here. We make this amazing offer to introduce you to the only record and tape club offering guaranteed discountsof 331/2% to 79% on all labels-with no obligation or commitment to buy anything ever. As a member of this one -of -a -kind clubyou will be able to order any record or tape commercially available, on every label-including all musical preferences. No automaticshipments, no cards to return. We ship only what you order. Moneyback guarantee if not satisfied.

106 HOWARD ROBERTS 370 JAMES TAYLOR 803 NEIL DIAMONDAntelope Freeway Original Flying Machine Tap Root ManuscriptImpul LP, 8TR, CASS Eupho LP Uni LP, 8TR, CASS

108 GRASS ROOTSMore Golden GrassDunhi LP, 8TR, CASS

700 TCHAIKOVSKY1812 OvertureYorks LP, 8TR, CASS

701 TREASURY OFGREGORIAN CHANTYorks LP, 8TR, CASS

104 PATTONOriginal SoundtrackTweCe LP, 8TR, CASS

265 B. J. THOMASMost Of AllScept LP, 8TR, CASS

266 SUSAN SINGSSESAME STREETScept LP, 8TR, CASS

303 JOAN BAEZDavid's AlbumVangu LP, 8TR, CASS

304 JOAN BAEZOne Day At A TimeVangu LP, 8TR, CASS

702 RED ARMYENSEMBLEYorks LP, 8TR, CASS

AT LAST A RECORD AND TAPE CLUB WITHOrdinary record and tape clubs make you choosefrom a few labels-usually their own! They makeyou buy up to 12 records or tapes a year-usuallyat list price-to fulfill your obligation. And if youforget to return their monthly card-they sendyou an item you don't want and a bill for $4.98,$5.98, $6.98, or $7.98! In effect, you may becharged almost double for your records and tapes.

BUT RECORD CLUB OF AMERICAENDS ALL THAT!

We're the largest all -label record and tape clubin the world. Choose any LP or tape (cartridgesand cassettes), including new releases. Noexceptions! Take as many, or as few, or noselections at all if you so decide. Discounts areGUARANTEED AS HIGH AS 79% OFF! You alwayssave at least 331/2%. You get best sellers for aslow as 99O.

NO AUTOMATIC SHIPMENTSWith our Club there are no cards which you mustreturn to prevent shipment of unwanted LPs ortapes (which you would have to return at yourown expense if you have failed to send writtennotice not to ship). The postage alone for return-ing these cards each month to the other clubscosts almost an additional $2.40. We send onlywhat you order.

HOW CAN WE BREAK ALL RECORDAND TAPE CLUB RULES?

We are the only major record and tape club NOTOWNED...NOT CONTROLLED...NOT SUBSIDIZEDby any record or tape manufacturer anywhere.Therefore, we are not obliged by company policyto push any one label. Nor are we prevented bydistribution commitments from offering the verynewest LPs and tapes.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP OFFERJoin RECORD CLUB OF AMERICA now and takeadvantage of this special Introductory Member-ship Offer. Choose any 3 LPs or any 1 tape shownhere (worth up to $20.94) and mail coupon withcheck or money order for $5.00 membership fee

J1111

,1105 JAMES GANGThirdsABC LP, 8TR, CASS

52 WOODSTOCK TWO(2 record set)Cotil LP, 8TR, CASS

267 DIONNE WARWICKEI'll Never FallIn Love AgainScept LP, 8TR, CASS

600 OCEANKamSu LP, 8TR, CASS

260 DIONNE WARWICKE 264 GUESS WHOVery Dionne Born In CanadaScept LP, 8TR, CASS Wand LP, 8TR, CASS

103 STEPPENWOLFGoldDunhi LP, 8TR, CASS

405 BOBBY GOLDSBOROWatchingScotty GrowUniAr LP, 8TR, CASS

NO "OBLIGATIONS" -ONLY BENEFITS!(a small handling and mailing fee for your freeLPs or tapes will be sent later). If you can't find3 LPs or 1 tape here, you can defer your selec-tion and choose from expanded list later. Thisentitles you to LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP-aid younever pay another club fee. Your savings havealready more than made up for the nominalmembership fee.

NOW YOU CAN CHARGE ITIf you prefer, you may charge your membershipto one of your credit cards. We honor four dif-ferent plans. Check your preference and fill-inyour account number on the coupon.

LOOK WHAT YOU GET FREE Lifetime Membership Card -- guarantees

you brand new LPs and tapes at discounts upto 79% ...Never less than 1/3 off.

FREE Giant Master LP and Tape Catalog-liststhousands of all readily available LPs andtapes (cartridges and cassettes) of all labels(including foreign)... all musical categories.

FREE Disc and Tape Guide - The Club's ownMagazine, and special Club sale announcementswhich regularly bring you news of just -issuednew releases and "extra discount" specials.

FREE ANY 3 Stereo LPs or any 1 Tape shownhere (worth up to $20.94) with absolutely noobligation to buy anything ever!

GUARANTEED INSTANT SERVICEAll LPs and tapes ordered by members areshipped same day received (orders from theMaster Catalog nay take a few days longer). ALLRECORDS AND TAPES GUARANTEED-factory newand completely satisfactory or replacements willbe made without question.

MONEY BACK GUARANTEEIf you aren't absolutely delighted with our dis-counts (up to 79%)-return items within 10 daysand membership fee will be returned AT ONCE!Join over two million budget -wise record andtape collectors now.

1-4

300 BUFFY SAINTEMARIE Used To WannaBe A BallerinaVangu LP, 8TR, CASS

403 FERRANTE & 7E1-CHER Music LoversUniAr LP, 8TR, CASS

263 B. J. THOMASGreatest Hits Vol. 1Scept LP, 8TR, CASS

NOW YOU CANCHARGE IT, TOO!

0 RECORD CLUB OF AMERICACLUB HEADQUARTERSYORK, PENNSYLVANIA 17405 X917V

Yes-Rush me a lifetime Membership Card, FreeGiant Master LP & Tape Catalog, and Disc & TapeGuide at this Special Membership Offer. Also sendme the 3 FREE LPs or 1 FREE tape which I haveindicated below (with a bill for a small mailing andhandling charge). I enclose my $5.00 lifetime mem-bership fee. This entitles me to buy any LPs or tapesat discounts up to 79%, plus a small mailing andhandling charge. I am not obligated to buy any rec-ords or tapes-no yearly quota. If not completelydelighted I may return items above within 10 daysfor immediate refund of membership fee.

3 FREE LPs

or 1 FREE TAPE 8 trackEl cassette

or I=1 Defer Selection-send expanded list.Mr.Mrs.Miss

Address

City State Zip

All Servicemen write Soc. Sec #CHARGE IT to my credit card. I am charging my$5.00 membership (mailing and handling fee for eachFREE LP and tape selected will be added).Check one: CI Diners Club 1=1 Master Charge

LI American Express EBankAmericard

Acct # Expiration Date

Signature

Canadians: Mail coupon to above address.Orders to be serviced from Canada.

3

RECORD CLUB OF AMERICA The World's Largest Record and Ta e ClubOCTORI It I') 7 I CIRCLE NO. 55 ON READER SERVICE CARD 7

This is nota speaker.

It's themissing partof yourspeaker.

What's missing from yourspeaker, no matter how muchyou paid for it, is a high -frequencyresponse that remains genuinelyflat off axis. (The 15 -kHz outputof a top -rated $250 speaker, forexample, is down 12 dB at 60°off center.)

The new Microstatic high -

frequency speaker system is de-signed to give you this missingresponse when you connect it toany medium or low -efficiencyspeaker of any size or design.And we mean ±.2 dB from 3.5kHz to 18 kHz over a 180° angle!

Microstatic won't change thesound quality of a top -ratedspeaker on axis, but it will makea dramatic improvement in thestereo image and overall trans-parency from any listening posi-tion in the room.

Don't just take our word for it.Read the Hirsch -Houck report inStereo Review. Or Ivan Bergerin Saturday Review.

For copies of these rave re-views plus. detailed literature,write us directly. Microstatic ispriced at $115 a pair.

MICROSTATICT"'a product of

MICROMCOUSTICS®CORP.

Box 302, White Plains, N .Y.10602

'Patent Pending

CIRCLE NO. 47 ON READER SERVICE CARD

LETTERS TOMusical Barbarians lames Goodfriend's column entitled "Bar-barians and Music" (August) struck a very re-sponsive chord in me. While I appreciate andenjoy some "classical" rock, I cannot sit stillfor an outright pernicious mutation of a beauti-ful work of art.

Recently on the radio I heard Mendelssohn'sFourth ("Italian") Symphony reduced to ap-proximately four minutes of garbage by some-body's Latin Rhythm Band. Yeck!! This is butone example of this group's feeble attempts totranslate great works into "a more modern andmeaningful style." It seems rather like updat-ing the Mona Lisa by repainting her with lovebeads, a see-through blouse, unkempt hair, anda cynical smirk.

DAVID L. REYNOLDSAtlanta, Ga.

And a smart little moustache?

"Classical" Muzak is like a watermelon-rind, seeds, meat, and heart. As everyoneknows, the heart is the tastiest, most succulent,refreshing part of the whole bit. Well, Waldode los Rios has canned the heart of classicalmusic and put it on a disc called "Sinfonias."Die-hard traditionalists insist that to enjoy thewatermelon "properly" it must be eatenwhole-rind, seeds, meat, and heart. This iswhat makes classical music the stuffy, boring,dead (and financially unstable) stuff it is. Ihave "Sinfonias" and I have "Beethoven'sGreatest Hits" with Eugene Ormandy and thePhilly Orchestra, so I can play the respectiveversions of the "Ode to Joy" side by side. The"Sinfonias" version wins hands down. It ismore alive, vibrant, and good. Ormandy's ver-sion reminds me very much of a watermelon.It is a watermelon.

J.R. HLAVACMaywood, Calif.

The Editor replies: "Assuming that Mr. Hlavacis serious, he is quite probably alone in his con-tention that Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, oreven the last movement thereof, is a watermel-on, rind, seeds, and all. Since one bad analogyprobably deserves another: to me it is a ban-quet, and I believe that Mr. Hlavac has settledfor dessert-no, for the artificially colored andflavored cherry on top of the dessert. It is notthe kind of diet I would recommend for a longmusical life."

THE EDITOR It has been said of audiophiles that they areso acutely aware of the faults of the systemthey are listening to that they can no longerenjoy music. After reading James Goodfriend'scolumn "Barbarians and Music" (August), Ithink perhaps he has become so involved withhis requirement that a new arrangement be animprovement that he never stopped to see if heenjoyed what he heard! I have heard BelaBartok's Allegro Barbaro; I have also heardEmerson, Lake and Palmer's Barbarian. As Mr.Goodfriend pointed out, it isn't an improve-ment per se. However, I feel that they weren'ttrying to improve it, merely reuse it in a sim-plified form. No pretense-on the contrary,recognition that Bartok's work is versatile andenjoyable in a completely different environ-ment.

H.D. SIEFERTWoodland Hills, Calif.

The Editor replies: "Is there not a pointatwhich permissiveness and broadmindednessthemselves approach perversity? Mr. Good-

friend was discussing two problems in this in-stance: one, that Emerson, Lake and Palmermade an inept copy of a work of art, one that issignificantly less than the original (an aestheticissue), and two, that they failed to give theoriginal composer credit (an ethical issue). Toquote Mr. Siefert, 'they weren't trying to im-prove it, merely reuse it in a simplified form.'Just so the barbarian: he doesn't recognize awork of art for the complete finished thing it iswhen he sees it, he is incapable of improvingon it, so he turns it into something he can rec-ognize, something he will not feel threatenedby. The barbarian 'simplifies' by destroying; hetakes fine porcelain and reduces it, not to theclay from which it came, but simply to brokendishes. It is possible to be a connoisseur of bro-ken dishes, but where does that leave art? If wetake a Shakespeare sonnet, 'translate' it clumsi-ly into some kind of racy colloquial English,mangle the meter, miss a few rhymes, cripplethe syntax, and pass it off as our own withoutmentioning Shakespeare, are we artists? Sim-plifiers? Time wasters? Barbarians? Mr. Siefertwill find that on the same album ELP have ap-propriated and rearranged not only the Bart6kpiece, but another by LeoVanalek, also with-out giving credit. Would he give them thesame leeway with, say, the Beatles?"

(Continued on page 10)8

STEREO REVIEW

NOW

THE AMPEXQUADRAPHONIC CORNER

No doubt you've heard and read a great deal aboutthe new innovations in 4 -Channel. Lumped togetherthey're called Quadraphonics, but individuallyyou'll hear such words as: matrix, discrete, EV,Q-8, 4 -Channel 4, and on and on. It's enough toconfuse the experts.... And that's why Ampex hasdecided to make it easy. Here in this ad we areoffering to anyone interested, the opportunity to

purchase (at reduced rates) a demonstrationsamp er of Quadraphonic Sound on tape or recordas well as a FREE guide to Quadraphonics. As theworld's largest duplicator of pre-recorded stereotapes, we have a great deal of interest in what'shappening to Quadraphorics and we think you'llbe interested in these offers.

FREE AMPEX STEREO TAPE CATALOG Contains the latest Ampex Added 20 -page bonus Tapeby-

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Many special tape packages. New quadraphonic tape listings.Get all the information from Ampex by taking advantage of this freeliterature offer. Simply fill out the coupon below, check the appro-priate box and you'll receive your FREE copies of: the latest AmpexStereo Tape Catalog, a Guide To Quadraphonic Sound, the latestAmpex Tape -By -Mail Bonus Catalog and the newest quadraphonictape listings. There's no obligation ... nothing to buy ...and you'llenjoy browsing through the most comprehensive tape catalogs everoffered by Ampex Stereo Tapes.

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Catalogs.Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007

Enclosed is (I check 11 money order for $

Compatible Stereo/Quadraphonic Record(s) at $2.98 each.quantity

4 -Channel Open Reel Tapesat $7.95 ea. ALSO:quantity iii Please ser d me _ answers

Q-8 Cartridge(s) at $5.95 each. to the Quadraphonic quiz containedquantity in the Ampex Guide To Quadra-

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1

2

What is the difference be-tween 'discrete' 4 -chan-nel sound and 'matrix' 4 -channel sound?

Can 4 -channel sound bederived from presentstereophonic playbackequipment?

3Which tape format is bestsuited for 4 -channelsound?

4Does Q-8 sound makestereo sound obsolete?

5Is Q-8 sound better for alltypes of music?

6What does 'compatible 4-channel/stereophonicsound' mean?

7How much new recordedmusic will be available ina 4 -channel format?

8Can Q-8 tapes be playedback on standard 8 -trackstereo tape players withno sound loss?

9Because Q-8 uses fourtracks instead of twotracks for playback, willyou get less music on aQ-8 tape?

10Will sound beavailable from FM stereobroadcasts as well asrecords and tapes?

Know all the answers? If youdon't, send for our FREEGUIDE TO QUADRAPHONICSOUND. If you do know all theanswers you get an 'A' fromAMPEX and OVATION.

FREE BOOKLETTo obtain your FREE guide toquadraphonic sound, fill in thecoupon and send to Ampex.Please allow two weeks fordelivery.

OCTOBER 1971 CIRCLE NO. 51 ON READER SERVICE CARD 9

An infinitechoiceof speeds.The variable control Lenco manualturntables offer an infinite selection ofspeed-a continuous sweep from 30to 86 rpm. At the standard 16-2/3,33-1/3, 45 or 78.26 rpm, there areclick stops that can be precisely setor adjusted at any time.

With this, you can slow down acomplex rush of notes, the better toappreciate the inner voices when youlisten next at normal speeds. You cantune a recorded orchestra to match theinstrument you play, and join in. Yourtuning is not restricted to a paltryfraction of a note, either. You canexercise your urge to conduct, choosingwhatever tempo suits you. And you canuse it to extend your knowledge of thedance or language, or to accompanyyour slide or movie shows.

And at every one of these speeds,Swiss precision takes over. Forexample, the Lenco L -75's sleeklypolished transcription tonearm sharesmany design concepts (such as gravity -controlled anti -skating, hydrauliccueing, and precision, knife-edgebearings) with arms costing more alonethan the entire L-75 arm and turntableunit. And the dynamically balanced8.8 lb. turntable reduces rumble, wowand flutter to inaudibility.

The L-75 complete with handsomewalnut base at $99.50 offers profes-sional quality and versatility but atfar less than studio -equipment prices.The B55 (lighter platter and an arm ofalmost equal specification) is only$85.00 with base. Both are availablenow at your Benjamin/Lenco dealer.Benjamin Electronic Sound Corporation,Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735, a divisionof Instrument Systems Corporation.

Lenco turntablesfrom BenjaminCIRCLE NO. 15 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Military Music: CodaI was impressed with the article on the histo-

ry of military music by Aram Bakshian, Jr., inthe July issue. I am extremely interested inmodern martial music, and am trying to build alibrary on this subject. I have purchased all therecordings carried by local record stores andcurrent albums listed in the largest of catalogs,yet I have been unable to obtain many of theselections that I want. I would very much ap-preciate any information you can provide con-cerning available books and articles as well asactual recordings.

BILLY G. TOMLINWilliamstown, Ky.

Mr. Bakshian replies: "The best current sourceof military records I know of is a small NewYork shop that specializes in military figurines,books, and records, and does an extensivemail-order business. They carry many Ameri-can and European records not available else-where, and some now out of circulation. Writefor their record catalog, which costs 500. Theiraddress is The Soldier Shop, Inc., 1013 Madi-son Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021."

Aram Bakshian Jr. errs in describing the ser-pent as a "brass -reed instrument" in his article"The Rum-Tum-Tum of the Military Drum"(July). The serpent is neither reed nor brass.This fascinating instrument is made of woodand covered with leather. Its cup -shape em-bouchure is ivory or brass. No doubt the in-strument Mr. Bakshian has in mind in his refer-ence to a "brass -reed" instrument used in fan-fares was the contrabass sarrusophone, which isa kind of contrabassoon made of brass, withkeys and a double-reed mouthpiece. This in-strument could not have been used in the daysof the Napoleonic wars, since it was inventedin France in 1863.

The serpent is not totally extinct. It is stillused today for special occasions for the sake ofauthenticity. Listen to Charpentier's Messepour plusieurs instruments au lieu des orgueson Nonesuch H 71130. Wagner scored for itin Rienzi and Gerard Hoffnung had great funwith it in his "Music Festival Concert" on An-gel 35500. Moreover, brand-new serpents aremade today and sold by a firm in Germany at acost of approximately $250.

GUSTAVE R. PORTELANCEMontreal, Canada

Defective Record RectificationI read with interest John Eargle's article on

record defects (June) and I am most gratefulthat I can now speak with some knowledge ofthe technical language of record defects.

Just after I read the article I obtained a badcopy of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's newrelease "Four -Way Street." I immediately ana-lyzed the cause of the noise and complained tothe record company via letter. I received thefollowing reply:

"We are sorry to hear of the unfortunate cir-cumstances with regard to your having ac-quired a copy of one of our albums. Althoughwe try to have as rigid an inspection system aspossible at our pressing plants, we have foundthat it is possible to have a faulty record slipthrough once in a while. If you will be goodenough to send us the copy you have so that aproper check of our pressing plants can bemade, we will be happy to send you a replace-ment copy."

I just thought I'd pass on the good news.MICHAEL J. HECKLERLong Island City, N.Y.

John Eargle suggests ("Record Defects,"June) that the critical record consumer shouldcontinue to return records until he finds an ac-ceptable copy. First of all, this turns out to beimpossible after a while. I have been refusedfurther service by two record clubs and onelocal record store because of the frequencywith which I return defective records. (I amreferring to defects which are clearly visible tothe eye, such as scratches, pits, warps, gas bub-bles, etc.) Secondly, I know of at least two cas-es where every copy of a particular record ex-hibits a defect which must have occurred be-fore the final masters were made (both cases,incidentally, under the label of a "major" man-ufacturer who supposedly checks for suchthings). As if the situation with classical rec-ords weren't bad enough, the obvious disdainfor the quality of pop records which Mr. Ear-gle documents is something I would beashamed to admit in public if I were in charge.

I agree with John Schaffner ("Letters to theEditor," June) that the manufacturers could atleast make high -quality copies available tothose willing to pay. If, as Mr. Eargle claims, itis only a matter of pennies per copy, I'd paythem gladly (and even let the cdmpanies makean exorbitant profit).

DANNIE J. FRAILEYDallas, Tex.

Hofmann's Chopin Concerning Martin Bookspan's "Basic Rep-ertoire" discussion of the E Minor Concerto ofChopin (June): the wonderful Dinu Lipattiperformance on Seraphim (60007) with or-chestra is apparently with Witold Rowicki andthe Warsaw Radio Orchestra. The Hofmannperformance on Everest (Archive of Piano Mu-sic X 923) is, on the other hand, without anyorchestra at all. It bears no relation to the In-ternational Piano Library release and is a dubi-ously processed piano -roll performance of thework in which Hofmann manages to integratethe orchestral turns with the keyboard part tocreate a rather awesome solo piano work. Bau-er and Grainger, among others, also per-formed this feat for the piano -roll people, withSaint -Satins and Grieg, respectively.

JOHN C. SWANSomerville, Mass.

I read with interest Martin Bookspan's BasicRepertoire discussion of recordings of Cho -pin's First Piano Concerto (June). Therein hesaid that the Archive of Piano Music release (X923-APM is one of the Everest labels)-wasa product of an off -the -air transcription datingfrom 1938. This is an error. This recordingwas made from Duo -Art piano rolls and wasrecorded in real stereo at UCLA, using thesame Steinway piano that Artur Rubinsteinuses when he performs there.

BERNARD SOLOMONEverest Record Group

Los Angeles, Cal.

Mr. Bookspan replies: "As I stared in the col-umn, I have nor heard the Archive of PianoMusic recording, and simply assumed it wasthe off -the -air performance also available onthe International Piano Library disc. Sorry."

From Rock to BachI can't resist penning an answer to Mr. Joel

Don-Batalla ("Letters to the Editor," June)who "can dig Beethoven too, but the questionis where to start?" I would suggest for Mr.Don-Batalla and his "rock -music -listening

(Continued on page 12)10 STEREO REVIEW

D

RABCO

Servo Driven - Straight Line - Tangent Arms

RABCO arms

RABCO arms

play the record as it was recorded - in a straight line.

do not have anti -skating devices - they dc not need them.

RABCO arms are n3t "bent" to approximate tangency - they are straigh-_and light.

RABCO arms

RABCO arms

RABCO arms

4

)Iife/0\4:- 111

iolI Zm!M Is1

1101511310L'PP

,k4s_"4.4"*".--:11IIP PIe,r(

use few bearings - with mini T1UM friction.

produce negligible warp-wom. - for example, in the ST4 thehorizontal axis is in the plane of the recorc.

are not a collection of compromises - they are a direct andelegant approach to record reproductior.

SL -8E Arm - $169.0)ST -4 Combination - 5159.03

Makers of the only servo -driven straight 'ine arm.

11937 TECH ROADSILVER SPRING, MARYLAND 20904


A CASSETTE DECK FOR PEOPLE

WHO DON'T LIKE

THE WAY CASSETTE DECKS SOUND.We don't blame them. Because we haven't

liked the way they sounded either. So we've broughtout the Pilot PTD100. And have made sure peoplewon't be disappointed.

First of all our stereo cassette deck has anAutomatic Level Control. By pressing a latching buttonbelow the recording and playback controls, therecording level is controlled automatically. Overloaddistortion is virtually prevented within a wide rangeof signal levels.

The PTD100 has a superior magnetic playbackhead. The biasing frequency is 100 KHz. The frequencyresponse is 30 Hz -15 KHz with a total distortion ratioof less than 2%. Wow flutter is shown in our specs as0.2% but actually has been measured at less. ThePTD100's S/N ratio is 45dB.

A solenoid operated mechanical shutoff system(plus a manual one) works when the tape stops, orwhen the power is disconnected. The PTD100 is a4 -track 2 channel system that takes any standardcassette cartridge. The erasing effectivity is more than60dB. And the rewind time for a full 60 minutecassette is just 90 seconds.

So here it is, the first stereo cassette deck fromPilot. We put a lot of time and effort into making it. Butuntil we were happy with it, we couldn't expect you to be.

For the address of the Pilot Dealer nearest youwrite: Pilot, 66 Field Point Road, Greenwich, Conn . 06830.

PILOTA subsidiary of National Union Electric Corp. ACP)

Pilot Model PTD100. Manufacturers suggested retail price $169.95.

friends" the same course that I took myselftowards digging Beethoven and the classics:work at it, commit yourself. There undoubted-ly is a local FM radio station near Hayward,Cal., which specializes in classical selections.Find it and listen to it. You'll hear a lot ofthings that you won't like, but you'll also hearthings that you'll be wild about. The prolifera-tion of classical "budget" recordings presentsan opportunity to stretch your dollar twice asfar: soon you will discover the pleasure of mak-ing your own finds-a filler on the oppositeside of the piece you bought it for, or a discyou took a chance on because of the compos-er's or artist's name.

Read up on the subject: get a couple of theencyclopedic reference works on operas orcomposers to satisfy your curiosity and whetyour appetite. Then work your way throughbiographies to works on theory-especiallyhelpful for the "modern" classical music. Keepin mind that the stuff that doesn't do a thing toyou now will be turning you on ten years fromnow. The really vital thing about classical mu-sic is the fact that you can never outgrow it-and the reason is precisely the one you com-plained about: its bewildering variety. Youhave a lifetime to make sense of it, however.

J.E. VACHALakewood, Ohio

The article by Fred Povey (July) reflects myexperience exactly. Although I am a rock freakfrom way back, my tastes are becoming in-creasingly receptive to classical music. Here isan art form that does not grow stale in onehundred years as rock does in one week. Re-cording companies such as Angel, Vox, andpossibly others ought to be congratulated forbringing this music to our generation throughthe use of "samplers." I hope other manufac-turers will take note. On the whole, I am verypleased with your treatment of the "product,"classical and otherwise.

RANDY WELLSOakland, Cal.

Joplin and Bobby McGee Too much! Not only has Don Heckman giv-en us a stiff dose of ipecac with his daytime -TV -style review (August) of Janis Joplin's lat-est and last record, but he has also compound-ed the injury by stating that Me and BobbyMcGee is her song. It is a fact, sometimes anunfortunate one, that every singer tends to per-form every song in what is loosely known as"his style." Certain songs, however, are incom-patible with certain singing styles, and JanisJoplin simply could not hope to render effec-tively the gentle and lonely lyrics of BobbyMcGee. Anyone who has heard the song doneby Gordon Lightfoot (or Charlie Pride) willfind Joplin's version a harrowing experience.

JERRY F. O'DONNELLCorpus Christi, Tex.

Popularizing GriegI have read that the film Song of Norway

has created a new popular interest in the musicof Grieg. I hope this will mean the increasedpurchase and playing of his incidental musicfor Ibsen's Peer Gynt, of which there is onlyone real recording, that by Barbirolli and theHalle Orchestra with Patricia Clark, SheilaArmstrong, and the Ambrosian Singers. I hopealso that the numerous recordings of the re-grettable Peer Gynt Suites will then be al-lowed to drop into deserved oblivion.

NORMAN ARLINGTONSt. Petersburg, Fla.

12 CIRCLE NO. 48 ON READER SERVICE CARDSTEREO REVIEW

ONLY $120 MORE FOR

4 -DIMENSIONAL SOUND

Add the new low-cost DynacoSpeakers and Quadaptor

Converting your present stereo system to 4 -dimen-sional sound need not be expensive at all. The flex -pensive Dynaco QuadaptorTm ($19.95 kit, $29.95assembled) is inserted between your present receiveror amplifier and the four speakers. Your present twospeakers remain in front. Add two matched, 8 -ohmspeakers in back. That's it. No second stereo ampli-fier is needed. Now you can enjoy 4 -dimensionalstereo from today's FM stereo broadcasts and tapesas well as discs.

The most satisfying results are derived when highquality, full -range speakers are used in ba.:.-k as well

as front, since it is faithful reproduction of all audiofrequencies that prcvides the greatest sense of spa-tiality and directionality.

The new Dynaco A-10 aperiodic speaker systemhas been designed to provide this desired reproduc-tion-yet they cost only $99.95 per pair. They usethe same tweeter as the highly rated A-25 and theA -10's 61/2" woofer incorporates the same magnetstructure as that of the 10" A-25 woofer. Their com-pactness (81/2"x143/4"x73/4" deep) and light weight(12 lbs.) make them ideal for unobtrusive mountingon a back wall. And this mounting is simplified by

dyitraC13 INC_

the hanging brackets built into the rear surface ofeach A-10.

The sonic and efficiency similarities between theA-10 and other Dynaco speakers permits them to beintermixed in the same 4 -dimensional system. Sincethey also have about the same efficiency as conven-tional acoustic -suspension speaker systems, they canbe intermixed with them as well.

The new A-10 and QuadaptorTM permit you torealize the full potential of your present equipmentand library-at minimal extra cost.

FDYNACO INC.3060 Jefferson Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19121

Please send information on the new 4 -dimensional Dynacoequipment and the names of Dynaco dealers from whomI can obtain the $2.95 Dynaco/Vanguard 4 -dimensionalstereo demonstration disc.

Name

Address

City

3060 JEFFERSON ST., PHILA.. PA. 19121

OCTOBER 1971 CIRCLE AO. 25 ON READER SERVICE CARD

NEW PRODUCTS THE LATEST INHIGH-FIDELITYEQUIPMENT

Dynaco SCA-80QFour -Dimensional Stereo Amplifier

DYNACO's Quadaptor circuitry for ob-taining four -channel effects from normalstereo recordings and specially encodedmaterial is now available built into theSCA-80Q, an integrated stereo amplifierthat supersedes the Model SCA-80. Theunit is available in kit form or factory -as-sembled; the addition of four speaker sys-tems-two in front and two behind-anda stereo program source completes thefour-dimensional system. The amplifierhas the appropriate controls to balancethe four output signals (a single switchputs the amplifier into the calibrationmode) and to turn off the rear speakersfor two -channel stereo. Also, the SCA-80Q can be used as a conventional stereoamplifier to drive main and remote pairsof speakers.

The SCA-80Q's performance specifica-tions are the same as the SCA-80's: 40watts continuous power per channel, bothdriven into 8 -ohm loads, with less than0.5 per cent harmonic and 0.1 per centintermodulation distortion. Power band-width is 6 to 50,000 Hz, and signal-to-

noise ratios are better than 60 dB for pho-no and 80 dB for high-level inputs. Thefrequency response is 15 to 50,000 Hz±0.5 dB. Except for the speaker select-ing switch, which incorporates the Qua-daptor switching functions, the control fa-cilities of the SCA-80Q are identical tothose of its predecessor. These includevolume, balance, bass, and treble, a five -

position input selector, switchable loud-ness compensation and low- and high -cutfilters, and a mono/stereo mode switchwith a third BLEND position that reducesseparation between channels to 6 dB for acenter -channel speaker or headphone lis-tening (a jack that will drive 8 -ohmphones is provided). Prices have also re-mained the same: $169.95 kit and$249.95 factory -wired. In addition, Dy-naco is offering a four -dimensional -stereodemonstration record with specially en-coded popular and classical selectionsfrom the Vanguard library of four -chan-nel master tapes. It is available only fromDynaco dealers at a cost of $2.95.

Circle 144 on reader service card

Bang & Olufsen Speaker Systems BANG & OLUFSEN of America will beimporting four new speaker systems intothe U.S. The leader of the line, the Beo-vox 5700, is a three-way system with a%-inch dome tweeter, a 21/4 -inch domemid -range, and a 10 -inch woofer aug-mented by a passive -radiator cone of thesame diameter. Frequency response is 25to 20,000 Hz, with dispersion rated at160 degrees. The 5700's power -handlingcapability is 60 watts continuous. Nomi-

nal impedance is between 4 and 8 ohms.The 5700 is approximately 26 x 141/4 x 12inches in size and weighs 491/2 pounds.Price: $260. Three other B & 0 speakermodels are also available-one three-wayand two two-way systems-ranging inprice from $80 to $160. All the B & 0systems can be purchased in teak or rose-wood cabinets; oak enclosures are availa-ble on special order.


Pioneer T-8800 Stereo Tape Deck

14

PIONEER'S top -of -the line stereo tapedeck, the T-8800, is an automatic -revers-ing quarter -track design with two com-bined erase/record heads and two play-back heads grouped around a central cap-stan. The reversing action of the two -mo-tor transport is triggered by sensing foilapplied to the tape by the user. A front -panel selector programs the cycling. TheT-8800 can be set to play or record oneside of a four -track tape through in eitherdirection and then shut off, play bothsides of a tape, starting in either direc-tion, or play one tape continuously, oneside after the other. Its capstan roller re-tracts when the transport stops to facili-tate tape loading. Readily accessible reel -height adjustments are provided.

The T-8800 is a two -speed (7'/2 and 33/4ips) machine that permits mixing of lineand microphone inputs through its sepa-rate slider -type recording -level controls

for each channel of each input. The lineinputs in the rear are duplicated by phonejacks on the front panel. A mode selectorcontrols the track assignments for record-ing and playback, with positions for monoleft, mono right, stereo, and sound -on -

sound recording from left channel toright or right channel to left. Other con-trols are a lockable pause lever, tape -mon-itor switch, a bias -selector pushbutton forstandard or low -noise tapes, and the sole-noid -controlling push keys for transportoperation. The front -panel headphonejack will drive 8 -ohm phones, and outputlevels are adjustable-knobs for the twochannels are mounted concentrically.

Frequency -response specifications forthe T-8800 are 40 to 15,000 Hz ±2 dB(7'/2 ips) and 30 to 15,000 Hz (33/4 ips).Wow and flutter are under 0.08 per centfor 71/2 ips and 0.15 per cent for 33/4 ips.

(Continued on page 16)STEREO REVIEW

NEW DYNACO AMPLIFIER

SCA-80Q$169.95 kit

$249.95 assembled

BUILT-IN 4-D CIRCUIT...AT NO EXTRA COSTThe most logical choice for a compact, powerful con-trol amplifier is the new Dynaco SCA-80Q. TheSCA-80Q not only is a one-piece stereo preamplifierand power amplifier, but it includes built-ir Quad-aptorTM circuitry for 4 -dimensional stereo. No de-coder is required.

The SCA-80Q is the same price as the SCA-80which already has established a reputation for unex-celled value. The SCA-80Q has all the features asits predecessor and exactly the same performance.And you can connect either two speakers to it forconventional stereo, or four speakers for 4-D soundnow (or later).

The best results are obtained when the SCA-80Qis used with speakers that have small impedancevariations. The most accurate front -to -back separa-tion is achieved when the impedance of the backspeakers remains as close as possible to 8 ohms.

All of the different Dynaco speakers have beendesigned for uniform impedance. They are a mostsensible choice for 4-D playback with the SCA-80Q.Their similar efficiency and sonic characteristics per-mit them to be used together in the same 4-Dsystem. The larger A-50 ($179.95 each) as well as

the compact bookshelf types A-25 ($79.95 each)and the new A-10 ($99.95 the pair) are appropriatefor the front. The compactness and light weight ofthe bookshelf models, particularly the A-10, renderthem ideal for unobtrusive mounting on a back wall.

A 4-D system including the SCA-80Q and fourfull -range Dynaco speakers is the most economicaland compact way to realize the full potential of yourexisting stereo, library and FM stereo broadcasts.And as recordings made specifically in the 4-D for-mat become more available, your enjoyment will begreatly increased.

[YNACO INC.3060 Jefferson Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19121Please send information on the new 4 -dimensional Dynacoequipment and the names of Dynaco dealers from whomI can obtain the $2.95 Dynaco Vanguard 4 -dimensionalstereo demonstration disc.

Name

Address

City State Zip

1301a03 INC_ 3060 JEFFERSON ST.. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19121

)Iti CIRCLE NO. 26 ON READER SERVICE CARD

NEW PRODUCTS THE LATEST INHIGH-FIDELITYEQUIPMENT

Noise is more than 55 dB down for bothspeeds. The fast-forward/rewind time for1,200 feet of tape is 110 seconds. Thecabinet supplied with the T-8800 is of

oiled walnut. Overall dimensions are ap-proximately 22 x 91/2 x 161/2 inches. Price:$549.95. A remote -control unit will beavailable at a later date.

Toshiba SR -50Record -Playing System

TosHIRA's SR -50 record -playing sys-tem is a manual-turntable/tone-arm com-bination that utilizes a unique photoelec-tric phono cartridge. A low -mass shutterattached to the stylus cantilever modu-lates two beams of light according to themovement of the stylus. The light beamsfall on a pair of light-sensitive transistors,which put out electrical signals (propor-tional to the amount of illumination) forthe two channels. The electrical output ofthe phototransistors is amplified andequalized by an FET preamplifier builtinto the turntable base. The preamplifierhas an equalized output sufficient to drivethe high-level inputs of a stereo amplifieror receiver, so that the magnetic-phonoinputs are effectively bypassed.

The Toshiba photoelectric cartridge(Model C -100P) has a frequency re-sponse of 20 to 50,000 Hz ±3 dB, withstereo separation better than 28 dB from100 to 10,000 Hz. Recommended track-ing force is 1 to 2 grams. Harmonic dis-tortion is 0.65 per cent for a 1,000 -Hzsignal recorded at a velocity of 5 cm/sec(centimeters per second). The cartridgehas a 0.3 x 0.8 -mil elliptical stylus and amoving mass of 0.3 milligram. The elec-tric lamp that energizes the cartridge hasa rated life of 100,000 hours.

The turntable itself is a two -speed(331/2- and 45 -rpm) unit, belt -driven by ad.c. servo motor. Speed switching is ac-complished electrically. The tone arm isof tubular construction, with a counter-weight for balancing and a sliding weightfor setting stylus force. In connectionwith this, a special circuit in the cartridgepreamplifier displays the d.c. output ofthe two stereo channels separately on asmall meter, enabling the user to adjuststylus force and anti -skating compensa-tion while a record is being played. Thetone -arm cueing mechanism is damped inboth directions of its movement, and an-other photoelectric circuit activates amechanism that raises the tone arm at theend of a record, and then shuts off theturntable's motor.

Wow and flutter for the SR -50 turnta-ble are below 0.08 per cent, and the sig-nal-to-noise ratio for both electrical andmechanical noise (rumble) is over 55 dB.The motor and the motorboard are inde-pendently suspended from the base byflexible mountings. Tone -arm trackingerror is ±1.5 degrees. With its walnutbase and dust cover the SR -50 systemmeasures about 22 x 151/2 x 71/2 inches.Price: $449.50.


Sony/Superscope TC-160Stereo Cassette Deck

SONY/SUPERSCOPE's TC-160 heads anew line of stereo cassette decks that willultimately include four models. Specialoperating features of the TC-160 are adual -capstan transport that engages thetape at both sides of the head assembly,and a switch that changes bias and recordequalization for optimum performancewith both standard and chromium -diox-ide tapes. In addition, there is a switcha-ble limiter circuit that holds recordinglevels to a 0 -VU maximum to preventoverload distortion. Slider -type record-ing -level controls that operate on bothmicrophone and line inputs are used;playback levels are fixed except at theheadphone jack, where a two -position

switch permits adjustment of loudness.The transport controls are of the push -keytype, with latching fast forward and re-wind. There is also a PAUSE button andan oversized STOP push bar. The record-ing -level meters are calibrated and illumi-nated. Performance specifications withstandard tape include a frequency re-sponse of 20 to 16,000 Hz and a signal-to-noise ratio of 49 dB. Wow and flutterare 0.1 per cent. The bias frequency is 85kHz. On its walnut base the TC-160 hasapproximate dimensions of 153/4 x 5 x 11inches. Price: $199.95. An automatic -re-versing version, the TC-165, will also beavailable for $259.95.


GC ElectronicsCar Stereo Catalog

GC ELECTRONICS' Car Stereo and Ra-dio Accessories catalog ( booklet FR -132)lists more than fifty convenience items forowners of automobile tape players. These

16

include speakers and speaker grilles andmounting hardware, tuners that plug intothe loading slots of eight -track tape play-ers, lock mounts and burglar alarms, anda variety of speaker switches, volume con-trols, and battery cables with plugs formany popular players. Also featured are

maintenance aids for cartridge tape equip-ment, power converters (117 -volt a.c. to12 -volt d.c.), cigarette -lighter plugs, andnoise -suppressing devices that will blockinterference from automobile ignitionsystems. The catalog is fully illustrated.

Circle 148 on reader service cardSTEREO REVIEW

A Marantz speaker systembreaks up that old gang of yours.

Separation of sound is a true test of a speaker system.And to put Marantz-or any speaker-to the test you shouldlisten to something you are already familiar withso you'll be able to hear for yourself that it's thespeaker and not the recording that makes thedifference. Oh, what a difference Marantz makes!What you thought were two oboes are now clearlyan oboe and a flute and that barbershop quartet..well, they're really a quintet.

Let's face it: most speakers look the same, mostspeakers have an impressive list of specificationsand ALL-ALL-ALL speakers claim to be thevery A-1 HOT SHOT MOSTEST BEST.

But the proof is in the listening. And that'swhere the Marantz Imperial 5 comes in. TheImperial 5 is engineered to handle a plethora ofcontinuous RMS power, yet has high efficiency

suitable for low -powered amplifiers, has fantastic off -axis re-sponse, and a 3 -position high frequency control and costs

just $89 and gives you true stereo separationanywhere in the room and is, for the money, trulythe very A-1 HOT SHOT MOSTEST BEST.

But on paper so is theirs.However keep this in mind. Marantz speaker

systems are built by the makers of the mostexpensive stereo equipment in the world. Andexactly the same quality that goes into Marantzreceivers and Marantz amplifiers goes into theMarantz Imperial 5 speaker system.

To find out how much better it sounds, listen.That's all we ask. Listen. Then ask about the bigsavings on a complete Marantz system.

maas.r.immi.MAK,We sound better.

01971 Maranlx International, SA .P0 Bea 998 Sun Valley. Geld 91352 In Earopa- 4C R. deChatelain. 1050 Brussels. Belgium In Canada Electrohome Ltd Kitchener. Ontario Send for free catalog


062.1MOP

'141%

The AmpexAX -50 stereo tape `4,4

deck has three of thestrongest heads moneycan buy. Deep -Gap headsmade to last 10,000 hours, withoutvariance in gap or frequencyresponse. Which is about 10 timeslonger than regular heads. That'sstrong!The AX -50 is also strong on capa-bilities. With a heavy-duty hysteresissynchronous motor. Direct tapemonitor. Pause/edit control. Echoeffect. Function programmer forsound -on -sound and sound -with -sound. Stereo headphone jack. Plusmany more features you mustsee...and hear.You need a -strong deck to pick uptoday's heavy sounds. And theAX -50 is the strongest in its pricerange.

$249.95(Suggested retail pr(cet

AMPEX1AWErfal

4.0ilho _. ,,,o,i -.,THE NUM IDEA PEOPLE


AUDIOQESTIO\S

cncA\SWERS3y LARRY KLEIN Technical Editor

Speaker TheoryQBefore I buy my systems I want to learn all I can about loudspeaker

design theory. Do you have any sugges-tions for sources?

ALAN HOPPERColumbia, S.C.

AStudy speaker theory if you like, but don't be overconcerned with

it as a guide to choosing a system for usein your home. There are at present on thespeaker market good and bad examples ofpractically every design theory extant.And no one, however skilled and trained,is in a position to know how good aspeaker system is solely on the basis ofinformation provided in sales literature.A complete set of anechoic-chamber fre-quency -response measurements taken at avariety of angles, tone -burst tests, har-monic -distortion measurements, and soforth can, perhaps, for a knowledgeableengineer, provide enough informationfor him to separate the good from themediocre. But it is, in my opinion, be-yond the talents of most audio engineersto differentiate between the excellent re-producers and those that are merely verygood on the basis of test data alone.

There are numerous books available,some on the layman's level, dealing withspeaker design theory. However, thereader should be warned that the authorsare frequently biased for (or against) aparticular design approach, and thereforeno single book should be taken as the fi-nal and authoritative word on the subject.In addition, the latest designs may not bediscussed in current publications.

Readers who are interested in a list oftitles can obtain a copy of it by sending astamped self-addressed envelope toSTEREO REVIEW, Dept. SB, 1 Park Ave.,New York, N.Y. 10016.

Homemade vs. CommercialRecordings

QI recently had an opportunity to record our local sixty -five -mem-

ber community orchestra playing theBrahms Double Concerto. My taping

equipment, though good, is certainly notequal to studio -quality equipment. How-ever, when I compared my tape with acommercial pressing of the Cleveland Or-chestra with Oistrakh and Rostropovich,my tape sounded superior in every techni-cal respect to the commercial disc. Mypoint is not to assert that my equipmentor recording technique is so good, but toask why the commercial disc is so bad,given the record company's professionalengineers and probably expensive record-ing equipment.

LEONARD GIBBSCharleston, S.C.

ALike Mr. Gibbs, I too have been. puzzled for many years by the

poor quality of many commercial record-ings. Several years ago, when trying topick out twenty-five stereo demonstrationdiscs for an article, I was appalled at howmany discs previously recommended bycritics and recording companies wereeliminated before we could find twenty-five with really good sound.

Among the many reasons for bad -

sounding commercial discs are an inap-propriate choice of recording location ordifficulties in setting up the equipment ina hall never meant for recording. In thisarea, both professional and amateur re-cordists face the same problems, and onewould suppose, given his equipment andexperience, that the professional wouldturn out a better master tape. However,the amateur's efforts are seldom madeinto discs-and it is at this juncture thatmost of the "infidelity" creeps in. Therecord company has the special problemof recording the material (or doctoringit) for optimum reproduction on disc.This sometimes demands severe compres-sion of the recording level to obtain thenecessary playing time on a side and tokeep from producing a record that cheapplayers can't track. And then there are thevarious kinds of distortion that can arisethrough lack of care during the cutting,editing, mixing, dubbing, equalization,mastering, and pressing processes, all of

(Continued on page 22)1'.()

STEREO REVIEW

You can't please everybody. Some peo-ple just can't enjoy Mantovani when Dr.Welby is on (and vice versa).

But with Koss Stereophones you canlive and let live. Because your wife won'thear your music. And Mantovani'sstrings won't interfere with her program.

Choose the Koss ESP -9 ElectrostaticStereophone and you'll hear smooth,distortion -free sound over the entireaudible spectrum of ten octaves. Agreater range than even the finest loudspeaker system. Breathtakingly clearfrom the brilliance of the highest flute

to the deepest double bass.Or try the Koss PRO-4AA Profes-

sional Dynamic Stereophone. Used andenjoyed by both the professional andamateur music enthusiast. Only thePRO-4AA provides crisp, clean responsetwo full octaves beyond the range ofordinary dynamics. With a deep, full -timbered bass that's never boomy.

(t)

To get complete information, writefor our free full -color catalog. c/o Vir-ginia Lamm, Dept. SR -6.

Or if hearing the sound of Kosssuits you better, your favorite StereoDealer or Department Store can demon-strate how to live and let live with KossStereophones . .. from $19.95 to $150.Just tell them Dr. Welby sent you.

KOSS STEREOPHONESKoss Corporation, 4129 N. Port Washington Ave., Milwaukee, Wis. 53212

Koss Corporation 5.r.I., Via Valtorta, 21 20127, Milan, Italy

Live and let liveMarcus Welby, M.D.

CIRCLE NO. 52 ON READER SERVICE CAF'D

Ifone cassettecould do it all,

we'd only makeone cassette.When we first introduced the cassette a few years ago, one type of

cassette did everything. Now, however, the cassette has grown up.You've found more uses for it. Some demanding greater range and fre-quency. Others which are just for fun. One cassettecan't do it all anymore, and that's why we're introduc-ing an entire line of cassettes. It takes four grades oftape: speech to symphony.

The Challenger: For voice recording and otherwork that doesn't demand wide range and frequency.A quality cassette... at a surprisingly low price.P.S. The eiv"GalChallenger is perfect for your children in school.

The Norelco 100: Here is a good all-around cassette for peoplewho enjoy recording but don't want to spend the time and money forhigh fidelity. It comes with a factory lifetime guarantee.

The Norelco 200: This is the famous Norelco cassette that is thestandard of the industry. It's perfect for fine music recording. The finestquality Low Noise tape most people will ever need. Of course, it comeswith a factory lifetime guarantee.

The Norelco 300: This is the highest quality tape cassette we'veever designed. For those who demand sound perfection. It's a HighOutput -Low Noise cassette with extended frequency and dynamicrange. Plus a factory lifetimeguarantee. If you reallyappreciate fine qualitysound, you'll love it.

Cassettes by the people who invented them.Afore/co'

North American Philips Corporation, 100 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10017CIRCLE NO. 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD

which are not part of a one-step hometape recording.

Given the above, you can see how a"home-grown" master tape of a live per-formance might sound better than a com-mercial disc of similar material that hasgone through extensive processing. Withall the problems that can arise during theproduction of commercial discs, I find it awonder that any of them provide first-class reproduction.

Incidentally, I was recently given sever-al discs made by four different Japanesemanufacturers. Although they were in-tended specifically as four -channel dem-onstration discs, I was startled by theirclarity and openness when played as nor-mal stereo material. I don't know whatspecific factors were responsible for theirsuperb sound quality, but based on what Iheard, Occidental record manufacturerswould appear to have something to learnfrom our Far Eastern friends.

Extra Preamp A.C. OutletsQNow that I have three different. tape machines in my stereo sys-

tem, I find that there are not enough a.c.outlets on the back of my preamplifier toaccommodate all my equipment. Is thereany reason why I can't plug a so-called"cube tap" into the preamp 's outlets?

ROBERT CREEDNew York, N.Y.

AInstead of a cube tap, I made up a short a.c. extension cord which I

plugged into one of the switched outletson the back of the preamp. The extensioncord a.c. outlet is the type that can befixed in place. I have it screwed to theinside rear of my component cabinet, andthe line cords from the components areled to it. There are several advantages tothis scheme. First, the jam-up caused bysix to ten a.c. line cords going to onesmall corner of the preamplifier is mini-mized, thus making for a neater and moreaccessible installation. In addition, thechances of hum pick-up from a mass ofa.c. wiring in close proximity to an adja-cent grouping of signal -carrying leads isminimized.

One precaution: avoid plugging anyheavy-duty appliance into your switchedaccessory outlets since its current will bedrawn through the preamplifier on/offswitch, which may fail in the long run be-cause of this. The only "heavy-duty" au-dio units that come to mind are somebulk tape erasers. Cooling fans are okay.As a final touch, I have a small 7 -wattnight light plugged into the extension a.c.outlet. I find it quite helpful when chang-ing leads in the back of the preamplifier.

Because the number of questions wereceive each month is greater thanwe can reply to individually, onlythose questions selected for this col-umn can be answered. Sorry!

22 STEREO REVIEW

Seagram's V.O.For people who do everything just right.They seem to do everything. And they do it right. Even whenit comes to having a drink. It has to be Seagram's V.O. Very special.Very Canadian. Very right. Known by the company it keeps.

Seagram's

IdelimFm;j:..n5.741611.-

Canadian ,:aprati's140,

KENWOOD'S NEWEST MASTERPIECE...

THE INCREDIBLE KR -707300 WATTS (IHF) 3-FET 4 -IC XTAL FILTER

FM fAM STEREOAutomatic and Remote Tuning with Volume Control

KENWOOD sets the pace again with this remarkable new stereo receiver: 300watts of pure music power to drive three sets of stereo speakers simulta-neously and deliver distortion -free, high fidelity sound. New instant tuningwith the front panel Automatic Tuning Bar or fingertip Remote Tuning withVolume Level Control. Cieck the performance specifications of this master-piece...then visit your nearest KENWOOD Dealer and check the performance.You will be amazed!

SPECIFICATIONS: AMPLIFIER SECTION -Continuous Power Outuput, Each Channel Driven: 110/110 watts @ 4 ohms,90/90 watts @ 8 ohms; Harmonic Disortion: less than 0.5% at rated output; IM Distortion: less than 0.5% at rated out-put; Frequency Response: 12-40k Hz 1- 1.5 dB; Power Bandwidth: 10-30k Hz; Damping Factor: 50 @ 8 ohms, 100 @ 4ohms; Loudness Control (at -30 dB): MAX, +10 dB @ 100 Hz; 1-5 dB @ 10k Hz/MID, +6 dB @ 100 Hz; Presence Con-trol: +6 dB @ 800 Hz

FM TUNER SECTION - Usable Sensitivity (IHF): 1.5 uV; Harmonic Distortion (p 400 Hz, 100% Mod): Mono, less than0.4%/Stereo, less than 0.6%; Signal -to -Noise Ratio: better than 70 dB; Capture Ratio (IHF): 1.5 dB; Selectivity (Alt. Chan-nel, IHF): better than 75 dB; Image Rejection: better than 100 dB; Stereo Separation: better than 35 dB at 1k Hz;AM TUNER SECTION- Usable Sensitivity (IHF): 15 uV; Signal -to -Noise Ratio: 50 dB at 1mV input; Selectivity (IHF):better than 30 dB; Image Rejection: better than 70 dB; Dimensions: 17"W, 61/2"H, 15"D; Shipping Weight:40 lbs.; Price:$549.95; Oiled Walnut Wood Cabinet: SR -77, $24.95

1P0

For complete specifications write ...KENWOOD15777 So. Broadway, Gardena, Calif. 9024872.02 Fifty-first Ave., Woodside, N.Y. 11377In Canada: Magnasonic Canada, Ltd., Toronto,Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; Vancouver, B.C.

ORRECEIVER

SPECIAL FEATURES: 300 Watts (IHF) Power Output to drive any low efficiency speakers 2 dB Step -Type Tone Control and Presence Control FET, Mechanical Filter AM Tuner Sec-tion Inter -Station Muting Circuit 2 pairs of Phono Input Jacks for 2 sets of record players Outputs for 2 Tape Recorders with Front Panel A&B Switch Front Panel Tape Dubbingand Headphone Jacks 20 dB Muting Switch for temporary quiet Exclusive Low LevelPhono Inputs for Low Level Output Cartridges, the output of 2mV, .6mV, .06mV SeparatePreamplifier Outputs and Main Amplifier Inputs 3 pairs of Stereo Speaker Output Termi-nals for 3 sets of Stereo Speakers and Front Panel Speaker Selector Switch


all you need inheadphones is

expert engineering,the best materials,

great styling,fine craftsmanshipand not a trace ofsound distortion.

That's all!That's what Sharpe

Stereophones are allabout. We make them

in the best possibleway so that you get the

best possiblelistening. Not justregular listening.

The Sharpe kind oflistening. The twoare worlds apart.

That's becauseSharpe units are true

scientific instruments.That's where we leave

the others behind.We care all the way

from research todelivery to you.

There's a Sharpemodel for every

kind of music loverand for every budget.

Models that areguaranteed for life,

listed top -rated, makebest introductory oradvanced listening

buys. For yournearest dealer and

literature, checkthe reader

service card.

SHARPE AUDIODIVISION

SCINTREX INC.Tonawanda, N. Y. 14150

Export Agents'ELPA MARKETINGINDUSTRIES, INC.

New Hyde Park.N. Y. 11040


AUDIO3ASICS

3y RALPH HODGES

ASSEMBLING THE MUSIC SYSTEMMHIS year's Audio Basics series is now ten columns old, and nine of themI have dealt with speakers and power amplifiers. Tight as the space budget

is, I think the emphasis on these components has been justified by their centralimportance in the music system (without both of them there is no system,unless you consider headphones a satisfactory alternative) and the interdepen-dent factors that link the choice of one to the choice of the other. Now, beforewe get into specifics on additional components, let's take a broad look at thefinal system to see how it should logically go together.

First, the system needs a program source-tape, phonograph record, orradio are the options-and a means of connecting it physically and electricallyto the power amplifier that energizes the speakers. For those who have neverseen one, a power amplifier, when it takes the form of a separate component,is a pretty hefty package that frequently has no controls of its own. The levelto which it drives the speakers is determined by the strength of the electricalsignals it gets from the components preceding it. The connecting deviceshould have, at minimum, a volume control to adjust the signal strength goingto the power amplifier, and a switching complex to permit a choice betweenprogram sources. In its present-day form it usually has a good deal more, andgoes by the name "preamplifier."

In the strictest audio sense, a "preamplifier" is any amplification circuit thatprecedes the power amplifier and has something to do with preparing a signalfor it. Thus, a tape deck contains playback preamplifiers to boost the signalfrom the tape to the specified strength needed to drive the power amplifier.But the bulk of the modern preamplifier as an integral audio component is aseries of switches and controls that choose between the various programsources, optionally filter out some of the high or low frequencies to reducenoise in the program source, and perform tape -monitoring chores (i.e., permitimmediate source -tape comparison while recording). There are also a mastervolume control, a stereo balance control (in stereo preamplifiers), and tonecontrols to boost or diminish low and high frequencies. The only amplifica-tion circuits a preamplifier really has are associated with these tone controls,and with the inputs for magnetic phono cartridges. (The record player is oneof the few audio components without built-in amplification.)

The preamplifier is of sufficient interest to deserve its own column later on.Right now, however, we should take note of the physical forms in which thiscomponent is available. The preamplifier and power amplifier logically gotogether, and so it was inevitable that they be combined on one chassis tocreate the integrated amplifier, the power amplifier being located at the rearof the unit, and the preamplifier (with its control panel) up front. The lateraddition of a tuner to the package brought forth the first receiver. The upshotis that you can now buy these various components separately or incorporatedinto one unit. But keep in mind that, together or apart, they all retain theirindividual characteristics and specialized tasks.

6 STEREO REVIEWCIRCLE NO. 24 ON READER SERVICE PAGE

Every record you buy is one more reasonto own a Dual.

The 1218: It will probably become themost popular turntable Dual has ever made.

There's a lot of the 1219 in the new1218, bringing even more Dual precisionto the medium -price range. Most notableof these features is the twin -ring gimbal ofthe tonearm suspension. The 1218's motoralso combines high starting torque withsynchronous -speed constancy.

Anti -skating scales are separatelycalibrated for conical and elliptical styli,thus assuring equal tracking force on eachwall of the groove. (When Dual firstintroduced this feature, we said it provided"more precision than you may ever need"With four -channel records on the way,

such precision is no longer a luxury.Perfect vertical tracking in the single -

play mode is provided by theTrackingAngle Selector, designed into thecartridge housing.

