Stereo Review - World Radio History

Stereo ReviewDECEMBER 1976 ONE DOLLAR

GIVE YOURSELFA

* FORCHRISTMAS

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Micro -Acoustics 2602-e Phono Cartridge

MXR Stereo EqualizerSennheiser HD 224X Stereo HeadOcnes

Technics SL -1350 Record Player

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43S AW34V3V N33H 134Hzi more S

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OPS: Sibling Rock, or Blast Be the Tiesthat Bind A Talk with Singer Helen Reddy

CLASSICAL: Bach Organ Works -A Look atIntegral Sets Conductor Bernard Haitink

Retaile-s: Notice of display -allowance plan is within last twee pages

lyrAnPIONEERSX-1250

MARANTZ2325

KENWOODKR -9400

SANSUI9090

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POWER. MIN RMS.20 TO 20.000 HZ 160W -1-160W 125W+125W 120W -1-120W 110W+110W

d44#

TOTAL HARMONICDISTORTION

0.1% 0.15% 0.1% 0.2%

PHONO OVER-LOAD LEVEL 500 mV 100 mV 210 mV 200 mV

INPUT:PHONO/AUX/MIC 2/1/2 1/1/no 2/1/mixing 1/1/mixing

TAPE MON/ DUPL 2/yes 2/yes 2/yes 2/yes

TONE Twin Tone Bass -Mid-Treble

Bass -Mid-Treble

Bass -Mid -Treble

TONE DEFEAT Yes Yes Yes Yes

SPEAKERS A.B.0 A.B A.B.0 A.B.0

FM SENSITIVITYUHF .%) 1.5 a V 1.8µV 1.7µV 1.7µV

SELECTIVITY 90 dB 1.10 dB 80 dB 85 dB

CAPTURE RATIO 1.0dB 1.25 dB 1.3 dB 1.5 dB

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PIONEERHAS DEVELOPEDA RECEIVER EVEN

MARANTZ, KENWOOD ANDSANSUI WILL HAVE TO

ADMIT IS THE BEST

One look at the new Pioneer SX-1250, and even the mostpartisan engineers at Marantz, Kenwood, Sansui or anyother receiver company will have to face the facts.

There isn't another stereo receiver in the worldtoday that comes close to it. And there isn't likely to beone for some time to come.

In effect, these makers of high-performancereceivers have already conceded the superiority of theSX-1250. Just by publishing the specifications of theirown top models.

As the chart shows, when our best is compared withtheir best there's no comparison.

160 WATTS PER CHANNEL: AT LEAST 28%MOREPOWERFUL THAN THE REST.

In accordance with Federal Trade Commissionregulations, the power output of the SX-1250 is rated at160 watts per channel minimum RMS at 8 ohms from 20to 20,000 Hz, with no more than 0.1% total harmonicdistortion.

That's 35 to 50 watts better than the cream of thecompetition. Which isn't just something to impress yourfriends with. Unlike the usual 5 -watt and 10 -watt"improvements7a difference of 35 watts or more isclearly audible.

And, for critical listening, no amount of power is toomuch. You need all you can buy.

To maintain this huge poweroutput, the SX-1250 has a powersupply section unlike any otherreceiver's.

A large toroidal -coretransformer with split windingsand four giant 22,000-microfaradelectrolytic capacitors supplythe left and right channelsindependently. That means eachchannel can deliver maximumundistorted power at the bassfrequencies. Without robbing theother channel.

When you switch on the SX-1250, this power supplycan generate an inrush current of as much as 200amperes. Unlike other high -power receivers, the SX-1250is equipped with a power relay controlled by asophisticated protection circuit, so that its transistorsand your speakers are fully guarded from this onslaught.

PREAMP SECTION CAN'T BE OVERLOADED.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of thepreamplifier circuit in the SX-1250 is the unheard-ofphono overload level of half a volt (500 mV).

That means there's no magneticcartridge in the world that can drivethe preamp to the point where it soundsstrained or hard. And that's the downfallof more than a few expensive units.

The equalization for the RIAArecording curve is accurate within±0.2 dB, a figure unsurpassed bythe costliest separate preamplifiers.

THE CLEANEST FM RECEPTION THERE IS.

Turn the tuning knob of the SX-1250,and you'll know at once that the AM/FM tunersection is special. The tuning mechanism feelsastonishingly smooth, precise and solid.

For informational purposes only, the SX-1250 is priced under $900.The actual resale price will be set by the individual Pioneer dealer at his option.

The FM front end has extremely high sensitivity,but that alone would be no great achievement.Sensitivity means very little unless it's accompanied byhighly effective rejection of spurious signals.

The SX-1250 is capable of receiving weak FMstations cleanly because its front end meets bothrequirements without the slightest compromise. Thanks,among other things, to three dual -gate MOSFETh and afive -gang variable capacitor.

On FM stereo, the multiplex design usually has thegreatest effect on sound quality. The SX-1250 achieves

1, oa

Twin tone-r owl ol system with step -type settings,permitting 3025 possible combinations.

its tremendous channel separation (50 dB at 1000 Hz)and extremely low distortion with the latest phase -locked -loop circuitry. Not the standard IC chip.

Overall FM distortion, mono or stereo, doesn'texceed 0.3% at any frequency below 6000 Hz. Otherreceiver makers don't even like to talk about that.

Click -stop volume control calibrated indecibels, with left/right tracking within 0.5 dB.

AND TWO MORE RECEIVERSNOT FAR BEHIND.

Just because the Pioneer SX-1250is in a class by itself, it would benormal to assume that in the classjust below it the pecking orderremains the same.

Not so.Simultaneously with the SX-1250,

we're introducing the SX-1050 and theSX-950. They're rated at 120 and 85watts, respectively, per channel (underthe same conditions as the SX-1250)and their design is very similar.

In the case of the SX-1050, you have to take off thecover to distinguish it from its bigger brother.

So you have to come to Pioneer not only for theworld's best.

You also have to come to us for the next best.

U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp.,75 Oxford Drive,Moonachie, New Jersey 07074

PIONEER'Anyone can

hear the difference.CIRCLE NO. 1 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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ON

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RP

. 19-4

This is an oscilloscope pictureof amplifier output showing

perfect reproduction ofa complex musical passage.

This is a picture of amplifieroutput for the same sound output

level. It shows severetransient response distortion.

This is the same amplifier.The only difference

is the BIC VENTURI speaker.That's a fact! The speaker you use with an amplifierwill significantly affect the performance of the ampli-fier. Amplifiers can be driven into severe distortionby heavy symphonic passages or the electronic in-strumentation of "rock" music, in many instanceswith the volume control setting turned up only half-way! The flat-topped picture shown above is knownas amplifier "clipping", and it results in highly dis-torted sound similar to speaker "break-up".

Clipping occurs when the power required to drivea loudspeaker leaves insufficient reserve in the am-plifier to handle musical peaks that can be as high as200 times the average program level!

The combination of exceptional sensitivity and highpower handling capability of BICVENTURI speaker systems can how-ever, make an amplifier behave as ifit has power output many times itsactual rating. The result isclearly superior perfor-mance. So, whether you

Canadian inquiries toC.W. Pointon. Ontario.RUC. RAT VENTURI and

RICONEX are trademarks ofBritish Industries Company.

Division of Avnet. Inc

want to get the most out of low and medium poweramplifiers, or to make the most of high power ampli-fiers that can provide very wide musical dynamicrange... BIC VENTURI is the logical choice.

But, this is just one of the critically important ad-vantages of using BIC VENTURI speakers. In addi-tion, there's our patented "VENTURI" principle whichinsures clean, extended bass response; and thepatented BICONEXTM' wide dispersion mid/ treblerange transducer which permits less criticalspeaker positioning and room placement. Also theexclusive Dynamic Tonal Balance Compensation cir-cuit which overcomes human hearing deficiencies, sothat whether you play music loud or soft, you hear

all the music equally well.Get the complete story.

Write to BIC VENTURI, West-bury, N.Y. 11590 Dept VH, fora free copy of our 20 -page"Consumer's Guide toLoudspeaker Performance:'

TM

B1C VENTURISPEAKER SYSTEMSCIRCLE NO. 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD

C300

BIC VENTURI

2 STEREO REVIEW

HeFI/STEREO0REVIEW

eviewDECEMBER 1976 VOLUME 37 NUMBER 6

NEW PRODUCTSRoundup of latest audio equipment and accessories

AUDIO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSAdvice on readers' technical problems

AUDIO BASICSGlossary of Technical Terms -30

TAPE HORIZONSSignal Saturation

EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTSHirsch -Houck Laboratory test results on the Technics SL -1350 record player,Micro -Acoustics 2002-e phono cartridge, MXR stereo equalizer, andSennheiser HD 224X stereo headphones

GIVE YOURSELF A RECEIVER FOR CHRISTMASWhat to look for and what to expect for your dollar

AUDIO ACCESSORIES: THE WELL -FILLED CHRISTMAS STOCKINGThe kind of thing audiophiles seldom get around to buying for themselves RALPH HODGES 84

die `Equipment

BACH ORGAN WORKSA look at the virtues of the several integral sets now available IGOR KIPNIS 71

BICENTENNIAL CORNER: LAST FLINGA decoupage tribute to American popular music to test your wits SHARON WARNER 76

CONDUCTOR BERNARD HAITINK..a normal human being in a very odd profession" ROY HEMMING 81

SIBLING ROCKHaving a famous brother or sister may be more hindrance than help RICK MITI 88

HELEN REDDY"I am a feminist, but it's not what I do fora living" ROBERT WINDELER 92

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTHChoral: Gabriel Pierne's Les Enfants a BethleemOpera: London Records' new CarmenRock: "The Best of the Band"Vocal: Carmen McRae's "Can't Hide Love," Barry Manilow's

"This One's for You," and Peter Schreier's Mendelssohn songs 96

POPULAR DISCS AND TAPES 102Helen Reddy's "Music Music" NOEL COPPAGE 103Bob Dylan's "Hard Rain" NOEL COPPAGE 108

Steeleye Span: Merely Impeccable ERIC SALZMAN 118Porgy and Bess: Ray and Cleo PETER REILLY 130

CLASSICAL DISCS AND TAPES 134An Elegant New Thais from Angel GEORGE JELLINEK ... 142

14

LARRY KLEIN 26

RALPH HODGES 36

CRAIG STARK 38

JULIAN D. HIRSCH 41

JULIAN D. HIRSCH 66

e 0i/tusk

VieRsgularsEDITORIALLY SPEAKING WILLIAM ANDERSON 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 6

BOOKS RECEIVED 13

THE POP BEAT STEVE SI MELS 52

OPERA FILE WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE 57

GOING ON RECORD JAMES GOODFRI EN D 62

THE BASIC REPERTOIRE MARTIN BOOKSPAN 64

CHOOSING SIDES IRVING KOLODIN 132EDITORIAL INDEX FOR 1976 156ADVERTISERS' INDEX 160

COVER: Design by Borys Patchowsky; photo by Bruce Pendleton; see page 58 for details

COPYRIGHT © 1976 BY ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. Stereo Review, December 1976, Volume 37, N umber6. Publishedmonthly by Ziff -Davis Publishing Company; Editorial and Executive Offices at One Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016; Telephone: 212725-3500. Hershel B.Sarbin, President; Furman Hebb, Executive Vice President; John R. Emery, Senior Financial Vice President and Treasurer; Charles B. Seton, Secretary. Alsothe publishers of Boating, Car and Driver, Cycle, Flying, Modern Bride, Popular Electronics, Popular Photography, and Skiing. One-year subscription rate forU.S.. 87.98; U.S. possessions and Canada, $10.98. All other countries, one-year subscription rate $12.98, cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. 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 forpayment of postage in cash. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: Forms 3579 and all subscription correspondence should be addressed to Stereo Review. CirculationDepartment. P.O. Box 2771. Boulder. Colorado 80323. Please allow at least eight weeks for change of address. Include your old address, as well as new-enclosing if possible an address label from a recent issue. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests forpermission should be directed to Jerry Schneider, Rights and Permissions, Ziff -Davis Publishing Company, One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

Editorially Speaking

JINGLE JANGLE

READER mail, as any editor will be quick totell you, is about the last place to look for

compliments. It is also a good first place tolook for provocative topics. For example: aletter from a young reader recently took us totask for our rock and jazz review sections;they are, he maintained, "narrow and down-right distasteful, especially when it comes toprogressive music." He went on to identifyhimself as a student at a southern university(majoring in "Popular Culture"), a music lov-er who deplores "hit machines" (Elton Johnand Neil Sedaka) and admires synthesizer"progressives" (Genesis, ELP, the Alan Par-sons Project, and Patrick Moraz).

Though I am one of those unreconstructedtraditionalists who has never been able to gettoo firm a grip on just what "progress"means, I think I can draw a pretty good beadon what is meant by "progressive" in this mu-sical context. "All art," someone once said,"tends toward the baroque." Which is to saythat fresh discoveries, new movements in thearts, go through a natural cycle of birth,

growth and development, aging, decay, anddeath. In time, therefore, the once fascinatingbecomes tiresome, the juicy dry, the fruitfulbarren, the eloquent mere rhetorical (ba-roque) flourish.

That rock was running out of things tosay-going baroque-became apparent themoment the hybrids (country -rock, folk-rock,jazz-rock, even classical -rock) began to ap-pear. It was rather as if an enfeebled royalline were trying to jazz up its tired blood withan infusion of lusty peasant; it didn't work.Ordinary folk moved on to other things, butthe rock illuminati swung their capes aboutthem and retreated to their ivory towers.There, rapt in swirling incense and strobelights, a crew of "keyboard geniuses" andother conservatory dropouts went "progres-sive," concocted a positively cosmic brewout of synthesizers, sci-fi scenarios, andwhole pretentious cloth, and launched a cam-paign to "James Joyce the popular song," asNoel Coppage has so nicely put it. That didn'twork either.

One should not be too hard on these efforts,for they appear to be almost reflex in the de-clining days of any art form, whether it bejazz, rock, or disco. The last of these, amaz-ingly, is already showing signs of "progres-sivism." Stung by rock -critics' charges thatthe "product" is monotonous, unmusicaldrivel fit only for mindless robots (does thatremind you of anything?), disco producers arenow trying to upgrade the music's image byseeking out "more meaningful" lyrics.

"Progressivism" aside, doesn't it seem oddthat someone majoring in popular cultureshould be so disdainful of those (Elton John,Neil Sedaka, maybe even the Beatles) whoare most popular? The first thing an honestscholar ought to do is distance himself fromhis prejudices. In this case, he must approachhis subjects as if they were only so manyTrobriand Islanders with tastes worthy of (atleast) dispassionate dissection. He might thenbe able to apply himself to some of the reallyengaging items of pop culture that havemoved across my desk lately. First is a HenryMancini album (RCA APL1-1896) of TV cop -show themes (Baretta, Bumper, Kojak, etc.).Maybe you hadn't noticed, but most of thismusic is really splendidly crafted-and itmakes a marvelous guessing game in the bar-gain. Folkways has another guessing gamewith its album (FX 6109) of TV commercials.The titles are a bit pretentious-FleetingClouds (Dannon Yogurt), Pastorella (BollaWine), Theme for Two Lovers (Volkswa-gen)-but, again, the music's quality is unde-niable. Best of all is the New York TimesBook Company's "Great Songs of MadisonAvenue" ($7.95) containing piano and guitarscores for all those great commercials thathave exasperatingly refused to get out of yourhead for whole days: Use Ajax (boom, boom)the Foaming Cleanser, Me and My RC, SevenKinds of Fruit in Hawaiian Punch, and onehundred and thirteen others. Did you knowthat Randy Newman wrote the Dr. Pepper jin-gle? That it took three people to write thewords and two the music for McDonald's YouDeserve a Break Today? Is it important? No.But, like all really popular Popular Culture, itis a lot of fun. Try it; you'll like it.

Stereo ReviewPUBLISHEREDGAR W. HOPPER

EDITORWILLIAM ANDERSON

MANAGING EDITORWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

EDITORIAL COORDINATORLOUISE GOOCH BOUNDAS

MUSIC EDITORJAMES GOODFRIEND

TECHNICAL EDITORLARRY KLEIN

ART DIRECTORBORYS PATCHOWSKYASSOCIATE TECHNICAL EDITORRALPH HODGES

POPULAR MUSIC EDITORSTEVE SIMELS

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITORVIVIENNE WINTERRY GOODMAN

PRODUCTION EDITORPAULETTE WEISS

LONDON EDITORHENRY PLEASANTS

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSCHRISMARTIN BOOKSPAN STODDARD LINCOLNNOEL COPPAGE J MARKS -HIGH WATERRICHARD FREED LINCOLN PERRY

Japan: James YagiOji Palace Aoyama, 6-25, Minami Aoyama6-Chome. Minato-ku, Tokyo, JapanTelephone: 407-1930/6821. 582-2851

Circulation OfficeDAVID HALL PETER REILLY P.O. Box 2771, Boulder, Colorado 80323ROY HEMMING CHARLES RODRIGUES EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS must be accompaniedJULIAN D. HIRSCH ERIC SALZMAN by return postage and will be handled with reasonableGEORGE JELLINEK CRAIG STARKIGOR KIPNIS JOEL VANCEIRVING KOLODIN

care; however, publisher assumes no responsibilityfor the return or safety of art work, photography, ormanuscripts.

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

JAMES J. SULLIVAN 1114101

ADVERTISING SERVICE MANAGER MPALINDA BLUM MON ar

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTPEGI McENEANEY

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERSTANLEY NEUFELDEditorial and Executive OfficesZiff -Davis Publishing CompanyOne Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016212 725-3500Eastern Advertising Manager: Richard J. HalpernMidwestern Office: The Pattis Group4761 West Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, Illinois 60646312 679-1100Arnold S. HoffmanWestern Office9025 Wilshire BoulevardBeverly Hills, California 90211213 273-8050; 272-1161Western Advertising Manager. Bud Dean

ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANYHershel B. Sarbin, PresidentFurman Hebb, Executive Vice PresidentJohn R. Emery, Senior Vice President-Finance/TreasurerPhillip T. Heffernan, Senior Vice President, MarketingEdward D. Muhlfeld, Senior Vice President, Sports Div.Philip Sine, Senior Vice PresidentFrank Pomerantz, Vice President, Creative ServicesArthur W. Butzow, Vice President, ProductionLawrence Sporn, Vice President, CirculationGeorge Morrissey, Vice PresidentSydney H. Rogers. Vice PresidentSidney Holtz, Vice PresidentAl Trains, Vice PresidentPhilip Korsant, Vice PresidentCharles B. Seton, SecretaryEdgar W. Hopper. Vice President, Electronics Div.

William Ziff, ChairmanW. Bradford Briggs, Vice Chairman

4 STEREO REVIEW

Introducing an evolutionary idea.The New Empire 698 Turntable

Great ideas neverchange radically.

Instead, they are con-stantly being refined tobecome more relevant withtime.

So it has been withEmpire turntables. Ourlatest model, 698, is noexception. Basically, it's stillthe uncomplicated, belt -driven turntable we've beenmaking for 15 years. Aclassic.

What we're introducingis improved performance.

The lower mass tonearm, electronic cueing,quieting circuitry and auto-matic arm lift are all verynew.

The rest is history.The Tonearm

The new 698 armmoves effortlessly on 32jeweled, sapphire bearings.Vertical and horizontalbearing friction is a mere0.001 gram, 4 times lessthan it would be on conven-tional steel bearings. It isimpervious to drag. Onlythe calibrated anti -skatingand tracking force youselect control its movement.

The new aluminumtubular arm, dramaticallyreduced in mass, respondsinstantly to the slightestvariation of a record'smovement. Even the abruptchanges of a warped discare quickly absorbed.The Motor

A self -cooling, hys-teresis synchronous motordrives the platter with

enough torque to reach fullspeed in one third of a revo-lution. It contributes to thealmost immeasurable 0.047(average wow and fluttervalue in our specifications.More important, it's built tolast.The Drive Belt

Every turntable isapproved only when zeroerror is achieved in its speedaccuracy. To prevent anyvariations of speed we grindeach belt to within one tenthousandth of an inch thick-ness.The Platter

Every two piece, 7 lb., 3inch thick, die cast alumi-num platter is dynamicallybalanced. Once in motion, itacts as a massive flywheel toassure specified wowand fluttervalue evenwith thevoltagevaried from105 to 127volts AC.The Main Bearing

The stainlesssteel shaft extendingfrom the platter isaged, by alternateexposures to extremehigh and low tempera-tures preventing is fromever warping. The tip is

then precision ground andpolished before lapping itinto two oilite, self-lubricat-ing bearings, reducing fric-tion and reducing rumbleto one of the lowest figuresever measured in a profes-sional turntable; -68 dBCBS ARLL.The Controls

Electronic cueing hasbeen added to the 698 toraise and lower the tonearm at your slightest touch.Simple plug-in integratedcircuitry raises the tone armautomatically when poweris turned off.

A see-through antiskating adjustment pro-vides the necessary forcefor the horizontal plane. Itis micrometer calibrated to

eliminate channel im-balance and unnecessa:y

record weir.

The Empire 698 TurntableSuggested retail price S i(ii)

Stylus force is dialedusing a see-through cali-brated cicck mainspringmore accurate than anycommercially availablestylus pressure gauge.

A new silicon photocellsensor has been added toautomatically lift the arm atthe end of a record.

New quieting circuitryhas also been added. Now,even with the amplifier vol-ume turned up, you canswitch the 698 on or offwithout a "pop" sound toblow out your woofers.

At Empire we makeonly one model turntable,the 698. With proper main-tenance and care thechances are very good it willbe the only one you'll everneed.

information write:SCIENTIFIC CORP.

arden City, New York, 11530.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mahler I concur with Irving Kolodin on his selec-tion of Walter's gorgeous and heartfelt ver-sion of Mahler's Ninth Symphony above allothers (October). But to leave out Barbirolli'sequally beautiful version with the outstandingBerlin Philharmonic on Angel is a seriousoversight. I urge Mr. Kolodin to listen tosome of the most beautiful orchestral playing(especially the Berlin strings in the finalAdagio) and the masterly conducting of thelate, great, and much maligned Barbirolli.

TED MEYERChapel Hill, N.C.

It came as quite a surprise to me to discov-er that Irving Kolodin, in his October articleon the Mahler symphonies, chose to ignorethe existence of the first all-American set ofthe symphonies, those of the Utah Symphonyunder Maurice Abravanel. Had Mr. Kolodindeclared that he was limiting the survey to in-clude only full -price recordings (Solti, Hai -fink, Kubelik, Bernstein, etc.) and "impor-tant" historical and/or budget recordings(Walter, Mengelberg, Horenstein, etc.), onecould have understood his omission ofAbravanel from consideration. But we havereviews of recordings by Sir Adrian Boult,David Oistrakh, and Lorin Maazel, none ofwhom is particularly noted as a Mahler inter-preter. We also have recordings by Hans Ros-baud, Leopold Stokowski, George Szell, andJames Levine, who are recognized as being"Mahler specialists."

If the purpose of the article was to present arepresentative sampling of the available re-cordings, how can Mr. Kolodin justify totallyignoring the existence of the Utah recordings?Are we to assume that he does not deem themworthy of discussion?

W. ROBERT CHAPMANHartford, Conn.

Music Editor James Goodfriend replies: Ithink there has been a little confusion of in-tents. Mr. Kolodin's purpose was not to dis-cuss all available recordings of the Mahlersymphonies, but simply to name those that hepreferred and tell why, as well as to bring insome other recordings that had something torecommend them but perhaps some fatal flawas well. Mr. Kolodin did not totally ignore the

Abravanel-Utah recordings; they are men-tioned on the first page of the article, togetherwith the other integral sets. However, he obvi-ously did not feel that any of the individualUtah recordings was his preferred perform-ance of that symphony, and hence they are notmentioned again. This does not mean thatthey are unworthy; merely that they are not theones he would choose.

It was a pleasure to come across IrvingKolodin's masterly review of the GustavMahler recordings (October). It couldn't havecome at a better time, for undoubtedly lots ofinterest will be aroused during the currentMahler Festival at the New York Philharmon-ic. Mr. Kolodin's lucid opinions and his well-chosen discography are unparalleled.

What a contrast, if one thinks of the latemusic critic of the New York Times, OlinDownes (1886-1955), who left no stone un-turned to belittle and degrade the composerwhenever one of Mahler's works was re-viewed. But de mortuis nil nisi bene. Ofcourse Mr. Downes was not the only "Mah-lerphobe," as a perusal of Nicolas Slo-nimsky's Lexicon of Musical Invective will re-veal. There was, for example, the critic of theNew York Sun (name not given) who, in 1913,crowned his columns with the revelation that"Mahler had not much to say in his FifthSymphony and occupied a wondrous time insaying it. His manner is ponderous, his matteris imponderable." It was only 1915 then, butnow listen to the well -esteemed R. D. Darrell,who crowned the pages of Down Beat as lateas 1952 with the following invective: "If youare perverse enough to endure over an hour ofmasochistic aural flagellation, here's yourchance! This grandiose Mahler 'Symphony ofa Thousand' (Symphony No. 8) with all itselephantine forces, fatuous mysticism andscreaming hysteria, adds up to a sublimely ri-diculous minus -zero."

All in all, Irving Kolodin has given us anenormously helpful review which, by theway, enabled this writer, who rushed out tothe nearest record store, to add some "miss-ing links" to his collection-namely the Fifthunder Von Karajan and the Eighth with Solti.After playing them, I can only report that myexpectations were exceeded in every respect.

PAUL SAMUELDobbs Ferry, N.Y.

CIRCLE NO. 14 ON READER SERVICE CARD6 STEREO REVIEW

Cassettes In the October issue, Ralph Hodges re-ported exciting new events in the cassetteworld in an interesting, clear and stimulatingway. The issue as a whole was the best I'veseen on the subject. I was about ready to say,"No more discs for me. Cassettes cost morebut they are much easier to play and store."But, alas, I continued past the material in thefront of the issue to the record reviews in theback, and it is all too clear that new discs out-number new tapes ten -to -one (or even worse).I think I'll keep my record player.

Ross POLLOCKAltamonte Springs, Fla.

I feel compelled to write to you concern-ing the October issue, specifically JulianHirsch's article on cassette equipment. In aword, it was great! I am a rank amateur in theaudio field but am bound and determined tolearn as much as possible about it. Articlessuch as Mr. Hirsch's are of great assistance tobeginners like me, who can rarely compre-hend one paragraph of a tech article. This wasbeautifully done-carefully explained in alogical sequence. And it was good to see myPioneer CTF 2121 listed in your charts.

MARTY HAYNESClare, Mich.

Now that William Anderson, RalphHodges, and Irving Kolodin have added theirtwo bits to the great disc -vs. -cassette debate(October), I would like to throw in my twobits. If you want to know which format is bet-ter, the answer is neither. While audio hard-ware is soaring to dizzying heights of techni-cal excellence, software is plodding through aquagmire of vinyl and chromium dioxide. Justas the auto industry is suffering for want of anew engine, so does the audio industry achefor want of a new format. Must we sit on ourbutts while laser, digital, magnetic disc, andother developments slap us in the face? It isnot enough to grin and bear the snap, crackle,hiss, and rumble (not to mention the warpage,breakage, and jamming). Enjoying the fruitsof our hi-fi "horn of plenty" requires a medi-um to match.

W. R. KANEAustintown, Ohio

American Symphony In reference to Eric Salzman's Septemberarticle on the great American symphony, Ifind it very disturbing that he omitted even themention of one of the greatest American com-posers: Alan Hovhaness. On first hearing,Hovhaness' music does indeed sound "exot-ic" and might even be labeled "gimmicky,"but his original treatment of various instru-ments is only a means to an end, and the pro-foundness of his music is very apparent on re-peated hearings. Hovhaness' genius and origi-nality in combining Eastern and Western mu-sical elements are as great as any twentieth-century avant-garde composer's, and thecomparative neglect of his music is even moreamazing considering its great beauty and easyapproachability.

ROBERT OUTENREATHAustin, Tex.

As I read Eric Salzman's article, "TheGreat American Symphony" in the Septem-ber issue, I became aware of the obvious

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DECEMBER 1976CIRCLE NO. 34 ON READER SERVICE CARD 7

omission of American composer LeonardBernstein. Since I find it difficult to believethat Mr. Salzman is unaware of Bernstein'sworks, I must conclude that he feels (1) Bern-stein is not American, or (2) he does not writesymphonies. That Bernstein is American is amatter of public record (Boston, 1918, I be-lieve); that he writes symphonies is also well-known (the Jeremiah, Age of Anxiety, andKaddish symphonies). I suspect the problemis that Bernstein doesn't fit conveniently intoone of those cute little trees. His symphonicstyle manages to embrace both the Americanand the late -Romantic European traditions,and it is for that reason characteristically diffi-cult to type.

TIM BARRYMountain View, Calif.

We were astonished, upon finishing EricSalzman's "The Great American Symphony"(September) to realize that the name (and pic-ture) of one of America's finest symphoniccomposers had been entirely omitted fromconsideration or mention. This composer'sworks have been played by orchestras such asthe New York Philharmonic, the Phila-delphia, Cleveland, and Minnesota Orches-tras, the Los Angeles and Vienna Philharmon-ics, and the BBC and Moscow State Sympho-nies, and conducted by such conductors asToscanini, Stokowski, and Mitropoulos. Wespeak of a composer whose music for overforty years has as much exemplified the "in-fusion of folk, jazz, and popular elements into'serious' music" as that of any of the otherAmerican composers listed in the article. We

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CIRCLE NO. 46 ON READER SERVICE CARD

refer, of course, to the renowned Americancomposer Elie Siegmeister.

ANN HEILIGMAN SASLAVISIDOR SASLAVBaltimore, Md.

Eric Salzman replies: Other worthy Americancomposers who were omitted include WayneBarlou, John J. Becker, William Bergsma,Gordon Binkerd, Earle Brown, Paul Creston,Jacob Druckman, Lehman Engel, DonaldErb, Robert Erickson, Alvin Etler, WilliamFlanagan, etc. etc. Which is to say that thesubject of the article was the Great AmericanSymphony; a comprehensive treatment ofAmerican composers was not intended.

Ethel Waters My heart leapt with joy when I read yourpaean to Ethel Waters in the October issue,and I thank you for it. In the short space ofone page, the writer hit on most of the pri-mary qualities of this great artist, and that isno mean accomplishment, because she is sogreat. But I really do believe the writer de-serves credit. I suspect it was Henry Pleas -ants from the quality of the writing and per-ception. Was it? You shouldn't keep him un-der a bushel. And, while I'm on the subject,may I say that Mr. Pleasants is unquestiona-bly this country's finest writer on popularsingers. I do wish STEREO REVIEW would usethis valuable treasure more often.

LANSING BAILEYMartha's Vineyard, Mass.

Juvenile Rock How sad that you pass John Sebastian offas "a writer for juveniles" (September). Andit's sadder still that there's some justificationfor it: we've gotten too old for him. We wereall juveniles in 1966, when Sebastian wrotethe Lovin' Spoonful's classics, whether wewere mere nine -year -olds, like me, or older.Not to say that Sebastian's more recent songsare as classy, as much fun, or even as musicalas those old ones . . . but things seem to belike that all around. The universal horror ofbeing termed "simplistic" (whatever thatmeans) has taken all the casualness and lifeout of our music. Rock is taking itself too seri-ously now. What it needs is to take a cue fromSixties pop (as Sixties pop did from rhythm-and-blues) and dare to be fun again.

JULIE EVELSIZERNorthport, Ala.

Errata In preparing the information -packed cas-sette -machine listings for our October issuewe expected there would be some mistakes;we hoped they would be few. Three havecropped up: one we discovered for ourselves,(too late to correct), one was pointed out by areader, and the third by the manufacturer.Advent has not reduced the price of its Model201 machine to $240 (though they said theywish they could!). It still sells for $340. TheRealistic SCT-100 cassette deck does nothave Cr02 switching. And Teac's S/N speci-fication for the 860 should be "greater than 80dB with dbx II." Teac's licensing agreementstipulates that they refer to cassette dbx cir-cuitry as "dbx II." Sorry about that.

8 STEREO REVIEW

In 1968,we introduced an unconventionalloudspeaker system -the legendary Bose 901.

In 1976,we are introducing another new speaker -a speaker unlike any ever before.

The Bose 901 Series III.

The life -like, spacioussound of the 901 Series IIIresults from combiningproven Bose conceptswith unique new speakertechnology.

The Bose 901' Series III is themost innovative new speakersince Bose startled the high-fidelity world with the originalBose 901 eight years ago.It is revolutionary in concept.design. materials, and manu-facture. and most important.in performance.

What you will hear.You will be struck by a sense ofimmediacy and presence.Sound seems to originate froma stage in front of you thatappears larger than the room.resulting in an open. spaciousquality and an accurate stereoimage almost anywhere inthe room.

Equally startling is the real-ism and accuracy with whichthe 901 Series III reproducesthe correct timbre of each instru-ment. from *he subtle texturesof the woodwinds through theincisiveness of the percussioninstruments. In addition. eachinstrument is reproduced withsuch clarity and definition thatyou can easily follow a singleinstrument through even a verycomplex musical passage.

And at the low end of thefrequency range. the 901 IIIproduces the deepest bassnotes with acuracy, clarity,and dynamic range clearlydistinguishable from conven-tional speakers.

The heritage of theBose 901 Series III.In 1956. a university studybegan which totally redefinedthe criteria for the design andevaluation of loudspeakers.That research led to the forma-tion of Bose Corporation and.in 1968, to the introduction ofthe unconventional Bose 901.The worldwide acclaim of bothmusic lovers and critics ofhigh-fidelity equipment hasmade the 901 a legend in thehigh-fidelity world.

Technical innovation.Then. in 1972. Bose began todevelop the 901 Series III, inorder to realize even more fullythe potential inherent in theconcepts proven in the 901.Two major advances are criticalto the spectacular perform-ance of the 901 Series III: the

The unique.injection -moldedAcoustic Matrixenclosure createsan equal -volume.semi -isolated aircell behind eachdriver.

Air flow from fourcells mixes in thisregion.

Nine drivers aremounted in theAcoustic Matrixenclosure. four oneach rear paneland one facingforward.

(E) 1976 Bose Corporation. Covered by patent rights issuec and pending.The clear Plexiglas speaker shown on the preceding page s for demonstration only. Cabinets are walnut veneer construction.

Acoustic Matrix enclosureand a new high-performance,high -efficiency driver.