Other 1218 features: Vernier counter.balance with click -stops. Feathertouch cue -

control with silicone damping. Single -playspindle rotates with platter to preventcenter -hole enlargement. Pitch -control forall three speeds. One-piece cast platterweighs 4 lbs. W II track at as low as0.5 gram. Chassis dimensionsless than 11"x 13". $139.50.

Your records probably represent thebiggest single investment you have in yourentire component system. And the mostvulnerable.

It's important to know that your recordscan remain as good as new for years, or beginto wear the very first time you play them. Andsince your collection may be worth hundredsor even thousands of dollars, you don't wantto worry every time you play a record.

How to protect your investment.The turntable is where it all happens. It's

the one component that actually contacts yourrecords and tracks their impressionablegrooves with the unyielding hardness of adiamond. If the tonearm performs the way itshould, your records can last a lifetime.

The tonearm must apply just the rightamount of pressure to the stylus, keep thispressure equal on both walls of the groove,and follow the stylus without resistance as thegroove spirals inward.

Then the stylus will be able to respondfreely to all the twists and turns in the recordgroove, without digging in or chopping away.And your records will sound brand new everytime you play them.

How Dual does it.Dual turntables are designed with great

ingenuity and engineered to perfection. Inevery aspect of performance.

For example, the tonearms of the 1218and 1219 pivot exactly like a gyroscope: up

and down within one ring, left and rightwithin another. This system is called a gimbal,and no other automatic arms have it.

Both these models also provide perfect15° tracking in single play and virtually perfecttracking throughout multiple play.

The professionals'choice.Your favorite record reviewer probably

owns a Dual. So do most other high fidelityprofessionals, such as audio engineers, hi-fieditors and hi-fi salesmen.

It's their business to know every type ofequipment available, and they have easyaccess to whatever they need or want fortheir own system.

For many years, their personal choice inrecord playback equipment has been Dual.Not only for the way Duals get the most out ofrecords (without taking anything away) but fortheir ruggedness and simplicity of operation

Which Dual for you?It's not an easy decision to make. There's

such a wealth of precision built into every Dualthat even the testing labs can measure onlysmall differences in performance among them.

Even our lowest priced turntable, the1215, boasts features every turntable shouldhave, and few do. The 1218 and 1219 haveeven more features and refinements. All threemodels are described on the following pages.

If this brochure doesn't help you decidewhich one is best for you, perhaps a visit toyour dealer will.

The 1219: For the purists who insistupon a full-size professional turntable.

Ever since its introduction, the 1219 has beenwidely acclaimed as the"no-compromise"turntable. Although measuring less than 15"x 12' ,

the 1219 offers a full-size, dynamically balancedplatter that weighs 7 lbs.

The gimbal -mounted tonearm is 83/4" longfrom pivot to stylus tip. This unusual length,combined with correct engineering geometry,reduces horizontal tracking error to the vanishingpoint while maintaining one-piece stability.

Further, the highly sophisticated Mode Selectorachieves perfect 15° tracking in single play byshifting the entire tonearm base-down for singleplay, up for multiple play. Maximum verticaltracking error in multiple play is only 1.5°

Other major features of the 1219 include:powerful continuous-pole/synchronous motor,cue -control damped in both directions, andpitch -control. Will track at as low as0.25 gram $175.00.

Unique gyroscopic gimbalsuspension centers and

balances tonearm within twoconcentric rings. All four pivotshave identical low -friction,hardened steel -point bearings.Vertical friction less than 0.007

gram, horizontal friction lessthan 0.015 gram.

The 1219's powerful continuous-pole/synchronous motor easilybrings massive 7 lb. platter tofull speed in less than a halfturn. 1218 has similar motorfor its 4 lb. platter. Both motorsmaintain precise speedindependently of line voltage.

Anti -skating control iscalibrated separately forelliptical and conical styli.(Each skates differently.)

Mode Selector of 1219provides perfect 15°vertical tracking in single -

play mode by loweringentire tonearm base toparallel tonearm torecord. Base lifts toparallel tonearm at centerof stack in multiple -play.

FeathertoJch cue -control is silicone -

damped for ultra -slow descent. In

1219, ascent is also damped toprevent bounce.

1219 tonearm is 83/4"from pivot to stylus,virtually eliminatingtracking error whilemaintaining one-piecestability. 1218 tonearmis only 1/2" shorter.

RIPITIRRFP

Tracking Angle Selector of 1218provides perfect vertical tracking insingle play and at center of stackn multiple play. Selector knob is

designed into cartridge housing.

41=

The 1215: The choice of many professionals,even though the least expensive Dual.

At $99.50, we don't suggest that the1215 is a low-cost turntable. However,despite this modest price, it provides theprecision engineering, reliable operationand special features that the most criticalusers insist upon.

The low -mass tonearm tracksflawlessly at as low as 0.75 gram, andgets the most out of high compliancecartridges. Among the 1215's nanyfeatures are: Vernier -adjust da raped

counterbalance, tracking force andanti -skating applied simultaneously by asingle control, feather -touch cueing,hi -torque constant -speed motor, 33/4 lb.platter and interchangeable multiple-

play spindle that holds up to six records.Like all Duals, the 1215 also provides a

pitch -control that lets you match the pitch ofrecorded music tc live musicalinstruments or compensate foroff -pitch records. $99.50.

Dual

United Audio Products, Inc.,120 So. Columbus Ave., Mt.Vernon, N.Y. 105538671

TECHNCAL TAL3y JULIAN D. H RSCH

<

LOUDSPEAKER EFFICIENCY: The term "effi-ciency," as applied to loudspeakers, is familiar tomost audio enthusiasts. But, as so often happenswhen a complex subject is dealt with in simple terms,its meaning has become distorted in common use. Tomost people, an "efficient" speaker is one that re-quires relatively little amplifier power to make aloud sound. Although this may be true under certainconditions, it is by no means an accurate definition.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engi-neers (IEEE) defines loudspeaker efficiency (called"rating -efficiency") as the ratio of the acoustic -pow-er output to the electric -power input. In otherwords, if 8.95 volts of test signal from the output ofan amplifier were applied to a speaker with a true8 -ohm impedance, the speaker would be receiving10 watts of power (watts = volts2/resistance). If themeasured total of radiated acoustic power from thespeaker is 1 watt, then the speaker's efficiency is 10per cent at the specific test frequency. Note that thecalculated efficiency will be different at every fre-quency, unless the speaker has the ideal (and so farunattained) characteristic of auniform frequency responseand impedance over its workingrange. If there is a peak of 3 dB(a very minor response irregu-larity for a speaker) at someother frequency, the efficiencywould be double at that point.A 3 -dB depression in the re-sponse would correspond to aefficiency, and so forth.

Since the output of a practical speaker always var-ies at least several decibels over its working frequen-cy range, speaker efficiency can at best be specifiedas a rough average over a range of frequencies. Thefrequency -response curves in Fig. 1 (next page) illus-trate how two speakers with identical efficienciesover much of their frequency range can sound as ifthey have very different efficiencies. Speakers A andB have similar characteristics at low and middle fre-quencies and at the highest frequencies. If they wereOCTOBER 1971

rated at 400 Hz, they could be said to have equalefficiencies. But speaker A has a broad peak in itsupper mid -range, just where speaker B has a de-pressed response. Therefore, when driven with pro-gram material of equal power, A will sound muchlouder than B if one switches back and forth betweenthem during a listening test. Although the listenermight assume that speaker A is more efficient thanspeaker B, it merely sounds louder.

And, to complicate the matter, even if two speak-ers have identical on -axis frequency -response curves,their efficiencies may have little relationship to theirapparent sound volume. The explanation lies in thekey word total in the measurement of radiated acous-tic power. This includes the power radiated in alldirections-to the sides, top and bottom, and to therear-as well as directly in front of the speaker,where the pressure frequency response is most oftenmeasured.

In a "live" room, a sizeable portion of the sound aspeaker radiates to the sides and rear is reflectedfrom room surfaces. By this path it eventually reach-

es our ears, even though it willbe considerably attenuated atthe higher frequencies. In suchan environment, the subjectivesound level may relate well tothe true speaker efficiency. Onthe other hand, in an anechoicchamber, out of doors, or in awell -padded room almost all the

audible sound comes directly from the speaker to thelistener. Little or no sound is reflected to the listen-er's position, simply because sound radiation at otherangles is largely absorbed-or at least never reflect-ed-by the surroundings.

To see how the room's reflective properties affectloudness, let us compare the two polar -responsecurves shown in Fig. 2. Speaker A is an ideal omnidi-rectional radiator with equal output in all directions,but speaker B is highly directional and beams strong-ly on its forward axis. The areas enclosed by bothcurves are equal, indicating that both speakers have

33

TESTED THIS MONTH

Bose 501 Speaker SystemPioneer SX-2500 AM/FM Receiver

Advent 201 Cassette Tape DeckTandberg 4000X Tape Recorder

50 per cent loss in

+5

O

W -5(0 20° +50

0

-5

(A)

50 100 200 500 1kHz 2kHz 5kHz 10kHz 20kHz

(B)

FREQUENCY IN Hz (CYCLES PER SECOND)

Fig. 1. Measured at 400 Hz or below, the efficiency for speaker B will be identical to thatof speaker A, but A will sound louder owing to its elevated mid -range response.

the same total power output. In a nonreverberantroom, or out of doors, a listener facing both speakerswould hear B as being much louder than A, andwould erroneously assume that B is more efficient.However, if the listener were to move toward theside of the speaker, the situation would be reversed.Speaker A would then sound louder than B and thusseem to be more efficient. In an acoustically bright,highly reflective room the two speakers might ap-pear to deliver equal volume, though a listener in theon -axis position would still consider B to be themore efficient.

Since determination of true speaker efficiency is arather involved process and would be of little valueif presented in an abridged form, we (as well as mostmanufacturers of loudspeakers) settle for a veryrough recommendation for the power rating of thedriving amplifier. In view of the factors describedhere, plus such imponderables as listening-room size

Fig. 2. Polar -response curvesfor two speakersshow equal total

output, but speakerB sounds louderon -axis, speaker

A louder off -axis.

and personal taste, this is probably the most realisticmethod of handling the situation. After all, most ofus care little whether the speaker's true efficiency is1 or 10 per cent. What concerns us is whether it candeliver sufficient undistorted sound with the availa-ble amplifier power, or how powerful an amplifierwill be required to get the desired sound level. Andeven more important than the question of "efficien-cy" is the sound quality the speaker delivers, whichhas absolutely nothing to do with its efficiency, how-ever defined or measured.

EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTSBy Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

Bose 501 Speaker System

THE Bose 501 is a moderately priced, floor -standingspeaker system that combines direct and reflected sound toproduce a broad spatial effect in the listening room. Un-like the more expensive Bose 901 system, which uses ninesmall full -range drivers in each speaker, the 501 is a moreconventional two-way design. A forward -facing 10 -inch

woofer operates in a fully sealed enclosure, and the two31/2 -inch cone tweeters, which are aimed at about a 45 -de-gree angle toward the rear, radiate from the sides of theenclosure. Since the crossover is very gradual, the high-

and low -frequency radiators are both active over most ofthe range between 1,000 and 4,000 Hz. At higher fre-quencies the contribution of the woofer is negligible, andthe sound reaching the listener is almost entirely reflectedfrom the wall behind the speaker.

The Bose 501 has been designed to produce a relativelyuniform acoustic -power output over its full operating fre-quency range. In this respect, the 501 resembles the 901.It also shares the 901's characteristic of spreading the ap-parent sound source across the wall behind the speakers,allowing a good stereo effect to be heard almost every-where in the room and not sounding excessively brightwhen heard close-up.

Although many of the special properties of the 901 sys-tem have been retained in the 501, there have been somecompromises to reduce its cost to less than half that of the901. The 501 has slightly less low -bass output (below 40Hz), lower power -handling ability, and somewhat reducedclarity in complex passages. On the other hand, it does not


Sousa lives in the newAltec Segovia

If you're going to listen to Sousa, it should sound likeSousa. Oom-pa, oom-pa, oom-pa-pa. It should be so realthat you can reach over and nudge the tuba playerwhen he gets out of step.The new Altec Segovia is the first bookshelf speakersystem that lets you hear every sound clearly anddistinctly and naturally. Oom-pa. From bass drum totriangle. There's nothing added and there's nothingtaken out. Oom-pa. All you hear is what Sousa wantedyou to hear. Oom-pa-pa.OCTOBER 1971 CIRCLE

Ask your dealer to put on some Sousa when youlisten to the new Altec Segovia speaker system.You've never heard him so good.

The new Altec Dynamic Force Segoviasells for $250.00. It's the culminationof years of building professional soundequipment and working with room acoustics

AL TEC DIviSiON 0. LTV LING AL TEC. INC and equalization while developing theproven Altec Acousta-Voicette Stereo Equalizer. Hear it at your localAltec dealer today. He's in the Yellow Pages under "High Fidelity& Stereo Sound Equipment" under Altec Lansing.

NO. 8 ON READER SERIAICE CARD 35

Overall, tone -burst responsefor the Bose 501 was excellent,

as typified by these photostaken at 100 (near right) and10,000 (far right) Hz. Slightoverhang effect at 2,500 Hz

(center right) is believed dueto interference between drivers.

have an external active equalizer, is much more efficientthan the 901, and can be driven from almost any amplifieror receiver rated at 20 watts or more. The Bose 501, a4 -ohm system, is 141/2 inches square and stands 24 incheshigh. It is finished in walnut vinyl veneer, with a texturedgrille cloth on three sides. Price: $124.80. Laboratory Measurements. Like the 901, the Bose 501does not lend itself readily to conventional measurementmethods. There is no single microphone placement thatcan realistically sample the total output of the speaker. Ourmultiple microphone technique, in a normally "live"room, is probably the most meaningful method. However,one would expect the high -frequency response of the sys-tem to be greatly dependent on speaker placement and onthe reflective properties of the furnishings and walls. Thisproved to be the case.

The averaged frequency -response curve was smooth anduniform, within ±4 dB from 35 to 3,500 Hz, which is theuseful frequency range of the forward -facing woofer. Thebass output was especially strong in the 40- to 100 -Hz re-gion. Between 3,500 and 10,000 Hz, the output-underour test conditions-fell off at about 3 dB per octave. Itappeared to drop much more rapidly between 10,000 and15,000 Hz, but this was not significant since our distantmicrophones are not effective in that frequency range, andin most rooms little energy above 10,000 Hz reaches alistener 10 to 15 feet from the speaker.

The strong bass output of the 501 is very real, as ourmeasured distortion curve showed. At a 1 -watt drive level,which produced a healthy sound output with this fairlyefficient system, the distortion remained low-under 3 percent down to 40 Hz and increasing to 9 per cent at 30 Hz.To measure the high -frequency tone -burst response, wehad to place the microphone toward the rear of the speak-er, in line with the tweeter. The transient response of theBose 501, measured in this manner, was excellent, as itwas at lower frequencies on the woofer axis. In the inter-mediate range, where all three drivers are active, it is diffi-cult to make tone -burst measurements because of interfer-ence effects.

A*" *1110011"

Comment. Simulated "live -vs. -recorded" listening testsessentially confirmed our measurements. In the test room,the Bose 501 required a moderate tone -control trebleboost, after which it proved to be an extremely accuratereproducer whose output was difficult to distinguish fromthe original program. To check their sensitivity to roomacoustics, and to compare them with the Bose 901 system,we set up a pair of 501's in a living room, close to a pair of901's. Here the wall behind the 501's had much betterreflective properties than that of our test room, and notreble boost was needed. As might be expected, there wereboth similarities and differences between the sound of thetwo speakers. The 501 had much the same freedom fromcritical listener placement and the broad panoramic soundspread that characterize a reflecting speaker system such asthe 901. It seemed to have a smoother lower mid -rangeresponse (the 901 tends to emphasize the 100- to 200 -Hzregion), and subjectively the 501 actually seems to havestronger highs. Its deep bass, excellent by any standards, isnevertheless not quite a match for the extended low -fre-quency performance of the 901.

The Bose 501 appears to us to be an excellent compro-mise design, as compared with the unconventional 901. Itis better adapted to installation in most rooms, being lesscritical as to spacing from the wall. Its sound is not asdramatic in its clarity and spread as that of the 901, but isdistinctly different from most direct -radiating systems. Un-like the power-hungry 901, it is easy to drive and shouldbe compatible with even a low -price receiver. Best of all,perhaps, is its relatively low price, which is less than halfthat of the 901 system.

The Bose Corporation states that the 501 was designedto outperform all speakers costing less than the 901. Thisis a rather ambitious goal, and we would not presume tojudge its degree of attainment here (we haven't heard allthe competing speakers, for one thing). Nevertheless, wefeel safe in saying that the 501 is certainly the equal of anyspeaker at anywhere near its price, as well as many costingfar more.

For more information, circle 156 on reader service card

Pioneer SX-2500 AM/Stereo FM Receiver

PIONEER'S SX-2500 AM/stereo FM receiver offers arare combination of performance and flexibility. It is anautomatic -tuning receiver, with the motor -driven dialpointer sweeping through the FM band (or the AM band)in about nine seconds. A light touch on one of the twotuning -direction buttons will cause the receiver to moveone station up or down scale. To move it to a station at theother end of the dial, the appropriate button is depressed36

until the desired station is approached by the pointer.When the button is released, the tuner seeks out the exactcenter of the upcoming station channel and locks into it.The receiver is muted while scanning and can be set torespond only to stereo broadcasts or to local signals thatexceed a predetermined signal strength.

A remote -control accessory with a twenty -two -foot cableduplicates the functions of the auto -tuning buttons and alsohas a volume control. The attractively styled front panel ofthe receiver carries an imposing array of controls. Thecombined power/speaker-selector switch energizes either,both, or neither of two pairs of speakers. Adjacent to it arethe stereo -headphone jack and remote -control socket. Thebass and treble tone controls, which operate on both chan-


0 0

The new Revox All MRIt's still not perfect.

Nothing is.

But the new A77 Mark III is certainly thebest recorder Revox has ever made.And that's saying something.

The Mark III is an improved version ofour critically acclaimed A77. The re-corder that The Stereophile magazine(1-71) described as, "Unquestionablythe best tape recorder we have evertested ..."

And that judgement is as true now as itwas then.

However, at Revox we've never beencontent to rest on our laurels. Wethought we should make the best evenbetter.

But in bringing out a new model, we

didn't discard all of the tjme tested fea-tures and superior performance thatdistinguished the original A77.

Instead, we made only those changeswhich would meaningfully improve per-formance and reliability.

Not a radical transformation, but a pro-gram of rational development.

As a result, you have to examine thenew A77 Mark III rather closely beforeyou see any external differences at all.

On the other hand, from the momentyou start to use the new Revox, you'llbegin to appreciate the changes we'vemade inside.

Revox Corporation155 Michael Drive, Syosset, N. Y. 117913637 Cahuenga Blvd., West, Hollywood, Calif. 90068In Canada: Tri-Tel Associates, Ltd., Toronto, CanadaLamb House, Church Street, Chiswick, London W4 2PE

OCTOBER 1971 CIRCLE NO 75 ON READER SERVICE CARD

For example, we've designed a newoscillator circuit for greater efficiencyand lower distortion. Modified andstrengthened the self-adjusting brakingsystem. Devised a new hardening proc-ess to reduce capstan wear. Improvedtape handling and spooling. And madea number of other changes. A total ofeighteen . . . some major, some minor.

All in all, we haven't created a revolu-tion.

We've just done what we set out to do. . . that is carry the art and science oftape recording a few steps closer toperfection.

And, in the process, we've given youeighteen more reasons why . . .

REVOXdelivers what all the rest only promise.

37

0.5

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nels simultaneously, use eight -position switches instead ofthe usual continuously variable potentiometers and there-fore have positive resettability.

The mode selector permits either channel, or the com-bined right and left signal, to be played through bothspeakers, and provides normal and reversed-channel stereooperation. The volume and balance controls are concen-tric, with loudness compensation added by a separate push-button switch. Other pushbutton controls include tape -monitor switches for two separate tape recorders, high -and low -frequency filters, a switch for connecting either oftwo magnetic-phono inputs, and an FM multiplex noisefilter. Adjacent to the auto-tune controls are the buttonsfor limiting its recepiton to stereo or local broadcasts andan interstation-noise muting threshold control. Completingthe front -panel control lineup are the input selector (AM,FM MONO, FM AUTO, PHONO, AUX 1, AUX 2) and thetuning knob.

On the "blackout" tuning -dial face there are illuminatedprogram legends (AM, FM, PHONO, AUX) and the FMSTEREO indicator. Two tuning meters read zero center forFM tuning and relative signal strength for FM and AM.The plastic dial pointer glows only when a station is tunedin. The rear of the SX-2500 contains all the input andoutput jacks, plus separate preamplifier output and mainamplifier input connectors with a slide switch to decouplethem for inserting an equalizer or other accessory in thesignal path. A DIN connector parallels one of the sets oftape jacks, and there is a center -channel output. Each out-put stage is fused as well as being protected by internalelectronic circuitry, and the speaker outputs accept polar-ized plugs (included with the receiver) that reduce the pos-sibility of accidental short. There are three a.c. outlets, oneof them switched, and a combination a.c.-line fuse holderand voltage selector that can be set for operation at linevoltages from 110 to 240 volts.

In addition to practically every operating convenienceone could desire, the Pioneer SX-2500 carries impressive

Rear -panel view of the SX-2500 showing the input and outputjacks. Note the unusual plug receptacles for the speaker cables.

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performance ratings. The FM tuner includes two FETtuned r.f. amplifiers and an i.f. section with two crystalfilters and several IC amplifiers.

The Pioneer SX-2500 is supplied in a wooden walnut -finish cabinet, measuring 191/4 x 53/4 x 151/4 inches. Itweighs 33 pounds. The price is $549.95, including theremote -control unit. Laboratory Measurements. The SX-2500 audio sec-tion easily surpassed its key specifications. At the clippingpoint it delivered 79 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 115watts into 4 ohms, and 46 watts into 16 ohms, all with bothchannels driven. At 70 watts per channel, the distortionwas under 0.1 per cent from 75 to 3,000 Hz, reaching 0.5per cent at 32 and 20,000 Hz. At half power or less, thedistortion was under 0.15 per cent at 20 and 20,000 Hz,and under 0.05 per cent over much of the audio range.

The harmonic distortion for a 1,000 -Hz test signal wasjust over 0.2 per cent at 0.1 watt, decreasing to less than0.03 per cent in the 15- to 40 -watt range and reaching 0.1per cent at the rated 72 watts output. The IM distortionfollowed a similar pattern, decreasing from 0.45 per centat 0.1 watt to 0.07 per cent between 15 and 50 watts, andrising to about 0.5 per cent at rated output.

The hum and noise were very low -74 dB and 78 dBbelow 10 watts output on the phono and high-level inputs,respectively. The phono dynamic range was better thanaverage, with 1.3 millivolts needed for 10 watts outputand overload occurring at 90 millivolts. The tone controlshad ideal characteristics, very effective at the frequencyextremes but with little mid -range effect except at their fullsettings. The filters had mild 6 -dB-per -octave slopes, be-ginning at about 90 Hz and 3 kHz. The RIAA phonoequalization was accurate within -±1 dB over its range of30 to 15,000 Hz.

The FM tuner sensitivity was 2.1 microvolts. However,(Continued on page 40)

38STEREO REVIEW

ourhead is our

heart

AKAI's exclusive glass and crystalferrite head is the heart of superbAKAI recording equipment-the littlepart that makes the big difference. Wecall it the GX head. It is so unique anddependable that AKAI actually guarantees itfor 150,000 hours of superb fidelity play. That's80 years if you used it 5 hours a day-every dayof the year!

The crystal ferrite core of this remarkable headforms a precise focused field that eliminates bias-records and reproduces high frequencies with abso-lute fidelity.

It's dust -free, oxide -free and wear -free. As a result,there is no degeneration of sound from tape dust orfriction. And, the GX head delivers greater frequency

/response as a result of its pre-cision gap width and gap depth.

And, it's only available from AKAI.The remarkable GX head is just one of

the many innovations that have influencedmore than 6,000,000 Americans to buy AKAI

in over 100 countries abroad. Now the samematchless quality and craftsmanship are here.

There are over 30 fabulous AKAI recorders andtape deck models-a sensational spectrum of ad-

vanced sound systems-and also the exciting andexclusive line of video tape recorders using AKAI'srevolutionary 1/4 -inch tape system. See the entireline at your AKAI dealer.

For those who demand the best, AKAI is headsabove all others.

AKAIAKAI America, Ltd./2139 E. Del Amo Blvd., Compton, Calif. 90220 (213) 537-3880

OCTOBER 1971

CIRCLE NO 3 ON READER SERVICE CARD

39

the limiting was complete at about 4 microvolts, making.this in effect one of the more sensitive tuners we haveused. FM distortion at full modulation was 0.8 per cent.The stereo FM frequency response was ±1 dB from 30 to15,000 Hz, and there was hardly a trace of 19- or 38 -kHzsignal in the output. The channel separation was about 30dB from 100 to 4,000 Hz, falling to 21 dB at 30 Hz and to15 dB at 15,000 Hz.

The measured FM signal-to-noise ratio was about 71 dB,image rejection was 83.5 dB, and AM rejection was 51dB-all figures representing good performance. We madeno measurements on the AM tuner, but it sounded aboutas good as any we have encountered in our tests of stereoreceivers. Comment. The Pioneer SX-2500, subjectively, was aseasy and pleasant to use as its impressive specificationswould suggest. The FM interstation-noise muting workedperfectly (it should be noted that the muting operates dur-ing manual tuning only when the LOCAL station button hasbeen depressed). Everything else also worked exactly asclaimed, smoothly and without extraneous noises. The SX-2500 is about as sensitive and powerful a receiver as wehave seen, and little more need be said about its electricaland acoustic properties.

We were intrigued by the automatic tuning. Most elec-tronically tuned receivers use silicon voltage -variable ca-pacitors. This has the disadvantage of giving only a crudeindication of operating frequency, being subject to drift

Advent Model

unless automatic frequency control (AFC) circuits areused. In contrast, the Pioneer SX-2500 uses a motor totune the receiver physically. The dial pointer moves, andthe full dial calibration accuracy is available. Unlike someothers, it scans in either direction and is absolutely noise-less in operation. When the receiver is switched off it re-mains set on the previously tuned frequency, unlike someof the electronically tuned receivers that must be reseteach time they are turned on. As a bonus, the Pioneerscanning mechanism works on AM as well as FM.

Remote volume control is handled nicely by a pair ofcadmium -sulfide photo -resistor assemblies. They plug intoa socket recessed in the right side of the receiver and effec-tively shunt the volume control in the receiver. In use, theremote volume control is set to maximum and the receiveris set for the highest desired playing level. The remotecontrol can then reduce the volume as desired. Since theremote volume -control knob actually varies the d.c. volt-age on a miniature lamp in the photo -resistor assembly,there is no deleterious effect on the noise level or frequen-cy response. There is a slight time lag when the volume ischanged, but one soon becomes accustomed to this.

We enjoyed using the Pioneer SX-2500. It is truly "de-luxe" in an age when that adjective seems to be appliedindiscriminately to many less worthy products. Althoughthe SX-2500 is not inexpensive, we feel that the buyer getsfine value for his investment.


201 Cassette Tape Deck

ALTHOUGH the Dolbyized cassette recorder has beenwith us for only about a year, "second generation" modelsare beginning to appear. The new Advent 201, which re-places last year's Model 200, is an all -new machine withnumerous improvements. Unlike the Model 200, whichwas largely manufactured in Japan (as were all first -genera-tion Dolby -equipped cassette machines), the Advent 201uses the American -made Wollensak transport, and all theelectronics have been designed and built by Advent.

The Advent 201 measures 137/8 inches wide, 41/2 incheshigh, and 91/4 inches deep; it weighs 131/2 pounds with itswalnut base. The cassette snaps into an open well and iscompletely visible during operation. The PLAY and STOPbuttons control normal tape movement, with a separaterecord interlock and a record -mode indicator light. ThePAUSE lever is pulled toward the front of the deck and tothe right to lock it into place. A slight push to the leftreleases it and sets the tape instantly into motion. An EJECTlever pops the cassette vigorously from its well, in a man-ner reminiscent of an old-fashioned toaster. The powerswitch goes ON when the PLAY button is pressed.40

The powerful a.c. motor of the 201 transport providesthe fastest wind and rewind performance we have encoun-tered in a cassette machine. About 45 seconds is requiredto handle a C-60 cassette. The fast -forward and rewindcontrol is a nonlatching lever that must be pushed in thedirecton of tape motion and held there during the windingoperation.

The transport has a full mechanical shutoff, disengagingthe pinch roller and shutting off the motor when the tapereaches its end or if the cassette jams. The three -digit,pushbutton -reset index counter is notably free of slippageand is therefore really useful for indexing. Advent suppliesa chart showing the relationship of counter reading to play-ing time for C-60 and C-90 cassettes. (Although Adventdoes not proscribe the use of C-120 cassettes, it suggests,because of their thinner oxide coatings, that they be usedonly for limited -fidelity applications.)

Like the previous model, the Advent 201 has a singlelarge, illuminated VU meter that can be switched to readthe level of either channel or the higher of the two. It alsoreads playback levels and is used for calibration of the Dol-by circuits. Recording levels are set by individual controlsfor each channel and a single master control. Togetherwith the switchable meter operation, this makes level set-ting a relatively foolproof process. A rocker switch con-nects a single -channel input to both recording channels formono.

Two lever switches provide much of the operating versa-tility of the Advent 201. One turns the Dolby system on oroff. (As is well known by now, the Dolby can provide upto 10 dB of hiss reduction in the record -playback process.)The other switch, labeled REG and Cr02, has a doublefunction. The REG position is used with most iron -oxidetapes. For the new chromium -dioxide (Crolyn) tapes theswitch is set to Cr02. This increases the recording biaslevel for minimum distortion and also changes the play -


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ccimprcveudesignates newest ically that the 999VE stereo car-fourA verso

coils, and three magnets (more than any tridge is "a design that encourages aother brand). Perfect magnetic balance, with a signal hi-fi purist to clap his hands with joy."to noise ratio of 80 dB, they feature a moving mag- FM Guide wrote " .. using the 1000ZE. It works beau-netic element and stylus lever system .001 inch thick. tifully...giving great results."The performance is phenomenal! Audio Magazine observing a remarkable 35 dB stereo

The Experts Agree - For example: Stereo Magazine spread between left and right channels in the 999VEwho tested 13 different cartridges rated the 999VE tops said "Outstanding square waves. Tops in separation."in lightweight tracking ability. Popular Science Magazine picked the 999VE hands

Hi Fi Sound Magazine called the 999VE "a real hi-fi down as the cartridge for "the stereo system I wish Imasterpiece...a remarkable cartridge unlikely to wear owned" designed by Electronics Editor Ronaldout discs any more rapidly than a feather held lightly M. Benrey.against the spinning groove."

LILT ire)sound is superb. The performance data among theHigh Fidelity Magazine said of the 1000ZE "The

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Write for free 1971 Guide to SoundDesign: Empire Scientific Corp.,1055 Stewart Ave., Garden City,N. Y. 11530.


back equalization to compensate for the rising high -fre-quency response of Cr02 tape. This latter function alsoserves to further reduce the hiss during playback.

The inputs and outputs are recessed into the left side ofthe base, together with a playback -level control. There isno headphone jack, though the playback outputs can drive600 -ohm phones if a suitable plug adapter is used. A push-button injects a standard -level calibrating signal for adjust-ing the Dolby system for a particular tape. The Advent201 does not have built-in microphone preamplifiers. Anoptional external preamplifier (powered from a jack on theside of the deck) is available for those who wish to make"live" recordings. The price of the Advent 201 is $280.The external microphone preamplifier is $20. Laboratory Measurements. The Advent 201 easily metits specifications and established itself-at least for the timebeing-as the best cassette recorder we know of. Having

The cassette -loading area of the Advent 201 with the heads andtransport mechanism in the record/play position. The Wollensaktransport has an unusually heavy flywheel and oversize capstan.

used it to evaluate the forty types of cassette tape in asurvey report (September 1971), we have a familiaritywith, and respect for, its capabilities.

With a good non -chromium -dioxide tape (we used 3MER/BT), the record -playback frequency response was-±1.5 dB from 31 to 15,000 Hz after the low -frequencyripples caused by head -fringing effects were averaged out.With Advocate Crolyn tape, the response variation was lessthan ±2 dB from 31 to 15,500 Hz, and the signal-to-noiseratio was somewhat improved. The Dolby circuits had anegligible effect on frequency response-unlike those ofthe "first -generation" Dolby decks, which tended to exag-gerate the highs slightly. With TDK SD and other "ex-tended -range" tapes, the response above about 3,000 Hzrose smoothly to a maximum of approximately 5 dB at15,000 Hz. This adds a little "sparkle" to recordings,which can sometimes be beneficial. The recording bias ofthe 201 can be adjusted to provide optimum responsefrom any tape, but a simpler solution for TDK and othertapes with a similar high -frequency rise is to introduce alittle treble rolloff with the amplifier tone controls if thebrightness of the sound is annoying. The characteristics ofmany tone controls should be ideal for this.

The playback frequency response, using a BASF calibrat-ed test cassette, was ±1 dB from 100 to 10,000 Hz, risingto +3.5 dB at 40 Hz. This low -frequency rise appears tobe a property of the test tape. Wow and flutter were 0.17per cent, unweighted. An input of 31 millivolts was need-ed for a 0 -VU recording level, and the corresponding play-back level was 530 millivolts (0.53 volt).

With TDK SD tape, the signal-to-noise ratio was 48.5dB referred to 0 VU (which, for this machine, is set at thestandard Dolby calibration level). Switching on the Dolbyimproved this to 54 dB. At least part of the remaining

noise was inaudible hum-which nevertheless affected ourmeter readings. The benefits of Cr02 tape-and especiallyof the playback equalization used by Advent with thistape-is evident from the 53 dB signal-to-noise ratioachieved with Advocate Crolyn tape. The Dolby circuitsimproved this only to 55 dB because of the residual low -

frequency ripple mentioned previously. Filtering out fre-quencies below 200 Hz yielded an ultimate signal-to-noiseratio of 57 dB. It should be noted that the noise was totallyinaudible, even at extremely high playback levels.

The distortion characteristics of the Advent 201 havebeen substantially improved over those of the Model 200.At 0 VU, the distortion was 1.9 per cent with Crolyn tape,and even at +3 dB (full-scale meter reading) it was only2.8 per cent. Unlike last year's Dolbyized cassette decks,the Advent 201 is remarkably tolerant of high recordinglevels. Incidentally, if the 3 per cent distortion level is tak-en as the reference point for signal-to-noise specification(as is the case with most open -reel machines), the Advent201 could fairly be rated at 60 dB! Comment. It is difficult to restrain our enthusiasm forthe Advent 201. The unit came supplied with a demonstra-tion tape that had been dubbed onto Crolyn tape by thatspecific machine from a Dolby "A" master tape. Thesound quality, especially with the finest playback amplifi-ers and speakers, was literally awesome, as was the totalabsence of audible hiss or other background noise. If any-one suspects a special gimmick approach was used to makethe recording, let him make his own recordings and beconvinced.

Comparing the Advent 201 with the finest home open -reel tape decks we have tested (a comparison that it obvi-ously invites), we find that:

1. Listening quality is matched by only one other open-

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Record -playback response curves for the Advent 201 made with arecording level of -30 dB, Dolby circuits off, and the tape -typeswitch in the appropriate position for each kind of tape.

reel recorder operating at 3% ips, and by very few operat-ing at 71/2 ips.

2. Its signal-to-noise ratio with the Dolby circuitsswitched in compares with that of the best of the open -reeldecks we have tested at any speed. (Admittedly, the othersdid not have the benefit of the Dolby system).

3. Its distortion is comparable to that of any good open -reel machine, and better than many.

4. Its flutter, while measurably higher than that of thegood open -reel units, probably could not be heard exceptunder the most critical conditions.

5. Its fast winding, indexing, and general accessibility toany portion of a recording is better than that of any reelmachine and approaches the convenience of a disc record.

Summarizing, the Advent 201 is a tape deck of superla-tive quality. It is difficult to imagine how its sonic perform-ance could be substantially improved, but without doubt alot of Advent's competitors are concentrating on that prob-lem and we'll soon see (and hear) the results. For the timebeing, this is the one that sets the standard for cassetterecorders.


(Continued on page 44)STEREO REVIEW42

Turn on whichever turns you on.Among the "stereo set" it's pretty much atoss-up.

About half the audio enthusiasts to whomwe've spoken say they still prefer their com-ponents separate.

The other half feel that if you don't sacri-fice quality in either the receiver or thechanger, why not wrap them up in one com-ponent package

Bogen, a leader in sound for just about40 years, agrees. You should turn on which-ever turns you on.

If you're a "separatist," we offer you thesuperb "best -buy" BR360 120 watt (UHF) AM/FM Stereo Receiver. Its many features includeslides and push -buttons in place of conven-tional dials, handsome contemporary styling,and Crescendo Control . . . the exciting andexclusive Bogen feature that restores the dy-namic range of music as it was originallyperformed. No other receiver has it!

For the compact lovers of togetherness,Bogen presents the BC360. Atop the exciting

BR360 we've mounted a deluxe BSR 4 -speedautomatic turntable ... with anti -skating, cue-ing, automatic system shut-off, Pickering magcartridge with diamond stylus, and the manyother features you look for in a precision auto-matic table.

Suggested list prices: only $299.95 for thereceiver (walnut enclosure optional); $379.95for the compact, finished in handsome walnut.

To round out your stereo system, Bogenoffers a choice of superb "Row 10" speakersystems, cassette and 8 -track tape decks,precision turntable and headphones. For de-tails, specs, and "where -to -buy" information,write us today.

BOGENLEAR SIEGLER, INC.

BOGEN DIVISIONPARAMUS, NEW JERSEY 07652

Tandberg 4000X Stereo Tape Recorder

The new Tandberg 4000X tape recorder fills, in asense, the gap between the 6000X and 3000X models. Itsoperating controls have been slightly modified, but it of-fers essentially the same high quality of performance. Theunique feature of the 4000X is its built-in pair of 4 x 7 -inch oval speakers and its 20 -watt stereo power amplifier,both accomodated with no size increase over the 4000X'sbrethren in the Tandberg line.

The Tandberg 4000X transport, like that of the 3000X,uses a single two -pole induction motor with tape speeds of17/8, 33/4, and 71/2 ips. It retains the familiar Tandberg"joystick" control lever, which, with the transport in verti-cal position, puts the tape into motion at normal speedwhen pushed down, and into fast forward or rewind, re-spectively, when pushed to right or left. In the center("neutral") position it brakes the tape to a swift, smoothstop. Pushing the lever up lets the reels turn freely for easyloading. The tape is loaded in a simple straight-line pathacross the heads.

The 4000X has a separate erase head and separate re-cording and playback heads and amplifiers. A fourth headsupplies cross -field biasing, which is responsible for muchof the outstanding frequency-response-and, indirectly,low-noise-performance of these machines. Its heads ap-pear to be identical to those used in the two other Tand-berg machines. In the rear are line and phono-cartridgeinputs, with a switch to select flat response for ceramiccartridges or RIAA equalization for magnetic cartridges.The line outputs are in the rear of the recorder, as are twostandard phone jacks for driving external speakers (4 -ohmimpedance is recommended for maximum amplifier pow-er). A switch on the back panel, accessible from the top of

The Tandberg 4000X's pinch roller and cross -field bias head aremounted on a pivoting assembly, shown here in the record/playposition. Assembly pivots down for tape loading and maintenance.

44

the deck, activates the internal speakers, external speakers,or both. A socket in the rear of the 4000X can be usedwith an optional foot -control accessory for remote stop/start control of the transport.

The basic operating controls are a row of pushbuttonswitches on the panel. There are separate record -interlockpushbuttons for the two channels, and a second pair ofpushbuttons connects either the input signal or the play-back -amplifier outputs to the line outputs and monitor am-plifiers for off -the -tape monitoring. Pressing the button foronly one channel feeds that signal to both outputs. ASTOP/START switch serves as a pause control. Actingthrough a solenoid, it stops and starts the tape almost in-stantly, with no start-up "wow." Another button, markedNORMAL/SPECIAL, connects the playback amplifier ofeach channel to the recording amplifier of the oppositechannel for sound -on -sound recordings and echo effects.

At the left of the panel are the two VU meters; theylight up and operate only during recording. Below themare individual channel -input selectors and recording -levelcontrols. In the MIC/LINE position, the line inputs are ac-tive unless a microphone is plugged into one of the jackson the panel. The microphone inputs are designed for dy-namic microphones of 200- to 700 -ohms impedance. Inmono (but not stereo) operation, a microphone input canbe mixed with another program source. Near the "joy-stick" control are the power switch, pushbutton -reset four -

digit index counter, stereo headphone jack (for phones of200 ohms or higher impedance), and the playback amplifi-er controls. These last-concentric volume controls andconcentric bass and treble tone controls-affect only thespeaker and headphone outputs. Both internal and externalspeakers are muted when the headphone jack is used. Theline -output level is not adjustable.

The Tandberg 4000X, which measures about 151/2 x121/2 x 61/2 inches, is supplied on a walnut base. For verticaloperation, a pair of feet and a cover to conceal the cablesand connectors in the rear (which then becomes the top)are supplied. The price is $429. A smoked plastic dustcover is $9.60 additional. Laboratory Measurements. The performance of theTandberg 4000X was as outstanding as that of the otherrecent Tandberg models we have tested. At 71/4 ips (using3M Type 203 tape), the record -playback frequency re-sponse was ±2 dB from 32 to 26,500 Hz. At 3% ips, theresponse was ±3 dB from 22 to 23,000 Hz, and at 17/8 ipsit was ±2.5 dB from 40 to 12,000 Hz. The playback fre-quency response at 71/2 ips was ± 1.5 dB from 50 to15,000 Hz (the range of the Ampex test tape for thatspeed), and ±1 dB from 50 to 7,500 Hz at 3% ips. Infast -forward or rewind modes, 1,800 feet of tape was han-dled in 112 seconds. Wow and flutter were a low 0.015and 0.07 per cent at 71/2 ips, 0.04 and 0.1 per cent at 3%ips, and 0.03 and 0.14 per cent at 17/8 ips.

The input amplifiers were unusual in requiring only 4millivolts at the LINE inputs for a 0 -VU recording level.The magnetic-phono inputs required 1.15 millivolts, andwith a ceramic cartridge 8.4 millivolts were needed for 0VU. The inputs of the 4000X were designed to make acci-dental overload virtually impossible. By turning down thelevel controls, we could put 10 volts into any input withoutcausing distortion. The output from a 0 -VU signal was 0.8volt at the line jacks. The harmonic distortion for a signalrecorded at 0 VU was 2 per cent at 71/2 ips, reaching thestandard reference level of 3 per cent at slightly over +2VU. However, at 3% ips, a +6 -VU recording level couldbe applied before distortion approached 3 per cent.

Referred to the 0 -VU recording level, the signal -to -

(Continued on page 46). STEREO REVIEW

If music is im

portantin

yourlife, sooner or

lateryou

will

own

...4-6

the most highly review

ed speakerregardless of

size or price.

covered by U.S

. and foreign patents, issuedand pending.

For literat.ire and copies of the

reviews, circle no.76 on R

eaderS

ervice Card.

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TANDBERG 4000XRECORD -PLAYBACK RESPONSE

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NAB PLAYBACK RESPONSEFREQUENCY IN Hz (CYCLES PER SECOND)

noise ratio (unweighted) was 57 dB at the two higherspeeds, and 52 dB at 17/8 ips. However, in each case, thestandard distortion -level reference measurement of 3 percent allowed somewhat more input to be applied, whicheffectively increased the signal-to-noise ratios to 57 dB at71/2 ips, 61 dB at 3% ips, and 54 dB at 17/8 ips. (The im-proved figure at 3% ips was the result of the +6 -VU re-cording level needed to reach 3 per cent distortion.) Thesefigures easily represent state-of-the-art performance for anopen -reel tape machine, and reflect Tandberg's policy ofdesigning in 3%-ips performance that is at least as good as71/2 ips from every audible standpoint.

Since the monitor amplifiers and speakers are the princi-pal features distinguishing the 4000X from the otherTandberg models, we also measured the amplifier per-formance. Into the recommended 4 -ohm loads we mea-sured about 12 watts per channel at the clipping point.Distortion was low at middle frequencies and at reducedpower over much of the audible range. At the rated 10 -watt level, the distortion was 1 per cent at 100 and 4,000Hz, reaching a minimum of just over 0.4 per cent at 1,000Hz. The limited low -frequency power -handling ability ofthe amplifier was reflected in its rather poor IM character-istic, with the distortion always 1 per cent or more at anypower output. But the 1,000 -Hz harmonic distortion was

under 0.2 per cent at normal listening levels. The speakerssounded as good as could be expected. However, wewould consider it a waste of a superb recorder to listen tothe Tandberg 4000X only through its own amplifiers andspeakers. It deserves the best possible external amplifierand speakers. Comment. Judged as a tape deck, the Tandberg 4000Xranks with the 3000X and the 6000X-in other words, itis one of the finest units to be had at any price. In record-ing FM programs, absolutely no change in sound could beheard in an input -vs. -output comparison at the two highertape speeds. With most recorded music, even the 17/8-ipsspeed did not alter the frequency response, noise, or dis-tortion in any discernible way, and the super -critical test ofswitching from input to output while recording FM inter -station hiss did not faze the 4000X. At the two higherspeeds there was no audible change in noise character(though at the slowest speed the loss of highs in the noisesignal could be clearly heard). All in all, one could hardlyask for more from a tape recorder, given the present stateof the art.

It is interesting to compare the features of the 4000Xwith those of the other Tandberg models that bracket it inprice. The 4000X has the solenoid -activated start/stopmechanism of the 6000X, but otherwise it is more akin tothe 3000X. The 6000X has a very effective limiter circuit,full microphone/line mixing facilities, and a hysteresis-syn-chonous motor-none of which are offered on the othermodels. Since all three perform-and sound-pretty muchalike, the appeal of the 4000X must be to those who wishto use it as the nucleus of a modest hi-fi system or whoneed a relatively portable machine with built-in monitoramplifiers and speakers of medium quality for on -locationrecording jobs.


It's anything but standard.

Look at its features. Listen to its sound. You'll know it's a top qualitystereo receiver. Then check its budget price and you'll know it'sa top buy, too.

Standard's SR -500U receiver has IC for all audio am-plifier stages, FET'd front end, 12/ 12 watts RMS (8ohms) with both channels driven, a THD of lessthan 0.9% at rated output, and an FMsensitivity of 2.5 uV. Plus dual speaker systemselector, Hi filter, FM muting, tape monitorcontrols, large tuning meter, stepped bassand treble controls, and black -out dial face.All in a handsome, walnut -finished woodcabinet that is included in the remarkablebudget price.

The difference between standard andStandard? Come in and hear us out.

STANDARD

STANDARD RADIO CORP., 60-09 39th AVENUE, WOODSIDE, N.Y. 11377; 13518 SOUTH NORMANDIE AVENUE, GARDENA, CALIF. 90249.

CIRCLE NO 66 ON READER SERVICE CARD

46 STEREO REVIEW

Ask your franchised dealer* to A -B the BOSE 501with any speaker he carries that uses

woofers, tweeters and crossovers.

There is an important reason why we askyou to make this test. There are inherentlimitations of performance in the use of awoofer, a tweeter and a crossover-limitationscovered in detail in earlier issues. The bypassingof these limitations played a large part in theadvances which have made the BOSE 901 themost highly reviewed speaker, regardless ofsize or price.

We set out to design a lower pricedspeaker which would preserve as much aspossible of the performance of the 901. Mostimportant, we were able to design into the 501much of the 901's great advance in spatialproperties. The BOSE 501 is the secondDIRECT/REFLECTING® speaker system.

But it became evident that there was no wayto keep the advantages of multiple small full -range drivers and equalization. The cost problemwas too great. We were forced to accept thewoofer -tweeter -crossover combination as theonly feasible compromise and set out to achievethe fullest possible realization of this designapproach.

Our engineers designed a unique wooferwith an unusually long voice coil which providestight control of bass transients. They developeda new and different approach to crossing overthe outputs of the woofer and the two tweeters.In the process they became convinced that $125is about the limiting price for improving theperformance of a speaker containing woofers,tweeters and crossovers.

The design goal of the 501 was tooutperform any other woofer -tweeter -crossoverspeaker. You be the judge. If we have succeeded,the results will be obvious to you when youmake the comparison.

*Literature sent in answer to your request willinclude a list of franchised BOSE dealers in yourarea who are capable of demonstrating BOSEspeakers to their full performance.

BOSE 501 DIRECT/REFLECTING® Speaker System$124.80 ea. Patents applied for.

NATICK, MA. 01760 AgliffHPLLIYou can hear the difference now.

OCTOBER 1971 CIRCLE NO 79 ON READER SERVICE CARD 47

forstereo

headphoneowners!

a

remarkablelistening

experience

'41100 lipview's

Created specifically for playbackthrough stereo headphones, thisunique record presents the listenerwith sound of unsurpassed realism. Itrecreates at each of the listener'sears the precise sound that each earwould have heard - independently -at the original scene.Binaural recording re-creates the directions, dis-tances, and even the elevations of sounds betterthan any other recording method. The super -realismof binaural recording is accomplished by record-ing the acoustical input for each ear separately,and then playing it back through stereo headphones.Thus the sound intended for the left ear cannot mixwith the sound for the right ear, and vice versa.Binaural recording offers the listener the identicalacoustical perspective and instrument spread of theoriginal. The sound reaching each ear is exactlythe same as would have been heard at the live scene."MAX"- GENIE OF BINAURAL RECORDING."Max," is a specially constructed dummy head,cast in silicone rubber, which duplicates the role ofthe human head as an acoustical absorber andreflector of sound. Super -precision capacitor micro-phones were installed in Max's ears so that eachmicrophone would pick up exactly what each humanear would hear. The result is a demonstration ofphenomenal recorded sound.STARTLING REALITY. The Binaural DemonstrationRecord offers 45 minutes of sound and music ofstartling reality.You'll marvel at the eerie accuracy with whichdirection and elevation are re-created as you em-bark on a street tour in binaural sound-SoundsOf The City . . . Trains, Planes & Ships . . . aBasketball Game, a Street Parade, a Steel Fabrica-tion Plant, The Bird House at the Zoo-all demon-strating the incredible realism of binaural soundreproduction.MUSIC IN BINAURAL. The musical performancespresented on the Binaural Demonstration Recordtransport you to the concert hall for a demonstra-tion of a wide variety of music. Selections total 23minutes, and include examples of jazz, rock, organ,and chamber music.The Stereo Review Binaural Demonstration Recordis the ultimate in sound reproduction. It has beenmade without compromise for the owner of stereoheadphones. If you own stereo headphones, thisrecord is a must.Note: Although headphones are necessary to ap-preciate the near -total realism of binaural record-ing, the record can also be played and enjoyed onconventional stereo systems.Order your Stereo Review Binaural DemonstrationRecord today. ONLY $5.98.

RECORDS, Ziff -Davis Service Division S R -10595 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012Please send Binaural DemonstrationRecords at $5.98 each, postpaid. My check (ormoney order) for $ is enclosed.(Outside U.S.A. please send $8.00 per recordordered.) N.Y. State residents please add localsales tax.Print Name

Address

City

State Zip

4n= PAYMENT MUST BE ENCLOSED WITH ORDER MEM

GONGON RECORD3y JAMES GOODFRIEND

Music Editor

THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?ON Thursday, June 10, at the Mon-

treux -Palace Hotel in beautiful (butrainy) Montreux, Switzerland, CBS audi-tioned its new four -channel disc. Takentogether with the accompanying an-nouncement that CBS would have fiftyquadrasonic discs ready for release thisfall, it was by far the biggest shoedropped thus far in the unbelievably con-fused four -channel floorshow.

Why all the confusion? Because thereare a myriad different possible systemsfor four -channel reproduction, some ofthem compatible to a greater or lesser de-gree with other systems, with stereo oreven monophonic systems, and some ofthem not compatible with anything ex-cept the egos of the companies that devel-oped them.

In the music reproduction business,hardware (equipment) and software(discs and tapes) coexist in a sort of chick-en and egg relationship. Hardware manu-facturers are loath to put too much mus-cle (or money) into marketing playingequipment until they see the generalavailability of material to play on it. Andsoftware manufacturers see little point inissuing material in one or another formatuntil they know what sort of hardware itis going to be played on.

And that is why the demonstration andannouncement by CBS-in conjunctionwith the Sony Corporation of Japan-add-ed up to such a deafening report. Sonywill make the equipment, CBS will makethe records, and one combine at least hasset off full speed ahead on a predeter-mined course, damn all the torpedoes.

I was in Montreux to hear the demon-stration and, without attempting to ex-plain matters beyond my technical compe-tence, I can say that it was sufficiently im-pressive. The qualifier is there not to ex-press technical reservations but, perhaps,aesthetic ones (of which more later).Most of the material auditioned has beenpresented before at one or another four-

channel tape demonstration. The differ-ence was that this time the sound source

was a disc. Perhaps that is the four -chan-nel sound source of the future, and per-haps not.

CBS, as I said, is readying fifty discs forrelease. Full details are not yet availableas to just what they are, but an advancelist of twenty that I have seen will givethe reader some idea. The list is made upentirely of previously released albums,nineteen of which are popular or jazz andone of which ("Switched -On Bach")might be called classical by some. Theother titles include "Blood, Sweat &Tears II," "Bridge Over Troubled Wa-ter," "Johnny Mathis' Love Story," "RayConniffs Love Story," "Andy Williams'Love Story," and so on.

Of the other companies, Vanguard willhave forty quadrasonic disc releases, and Ithink it is safe to predict that there will beclassical items included. Certainly Van-guard has the material-Maurice Abrava-nel and the Utah Symphony recorded spe-cifically for four -channel reproduction.All the Vanguard material has also beenpreviously released, so there is nothingtotally new there either. Vanguard's discswill be mastered in the CBS system, butthe company has also made a demonstra-tion disc for Dynaco using their systemand may do others.

Quadrasonic records in the Electro-Voice system have already been releasedby Ovation, Project 3, and Crewe. For areport on some of these, see Paul Kresh'sarticle on page 66 of this issue.

At RCA the situation remains as it wasbefore the CBS announcement. RCA willcontinue to make quadrasonic tape car-tridges (discrete) but will refrain frompressing four -channel discs until suchtime as they either develop themselves orare presented with a technique thatmatches their requirements (or, one istempted to add, they are presented with afait accompli in the marketplace-exactlywhat Columbia is trying to bring off.)

There are few rumblings of any sortfrom the other companies. Most of the


Our new receiver incorporates anadvanced engineering concept made

famous b a leading tea bag.Not long ago, the tea people demonstrated

that it was possible to increase the performanceof a tea bag simply by changing its fundamentalstructure.

A similar approach has given birth to awhole new line of stereo receivers, the first ofwhich is here now: the Harman-Kardon 930.

The 930 is the first receiver ever builtwith twin power. Unlike every other receiver,it has two separate power supplies-two separatetransformers, two separate rectifier circuitsand two separate filter sections.

To really appreciate what this means,you have to hear it in action.

Let's say you're listening to an orchestrathrough a conventional receiver. Suddenly astirring bass passage comes along- a protractedorgan chord for example.

To reproduce all that bass, a huge amountof electrical power is required. In conventionalstereo receivers, both amplifiers pull that powerfrom a common source. The amplifiers beginstruggling for whatever they can get. The resultis a loss in acoustical power-and a debilitatinginteraction between the two amplifiers.

This can't happen with the 930. Becausethe amplifiers, each with its own power source,have no trouble meeting the demand for power.

The result is virtually distortionless sound-not just at 1,000 Hz, but throughout the entire


frequency spectrum. Total harmonic distortionremains below 0.5% from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz(at full rated output, 45/45 watts RMS,both channels driven simultaneously into 8 ohms).You can draw the distortion curve with astraight edge.

Because of twin power, the 930 offersremarkable square wave response: less than 5%tilt at 20 Hz; rise time is less than 2 microseconds.

But there's more to a receiver thanamplifiers and power sources. The 930 alsooffers a tuner every bit as sophisticated as therest of the system-and quite a few other thingswe'd like to tell you about.

Write us and we will:Harman-Kardon, Inc.,55 Ames Court,Plainview, New York 11803. I,,,

The Harman-Kardon 930.The first receiver with twin power.

harman kardon

Some Clear Informationfrom Advent on

CassettesFor more than two years, we at Advent have tied our company's futureto helping establish a new level of performance in cassette recording -one that would put the sound quality of cassettes on at least par with thebest present stereo records. Since we have done a good deal more towardthis goal, quite frankly, than any other audio manufacturer, we feel wecan and should provide you, the prospective buyer, with some very clearinformation on the present state of cassette recording.

Here, then, are questions and answers that we believe will provide theinformation you need on cassettes :

How good a recordingcan I make on a cassette ?

With the best present cassette decks, employingboth the Dolby System® and chromium -dioxide(Crolyn®) tape to fullest advantage, you can nowexpect record -playback performance that is actu-ally in excess of what you will need to record thebest records and broadcasts. You will not hear anysignificant difference - in frequency range, clarity,and noise level - between the original source andthe cassette copy. Only live recording with high-grade professional microphones will explore thefull quality now available in the best cassetterecorders.

How good are commercialcassette recordings ?

The majority of cassette releases you are likely toencounter in a store right now are still not impres-sive. But most Dolbyized releases, provided theyare made from high -quality, quiet master record-ings and played back on a deck equipped with theDolby System, are just as pleasing in overall listen-ing quality as their disc equivalents. (A given rec-ord may win in one department of performance, thecassette in another, but things are substantially thesame for the listener and his overall enjoyment.)Cassettes, we are convinced, can be even betterthan records. More on that in a moment.

How many Dolbyized releasescan I count on

in the reasonable future ?It's hard right now to spot the few Dolbyizedreleases in a sea of older -style cassettes, but therewill Be a really good choice before very long andan interesting variety as early as this Christmas.The list of labels now Dolbyizing cassette releasesincludes Ampex, Columbia, London, The MusicalHeritage Society, Precision Tapes, and Vox, andthe releases range from Mahler's Ninth to thelatest entry from The Firesign Theater. And thenthere will be us.

Is Advent going intothe pre-recorded tape business ?

It looks that way. We plan to issue a first-classlibrary of Dolbyized cassette releases on chro-mium -dioxide tape, and to do so pretty quickly.Chromium -dioxide tape is, we are sure, the finalstep necessary for cassette releases that in manycases should clearly exceed the quality of disc rec-ords, especially in the absence of the rumble, echoand mold -grain noise that clouds the sound qualityof many discs. Something might come up to slowus down, but right now we plan to be on the marketbefore the end of 1971 with cassette releases of thehighest quality obtainable. We think they will beear -openers.

Does chromium -dioxidemake all that much difference ?

Absolutely. Other new formulations for cassettetapes are clearly very good, but Crolyn appears tobe the critical difference between making cassettereleases as good as records and making cassettesthat are preferable to records. Its combination ofgreat signal -handling capacity and increasing sen-sitivity at high frequencies is ideal for cassettes,and while its use in home recording is importantenough in itself, its potential for commercialreleases would be almost criminal not to use prop-erly. As just noted, we intend to use it properly.

Does Crolyn taperequire a special machine ?

Yes. To take advantage of its special properties,Crolyn requires a change from the conventionalrecording bias for cassettes, and several recordersnow provide a switch to choose between Crolynand conventional tape formulations. It's worthstressing, though, that the Crolyn characteristicwe chose in the Advent 200 and 201 is distinctlydifferent from that of other cassette decks. Theusual characteristic simply exploits Crolyn's abil-ity to absorb high signal levels. Our approach pro-vides special equalization not only for recording

0 STEREO REVIEW

but also for playback, and it yields what we believeis an optimum combination of maximum high -frequency response with minimal noise. Othermanufacturers are free to use our equalizationcharacteristic, and we hope they will. For now,however, cassette decks made by Advent are theonly ones we think yield the full benefit of chro-mium -dioxide tape.

What makes a really goodcassette recorder ?

Aside from the use of the Dolby System andCrolyn tape, the basic requirements are good low -noise electronics, proper magnetic heads (of a gaplength that provides the optimum combination ofhigh -density recording and low -noise playback)and a transport mechanism that treats cassetterecording fully as seriously as open -reel recording.Before the Dolby System helped make wide -rangecassette recording feasible, there wasn't muchincentive for a top-quality cassette transport mech-anism, and most present machines still use light-weight mechanisms that aren't very promising forcontinued performance over the long haul. But weand others now have rugged, really reliable mech-anisms that minimize the eccentricities of cassettesthemselves and should go on for years under veryheavy use. We also expect outstanding perform-ance and longevity from a new magnetic head firstused in our Model 201.

Are cassettes as long-lived and damage -proof as they are supposed to be?

In essence, yes. Cassettes show every sign of out-lasting records in audibly undegraded form andshould be really immune to the accidental damage- from kids, dogs, and casual listeners - thatplagues records. For all intents and purposes, andgiven reasonable care, they can last pretty nearforever in excellent shape. The weakest point incassettes remains the actual plastic cassette mech-anism, which calls for manufacture of highest pre-cision. Some brands of cassettes still jam becauseof inattention to their role as mini -mechanisms,but the best brands are both very good and improv-ing very quickly. The growing number of ambitiouscassette machines is certain to bring furtherimprovements in the cassette itself.

Is cassette recordingall that enjoyable?

Better than that. From our own experience, cas-settes leave both records and open -reel tapes farbehind in all the respects that determine whethersomething is fun to do. They are wonderfully easyto handle, wonderfully suited to the casual lifemost of us lead, and wonderfully simple in a wayno other medium is. If you buy a really goodcassette recorder, you will use it. And enjoy itconstantly.

At the moment, we at Advent manufacture one highest -quality cassette tape deck, the Model 201, which retails for$280 and is well worth it. We also market DuPont's Crolyntape under our own Advocate label in blank cassettes, andplan to have pre-recorded releases on Crolyn available verysoon. Finally, we manufacture two Noise Reduction Unitsthat can add the Dolby System to existing cassettemachines. Any of these products will indicate, we think,the seriousness with which we take cassette recording andour ability to make the right choices in design for use byreal people in real situations. We hope you will listen atyour nearest Advent Dealer to what we have now, and thatyou will keep your eyes and ears out for our line of pre-recorded cassettes. Thank you.

IllmnAdvent Corporation,

I195 Albany St., Cambridge, Mass. 02139Gentlemen :Please send me information on your cas-sette equipment, along with a list of yourdealers, and put me on your mailing list toreceive a copy of your pre-recorded tapecatalogue when it becomes available.

Name

Address

City

Zip

Advent Corporation, 195 Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139MEP

OCTOBER 1971

We asked 30F.M. station engineers*what they thought ofthe Bang & OlufsenSP -12 cartridge

Here's what they said:

WVCG/WYORCoral Gables, Fla.... this excellentcartridge is ideallysuited for profes-sional applications.SP -12 would be agood choice forthe new quad -4 channel -stereo discs.

K-BUCSan Antonio, TexasThe cartridge is without adoubt the "Rolls Royce" ofthe broadcasting industry!

KRBEHouston, TexasLow's and Hi's camethrough very impressivelyover entire audio range. TheSP -12 is an excellent car-tridge surpassing both theShure V-15 and the Stanton681EE in all respects in mytests.

*Write for a report ofFM Station EngineerEvaluation

136

WKJF-FMPittsburgh, Pa.Tracking so far,has been excel-lent. SP -12 has

been used "on air"7 hours a day since

received and not stuckor skipped yet.

KBAYSan Jose, Cal.Up 'til now the Shure V-15 type II has been our favoritefor critical listening. After installing the B & 0 cartridgein the shell the Shure cartridge was in, we've left itthere. It sounds great!

Exceptionally clean, undistorted, pure sound. OneLondon Phase Four recording in particular has alwaysbroken up during a highly modulated passage, weassumed the record was over -modulated, until weplayed it using the B & 0 cartridge.

KMNDMesa, Ariz.If there could be any commentat all, it would have to be thatthe cartridge seemed to displaya very smooth and pleasingsound. The very flat and veryclean, clear and brilliant re-sponse. The separation is verygood and both channels arequite consistent on response.

WEMPMilwaukee, Wis.We appreciate thewide -range responsewithout the harsh"edge" that so manycartridges add to thesound.

KDIGLa Jolla, Calif.An excellent cartridge,none better on themarket today.

pa Bang &Olufsen ofAmerica,Inc.525 East Montrose Ave., Wood Dale, Illinois In Canada: Musimart Ltd.

52 CIRCLE NO. 14 ON READER SERVICE CARD

majors have been recording four -channelmaterial, or material that can be remixedto provide a four -channel master, foryears but have no plans to release it inthat form (it has all, of course, alreadybeen released in two -channel stereo) untilthey know which technique will be theaccepted one.

In brief, then, the short-range problemfacing manufacturers of software for four-

channel reproduction is not so much oneof working up the technology, but of in-tuiting or trying to influence which waythe market will go. Whether one systemis inherently better than another is reallya matter of guesswork-there is no rea-son to believe that the matrix systems, forexample, have already reached their ulti-mate development.

The long-range problem of quadrason-ic reproduction is something else again. Itis neither technological nor economic,but aesthetic: How will the medium beused? A fact that is obvious to virtuallyanyone with any musical sensibility is thatmost of the four -channel recordings onecan hear today, matrixed or discrete, tapeor disc, are, in one way or another, unsat-isfying. This has nothing to do with theelectronic medium itself; it is a matter ofhow the medium has been used, on whataesthetic basis the music was recordedand mixed in the first place. One cannotblame the producers; these are their firstexperimental efforts. But they, and the in-dustry as a whole, are going to have toface up to this whopping big problemsquarely and soon.

WHAT are the resources and conditionsfor quadrasonic recording? Musicallyspeaking, we have the entire range ofprogram material that has been availablebefore. Perhaps we now have also somefew pieces of material that were too com-plex acoustically for two -channel stereo.In the medium itself we have four chan-nels, more or less distinct, through whichto carry information. These channels willdeliver their signals to four separatespeakers placed, we can probably safelysay, at the corners of a four-sided geomet-rical figure, be it a square, a rectangle, ora diamond.

What we have, then, is a totally arbi-trary and artifical arrangement for listen-ing to music (mono and stereo are also, ofcourse, artificial and arbitrary, but sincethey subsume fewer acoustic possibilities,they are at least less arbitrary for that).

What is necessary now is not only toperfect the techniques of reproducingpre-existing acoustic environments (con-cert halls, churches, etc.) correctly and ac-curately through this medium, but, be-yond that, learning to translate the musicdirectly from the score into aural termsthat make aesthetic sense in the newmode. The industry is going to needsome new and good musical minds on theengineering level for this, and it could doworse than to start looking for them now.

STEREO REVIEW

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just sligh- y ahead of our time.

TEAC introduces

something you've never heardon a cassette before.

Silence.

Put a blank cassette on your machine and pushthe record button.

Now play it back.By rights you should hear nothing. A blank tape.

But not so. What you hear is hiss, crackle and otherundesirables.

That's what the new TEAC 350 cassette deck takesout. Because TEAC put the *Dolby Noise ReductionSystem in. Similar to the Dolby System the pros userecording master tapes.

It improves signal-to-noise ratio by as much as

s.r.

-o

ce0 50Frequency (Hz)

100

Noise Level Comparison ChartDolby out

200' 500 1000 5000

)1.1A1',VIY7"Ar-

Dolby in

2000 100.00

5dB at 1kHz, 10dB at 4kHz and above.Eliminating coloration and audible noise inherent inthe tape or induced by the recorder in the recordingprocess.

But don't mistake the TEAC 350 for just anotherimproved cassette recorder. It's a completely newdeck designed especially for the new low -noisecassettes.

The heads are high density ferrite, like thoseon expensive open -reel recorders, for sharp,."5.4, le, Nor.° clear high frequency response.

Diamond hard and precision milled,they're so durable TEAC guaranteesthem for the life of the machine.

Low -noise cassettesuse a deeper bias thanregular cassettes. A newmultiple function tapeselector switch selects theexact bias and equaliza-tion for any kind of tape- regular, high energy andchromium dioxide.

Hi CrOr MIC 'DIN IN

NORMAL LINE IN OUT

BIAS/E0 REC MODE DOLBY

Low -noise cassettes also require a higher record-ing level. A problem,because VU meters havean inherent time lag.By the time you see itpeaking, distortion'salready set in. So TEACnot only extended the VLmeters (+6dB vs. +3dB),they also gave the 350a peak level indicator (utilizing light emitting diodes)that warns you of overload before the meters do.

Other features setting a new standard of excel-lence in the range of a cassette tape deck: Auto -stopmechanism, professional studio quality microphoneamplifier, light -touch fingertip pushbuttons, fourexclusive linear record level/output controls, strobetape -run indicator lamp.

TEAC 350, the cassette tape deck that breaksthe sound barrier for reproduction close to open -reel.

Really.$279.50.Ask for a demonstration of the new 350 at your

nearest authorized TEAC dealer's.

TEACTEAC Corporation of America,7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640TEAC Corporation,1-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, JapanTEAC EUROPE N.V., Kabelweg 45-47, Amsterdam - W.2, Holland In Canada: White Electronic Development Corp., Ltd., Toronto

Wow and Flutter:0.13%Frequency Response:30 - 16,000 Hz (chromium d, ',nh r,

Signal to Noise Ratio:58dB (with Dolby psocess)


*Dolby is a trade mark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc.

The bestof both whirls

For manual play, experts and hi-fi enthusiasts agree the most esteemed name in transcrip-tion turntables is Thorens. Among automatic turntables, PE offers unparalleled value.Perfection in performance. At better hi-fi dealers everywhere. Distributed exclusively by:Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc., New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040/Scottsdale, Ariz. 85253

FOR THORENS CIRCLE SERVICE CARD NO. 28 FOR PE CIRCLE SERVICE CARD NO.,29

THE BASIC REPERTOIRE: Item One Hundred and Thirty-eight By Martin Bookspan

Mozart's

"Eine kleine Nachtmusik"THROUGHOUT his life Mozart was frequently

called upon to compose music for the simplepurpose of entertaining his listeners. In his

catalog there are many serenades, divertimenti, andcassations intended primarily for outdoor perform-ance, and written to grace wedding festivities or toprovide pleasant interludes between the courses of abanquet. That Mozart, even for such slight occasions,nonetheless composed music of lasting value andbeauty is one of the most extraordinary aspects of hisgenius.

It was Mozart himself who first referred to his Ser-enade in G Major for Strings (K. 525) as "Einekleine Nachtmusik"-"A Little Night Music." Thefour -movement score, really a symphony in minia-ture, was the product of the summer of 1787. Mo-zart's autograph catalog of his music gives the sere-nade's scoring as "2 Violine, Viola e Bassi." Becauseof this, both the Breitkopf and Hanel edition andthe Kochel catalog of Mozart's music place "Einekleine Nachtmusik" among the composer's stringquartets; but the fact that the word bassi is the pluralform indicates that Mozart wanted at least two instru-ments for the bass line-cello and double bass, in alllikelihood. At the very least, then, "Eine kleineNachtmusik" was intended for string quintet-butlong ago, and perhaps even while Mozart was alive,the custom of performing this delectable score withstring ensembles of various sizes was established.

Of the thirty-three surviving serenades, diverti-menti, and cassations by Mozart, all but "Eine kleineNachtmusik" were composed before 1782, and prin-cipally for entertainments in his home town ofSalzburg. During the last decade of his life, whileVienna was his home, Mozart's light music seems tohave consisted of minuets and German contra -dances. Why did "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" comeinto being as an isolated phenomenon during theseyears? Probably it was the result of some inner im-pulse, the same creative urge that a year later was toproduce the composer's last three symphonies, eventhough he had no commission for them and saw noimmediate possibility of having them performed.

A dozen and a half recorded versions of the scoreare listed in the Schwann Record and Tape Guide,and in the size of the performing forces they run the

gamut from string quintet to small string ensembleto large string body. The quintet version is played bythe Budapest String Quartet, with Julius Levine ondouble bass (Columbia MS 6127); the music has aspecial charm in this intimately scaled presentation,but the collaboration is rather too careful and re-spectful in its approach. More winged, certainly, isthe performance by the Marlboro Festival Orchestraconducted by Pablo Casals (Columbia MS 7446).Here one gets a rather large string body, but theplayers are inspired by the dynamism of the incompa-rable Casals.

Another "big -sound" version of "Eine kleineNachtmusik" is the performance conducted by Bru-no Walter (Odyssey Y 30048). His is a more Ro-mantic approach to the music, with a languorous, ca-ressing quality, but it is no less convincing in its ownway. George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra (Co-lumbia MS 7273) provide a more straightforwardaccount of the score, yet one which offers a full mea-sure of spontaneity. The Cleveland strings are abso-lutely gorgeous, and they are vividly recorded.

Two of the recordings using smaller forces haveslight mannerisms that may prove distracting: KarlMiinchinger, in his performance with the StuttgartChamber Orchestra (London CS 6207), tendstoward exaggerated retards at the ends of sections,and Antonio Janigro, conducting I Solisti di Zagreb(Vanguard VSD 705/6), comes dangerously close tocoyness in his presentation-especially in the Minuetand Trio. The Janigro recording is a sensational bar-gain, however: it is part of a two -disc collection, ti-tled "The Best of Mozart," that also includes the"Jupiter" Symphony, the Flute and Harp Concerto,the Piano Concerto No. 9 in E -flat, and two shorterworks, all for a price of $5.98.

Among the dozen other available recordings of"Eine kleine Nachtmusik," I would also single outthe hearty performance conducted by Colin Davis(Seraphim S 60057) and the cool but carefully in-flected William Steinberg disc (Pickwick S 4003).

Reel-to-reel tape fanciers might choose either oftwo equally felicitous accounts: Herbert von Kara-jan's (Angel L 35948) and Istvan Kertesz's (LondonI 80146), the latter being better sonically.

.34 Mr. Bookspan's 1971 UPDATING OF THE BASIC REPERTOIRE is now available in pamphlet form. At." Send 25C to Deane Manning, Stereo Review, 1 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 for your copy.

OCTOBER 19711971 57

THEFOUR -CHANNELFOLLIES (ACT II)

By LARRY KLEINTechnical Editor

MY REPORT last September on the first act ofthe audio industry's latest on -going extrav-aganza may have left readers with the

impression that the four -channel scene was one ofconfusion bordering on chaos. That impression wascorrect. But now the industry has had a year to de-velop quadrasonic components (hardware) and theappropriate program material (software) to play onit, and as a result the confusion has, if anything, wor-sened. At the Chicago Consumer Electronics Showthis past June, virtually every maker of sound equip-ment showed a four -channel something, rangingfrom low -fidelity cartridge players to premium -pricequadrasonic receivers.

In an effort to bring, at the very least, some con-ceptual order to the chaos, I have found it helpful,

for the purposes of this discussion, to divide four-

channel hardware into three basic categories: theyare discrete, matrix, and quadrasonic FM, and I willexamine them in that order. (In general, I will avoidenumerating brands and model numbers, for at therate things are now moving, such information wouldprobably be outdated even before this report getsinto print.)

The Discrete ApproachDiscrete four -channel tape, with each of the chan-

nels on its own tape track, is the purest and technical-ly the easiest quadrasonic format. But it is, for a cou-ple of reasons, also the most expensive. A year ago, Ireferred to the open -reel four -channel approach as a

58 STEREO REVIEW

blind alley. Today, there are a dozen or so differentopen -reel quadrasonic machines available, but onlyVanguard, Project 3, and a few scattered smallercompanies have produced four -channel tapes to' playon them. However, Q8 tape cartridges (this is theeight -track format adapted to four -channel use) arebeing released in large numbers, mostly by RCA.

The track format in the Q8 cartridge is a logicalextension of the standard stereo eight -track cartridgeapproach. Whereas the normal eight -track cartridgehas four pairs of stereo tracks running side by side,the Q8 has two pairs of four -channel tracks runningside by side. If it appears to you that this will cut theplaying time for a given length of tape in half, youare correct. The open -reel four -channel releases havethe same fault, slightly aggravated by the fact thatafter the open -reel tape is played through in four -channel, it then has to be rewound. The Q8 car-tridge, on the other hand, contains an endless loop oftape that just keeps on going, automatically switch-ing from one set of four tracks to the other at theappropriate moments. Incidentally, dozens of proto-type Q8 players were shown at the Consumer Elec-tronic Show-mostly by the manufacturers of low -end, nonaudiophile equipment.

For what are probably very sensible marketingreasons, most manufacturers of eight -track equip-ment have not tried to extend the frequency re-sponse of the product much beyond 8,000 Hz or so.Most eight -track cartridges are still used in automo-biles, where the higher frequencies would only bemasked by road noises even if the low-grade carspeakers could reproduce them. And, of course,equipment that could reproduce highs would also-unless expensive steps were taken at the softwareend-reproduce tape hiss loudly and clearly. Inshort, eight -track cartridges can provide excellentseparation between channels, but don't expect noise -free high -frequency response. Supporting my view ofeight -track cartridges as nonaudiophile devices is thefact that no one has yet suggested Dolbyizing them-an essential step if their fidelity potential is ever tobe realized. However, Q8 cartridges in a car playershould work fine, providing an impressive middle-fiquadrasonic environment on wheels.

The cassette, considering the very successful ef-forts put forth to upgrade its sonic quality, wouldseem like a natural for four -channel use. But the cas-sette quadrasonic advocates are split between two ri-val approaches. One system has the same track ar-rangement as conventional bidirectional stereo cas-settes, but uses for its rear channels the two "bot-tom" tracks that normally contain the second, re-verse -direction stereo program. This format-andthe quadrasonic open -reel and Q8 formats as well-

insures that the rear -channel information will be lostif the tape is played on a standard stereo machine,and the available playing time per cassette will be cutin half (as it is on reel and cartridge).

Philips (the originator and licenser of the cassetteformat) prefers to keep the cassette bidirectionaland to cut the track widths in half. The cassettewould then carry the full, normal playing time for agiven length of tape and be fully compatible withexisting stereo and mono players. Play such a cassetteon a normal stereo machine and you'll hear bothright -front and right -rear signals from the rightspeakers, left -front and left -rear from the left speak-er; flip it over, and you'll hear the second taped pro-gram the same way. However, hiss and dropoutproblems become intensified when the cassette trackwidth-already very narrow-is halved. New tapeformulations and Dolby can help, but the problemsof high-speed mass duplication of the four -channelbidirectional cassette may still be severe.

And even more of a headache from the cost/feasi-bility viewpoint is the four -channel cassette head. Abidirectional quadrasonic record/play cassette headhas to have within it four ultra -short, ultra -narrowgaps (plus the associated coils) that are preciselyaligned and dimensioned in a space that is half thatoccupied by the head in the four -channel eight -trackplayer. Sure, it can be done-as Norelco showedover a year ago and Panasonic demonstrated recent-ly. But it's going to take quite a breakthrough inmanufacturing technology before we will see bidi-rectional quadrasonic heads in anything other thanhand -made prototype products.

ANOTHER discrete system has been proposed andis being pushed (although there seems to be little orno hardware or software available for it in the U.S.)by the Japan Victor Corporation (JVC). It is a discsystem that theoretically could be adapted to tape,but because of its frequency -response requirementsprobably won't be. Each groove wall of the JVC disc,as with a normal stereo disc, carries a channel (rightor left). However, in the JVC disc, each of thesechannels contains mixed front -plus -rear information(i.e., left front plus left rear on one groove wall,right front plus right rear on the other). In addition,each groove wall carries a 30,000 -Hz subcarrier thatis frequency -modulated by the left or right front -mi-nus -back difference signal. A special decoder, similarin principle to the stereo decoder in your FM receiv-er, converts this into four individual signals, withabout the same degree of separation between all fourchannels as already exists between the two channelsof stereo discs.

Theoretically, the system is fine. However, when

OCTOBER 1971 59

we think in terms of the requirements made on thehardware, problems appear. For one thing, with thesubcarrier modulated up to 45,000 Hz (30,000 Hzplus 15,000 Hz for the audio signal), it takes a play-back phono cartridge with at least a 50,000 -Hz fre-quency response to play the record properly. Most oftoday's top -of -the -line phono cartridges make it to20,000 Hz or so. Nevertheless, JVC has demonstrat-ed a 50,000 -Hz cartridge, and Toshiba actually hasone for sale as part of a record -playing system. How-ever, there is a more serious problem-that of pre-serving the high -frequency subcarrier modulation.One play with either a worn stylus or a low-gradephono cartridge could wipe out the subcarrier per-manently-and with it the ability to recover the rearchannels. Aside from the technical feasibility of theJVC disc, which I'll grant, as a practical system itdoesn't make much sense to me. The bandwidth re-quirements it makes on the phono cartridge appearto limit its applicability to top -of -the -line equip-ment-unless someone can produce a low-cost pho-no cartridge with better performance than can be re-alized by today's best units. And a JVC-encoded disccannot be broadcast without first being decoded intoits respective four channels, and then re -encoded viasome other system that can be broadcast. (I'll discussfour -channel FM in a separate section.) In the listen-er's home, it would be converted back to four chan-nels by a decoder for the second system. Even if alistener had a JVC decoder for his own JVC-typediscs, it couldn't be used with broadcast material. Inaddition, the JVC decoder cannot be used to createmulti -channel effects from conventional two -channelstereo materials, as can the matrix systems that wewill look at next.

The Matrix SystemsWhen discussing four -channel technology, the al-

ternative to discrete is not "indiscrete" but "matrix."The matrix systems encode four signals into twochannels by mixing them together in complex phaseand amplitude relationships that can be unscrambledsubsequently by the proper decoder. Play a matrix -encoded recording on a normal stereo player and itwill sound like a conventional recording; play itthrough a matching matrix decoder and a four -chan-nel system and you should hear a reasonably accuraterecreation of the original four channels.

At the moment, there are few serious programsavailable on encoded records (and very few FM sta-tions broadcasting them), yet matrix decoders areselling in large quantities. This apparent paradoxcomes about because all the decoders can also createa multi -channel effect from many ordinary stereo re-

cordings. In other words, add a decoder, two extraspeakers, and (usually) an additional stereo amplifi-er, and you'll hear quasi-quadrasonic sound from thematerial in your current tape and disc library andfrom stereo FM broadcasts. This occurs because allthe matrix systems use the difference signal (see .ex-planatory box) to encode the rear channels. The dif-ference signal in normal stereo recordings frequentlyembodies hall reverberation as well as other acousti-cal information. The effect varies from selection toselection, but it's usually present and very muchworth reproducing. (See Ralph Hodges' article inthe April 1971 issue for more on this.)

As I've indicated, the matrix systems differ in theway they encode the four original channels. As longas these matrices are used only for enhancement ofnormal stereo materials, this poses no problem. Butwhen a record encoded with one matrix system isdecoded through another, the results are problemati-cal. The various channels may be blended, diffused,improperly located, or altered in level. There areprobably at least a half dozen different matrix de-signs now in use here and in Japan. Needless to say,without a statement from the manufacturers, there'sno way of knowing in advance what anyone's hard-ware will do to someone else's software with respectto channel location and separation. (See JulianHirsch's article in this issue analyzing three popularmatrix decoders.)

Aside from what's happening in Japan (I have anumber of matrixed discs manufactured by Sansui,Trio [Kenwood], Pioneer, and Denon), the majorcontenders here in the United States are Electro-Voice, Dynaco, Sansui, and, lately, CBS/Sony. As ofthis writing, there are available to the public perhapstwo dozen disc titles produced by Ovation, Project3, Audio Spectrum, and Crewe using the Electro-Voice matrix system, a Dynaco-encoded demo discfrom Vanguard, and Sansui-encoded discs from bothCommand and ABC -Dunhill. Several FM stations arebroadcasting four -channel material that has been en-coded into two channels by an E -V encoder. Otherstations have also, on an experimental basis, broad-cast Dynaco and Sansui encoded material. I suspectthat all the matrix systems broadcast equally well-inthe sense that there are no special losses incurred

THE DIFFERENCE SIGNALis an audio signal (also referred to as L - R) repre-senting the difference between the right and leftstereo channels. If, for example, signals B, D, E, F,H are present in the right channel and signals A, B,E, F, G are present in the left channel, the differencesignal would be made up of A, D, G, H. In addition,insofar as signals B, E, F (which are common to bothchannels) have phase or volume differences betweenthe two channels, these differences would also ap-pear as part of the difference signal.

60

Photomicrograph shows the CBS SQ groove with signals in (A)left front only, (B) right front only, (C) left rear only,and (D) right rear only. (Note that the groove is made visibleby light reflected from its walls; black areas are the "land"between the grooves.) Grooves embodying the front channelsshow modulation only on the appropriate groove wall; each rearchannel, however, employs both groove walls, one wall or theother "leading" depending on whether right or left rear is recorded.

through the broadcast process. (See the section onquadrasonic FM.)

At this moment it appears that the real battle forthe four -channel disc market is shaping up betweenE -V and CBS. At their recent press conference, CBSstated that they would have fifty of their most popu-lar titles available in matrixed disc form by the year'send. The first of these (and Sony's matching deco-ders) should be available shortly.

The CBS SQ (Stereo/Quadraphonic) matrix, de-veloped by a team of designers headed by BenjaminBauer at CBS Laboratories, appears to have some dis-tinct technical advantages over the other matrix sys-tems. As I mentioned earlier, all the matrix systemsuse the difference signal to embody the rear chan-nels-which is why all the decoders will provide arear -channel effect from normal stereo material.However, the decoders have only a single differencesignal to work with. Faced with the problem of con-verting this single rear signal into a right rear and aleft rear, the manufacturers go in different directions(no pun intended). One technique is to feed some ofthe right -front channel signal into the right -rearspeaker, and some of the left -front channel into theleft -rear speaker, along with the difference signal.This develops a difference between the two rearchannels-but at the expense of front -to -back separa-tion. Some quadrasonic matrix circuits add reverber-ation to the rear, set up random phase relationshipsbetween the rear speakers, or equalize the two rearchannels differently, using special frequency -filteringtechniques.

The CBS SQ technique applies what is literally a

new "twist" to the inherent matrix problem of lossof separation. The original left -rear and right -rearchannels are added together 90 degrees apart inphase. To encode the left -rear channel, the left andright rear are combined, but with the left rear signal90 degrees in phase ahead of the right -rear signal.The reverse situation is used to encode the right -rearchannel. The signals are then combined with theirrespective front channels before disc cutting, withthe result that each of the encoded two channels thatgo on the disc contains left -front or right -front infor-mation at full strength and an attenuated mixture ofleft -rear and right -rear information with specificphase relationships. If we were to view the rear -chan-nel information in the absence of front -channel mod-ulation, it would appear as a helix (see photo). Thisoccurs because rear -channel modulation causes thecutting stylus to move in a circular manner. This,combined with the lateral movement of the groove,results in a helix. Depending upon whether the mod-ulation is left -rear or right -rear, the helix may spiralclockwise or counterclockwise, as in the photo. In anactual musical recording the groove modulation is acomplex composite of the normal stereo modulationplus the double helix. The stylus movement at anyone moment is the vector sum of the composite mod-ulation. Everything clear?

During playback, the SQ decoder splits each chan-nel into two separate paths. One of the paths fromeach channel goes directly to the front -channel play-back amplifiers to drive the front speakers. The oth-er two paths undergo further phase shifting, mixing,and level adjustment until they emerge as full-strength left -rear information plus the attenuated (-3dB) left -front and right -front signals. The right rearappears with the same admixture of front -channel in-formation. The unwanted front -channel signals ap-pearing in the back have specific phase angles which,as it turns out, are convenient for "logic" circuits. Ifyou ignore any references to stylus motion and thinkonly in terms of phase, polarity, and signal strength,this explanation will serve for matrix taping also.

When the SQ system has done its work, the separa-tion loss that is inevitable with any four -channel ma-trix system occurs only between the front and backpairs of speakers, where separation, as we saw above,drops to 3 dB. On the other hand, full left -to -rightseparation is maintained in both the front and therear speaker pairs. (These figures should be com-pared with those measured by Julian Hirsch in histests of other matrix adapters elsewhere in this is-sue.) In its thirty -three -page description of the SQmatrix, CBS Laboratories cites psychoacoustical stud-ies it has made that suggest the SQ's modest front -to -back separation is not a severe detriment (they also

OCTOBER 1971 61

make a strong case for the SQ's full two -channelcompatibility). A more elaborate decoder has beendesigned by CBS that provides audibly excellent sep-aration between all four channels. The basis of itsoperation is built-in "logic" circuitry, which is ableto identify-by its strength and phase -angle relation-ships-the signal information that turns up in the in-correct channels and drastically reduce it in level.

Aside from its possible theoretical advantages,how well does the CBS system work in comparisonwith the others? As I wrote last year, the only realtest is to start with a good discrete four -channel tape,encode it, decode it, and then compare the resultsagainst the original tape. At the press conferenceCBS had a switch box set up to do just that. Theaudience was invited to push the buttons as theywished on a variety of program material. When theprototype of the less expensive ($55) Sony/CBS de-coder was switched in, there was, as expected, goodseparation between left and right signals at bothfront and back, but because of the limited front-to -back separation, there was a sort of smearing of sig-nals along the side walls. When the more expensive($150) "logic -enhanced" decoder was switched in,the encoded/decoded signal was essentially indistin-guishable from the original discrete master-tape sig-nal. None of the other matrix systems are capable ofthis level of performance without the help of logiccircuits-which at the moment none of them have.But could they, with logic assistance, do as well asCBS? I'm not sure, but I suspect not.

So where does that leave us? The cheaper CBS/Sony decoder may or may not do a better job on CBSencoded discs than the E -V decoder will do on E -Vdiscs, the Dynaco on the just emerging Dynaco discs,and the Sansui on the Sansui discs about to appear inthe U.S. We have no way of knowing without a fullcomparison test. I do know that the "logic" versionof the decoder does do a better job of providing fourapparently discrete channels from a matrix than any-thing else I've heard to date.

Peter Scheiber, who originally developed the logicapproach to matrixing, is working with Electro-Voice, which has expressed an intention to produce amore expensive "logic" version of the E -V unit. CBSmay still have a lead on the others, however, becausethe SQ matrix configuration appears to be inherently

more accessible to logic manipulation. Incidentally,the same matrix factors that provide the rear left -to -right separation apparently render the SQ systemnoncompatible with the other matrix systems. Al-though, in general, any of the available matrixeddiscs can be played through any decoder with accept-able results, the CBS discs and decoders, when usedwith other matrix equipment, cause too much direc-tional confusion to be satisfactory. However, the SQdecoder does provide the same enchancement ofnormal stereo material as the other matrix adapters.

Quadrasonic FMIt should come as no surprise that the FM situation

is as confused as the rest of the four -channel scene.There are at least two or three FM -only discretefour -channel systems waiting in the wings. Althoughthey differ in detail, it could be said that each uses alogical extension of the techniques currently em-ployed to broadcast a two -channel FM signal. Thetask is to encode the two extra channels into thestereo -FM broadcast with full compatibility (i.e.,without loss of any of the program when it is re-ceived in mono or stereo) and without unacceptablyweakening the signal. (Two -channel stereo broad-casts apparently impaired FM signal strength and sig-nal-to-noise ratio more than most engineers predict-ed). The only FM system I've heard was demonstrat-ed to me at the Chicago show by Lou Dorren, itsinventor, and it had no apparent technical flaws.Dorren showed me an inch -thick document, about tobe submitted to the FCC, detailing the results of hisextensive and technically successful field tests.

In my view, however, there is a major conceptualflaw in any FM -only system. A separate decoder willstill be required for discs, and it would not be possi-ble to tape quadrasonic broadcasts off the air unlessone owned a four -channel tape recorder. In contrast,matrixed quadrasonic broadcasts could be taped by atwo -channel recorder (before decoding) while beingplayed in four channels. And a single decoder, con-nected after the preamplifier, would serve for ma-trixed FM, tape, and disc.

Another factor differentiates discrete quadrasonicFM from matrixed broadcasts. FCC approval wouldbe required to broadcast the extra subcarriers or

Left to right, some of the four -channel hardware that has evolved to handle various quadrasonic formats: the Teac TCA-42, a modul-ar system for discrete four -channel open -reel rapes that acquires record capability with add-on electronics; the Fisher TX -420 com-

whatever the discrete FM -only systems might use.And while it's not too difficult to get the FCC's okayfor experimental transmissions, the U.S.-and proba-bly the rest of the world-is certainly not going to becommitted to any four -channel FM system involvingnew broadcast equipment and techniques withoutlengthy investigation. Discrete quadrasonic FM ap-pears to be so far over the horizon it may never ar-rive. In contrast, FCC approval is not needed tobroadcast matrixed four -channel material since abso-lutely no modification of the station's equipment isrequired. And the matrix broadcast is fully compati-ble with two -channel receiving equipment.

What to Buy NowIf you are really aching to take the four -channel

plunge, I suggest that you carefully reread all thepreceding material before you make a move. As Iwrite, the only four -channel program material availa-ble in any profusion is on eight -track cartridges. TheQ8 players that accept them range in price fromabout $129.95 for a deck (Panasonic), to $299.95for a player that includes a stereo amplifier (Fisher)meant to supplement the two channels in your mainsystem. In addition, there is a large number of all -in -

one units with low -power low -quality amplifiers withand without matching speakers. With any of theeight -track units, it's a good idea to audition themfirst using a standard (not demo) Q8 cartridge be-fore you buy.

How about the relative virtues of the Dynaco,E -V, and Sansui adaptors? The Dyna is obviously theeasist way to go. It doesn't require another ampli-fier and does as good a job as any of deriving multi-channel effects from normal stereo material, but atthe time of this writing there is very little softwarerecorded especially for it. It will, however, play E -Vencoded discs, although perhaps not in quite the waythe recording engineer intended. At about doubleDyna's price (plus another amplifier), the E -V deco-der has a steadily growing amount of software availa-ble. In addition, there is greater flexibility in usingunmatched and inexpensive speakers. The Sansuiunit, which will also play the E -V discs, is a highlyflexible, impressive -looking piece of equipment.Judging from the technical literature I've seen and

my conversations with its designer, it represents asubstantial engineering effort to take into accountthe acoustics and psychoacoustics of listening to re-corded music in the home.

All things considered, the best advice I can give atthis juncture is to play it cool-and avoid any reallymassive expenditures until things settle down some-what. If you are about to buy a new amplifier any-way, a four -channel job that can accept an externalmatrix (or has one built in) would certainly not be anunwise investment. You can always add a separatematrix decoder of your choice later if the built-in onedoesn't do the job. It's difficult to provide more pre-cise recommendations at this moment because of theprofusion of equipment and the rapid shifts takingplace in the market.

ObservationsJulian Hirsch and I have both found that the audi-

ble effects of the various matrices do not correspondvery well with what we were led to expect from theirlaboratory measurements. Obviously the numbersobtained in the tests reflected the electrical perform-ance of the decoders, but not the psychoacoustics-and perhaps just plain acoustics-of our specific lis-tening conditions. On the same subject, I am stillbothered by the X -marks -the -correct -listening -spotphenomenon that is characteristic of four -channel re-production-but not, of course, of live perform-ances. In a "live" listening situation, with four solo-ists playing at the four corners of your room, youwould not lose much of the sound of the other threeif you moved closer to any single one. Why, whenlistening to four -channel reproduction, is listener po-sition so critical that (as has occurred at all demon-strations I've attended) people sitting at my immedi-ate right, left, front, and back heard a significantlydifferent sonic balance than I did? There is obviouslysome psychoacoustic phenomenon at work that is notbeing compensated for by present-day recordingtechniques. I would be vastly more optimistic aboutthe future of quadrasonics as an aesthetically viablemedium if I knew that Ben Bauer, a renowned psy-choacoustician-and head of the team that de-signed the CBS SQ system-were looking into thisaspect of the problem. Are you listening, Ben?

bines a player for Q8 cartridges and amplifiers for the rear -channel speakers; the Dynaco Quadaptor, Electro-Voice EVX-4, and San-sui QS -1 are described by Julian Hirsch on the following pages; the Sony 2245 is a decoder with built-in logic for CBS' SQ matrix.

Julian Hirsch comments on his experiences with some typical

QUADitASONKHARDWARETHOUGH new four -channel matrix systems are

popping up almost every day, there are threethat dominate the U.S. market at present: Dy-

naco, Electro-Voice, and Sansui. The first two arecomplete systems with recordings available (or aboutto be available) that have been specially encoded forthem. At this time, the Sansui system is being offeredin the United States only as a four -channel "synthe-sizer" and enhancer of conventional two -channel re-cordings. However, recordings specially encoded forthe Sansui system are scheduled to be released in thiscountry by the time this appears in print.

All three systems have a certain degree of mutualcompatibility, and each of them can operate effec-tively to enhance many ordinary two -channel stereoprograms, as well as to process for playback record-ings that have been matrix -encoded with four chan-nels. I have used, measured, and compared the per-formance of the Dynaco Quadaptor (as well as theschematically identical Lafayette Dynaquad), theElectro-Voice EVX-4 decoder, and the Sansui QS -1Quadphonic Synthesizer. (Hardware for the newSony/CBS system was not available at the time ofour tests.) In their decoding function these devicestake the two stereo channels and, by combining themin several different ways after they have been placedin both in -phase and out -of -phase conditions, extractfour separate signals that constitute the four chan-nels. (Four -channel recordings are encoded into twochannels by something like the inverse of this proc-ess.) An in -phase (L + R) sum signal appears acous-tically midway between the two front speakers. Anout -of -phase (L - R) difference signal would appearbetween the rear speakers. By working with varia-tions in the phase and amplitude relationships be-tween the encoded two channels, a four -channel de-coder can theoretically locate a sound source any-where between the front and rear speakers.

A major benefit of the matrix techniques is thatthey can enhance much conventional two -channelprogram material by providing a sense of ambianceor "hall sound." This is because phase/amplitude re-lationships in two -channel stereo recordings oftenvary in the appropriate way, although they do so byaccident. Specially encoded four -channel recordsyield a more distinct four -channel distribution, al-though it is seldom comparable at this juncture tothat obtainable with a discrete four -channel system.

As noted above, the three matrix systems are com-patible to some degree. A record encoded for theE -V system produces a very similar effect whenplayed back with the Sansui system, and vice versa.The Dynaco system produces a different (but stillpleasing) effect with these records. With normaltwo -channel stereo material, the three systems all en-hance ambiance to about the same extent, althoughagain there are differences among them.

Measuring the outputs of each adapter with inputtest signals revealed their technical similarities anddifferences. Only the Dynaco Quadaptor maintainedthe full left -to -right separation in front. With theEVX-4, front separation was limited to 14.3 dB, andwith the QS -1 to 6.4 dB. The front -to -rear separa-tions of the E -V and Dyna units are about the same-2.9 dB and 3.7 dB, respectively. With the SansuiQS -1, the rear signal is actually 3.2 dB stronger thanthe front signal on the same side when the balancecontrols are centered. These are maximum outputfigures. Both the Dynaco and Sansui units have con-trols for reducing the level of the rear signal. TheE -V unit has a master volume control that affects allfour channels. Diagonally across the room (fromright -front to left -back and vice versa) the separationwas 4.9 dB (with a phase reversal between the speak-er pairs) with the EVX-4, and 8.7 dB with the Dyna-co unit. The QS -1 had less than 1 dB separationalong the diagonal, although its special phase -shiftingtechniques somewhat made up for this deficiencyand contributed to its subjective effect on the listen-er. A mono (L R) signal was reduced by 18 dB inthe rear speakers with the E -V system, by 11 dB withthe Dynaco system, and by 10.5 dB with the SansuiQS -1. An out -of -phase (L - R) signal appeared at fulllevel in the rear speakers of a Dynaco set-up and wasenhanced by several decibels with the E -V and San-sui units. Finally, the separation between the tworear speakers was slight with any of the systems: 2 dBwith the E -V, 4 dB with the Sansui, and 5 dB withthe Dyna.

Although the numbers differ somewhat, it is ap-parent that all the matrix systems do about the samething. However, there are great differences betweenthem in cost and flexibility. The Dyna Quadaptor(and the similar Lafayette Dynaquad) requires only asecond pair of speakers for the rear channels, usingthe regular two -channel amplifier to drive all four

64 STEREO REVIEW

speakers. The rear speakers should be 8 -ohm units,with relatively constant impedance across the fre-quency range. All other systems call for a secondstereo amplifier, and the rear -speaker requirementsare less stringent (though the speakers should besimilar types). Since the E -V and Sansui units havevolume controls, the second amplifier can be a basicstereo power amplifier, but the added tone -controlflexibility (and sometimes the additional gain) of anintegrated amplifier can be useful. (An E -V -type de-coder is also available wired or in kit form from Me-trotec Industries, 33 Caine Drive, Plainview, N.Y.11803. The Metrotec version has controls to adjustfront -to -back balance, and switches that permit de-coding the front and rear channels separately.)

As its price implies, the Sansui QS -1 is a far morecomplex and sophisticated instrument than the oth-ers. It has a master gain control, separate left -to -rightbalance controls for both the front and the rearspeakers, a front -to -rear balance control, and a num-ber of switch -selected operating modes. In additionto normal two -channel stereo, four -channel matrixdecoding is available with a choice of six frequency -response characteristics for the rear channels: (1) flatresponse, (2) reduced highs, (3) boosted lows, and(4) oppositely sloped response curves for the tworear outputs. (The front -channel response is alwaysflat.) The QS -1 can also switch the front program tothe side speakers and the rear information to the op-posite side, or interchange the front and rear speak-ers. Whereas the other systems use phase angles ofonly 0 (in -phase) and 180 (out -of -phase) degrees, theQS -1 produces in its rear channels widely differentphase relationships that vary as a function of signalfrequency. Furthermore, all the phase shifts areswept at a subsonic rate over a considerable range.The effect, according to the designer, is a simulationof the acoustic situation encountered in the concerthall.

Any of these devices, I believe, would make aworthwhile addition to a stereo system. The greatcontrol flexibility of the Sansui QS -1 makes it espe-cially intriguing to experiment with. If you havesome of the records encoded for four -channel play-back, both the E -V and Sansui units will do a credita-ble job of quadrasonic reproduction. (For reasonsnot clear to me, the Dynaco Quadaptor lacked reardirectionality with any of the encoded records playedthrough it). With normal stereo material, all threeproduce a definite multi -channel effect. They soundslightly different from each other, and with a givenpiece of material one or the other unit may soundsuperior. But, in general, I would be hard pressed tochoose between them on the basis of sound whenthey are "enhancing" normal stereo material.

THREE FOUR -CHANNEL ADAPTERSThe figures outside parentheses in the speaker -layoutdiagrams below are in decibels referred to an output thatis at 0 dB in the left -front channel. T he figures withinparentheses indicate signal phase -shift in degrees. againreferred to the left -front channel at 0 degrees. Only theleft -channel input of each unit was driven to derive thefigures shown.

Dynaco Quadaptor ($19.95 kit, $29.95 assembled)When left and right inputs of the decoder are driven byequal -strength, in -phase (mono) signals, the outputs of therear speakers are down 11 dB relative to the front. Theoutput level with equal but opposite -phase driving signalsis the same for all four speakers.

LF

00(0°i

(INPUT)

E -V EVX-4

29(0°)

LR

RF

-14.3(0°)

-4.9(180°)

RR

Electro-Voice EVX-4 Decoder ($59.95)W hen left and right decoder inputs are driven by equalin -phase signals, the output to the rear channels is down18 dB relative to the front. Rear -channel outputs areboosted 4 dB for equal but opposite -phase driving signals.

LF

0(0°)

(INPUT)

SANSU I OS -1

E3.2 (30°)

LR

RF

-64(0°)

-08(64°)

RR

Sansui QS -1 Quadphonic Synthesizer ($199.95)For equal in -phase driving signals, the output of the rearchannels is down 10.5 dB relative to the front signals,and with a 32 -degree phase shift. Rear -channel output ifboosted when there are equal but opposite -phase drivingsignals in the two inputs. The phase of the rear -channeloutputs varies with frequeury. Diagram rhows phase fora 1.000 -Hz test signal.

OCTOBER 1971 65

Paul Kresh describes his reactions to several different examples of

QUADRASONIC SOFTWARE* * *

THE house is full of loudspeakers, amplifiers,turntables, tape -decks, and decoders. The liv-ing room looks like the cabin of a spaceship,

with dials gleaming, knobs lined up in serried rows,pilot lights ready to glow. Walnut enclosures lurk inevery available corner. A complicated network ofplugs, jacks, and cables at last are all interconnected,concealed under carpets, test -run, and pronouncedby the experts as ready at the flick of a switch-acouple of switches, anyhow-to reproduce quadra-sonic sound. The only question is, with all this equip-ment hooked up now and in working order, what doyou play on it?

The question has been anticipated by a number ofcompanies, including several I had never heard ofbefore, which have been busy preparing the "soft-ware" to pipe through your new four -channel "hard-ware." Records and tapes do not exactly abound asyet, though announcements of imminent arrivals cer-tainly do. Those considered here are RCA's Q8 four -

channel tapes with the channels recorded discretelyon separate tracks, and discs that have had four chan-nels "matrixed" into two for subsequent recoveryduring playback via a special "decoder." I used anElectro-Voice EVX-4 decoder to play the discs be-cause most of them were recorded using the Electro-Voice matrixing process.

All the program material in both tape and disc for-mats was recorded for an "all -around -sound" effect,so that instruments and voices-when they can bedistinctly localized at all-are likely to come at youfrom any point of the compass. A lot of this bearslittle, if any, resemblance to the kind of listening ex-perience we usually encounter, but even this skepti-cal listener, once exposed to quadrasonic sound, wasamazed at how thin and flat the best stereo recordsounded when the two rear speakers were switchedoff.

My initial exposure to four -channel sound on disccame by way of a sampler from a company calledOvation. My baptismal immersion began with an"Electronic Whirlpool" that whooshed the gibber-ings of a synthesizer hither and yon and held meriveted in terror to a spot on the carpet equidistantfrom the quadruple sound sources. This was fol-lowed by a diesel locomotive passing through theroom from right to left, a motorcycle that spedround and round the walls, a felled tree that landed

with a nasty crash about two inches from my trem-bling toes, a series of sports cars, and two jet planesdeparting through the roof from somewhere behindthe sofa. I had to lie down.

Dropping the sampler and moving courageouslyon to Ovation's recordings of musical material, I lis-tened to a vigorous big -band jazz concert by DickSchory ("Dick Schory-Carnegie Hall," OV 14-10-2) that claimed to "put you on the podium as theconductor"; a folk-rock concert by Hollins and Starr,who alternate their aggressive vocals with rathertranquil impressionistic instrumental interludes("Sidewalks Talking," OV 14-07); a jazz drummerperforming with a string quartet ( Joe Morello, "An-other Step Forward," OV 14-02); the strum of aneasygoing jazz guitar (Ron Steele, "Chicago Guitar,"OV 14-08); a girl named Laura who socks out hernumbers with wild abandon ("Laura" OV 14-11); an"easy -listening pop -jazz vibe interpretation" by agroup with the squirmy name "The Bobby ChristianVibe-brations" (OV 14-06); and a "new, fresh Nash-ville group" (Dana Paul, "Rich Mountain Tower,"OV 14-12). All of them lived up to their billing interms of freshness and newness, and they soundedalive-indeed, larger than life-on the quadrasonicequipment, even though I am far from sure that theright place to listen to a Carnegie Hall jazz concert,or any other kind, is necessarily "on the podium asthe conductor." Let's face it: the four channels donot mirror "concert hall realism," but they do pro-vide a sensation of spaciousness and bigness all theirown and deliver a terrific sonic wallop from everyside.

Project 3 Records ("Total Sound-an emotionalexperience in musical communication") doesn't pro-vide a sampler, but there are enough recordings byEnoch Light and the Light Brigade to start a smallEnoch Light circulating library. Mr. Light's forces ap-pear in a number of diverting disguises recreating"The Big Band Hits of the Thirties" (PR 5049 SD)in which the styles of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey,Harry James, and others are uncannily-and rever-ently-recreated; with the accent on gleaming brass-es in "Enoch Light and the Brass Menagerie" (PR5036 SD), all sharp, resounding arrangements ofcurrent hits; soundtrack -happy in "Hit MovieThemes" (PR 5051 SD); and wearing a sombrero in"Spanish Strings" (PR 5000 SD). The arrangements

66 STEREO REVIEW

for these albums ingeniously exploit every possibilityof quadrasonicism, and are fascinating, not to sayoverwhelming, in the variety of their novel ef-fects. Spain also comes in for some fancy musicaltreatment in "The Soul of Spain," issued by a compa-ny called Audio Spectrum, which features the soundof "101 Strings," a group that seems to have addedwhole brass, woodwind, and percussion sectionssince I last heard them. I tried only Volume Three ofthis Spanish series (Audio Spectrum QS -1) andfound that the chef had used far too much garlic inhis dishes (Ritual Fire Dance, Andaluza, Fiesta Fla-menca). The castanets clacked like dinner plates, theguitars throbbed with earthquake intensity, and theattempts to improve on the orchestrations of Manuelde Falla and Enrique Granados threw proportion lit-erally to the four winds, making an evaluation of thequadrasonics pointless.

Another company, called Crewe, has released arecord with the provocative title "Let Me TouchYou," which features a nude couple embracing onthe cover and the sound of "The Bob Crewe Genera-tion" (Crewe 1600). Mr. Crewe and the members ofhis generation do atrocious things to Stella by Star-light, Golden Earrings, To Each His Own, and otherold-fashioned properties that should have been leftin the hands of their elders. The sound, though, isquite sensational.

How does a four -channel matrixed disc comparewith a discrete four -channel tape? I happen to be in aposition to tell you-at least as far as the equipment Iheard them on permits comparison. From an outfitwith the forward -looking name Evolution came asampler disc featuring some first-rate pop talent(Bobby Byrne, Gloria Loring, the Electric Hair, To-day's People, and the Lighthouse-terrific sound).And it so happened that another sampler-on eight -track tape-containing almost the same material ar-

rived along with RCA's Mark 8 quadrasonic tape -player set up for this correspondent to try out thenew RCA "Q8" cartridge tapes. Imagine yourself ina Cadillac with front and rear speakers playing andyou'll have a notion of how music sounds on theMark 8; sumptuous, but boxed in. An instant checkof one sampler against another revealed the sonicshortcomings of this equipment. It is simple to in-stall, easy to operate, and eliminates hiss, but it cutsoff the highs in the process, leaving a tubby, surpris-ingly old-fashioned sort of sound. Even with the treb-le turned all the way up, my ears were starved forhighs. This is not, by the way, necessarily typical ofdiscrete four -channel sound.

But what programs these are! Here are Rubinsteinand Ormandy delivering gorgeous performances ofthe Saint -Satins Second Concerto for Piano and Or-chestra, and (Spain again!) Falla's Nights in the Gar-dens of Spain (RQ 8-1165); "The Best of ArthurFiedler and the Boston Pops" (RQ 8-1047); Reinerand the Chicago Symphony in Strauss' Also sprachZarathustra (RQ 8-1168). For opera there are thehighlights from Puccini's Madama Butterfly (RS 8-1048) with Leontyne Price and Richard Tucker. Thefeeling of multi -dimensional music here was thrill-ing, although in this performance the singers seem tohave been anchored to their respective microphones;there is no sense of stage movement, which the quad-rasonic system might so convincingly reproduce. Of"live" performances taped in big halls, two werechosen: "Belafonte at Carnegie Hall" (OQ 8-5002)and "Jose Feliciano in Concert at the London Palladi-um, Alive, Alive -O!," a two-part set (PQ 8-1537 and1538). These are landmark recordings for both art-ists, crackling with the excitement that comes whensinger and audience really turn each other on, andthe feeling of being there was enhanced by the four-way sound.

One RCA cartridge tape is so lovely that it standsin a class by itself, even when heard over an inade-quate system. This is the "Julian Bream Concert"(RQ 8-1052) which includes Rodrigo's Concierto deAranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra, Britten's CourtlyDances from Gloriana, and Vivaldi's Concerto in Dfor Lute and Strings. Here is music so off the beatentrack, so exquisite and civilized, that the music -loverforgets entirely whether he's hearing it in mono orstereo or quadro-or straight from the vaults ofheaven. That, of course, is what a recorded programshould be. No amount of multiple -tracking, howeverthrilling to the ear in a purely sensual way, can everreplace that quality, which belongs to art, not totechnology. But quadrasonic sound does bring ourears closer, if not to the "real" thing, at least tosomething "unreal" that's pretty thrilling in itself.

67

Aimon"Now that you're hired,

what would you like to sing?"

By WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

POPULAR WORKS on astrology dwell on the charm,physical beauty, and sex appeal of women born under

the sign of Libra (September 24 to October 23). But, ac-cording to the astrological best-seller Linda Goodman'sSun Signs, the Libra woman's most valuable asset is thatbehind her utter femininity she hides a keen mind. Thisdescription may not be accurate for every woman born inLibra, but it applies very well to the young American mez-zo-soprano Joanna Simon, whose birthday is October 20,and whose photograph appears on this month's cover.

The symbol of Libra is a balanced scale, and Miss Si-mon's radiant good looks are balanced by a generous en-dowment of intelligence. A graduate of Sarah LawrenceCollege, where she majored in philosophy, she is a serious,hard-working musician whose singing career takes her toopera houses, concert halls, and television and recordingstudios on four continents. This summer she opened theRavinia Festival in Chicago as a soloist in Mahler's SecondSymphony, made a very successful debut at the SalzburgFestival singing Mozart concert arias with orchestra andthe role of Piacere in Cavalieri's Rappresentazione di ani-ma e di corpo, and returned to the United States for arecital at the Lake George Festival and her first perform-ance of the title role in Massenet's Herodiade in NewYork City.

Interviewed in New York, where she was born and stilllives, Miss Simon commented on her varied repertoire."I'm not at a point where I have to specialize yet," shesaid. "Because of the publicity surrounding my perform-ances in Ginastera's Bomarzo, some people think of meprimarily as a singer of contemporary music. I'm not, andin fact I find most of it unrewarding. I do the standardsong literature-oratorios, masses, and cantatas, Handel,Mozart, Mahler, Beethoven, Brahms, and Bach. I can go

for only so long without singing Bach-it's like medicinefor the voice-and if I were forced to choose a single fa-vorite work, it would be the St. Matthew Passion. I'vedone a wide variety of roles in opera, but most of myoperatic work is in the French repertoire-Carmen, Deli-lah, and the Massenet heroines (I'm especially fond ofCharlotte in Werther). I haven't meant to slight the Italianrepertoire, but it doesn't offer a great deal for a high mez-zo voice like mine.

"Since I don't care to play second fiddle to a soprano, Iwill never do Suzuki, and with the exception of the Prin-cess Eboli in Don Carlo, which is definitely on my agenda,the Verdi mezzo roles are old women who don't interestme dramatically. The Verdi Requiem, however, lies per-fectly for my voice, and I love singing it. On occasion Ieven sing musical comedy. I've been invited to provide thevoice for Sophia Loren in a movie version of Man of LaMancha. I answered that I would like to be in the pictureand let her supply the voice for me. If I don't want to playsecond fiddle for a soprano, I certainly don't want to bethird fiddle for Sophia Loren. But I may do it. Dulcineahas some good songs, and I would enjoy six weeks inRome."

It was a desire to sing musical comedy that originally ledMiss Simon to opera. She comes from an unusually musicalfamily. Her father, Richard Simon, a co-founder of thepublishing firm Simon & Schuster, was an accomplishedamateur pianist, and her uncles include Henry Simon, amusicologist; Alfred Simon, for many years director oflight music at station WQXR in New York; and GeorgeSimon, the eminent jazz critic. One of Joanna's sisters isthe rising young rock star Carly Simon.

"My father was a frustrated concert pianist," Miss Simonexplains, "and he was determined that I would have the

68 STEREO REVIEW

opportunity he had wanted. I began piano lessons at theage of six and studied quite seriously. I loved it, but sinceit was forced down my throat, I also rejected it, and when Iwas in high school, I decided that I would become an ac-tress." Her theatrical studies continued until she was half-way through college, and included several seasons in sum-mer stock. Thinking that vocal training would help ayoung actress get work in musical comedy, she beganstudying with Dr. Marion Freschl, who convinced her thather future lay in the opera house. Joanna continued hervocal studies with Dr. Freschl and did further work at theInternational Opera Studio directed by Herbert Graf inZurich and at Spoleto with Gian Carlo Menotti.