The new AcousticMatrix'enclosure.The Acoustic Matrix enclosureis a unique. molded structurewhich yields performanceunattainable with a standardwood enclosure. The AcousticMatrix enclosure creates nine.equal volume. semi -isolatedcells one behind each driver. toprovide a balance of couplingand isolation between drivers.The enclosure also incorporatesthree Reactive Air Columns,which drastically reduce conemotion at low frequencies.allowing the 901 III to producethe lowest bass notes with clar-ity and accurate timbre readilydistinguished from conven-tional speakers.

A new full -range driver.The new 901 Series III full -range driver combines anultra -high -efficiency aluminumhelical voice coil, a uniqueinjectior-molded basket, and ahigh -efficiency magnet struc-ture to achieve greater effi-ciency. smoother. more precisefrequency response. and lowercistortion than the previous.c-01 driver, an extraordinary

A third ReactiveAir Column radi-ates deep bassfrom the singlefront -facing driver.

Reflected and directsound.Third, the 901 III is a Direct/Reflecting" speaker. Instead ofbeaming sound directly at tielistene-. Ike a conventionaldirect-raciating speaker. the901 III reflects most sound offthe back and side walls of thelistening room. This surroundsthe listener with a combinationof reflected and direct sound.just as in a live performance.The resulting spacious. rea isticsound ccntrasts to the harsh."hi-fi" sound of convention&direct -radiating speakers.

Uniform acousticpower radiation.Fourth. the 901 Series IIIspeakers and equalizer aredesigned so that the totalacoustic Dower radiated intothe room (not just the energyradiated from the front of tl-espeaker) is in correct balan:eat every f-equency. This ' uni-form power radiation" designcriterion -esults in more accu-rate reproduction of instru-mental timbre.

performer in its own right. Infact. the 901 III can produce thesame loudness level with a 15-v.att amplifier that previouslyrequired a 50 -watt amplifier.

Proven concepts.Ir addition to these importantinnovations. four critical designconcepts first implemented inthe original 901 are essential tothe performance of the iew901 Series III.

Multiple, full -rangedrivers.First. the 901 III employs ninematched full -range driversinstead of the conventicnalwoofers and tweeters. As aresult of the complex acousticcoupling of the nine drivers,the many small imperfectionsin response inherent in anyspeaker are averaged acrossall nine drivers. yielding clear.

A cor centric core,extending the fulllengt 1 of the

- Reacive AirColumn. smoothsair flew in thecolumn.

smooth -esponse across theentire frequency range.

Active equalization.Second, the 901 Series IIIsystem includes an activeequalizer, a compact electrcnicsignal processor preciselyprogrammed to automaticallyadjust. frequency by frequency.power ir put from the amplifierto the speakers. The result isconstant sound output through-

out the frequency spectrum.The equalizer also has high -frequency and midbass cor-tour controls which let thelistener adjust the output of thespeakers to the acoustics ofthe listening room.

The 901 Series Ill creates in a livingroom the high proportion of reflectedsound experienced in a live performance.

A tapered ReactiveAir Column radi-as the lowestbass from the fourdrivers on eachrear panel.

And,we submit, the finestspeaker engineering andmanufacturing capabilityin the world.Over the years. Bose has devel-oped manufacturing capabili-ties. facilities, and processesthat are unique. We believe thatno other speaker manufacturercould build a speaker of theprecision and performance ofthe 901 Series III.

Building a second -generation driver.The extraordinary performancedemands placed on the 901Series III loudspeaker systemcall for innovative approachesto both design and manufactur-ing of every component in thesystem.

The helical voice coil-a study inprecision manufacturing.

For example, the voice coilis the heart of any driver. In aconventional voice coil, roundcopper wire is wound on apaper cylinder. Round wireleaves relatively large gapsbetween windings, resulting inpoor utilization of energy in themagnetic field, and thus rela-tively poor efficiency in thespeaker. In the 901 Series IIIhelical voice coil, a flat ribbon

, - "1411,

of aluminum wire is preciselywound, on edge. on an alumi-num core, leaving no gapsbetween windings. and helpingmake the 901 Series III drivermore than three times as effi-cient as its predecessor.

Production of this high -precision voice coil was simplynot possible using existingmethods and equipment-soBose developed new methodsfor flattening and insulating wireand a proprietary, computer -controlled winding process.

Similarly, the 901 III injection -molded plastic basket is farmore precisely manufacturedthan a conventional steelbasket. resulting in less mag-netic leakage, a strongerstructure, and tighter assemblytolerances.A unique speaker con-struction technique.Early in the 901 III program itwas clear that the complexenclosure needed to meet ourdesign goals could not be builtusing conventional wood con-

The Acoustic Matrix enclosure.

struction. Therefore. the deci-sion was made to invest in thelarge design effort and toolingcost to develop the injection -molded Acoustic Matrix enclo-sure. Each part of the AcousticMatrix enclosure is precisioninjection molded from a high -strength plastic and thenbonded into a strong, vibrationfree, airtight structure, usingspecial bonding techniquesdeveloped by Bose engineers.The result is a unique, highlyfunctional enclosure that setsthe 901 Series III far ahead ofthe performance limitationsof woodworking technology.Bose advanced qualitycontrol systems.The sophisticated design of theBose 901 Series III would beto no avail without equallyadvanced techniques for qualitycontrol on the production line.

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The components of the 901 Series Ill loudspeaker system.

For every critical performancecharacteristic of the speakersystem. Bose has developedits own specialized test systemsto provide a degree of qualitycontrol unmatched in thehigh-fidelity industry. In addi-tion. the 901 Series III speakersand equalizer are covered by afull five-year warranty.

Your enjoyment.In the end, technology is onlyof academic interest if the finalproduct does not bring youcloser to the experience of livemusic. With truly accuratemusic reproduction, you willhave this experience, know it,and remember it, whether youare an audiophile, a musicalconnoisseur, or a novice. Atsuch time, the thought of hi-fiand loudspeakers will be over-shadowed by the musicexperience.

If we can produce a loud-speaker that can accomplishthis, that indeed is our ultimatepride. And we rest our reputa-tion with the best we have tooffer-the Bose 901 Series III.

To appreciate the spectacu-lar performance of the Bose901 Series Ill, visit an author-ized Bose dealer and ask himto play the 901 III in comparisonto any other speaker, regardlessof size or price. For a full color,16 -page brochure on the 901Series III, write Bose, Box PV321The Mountain, Framingham,Mass. 01701. If you are inter-ested in more detailed tech-nical background, enclose$1.00 and you will also receivethe 20 -page 901 Series IIIowner's manual and a copy ofDr. Bose's articles "SoundRecording and Reproduction,"reprinted from TechnologyReview.

For the name of the Bosedealer nearest you, call toll free(800) 447-4700. In Illinois,call (800) 322-4400.

The Mountain. Framingham, Mass. 01701Better sound through research.

108560

V

books Received

A Musical Christmas with Peter Duchin,by Peter Duchin. Holt. Rinehart and Winston,New York (1976), 140 pages, $12.95. From itsfront cover, a painting by Jamie Wyeth, to thevery last page-indeed, to the endpapers andthe back cover-this is a beautiful book. Du -chin's simple arrangements for piano (and forguitar; unfortunately, these are done withchord names rather than those little diagramsof frets and strings) of traditional Christmascarols, with all the words, are enhanced bythe liberal use of traditional Christmas illus-trations. I can't think of a better familyChristmas present. L.G.B.

The Encyclopedia of Opera, edited byLeslie Orrey; Gilbert Chase, advisory editor.Scribners, New York (1976), 376 pages,$22.50 until Dec. 31, $25 thereafter. Writtenby a group of well-known critics and scholars(mostly British), this useful reference workcontains entries on operas, composers, libret-tists, conductors, directors, designers, oper-atic centers, companies, and singers of thepast and present. A few technical terms arealso defined. An unusual feature is the expan-sion of the term "opera" to include lighterforms of the lyric theater, with the result thatthere are biographical entries on composersactive in operetta (such as Victor Herbert andSigmund Romberg). in the Broadway musical(such as Cole Porter and Stephen Sondheim),and in zarzuela (such as Pablo Luna and Ru-pert() Chapi). W.L.

What's That Sound? Readings in Contem-porary Music, edited by Ben Fong -Torres.Anchor Press/Doubleday, New York (1976).440 pages, $3.50 (paper). A nicely balancedlook at pop music in the Seventies, the high-lights being Michael Thomas' colorful essayon the evolution of the reggae scene in Jamai-ca. several meaty interviews, including fas-cinating chats with the likes of Neil Young,Eric Clapton, and Stevie Wonder, and someinsightful portraits of Patti Smith, the AllmanBrothers, and George Harrison. S.S.

Who's Who in Opera, edited by Maria F.Rich. Arno Press, New York (1976), 684pages. $65. Described as an international bio-graphical directory of [operatic] singers, con-ductors, directors, designers, and administra-tors, the book also includes profiles of 101 op-era companies. The 2.350 biographees, fromClaudio Abbado to Teresa Zylis-Gara, are theprincipal artists and administrators currentlyactive in the 144 most important opera compa-nies and festivals in thirty-three countriesaround the world. In addition to vital statisticsand details of training, the entries on singerslist the major companies with which theyhave performed and their repertoires. In thissection there are mentions of more than 6,000roles in 1.814 operas, all performed by thebiographees. W.L.

Sound Recording, by John Eargle. VanNostrand Reinhold, New York (1976). 323pages plus index. $16.95. John Eargle, whoseknowledgeability on audio matters has beenmade evident in several articles in STEREOREVIEW. ha. finally delivered the book all of

us knew he had in him. Sound Recording is anup-to-the-minute survey of the field, withchapters devoted to psychoacoustics, micro-phones, monitor loudspeakers. signal -proc-essing devices, magnetic recording, and othertopics. In general, Eargle's approach is to es-tablish the theoretical groundwork of record-ing practices rather than to present a catalogof devices available to the recording profes-sional. The clearly written text is supplement-ed in each chapter with an extensive bibliog-raphy for further reading. L.K.

Sound System Engineering, by Don -andCarolyn Davis. Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc.,Indianapolis (1975), 295 pages, $19.95. Thisvolume serves as a text for the authors' Syn-ergetic Audio Concepts touring seminars andis perhaps most profitably studied as an ad-junct to that classroom experience. However,for the present and would-be professional inthis rapidly growing field it is certain to be-come an indispensable "refresher course"and reference. The sound systems of the titleare commercial installations, and the engi-neering problems dealt with are those of pro-viding adequate loudness, intelligibility, andsound distribution to a sizable audience inpublic and semi-public places. But there ismuch also that reflects on home audio-par-ticularly the sections on loudspeaker designand system equalization. This is a "how-to"book, and the reader can expect to encounterapplied mathematics and practical technicalconcepts throughout. R.H.

Musical Instruments of the World. An Il-lustrated Encyclopedia, by the DiagramGroup. Two Continents/Paddington Press,New York (1976), 320 pages, $16.95. Don'teven start browsing here unless you have awhile to spend with it. The cover says thiswell -organized, handsome reference workcontains more than four thousand originaldrawings, and that seems modest, for it cov-ers everything from primitive rhythm andwind instruments to the Wurlitzer organ. Thedrawings are excellent, illustrating not onlyhow the instruments look but how they are(were) played, and the appendices include anindex, a bibliography, and a list of museums.A bargain. L.G.B.

Jazz Is, by Nat Hentoff. Random House/Ridge Press, New York (1976), 288 pages,$10. "I have covered many beats through theyears," Hentoff writes in his introduction toJazz Is. "civil liberties, education, classicaland folk music, rock, the courts, films andtheater, politics-and still, by and large, I

most enjoy being with jazz musicians." Hispleasure in their company is underlined in hisbook about some of the greatest of them, in-cluding Ellington. Billie Holiday. "The Onli-est Louis," Miles Davis, and Charlie Parker,among others. If you've been a faithful jazzfan for the last three or four decades, you'llprobably recognize many of Hentoff's anec-dotes and quotations, but I think the flashes ofrecognition add to the enjoyment of these inti-mate portraits. The photographs are well han-dled. and there is a short discography at theend. L.G.B.

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If the receiver or integrated ampin your current system seemssomehow limited, please considerseriously the Crown IC-150A/D-150Acombination. You'll be pleased at anew quality of sound, and surprisedat a real bargain.

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CIRCLE NO 13 ON READER SERVICE CtIRDDECEMBER 1976 13

flew Product/ latest audio equipment and accessories

Shure Microphone HasBuilt-in Equalizer

The Shure 5 I6EQ "E-Qualidyne" dynamicmicrophone, especially intended for tape re-cording, contains four -band equalization faci-lities built right into its case. Four filters, eachwith its own miniature rocker switch, in-troduce 6 -dB "troughs" in the response of themicrophone; these are centered at frequen-cies of 190, 560, 1,650, and 4,900 Hz and ex-tend about four octaves. The filters can beused individually or in any of eleven differentcombinations; they shape the response curveto emphasize or de-emphasize certain fre-quencies or reduce the effects of proximityphenomena and poor acoustics.

The 516EQ is a cardioid (unidirectional) de-sign with a rated frequency response of 50 to15,000 Hz; it provides a mild "presenceboost" in the upper mid -range in its nominallyflat configuration. Rated impedance is 150ohms. The microphone mates with femalethree -pin connectors such as the Cannon XLseries. The 15 -foot unbalanced cable suppliedterminates in a standard two -conductor phoneplug for insertion into the tape machine. Oth-er accessories furnished include a plug adapt-er, a swivel adapter of standard size andthreading, windscreen and pop filter, and acarrying case. Price: $75. A stereo pair costs$135.

Circle 115 on reader service card

The styling of the Model TC-511S repre-sents a departure from the wedge shape of

previous Yamaha cassette decks and an entryinto the front -loading configuration. Besidesproviding built-in Dolby B -type noise reduc-tion, the TC-511S has a three -position tape se-lector that sets bias and equalization for low -noise, chromium -dioxide, or ferrichrometapes. The recording -level meters have ex-panded scales reading from -40 to +6 dB.The deck can be connected to an external tim-er for unattended recording at a preselectedtime.

Frequency response is 30 to 15,000 Hz withchromium -dioxide or ferrichrome tapes. Thesignal-to-noise ratio (without Dolby noise re-duction) exceeds 50 dB. Wow and flutter areless than 0.07 per cent, and distortion for a0 -dB recording level is under 1.5 per cent. Thedeck is supplied with a wood cabinet with di-mensions of 171/4 x 61/4 x 13 inches. Price:$260.

Circle 116 on reader sere ice card

Cizek IntroducesSpeaker System

Cizek Audio Systems' first product is atwo-way speaker system with a 10 -inch woof-er and I -inch dome tweeter in a fully sealedenclosure. The crossover network, said to bea key element in the system's performance,reportedly behav,:s electrically as a first -ordernetwork while taking advantage of the driv-ers' acoustical characteristics to provide op-timum dividing slopes. The crossover fre-quency is 1,500 Hz.

On -axis frequency response of the Cizekspeaker in a free -field environment is 35 to17,000 Hz +1.5, -2 dB. Nominal impedanceis 4.25 or 7.25 ohms, depending on the settingof the controls. Minimum recommendedamplifier power is 15 watts per channel into 4ohms. The speaker will handle up to 150 wattsof music power. Measured at a distance of Imeter, a sound -pressure level of 88 dB isachieved with a 1 -watt input. Three controlsbehind the acoustically transparent foamgrille adjust the acoustic output of the system.One control, a five -position switch, progres-

sively rolls off the high -frequency response.A second control "shelves" the tweeter'soutput up or down relative to that of thewoofer, and the third (a two -position switch)modifies the "Q" of the woofer from Ito 0.6to increase low -frequency output at systemresonance, which is 38 Hz. The Cizek enclo-sure measures 25 x 151/2 x 91/2 inches and isavailable in walnut -grain vinyl ($176) or wal-nut ($196) finishes.


I 6161-6 6,6

Teac Cassette DeckHas dbx Noise Reducer

The new Esoteric Series from Teac hasbeen initiated with the de luxe Model 860 cas-sette deck, a three -head, three -motor designwith built-in Dolby and dbx 11 noise reduc-tion. The 860's transport is solenoid con-trolled, and the record and playback heads areclosely spaced within a common housing-aconfiguration that prevents tape skew fromaffecting their mutual alignment.

The dbx II "compander" noise -reductionsystem is unique to the Teac 860 among cas-sette decks, and it is said to improve thedeck's unassisted signal-to-noise ratio of 60dB (referred to a recording level that pro-duces 3 per cent distortion) to 80 dB. DolbyB -type noise reduction is also provided forcompatibility with tapes that have been Dolbyencoded and for processing of Dolbyized FMbroadcasts.

Another special feature of the 860 is a fullyequipped four -in, two -out mixer with pan potsand switching between microphone and linesources on each input. A tape -selector switchhas positions for chromium -dioxide, ferri-chrome, and ferric -oxide tapes. The latter twopositions are fixed in bias and equalization,but the first can be altered by means of front -panel bias and equalization adjustments tosuit any tape.

Furthermore, the 860's elaborate transportcontrols include a continuously variable pitchadjustment, a memory -rewind function thatcan be switched to "cue and review" opera-tion, and a continuously variable CUE controlthat will advance or rewind the tape at any de-sired (slow) speed with the playback head en -

(Continued on page 16)

14 STEREO REVIEW

111111111.1P

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TAI II

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111

boKATUSNCW

Three head recording makes a difference.

Whether you choose the top -loading Hitachi

D/3500 or the front -loading D/800 Stereo

Cassette Tape Deck. you'll get all the benefits

of three -head recording and playback.

Three -heads give you separate record and

playback capability with separate and oplinum

gap widths-a wider gap for more magnetizing

on recording, a narrow gap for improved

frequency response on playback.

Three -heads provide other benefits too.

You can monitor the tape while recording.

The double Dolby feature gives you improved

signa -to-noise ratio cn both the tape and -he

monitor output simultaneously. Naturally. there are other features that will

make these two Hitachi cassette decks

attractive to you.Thev're listed below.

Frolt-loading convenience (D/800 oily)

Double Dolby circuit for -ecordinir and

playback Dolby calibration control Dolby

FM broadcast decoder Signalto-noisc

ratio of 63 (lb with Dolby in Wow and flatter - 0.05% WRMS Peak-rearing/VU meter;

Mic/ line mixing (D/3500 only) CRO bias

switch MPX We make a full line of quality stereo

cassette decks starting from just $149.9E.

See them all at your Hilac ii dealer.

HITACHI Believably Better

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CIRCLE NO. 20 DN READER SERVICE CARD

flew Products latest audio equipment and accessories

gaged (to facilitate the location of specificpoints on the tape). The recording -level me-ters are switchable between VU and peak -reading indication.

The Teac 860 is meant to be operated up-right with controls facing the user. Frequencyresponse (±3 dB) is 31 to 16,000 Hz with fer-ric -oxide tape and 31 to 18,000 Hz with chro-mium -dioxide or ferrichrome tape. The di-rect -drive capstan motor, regulated by aphase -locked -loop servo circuit, is said tocontribute significantly to the low wow andflutter specification of 0.04 per cent. The ma-chine measures approximately 171/2 x 141/2 x91/2 inches and is fitted with wood panels ontop and sides. Approximate price: $1,600.


0 A simple wiring modification changes Dy-naco's new Stereo 300 power amplifier into afour -channel unit that provides half the two -channel power per channel at rated distortionand bandwidth. In its stereo configuration theModel 300 has a rated continuous output of150 watts per channel into 8 ohms from 20 to20,000 Hz with less than 0.25 per cent har-monic or intermodulation distortion. In four -channel use the corresponding per -channeloutput is 75 watts continuous. In addition, theStereo 300 can be wired to provide especiallyhigh -power outputs to low -impedance loads-up to 200 watts per channel continuous into 2ohms in the stereo configuration. The amplifi-er has a signal-to-noise ratio of 95 dB.

The Stereo 300 is available factory assem-bled or in kit form. Assembly time for the kitis about ten hours. Internal protective de -vicesfor amplifier and speakers include voltage andcurrent -limiting circuits, power -supply fuses,speaker fuses, and thermal circuit breakers.Provision is made for the installation of twoor four front -panel output -level meters thatwill be available as options. Rack -mountingbrackets will also be offered in the future. Theamplifier measures approximately 181/2 x 141/2x 71/2 inches, including the walnut side panelssupplied, and weighs 52 pounds. Prices: kit,$489; factory assembled, $699.


Kriket Car SpeakerHandles High Power

_1 the Model KK-6069 is the first in a seriesof new Kriket speaker systems from AcousticFiber Sound Systems (AFS) intended to bringhigh power -handling capability to mobile ap-plications. The 6069 employs a 6 x 9 -inch ovalspeaker with a centrally mounted "whizzer"cone for high frequencies and it has a power -handling capability of 30 watts continuous. Itssealed enclosure, constructed of cross -laminated tubular fiberboard, is designed forflush- or surface -mounting on the rear decksof automobiles. All necessary mounting hard-ware is supplied with the system, along withan 181/2 -foot connecting cable.

Nominal impedance of the KK-6069 is 8ohms, and frequency response is rated at 35to 20,000 Hz. The foam grille concealing theoval driver is removable. Price: about $45.


maxellel C90 I.maxellaT C60

1101 4 Ilinoraildo C90

maxelllif C90

ri Amaxelllit C60

,,,

Maxell Ferric TapeWith Cr02 Properties

Maxell has announced a series of UDXLcassettes incorporating numerous refinementsand consisting of two tape types, UDXL I andUDXL II. Both tapes use the Maxell "Epitax-ial" magnetic particle as the active ingredient,the particle being a precisely shaped needle ofgamma ferric oxide encapsulated in a coatingof cobalt ferrite. The UDXL I cassette is in-tended for the bias and 120 -microsecondequalization appropriate for low-noise/high-output iron -oxide cassettes. The UDXL II isdesigned for chromium -dioxide bias and

equalization and is said to equal or exceedchromium -dioxide tapes in noise, frequencyresponse, and physical and electromagneticuniformity and to be significantly less abra-sive as well.

Both UDXL cassettes have benefited froma new precision -molded cassette shell andclose -tolerance subassemblies as well as anew oxide -coating binder system. Accordingto the manufacturer, the two tapes excel inlow modulation noise, output uniformity, sen-sitivity, maximum output level, and freedomfrom dropouts. Both are available in the C-60and C-90 lengths at prices of $4.89 and $6.89,respectively.


Design AcousticsSpeaker Has Thin -WallAluminum Enclosure

The "A" version of Design Acoustics' newD-1 speaker system has a thin -wall enclosureof specially damped and braced aluminumthat increases the internal volume by 13 to 18per cent over what a wood -panel system ofthe same external size would provide. The"W" version has identical performance witha somewhat larger enclosure of conventionalwood construction.

The D-1 is a two-way air -suspension systemwith a power response of 50 to 15,000 Hz±3.5 dB. Drivers are an 8 -inch woofer and a11/2 -inch cone tweeter operating into a specialdispersion element. The crossover frequencyis 1,500 Hz. Amplifier powers in the neighbor-hood of 15 to 30 watts continuous per channelare recommended for driving the D -l's nomi-nal 6 -ohm load. The aluminum version has di-mensions of 201/4 x 11 x 8 inches; the alumi-num has a brushed finish, and the grille isblack stretch fabric. Price: about $100. Thewood version, measuring 211/4 x 12 x 8 inches,is finished in walnut and priced at $15 more.



16 STEREO REVIEW

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APR.'76..

Every Dual turntable, f-om the 1225 to the new CS721, is designed with oneconcept: to provide more °recision than you are ever likely to need. How wellgroove modulations are conve -tecl into music is significantly influenced by eachaspect of tonearm design: gec..metry, balcnce, mass, resorance, bearing :ric-tion and the application of stylus pressure and anti-skat ng. The life of o -)esrecords is also determined.

All these considerations nc-sic been thoroughly fulfilled in every Dual. -hus,

Therehave never been ofiabyabsai kexcellenceur rred

mentF_, we would suggest the lowest -p -icedSOmany ways model. Hpwever, if you demand a tone -

to enjoy Dual precision. arm that does more tooptim ize tracking t -)an

any other tonearm ever made, nothing less t Ian tl-e top -of -the -line CS72 orCS704 will satisfy you.

All component parts of every Dua turntable are built to the highest stand-ards of precision. For example, the rotor of eve -y motor is dynamically balancedin every plane of motion. Unifcrmity is checked to within four millionths o' aninch; just one of the reasors for the virtual absence of vibration, the primarysource of rumble.

Dual turntables are rugged. They need not be babied-by you or anyoneelse in your family. Chances are that your Dual-any Dual-will outlast all yourother components, so you sl-ould carefully consider which Dual you avant.

There are eight Dual models: some serni-automotic, some fully automatic,some with the option of multiole play. However, there's no need to decide ona specific Dual model right navy.. You can do that best ct your United Audiodealer where he can demorstrate all the differences that Dual precision ma -ces.

United Audio Products, 20 So. Col u rebus Ave. Mt. Verno-, N.Y 10553

True, fcur-point gimbal centersand pivots the tonearm mass atinterseztion of horizontal andvertica axes. Tonearm isdyrtam tally balanced in allplanes. The four needle -pointpivots are first hardened,then honed, a process whichproduces microscopicallysmooth surfaces. The precisionball -bearing races are on y0.157 inch diameter.

Unique Vario-pulleyused in Duals threewelt -drive mode s is

precision-machinec forperfect concentricitycnd balance. Speeds

are adjusted byexpansion and

contraction of pulleycircumference; belt is

never twisted ordistor-ed.

The Dual CS721.

The unique counter -balks -Iceused in Dual's two direct -drive

models contains two mechcricc Ianti -resonance filters.. Thes c re

separa-ely tuned -o absorbenergy in the -monance-frequency rakes cf the

tonearm cartridce sys-emand chassis to minimize

acoustic feedback.

(A) Vert cal Torearm Controlused in Dials two d rect-d-ivemodels sets anc locks tonear-nheight a- any point over ar8mm range (B).Tcnecrm thus.exactly parallels the recordwith any size cc-tr ckge. Result.accurate vertical trackingwithout -he adcec mass ofcartridge spacers.

The Dual 1225. Filly automatic, single -play m ilti play. Viscous -damped cue control, pitch control. Less than 514C. Dual 1226.with cast platter, rotating single -play spindle. Less than 5170.Dual 1228, with gimballed tonearm, synchronous motor,illuminated strobe, variable tracking angle less than 3200.

The Dual 1249. Fully automatic, single -play. multi -play. Belt -drive. 12 dynamically balanced platter. Less than 3280. 0 -herfull size belt -drive models include: Dual 502, semi -automatic.Less than S160. Dual 510, semi -automatic, with lead-ingroove sensor, less than 3200.

The Dual CS721. Filly automatic, single-plcy. DC, brushless,electronic, cirec--drive motor. Vertical Tonearm Control,acjustable cie-cantrol height and descent speed, electronicpitch control witi illuminated strobe. Less -hen S400.including base and cover. Dual CS704, sim lar but with semi-automatic tanea-m. Less than S310, including base and co$.er.

CIRCLE NO. 50 ON READER SERVICE CA

Now you don't have tostarve your trebleto feed your bass.Our KR -9600 Receiver puts independ-ent power supplies behind each chan-nel, so demanding musical passagesin one channel won't cause distortionin the other.

At 160 watts per channel minimumRMS power at 8 ohms, from 20 to 20,000Hz, with no more than 0.08% total har-monic distortion, the KR -9600 is the mostpowerful receiver we have ever made.

What's more, the KR -9600 is loaded

with special features. A mid -range pres-ence control, MIC mixing and sourcefading, a deviation meter for perfectoff -air recording and 2 big powermeters, to mention a few

Impressed? All this and more, on theKR -9600. At just $750* it's the best watts -

per -dollar value around.*For informational purposes only.

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flew Products latest audio equipment and accessories

Time -aligned SpeakerBy Jennings Research

0 Jennings Research has announced its first"time -aligned" product, the Contrara VectorOne, a two-way speaker system with thewoofer and tweeter voice coils lying in thesame mounting plane to eliminate differencesin arrival times of their outputs. In addition,the recessed tweeter (a I -inch dome design) ishoused within a hollow of acoustically ab-sorbent plastic foam intended to control dif-fraction effects and other reflections of itsacoustic output.

The Vector One's woofer, 8 inches in diam-eter, is augmented by an 8 -inch passive radia-tor on the rear of the enclosure. The crossov-er point between woofer and tweeter occursat 1,750 Hz. A switch behind the removablegrille panel raises the tweeter output by 3 dBwhen desired. The 6 -ohm system is rated for aminimum amplifier power of 15 watts perchannel continuous and a maximum of 50.The enclosure, with rounded corners, isfinished in oiled walnut and has dimensions of23 x 14 x 1034 inches. The nylon -fabric grillepanels are available in brown or tan. Price ofthe Vector One: about $160. The optionalstand shown costs approximately $40 for thepair.


0 The Precision Preamplifier from DB Sys-tems has a claimed total harmonic distortionof 0.0008 per cent throughout the audio -fre-

quency range, a performance that is guaran-teed for a period of five years after purchase.The preamplifier is designed to work into aload impedance of 10,000 ohms or greaterwith a maximum of 3,000 picofarads capaci-tance. Maximum output voltage into the ratedload is 6 volts. The phono inputs have a sig-nal-to-noise ratio of 89 dB when shorted and83 dB when used with a typical cartridge.

The Precision Preamplifier is extremelysimple in front -panel layout, providing knobcontrols for volume, balance, and input selec-tion (phono, tuner, tape, and two auxiliary in-puts) and toggle switches for high- andlow -frequency filters and tape monitoring.The preamplifier itself contains only the audiocircuits; an external power supply must beused (a suitable supply is available from themanufacturer). There is no power switch, thepreamplifier being designed to be left on con-stantly (it draws negligible a.c. line power).Another unusual feature is the preamplifier'sbuffered tape -output jacks which eliminatethe possibility of a tape machine's adverselyloading the signal -carrying circuits. The Preci-sion Preamplifier has approximate dimensionsof 81/2 x 31/4 x 7 inches. Price: $350. The DBSystems power supply (61/2 x 314 x 41/4 inches)costs $75. A walnut cabinet for the preamplifi-er is about $40.


Tone -arm HeightIs Adjustable onNew Dual Turntable

The direct -drive single -play CS 721 is thefirst turntable from Dual to provide a continu-ously variable height adjustment for the tonearm, enabling the arm to be brought parallel tothe record surface with any cartridge withoutthe use of mass -increasing spacers. The armalso has the other Dual features such as a gim-bal pivot assembly, mechanical filters in thecounterweight to damp resonances, adjust-able cueing height and cueing -descent rate,and separate anti -skating calibrations forspherical, elliptical, and CD -4 styli. The armcan be operated manually or automatically bymeans of the familiar lever control. If desired,the turntable will repeat a record indefinitely.

The CS 721's two -speed (331/2 and 45 rpm)d.c. direct -drive motor is speed -regulated by

Hall -effect devices. Platter speed can be finetuned over a range of 8 per cent; an illuminat-ed stroboscope pattern cast into the 12 -inchplatter's edge shows correct speed. Wow andflutter for the CS 721 are 0.03 per cent, andrumble is rated as -72 dB. Overall dimen-sions, with the base and dust cover included,are 161/2 x 141/4 x 544 inches. Price: under$400, including base and dust cover.


Hegeman's FirstBookshelf Speakers

The first Hegeman loudspeakers not de-signed for floor -standing installation make upa line of three bookshelf models available inwalnut or walnut -grain vinyl finishes. All use2 -inch aluminum -cone tweeters and wooferswith conical aluminum domes that are said toenhance frequency range and dispersion. Thetop -of -the -line Model 120 (shown) has twosuch tweeters operating above 2,500 Hz, plusa 12 -inch woofer. The lesser Models 100 and80 have single tweeters and 10- and 8 -inchwoofers, respectively, with crossover fre-quencies of 3,000 and 4,500 Hz. Power -han-dling capabilities range from 30 to 20 wattscontinuous; minimum amplifier powers span20 to 15 watts per channel for the systems' 8 -ohm impedances.

In all systems the woofer is operated fullrange, while low frequencies are kept fromthe tweeter(s) by means of a capacitive net-work. A choice of black or brown grilles isoffered. The largest of the systems measures25 x 141/4 x 111/4 inches; the smallest 171/4 x111/2 x 8 inches. Prices with vinyl finish (wal-nut -finish prices in parentheses): Model 120,$150 ($174); Model 100, $114 ($132); Model80, $84 ($%).


PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: Recent fluctuations in thevalue of the dollar will have an effect on the price ofmerchandise imported into this country. So, pleasebe aware that the prices quoted in this issue may besubject to change.

DECEMBER 1976 21

B.

A. The computer -designed True TangentTonearm keeps the stylus at a constant 90°tangent to the record groove, by means ofan articulated head. The angle between thehead (holding cartridge and stylus) and theshaft of the tonearm changes with eachgroove. Thus, while the tonearm swings inan arc over the record, the stylus is kept at aconstant, true tangent. Tracking error iseliminated, with its consequent problemsof record wear and harmonic distortion.

B. Made of modern, low -mass mag-nesium, the GT55's tonearm weighs anastonishing 14 grams. It rides on jewel ver-tical pivots and horizontal ballbearings.Inertial drag and friction are reduced to ab-solute minimum levels.

C. Anti -skating protection on the GT55 isprovided by a unique, patented system.Completely non -mechanical, it operatesmagnetically, and varies in proportion tothe actual skating force across the surfaceof the disc. It is calibrated for elliptical andCD4 styli.

D. Cueing rate is variable, and the cueingoperation is damped in both directions bythe main cam of the turntable.

E. The GT55 is the only belt drive multipleplay turntable with a DC servo motor. Boththe motor and the belt -driven automaticmechanism are completely new. The speedof the motor is continuously governed andregulated by an electronic servo system.The automatic mechanism is smooth andsilent in both single and multiple play. It isalso completely disengaged from the tone -arm when the record Is playing.

E Speed control is variable ±3%, and iselectronically governed by the servo whichcontrols the motor. Read-out is monitoredby an illuminated stroboscope.

G. The platter is four pounds, die cast anddynamically balanced for smooth, preciserotation. It is driven by a flexible belt,which insulates it from any possible motorvibration.

H. The precision controls are convenientlygrouped, and include selectors for single ormultiple play, as well as a repeat -playoption for use in either mode.

GarrardTurntable specialist for 50 years.

The GT55Generation Two Turntablewith True Tangent Tracking.

Since the first flat disc record was made, just about90 years ago, audio engineers have been searching for away to eliminate tracking error.

The master record is cut with a stylus that maintainsa constant 90° tangent to the groove it is inscribing. Prob-lem: play it back the same way. Anything else producestracking error (maybe a little, maybe a fair amount), andthat means distortion.