Her career was launched in 1962, the year she won theMetropolitan Opera Auditions and the Marian AndersonPrize and made her debut with the New York City OperaCompany as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro. Soonshe was invited to sing with. other opera companies aroundthe United States, with symphony orchestras, and at a num-ber of music festivals. She became a particular favorite atBach festivals. ("I've probably performed at more Bachfestivals than any other American mezzo.") According to afairly reliable source, early in her career she was asked tosing an audition for William Steinberg of the PittsburghSymphony. When she arrived at the audition, Steinberglooked appreciatively at the pretty young candidate andsaid, "Now that you're hired, what would you like tosing?" Since then she has sung with all the major Americansymphony orchestras under such conductors as LeonardBernstein, Eugene Ormandy, and Carlo Maria Giulini.

In 1967, when the Washington Opera Society presentedthe world premiere of Bomarzo by the Argentinian com-poser Alberto Ginastera, Miss Simon created the role ofthe courtesan Pantasilea. The premiere was a sensation.The sexual candor of the libretto generated a great deal ofpublicity for the work, which, because of Miss Simon'scostume, became known as "the topless opera." ("Thatwas nonsense. I was completely covered.") Both in Wash-ington and in New York, where she repeated the role in1968, Miss Simon received superlative reviews for hersinging and acting, not just for how well she looked in abody stocking. Reviewing the CBS recording of Bomarzofor this magazine (May 1968), William Flanagan, who hadnot yet seen the opera, described Joanna's portrayal as"vivid and lethal."

This success brought national and international attentionto the young singer and was a turning point in her career."For one thing," she says, "after Bomarzo, I didn't have tosing auditions to get engagements." New roles she sang inthe next few seasons were Carmen at the Bordeaux Operaand later in Israel with Zubin Mehta, Brangine in Tristanand Isolde with the New York Philharmonic under Leon-ard Bernstein, and the Countess Geschwitz in the Ameri-can National Opera Company's production of AlbanBerg's Lulu. She also began to appear on television onsuch programs as the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show,and the talk shows of David Frost, Dick Cavett, MikeDouglas, and Mery Griffin.

She would like to see more classical music programmedon television and radio to build audiences. "It's a simplematter of exposure. I forced my young brother, an ardentrock fan who is just out of college, to attend one of myperformances in the Beethoven Ninth, and he was quitemoved by it. I gave him a recording of the symphony andhe plays it all the time.

"It works the other way, too. I've always liked rock and

play rock records whenever I'm at home-James Taylor,Carole King, Cat Stevens, and Crosby, Stills, Nash andYoung. And, of course, my sister Carly looms large amongmy favorites. I'm on Carly's album, by the way-I do awild echoey obbligato in the background on one of thesongs. Mainly because of my sister I began to go to rockconcerts, and I find them enormously moving. I admire thehonesty of the performers and what they're singing about,and I'm excited by the feeling of rapport and love betweenrock performers and their audiences. In contrast, our clas-sical concerts often seem pompous and classical audiencesjaded. Perhaps it's because popular singers are so heavilymiked that they can create a sense of intimacy you simplycannot get with classical music except in occasional liederrecitals. When I see enraptured rock audiences, I just wishpeople could come to classical concerts with the same de-sire to have a good time. And I do see more and moreenthusiastic young people at classical concerts. At a St.Matthew Passion I sang last Easter in New York, fifty toseventy-five per cent of the audience was under twenty-five years old, and at Ravinia in June there were a lot ofkids wearing sweatshirts that said 'Mahler grooves.' So I'mnot pessimistic about future classical audiences."

Miss Simon's plans for the immediate future include herdebut at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires next April inBomarzo, which up to now has been banned in Argentina.This season she will also sing Marina in Boris Godounov inMinneapolis and Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet with the Bos-ton Symphony. "I've always wanted to sing Dorabella inMozart's Cosi fan tune, and after my Salzburg debut I wasinvited to sing the role in Geneva in 1973. Right now I'mvery much excited about creating the role of Raquel inThomas Pasatieri's Black Widow in Seattle next March. Itis a perfectly marvelous role both dramatically and musi-cally-I have a fourteen -minute monolog-and the partwas written especially for me, which is quite thrilling."

INTERVIEWED separately, Pasatieri explained why he hadchosen Miss Simon. "Joanna is the personification of theword 'woman,' which is what the role of Raquel is about.She looks fantastic, she is a fantastic actress, and she's afantastic singer. She knows theater, art, movies, literature,and even the work of such popular singers as Peggy Leeand Aretha Franklin, and allthese things influence her per-formances. She is an operatic sex symbol, but her innatesensuality is tempered by a kind of femininity that neverbecomes cheap. You get from Joanna an intense theatricalexperience. I expect her to bring to the role a dimensionthat would be impossible for any other opera singer."

According to Miss Simon, giving this intense theatricalexperience cannot be planned. "Good opera, like goodtheater of any kind, should excite the audience, but youcannot program a `gut' reaction. Different singers excitethe audience in different ways. Some do it with magneticpersonalities that make you want to watch them wheneverthey are on stage, and others who lack that star qualityexcite the audience with sheer vocal display and beauty ofsound. Some singers, such as Placido Domingo and Sher-rill Milnes, have both. I've worked very hard on my voiceuntil I'm now pleased with the sound I make, but I'm notobsessed with it. I'm much more involved with credibilityand an affinity for the music I sing. I never go on stageunless I feel so secure vocally that I can devote full atten-tion to what I am saying with the music in terms of dramaand emotional communication with the audience. Andcommunication is what I think it is really all about."

OCTOBER 1971 69

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MUSIC IN THE AIRIn which the author draws attention to an aspect

of ecology that has so far escapeda justifiable scrutiny

By Paul KreshIN HIS Utopian novel Looking Backward, Edward

Bellamy wrote, nearly a century ago: "If wecould have devised an arrangement for provid-

ing everybody with music in their homes, perfect inquality, unlimited in quantity, suited to every mood,and beginning and ceasing at will, we should haveconsidered the limit of human felicity already at-tained."

Like so many of Mr. Bellamy's prophetic notionsin that book, this one has come true-but not pre-cisely as he foresaw it, such wishes having a way of

backfiring when they are granted. True, Bellamy wasadvocating only music in the home, and with the im-portant qualification of its "beginning and ceasing atwill." What he had in mind was a central library ofhigh-class selections, with telephone wires connectedto receivers in residences all over Boston (the localeof the novel). In Bellamy's Utopia, you asked forwhat you wanted and it was transmitted to you. To-day, we have music everywhere, without beginningand without ceasing, but "the limit of human felici-ty" seems no closer to attainment than it ever was.

70 STEREO REVIEW

Only recently, Emily returned from a trip aroundthe corner to our local bank looking absolutely shat-tered. "If there's a nursery rhyme I hate," she burstout, "it's the one that says 'She shall have musicwherever she goes'."

Emily has a way of backing into her anecdotes,telling you the moral first and the tale afterwards.

"What happened?" I coaxed."Well, I walked into the bank to cash one little

check so we could pay the cleaning woman. I'mstanding there figuring out our balance-which Idon't have to tell you is at the danger point-and allof a sudden a terrible glumness stole over me. Imean, I felt practically suicidal. There seemed no usein going on. Our low bank balance just wasn'tenough to account for it. And then . . . then I be-came aware of the music. You know? The music theypipe into the bank?"

I knew and I nodded."What do you suppose they were playing?" she

challenged.I threw up my hands. It might have been anything.

I had gone into that branch once to buy a lotteryticket, and it was offering Love for Sale in an ar-rangement for two hundred and two strings.

"What, dear?" I asked, holding my breath."They were playing Why Was I Born, Why Am I

Living?," Emily disclosed, "that's what. At first Icouldn't quite place it. Then it came to me. HelenMorgan draped on a piano! I got so depressed I hadto fight back tears. I almost left without cashing thecheck."

IKNEW indeed what Emily meant. The music thatcomes to us through the air and over the wires cour-tesy of Muzak and other corporations may well beexerting a subtle power over our lives, somethinglike what astrologers believe to be the influence ofthe heavenly bodies. The city -dweller in particular isits special captive, for incessant music follows her-or him-wherever she-or he-goes. In the openingpassage of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, hu-manity awakens to a still world, all the birds havingbeen poisoned by insecticides. Now, most birds fledNew York and other cities long ago on their own,but what they left behind was not, unfortunately, si-lence. Like the emperor in the fairy tale, we havetraded the real thing for a mess of mechanical night-ingales, and their endless chirruping seems to affectthe human spirit in ways their merchandisers did notpredict.

As long ago as 1949, Harold Ross, the cantanker-ous editor of The New Yorker, tried to caution us.He went so far as to testify at public hearings againstthe advertisements that had just begun to be broad-

cast in Grand Central Station,warning that "the indi-vidual is becoming the captive of the soundmakersand is losing the right to choose whether he listens ordoesn't listen"-just the opposite state of affairs, inshort, from Bellamy's dream of music "beginningand ceasing at will"! A few weeks after Mr. Rossissued his first warnings, a hospital in Albany, NewYork, began feeding semi -classical "background mu-sic" into its rooms and corridors to cheer patientsand visitors. Undaunted, Ross went on battling inthe pages of The New Yorker, and eventually wasable to stave off audible commercials on buses andstreetcars as well as in railroad terminals. We knownow that his was a futile finger in a riddled dike. Afew days ago, Emily, while reading to me (as is herpernicious habit) from the pages of the New YorkTimes, brought to my attention an item reportingthat Dr. Michael De Bakey, the famous heart special-ist, is now prescribing music as therapy in the operat-ing rooms of his hospital in Texas. Ross must beturning in his grave.

Emily and I love music, but we like to listen to it,not overhear it. Our compulsion for listening is sostrong, in fact, that we once went all the way to thefifty-fourth floor of a skyscraper (we were supposedto get off at twelve) in order to hear all of It's Only aPaper Moon in a beguiling arrangement for saxo-phones, fiddles, and cocktail piano. (In the world ofwired -in music, if you haven't noticed, it is alwayscirca 1930, and cocktail time. There is somethingdislocating about stepping into the elevator of an of-fice building early on a weekday morning, alreadyshaking a little with foreboding at the problems thatmay be lying in wait on one's desk, and being greet-ed by a tinkling supper -clubby arrangement of Cock-tails for Two. It starts the day just a tiny bit lopsided-ly.) Background music, however, is so stealthy in itsapproach that for years I don't think Emily and Iwere even aware of its existence. It was only one daywhen we took our seats at a table in a certain mid-town eatery and I reached for the menu, picking upinstead a printed program naming the pieces to bepiped in for theentire week, that we began to sus-pect what was happening to us. Since then, therehave been days when the entire history of Tin PanAlley seems to be floating vaguely by our ears, fromdehydrated interpretations of Dardanella, which mymother was humming when I was in diapers, to aMantovani-ized transcription of Aquarius that thecrowd on the stage for Hair would be hard-pressedto recognize. And incredibly, no matter what era theselections come from, they all sound alike. It is prob-ably not beyond the boys who stay up nights process-ing all that grist in the Muzak mill to come up withan arrangement of something from Schoenberg's Pi -

OCTOBER 1971 71

errot lunaire so innocuous that it would not givepause to the most genteel of Schrafft's customers asshe tackled her apple pan dowdy special.

The people at the Muzak Corporation feel differ-ently about all this, of course. They are prompt totell you that Muzak is not meant to be listened to-just overheard or "half -heard." A "backgroundmemorandum" for the corporation issued by Dun-woodie Public Relations, a document which Emilysomehow has managed to get hold of (she won't re-veal her source, who, she says, has now gone under-ground), tells how the various types of programmingare designed to "reduce fatigue and nervous ten-sion" among office workers, "relieve worker tensionand boredom" in manufacturing plants, and "relaxcustomers and provide an attractive surrounding en-vironment" in public areas such as restaurants, ho-tels, airline terminals, and supermarkets. "Muzak,"the memorandum reveals, "transmits scientificallyplanned programs every working day and night to anestimated seventy-five million people in factories, of-fices, banks, restaurants, and hundreds of other com-mercial and noncommercial areas." The documentspeaks of the "scientific application of music to theworking environment and personnel efficiency,"leading to "a reduction of lost -time in job perform-ance, absenteeism and accidents."

Muzak programs in factories, based on "scientificstudies," are designed to "parallel the workingday"-to stimulate workers when they are tired inmid -morning and mid -afternoon (around 10:30 AMand 3:30 PM)-and to "reflect the worker's boost inspirit" at other times. Tempo, rhythm, instrumenta-tion, size of orchestra-even surveys asking theworkers what they themselves prefer-are all takeninto consideration in planning. Brasses are consid-ered "stimulating," woodwinds less so, and stringsare the lowest in "stimulant value." There is muchattention given to "ascending" and "descending"stimulation.

Muzak has grown from humble beginnings. WhenWilliam Benton of Benton and Bowles started Mu-zak in the early 1930's, the company intended itssoothing stuff only for restaurants and waitingrooms. Today at Muzak, now a division of theWrather Corporation, they employ Dr. F. WilliamWokoun, a psychologist with eleven years' experi-ence in "human engineering" at the U. S. Army'sAberdeen Proving Grounds. They record all theirown music, using such studio musicians as guitaristAl Caiola, saxophonist Phil Bodner, trombonist War-ren Covington, and pianist Dick Hyman. Abouttwenty-four new tunes are recorded every month.The company's annual volume-including fees, in-stallations, and sales of audio equipment to custom-

ers who want to buy it outright-is estimated at$40,000,000, so Emily claims. When a new Broad-way musical opens, Muzak likes to get right to itscustomers with its own arrangements of the melodiesin the score. The programs are recorded on "mile -

long magnetic tapes," made into discs, then trans-ferred once more, on thirty-six giant tape recorders,to eight -hour tapes to be sent to Muzak franchises allover the country. These tapes in turn are transmittedby leased telephone lines or multiplex radio signalsto the "outlets," which range from bus terminals to aNew York hospital's intensive -care unit for cardiacpatients, where "feelings of serenity" are supposedto be maintained (easy on the brasses is the rule forthat outlet).

Muzak's president, U. V. Muscio, doesn't like tohear. Muzak referred to as "background music" atall. "We're specialists in the physiological and psy-chological application of music," he says. Muzak re-gards the product issued by its rivals, including Min-nesota Mining & Manufacturing, as unscientific stuff.Emily and I know from experience what Mr. Musciomeans by "physiological" and "psychological" appli-cation. We have learned to be particularly wary ofthe piped -in music designed for us by those "humanengineers" on our visits to the supermarket. Rovingthe aisles on Saturday morning, already in a state oflight hypnosis, I have been known to sink so deepunder the influence of a balmy arrangement of Jean-Me I Dream of Lilac Time or Yesterday that I havetossed into my cart large quantities of costly gourmetfoods-chocolate-covered grasshoppers, mint -fla-vored caviar, sherry -enriched anchovies-whichsomehow are never consumed. Only the zing of thecash register announcing its shocking total at thecheckout counter pulls me back to reality.

But the problem goes far beyond Muzak. Nowa-days music comes at you from every imaginablesource, at all times and everywhere. It isn't alwaysthat euphoria -producing scientifically designed Mu-zak -type stuff, either. At Christmas, we have the Sal-vation Army bands on corners, the blast of Rudolphthe Red -Nosed Reindeer from department -storewindows, and the echo of Christmas carols broadcastwith excruciating distortion over public-address sys-tems and even from the rooftops of churches. Thereare the inescapable bands marching down Fifth Ave-nue on holidays, in an endless series of parades byethnic groups aggressively blaring their characteris-tic music through the streets. There are no options,for ears do not have lids. There is no "beginning andceasing at will;" it's "unlimited in quantity," allright, but not quite as "perfect in quality" as Mr.Bellamy longed to have it.

At an Italian festival in Greenwich Village last

72 STEREO REVIEW

summer, Emily and I counted fourteen phonographsand radios all competing against one another, whilein mid -street, down past the stalls of sausages, pizzas,and games of chance, a lad came through the crowdwith a transistor portable to his ear, marching to themusic of God only knows what different drum. Somesubway trains in New York already speak to youbrusquely as they enter stations ("Toity-fourt' Street.Watch da`doors"), and music is sure to be next. Mu-sic wafts eerily above the artificial avenues ofWorld's Fairs and trade expositions. It blares out ofthe opened doors of bars, basement poolrooms, andbowling alleys. It drowns out the sound of the oceanat beaches and pursues us into the sky on planes.

Music on a long plane trip is a particularly unset-tling experience for Emily and me. First, they supplyyou with these freshly laundered earphones. It takessome time to figure out how to plug them in andhow to twist the volume control so as not to go deafbefore the program starts. Emily, no matter whatchannel she chooses, always get the feeling she'smissing something and begins clicking from numberto number. By the time she has settled on a programshe likes, we're about to land. I, on the other hand,stick doggedly to one channel, and as a result I haveheard the "Bell Song" from Lakme, an operaticchestnut of which I am not extraordinarily fond, upto three times in the course of a single journey. Air-line music also is a little shaky on the technologicalside, prone to blur without warning, to waver inspeed, or to sink to a murmur as the voice of thecaptain, oblivious of the fact that your favorite pas-sage in somebody's violin concerto has just begun,starts telling you your altitude or warning of bumpyconditions ahead.

One evening Emily and I asked a restaurateur who

we had grown to believe valued our patronage tolower the volume on a jukebox he had recently in-stalled, because we wanted to be able to converseover our dinner. The man looked at us as though wewere intruders from another planet. He swept hishand around to indicate the assembled diners andcall our attention to the rapt expression on almosteverybody else's face as, just then, an anguished,booming voice from the gaudily lighted machinetold of the voice's suffering at the hands of somewoman unknown to us but evidently familiar to ev-erybody else in the room. We finished our meal insilence-ours, not the jukebox's. (But I have learnedthat there is a small silverlining to this cloud: for aquarter, some jukeboxes let you purchase three min-utes of silence!) Travelers tell us that such noise pol-lution is the same throughout America. And othercountries are no longer safe, either. Muzak, for ex-ample, has extended its empire from Finland toPeru, with branches in Japan, New Zealand, En-gland, Germany, Argentina-in all, twenty-threecountries so far.

I have a particularly terrifying recurring night-mare that stems from a kind of conglomerate memo-ry. Emily and I are seated in a touring bus, havingpurchased a ticket to go from Florence to Ravenna tosee the mosaics. Nobody has told us the bus is fortourists; we thought we were boarding ordinary pub-lic transportation. Now, as we pass some of the love-liest landscapes in Italy, we perceive that the win-dows are all shut tight, and loudspeakers, turned upbeyond the threshold of pain, are pouring out a fre-netic arrangement of Amapola (or maybe it is La Vieen Rose this year). Above the din, the "hostess" ofour tour is shouting in broken English, "Is every-body 'oppy?" Later we pause for a Cinzano at a road-side cafe where the bartender's radio is blaring outmore of the same. "We are all so 'oppy 'ere," thehostess is exclaiming to the guzzling crowd, "maybewe stay longer and skeep Ravenna, yes?" I wake upas my own voice thunders "No-o-oo-oo---!"

Where will it all end? On a trip to Mars, no doubt,with the Blue Danube Waltz caressing the ears ofspaceship travelers much as it did on that ride to themoon in the movie 2001. And Emily and I will besitting there in our space suits, docile captives of the"human engineers," vainly trying to read. Or else,like that lady in Newark, New Jersey, who kept get-ting radio station WOR through her dental fillings,we shall ourselves wind up totally wired for sound,unable to think of anything but the words to Tea forTwo as some group like the Melachrino Strings pipesthe melody directly into our endlessly serenadedbrains. Would Edward Bellamy have called that "thelimit of human felicity"?

OCTOBER 1971 73

11WAIIE \V \ IA

"If you're an American composer,you're blues -oriented"

By ROBERT WINDELER

A TIME when Los Angeles is rapidly becoming theTpop music capital of the world, and the composersand singers who increasingly move to L.A. are

more involved mutually than ever in the past-followingand attending each other's club dates as avidly as groupies,playing on each other's recording dates-Randy Newman,Los Angeles -born and heir to a distinguished Hollywoodmusical tradition, seems determined to remain a recluse.Let Carole King, all the Taylors, Joni Mitchell, Mary Tra-vers, and the rest race around shoring each other up andaugmenting each other's sounds. Randy Newman lives invirtual isolation in a canyon, not near Hollywood, but inthe upper -middle-class suburb of Brentwood, with his Ger-man-born wife and two young sons.

Even his infrequent ping-pong games with Harry Nils-son, Newman's one regular contact with his contemporar-ies, are a thing of the past. He'll hear of something in theoutside world he missed, and lament: "That's what I getfor hiding out." But his forays into the workaday popworld are usually disastrous. Newman had long admiredthe singing of Linda Ronstadt, and she in turn was a fan ofhis writing. They finally met one afternoon at the Trouba-dour, where Linda was rehearsing. She was excited; herecoiled. "I took one look at her feet and I knew I couldn'tbe with her," he later told a friend. "Anybody who walksaround the Troubadour in bare feet must be nuts."

Newman's withdrawal is near -total, consistent, and asmuch a theme in his songs as it is a life-style. "By nature,musicians are isolated," he says. One of his most recentcompositions is called It's Lonely at the Top. Harry Nils-son did an all -Randy Newman album, "Nilsson SingsNewman," but Randy says, "I can't ever imagine doingthat, making a whole album of some other writer's songs."Harry says, "Randy is George and Ira Gershwin all at

once." Randy Newman, at twenty-seven, is also proof thatcynicism can start in any environment and that the bluesdon't have to spring from deprivation. His chief lyricalpreoccupation is middle America, culturally and geograph-ically. He has written songs about Kansas and Utah, andthe only composition he's ever recorded that's not his ownis Stephen Foster's My Old Kentucky Home. Another re-cent Newman original is Hard -Hat Blues.

Although he sometimes caricatures his middle Ameri-cans, as in his much -recorded Love Story (no relation andwell prior to the film, book, and score of the same name):

Some nights we'll go out dancingIf I am not too tired;Some nights we'll sit romancin'Watching the Late Show by the fire.

(only a cynic could call a lyric like that "Love Story"), hejust as often sympathizes with them, as in Cowboy:

Cold gray building where a hill should beSteel and concrete closin' in on me.

Randy says his lyrics "are satire in the sense that theyexaggerate some facet of ordinary human behavior." Butjust as important a theme is "alienation and the conflictsthat confront young people today." Newman's best-knownsong, Mama Told Me Not to Come, a number -one hit byThree Dog Night, is about innocent boys who find them-selves at a pot party, bewildered by the whole thing. Ran-dy is not taking a stand on marijuana in the song, but mere-ly writing about pressure and confusion. Let Me Go, LetMe Go, from the film Pursuit of Happiness, is his "privateprotest against kids getting too much s--- laid on them at anearly age."

Interviewing Newman at home is like catching an ordi-

74 STEREO REVIEW

nary businessman at home on a Saturday. (There's even aplaypen in the back yard.) Except this is the middle of theweek, his wife and children are out, he hasn't heard thebell, and you come upon him working at the piano in anupstairs study, playing and singing, as fully possessed byhis own output and the way it should sound as Laura Nyrois. He is working on a new film score.

Newman is short, slight, with fuzzy dark hair, a pallid,razor -nicked complexion, stray stubble on the chin. Hewears thick telescope -lens glasses, thanks to a painful eyeoperation after a car crash. His levis look brand new andstiffly pressed (conversely, his one suit is rag -tag and bag-gy). "I've never cared for clothes," he says. "I have novisual sense and I'll always let somebody tell me how todress for something important."

He is as much a recluse as it is possible to be and still beprofessionally active. He has few friends, no hobbies buthis children, and he reads a lot. His rebellions are all pri-vate, not part of collective ones. Charitable about mostother singers and composers, he is a genuine admirer ofmany, from Bing Crosby to Fats Domino and JimmyWebb. He resents any invasion of his own and their priva-cy. "They shouldn't put Bernstein down for a social mis-take. I bet it was okay if Beethoven was a fool, because theworld wasn't watching."

Randy is the son of a successful internist, and his motheris from an unreconstructed New Orleans family. But threeuncles-Alfred, Emil, and Lionel Newman-were amongthe legendary men of movie music, providing more thanthirty years each of background scores through Lionel'sThe Best Years of Our Lives, up to Alfred's Airport, whichhe wrote just before his death. Randy, though, preferredto write songs. "I've always liked my uncles' music, andthey've been nice to me, but times change and thingsevolve, and songwriting seemed to me a more logical ex-pression of my time." Yet, he adds, "in a lot of ways it'sless musical to write songs-it's a freak form. You just doit or you can't do it. A lot of great composers can't writesongs."

Still, times keep changing, and things keep evolving,and suddenly different kinds of movies from the new Hol-lywood need new kinds of music. Even as Lionel and Emilare trying to understand his songs, and complimenting himon them, Randy announces he is writing and arranging thescores for two movies, Cold Turkey and Pursuit of Happi-ness, and seeing if a songwriter can also become a compos-er. Understand, however, that-like everything else-it'son his own terms: "Movies like The Graduate and Mid-night Cowboy were scored with good commercial sound-tracks in mind. Like my uncles, I think movie music shouldadd something artistically and dramatically, and not justproduce record sales."

Randy had never even thought of an orchestra's playinghis work until he arranged Is That All There Is? for PeggyLee's return to pop prominence. And now he's locked intoa "totally different type of discipline"-as well as beingvirtually locked into the upstairs room, where he compos-es, by the producer, agent, or manager of the moment: likemost writers of any kind, he doesn't really like to write. "Ireach a point where I don't want to have to face it anymore. It's torture to have to drag myself to the piano, sitdown and grind it out." Sometimes he has managed toavoid the torture for periods of as long as two months, but"I always go back," he says. "I get to feeling bad about notwriting anything."

Growing up affluent in a close family and in the shadow

of show business didn't prevent things like the car accidentand operation, nor a lot of other plain hard luck: "When-ever the kids did anything wrong, I was the one who gotcaught." He attributes some of his skepticism to his child-hood. "Leave it to me to find the cloud around the silverlining."

A friend once heard Newman say "the cancer ads ontelevision work from a false premise-they assume every-body wants to live." That doesn't mean Randy himself issuicidal or in a permanent depression. It's just that hethinks much of humanity is unhappy, and he's equally con-vinced they don't want to be told about it. "There's a tend-ency to want to be happy all the time. People don't want tohear about how hard it really is."

No career but composing ever occurred to him, and inhis senior year at University ("Uni") High near UCLA hestarted writing songs. He went on to UCLA-but, moreimportant, he joined Metric Music Studio in the halcyondays when Glen Campbell was just a backup guitarist forhire and other big pop music names were getting startedthere. Randy's academic career was spotty: "If I couldn'tget a parking place at UCLA I'd drive over to the studioinstead." He never did graduate, ironically because hedidn't fulfill a performance requirement for his music de-gree. He was in the chorus for a while but just mouthedwords; no sound came out.

PLENTY of sound came out of Metric, however, and Ran-dy teamed with another fledgling composer -singer, JackieDeShannon, on She Don't Understand Him, and with astudio secretary on a lost and underrated Petula Clark re-cording, I Can't Remember Ever Loving You. After a fewyears as "B -Side Newman," an underground favorite and amusician's songwriter, he emerged into the overgroundwith I Think It's Going to Rain Today (recorded by fortydifferent artists) and Mama Told Me Not to Come, andnow Randy Newman copyrights are worth more than amillion dollars. "Figures like that kind of turn youaround."

Newman says he "wouldn't know how to describe mysongs. I go through phases, rock-and-roll pretty much,blues-oriented-but then so is ninety per cent of pop mu-sic. If you're an American composer, you're blues-orient-ed-Gershwin, Ives, Bernstein all were. I don't think I'mparticularly cynical about individual people, but I amabout government, about organizational -type behavior. Iwas never even a cub out; I knew at an early age I didn'twant any of that. What interests me is the individual-I'mput off by things, world situations, groups, movements. Ihave a 1950's view of man's imperfectibility."

One recent method of avoiding writing or recording(which, despite two Warner Brothers albums and morewhen he's ready, he hates almost as much: "I have to bepushed and pulled into recording things; I didn't evenwant to do Mama Told Me Not to Come") has been per-forming "live," in smaller clubs, selected college concerts,and on TV. He sings mostly (but not exclusively) his ownsongs in a rough, untrained voice that even his press agentadmits is an acquired taste. Of his voice Randy says,"Sometimes I don't like it. It's not pretty in the conven-tional sense, but nothing is in the conventional sense anymore." He accompanies himself on piano and the chat isspontaneous. Or, as he puts it, "performing the way I do iskind of a mindless exercise; it doesn't wear me out likewriting or recording. I just figured I should do it instead ofcomplaining about the way other people did my songs."

OCTOBER 1971 75

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Before we find ourselves looking down the throat of the catalogingchallenge certain to be posed by the advent of quadrasonic

recordings, a confirmed collector suggests we makeone last effort to silence the lingering echoes

of the mono/stereo dilemmaBy RICHARD FREED

WIIEN the stereophonic disc was introduceda little more than a dozen years ago, wewere assured that it would not render the

monophonic disc obsolete (as the LP had 78's inshort order) because mono discs could be played onany stereo system without changes in turntablespeed, pickup, tracking force, and so on. The "com-patibility" was genuine, and certainly reassuring tocollectors, particularly those who had already con-verted extensive 78 -rpm holdings to LP. In the tenyears of mono microgroove, after all, a far greaternumber of recordings had been issued than in thepreceding forty years of 78 -rpm activity, and amongthem were hundreds of superb performances, manyin spectacularly fine sound.

Despite the genuineness of the mono -stereo com-patibility, however, and the assurances that monowould not be scrapped, the huge and enthusiastic ac-ceptance of stereo was interpreted by many recordmanufacturers and retailers (few of whom have any-thing like real contact with their customers today) asa sign that the mono disc was through. Many monoitems were forthwith abandoned, and those thatwere not were given artificial stereo treatment tobring them up -to date. Some of these records werelabeled to indicate they had been doctored; others

were simply labeled "stereo." In the trade, the feel-ing grew that anything offered without that magicword would be regarded by dealers as prehistoricand unsellable.

By 1967 the record companies had stopped issuingalternate mono versions of new stereo recordings, asensible move which evoked' little complaint. Bythen, too, many retailers had become extremely re-luctant to stock any mono records, so the deletionrate for mono accelerated, and, more and more, reis-sues of pre -stereo material were being offered in"electronically simulated stereo." When a number ofserious collectors and reviewers registered com-plaints about the phony-stereo treatment of historicaland other pre -stereo recordings, however, some ofthe companies decided to give mono another chance.The Seraphim label, introduced in the fall of 1966mainly as a reissue format for material formerly re-leased by Angel and Capitol, has from the outsetmaintained a policy of issuing stereo recordings instereo only and mono recordings in mono only.There has not been a single phony-stereo disc onSeraphim, and the mono reissues keep coming (re-cent examples, on top of much of the "Great Record-ings of the Century" series, being the Shostakovichpiano concertos with the composer as soloist and the

76STEREO REVIEW

Heifetz-Beecham collaboration in concertos by Mo-zart and Mendelssohn). Columbia's Odyssey andRCA's Victrola, which had offered reissues of BrunoWalter, Lotte Lehmann, and Toscanini recordingsboth ways, have settled on a policy of "no more pho-ny stereo" for their historical series, in conformitywith the practice of their respective full -price labels,on which such doctoring has been rare.

At about the same time, though, London Recordsdeleted its entire series of Richmond mono reissues,retaining the Richmond label exclusively for operaticreissues in stereo. And, most dishearteningly, 1971started off with a major setback for the mono disc:effective last January, all mono listings were re-moved from the regular monthly edition of theSchwann Catalog (now called the Schwann Record &Tape Guide) and the listings transferred to the Sup-plementary Catalog which Schwann publishes semi-annually in February and August.

William Schwann does not make such moves capri-ciously. He has been publishing his catalog for morethan twenty-one years (during which time two orthree other publishers have made starts at producingsimilar catalogs and have given up on them), andwhatever modifications he makes from time to timeare surely based on his interpretation of what retail-ers and individual collectors want. In this case hemust have felt that they wanted tape listings, andthat, if something had to give in order to make spacefor them, there was not much interest in mono discsany longer. Statements published both before andafter the change reminded users that the mono itemshad not been abandoned, but simply transferred tothe Supplementary Catalog.

Without questioning the publisher's genuine con-cern for what the users of his catalog want, I feel thatthis move, which may have been based on an errone-ous interpretation, may well result in more than mi-nor inconvenience. Since the Schwann Catalog is theuniversal and indispensable American reference inits field, the consequences could be far-reaching, in-deed, in terms of the mono disc's survival. Here ishow executives of some companies which producemono records reacted last winter at the time ofSchwann's announcement: "The purists didn't likethe idea of phony stereo, so we reissue the earlierrecordings in genuine mono; but now these recordsare taken out of the one catalog everybody uses, sono one is even aware they're available, leaving uswith the alternatives of either putting them out inphony stereo, after all, so they'll get back in the cata-log, or simply dropping them altogether."

The people who are interested in the recordings inquestion do not want them in phony stereo, but theydo want to know about their existence. Most individ-

ual collectors simply refer to the monthly Schwannto see what is available, and make their selectionsfrom what they find there; few, it seems, bother tocheck the Supplementary Catalog for recordings notlisted in the monthly edition. It would be doublyironic if older recordings were given the phony -stereo treatment in order to get them reinstated inthe monthly Schwann, for not only was lack of spacethe basic reason behind their removal in the firstplace, but it would probably cost the publisher moreto put them back now than it did to remove them (allthe disc numbers would have to be reset).

THERE is an enormous quantity of recordings-both disc and tape-available in this country, and itswells considerably every month. In order to keepup with the volume, Mr. Schwann has from time totime condensed certain listings and removed somesections to form separate catalogs. The regularSchwann, which runs to about three hundred pages,has had to be pruned periodically, and this has led tothe creation of the Supplementary Catalog, the spe-cial Country and Western Catalog (published once ayear), and another publication listing children's rec-ords, as well as the less frequently produced ArtistIssue. The Supplementary Catalog, to which allmono discs have been consigned now, has for sometime been the repository for all listings of popularLP's more than two years old (the more recent onesare in the monthly edition), religious records, olderjazz records, musical -comedy and film music, andspoken -word recordings. It is also where one findslistings of certain imported labels (some are in themonthly edition) and several domestic labels whichare not widely distributed. (One traditional catego-ry, "Popular Music of Other Countries," seems nowto have disappeared from both editions.) This distri-bution of listings means that both the "classical" andthe "popular" collector really ought to be equippedwith the Supplementary Catalog as well as themonthly edition-and use both. The pop collectorwill in some cases find an automatic reminder (underthe Beatles, for example, one is told, "See also Sup-plementary Catalog"), but the classical buff must re-mind himself that what he doesn't find in the month-ly edition might turn up in the other volume, inmono or on an import label-or both.

The Schwann undertaking, without which no re-tailer or collector would dream of getting along, is asvast as it is invaluable, and its imperfections andomissions are no more than what is inevitable in suchcases. Mr. Schwann's publications have become somuch a part of the life of the record industry, and ofthe consumers who support it, that they tend to beregarded as a public service, and those who disagree

OCTOBER 1971 77

with one or another of his policies sometimes expressthemselves with the vehemence of outraged taxpay-ers. With no vehemence at all, but in gratitude formore than two decades of service and confident an-ticipation of continued benefaction, this collectorwould urge Mr. Schwann to give serious considera-tion to dividing his catalogs on the pattern of thosepublished in England by The Gramophone. Insteadof a "basic" catalog and a "supplement," the En-glishmen publish a classical catalog and a popular cat-alog, each of which includes all current recordings inits respective categories.

The Gramophone's classical catalog, publishedquarterly, is astonishingly thorough in its listings: ev-ery title; full contents of every "collection" record,meticulously cross-referenced; an opera section giv-ing detailed cast information on every complete op-era recording as well as the librettist's name and thedate and place of the work's premiere; and evenmail-order records. In the principal section, every in-dividual excerpt from opera, ballet, and incidentalmusic is not only listed, but its position in the workspecified; titles are given for the component pieces insuch collective works as the Debussy Preludes andthe song cycles of Schubert and Schumann; and indi-vidual song titles are all listed, with the accompanistand the author of the text given in each case.

The combination of the greater bulk of record of-ferings in this country and the monthly instead ofquarterly publication schedule make it virtually im-possible for Mr. Schwann to match his English col-leagues' thoroughness. The latest issue of his month-ly catalog shows more than thirty listings of Schubertsong collections (in addition to those of the song cy-cles), including Fischer-Dieskau's twenty -five -disc seton Deutsche Grammophon. Imagine how many ad-ditional pages would be required to list every title-and how many more for similar listings of the indi-vidual chorale -preludes of Bach or Satie's pianopieces! But the English format represents an emi-nently sensible division, for people who buy recordsare generally oriented to a "classical" or "popular"repertoire, rather than to mono or stereo sound or todomestic or imported labels. It would be no less sen-sible in the United States than in Britain to have onecatalog in which a// "classical" recordings availablein this country are listed-mono and stereo, import-ed and domestic-and another in which the "popu-lar" segment is similarly covered.

The advantages to the consumer and retailerwould be considerable. The user of either catalogwould be able to see at a glance whether a given titleis available, if it is offered by his favorite performer,how many recordings by a particular pop group arecurrent, etc. The advantages to the publisher would

not be negligible, either. No longer would he haveto transfer certain pop recordings from one book tothe other each month as they reach their second anni-versaries. No longer would he have to judge wheth-er certain minor labels merit listing in the monthlyor supplementary book.

Perhaps this procedure, if adopted by Mr.Schwann, would not lend itself to continuation of themonthly schedule, in which case a staggered bi-monthly arrangement might be in order. One wouldhope that it would be possible to issue both the clas-sical and popular catalogs monthly, and it wouldseem logical that they could be, provided the listingsare no more detailed than they are at present. Whichleads me to a further suggestion-a different semi-annual supplement to replace the current one (whichwould disappear, of course, if the total-popular/to-tal-classical division were to be adopted).

AS I have already acknowledged, the monthlySchwann, no matter what sort of format the publish-er might choose to continue or to initiate, simplycannot include individual listings of every Schubertsong and every Satie piano piece, as the English cata-log does. Let it be further acknowledged that notevery collector will have the space or the inclinationto save all back issues of Schwann to check for con-tents of "collection" records (given only in the origi-nal "New Listing" when the record is first released).Also, it would be worthwhile to have some informa-tion on mail-order labels: the Musical Heritage Soci-ety not only offers more Low-priced records than anyother single source, but possibly more records at anyprice than any other classical label (about eight hun-dred at present, with the emphasis on underexposedrepertoire), and the Reader's Digest has producedsome exceptionally interesting recordings with suchmusicians as Charles Munch, Earl Wild, and Alexan-der Gibson. With these considerations in mind, itwould be a great convenience to have a semi-annual(or even annual) catalog listing detailed contents ofall "collection" records not broken down in themonthly edition (Strauss waltzes, Hugo Wolf songs,organ music of Bach, Verdi arias, Bernstein's Great-est Hits, etc.) as well as records currently availablefrom major mail-order sources (MHS, Reader's Di-gest, International Piano Library, etc.).

This collector hopes Mr. Schwann will give seriousconsideration to both of these suggestions, whichjust might add to the longevity of many worthwhilerecordings, both mono and stereo, and make life alittle easier for both the casual shopper and the con-firmed record nut. Surely no one else has the experi-ence or the resources-or the deep sense of personalcommitment-to do the job better than he.

78 STEREO REVIEW

STEREO REVIEW'S SELECTION OF RECORDINGS OF SPECIAL MERIT

BEST OF THE MONTH't*

0/,/eof

CLASSICAL

J. S. BACH'S HARPSICHORD CONCERTOS IN AN INTEGRAL SET

Columbia's new recording with Igor Kipnis and the London Strings is a triumph

COLUMBIA'S set of all of Bach's concertos forharpsichord and orchestra, the first substan-tial multi -record project by my colleague

Igor Kipnis and long overdue, has just been re-leased. It is a triumph. Its only real competition is theset made by Gustav Leonhardt and Herbert Tachezifor Telefunken, and excellent though that version is,I am inclined to think that Kipnis' is even better.

The two sets cover slightly different ground. Theyhave in common the seven "standard" solo harpsi-chord concertos, and each includes the fragmentaryeighth concerto as reconstructed by its respective so-loist. But whereas Telefunken's five -record set goeson to include the half -dozen concertos for two, three,or four harpsichords, Columbia's (on just four discs)elects to concentrate instead onworks with a single solo harpsi-chord, and its "extras" are thetwo works in which that instru-ment is joined by solo violinand flute-the Fifth Branden-burg Concerto and the TripleConcerto in A Minor.

I was careful to say "singlesolo harpsichord," because Kip-nis and conductor Neville Mar-riner do employ a second in-strument for the continuo part.This brings me to the two sets'merits, which, like their scopes,are different. Leonhardt (whoplays all the solo concertos ex-cept the D Minor in the Tele-funken set) and Kipnis are alikeperceptive scholars and superbmusicians. The most attractivesingle feature of the Telefunkenperformances is, I think, their

J. S. BACHLithograph after a painting by E. G. Haussmann

use of period and reproduction instruments tuned tothe old low pitch, for this resource achieves the clos-est possible approximation to the actual sound Bachwould have heard. I also find Leonhardt's solution ofthe slow -movement problem in the reconstructed DMinor Concerto more convincing than Kipnis'.

On the other hand, the use of a separate continuoharpsichord in the Columbia set certainly helps toclarify the formal articulation of the concertos (asdoes the effective spatial separation achieved by therecording), and I personally prefer Columbia's useof multiple strings for the orchestral parts to themostly one -to -a -part chamber -musical setup chosenby Telefunken-the use of single instruments too of-ten gives excessive prominence to what are essential-

ly subsidiary string lines.But more important than this

is the actual quality of the play-ing by Kipnis and the LondonStrings (no doubt a pseudonymfor Marriner's Academy of St.Martin -in -the -Fields, which waspresumably not free to recordfor Columbia under its ownname). Kipnis is irrepressiblyfresh and crisp. The general ef-fect of his playing is lighter thanthat of Leonhardt's, and, unlikeLeonhardt (who is more aus-tere), Kipnis allows himselfconsiderable (yet always taste-ful) latitude in the embellish-ment of restatements-his graceand spontaneity would surelyhave delighted the composer.Soloist and conductor are par-ticularly good at capturing theessential rhythmic character of

OCTOBER 1971 79

Columbio

IGOR KIPNIS: playing that is irrepressibly fresh and crisp

each movement. They even manage the difficult taskof distinguishing between alla breve and 4/4 time insimilar fast tempos.

It may be this concern for authenticity of pulsethat occasionally leads to a slight sense of insecurityin the actual speed of the music. The performershave aimed always for live rhythm instead of me-chanical meter, and any small problems that resultare vastly outweighed by the musical gain. However,one particular surge of speed in the first movementof the F Major Concerto may, I suspect, have result-ed from the splicing in of a different take.

While I am on the subject of the recording per se(which is, for the most part, excellent), I must note aclumsy tape -splice in the first movement of the AMajor Concerto-a flaw that could easily have beenrepaired-and I must also register my regret that thesecond violins were not placed on the conductor'sright, away from the firsts. There are many antipho-nal passages, especially in the D Minor Concerto (the"standard," not the reconstructed one), that wouldhave gained immeasurably from that arrangement ofthe strings.

All in all, though, this is marvelous music marvel-ously performed and well produced (by PaulMyers). And now, if Columbia or anyone else is lis-tening, may we have the English Suites from Kipnis?And then the French Suites? And then . . . well, the

repertoire is enormous, and Kipnis ought to be re-cording it all. Bernard Jacobson

BACH, J. S.: Harspichord Concertos Nos. 1-7 (BWV1052-1058); Harpsichord Concerto No. 8, in D Minor(BWV 1059, reconstructed by Igor Kipnis); Branden-burg Concerto No. 5, in D Major (BWV 1050); TripleConcerto for Violin, Flute, Harpsichord, and Strings,in A Minor (BWV 1044). Igor Kipnis (solo harpsichord);Neville Marriner (violin); Hans -Martin Linde (flute);Jeanne and Marguerite Dolmetsch (recorders); Janet Crax-ton (oboe); Colin Tilney (continuo harpsichord); LondonStrings, Neville Marriner cond. COLUMBIA M4 30540four discs $23.98.

BACH'S MUSICAL OFFERINGTO FREDERICK THE GREAT

The beautiful and sensitive playing of Vienna'sConcentus Musicus distinguishes a Telefunken release

WE HAVE at long last, I think, a performance ofJ. S. Bach's Musical Offering that is the equal

of the music itself: Telefunken's new recording withthe Vienna Concentus Musicus under the directionof Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

The story of the work is well known, but it bearsrepeating. In 1747, Johann Sebastian went to visit hisson Carl Philipp Emanuel at the court of Frederick IIin Potsdam, near Berlin. The old man still had a finereputation as a giant of the old school, and quitenaturally he was expected to demonstrate his skill byimprovising a fugue. The king himself supplied thetheme-on the piano, not the harpsichord!-andBach immediately improvised upon it to the suitableastonishment and gratification of the court. Never-theless, Bach, apologizing profusely for the music'sunworthiness, took the subject home and proceededto run it through the most incredible series of ricer-cafi, canonic, and fugal treatments, culminating in atrio sonata in which the new court and the oldlearned musical styles are brought together in per-fect harmony. This work, one of the few from Bach'spen to have been printed in his lifetime, was thenengraved and duly presented to the king by C.P.E.

The jacket -note claim that the instrumentationused in this Telefunken recording is that of the origi-nal may be a little overenthusiastic. The original no-tation was in the old strict style, with a separate linefor each part. Except for the trio sonata, there are noindications of instrumentation, and, as the music maynot even have been performed at the time it waswritten, they may not have been necessary. Howev-

80STEREO REVIEW

NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT: musical flesh and blood

er, the instrumentation decisions made by Harnon-court and his musicians are undoubtedly apt: strings,including tenor viola, plus transverse flute and harp-sichord (not piano!). But aptest of all are the beautyand the sensitivity of the playing, always alive to themeaning and the breathing curve of /he music. Nopomposity or pseudo -antiquity or pedantry intrude;there is only poetry and style. These are not dry mu-sicological bones, but musical flesh and blood.

Eric Salzman

BACH, J. S.: A Musical Offering (BWV 1079). Con-centus Musicus Vienna, Nikolaus Harnoncourt cond.TELEFUNKEN SAWT 9565-B $5.95.

ENTERTAINMENT

TOP-DRAWER FILM SCORESBY BERNARD HERRMANN

A London release presents some impressive examplesof the music of an absorbing and original talent

NOT SO long ago, the movie -music discographywas enhanced by the addition of a splendid

London album called "Music from the Great MovieThrillers." It consisted of excerpts from various Ber-

nard Herrmann scores for Alfred Hitchcock films, invigorous performances by the London Philharmonicunder the composer's direction. Included were pas-sages from Psycho, Marnie, Vertigo, North byNorthwest, and a sly "Portrait of Hitch" based onthe perky score from The Trouble with Harry. ThePhase Four sound was big, clear, and sharp, and Mr.Herrmann's efforts as Hitchcock's court composerwere vindicated: separated from the movies whosesuspense it heightened, the music was clearly bothabsorbing and original.

Now comes a sequel-"Music from Great FilmClassics"-and the results are even more impressive.There's a Memory Waltz from The Snows of Kili-manjaro, spacious and full of yearning, that evokesthe spectacular scenery that was (next to HildegardKnef) the movie's best feature; the dizzying SleighRide scherzo as well as the barn dance from TheDevil and Daniel Webster, marked by a fugato epi-sode indicating the sinister presence of Mr. Scratchamong the celebrants; and the divertissement knownas Welles Raises Kane, made up of music from bothCitizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons-ascore fresh, salty, and tricky enough to stand up andbe proud in any concert hall.

An entire side is devoted to a suite fromJane Eyre,all Gothic richness and atmospheric description, in -

BERNARD HERRMANN: a photo from early days in Hollywood

BM I

OCTOBER 1971 81

cluding passages suggesting the young Jane's ride toThornfield Hall, her meeting on the moors withRochester, the fire at the hall, and some simmeringstorm music. These all have their literal "program-matic" elements, and are therefore not entirely freeof old-fashioned Hollywood -bottled corn syrup, yetthey serve to show that even such stock situations canbe handled in a truly musical way by a master.

Mr. Herrmann, who supplied the liner notes aswell as the music for this excellent release, tells howhe was inspired by working on the Jane Eyre score totry an opera based on Wuthering Heights. This workhas yet to reach these shores either in performanceor recording. In the meantime we can enjoy themovie scores on the late show-and as marvelouslyrecreated here. Paul Kresh

HERRMANN: Music from Great Film Classics. Ex-cerpts from Jane Eyre, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, CitizenKane, The Magnificent Ambersons, and The Devil andDaniel Webster. London Philharmonic Orchestra, BernardHerrmann cond. LONDON SP 44144 $5.98.

JONI MITCHELLSINGS HER BLUES

Provocative images and thoughtful messages add upto an album that is quite probably her best yet

JONI MITCHELL continues to demonstrate that sheis not only an actress -singer but a composer ofconsiderable power: her newest (and aptly titled)

album "Blue" for Reprise is an unqualified successon both counts. It is a collection of what once werecalled "torch" songs, but Miss Mitchell adds an extradimension to her "my man's gone now" theme byintroducing a spare, satirical element that is some-times directed at herself, sometimes at her partners.It is this balanced dispassion which makes her worktruly womanly rather than merely girlish.

And, if her songs are based on personal experi-ence, she certainly does seem to have had a roughtime of it in the Game of Love. In the song Californiashe meets a red -neck on a Grecian isle who ". . .

gave me back my smile/But he kept my camera tosell." The subject of My Old Man is apparently givento irregular disappearances, thus causing Joni to col-lide with the blues and to discover that "The bed'stoo big/The frying pan's too wide." That last phrase(think about it) is a genuine image, provocative andpalpable. There are others like it running all throughher compositions, and they regularly bring the listen-

Reprise

JONI MITCHELL: a balanced and womanly dispassion

er to sharp attention with the unmistakable clang ofsardonic truth.

Though the subject of all these songs is the blues,Miss Mitchell's extraordinary performances of themquickly remove any possibility that they might alladd up to a bad case of the sulks. For instance, hernervous, slightly weird soprano makes My Old Mana touching and poignant story rather than a tiresome,weepy complaint. Also, the near -perfection of her ar-rangements and accompaniment (both Stephen Stillsand James Taylor sat in on guitar during the ses-sions), the beautifully finished (in the sense of com-plete) sound of each track, all contribute to what maybe her best album yet.

I think the finest thing about "Blue," however, isits message of survival. "Well, there're so many sink-ing now/You've got to keep thinking/You canmake it through these waves/Acid, booze, and ass/Needles, guns and grass/Lots of laughs, lots oflaughs./Well everybody's saying that hell's the hip-pest way to go/Well, I don't think so." These wordssound to me very like a pointed and pertinent warn-ing to that part of a generation that talks a lot aboutgetting it all together but begins to seem less and lesscapable of really doing so. Peter Reilly

JONI MITCHELL: Blue. Joni Mitchell (vocals); orches-tra. All I Want; My Old Man; Little Green; Carey; Blue;California; The Flight Tonight; River; A Case of You; TheLast Time I Saw Richard. REPRISE MS 2038 $5.98, 0M 82038 $6.95, © M 52038 $6.95.

82STEREO REVIEW

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We like to bring outa few centuries ofgreat music.

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for September. Great performe-s carefully-but never conservative_y-paired with the Werksof great composers.

We're very proud of them. And of somethingelse. tco: our continuing effort to give sericus(or casual) class_cal music listeners somethingnew and good to hear. As often as the timereatr_red to record, pro kce and package a linerecording permils.

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CLASSICALJ111116....

Reviewed by DAVID HALL BERNARD JACOBSON GEORGE JELLINEK IGOR KIPNISPAUL KRESH ERIC SALZMAN LESTER TRIMBLE

BULENT AREL: For Violin and Piano.Matthew Raimondi (violin); Robert Miller (pi-ano). OLLY WILSON: Piece for Four. Rob-ert Willoughby (flute); Gene Young (trum-pet); Joseph Schwartz (piano); Bertram Turetz-ky (bass). ROBERT STERN: Terezin. Doro-thy Ornest (soprano); Joel Krosnick (cello);Robert Stern (piano). COMPOSERS RECORD-INGS INC. CRI SD 264 $5.95.

Performance: All excellentRecording: Close-up

The major work in the latest CRI collection isthe 011y Wilson Piece for Four, a jazz -in-formed serial -type work of great vigor andconsiderable originality. It lacks only a certaindegree of continuity-motion, dramaticform-not entirely made up for by the qualityof the invention. Bulent Arel's For Violin andPiano is a solid well -made instrumental workby a composer better known for his electronicmusic. Robert Stern's Terezin, settings of chil-dren's poems written in the Theresienstadtconcentration camp, is the most ambitious, themost evocative but, finally, the least successfulof the three. Perhaps this simple, moving poet-ry requires no setting, no further "interpreta-tion;" at any rate, Stern does not meet the chal-lenge. All of the performances are outstanding;the recordings are clear and close-up, except,inexplicably, for the soprano in the Stern, whois farther back and less clear than the cello andpiano up front. E.S.

BACH, J.S.: Cantata No. 68, "Also hat Gottdie Welt geliebt"; Cantata No. 172, "Er-schallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten."Ursula Biickel (soprano); Irma Keller (alto, in172); Theo Altmeyer (tenor, in 172); JakobStampfli (bass); Deutsche Bachsolisten andKassel Vocal Ensemble, Klaus Martin Zieglercond. NONESUCH H 71256 $2.98.

Performance: GoodRecording: Good

Cantata No. 68, "God so loved the world thatHe gave us His Son," was intended for thesecond day of Pentecost and first performed in1725. The middle arias, adapted by Bach fromhis Hunting Cantata (No. 208) of twelve yearsearlier, are framed by two exceptional chorus-es, and, curiously, there is no final chorale. Ex -

Explanation of symbols:

0 = reel-to-reel tape0 = four -track cartridge0 = eight -track cartridge@ = cassette

Monophonic recordings are indicated by thesymbol(); all others are stereo.

cellent as this relatively little-known work is, itmust take second place to the splendid cantatathat receives its first domestic issue here. Num-ber 172, "Resound, ye songs, ring out, yestrings," dates from 1714 and was written forthe first day of Pentecost. Bach revived thework at least three times in Leipzig, and nowonder! It's a wonderfully festive piece full oftrumpets and timpani (for example, the bassaria, in which the text treats of the Trinity, toan accompaniment of three trumpets). It also isunusual in that the joyful opening chorus is re-peated after the chorale.

The performances are on the whole quite

A 1735 view of the Thomaskirche, Leipzig,for which Bach wrote many of his cantatas

satisfactory, although Klaus Martin Zieglerseems a bit heavy-handed in his direction; bothcantatas, but especially 172, could have bene-fitted from more zip, and a lighter treatment ofthe double -bass line which doubles the contin-uo. The vocal soloists do their work with com-petence, the chorus is most satisfactory, andthe instrumental accompaniment is exception-ally good. The sonic reproduction is more thanadequate, although some of the solo voices(the soprano, for instance) seem at a greaterdistance than others. There are excellent notes,as usual, by Joshua Rifkin, and full texts andtranslations are provided. I.K.

BACH: Goldberg Variations (BWV 988).Anthony Newman (harpsichord). COLUMBIAM 30538 $5.98.

Performance: GrotesqueRecording: Loud

Anthony Newman was a brief, dazzling epi-phany on the harpsichord scene. I say "was"because the enfant terrible of his early idiosyn-cratic yet stimulating performances has turnedout to be father, not to the man, but to theeccentric. Like most of his recent efforts, thisrevamping of the Goldberg Variations is a ter-ribly depressing compendium of the results ofwillful, wrong-headed artistic egotism.

Newman bombards Bach's textures with sal-vos of inappropriate 16 -foot tone that totallydistort the scale of the music (a result intensi-fied by the overblown recording quality). Witha simulation of stylistic fidelity, he plays notesinegales in some places. But a closer study ofQuantz and other eighteenth -century sources,a study based on principles of scholarship andnot on a taste for self -advertising bizarrerie,would have shown him that he has sometimesapplied this subtle rhythmic resource of theFrench style quite wrongly: as far as I amaware, the left-hand eighth -notes in VariationTwo represent one place where inegales wouldhave seemed completely inadmissible to a cul-tivated eighteenth -century ear. Furthermore,Newman has observed repeats in fourteen ofthe thirty variations and omitted them in therest, so that the listener never really knowswhere he is. This procedure could just possiblyhave been accepted as an instance of artisticlicense; but if you are going to play any of therepeats, then it seems to me quite essential toobserve them in the theme itself, and thisNewman does not do. Throughout the per-formance, moreover, there is a curiously me-chanical quality in his phrasing, and he playsornaments far too often before the beat insteadof on it.

If you are in doubt about the music's abilityto speak for itself without Newman's kind ofadvocacy, listen to Gustav Leonhardt's consum-mate reading on Telefunken. (Landowska'shistoric recording is currently unavailable, butin any case I find Leonhardt's even more satis-fying.) My only regret is that, in this secondLeonhardt recording of the work, which is farmore masterfully played than his earlier Van-guard version, the repeats are omitted, as theyare in all the other recordings I have heardexcept Malcolm's beautiful but less stylish ver-sion for Oiseau-Lyre.

Newman is an impressive technician (the se-rious rhythmic instability in the sixteenth varia-tion notwithstanding). If he ever starts think-ing about music again, and stops trying to de-vise new things he can do to it, he will havemuch to offer. B.J.

BACH, J.S.: Harpsichord Concertos (com-plete); Brandenburg Concerto No. 5; TripleConcerto for Violin, Flute, and Harpsichord(see Best of the Month, page 79)

OCTOBER 1971 85

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BACH, J. S.: A Musical Offering (see Bestof the Month, page 80)

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT

BACH: Passion According to St. Matthew(BWV 244). Unidentified soloists from theWiener Sangerknaben; Paul Esswood, TomSutcliffe, and James Bowman (countertenors);Kurt Equiluz (tenor), Evangelist; Nigel Rog-ers (tenor); Karl Ridderbusch (bass), Jesus;Max van Egmond and Michael Schopper (bass-es); Nikolaus Harnoncourt (cello, gamba);Herbert Tachezi and Johann Sonnleitner (or-gans); Boys' Choir of the Regensburger Dom-chor; Men's Choir of King's College, Cam-bridge (David Willcocks, dir.); Concentus Mu-sicus, Vienna, Nikolaus Harnoncourt cond.TELEFUNKEN SAWT 9572/3/4/5-A fourdiscs $23.80.

Performance: Authentic re-creationRecording: Superior

Like the previous Concentus Musicus releasesof Bach's St. John Passion and the Mass in BMinor, this recording represents an attempt toapproximate as closely as possible the letterand spirit of Bach's times. Those familiar withthe work of the admirable Concentus Musicuswill know what this entails. On the most obvi-ous level, there are the musical forces them-selves: original instruments or reproductionsmaking up a small chamber orchestra, and sim-ilarly reduced choral bodies. There are nowomen vocalists, the high parts being taken ei-ther by boys or by countertenors. All of this, ofcourse, was as Bach originally intended it, al-though, to ears accustomed to most twentieth-century performances, with their far greaternumbers and mixed voices, the so-called "au-thentic" sound may take some getting used to.The result, however, is well worth the effort.The instrumental sound, first of all, is ravish-ing. Secondly, there is a clarity to the sound,both instrumental and choral, that one justdoes not hear in previously recorded versionsof this Passion. If the thought of boys singingparts usually taken by women dismays you, justlisten to the youngster singing the first arianear the end of the opening side; if that doesn'tmove you, nothing will. Similarly, those aller-gic to countertenors should try to listen withan open mind to the marvelous work of PaulEsswood ("Erbarme dich," for example).

The choral work throughout is superb-butthen it was under the supervision of DavidWillcocks. The instrumental portion is on asimilar level; it was under the direction of Ni-kolaus Harnoncourt, who is responsible for theentire interpretation. He has brought out agreat many things not usually heard in St. Mat-thew performances. Some of these have to dowith such obvious stylistic details as orna-ments, articulation, and phrasing. But there isalso the matter of tempos, and here Harnon-court may raise eyebrows. He has tried inmany cases to elicit the dance quality inherentin Bach's arias and choruses, the best examplebeing the grand opening chorus. Thus, thetempos are very often on the rapid side, some-times (as in the opening and closing choruses)a little too rapid for the spiritual and dramaticexpression to emerge unimpaired. These tem-pos will bother some listeners, but, as I havediscovered, rehearings lead one to see the va-lidity of Harnoncourt's ideas even if one is notalways in total agreement with them.

Stylistically, this is a superb production; dra-matically and liturgically, there are moments


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Karajan'sMeistersingerAt Bayreuth's reopening in 1951, oneof its most spectacular productionswas Wagner's Die Meistersinger, con-ducted by Herbert von Karajan.EMI's recording of that historic eventis now one of Seraphim's "GreatRecordings of the Century" -acollector's treasure.

Now, Angel presents another,equally historic production: DieMeistersinger again, conducted againby Karajan. Recorded under idealstudio conditions, in Dresden, theperformance borrowed artists fromEast and West Germany, andfrom Wales and Texas, as well.

But the star is clearly Karajan, withhis obvious affinity for Wagner'smusic and intense drama. This newMeistersinger and his Bayreuth arenow the only complete performancesavailable. Both are milestones in thehistory of Wagner and of opera. Bothare Karajan triumphs.

DIEMEISTERSINGER

KarajanAdam Dana. KonaEvans Massa SchreierOros*. State Osmsn

(5 discs with libretto)


when I wish Harnoncourt had tried less hardto rid the Passion of Romantic encrustationsKurt Equiluz, the Evangelist, is wonderfully affecting, but even his splendid narrative style isnot enough to make this particular Passion anabsolutely absorbing, moving experiencethroughout its duration. I found myself alwaysadmiring and appreciating, but with such ex-ceptions as "Ich will bei meinemJesu wachen"(Equiluz again), personal warmth and dramat-ic, liturgical fervor often seem to have beenslighted. I.K.

BACH, J.S.: Partita, in A Minor, for Unac-companied Flute (BWV 1013); Sonatas in BMinor, E -flat Major, A Major, and G Minorfor Flute and Obbligato Harpsichord(BWV 1030/1/2; 1020); Sonatas in C Ma-jor, E Minor, and E Major for Flute andContinuo (BWV 1033/4/5). Samuel Baron(flute); Louis Bagger (harpsichord); BarbaraMueser (gamba, in BWV 1033/4/5). Musi-CAL HERITAGE SOCIETY OR 303/4 two discs$5.98 (plus 60c handling charge from the Mu-sical Heritage Society, Inc., 1991 Broadway,New York, N.Y. 10023).

Performance: Objective and accurateRecording: Excellent

This set includes all of the Bach solo flute sona-tas: two for flute and continuo, two for flutewith obbligato harpsichord, and a four -move-ment partita for unaccompanied flute. This col-lection also contains several pieces now knownnot to have been written by Bach at all-BWV1020, 1031, and 1033; these may be by a Bachpupil or one of his sons, but because they arefine works and because they have been associ-ated with the authentic sonatas for so long,they are invariably included among the com-plete recordings.

The mainstay of this set is Samuel Baron,currently the solo flutist of the Bach AriaGroup. He is a fine player, with a good know-ledge of Baroque stylistic procedures. His in-terpretation, and that of his colleagues here aswell, is quite objective: all the notes are here,quite accurately played but also quite literal inrhythmic execution. With a few exceptions(such as the Partita, where Baron's rhythmsand tempo suddenly become quite wayward),the playing is very straightforward, with little"affect" (not even in the more galant E -flat So-nata), expression, or sentiment. It should beadded that Baron has reconstructed the missingmeasures of the opening movement of the AMajor Sonata, something usually not done inrecordings (it is generally omitted altogether).This is a good job. And overall, too, the play-ing is certainly on a high level. But for muchmore tonal and dynamic variety, for more sub-tlety in the accompaniment, and, above all, fora wealth of expressiveness, I recommend eitherthe brilliant Maxence Larrieu/Rafael Puyanarecording on Mercury SR 2-9125 (also withthe reconstructed A Major Sonata) or thewarm Elaine Shaffer/George Malcolm versionon Angel S 36337 and 36350. The sonic re-production here is well-nigh faultless. I.K.

BEETHOVEN: Thirty-two Variations in CMinor; Variations in F Major on an OriginalTheme, Op. 34; Fifteen Variations withFugue in E -Bat Major, Op. 35 ("Eroica").Glenn Gould (piano). COLUMBIA M 30080$5.98.

Performance: GouldianRecording: Very good

This recording is so fine in so many ways that it

could certainly be said to have "special merit."However, it is necessary to point out that it hasits rather special demerits as well. Most ofthese are the result of Gould's insistence oncorrecting the music he plays. Beethoven's ac-cents, articulations, and phrasings are clear,characteristic, and essential enough; Gould'ssecond guesses are rarely improvements, andin one or two cases-such as turning the "Eroi-ca" bass theme from full half notes into eighth -note pseudo-pizzicatos-the results are posi-tively objectionable.

But it would be vastly misleading to implythat these performances are a collection of in-comprehensible eccentricities. Quite the con-trary, all three of these works are shaped andprojected with the most profound insight and abrilliant sense of their musical dynamic. Varia-tions, the most undramatic and structurally in-consequential of forms, demand the greatestsensitivity to harmonic motion as well asrhythm and dynamics in the large and in thesmall. Even taking the errors of judgment intoaccount, these performances really make it onmost essentials. Good sound. E.S.

BENTZON: Chamber Concerto for ElevenInstruments, Op. 52; Symphonic Variations,Op. 92. Niels Viggo Bentzon, Anker Blyme,Herman D. Koppel (pianos); Chamber Ense'm-ble and Royal Danish Orchestra, Jerzy Sem-kow cond. TURNABOUT TV S 34374 $2.98.

Performance: A-1Recording: Good

Release of this disc of works by the proteanDanish composer -pianist Niels Viggo Bentzoncompletes the availability in this country of anine -disc series amounting to a miniature histo-ry -in -sound of Danish theater and orchestralmusic over the past hundred and fifty years.The other discs of the series include the CarlNielsen Violin Concerto, Helios Overture,Fourth Symphony, and Sagadream (Turnabout34043, 34050, 34085), Niels Gade's FirstSymphony, Echoes of Ossian Overture, and El-verskud cantata (Turnabout 34052, 34085,34381), Kuhlau's Elverhoj and Lange-Miiller'sDer var en gang together with a delightful col-lection of nineteenth-century theater pieces(Turnabout 34230, 34308), and two discs rep-resenting Danish music between the 1930'sand the middle 1950's-works of Vagn Holm-boe, Niels Viggo Bentzon, Knudaage Riisager,and Per Norgaard (Turnabout 34085, 34168).The American release seems haphazard if oneis unaware of the underlying unifying ele-ment-the Danish Fona label-behind allthese Turnabout discs containing Danish mu-sic-some of it superb (Nielsen), almost all ofit thoroughly interesting and entertaining.

Niels Viggo Bentzon at this writing is wellpast Op. 250 in the vast output that has comefrom his pen since 1941. A dozen or morepieces of genuine distinction can be singledout, almost none of which have ever beenavailable in this country: the Fourth Symphony(1949), the piano sonatas, and the Variationsfor Solo Flute are among those that come tomind. The music on the present Turnaboutdisc is highly representative of Bentzon's workin the middle Forties and early Fifties. TheHindemith influence is strong in the endmovements of the Chamber Concerto, but inthe magical slow movement the composer con-jures up wonderful color with his wind -percus-sion ensemble augmented by three solo pianos.The Symphonic Variations represent a highlyfluent and effective development of the "meta-


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morphosis" technique employed in the FourthSymphony (1949). There is lots of drama, col-or, and fascinating musical fun and games here,but not the unrelenting purposefulness andsavage energy of the Fourth Symphony, whichI hope will be recorded one day.

The all-star group of Danish players, includ-ing the composer (and the Royal Danish Or-chestra in the Symphonic Variations), comethrough with fine performances and are excel-lently recorded. I hope that Turnabout's Dan-ish series will pave the way for a more compre-hensive representation in this country, not onlyof Niels Viggo Bentzon's work, but also thatof his symphonist-colleague Vagn Holmboe.

D.H.

BOCCHERINI: Stabat Mater (G. 532/2).Carmen Vilalta (soprano); Ritva Auvinen(mezzo-soprano); Giorgio Marelli (tenor); Or-chestra da Camera Genovese, Ivan Polidoricond. MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY MHS1097 $2.99 (plus 650 handling charge fromthe Musical Heritage Society, Inc., 1991Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10023).

Performance: AdequateRecordings: All right

Judging from the catalogs, this may very wellbe the only available example of Boccherini'svocal music on records. He did write some-sections of the mass, villancicos, a zarzuela,some dramatic music, arias, and the like-al-though the quantity is small in comparisonwith this composer's instrumental output. Thepresent Stabat Mater exists in two versions, a1781 edition for solo soprano and strings and arewriting of that work for three voices andstrings in 1800, to which Boccherini added anorchestral introduction adapted from the open-ing to the Symphony in F Major, Op. 35, No.4 (1782). The work is cast in the typical galantidiom, rather less agonizing, say, than Pergo-lesi's setting of the text, but no less tuneful forthat. A good bit of the score, in fact, soundsoperatic, but there are moments, such as thelast two trios, when the music is most affecting-ly poignant. This performance, which is shornof the instrumental introductory movement, isquite competent, if not altogether ideal. Thestrings are not always precise in ensemble orintonation, nor are the singers, of whom thefirst soprano is the best, very distinguished.Yet the recording is of great interest becauseof its importance in Boccherini's output and iscertainly worth hearing. The sound quality isintimate. No texts. I.K.


BRITTEN: Serenade, Op. 3l, for Tenor,Horn, and Strings; Les Illuminations, Op.18, for Soprano and String Orchestra. Rob-ert Tear (tenor); Alan Civil (horn); HeatherHarper (sorprano); Northern Sinfonia, NevilleMarriner cond. ANGEL S 36788 $5.98.

Performance: Les Illuminations mar-velous

Recording: Superb

This is one of those occasions when the consci-entious record critic just has to infuriate theprospective record buyer. The latter, facedwith a choice between this release and thePears -Britten performances of the same twopieces recently brought together on one Lon-don disc, naturally wants a straight recommen-dation, but no such simple decision is possible.What can be said is that, if Les Illuminations isyour main concern, or if you already possess

Pears' Serenade in its previous (less appropri-ate) coupling with the Young Person's Guideto the Orchestra, then this Angel disc would bea sensible choice. For Heather Harper is inglorious voice. Her French has a strikingly idi-omatic tang to it, her musicianship is marvel-ously subtle and observant, and she makes astrong effect on several low notes where Pearsadopts the alternative higher octave. NevilleMarriner leads a splendidly alert accompani-ment, and Angel's recording is even more at-mospheric and detailed than London's.

But any choice between Miss Harper's per-formance and Pears' is a narrow one. And inthe Serenade-the better work of the two, andprobably still Britten's finest achievement-neither Pears nor Barry Tuckwell, the horn -

player on the London record, is really chal-lenged by Angel's team of Robert Tear andAlan Civil. Tear's is a good, sensitive perform-ance. But his line is subject to ungainly swell-ings of tone (as at the word "cedars" in the

Angel

HEATHER HARPERSings gloriously in Les Illuminations

first song), and he is less meticulous than Pearsabout note values (the bloodcurdling triplet at"to the bare bane" in the Dirge is thrownaway, and "Thou that mak'st" in the Ben Jon -son Hymn loses its dotted rhythm). More im-portant, he lacks Pears' capacity to evoke themusic's feeling in all its intensity, particularlyin the baleful menace of the Blake Elegy and,again, the Dirge. In the latter case, the tempohe and Marriner have adopted is partly respon-sible: it is closer to quarter-note=72 than tothe indicated 60, which Pears and Britten ob-serve scrupulously, and which suits the emo-tional temperature of the movement much bet-ter. And though Civil is a fine horn -player, heends the Elegy with a bump instead of drawingout the diminuendo as Tuckwell does.

My own preference, then, would go-if onlymarginally-to Angel as far as Les Illumina-tions is concerned. (Britten, by the way, speci-fied either soprano or tenor for this work, andboth voices have advantages, so that is not anissue.) But if you want both works at their verybest, you will have to have both records. B.J.

CAMPRA: Le Ballet des Ages; Le Bal Inter-rompu: Four Dances. LULLY: L'Air destrompettes, timballes et hautbois fait parMonsieur Lulli pour le Caroussel de Mon-


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seigneur en Pan 1686; Xerxes: Ballet Music.La Grande Ecurie de la Chambre du Roy (Jean-Claude Malgoire, musette, oboe, baritoneoboe; Robert G. Casier, musette, oboe d'a-more, English horn; Jacques Chambon, oboe,baritone oboe; Pierre Casier, English horn;Andre Sennedat, bassoon; Daniele Salzer,harpsichord continuo; Maurice Andre, LouisMenardi, and William Charlet, trumpets;Jacques Remy, timpani). TURNABOUT TV S34376 $2.98.

Performance: VivaciousRecording:Very good

The program notes for this collection spendsome time in describing the grand ecurie of theseventeenth- and eighteenth -century Frenchkings. This was the name of the great stable, aswell as the band that was assigned to it to per-form outdoor ceremonial music after hunts, pa-rades, and other festivities. The ensemble wasmade up of winds (including brasses) and per-cussion, and the best example of the kind ofrepertoire they played is the Caroussel musicof Lully, written for a 1686 equestrian display.There was also the group of musicians thatplayed indoor occasional music for the delecta-tion of the court, members of the Chambre or-dinare du Roy.

The present players, many of whom may befamiliar from their free-lance activities onFrench -made recordings, have banded togeth-er under a composite name of Grande Ecuriede la Chambre du Roy, and their all -wind per-formances are generally lively and mostly inkeeping with the correct style-an exceptionbeing the lack of double -dotting in the billyOverture. The ensemble is reasonably precisewith their modern instruments (they soundmodern to my ears). But I wonder why themajority of the pieces, which are stage worksthat should properly have involved strings, donot. This is not to say that selections could nothave been played for the royal amusement out-side the theater, and I would imagine that Lou-is might have enjoyed the group's wind ver-sion of Campra's Ballet des Ages (the longestselection here) thoroughly. Nevertheless, whatseems to be the album's main purpose is not sowell served here as it might have been. A bet-ter selection of the typical Great Stable soundis a festive, and amusingly raucous, collectiondirected by Jean -Francois Paillard on MusicalHeritage Society MHS 1080. Then, too, Ithink that the Lully Caroussel music is moreeffectively played and recorded on an importalbum called "Festival Music in Royal Gar-dens," featuring original instruments or repro-ductions played by the Edward H. Tarr WindEnsemble among others (Odeon C 061-28361/1X). In any case, Turnabout's sound isquite satisfactory, if a bit too closed -in for out-door entertainment. I.K.

PAUL CHIHARA: Tree Music (Logs; Wil-low Willow; Branches; Driftwood; LogsXVI). Bertram Turetzky (bass), Harvey Soll-berger (bass flute), Herbert Price (tuba), Ken-neth Watson, Raymond Des Roches and Rich-ard Fitz (percussion), Arthur Weisberg andDonald MacCourt (bassoons), the PhiladelphiaQuartet. COMPOSERS RECORDINGS, INC. CRISD 269 $5.95.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Good to very good

Paul Chihara is a young Japanese -Americancomposer from the West Coast whose musichas a finely controlled, meditative-yes, Orien-tal sound. Mr. Chihara admits to having "a

thing about trees," but his tonal pictures havethe quality of Eastern brushstroke stylization. . . nothing too organic, and not very rootedin solid earth, but suggestive and beautifulnonetheless. The most extraordinary piece iscalled Logs, written for and performed by theever -outstanding Bertram Turetzky. A secondversion of this, electronically transformed andmixed with material from the other Treepieces, returns at the end to round off the se-ries and unify the record. All in all, this musicmakes a very agreeable impression of spacious-ness and timelessness without resort to any ofthe clichés and mini -clichés usually employedto suggest such states. E.S.


CHOPIN: Fourteen Waltzes. Antonio Bar-bosa (piano). CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CS2036 $5.98.

Performance: DazzlingRecording: Superb

CHOPIN: Twenty-four Preludes, Op. 28.Nelson Freire (piano). COLUMBIA M 30486$5.98.

Performance: Thoughtful but dullRecording: Excellent

These two young pianists-Barbosa is twenty-eight, Freire twenty-seven-are both Brazilian,are friends, and share a welcome ability to pro-duce beautiful tone that sets them apart fromthe all too numerous ranks of keyboard percus-sionists in the younger generation. Beyondthese things I don't think the resemblancegoes, for Barbosa, whose recording of the sec-ond and third Chopin sonatas (Connoisseur So-ciety CS 2026) I reviewed enthusiastically inthese columns last June, seems to me by far themore interesting and indeed exciting artist.

Responses to the Chopin waltzes are as mucha matter of ethos as of aesthetic. I am personal-ly somewhat repelled by this string of salonelegancies dedicated to Madame the Baronessthis and Mademoiselle the Countess that. But ifyou feel, as many do, that Chopin was a tower-ing genius uncorrupted by the tawdriness ofsalon life in his day, then Lipatti on Odyssey(32 16 0058) is your man, for his purity ofspirit elevated these charming trifles to asphere beyond, I think, their deserving. If, onthe other hand, you share my feeling that Cho-pin, genius or no, allowed the tinsel to get intohis music, you cannot do better than to investin Barbosa's new record. I do not want to leavethat sounding like purely negative praise.Whichever your view of the music, glamourand dazzle are unquestionably vital elements init, and Barbosa has the imagination, the techni-cal resources, and the sheer artistry to evokethose qualities in abundance. His rubato isidiosyncratic, and often renders to the firstbeat what, in waltz time, is really due to thesecond. But it is unfailingly musical, and youalways know where you are in the measure, insharp contrast to the egregious "classic" per-formance by Cortot, who often seems uncer-tain whether the music is in three-four or four-four time.

Barbosa is given one of the finest piano re-cordings I have ever heard. Just now and thenit tends to overload in fortissimo, but in everyother respect it is outstandingly spacious, clear,and colorful. For a sample of both performanceand recording at their magnificent best, listento the coruscating high notes in the main sec-tion of the G -flat Major Waltz, and to the luau -

(Continued on page 94)CIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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You'll also notice less distor-tion at high volumes withMemorex. That's becauseMemorex is more sensitive than

MEMOREX Recording TapeReproduction so true it can shatter glass.

the tape you're probably usingnow.

It's all because of the way wecoat our tape.

First, we use smaller gammaferric oxide particles. That meansthere are more of them on anygiven inch of tape. More places topick up and play back sound.

Now anybody could comealong and use smaller particlesjust like us; except for onething. It's a tough job to coatsmall particles in a smooth,uniform manner. But Memorexdoes it. And, just how we do it isa little secret we're not evengoing to tell you.

There's one other thing wecan't tell you: how Memorex Tapesounds when you use it. You'lljust have to listen. Please do.

MEMOREX 1800

MEMOREX 900

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Ca 1971, Memorex Corporation

OCIY)RI-R 1971 CIRCLE NO. 46 ON READER SERVICE CARD 93

rious languor of the middle strain, whichmight almost be a distant, worldlier descend-ant of the waltz in the scherzo of Schubert'sgreat D Major Sonata.

Freire's approach to the twenty-four prel-udes is distinguished at times by an agreeabletaste for understatement, and constantly by avigilant feeling for the actual sound the pianois producing. But the understatement does notquite work in these pregnant little pieces-they depend for their effect on telling, even ifsubtle, touches of rhetoric-and Freire's will-ingness to aim for a true pianissimo where themusic demands it is sabotaged by his apparentinability to preserve a taut line and a singingtone while he is preoccupied with controllinghis quiet playing. For perfection of detail anddepth of character, there is no recording tomatch Moravec's wonderful Connoisseur Soci-ety version (CS 1366). B.J.


CORNE LI US: Weihnachtslieder, Op. 8;Vaterunser, Op. 2. WOLF: A uf ein altesBild; Schlafendes Jesuskind. Hermann Prey(baritone); Leonard Hokanson (piano).DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON DGG 2530 108$6.98.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Excellent

Unlike Liszt and Wagner, both of whom heesteemed and befriended, Peter Cornelius(1824-1874) was not destined to set the worldon fire. Nor is anyone likely to fly into a pas-sion over this disc, given the artless simplicityof its contents, but it is an outstanding exampleof worthy material exquisitely handled. TheWeihnachtslieder had some circulation in theearly LP days in a fine rendition by IrmgardSeefried and Erik Werba (Decca DL 7545);the Vaterunser appears to be new to discs. It isa cycle of nine songs, based on as many lines ofthe traditional Lord's Prayer. Both cycles areunpretentious, yet consummately wrought.Prey's singing is a model of sincerity, dignity,and faultless vocalism. The accompanimentsare fine, and the engineering seems ideal. G.J.

DEL TREDICI: Fantasy Pieces (see MES-SIAEN)

DRUCKMAN: Animus III; synapse Valen-tine. Arthur Bloom (clarinet); Alvin Brehm(contrabass); electronic tape realized at the Co-lumbia -Princeton Electronic Music Center.NONESUCH H 71253 $2.98.

Performance: Composer's realizationRecording: Excellent quality

These clever, attractive, and somewhat facileworks are the latest in Nonesuch's series ofcommissions and have the distinction of havingalready been adapted by the choreographerGerald Arpino for his ballets Solarwind andValentine. Animus III is a piece for clarinetand tape-the tape being derived from thesounds of Arthur Bloom's virtuosic clarinet,and his voice as well. The "live" clarinet, be-sides blowing straight, also plays into a "feed-back" (presumably a tape -echo) device. In fact,in the recorded form, the intended contrast be-tween the tape and the "actual presence of theperformer theatrically" means little and themost obviously "theatrical" elements are therecorded and echoed vocal whispers. Side twoconsists of a totally synthesized section (sy-napse) and a shorter, brilliant solo for stringbass and bass player's voice ( Valentine), mag-

nificently performed by Alvin Brehm and themost outstanding portion of the record.

One notable aspect of this music is its wit.When electronic music first came out, every-one laughed (nervously) at the peculiar newsounds. Now that everyone takes it all so seri-ously, a little wit and humor is not out of place.Excellent realizations all around; nothing pro-found but everything well done. E S.

DUSIK: Trio in F Major, Op. 65. WEBER:Trio in G Minor, Op. 63. Pittsburgh MusicaViva Trio (Bernard Goldberg, flute; TheoSalzman, cello; Harry Franklin, piano). TURN-ABOUT TV S 34329 $2.98.

Performance: SympatheticRecording: Pressing faults

Those interested in chamber music off thebeaten path may well be intrigued by this in-teresting coupling. The earlier work, datingfrom the beginning of the nineteenth century,

Nonesuch

JACOB DRUCKMANRefreshingly witty electronic works

is by the Bohemian composer Jan LadislavDusik (or, as Germanicized, Johann LadislausDussek). He was one of the remarkable key-board virtuosos of his time, a wanderer whoworked variously in Paris, London, and Ham-burg, and a composer whose style often seemsto foreshadow Beethoven in its Romantic tend-encies. The F Major Trio (incorrectly listedhere as being in F Minor) is typical of the manand features a wealth of fine melodic material.Weber's G Minor Trio dates from 1819, aboutthe same time that he was at work on DerFreischiitz. In spite of its scoring, the trio re-minds one very much of that opera, especiallyin its bucolic -pastoral mood. The Weber hasbeen recorded before; the Dusik appears to bea first. The members of the Pittsburgh MusicaViva Trio, all seasoned and skilled instrumen-talists, perform this repertoire very well in-deed. The renditions are most enjoyable in allrespects, including that of ensemble. The onlyfault lies in the quality of the pressing that wassent to me; it is noisy to an almost unacceptabledegree (lead-in grooves and between -move-ment spirals in particular). Otherwise, the re-cording of these fine players is quite vivid andwell-balanced. LK.

ELWELL: Six Songs. VERRALL: StringQuartet No. 7. WALKER: Spatials; Piano

Sonata No. 2; Spektra. Maxine Makas (so-prano); Anthony Makas (piano); BerkshireQuartet; George Walker (piano). COMPOSERSRECORDINGS INC. CRI SD 270 $5.95.

Performance: GoodRecording: Dry

This record is a somewhat uncomfortablematch of George Walker's strong contempo-rary idiom with the rather faded Romanticismof Elwell and Verrall. I like Walker's vigorouskeyboard music, especially in the briefer, moreepigrammatic, form taken by Spatials andSpektra. The sonata, a more extended andmore diffuse work, has a more obvious"Americana" character, but its Coplandesquetouches-the Copland of the Variations or theSonata-do not really weaken its force andstrength of character. Walker is an excellentinterpreter of his own music, which ought tobe better known.

I didn't take to the music on the other side,which seems to me to represent that false noteof Kultur that is one of the curses of Americanclassical music -making. The performances aregood, but the recordings are dry, and there areno texts for the songs, which, although in En-glish, are not easy to follow, verbally speaking.

E.S.

HAHN: Le Bal de Beatrice-Ballet Suite(see MESSAGER)

HANDEL: Overtures and Sin fonias, Vol-ume Two. Semele: Sinfonia to Act 2; JuliusCaesar: Overture and Minuet from Act 1; Fara-mondo: Overture; Judas Maccabaeus: Over-ture; Radamisto: Overture; Arminio: Over-ture; Deidamia: Overture; Scipio: Overture;Belshazzar: Sinfonia. Valda Aveling and BrianRunnett (harpsichords); English Chamber Or-chestra, Richard Bonynge cond. LONDON CS6711 $5.98.

Performance: Highly spiritedRecording: Superior

In this very enjoyable collection, a follow-up toRichard Bonynge's first disc of Handel Over-tures on London (CS 6586), the majority ofpieces follow the established French Baroqueintroductory mold, a slow, pompous openingwith dotted rhythms followed by a fugal sec-tion. The exceptions are the sin fonias, Italian-

styled and bustling, as in the Semele and Bel-shazzar excerpts included here. All are first-rate works, and a good many are not availablein any other recorded form (Semele,JuliusCaesar, Judas Maccabaeus, and Belshazzar areelsewhere to be heard in complete recordedversions). Bonynge knows all the stylistictricks. It was not so long ago that a properlydouble-dotted Handel overture was virtuallyimpossible to find on discs. Here we have sev-en of them, all done quite correctly and withgreat vitality. The conductor does have, it istrue, a tendency to overdress his materials witha plethora of ornaments. It seems to me thatthis was a practice allowable for solo instru-ments-a single oboist might have added a trillfrom time to time-but to assign trills andmordents wholesale to a group of continuo in-struments consisting of a pair of bassoons, twocellos, and a bass, or to an entire first violinsection, is a bit dubious. Nevertheless, Bon-ynge is more discreet here than on a few pre-vious occasions, and the playing of the excel-lent English Chamber Orchestra, with its vivac-ity, sheen, and precision, more than makes upfor a few of the conductor's lily-gildings. The


STEREO REVIEW

Rafael Kubelikfet one 88 -year old record.

RICHARD WAGNERLOHENGRIN

KING JANOWITZ JONES STEWART RIDDERBUSCHBAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONYCHORUS AND ORCHESTRA

RAFAEL KUBELIK

2713 005 15 LP's)

CARL MARIA or ERcmVON WEBER

NILSSON HAMARI DOMINGO PREY GROBEBAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONYCHORUS AND ORCHESTRARAFAEL KUBELIK

AvA2709 035 (3 LP's)

SIVE-ANA

Ma ITIastMN FatherlandRAFAEL KUBELK

2707 054 (2 L's)

I)VOR SYSI MUNIF ) R.7(2)BerlirsPhilb,m, sic- Raj ael

,

2532 127 (1 LF I

GUSTAV MAHLER10 SYMPHONIESWANERI:spktalik2720 033 (14 LP's)

'12A14,14'

LUCHIWVISCONTI THOMAS VAN

GUSTAV MAHLER

2538 124 (1 LP

And made twenty -Ax new one'.And it's quite a record!

To be named the first musicdirector of the Metropolitan Opera-the first such appointment in thecompany's 88 -year history.

"Both the job and the man aresure to have a great effect on theMet's future," wrote TIME, "asKubelik's many Deutsche Grammo-

phon recordings show, he hasbrought the Bavarian Radio Sym-phony to unprecedented polish."

Besides setting records, MaestroKubelik also is ubiquitous in makingthem.

Deutsche Grammophon is de -

Rafael Kubelik

lighted to announce six newreleases with Kubelik on the po-dium. A total of 26 records in all, itis quite a feat for this ever -per-forming musician, whose scheduleresembles something like a whirl-wind.

After all, his extraordinary per-formances are a matter of record.

Deutsche Grammophon Records, MusiCassettes and 8 -Track Stereo Cartridges are distributed in the USA by Phlydor Incorporated in Canada by Polydor Records Canada Ltd.


T

Rill 550 600 650 700 BOO

Introducing the HeathkitThe new Heathkit AR -1500 Stereo Receiver succeeds our AR -15. But the AR -1500 is no facelift. It embodies substantial im-provements in every major area of the circuitry- resulting inmore pure power, greater FM and AM selectivity and sensi-tivity, and a much easier kit to build. And in 1967 when weintroduced what was rightfully called "the world's most ad-vanced receiver", the technology somewhat overshadowed thefact that the AR -15 was probably the best value in audio. Thenew AR -1500. at 379.95, is an even better buy!Better Power, not just more of it, gives you better stereo listen-ing. The AR -1500 provides 180 watts Dynamic Music Power,90 watts per channel (60 watts RMS), under an 8 ohm load(120 watts per channel under 4 ohms), with less than 0.25%harmonic distortion all across a bandwidth of less than 8 Hzto more than 30 kHz. IM distortion is less than 0.1%. Directcoupled output and driver transistors are protected by limitingcircuitry that electronically monitors voltage and current. Anda completely regulated power supply for the preamp and tunercircuits offer better stability and noise characteristics.Better FM, better phase linearity, better separation and lessdistortion result from two computer -designed 5 -pole LC Fil-ters. Alignment is a simple one-step operation. An improved4 -gang 6 -tuned circuit front end gives better stability, 1.8 uVsensitivity, 90 dB selectivity, 1.5 dB capture ratio, 100 dB imageand IF rejection. There are fours ICs, three in the IF, one in theMultiplex. And the patented automatic FM squelch is bothnoise and deviation activated, fully adjustable for sensitivity.Better AM, the "once-over-lightly" section in many receivers,has been subjected to the same engineering scrutiny that wasapplied to every part of the AR -1500. The design incorporatestwo dual -gate MOSFETS in the RF and Mixer stages, one J-FET in the oscillator, a 12 -pole LC Filter in the IF, broad banddetector and an adjustable rod antenna. You get better over-load characteristics, better AGC action, and no IF alignment.Better Looking, with a new form that follows its function.

"Black Magic" lighting hides the AM and FM tuning scalesand meters when the unit's turned off. A velvet -smooth flywheel-action knob tunes AM and FM, pushbuttons control all systemmodes. Panel and knobs are chrome -plated die castings. Andthere are outputs for two separate speaker systems, push-button controlled from the front panel; front -panel jacks fortwo sets of headphones; bi-amplification outputs for separablepreamps and amps; connections for oscilloscope monitoringof FM Multipath. Conventional inputs for phono, tape, tapemonitor and auxiliary sources all have individual level controls.Better to Build, with 10 plug-in circuit boards, two wiring har-nesses and extensive use of pre-cut wiring with clip connectors.Built-in test circuitry uses the signal meter to make resistanceand voltage checks as you go along. Install your new, betterAR -1500 in the low -profile walnut cabinet, in a wall or existingcabinet, or use the black -finish dust cover included with kit.It just may be the best stereo receiver you'll ever own!Kit AR -1500, less cabinet, 42 lbs., mailable 349.95*ARA-1500-1, walnut cabinet, 6 lbs., mailable 24.95AR -1500 SPECIFICATIONS - TUNER - FM SECTION (Monophonic): Tuning Range:88 to 108 MHz. Intermediate Frequency (IF): 10.7 MHz. Frequency Response:±1 dB, 20 to 15,000 Hz. Antenna: Balanced input for external 300 ohm antenna.75 ohm antenna input may be used between either FM antenna terminal andground. Sensitivity: 1.8 uV.* Volume Sensitivity: Below measurable level. Selec-tivity: 90 dB.* Image Rejection: 100 dB.* IF Rejection: 100 dB.* Capture Ratio:1.5 dB.* AM Suppression: 50 dB.* Harmonic Distortion: 0.5% or less.* Inter -modulation Distortion: 0.1% or less.* Hum and Noise: 60 dB.* Spurious Rejec-tion: 100 dB.* FM SECTION (Stereophonic): Channel Separation: 40 dB or greaterat midfrequencies; 30 dB at 50 Hz; 25 dB at 10 kHz; 20 dB at 15 kHz. FrequencyResponse: ±1 dB from 20 to 15,000 Hz. Harmonic Distortion: 0.5% at 1000 Hzwith 100% modulation. 19 kHz and 38 kHz Suppression: 55 dB or greater. SCASuppression: 55 dB. AM SECTION: Tuning Range: 535 to 1620 kHz. IntermediateFrequency (IF): 455 kHz. Sensitivity: 50 uV with external input; 300 uV per me-ter with radiated input. Selectivity: 20 dB at 10 kHz; 60 dB at 20 kHz. AMAntenna: Built-in rod type; connections for external antenna and ground onrear chassis apron. Image Rejection: 70 dB at 600 kHz; 50 dB at 1400 kHz.IF Rejection: 70 dB at 1000 kHz. Harmonic Distortion: Less than 2%.* Hum andNoise: 40 dB.* AMPLIFIER - Dynamic Power Output per Channel (Music PowerRating): 90 watts (8 ohm load);* 120 watts (4 ohm load); 50 watts (16 ohm

96STEREO REVIEW

We've made the AR -15even better!

180 watts of Dynamic Music Power

90 dB FM selectivity

AM performance approaching FM quality

Outputs for two separate speaker systems

Individual input level controls

"Black Magic" panel lighting

Easy modular -board assembly

AR -1500 Stereo Receiverload). Continuous Power Output per Channel: 60 watts (8 ohm load)*; 100 watts(4 ohm load); 40 watts (16 ohm load). Power Bandwidth for Constant .25% TotalHarmonic Distortion: Less than 8 Hz to greater than 30 kHz.* Frequency Re-sponse (1 watt level): -1 dB, 7 Hz to 80 kHz; -3 dB, less than 5 Hz to 120 kHz.Harmonic Distortion: Less than 0.25% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz at 60 watts output;less than 0.1% at 1000 Hz with 1 watt output. Intermodulation Distortion: Lessthan 0.1% with 60 watts output, using 60 and 6,000 Hz mixed 4:1; less than0.1% at 1 watt output. Damping Factor: Greater than 60. Input Sensitivity:Phono, 1.8 millivolts; Tape, 140 millivolts; Aux, 140 millivolts; Tape Mon, 140millivolts. Input sensitivity is the rms input voltage needed to obtain 60 wattsof output power per channel into 8 ohm loads. Input Overload: Phono, 145millivolts; Tape, greater than 10 volts; Aux, greater than 10 volts: Tape Mon,greater than 10 volts. Overload measurements were made using the input levelcontrols. Hum and Noise: Phono (10 millivolt reference), -63 dB. Tape and Aux(0.25 volt reference), -75 dB. Volume control in minimum position. -90 dBreferred to rated output. Channel Separation: Phono, 55 dB; Tape and Aux,55 dB or greater. Output Impedance (each channel): 4 ohm through 16 ohms.Tape Output Impedance: Approximately 50 ohms. Input Impedance: Phono, 49 kohm (RIAA** Equalized); Aux, Tape, and Tape Mon, 100 k ohms. Tape Output:Tape or Aux inputs, 0.9 volt output with 0.2 volt input. OPERATIONAL CONTROLSAND SWITCHES - AM FM Tuning: 535 to 1620 kHz for AM and 88 to 108 MHzfor FM. Power Switch: Applies or removes all power to the internal circuitryof the receiver. Speaker Switches: These switches select either or both speakersystems, or disconnect both systems for private headphone listening. SourceSwitches: Tape, Aux, Phono, AM, FM Stereo, and FM Auto. Tape Mon Switch:Makes it possible to monitor the source signal or recorded signal while re-cording on tape. Mono Switch: Selects the mode of operation of the receiver;monophonic or stereo. Blend Switch: Reduces the high frequency noise withoutreducing the frequency response (high frequency stereo separation may be re-duced). Loudness Switch: Compensates for the nonlinear frequency -versus -vol-ume characteristics of the human ear at low listening levels. Tone Flat Switch:Bypasses the tone controls and provides flat amplifier response: (LoudnessSwitch in off position.) Volume Control: Dual tandem control provides simultane-ous adjustment of both channels. Bass Control: Dual tandem control. Full clock-wise provides 15 dB boost at 20 Hz. Full counterclockwise provides 18 dB cutat 20 Hz. Treble Control: Dual tandem control. Fully clockwise provides 14 dBboost at 20 kHz. Fully counterclockwise provides 15 dB cut at 20 kHz. BalanceControl: Dual tandem control balances the right and left channels for equalsound output from the speakers. GENERAL - AC Outlet Sockets: Two, located onrear chassis apron for powering accessory equipment. One switched (240 wattsmaximum), and one unswitched (240 watts maximum). Power Requirements: 120or 240 volts 50/60 Hz AC. 40 watts idling (zero output) and 356 watts at fulloutput, with no load on accessory outlets. Dimensions: Overall - 181/2" W x51/e" H x 137/8" D. Mounting: ARA-1500-1 cabinet or custom mounting.

*Rated IHF (Institute of High Fidelity) Standards.

**Rated RIAA (Record Industry Association of America).CIRCLE NO. 34 ON

Heath hasa bettercassetterecorder too !The new AD -110 Stereo Cassette Recorder offers a typical fre-quency response of 30-12 kHz for full fidelity reproduction of allmono and stereo cassettes, including chromium -dioxide. Thebuilt-in record bias adjustment requires no external equipment,utilizes the front -panel meter and a built-in reference. Featuresinclude precision counter, automatic motor shutoff, preassem-bled and aligned transport mechanism. Compatible with anyquality mono or stereo system.Kit AD -110, 10 lbs. 119.95

ADA-110-1, matched stereo mikes, 6 lbs. 19.95

HEATH COMPANY, Dept 40.10Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022

Enclosed is $ plus shipping.

Please send model(s) Please send FREE Heathkit Catalog. Please send Credit Application.

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*Mail crder prices; F.O.B. factory.Prices & specifica7ions subject to change without notice. HF-251

HEATHKIT

Schlumberger

READER SERVICE CARD

OCTOBER 1971 99

AC1%..

An ExcitingNew Release

To OpenThe Music Season

On

coaos

tapoki,Verdi: A MASKED BALL

Renata Tebaldi, Luciano Pavarotti. Sher -ill Milnes, ReginaResnik. Helen Donath-Orchestra of L'Accademia Nazionale di

Santa Cecilia, Rome-Bruno BartolettiOSA-1398

Britten: THE RAPE OF LUCRETIAJanet Baker, Heather Harper. Peter Pears, Benjamin Luxon, John

Shirley-Quirk-The English Ch -amber Orchestra-Benjamin BrittenOSA-1288

PILAR LORENGAR-PRIMA DONNA IN VIENNAMusic by Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, Wagner, R. Strauss,

Korngold. J. Strauss, Zeller, Lehar, KalmanThe Vienna Opera Orchestra-Walter Weller

OS -26246

Bruckner: SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN D MINORThe Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra-Karl Bohm

S 6717

Hindemith:MATHIS DER MALER

Lutoslawski:CONCERTO FOR

ORCHESTRAL'Orchestre de la SuisseRomande-Paul Kletzki

CS -6665

PASCAL ROGEPIANO MUSIC

OF LISZTSonata in B Minor

and other selectionsCS -6693

WERNER KRENNSCHUBERT AND

SCHUMANN SONGSOS -26216

Mascagni:CAVALLERIARUSTICANAHighlights

Souliotis, del Monaco.Gobbi-VarvisoLeoncaval lo:PAGLIACCIHighlights

McCracken, Lorengar,Merrill-Gardelli

OS -26203

100 CIRCLE NO. 44 ON READER SERVICE CARD

sonic reproduction is faultless, and so is thebalance of the two continuo harpsichords.

I.K.

HELPS: Portrait (see MESSIAEN)


HERZ: Etude in A -flat Major, Op. 153, No.2 ("Au bord du Lac"); Variations on theMarch from Bellini's "I Puritani";Varia-tions on the National March, "La Parisi-enne," Op. 53. HUNTEN: Etude in C Ma-jor, Op. 81, No. 1; Variations on an Ariafrom Donizetti's "L'Elisir d' amore"; GrandValse Brillante, "Les Bords du Rhin," Op.120; Variations on the March from Bellini's"Norma," Op. 94; Galop in A Major, "UnMoment de Recreation"; Variations on theDuo from Donizetti's "Belisario," Op. 148.Frank Cooper (piano). GENESIS (225 SantaMonica Blvd., Santa Monica, Cal. 90401) GS1006 $5.98.

Performance: BrilliantRecording: Excellent

Henri Herz (1806-1888) and Franz Hiinten(1793-1878) were both products of the Frenchkeyboard school of the first quarter of thenineteenth century. This was the time of greattechnical advances, and it saw the rise of thesalon piece for piano. Both men were highlyregarded by their contemporaries, not only asvirtuosos but also as prolific composers ofgenre works; each turned out hundreds ofmorceaux d'occasion, variations on the latestItalian operatic tunes bristling with opportuni-ties for technical display, etudes, tidbits for dil-ettantes, and the like. Their published pieceswere much sought after, and each man made aconsiderable fortune from the sale of his com-positions (Hiinten was in fact able to retire ear-ly to his native Coblenz because publisherspaid him as much as two thousand francs foronly ten pages of music).

To be sure, their music does not possess theelegance of Liszt, the depth of Chopin, or theglowing expressivity of Schumann. The musicof Herz and Hiinten, like that of so many ofthe lesser composers of that era, is essentiallyfacile; it aims to please the listener but not totransport him. These pieces are fun, evencamp, if you will. For a good sampler, tryHerz's A -flat Etude ("Au Bord du Lac"), withits thunderstorm middle, or Hiinten's tiny AMajor Galop (ideally subtitled "Un Momentde Recreation"). Frank Cooper, who teaches atButler University in Indianapolis and whofounded the Romantic Music Festival there,has just the right kind of facility and splashytechnique to deal with this repertoire. He playsthe music as though he enjoys it, rifflingthrough the filigree arpeggios, the hazardousleaps, and the thundering octaves in a most col-orful manner. As a Romantic revivalist, Coop-er can hold his own admirably with such expo-nents of the cause as Raymond Lewenthal andEarl Wild. The sonic reproduction is thorough-ly satisfactory. I.K.

HINDEMITH: Chamber Music, VolumeVI. Sonata No. 2, for Viola and Piano (1939);Sonata for Unaccompanied Viola, Op. 11, No.5 ( 1919). Ernst Wallfisch (viola); Lory Wall-fisch (piano). MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETYOR H 294.

HINDEMITH: Chamber Music, Volume


Which of these two new Wollensakstereo cassette decks is worthy ofyour sound system?One is Dolby. One is not.The one on the left is the Wollensak4760 cassette deck featuring thenew Dolby Systeme of noisesuppression. It reduces the levelof background tape hiss by 10 dbat 4,000 Hz or above, whilegreatly increasing dynamic range.To enhance fidelity, bias for bothstandard and high performancetapes can be selected by a tapeselection switch. Frequency responseof the Model 4760 is 35-15,000 Hzplus or minus 2 db. This deck isthe ultimate in cassette decks; thefinest you will ever buy. It is equal® A TRADEMARK OF DOLBY LABORATORIES, INC

Either way..

to the best and most expensiveopen reel recorders.For the man who wants many ofthe same high qualities of the 4760without the attributes of theDolby System, we have alsoinvented the Wollensak 4755cassette deck. Both of these uniquedecks feature a massive,counter -balanced bi-peripheraldrive responsible for one of thelowest wow and fluttercharacteristics you'll find anywhere.The precise heavy-duty tapetransport mechanism is consideredthe finest by many audio experts.This mechanism includes the onlyfull-size flywheel and capstanavailable to assure constant tape

speeds. Fast- forward and rewindspeeds are about twice as fast asany other. Interlocked controlsallow you to go from onefunction to another without firstgoing through a stop or neutralmode. End -of -tape sensing stopsthe cassette, disengages themechanism and preventsunnecessary wear. The "CassetteGuardian" automatically rejectsa stalled cassette in play or recordposition.Either the Wollensak 4760 or the4755 can complement your presentcomponent system with cassetteadvantages. Hear them both atyour nearby dealer. Then answerthe question: Dolby or not Dolby?

nriit's worth it WollensakOCTOBER 1971

3M CENTER SAINT PAUL MINNESOTA 55101CIRCLE NO. 74 ON READER SERVICE CARD 101

ON THE SUBJECTOF BAD

BALLET MUSICBALLET MUSIC on records is different

from ballet music in the theater. Onegrows used to this hard fact, but one neveraccepts it entirely-not if after all these yearsone is still capable of getting high on Tchai-kovsky. If you don't believe me, go to therecord shops and get the grues. All theseyears, and not one great recording of TheSleeping Beauty, not one that combines sonicbrilliance and musical accuracy. Yes, yes,George Weldon's on Angel is good, but canone really call it great?-and after all, Beautyis the greatest ballet score ever composed.And yes, there are suites aplenty, suites wecan buy and delight in and even cherish. Butsuites are to a ballet fan what glue -sniffing isto a heroin addict. For him (or her), a balletscore is not all high points. The mysteriouslinkages, modulations, and abrupt cancella-tions that make ballet music live in the thea-ter (and in his mind afterward) are the thingshe wants to recapture by means of a record-ing-get the thing complete, for pity's sake,or don't get it at all. And even the "com-plete" versions are not what they seem. Myfavorite complete Swan Lake (it happens tobe Yuri Fayer's with the Bolshoi Theater Or-chestra, monophonic and now deleted) maynot resemble yours. The variations betweentwo versions advertised as "complete" can bebewildering.

As for those suites, here the grues reallyset in. Why, in this age of rising ballet attend-ance, are we still being given excerpts thatdon't even come in the order in which theyare played in the theater? And if we musthave these discontinuous chopped -up repre-sentations of ballet scores, why can't we atleast have them played at sensible dance tem-pos, so that listening to the music bears somerelation to watching a performance? Danc-ing, after all, is the one art that leaves notrace; once it has happened we have only stillphotographs and music-besides memory-to help us call it back.

Listening to a new album of ballet music,"Evenings at the Ballet" conducted by Rob-ert Irving, aroused anew my suspicion thatrecord companies regard ballet music assomething different from "real" music. Thisalbum gives us five ballets, more or less, butonly two-Les Sylphides and Carnaval-aregiven complete. Sylvia, Coppelia, and Giselleare in suite form, and my paranoia was in-stantaneously fed by the fact that the threescores that were cut were the ones written

especially for the ballet. Les Sylphides andCarnaval are both adaptations of exceedinglywell-known piano pieces. Did this dictate thedecision to record them entire as againstscraps from the ballet -ballet classics-or wasit rather the fact that Les Sylphides and Car -

naval are short, are in fact "suites" to startwith? When I had calmed down, I had to ad-mit the latter was probably the answer. Therecord companies like short ballets, and thisplays hob with the nineteenth century.

So, sighing, I put the stylus down on asecond new album of ballet music. "Ballet atthe Bolshoi," like "Evenings at the Ballet," isa joy -ride for lovers of suites, swatches, di-vertissements, medleys, and smorgasbords,but the first band on the album plunges youinto the most disconcertingly long version ofthe great Act One waltz from Swan Lake thatyou can hear outside the full-length record-ing of Swan Lake-made, as it happens, bythe same masestro and the same orchestra,Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the MoscowRadio Symphony, on Melodiya/Angel S4106, or on S 40137, the spin-off of excerptsfrom 4106. It is, in fact, the Rozhdestvenskyperformance third time around, and thoughthe practice of repackaging excerpts from amaster recording is perhaps not startling, itcertainly militates against brevity here. Thiswaltz, like the "Danse des coupes" that fol-lows shortly, is stretched to maximum lengthby the inclusion of every possible repeat. Ona full-length recording of a four -act ballet,this makes some sense. But to put the samenonsensically protracted business into a suitecan only bemuse those who want to dip intoSwan Lake and not drown in it.

Apart from Swan Lake, Prokofiev's Cin-derella is the only ballet in the Soviet set Ihave seen staged (though not by the Bol-shoi); perhaps that's why the rest of the selec-tions failed to excite me. But then, I think it'spossible to be excited by the music for Cin-derella without having seen a production ofit. Perhaps The Seasons and The Red Poppywere once better to look at than they are tolisten to (I am ready to believe that theywere)-if they were, it must surely havebeen when Pavlova and Mordkin were chas-ing around the stage to Glazounov's AutumnBacchanale and when Ulanova was dancingin silk pajamas as Tao-Hoa, Gliere's elegantChinese heroine. These must be lovely mem-ories for those that have them; the rest of usjust have bad ballet music. And on the sub-

ject of bad music, though I have yet to seethe ballet that has been contrived for MayaPlisetskaya by her husband Rodion Shched-rin on themes from Carmen and other Bizetworks, I have yet to hear a trashier score any-where; the sound of it is enough to send eventhe most perverse enthusiast of "classicalpop" scurrying back to Jascha Heifetz.

The greatest disappointment, though, arethe Shostakovich selections grouped underthe title The Limpid Brook. Like The RedPoppy, this ballet (also known as BrightStream) was an important landmark in theannals of socialist realism-important be-cause, though a great popular success, itfailed to please the party militants, and in theensuing furor, what might have proved a sig-nificant step forward in Soviet theatrical artturned into a massive obstacle to the careersof Shostakovich and his choreographer Fyo-dor Lopukhov, an artist whose visionary ex-periments in the Twenties and Thirties areonly now beginning to be understood in theWest. But it is impossible to get any hint ofsubversive innovation out of this innocuous-

sounding music. The Limpid Brook/BrightStream in 1936 was a zany comedy about cityslickers on a collective farm, but the musictoday is "zany" in the sadly dated, freneticstyle of Kabalevsky's The Comedians, Kha-chaturian's Gayne, and Shostakovich's ownAge of Gold.

IT remains only to pay tribute to RobertIrving in one of his infrequent recorded ap-pearances. "Evenings at the Ballet" is such apopular catchall that it will probably bepassed over by the serious ballet fan, but seri-ous ballet fans already know who Irving is,and the general public at whom the set isaimed will soon, I hope, find out. He is, es-pecially since Fayer's retirement, the best bal-let conductor in the business. His plasticshaping of Les Sylphides conveys Fokine'sopen, rhythmic phrasing as does no otherperformance I have heard, the tension andexuberance of Carnaval are wonderful thingsto hear, and the Delibes suites (recordedhere with violin solos by Yehudi Menuhin)make you want more. Irving races throughthis odd pocket-size Giselle-but' twere well,I suppose, 'twere done quickly. Now let himrecord the ballet music we really need tohave on records, the old classics (like Drigo'sHarlequinade) that never seem to get intothe catalogs and the modern ones (like theBellini-Rieti La Sonnambula) that he per-forms so brilliantly with his own company,the New York City Ballet. Well, I have mylist and I'm sure you have yours.

EVENINGS AT THE BALLET. Les Sylph -

ides (Chopin), Carnaval (Schumann); suitesfrom Sylvia and Coppelia (Delibes), and Gi-selle (Adam). Philharmonia Orchestra, Rob-ert Irving cond. SERAPHIM SIC 6069 threediscs $8.94.

BALLET AT THE BOLSHOI. Excerptsfrom Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky), The Seasons(Glazounov), The Red Poppy (Gliere), TheLimpid Brook (Shostakovich), Cinderella(Prokofiev), and The Carmen Ballet (Bizet-Shchedrin). Bolshoi Theater and MoscowRadio Symphony Orchestras; GennadyRozhdestvensky, Boris Khaikin, Yuri Fayer,and Maksim Shostakovich cond. MELODIYA/ANGEL SRC 4114 three discs $17.94.

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VII. String Quartet No. 6 (1945). KarolyiQuartet. Sonata for Double -Bass and Piano(1949). Wolfgang Nestle (double -bass); OdaKlemann (piano). Sonata No. 2, for Cello andPiano (1948). Werner Taube (cello); RudolfDennemarck (piano). MUSICAL HERITAGESOCIETY OR H 295.

HINDEMITH: Chamber Music, VolumeVIII. Sonata for English Horn and Piano(1941). Kurt Germann (English horn); Rich-ard Laugs (piano). Sonata for Alto Saxophoneand Piano (1943). Hans Pfeifer (alto saxo-phone); Richard Laugs (piano). Sonata forFlute and Piano (1936). Joachim Starke(flute); Richard Laugs (piano). MUSICAL HER-ITAGE SOCIETY OR H 296.

HINDEMITH: Chamber Music, VolumeIX. String Trio No. 1, Op. 34 (1924). RainerKussmaul (violin); Jurgen Kussmaul (viola);Jurgen Wolf (cello). String Quarter No. 2, inC Major, Op. 16 (1921). Schaeffer Quartet.MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY OR I-1 297$2.99 each record (plus 650 handling chargeeach, from the Musical Heritage Society, Inc.,1991 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 10023).

Performance: Most excellentRecording: Excellent

The Musical Heritage Society's series of thecomplete chamber works of Paul Hindemithhas reached the formidable point of VolumeIX, and one is almost tempted to cry out "Esist genug!" But there's much more to come.Out of sixty-one compositions which logicallymight be considered for recording, only twen-ty-four have so far been committed to vinyl.That leaves thirty-seven more that we may ex-pect.

When I was a composition student in the late1940's, Hindemith was still teaching at Yale,and his stylistic influence in this country hadbecome immense. Most of us were affected byit to some extent. The Hindemith style wasthen the sure-fire contest -winning formula foryoung composers, just as the so-called "post-Webern" style came to be in the 1960's andthe aleatory was trying desperately to becomeas the 1970's opened. All these "movements"or "influences" tend to wear out after a periodof time, of course, and then everybody is leftwondering just what he thought was so spec-tacular about the fashionable style of yesterde-cade. But they do have impact.

Hindemith was an enormously importantand gifted composer, as even most of his de-tractors will still agree, but it is sad to realizehow poorly many of his works have stood thetest of a little time. Some of them will probably"recover" after more time has passed. Otherswill fare even worse. Certainly, this compendi-um release of his chamber music puts a maxi-mum strain on it (just as a large, retrospectivemuseum show of a painter's work does-it candestroy a living painter's career unjustly), andone has to fight against impatience as quartetafter trio after sonata all flow forth in the samecontrapuntal style, displaying a bag of tricks sosmall and unspectacular that one wonders (in1971) how Hindemith was ever satisfied towork on and on with techniques that now seemso limited.

One may wonder, but not quite fairly. Be-cause, when inspiration wet his pen, the musicwas thoroughly original and winning. Some-times an individual movement within an other-wise almost "routine" chamber work suddenlyand unexpectedly begins to give off sparks.



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Then again, a whole composition will turn upwhich is communicative and enlivening. Youremember, then, why Hindemith's music onceswept the land.

The performances for this series have been,with very few exceptions, first-rate. It's alsotrue, though, that we in this country becamefond of Hindemith's music through really stel-lar performances by people like Piatigorsky,Sanroma, et al., and that the solid excellentplaying of the Musical Heritage Society's per-formers does not even seem to aim toward thatsort of expression. We hear here what seems tobe a first level of German performance -prac-tice applied to the music of a German compos-er who we, in the United States, once adoptedalmost as an American paterfamilias. A strangeset of international dislocations! But they dohave to be kept in mind. As for other disloca-tions: don't listen for Messrs. Mathias Geldnerand Robert Lang, who are listed on OR H-296as "speakers" in the Sonata for Alto Saxo-phone and Piano, subtitled "Das Posthorn."They made the liner notes, but they nevermade the record. L.T.