In 90 years of search, turntable manufacturers haveproposed an array of solutions. Some have been inven-tive, even ingenious; others have verged on the ridicu-lous. None until quite recently have been successful.

Now there are three, all as different from any otherturntable as the flat disc is from Edison's cylinder. Twoof them solve the problem by a radical departure fromtraditional design: they move the entire tonearm acrossthe record-pivot, counterweight and all.

Ingenious. Complex. And expensive.Garrard found another way. Our half -century of

turntable engineering culminated in a solution that re-tains the pivoted tonearm yet keeps the stylus in an ab-solutely true 90° tangent to the groove at every pointfrom the record's outer rim right to the label.

Further, we did this with a computer -designedtonearm made of the ultimate in lightweight, rigid met-als: magnesium. It has the lowest mass (14 grams)-andthe lowest inertial drag-of any multiple -play turntable.

And it is automatic. Fully automatic. Silky -smooth,silently automatic, and therefore gentler and safer thanthe steadiest hand, whether you use it as a single play ora multiple play turntable.

Garrard's solution-the GT55-delivers otheradvantages, as well. Some small, some quite large, de-pending on what's important to you.

And one overriding advantage. The others sell forprices up to $700. The GT55 is under $250. Whichmakes True Tracking not a costly privilege but anavailable benefit. To everybody.

For your free copy of the new Garrard Guide, please write:Garrard. Division of Plessey Consumer Products,Dept. A. 100 Commercial Street. Plainview. N.Y. 11803

CIRCLE NO 19 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Only three turntables inthe world offerTrue Tangent Tracking.

Bang & Olufsen, Rabco,and the new Garrard GT55.

They play your recordsprecisely the way theoriginal masters were cut,with the stylus held at a90° tangent to the groove.They eliminate harmonicdistortion causedby tracking error.

One of the three isalso fully automatic inboth single and multipleplay. Its tonearm is low -mass magnesium, balancedon jewel pivots.

Yet it sells for the lowestprice of all threeas much as $400 lower!

The new GT55.

By Garrard .

Audio Q. and A.By Larry

KleinTechnical Editor

Record Speedsr'N Curiosity prompts me to ask why turn -LA. table speeds are set at 331/2, 45, and 78rpm. Wouldn't it work just as well if recordscould be played at, say, 36, 55, and 69 rpm?How were those speeds selected?

GEORGE TAKENAMISan Francisco, Calif.

A.Shortly before 1895 the first commercial

gramophone discs of reasonable qual-ity appeared. They were 7 inches in diameter,had a playing time of 2 minutes, cost aboutsoy each, and were pressed from hard rubber.The most popular player of the period forthese "plates," as they were called, was ahand -operated turntable that the owner wasinstructed to crank at about 70 revolutions perminute. Since a strobe device was not part ofthe $12 player, it was suggested that the lis-tener/cranker adjust his efforts according tothe audible pitch change. If the tones were toosharp, crank slower; too flat, crank faster.(This is probably the first example of a servo -control turntable system with a single ele-ment-the listener-serving as both the error -detecting feedback mechanism and as thepower source for the direct -drive platter).

The 70 -rpm speed was a nice round numberthat provided (in 1895) the best compromisebetween fidelity and playing time. However,there was a certain lack of standardization-discs were available with suggested playingspeeds from about 74 to 82 rpm. The develop-ment of the electrically powered turntablewas responsible for at least an attempt at stan-dardization at 78 rpm since the commonlyused 3,600 -rpm a.c. synchronous motors,when geared down with a 46:1 ratio, provided78.26 rpm.

As far as the 33 -rpm long-playing disc isconcerned, it was introduced successfully in1948. I say "successfully" because RCA Vic-tor had tried a 331/2 -rpm disc unsuccessfully in1931. Columbia's 331/2 disc made it in 1948probably because it was a much longer playerthan RCA's-at least 20 minutes vs. RCA's10. Columbia's magic was in the "micro-groove" process that produced narrower,more closely packed grooves.

But why the choice of 331/2 rpm? That prob-ably came about because before the days oftape, radio stations made extensive use of 16 -inch "transcription" discs that were designedto provide 15 minutes of broadcast program-ming. Given the transcription discs' standard

78 -disc groove spacing, 331/2 rpm providedboth the required 15 minutes playing time andreasonable-if not great-sonic quality.Many of the same economic, utilitarian, andelectromechanical considerations also blessedus with the 45 -rpm speed. Now, somebodyask me about tape speeds.

Tape-recording BalancingIn making a tape from a disc, should youQ try to balance the right channel with the

left as shown by the level meters, or allow theincoming sound to balance as the music dic-tates? As a raw amateur I wish to do thingscorrectly and as recommended by experts.

EDWARD H. GIGNACFort Myers, Fla.

A.

seems reasonable that the individual. levels of the two channels-whatever

they are-chosen by the record producershould be preserved in any subsequent re-recording and/or playback. Remember thatthe relative levels of the stereo channels areresponsible not only for how loudly eacichannel plays, but also for the arrangement ofthe performers on the "stereo stage" createdbetween the two speakers. For example, asoloist meant to be stage center in a recordingis going to be heard off -center in the directionof the loudest speaker if the channels are re-balanced for some reason during re-recordingor playback.

How do you assure proper interchannel re-cording -level balance when you are feedingyour recorder from the tape -output jacks ofan amplifier or receiver? You could simplytrust the record -level control settings on yourmachine; however, it is conceivable that onechannel of your phono cartridge, phonopreamp, and/or recorder may have slightlymore gain than the other (even though thecontrol settings are the same).

If you really want to nail down the matter,try playing a stereo disc with your preamp setto mono and adjusting your record -level con-trols for equal meter deflection. I'm assumingthat your amplifier will deliver a mono signalto the tape -out jacks when switched to mono,but some won't. In that case, you might playthe finished tape in synchronization with theoriginal disc, switching back and forth be-tween the two. If you hear significant shifts inperspective, first check to see if the right- andleft -channel leads may not be interchanged at

the input or output terminals of the recorder.If everything's okay there, then make sometrial recordings with various relative settingsof the two record -level controls until you getit right. But something would have to be pret-ty seriously askew somewhere for you tohave to go to that extreme.

Shrink Rap

Q.a recent letters column, a reader sug-

. gested ways of removing labels from thecellophane covering the record jacket. Some-where I heard that for some reason it's a goodidea to remove the cellophane itself. Is thistrue?

PAM DICKSONDetroit, Mich.

ATheprotective transparent "cello-

. phane" covering the record jacket isknown in the trade as shrink-wrap-andtherein lies a potential problem. Sometimesthe wrap shrinks excessively (because of tem-perature or humidity conditions) and bowsboth the record jacket and the contents there-of. If the wrap on any of your record jacketsshows signs of shrinking, peel it off. Better adirty jacket than a warped record, no?

Car -Cassette SquealQ.Several friends and I have been having

problems with C-90 cassettes in our cartape players. We have tried most of the majortape brands and they all begin to squeal afterrepeated playings. The players are mostly top -of -the -line models from well-known manufac-turers. Is there any way to lubricate the cas-settes to alleviate the problem?

MARTIN PLASICHarrisburg, Pa.

AI assume the lubrication you ask about ismeant to be applied to the tape itself.

My expert at 3M tells me that there is nothingthat he could recommend that might not causetrouble elsewhere in the heads or transportmechanism. True, there are squeal -preventinglubricants added to tapes during manufacture,but only as part of the oxide coating. And it isalso true that some tapes, in years past, didsqueal when their lubricants dried out withtime, but that doesn't happen with today'squality products.

Tape squeal with good new tapes usuallyresults from the same physical phenomenonthat produces a tone from a bowed violinstring. The rosin -coated bow, in its passageacross the violin strings, intermittently grabsand releases the strings, causing them to vi-brate at some natural resonant frequency.Tape squeal is usually caused by much thesame stick/slip/stick/slip process, except thatit is the "violin string" (the tape) movingacross the "bow" (the heads or other contact-ing parts) that produces the tone. Your ma-chine is actually "playing" the tape, but notin quite the way you had in mind.

The cure is to remove as much of the causeof friction between tape and transport as pos-sible. Although user lubrication is not the an-swer, cleanliness probably is. Since all theplayers involved are installed in cars, I sus-pect that they probably are not cleaned regu-larly and that the heads or guide pins in theplayers are coated with enough oxide-or


26 STEREO REVIEW

You're going to spend $300for a receiver?

And you never heard of PPR?Stereo

ReceiversSugg. Rett

PriceMin. BIAS Power

Per Channel into 8 Ohms

Total HarmonicDistortion at

Rated Power (Max.)FM Sensitivity

IHr 58 Stereo -50dE*

SA -5760 $799.95 165 watts from 20Hz-20kHz 0.08% 1.80/ 35.7dBf

SA -5580 499.95 85 watts from 20Hz-20kHz 0.1 1.801 36.2dBf

SA -5460 399.95 65 watts from 2 0Hz-20kHz 0.1 1.8r.V 36.2dBf

SA -5360 299.95 38 watts from 20Hz-20kHz 0.3 1.91V 37.2dB1



rrechnics recommended p -ice, but actual retail price will be set by dealers. 'New IHF '75 stan lard

PPR is price performance relationship. And we feel it's a meaningful way of judgingareceiver because it can tell you how much power, technology and performance you'regetting for your money.

And when you look at our price performance relationship it's easy to see whyyour next receiver should be a Technics.

Of course, we want you to listen to our receivers. Especially since all six havethe reserve power to float through complex musical passages with a minimumof distortion and clipping. And they all have rugged transformers. Bridgedrectifiers. As wel as high -capacitance filtering.

Play a record. You'll hear it the way it was recorded. Quietlyand with greaterdynamic range. Because we use an overload -resistant 3 -stage IC in the phono equalizer sections.

Tune in an FM station. Even a weak one. In addition tohearing all the music, you'll also get increased stereoseparation. Negligible distortion. And a minimum of noise.Thanks to flat group delay filters and Phase LockedLoop IC's in the tuner sections.

So if you'd like to know a simple way to discoverjust some of the reasons why a Technics receiveris so good ... it's as easy as PPR.Al cabinetry simulated w,od.

by Panasonic

"w 44 'I 46 4$ 9N 41 V4. 1,

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Isfic stereoFor ;.2 years Realistic aidRadio SF ack have broug itmusic losers qualitycomponent hi-fi at uninfiatedpricEs. Frustrating to bigspenders but appreciate I byover a million smart shoppers.400C sto.es are ready todemonstrate Realistic qtalityfor y DU

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sTA-201)) min. RMS at 8 ohms from 20-20,000499.95. Hz, with no more than 0.25% total

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BEST FOR

Choosing an AT15Sacan add more listen-ing pleasure per dollarthan almost anything elsein your hi-fi system. First, becauseit is one of our UNIVERSAL phonocartridges. Ideally suited for everyrecord of today: mono, stereo, ma-trix or discrete 4 -channel. And lookat what you get.Uniform response from 5 to 45,000Hz. Proof of audible performance ison an individually -run curve, packedwith every cartridge.

Stereo separation is outstanding. Notonly at 1 kHz (where everyone is prettygood) but also at 10kHz and above (whereothers fail). It's a resultof our exclusive DualMagnet* design thatuses an individual low -mass magnetfor each side of the record groove.Logical, simple and very effective.

Now, add up the benefits of a genu-ine Shibata stylus. It's truly the stylusof the future, and a major improve-ment over any elliptical stylus. TheAT15Sa can track the highest record-ed frequencies with ease, works in

TM. U.S. Patent Nos. 3,720,796 and 3,761.647.

any good tone arm orplayer at reasonable

settings (1-2 grams),yet sharply reduces record

wear. Even compared to ellipticalstracking at a fraction of a gram. Yourrecords will last longer, sound better.

Stress analysis photos show concentrated high pres-sure with elliptical stylus (left), reduced pressure,less groove distortion with Shibata stylus (right).

The AT15Sa even helps improve thesound of old, worn records. Becausethe Shibata stylus uses parts of thegroove wall probably untouched byother elliptical or spherical styli. Andthe AT15Sa Shibata stylus is mount-ed on a thin -wall tapered tube, usinga nude square -shank mounting. Theresult is less mass and greater precisionthan with common round -shank styli.It all adds up to lower distortion andsmoother response. Differences youcan hear on every record you play.Don't choose a cartridge by name orprice alone. Listen. With all kinds ofrecords. Then choose. The AT15SaUNIVERSAL Audio-Technica car-tridge. Anything less is a compromise.

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road dust, or whatever-to create the rosin -coated bow effect. The cure is to scrub themachine's heads and guides with cottonswabs liberally wetted with alcohol 9r a com-mercial head cleaner; or, alternatively, to useone of the cleaning cassettes with a specialhead -cleaning "tape" fabric inside.

Eight -track cartridges squeal for many ofthe same reasons, plus the fact that the back -surface lubricant coating on the tape can wearoff after years of hard use. However, this willusually result in flutter and cartridge jamming'rather than squeal. With both cassettes andeight -track cartridges you can assume thatstorage in the trunk-or on the dash, or on therear deck-of a car parked in the bright sun isgoing to do very little to enhance their playingproperties.

Taping Scratchy 78'sQI own a number of old 78 -rpm jazz rec-. ords going back to the 1920's. Needless

to say, they are very scratchy. Before preserv-ing them on tape, I would like to clean themup. I was told there is a lacquering techniquethat tends to fill in the scratches. I would ap-preciate any suggestions you can offer.

CLEAMON LAYGrand Rapids, Mich.

ASince Mr. Lay's question is outside my. area of competence, and since Jim

Goodfriend, STEREO REVIEW'S Music Editor,has dealt with such matters, I turned the Q.over to him; his A. follows:

First of all, I know of no lacquering tech-nique that could be applied to 78 -rpm discs torelieve the problem, and I cannot imagine anylacquer that would fill in scratches withoutalso filling in the grooves. I have myself beenengaged in transferring 78's to tape off and onfor the last twenty years, and if I have cometo one conclusion, it is this: tape the discswithout doctoring, just as they are, noise andall. Whatever kind of noise -reduction tech-nique you employ should be used in tape play-back, not during recording, because any mod-ifications you make in the sound before orduring the taping process you will be stuckwith permenently. It's better to have thesound preserved "as is" so that you maybenefit from whatever noise -removal devicesmay become available in the future.

Before taping, however, you might investi-gate the possibility of using a stylus of slightlylarger diameter than the one you are currentlyusing, for your present stylus may be bottom-ing (playing the bottom of the groove, ratherthan the groove wall) and giving you noiseyou don't necessarily have to have. Beyondthat, if you find the noise so obtrusive thatyou can't listen to the discs, I suggest youcarefully and lovingly put the 78's away in acloset and seriously investigate the availabil-ity of commercial LP transfers of the samematerial that may have benefited from cleanerpressings and the ministrations of profession-al equipment. An enormous amount of Twen-ties jazz is currently available on LP's of bothAmerican and European companies.

Because the number of questionswe receive each month is greaterthan we can reply to individually,only those letters selected for use inthis column can be answered. Sorry!

30 STEREO REVIEW

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GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS -30

Relay is an electrically activated switchgenerally consisting of an electromagnet coiland a set of switch contacts. When electriccurrent flows through the coil, the magneticattraction thus created on an armature is usedto close the switch contacts mechanically. Re-lays are frequently found in the output stagesof modern receivers and amplifiers, wherethey are set up to disconnect the speakersfrom the output stage until turn-on surgeswithin the component have died down or ifimproper voltages or currents occur. They arealso common in tape machines, particularlythose featuring solenoid -operated transportsand remote -control features.

Resonance is a "preferred" frequency vi-bration or oscillation of physical objects(speaker cones, phono styli, enclosed massesof air) as well as electrical quantities involvedwith tuned circuits. A resonance is associatedwith a resonance frequency-the frequency atwhich the object, once excited into motion,will naturally oscillate until brought to a haltby some resistive "damping" force such asfriction.

A speaker cone or phono stylus can beforced to vibrate at frequencies other than re-sonance; these devices would not work other-wise. However, they react most vigorouslywhen driven at their resonance frequency.Also, no matter what frequency they are be-ing driven at, if they are not adequatelydamped, they will revert to the resonance fre-quency and continue to oscillate or "ring" atthat frequency as soon as the driving force isremoved.

This excessive amplitude and the tendencyto ring or "hang over" are two major liabili-ties of resonances the designer must copewith. On the other hand, properly located andcontrolled resonances can be beneficial in ex-tending the low -frequency response of aspeaker system and the high -frequency re-sponse of a phono cartridge.

Reverberation consists of multiple soundreflections from the interior boundaries of a(usually) enclosed space that reach the listen-er over random paths and ultimately die awayto silence. Reverberation is caused by thesame mechanism (sound reflected to the lis-tener) that produces echoes, the differencebeing that echoes tend to arrive individually

and with sufficient delay to be heard as dis-tinct repetitions of the original sound. Rever-beration is an inchoate blend of many closelyspaced reflections.

The reverberation provided by a concerthall is an important part of the live -music ex-perience-a part that four -channel stereo andartificial reverberation synthesizers seek toreproduce more accurately. Every concerthall or auditorium has its own individual rev-erberation characteristics which to a certainextent enhance the loudness of the music andshape its perceived frequency balance. Thereverberation time of an auditorium is definedas the period (in seconds) required for the rev-erberant sound to decrease 60 dB in level af-ter the original producer of the sound hasceased its output.

Reverberation chamber is an acoustically"live" room or smaller space usuallyequipped with hard, reflective walls, floor,and ceiling. Its function is to reflect as muchacoustic energy for as long as possible and toabsorb as little possible. Some chambers havea reverberation time in excess of 10 secondsat most audio frequencies.

Reverberation chambers are commonlyused to manufacture artificial reverberationfor recording studios. The material that is tohave its reverberation content enhanced isplayed through a loudspeaker and picked upby a microphone within the chamber. The mi-crophone's pickup is then mixed into the finalrecording to add more or less reverberation tothe ultimate sound. Electronic and mechani-cal devices employing springs or metal platesalso exist for the same purpose, and these aresometimes called "chambers."

Power -response testing of loudspeakers isalso often done in a special type of reverbera-tion chamber. Since virtually the total acous-tic output (in all directions) of the speaker willultimately be homogenized by multiple reflec-tions, an averaged speaker response will bepicked up by the measuring microphone in thechamber.

RL4A (Recording Industry Association ofAmerica) lends its initials to the equalizationcharacteristic used throughout the U.S. andmuch of the world in the manufacture of pho-nograph records. This characteristic record-ing curve seeks to reduce noise and increase

playing time per side (as well as the phonocartridge's chances of playing the recordwithout mistracking) by boosting the high fre-quencies and reducing the lows during the re-cording process. The playback equipment in-corporates an inverted version of this equali-zation characteristic, reducing highs andboosting lows to restore the original frequen-cy balance.

Rise time is the length of time it takes for adevice such as an amplifier, speaker, micro-phone, etc. to respond fully to an instantane-ous change in input signal level. In the case ofan amplifier, for example, the rise time wouldbe measured as the length of time required forthe amplifier's output to go from 10 to 90 percent of its final value in response to some in-stantaneous signal pulse such as a squarewave. A typical rise time for a good amplifierwould be on the order of a mere fraction of amillisecond.

Rise time is, in other words, a measure oftransient response and, in general, the shorterthe better. However, the rise times of live andrecorded musical sounds are rather moderatecompared with the capabilities of goodamplifiers, and there is thus some controversyabout the need to design for exceedingly shortrise times.

rms (root mean square) is not a synonymfor continuous power, as is often implied byproduct specification sheets, but describes themathematical process by which the effectivevoltage of an a.c. signal can be calculated (theeffective voltage is the equivalent of the actu-al voltage of a hypothetical d.c. signal thatwould create the same amount of heating in agiven resistive load). And while we're on thesubject, the term "rms power" is a misnomerthat relates to nothing in the real world ofamplifiers.

When STEREO REVIEW uses the term "con-tinuous power," it can be understood to meanthe maximum power available (at a given dis-tortion level) from an amplifier on an indefi-nite basis (at least a minute).

Rumble is a low-pitched, heavy "back-ground" sound produced by inferior or defec-tive record players. Its usual cause is aninadequately isolated and/or vibration -pronemotor that is transmitting vibration to the rec-ord via the turntable platter, where it is pickedup by the phono cartridge and reproduced assound through the speakers. It is not to beconfused with acoustic feedback (a conditionin which the sound from the speakers vibratesthe record player). Low -frequency noise isoccasionally encountered on records them-selves, perhaps the result of faulty processingof the recording or of the recording micro-phones' having picked up low -frequencytraffic or air -conditioner noise.

Scrape flutter is a rapid irregularity in tapespeed caused by excessive friction betweenthe moving tape and the stationary tape headsand guides it is passing over. It leads to acharacteristic stick -slip motion of the tape(sometimes called "stiction") and a corre-sponding flutter imposed on the recordingand/or reproduction. In many cases of stic-tion, the speed irregularity takes place at arapid rate, modulating the signal going ontothe tape and giving rise to a squeal that getsrecorded and is heard on subsequent play-back. In other cases, the problem may occurduring playback only.

36 STEREO REVIEW

WHY MOST CRITICS USEMAXELL TAPE TO EVALUATE

TAPE RECORDERS.Any critic who wants to

do a comple-ely fair andimpartial tes- of a -ape re-corder is very fussy abcutthe tape he ries.

Because a flawed tapecan lead to some very mis-leading results.

A tape that can't coverthe full audio spectrumcan keep a recorder fromever reaching its fullpotential.

A tape that's noisymakes it hard to measurehow quiet the recorder is.

A tape that doesn'thave a wide enough biaslatitude can make youquestion the bias settings.

And a tape that doesn'tsound consistently thesame, from end to end,from tape to tape, canmake you question thestability of the electronics.

If a cassette or 8 --rackjams, it can suggest somenasty, but erroneous com-ments about the drivemechanism.

Ard if a casse-te or8 -track introduces wcwanc f utter, it's apt to pro-duce some test results thatanyone can argue wth.

Fortunately, we testevey inch of every Maxellcassette, 8 -track and reel-to-reel tape to make sure

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they don't have the prcb-lems that plague o -hertaoes.

So it's not surprising thatmost critics end up with ourtaoe in their tape recorders.

Ifs one way to guaran-tee the equipment will getc hearing.

Maxell. The tape that's too good for most equipment.ivicixell Corporation of Ame-ica, '30 West Commercial Ave Moonccr le New Jersey 07074

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Tape Horizons

SIGNAL SATURATION

THE treble boost applied to the audiosignal during slow -speed recording

in order to obtain a flat frequency re-sponse can result in more energy's beingapplied to the tape than it is capable ofaccepting. When this happens, the tapeis said to be "driven into saturation,"and one of the consequences is that hugeamounts of distortion products are gen-erated. "Saturation" by a high -frequen-cy signal differs somewhat in its effectsfrom what happens when a tape is over-driven by lower frequencies.

To visualize the situation, draw a ver-tical and a horizontal line, intersecting atright angles, on a piece of paper. Usingthe upper -right-hand quadrant thusformed, label the vertical line "output"and the horizontal line "input," andmark each axis off at a number of equalintervals. (A piece of ordinary graph pa-per does this for you automatically, butit isn't necessary). At the point wherethe lines intersect you have zero input tothe tape and zero playback output fromit. Now, if you increase the input (mov-ing to the right) by one unit at a time, andthe output (moving upward) increases byexactly the same amount, the result willbe a straight diagonal line neatly bisect-ing the angle formed by the two axes.Draw it in, for that's what we would liketo see happen at all frequencies and forall input levels.

Now let's see what actually does hap-pen with a low frequency. About three -fourths of the way up your diagonal "in-put -vs. -output" slope, increase the inputby a full unit but the output by only 0.8unit. At the next full -unit increase in theinput signal, raise the output level byonly 0.6, then by 0.4, 0.2, and finally bynothing at all. From here on in thesponge is saturated, so to speak, and nogreater output can be obtained no matterhow many times you increase the input.

Joining up your dots, you now have anew line composed of three sections.First is the "linear" portion where out-

put and input increase equally-a 45 -degree slope. Second, there is a gradual-ly curving portion (the "compressionknee"), where the output still keeps go-ing up, but it follows the input increasesless and less closely. Third is anotherstraight portion, parallel to the horizon-tal (input) axis, where no further outputincrease can be obtained whatever theboost in input level. You now have theclassical "transfer characteristic" of atape, from zero input to complete satura-tion, as it behaves (approximately) atlow frequencies.

Now let's plot the highs. As before,start up the 45 -degree slope, but this timefollow it up only about halfway, for thecurved "nonlinear" portion sets in ear-lier (that is, at lower input levels) withvery high frequencies than with lowones. This time, too, the "knee" will besharper, less gradual. But most impor-tant, while the output leveled off for lowfrequencies, this time the curvature willcontinue, so that the output actually fallsoff toward (and finally, to) zero as the in-put is increased further. There is, in oth-er words, a definite peak input beyondwhich you positively lose output whenyou try to increase it. Such is the strangeway tape behaves when overdriven bythe high frequencies (or, to be more pre-cise, by the very short wavelengths thatconstitute high frequencies).

The distortion products generated byhigh -frequency saturation (or "oversatu-ration," as it might be termed) are notaudible. The third harmonic (the mostpotent distortion product generated intape recording) of a 10,000 -Hz tone is,after all, 30,000 Hz, and so is thereforeoutside both the range of hearing and,for that matter, the frequency -responsecapabilities of cassette machines. Butthe downward turn in the transfer char-acteristic also affects any lower frequen-cies that happen to be present in the mu-sic,, distorting them as well, and that'swhere the audible results are important.

38STEREO REVIEW

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READER CARD 40. 57

Technical TalkByJulian D. Hirsch

WEIGHTING CURVES: Some recentreader letters have asked about thespecific relationships between measure-ments of wow, flutter, and rumble basedon different measurement standards andwhether the measurement figures can becompared or converted. One reader, forexample, cites wow and flutter ratingsfor a number of cassette decks in whichthe numbers (which range from 0.07 to0.35 per cent) either carry no qualifica-tion or are related to different weightingcurves identified as NAB, DIN, wrms,rms (maximum), or unweighted rms.

A look at the nature of flutter and therationale for using weighting functions inits measurement will show why no com-parison or conversion is possible. Flutterand wow are audible manifestations ofthe same problem: a periodic variation inthe speed of a tape or the rate at which aspiral record groove passes beneath theplayback stylus. Slow fluctuations (gen-erally between 0.5 and 10 Hz) producethe characteristic "wow" sound, whilemore rapid fluctuations are responsiblefor flutter. The lower flutter rates may,on certain program material, produce a"fluttery" effect, while higher rates (upto perhaps 200 Hz) may be heard as aroughness or harshness in the sound.

What we call flutter (we will use theterm to include wow as well) is frequen-cy modulation of the program by thevarying rate at which the recording isplayed. To measure flutter, a constant -tone signal on either disc or tape isplayed and fed to a flutter meter, whichis a sort of FM receiver tuned to thesame fixed audio frequency (formerly3,000 Hz, and on newer instruments3,150 Hz). The signal is limited and de-tected by a discriminator circuit, withthe output (corresponding to the rate offrequency variation) displayed on an a.c.voltmeter as a percentage of modulationof the carrier signal. The "modulation"is, of course, the flutter component.

If flutter occurred at a single fixed fre-quency with a sinusoidal waveform (the

usual way in which audio and FM tunermeasurements are made), it would beeasy to translate the reading into aver-age, rms (root -mean -square), or peakform, no matter what type of indicatinginstrument was used for the originalmeasurement. Unfortunately, things arenot so simple. Flutter is normally a rath-er complex modulation which may havefrequency components distributed overa wide range. On an oscilloscope, fluttermay look like random noise, or it mayconsist of a number of more or less dis-crete frequencies. In either case, there isno way to convert readings made withone type of test meter to another form,since the simple mathematical relation-ships between average, rms, and peakvalues holds only in the case of a sinusoi-dal signal.

To further complicate matters, the au-dible annoyance caused by flutter is verymuch related to its frequency and itswaveform. A new standard intended tobetter reflect the pychoacoustic signifi-cance of flutter was adopted in 1971 bythe IEEE and ANSI. It is essentiallysimilar to other international and Euro-pean standards (CCIR, IEC, DIN). It is aweighted peak measurement of combinedwow and flutter and is referred to simplyas "weighted peak flutter." The test me-ter's response characteristics are definedin terms of its reading with certainpulsed signals. Although it actually re-sponds to a peak -to -peak voltage (since

Tested This Month

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MXR Stereo Octave EqualizerSennheiser HD 224X Headphones

the signal may not be symmetrical aboutthe zero voltage axis), it is calibrated interms of the peak signal, which is halfthe peak -to -peak value.

The weighting filter has its maximumresponse at 4 Hz, rolling off to -4 dB at0.8 and 20 Hz. A weighted peak flutterreading can be readily identified becauseit is preceded by a "±" sign. Example:"weighted peak flutter, ±0.05 per cent."

It can be seen that if there is a simple,known, single flutter frequency, it can beconverted with reasonable success froma weighted peak figure to the old systemor to any other. However, as we haveseen, the complex nature of the flutterspectrum usually makes this impossible.There are a number of types of fluttermeters, and depending on when theywere designed, and in what country,they may use any of the several meas-urement systems. Although it is possibleto compare different recorders or turnta-bles measured by the same system, therecan easily be a difference in the rankingof different products depending on thetype of meter used.

Our flutter meter was designed in ac-cordance with the 1953 standard, and itreads an essentially unweighted rmswow and flutter level when the full 0.5 -to 200 -Hz bandwidth is used. However,its 0.5- to 10 -Hz "wow" filter comesvery close to matching the response ofthe filter in the newer weighted peakmeasurement, and in recent measure-ments we have used it to derive what weterm a weighted rms (wrms) measure-ment. Our wrms readings agree fairlywell with those of the recorder and turn-table manufacturers using the same sys-tem, but legitimate discrepancies mayoccur from time to time.

Within any one system, flutter rela-tionships are linear-that is, a machinewith 0.2 per cent flutter has twice asmuch flutter as one with a 0.1 per centfigure. This does not mean that it is audi-bly twice as objectionable, since the sub-jective offensiveness of flutter is a very

40 STEREO REVIEW

complex matter. One of the principalclaims made for the weighted peak sys-tem is that (presumably) it correlatesmuch better with subjective tests thanthe rms measurement system does, butwe suspect that the last word on thatsubject has yet to be heard.

A somewhat similar situation existswith respect to rumble. Rumble is not afrequency -modulation effect, but ratheran added low -frequency noise caused bymechanical vibration in the turntablesystem. Like flutter, rumble is not sim-ple, but takes the form of a broad bandof noise with energy peaks in certain fre-quency regions.

The old NAB rumble -measurementsystem is basically unweighted rms (al-though, like most so-called "rms" meas-urements, it is an average measurementcalibrated to read the rms value of a sinewave). It has been customary to weightrumble measurements because the nor-mal drop in our low-level hearing sensi-tivity at low frequencies makes very -low -frequency rumble much less audiblethan its higher -frequency components inthe 50- to 100 -Hz region.

Rumble -weighting filters attenuate thelow frequencies at a constant rate belowsome "turnover" frequency, before thesignal is passed on to the indicating me-ter. The high frequencies are often rolledoff to remove noise from the measure-ment, but in practice this is a very minorconsideration.

Among the rumble -weighting systemsin current use are the JIS (from Japan),an IEC system used by Bruel & Kjaer in

some of their test instruments, the DIN"A" and DIN "B" curves widely usedin Europe, and the Audible RelativeLoudness Level (ARLL, formerlyknown as RRLL) curve proposed byCBS Laboratories. In addition to theirdiffering frequency characteristics, thesesystems are not all based on the samereference signal level. The two DIN sys-tems use a 10-cm/sec, 1,000 -Hz refer-ence which is some 9 dB higher than the3.54-cm/sec reference of the other sys-tems. In other words, even if the curveswere the same, the DIN readings wouldbe 9 dB "better" than the others.

The JIS curve rolls off the lows at asteep 40 -dB -per -octave rate below 30Hz. The Bruel & Kjaer curve has arolloff of 25 dB at 30 Hz compared withthe 300 -Hz level. The DIN "A" charac-teristic rolls off at 6 dB per octave below10 Hz, making it very close to an un-weighted response. However, the DIN"B" curve is sharply peaked at 315 Hz,rolling off at 12 dB per octave above andbelow that frequency. Finally, theARLL curve rolls off the response below500 Hz at a 6 -dB -per -octave rate, effec-tively canceling the effect of the RIAAplayback equalization used ahead of allthe weighting filters.

To see why different rumble weightingsystems can give radically different read-ings on the same turntable, consider alow -price turntable with a four -pole in-duction motor. Its rumble is predomi-nantly in the lower audible range, from30 to 100 Hz, although it will have low-er -frequency components as well. The

JIS and DIN "A" filters will give an es-sentially unweighted reading. The B&Kand ARLL curves will probably givesimilar but "better" readings. The DIN"B" curve will, as always, give the bestreading of all.

Now take a modern direct -drive turn-table. Its rumble will usually be concen-trated at 10 Hz and lower frequencies.The JIS filter, like the DIN "B," willgive an impressively low reading, whilethe DIN "A" response will not be muchlower than an unweighted measurement.The B&K and ARLL readings will fallbetween the two extremes.

We use the ARLL weighting curve forour measurements. It is simple to apply,it is widely used in this country, and webelieve it to be at least as valid as anyother. However, we also use an un-weighted measurement, which providesan additional piece of important informa-tion. Rumble may not be heard as such,yet it can influence the quality of thesound at higher frequencies. A severevery -low -frequency rumble can inter -modulate with higher program frequen-cies in the amplifier. And if the amplifierfrequency response extends low enough(in some it goes all the way to d.c. or"zero" frequency), subsonic rumble canoverdrive the woofer cones and producemodulation distortion.

To sum up, rumble and/or flutterfigures for different products can becompared, but only when they weremeasured in the same way. They cannotbe compared if different weightingcurves were used.

Equipment Test ReportsBy Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

Technics SL -1350 Record Player

AI HOU6H electronic (as opposed tomechanical) direct -drive turntables first

appeared only a few years ago, today al-most every record-player manufacturer has atleast one in his line. They range from com-pletely manual to single -play machines withautomatic tone -arm control. Given the rapidadvances in all areas of audio technology, thestep from single -play to multiple -play capabil-ity was inevitable. The Technics SL -1350 wasthe first direct -drive "record changer" to be-come available. In view of its technical so-phistication and high level of performance,Technics understandably prefers to call it a"direct -drive automatic player system."

The SL -1350 derives directly (pun intend-ed) from their single -play SL -1300, which itresembles in almost every detail. The under -


DECEMBER 1 976 41

AccutracIts fatherwas a turntable.

Now you can hear the selection on a record in any orderyou like, as often as you like, and skip the ones you don't like.

Even by remote control.

It's a marriage of solid-state integrated circuitry,infra -red electro-optics and the latest in direct -driveengineering. We've replaced hundreds of mechanicalparts with efficiert, silent electronics: in fact, thefunctions of nearly 10,000 transistors are beingperformed by just two logic chips.

The result:The Accutrac 4000 is the most accurate,reliable, noiseless turntable ever invented. And it evenlets you re -arrange selections on a record to hearthem in the order you want.

The Accutrac 4000 reaches new lows.Wow and flutter are down to a completely

inaudible 0.03% W.R.M.S. Rumble, -70dB (DIN B).Tracking force, a mere 3/4 gram. And tonearm reso-nance, the ideal 8-10 Hz.

Our direct -drive motor brings the massive die-cast platter to full speed instantly. And keeps it therewith the he .p of electronic sensors which adjust forpower fluctuation.

There's no way a turntable can be any moreprecise.

Now, all other turntables are obsolete.Once we developed the electronic control system,

it was a logical step to extend its capabilities.So now, instead

of just listening toa record, youcan re -arrange 4, Alp Ab

41101 4740-

the playing order of theselections, repeat them, evenskip the ones you don't like.

Just by pushing a button.Suppose you want to hear

selections 5, 3 and 7. Simply press thebuttons marked 5, 3 and 7. In fact, yo-i canpre-set the sequence with any combinationof up to 24 commands.

And if you don't want to leave your chairto give the orders, beam it in by cordlessremote control with the transmitter ( owerleft) and receiver (above).

The arm your fingers never haveto touch.

Because the tonearm is electronicallydriven, not manual, you never risk droppingit accidentally and scratching a record, ordamaging the stylus.

The reason for this miracle is the minuteinfra -red scanning beam in the head that readsthe surface of the record and directs the tonearmto follow your instructions.

And it does it with absolute freedom,because the servo -motor that drives the tonearmis decoupled the instant the stylus goes into play.

You don't have to cue manually, either: electronicstakes care of that, too. In fact, the in-ra-red eyewill return the stylus to the same groove it left, withina fraction of a revolution. Even the best damped cuelever can't provide such accuracy. Or safety.

The Accutrac 4000 system: it not only plays retortsas sensitively as possible, it also takes better care ofrecords than is humanly possible.

The Accutrac 4000: the great protector.Everything about the Accutrac 4000, from the

perfect freedom of the tonearm to the logical placemen: ofthe controls outside the dustcover has been done for cnereason: to extend the life of a record.

Which is why, once you've played the Accutrac 4000, you'llnever be able to trust your records to another turntableacain.

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side of the full-size nonmagnetic cast -alloyplatter has, surrounding its support shaft, amagnetic ring that is actually the rotor of aservo -controlled, brushless d.c. motor revolv-ing at either 331/2 or 45 rpm. The stator coilsare fixed to the motorboard. Stroboscopemarkings around the slanting edge of the plat-ter monitor the turntable speed; they are il-luminated by a neon lamp below the mountingboard by means of a plastic prism.

Each speed has its own vernier adjustmentwith a nominal overall range of 10 per cent.The tone arm, which is identical to that of theSL -1300, has an effective length of just over 9inches, with precision ball -bearing pivots anda threaded counterweight on which there is adirect -reading tracking -force dial calibratedfrom 0 to 4 grams at 0.1 -gram intervals. Aplastic gauge is supplied for setting the stylusoverhang, and it can also serve as a holder foran extra cartridge shell. The cueing lever andanti -skating dial are built into the base of thearm pivot structure.

The Technics SL -1350 is "programmed"for the desired number of plays (up to a max-imum of six) by a "memo -gram" knob next tothe arm. Another control sets the arm index-ing diameter for 7-, 10-, or 12 -inch records. AsrAa-r/s-roP lever initiates the automatic play-ing cycle. Records can also be played by lift-ing the arm from its rest (which starts the mo-tor) and cueing it manually.

The SL -1350 is supplied with interchange-able center spindles. A short spindle, rotatingwith the platter, is used for playing a singlerecord. For multiple -play operation, this is re-placed by a conventional "umbrella" changerspindle holding up to six records.

The Technics SL -1350 comes on a darkgray base which is supported on resilient feet.A hinged, removable plastic cover remainsopen at any angle. The capacitance of the armand signal -cable wiring is compatible with therequirements of CD -4 magnetic cartridges.The SL -1350, with cover in place, measures173/4 inches wide, 143/4 inches deep, and 8inches high; it weighs about 21 pounds. Price:$349.95.

Laboratory Measurements. The TechnicsSL- 1350 was tested with a Shure M95ED car-tridge installed in its tone -arm shell. The armresonance at about 7 Hz, with an amplitude of4 to 5 dB, indicates that its mass is typical ofmost modern arms and should be compatiblewith any cartridge of normal stylus compli-ance. The arm and cable -wiring capacitance

Like almost alldirect -drive motors,

the Technics SL -1350is virtually

featureless, the onlymoving part beingthe platter, which

has been removed forthis photo.

was a low 75 picofarads (pF), well under the100-pF maximum recommended for mostCD -4 cartridges.

As would be expected from the longer -than -average tone arm of the SL -1350, itstracking error was almost too low to measure.For record radii between 2.5 and 5 inches, itwas less than 0.33 degree per inch, and at a 6 -inch radius it was a negligible 0.4 degree perinch. The calibration of the tracking -force dialwas accurate to within 0.1 gram over its fullrange, and the force did not change measura-bly over a half -inch stack of records. For op-timum anti -skating correction the dial had tobe set I gram higher than the tracking force.With this setting, however, there was a slightoutward shift of the arm during the cueing de-scent. At the indicated setting (equal to thetracking force), the drift was negligible.

The turntable wow and flutter were at thelower limits of our measurement capability:the flutter was a mere 0.035 per cent (un-weighted rms) and the wow was 0.015 percent. The unweighted rumble was -32 dB,but audibility weighting improved this to -60dB, which is typical of most direct -drive turn-tables we have measured. The operatingspeeds did not vary over extreme line -voltagechanges (from 90 to 140 volts), nor did theydrift with time. The vernier control range wasfrom +9 to -4.5 per cent at 331/2 rpm andfrom +6.4 to -5.1 per cent at 45 rpm.

The record -changing cycle (from record -end lift-off to start of the next record) re-quired about 10 seconds. The motor came upto speed in less than 3 seconds after beingturned on, but in the automatic mode a total

of about 12 seconds (from a dead stop) wasrequired before the pickup reached the recordsurface. This delay can be avoided by manu-ally positioning the arm.

Although the mounting feet do providesome vibration isolation, we found that theSL -1350 was almost identical to the SL -1300in its susceptibility to acoustic feedback.These units are similar in this respect to mostconventional automatic turntables. However,the feedback sensitivity was in the vicinity of300 Hz, which would produce a howl insteadof a deep rumble, and this could be inducedby speakers lacking a low bass response. Withnormal precautions in installation, however,no feedback difficulty should be experienced.

Comment. Whatever limitations may haveexisted in the past to prevent direct -drive mo-tors from being used in record -changer ap-plications, it is clear that they have been over-come by Technics in the SL -1350. It offers theserious discophile the best of both worlds: itcan serve as a top-quality single -play unit withany desired degree of automation or as a si-lent, smooth record changer with absolutelyno loss of performance.

The SL -1350 is rather large as recordchangers go, and it enjoys the distinction ofbeing the most expensive record changer youcan buy today. On the other hand, if playingrecords in sequence is important to you, its$50 extra cost (over that of the SL -1300) iseasily justified. The SL -1350 may be the firstdirect -drive record changer, but we are cer-tain that it will not be the last.


Micro -Acoustics 2002-e Phono CartridgeTHE Micro -Acoustics cartridges, unlike al-

most all other high -quality cartridges, donot make use of magnetic generating ele-ments. They employ electrets-small perma-nently charged capacitors-that generate anoutput voltage when flexed by the motion ofthe stylus. Although many of their operatingcharacteristics, both physical and electrical,

are reminiscent of those found in ceramic car-tridges, the Micro -Acoustics devices equalthe most advanced magnetic designs in theirperformance qualities.

The new Model 2002-e is a refinement ofthe original QDC-le and features a berylliumstylus cantilever for low mass and high rigid-


44 STEREO REVIEW

The new SCXA.Demonstrably better.Eminently affordable.

The SCXA may very well be the best "perfor-mance -to -value" loudspeaker the high fidelity industryhas ever produced.

A bold statement?Consider the details of the SCXA. Let's start

with the tweeter array. What will strike you immediatelyis the flat tweeter known as the DVR. Here is a devicethat combines the best attributes of dynamic andelectrostatic tweeters. What it is exactly is an ultra -thinKapton membrane with an etched printed circuit

"voice coil" suspended between twenty rare-earthsamarium cobalt magnets (the most powerful magnetmaterial in the world). How thin is ultra -thin? One milto be exact. Which translates into a membrane whichweighs approximately the same as the air you'd findin a whiskey shot glass. Because the membrane massis so low and the magnets have such extraordinaryforce, the inertial qualities are exceptional. The mem-brane can be accelerated and stopped with extremeaccuracy. This results in very extended response (wellbeyond the limits of normal test equipment). It alsomeans a response that is transient perfect. And phaseperfect, as well. All forms of distortion, including oddorder harmonic distortion, are reduced to an abso-lute minimum.

The DVR Tweeter

In addition to the DVR tweeter, the arrayalso features a specially designed one -inch dometweeter that works in exactly the same frequencyrange as the DVR. This dome complements theexquisite linearity of the DVR with its own splendiddispersion characteristics. The results are awesome.Fuzziness disappears. The inner voices of the orchestracome alive. There's the kind of airiness and trans-parency you find only in the concert hall. Indeed, it isalmost disconcerting to have that kind of reality inyour home. But it's an experience that's worth gettingused to.

The SCXA's midrange needs very little discussion.It is considered by most experts to be the best 4"conethat has ever been made-and it easily lives up to itsreputation.

As for the SCXA's 12" MegafluxIm Woofer, it isprobably the most unique magnetic structure avail-

able today. Its amazing magnet design createsand focuses magnetic energy (flux) with essen-tially no external stray field. Since all of theenergy is directed to an exact and predeter-

mined area of the voice coil, very large wooferexcursions are possible. Also, the magnetic field pro-duced is so uniform that many non-linear types ofdistortion found in conventional designs simply are nofactor in this configuration. And this woofer can han-dle a staggering amount of power-over 200 wattsRMS at 30 Hertz.

What we're obviously trying to say is that theSCXA is an exceptional loudspeaker-a demon-strably better way to listen to music. It's also an afford-able way to listen to music. To find out just how afford-able, we suggest you visit your KLH Research Tendealer soon. We're sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

For more technical information, write to KLHResearch & Development Corp., 30 Cross St.,Cambridge, Mass. 02139. (Distributed in Canada byS. Allen Pringle Ltd., Ontario, Canada.)

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111 ®KLH Research Ten DivisionKLH Research & Development Corp.30 Cross St.. Cambridge. Mass. 02139

CIRCLE NO. 29 ON READER SERVICE CARDDECEMBER 1976 45

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FREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND)

In the graph at left, the upper curve represents the smoothed, averagedfrequency response of the cartridge's right and left channels; the dis-tance (calibrated in decibels) between it and the lower curve representsthe separation between the two channels. The inset oscilloscope photoshows the cartridge's response to a recorded 1,000 -Hz square wave,which gives an indication of resonances and overall frequency re-sponse. At right is the cartridge's response to the intermodulation-dis-tortion (IM) and 10.8 -kHz tone -burst test bands of the ITR-102

ity. . One end of the cantilever is driven by a0.2 x 0.7 -mil elliptical diamond stylus; the oth-er is coupled through a Y-shaped yoke to thetwo electret elements. The stylus assembly isuser -replaceable and has an integral hingedstylus guard. The recommended trackingforce is between 0.7 and 1.4 grams.

The electret element is intrinsically an am-plitude -responding device that produces a rel-atively large voltage across a high -impedanceload. Its output has been made compatible inlevel and frequency response with the usualamplifier magnetic -cartridge inputs by inter-nal resistive loading that converts the car-tridge to a velocity -responding device anddrops its output to a nominal 3.5 millivolts(mV) at a 5 -centimeter -per -second (cm/sec)velocity.

The noninductive nature of the 2002-e is anadvantage over the usual magnetic cartridgein that its output level and frequency responseare essentially independent of the amplifier'sinput resistance and capacitance over a verywide range (10,000 to 100,000 ohms resistanceand 100 to 1,500 picofarads capacitance).Also, those phono preamplifiers whosehigh -frequency response is adversely affectedby cartridge inductance (which includes mostwe have seen) will deliver their best perform-ance with the 2002-e. The stylus resonance ofthe Micro -Acoustics 2002-e has been placedabove the audible range and damped mechani-cally. The net result is a frequency responserated at ±I.5 dB from 5 to 20,000 Hz, with a

1CM K0

O 5 10 15 20 25 30PEAK VELOCITY IN CM/SEC OF TEST DISC

and TTR-103 test records. These high velocities provide a severe test ofa phono cartridge's performance. The intermodulation-distortion (IM)readings for any given cartridge can vary widely, depending on the par-ticular IM test record used. The actual distortion figure measured isnot as important as the maximum velocity the cartridge is able to trackbefore a sudden and radical increase in distortion takes place. Thereare very few commercial phonograph discs that embody musical audiosignals with recorded velocities much higher than about 15 cm/sec.

nominal channel separation of 30 dB in themid -range. The absence of a heavy magneticstructure results in very low cartridgeweight -4 grams-appreciably less than thatof the typical magnetic cartridge, whichweighs 6 to 8 grams. Price: $115.

Laboratory Measurements. The Micro -Acoustics 2002-e was installed in several tonearms during our evaluation, including the Phi-lips GA -209S, the Harman/Kardon ST -7, andthe Dual 701. Most measurements were madeon the Philips player.

With the CBS STR 100 record, the frequen-cy response was within ±1 dB from 40 to20,000 Hz on one channel and very close tothat on the other. Channel separation was 20to 25 dB at mid frequencies, falling to 15 to 20dB at 10,000 Hz and 5 to 8 dB at 20,000 Hz.The output was 3.25 mV on one channel and2.8 mV on the other, and the vertical stylusangle was the standard 20 degrees.

At a 1 -gram vertical force the cartridgetracked our test records nicely, including the70 -micron level of the German High FidelityInstitute record. However, the IM distortionwith the Shure TTR-102 record was undesira-bly high, with mistracking above 19 cm/sec.Increasing the tracking force to 1.2 gramsmade a dramatic improvement, with some ofthe lowest distortion figures we have meas-ured from a cartridge. The IM was under 1.5per cent up to about 26 cm/sec and still a verylow 2 per cent at the 27.1-cm/sec maximum

level of the record. Repetition -rate distortionfrom the Shure TTR-103 record was also verylow -1 per cent or less up to the 30-cm/secmaximum level of the record. The 80 -micronlevel of the German record was playable at1.2 grams.

Subjective listening tests with the Shure"Audio Obstacle Course -Era III" recordconfirmed these findings. At 1 gram the car-tridge performed well, mistracking only at thehighest levels of the vocal sibilance and bass -drum sections. At 1.2 grams it was excellent,taking the entire record in its stride with ease.The square -wave response with the CBS STR112 record showed a cycle or two of ringing atthe stylus resonance of about 35,000 Hz. Thelow -frequency resonance in the higher -massPhilips arm was between 7 and 8 Hz; it was9.5 Hz in the lighter Dual arm. The improvedtracking of warped records resulting from the2002-e's low mass was immediately evident,especially in the Philips arm.

Comment. In respect to frequency -response range, flatness, and low distortion,the 2002-e is at least the equal of any cartridgewe have used, and its low mass improves thetracking of warped records in almost any tonearm. The manufacturer states that its constantresistive impedance results in less amplifiernoise as compared with magnetic cartridges.We attempted to verify this with A -B com-parisons against magnetic cartridges of com-


46 STEREO REVIEW

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The AR -12 is forpeople who like their music loud and clean

With today's rock listeninglevels requiring several times the outputpower of a few years ago, Inure ruggedloudspeakers must be built to convertthis added power into clean acousticalenergy without destroying ether thespeakers or your eardrums.

That's why AR's AdvancedDevelopment Division designed the newAR -12 to handle double the power of itspredecessors. The 10" woofer of theAR -12 has an extremely long throwvoice coil to allow the wide cone excur-sions necessary for today's bass heavyrecordings. And it's mounted in a largervolume cabinet usually reserved for ourmore expensive systems to give youaccurate reproduction of lowest bassguitar and synthesizer notes as well asorgan pedal tones.

The AR -12 midrange driveruses a new 1" coil design with magneticfluid centering which permits vastlyincreased power handling capacity whileretaining a 21/4" cone with its superiordispersion for uniform listening charac-teristics throughout the room. The AR -12tweeter is the same 3/4" hemisphericaldome design used in our most expensivesystems and it also shares magnetic fluiddesign for crystal clear reproduction ofthe "hot" highs prevalent in today'srecordings.

If you like your music loud andclean we invite you to take your favoriterecording to your AR dealer and askhim to play it through AR -12 loud-speakers using the most powerfulelectronics he has in his soundroom.We think you'll find the efforfless


accuracy of the AR -12 the sound youwant to live with.

IMO

O Please send me info-mation on the AR -12.O Please send me the new 36 -page catalog "AR

Guide to Loudspeakers" ($1 enclosedor fiee from your AR dealer).

O Please send me the AR demonstration record"The Sound of Musical Instruments" (check for$5 enclosed).

Name

Address

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SR12

TELEDYNEACOUSTIC RESEARCH10 Ameriuir i DriveNorwood, MA 02062In Canada. AC Simmonds & Sons Lid

47DECEMBER 1976

parable quality. The results were not entirelyconclusive, since some magnetic cartridgesproduced the same audible hiss level as the2002-e, while others caused more. Yet nonewere quieter than the 2002-e.

One difference between this cartridge andothers was always audible, however: it hasabsolutely no magnetic hum pickup, and thiswas strikingly apparent during listening com-parisons. Although we were not aware of hum

as such, even at high volume levels, when us-ing the magnetic cartridges, the contrast whenswitching to the 2002-e was clearly audible asa further increment of "silence."


GRAPHIC equalizers provide an effectivemeans of modifying the frequency re-

sponse of a home audio system. Usually slide -type controls are used to vary the response atdifferent frequencies. The slider positionsroughly outline the frequency -response modi-fication produced by the equalizer, which ac-counts for the "graphic" part of the device'sname.

In a sense, equalizers are actually highlyversatile tone controls. As a minimum, agraphic equalizer should have at least fiveseparate control bands. However, a muchmore desirable form is the octave -band equal-izer, such as the MXR stereo equalizer, whichdivides the audio range into ten bands. Thereare two electrically identical versions of theMXR equalizer. The consumer version usesphono-jack inputs and outputs and providesthe tape -monitoring facility that is taken upwhen the equalizer is connected into a hi-fisystem. The professional version uses stand-ard phone jacks and lacks the tape -monitoringfacilities.

The MXR ten -band stereo equalizer isfinished in satin aluminum with a pebbledblack vinyl front panel and walnut end panels.On the forward section of the top panel aretwenty-two small white knobs, twenty ofwhich control the slide potentiometers; the re-maining two provide the means for separatelysetting the gain of each stereo channel. Thecenter frequency of each control is plainlymarked (31, 62, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000,4,000, 8,000 and 16,000 Hz). Scales that ex-tend across the control surface provide a

MXR Stereo Equalizer

means for indicating the approximate amountof boost and cut for each slider over a rangeof -±12 dB.

On the rear apron are the line inputs andoutputs that connect to the tape -in, tape -outcircuits of an amplifier, with tape-recordingjacks to replace those taken up by the equaliz-er. A slide switch on the MXR serves as thereplacement source/monitor selector. Anoth-er switch bypasses the MXR equalizer cir-cuits. Since the equalizer draws negligiblepower and can safely and economically be lefton at all times, there is no power switch. If de-sired, it can of course be plugged into aswitched outlet on the amplifier or receiver.

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The published specifications for the equal-izer are referenced to professional programlevels. The maximum output is rated at +15dBm into 600 ohms, or +22 dBm into a high -impedance load. The gain is nominally unity(meaning the input and output are at the samelevel). The input impedance is 47,000 ohms,while the output is designed to drive loads of600 ohms or higher. The MXR equalizer is un-usually compact, measuring 2 x 7V4 x 91/4inches. Price (in either version): $199.95.

Laboratory Measurements. In our tests,the MXR's frequency -response characteris-tics agreed very closely with the specifica-tions and panel markings. We found it possi-ble to correct response in a single octave withlittle effect at frequencies only one octave re-moved. By using several controls simultane-ously, one can achieve almost any desired fre-quency response. The positions of the controlknobs actually do represent a valid picture ofthe response curve.

The measured total harmonic distortion(THD) at 1,000 Hz was between 0.005 and0.01 per cent for outputs up to about 7 volts-which is just below the clipping level with theMXR feeding a high -impedance load. At 20Hz, the THD was slightly higher -0.025 percent and 0.08 per cent at 1- and 7 -volt outputlevels.

At 20,000 Hz, the total harmonic distortionrose from 0.003 per cent at 1 volt to 0.16 percent at 7 volts. The intermodulation distortionremained under 0.023 per cent up to 5 voltsoutput and was 0.16 per cent at 7 volts. Theoutput noise level in a wideband measurementwas not detectable on our meter, whichmeans that it was less than -78 dBm.


MXR GRAPHIC EQUALIZERMAX

M Dim- 1 -.1 1m , --, S

20 SO 100 200 500 1K 2K 5KFREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND)

10K 20K

STEREO REVIEW

When you're seriousabout music.

Craig Series 5000integrated audio ccmponents -an expanded line o- receivers,turrrables, speakers and frontloading cassette deck. Allengineered for precision sound.

=MA I G.SE11-=\0EFor further information, write to Oro: ; Dept. (K), c:71 W es la Itpsin Blvd , Compton, CA 90220. In Canada: Withers, Evans, Ltd., British Columb


Comment. Laboratory measurements can-not adequately describe the true value of anoctave -band equalizer in a hi-fi system. Agood equalizer can make a poor speaker sys-tem sound tolerable and a good speaker sys-tem sound very good; it can correct for roomacoustics to some extent, reduce turntablenoise, and so forth. Though a really good

tone -control setup can handle some of thesetasks to a limited extent, none of them can dothe job as well as an octave -band equalizersuch as this one.

The MXR ranks technically among the bestof the equalizers designed for the consumermarket. Its compact size, which in some set-ups will be a positive advantage, does group

the controls very close together, so that careis required when making adjustments. In ad-dition to being an excellent performer, theMXR equalizer is one of the lowest -cost ten -band stereo equalizers, and it should prove tobe a worthwhile addition to almost all audiosystems.


Sennheiser HD 224X Stereo Headphones

SENNHEISER'S new HD 224X dynamicstereo headphones are of the circumaural

type, meaning that their soft foam -filled earcushions totally enclose the wearer's ears. Inthis respect they differ from the previousSennheiser phones we have used, which havebeen of the "open-air" type. Like them,though, the HD 224X is unusually light,weighing slightly less than 9 ounces exclusiveof the cord.

The ear cups slide on a one-piece plasticheadband to fit the wearer, and the band ispadded where it contacts the top of the head.The thin, lightweight parallel conductor cordis fitted with a molded stereo phone plug onthe amplifier end; the other end is separatedand plugs into each earpiece individually. Thecord is just under 10 feet long.

The Sennheiser HD 224X has a ratedimpedance of 200 ohms, delivering asound -pressure level (SPL) of 94 dB at 1,000Hz with a 1-milliwatt input. The nominal max-imum power rating of the phones is about 0.5watt, which corresponds to 10 volts acrosstheir 200 -ohm impedance. Since most receiv-ers and amplifiers have about 200 ohms in se-ries with their headphone outputs (whichwould halve the voltage actually applied tothe phones), they would be able to operatesafely with amplifier outputs up to 20 volts.The only other pertinent specification in themanufacturer's technical data sheet (all of theratings are based on the European DIN 45-500standard) is distortion, which is rated at lessthan I per cent. Recommended list price:$99.80.

Laboratory Measurements. We tested theSennheiser HD 224X phones on the modifiedANSI headphone coupler we use for all head-phone measurements. The useful frequency -response range spanned a full 20 to 20,000 Hz,

with a broad maximum of about 8.5 dB be-tween 70 and 150 Hz and a narrower peak ofabout the same amplitude at 7,000 Hz. The re-sponse sloped down smoothly from 100 to 500Hz and was almost perfectly flat from there to2,000 Hz, at which point the usual irregulari-ties associated with headphone -coupler mea-surements made their appearance. From9,000 to 17,000 Hz the response was againquite flat and close to the average mid -rangelevel.

The impedance of the phones was a veryuniform 200 to 250 ohms from 20 Hz up,reaching about 300 ohms at 20,000 Hz. Themid -range SPL at a 1 -volt drive level was 102dB. We measured the total harmonic distor-tion (THD) of the headphones' output (at1,000 Hz) at input levels from the 10 -volt rat-ed maximum down to 0.3 volt. The THD was0.75 per cent at 10 volts (at a very loud 122 -dBSPL), dropping to 0.45 per cent at 3 volts (112dB), 0.13 per cent at 1 volt (102 dB), and un-measurably low (less than 0.03 per cent) at the92 -dB SPL that was produced by a 0.3 -volt in-put signal.

The tone -burst response of the phones was

50 STEREO REVIEW

consistent with the measured frequency re-sponse. The 1,000 -Hz burst was excellent,differing negligibly from the input signal. At6,000 Hz, close to the resonant peak, therewas considerable build-up delay and ringingafter the burst.

Comment. The Sennheiser HD 224Xphones have a distinctive open and airy qual-ity, with a definition and clarity reminiscent ofsome of the best speakers we have heard. Inthis respect they impressed us as being supe-rior to the vast majority of phones we haveused. They sounded a trifle brighter thansome full -range electrostatic phones whosemeasured top -end response is flatter, but theywere completely free of stridency or anysense of unnatural coloration. However, thehigh -frequency rise is apparently genuine andnot an artifact of the test setup (which it couldeasily have been, since headphone couplermeasurements in that frequency range are no-toriously unreliable).

Most of the circumaural phones we haveused are relatively heavy or tight -fitting andtend to produce a sense of confinement whenworn for extended periods. The HD 224X hasthe lightness (in "feel" as well as in actualweight) that we usually associate with open-air phones, yet it provides a substantialamount of isolation against outside sounds.

As dynamic phones go, the HD 224X is rel-atively expensive, but its listening quality isconsistent with the price. Those people wholisten through headphones, either because ofpreference or need, owe it to themselves togive the Sennheiser HD 224X a critical audi-tion. It is also noteworthy-even if you arenot a confirmed headphone user-that the dis-tortion of the HD 224X, even at very high lis-tening levels, is considerably less than wehave measured on most phones and is far lessthan that of any speaker.


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If you listen to speakers on a wide range of musical material beforeyou buy, so that you can gauge the kind of satisfaction you might getin day -after -day listening to different kinds of music and recordings,we think you won't easily find a reason to spend more money on aloudspeaker.

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DECEMBER 1976 51

The Pop Beat

APOCALYPTIC ROCK

My colleague Noel Coppage, in his ratherremarkably personal essay on Bob Dy-

lan's new album "Hard Rain" elsewhere inthis issue, makes a strong case for the essen-tially political nature of the album (and, in-deed, of the whole Rolling Thunder tour fromwhence it came). That is a valid way of look-ing at it, surely, but it is not one I'm reallycomfortable with because the Dylan -on -the -side -of -the -angels character has always beenthe Dylan I've cared for least (a little tooclosely tied in with Dylan -the -country -squire). And it's not a question of hindsight,either. Noel is certainly right when he saysthat we (and Dylan) are a lot less naive thanwe used to be, that we realize how much morecomplicated things were and are. But still,even back in the days when Bob was ragingon about Hattie Carroll and other outrages,my reaction was never so much "how true"as it was "how obvious." Politics may or maynot be bullshit, but it has always seemed tome that the Dylan who really mattered was

the one who shook up the folkies with themanic, visionary rock-and-roll one critic de-scribed as "a rough, jerking marriage of bluesand honky tonk, grafted over with the sort ofechoes that come from the music box of a cir-cus merry-go-round." In the broader sense ofthe term, such music is more profoundly "po-litical" than any mere topical protest songcould ever be.

To me, then, what "Hard Rain" reallyamounts to is the first legitimate Dylan boot-leg ("The Basement Tapes" don't count,since Columbia's version was cleaned up inthe studio long after the fact), even down tothe cheap -cheap packaging, and that is causefor rejoicing. Everybody knows that the bestmusic Dylan has made has been withheldfrom us-the Carnegie Hall concert of '63,the Albert Hall show of '66, the marvelouslive -in -the -studio outtakes recorded in L.A. in'65 (including a mesmeric Visions of Johan-na), not to mention the original, recalledWon't You Please Crawl Out Your Window

and about a zillion others. It's been rare, inshort, that Dylan has permitted his official re-cordings to expose him, warts and all, the waythe tracks I've just mentioned do. Dylan hassimply never cared all that much about mak-ing records, and though what he's let us hearon them is almost always reassuringly sloppy(even when backed by the Band, who on theirown are the most painstaking of perfection-ists), it is, in comparison to what he's capableof, a sanitized, censored kind of sloppiness.That is why the bootlegs have always sold sowell; it wasn't that rabid fans were so fond ofthe Complete Works that they would put upwith anything in terms of sound quality, butthat in these subterranean releases a real, le-gitimately compelling Dylan occasionallycame out of hiding.

THAT is the Dylan we get in "Hard Rain,"and for low-down, gut -level rock-and-roll joltit may top anything he's ever done (I speak asone who has just soberly gone back and com-pared it to the Albert Hall bootleg, generallyconceded to be his masterpiece). Certainly itmakes "Before the Flood," good as it was inits way, seem sadly limp. It's rock -and -Dylanthe way it's supposed to sound: raw, raucous,almost improvisatory, yet controlled enoughthat the turbulence beneath never quitebreaks loose, because if it did we could nottake it. With music this vital, it is simply elitistarrogance to nit-pick about anything like out -of -tune guitars.

Oh, I do have a few minor cavils. The mix-ing is erratic (the mono version heard on TVwas far more solid), so that Wyeth and Ston-er, who have got to be the most exciting andinstantly recognizable rock rhythm section tocome along in this decade, don't sound as im-pressive as they should. Oh Sister, a badon the "Desire" album, is a bad song still (theaggressively reworked Mozambique from theTV show would have been a better choice).And surely Roger McGuinn's twelve -stringcould have been slipped in there somewhere.But these are, I confess, niggling complaintsin the face of (a) Shelter from the Storm,which is filled with a force and drive theacoustic studio version never hinted at; (b)One Too Many Mornings, which redefines theword "majestic"; (c) Idiot Wind, filled withclarity, power, and an incredible stinging vi-ciousness that is downright awesome; or(d) . . . well, you get the idea.

THE Stones, Lou Reed and the Velvets,Procol Harum, Bruce Springsteen, even PattiSmith have given us glimpses of this apoca-lyptic vision of rock-and-roll in the yearssince Dylan abandoned it for his private rea-sons. But as good as all these people are (or insome cases were), none of them has evercome as close to distilling the essence of thatvision as Dylan has here. "Hard Rain" is thework of an erratic genius who has finally hadthe guts to let us see him at his most nakedand inspired, and I think even Noel will agreewith me once he gets over his election -yearculture shock. And if I'm certain of anythingabout this release, it is that both Jerry Ford'sson Jack (who thinks that Peter Frampton"brought the magic back to rock-and-roll"and is shaping up as a bigger groupie than LeeRadziwill) and Jimmy Carter (who had theHibbing Minstrel over for dinner and insistedon quoting him in his campaign speeches) aregoing to just hate it. You see-I told you rock-and-roll was far more political than broadsidebal lads.

5' STEREO REVIEW

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The Opera File

RING, RING, RING!

GIVEN my conservative tastes in operaticproduction, it's just as well that I didn't

go to the Bayreuth Festival this year to cele-brate the one -hundredth anniversary ofWagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. Accord-ing to Jane Boutwell's report in the NewYorker, Bayreuth's centennial production byPatrice Chereau shifted the action from myth-ological times to a period between about 1850and the 1920's. The Rhinemaidens were pros-titutes on top of a hydroelectric plant, Wotanwas a capitalist, and Valhalla was Chereau'sidea of Wall Street, complete with EmpireState Building and World Trade Center. Sieg-fried and Gunther wore dinner jackets, Hagena gray business suit, and Gutrune a white eve-ning dress.

Not for me, thanks. I celebrated the Ringcentennial in July at the Pacific NorthwestFestival in Seattle, where for the second yearthe Seattle Opera produced the complete Ringtwice, once in German and once in English.That so young a company (founded in 1964)could get through so monumental a work justonce would be remarkable enough; that lastyear they could do it twice in two weeks indifferent languages and then duplicate thatfeat this year is almost miraculous. Accordingto the company's management, the 1976 festi-val cost $239 per minute of music ($430,000for 1,800 minutes) and attracted visitors fromforty-two states, five Canadian provinces,and four other countries.

The Seattle production, designed by JohnT. Naccarato and directed by Lincoln Clark(after George London), is the kind I like-with swords, spears, breastplates, and wingedhelmets. Although it lacks a horse and ravens,there is a good rainbow bridge, nice magicfire, and a fine dragon. And it's lighted so thatyou can see what's happening on stage.

I also liked conductor Henry Holt and hiscast of singers, who gave us a rather intimate,almost cosy Ring. With few exceptions theywere American or British, and with few ex-ceptions they were at least adequate. In theGerman cycle Herbert Becker was an impres-sive Siegfried, but Bozena Ruk-Focic (Sieg-linde) walked around smiling as though shehad won second prize in a beauty contest, andKlara Barlow (Briinnhilde) simpered and pos-tured like a 1930's movie queen. Neither ladywas satisfying vocally. They were replaced inthe English cycle by Anna Green, a more

credible Briinnhilde, and Lorna Haywood.who was vocally and dramatically a splendidSieglinde, one of the finest I've seen.

Noel Tyl (Wotan) and William Wildermann(Hunding and Hagen) provided solid singingin both cycles: The authoritative Fricka wasMarvellee Cariaga, a tall handsome mezzowith a big secure voice, plenty of tempera-ment, and excellent diction in German andEnglish. The dwarfs were played by two mar-velous British singing actors, Malcolm Rivers(Alberich) and Paul Crook (Mime).