HUNTEN: Piano Works (see HERZ)

H USA: Symphony No. 1 for Orchestra.Prague Symphony Orchestra, Karel Husacond. Serenade for Woodwind Quintet withStrings, Harp, and Xylophone. FoersterWoodwind Quintet; Prague Symphony Or-chestra, Karel Husa cond. Nocturne (fromFantasies for Orchestra). Orchestre des Sol-istes de Paris, Karel Husa cond. COMPOSERSRECORDINGS INC. CRI SD 261 $5.95.

Performance: Fairly goodRecording: Good

This recording of music by Karel Husa, whoseString Quartet No. 3 won the Pulitzer Prize in1969, is for me a very difficult one to evaluate,and I'll warn in advance that much of what I'mgoing to say will be subjective.

To begin with, the Prague Symphony Or-chestra does not seem to be a top-flight ensem-ble. One is constantly wondering whether toblame the music for its unconvincing qualities,or the performers, or the conductor. Perhapsall are responsible. But in the Symphony No.1, despite the adroit traditionalist technologyexhibited by the composer, the firmly and of-ten forcefully stated ideas seem always to bejust this side of the point. The gestures arethere but, for all their obvious sincerity, theydon't quite convince.

My response to the Serenade and the Noc-turne is similar. The composer seems to haveput his notes on paper with complete confi-dence. But they follow patterns so familiarfrom other music that one can't really get inter-ested. Listening becomes a matter of source -

sleuthing. I suspect that Husa's talent is whatwe used to call in the Fifties an "academic"one. I have not heard his Pulitzer -winningquartet, but I certainly hope it's more arrestingthan these three pieces. L.T.

KNIGHT: After Guernica; The Origin ofProphecy; Luminescences; Refractions forClarinet and Tape. Morris Knight (speaker),David Sweetkind (clarinet). GOLDEN CRESTCR 4092 $5.98.

Performance: Mostly electronicRecording: Tape compositions

Morris Knight's name and work were not pre-viously known to me, but he seems to be-asnearly as one can tell from the wordy but unin-

formative liner notes-a musician whose back-ground has been mainly in radio. I know of noother case of an American composer whosework has developed in and through broadcast-ing (except, to a limited degree, myself!). Thismusic, for all its obvious shortcomings, is aswell -made and effective as a good deal of whatwe are offered in the name of the more fash-ionable avant-garde. One wonders why it is soobscure. The explanation undoubtedly lies inthe fact that Mr. Knight comes from, and-with the exception of a sojourn in San Francis-co-has remained in, Georgia! There is a cer-tain "naivete" that runs through this music-particularly noticeable in the setting of "TheOrigin of Prophecy," part of a poem by ChanSieg read by the composer himself in radio -an-nouncer's tones and surrounded by rather liter-al -minded (but far from ineffective) tape/sound interpretations. Refractions is the earli-est (1962), most eccentric, and least cohesivepiece of the four; the rather conventional solo-

clarinet part stands in curious contrast to thelively, odd tape music, and the whole piecefalls apart somewhere near the end. The twopurely tape pieces are the most successful; theyare laid out in striking blocks and planes, witha considerable sensitivity to the medium. Oneassumes that the clarinetist is David Sweetkind,to whom the work is dedicated-he is not spe-cifically credited anywhere. E.S.

LULLY: L'Air pour le Caroussel de Monsei-gneur; Xerxes: Ballet Music (see CAMPRA)


MASCAGNI: Cavalleria Rusticana. ZinkaMilanov (soprano), Santuzza; Jussi Bjoerling(tenor), Turiddu; Robert Merrill (baritone),Alfio; Margaret Roggero (mezzo-soprano),Mamma Lucia; Carol Smith (mezzo-soprano),Lola. RCA Orchestra and Robert Shaw Cho-rale, Renato Cellini cond. ZINKA MILA-NOV: Arias. Bellini: Norma: Mira, o Norma(with Margaret Harshaw, mezzo-soprano).Verdi: Trovatore: D'amor sull'al rosee; Mis-erere (with Jan Peerce, tenor); La Forza delDestino: Pace, pace, mio Dio. Zinka Milanov(soprano); RCA Orchestra, Frieder Weiss-mann cond. RCA VICTROLA VIC 6044 twodiscs $5.96.

Performance: Solid Mascagni, vintageMilanov

Recording: Good for its age

No recording has come along since 1953 tomake this reissue of RCA's then much herald-ed Cavalleria Rusticana seem any less substan-tial today. Under Renato Cellini's forthrightand thoroughly knowing direction the musicmoves at an exciting pace and never sags ininterest. By 1953, Milanov was a rather un-even performer, but the passion and grandmanner of her Santuzza make up for her occa-sionally wavering. After a rather strained Sicil-iana, Bjoerling rises to the challenges of hisrole with ringing tone and his accustomed se-cure artistry. Merrill is a vocally resplendentAlfio, the two mezzos are above average, andthe clearly delineated and resonant work of theRobert Shaw Chorale is a distinct asset. Thesound is acceptable.

The fourth side of the set shows Zinka Mila-nov at an earlier (1945-1946) phase of her ca-reer. Tonal steadiness and rhythmic accuracywere never her strengths, but her singing isrewarding most of the time and ravishinglybeautiful in "Pace, pace." The florid require -


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ments of the Norma duet, of course, are notexecuted in the manner to which we have sincebecome accustomed. G.I


MESSAGER: Les Deux Pigeons-BalletSuite; Isoline-Ballet Suite. HAHN: Le Balde Beatrice-Ballet Suite. Orchestre de Paris,Jean-Pierre Jacquillat cond. ANGEL S 36769$5.98.

Performance: Old -World charmRecording: Excellent

Andre Messager, born in 1853, was a glamo-rous figure on the Continent in the late nine-teenth and early twentieth centuries. He con-ducted frequently at the Opera-Comique andat Covent Garden. He led the world premieresof Debussy's Nocturnes and L'Apres-midi d'unfaune, as well as the 1902 performance ofPelleas et Melisande, which Debussy had dedi-cated to him. But Messager was also a compos-er whose style was scarcely influenced by themusical upheavals going on around him.Charm was his long suit, and not all of his con-temporaries were impervious to it. Faure, forexample, wrote that "Messager dares to be ten-der, exquisite, spiritual, passionate . . . daresto smile while others weep."

Suites from two of his works are included onthis irresistible recording, in performances ofinfinite refinement under the scrupulous batonof Jean-Pierre Jacquillat. Isoline is a three -actfairy tale in which Oberon infuriates Titania bythreatening to change her god -daughter Isolineinto a boy on her wedding day; he carriesthrough his threat, but Titania simply changesher husband -to -be into a girl, and all ends well.The suite is chosen from a ballet that occurs inthe course of the play, and includes a statelypavane, a delightful mazurka,and a stunningvalse. Les Deux Pigeons is based on La Fon-taine's fable about a footloose pigeon who de-serts his mate, but returns to her after a seriesof hazardous adventures. In Messager's ballet,the pigeons have their human counterparts inan artist and his sweetheart. The artist goes offto join the gypsies but-like the pigeon in thefable-gets into trouble and is glad to gethome to his mate. The suite (especially the Di-vertissement and the Danse Hongroise) is im-mensely appealing.

As a bonus, the record offers a third balletsuite by Reynaldo Hahn, a serene piece ofwork meant to evoke the atmosphere of acourt ball in sixteenth -century Italy. It does thissupremely well. Hahn is better known for hissongs than his orchestral works, but this deli-cate piece, scored for wind instruments, harp,and piano, does him honor. The names of bothMessager and Hahn have been absent from theSchwann catalog for some time, and it is goodto see them there again. P.K.

MESSIAEN: Eight Preludes; Four Studies inRhythm. Yvonne Loriod (piano). MUSICALHERITAGE SOCIETY MHS 1069 $2.99 (plus65v handling charge from the Musical Heri-tage Society Inc., 1991 Broadway, New York,N.Y. 10023).

Performance: Strong and idiomaticRecording: Very good

MESSIAEN: Eight Preludes. HELPS: Por-trait. DEL TREDICI: Fantasy Pieces.George Bennette (piano). DESTO DC 7110

Performance: GoodRecording: Excellent

George Bennette's good performance of Mes-siaen's Eight Preludes for piano is unfortunatein running into the competition of an altogeth-er more convincing version by Yvonne Loriod,who is what might be called Messiaen's officialinterpreter and whose performance was super-vised by the composer. Bennette's imposingtechnical equipment gives him the advantagein the last of the eight pieces, Un Refiet dans levent, where his rhythm is more lucid than MissLoriod's. But elsewhere in these thoroughlyDebussyan pieces of 1928-1929, which are in-teresting less for themselves than for theirforeshadowing the way the twenty -year -oldcomposer was to develop, Miss Loriod's morescrupulous attention to details of phrasing anddynamics makes hers clearly the preferableversion. Desto's recording is, by a narrow mar-gin, the more colorful and has a wider dynamicrange. Some disturbing vibrations, however,suggest that Bennette's piano was not quiteperfectly tuned.

Miss Loriod completes her record with an-other, much more characteristic Messiaenwork: the Four Studies in Rhythm, composedin 1949-1950 and published separately (as liede feu 1, Mode de valeurs et d'intensites,Neumes rhythmiques, and lie de feu 2), butintended for performance as a single unit. Thedauntingly titled Mode de valeurs et dsites is prefaced, in the printed music, with anequally intimidating table that sets forth theplan on which pitches, durations, attacks, andintensities are organized. It turns out to be, inmy judgment, by far the best piece on the rec-ord, with a steady pulse that is constantly andarrestingly being nudged off balance by irregu-larities that never quite destroy it. Neumesrhythmiques is a strong composition too, andfle de feu numbers one and two are excitinglyenergetic pieces dedicated, not, as New York-ers may imagine, to Fire Island but to the rath-er more exotic Papua, or New Guinea. Allfour studies are splendidly played.

Bennette devotes his spare disc space togood performances of two American works:Portrait, by the pianist -composer Robert Helps(b. 1928), and the Fantasy Pieces of David DelTredici (b. 1937). Both are well -written piecesin fairly unindividual idioms, the former chro-matic but essentially tonal, the latter firmly inthe Schoenberg-Webern tradition.

The order of pieces on the Desto disc, by theway, is as listed above, and not as given on thejacket, which discusses the Del Tredici piecebefore the Helps. Desto's liner -notes are care-lessly edited; the Musical Heritage disc, li-censed from the French Erato company, comesfestooned with Messiaen's poly -chromaticprose in a turgid, unreadable translation. B.J.

MOUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibi-tion (arr. Ravel); A Night on Bald Mountain(arr. Rimsky-Korsakov). Philadelphia Or-chestra, Eugene Ormandy cond. COLUMBIA M30448 S5.98.

Performance: LushRecording: Expansive

Despite the new catalog number designation,the matrix numbers on this disc are identicalwith those of a coupling of the same two workson MS 7148, issued in 1969. Indeed, theNight on Bald Mountain was added as a fillerto MS 7148 from an original Russian -musicpackage (MS 6073), dating from 1959. Evenso, the Night on Bald Mountain performanceis more cleanly recorded and has more bitethan that of the Pictures, which strikes me as

(Continued on page 110)

STEREO REVIEW

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109

on the over -lush side-this impression beingreinforced by what sounds like an element ofartificial reverberation. Having been broughtup on the Koussevitzky-Boston Symphony(Ravel did the orchestration on commissionfrom Koussevitzky) and Toscanini readings,my bias is frankly toward the lean and sharplydelineated rhythmic treatment of this music.Hence, my reaction to the present Ormandyversion is at best reserved. D.H.


MOZART: Sonata for Piano and Violin, inB -flat Major (K. 454); Sonata for Piano andViolin, in E -flat Major (K. 481). Ingrid Hae-bler (piano); Henryk Szeryng (violin). PHIL-IPS 6500 055 $5.98.

Performance: SuperbRecording: Splendid

Pianist Ingrid Haebler and violinist HenrykSzeryng have been concentrating on Mozartfor some time now in their recordings for Phil-ips. Here now are two of that composer's love-liest piano -violin sonatas, dating not from hischildhood years, when the violin parts in hisduo sonatas were quite subsidiary, but fromthe mature period in which he achieved a richand thoroughly equal relationship between thetwo instruments. These are examples of Classi-cal art at its very best: full of elegant expressiv-ity, yet with every element held in discreetlyperfect balance.

Haebler and Szeryng are a perfect team.Their conception of the music seems to beidentical, which means that every detail can beplayed with unstrained unanimity. So much ofthis music is, in essence, a matter of straightfor-ward, handsomely wrought counterpoints,which need to be delicately exposed and in-fused with expressive life, but without placingovert emphasis on the fact that these things arebeing done. Haebler and Szeryng are special-ists in that kind of playing. They are so phrase -

oriented that nary a single one passes withoutgentle sculpting at their hands. Haebler hassuch incredible control of her fingers that ex-tended passages in running eights or sixteenthsbecome, cumulatively, tours de force. Regular.ity of this sort provides, of course, a perfectfoil for the other instrument, and Szeryngmatches every pianistic moment with his ownseemingly spontaneous but thoroughly con-trolled contributions. In short, this is a recordto treasure, no matter what other versions youmay already possess. L.T.

RIEGGER: Study in Sonority. PERSI-CHETTI: Symphony No. 8. Louisville Or-chestra, Jorge Mester cond. LOUISVILLE FIRSTEDITIONS LS 706 $5.98.

Performance: OkayRecording: Good

Vincent Persichetti's Eighth Symphony wasclearly intended to be the featured work onthis latest Louisville release, but since Walling-ford Riegger's Study in Sonority is by far themore interesting piece-historically and intrin-sically, in my view-I have taken the liberty ofgiving it the main listing. Riegger was born in1885 in Albany, Georgia, and after a thor-oughly Germanic training (he studied withMax Bruch!), he became part of that remark-able and original American avant-garde move-ment of the Twenties which included Varese,Ruggles, Ives, and Cowell. The Study in So-nority, written in 1927, is scored for ten (or, asis the case here, multiples of ten) violins; it is a110

highly dissonant (in those days dissonance wasreally dissonance) and imaginative work whichretains its bite even today; indeed, its intense,almost visionary quality goes nearly to the lim-its of bearability. A word of caution about theperformance; the Louisvillians, though hard-working and to be commended for effort, donot realize the potential of this music by agood bit. We need a Bernstein or Boulez toget full value out of this striking composition.Columbia, are you listening?

The Persichetti is a pleasant, lyrical essay inthe Great American Symphonic SymphonyStyle-a kind of music that means nothing tome. This one is well performed, and both therecordings are good. E.S.

SCHUBERT: Sonatas for Piano: No. 1, in EMajor, D. 157 (1815-incomplete); No. 2,in C Major, D. 279 (1815-incomplete); No.3, in E Major, D. 459 (1816-incomplete);No. 4, in A Minor, D. 537 (1817); No. 5, in

FRANZ SCHUBERTDrawing (1820) by Moritz von Schwind

A -flat Major, D. 557 (1817-incomplete);No. 9, in E Minor, D. 566 (1817-incom-plete); No. 7, in E -flat Major, D. 568 (1817);No. 11, in B Major, D. 575 (1817); No. 13,in F Minor, D. 625 (1818-incomplete); No.15, in A Major, D. 664 (1819); No. 16, in AMinor, D. 784 (1823); No. 18, in C Major,D. 840 (1825-incomplete); No. 17, in AMinor, D. 845 (1825); No. 19, in D Major,D. 850 (1825); No. 20, in G Major, D. 894("Fantasia," 1826); No. 21, in C Minor, D.958 (1828); No. 22, in A Major, D. 959(1828); No. 23, in B -flat Major, D. 960(1828). Wilhelm Kempff (piano). DEUTSCHEGRAMMOPHON 2720 024 nine discs $40.50.

Performance: Flowingly lyrical at best,unventuresome at worst

Recording: Somewhat variable

William S. Newman's monumental study TheSonata Since Beethoven (University of NorthCarolina Press, 1969) lists in tabular form (1313-204-206) no fewer than twenty-three Schubertpiano works in sonata format (his numbering isused here, together with the Otto ErichDeutsch catalog numbers). They encompass allbut the earliest years of Schubert's all -too -briefcreative life. But a dozen out of the twenty-three are incomplete: they lack whole move-ments (viz. the finales of D. 157 and 279), or

completed movements (second movement ofD. 459, first movement of D. 625, the twofinale movements of D. 840), or they are un-performable fragments. The existence of somany uncompleted or abandoned works fromSchubert's pen-most obviously, of course, theso-called "Unfinished" Symphony-may serveas fuel for romantic stories galore, but a closestudy of Schubert's working methods and cre-ative problems (with the publications of OttoErich Deutsch as source material supplementalto the music itself) would seem to point themup as the result of Schubert's long struggle toachieve compatibility between his song -likethematic material and the seemingly inherentdemand of sonata -form development for mo-tivic materials. The facts that there are no ma-jor incomplete works using sonata form afterD. 840, and more importantly that those whichdid follow-piano sonatas, the two great trios,the G Major Quartet, the C Major Quintet,and the "Great" C Major Symphony-are mas-terpieces all, stand as proof that the form -con-tent problem had been mastered.

The veteran German pianist WilhelmKempff, now well into his seventies, is only thesecond to tackle recording the eighteen per-formable pieces. He was preceded by the veryable Viennese pianist Friedrich Wiihrer, whoseperformances from the middle 1950's are stillavailable in three Vox Boxes (SVBX 5009/10/11, nine discs, $17.94). Though they areoccasionally a bit beefy, the best of Wiihrer'shold up very well, and the piano sound is gen-erally quite acceptable-all of which makesthem a viable alternative for someone unableor unwilling to shell out forty dollars for theDGG set, however superior the pressings, therecorded sound, and, depending on one's per-sonal taste, the performances. I hope DeutscheGrammophon will ease matters by making theKempff performances available as individualdiscs (thus far, D. 664, D. 840, D. 845, D.894, and D. 960 are available on previouslyreleased single LP's). Then there is the ques-tion of Kempff s severe competition, in mostof the better-known sonatas, from pianists ofboth the past and the present. Import specialtyshops carry Artur Schnabel's incomparablereadings from the late 1930's of the A Major(D. 959) and B -flat (D. 960) sonatas, as well asof D. 850 in D Major. Distinguished readingsof the mature sonatas by present-day perform-ers include those by Rudolf Serkin, CliffordCurzon, Artur Rubinstein, and Sviatoslav Rich-ter, plus those by such outstanding youngerartists as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bruce Hunger -ford, Anton Kuerti, and Peter Serkin.

My own attitude toward Wilhelm Kempff isconditioned by the fact that his recorded per-formances of the Beethoven piano sonataswere the ones I was brought up on in the1930's (on 75 -cent Gold Seal Brunswicks-Icouldn't afford the Schnabel Society issues,though I did hear him often in concert). I ad-mired then, and admire now, Kempff s clearand rock -steady readings of the more dramaticand more overtly lyrical pieces. For better orworse, I find myself reacting in somewhat thesame fashion to Kempff s traversal of the Schu-bert piano sonatas. The early works are neatlyshaped and lovingly phrased under Kempffsfingers-and there are fascinating individualmovements that either reflect what Schubertwas listening to in Beethoven's Vienna, orwhich anticipate startling things to come in hisown work. Thus the trio section midwaythrough the concluding Menuetto of D. 157looks forward to the magnificent quasi -chorale


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of the corresponding movement in the great DMajor Sonata (D. 850) of a decade later. Andthe slow movement of D. 537, in A Minor,offers a singularly lovely Schubertian "walkingtune." In the incomplete F Minor Sonata (D.625) of 1818 we come face to face with thedemonic Schubert for the first time on a sus-tained and consistent level of tension. Beetho-ven's "Appassionata" is echoed in the openingmovement, the opening strain of the scherzo ismarked by startling dissonances, and the finaleis the quintessence of Romantic Sturm andDrang. All of these pieces Kempff brings offbeautifully, reaching a peak in the first of thetruly mature sonatas, the terse and poignant AMinor (D. 784).

With the incomplete C Major Sonata (D.840), with its enormously scaled first move-ment, we are stepping into really rugged Schu-bertian terrain. A comparison of Kempff'ssteadily flowing, rather no-nonsense treatmentwith Richter's vastly ruminative reading offersa fine study in interpretive polarity. The biggerA Minor Sonata (D. 845) comes off well underKempff's fingers, but with the wonderful DMajor (D. 850), a work for which I have aspecial affection, he comes a cropper, for mytaste. The reading is small-scale and bland,lacking the urgency of Schnabel or the ebul-lience of young Aleksei Nasedkin on his recentMelodiya/Angel disc-the finale ambles rath-er than trips along its delightfully waywardcourse. Something of the same blandness af-flicts Kempff's readings of the almost entirelylyrical G Major "Fantasia" Sonata (D. 894).There is precious little grace or "lift" to theMenuetto here, which young Anton Kuerti,though handicapped by less impressive conicsand an inferior pressing, brings off in a trulyentrancing reading on the Monitor label.

The most Beethovenian of the Schubert so-natas, the posthumous C Minor (D. 958), isrespectably played by Kempff, but I found theold Wiihrer performance more convincinglyrugged. The A Major posthumous (D. 959)-for me the peak of the Schubert sonatas-againsuffers from smallness of scale at Kempff'shands. A hearing of the opening pages done bySchnabel or Hungerford will make the pointclearly enough. As to the fantastic outburstSchubert wrote midway in the slow movement,Kempff does bravely with it here, but Hunger -

ford handles it even more brilliantly and con-vincingly for my taste.

The last of the sonatas, in B -flat Major-pro-foundly reflective in its first two movements,wholly liberated in its last two-gets a low -pro-file but quite convincing interpretation fromKempff. There is surprisingly little differencebetween this reading and Kempff's 1951 ver-sion on London; outstanding in the new re-cording is the handling of dynamic and colorcontrast. Schnabel may probe more deeply intothe opening movements, and I find AnnieFischer, whose reading for the Odeon label isquite similar to Kempff's, offers a bit morerhythmic zest; but let it be said that his B -flat isone of the better things in the set-and fortu-nately it is available separately.

Coming to recorded sound, there are differ-ences from disc to disc arising from variationsin recording time, (possibly) locale, and (obvi-ously) microphone placement. The earliest re-cording was of the G Major Sonata, done in1965; the B -flat posthumous and A Major (D.664) date from 1967, and the A Major posthu-mous from 1968. All the other sides are 1970recordings, and they sound decidedly clatteryin comparison with the tonal richness comingfrom those of 1967, thanks to apparently some-

what more distant microphoning and a warmeracoustic ambiance. D.H.


SCRIABIN: Desir, Op. 57, No. 1; CaressDansee, Op. 57, No. 2; Etude in C -sharp Mi-nor, Op. 2, No. 1; Sonata No. 1, in F Minor,Op. 6; Sonata No. 2 (Sonata -Fantasy), in G-

sharp Minor, Op.19; Sonata No. 8, in A Ma-jor, Op. 66. Ruth Laredo (piano). CONNOIS-SEUR SOCIETY CS 2035 $5.98.


Scriabin was and remains an elusive figure.The only important pianist -composer of theturn of the century-if one excepts the equallyelusive Busoni-Scriabin is one of the key fig-ures of early modernism. His musical positionin European cultural history is a part of thatperiod we call Art nouveau-extravagant,

ALEXANDER SCRIABIN IN 1905Sketch by Leonid Pasternak (Boris' father)

sensual, mystic, erotic, somewhat campy, rath-er shapeless and undramatic, but "organic'.and pulsating with dark, throbbing energy. Anequivalent in literature would be D'Annunzio,in painting the Austrian Gustav Klimt or theFrenchman Odile Redon.

This is Ruth Laredo's third Scriabin album,and it begins and ends with late, intensely sen-suous works: Desir, Caress Dansee, and theEighth Sonata; in between are the convention-ally Romantic Etude, Op. 2, No. 1, the ratheroverbearing, self-pitying First Sonata, and theintriguing Sonata -Fantasy. The Eighth Sonata isunquestionably the best and most originalthing in the collection, but all of it is persua-sively played by Miss Laredo with tremen-dous elegance, sensitivity, and, where it existsto be plumbed, depth. The recording is first-class in every way. E.S.

SHOSTAKOVICH: Music from the film"Zoya." Music from the film "Pirogov."Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and Chorus, Mak-sim Shostakovich cond. MELODIYA/ANGELSR 40160 $5.98.

Performance: Bombastic but absorbingRecording: Very good

As James Lyons points out in the highly in-formative liner notes that accompany this un-

usual album, Shostakovich got his "first orderfor a film score" the same year The Jazz Singeropened in New York (1928) and has beencontributing music to the Soviet cinema eversince. Thirty such scores are listed, includingthe music heard on this disc. For one who re-calls the Soviet films of the Thirties and eventhe Forties, with their gravelly sound tracks,hearing these scores in new performances onhigh-fidelity discs comes as something of a rev-elation. The Bolshoi Theater Orchestra andChorus, under the composer's son Maksim,perform them with force and virtuosity, andthe recorded sound is a model of clarity. Shos-takovich took his own credo of "socialist real-ism" literally in preparing these works, whichpound and puff hard but also caress, just as hisgiant symphonies do, with the same ability toquicken the pulse but without the restraints ofform that keep his concert pieces within coher-ent bounds. The movie scores rouse, butsprawl.

One of them is a suite from the score forZoya, an epic about a girl named Zoya Kosmo-demyanskaya who "repulsed the enemy" in theearly days of World War II. Listening to thesection called "Military Problem," I keptimagining Zoya, fierce of eye and wild of hair,holding back a column of German tanks single-handed. The music, dated 1942, bristles andbullies. The music from Pirogov, composedten years later, contains some subtler, nobler,more restrained material. The plot this timeinvolves a Russian surgeon who did himselfproud in the Crimean War, but was despisedenough for his politics by the Romanovs to beassured a place in the Soviet pantheon of he-roes. There is a lovely waltz surrounded bysurging streams of fiercer stuff. But even at itsmost bombastic, the movie music of Shostako-vich is always real music. It can be labored,long-winded, and altogether excessive, but it isnever mere noise or background filler. P.K.

SLONIMSKY: Studies in Black and White;Suite for Cello and Piano; Variations on aBrazilian Tune; Gravestones of Hancock,New Hampshire; Impressions; My LittlePool; I Owe a Debt to a Monkey!; A VeryGreat Musician; Modinha Russo-Brasileira.Nicolas Slonimsky (piano); Nancy Bramlage(soprano); Jerome Kessler (cello). ORIONORS 7145 $5.98.

Performance: By the composerRecording: Dry

Nicolas Slonimsky is one of the most fascinat-ing figures in American music. Born in nine-teenth-century Russia, he came to the UnitedStates after the Revolution, became one of theleaders of the avant-garde movement of theTwenties and Thirties, and, more recently, anoted musical critic, musicologist, and lexicog-rapher. He conducted a famous series of con-certs of avant-garde American music in theUnited States, Cuba, Mexico, and Europe. Hisdescription of the end of his conducting careerhas the typical Slonimsky humor: "I met myWaterloo at the Hollywood Bowl when Iforced a subcultural audience to listen to theatom -splitting Ionisation of Varese and thepolyhymnal turbulence of Ives." His output in-cludes the monumental Music Since 1900 (vir-tually a day-by-day account of modern music),a Lexicon of Musical Invective (proving thatpresent-day "modern" music has been hatedno more than virtually every other "modern"music in its day), and a more -than -monumentalThesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns. As a


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writer, Slonimsky has a certain dry, wry, self -deprecating humor, and even his undoubtedscholarship is never displayed without wit andflourish.

The music? Alas, it doesn't hold up verywell. As he himself would be the first to admit,his credentials as an avant-gardist are rathersuspect. His system of "consonant counter-point in mutually exclusive diatonic and penta-tonic systems" is more impressive in the label-ing than the actuality; what it means is that theright hand plays on the white notes and the lefthand on the black. What it sounds like is some-where between mild Bartok and mild Gersh-win. There are a couple of Impressionisticsongs and a schmaltzy Brazilian -Russian -Gypsynumber. The best are the settings of tomb-stone inscriptions from Hancock, New Hamp-shire, each one in a style appropriate to theperiod of the person. Here, for once, Slonim-sky's musicological -lexicographical tendenciesand his singular wit and humor come togetherin creative form. The performances, all ofwhich involve the composer, are okay but notexceptional; the recording is rather dry andstudio-ish. E.S.

STERN: Terezin (see AREL)

TCHAIKOVSKY: The Maid of Orleans(highlights). Irina Arkhipova (mezzo-so-prano), Joan of Arc; Yevgeny Vladimirov(bass), Thibaut; Andrei Sokolov (tenor), Rai-mond; Viktor Selivanov (bass), Bertrand; Ser-gei Yavkovenko (baritone), Lionel; others.Chorus and Orchestra of the Moscow Radio,Gennady Rozhdestvensky cond. MELODIYA/ANGEL SR 40156 $5.98.

Performance: Arkhipova stands outRecording: Good

Tchaikovsky wrote The Maid of Orleans(1879) between Eugene Onegin and PiqueDame, to cite only the best-known stageworks. Using Schiller's drama as his startingpoint, Tchaikovsky was his own librettist, a re-luctant and apologetic one with admitted limi-tations in this area. He need not have worried,however, for the shortcomings of the libretto(which are not discernible by the casual listen-er) are redeemed by the sweep and power ofthe music. Some of the opera's pages containpatches of less than first-class inspiration, butthe totality is impressive indeed. It reveals thehand of a master, one who can conceive large-scale ideas without deflating them in execu-tion. Because of its foreign subject matter,Tchaikovsky did not write a consciously na-tionalistic opera here-the style is closer toMeyerbeer than it is to Moussorgsky-but thisquite obvious fact eluded the composer's Rus:sian critics, for the work's initial reception wasunfavorable.

About five years ago, the complete opera ap-peared on Ultraphone 135/6/7/8 (four discs).The sound was somewhat dated, but the over-all presentation by the Kirov (Leningrad) Op-era under Boris Khaikin was above average.The present Bolshoi-produced highlights offersuperior sound, but only Irina Arkhipova inthe title role rises decisively above the level ofthe previous achievement. Hers is, in fact, anextraordinary contribution not only in the just-ly familiar Farewell Scene but also in the beau-tiful episode of the Vision (Act I, Scene 5) andin the long duet with Lionel, the Burgundianknight who, in Schiller's version, causes Joan'sdownfall. The Lionel in this performance is ac-ceptable, a judgment that applies to all the oth-er singers as well-with the exception of basso

Selivanov, who is definitely not acceptable.The chorus is excellent, and Rozhdestvenskysecures orchestral playing that is charged withmelodramatic excitement.

Unquestionably, the opera deserves a betterperformance, but Arkhipova goes a long waytoward making this a worthy buy.


TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto in B -flatMinor, Op. 23. Martha Argerich (piano);Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles Dutoitcond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530 112$6.98.


Martha Argerich is the gifted young Argentini-an pianist who has recently been making wavesin Europe. Charles Dutoit's reputation is not sowell known to me (I do know that he is MissArgerich's husband) but, judging by results, heis in the same class: i.e., first. This is a beautifulperformance and recording, impeccable, sensi-tive, but with a tremendous range, poetic sensi-bility, and style. Martin Bookspan take note!

While we're on the subject-one I don't getto write on very often-I'd like to ask if any-one can explain to me why the famous openingtheme of this concerto, stated and repeatedwith so much fuss and feathers, never comesback at all. Even Miss Argerich and M. Dutoitdon't seem to be able to help much with thisproblem. E.S.

TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 2, inG Major, Op. 44. Igor Zhukov (piano); Mos-cow Radio Symphony Orchestra, GennadyRozhdestvensky cond. MELODIYA/ANGEL SR40097 $5.98.

Performance: ExtrovertRecording: Loud and live

Igor Zhukov, one of Soviet Russia's risingyoung stars in the pianistic firmament, adopts aplainly Horowitz -like approach to the Tchai-kovsky G Major Concerto. He and conductorRozhdestvensky go all-out for a "knock 'em inthe aisles" performance, which is all very excit-ing for the first five minutes, but still fails toconvince me that the G Major Concerto is top-drawer Tchaikovsky (neither is the famous B-

flat Minor, for my money, but it can take theslam-bang approach better). The recording isloud, brilliant, and rather reverberant, and itfavors the soloist unequivocally. The concertois played in uncut form, as it is by Nikita Maga-loff and Colin Davis on the less brilliantly re-corded Philips World Series disc. But I findMagaloff's swift and light-fingered treatmentof the finale rather more to my taste than Zhu-kov's rather heavyhanded one. And despite theuse of the cuts made by Siloti in the slowmovement, I still find Gary Graffman and Eu-gene Ormandy's Columbia disc to be the mostpalatable version of the G Major Piano Con-certo from the standpoint of both performanceand recording. D.H.


VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Job, a Masquefor Dancing. London Symphony Orchestra,Sir Adrian Boult cond. ANGEL S 36773 $5.98.

Performance: OutstandingRecording: High-class

Vaughan Williams' Job, a ballet score which(Continued on page 116)

114 STEREO REVIEW

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he conceived as a "Masque for Dancing," isone of his richest and most fetching works fororchestra though it is rarely heard. Consideringthe fact that it has, in such large portion, thoseattributes of romanticism, orchestral color, anddrama which seem to be prime requisites forthe concert hall, it's hard to understand whyconductors have so ignored this score. Evenwithout the visual elements of ballet, the workfully holds its own as a tone poem. It is a littlemore spread out, perhaps, than a piece con-ceived solely in abstract terms would be, butthe ideas are all handsome and pithy, andVaughan Williams treated them with particularconviction and elegance. And with greatstrength, too.

The source of inspiration for the composerwas William Blake's "Illustrations to the Bookof Job," adapted to eight scenes and an epi-logue by the Blake scholar Sir GeoffreyKeynes, who approached the composer withan initial scenario. Vaughan Williams was im-mediately intrigued, and agreed to compose awork for the 1927 centenary of the death ofBlake. He stipulated, however, that the balletshould be in the form of a "masque," with astyle of dancing patterned after old Englishforms of the seventeenth century.

The work is class -A Vaughan Williams.Though it is quite typical of his dignified, flow-ing, modal style, and ultra -Anglo-Saxon toboot, it is somewhat more emotionally extro-verted in statement than others of his orches-tral scores. In dramatizing the libretto (and in-spired by Blake, no doubt) the composer didnot hesitate to write some unusual passageswhich he would probably not have found usefor in one of his symphonies-a wryly bleatingsection for saxophone which depicts Satan's"Three Comforters" is only one example-andthese add an element of pungent surprise tothe composer's by now familiar mixture of mu-sical elements. Sir Adrian Boult, to whom thework was dedicated (and who also conductsthe one other available recording of Job-onEverest), does a fine piece of interpretation,the London Symphony plays gorgeously, andthe Angel recording is a sound buffs dream.

L.T.

VERRALL: String Quartet No. 7 (seeELWELL)


VIVALDI: Concerto in G Major for TwoMandolins, Strings, and Continuo (P. 133);Concerto in C Major for Mandolin, Strings,and Continuo (P. 134); Concerto in C Majorfor Two Mandolins, Two Theorboes, TwoFlutes, Two Salmoe, Two Violins "in trom-ba marina," Cello, Strings, and Continuo (P.16); Concerto a due Chori in B -flat Major,for Violino discordato, Strings, and Contin-uo (P. 368). Bonifacio Bianchi and AlessandroPitrelli (mandolins); Michael Schaffer andKristian Gerwig (theorboes); Christian Lardeand Clementine Scimone (flutes); Attilio Pe-cile and Alfio Gerbi (clarinets); Piero Tosoand Astorre Ferrari (violins); Max Cassoli (cel-lo); I Solisti Veneti, Claudio Scimone cond.MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY MHS 1100$2.99 (plus 65v handling charge, from the Mu-sical Heritage Society Inc., 1991 Broadway,New York, N.Y. 10023).

Performance: DelightfulRecording: Excellent

A little over a year ago, James Goodfriend re-lated a fascinating story in his "Going on Rec-

116

ord" column in these pages. It seems that a popradio station in Luxembourg, as a test of itsselling power, sandwiched a brief movementfrom a Vivaldi mandolin concerto among itsnormal "top -forty" programming. The piece inquestion was heard seven times a day for a sol-id week, all without any identifying announce-ment. At the end of that time, proper creditswere given. Now, in that area of Europe, a discof Vivaldi might sell a total of fifteen hundredor so copies in a year. The astonishing thing isthat, after this exposure, the disc is reputed tohave sold some seventy thousand copies withina few months after the broadcasts. An almostincredible tale, and one that should give pauseto those interested in classical record promo-tion, not to mention those bemoaning the stateof the classical record business!

What does all of this have to do with therecord at hand? This is the record that wasplayed by the Luxembourg station. To judgefrom the bouncy outer movements of either

London

GEORG SOLTIRelentless momentum for Rheingold

the single or double mandolin concertos here(I don't know precisely which movement wasthe station's choice), one can understand howthe disc might appeal to nonclassical listenersto the extent that they might want to own it.This is very scintillating playing. Interestinglyenough, it is not high-powered Vivaldi; rather,it is often quite gentle and lyrical. But the spir-it is certainly Italian, and the style in general iswell in hand.

Filling out the disc is an antiphonal concertofor a scordatura (mistuned) violin and twostring choirs, plus one of the very best concer-tos Vivaldi ever wrote, a work in C Major for avariety of curious instruments. In the latter,the performers have evidently gone to consid-erable trouble to provide a more authenticreading than has been the case with this piecein the past. The scoring includes two each ofmandolins, theorboes (bass lutes), flutes, sal-moe (a predecessor of the clarinet; here, I sus-pect, the modern version has been used, per-haps with a modified reed to create a moreplangent tone), plus violins which are directedto play "in tromba marina," or in the style ofthe extinct (even in Vivaldi's time) one -stringed double bass. In the past, there havebeen recordings of this concerto in which theconfusing direction has been taken to mean ac-tual trumpets. Claudio Scimone, on the other

hand, considers that theory absurd and be-lieves that Vivaldi might have intended a spe-cial sort of mute for the two solo violins tolend them the effect of the rasping, nasal trom-ba marina. That, at any rate, is the sound onehears in this performance, and it is very unusu-al and very entertaining-a real curiosity. Dotry this record, it's an easy-going program ofsome very delightful Vivaldi, most effectivelyrecorded. I.K.


WAGNER: Das Rheingold (highlights).George London (baritone), Wotan; GustavNeidlinger (bass), Alberich; Kirsten Flagstad(soprano), Fricka; Claire Watson (soprano),Freia; Walter Kreppel (bass), Fasolt; KurtBohme (bass), Fafner; Set Svanholm (tenor),Loge; Jean Madeira (contralto), Erda; others.Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Georg Solticond. LONDON OS 26194 $5.98.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Outstanding

This issue of highlights from London's famous1958 recording of Das Rheingold was proba-bly prompted by Georg Solti's recent andenormously successful concert performances ofthis opera with the Chicago Symphony Orches-tra. The intervening years have not lessenedthe excellence of the recording. London's son-ics reflect the supernatural happenings of thisopera in a manner that is startlingly alive andcrackling with excitement. This recording oncerepresented a breakthrough on several levels;if today it is not the sensation it was a dozenyears ago, the difference must be chalked up totechnological progress.

The excerpts from this non-stop opera havebeen well chosen: the stealing of the gold byAlberich and the beautiful "Daybreak" inter-lude which leads to the opening of the Wotan-Fricka dialog; the abduction of Freia by the gi-ants, followed by the descent of Wotan andLoge to Alberich's domain amid that marvel-ous clatter of anvils; Alberich's curse; and thefinal scenes of the opera from "Weiche, Wot-an" to the splendidly sonorous conclusion.Only the second excerpt requires an abruptfadeout; all of the others are very effective in-dividually and in continuity.

Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic are thereal stars here, in a performance of relentlessmomentum, sharp execution, and brilliantsound. The singers are uniformly good; if onecontribution may be singled out, it is the Albe-rich of Gustav Neidlinger, vocally impressiveand dramatically towering. This is a prize re-re-lease for Wagnerians. G.J.

WALKER: Spatials; Piano Sonata No. 2;Spektra (see ELWELL)

WEBER: Trio in G Minor (see DUSIK)

WILSON: Piece for Four (see AREL)

WOLF: Auf ein altes Bild; Schlafendes Je-suskind (see CORNELIUS)

COLLECTIONS

BOSTON POPS: Fiedler's FavoriteMarches. Sousa: The Stars and Stripes Forev-er; Semper Fidelis. Johann Strauss, Sr.: Ra-detzky March. Elgar: Pomp and CircumstanceNo. 1. Ippolitov-Ivanov: Procession of the


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Sardar. Willson: 76 Trombones. Gershwin:Strike Up the Band. Verdi: Aida: GrandMarch. Saint -Satins: French Military March.Gounod: Funeral March of a Marionette. Bo-rel-Clerc: La Sorella March. Planquette: Sam-bre et Meuse. Jesse/: Parade of the WoodenSoldiers. Beethoven: Turkish March. Berlioz:Rakaczy March. Prokofiev: The Love forThree Oranges: March. Rimsky-Korsakov:Procession of the Nobles. Hansen: ValdresMarch. Herbert: March of the Toys. Gould:American Salute. Morse: Up the Street.Grieg: March of the Dwarfs. Codina: Zacate-cas March. Alford: Colonel Bogey. Emmett -Black: Dixie. Traditional: The Yellow Roseof Texas. Bagley: National Emblem March.Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler cond.RCA VCS 7068 two discs $6.98.

Performance: Stirring but not stupefyingRecording: Excellent

This listener was braced for a musical bludg-eoning as the needle came to rest on the lead-in band to The Stars and Stripes Forever. Hup-hup! Twenty-seven marches-really! The expe-rience turned out more pleasant than other-wise, even for a man who doesn't know hisRadetzky from his Rakoczy, and whose tenden-cy, when they start whistling Colonel Bogey, isto hide under the bed until the all -clear issounded at the Bridge on the River Kwai. Thetrouble with marches, perhaps, is that they areusually played by bands. When the Fiedlerforces get hold of them, employing their spec-tacular string section to balance the brasses.woodwinds, and percussion, the musical effectis far more bearable.

Besides, only some of the marches in thisbravura program are military in nature. Thereare marches from operas, like the GrandMarch from Aida and the march from TheLove for Three Oranges. There are marcheswith a Latin flavor, such as Zacatecas and LaSorella; Gallic ones, such as the Valdres Marchand Sambre et Meuse; and the bucolic Ameri-can variety with a Fourth -of -July gaiety, such asUp the Street, Morton Gould's wittily orches-trated American Salute based on JohnnyComes Marching Home, and the National Em-blem March. And there's Gershwin's StrikeUp the Band-which, as it happens, was thetitle piece for a show that satirized militarism.

Mr. Fiedler approaches all of them with im-mense enthusiasm and even delicacy, on thefew occasions when it is called for; I never didfind it necessary to crawl under the bed, evenduring Colonel Bogey, where the whistling isdone by piccolos and hardly frightened me atall. It was difficult to believe, by the way, thatit had all come out of those thin little discsfrom RCA, with a crisp, clear sound and practi-cally no surface noise. P.K.


VLADIMIR HOROWITZ: The Great Ho-rowitz Plays Favorite Chopin. Ballade in GMinor, Op. 23; Waltz in C -sharp Minor, Op.64, No. 2; Impromptu in A -flat Major, Op.29; Nocturne in E -flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2;Etude in C -sharp Minor, Op. 10, No. 4; Scher-zo in B Minor, Op. 20; Mazurka in C -sharp Mi-nor, Op. 50, No. 3; Andante Spianato andGrande Polonaise in E -flat Major, Op. 22. Vla-dimir Horowitz (piano). RCA VICTROLA QQVIC 1605 $2.98.

HOROWITZ PLAYS RACHMANINOFF.Sonata in B -flat Minor, Op. 36; Prelude in G-

sharp Minor, Op. 32; Moment Musical in B118

Minor, Op. 16; Three Etudes -Tableaux: E -flatMinor and C Major, Op. 33; D Major, Op. 39.Vladimir Horowitz (piano). COLUMBIA M30464 $5.98.

Performance: Top HorowitzianaRecording: Variable

"The Great Horowitz Plays Favorite Chopin"is top stuff out of the vault. Horowitz was andis a great Chopin pianist, and, as far as I'm con-cerned, his G Minor Ballade is still the G Mi-nor Ballade. The rest of the medley is almost assweet; this is the great Horowitz from the olddays. The recordings are unequal in quality,but the best of them-the Ballade and the An-dante Spianato and Polonaise are excellentmono reproductions by any standard.

The Rachmaninoff album is taken from con-certs of 1967 and 1968, and, assuming theyhaven't been diddled with-or even if theyhave been-are pretty impressive perform-ances, and well recorded (I wince at the inevita-ble burst of applause that ends the sides but at

Wumbia

VLADIMIR HOROWITZ IN CARNEGIE HALLFor his fans, two impressive new discs

least we are spared this between numbers). Itis not so easy to know how to deal with thismusic. The avant-garde composer MortonFeldman has always said that the biggest influ-ence on him was the piano music of Rachmani-noff. Since Feldman writes tiny, soft, random,abstract music, this statement seems like a put-on. But Feldman, who is very shrewd and in-sightful about these matters, was saying some-thing about Rachmaninoff as a purveyor ofrelics. There is indeed a certain abstractnessabout this music, a certain "object-ness," as ifit is not the thing itself-i.e., truly organic Ro-mantic music-but its counterfeit, comingfrom nowhere, going nowhere, set downmerely in terms of appearances. Or so it seemsto me. Horowitz obviously believes otherwise,but even his skill does not really convince. E.S.

ZINKA MILANOV: Arias (see MASCAG-NI: Cavalleria Rusticana)

MUSIC FOR CLARINET AND PIANO.Bernstein: Sonata. Debussy: Petite Piece.Milhaud: Sonatine. Honegger: Sonatine. Bax:Sonata. Stanley Drucker (clarinet); LeonidHambro (piano). ODYSSEY Y 30492 $2.98.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Very good

Composers Leonard Bernstein and Claude De-bussy take the honors on this disc devoted tomusic for clarinet and piano written in thetwentieth century, and it is a pleasure to notehow well the light-hearted sonata Bernsteinwrote when he was only twenty-three years oldhas stood the test of thirty years. It is redolentof the Forties, when Hindemith and Coplandheld sway as the strongest influences aroundthe country, but it has the special, Bernsteinianmelodic manner as well, and the most fetchingmoments are those when this manner, since be-come famous, prevails.

The Debussy Petite Piece pour Clarinet etPiano is indeed petite but, for all its simplicityand brevity, it's inspired. The other works, allobviously chosen for melodiousness and ap-proachability, are pleasant but hardly outstand-ing examples of their authors' work. Druckerand Hambro play excellently. I'm a bit sur-prised, though, at the almost excessive modes-ty and understatement with which the NewYork Philharmonic's principal clarinetist ap-proaches much of the music. Here and thereone would have welcomed some no -holds -barred extroversion. Or is it the record's engi-neering which slightly suppresses his contribu-tion here? L.T.


LEONARD WARREN: The Great Hits olaGreat Baritone. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci: Pro-logue. Rossini: The Barber of Seville: Largo alfactotum. Bizet: Carmen: Toreador Song.Gounod: Faust: Avant de quitter ces lieux. Of-fenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann: Dapertutto'sAria. Verdi: Rigoletto: Pari siamo; Cortigiani,vi/ razza dannata. II Trovatore: Il balen del suosorriso. La Traviata: Di Provenza it mar. UnBallo in Maschera: Efi tu. Otello: Credo in undio crude]. Puccini: Tosca: Te Deum. LeonardWarren (baritone); RCA Orchestra, FriederWeissmann, William Tarrasch, Wilfred Pelleti-er, Renato Cellini, and Jean Paul Morel cond.,Rome Opera Orchestra, Vincenzo Bellezza andErich Leinsdorf cond. RCA VICTROLA VIC1595 $2.98.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Good

This recorded recital covers a span of sixteenyears (1941-1957), virtually the entire record-ing career of this mighty baritone. The voicethat pours forth from these grooves revealedits magnificence in the earliest examples (Faustand The Tales of Hoffmann) and retained itsvigor and richness virtually undiminishedthrough the years. At times ("Pari siamo") itsresonant sound could be too bulky for expres-sive purposes, but it revealed unusual tender-ness ("Di Provenza") and an agility ("Largo alfactotum") seldom associated with such an in-strument. Warren's sound was virile and com-manding, and was controlled by a carefullyhoned and disciplined art. Firm intonation,clean attacks, and breadth of phrasing were itsearmarks. Small stylistic reservations might beheld, but they pale before the singer's accom-plishments. The disc belongs in every vocalcollection as a faithful representation of a greatartist whose "prime" was exceptionally long-lasting.

The technical reproduction of these excerptsis excellent. My only complaint is that the TeDeum (excerpted from the complete Tosca onRCA Victrola VICS 6000) starts not with theaccustomed opening ("Tre sbirri") but someeighteen measures later, well into the scene.

STEREO REVIEW

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HOYT AXTON: Joy to the World. HoytAxton (vocals and guitar); orchestra. NeverBeen to Spain; The Pusher; Ease Your Pain;Indian Song; California Women; and five oth-ers. CAPITOL SMAS 788 $5.98.

Performance: FineRecording: Excellent

Capitol has been hoping for big things fromHoyt Axton, but so far there hasn't been agreat deal of audience reaction. One reasonmight be that Axton, as a performer, comes onlike a jolly, sly c -&-w singer. As a song writer,however, he is a brisk, mordant observer ofthe contemporary scene. I can see that the com-bination might make the average "country"fan uneasy. It's as if the Hee-Haw passel sud-denly broke out in a Brecht -Weill number. Ex-ample: Never Been to Spain starts off jauntilyas an appraisal of Spanish ladies, but the lastverse ends with "Well, I never been to Heav-en/But I've been to Oklahoma/Ahh, they tellme I was born there/ But I really don't re-member./ In Oklahoma/Born in a coma/Butdoes it matter?/It really doesn't matter." An-other: his justly famous song The Pusher, writ-ten in 1963, a time when drugs were consid-ered something only decadent film stars andghetto blacks used. The song compares thedealer in grass with the hard -drug. pusher:"Yeah, the dealer take a nickel/Give you lotsof fine dreams,/But the pusher take yourbody/And leave your mind to scream./ Goddamn the pusher." Two other aspects of Axtonare heard here: the fundamentalist, as repre-sented by Old Time Religion and FartherAlong (both arranged by him), and the hip hu-morist of Lightnin' Bar Blues and CaliforniaWomen. The latter is sheer delight.

My guess as to why Axton isn't making it onthe scale he deserves is that the c -&-w form isassociated in everyone's mind with the humor-ous rural vignette and the wheezing pomposityof a semi -religious statement about "life" with-in which it is almost impossible to say anythingserious. Okie from Muskogee was serious allright, but was aimed at a known market. Ax -ton's work appeals to a much younger andbroader audience who can take c -&-w or leaveit alone. I think he might benefit by getting outof the "country" bag and by finding a form in


0 = reel-to-reel tape0 = four -track cartridge

eight -track cartridge© = cassette

Monophonic recordings are indicated by thesymbol(); all others are stereo.

Reviewed by NOEL COPPAGE DON HECKMAN PAUL KRESHREX REED PETER REILLY

which his lyrics (the best part of his work) willbe allowed to take precedence. Until then Ithink he'll remain a prophet without honor inc -&-w land and miss the mass audience he soobviously deserves. P.R.

CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE: Reforma-tion. California Earthquake (vocals and instru-mentals). In the Beginning; Let There BeLight; Who is That Man; Friday 3 P. M.; PutYour Hand in the Hand; My God and I; Sallyc.d.]

HOYT AXTONBoth fundamentalist and hip humorist

Go Down; The Bible Salesman; and four oth-ers. UNITED ARTISTS UAS 6801 $4.98.

Performance: PreachyRecording: Very good

Ye who praised "Jesus Christ, Superstar" ingreat numbers have brought this abominationupon us. Rock groups everywhere now peddlepiety instead of music. The California Earth-quake is an adaptation of the Blood, Sweat andTears style to Jesus -rock; "Reformation" is aquick run-through of highlights of the OldTestament, blending, toward the middle, withsome latter-day sermons. Even Leonard Co -hen's Suzanne is fitted in, after considerablebending; if Cohen encountered this version,with its new cornball lyrics and all the trumpetsblaring, he would say, no doubt, somethinglike, "Depart from me, for I never knew you."

The singers can handle their voices-inHave You Read the Word, they do some inter-esting Blackwood -Brothers -style harmoniz-ing-but generally they choose not to, featur-ing instead a soloist bent onimitating David

Clayton -Thomas down to the finest nuance. Ifyou like schmaltz mixed with religious cant,save your money until Ben Hur comes aroundagain. N C.

THE CARPENTERS: Carpenters. KarenCarpenter (vocals); Richard Carpenter (vocals,keyboards); various instrumental accompanists.Rainy Days and Mondays; Saturday; Let Me Bethe One; Hideaway; For All We Know; Super-star: Druscilla Penny; One Love; and two oth-ers. A & M SP 3502 $5.98.

Performance: BloodlessRecording: Good

Karen Carpenter's voice is pleasant, with a hintof an edge to it; Richard Carpenter's keyboardshave the same quality; his and Karen's over-dubbed back-up vocals fairly shimmer at times;the arrangements are clean, even tasteful. Sowhy am I not happy? Probably because allthese elements plus the kind of songs the Car-penters perform add up to schmaltz. It is a spe-cific kind of schmaltz, to be sure, and verycommercial, doctored up just right for thosetoo young or too old or too lazy to get insidethe music of the new, personal, quiet trouba-dors-Young, Kristofferson, Taylor, et. al.-but who like to think they're "up to date."Well, this kind of record goes back a long way.The emotional connection between the Car-penters and their songs is about as strong as mylast seventeen resolutions to quit smoking. Isay it's either spinach or Doris Day, and I saythe hell with it. N.C.

JOHNNY CASH: Man in Black. JohnnyCash (vocals); Billy Graham (recitation); JuneCarter Cash (backing vocals); Tennessee Three(instrumentals). The Preacher Said, 7esusSaid"; Orphan of the Road; If Not for Love;Man in Black; Singin' in Viet Nam Talkin'Blues; Ned Kelly; Look for Me; and four oth-ers. COLUMBIA C 30550 $4.98, ® CR 30550$6.98, 0 CA 30550 $6.98, © CT 30550$6.98.

Performance: MournfulRecording: Excellent

The stuff in this album probably amounts to anextension of the cornball philosopher side ofJohnny Cash, the side that prompted him torecite those incredible essays in the "Ride ThisTrain" segment of his television show. I sup-pose if you want Johnny Cash, you have to takeall of him, including this (and Billy Grahamthrown into the bargain). I suppose, too, it'sworth suffering through an album like this sohe can get it out of his system and regain themagic of the way he used to tell us about howhigh the water was, or how many beers he hadfor breakfast.

(Continued on next page)

OCTOBER 1971 121

ntroducinga major rock talent:

LE\A HOR\E

We quote from Stereo Review: "You willbe ... caught up in the delicate sensitivity, thehard -driving swing, and the plain old strutting,down-home drive she uses to bring thesesongs alive."

The songs they're talking about are LeonRussel's A Song for You, Paul McCartney'sMaybe I'm Amazed, Elton John's Your Song,Gene McDaniels' Nature's Baby (the title songfrom Lena Home's new album), and others.

We'll let Stereo Review's Don Heckmanhave the final word: "The arrangements aregreat ... the production is outstanding, andthe recording has the electric presence of a'live' date."

DISTRIBUTED BY BUDDAHlt RECORDS .

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But, Lordy, this is a dull album. I don't ques-tion his sincerity-I don't even question thesincerity of Billy Graham, who recites a fewverses on one song-but I question the judg-ment of anyone who would record such a lack-luster bunch of songs. Reckon I'll hang aroundand see if the prisoner -drifter -reprobate side ofJohnny Cash's performing personality doesn'tsurface again. It has always been interesting.

N.0

IDA COX: Blues Ain't Nothin' Else But. . . . Ida Cox (vocals); various accompanyinggroups. I've Got the Blues for Rampart Street;Chattanooga Blues; Chicago Monkey ManBlues; Blues Ain't Nothin' Else Bur!; HowCan I Miss You when I've Got Dead Aim; IAin't Got Nobody; One Time Woman Blues;and seven others. MILESTONE C) MLP 2015$4.98.

Performance: Classic bluesRecording: Poor to Fair

In the classic blues years of the mid -twenties,Ida Cox's star was usually eclipsed by the sear-ing brilliance of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey.But if Miss Cox lacked the public flamboyanceof Miss Smith, and the gutsy energy of MissRainey, she had some pretty solid credentialsof her own. Among her best assets was a lovelyvoice-one with a far more melodious, lessstrained quality than either Miss Rainey orMiss Smith. Some of Miss Cox's finest mo-ments are preserved in this excellent reissuecollection. Particularly fascinating are her earlyversions of Chicago Monkey Man, a tune thatlater became popular as Goin' to Chicago, andthe Ted Weems favorite, I Ain't Got Nobody.

Producer Orrin Keepnews has managed tomake the transfers from extremely scratchy78's with considerable fidelity-in most cases.The glaring exception is the first tune on sidetwo, How Long Daddy, How Long, in whichthe "wow" is so bad that the wavering intona-tion makes the track almost unlistenable. Asidefrom that, this is a particularly valuable collec-tion, and one that should find a spot in thelibraries of all blues collectors. D.H.

CRAZY HORSE: Crazy Horse (vocals and in-strumentals). Gone Dead Train; Dance,Dance, Dance; Look at All the Things; Beg-gars Day; I Don't Want to Talk About It;Downtown; Carolay; and four others. REPRISE6438 $4.98.

Performance: Neil who?Recording: Excellent

This is a nice little surprise. Crazy Horse was,of course, Neil Young's back-up band, whichhe sort of fired, en masse, a few months back,and the assumption was that we wouldn't behearing any more about Crazy Horse. Notonly has the band survived, but it has produceda fine recording, loaded with lightweight butcatchy tunes. Sometimes the melodies are notso light, but the lyrics (what you can hear ofthem) don't average out to anything that can'tbe sponged up with a few easy swipes. Good,tuneful tunes include I Don't Want to TalkAbout It, written by guitarist and lead singerDanny Whitten and featuring some gloriousbottleneck guitar by special guest Ry Cooder(who pops up everywhere), Dance, Dance,Dance, written by Young, and, especially, Car-olay, by pianist Jack Nitzsche.