Paul Crook as Mime in the Seattle Operaproduction of Wagner's Siegfried:a Rackham illustration come to life

I attended the entire German cycle, butonly Rhine Gold and The Valkyrie in English.I enjoyed them so much more than I expectedto that I regret missing Siegfried and The Twi-light of the Gods in translation. Andrew Por-ter's English version has some rough spots,but it is singable and understandable.

Porter's translation has just been publishedby W. W. Norton in a volume that includes acritical edition of the German text and articlesby Porter, Peter Branscombe, and JeremyNobel, the whole illustrated by Eric Fraser.The British illustrator Arthur Rackham

(1867-1939) knew exactly what the charactersin the Ring operas looked like, and he wasquite familiar with the landscape of Nibe-lungia as well. He provided illustrations for aRing libretto in English that was published in1910. A two -volume facsimile of that editionhas just been brought out by Abaris Books.This translation, by Margaret Armour, ismore consciously archaic than Porter's, but itfits the music in case you want to sing a sceneor two to yourself. It is Rackham's extremelybeautiful illustrations that make this book atreasure. Their evocative power is so strongthat you look at them and think that's the wayit really was. Either of these books wouldmake a fine Christmas present for a Wagneriteor a centennial gift for yourself. They can beordered from the Metropolitan Opera Guild,1865 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10023. ThePorter translation costs $26.95; the Rackhamedition is $37.80.

It you'd prefer to give records, you couldchoose any of the five currently availablecomplete recordings of the Ring and not goentirely wrong. The level of singing on all ofthem is high, and choice is usually dictated bysound quality and taste in conducting. Thereare three in good stereo, conducted by Solti(London), Von Karajan (Deutsche Grammo-phon), and Bohm (Philips). Bohm's version,which was recorded at live performances atBayreuth in 1966 and 1967, moves along at agood clip, but it is not as exciting in the big cli-maxes as Solti's studio recording. Von Kara-jan's is a more intimate, lyrical performance.When asked for a recommendation, I suggestSolti, Bohm, and Karajan in that order.

Wilhelm Furtwingler's Ring on the Sera-phim label (at budget prices) used to be mychoice for a collector's second complete Ring.But this year the Murray Hill label has issuedanother Furtwiingler performance. The Sera-phim Ring was recorded at concert perform-ances in Rome in 1953 with an excellent cast.The Murray Hill set (940477) was recorded atstaged performances at La Scala in 1950 withthe great Kirsten Flagstad singing the threeBriinnhildes. The sound on neither is verygood, even for early mono, but if you concen-trate on the Apollonian quality of Furtwan-glees conducting, you soon forget about son-ics. Murray Hill has gotten it all onto elevendiscs (no notes or libretto) and is selling it socheaply through book stores (or for $19.95plus $1.50 handling from Publishers CentralBureau, I Champion Ave., Avenel, N.J.07131) that every Wagner fan worthy of thename should snap it up while it's still avail-able. It is highly recommended.

The English National Opera Company's re-cording of the Ring in the Porter translation isprogressing. Rhine Gold and Siegfried are al-ready available here, and Angel should haveThe Valkyrie out by Christmas. I am less im-pressed with the measured conducting of Reg-inald Goodall than many Wagnerites I know,but we are unlikely to hear Wagner bettersung in English than by the ENO cast, whichincludes Norman Bailey, Rita Hunter, and Al-berto Remedios. For me the heightened emo-tional impact of hearing the Ring in my ownlanguage is worth the investment.

IN honor of the Bayreuth centennial, Deut-sche Grammophon has released "100 Yearsof Bayreuth" (DG 2721 115), a two -disc al-bum that contains nineteen selections rangingfrom Emmy Destinn's 1907 recording of Sen-

(Continued overleaf)

DECEMBER 1976 57

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HI-FI STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE, March -April, 1976

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ta's Ballad to Birgit Nilsson's Liebestod re-corded at Bayreuth in 1966. The set includesexcerpts by such famous Wagnerians asFriedrich Schorr, Lauritz Melchior, FridaLeider, Franz Volker, and Leonie Rysanek.An excellent gift for a Wagnerite who alreadyhas his Rings.

And if you have $79.80 to spend, you canbuy EMI-Electrola's ten -disc centennial trib-ute (C181-30669/78), which is imported byPeters International (619 West 54th St., NewYork, N.Y. 10019). It goes back to the year1901 and concentrates on singers of the earlydecades of this century. The list includes suchmagic names as Lilli Lehmann, Nanny Lar-sen-Todsen, Erik Schmedes, Germaine Lu-bin, Margarethe Matzenauer, ClarenceWhitehill, and many, many more. It shouldguarantee long hours of pleasure to anyWagnerite with a historical bent. A one -discsampler (C049-30679) sells for $7.98.

The greatest heldentenor of the electricalrecording age, Lauritz Melchior, never re-corded a complete opera commercially. Butthe Metropolitan has just issued in its histori-cal series a lavishly packaged four -disc set ofTristan and Isolde (the broadcast perform-ance of February 8, 1941) with Melchior andFlagstad, Kerstin Thorborg, Julius Huehn,and Alexander Kipnis, conducted by ErichLeinsdorf. It is available only as a bonus todonors of $100 or more to the MetropolitanOpera Fund, Lincoln Center, New York,N.Y. 10023. Again, the sound is no greatshakes, but the performance is. In the NewYork Times, Peter G. Davis proclaimed:"This collector's item is worth every centasked." Right.

CHRISTMAS customs in this country derivemore from Germany than from anywhereelse, so it g quite appropriate to treat yourselfto Wagner for Christmas in this Bayreuth cen-tennial year. Froliche Weihnachtszeit. 0

THIS MONTH'S COVER1

2 1 3

5

6

10 11

18

12

19

4

8 I9

22 1 23

17

21

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track demagnetizer/head cleaner. (11) SoundGuard (Ball Corporation) record preservation kit.(12) Zerostat record -static neutralizer. (13) BASFTape Hobby -Box. (14) Discwasher "Gold -ens"cable set. (15) Staticmaster anti -static brush.(16) Magnesonics cassette demagnetizer. (17)Audio-Technica AT -6010 record cleaning kit. (18)Stereo Review's test and demonstration records.(19) Fidelitone's Fidelicare system. (20) Robinstape -head demagnetizer. (21) Shure SFG-2stylus -force gauge. (22) Royal Sound Add 'n'Stac eight -track module. (23) TDK cassette stor-age tray.

58STEREO REVIEW

The new Sherwood S9910.Everything you hear is true.It has all the power you need [at thelowest achievable level of distor-tion]: 100 watts per channel [mini-mum RMS at 8 ohms from 20-20,000Hz] with no more than 0.1% TotalHarmonic Distortion. The com-ponentry used to achieve this ratingfeatures exceptional stabilitycharacteristics: a paralleled OCLdirect -coupled output configura-tion ...twin 15,000µf filter capaci-tors...and a zener regulated sec-ondary* power supply.

It has all the controls you need forfully flexible centralized operation:5 -position Mode switch, 6 -positionSelector switch, 8 -position Speakerswitch. Two Tape Monitor circuits[with a two-way, inter -deck dubbingcapability]. Front -panel Mic Inputand Mixing, with a frequency re-sponse suitable for use with a pro-fessional caliber microphone. Anda Main-In/Pre-Out switch, which al-lows independent usage of themain amplifier section. The S9910can accommodate three speakergroupings, two turntables, three tapedecks and any auxiliaryequipment.

It has State -of -the -Art tuner specs: anIHF FM Sensitivity rating of 9.84 dBf

[1.7pV]. A four -ganged tuningcapacitor and dual -gate MOS FET'sprovide superior image rejectionand spurious response rejectionwith minimal cross modulation. Thenewly developed digital detectorsystem utilizes no tuned circuits andnever requires alignment.The Ceramic FM IF Filters arematched for optimal phase linearity.The Phase Lock Loop integratedcircuitry in the multiplex decoderimproves separation and SCA re-jection, while limiting distortion.

It has all the features you need forthe purest sound: LoudnessCompensation, Hi -Filter and Sub-sonic Filter; precision detentedBass, Midrange and Treble controls[each with exceptional variancecharacteristics]; and a master ToneDefeat switch, for instant referenceto flat response. Switchable FMStereo Only and FM Muting. DualTuning Meters. And a Positune In-dicator LED, which visually signalsperfect tuning.

It has switchable FM Deemphasis[25p sec. and 75psec.], to accom-modate an outboard noise reductionunit. A built-in Ambience RetrievalSystem [A.R.S.] which recovers and

utilizes the frequently "hidden" am-bient material found in conventionalstereo recordings and derives an ef-fective 4 -channel sound from anystereo source.

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It has everything we've mentioned.It has some features we haven'tmentioned.

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SHERWOODEverything you hear is true.

The value shown is for informational purposes onlyThe actual resale price will be set by the individualSherwood Dealer at his option. The cabinet shownis constructed of select plywood with a walnutveneer covering

Afterpeople learnwhatweve done,

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We're as close to the impossibleas possible.

Our new speakers color sound.Anybody's speakers do.Should someone tell you other-

wise, they speak with forked fre-quency response.

We at Sony approached the devel-opment of the SSU-2000 with thisgrim reality in mind.

Thus our goal was to create a lineof speakers with a minimum of col-oration. With a frequency responseflat and wide. With low distortion.And with repeatability. Which is crit-ical. Which means that each speakerwe turn out will sound like the onebefore and the one after.

Searching and researching.Our basic dilemma was that

speaker specs don't specify much.You can build two speakers with

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That's because your sophisticatedear can pick up differences ourclumsy measurements can't.

Some examples:You can hear how pure water is.

The purity of the water in which thepulp for the speaker cone is pressedwill influence the sound. (Springwater is the best.)

But water purity would hardlychange the frequency response-orany other measureable character-istic.

Nor would the dye used to colorthe cone-or the glue used in gluingthe cabinet.

But you'd hear the dye and theglue.

And there are dozens and dozensof elements that interact this way.

So our job was mammoth. To cor-relate these factors in order to

reach the goal we outlined earlier.Changing one changes the otherand almost changed our mindsabout going into the speaker busi-ness.

But we stuck it out. And found theanswer to the juggling of these vari-ables thanks to a major technologi-cal innovation.

Trial and error.That's why we labored for three

years to bring you our speakers.While other manufacturers rushedfrantically to market with theirs.

We keep the whole worldin our hands.

Once we understood how to con-trol the sound of our speakers, werealized we had to control whatwent into our speakers.

So we did the only logical thing.We butt a plant.And pursuing that logic, we built

it at a place called Cofu. Which is atthe base of Mt. Fuji. Where we canget all the spring water we want.

This factory does nothing butproduce-under outrageously closecontrol-the components for ourspeakers.

Whatever we do buy, we specifyso carefully that our vendorshave nightmares about us. (It'sunfortunate that we can't makeeverything ourselves, but onlyGod can make a tree, and only woodcan make a fine cabinet.)

Few companies make this effort.So it's safe to say that when it

comes to exercising this kind ofcontrol, our speakers are a voice inthe dark.Don't judge a bookshelf speaker

by its cover.As you can see, there's a lot.that

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not easily seen. (One beautifulexception-the handsome finishon our cabinets.)

That includes the carbon fiberthat we mix into the speaker conepaper.

Carbon fiber is light and strong.(Why they don't use it in girdles we'llnever know.)

Light, so our speaker is moreefficient. Meaning you need lesspower to operate it. Meaning youare closer to the ideal of con-verting electrical energy to mech-anical energy without a loss ofpower.

Strong, to prevent the cone frombending out of shape in the high fre-quency range.

Moreover, carbon fiber doesn'tresonate much. It has what's calleda low Q, and it took someone with ahigh IQ to realize it would absorbthe unwanted vibration rather thantransmit it down the cone.

We also cut down on unwanted vi-bration (as opposed to the wantedvibration, which is music), by usinga cast aluminum basket rather thana stamped, shoddy cheap metalone.

We could go on, but at this pointthe best thing would be for you tomove on to your nearest Sonydealer. And listen.

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At which point, far from hecklingour speakers, you'll be tempted togive them a standing ovation.

© 197 Sony Corp of America Sony. 9 W 57 St , N Y. N Y 10019SONY .s a trademark of Sony Corp

Suggested retail prices: SSU-2000 $150 each; SSU-1250 $100 each; SSU-1050 $130 a pair.CIRCLE NO. 56 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Going on RecordByJames

Goodfriend

PIANISTICS FROM THE PAST

CONSIDERING the really astonishing out-pouring of classical -music recordings in

the last decade, one could well understandthat a casual collector might never have comeacross the productions of the International Pi-ano Archives. The records have not been allthat easy to obtain. Some were issued on thesmall Veritas label, some were available as aconcomitant of membership in the Interna-tional Piano Library, and some were simplyfor sale direct by the IPA. In any form, theirdistribution has not been exactly pervasive. Arecent agreement has brought these fascinat-ing discs into the catalog of Desmar Records,who will now act as distributor, and the firstgroup of them has just been released. A num-ber of these have been reviewed previously intheir earlier incarnations, but their now gener-al availability, as well as their great interest,merits another mention.

The major concern of the IPA is with thegreat pianists of the past and the recordingsthey have left us. The source material of theLP's is not, at least as yet, piano rolls, butcommercial and private disc and cylinder re-cordings, and, in a few fortunate cases, mod-ern tape. The first group of records availablefrom Desmar comprises discs and sets by Ar-thur Loesser (IPA 102); Ferruccio Busoni andthree of his pupils (IPA 104); Wanda Landow-ska (IPA 106/7); Isaac Albeniz, Joaquin Ma-lats, Enrique Granados, Frank Marshall, andAlicia de Larrocha (IPA 109); Harold Bauer(IPA 112); Leopold Godowsky (IPA 113);Mischa Levitzki (IPA 114); and Josef Hof-mann (IPA 5007/8). An additional record ofLiszt pieces by Ervin Nyiregyhazi (IPA 111)is not yet available at the time of writing. Theprice is $6.98 per disc.

I think that there is at least one of these rec-ords that is absolutely indispensable, and thatis a concert recording of a 1967 recital by Ar-thur Loesser which was entitled Sic TransitGloria Mundi. Loesser, who died in 1969 atthe age of seventy-five, was the author of oneof the most readable books about music everwritten (Men, Women and Pianos), and, onthe evidence here, the perpetrator of one ofthe most listenable records ever pressed.With Loesser it was as much a matter of whathe played as how. He played brilliantly, ofcourse. Big career or no, he was in companywith all the greats in both technique and style.But when you understand that his recital be-

gins with a "hunt" sonata by Dussek, playedon a John Challis "Mozart pianoforte," goeson through pieces by John Field, Adolf Jen-sen, Raff, Chabrier, Paderewski, Godowsky,Casella, Busoni, and Moszkowski, and con-cludes with a couple of encores by Mac -Dowell and a composer so obscure that evenLoesser couldn't remember his first name,then you know that there is more here thanmeets the ear. Loesser was unique: a histori-an of piano music with the curiosity to lookunder every stone, and the performing capa-bilities to make whatever he found come tolife in his hands. Finally, his varied talentswere covered over with a fine patina of wit,which comes through his writing, his playing,and the brief spoken introductions on this rec-ord. Really, indispensable.

The remainder of the IPA issues offer noth-ing else quite so theatrical, but a lot of phe-nomenal piano playing. One of the most fas-cinating discs (albeit the one with the worstnoise problem on side one, owing to the ageand condition of the original cylinders) is"The Catalan Piano Tradition." That veryconcept may seem an oddity to some, but agood case is made for it in Albert McGrigor'sannotations and an even better one on the discitself. Both Albeniz and Malats (what one carthear of them) are immediately striking for the

rhythmic verve of their playing, which is asstartlingly evident in a Chopin waltz and aLiszt Hungarian rhapsody as in the Spanishrepertoire. The Liszt, in addition to its verve,actually goes too fast in tempo to be believed,and, in fact, a quick check showed the key tobe B -flat Minor instead of the proper A Mi-nor. Something got speeded up somewherealong the line. But the playing throughout thedisc is extraordinary and quite different fromwhat we usually accept as the great virtuosotradition. The De Larrocha recordings alonedo not sound like the work of a great artist;but neither do they sound like the work of anine -year -old child-which is what they are.

Busoni was a great and highly individual pi-anist who was known more for his perform-ances of large-scale works than for the minia-tures that were the meat of early recording.But even in the small pieces-BeethovenEccossaises, Chopin etudes, Busoni's own ar-rangement of a Bach choral prelude-the per-sonality comes through: powerful, searching,intellectual, musical in its own way, virtuosicin its own way, and once, even, charming.

THERE is a good deal more charm-a qualitythat, perhaps even more than virtuosity, wasso conspicuously present in the older genera-tion of pianists and is so rare in the newer-onthe other records. Space limitations, unfortu-nately, allow little but listing, and so: Go-dowsky playing his own transcription ofSchubert's Morgengriiss, and searching (un-successfully) for a melody in the last move-ment of the Chopin B -flat Minor Sonata; Go-dowsky again, exhibiting the most marvelouspianistic control in making a work of art outof Sinding's Rustles of Spring; Levitski's ele-gant Chopin and crystalline Paganini-Liszt LaCampanella; Bauer's wonderfully warmBrahms Sonata No. 3 in F Minor; Granados'simply gorgeous Scarlatti (hardly "authen-tic," but still gorgeous); Hofmann addingthirds to the whirlwind right-hand passages ofChopin's Minute Waltz; and Landowskabringing musicianship and charm equally toMozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 13 and 22 andPoulenc's wonderful Concert Champetre forharpsichord and chamber ensemble.

The remasterings are generally excellent,some showing improvement over their previ-ous LP issues. The surfaces are better thanaverage. The notes are extensive and infor-mative. One can only ask for more of thesame.

ARTHUR LOESSER:one of the mostlistenable recordsever pressed

62 STEREO REVIEW

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FREQUENCYRESPONSE

10Hz-50KHz-.± 3 d)

1511z-50KHz± 3 db

15Hz-45KHz-±- 3 db

20Hz-20KHz± 1 db

20Hz-20KHz-± 2 db

20Hz-20KHz-±-- 2 db

20Hz-20KHz:..... 3 db

20Hz-20KHz-± 3 db

20H;-20Klitz-± 3 db

TRACKINGFORCE RANGE 3/4-11/4 gm 3/4-11/2 gm 1-13/4 gm 3/4-11/4 gm 3/4-11/2 m 3/4-11/2 m 1-2 m 11/4-21/2 m 11/2-3 em

SEPARATION15Hz to 1KHz1 KHz to 20KHz20KHz to 50KHz20 Hz to 500Hz500Hz to 15KHz15KHz to 20KHz

28 dt23 at15 dt

26 db21 db15db

24 db20 db15db

20db30 db25 db

20db28 db20 db

20db25 db18 db

18 db23 db15 db

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15db21 db13 db

I. M. DISTORTION@ 3.54 cm/sec

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.1%2KHz-20KHz

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.2%2KHz-20KHz

.2%2KHz-20KHz

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STYLUS .2 mibi-radial

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.2 milbi-radial

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.7 m I radiusspherical

EFFECTIVETIP MASS .4 milli ram .4 nilli ram .4 milligram .2 milligram 6 milligram .6 milligram .6 milligram 9 mi ligram 1 m Iligram

COMPLIANCE 30x10'cm/dy-e

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30x10'cm/dyne

30x10-'cm/dyne

20x10-'cm/dyne

18x104cm/dyne

17x10-'cm/dyne

16x10-'cm:dyne

14x10-'cm/dyne

TRACKINGABILITY

32 cm/sec@ 1KHz@ 1 gm

32 cm/sec@ 1KHz

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30 cm/sec@ 110-z

@ 11/2 .dm

38 cm/sec@ 1KHz@ .9 9171


28 cm/sec@ 1KHz

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28 cm/sec@ 1 KHz

@ 11/2 gm

28 cm/sec@ 1KHz

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CHANNELBALANCE

within 1 db@ 1KHz

wthin 1 db1KHz

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within 4 /4 db1KHz

within 1 db1KHz

within 11/4 db1KHz

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within 11/2 db1KHz

within 11/2 db1KHz

INPUT LOAD 100K ohms/channel

10C K ohms/channel

100K ohms/channel

47K ohms/channel

47< ohms/channel

47K ohms/channel

47K ohms/channel

47K jhms/channel

47K ohms,channel

TOTALCAPACITANCE

under 100pf/chamel

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under 100pf/chanael

300pf/channel

L00-500pf:channel

400-500pf/channel

400-500pf/channel

400-500pf/caannel

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3mv/channel

3mv'chqnnel

3mv/channel

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7

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mv/zhannelCIF1:1LE NO. 21 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Can a wooferfrom Duluth

find happinesswith a tweeter

fromForest Hills?

If you gather different driversfrom different sources, and coopthem up in a little box, you couldbe dooming them to a lifetimeof incompatibility.

And the only way to makesure they get along with eachother is to make sure they havethe same background.

That's why, at Mitsubishi,all our speakers are made fromscratch. Conceived by the samedesigners, produced by the samecraftsmen, tested by the sameengineers.

With the result that none ofour components end up fightingamong themselves.

So when you're shopping forspeaker systems, do a littlechecking into their background.

Because if they're constantlyarguing among themselves, itcould make for some terriblyunpleasant sounds.

MtMITSUBISHI*SPEAKER SYSTEMS

Melco Sales, Inc.3030 E. Victoria St.Compton, CA 90221

Gentlemen:

1, too, am very particular about speakers.Please send me a brochureand the name of my nearest dealer.

I.; It 12

Name

Address

City

State ZipCIRCLE NO. 31 ON READER SERVICE CARD

The Basic Repertoire

MOZART'S HORN CONCERTOS

IKE the bulk of his music for clarinet, mostof Mozart's output for solo horn owes

its existence to the presence of a particular in-strumentalist in the composer's circle offriends. In the case of the clarinet music itwas Anton Stadler, a remarkable virtuoso andalso a close friend; where the horn music isconcerned, it was a comical simpleton of afellow named Ignaz Leutgeb (the name is giv-en sometimes as Leitgeb). Leutgeb had been amember of the Salzburg orchestra, but by thetime Mozart met him first in 1777 he had givenup the life of an ensemble musician and wasrunning a cheesemonger's shop in Vienna.

Leutgeb-who must have been an early ex-ample of the instrumentalist of exceptionalgifts but limited intellectual capacity-inspired in Mozart a need to perpetrate practi-cal jokes on an adolescent level. If Leutgebarrived to inquire how the magic of composi-tion was progressing, Mozart would scatterhis sheets of manuscript paper on the floorand require him to put them together in theproper order. The margins of Mozart's workscomposed for 1.eutgeb are covered with re-marks such as: "W. A. Mozart has taken pityon Leutgeb, ass, ox and fool, at Vienna, 27March, 1783 . . . ." Or advice is offered, inMozart's own handwriting, about how to playcertain passages: "Take a breath! Onward,onward!" "Beloved! Jackass! hahaha!-takea breath!" "Ah! bleat like a sheep; finished?Thank heaven !-Enough, enough!"

Of Mozart's various works for horn and or-chestra, three have survived as completethree -movement concertos. All are in the keyof E -flat and all were written in the 1780's,perhaps the richest creative period of Mo-zart's life. A fourth horn concerto was creat-ed by joining together an allegro first move-ment composed in 1782 with a last -movementallegro dating from 1787. This two -movementconcerto bears the number 412 in Kocher scatalog of Mozart's music, while the threeconcertos in E -flat are Kochel numbers 417,447, and 495. There are also several survivingsingle movements for horn and orchestra.

The best-known of Mozart's horn concer-tos is K. 447. Its orchestral texture, scored forstrings, clarinets, and bassoons, is richer thanthat of its companions. That Leutgeb musthave been quite an accomplished player is in-dicated by, among other things, the wideleaps in the music. Mozart composed his horn

music for the natural or valveless horn. Theagility of lips and fingers required to play thismusic on the modern valved instrument pre-sents difficulties that are formidable enough,but in Mozart's time the player of these workshad no valves to depend on and had to pro-duce all the notes by varying the pressure oflip and breath or by "stopping" the instru-ment with his right hand inside the bell of thehorn.

INTEGRAL recordings of the four horn con-certos by Mozart are now commonplace, sothat it may be difficult to imagine the stircreated just over twenty years ago when thefirst -ever recording of all the Mozart hornconcertos was released. Dennis Brain was theextraordinary soloist with Herbert von Kara-jan and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The easeand security of Brain's playing were astonish-ing, and the collaboration with Karajan andthe great orchestra then at its prime producedone of the great recordings of the century.Fortunately, the disc is still available as Angel35092 (mono).

Among the available modern stereo record-ings, my favorites are those by Hermann Bau-mann (Telefunken 641272, cassette 441272),Alan Civil (Philips 6500325, cassette 7300199),and Barry Tuckwell (London CS 6403). Bau-mann plays the works on the natural horn andhe plays them superbly. Both Civil and Tuck -well have multiple recordings of the works totheir credit; I prefer Civil's most recent (withNeville Marriner and the Academy of St.Martin -in -the -Fields), in which he plays witha greater sense of abandon than in any of hisprevious recorded performances. For thesame reason I prefer the earlier of Tuckwell'srecordings (with Peter Maag conducting theLondon Symphony Orchestra). Any one ofthese three recommended versions will givelasting listening pleasure.

The 1976 UPDATING OF THE BASICREPERTOIRE is now available in con-venient pamphlet form. Send 254E and astamped, self-addressed No. 10 enve-lope (91/2 x 4' in.) to Esther Maldonado,Stereo Review, 1 Park Avenue, NewYork, N.Y. 10016 for your copy.

64 STEREO REVIEW

Your professional turntablecannot match the performance

or reliability of this one.

TheTechnics SP -10 MKII.

Every professional needs the precision of the Technicsdirect -drive system. That's why radio stations use it. And

discos abuse it. But every profes---'\ sional also needs abundant

torque. And now you can haveit. In the SP -10 MKII.

At 33'/3 RPM, the SP -10MK II will reach the exact

playing speed within 0.25 of a second.That's less than 1/12 of a turn. While it comes to a deadstop in only 0.3 of a second. And you don't have toworry about subtle slowdowns because a tracking forceof even 1,000 grams won't noticeably affect its speed.

You won't find any belts, gears or idlers in the SP -10MKII. But you will find our lowest wow and flutter ever(0.025% WRMS). Inaudible rumble (-70dB DIN B).And a platter that spins at the exact speed (331/3, 45 or78 RPM) regardless of fluctuations in AC line voltage orfrequency. The reason: A quartz -locked frequencygenerator DC servo motor.

And the SP -10 MKII is as reliable as it is precise.Even with its abundant torque, you can stop the platterwith your hand. Because we designed it to take all the

punishment a professional can dish out. Even after yearsof continued use.

You'll also get all the refinements a professionalneeds. Like a quartz -locked stroboscope. Remote control.Electro-mechanical braking. A dynamically dampedplatter. And a separately housed power supply.

The SP -10 MKII. One component in the newProfessional Series fro!'" Technics.

r

L

Panasonic CompanyTechnics Dept. 812One Panasonic WaySecaucus, N.I. 07094Attention: Sid Silver,Technical Service Specialist.

Send me technical information on theTechnics SP -10 MKII tt rntable.

Have a Technics audio specialist call for an appointment.

'Ibchnicsby Panasonic

Professional Series

NAME TITLEPlease Print

COMPANY

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AREA CODE PHONE NUMBERJ


GIVEYOURSELF

A RECEIVERFOR CHRISTMASJulian Hirsch tellsyou what to look

for and what toexpect for

your dollar

THOUGH many regular readers, oldhands, and other dyed-in-the-wool audiophiles may insist that

everything worth saying about stereoreceivers has already been said-andseveral times at that-they overlookthe fact that the audio industry, like al-most everything else in our technologi-cal age, is still undergoing rapid devel-opment. Thus, as the year 1976 drawsto a close and we stand on the thresh-old of the hundredth anniversary of thepatenting of Edison's tinfoil phono-graph, it appears that there are a num-ber of new reasons why one might con-sider a receiver (rather than separatecomponents), reasons that perhaps didnot apply only a few years ago.

The Way It Was

It must, first of all, be acknowledgedthat the receiver does not meet withuniversal acclaim among advanced au-diophiles. Paradoxically, the very fea-ture that has made it the best-sellingcomponent (the all -on -one -chassis con-struction that requires only the additionof a turntable and speakers) has alsomade it unattractive for the audio pur-ists, who upgrade their tuners,preamplifiers, or power amplifiers asthe state of the art progresses or as thestate of their finances permits. Whenthese three basic components arebrought together in one package, how-ever, there is usually a modest priceadvantage over equivalent -perform-ance separate components resulting

from the use of a common power sup-ply, chassis, and cabinet. This situationhas not changed in today's market, andin the lower price ranges-say, from$200 to $300-it would be difficult tofind separate components that willmatch the performance of a receiver.

What about the traditional weak-nesses of receivers? As a rule, receiv-ers used to have somewhat more dis-tortion than the better separate amplifi-ers (especially at the frequency ex-tremes), but this was principally a mat-ter of economics rather than any inher-ent limitation of the receiver format.Audio power output was definitely lim-ited, with the most popular receiversrated at not more than 20 to 25 wattsper channel. This was the result of lim-ited space for large output -transistorheat sinks as well as power -supplycomponents. In fact, until a couple ofyears ago, a 50 -watt receiver wasclassed as "high power."

Limited control flexibility was alsocharacteristic of most early receivers,especially in the lower price brackets.They generally had the basic inputs-for a magnetic phono cartridge, a high-level (Aux) source in addition to thebuilt-in FM and AM tuners, and (ex-cept in the cheapest models) a tape -monitor switching circuit. As a rule,there was a single set of speaker out-puts. The usual bass and treble tonecontrols were always provided, andmedium -price units often had one ormore semi -adequate filters to reducerumble and hiss. This was (and still is,for many people) quite adequate, but it

66 STEREO REVIEW

left much to be desired from the view-point of the audio enthusiast.

For example, with the growing popu-larity of the cassette recorder, it be-came desirable to have two sets of tapeinput/output jacks and switching tohandle both cassette and open -reel for-mats. In addition, some speaker sys-tems come with active equalizers, andthese usually usurp one of the tape cir-cuits (although most of the equalizerboxes have built-in tape-in/tape-outjacks and the appropriate switching). Avariety of accessory devices such asvolume expanders, noise reducers,equalizers, and four -channel adaptersalso require and occupy the equivalentof a tape -monitor circuit. In some casesthe accessory can be connected be-tween the preamplifier and the poweramplifier (another access point rarelyavailable on early receivers). And final-ly, since many music systems havemore than one turntable, an additionalphono input could also be useful insome cases.

As for the tuner section of a receiv-er, there is no fundamental reason whyit cannot be made as good as that ofany "state-of-the-art" separate tuner-if cost is not a factor. However, from amarketing standpoint it makes moresense to match the tuner's capabilitiesto those of the amplifier. That is why,when we look at the specifications of aline of receivers from the same manu-facturer, we usually see improved tun-er performance going hand -in -handwith higher audio power, lower distor-tion, and more control features. The

!iii IIIIIIIIII

!MI Ififfiffif ;

reasoning behind it is that the personwho is seeking above -average perfor-mance from either his tuner or hisamplifier will expect the same level ofperformance from every part of hissystem.

The Way It Is

That is the way it was. What haschanged today? Probably the moststriking difference in the new receiversis the really enormous audio -power rat-ings now available in the top models. Ayear or two ago, the 100- to 120 -wattratings of some receivers brought themclose to the "super -power" category,but current models have passed the160 -watt range, and 200 -watt modelsare in the offing. Furthermore, thebandwidth and distortion characteris-tics of these behemoths are fully com-parable to those of many separate high -power component amplifiers, as aretheir control facilities.

Although much of the credit for thisupgrading process must go to the devel-opment of improved semiconductors,the fundamentals of the matter havenot changed. A super -power receiver isnecessarily very large, very heavy, andvery expensive. In fact, its size andweight (from 60 to 70 pounds) usuallymake shelf mounting impossible, andthey also result in the receiver's domi-nating whatever sturdy piece of furni-ture it is mounted on.

In general, there has been a dramaticimprovement in the low -frequency per-

formance of the amplifiers in receiversat all price levels. For this we probablyhave not only improved technology tothank, but the Federal Trade Commis-sion, whose rules for advertising powerratings make it difficult for ad writers todouble-talk around an amplifier's low -or high -frequency deficiencies. Nomanufacturer likes to rate his productat a relatively high level of distortion orwith a bandwidth significantly less than20 to 20,000 Hz, so the result is that wehave seen an overall improvement inthe breed. The upgrading in distortionlevels has been particularly striking.Even though the advertised distortionmay be 0.25 per cent or so, this is the"minimum" or "worst -case" rating. Inreality it is not uncommon for today'sreceivers to have almost unmeasurablylow distortion at normal listening levels(as opposed to full -power sine -wavetest conditions).

To make receivers more competitivewith separate components, their oper-ating flexibility has been greatly en-hanced. Lower -price models usuallyhave two sets of switched speaker out-puts, and a three -speaker switching ca-pability is not uncommon at higherprices. Similarly, two tape -monitoringcircuits are found in many medium -price receivers, often with the capabil-ity of dubbing from one deck to theother, sometimes without interruptingthe program being heard through thereceiver. More and more receivershave separate preamplifier outputs/power -amplifier inputs internally con-nected by a switch or with jumper

DECEMBER 1976 67

RECEIVER...

plugs. This is a convenient point toconnect an electronic crossover systemand many other accessories. It alsomakes it possible to substitute a poweramplifier with a higher rating, in whichcase the receiver's original amp candrive the back channels of a quadra-phonic system or one of the new time -delay accessories. Minimum risk of ob-solescence, which is a major advantageof separate components, has thus beenachieved to a remarkable degree inmany receivers.

The tone -control systems have be-come quite sophisticated in newer re-ceivers, especially in units selling formore than $500. It is common to have achoice between two turnover frequen-cies for each control (to adjust the fre-quency points at which the controlsstart to be effective), plus a tone -con-trol bypass feature. Some expensivemodels provide as many as four tonecontrols and are able to modify the re-sponse at the extremes of the audiorange as well as the upper bass and midrange. One manufacturer has even re-placed conventional tone controls en-tirely in favor of a five -band graphicequalizer. At lower prices, flexibility isoften improved by the addition of amid -range control to the bass and treblecontrols.

The FM -tuner sections of receivershave kept pace technically with theamplifiers, although it is usually econo-mically impractical to build in sophis-ticated frequency -synthesized tuningsystems, oscilloscope displays, and thelike. These and other features are to befound, however, in a few very expen-sive receivers. In the important basicqualities of FM -tuner performance, thebest receivers (and some medium -priceunits as well) offer very strong compe-tition to some of the finest separate tun-ers. However, judging by typical per-formance, the AM -tuner section re-mains the neglected child of the sys-tem. Some are better than others, but,by and large, very few are worth talk-ing about.

What to Buy

Given the foregoing examination ofwhat the receiver market has to offertoday's buyer, and assuming that youdecide that it is a receiver you wantrather than separate components, justhow do you go about choosing aspecific unit from the two hundred orso models available?

Power Rating. If your listening roomis of normal proportions (in otherwords, neither a closet nor a ballroom),a broad range of audio power ratingswill be suitable. For the majority ofspeakers and listening rooms, anamplifier rated at 25 to 35 watts perchannel will do a satisfactory job, butwith speakers of normally low efficien-cy it may not have much power -reservepunch for showing off what your sys-tem can do. If your budget is limited,you may have to settle for a 15- to 20 -watt receiver with less control flexibili-ty than is found in the more powerfulunits. This does not mean that such areceiver will sound inferior to a moreexpensive one (much of the time itwould be difficult to tell one from theother), but you may have to keep yourlistening level below the wall -shakingpoint. Since the speakers usually soldwith low-cost systems are likely tohave similar power limitations, thisposes no real problem. Indeed, somefine systems of this kind are available.

TALKING ABOUTRECEIVERS:

A GLOSSARYFOR THE SHOPPER

Speaker Efficiency. Not as easy toassess as the question of amplifier pow-er, but just as important, is the matterof speaker efficiency (do not confuseefficiency with the speaker's power rat-ings, which are separate factors entire-ly). Efficiency indicates how muchamplifier power a speaker requires toproduce a certain sound -pressure level(listening volume) in the room. Mostspeakers have fairly similar efficien-cies, but there are some that are appre-ciably more (or less) efficient than thenorm. There is no harm in having amore efficient speaker than needed (itmakes the amplifier's job easier), butthose few with an efficiency significant-ly lower than average must be usedwith a powerful amplifier for best re-sults (speaker efficiency, in and of it-self, has nothing to do with fidelity).

Does this mean that a super -powerreceiver has no place in a system withnormally efficient speakers? Not at all.Assuming that the speakers are pro-tected by fuses (follow the manufactur-

AM Suppression: how successful anFM tuner section is in suppressingnoise -producing amplitude variationsin the incoming signal.

Amplifier Section: the part of the re-ceiver devoted to accepting the inputsof the various program sources, adjust-ing them in level and tonal characteris-tics by means of appropriate front -panel controls, and amplifying them toa strength that is sufficient to drive theloudspeakers.

Capture Ratio: the difference instrength (in decibels) between two in-coming FM signals that is necessary ifa given receiver is to "capture" thestronger and reject the weaker.

Distortion: spurious products addedby a receiver to any signal it is process-ing. Two types of distortion are rou-tinely specified: harmonic distortion,often given as total harmonic distor-tion (THD), and intermodulation dis-tortion (IM).

Field-effect Transistor (FET): a high -impedance semiconductor device fre-quently found in the early stages of anFM tuner section, where it is useful be-cause of its resistance to overload.

Filters: switchable circuits that re-duce low and/or high frequencies tosubdue noise such as rumble or record -surface noise.

Frequency Response: indicates thefrequency range over which a receiverhas useful output, plus the degree ofdeviation from absolute uniformitytolerated over that range.

Integrated Circuit (IC): an assem-blage of tiny transistors, diodes, resis-tors, and capacitors formed on a smallslab of semiconductor material, fittedwith connecting leads, and encapsulat-ed in plastic or a metal shell.

Interstation-noise Muting: a circuit(often switchable) that silences the out-put of an FM tuner section when it isbetween stations.

Loudness Compensation: a receivercircuit that works in conjunction withthe volume control to boost low (andsometimes high) frequencies progres-sively as volume is reduced.

Phase -locked Loop: a circuit fre-quently employed in the FM sectionsof receivers that precisely matches fre-quencies and thus enhances perfor-mance. It functions by means of phasecomparison.

Power Output: following the dictatesof the Federal Trade Commission, thisis now to be stated as continuous pow-er output per channel into 8 ohms. Thefrequency range over which rated pow-er is available is also specified, togeth-er with the maximum percentage of to-tal harmonic distortion.

68 STEREO REVIEW

er's recommendations), there is no rea-son why a 100 -watt or higher receiveror amplifier cannot be used safely withalmost any speaker. The sonic clarityand openness that result from stayingsubstantially below an amplifier's clip-ping point are very positive (and easilyaudible) reasons for doing this if otherconsiderations permit. You should layin a supply of spare fuses, however, toforestall the possibility of a mishap'sreducing you to mono status or even tototal silence! A little cautious experi-menting will soon reveal how far youcan go before the fuse blows.

Some speakers are at their best withhigh power inputs, even though theirmanufacturer may state that 30 to 40watts is "adequate." For them, themost powerful receivers are well suit-ed. This is especially true if the listen-ing room is large and/or acoustically"dead" or if you like to listen at sus-tained high levels. However, unlessyour speakers prefer (and are able totake) high power, it might be wise to

Selectivity: a measure of how muchstronger than the desired station anoth-er station broadcasting on a nearby fre-quency can be before significant inter-ference takes place.

Sensitivity: measures a tuner's abilityto provide a quiet, undistorted outputfrom a weak signal input. There aretwo sensitivity specifications for FM:usable sensitivity (the minimum signalstrength, in dBf or microvolts, neces-sary for the signal to be 30 dB strongerthan the noise and distortion) and 50 -dB quieting sensitivity (the minimumsignal necessary for a 50 -dB signal-to-noise ratio).

Signal-to-noise Ratio: indicates towhat degree noise (hiss and hum) is be-low the receiver's maximum signal lev-el (a S/N of 80 dB means that noise is80 dB below the signal).

Spurious -response Rejection: the abil-ity to reject a variety of signals that aregenerally distant in frequency from thestation to which the tuner section isset. (Image rejection and i.f. rejectionare both facets of spurious -responserejection).

Tape Monitor: a switch -activated cir-cuit that permits instantaneous com-parison of a tape recording in the proc-ess of being made with the original sig-nal going onto the tape.

Tuner Section: accepts FM (and oftenAM) signals from the antenna, demo-dulates them (turns them into audio),and generally puts them in a form suit-able to be processed by the receiver'samplifier section.

limit your choice of receivers to thoserated at 100 watts or less. How do youknow what power your speakers reallyneed? Check with the dealer, friends,and the manufacturer (remember thatmany speaker manufacturers tend to beconservative in their power recommen-dations to avoid scaring off potentialcustomers with an apparently power-hungry product).

Tuner Section. As for the tuner sec-tion, in every receiver we have seen re-cently the FM performance is morethan adequate for typical urban or sub-urban locations. Today's tuners, evenin modestly priced receivers, are aston-ishingly good by previous standards,with distortion so low that only thefinest test equipment can measure it.The widespread use of phase -locked -loop (PLL) integrated circuits in themultiplex sections of even the lower -price receivers gives them a stereo -reception capability rivaling that of farmore expensive units.

Probably the major difference in theFM performance of different classes ofreceivers is in their ability to reject in-terference. Especially in urban areas,where multipath reception is common,a good (low) capture ratio (less than 2dB) and a high AM rejection (morethan 55 dB) are desirable. Better figuresthan these cost money, as a carefulcomparison of the specifications andprices of popular receiver lines willshow. If at all possible, try a rotatabledirectional FM antenna, which is usual-

ly the most effective means of dealingw,th multipath reception. It is certainlycheaper-and possibly more effec-tive-than a tuner or receiver pushingthe state of the art with a 1 -dB captureratio and perhaps 70 dB or more of AMrejection.

Unless you live in the shadow of apowerful FM broadcast station, spuri-ous -signal responses from tuner over-load should not be a problem, and animage rejection of 50 or 60 dB is usual-ly adequate except for those unfortu-nate enough to find themselves underthe runway -approach path of a majorairport. In such a case, even the bestmay be not good enough-but this is arelatively rare situation.

Controls and Features. When itcomes to controls and features, letyour needs be your guide. Many fea-tures you may never use may be includ-ed in a receiver you choose for otherreasons. It would be wise, even if youhave no tape recorder just now or per-haps only one, to look for a receiverwith facilities for two decks simply toallow for the addition of accessoryunits. Multiple speaker outputs arestandard in receivers anywhere abovethe lowest price range. This may ormay not be of immediate value, but itcomes with the package.

Attitudes vary widely regarding theuse of tone controls. If you are one ofthose who leaves them at the "flat"center marks and regards that setting assacrosanct, you need not be unduly

DECEMBER 1976 69

RECEIVER...

concerned with this feature (although atone -control bypass switch might beuseful to ensure that no one inadver-tently disturbs your sacred settings,sending you on a wild goose chase aftera defective speaker or phono car-tridge). However, since not all speak-ers, listening rooms, and recordingshave an ideal frequency balance, it iswell to give the tone -control configura-tion some thought. It is useful, for ex-ample, to be able to modify the re-sponse at very low or very high fre-quencies without affecting the mid-range, a feat beyond the capabilities ofsimple bass and treble controls.

The filters (labeled HIGH, LOW,SCRATCH, or RUMBLE) used in most re-ceivers are not particularly effectivesince they generally have a gradual roll -off slope (6 dB per octave) and do littlemore than duplicate the action of thetone controls. A few receivers, how-ever, have the more desirable 12-db-per-octave slope that does a better jobof cutting back on noise with minimumeffect on the audio signal. If you have arumbly turntable or a collection of an-cient and scratchy records, these mightbe useful (though they are no substitutefor a good turntable or good records).

Miscellaneous. There are a few spe-cial features to be found on some re-ceivers that may be of interest. A goodexample is a built-in Dolby decoder forFM reception. In most metropolitanareas at least one station transmits a

Dolby -encoded audio signal with a 25 -microsecond pre -emphasis. A correctlyadjusted Dolby system in the receivercan improvet the SIN by about 5 dB orslightly more, which may be enough toconvert an unsatisfactorily hissy signalinto a listenable one. On the otherhand, if the signal is fully quieting yourreceiver, you are not likely to noticemuch difference with the Dolby on.Only a few receivers actually havebuilt-in Dolby circuits, although manyhave a switch position that suggeststhey do. As a rule, this switch merelychanges the receiver's audio de -empha-sis from 75 to 25 microseconds, andthis enables an external Dolby unit tobe used properly.

Some characteristics of a receiverare easier to evaluate for yourself thanby reading specifications. If you live inan area served by only a handful of FMstations, accurate dial calibration is ofminor importance. If you can pick upfifty or more stations, however, it canbe most annoying to find yourself lis-tening to the wrong station because thedial is off calibration or is difficult toread. You can check this for yourself atthe dealer's showroom. Virtually everyreceiver has interstation-noise muting,but even when it is switched in, manyunits produce such a burst of noisewhen you tune through a station thatthe thing is useless. Others are totallysilent until the program emerges clean-ly from the speakers, which is the waythey are supposed to work. Again,check before buying.

At one time, before transistors tookover from vacuum tubes, FM tunerswere notorious for their tendency todrift off station as they warmed up, andautomatic frequency control (AFC)

was widely used to "lock in" the cor-rect frequency. Modern tuners and re-ceivers do not drift detectably, butsome use a special amplified form ofAFC as a tuning aid to ensure optimum(lowest distortion) tuning. It is true thatmost receivers provide enough infor-mation through their meters for satis-factory tuning accuracy, but the betterlock -in tuning aids can nonethelessmake a contribution.

IT should come as no surprise to any-one who has visited a high-fidelityshowroom recently that the front -to-back dimensions of most of today's re-ceivers are too great to permit them tobe installed on a "bookshelf" unlessthat shelf is already deep enough totake a "bookshelf" speaker. And ifyou plan to build the receiver into apiece of furniture, be sure to allowplenty of ventilation. Transistors oper-ate much cooler than tubes, but a re-ceiver able to deliver a hundred wattsor more can get very hot. Heat is theworst enemy of electronic compo-nents, so be forewarned. Fortunately,the huge super -power receivers arehard to place anywhere except in theopen, so that ventilation for them is au-tomatically assured-and who wouldwant to hide one of those beautifulmonsters anyway?

It is likely that no matter how techni-cally advanced receivers become, theinvolved audiophile will continue toargue the virtues of separate compo-nents. Be that as it may, no one coulddisagree, I think, with the propositionsthat today's receivers are tracking thestate of the art and that they provide anenormous amount of sonic value forthe dollars spent. 0

HOW MUCH PERFORMANCE DOES YOUR RECEIVER DOLLAR BUY?LW -PRICE receivers ($200 to $250 or

so) typically have a maximum out-put of about 15 watts per channel withabout I per cent total harmonic distor-tion (THD). Their FM sensitivity willbe about 2.5 microvolts (13 dBf), withmono and stereo FM distortion ratingsof about 0.6 and 1 per cent, respective-ly. A capture ratio of 2.6 dB, alternate-

channel selectivity of 50 dB, and 53 dBof image rejection can be expected inthis price class.

Most of these performance parame-ters improve steadily with increasingcost, though not necessarily in a directproportion. For a really significant im-provement you may have to go as highas the $350 to $450 range, where audiopower will be 40 to 50 watts at perhaps0.4 per cent THD. The tuners in these

upper -middle -range receivers will gen-erally have a sensitivity of about 1.75microvolts (10 dBf) and distortion lev-els about half those of the lower -pricemodels. A sizable improvement in in-terference -rejecting capability goeswith this, including a .7 -dB capture

ratio, alternate -channel selectivity of65 dB, and perhaps 70 to 80 dB of im-age rejection.

For those who demand better receiv-er performance than is to be found inthe upper -middle range, there is more:in the over -$500 range, audio powergoes up almost without limit (60 to 100watts or more) and distortion ratingsdrop to 0.25 per cent or less. Althoughthere is little improvement possible inFM sensitivity even in this price class,FM distortion is frequently less than0.2 per cent in both mono and stereo.The capture ratio is likely to be 1.5 dB(I dB in some models), alternate -chan-nel selectivity can be more than 80 dB,and more advanced FM "front ends"in top receivers can give up to 90 dB ormore of image rejection.

-0STEREO REVIEW

iiiiii i1%,1/4ww

BACH ORGAN WORKSIGOR KIPNIS TAKES A LOOK AT Ti IL INTEGRAL SETS

THE integral recording of a compos-er's output in one form or genrehas become a commonplace of

our time, however Utopian such anidea may have seemed only a couple ofdecades ago. The complete Beethovensonatas, the complete Mozart pianoconcertos, the complete Maher sym-phonies, the complete Haydn sympho-nies, for that matter (all one hundredand four of them), performed or direct-ed by a single interpreter, are very realcatalog items today, as a look inSchwann or the shelves of a well -stocked record store will easily prove.

But there are certain drawbacks tosuch integral recordings, for, as in vir-

tually any comprehensive undertaking,there are bound to be moments whennot even the greatest performer will re-main consistently satisfying. There is,furthermore, no reason why the inter-preter of any one such compendium-even assuming that artist is one of greatdistinction-should necessarily per-form everything in a manner clearly su-perior to that of other distinguishedcolleagues or even in a manner consist-ently to the taste of one single buyer.When it comes to playing a Beethovensonata or a Haydn symphony, there ismore than one acknowledged way to goabout skinning the cat. One must bearall this in mind as well-perhaps even

particularly-with the organ works ofJ. S. Bach.

There have been integral sets of theBach organ works in the past (those byHelmut Walcha, Walter Kraft, Marie -Claire Alain) and there is a current on-going project (Michel Chapuis), but thelatest contender in the mammothsweepstakes is a massive (eighteendiscs) release on the British Oryx label,distributed here by CMS. Interestingly,all the records are being made availablesingly rather than in one or more pack-aged albums. The performer is the nowforty -year -old Geneva -born organistLionel Rogg.

As closely as I have been able to de -

DECEMBER 1976 71

BACH...

THE ORGAN WORKS

termine, these are not terribly recentrecordings, having been made around1965. Rogg, in fact, has done the Bachcorpus twice, although what I assumeto have been the earlier set was nevermade available complete in this coun-try. Epic, in 1968, issued a substantialchunk of it in two three -disc albums inwhich the listed organs were two: a Sil-bermann instrument in Arlsheim andthe same Metzler -built (1958-1960) or-gan of the Grossmunster in Zurich thatis heard in the Oryx recordings at hand.It is possible that some of these are thesame performances as in the Oryx settoo, but I have not been able to verifythat.

From a number of Rogg's previousrecordings I have gained the impres-sion that he is a highly efficient player,one with superb technical abilities andan unusually acute sense of musical ar-chitecture. It always seemed to me,though, that he was better at showingthe individual building blocks (by clari-fying contrapuntal strands) than atdemonstrating the structure of thewhole. There was also a certain cool-

made his Baroque interpretations a bitheartless. Some of these characteris-tics may be found in his playing onthese Oryx discs, but his sometimes al-most clinical detachment is not in evi-dence. These are, for the most part, ex-tremely well -thought-out, humanizedreadings-none more so than his rendi-tions of such chorale collections as theOrgelbiichlein, the third part of the Cla-vier-iibung, the eighteen Leipzig Cho-rales, or the six Schiibler Chorales.Tempos, imaginative registration, andan ability to convey the proper affectmake these seven discs the most enjoy-able of the set.

The many free compositions-thefantasias, preludes, toccatas, andfugues-fare variably. The F MajorToccata, for instance, receives a rock -steady, grandiose performance; sodoes the A Minor Prelude and Fugue.The E Minor (called the Wedge), on theother hand, is stolid, moderate in tem-po (much of Rogg's work is), and curi-ously lacking in articulation. Themighty B Minor Prelude is totally un-monumental, and neither the familiar DMinor Toccata nor the C Major Toc-cata, Adagio, and Fugue are especiallyflamboyant (though the latter has asplendidly played final fugue). Theequally brilliant Preludes and Fugues inD Major and G Major (both in Vol. 15)

are superb, however, performances asfine as one could ever imagine. TheTrio Sonatas, like the three choralepartitas and canonic variations, are allwell played, though they are a bit staidin tempo and not always sprightlywhere sprightliness is called for.

Some of Rogg's best work can beheard in the contemplative movements,and his interpretations of such piecesas the chorale settings are quite simplyamong the best available today. TheMetzler organ, with its approximatelyseventy stops, has been clearly record-ed through the engineering services ofRadio Zurich, but there are a number ofhigh-level cuts in which the distortioncannot be overlooked. Nor can oneavoid mentioning the quality of thepressings, which are not always noise -free or perfectly on -center.

IHAVE so far avoided the question of"completeness" with respect to thisBach organ set, for such a descriptionis problematical under any circum-stances, and particularly so here. Mostso-called "complete" sets of the organworks (such as those by Walcha on Ar-chiv and Kraft on Vox) omit a numberof works of doubtful authorship as wellas a variety of the "less important"miscellaneous compositions; Rogg's isno exception to this rule. He has, how-ever, apart from this collection, record-ed the five solo organ concertos afterVivaldi and others, plus The Art of theFugue (they are available, respectively,on Seraphim S-60245 and AngelSB-3766).

For the most complete set of Bachorgan works one must turn to that ofMarie -Claire Alain on the Musical Her-itage Society label; hers totals twenty-five records and includes a consider-able number of rarities (especially onMHS 776/7, 824/5, and 914) not else-where recorded. Michel Chapuis isnext in completeness with twenty discsrecorded a few years ago for theFrench firm Valois and made availablehere in four albums by Musical Heri-tage Society. Because of contractualcommitments to Telefunken (which isalso engaged in releasing Chapuis'Bach in the very same performances inten two -disc albums), however, theless -expensive MHS version may notbe around too long. The TelefunkenChapuis set, more vividly recorded andincisively interpreted than Alain's,boasts scores,and authoritative annota-tions (dogmatically rather than idi-omatically translated into English).But, on the other hand, Alain includesmuch that is not in Chapuis-and Cha-puis has a few items that Alain doesnot.

Telefunken has released all exceptVol. 10 of its series-the Orgelbiich-

lein. The most recent issue, Vol. 9,contains the Clavier-iibung Part 3, inwhich the mighty St. Anne Prelude andFugue in E -flat, twenty-one choral set-tings relating to the Lutheran Mass andthe catechism in both large-scale andsimpler (without pedals) versions, andthe four invention -like Duettos areplayed on a Beckerath organ at St.Paul's Church in Hamm, Westphalia.The instrument is recorded rather clos-er than Rogg's, and overall one hears awarmer, more brilliant sound. Never-theless, in matters of clarity, the delin-eation of parts, Rogg is superior, forChapuis is not especially careful aboutarticulation. When he is, the touch isoften nondescript and detached-which may explain why one longs forthe meditative and inward qualities ofRogg or Walcha in many of the choralesettings. But when he is at his best, ashe is in Jesus Christus, unser Heiland(BWV 688), Chapuis is spectacularlyvirtuosic.

The Duettos, often considered a

maverick insertion in the third part ofthe Clavier-iibung because of their non -liturgical content, are sometimesplayed on the harpsichord instead ofthe organ. Rogg omits them in his re-cording; Chapuis includes them, slight-ly over -registered for my taste; andWalcha, who played them on the harp-sichord in his first (mono only) record-ings for Archiv, can be heard in an or-gan performance on his latest releasedstereo remake, which also includes theCanzona, Allabreve, and the first andlast of the six Trio Sonatas.

IN reviewing the blind German organ-ist's 1969 recording of the Trio Sonatas2-5 (on Archiv 2533126), I lamentedthat Walcha on occasion-and particu-larly in the brighter outer movements-sounded more lethargic than in his ear-lier mono versions, which I recalled asbeing wonderfully sprightly. Thosemono versions date from 1951 or be-fore, but, oddly enough, I get the sameimpression of heavy-handedness in hisperformance of Sonatas 1 and 6 on thenew Archiv release, even though theywere taped in 1956 early in the stereoera. Perhaps, since age is clearly not afactor, this is simply the result of an offday. I must add, however, that Walchais incredibly clear in his interpretationsof these two sonatas, if not quite so sat-isfying as he was in that earlier, longout -of -print set. The remaining workson the disc, moreover, are very beauti-fully performed, with the Duettos theonly items not previously released inthis country [everything else was onceavailable in an eight -disc Archiv an-thology of Bach (2722002) now delet-ed-but (!) recently reissued in part incassette form as 3376004]. Tempos in

72 STEREO REVIEW

the Duettos are more sensible and lessfrenetically pressured than in the Cha-puis version, and the recorded sound,if not the last word by today's stand-ards, is still perfectly satisfactory.

Originally contained in the 1964"Golden Age" album on ColumbiaM2S 697, E. Power Biggs' recordingsof the Eight Little Preludes and Fuguesattributed to Bach (Johann LudwigKrebbs, a pupil, may have writtenthem) and Bach's organ transcriptionof Vivaldi's D Minor Concerto Grosso,Op. 3, No. 11, are now being issued asa single. It is highly welcome, for notonly is there the interesting and effec-tively carried -out concept of playingthe music on nine different Schnitgerorgans in Germany and Holland (onefor each of the nine works), but theplaying is lively and colorful. This isone of Bigg's best records, and the re-production is excellent.

The Bach -Vivaldi D Minor Concertoturns up again as one of the five organconcertos Bach arranged from the con-certed works of Vivaldi and Bach'sroyal pupil Prince Johann Ernst ofSachsen -Weimar. In these, as well as ina less interesting sixth Concerto in E -flat (BWV 597) attributed to (but prob-ably not by) Johann Sebastian, KarlRichter is in splendid form on a 1761Silbermann organ in the Cathedral atArlesheim, Switzerland. If the per-formance of the D Minor Concerto ismore subdued than Biggs', the Richterversions of the virtuosic A Minor and CMajor Vivaldi Concertos are among themost flamboyant and brilliant I haveheard on records. The reproduction,furthermore, is the most vivid of all thetwenty-four discs under scrutiny here.

FINALLY, there is Hans Heintze, or-ganist of Bremen Cathedral, in a fifty-three -minute Bach program that in-cludes such earlier virtuosic pieces asthe C Major Toccata, Adagio, andFugue; the D Major Prelude andFugue; the later and much more tightlywritten B Minor Prelude and Fugue;and the ever -welcome Fifth Trio Sona-ta. Two organs -a 1961 Beckerath inBremen's Christuskirche and a Schnit-ger first constructed shortly afterBach's birth at the Ludgerikirche inNorden, Germany -are used to fineeffect. There is, however, an occasion-al stolidity to the playing, and I was dis-appointed with the prosaic rendering ofthe B Minor Prelude and Fugue. TheAllegro of the C Major Toccata mustsurely be one of the fastest on discs,but in that work's final fugue theHeintze interpretation, delightfully reg-istered, is most appealing. The record-ed sound from Nonesuch (it derivesfrom the German Cantate label) is ex-tremely good. 0

DECEMBER 1976

CHAPUIS

AYEAR-END HARVESTOF BACH ON THE ORGAN

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 1. Pass-acaglia (BWV 582); Toccata andFugue in D Minor (BWV 565); Fan-tasias and Fugues in G Minor and CMinor (BWV 542 and 537). LionelRogg (Metzler organ, GrossmUnster,Zurich, Switzerland). ORYX EXP 21$6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol 2. Canzona(BWV 588); Allabreve (BWV 589);Pastorale (BWV 590); Four Fugues(BWV 575. 577/9). Lionel Rogg (or-gan). ORYX 1002 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 3. Fanta-sies in G Major and C Minor (BWV 572and 562); Trio in D Minor (BWV 583);Canonic Variations (BWV 769); Toc-cata and Fugue in E Major (BWV 566).Lionel Rogg (organ). ORYX 1003 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 4. Preludesand Fugues in F Minor and D Minor(BWV 534 and 539); Seven Chorales(BWV 695, 710, 712/3, 717/8, 740). Lio-nel Rogg (organ). ORYX 1004 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 5. Toccatasand Fugues in C Major, D Minor, and FMajor (BWV 564, 538, and 540). Lio-nel Rogg (organ). ORYX 1005 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 6. SixSchiibler Chorales (BWV 645/50); Fif-teen Chorales (BWV 690/1, 696/9. 701,703/4, 706. 709. 711. 714. 731. and 738).Lionel Rogg (organ). ORYX 1006 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vols. 7 and 8.Clavier-iihung. Part III. Lionel Rogg(organ). ORYX 1007/8 two discs $6.98each.

BACH: Organ Works, Vols. 9 and 10.The Six Trio Sonatas (BWV 525/30);Seven Chorales (BWV 653b. 720. 727.733/4. 736/7). Lionel Rogg (organ).ORYX 1009/10 two discs $6.98 each.

BACH: Organ Works, Vols. II and 12.Preludes and Fugues in A Minor, CMajor. G Major, and E Minor (BWV543. 547, 541. and 548); Preludes andFugues in C Major. C Minor. .4 Major.and B Minor (BWV 545, 546. 536, and544). Lionel Rogg (organ). ORYX1011/2 two discs $6.9$ each.

BACH: Organ Works, Vols. 13 and 14.Orgelbiichlein (BWV 599/644). Lionel

Rogg (organ). ORYX 1013/4 two discs$6.98 each.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 15. Preludesand Fugues in C Major, D Major. EMinor. G Minor. C Minor, and G Ma-jor (BWV 531/3. 535. and 549/50). Lio-nel Rogg (organ). ORYX 1015 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 16. ThreePartitas (BWV 766/8). Lionel Rogg (or-gan). ORYX 1016 $6.98.

BACH: Organ Works, Vols. 17 and 18.Eighteen Leipzig Chorales (BWV651/68). Lionel Rogg (organ). ORYX1017/8 two discs $6.98 each.

BACH: Organ Works, Vol. 9. Clavier-iibung. Part III. Michel Chapuis (Beck-erath organ of St. Paul's Church,Hamm, Westphalia). TELEFUNKEN6.35084 two discs $13.96.

BACH: Trio Sonatas No. 1, in E -flatMajor, and No. 6, in G Major (BWV525 and 530); Canzona in D Minor(BWV 588); Allabreve in D Major(BWV 589); Four Duettos from Clavier-ilbung, Part I (BWV 802/5). HelmutWalcha (Schnitger/Flentrop organ ofSt. Laurens Church, Alkmaar, Hol-land, and Silbermann Organ of Churchof St.-Pierre-le-Jeune, Strasbourg).DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ARCHIV2533140 $7.98.

BACH: Concerto in D Minor after Vi-valdi (BWV 5%). BACH (attrib.): EightLittle Preludes and Fugues (BWV553/60). E. Power Biggs (nine Schnit-ger organs in Germany and Holland).COLUMBIA M 33975 $6.98.

BACH: Six Organ Concertos after Vi-valdi, Johann Ernst of Sachsen -Wei-mar, and others (BWV 592/7). KarlRichter (Silbermann organ of theCathedral of Arlsheim, Switzerland).DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ARCHIV2533 170 $7.98.

BACH: Prelude and Fugue in D Majorand B Minor (BWV 532 and 544); Toc-cata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major(BWV 564); Trio Sonata No. 5, in C Ma-jor (BWV 529). Hans Heintze (Schnit-ger organ at the Ludgerikirche, Nord -en, Germany; Beckerath organ of theChristuskirche, Bremen, Germany).NONESUCH H-71321 $3.96.

73

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static or the power of a large bass horn.The QLS does it all. And more.

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It will leave you gasping. Its power and the clarityof its inner voices have never been heard like this. Or

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*Manufactured by Infinity Systems, Inc., under license by Watkins Engineering. © 1976 Infinity Systems, Inc., 7930 Deering Avenue, Canoga Park, Ca. 91304. C.13) 883-4800. TWX 1910) 494-4919.


1

4

2

3 Bicentennial Corner: Last Ring5

67

89 The Contest

1011

12 HARON WARNER is an amst, a music lover, and a STEREO13

14 REVIEW reader who lives in Hollywood. The spirit of '7615

16got to her last summer and inspired the decoupage tribute to

17 (mostly) American popular musicians you see on the facing1819 page. There are, appropriately enough, seventy-six indi-go vidual faces (and/or groups and duos-Lena Horne and Lr)u21

22 Levy, for example, count as one) in there, from Nancy Wi I-23 son to Tony Bennett, James Brown to Kris Kristofferson. Ms.2425 Warner is dead -sure, this late in the Bicentennial year, of26 seventy-three of them. How many can you name? Diane2728 Nakamura's going to hate me, but the first ten most -corn -2930

plete lists to reach her desk will receive complimentary cop -31 ies of STEREO REVIEW'S Stereo Test Record Model SR 12.3233

-Ed.3435 The Rules363738 1. All entries must be submitted on this page (we will, however, accept3940

a Xerox of same, understanding ve-y well how traumatic it would be to

41 cut up an issue of STEREO REVIEW).4243 2. All listed names must be alphabetized (we might wink at a slip or44 two, but unalphabetized lists will be summarily disqualified.)4546 3. Any list containing more than 76 names will be disqualified.4748 4. Decisions of the judge will be final.4950

5. Contest closes December 31 (no postmarks after that date).

51 6. Winners will be informed by mail and their names published in the5253

nearest available issue (probably April, unless we run into trouble54 counting).5556 7. Address entries to: Diane Nakamura, Bicentennial Corner Contest,57 Stereo Review, 1 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.585960 The Entry Blank61

626364 Name6566 Address6768 City697071

State

7273 Zip Code747576

The First TEAC ForIntroducing the A-100. It'sbetter sounding, better builtand easier to work than any-thing in its price class.

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You might not know it, hut cigarette smoke ismostly gas-many different kinds. Not just 'tar'and nicotine.

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CONDUCTOR BERNARD HAITINK

"... re se to e anything but a normalhuman being in a very odd profession.'

BERNARD HAITINK has sneaked upon us as one of today's conduct-ing giants. Without the flashy

publicity that has accompanied the riseof some of the glamour -boy conduc-tors, Haitink (pronounced high-tink),who is rather shy and not flamboyant,has matured slowly over the pastfifteen years. Remaining pretty muchoutside the jet -set whirl and withoutTV cameras grinding away at him onand off the podium, the forty -seven-year -old Dutchman has stuck quietly tohis musical work, doing it so well thathe is now regarded as one of the toptwo or three conductors in Europe bycritics and public alike.

Musicians who have worked withHaitink invariably speak of his modes-ty and personal charm, but they alsomention his complete, no-nonsensededication to music -making. On the po-dium he does not dance or storm theheavens-but he did once stalk off thestage, taking the orchestra with him,because the audience was inattentive.

In contrast to many job-hoppingmaestros, the blond, balding, burlyHaitink, who looks more like a soccerplayer than a conductor, has main-

tained lengthy tenures with two of Eu-rope's most respected orchestras: theAmsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra(since 1961) and the London Philhar-monic Orchestra (since 1967). Begin-ning in 1978 he takes on still anothermusic directorship: that of England'sprestigious summer festival at Glyn-debourne.

Since Haitink's full schedule with histwo "home" orchestras accounts forthirty weeks a year, leaving him littletime for guest -conducting, he is knownin America mainly through his record-ings, which now number more than 120for the Philips label alone. They in-clude all the symphonies of Beethoven,Bruckner, and Mahler, plus a widerange of other composers from Handeland Schubert through Brahms andStrauss to Stravinsky and Takemitsu-certainly one of the most impressively"rounded" discographies of any con-temporary conductor.

In the past few years Haitink has be-gun to appear occasionally on Ameri-can podiums as a guest conductor withthe Boston Symphony, the ChicagoSymphony, the Cleveland Orchestra,and the New York Philharmonic for

By Roy Hemming

brief one- or two-week stays. He has,however, been a regular visitor to theUnited States since 1964 with tours ofboth his Amsterdam and London or-chestras-including the London Phil-harmonic's twelve -city U.S. tour thisyear from November 7 to 26.

As we talked in his cottage in theEnglish countryside near Glyn-debourne this summer, Haitink said hethinks it's wrong for young conductorsto jet here, there, and everywhere."Traveling around so much is a danger.They can't go on and on like that andexpect to develop and grow. They mustsettle down. There are no miracles inthis business. Even Toscanini and Ka-rajan began in the smaller towns andtook their time to learn the repertoire.You've had some great music directorsin America who really stayed with anorchestra for years and years andyears," he continued. "I think that'svery important. Ormandy and Szell areobvious examples. To have a great or-chestra, its music director must knowthe musicians well, know their strongpoints and weak points-and the or-chestra must know his." (overleaf)

DECEMBER 1976 81

Haitink's route to the top began inhis native Amsterdam, where he stud-ied at the Amsterdam Conservatoryand took the conductor's course organ-ized by the Netherlands Radio Union.By the mid 1950's he had become prin-cipal conductor of the Netherlands Ra-dio Philharmonic. He made his debutwith the Concertgebouw Orchestra onshort notice in 1956 when Carlo MariaGiulini was unable to conduct a con-cert. Haitink continued to conduct theAmsterdam orchestra as a regular guestin succeeding years, and after Eduardvan Beinum's sudden death he was in-vited, at the age of thirty-two, to be-come its music director.