Whitten is an undistinguished but at leastnatural -sounding singer. The group's vocalharmonies, on Gone Dead Train and Down-town (a new one by Whitten), sound a bit like

the Grateful Dead, and generally a bit like theold Buffalo Springfield (whose birth and de-velopment, like Crazy Horse's, was heavily in-fluenced by Young). The instrumentals don'tencompass anything fancy but are reminiscentof the easy precision of Creedence ClearwaterRevival. All in all, a fine effort. N. C.

KAREN DALTON: In My Own Time. Ka-ren Dalton (vocals and guitar); orchestra. In aStation; Take Me; Same Old Man; Katie Cruel;How Sweet It Is; and five others. PARA-MOUNT PAS 6008 $4.98.


Fred Neil, in the liner notes here, says thatKaren Dalton has been his favorite female vo-calist, as well as an influence on his own style,since the early Sixties. He concludes that "hervoice is so unique to describe it would take apoet. All I can say is that she sure can sing thes..t out of the blues."

Gladda hearit! Gladda hearit! Unfortunate-ly, Neil is mistaken on almost all points. Dal-ton sounds not so much like the early Sixties asthe early Fifties, when jazz was at its peak. Hervoice, her phrasing, and even her hesitant raspmight be "unique" if there had never been aBillie Holiday. The matter of her influence onhimself and the cathartic effect of her bluessinging are, of course, Neil's personal concern(and a neat little phrasemaker he is).

Karen Dalton, unhappily, seems to becaught in a time lag where appreciation forwhat she does well-good, solid jazz singing,done with intelligence and taste-has very lit-tle of its original audience left and has yet todevelop any appreciable nostalgia cult amongyoung people.. She proves that she is indeedable to sing them the way that they used to.But who's listening? P.R.

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS. The DoobieBrothers (vocals and instrumentals). Nobody;Slippery St. Paul; Greenwood Creek; It Won'tBe Right; Travelin' Man; and six others. WAR-NER BROTHERS WS1919 $4.98, e M 81919$6.95, M 51919 $6.95.

Performance: DullRecording: Very good

What is there to say about a group like this?Records no worse and no better come pouringout of the companies at a rate only slightly be-low that of, say, the issuance of memos in thePentagon. To my ears, in fact, the DoobieBrothers are almost indistinguishable from atleast seven out of ten of the groups whosework is documented in all that free -flowing vi-nyl. Given a sixteen -track recording machine,the kind of music they make could be duplicat-ed by a similarly instrumented group from al-most any music union or even any college inthe country.

So maybe we've finally produced a truly pro-letarian Gebrauchsmusik that can be played byanybody. But I don't think so. The music mostyoung people listen to for any extended periodof time-the music of the Grateful Dead, theJefferson Airplane, the Rolling Stones, etc.-iscreated by performers who, whatever their ap-pearance or manner, are both unique and pro-fessional about what they do. The DoobieBrothers try mightily to sound like any or allof the groups mentioned above (and I couldadd a few more), but they still come off as col-orless imitations, reminiscent of the local dancebands of a decade ago who made a living play -


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ing stock arrangements of pieces "made fa-mous" by Glenn Miller and Harry James andGene Krupa. The music may be different, butthe spirit is the same. D.H.

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER: Tarkus.Emerson, Lake & Palmer (vocals and instru-mentals). Eruption; Stones of Years; Icono-clast; Mass; Manticore; Battlefield; Aquatar-kus; and six others. COTILLION SD 9900$4.98.

Performance: Electronic pop gone wildRecording: Very good

Emerson, Lake & Palmer very nearly blew myears out when I heard them in concert a fewmonths ago. I found their visual antics prettyannoying, and was even more bugged by theirtendency to rip off concert pieces like Mous-sorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (with lyrics,yet!).

I was surprised, therefore, to discover thattheir recorded stuff is done in considerablybetter taste, and, of course, without all thathigh-energy amplification roaring out at you,it's possible to hear that Keith Emerson is amusician of considerable potency. Most of thegroup's music is instrumental, with occasionalvocals by bassist Greg Lake serving more as achange of pace than anything else. The majorresponsibility falls on Emerson and his wild as-sortment of keyboard instruments, synthesiz-ers, etc.; he handles them with extraordinaryenergy and-most of the time-considerableinvention. Unusual time signatures abound,rapid tempos call up the musicians' fleetest fin-gering, and a slight but attractive jazz tinge col-ors the proceedings. It's music that's hard tocategorize, but it has the remarkable ability tomix trippy rock sounds with significant musicalcontent. And that is not exactly what one findsin your run-of-the-mill rock recording. I'd sayit's worth a listen. D.H.


LESTER FLATT AND MAC WISEMAN:Lester 'n' Mac. Lester Flatt and Mac Wiseman(vocals, guitars); the Nashville Grass (instru-mentals). You're the Best of All the LeadingBrands; Special; Homestead on the Farm;Your Love Is Like a Flower; Now That YouHave Me; The Bluebirds are Singing for Me;and four others. RCA ISP 4547 $5.98, OO P8S1761 $6.95.

Performance: Bluegrass specialRecording: Excellent

Driving near Nashville early (5:45) one morn-ing and listening to the Lester Flatt radio showon WSM, I heard Lester introduce "my spatialguest, Mac Wiseman." He didn't mean Macwas an outer -space type; that's just the way Les-ter pronounces "special." Well, Mac Wisemanis special, all right, and maybe spatial, too-Iget spaced out just listening to him. In fact, Icount him one of the most stylish vocalists inthe country. Put that with Flatt's baritone andFlatt's band, which is the snuggest Bluegrassband there is, and you have a winner. The factthat Wiseman and Flatt haven't worked togeth-er much since 1948, when Wiseman was asinger and hot guitar player with the then newFlatt and Scruggs band, is made to seem of noconsequence here.

Wiseman's slightly hissy tenor is perfect forthese songs, which are either very old or soundvery old (standard procedure in Bluegrass),with one notable exception. That is Now ThatYou Have Me, written by Burkett (Uncle124

Josh) Graves, the brilliant dobro player of theFlatt band. It has old -sounding lyrics but a so-phisticated melody; whistling it afterward, Iwas surprised to recall how easily Wisemanhandles it.

There's also a sneaky little special (or spa-tial) treat: Howdy Forrester, a great old fid-dler, joins Flatt's regular fiddler, Paul Warren,for some twin sawing heard at its best on theold A. P. Carter tune Homestead on the Farm.This album should be about three hours longerthan it is. N. C.

THE FLOATING OPERA. John Nemerov-ski (piano); Steve Welkom (guitar); Carol Lees(organ, piano); Gary Munce (bass); Artie Ali-nikoff (drums). Song of the Suicides; The Vi-sion; Midnight; Buckwheat Gal; Fever Day;and five others. EMBRYO SD 730 $5.98, Oe M8730 $6.95, © M 5730 $6.95.

Performance: Sad but sensationalRecording: Excellent

Once upon a time a fellow named Artie Alini-RCA

MAC WISEMANOne of the country's most stylish vocalists

koff, who played the drums, came to Cincin-nati from the town of Kingston, Pa. There hemet Steve Welkom, a guitarist from Chicago.After a while Artie and Steve teamed up withGary Munce, a bass -player from Port Huron,Michigan, and John Nemerovski, another chapfrom Chicago who could play a mean piano.All they needed now was the girl, and theyfound her in Carol Lees, who could play theorgan and piano and also had long blonde hairand soulful green eyes. John and Steve wrotesongs, and most everybody sang, so they all setoff for Ann Arbor, where the boys developeddistinctive beards of varying lengths andshapes, Carol obtained a black turtleneck, andthey formed a group they called the FloatingOpera.

The songs they sing are John's and Steve's,and since the lyrics are supplied with the al-bum I can even tell you a little of what they'reabout: suicide, loneliness, a "fever day" with"tumid chimneys" that "belch black smoke ona winding -sheet sky," walking the streets outof work in a "dirty old town," and the sad lifeof a factory worker who finally drowns him-self. These are dreary enough themes, but theFloating Opera manages to sing about themwith so much verve and musicality that after awhile you find yourself exhilarated rather than

depressed, and listening with much admirationto the distinctive style of a group whose youthand energy contrast so strikingly with thedownbeat tone of their lines. Even in Angel-

food Cake Song, in which the hero's girl leaveshim all alone with his memories of sunny days"drinkin' our pink lemonade," there's a spar-kle in the presentation that left this listenerconfident the poor abandoned boy would soonfind a much better replacement to fill the void,and possibly even something more nourishingto drink. For the sound of the Floating Operais a happy one in spite of itself. P.K.

MERLE HAGGARD: Hag. Merle Haggard(vocals); orchestra. Soldier's Last Letter; ICan't Be Myself; Sidewalks of Chicago; Jesus,Take a -Hold; The Farmer's Daughter; and fiveothers. CAPITOL ST 735 $5.98, ® M 735$6.95, 08 8XT 735 $6.98, © 4XT 735 $6.98.

Performance: For fansRecording: Good

Merle Haggard seems to be going throughsome sort of identity crisis. Not so long ago hemade a huge hit out of Okie from Musgokee, atrim little anthem of hatred for hippies that hadconsiderable success among right-thinkin' folksbecause it confirmed their worst suspicionsabout people with long hair. What is one tomake, then, of Haggard singing about his pro-spective son-in-law in The Farmer's Daughterhere-a song in which he points out that "hishair's a little longer than we're useter," but heguesses that everything will turn out all right?And how about his injured feelings in I'veDone it All, when he goes to San Francisco inhis store-bought suit only to meet "them mod-ern hippie folk lookin' down their nose" athim? Haggard gets back in stride, though, withsuch things as Soldier's Last Letter, a WorldWar II song by Ernest Tubb which has all thegenuineness of a Hollywood war movie inwhich Van Johnson is writing home to Momwhile Sessue Hayakawa sneaks up on his fox-hole with a hand -grenade in his teeth. P.R.

BERNARD HERRMANN: Music fromGreat Film Classics (see Best of the Month,page 81)

HOT TUNA. Hot Tuna (vocals and instru-mentals). John's Other; Candy Man; Been SoLong; Want You to Know; and four others.RCA ISP 4550 $4.98.

Performance: Jive rockRecording: Very good

Here is the second incarnation of Hot Tuna.The first was an acoustical affair, with guitaristJorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady (ofthe Jefferson Airplane) working their waythrough an attractive set of old blues and rag-time tunes. This time Hot Tuna is electrified,augmented with drums and-most important-energized by an old jazz violinist namedPapa John Creach.

The results still sound like a study in nostal-gia, with the time factor moved up a few years,roughly to the decade between, say, 1935 and1945. The tunes (with unidentified compos-ers) are jivey jump numbers, bubbling withthe bounce and rhythm of the little Harlembands of the early Forties that were led by thelikes of Louis Jordan, Tiny Grimes, and EarlBostic. Papa John boogies along, pulling asluggish drummer named Sammy Piazza alongwith him, and the excitement is just fine for aslong as it lasts-maybe two or three numbers.


STEREO REVIEW

From Rock to Bach in 0.25 SecondsSony can't stop those little family arguments. But we can makethem more worth winning. And a flip of Sony's unique, knob -and -lever dual selector switch gets the winner into the music ofhis choice just a little quicker than an ordinary, single -knobselector. Because until your fingertips unleash the STR-6065receiver's performance, it might as well not be there.

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You, who have no doubt adjusted to the crotchets of yourcurrent equipment (and perhaps even love them), may not thinkthis much. Julian Hirsch, who must re -adjust to every new com-ponent that he tests, commended it: "Most receivers and ampli-fiers are surprisingly deficient in ease of use Sony is to becongratulated."

With performance this accessible, the 6065 had betterperform. And it does: 2.2 uV IHF sensitivity ("1.9 uV," saysJulian Hirsh) gets you the weak FM signals; an FET frontend prevents overload from strong ones. And our high selec-

tivity makes tuning easier. If you find those stations easier tolisten to, you might also credit our direct -coupled amplifiercircuitry. It's supplied with both positive and negative vol-tages (not just positive and ground), so we don't have to put acoupling capacitor between the speakers and the amplifier.And, so that we can maintain full power (255 watts IHF, 160watts RMS into 4 ohms; 220 watts IHF, 140 watts RMS at8 ohms) or all the way down to 20 Hz at 50 watts RMS perchannel.

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Then the novelty begins to pale, the solos startto sound repetitious, and I find myself wishingthese guys would go off in a room somewhereand listen to Duke Ellington or Count Basiefor six months or so. Now, there are some in-fluences. D.H.

INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH OF GOD INCHRIST: Grace. Institutional Church of Godin Christ (vocals); J. C. White dir. A LittleMore Grace; Till I Surrender; I Can't HelpBut Serve the Lord; All Things Work Togeth-er for Good; You'll Never Walk Alone; andfive others. COTILLION SD 055 $4.98, E8055 $6.95, E 5055 $6.95.

Performance: Good chorusRecording: Good

Here's another one of those groovy and almostcompletely anonymous gospel choirs. Al-though the chorus apparently has performedthroughout the country, and won a "Best Gos-pel Choir" award from the National Associa-tion of Television and Radio Announcers,they're new to me. Like similar gospel ensem-bles I've reviewed lately, this one is loadedwith good, and highly individual -sounding,singers-none of whom are identified by nameon the liner notes. (What's the matter with youguys at Cotillion?) The material, most of itwritten by choir director J. C. White, is notparticularly distinguished, however, and issaved from obscurity solely by the quality ofthe performances. (And I surely could havedone without the maudlin rendition of Rodg-ers and Hammerstein's tedious You'll NeverWalk Alone.) A fine gospel choir, but the lackof soulful material reduces the value of theirrecording. D.H.

ELTON JOHN: 11-17-70. Elton John (vo-cals, piano); Nigel Olsson (drums); Dee Mur-ray (bass). Take Me to the Pilot; Honky TonkWomen; Sixty Years On; Can I Put You On;Bad Side of the Moon; Burn Down the Mis-sion. UNI 93105 $5.98, ® B 93105 $5.98, Os

8-73105 $6.98, © 2-73105 $6.98.

Performance: RaggedRecording: Good

How do you figure it? How could a kid withthe sensitivity to write Country Comfort andWhere to Now, St. Peter?, a kid with the abili-ty to achieve nuances of vocal inflection thelike of which we haven't heard since RayCharles-how could a kid like that be so bank-rupt of judgment as to allow a bomb like thisout on the streets? "11-17-70" was recordedon that date during a "live" radio concert onWABC-FM (now WPLJ, as in White Port andLemon Juice). It contains some small insidejokes with Honky Tonk Women, and anotherrun-through of Burn Down the Mission, andends in a slapdash medley in which not evenElton John seems to know what Elton John islikely to sing next.

Although John does bend his back over thepiano (at least on Sixty Years On, by far thebest cut), his singing generally sounds off -handand cocky. "Live" radio featuring a star likeElton John is unique nowadays, but unique isnot a synonym for good. Nor is Elton John amessiah; we don't have to have a recording ofevery sound he makes. Especially not these.

N. C.

JOY OF COOKING. Joy of Cooking (vocalsand instrumentals). Hush; Too Late, but NotForgotten; Down My Dream; If Some God;Did You Go Downtown; Dancing Couple;126

Brownsville/Mockingbird; and three others.CAPITOL ST 661 $5.98, 8XT 661 $6.98.

Performance: JumpyRecording: Excellent

Promotional material from Capitol tells us theJoy of Cooking drummer, Fred Kasten,switched from piano to drums after hearingDave Brubeck. That could be taken two ways.And so could other aspects of this productionfrom the West Coast. The two girls, ToniBrown and Terry Garthwaite, dominate thegroup. Miss Brown's electric piano and MissGarthwaite's vocals dominate the sound, andMiss Brown is the chief songwriter to boot.The sound is disjointed and complex-but notlike the way Motown does it. The girls bouncevocals back and forth, neither seeming able orwilling to hold still and sing a minute. The in-struments on most cuts are all rhythm instru-ments-piano, drums, conga drums, bass,rhythm guitar-and this proves every bit astiresome as the worst Detroit bubble gum.Reprise

GORDON LIGHTFOOTA summery voice singing summery songs

And yet the album has charm. The interplayof the girls' voices is fascinating. In an atypicalsong, such as the Brownsville portion ofBrownsville/Mockingbird, in which there is acoherent line, or in the country -influenced RedWine at Noon, the band achieves a straightfor-ward musicality that some big -name musicianscannot approach. The band has style, and per-haps forty per cent of the time it doesn't stressrhythm at the expense of everything else.That's something-admit it. N. C

KING CRIMSON: Lizard. King Crimson(vocals and instrumentals). Cirkus; IndoorGames; Happy Family; Lady of the DancingWater; Prince Rupert Awakes; and two others_ATLANTIC SD 8278 $4.98.

Performance: ColorlessRecording: Very good

Robert Fripp, master of the Mellotron, and Pe-ter Sinfield, a lyricist who must have had theShakespeare sonnets drummed into his ears inhis infancy, are still trying to keep together anow rather amorphous group called KingCrimson. This time out, Sinfield's lyrics arecharacteristically arty, with lines like "Nightenfolds her cloak of holes/Around the rivermeadow," and "Gone soon Piepowder's moss -weed court/Round which upholstered Lizards

sold . . . ," and "Grass in your hair stretchedlike a lion in the sun. . . " Useful images, per-haps for obscure art -song composers in obscureprovincial colleges, but a bit precious for popmusic.

The group is augmented by various hornplayers, who are given opportunities to wanderaimlessly through the sort of pretentiously ab-stract improvisations that were done so muchbetter by American jazz players in the earlySixties. Unfortunately, musicians like Eric Dol-phy, Booker Little, Charles Mingus, OrnetteColeman, etc., never had the audiences thatwill hear the feeble imitations produced by theFripp-Sinfield combine. King Crimson, in itsglory days, at least used to produce fairly use-ful "head" music. Now they're just a bummer.

D.H.

LEO KOTTKE: "Mudlark." Leo Kottke(guitars and vocals); various other musicians.Cripple Creek; Eight Miles High; June Bug;The Ice Miner; Bumble -Bee; Stealing; MonkeyLust; and seven others. CAPITOL ST 682$4.98, © 4XT 682 $6.98.

Performance: FlightlessRecording: Very good

It's no accident that Leo Kottke's album wascoproduced by John Fahey. Like Fahey, Kottkeis a dynamite acoustic guitarist who knows hisway around everything from Bach to Blue-grass. Despite his marvelous facility, however,Kottke's music doesn't wear well on me. Eventhough he obviously is running a rocky gamutof traditional, classical, and modern guitarstyles, there is a monochromatic quality to theproceedings that makes me lose interestmighty fast. Kottke's singing-he has a pleas-ant, deep voice-is a welcome contrast, and Iwish he had used it more often. D.H.


GORDON LIGHTFOOT: The SummerSide of Life. Gordon Lightfoot (vocals, gui-tar); various musicians. 10 Degrees and Get-ting Colder; Miguel; Go My Way; SummerSide of Life; Cotton Jenny; Talking in YourSleep; Nous vivons ensemble; Same Old Lov-erman; Redwood Hill; Love and Maple Syrup;Cabaret. REPRISE 2037 $5.98, ® B 2037$6.95, 0 M 82037 $6.95,.© M 52037 $6.95.


Gordon Lightfoot seems fascinated with sum-mertime; the word "summer" appears overand over again in his album and song titles andin his lyrics, and the slow, aimless images of sum-mer are often clearly evoked by his relaxedsinging style and country -flavored melodies.This may be a natural fascination for a veteranof Canadian winters-after spending a fewwinters in New England, I'm rather taken withsummer myself-or it may be merely a case ofknowing oneself. Lightfoot has a summerykind of voice, and writes a summery kind ofsong. Cabaret, for example, suggests a back-ground of fleecy clouds and heat shimmeringover the blacktop with its lyrics about thumb-ing down the highway.

Lightfoot's gentleness is always welcome, inany case, and this album is up to his normalhigh standard. The arrangements are tasteful,for no unnecessary instrumental showmanshipis allowed even though the list of musicians isimpressive. Acoustic guitars are the most im-portant backing instruments, although there


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NSW For $2 --This ExtraordinarycDouble Album Can Be Yours

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An All -New, DeLuxe Two -Record Set: 23 Complete Selectionsfrom the Latest Stereo Albums by GORDON LIGHTFOOT, NOR-MAN GREENBAUM, PAUL (of Peter, Paul & Mary) STOOKEY,JACKIE LOMAX, RANDY NEWMAN, THE BEACH BOYS, FANNY,THE KINKS, RY COODER, BIG MAMA THORNTON, JOHN D.LOUDERMILK, MOTHER EARTH, DEEP PURPLE, JOHNBALDRY, T. REX, and no piddling number of others. All in a well -made. profusely dolled -up -with -pictures album jacket."Impossible. It can't be done for two bucks," the uninitiated mustsay by now. Or "you shuck me."Not so, say we. "Hot Platters" is the very latest in the uniqueseries of buck -a -record samplers with which Warner/Repriseartists have been putting out for the last couple of years. Defy-ing economic realities, this newest album is offered on an utternon-profit basis. No one but the plastic maker who presses tnerecords makes any money.The plastic maker, as he puts it, hasta eat.Other than that-and our sneaky hope that exposure to theseselections from WB's newest albums will lead you to purchasethese artists' regular albums at regular, profitable prices-you,Mr. Average Consumer, come out ahead.Ultimately, you don't have to believe us. Believe instead one ofour fans, who has ordered every one of our previous samplers.He is Edward T. of Los Angeles, and he has written us, saying"You are the sneakiest record company around. Your specialalbums are great, but my record collection is now filled withWarner Bros. and Reprise albums you turned me on to."Well, Ed T., we can't take responsibility for your marketplace -madness. We do take responsibility for "Hot Platters." It's good.Send your $2.00 (forget postage, handling, and that stuff) alongwith the enclosed coupon, and we'll get "Hot Platters" back toyou as soon as our archaic mailroom allows (usually about sixweeks).

r To: Hot Platters, Room 215, Warner/Reprise Records4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, Calif. 91505

Dear Fat Cats:Yes, please send me a copy of HOT PLATTERS, post haste. I enclose

two bucks so the plastic maker can eat.NameAddressCity State ZipSMALL PRINT DEPARTMENT: Make checks payable to Warner Bros. Records. Allow6 weeks for the clowns in our mail -room and the U.S. Postal People to get back toyou. This offer good only in the U.S. and Canada, because Customs is such a pain. j

128

are, at various times, horns, strings, voices, andeven a fiddle and a dobro in Redwood Hill.All the songs are good, but none is excellent.The understated appeal of Talking in YourSleep, which disc jockeys understandably ap-preciated during the long, hot summer, is typi-cal of the whole album. There are no super -

songs here, but there is the pleasant evocationof the constancy of sunny days you thoughtwould never end. N.C.

BOB LIND: Since There Were Circles. BobLind (vocals, guitar); instrumental accompani-ment. I Love to Sing; Sweet Harriet; CityScenes; Love Came Riding; Loser; Not That IWould Want Her Back; Anymore; SpillingOver; and four others. CAPITOL ST 780$5.98.

Performance: OrdinaryRecording: Good

Bob Lind is best known for having written TheElusive Butterfly of Love. The liner notes sug-gest he has isolated himself in the New Mexicodesert for two years, away from "the hype andhysteria of Hollywood," and presumably awayfrom the influence of the double-talk school of"poetry" that had a grip on his muse when hewrote Butterfly. The desert helped some, butnot enough: Love Came Riding has an interest-ing, haunting melody, but most of the othermelodies are lifeless. Lind's lyrics don't tripover their own Super -Aware feet anymore, butneither do they stick in a listener's mind. Hissinging is nasal and short -ranged. The album israther a dud, I'm afraid. N. C.

CHARLIE LOUVIN AND MELBAMONTGOMERY: Somethin' to BragAbout. Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgom-ery (vocals); unidentified accompaniment.Somethin' to Brag About; Holding on toNothing; For the Good Times; Are You Teas-

in' Me; Let's Help Each Other to Forger; Baby,You've Got What It Takes; and four others.CAPITOL ST 686 $5.98, M 686 $6.95, 08XT 686 $6.98.

Performance: ShoddyRecording: Good but noisy

You might want to buy this if you're trying toexplain to someone exactly what "mediocrity"means, or if you have a raving dislike for KrisKristofferson and want to hear one of his songs(For the Good Times) mercilessly butchered.On that one, the accompanying "up -country"string section is as far off pitch in one directionas Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery arein another.

Neither of these vocalists has very high-classequipment and no synergism occurs when theyteam up. Melba sings a little better than Char-lie, but that's not saying much. The songs areformula stuff, mostly (despite the implicationof the title) about how messy the marriagegame can be. Some folks will brag about any-thing, I guess. N. C.

LORETTA LYNN: I Wanna Be Free. Loret-ta Lynn (vocals); unidentified accompaniment.I Wanna Be Free; Help Me Make It Throughthe Night; See That Mountain; When YouLeave My World; Put Your Hand in the Hand;III Never Love Again (It11 Be Too Soon); Meand Bobby McGee; and four others. DECCA D75282 $4.98.

Performance: EdgyRecording: Very good


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Loretta Lynn is the most straightforward of thegirl country vocalists, having cultivated no idi-osyncrasies of style as have, say, Dolly Partonand Kitty Wells. The thing I've always ad-mired about her is her spunk-she stands upthere and sings, as they might say somewheresouth of Nashville, "just like a man." It mustbe remembered, when listening to any femalecountry-and-western singer, that the culturethat produced her still clings hard to the wom-en's -place -is -in -the -home tenet. That's whythere aren't many girl country singers, andthat's why most of them-Loretta notably ex-cepted-sound a bit apologetic and temporary.

The thing I don't like about Loretta is thatshe seems stuck in the same mood most of thetime, and on the same theme. Both aresketched out here in the songs If I Never LoveAgain (It'll Be Too Soon), Drive You Our ofMy Mind, and I'm One Man's Woman ("butyou're any woman's man"), all of which shehelped write. She sings Me and Bobby McGeeand Rose Garden and even Help Me Make ItThrough the Night with the same irritationborn of (I assume) disillusionment. In the end,Loretta seems to be in a rut in her emotionalapproach to her material. Too bad, for she hasa pleasant voice, a good range, and a manner ofphrasing that is all her own. N.C.

MARVIN, WELCH & FARRAR: Marvin,Welch & Farrar (vocals and instrumentals);string accompaniment, John Farrar arr. You'reBurning Bridges; Brownie Kentucky; MyHome Town; Silvery Rain; Throw Down aLine; Faithful; Mr. Sun; and three others. CAP-ITOL ST 760 $5.98.

Performance: Air -tightRecording: Very good

To visualize what this new English groupsounds like, imagine what the Grateful Deadwould have to sound like if respectable Repub-licans were allowing their daughters to go outwith its members. Crisp bursts of vocal har-monies in the vein of the Everly Brothers andCrosby, Stills, Nash and Young, combinedwith jangly acoustic guitars constitute the sig-nature of Marvin, Welch & Farrar. They intro-duce nothing new, but their low-key approach,plus the vacuum left in the tight -harmony fieldby the apparent disintegration of CSNY, maymean the time is right for this sort of album.

They sing well. Hank Marvin, the mainsongwriter, is accomplished at writing forthree-part vocal harmonies-not as good, com-plicated, or deep as Stephen Stills' when he ishot, but Marvin could prove more consistent.My Home Town, Silvery Rain, and Mr. Sunare interesting songs, with ambiguous lyricsand striking melodic ideas tailored to the vocaldynamics the group likes to play with. So far,the group is a bit short on style, but it is talent-ed and tasteful, and style may come. N.C.

COUNTRY JOE McDONALD: Hold on,It's Coming. Joe McDonald (vocals); instru-mental accompaniment. Joe's Blues; Mr. BigPig; Jamila; Hold on, It's Coming; Air Algiers;Playing with Fire; and four others. VAN-GUARD 79314 $5.98.

Performance: Predictably spasticRecording: Fair

Vanguard should change its slogan; "Record-ing for the Connoisseur" this one ain't. Coun-try Joe's previous adventures were recorded inNashville with studio musicians and countrystandards for material; this one sounds a bitmore contemporary, but not enough so to dis-130

appoint his fans. Headlines seep into his reper-toire, but never fear, his comprehension re-mains basically nil. Air Algiers has momentarywaves of interest, since it is about EldridgeCleaver and other Black Panther refugees andexiles hiding out in faraway places with exoticnames. If it means anything at all, the selec-tions all have a good beat. My next-door neigh-bor heard this record through the wall andasked to borrow it for his next party. He'll doanything to break a lease. R.R.

LEE MICHAELS: 5th. Lee Michaels (vocals,keyboards); various musicians. Keep the CircleTurning; You Are What You Do; Willie andthe Hand Jive; Didn't Have to Happen; RockMe Baby; Do You Know What I Mean; Ya Ya;and three others. A&M SP 4302 $4.98.

Performance: AdequateRecording: Good

Lee Michaels' appeal is elusive. His voice isn'tparticularly interesting. His arrangements areAtiontlt

GRAHAM NASHGentle and forthright

stock rock stuff, keyboards and drums and anoccasional sax riff keyed to building a big beatabove all else. The songs he writes and thesongs by others he sings don't make any lastingimpression. Yet there is something about himthat is appealing. I think it is his intensity; he isable to convey that one can be as wild as IggyStooge and still be positively sane. He isn'tparticularly morbid-here he does such old-timers as Willie and the Hand Jive and Ya Yawith all the mindless boisterousness of the Fif-ties "doo-wop" singers-but he can mustersuch intensity that when he does sing a sadone, futility drips off it like molasses. The bestone in this batch, as it happens, is a sad one;Didn't Have to Happen, a Michaels original.

N.C.

JONI MITCHELL: Blue (see Best of theMonth, page 82)

MOTT THE HOOPLE: Wildlife. Mott theHoople (vocals and instrumentals). WhiskyWomen; Angel of Eighth Avenue; Waterlow;Lay Down; It Must Be Love; and four others.ATLANTIC SD 8284 $4.98.

Performance: PredictableRecording: Very good

Mott the Hoople is slowing down. Since it nev-er was one of my favorite groups, I was sur-prised to find that two bands here, Warerlowand Angel of Eighth Avenue, are among thebest things they have done. In both there is apresence and a texture in the orchestrationsthat lift the songs out of the old frantic rockpattern that I had come to associate with thisgroup. Michael Gray's string arrangement andconducting on Warerlow are a major factor ofits success. But it is in Angel that the majordifference in its approach to its material be-comes apparent. For Mott the Hoople it is al-most a langorous excursion, and, with the ex-ception of the cliché lyrics, it has a neat, or-dered drive for all of its four -and -a -half min-utes. Elsewhere things return to frenzy, withlesser results. When things slow down, the fu-ture of Mott the Hoople seems to be lookingup. P.R.


GRAHAM NASH: Songs for Beginners.Graham Nash (keyboards, guitar, and vocals);with various other musicians. Military Mad-ness; Better Days; Wounded Bird; I Used toBe a King; Be Yourself, Simple Man; and fiveothers. ATLANTIC SD 7204 $4.98, ® M 7204$6.95, Oe M 87204 $6.95, M 57204 $6.95.

Performance: Gentle pop/rockRecording: Very good

A gentle, soft-spoken quality is what one re-members from Graham Nash's performanceswith Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. A goodsinger and a fair pianist and guitarist, he some-times seemed lost in the company of his moreaggressively high-powered musical associates.

Nash retains that quiet quality on this firstsolo collection, but he is not averse to produc-ing songs that are every bit as forthright andangry as anything written by Crosby, Stills andYoung. Perhaps he's taken Teddy Roosevelt'sclassic advice (about a soft voice and a bigstick) to heart. Chicago recalls once again thosedays when we all told ourselves, as Nash sings,"we can change the world." Most young peo-ple are now, I suspect, a little more cynical, butit is to Nash's credit that he continues to ex-press such essentially optimistic feelings in hissongs. So, too, with Military Madness, an accu-rately titled tune whose message is clear anddirect.

But Nash is at his best in the more introspec-tive songs: Sleep Song, with its lovely openingline, "When you were asleep I was kissingyour forehead/You gave a frown so I kissedyou again"; quixotic and no doubt highly per-sonal songs like Simple Man, Man in the Mir-ror, and I Used to Be a King. These are notpieces that reach out and grab you. If that'swhat you need from pop music, then avoidGraham Nash; but if you can open up just theslightest crack to let his tunes come in, I thinkyou'll find the rewards well worth the effort.

D.H.

NAZZ: Nazz HI. Nazz (vocals and instrumen-tals). Some People; Only One Winner; Kicks;Resolution; It's Not That Easy; Old TimeLovemaking; Magic Me; and six others. SGCSD 5004 $4.98.

Performance: One-man rock forayRecording: Good

Todd Rundgren is the whole show here. A re-markable young talent, he writes, sings, engi-neers, produces, and seems touched with theglow of a stardom that has not yet reached its

STEREO REVIEW

full potential magnitude. Unfortunately, thegroup-aside from Rundgren-is reasonablycompetent but smashingly average. ExcellentRundgren songs like It's Not That Easy and asuperb song called You Are My Window arevery nearly lost in the surrounding weed -filledmusical undergrowth. And Rundgren isn'thelped by one of the most out -of -tune pianosI've ever heard on a major pop recording.Rundgren deserves better production, betteraccompaniment, and better promotion. He'snot there yet, but keep an eye on him for thefuture. D.H.

DAVID NEWMAN: Captain Buckles. Da-vid Newman (tenor and alto sax, flute);rhythm group. Captain Buckles; Joel's Do-main; Something; Blue Caper; The Clincher; IDidn't Know what Time it Was; Negus. Co-TILLION SD 18002 $4.98.

Performance: EasyRecording: Good

The title tune on this set is a drag; David New-man is too good a musician to sound like Ack-er Bilk. It thumps and jerks and blows its headoff, but goes nowhere. Joel's Domain has somelovely muted trumpet by Blue Mitchell, andNewman's flute work floats like animatedclouds in a cartoon sky. Just when I thoughtGeorge Harrison's Something should be re-tired to the boneyard for a decade, Newman'sorganic sax wakes it up and gives it severalmore hours of playing power. Special mentiongoes to Eric Gale, a knowledgable guitaristwho has a future if he ever banishes WesMontgomery from his psyche. Most of the ar-rangements are predictable and are never go-ing to win any awards, but they don't hurt any-body, either. Today small favors are more wel-come than ever. Buy this one and dream of thegood old days when musicians played forthemselves and not for a market. R.R.

NILSSON: Aerial Pandemonium Ballet.Nilsson (vocals); orchestra. Daddy's Song; To-gether; Good Old Desk; Everybody's Talkin';Bath; 1941; and eight others. RCA LSP 4543$5.98, O P8S 1756 $6.95, © PK 1756 $6.95.

Performance: InterestingRecording: Interesting

Tennessee Williams writes new endings for hishit plays. Film directors cling to their own pri-vately edited versions of their films, whichthey claim are superior to the ones in release.Writers reissue their novels with explanatoryprologues, epilogues, and second -thought pref-aces. And now Nilsson has fallen prey to Mon-day -morning quarterbacking. He has taken ma-terial from two of his earlier albums, "Pande-monium Shadow Show" and "Aerial Ballet,"and re -engineered them, at times tossing innew vocals or deleting them, remixing, andtaking things out of sync. And-in his case asin the others-what has resulted will probablybe of great interest to those in the business andbe an elaborate bore for the public at large.

Although a redundancy as an album, the re-cording does make an interesting point. Thecreative person's compulsion to tinker withwhat has often already become an establishedpublic success stems from a streak of perfec-tionism that runs parallel to his commitment tohis work. But second creative thoughts aresurely the ultimate luxury. And if it is truly acreative work, it is an exercise as fruitless astrying to rearrange the genes of a fully -grownchild. Once a work has seen the light of day, itremains there on the basis of its initial impact

OCTOBER 1971

AT JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, hard maple logsare brought to the rickyard, sawed up in strips, andburned for charcoal to smooth out our whiskey.

We only burn hard maple wood, cut from highground, to produce a very special charcoal. Then, everydrop of just -made Jack Daniel's is seeped through thecharcoal ...and this accounts forthe smooth taste of our whiskey.Charcoal mellowing (as thisprocess is called) calls for verygood wood and very hard workBut you can taste the gentledifference it makes with yourvery first sip of Jack Daniel's.

CHARCOALMELLOWED

DROP

aBY DROP

TENNESSEE WHISKEY 90 PROOF BY CHOICE 01971. Jack Daniel Distollere. Lern Mollow. Prop. Inc.

DISTILLED AND BOTTLED BY JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY LYNCHBURG (POP. 361), TENN.

131

MR. EDISON HADTHIS LITTLE PHONOGRAPH...By Paul Kresh

THE PHONOGRAPH-Or gramophone,as the English have always called it, to

distinguish the machine that plays discsfrom one that reproduces sound on cylin-ders-tells you its own story in Argo's newtwo -record set called "The Wonder of theAge-Mr. Edison's New Talking Phono-graph." The initial effect is curious, some-what like staring at one of those trick pic-tures that used to decorate certain cerealboxes-a picture included an identical pic-ture, which included another picture, in anendless series. But this feeling soon passesas the talking machine talks about itself. Ev-ery effort has been made to avoid wearyingthe listener in this recorded documentary.Five skilled narrators are employed, com-ing at you in stereo now from the left, nowfrom the right, now from the middle. Theydo everything they can to hold your atten-tion as they mete out the facts of phono-graphic history-even bravely essaying theimitation of regional voices and charactersin re-enactments of skits and recitationsconcerned with the subject. More than for-ty examples from recorded archives are in-troduced: little speeches by celebrities, thesounds of music -hall singers, dance bands,military bands and symphony orchestras,and the voices of Enrico Caruso, NellieMelba, Francesco Tamagno, and AdelinaPatti. There is the sound of a gas -shell bom-bardment that was recorded in France dur-ing World War I. Old magazine ads arequoted. And music from old records, bothcylinder and gramophone, is woven skill-fully into the background continuity.

The proceedings open with an ancientsong called Put That Gramophone RecordOn Again. We are taken to Thomas A. Edi-son's workshop, where he tinkers with the"tongueless, toothless instrument" he hasinvented. Florence Nightingale, whosounds like one of Joyce Grenfell's games -mistresses speaking through about eightlayers of gauze bandage, expresses the hopethat her voice will bring "to history thegreat work of my life." "God bless my dearold comrades of Balaclava," she says, "andbring them safe to shore." P. T. Barnumcomes on, sounding startlingly elegant.William Ewart Gladstone expresses his re-gret that "the voice I transmit to you is onlythe relic of an organ," for he was a very oldman when they asked for his testimonial.Sir Arthur Sullivan says prophetically, "Iam astonished, and somewhat terrified, atthe results of this evening's experiments.Astonished at the wonderful power youhave developed-and terrified at thethought that so much hideous and bad mu-sic may be put on record for ever."

Meanwhile, the sometimes fascinating,sometimes tedious history of the recordingmedium unfolds. Hand -wound and battery -operated machines give way to spring driv-

en and eventually to electrically driven im-provements. Recording sessions in front ofthe great acoustical horns of the past aredescribed. Wars over patents are restaged.Cylinders lose in a giant internationalpitched battle against discs. Piracy and for-gery of famous voices begin early. And asearly as 1905 the Danes are putting soundon a strip of metal that winds onto a reel-aforerunner of magnetic tape. Records, onceone-sided, acquire double faces. Evenstereo is anticipated by a "duophone" fea-turing two sound boxes. Peculiar things aredone to horns and other musical instru-ments to make them sound more life -likewhen recorded. The Board of Directors ofa British workhouse turns down the offerof a gramophone to brighten the lives ofthe indigent on the grounds that it is a "vul-gar instrument," but English fighting menare sent inspiring songs and even miniaturemorale -building plays on discs to raise theirspirits. Comes the fox-trot, the fiber needle,the "wireless," electrical recording. JohnBarbirolli leads a symphony orchestra in arecording of the overture to The FlyingDutchman that must have wowed them atthe time-and one wonders how the lastword in quadrasonic stereo will strike to-morrow's listener if Argo should issue a se-quel to this album seventy years hence.

Two hours had passed by the time I gotto this point, and I wondered, just a mitedisloyally, if I hadn't learned slightly moreabout the history of the phonograph than itwas good for me to know, or likely I wouldretain. And the pace of a British documen-tary, no matter how ingeniously assembled,is nothing if not deliberate. This set is notgoing to make any charts. Yet for those fas-cinated by the subject, it makes for anamusing and rewarding-not to mentioninstructive-evening. I was especially di-verted by Freda Dowie's wicked readingout of an old magazine article in which awife complains of her husband's adulterousaffair with his record collection to the ne-glect of his life and his loved ones. "Mar-ried to a Gramophile" could be reprintedtoday and still hit the progeny of its targetdead center.

THE WONDER OF THE AGE-MR.EDISON'S NEW TALKING PHONO-GRAPH. Voices and performances of JohnBarbirolli, P. T. Barnum, Adrian Boult,British Symphony Orchestra, CarnivalDance Band, Enrico Caruso, Thomas AlvaEdison, Florence Nightingale, Adelina Pat-ti, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, GeorgeBernard Shaw, Sir Arthur Sullivan, others.Gary Watson, Richard Bebb, Peter Orr,Frank Duncan, and Freda Dowie (narra-tors); Kevin Dailey, compiler and produc-er. A RGO 0 ZPR 122/3 two discs $11.90.

in its own time. Fussing with it later seemsonly to blur its original outline.

Ideally, of course, all the artistic thinkingand rethinking should come before a record isinitially released, but the artist is under pres-sure to produce, and especially in the musicbusiness, which takes for its release -scheduletempo the attention span of the average teeny-bopper. I suppose it is, in a way, a tribute toNilsson's stature at RCA that he can indulgehimself in an album like this. But I really thinkthe wiser course is, like Dylan and several oth-ers, to refuse to release what doesn't absolutelysatisfy you. The vault should be the musician'sequivalent of the writer's bureau drawer. Bet-ter the solid gold creative trickle than a floodof unsifted nuggets. P.R.


LEON RUSSELL: Leon Russell and theShelter People. Leon Russell (piano, organ,guitar and vocals); various other musicians.Stranger in a Strange Land; Of Thee I Sing;Alcatraz; Home Sweet Oklahoma; and six oth-ers. SHELTER RECORDINGS SW 8903 $4.98,O 8XW 8903 $6.98, © 4XW 8903 $6.98.

Performance: Superb contemporary popRecording: Very good

Anybody out there have any doubts aboutLeon Russell's superstar status? If so, take alisten to this latest collection of down-home,hard -grooving blues -rock, and your skepticismwill be eased.

Russell's years of dues -paying as a sidemanwith Jerry Lee Lewis, and as a regular in morerecording sessions than he probably cares toremember, finally came to fruition last yearwhen he attracted major public attention as themusical director of Joe Cocker's traveling roadshow, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." Russell'sown album soon followed. (An earlier releaseon Mercury called "Asylum Choir" went virtu-ally unnoticed, although the germinal qualitiesof the Russell style were apparent.)

Now he confirms all the promise, brings itup to date, and makes it clear that the brightmixture of Delta blues piano, Fifties rock-and-roll, soul music, sensuality, and just sheer tal-ent that he has put together has become one ofthe major styles of contemporary pop music.Listen to the way in which he modifies BobDylan's It's a Hard Rain Gonna Fall and ItTakes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,and George Harrison's Beware of Darkness tohis own ends. And his own songs, especiallyHome Sweet Oklahoma, Stranger in a StrangeLand (yes, named after the Heinlein novel ofthe same name), and The Ballad of Mad Dogsand Englishmen-the theme for the documen-tary film about Cocker's American tour-re-veal not only the range of his skills, but theenormous potential for development that existsin the pop -music style he has developed.

Russell's voice and piano playing, in addi-tion, are unmistakable. Like so many of the pi-ano players whose style traces to the fertileMississippi tidelands-from Scott Joplin to thebarrelhousers and boogiers of the Twentiesand Thirties-Russell starts a perpetual motionof swing before he gets through the first mea-sure of a song. And his voice, whining, sliding,and slipping, is surely the only human sound inall of pop music that sounds as though it wasfed through a guitar's wah-wah preamp. A veryspecial man, Leon Russell. D.H.

THE SALEM TRAVELERS: Children GoneAstray. The Salem Travelers (vocals and in-

132 STEREO REVIEW

strumentals). Wade in the Water; ChildrenGone Astray; I've Gone Too Far; On theCross; What You Gonna Do; Troubles of ThisWorld; and six others. CHECKER CK 10061$4.98.

Performance: Good gospelRecording: Good

From the city of Chicago, where gospel groupsabound, come the Salem Travelers, who bringa gospel approach to popular music and a dashof pop to gospel. The rock beat gives a freshkind of strength to such musical sermons asWade in the Water and On the Cross, whilethe religious fervor and sermon -y tone they in-troduce to 01' Man River and Send It OnDown infuse these pieces with a force that isespecially arresting. The group also has a mas-tery of harmonic texture that can make a com-monplace pop tune like I've Gone Too Far a

fascinating exercise. They manage to be rele-vant and au courant in such numbers as Chil-dren Gone Astray, with its beggar -boy callingout hauntingly for a coin. I was going to saythat the group has incorporated a kind ofJames Brown shriek into its style, too, but thenI realized it was the other way around. It isfrom gospel, in fact, that soul has drawn someof its most appealing ingredients. P.K.

BRINSLEY SCHWARZ: Despite It All.Brinsley Schwarz (vocals and guitar); orches-tra. The Slow One; Ebury Down; Love Song;Funk Angel; Starship; and three others. CAPI-TOL ST 744 $5.98.

Performance: One -two -threeRecording: Good

Is Brinsley Schwarz really Guy Lombardobreaking in a new group in England? Or is thisalbum of the sweetest -sounds -you -ever -heardin rock meant to be taken seriously? A possibletipoff is the cover, which has a drawing thatlooks like an illustration for a children's book.It is of a girl carrying a fork load of hay acrossa meadow. Innocent enough, certainly. But in-side, the album starts off with Country Girl,presumably the inspiration for the cover, andagainst a bouncy, pastoral musical backgroundSchwarz pants, "I feel at ease with my countrygirl, yeah,/ She knows how to groove me."

"Yeah," indeed. Is said country girl justforking hay, or is she constructing her own pri-vate haystack in an out-of-the-way place inpreparation for the summer tourist rush? Ihave a feeling I'll never know. P.R.

SILVERBIRD: Broken Treaties. Silverbird(vocals); instrumental accompaniment, ReubenOrtiz and Tony Camila arrs. Custer's LastStand; Friends; Long at Last; Would You;Fight; Poor Boy; and four others. CAPITOL ST650 $5.98, Oe 8XT 650 $6.98.

Performance: Hard -rock beatRecording: Good

I guess it was just a matter of time until it hap-pened. It's called Silverbird and there are sev-en of them. They're all related, and they're allIndians. American Indians, that is. To makesure you get their point, they start off by titlingthe album "Broken Treaties" and introducingthemselves with their own song, Custer's LastStand. Frankly, it sounded to me like thesoundtrack to a Hopalong Cassidy movie. Sil-verbird makes such a big point of the fact thatthey are Indians (all the while claiming it's sec-ondary to their talent as musicians), but no-where does it say to which proud tribe the Or-tiz family belongs.

OCTOBER 1971

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Basically, the group is solid rock with a lotof fancy guitar playing. The vocals are excep-tionally fine, especially in a quiet sad ballad,Long at Last. Naturally many of the songs areeither "protest" or narrative tributes to theredman's suffering at the hand of pioneeringwhites. I would have preferred hearing thisgroup present some traditional folk songs oftheir heritage in modern interpretations. I feelSilverbird is up to this, musically. Otherwise, Ireally don't see the point of emphasizing theethnic gimmick-unless, of course, they arelooking for sympathy. R.R.

ALICE STUART: Full Time Woman. AliceSmart (vocals and guitar); orchestra. Full TimeWoman; So Free; Natural Woman; I Lose Con-trol; You've Ruined Me; Cajun Man; and sixothers. FANTASY 8403 $4.98.


For a full-time woman Alice Stuart has a sweetsinging voice, one that sounds more like thatof an ingenue. Her material-she wrote all ofthe songs here-is a bit lustier, but not much.You've Ruined Me is not so much a complaintas it is a sigh of relief. On the cover she isshown in her motorcycle outfit astride herbike, but she is bending down to kiss a child Ipresume is hers. It's like that throughout thealbum: it starts out funky and ends up . .

well, nice. There's a moral there somewhere,but it escapes me at the moment. P.R.

SUGARLOAF: Spaceship Earth. Sugarloaf( vocals and instrumentals). Hot Water; RustyCloud; Rollin' Hills; Country Dawg; MusicBox; Woman; and four others. LIBERTY LST11010 $4.98.

Performance: Interstellar racketRecording: Good

It seems odd to me that the musical wing of ageneration which only a year or two ago wasproclaimed to be finished with the "print" ageand moving out into other mediums goes righton sending out albums stuffed with printedmatter. Every third album seems to have aposter, a lengthy biography, or a manifesto ofsome sort bulging out of it. Sugarloaf's newrelease has a cardboard pollution wheel, a pro-file of Sugarloaf, a series of pictures of them atwork, and a long review of Buckminster Ful-ler's novel Spaceship Earth. Scanning all thistook the better part of a none too rewardingafternoon. Then I sat down to listen to the rec-ord-my second mistake. The title song might,in a pinch, be fine for the underscore for some-thing like Cat -women of the Moon, but havingto actually listen to it is another matter. RustyCloud, about our old friend Pollution ("Nowwe find the poison grime transported even inthe winds"), is only the beginning of a ha-rangue that lasts through Mother Nature'sWine ("Sunshine, my mother nature's wine")and Rollin' Hills ("You've got to control yourenvironment"). It made me feel so guilty that Ihid all my empty beer cans in my sock drawer.

When they get down to things like I Don'tNeed You Baby or Music Box-material theysound like they know and feel somethingabout-Sugarloaf can be a persuasive and like-able group. If they really felt strongly aboutpollution, what did they include all that junk intheir albums for? P. R.

SWEET PAIN. Sweet Pain (vocals and in-strumentals); orchestra. Berkeley Lady; TheLover; Richard and Me; By Myself, Joy; and

CIRCLE NO. 27 ON READER SERVICE CARD STEREO REVIEW

five others. UNITED ARTISTS UAS 6793$4.98.

Performance: VariedRecording: Good

Running the gamut seems to be what SweetPain does best. Virtually every track in the al-bum takes a new tack, but nothing comes offvery well or very interestingly. Which leadsme to the following flight, with apologies tothe. Scarlet Pimpernel:

They seek it here, they seek it there,Those groups, they seek it everywhere.Is it in heaven? Is it in hell?That demmed, elusive million -sell?

P.R.

SANDY SZIGETI: America's Sweetheart.Sandy Szigeti (vocals and guitar); orchestra.Daydream Mountain; Sweet Melinda; Car -men's Tune; My Steady Diet; America's Sweet-heart; and four others. DECCA DL 75270$4.98, 0 6-5270 $6.95, © 73-5270 $6.95.

Performance: TryingRecording: Good

All up and down the West Coast the return -to -the -earth is in full swing. People are filling intheir swimming pools to create organic gar-dens, starlets are telling their producers, "Max,I just gotta get away from all this pollution,"and even Jacqueline Susann, that renowned ar-chivist and yenta du monde, has taken to ap-pearing on talk shows in denim overalls toplug her new movie. Sandy Szigeti is the latestto sing while skipping around the compostheap, and he's created an album full of high -thinking, deep -feeling songs that are all "poet-ic" in the wrong way. It is all professionally

enough done, but after a band or two one be-gins to yearn for the good old days of superfi-ciality. You know, the days when if someonesaid you belonged in a barnyard you were aptto be insulted. P.R.

THE THIRD WORLD: America the Beau-tiful. The Third World (vocals and instrumen-tals). Frozen Man; Blue Rose; Steal the Guns;Hitler Is Alive and Well; Sunshine; ShotDown; and two others. RCA LSP 4502 $5.98,® P8S 1707 $6.95, © PK 1707 56.95.

Performance: MuddledRecording: Good

The Third World does not belong on this plan-et. This quintet of screamers only adds to theaural pollution already rampant. The eightsongs all sound exactly alike, and on the fewoccasions when I was able to hear the lyricsthrough the dissonance, they were sophomor-ic. Spare me the inanities of "Hitler is aliveand well in you" or "Steal all the guns, oh lookwhat they done." I listened to three of thebands on this record three times apiece, and Istill couldn't tell you what they are about. Thedin is too frenetic for dancing; in fact, there isnot one single aspect about this mess I findcommendable. The whole thing gave meExcedrin Headache No. 900. R.R.

TIMBER: Bring America Home. Timber(vocals and instrumentals). Witch Hunt; SameOle Story; The Spirit Song; Canada; PipeDream; and five others. ELEKTRA EKS 74095$4.98.

Performance: EnergeticRecording: Good

Timber is a spirited, youthful group that spe-cializes in a boomy kind of massed -voice effectthat has touches of rock, gospel, and anythingelse they happen to feel in the mood for. Bestthing here is Canada, a rousing track recordedwith a big, natural sound. The lead vocalist isJudy Elliott, and she is consistently ingratiat-ing, particularly in Canada and in The SpiritSong. Still, the whole album slips as easily offthe mind as an ice cube off a stove. Which inthese heavy -thinking days is a relief. P.R.

T-REX. T -Rex: Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn(vocals and instrumentals); Tony Visconti arr.The Children of Rarn; Jewel; The Visit;Childe; The Time of Love Is Now; DiamondMeadows; Root of Star; Beltane Walk; Is ItLove?; and six others. REPRISE 6440 $4.98, 0B 6440 $6.95, @ M 86440 $6.95, © M 56440$6.95.

Performance: WobblyRecording: Very good

I'm not familiar with the careers of Marc Bolanand Mickey Finn (this is not the girl banjoplayer but another Mickey Finn). The vocalshere sound something like those of a short-lived marshmallow called Mungo Jerry, but Iwouldn't want to accuse anyone unjustly ofhaving been a member of Mungo Jerry. TheT -Rex vocals are pretty awful, in any case.There's an occasional instrumental spasm that'sinteresting, thanks to countless overdubs, andthere's some merit in some of the melodies,but the lyrics are in the same class with thevocals. Many of them hint at some sort of fanta-sy pregnant with social significance, but mostlythey just sound silly, as in "Met a woman she'sspouting prose/She's got luggage eyes and a

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130

Roman nose." The predominant tone of thearrangements is that old familiar adolescent -pompous heaviness. Try a peanut -butter andjelly sandwich instead. N.C.


THE TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME:Ego. Tony Williams (drums); orchestra. ClapCity; Circa 45; Mom and Dad; LonesomeWells; Two Worlds; and four others. POLYDOR 24 4065 $4.98.

Performance: Absolute joyRecording: Superb

This is one of the most delightful albums I'veheard in some time. Tony Williams is a fantas-tic drummer, a flashy composer, and a brilliantarranger. Why he bills himself as the TonyWilliams Lifetime, as if he were a group, whenhe is so patently the whole show escapes me. Inany event, he has given us a real good timealbum that is as exciting sonically as it is musi-cally. The production values here are really su-perb-I can recommend it as the demonstra-tion record of the year. But the music and Wil-liams' playing are the thing, and from the be-ginning, when he rips off Clap City on bongodrums with a hand -clapping accompaniment, tothe final extended virtuoso piece The Urchinsof Shermese, this is a recording that pulseswith life. Some of the things, such as Circa 45,reminded me of the great days of Art Blakeyand the Jazz Messengers, yet such a number asMom and Dad seems totally original. With itswry undertones and the first-rate work ofKhalid Yasin on organ, it is a superb show-piece for Williams' combined talents. This avivid triumph for all concerned, and a recordyou ought to own. P.R.

EDGAR WINTER: Edgar Winter's WhiteTrash. White Trash (vocals and instrumen-tals). Give It Everything You Got; Fly Away;Where Would I Be; Let's Get It On; I've GotNews for You; and five others. EPIC. E 30512$4.98, ® EA 30512 $6.98, © ET 30512$6.98.

Performance: Loud is not necessarilygood

Recording: Very good

Edgar Winter, brother of the more highly -pub-licized Johnny and one of the most adept per-formers on today's pop scene, is having diffi-culty putting it all together. Clearly, his skillstrace to a jazz -blues background (he is a goodenough alto saxophonist to play with most ma-jor jazz groups), yet Columbia seems intentupon transforming him into a heavy -rock star.

Given that decision, however, the groupWinter has assembled includes the sort of play-ers who can make it work-who should makeit work. Paired with him in the front line istenor saxophonist/singer Jerry LaCroix, a solidtalent in his own right; the back-up ensembleof trumpet, tenor saxophone, and rhythm sec-tion plays with self-assured professionalism andthe down-home raunchy -rock South Texasblues feeling Winter is reaching for. The prob-lem, for me, is that the qualities that makeWinter most interesting-his fine technicalskills as both a saxophonist and a keyboardplayer, for example-are shunted aside in fa-vor of his singing, and in favor of his generallyderivative compositions (usually written in col-laboration with LaCroix). Winter's vocals arepeculiarly hard to pin -point; sometimes hesounds like Joe Cocker, sometimes Leon Rus-sell, and only rarely like an exciting new sing-

er. I assume the higher -pitched, wailing voicethat carries most of the harmony lines is La-Croix's; it sure doesn't do much to improve themusic.

So, this is a generally uninteresting record-ing from a generally interesting performer.One of the rare fascinating moments is provid-ed by the White Trash version of an oldWoody Herman blues hit called I've GotNews for You; Winter doesn't sing much likeWoody, but the arrangement has copped oneof its best accompaniment figures from the oldHerman chart. D.H.

YES: The Yes Album. Yes (vocals and instru-mentals). Yours Is No Disgrace; The Clap;Starship Trooper; a. Life seeker, b. Disillusion,c. Wurm; I've Seen All Good People: a. Yourmove, b. All good people; A venture; Perpetu-al change. ATLANTIC SD 8283 $4.98.

Performance: AtrociousRecording: Very good

Yes is a no -no. Yes is precocious, but you can'tPn, do,

TONY 'WILLIAMSStar of an album that pulses with life

play them after 11:30 p.m. unless you use ahead -set, and if you do that, there's no doctorin the world who can set your head back inplace. But it figures. Yes seems to exist for thepurpose of upsetting heads with disturbing,cynical, and sometimes completely filthy lyrics,with sonic musical booms, and maddeningrhythm changes. Yes is audacious in an attemptto create an art form out of reeling rock pat-terns. But no, Yes does not succeed. At best,Yes inspires only fascination by dazzling thelistener with admiration for the group's techni-cal skills. Vocally, Yes blends screeching ten-ors into something vaguely like a poor man'sCrosby, Stills and Nash. Heavy is an apt wordfor Yes, not in the current usage meaning"great," but in the older fashion of weightyand sleep -inducing, though anyone would findsleep impossible while Yes is performing. TheWho managed to convince some part of theworld that Tommy was the first rock opera.Jesus Christ Superstar now tilts at that samesophomoric windmill with some success. Yeshas pretensions to giving us the first bubble -gum opera. In the immortal words uttered lov-ingly by Elizabeth Taylor to her husband Rich-ard: "Do you ever give yourself the creeps,Iuv?" R.R.

STEREO REVIEW

DAVE BRUBECK: Summit Sessions.DaveBrubeck (piano); various groups. That OldBlack Magic; Raga Theme for Raghu; Men ofOld; CJam Blues; Our Time of Parting; Bluesin the Dark; Allegro Blues; and six others. CO-LUMBIA C 30522 $4.98, 00 CA 30522 $6.95.

Performance: A Brubeck grab-bagRecording: Good to very good

I like to think of Dave Brubeck as the ultimatejazz capitalist-that is, the most successfulpurveyor and distiller of salable musical mer-chandise. Unaffected by the passage of timeand fashion, he makes virtually every new sty-listic change into grist for the mill, potentiallynew packaging for what is still essentially Bru-beck merchandise.

Included here are some classic examples ofwhat I mean: thirteen tracks-some releasedbefore, others new-ranging from blues andbossa nova to performances with everyonefrom Indian percussionists to TheloniousMonk, Charles Mingus, and the New YorkPhilharmonic, a cross -cut through Brubeck'smusical interests of the last decade.

As music, it is virtually always superficial,saved only here and there when performerslike Jimmy Rushing, Carmen McRae, and Lou-is Armstrong carry Brubeck beyond his usualcapacities with their enormous artisticstrengths. But more often, it consists merely ofBrubeck's endless fidgeting around with whatare little more than musical Hallowe'en cos-tumes. Since he has never been a particularlystrong jazz performer, I suppose he can't befaulted for finding the best survival methodshe can. After all, look what capitalism did forJay Gould. D.H.

ROY ELDRIDGE: The Nifty Cat. Roy El-dridge (trumpet); Budd Johnson (tenor and so-prano saxophones); Bennie Morton (trom-bone); Nat Pierce (piano); Tommy Bryant(bass); Oliver Jackson (drums). Jolly Hollis;Cotton; 5400 North; Ball of Fire; Wineola;The Nifty Cat. MASTER JAZZ RECORDINGSMJR 8110 $ 5.98.

Performance: DisappointingRecording: Good

I really wish I could like this recording. I'vebeen listening to a lot of Roy Eldridge's stufffrom the Thirties lately, and he was indeed a"nifty cat"-then. Now he sounds as thoughhe's struggling too hard, unhappily dependentupon the same licks he's been using for lo,these many years.

The rhythm section is crisp, competent, andsemi -modern, Bennie Morton plays respect-able trombone, but only Budd Johnson, thatperennially young swinger, is really impres-sive. Johnson has to be at least as old as El-dridge, but the juices still seem to be flowingthrough his fingers and around his imagina-tion. Alas, the Johnson moments are notenough to carry the album, and much as I ad -

OCTOBER 1971

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mire Eldridge's past contributions, I can't rec-ommend his work this time around. D.H.


MEMPHIS SLIM: Blue Memphis Suite.Memphis Slim (piano and vocals); various jazzmusicians. Blue Memphis Suite; Yourh Wantsro Know; Boogie Woogie 1970; Chicago Sev-en; Mason Dixon Line. WARNER BROS. WS1899 $4.98, @ M 81899 $6.95, M 51899$6.95.

Performance: Down-home abroadRecording: Good

Memphis Slim's Blue Memphis Suite, whichtakes up the first side of this happy set, is anambitious project that succeeds. Slim (née Pe-ter Chatman) has composed eight songs thatdepict the funky saga of his life. Jazz -soul filtersthrough his singing style as though he had amouth full of turnip greens. Slim went abroadto record this album and used some fine Euro-pean musicians. The textures, the weaving inand out of harmonies, the true happiness thatseems obvious from the ensemble work leadme to believe the conditions were cozy. Thereis a real Chicago feeling to the performancethat comes through loud and clear on the trigute to Otis Spann and Earl Hooker. The gener-ation gap is bridged neatly on Youth Wants roKnow ("Don't throw water on my head andkeep tellin' me it's rainin'; You know I'm likethe young people, I gotta have some better ex-plainin' "), but it is in the Memphis sectionsthat the peculiar kind of sliding blues in whichSlim excels really comes alive. The horn choirthroughout is sensually notable, and PeterGreen is a young guitarist who will be heardfrom. Not a yawn in the bunch. R.R.

DAVID POMERANZ: New Blues. DavidPomeranz (vocals, guitar, piano, percussion,kazoo); various musicians. Brenda, Please;Missin' Song; New Blues; Singin' on the Train;Brandy Wine; Tunnel Is Thataway, the VetTook the Cat Away Blues; and four others.DECCA DL 75274 $4.98.

Performance: CoolRecording: Very good

The new blues often sounds like the old jazz,sometimes like country rock, and never likethe old blues. There are some twelve -measureconstructions in here, but that alone does notmake them blues. Pomeranz has an agile voiceand a jazz singer's roundabout way of gettingat the drama in a song, so his most successfulventures are with the cool jazz -style songs likeNew Blues and Brenda, Please. Songs withcatchy, conventional melodies like BrandyWine and Singin' on the Train need more vo-cal style than he has.

Pomeranz wrote all the songs and did all thearranging, and the arrangements are good andclean. Paul Simon is heard twice on the guitar,but the main feature behind the voice is thedistinctive, whumping Fender -bass bottombuilt by Steve Mendel. Pomeranz is a versatile,competent vocalist, but I don't find him a pat-ticularly interesting one. His song -writingskills must rate higher-although it should benoted that Tunnel Is Thataway, the Vet Tookthe Cat Away Blues is not nearly as marvelousas its title. He can write old-fashioned melo-dies. (Aching) and striking modern ones (I'llNever Be Gone). If you want a recordingthat's unquestionably up to date and yet re-minds you of 1960 Brubeck with vocals added,this is one-maybe the only one. N.C.

SPOKEN WORD

THE CONGRESS OF WONDERS: Re-volting. The Congress of Wonders (RichardRollins and Howard Kerr, comedians). RadioPhil; Star Trip; Pigeon Park; Flipping -on -the -

Hod; and four others. FANTASY 7016 $4.98.

Performance: The grinning of AmericaRecording: Good

Richard Rollins and Howard Kerr, products ofthe University of California Drama Depart-ment, who make up the entire cast and writingstaff of the group known as "The Congress ofWonders," supply what I presume to be Con-sciousness III humor, since it seems to go overbest with the current crop of young. The secretof enjoying it, I think, is in not listening tooattentively. Maybe you have to be on some-thing. The ideas behind their satirical skits aresound-there is just no sense of proportion orselection in the way the stuff is worked out;they slop it onto your plate cafeteria -style andhustle the line along to foil complainers. Whensatirical references fail, a mere mention of mar-ijuana or the California police always brings asure laugh, the way Brooklyn used to; whysharpen your arrows when you can just shootthem into the air wild with a fair hope they'llland in a friend's heart somewhere!

Thus, the material synopsizes better than itplays. The idea of a take -off on Star Trek, thelate science -fiction TV series, is commendable.As the Starship Intercourse is described"thrusting its way through space on anotherpenetrating mission," the air crackles withcomic promise. The multi -racial crew is sharplydrawn, including the solemn -faced "Smock"("I'm a Vulgarian-jokes are beyond me"),and their efforts to pull things together on thespace -ship as it drifts "fifteen billion miles offcourse" are amusing for a while. The troubleis, the skit remains as wildly off -course as thespaceship; any number of solid situations, in-cluding a mutiny by the astronauts, dissolve inwearying confusion. As the crew head theirlumbering vehicle toward the planet Euphoriaafter eleven rather shrill minutes, one is re-lieved to hear the last of it. The same thinghappens after a few minutes in the company ofaging rock musicians in an item called "PigeonPark"; in a take -off on a Russian folk -tale in"Stepny Fetchnik"; in a bit about a bank -bombing bunch in "The Bomb"; and finally,in an attempt at an exposé of racial slurs inold-time radio serials called "The StonedRanger," where, again, the boys hit out sowildly that their quarry sneaks off in the mid-dle of all the commotion and gets away un-scathed. I did, however, enjoy the portrait of"Pronto," the handkerchief -head, Uncle -Tom-ahawk Indian guide, and was inclined to con-cur in his declaration to the hero that "You seeone wagon train, you see them all.- P. K.

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139

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STEREO TAPEReviewed by NOEL COPPAGE IGOR KIPNIS PAUL KRESH

BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Ma-jor, Op. 61. Jascha Heifetz (violin); BostonSymphony Orchestra, Charles Munch cond.RCA © RK 1045 $6.95.

Performance: SuperbRecording: Holds up wellPlaying Time: 37'38"

The Heifetz-Munch reading of the BeethovenViolin Concerto, after a twelve-year life spanin the active catalog, still stands as the classicperformance for its sheer brilliance, polish,and poise. There are other equally fine per-formances for other interpretive tastes, amongthose on cassette being the more romantic Fer-ras-Karajan on DGG. I am no Heifetz worship-per in matters of musical taste, but here thecombination of flawless control, absolute into-national purity, and virile support from Munchand the Bostonians insures that the heavenlylyrical lengths of this concerto will remain amatter of constant and absorbing interest. Therecorded sound holds up well, and the transferto cassette has been managed with less noiseand fewer rough spots than it was in some ofthe RCA cassettes that have come to me forreview in the past. D.H.

BEETHOVEN: Wellington's Victory (seeTCHAIKOVSKY)

DANDRIEU: Noels: Joseph wedded well;Adam was a poor man; Noel de Saintonge; Ihave arisen; Chan ton de Voix Hautaine.DAQUIN: Noels: No. 1, in D Minor; No. 9,in D Major; No. 10, in G Major; No. 11, inD Minor. Marie -Claire Alain (Clicquot-Haerp-fer-Erman organ of Sarlat, Dordogne). Must -CAL HERITAGE SOCIETY © MHC 2022 $6.95(plus 600 handling charge from the MusicalHeritage Society Inc., 1991 Broadway, NewYork, N.Y. 10023).

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Excellent except for

processing difficultyPlaying Time: 43' 02"

Many keyboard composers in France duringthe eighteenth century adapted the delightful,


= reel-to-reel tape0 = four -track cartridgeOO = eight -track cartridge

= cassette

The first listing is the one renewed:other formats /if available) follow. it.

Monophonic recordings are indicated by

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folksy noels for organ, usually with a ses ofvariations, but the best known of those whodid so is surely Louis -Claude Daquin. Thatthese popular Christmas ditties (really carols)don't necessarily have to be restricted to holi-day listening is easily shown by the present re-lease, a very charming, quite brilliantly playedcollection of some of Daquin's best noels, plusa good sampling by Daquin's slightly oldercontemporary, Jean -Francois Dandrieu. Theorgan is an excellent one, and Marie -ClaireNEC

JASCHA HEIFETZFlawless control and intonational purity

Alain plays this repertoire with her usual ex-pertise, though not always with as much charmas the noels can have. The release sounds re-markably good in cassette form, as a closecheck with the disc proved; the two are ex-tremely close, except for a slight flutter on thecassette. For some reason, something seems togo wrong with the processing at the end of thefirst sequence, for the flutter not only increasesbeyond an acceptable level, but there is a rath-er annoying warble to boot. Other than this,the cassette, which uses both a TDK Super Dy-namic Gamma Ferric Oxide tape and Dolbynoise -suppression, is an astounding example ofa medium really come into its own. I.K.

GROFE: Grand Canyon Suite. PhiladelphiaOrchestra, Eugene Ormandy cond. COLUMBIA© MT 30446 $6.98.

Performance: Kodachrome versionRecording: Very goodPlaying Time: 32' 17"

Ferde Grofe, born Ferdinand Rudolphe vonGrofe in 1892 on New York's Lower EastSide, was seventeen when he took up music,landing a job as a violist with the Los AngelesSymphony Orchestra. Before that, he'd triedbookbinding, truckdriving, and ushering. Tenyears later, in 1919, he joined Paul White -man's new band as pianist. It didn't look as ifGrofe was going to make any special sensationin the musical world, however, until, in 1931,he was given the assignment of adapting theorchestral arrangement of Gershwin's Rhapso-dy in Blue for Whiteman. That same year, un-der Whiteman's direction, the Chicago Sym-phony Orchestra performed Grofe's GrandCanyon Suite. It seems to be the one big workby which he'll be remembered, although therealso are tuneful impressionistic passages in hisMississippi Suite, and all his lesser suites, whenthey aren't huffing and puffing to sound bigand inpressively symphonic, have their inven-tive moments. In the Grand Canyon, though,the inspiration seldom flags. There's that love-ly rising passage for woodwinds over the roll-ing kettledrums in the Sunrise; the hauntingchords that evoke the strangeness of a vast in-credible landscape in the Painted Desert, therollicking mirth of On the Trail; the dyingglow of deep musical colors for the Sunset, thebrilliantly worked out oppression of the ap-proaching Cloudburst, and the glissando light-ning amidst the big -scale orchestral storm thatfollows. It is only in the final passages, in fact,that vulgarity shakes Mr. Grofe's surely guidedhand, and spoils a haunting experience with aneedless Hollywood ending.

At any rate, it was a pleasant day for Ameri-can music when Grofe decided to visit the Can-yon; seeing the place itself can come almost asanticlimax after years of exposure to this popu-lar musical work. Only Toscanini purged it ofits excessive lushness and found in it the sinu-ous line and the breathtaking buildup of atmo-sphere that links this work with other impres-sionist masterpieces. Ormandy's treatment is atthe other end of the scale, yet it works gor-geously on its own terms-a meticulously con-trolled outpouring of tonal color from start tofinish, with the orchestra at the height of itsform, beautifully recorded, and only a certainelement of humor absent from the braying ofthose donkeys in the otherwise superb deline-ation of the On the Trail movement. Thesound is quite good by current cassette stan-dards, although if you listen carefully, there re-mains that bane of hiss and a slight compres-sion in the otherwise big, clean sound. P.K.

MAHLER: Symphony No. 2, in C Minor("Resurrection"). Edith Mathis (soprano);Norma Procter (contralto); Bavarian Radio

OCTOBER 1971 141

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, RafaelKubelik cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON3581 001 $10.95.

Performance: FairRecording: FairPlaying Time: 80'15"

Price and packaging on a single cassette aremajor considerations here, since the rival cas-sette version, that by Georg Solti and the Lon-don Symphony, costs an additional $4 and re-quires two additional turnovers. On the otherhand, neither Kubelik's interpretation of Mah-ler's apocalyptic symphonic fresco nor its re-cording are up to the standard represented bythe same conductor's treatment of JaniZek'sTaras Bulba and Sinfonietta (also available onDGG cassette). Not only are there audible im-precisions of orchestral ensemble in the Mah-ler performance, but one is very much awareof a studio ambiance that confines rather thanliberates the huge climaxes of the first and lastmovements. Despite the obvious intelligenceand attention to details of phrasing that charac-terize Kubelik's reading, these mechanicalshortcomings are all too obtrusive to my ears.The Solti performance for London, as heard ondiscs, remains a marvel of precision, passion,and recorded sound-one of several very dis-tinguished recorded versions, to which, unhap-pily, Kubelik's does not quite measure up.

D.H.


R. STRAUSS: Elektra (highlights). BirgitNilsson (soprano), Elektra; Regina Resnik(contralto), Clytemnestra; Marie Collier (so-prano), Chrysothemis; Torn Krause (baritone),Orest; Gerhard Stolze (tenor), Aegisth; Vien-na Philharmonic Orchestra, Georg Solti cond.LONDON ©M 31186 $6.95,®L 90186 $7.95.

Performance: VividRecording: LikewisePlaying Time: 51' 40"

When issued in disc format in 1967, this re-cording of the Strauss-Hofmannsthal horroropera aroused lively controversy because ofthe Cinerama-style microphoning employed byproducer John Culshaw not only to heightenthe psychological impact of certain moments inthe score, but to give the listener a genuinesense of space and motion. I liked the Culshawproduction then, and I like it now, reheard inthe bits and pieces here, which include Elek-tra's lamentation early in the opera, the savagedialogue with her guilt -ridden, fear -hauntedmother, Clytemnestra, the Recognition Scenewith Elektra and Orest, and the finale, fromthe point of Aegisth's murder at the hands ofOrest. The singers here are one and all su-perb-Nilsson in top form, projecting withstunning impact one of the most demandingsoprano roles in all opera, Resnik conveyingalmost palpably the poisonous presence of Cly-temnestra, and Tom Krause as a manly andpurposeful Orest. Solti and the Vienna Philhar-monic render the all-important orchestral scor-ing with stunning brilliance and power. Thecassette transfer is good, though lacking a bitof the dynamic range of the disc original.

One major gripe (applicable to all Ampex -

made cassettes for London that I have receivedfor review to date): the lack of program notes,not to mention the text in the case of Elekrra, isinexcusable, especially at the premium pricedemanded for cassettes. D.H.

TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture. Philadel-142

phia Brass Bands (with electronic cannon andbells); Temple University Choirs (RobertPaige, director); Philadelphia Orchestra, Eu-gene Ormandy cond. BEETHOVEN: Wel-lington's Victory. Philadelphia Orchestra(with electronic cannon), Eugene Ormandycond. RCA © RK 1180 $6.95, 08 R8S 1180$6.95.

Performance: A bas l'EmpereurRecording: Winner and new championPlaying Time: 31'

Napoleon takes a terrible beating on this cas-sette. First the Russians send him running,then the English humiliate him at Waterloo.Tchaikovsky hated his 1812 Overture, andthere's little evidence that Beethoven was par-ticularly fond of his Wellington's Victory, butrecord companies are crazy about both ofthem, and there seems to be no end in sight tothe recordings of these clamorous works. Eachtime it would seem that the ultimate in thespectacular has been achieved; then anotherAngel

BIRGIT NILSSONStunning in a demanding soprano role

version comes along, and the listener is flooredall over again.

This new multi -channel package from Or-mandy would seem to deserve all the medalsfor the moment. The approach to both works isenthusiastic but controlled, with the virtuosityof the Philadelphia forces fully on display. Yetwhat little there is of music in these works isallowed to sing with unforced eloquence. SinceI find the 1812 more interesting to hear whenthe Russian hymn Save, 0 God, Thy People issung by a chorus rather than played by thestrings, I was pleased that a chorus had beenhired for the occasion-and beautifully record-ed, too. I can also assure you that the electroniccannon and bells are every bit as deafening asreal ones. And in Wellington's Victory, whenthe French approach from the right playingMarlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre, they moveacross your equipment from one speaker to thenext with hair-raising realism. Both engage-ments, in brief, are indisputable victories forOrmandy. P.K.

COLLECTIONS

MONTSERRAT CABALLE: Sings FrenchOpera Arias. Gounod: Faust: II etait un roi deThule; Jewel Song; Mireille: Voici la vasteplaine et le desert de feu; Romeo etJuliette:Je

veux vivre dans ce reve. Meyerbeer: Les Hu-guenots: 0 beau pays de la Touraine. Char-pentier: Louise: Depuis le jour. Bizet: Car-men: C'est des contrebandiers le refuge ordi-naire. Massenet: Thais: Ah! me voila seule.Montserrat Caballe (soprano); New Philhar-monia Orchestra, London, Reynald Giovani-netti cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON3300 105 $6.98.

Performance: Vocally radiantRecording: ExcellentPlaying Time: 50' 57"

Montserrat Caballe does not produce one uglysound in this recital of French arias; her vocal-ism is quite marvelous. Histrionically, howev-er, I'm not at all certain that she really feels athome in this music. There are a number ofthings which sound both un-French and undra-matic. The opening Faust scene, for instance,in spite of the radiance of her voice, is ratherlaconic in mood; this is a matter not just of aslow tempo but of feeling as well. "Depuis lejour," too, sounds merely healthily Italianaterather than refined-gid Gallic. Nonetheless,anyone who admires Miss Caballe will assured-ly want to own this tape, and, indeed, there is agreat deal to enjoy on it. The orchestral accom-paniments are adequate, and the sound (bar-ring tape hiss-why won't DGG use Dolby?) isexcellent. The package includes notes on theperformer but no texts. I.K.


ENGLISH GUITAR MUSIC. Cutting:Greensleeves; Gaillard. Batchelar: MonsiersAlmaine. Robinson: Merry Melancholie; Gal-liard; Almaine. Dowland: Lachrimae antiquae;The King of Denmark's Galliard; MelancholieGalliard; Captaine Digori Piper's Galliard;Queen Elizabeth her Gaillard. Camidge: Sona-tina, in G Major, for Two Guitars. Duarte: En-glish Suite, Op. 31. McCabe: Canto for guitar( 1968). Musgrave: Soliloquy I for Guitar andTape (1969). Siegfried Behrend (guitar); Ta-kashi Ochi (guitar, in Camidge). DEUTSCHEGRAMMOPHON © 3300 103 $6.98.

Performance: SkilledRecording: ExcellentPlaying Time: 49'53"

The first sequence of this imaginatively con-ceived program of English music begins with anumber of fairly well-known Elizabethan lutepieces and concludes with a novelty, a sonatinafor two guitars by a slightly younger contem-porary of Beethoven, Michael Camidge. Thelatter is not particularly significant, but it doeshave considerable charm. The second sequenceinvolves three moderns: a pleasant neo-classicsuite by John W. Duarte (b. 1919), a very fine,atmospheric Canto for guitar by John McCabe(b. 1939), and-a slight nod to the avantgarde-a Soliloquy for guitar and tape (the lat-ter being mostly equalized guitar sounds, withwhich the "live" guitar plays duets) by TheaMusgrave (b. 1928). It's a well varied pro-gram, and the playing is extremely skillful, es-pecially in the contemporary works. The earli-er material on occasion lacks the esprit andcharm that Julian Bream can give it, but in allother ways this is very distinguished playing.The cassette reproduction, marred only by afair amount of hiss, is very open and clean. I.K.

ENTERTAINMENT

PEARL BAILEY: Pearl's Pearls. Pearl Bai-ley (vocals); Louis Belson and His Orchestra.

STEREO REVIEW

Here's That Rainy Day; I Never Met a Stran-ger; Close to You; A House Is Not a Home; IfYou Go away; and five others. RCA © PK1743 $6.95, OO P8S 1743 $6.95.

Performance: Not a matched setRecording: ExcellentPlaying Time: 35' 24"

When Miss Pearl Bailey takes over a stage, ascreen, or a microphone, you feel at once thatyou're in the hands of one of the nation's topprofessionals, a woman of poise, equilibrium,and worldly wisdom who can turn the slightestof pop numbers into a heart-to-heart talk thatwill send you out into the world in bettershape. I have loved Miss Bailey ever since, as aboy, I heard her explain what it really meant tobe Tired.

Yet even the strongest performer is in somemeasure dependent on the quality and appro-priateness of the material he or she performs,and some of the "pearls" entrusted to ourfriend on this cassette should probably havebeen put back into the oyster. It is hard evenfor a woman as cheerful as Miss Bailey at hermost melancholy to make anything more than asoggy mess out of a song like I Never Met aStranger, or bring life to a number as intrinsi-cally flat and pallid as Close to You. Give thegirl a ball worth running with, though, and shescores high-in A House Is Not a Home, inSupper Time-even in a self-pitying tour deforce like If You Go Away, which is all wrongfor her, but which she puts over by sidestep-ping the usual melodramatic buildup at the endand bending the subject to her own emotionalrequirements. The sound reflects the generalimprovement in RCA cassette standards overthe past few months. P.K.

GLASS HARP: Glass Harp (vocals and instru-mentals). Can You See Me; Children's Fantasy;Changes; Village Queen; Southbound; Gar-den; and four others. DECCA © 73-5261$6.98.

Performance: LoudRecording: FairPlaying Time: 56' 56"

Can new and heavy things be done with rock?Not many, I'm forced to conclude, if groupslike this are any indication. Glass Harp's ideaseems to be to obtain a glassy sound with cer-tain guitar techniques, occasional string cho-ruses, and the sporadic use of woodwinds, butessentially Glass Harp tends toward rock ideasthe Jefferson Airplane has already used up.The mixing is a little strange-everything is soloud that nothing is emphasized. The songs arenot songs but anti -melodic refrains. This groupmay have what it takes to construct an entirealbum on one chord. If there's ever any de-mand for that sort of thing, I hope someonelets them know. I'll be busy elsewhere. N. C.


TED HEATH ORCHESTRA: Beatles, Bachand Bacharach. The Ted Heath Orchestra.Norwegian Wood; I'll Never Fall in LoveAgain; Minuet in G; This Guy's in Love WithYou; Hey Jude; You'll Never Get to Heaven;Let It Be; Raindrops Keep Falling on MyHead; Air on the G String; and B, B & B.LONDON M 84148 $6.95, ® L 74148$7.95, OO M 14148 $6.95.

Performance: Triumph of tasteRecording: Excellent and DolbyizedPlaying Time: 31' 20"

OCTOBER 1971

Mix up the sounds of harpsichords, celestes,and various Baroque instruments with the beatof a big band and what you usually wind upwith is a mishmash. How Ted Heath has avoid-ed such a disaster in the present album is hisown trade secret, and I have no wish to pry.But avoid it he has, and this program of piecesby the strangest combination of "three B's"I've ever heard of-the Beatles, Bach, and Ba-charach-turns out to be an uncommonly de-lightful one. Mr. Heath has shown not onlycourage in this ingenious enterprise, but con-siderable taste as well. He never lets the rockbeat distort or destroy his ingenious arrange-ment of Bach's "Air on the G String" anymore than he allows the Baroque effects to killthe feeling of carefree modernity in RaindropsKeep Falling on My Head or the high spirits ofHey Jude. The result is half an hour of pureinstrumental joy in which the old and the newmeet without the slightest embarrassment toeither. P.K.

BILL MONROE: Country Music Hall ofDerra

BILL MONROEThirty years of dexterous mandolin picking

Fame. Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys(vocals, instrumentals). Mule Skinner Blues;Kentucky Waltz; Get Up John; Blue Moon ofKentucky; Put My Little Shoes A way; Foot-prints in the Snow; The Gold Rush; and fourothers. DECCA © 73-5281 $6.98.

Performance: Very goodRecording: Fair to goodPlaying Time: 30' 25"

One of the wonders is how a big man like BillMonroe can take a tiny instrument like a man-dolin, with those little double strings so closetogether up at the top of the neck, and play itwith such dexterity and speed for thirty years. Icompared this tape-which contains a few oldreissued tracks but mostly new versions ofMonroe's most famous songs-with an ancientreissue called "Bill Monroe's Best," and I'mconvinced his picking and noting fingershaven't lost anything. Can't say the same forhis voice, which creaks a bit, most obviously onThe Girl in the Blue Velvet Band.

But the Bluegrass Boys click along nicely,still distinctive among Bluegrass bands in thehigh quality of their bass work and in the man-dolin's refusal to become subordinate to thebanjo. Twin fiddles are heard on some tunes,and the backing banjo rhythm-on Put My Lit-

tle Shoes Away, most notably-has extraordi-nary moments. My main complaint is with thequality of the cassette, which tended to loseone channel periodically. Maybe Monroe's fin-gers outran the electricity. N.C.

CAT STEVENS: New Masters. Cat Stevens(vocals, guitar, piano); various musicians. FirstCut is Deepest; I'm Gonna Be King; CeylonCity; Blackness of the Night; Shift That Log; ILove Them All; Kitty; I'm So Sleepy; and fourothers. DERAM © M 77610 $6.95,® M 77810$6.95.

Performance: ImpurrfectRecording:GoodPlaying Time: 32' 40"

The Cat is indeed one of the new masters ofpop music, with a soul -country, rugged -deli-cate, cabaret -outdoorsy voice and a knack forwriting songs that are at once catchy and sub-stantial. One reason this album will disappointpeople (and it will) is that his last one, "Teafor the Tillerman," was better. But compare"New Masters" to the other releases for thismonti, and it sounds pretty good.

It has a serious flaw, though, and it's disap-pointing to find Cat Stevens prey to this: thealbum is outlandishly overproduced. Needlesshorn blasts, tinkles, and rattles intrude on al-most every song; the beat (though the drum-mer is good) is often too loud, and the stringstoo silky. Cat (or someone) managed to con-tain things occasionally, as in Shift That Log, astrange but simple song of the type Cat does sowell. But similar songs, like Moonstone, areburied under glop.

Practically every song has some appeal, how-ever, and this album is certainly better thanmost of the other overproduced albums Iknow. N. C.

THE WILBURN BROTHERS: Sing YourHeart Out, Country Boy. The WilburnBrothers (vocals); unidentified accompani-ment. Santa Fe Rolls Royce; Tellin' My Trou-bles; Before the Next Teardrop Falls; Ballad ofa Ten -Dollar Preacher; Here's to a Fool; All IHave to Do Is Dream; I Wish I Could SeeYou; and four others. DECCA © 5214 $6.98.

Performance: PloddingRecording:GoodPlaying Time: 28' 33"

The Wilburn Brothers' vocal harmonizing is arough -cut version of the Everly Brothers, andthey are as steady and consistent as a goodworkhorse, but the main characteristic thatcomes through here is a negative one-lack ofanything approaching style. They are accepta-ble (deadly word), as heard here, to countrymusic listeners of all tastes, but I can't imagineanyone becoming very passionate about thistape.

Most of the songs are typical Wilburn Broth-ers songs, not too good, not too bad, mostlyfair -to -middling. One stands out for its insight:Honky Tonk Songs tells of a fellow who wasbombarded by country songs on the radio,took them too seriously, and became suspi-cious of his old lady. He went out and gotdrunk (on beer, of course-there's rarely anylegitimate tax -paid hard liquor in countrysongs) only to discover she really was whereshe said she was, out shopping with her UncleJoe. This ability to make fun of itself is one ofthe abiding strengths of country music. But it'sthe song and not the singing that's interesting,even in this case. The Wilburns sound as ifthey're just doing another day's work. N. C.

143

STEREO REVIEW CLASSIFIEDCOMMERCIAL RATE: For firms or individuals offering commercial products or services, $1.25 per word (including name and address). Minimum order $12.50. Paymentmustaccompany copy except when ads are placed by accredited advertising agencies. Frequency discount: 5% for 6 months; 10% for 12 months paid in advance.READER RATE: For individuals with a personal item to buy or sell. 804 per word (including name and address). No minimum! Payment must accompany copy.GENERAL INFORMATION: First word in all ads set in bold caps at no extra charge. All copy subject to publisher's approval. All advertisers using Post Office Boxes in their addressesMUST supply publisher with permanent address and telephone number before ad can be run. Closing Date: 1st of the 2nd month preceding cover date (for example, March issue closesJanuary 1st). Send order and remittance to: Hal Cymes, STEREO REVIEW, One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

EQUIPMENT

WRITE for quotation on any Hi-Fi components: SoundReproduction Inc., 460 Central Avenue, East Orange, N.J.07018. 201-673-0600.

TAPE recorders. Hi-Fi components. Sleep learning Equip-ment tapes. Unusual values. Free catalog. Dressner,1523R Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11040.

LOW, Low quotes: all components and recorders. Hi Fi,Roslyn, Penna. 19001.

New low prices on all stereo components and taperecorders. Write for our quote. Stereo Corp. of America,2122 Utica Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11234.

FREE LP AND SHIPPING to most states. We will not beundersold. Airmail Quotes. Hi-Fi Discount Specialists,Box 2576 PVS, Hialeah, Florida 33012.

ELECTRONIC TUBES, Semiconductors, Equipment andParts. Lab matched tubes. Finest quality. Serving TV/Hi-Fi Servicemen, Engineers, and Industry for 20 Years.Advise your needs. Write for Catalog. Barry Electronics,512 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012. (212) 925-7000.

NO fair trade laws in D.C. Write for discount prices onyour choice of components. District Sound, Inc, 2312R.I. Ave, N.E., Wash., D.C. 20018. (202) 832-1900.

HI Fl Furniture? See Toujay Designs at SEE -70's HiFidelity Exhibit. 443 Park Avenue South, N.Y.C. 10016.Tues. to Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-4. Full line brochure 254.

REVOX and TANDBERG Recorders, PIONEER, SAN-SUI, and SONY Receivers and Amplifiers. Specify model.Box 18026, Seattle, Washington 98118.

KLIPSCH, TANNOY, MARANTZ, RABCO, THORENS-No Discounting -Superior Sound, 1801 Brewerton Rd.,Syracuse, N.Y. 13211.

DIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Discountprices for Shure, Pickering, Stanton, Empire, Grado andADC. Send for free catalog. All merchandise brand newand factory sealed. LYLE CARTRIDGES, Dept S, P.O.Box 69, Kensington Station, Brooklyn, New York 11218.

SPEAKER SYSTEMS wholesaled to public. BOAT, Box18123, Seattle, Washington 98118.

NATIONALLY advertised Audio Equipment. Cost Plus10%. Stereo World, 3250 Duke Street, Alexandria, Vir-ginia 22314.

STEREO HI -Fl Sale. Nationally advertised amplifiers,tuners, speakers, tape decks, etc. Discounting to 40%since 1959. Arkay National, 1028-01 Commonwealth,Boston, Mass. 02215.

LOW, LOW, prices, on audio equipment. All factoryfresh, 1st quality items. Trained personnel at yourdisposal for audio consultation. For free catalogs orinformation write to: Mr. A, Dept. AMS at SMGDistributors, Inc., 46-35 54th Road, Maspeth, New York11378, or call (212) 786-3337.

QUAD for the closest approach to the original sound.Audio Equipment for the serious music listener. Fordetails write Audio Imports, 5557 Versaille Drive, Indi-anapolis, Indiana 46227.

500 WATT stereo color translator! Translates music tolights! Plans: $2.00; Kits: $29.95; Wired: $44.95. Taskits,P.O. Box 14225, Dayton, Ohio 45414.

SAVE 60%! Building your own stereo speakers. EasyPlans, $2.00. JSC, Box 75303, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma73107.

QUADPOD decodes new four channel ambience fromyour present stereo. Small, easy IC kit provides rearsignals. (EV, Dyna compatible) Prospectus free. Postpaidkit $11.50. Old Colony, Box 21E, Swarthmore, Pa.19081.

MCINTOSH 2505 Versus Marantz 32, Citation twelve,Dynaco Stereo 120. The winner? Send $1 today forcomparative test, refundable with $7.50 subscription.Hi-Fi Newsletter, Box 593, Hialeah, Fla. 33011.

FIRST Class Mail Service U.S. and foreign. Low pricesstereo components and tapes. Catalog. Audioworld, Box36154, Houston, Texas 77036.

WANT MAIL ORDER RESULTS? Your ad in thesecolumns will reach 300,000 monthly buyers!

FOR SALE

FREE Electronics Parts Flyer. Large catalog $1.00 de-posit. Bigelow Electronics, Bluffton, Ohio 45817.

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ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS -Distributor prices, FleeCatalogue, Box 2581, El Cajon, California 92021.

NEW SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT EMITTING DIODES.Bright red lights replace light bulbs. Typical life 100years. Operate at 1.65 volts, 60 milliamps. Order 2 for$2.98 NOW. Data sheet and instructions included. Mon-santo Company, Hobby Section, 10131 Bubb Road,Cupertino, California 95014.

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JAPAN HONG KONG Directory. World products infor-mation. $1.00 today. Sekai Shogyo Annai, Hillyard,Wash. 99207.

BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS. We manufacture in-truder -fire detection systems, radar and perimeter types.Accessories available. Free Literature. Inquiries for dealer-ship and wholesale prices must be on letterhead. U.S. andCanada only. Microtech Associates, Inc., Box 10147, St.Petersburg, Florida 33733.

FREE ELECTRONICS Catalog. Tremendous bargains.Edu-Kits, Department C-508 BO, Hewlett, New York11557.

JAZZ Records and Jazz books, all labels. Send list.Traditional Jazzland, Box 366, Dayton, Ohio 45401.

AR -3's; PAIR. $245. Dave Mosemann, Manheim, Pa.17545.

OPERA Tapes -Records "live" performances, broadcasts.Free catalog. Hathaway, 49S Merbrook, Merion, Penna.19066.

ELECTRONICS HOBBYIST and professional builderslove our 34 film resistors; 164 electrolytics and 1% micas.Great catalog 354. Electrovalue-America, Box 27G,Swarthmore, PA 19081.

FIRE ALARM System for your home. Complete withcontrol unit, 8 sensors, wiring and alarm bell. Easyinstallation instructions. Satisfaction Guaranteed: $69.50.Electronic Signal Systems, Dept. A-2, 713 Rebecca Drive,Tallahassee, Florida 32303.

FREE Samples. Resistors, Capacitors. Send 254postage -handling. Comet Communications Co., 639-50Street, Brooklyn, New York 11220.

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TAPE AND RECORDERS

RENT stereo tapes $1.50 week postpaid -NEW catalog254. Tape Library, Box 8126, Washington, D.C. 20024.

RADIO YESTERYEAR! Biggest and best in the industrywe created. Over 10,000 of those great old-time radioshows. ANY program you remember, drama, band, serials,comedy, etc. Highest fidelity possible with Ampex dupli-cators. Send for our Free catalog. RADIO YESTER-YEAR, Box H, Dept. B, Croton -on -Hudson, N.Y. 10520.Member Better Business Bureau.

OLD Radio Programs on tape. 6 hours for $8.00. Catalog50d. Don Maris, 1926 Cherokee, Norman, Okla. 73069.

OLD Time radio programs -all your old favorites. 504 forcatalog. Robert Mussehl, R. 1, Brooklyn, Wisc. 53521.

SCOTCH RECORDING TAPE, lowest prices. TAPECENTER, Box 4305, Washington, D.C. 20012.

STEREO TAPE RENTAL for particular people. Freecatalog. Gold Coast Tape Library, Box 2262, Palm VillageStation, Hialeah, Fla. 33012.

RENT 4 -track open reel tapes -all major labels -3,000different -free brochure. Stereo-Parti, 55 St. James Drive,Santa Rosa, California 95401.

STEREO TAPE TRANSPORT -7" reel -2 speeds -pausecontrol -made for famous manufacturer -50 to 15,000 Hzwith rec/play and erase heads, without case. Send M.O. orcheck for $19.50 to Alsheimer Audio Electronics, 218Columbia St., Utica, N.Y. 13502. $2.50 for prepaidshipping and insurance.

BASF RECORDING TAPE ... Prerecorded Stereo Tapes,Postpaid. Stereotone-Tapes, Box 657, Sterling, Illinois61801.

OPERA tapes -historical performances of past 40 years.Unbelievable treasures and rarities. Free catalog. EdRosen, Box 521, Lynbrook, N.Y. 11563.

RECORDING TAPE made by top American manufactur-er, guaranteed not "seconds" or "white box;" 2400'mylar, $2.29; 1800' mylar $1.69; 1200' acetate $0.79.Send for information and quantity pricing. AlsheimerAudio Electronics, 218 Columbia Street, Utica, New York13502.

OLD Radio Programs Catalog. $1.00 (refundable). TheRadio Vault, Box 9032, Wyoming, Michigan 49509.

BARGAIN MUSIC, Tape, Equipment Catalog, 254. Saxi-tone, 1776 Columbia Road, Washington, D.C. 20009.

CASSETTES, Pre-recorded Spoken Word -over 100titles -educational, including language. Cassette and8 -track Blanks plus many accessories. Send 104 in stampsor coin for latest literature. Cassettes Unlimited, P.O. Box13119S, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15243.

RADIO SHOWS on tape. Stamp for catalog. Box 724 -SR,Redmond, Wash. 98052.

STEREO TAPES, $4.95. Postpaid. CAG, 3606 NantonPlace, Philadelphia, Pa. 19154.

NATIONAL TAPE Exchange Service: Exchange yourused 8 -Track and Cassette Stereo Tapes, 3/$1.00. Mosttop labels and artists available. Send tapes and request listto: P.O. Box 18348, Phila., Penn. 19120.

TRADE Even my slightly used Revox A77 for Tandberg62X, 64X or newer. Robert Ekeren, Thief River Falls,Minn. 56701.

GOLDEN AGE RADIO -Your best source for radio tapes.Box 8404-T, Olivette, Missouri 63132.

CONSUMERS CASSETTES and Accessories. Blank Cas-settes as low as C-30 ... 404, C-60 ... 454, C-90 ... 804,C-120 ... $1.05. All Cassettes licensed quality control byNorth American Phillips. Lifetime guarantee. WRITEFOR FREE CATALOG! CONSUMERS ELECTRONICSCO., 103 Park Avenue, (SR -10), New York, New York10017.

AMPEX Series 300 Tapes -Reel, 8 -Track, Cassette. Dis-counted 50%. Write for other great tape savings. ExhiboWest, Box 5174-S, Mission Hills, CA 91340.

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FINEST Spectrum of Music Available Anywhere. Cas-settes 90 minutes, $6.00 Postpaid. Dale McClees, Box122C, RR #4, Swanton, Ohio 43558.

RECORDING TAPE -2400' reel $15.00 Dozen; 1800'$12.00 Dozen; 1200' $9.00 Dozen. Postpaid, Guaranteed.Mitchell, Box 444SR, Flushing, N.Y. 11367.

RECORDS

FREE 64 PAGE CATALOG offers hundreds of recordingsof rare Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music. Somerecords priced as low as $1.00 each! All late recordings. InStereo only. MHS RECORDS, Box 932 -HS, New York,New York 10023.

FABULOUS OPERATIC LP RARITIES at reasonableprices. Free list, Box 1012, New York City 10001.

RECORD Hunting? Collectors' records at collectorsprices. Shows, soundtracks, classical, personality. Largestock. Lists, LP's only. Record Undertaker, Box 437, NewYork, New York 10023.

SHOW ALBUMS, Rare, Out -of -Print LP's. Large list. 164.Broadway/Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown, Conn.06829.

144 STEREO REVIEW

POPULAR organ albums factory direct. Concert Record-ing, Lynwood, Calif. 90262.

"HARD To Get" records -all speeds. Record Exchange,842 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10019.

PROTECT your records -Poly sleeves for jackets 54; Innersleeves 40; Poly lined paper 100; white jackets 254.Minimum order $5.00 Record House, Hillburn, N.Y.10931.

LIKE new LPs and prerecorded tapes. Catalogue 750.Records, Hillburn, New York 10931.

STEAM TRAINS, Sounds of the City, Relaxation, TheBoardwalk, Family Party and many others. Reel to reel orcassette, records 45 or 33-1/3. Write Caltape, Dept. D,P.O. Box 5716, Redwood City, California 94063. $4.95P.P.

TRADE Show/Soundtrack recordings. Box 4152, NewOrleans, Louisiana 70118.

DELETED CLASSICS, shows, soundtracks, personalities,jazz. Send want list. LP only. Dayton's, 824 Broadway,New York, N.Y. 10003. Telephone 212 -AL 4-5084.

FREE CATALOGS -broadcasts. Sound Tracks ofThirties. ARG, 341 Cooper Station, New York City10003.

SPECIAL interest records available, produced by theeditors of the world's leading special interest magazines.Send for free catalog. Record Catalog-HF, Ziff -DavisPublishing Company, One Park Avenue, New York, N.Y.10016.

TUBES

RECEIVING & INDUSTRIAL TUBES, TRANSISTORS,All Brands -Biggest Discounts. Technicians, Hobbyists,Experimenters -Request FREE Giant Catalog and SAVE!ZALYTRON, 469 Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, N.Y.11501.

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WANTED

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MAGAZINES

JAPAN PUBLICATIONS GUIDE Business, pleasure,education. $8.00. INTERCONTINENTAL, CPO 1717,Tokyo 100-91.

OVER 2,000,000 backdate magazines! Specify needs.Midtown, Box 917 -HS, Maywood, N.J. 07607.

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PERSONALS

MAKE FRIENDS WORLDWIDE through internationalcorrespondence. Illustrated brochure free. Hermes, Berlin11, Germany.

NEW YORK AUDIO SOCIETY offers you a comprehen-sive program and numerous benefits. For details write:N.Y. AUDIO Society, Dept. S, 215 Adams Street, Bklyn,N.Y. 11201.

HOUSTON Remelts 254, monthly $3.00. Fast Forward-ing. Box 12263, Houston 77017.

INSTRUCTION

LEARN Electronics Organ Servicing at home. All makes,including transistors. Experimental kit -trouble -shooting.Accredited NHSC, Free Booklet. Niles Bryant School,3631 Stockton, Dept. A, Sacramento, Calif. 95820.

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DEGREE in Electronics Engineering earned mostly bycorrespondence. Free Brochure. Dept. G-9, GranthamSchool of Engineering, 1505 N. Western Ave., Hollywood,California 90027.

MEMORIZE, study: "1971 tests -answers" for FCC first,and second class license. -plus -"Self -Study Ability Test."Proven! $9.95. Satisfaction guaranteed. Command, Box26348-P, San Francisco 94126.

DRAFTING -Blueprint Reading (Mechanical, Electronic,Architectural). Home Courses $25.00. Send $2.00 firstlesson. Prior, Inc., 23-09 169 Street, Wiitestone, NewYork 11357.

PHOTOGRAFHY-FILM,EQUIPMENT, SERVICES

SCIENCE Bargains -Request Free Giant Catalog"CJ" -148 pages -Astronomical Telescopes, Microscopes,Lenses, Binoculars, Kits, Parts, War surplus bargains.Edmund Scient fic Co., 300 Edscorp Bldg., Barrington,New Jersey 08007.

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MOVIE FILMS

16mm SOUND Features, Shorts, New. Used for Sale. FreeCatalog. National Cinema, 333 W. 57 St., N.Y., N.Y.10019.

BOOKS

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RUBBER STAMPS

RUBBER Address Stamps $2.00. Signature $3.50. FreeCatalog. Jackson's, Box 443-G, Franklin Park, III. 60131.

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RECORDISTS. Make records. We train, equip, provideexclusive territory. Modest investment. Director Group,Englewood, Ohio 45322.

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FREE! 88 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES!! An incredibleCollection of genuine postage stamps ... from Afghanis-tan to Zambia, all around the world! Stamps from theNorth and South Poles. British, French, Portuguese,Spanish Colonies. Ancient Stamps, New Issues, Airmails,Commemoratives, Moon and Outer Space Stamps -from88 Countries! Also, other exciting stamps for freeexamination. Buy any or none, return balance, cancelprivilege any time. Plus Big Introductory Catalog. Send104 for mailing. H.E. Harris, Dept. SS -12, Boston, Mass.02117.

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

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RESORTS AND TRAVEL

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MISCELLANEOUS

WINEMAKERS. Free illustrated catalog of yeasts, equip-ment. Semplex, Box 12276, Minneapolis, Minn. 55412.

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YOUR ad in these columns will reach an audience of300,000 interested buyers monthly.

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TAPEHORI70\SBy CRAIG STA R. <

EQUALIZATION: RECORD AND PLAYBACKAST month I explained the need for low -frequency equalization in a record-

er's tape -playback preamplifiers, with the boost starting at 3,180 Hz andtapering off at 50 Hz for the 71/2- and 15-ips speeds. The reasons for selectingthese particular frequencies are both technical and historical, but obviouslysome standard playback equalization must be used if tapes made on one ma-chine are to be playable on another.

As you may recall, throughout much of the audio range a playback headpresented with equal -strength signals (magnetic strength, that is) doubles itsoutput every time the frequency of the signal doubles. The playback equaliza-tion built into every recorder is essentially a compensation for this: a descend-ing 6 -dB -per -octave slope that spans the six octaves between 50 and 3,200 Hz,with its center or 0 -dB point at 400 Hz. The transition to the full 6 -dB -per -oc-tave slope is gradual, taking up two more octaves to either side of the 50- and3,180 -Hz "turnover" points. Thus the equalization range actually extendsfrom 12.5 to 12,800 Hz.

But there are further factors to complicate the matter. At some point aplayback head's predictable 6 -dB -per -octave rise in output with frequency nolonger holds, and there is first a gradual roll -off followed by a precipitoushigh -frequency drop. The frequency at which this point occurs is determinedby (1) the speed of the tape, and (2) the narrowness of the playback -head gap.(Narrowing the gap and/or increasing the tape speed improves high -frequen-cy response on playback.) Furthermore, at some point above 1,000 Hz (3,000Hz is a good figure), treble losses set in from additional causes. These includethe bias signal sent to the record head (which is needed to reduce distortion,but which unfortunately also erases some of the high -frequency signal as it isrecorded), signal losses in the recording head itself, and the tendency of theclosely spaced magnetic particles that embody the high frequencies on the tapeto neutralize each other. To offset these inherent high -frequency losses of therecord -playback process, a treble boost is used during recording. This general-ly begins, for the 71/2-ips speed, in the vicinity of 3,000 Hz, and the slope ofthe boost is far steeper than the 6 -dB -per -octave curve of the playback equali-zation. Typically, recording pre -emphasis may be up more than 20 dB by thetime we reach 20,000 Hz, but because the amount needed depends on themagnetic characteristics of the tape, the electrical properties of the specificheads in the machine, the amount of bias, and other things, no rigid standardcan be set. All that can reasonably be specified is that the final recordedproduct, when played with standard NAB playback equalization, will be"flat" within perhaps ±2 dB.

But, as I have indicated, standard playback equalization permits a slight(3 dB) drop at 50 Hz, and more below that. Therefore, the recording equali-zation of high -quality home and professional machines additionally applies aslight compensating bass boost in the very low frequencies that serves to keepresponse within 2 dB all the way down to 30 Hz.

STEREO REVIEWOCTOBER 1971

ADVERTISERS INDEX

READERSERVICE NO. ADVERTISER

PAGENUMBER

1 A.D.R. Audio 1082 Acoustic Research, Inc. 117

Advent Corporation 50, 513 Akai America, Inc. 396 Allied Radio Shack 1067 Allied Radio Shack 1198 Altec Lansing 359 Ampex 20

10 Angel 8811 Audio Dynamics Corporation 9212 Audio Unlimited, Inc. 136

13 Baltimore Stereo Wholesalers 12214 Bang & Olufsen of America. Inc. 5215 Benjamin Electronic Sound Corp. 1017 Benjamin Electronic Sound Corp. 127

Bogen 4376 Bose 4579 Bose 4781 Bose 103

103 British Industries-Garrard 218 Buddah Records 122

27 Carston Studios 134Citadel Record Club 5Columbia Records 84

16 Concord Division of Benjamin Electronics 10720 Deutsche Grammophon 95

Discwasher 13785 District Sound Inc. 13422 Dixie High -Fidelity Wholesalers 13823 Downtown Audio, Inc. 133

Dressner 11424 Dual 27 thru 3225 Dynaco Inc. 1326 Dynaco Inc. 15

19 Electro-Voice, Inc. 4th Cover99 Empire Scientific Corp. 4130 Empire Scientific Corp. 10497 Empire Scientific Corp. 12032 Finney Company, The 133

Fisher Radio 2nd Cover, 133 Harman-Kardon, Inc. 4934 Heath Company 96, 97, 98, 9935 Honeywell 134

36 International Hi-Fi Distributors 13837 Irish Tape 8638 JVC America, Inc. 87

lack Daniel Distillery 131

39 KLH Research and Development 8940 Kenwood 24, 2552 Koss Electronics, Inc. 21

42 Lafayette Radio Electronics 111Lear Siegler, Inc., Bogen Division 43

44 London Records 10045 McIntosh Laboratory Inc. 13343 Marantz, Inc. 1946 Memorex Recording Tape 9347 Micro/Acoustics Corp. 880 Musical Heritage Society, Inc., The 9048 National Union Electric Corp. 1249 North American Philips Corporation 2250 Olson Electronics 13651 Ovation Records 9

78 Panasonic 5329 P E (Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc.) 5641 Pickering 129

53 Rabco 1154 Rabsons 57 St. Inc. 10855 Record Club of America 6, 756 Rectilinear Research Corp. 11557 Rek-O-Kut Company, Inc. 14575 Revox Corporation 3758 Sansui Electronics Corp. 113

Seagram's V.O. 2359 Sharpe Audio Division Scintrex Division 2660 Sherwood Electronic Laboratories 8361 Shure Brothers, Inc. 10962 Sony Corporation of America 12563 Sony/Superscope 10564 Sound Reproduction, Inc. 9065 Soundcraftsmen 8666 Standard Radio Corp. 4667 Stereo Corporation of America 137

68 TDK Electronics Corp. 14069 TEAC Corporation of America 3rd Cover71 TEAC Corporation of America 54, 5528 Thorens (Elpa Marketing Industries, Inc.) .... 5672 Toyo Radio Co. of America, Inc. 135

U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp. 9124 United Audio Products, Inc. 27 thru 3273 VM Corporation 123

Warner/Reprise Records 12874 Wollensak 3M Company 101

Classified Advertising 144, 145

146Printed in the U.S.A.

TEAC's exclusive SL combination heads afford 6 head functions with 4 heads.

You're headed for a lifetime commandperformance with the incomparableTEAC 4070.This is a multi -purpose, many-splendored machine.Complete with the industry's first original -ownerlifetime head warranty.

The 4070 has two combination heads with separatepole pieces for erase and record functions, plus twoplayback heads. They all have virtually wearproofhigh -density -ferrite cores. An ultra -linear hairlinerecording gap in each head surface assures unprece-dented high frequency response, channel separation,and minimal crosstalk: the clearest, most naturaltones, free of undesirablecoloration. Delivered by ourmost advanced center -capstan bi-directional drivewith automatic recordreverse, plus conti nuous play-back, forward and reverse.

Professional fade-in/fade-out with new Edi-Q Pause/Master Volume Control forstudio -quality Mic/Line fades:slide the lever down slowlyand you get a perfect gradualfade-out. Flick it down fastand you reduce volumeinstantly to zero in a clean,click -free operation with notape bounce or flutter. Thenslide or quick -release it forgradual fade-ins or bounce -less, flutterless quick starts.Mic and Line mixing supple-ment Edi-Q too, of course.

TEAC®

vwwwwwworf°5°.-

STOP

All -tape biasing andmonitoring with Switchable

TEACTEAC Bias Control and ExpandedVU Metering System formaximum performance withstandard or low-noise/high-

-scale VU meter lets youread + 3 dB at the "0" posi-tion, so your readings have

a common reference point for either kind of tape.Completing this system is a convenient Tape/Sourcemonitor that selects the signal displayed on the VUmeters, and also available at the headphone output jack.

Time -tested TEAC technology throughout this com-mand performer with pedigree features everywhere youlook: piano -key buttons. Solenoid operation, hysteresis -synchronous 4 -8 -pole capstan motor. Two 6 -pole eddy -current induction motors for constant -tension reeltakeup. Six -head function with four uniqueheads. All new noise -free SL solid-statecircuitry. Automatically -delayed capstanpinch rollerengagement inautoreverse. Tapetension switch for1/2 -mil or reg-ular tapes. Option-al remote control.

When it comes totape decks, yourwish is our com-mand. And ourwish is for you totry this commandperformer.

L IMCOROPoSE

"7"*` E.:

TEAC Corporation of America, 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640TEAC Corporation, 1-8-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan TEAC EUROPE N.V., Kabelweg 45-47, Amsterdam-W.2, HollandIn Canada: White Electronic Development Corp., Ltd., Toronto


A superb condensermicrophone for just $39.75.What's the trick?Brilliant engineering.

Condenser microphones have longbeen known for their sound...and theircost, and their complexity. Now Electro-Voice introduces a series of genuinecondenser microphones that providesound embarrassingly close to the mostexpensive studio models, without thehigh cost and complexity.

A big problem with conventionalcondenser microphones has been theneed for a high voltage power supplyto polarize the diaphragm. E -V haseliminated it completely with its newelectret condensers. We've found a wayto permanently trap this voltage righton the surface of the diaphragm, thusdoing away with the need for bulky,expensive power supplies.

How do the new Electro-Voiceelectrets sound? Response is clean,flat, and transparent, with very high out-put for full recording volume. It's justwhat you would expect from condensermicrophones costing much more,and by far the best sound -per -dollaryou've ever heard.

A simple FET circuit inside eachE -V electret microphone matches bothprofessional and home tape recorderinputs with equal quality. This low -noise, high -output circuit operates froma single "AA" penlite battery for aslong as 1200 hours of use.

Choose either omnidirectional orSingle -D cardioid types. The chartshows the prices, and some of thereasons for the difference in cost.Whichever model you choose will giveyou excellent transient response, highsensitivity, and uniform polar response.Our "second -generation" electretdesign offers vastly improved protectionagainst extremes of humidity andtemperature. And the ruggedness ofE -V electret condensers is rivalled onlyby E -V dynamic models. All -in -all,new E -V condensers are a significantimprovement over less sophisticatedcondenser microphones (electret orotherwise).

If your goal is to record natural sound,or natural music -try an E -V electret.Or in the PA field where condensershave never been sufficiently reliable-try an E -V electret. But don't tell yourlisteners how much you paid for yournew microphones. They'll neverbelieve you!

ELECTRO-VOICE, INC., Dept. 1011F616 Cecil Street, Buchanan, Michigan 49107In Europe: Electro-Voice, S.A., Lyss-Strasse 55,2560 Nidau, Switzerland

MODEL 1710Omnidirectional80-13,000 Hz responseUnbalanced 150 ohm output- 50 dB output level.$39.75

MODEL 1750Single -D Cardioid80-13,000 Hz responseUnbalanced 150 ohm output-43 ,lB output level..$45.00

MODEL 1711 MODEL 1751Omnidirectional60.15,000 Hz responseBalanced 150 ohm outlastProtesslional cable connector-50 dB output level`$59.70

Single -13 Cardioid60-15,000 Hz responseBalanced 150 ohm outputProtetrsional cable connector- 43 dB output level.$75.00

*Output level ref. to 1 mw/10 dynes/crn2. The smaller thenumber, the better.. Prices shown are suggested retail.

CIRCLE NO. 19 ON READER SERVICE CARD a GULTON subsidiary

PROGRESS REPORT ON QUADRASONICS

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