"At that time," he said, "peoplewere not used to young conductors asthey are today." This created seriousproblems for Haitink. "Even when aconcert went very well, people wouldsay that the orchestra was so marvel-ous, but who is he, that conductor? Forseverl years I was unsure whether Iwas a really good conductor or not, be-cause I had inherited such an outstand-ing, world-renowned orchestra fromVan Beinum."

THE chance to dispel those doubtscame from the London Philharmonic in1967. As Haitink explains it: "Whenthe possibility arose to take charge ofanother orchestra not then in a first-class state, and to show what I could dowith it, that I could build something onmy own, I jumped at the chance. Iwanted to get over an inferiority com-plex. I felt that if I were successful, itwould be good for both London andAmsterdam-and for me."

And successful he certainly was-not in an overnight sort of way, to besure, but in a steadily building way. AsAndrew Porter wrote in the New York-er last year after a visit to London:"By and large Mr. Haitink must be theconductor most solidly esteemed in Eu-rope today. Solti and Karajan may gen-erate more heat; they are more extrava-gantly acclaimed, but often with reser-vations, while Haitink is simply andunanimously praised for his excel-lence."

Although Haitink performs "mod-ern" works by Bartok, Stravinsky,Messiaen, Ligeti, Ketting, and others,they usually represent styles moreclosely identified with the twentiethcentury's first half. He admits he is"not at all happy" about the state ofcontemporary music. "Let's be hon-est: there's a terrible crisis at the

moment. The avant-garde composersand the audience are so wide apart.And the [performing] musicians andthe composers, they're wide apart too.There's no real link. When Beethovendied, some twenty thousand people at-tended his funeral. Can you imaginethat happening for Stockhausen or anyavant-garde composer today? There's atremendous apartheid that's not right."

Aren't there any living composers hefeels may end up representing the sec-ond half of this century the way Stra-vinsky and Schoenberg did the firsthalf? "I really don't know," he an-swers after a long pause. "I alwaysthought of Boulez as the greatest tal-ent, that he's a genius. But the strangething is that he composes so littlenow."

Our conversation turned inevitablyto Haitink's many recordings. Since hehas recorded four or five Stravinskyworks, I asked him if Stravinsky's ownrecordings had influenced his approachto these works. "Of course, I have lis-tened to Stravinsky's recordings, andthey're fascinating," he replied. "Butyou cannot imitate anyone-not even acomposer conducting. And composerssometimes change their own minds inperforming certain works over the

soloists and singers who've begun con-ducting in recent years. "They are mar-velous musicians, and I can understandhow they might think, 'What anothercan do, I can do too.' But I believe con-ducting is a very special art. I'm notthinking just in terms of dictating abeat, but of getting across your musicalideas to a whole orchestra of individualmusicians. That's extremely difficult,and you don't succeed nowadays bybeing a dictator, nor by being just a

sensitive musician. You must have oth-er things in your repertoire-your hu-man repertoire, not just your musicalone. And that takes time to develop."

VVTH so many other conductorsrepresented in the record catalogs withall the symphonies of Beethoven andMahler, does Haitink feel compelled to"say something different" when he re-cords these works? "You are aware ofthe competition, of course," he re-plied, "but once you're on the podium,you just don't think about it. You knowthere are other performers who aredifferent from you, and better thanyou, but the moment you start conduct-ing, you don't worry about that anymore. Everyone has his own handwrit-ing, and that's it."

"...there's a terriblecrisis at the moment.The avant-garde composersand the audience areso wide apart."

years. Stravinsky's recordings showthat." He paused a moment and thenadded: "Frankly, I don't think Stra-vinsky was that marvelous a conduc-tor, nor are most other composers. Toconduct an orchestra is a full-time job,and a damned difficult one. I think it'smuch more interesting to listen to aman like Ernest Ansermet performStravinsky."

Haitink also has reservations aboutthe increasing number of instrumental

Haitink was the first conductor torecord all the symphonies of Mahlerwith the same orchestra-the Amster-dam Concertgebouw, whose Mahlertradition stretches back to the earlyyears of this century. Beginning in1903, Mahler himself not only conduct-ed the orchestra in most of his sympho-nies, but also formed a close friendshipwith Willem Mengelberg (longtimeConcertgebouw conductor, from 1895to 1945). Mengelberg, in fact, celebrat-

82 STEREO REVIEW

ed his twenty-fifth anniversary with theConcertgebouw in 1920 by conductingthe first great Mahler festival to includeall Mahler's symphonies and majorworks. Although Haitink has oftenpraised his illustrious predecessor, headmits that he "resents very much"the way Mengelberg "turned his backon Mahler during the Nazi occupationof Holland, knowing that [becauseMahler was a Jew] it was impossible toconduct his music under the Nazis."

"I examined the Blumine score," hesaid, "and thought it over carefully. Iconcluded that Mahler had a perfectlygood reason for dropping it. It's reallynot good. Mahler knew exactly what hewanted, so I don't think it's right to putback in something he decided to takeout. As for the Tenth, I've recordedonly the Adagio which Mahler com-pleted. I just don't feel there's enoughgenuine Mahler in the Cooke version,interesting as it is. Mahler was such a

"...you don't succeednowadays by being adictator, nor by being

just a sensitivemusician.-

Haitink was a teenager during the occu-pation. "My father was three monthsin a camp for underground activity. Itwas a very unpleasant time for us," hesays with typically Dutch understate-ment. "I was sixteen when the libera-tion came."

AFTER the war the Concertgebouw'sMahler traditions were restored underVan Beinum and Bruno Walter, andthen in the 1960's by Haitink. Somecritics have found Haitink's Mahler re-cordings less romantic and more re-strained emotionally than those ofsome other conductors. Haitink said,"I think Mahler's symphonies are sym-phonies, not romantic rhapsodies.Mahler's is a very special world, andsometimes a very romantic world-andI certainly have many romantic feel-ings-but the structure of these worksis of tremendous importance. They arereally symphonies of immense devel-opments and immense expositions."

Haitink's complete Mahler seriesdoes not contain the rediscovered Blu-mine movement of the First Symphonynor Deryck Cooke's "performanceversion" of the uncompleted TenthSymphony, which others have record-ed. Haitink defends his omitting them.

unique genius that I don't feel any oth-er human being can complete hiswork."

Haitink believes Mahler caught on sostrongly in the 1960's because "he issuch a child of our time-he's given usall his problems as a human being."Who does Haitink see as the next com-poser to be "rediscovered" the wayMahler was? "It's very interesting towatch public taste," he replies. "Rightnow it's difficult to discern any specialtrend. In Europe now, especially inLondon, Mahler will still sell out a con-cert a few days after the announce-ment. But I feel perhaps there's a 'go-ing back' to Haydn-and I think it'smarvelous. Haydn is terribly underrat-ed. He's not as simple as some think.He may even be more complicated be-cause the emotions are hidden beneatha Classical surface. But behind the sur-face there's so much going on."

Haitink's forthcoming recordings in-clude no Haydn, although he says hehopes to be able to do some soon. Onthe scheduled list, however, are Mah-ler's Das Lied von der Erde with JanetBaker, James King, and the Concert-gebouw, Mahler's Des Knaben Wun-derhorn with Jessye Norman and JohnShirley -Quirk, and Shostakovich's

Tenth and Fifteenth Symphonies withthe London Philharmonic. "I'm veryinterested in Shostakovich at the mo-ment," he reported, "and hope I'll beable to record all his symphonies. Ithink Shostakovich was the last greatsymphonic composer." Scheduled forrelease by Philips to tie in with the Lon-don Philharmonic's current U.S. tour isHaitink's complete set of the nine Bee-thoven symphonies. "Beethoven is ourdaily bread," he comments. Everyconductor must do his symphoniesonce or twice in his life regardless ofwhether or not there are twenty orthirty other recordings. You're expect-ed to do them." Haitink makes it clearthat's not a complaint. "I love Bee-thoven. He's the test for a conductor inmany ways."

Which of his recordings is he proud-est of? "I'm ashamed to say I don't lis-ten that much to my own recordings af-ter the sessions," he replies. "When Icome home from a rehearsal or a con-cert, I have other music in my head.And when I'm on a holiday, I tend tosay, 'No music at the moment.' "

What does he do with the little sparetime he has? "Just normal things," hereplied with a shrug. "Walking, swim-ming, reading-that's about it. I realizethis doesn't fit the glamorous imageconductors are supposed to have nowa-days, but I refuse to be anything but anormal human being in a very odd pro-fession." He smiles broadly as headds: "Actually, we conductors are notnormal, of course. But some of us tryto be." El

SAMPLING HAITINK

When an artist has as many re-cordings in the catalog as Ber-

nard Haitink has, it is difficult to knowwhere to start. I recommend the fol-lowing four, which are good examplesof Haitink's best work and of the play-ing of his two orchestras.

ELGAR: Enigma Variations. Lon-don Philharmonic Orchestra. R.

STRAUSS: Don Juan. AmsterdamConcertgebouw Orchestra. Philips6500 481.

HOIST: The Planets. London Phil-harmonic Orchestra. Philips 6500072.

MAHLER: Symphony No. 5. Am-sterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.Philips 6700 048.

RAVEL: Ma Mere I'Oye; Daphnis etCh!oe, Suites 1 and 2. AmsterdamConcertgebouw Orchestra. Philips6500 311.

DECEMBER 1976 83

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AUDIOACCESSORIES

THE WELL -FILLEDCHRISTMAS

STOCKING

By Ralph HodgEs

HE (or maybe she) is aperennial problem,that audiophile on

your Christmas list. Helives for high fidelity, so anew tie or cardigan sweat-er would be about as wel-come as a hangman'snoose. Yet things havegotten to the point whereeven a replacement stylusfor a phono cartridgewould bankrupt you. Andthe inexpensive itemsnever work out; the lasttime you bought him arecord he sneered at theperformance and mut-tered about the noisy sur-faces right up throughEaster.

Wouldn't you once-just once-like to hit himwhere he lives, to wipethe expression of disdainoff his face and leave himbreathless with your dis-cernment? Of course youwould, and this is whatmakes both of you ripefor the flourishing audioaccessories market. Ourcover this month givesjust a hint of the variety ofproducts available. Wholecompanies now exist thatdo little more than manu-

facture widgets to get thedust off your records andthe deposits off your tapeheads. But to negotiatethis forest of merchandisea neophyte needs a guide,and to systematically se-lect items likely to beguilethat problem recipient re-quires a checklist. Whatfollows attempts to be alittle of both.

O A RECORD CLEANER.There are dozens to choosefrom, some good, someineffectual but harmless, andsome catastrophic. Avoidcompletely, for example, anydevice that attaches to thetone arm; adding mass to thearm or impairing its freedomof movement in any way isgenerally inadvisable.

Sure-fire are those in -playdevices consisting of a littletone arm of their own thattracks the record withbrushes and/or velvet pads.The best known are the ven-erable Watts Dust Bug ($8),the Audio-Technica AT -6002($10), the Metrosound Disc -master ($23.50), and the BibGroov-Kleen ($10 and up);

there are also similar prod-ucts from Keith Monks ($20)and Canton ($25) that, likethe Audio Technica, claim toremove static charges fromthe record.

Among pre -play cleaningsystems, the notables are theWatts Preener ($6), Parastat(about $17), and record -washing brush ($5.50); theDiscwasher II ($16); Met-rosound's Metrostatic ($10);Audio-Technica's RecordCleaning Kit ($6); Recoton'sClean Sound ($15); and prod-ucts from Bib and Audiotex.Vor makes a device ($30) thatwill vacuum records, and theFidelicare system ($20) fromFidelitone gives them a bathand a brushing.

Dry lubricants for recordscame into vogue with the BallCorporation's Sound Guard($7), and now there is a hostof competing products, in-cluding a whole treatmentchamber forthcoming fromDiscwasher. Wet record lu-brication has long been thespecialty of the Lencoclean($13.50), which applies a fluidfilm to the record as it is be-ing played. More conserva-tive audiophiles look askanceat applying any foreign sub-stance to the record surface.However, static dischargerssuch as the Zerostat pistol($30) from Discwasher, a sim-

ilar device from Bib, and theStaticmaster brush ($15) arepopular among the cognos-centi-and they are effective.

0 A TAPE -HEAD CLEANER.For open -reel machines,many manufacturers offertheir own cleaning kits. Forcassette machines, manytape manufacturers have cas-settes loaded with a strip ofpolishing cloth that performsthe same function (about $2to $3).

0 A TAPE -HEAD DEMAGNET-IZER. These are availablefrom many tape -machinemanufacturers as well asfrom specialty companiessuch as Robins. For the de-manding consumer, R. B. An-nis (1101 North Delaware St.,Indianapolis, Ind. 46202)offers what are probably themost powerful demagnetiz-ers available (from $24 toabout $28), together with aline of magnetometers thatwill tell you what residualmagnetism remains on headsand tape guides.

0 A BULK ERASER. This willensure that any tape to be re-corded or rerecorded is ab-solutely free of any remanentmagnetic signal-meaningnoise. Again, these are avail-able from numerous sources

kol rOc NA ra./.1.1k1NkflitUktVt.-.84 STEREO REVIEW

Nil ;f Of 314:01 %/di? cof of No NO' '1(k 44,, rid) itt +1,0`V

for cassette and for open -reel. One of the most innova-tive is the Magnesonics Cas-sette Eraser ($20), which isbattery -powered and em-ploys whirling permanentmagnets.

0 A TAPE -SPLICING KIT. Thismay not be the ideal presentfor every audiophile, butsplicing blocks and jigs arealways handy to have around.Our cover shows 3M's Cas-sette Editing & Repair Kit($3.10), but there are manymore such products avail-able, including the EditAllsplicing blocks ($5 and 'wayup) that have been standardfor many years.

El A STYLUS -FORCE GAUGE.There is always room for im-provement in this area of in-strumentation-and evenbuilt-in gauges ought to bechecked from time to time.The Shure device pictured onour cover ($5.75) is a hand-some and exacting beam -bal-ance mechanism. Otheravailable gauges featurebuilt-in spirit levels and addi-tional amenities.

0 A TEST RECORD. The CBSTechnology Center producesseveral test records (at from$7 to $15) that can be usedprofitably with a minimum of

instrumentation. STEREO RE-VIEW'S own SR 12 test record($5.98) has many bands thatare intended to be used withno instruments at all. Ask foritem No. ZCSR from Ziff -Dav-is Publishing Co., ConsumerService Div., 595 Broadway,New York, N.Y. 10012, add-ing appropriate sales tax.

0 A TEST TAPE. For cassettemachines, Nortronics andTeac offer the most widelyused test tapes, while TDKhas just introduced a brand-new and extensive line ($10to $35). The open -reel recor-dist would certainly appreci-ate an Ampex alignmenttape, and the serious en-thusiast with appropriate in-struments and skill couldmake good use of the tapefrom Magnetic ReferenceLabs. Most of these requireadditional instrumentation.

0 A STORAGE SYSTEM.STEREO REVIEW'S storageshelves for LP records ($7.50),cassettes ($12.95), and eight -track ($9.50) are fiberboardbound in leatherette (see thead on page 136). TDK's cas-sette storage system ($34)employs plastic drawers in anattractively finished module,and Royal Sound offers inter-locking plastic trays (under $2per module) for cassettes and

r NA a's.. vt N.' rvots< tOs

eight -track cartridges in sev-eral colors. These are only afew of the options.

FOR the audiophile who haseverything, or seems to,there is the Russound line ofaccessories. It has beengrowing rapidly of late andnow includes everythingfrom simple tape -recorderswitching units to profes-sional -grade mixing con-soles. Somewhere in its cata-log (write to Russound/FMP,Inc., Dept. SR, Stratham,N.H. 03885) you're bound tofind an item that will fill a

need-perhaps even an un-discovered one.

As . an optional adjunctto its graphic equalizers,ADC sells an admirable andcomparatively inexpensivesound -level meter ($60) and atest record to go with it.You'll never know how use-ful such a meter can be untilyou own one. I have used acalibrated ADC meter to testspeaker systems and comeastonishingly close to H -HLabs' curves that were de-rived with much more elabo-rate equipment.

Switchcraft has four nicelypacked kits of connectorsand adapters (about $20 to$70) that invariably save theday when some new piece ofequipment has to be patched

into the system. If your in-tended recipient already hasone such kit, he'll be happierstill with two. Even some-thing so mundane as a set ofconnecting cables will be ap-preciated if they feature thegold-plated connectors ofthe Discwasher Gold -ens($8). Audio-Technica alsooffers a set of low -capaci-tance cables ($7) that fairlyexudes quality. Poor cablesare frequent problem spotsin audio systems, and a pairthat can be trusted is some-thing the typical audiophilerarely gets around to buyingfor himself.

Finally, Audio-Technicadistributes a device called theJusti-Meter-a compact chartrecorder for frequency -response measurements overa 20- to 20,000 -Hz range, syn-chronized to the 45 -rpm B&Ktest records. The price willset you back some ($595), butas a gift of princely munifi-cence, this has practically noequal in the field. At the oth-er extreme, the Tape Meas-ure (from Rothchild PrintingCo., 79-00 Barnwell Ave.,Elmhurst, N.Y. 11373), whichcalculates the playing/re-cording time remaining onopen -reel and (soon to beavailable) cassette tapes,costs only $2.50, plus tax anda 350 handling charge. 0

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DECEMBER 1976 85

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JOANNA. LUCYAND CARLY SIMON

SIBLINGROCK

In the music business, at least,it may be that having a famous brother

or sister is more hindrance than help

By Rick Mitz

IN these days of fierce musical compe-tition, it seems that as soon as a staris born, some eager record -company

executive is trying to sign his or her rel-atives. Sibling Rock is rolling, with twoSimons for every Franklin, a McCart-ney for every Jagger, and a Taylor forevery taste. Everyone seems to have abrother or a sister in the business ex-cept Barbra Streisand who, always thenonconformist, has only a half-sister-but Roslyn Kind does have a whole re-cording contract.

Record -company officials deny thatthey sign famous artists' brothers andsisters because of their family names orconnections. But even so, on turnta-bles all over the country, sibling al-bums have been heard in stiff competi-tion. And as in any competition thereare inevitable casualties.

Dionne Warwicke's sister Dee Dee,for example, had a short-lived record-ing career. So did Mike McGear,whose debut (and swan song) albumwas produced by his brother PaulMcCartney. Chris Jagger, Mick'syounger look -alike brother, recordedtwo albums, but they gathered him nomoss. Rock superstar James Taylor'ssiblings-Alex, Kate, and Livingston-are all currently "between labels."Aretha Franklin's sister Carolyn hasn'tmade a record in years. And Liza Min-

Sx STEREO REVIEW

nelli's kid sister Lorna Luft hasn't, asyet, made one.

Of course, there are some successstories. Roslyn Kind's recording con-tract is with a major label. Singer LucySimon has just released her secondRCA album; her first received somepositive critical attention, and no onesaid she was trying to sound like hersister Carly. Joanna Simon's operaticcareer has been unaffected by sisterCarly's success, and she has gone on toachieve critical acclaim. LorettaLynn's sister Crystal Gale is a risingcountry star (No. 10 on the charts lasttime I looked), and country singer Stel-la Parton, sister of Dolly, recently hada hit song (Olivia, We Love You, anode to Ms. Newton -John). Michael,Patti, and Suzi Quatro's careers havehad their ups and downs-but at leastthey've had some ups. Rockers Johnnyand Edgar Winter, though, are the onlyrecent siblings to have made it reallybig, whether solo or together.

Why do so many of the others fail?"Because it's not easy being a famousperson's sister," says one famous per-son's sister. "It hasn't helped me a bit.People expect me to be a superstar, andI'm only a beginner. It isn't fair."

Except that all is fair in a businesswhere monetary notes sound muchlouder than musical ones. "A record

J

KATE. LIVINGSTON,AND JAMES TAYLOR

company would sign Hitler's sister, ifthey thought they could make moneyon it," says one record -industry cynic.And sometimes the immense pressuresto succeed that the industry fosters canput a lot of pressures on alreadystrained family relationships. As anoth-er insider puts it: "In this business, sib-lings are automatically pitted againsteach other. James and Livingston Tay-lor might be the best of friends in reallife, but when they come out on rec-ords, it's got to have some effect ontheir relationship, cause some tension.And many record companies, eventhough they don't admit it, use the sib-ling thing as a selling point. They ex-ploit the star. It was hard enough forthe Andrews Sisters to sing with eachother; it would have been much harderif they'd had to sing against each other.diA

the record -buying public hascertain expectations. If Lucy Simonhad been named Lucy Smith, she'dhave been judged on her own merits.But her name is Lucy Simon, and soshe's immediately compared withCarly and constantly judged againsther. She's probably judged against PaulSimon too, and they aren't even relat-ed. What's in a name? Everything."

Half a sibling rivalry is better thannone. Or maybe worse. Roslyn Kind

has had rather a tough time of it. A lotof people, she thinks, have been rain-ing on her parade. Kind, who was headof sister Barbra Streisand's fan club inthe Sixties, got discovered backstage atFunny Girl when she piped up to a tal-ent scout: "I can sing too." Thesemight have been the four words shewould learn to regret most. And shebears the added burden of sounding un-cannily like her sister. "But I'm notjust an imitation," she insists.

Streisand says: "There's no rift be-tween us. I think Roslyn is a talentedsinger."

"If only Barbra would say somethingnice about me when she's asked. I feelshe's hurting my chances by her si-lence," says Roslyn.

"The trouble with Roslyn,- bellowsBarbra, "is that when she's not invitedback to a place, she thinks that I'msomehow behind it. That's nonsense.That's sad."

But all public bickering aside, Roslynrealized that she was indeed gettingclub dates "on the strength of my sis-ter's name." After being dropped byRCA, she re-emerged on ColumbiaRecords-Barbra's label. Did Strei-sand, one cannot help wondering, haveanything to do with getting her sisterthe contract?

"No way," says a close Streisand

DECEMBER 1976 89

SIBLINGS..."If you help them, they feelguilty. If you don't helpthem, you feel guilty."

associate. "Barbra wouldn't help any-one-not even her own sister."

In his Los Angeles office, TedBrooks (Roslyn Kind's manager) wor-ries about all this a lot. When Brooksspeaks of Kind and Streisand, hespeaks of all brothers and sisters in therecord world: "It's been like a stab inthe heart. It's not helpful to Roz's ca-reer to be constantly compared to Bar-bra Streisand. Roz is not going to be aBarbra Streisand. Roz is just trying tomake her own little musical world,she's not trying to compete with hersister. People keep pitting them againsteach other and it's just not fair. Look-no one else can be Barbra Streisand."

MICK JAGGERMOW MHO

Brooks sighs. "I'll tell you some-thing. If you're related to a giant star,you always live in their shadow. I justwish everyone would leave Roz aloneand give her the little niche she de-serves. That's all."

In Nashville things are a bit lesstense. Crystal Gale, a Grand Ole Oprystar and Loretta Lynn's kid sister,

says: "I like having a sister as famousas Loretta," and she admits that insome ways it has helped her. But Lo-retta says, "If you help them, they feelguilty. If you don't help them, you feelguilty."

Many recording stars understand-ably don't want to talk about their sib-lings, about the possibly detrimentaleffect the star has had on the other'scareer. Livingston Taylor, who feelshe's been exploited by the press, isone. But his sister-in-law Carly Simon(who is married to James Taylor) offerssome insights into why Livingston'srecords have failed. "What hap-pened," she says, "was that Living-ston's albums got a lot of airplay initial-ly. James, of course, was already get-ting a lot of airplay. But they soundedtoo much alike. It was overkill, toomuch Taylor going out over the air-waves. And Livingston lost."

Chris Jagger didn't win either, andover at Asylum Records they're notquite sure why. "Chris didn't make itbecause he wasn't too good. He didn't

BARBRA STREISANDONIN NAISC:1

have the voice or the chops or the ex-perience," says Steve Baker of Asy-lum Records' publicity staff. "No!"chimes in Karin Berg, Asylum's direc-tor of national publicity. "That's justnot true. Chris was never compared loMick. And we signed him because hewas good, not because he was MickJagger's brother."

But, of course, no record companywill admit to signing an artist solely be-cause of the potential of his or her lastname. "We hire artists here because oftheir musical talents, regardless of whotheir family is," exclaims MickeyEichner, head of East -Coast a -&-r forColumbia Records.

E didn't sign Carolyn Franklinbecause she was Aretha's sister," saysRon Mosley, RCA Records vice presi-dent. But recently, an album by Caro-lyn-who is long departed from the la-bel-has been appearing as a new re-lease on record racks around the coun-try. Why is that, if not to cash in on theFranklin name?

"Well," Mosley says, "we were go-ing over some old cuts that were neverreleased and we came across Carolyn'sand decided they weren't bad. Any-way, we finally released it because itwas there. It was free goods, no cost.We had already paid her years ago. If itsells only $5,000 worth, then we'vemade $5,000.-

JOHt4NY WINTER11V003

RCA is much less mercenary whenreferring to one of their other siblingacts, Lucy Simon. "We love Lucy,"says RCA division vice president MikeBerniker. But then Lucy is no strangerto the record world. With Carly, shewas half of the successful Sixties folkduo called the Simon Sisters; their hitrecord was Lucy's Winkin, Blinkin and

90 STEREO REVIEW

Nod. But Lucy retired and Carly wenton to become a superstar.

In 1975, Lucy decided it was time toget back into the business. "It wasquite a brave move," Berniker says."It's tougher to come into the arena af-ter your champion sister has been thereso many times. But we didn't sign Lucybecause she was Carly's sister. That'sdumb. I mean, you can't cash in on aname. You can cash in on somethingthat turns people on-music."

The Simons-Carly, Lucy, and Joan-na-are about the only sibling perform-ers who are willing to talk at lengthabout their musical and family relation-ships. They are a close, articulate fami-ly. They go to each other's perform-ances whenever they can, and each hassung back-up vocals on the others' al-bums. "We used to sing together asgirls," says Joanna, "and we still donow." But they are not unaware of theproblems that arise when brothers andsisters enter this field as soloists.

"When I was trying to get a record-ing contract, before I signed with

LORETTA LYNN3 WO 1VISAL10

RCA," says Lucy, "the contract al-ways centered around my being Carly'ssister. They all seemed to want me tobe very closely identified with Carly, tomake sure she'd sing on my albums, tohave her producer produce my albums,that sort of thing. Carly was always theissue. I was very much on guard thenabout being Carly's sister." Now, two

albums later, Lucy is more relaxed."I've gotten past the critics and havebeen accepted and acknowledged as anindividual artist. Now that I've done itcritically, I want to prove myself com-mercially. Just as a parent can lovemore than one child, I think there isenough room in the music world formany performers, even if they're in thesame family. It doesn't detract fromone if the other is successful."

CARLY agrees. "Our musicality wasinherited genetically," she says. "Ourmom was a frustrated singer and ourfather was a frustrated concert pianist.That's where we got the drive. But thepipes are something you're born with."

But Carly accepts the notion of herown sibling rivalry. "There is certainlyan element of competition betweenLucy and me," she says. "There was adesire on my part to be better thanLucy and Joey. As a third child, I waslost in the race and fighting for space ofmy own. But when Lucy, Joey, and Iused to sing together, then I did have a

PAUL McCARTNEY1:1Y39011 3)11141

place in the family-I was the alto."Now, it seems, she has won the race

and has emerged the biggest star in thefamily. "It doesn't seem to me thatI've won," she says quietly. "I wouldfeel guilty if I felt I'd won. I choose tothink, instead, that our audiences aredifferent, that the races are different."

But isn't she the one who has made

it? "No," says Carly. Making it do-esn't have to do just with commercialsuccess. I have further to go as far asbecoming an artistic success, I think."

How far will Carly go to help Lucy?"I think," she says carefully, "that Ican really be most helpful to Lucy bygiving her a lot of good will and pos-itive feelings."

Joanna Simon has heard all this be-fore. Since she is an opera singer ratherthan a pop performer, she is in somemeasure outside sibling pressures, atleast in regard to the musical establish-ment. ("I don't mind being introducedas Carly Simon's sister," says Joanna."But I'd prefer it if Carly were intro-duced as Joanna Simon's sister.") Butshe knows her sisters, and she has giv-en some thought to their predicament.

"It's unfortunate," she says, "thatLucy's last name is Simon. Carly is avery hard act to follow. People are al-ways making comparisons, but I don'tknow what the answer is."

Perhaps there is no answer. Perhapsas long as there are singing brothers

UZA MINNELLI1011 VNLIO1

who have sisters, and performing sis-ters who have brothers, and combina-tions thereof, record companies will al-ways be around to take the chance thatthey'll be as successful as their famoussiblings, and some people will alwaysget bruised in the process.

What's in a name? In the record busi-ness, everything. 0

DECEMBER 1976 91

FoR the first thirty-three years ofher life Helen Reddy was anAustralian citizen, but, as she

is the first to point out, she is theembodiment of the AmericanDream. She arrived in this countryten years ago, fed on images fromdown -under re -runs of FatherKnows Best, divorced, broke, andwith a three -year -old daughter intow. Her first hit record was I Don'tKnow How to Love Him from JesusChrist Superstar in 1971, and sincethen she's had a string of hits un-equaled by any female singer sincethe Fifties heyday of Patti Page andRosemary Clooney. For two yearsrunning Helen was the best-sellingfemale singer in the world. (Ironical-ly, for the past two years she hasbeen superseded-but just barely-by her friend and fellow one-timeAussie Olivia Newton -John.) Shelives in a million -dollar movie -starhouse and makes so much moneyfrom her nine gold singles, five goldalbums, songwriting royalties, andperformance fees that she ends upgiving most of it away-to charity,friends, political candidates, and so-cial causes.

"But this is what I came herefor," Helen says exultantly. "I'man immigrant who got it all. For methe American Dream came true."Born in Los Angeles, her secondchild, her son Jordan, now agedfour, is an American by birth, andHelen formalized her feelings aboutthis country by becoming an Ameri-can citizen in January of 1975. (Jor-dan was born just when I Am Wom-an hit number one on the singleschart-"I spent a week in tears,"Helen recalls.)

Helen Reddy is the first womansinger in recent memory whose rec-ords are bought predominantly byother women. She thinks the trendto more softly melodic records andmore meaningful lyrics is partly re-sponsible for that. Also, there is the

breaking down of the resistance to"girl singers" for radio airplay."We couldn't even be played backto back before," she says. "And thesound of the Sixties was a groupsound, and a group sound is a malesound." But Helen's soft -core femi-nist image, for the most part estab-lished by her chart -busting I AmWoman, which has become anunofficial anthem even for more mil-itant Women's Liberation types,was the clincher.

"I was just trying to make a per-sonal statement when I wrote thatsong," Helen says. "It was at a timewhen my ego had been totally de-molished. I was sitting up in bed onenight, thinking that if I'd survivedthat, I could survive anything, andthe lines just came to me: 'If I haveto, I can do anything/I am strong, Iam invincible, I am woman.' "

THE producer of her first albumwas against including the tune ("hethought it was butch"), but Helenwon out, and even without airplaythe song pulled in so much mail thatthe record company released it as asingle, and a pregnant Helen had tosing it at every live engagement."They couldn't attack me for beinga lesbian when I was going aroundthe country singing it with a bellyout to here."

In accepting a Grammy in 1973for I Am Woman Helen thanked-after husband -manager Jeff Wald-"God, because SHE makes every-thing possible," and the record soldtwo million copies, 70 per cent ofthem to women. Although the imagehas been added to and bolsteredover the years, most recently by herAin't No Way to Treat a Lady(which she didn't write), Helen ex-plains, "I am a singer who became afeminist, not the other wayaround." She has attended informalconsciousness -raising groups, buthas never belonged to a feminist or-

ganization. Most of the politicalcandidates to whom she contributesfunds are women or men whohave proclaimed themselves as sup-porters of women's rights. "But I'mnot a card-carrying anything," sheinsists, "I am a feminist, but it's notwhat I do for a living."

HELEN vastly prefers horror -rockstar Alice Cooper's description ofher as "the Queen of HousewifeRock." That means, she explains,"that I've reached a lot of people ina simplistic manner, people whowould never read an article in Ms.or go to a lecture on women's lib.My basic audience is made up ofwomen who have had their headsturned around by the knowledgethat something's going on outthere-that they can stay marriedand have their own identities. I'mnot for the swinging singles. I have acareer and marriage happening all atthe same time, and that's the exam-ple I set."

Now thirty-five, Helen attributesher success to "luck and good man-agement," meaning her second hus-band of ten years, Jeff Wald, whomshe met shortly after arriving inNew York in 1966. "He runs it all,"says Helen. "Naturally, when themoment of performance comes, Ihave to deliver, but everything elseis him. It's not my career, it's ourcareer."

No matter whose career it is, Hel-en Reddy was born to it, in Mel-bourne in 1941, the daughter of pop-ular Australian vaudevillians, thelate Max and Stella (Lamond) Red-dy. At age four, Helen began singingprofessionally at the Tivoli Theatrein Perth. "I had two things going forme," she says, "I sang in tune and Ihad a tremendous ego." Another ofHelen's hits, Keep On Singing, ech-oes her childhood experience as akind of dancing, down -under Shir-ley Temple. "It was drummed into

1111CLCINI

MOM"Queen ofHousewife

Rock..."By Robert Windeler

STEREO REVIEW

me from the time I was one year old:'You will be a star.' Perhaps 'en-couraged' is a kinder word than'pushed,' but I was made to feel thatanything less than stardom would be adisgrace to the family."

Accordingly, between the ages oftwelve and seventeen "I got very rebel-lious and decided this was not for me. Iwas going to be a housewife and moth-er." She married an old family friendand had daughter Traci, who has been

adopted by Wald. Helen had a kidneyremoved when she was seventeen,which forced her to stop dancing and toconcentrate on singing. After successon Australian television she won a tal-ent cortest, and her first prize was around trip to New York and a recordingcontract. The trip turned out to be one-way and there was no contract. "Myfirst day there I cried and cried. I wasstunned to find that Americans lookedlike ordinary people." (overleaf)

DECEMBER 1976 93

Lacking the training and experiencefor any other work ("If I hadn't made itas a singer I could have been anusherette, a receptionist, or a salesgirl,and that's about it," she says) anddown to twelve dollars in cash, Helenwas given a party by New York friendsto keep her and Traci going. Each per-son who attended was supposed to con-tribute five dollars to a rescue opera-tion. Jeff Wald, then a ninety -nine -dol-lar -a -week "go-fer" at the WilliamMorris agency, was invited, "He didn'tpay the five dollars, but it was love atfirst sight," Helen says. Wald, who hadgrown up as a poor kid in the Bronx,had wangled his way into helping han-

1111CLCINI

iFICODY"I'm not a card-carryinanything. I am a femibut it's not what I dofor a living."

dle some of his agency's biggest acts.(The license plate on his Mercedes nowreads PS 79 BX-"to remind me whereI came from," he says.) But at thattime he was looking for a girl singer tomanage, and four days after he metHelen he moved in with her.

They were married in December1966, and her first bookings werebenefits at a veterans' hospital in NewJersey. The Walds moved to Chicago,where he became talent booker at Mr.Kelly's and got her on stage there andon syndicated TV shows. After goingto the West Coast in 1968, Jeff talkedCapitol Records into signing Helen asan artist even though it was supposedto be "a bad time for girl singers." Sheis still with Capitol and, since the Bea-tles broke up, has been one of theirbest-selling acts.

Jeff has a widespread reputation as atough, difficult, and driven personality,a reputation he secretly delights in anddoes everything to foster. Helen, whoinsists that "his bark is worse than hisbite," admits that the Walds have some

fights of their own. "But he knows Ilove him all the more when I scream athim about something he just said, orabout some poor mangled corpse hejust trod on, on his way to the top."Her matching Mercedes' license plate,after all, says HR WALD.

Apart from Helen, Jeff manages onlyone other client, Peter Allen, who wasbest known as Liza Minnelli's ex-hus-band until he wrote I Honestly LoveYou for Olivia Newton -John. Helencalls Peter "the Irving Berlin of the1970's" and collaborated with him onthe title tune of her album "Love Songfor Jeffrey" ("Jeffrey made my dreamscome true"), and on I Think I'll Write a

Song, which she rightly describes as "aday in the life of any writer who worksat home." Helen has never been aprolific songwriter, and her output hasdwindled even further in recent monthsbecause of her heavy live -performingschedule. Except for the air travel in-volved (she survived an accident in asmall private plane and so rules out allbut the biggest airliners), Helen doesn'tmind all that working on the road-"Itwas a long time before I was asked towork at all."

Two years ago the Walds bought, for$600,000 in cash, a large house thatDore Schary had owned when he wasat MGM in the Thirties. Another mil-lion dollars was spent on refurbishingand furnishing the eleven -bathroomhouse, which is behind a high -securityfront fence and gate. It has a separateplayhouse with a complete ice creamsoda fountain out back for Traci andJordan, in addition to the requisite pooland tennis court. Despite her growingup in Australia, Helen is only now real-ly learning to play tennis, thanks to

help from friends like Billie Jean King.(Jeff carts his portable telephone withantenna to the tennis court in order notto miss calls.)

Helen's dress and demeanor are so"California casual" that she has beenseverely criticized in reviews for herappearance on stage and her seemingcoolness to audiences. Although shewas "delighted" to be named numberone on Mr. Blackwell's Worst -DressedList last year (this year she fell to num-ber seven and was replaced by CarolineKennedy in the top slot), she has beenworking on her clothes, hairdo, andstage movements with experts. Shelaughs to think that as a child she"dreamt of coming to Hollywood to bein a movie wearing clothes designed byEdith Head and then made my moviedebut in a film [Airport 1975] whosecostumes were done by Edith Head-only to play a nun."

The hostess of a successful summerTV show on NBC in 1973, Helen hasrecently been named the first perma-nent emcee of the same network'sweekly Midnight Special. She will do aduet album with Glen Campbell laterthis year, similar to the ones he madeearlier with Bobbie Gentry and AnneMurray, and her new solo album "Mu-sic, Music" (reviewed on page 103) hasjust been released. She will continuewith one-nighters and her Las Vegascontract at the MGM Grand Hotel, andwill doubtless pursue her uncannyknack for picking material even when itisn't her own (doing Delta Dawn after ithad already been an album track forBette Midler and a country hit for Ta-nya Tucker, or making Paul Williams'You and Me Against the World).

"I feel like an American and I thinklike an American," says the new citi-zen, who was a heavy backer of Cali-fornia Governor Jerry Brown and ofJudy Petty against Congressman Wil-bur Mills. "I noticed when I went toAustralia the last time that not only canyou not go home again, ever, but thatthe Australia I knew doesn't even existany more."

WHILE she is comfortable in usingher money to help family, friends, andcauses (and she still does more benefitsthan anyone else, including some atwomen's prisons), Helen also feels thatthe large income she now earns "issome compensation for those times wecouldn't afford to eat in New York.When we did eat, it was spaghetti andhot dogs, and we spent more of whatlittle money we had on cockroachspray. Now I may make $20,000 forone night in Waco, Texas, but I'm eat-ing vending -machine peanuts and I'mdrinking champagne out of a paper cup.The glamour is definitely overrated." 0

94 STEREO REVIEW

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STEREO REVIEW'S SELECTION OF RECORDINGS OF SPECIAL MERIT

BEST OF THE MONTH

GABRIEL. PIERNg. (1863-1937)

Gabriel Pierne'sLes Enfants a Bethleem:A Refreshing Discovery

For Christmas

Facing page: Adorationof the Magi (fifteenth -

century woodcut)

IHILE such works as Handel'sMessiah, Bach's Christmas Ora-

torio, Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ,Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visi-tors, and Honegger's Cantate de Noelhave always been welcome at this timeof year, the idea that there might besomething new under the sun in thisseasonal category-something as sub-stantial as these favorites and similarlyendowed with the strength and/orcharm to transcend sectarian boundar-ies-is certainly intriguing. GabrielPierne's Christmas oratorio Les En-fants a Bethliem may not be exactlynew, having been composed sixty-nineyears ago, but it is new to most of us,and it is a good deal more than merelyintriguing. It is an enchanting work, forthe most part enchantingly realized in arecording that has just appeared in thiscountry among the first batch of im-ports on the Inedits label, produced bythe ORTF (the French government'sradio and TV organization), distributedin France by the Barclay group, andmade available to American buyers byHNH Distributors.

Pierne called this work a "mystery,"in the tradition of plays and other non -liturgical works on sacred subjects. Itis in two parts, each about a half-hourlong; the first is set on a plain, wherethe Star of Bethlehem invites the shep-herd children to join the kings follow-ing it to the manger, and the second isin the manger itself. The animals aswell as the star are articulate here, andin addition to the singing roles (six as-signed to adult soloists and three forchildren plus a children's chorus) thereis spoken narration. Pierne, who hadwritten La Croisade des Enfants (TheChildren's Crusade) five years beforehe composed this work, was not onlyan exceptionally able musician but alsoone of those rare adults with the heav-en-sent ability to deal with childrenconvincingly. There is no self-con-sciousness here, no cutesy-poo conde-scension or resort to primitivisms. Thenearest parallel is surely Berlioz'sL'Enfance du Christ, but I find more

pleasure in the greater momentum andvariety of the Pierne score.

The conductor, Jacques Jouineau, isnew to me; whatever his other giftsmay be, he is obviously in love withthis score and brings it to radiant lifewith a fine feeling for Pierne's subtleand refined craftsmanship. The youngtenor soloist is, I believe, the conduc-tor's son; he and his associates all ac-quit themselves well, and the ORTFChildren's Chorus must be one of thefinest ensembles of is kind anywhere.The Orchestre Philharmonique, whichranks below the Orchestre National,does not sound second -string here. Thenarration is a bit disappointing: I'm notsure whether Pierre Fresnay is reallytoo theatrical in his approach or onlyseems so because he is recorded soclose-and with so much reverbera-tion, unlike the musicians. The engi-neers have missed a few other bets,too: they might have responded moreimaginatively to the points in the scoreat which the children's chorus is divid-ed into antiphonal groups, and theymight have edited more carefully toavoid the changes in level which betrayapparent splices. The most seriouslapse is the failure to provide GabrielNigond's text in either French or Eng-lish. The technical and documentaryshortcomings, however, need not andshould not deter anyone from enjoyingthis refreshing and endearing work. Itis something really new for the Christ-mas season, and pretty nice in Septem-ber, too, when this is being written.

Richard FreedPIERNE: Les Enfants a Bethieem. GerdaHartman (soprano), the Virgin; ChristianeChateau (soprano), the Star; Arlette Dung-neux (child soprano), Nicholas; Nicole Le -port (child soprano), Jeannette; MartineBernardi (child soprano), Lubin; Jean -Jacques Jouineau (tenor), the Ass, a Heav-enly Voice; Michel Piquemal (baritone), theOx, the Shepherd; Pierre Fresnay (narra-tor); ORTF Children's Chorus and Orches-tre Philharmonique, Jacques Jouineau cond.INiDITS ORTF 995 029 $7.98 (from HNHDistributors, P.O. Box 222, Evanston, Ill.60204).

96 STEREO REVIEW

Deutsche Grammophon'sNew Carmen GoesStraight to theHead of the Class

BizEr's Carmen has been recordedso often that it is difficult to single

out a clear-cut favorite even among themany various performances in the cur-rent catalog. Example: devotees ofRegine Crespin and Leontyne Pricemust accept less than perfect tenorpartners with their favorite divas; thoseattracted by the almost irresistiblecombination of De los Angeles, Gedda,and Beecham must put up with a weakMicaela; and, of course, a recordingthat offers Maria Callas in the title roleis automatically controversial.

One thing is certain: the Carmen ourparents and grandparents enjoyed-the

one with the composed recitatives add-ed by the American -born Ernest Gui-raud after the unsuccessful 1875 pre-miere-seems to have had its day. Thependulum has swung back to Bizet'soriginal conception-spoken dialoguebetween the musical numbers. Lon-don's new release is the fourth in thisvein to appear in recent years, and, tomy way of thinking and all things con-sidered, the best. It has only one real ri-val, the Bernstein -led Deutsche Gram-mophon set based on the Met's currentproduction; the other two-Angel'swith Frehbeck and Eurodisc's withMaazel-offer no serious competition.

The Deutsche Grammophon set isbased on the new Fritz Oeser editiondrawn from Bizet's original (pre -premiere) autograph score, and it con-tains many features that have disap-peared through subsequent (and some-times ill-advised) creative ministra-tions. But blind reliance on such an Ur -text fails to take into account changes

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dictated by the exigencies of theatricalpresentation, some of them effected byBizet himself. And so, while we may begrateful for the information brought tolight by Herr Oeser's diligence, per-haps the DG performance would havebenefited from a more careful scrutinyof the dramatic usefulness of the rele-vant materials. Fortunately for us, SirGeorg Solti has accomplished just thatfor London. After consultation withHerr Oeser and Winton Dean, the not-ed Bizet authority, he has come up witha happy combination of the Oeser edi-tion and the original Choudens score of1875 (the closest approximation in printof what actually was heard on openingnight). The conductor's reasons for re-taining and rejecting various passagesare lucidly set forth in the bookletaccompanying the album. I find themso convincing that I would like to seethis declared the "official performingversion" of Carmen.

The London effort also happens tobe the most happily cast and painstak-ingly conducted Carmen in the currentcatalog. The clarity and precision Soltielicits from the excellent London Phil-harmonic and the always dependableJohn Alldis Choir point up countlessdelicately articulated orchestral detailsthat elude us in conventional theatricalperformances. The Act III Entr'acteand the Smugglers' Scene are just twoinstances of this. Leonard Bernstein(on the DG set) and Herbert von Kara-jan (for RCA) of course reveal compa-rable instances of orchestral mastery,but Solti's overall achievement is muchmore impressive, much less idiosyn-cratic. At the risk of seeming to carp, Imust point out at least a couple of dis-appointing touches: the first Micaela-Don Jose scene (Act I) moves at arushed pace that inhibits artists of thecaliber of Kiri Te Kanawa and PlacidoDomingo in their expressive phrasing.Also, though Solti aptly calls the brieforchestral -march passage at the closeof Act III "one of Bizet's most beauti-ful inventions-a gentle pianissimo,full of foreboding," he surprisingly un-derstates its expressive potential.

In general, while this is a superblyconducted and beautifully sung Car-men, a triumph of painstaking prepara-tion and precise execution, it lacks thatspontaneous spark of theatrical urgen-cy. Tatiana Troyanos embodies thismusically immaculate but theatricallyrestrained conception: her Habanera isinsinuating but understated, her Segui-dilla only gently teasing. Hers is anideal voice for Carmen in weight,range, and color. It is warm, sexy, andunassailably musical, but it is not yettruly exciting, nor does it project a dis-tinctive personality when comparedwith those of Callas, Horne, or Cres-

DECEMBER 1976 97

TATIANA TROYANOS: an ideal voice for Carmen

pin, to mention but three of her record-ed rivals.

Placido Domingo sings a characteris-tically artistic Don Jose: manly, lyrical,musical, tasteful, and, after a some-what restrained beginning, suitablyabandoned in his final scene. Neitherhe nor Kiri Te Kanawa appears at theirbest in the first -act duet for the reasonsalready stated, but she, too, improveslater to register a good, though not out-standing, Micaela. Jose Van Dam, onthe other hand, is an exceptional Es-camillo: relaxed and assured through-out the role's tricky range, a machowith dignity, a singer capable of mak-ing the most of the important passagesOeser has restored to his once truncat-ed part. The supporting singers are allvery good: for once, the two smugglersproject real character and deliver theirlines with zest and color; so do theirtwo girl friends and the excellent Mo-rales and Zuniga. And, needless to say,their exceptional enunciation enhancesthe appeal of a performance in whichthe spoken word plays an importantpart (the non -French principals do rea-sonably well in this, but not nearly sosatisfyingly).

In all, then, in terms of tonal enjoy-ment and all-around musicality, thisbeautifully realized Carmen goes to thehead of the class. George Jellinek

BIZET: Carmen. Tatiana Troyanos (mezzo-soprano), Carmen; Placido Domingo (ten-or), Don Jose; Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano),Micaela; Jose Van Dam (baritone), Escamil-

CARMEN MCRAE: Chinchilla -Cloak vocal timbre

lo; Norma Burrowes (soprano), Frasqufta;Jane Berbie (mezzo-soprano), Mercedes;Michel Roux (baritone), Dancairo; MichelSenechal (tenor), Remendado; Thomas Al-len (baritone), Morales; Pierre Thau (bass),Zuniga; others. John Alldis Choir; LondonPhilharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solticond. LONDON OSA 13115 three discs$20.94.

Best of the Band:Good, Flavorful,Aromatic, andAtmospheric Stuff

How many rock songs can stand upto the exposure, through the

years, that The Weight has weathered?The world's unluckiest sawmill opera-tor could probably count them on hisfingers. It's such a simple song, yet itstands out, fresh and different. TheBand's whole style is like that, and theBand is quite a stylish outfit. The groupsounds as if it was there the night theydrove old Dixie down, as if it's fromthat era-they got me looking for wah-wah pedals whenever I see a Civil Warmovie with musicians in it. So this al-bum of the Band's "best" is flavorful,aromatic, atmospheric, and very good

S

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stuff indeed. It doesn't take too manysongs from any single album (whichsays something about their consisten-cy, by the way), so it is not going to bitetoo deeply into any one place in anycollection it might start. But that wouldbe a good collection to have.

Noel Coppage

THE BEST OF THE BAND.The Band (vo-cals and instrumentals). Up on CrippleCreek; The Shape I'm In; The Weight; ItMakes No Difference; Life Is a Carnival;Twilight; Don't Do It; Tears of Rage; StageFright; Ophelia; The Night They Drove OldDixie Down. CAPITOL ST -11553 $6.98, 08XT-I 1553 $7.98, © 4XT-11553 $7.98.

Singular Gifts andConsiderable Art:Carmen McRaeGets Through

IF one half of the singers now singingknew one quarter as much as Car-

men McRae does about the art of thepopular song and the art of recording,we'd all be twice as happy, living inGloryville, and there wouldn't be anyneed at all for reviewers (yes, yes, I

98 STEREO REVIEW

know you wonder why we need themeven now). We'd all just sit around,safe and sublimely content, playing al-bums such as McRae's new one onBlue Note, "Can't Hide Love," securein the knowledge that no unfeelingstrangers would ever disrupt our musi-cal paradise (see, that's why you needreviewers-to make contorted puns).

Where does one begin with McRae?First, of course, with her musicianship,which is right up there in the strato-sphere with Fitzgerald and with Lee. Ifyou want to hear jazz/scat inflectedsinging, done 1976 style with all thefinesse and agility of a pointilliste mas-ter, then play the title band here.

Next, perhaps, is the timbre of hervoice. It is unique, not perhaps on firsthearing, but as you are carried along onits chinchilla -cloak surface you slowlybegin to realize what a luxurious, deep -pile musical garment lies beneath. Forthat, try All by Myself, in which shegradually wraps you up in a warm, sen-suous haze.

Lyric reading? Well, I would thinkthat only one hearing of a few bars ofher performance of The Man I Lovewould convince anyone that the ladyunderstands, in every sense, exactlywhat the words say, that she also un-derstands that her pauses and half -toneslides are just as important as anythingelse she articulates.

The art of recording? Over the yearsMcRae has recorded more albums onmore labels than practically anyoneelse in the business, and every one ofthem has been a model of how a per-former can communicate to an unseen

listener on a one-to-one, over -the -turn-table basis, despite the several tons ofrecording equipment the message usu-ally has to go through.

That, basically, is what McRae's sin-gular gift and considerable art add upto: she gets through to you. You forgetshe's at a mike, that you are listening toa record, that what's coming out of thespeakers is the end result of a long lineof electrical and mechanical processes.I think she's one of our finest, and insome ways one of our most neglected,pop artists. Give this album a try andsee if you don't agree. Peter Reilly

CARMEN McRAE: Can't Hide Love. Car-men McRae (vocals); orchestra. Can't HideLove; The Man I Love; Only Women Bleed;I Wish You Well; All by Myself; Music; LostUp in Loving You; You're Everything;Would You Believe; A Child Is Born. BLUENOTE LA635-G $6.98, ® EA635-H $7.98.

Barry Manilow:A Man on BetterTerms with LifeThan Most

THE well -tanned face of the green-eyed, golden -haired Barry Mani -

low greets you from the cover of his

liE BAND: quite a stylish outfit

latest album with a wary smile, and hissweet but sturdy voice goes right onsmiling most of the time through an un-usually winning program of ballads.Manilow composes almost all his songshimself, writes some of his lyrics andhelps write others, plays the piano, andsings everything with the freshness of aspring breeze following a country rain.

Not all the subject matter of thesongs is cheerful, to be sure. Space isreserved for the requisite number ofrueful items about broken hearts andthe washed-up romances of youth, andhe can shout for his freedom as fash-ionably as the next balladeer ("Let mego VI don't wanna be lovers/I just wan-na be free"), but in general his tone isthat of a man on better terms with lifethan most. Things start out in a gratify-ing way with the deservedly popularvalentine This One's for You. In Day-break we find him "singin' to theworld" in a mood of contagious opti-mism. Riders to the Stars provides thehoney -smooth voice with an opportuni-ty to soar ecstatically against a lyricalbacking made up mainly of strings andhorns. There is little, in fact, that isfiller here, though Randy Edelman'stouching lyrics for Weekend in NewEngland would seem to merit a moredistinctive tune.

Most agreeable of the many agree-able stretches on this outstanding rec-ord is a sizzling tribute (with "congasand grunts" supplied by Carlos Martin)to the boogie-woogie beat of the For-ties in Jump Shout Boogie, an affec-tionate parody that plinks and plunks ata dizzy pace without ever faltering or

DECEMBER 1976 99

losing its grip on the idiom. It is a pro-grammed frenzy that sets off the quiet-er love songs nicely. Things come to anaffecting close with See the ShowAgain, all about a face in the crowdwith a look in her eyes that devastates apop singer, quite stopping him in histracks up there on his platform.

Manilow's is a voice that makes itwithout ever having to resort to mean-ness or machismo to quell an audienceinto submission. At the same time, hemanages somehow to sidestep the ex-cesses of sentimentality implicit in hismaterial. The corn is there, but he nev-er tramples it into mush. Texts of allthe lyrics are supplied-you may feellike singing too. Paul Kresh

BARRY MANILOW: This One's for You.Barry Manilow (vocals); vocal and instru-mental accompaniment. This One's for You;Daybreak; You Oughta Be Home with Me;Jump Shout Boogie; Weekend in New Eng-land; Riders to the Stars; Let Me Go; LooksLike We've Made It; Say the Words; All theTime; See the Show Again. ARISTA AL 4090$6.98, ® 8301-4090 H $7.98, © 5301-4090 H$7.98.

On Wings of Song:Spontaneously Lyrical,Abundantly CharmingMendelssohn

THE voluminous song output of FelixMendelssohn (eighty -odd solo

works and a dozen duets, according toGrove's) has never been adequatelysurveyed on disc. A new DeutscheGrammophon release does a great dealto rectify that slight, however, for onits two sides we get not only the best-known works (Auf Fliigeln des Ge-sanges, Gruss, Venezianisches Gondel-lied) but a generous number of lesser -known ones as well, settings of lyricsby Goethe, Heine, Lenau, Uhland,Eichendorff, and other first -rank Ger-man poets.

There are no less than twenty-twosongs in this collection, most of themunder three minutes in duration, andthat alone tells us a great deal aboutMendelssohn the songwriter. Heplumbed no philosophic depths, alwayspreferring clear and uncomplicatedtexts; his music was direct, spontane-ously lyrical, fastidiously executed,and abundant in charm.

Tenor Peter Schreier is a masterfulinterpreter of these songs. His sweet,

lyric voice is employed tastefully overa considerable dynamic range withoutever being forced. The familiar Grussand Venezianisches Gondellied are sim-ply floated with a haunting effect, thegossamer Neue Liebe ripples away likean elfin scherzo. This last song, by theway, deserves to be heard more often,as does the tense Reiselied, a setting ofa characteristically gloomy Heine lyric.And Auf RageIn . . . , of course, isthe familiar On Wings of Song.

The song sequence has been assem-bled thoughtfully in a pattern that fol-lows the seasons of the year. Schreier's

BARRY MANILOW:sidestepping theexcesses ofsentimentality

enunciation is a model of clarity andthe accompaniments are just perfect.So, as a matter of fact, is the entiredisc. George Jellinek

MENDELSSOHN: Songs. Fruhlingslied (Op.47); Gruss; Friihlingslied (Op. 34); Friihling-shed (Op.19); Wanderlied; Frage; NeueLiebe; Der Mond; Andres Maienlied; Min-nelied; Jagdlied; Bie der Wiege; Auf Flugelndes Gesanges; Altdeutsches Fruhlingslied;Schilflied; Venezianisches Gondellied; Reise-lied; Erster Verlust: Im Herbst; Hirtenlied;Winterlied; Pagenlied. Peter Schreier (ten-or); Walter Olbertz (piano). DEUTSCHEGRA A4 MOPHON 2530 596 $7.98.

25a

PETER SCHREIER:haunting vocaleffects inMendelssohn

100 STEREO REVIEW

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POPULAR DISCS A\D TAPESReviewed by CHRIS ALBERTSON NOEL COPPAGE PAUL KRESH PETER REILLY JOEL VANCE

AMERICAN FLYER. American Flyer (vocalsand instrumentals); other musicians. Light ofYour Love; Such a Beautiful Feeling; Back in'57; Lady Blue Eyes; Let Me Down Easy; M;and six others. UNITED ARTISTS A -650-G$6.98, 0 EA650-H $7.98, (c) CA650-H $7.98.

Performance. PromisingRecording Excellent

George Martin produced this, and I guesswhat I'm wondering is how dependent Ameri-can Flyer-Craig Fuller, Eric Kaz, SteveKatz, and Doug Yule-is on George Martin.There seems to be good potential here, butI'm not sure how much depth there is. LoveHas No Pride, the best song here or anywherethat's connected to a member of the group-Kaz wrote it with Libby Titus-is not as goodas it should be; its lyrics are a little careless.Some of the other songs confuse person ortense, and some moon -June you to the nut -house with Dick -and -Jane language, but I'mstarting to like Kaz's Drive Away, and I don'tmind Yule's Queen of All My Days. And I likemany of the vocals and harmonies and the in-strumental textures. Martin's touch is there(probably here, there, and everywhere), andthis may be another of those cases in whichhe's helped a whole become more than thesum of its parts. I'd take him to Lloyds ofLondon to be appraised and insured if I wereAmerican Flyer. N.C.

DUCK BAKER: There's Something for Every-one in America. Duck Baker (guitar). TheJackson Stomp; The Mission Street Blues; Al -

Explanation of symbols:® = reel-to-reel stereo tape

= eight -track stereo cartridge© = stereo cassette = quadraphonic discE = reel-to-reel quadraphonic tape

= eight -track quadraphonic tape

Monophonic recordings are indicatedby the symbol

The first listing is the one reviewed;other formats, if available, folio 14' it.

legheny County; Matty Powell; Zebra Blues;Wolverines; and nine others. KICKING MULEKM 124 $5.00 (from Kicking Mule Records,Box 3222, Berkeley, Calif. 94703).

Performance. ExcellentRecording. Fair to good

Trying to think of a name for a piece he'dwritten, Duck Baker came up with the namesof two baseball players, Matty Alou and BoogPowell. "Combining the names one way," hesays, "you get 'Boog Alou,' which is, ofcourse, the kind of dance you do to thispiece," which he named Matty Powell.You've got to like a guy like that, right? Heuses a nylon string guitar and finger -picksrags, jazz, and other things, bringing in allsorts of influences, including flamenco. He issaid in the liner notes to have quite a startlingfinger -picking style and he does-althoughsomeone who's been concentrating on tryingto learn flat -picking for what seems like anage, as I have, is not the best person to ask.As records go, this one seems most useful toother guitar players (the finger -picking kind),but it might be nice for regular people to haveon in the other room, not too loud, whilethey're enjoying a candlelit dinner. Those in-terested in learning technique can augment itwith a tabulature book available from KickingMule Records-which I'd advise, pickers, un-less you like being mystified; I can't imaginehow he does some of this stuff. There seemsto be a buzz in one or more strings in a coupleof the tunes, bothersome to me only in ThePineapple Rag-but, again, what do flat -pick-ers know about nylon strings? N.C.

THE BAND: The Best of the Band (see Best ofthe Month, page 98)

BAY CITY ROLLERS: Dedication. Bay CityRollers (vocals and instrumentals). Let's Pre-tend; You're a Woman; Rock n' Roller; I OnlyWant to Be with You; Yesterday's Hero; MyLisa; and four others. ARISTA AL 4093 $6.98,® 8301-4093H $7.9/3, CO 5301-4093H $7.98.

Performance BearableRecording: Good

Well, they aren't as bad as I expected. This ismy first real attempt to listen to a Bay City

Rollers album-I also avoid books on thebest-seller list and all products advertised onTV-and it's got me wondering what the hypewas all about. I mean, after Bowie and Coop-er and Kiss and Phoebe Snow, I thought youreally had to be grotesque to be hyped theway these boys have been. They aren't gro-tesque; actually, they're pretty bland. Oh,they try to sing without clearing their throatsand they play with the kind of finesseidentified with Grand Funk (that drummer isgoing to hurt himself one of these days), buttheir songs do have tunes and don't havewords about being transvestites from AlphaCentauri. What they're trying to be, it seemsto me, is cuddly. Maybe we've come to such apass that that seems outrageous to the huck-sters who pick out what to hype. I hope so-itwould mean we'll soon be getting rid of How-ard Cosell and Telly Savalas. Anyway, this al-bum is mildly pleasant in spots, mildly boringin others, and inconsequential throughout; afair to middling children's album, a pale, nice-ly scrubbed imitation of Tommy James andthe Shondells. N.C.

BYRON BERLINE AND SUNDANCE. ByronBerline (fiddle, mandolin, vocals); Jack Skin-ner (vocals, bass); Dan Crary (guitar); JohnHickman (banjo); Allen Wald (guitar, steelguitar, vocals); Skip Conover (dobro); DallasTaylor (drums). It Hurts So Much; Sweet Wa-nomi; Laid Back Day; Till I Gain ControlAgain; Best Friends; and four others. MCAMCA -2217 $6.98, 0 MCAT -2217 $7.98.

Performance. RoteRecording. Good

Sundance here makes another of those at-tempts to combine bluegrass and rock. Theband might be able to work such a fusion if itdidn't have to put up with the superficiality ofthese songs, many of them by lead singer JackSkinner, and if it could figure out what to doabout the drums, which here seem an intru-sion. Skinner has one of those back -countrynasal voices, and those, as John Herald dem-onstrated years ago, need to deal with humornow and then. There's no opportunity for thathere, and it starts to remind you of whining.The brightest spot seems to be the instrumen-tal, Storm over Oklahoma, with Byron Ber-

102 STEREO REVIEW

line on mandolin as well as fiddle. In mostcuts, the playing seems detached if not me-chanical, but then there's not much for it toattach itself to. I don't know why pickerssometimes think their lack of enthusiasm fortheir material won't be audible. It always is.

N.C.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBRIGATI. Eddie and David Brigati (vocals);instrumental accompaniment. Groovin'; YouSend Me; 100% Absent; Made in Spain (Barn-bu); Long Shot Blue; Mr. Fantasy; and fiveothers. ELEKTRA 7E-1074 $6.98.

Performance: ExcellentRecording Very Good

Eddie Brigati was one of the leading lights ofthe Rascals, a New York group which, withthe Lovin' Spoonful, pretty well representedEast Coast achievement in the great, creativedays of distinctly regional American rock ofthe Sixties. Eddie's brother David was de-scribed by a knowledgeable producer as "oneof the best background singers in the busi-ness," and a good background singer can beas valuable as the lead singer. David was alsoknown to dress up in a rooster outfit andperch atop speakers and amplifiers in record-ing studios where he was capable of deliver-ing an accurate and magni-decibel roosterscream.

The brothers are quite a combination onthis album, which has lift and lilt and a sassthat is proudly provincial. The Brigatis' per-formances, along with their material and ar-rangements, are happy throwbacks to the bestdays of the regional "New York Sound," abusinesslike, cosmopolitan style that packedas much punch into a tune as possible. The"New York Sound" was based on the pres-sures and compressions of Manhattan life,and it had a dash and swagger that wasunique. Above all, it was a decisive style, incontrast to the "California Sound," whichwas malleable, deliberately inconclusive, andsometimes vacuous.

With the exception of Groovin', a Rascalsclassic taken at a friskier tempo than on theoriginal version, and Sam Cooke's You SendMe, all the material here was co -composed bythe Brigatis, and it is solid. The brothers takecare of business most impressively. J. V.

BURNING SPEAR: Man in the Hills. BurningSpear (vocals and instrumentals). Man in theHills; It Is Good; No More War; Black Soul;and six others. ISLAND ILPS 9412 $6.98.

Performance: FlabbyRecording: Okay

Burning Spear is a Jamaican group of reggaemusicians who say they are inspired by thephilosophy and teachings of Marcus Garvey,a quixotic and baffling figure of the Thirties,an uneasy mix of messiah and mountebank. Iam a little leery of groups-no matter whatkind of music they play-who found theirstyles and ideas on extramusical sources. Theresulting music is nearly always dreadful, ir-ritating, and/or boring.

Such is the case with Burning Spear who,like the reggae groups preaching the Ras-tafarian line, dispatch their fraught messagesat a monotonous tempo. Burning Spear's per-formances tend to be slovenly and self-indul-gent, and the nasal, slightly off-key vocals arewrapped in an accent that renders most of the


"...singers hazy to be unguarded..."

`Helen Reddy.S"Music Music"AREVIEW, is, among other things, a short

trot through the critic's prejudices, andI've been combing mine where Helen Reddyis concerned. Something about her continues,throughout this album, to put me off, and it'sboth her doing and mine, but I don't knowhow much of each. The upshot of it-after Igo through the surface stuff, such as how Ilike some nasal voices,.I really do, and how Iwouldn't associate her with such disagreeablecharacters as some of the richest men in thecountry who pay less taxes than I do simplybecause she has a suggestion of finishing -school honk accent-the upshot of it is that Ican't hear the real Helen Reddy but keephearing what I take to be her defenses. Hermusic-the combination of the songs shedoes, the backing she has, and her delivery-seems to me overdressed, a long way fromroots of any kind.

The songs here, for example, couch wordsabout sentiment in stylized ways, and styliza-tion, indirectness, is a way of avoiding beingpersonal. Nice to Be Around, by Paul andJohn Williams, has a melody that is almostwarm, but then you listen to the expertlywarmed-over words and you suspect the mel-ody must have been a trick, too, only wrought

with a little more subtlety than the words:these are "love -song" lyrics like those out ofthe Forties, attempted rewrites of Byron thatcried "I love you" the way the boy cried"Wolf" until it became an abstraction. Andthere's all this stuff around Reddy in the ar-rangements. You'd call it "slickness" in somecontexts, "urbanity" in others, but here itsounds more like fortification. Her singingtechnically has few problems-she has anacute sense of pitch (and, as a matter of fact,a cute nose) but I just don't hear her lettinganother person all the way in.

What it boils down to, I suppose, is that Ihave a strong prejudice in favor of singers be-ing figuratively naked persons. I suspect thatwe're all scared of being that unguarded, but Ihold that singers are among those people whohave to be. I can't get the feeling of that fromlistening to this album. But then I could bewrong, too, couldn't I? -Noel Coppage

HELEN REDDY: Music, Music. Helen Reddy(vocals); orchestra, Harry Bluestone cond.Music, Music; Gladiola; Mama; Hold Me inYour Dreams Tonight; Get Off Me Bab); andfive others. CAPITOI ST -11547 $6.98, 08XT-I1547 $7.98, 4XT-11547 $7.98.

DECEMBER 1976 103

words unintelligible. I am sure Mr. Garveywas a more interesting fellow than his effecton Burning Spear makes him out to be. WhenI get to Heaven I intend to look him up. J. V.

JUDY COLLINS: Bread & Roses. Judy Col-lins (vocals); orchestra. Special Delivery;Love Hurts; Take This Longing; Out of Con-trol; Come Down in Time; and seven others.ELEKTRA 7E-1076 $6.98, 0 ET8-1076 $7.98,© TC5-1076 $7.98.

Performance. ProfessionalRecording: Excellent

Judy Collins has always struck me as a road -company Baez, professional, dependable,and dauntingly uncreased and unwrinkled byany life experience. That she's reached thechronological and artistic age that she haswithout being visibly folded, spindled, or mu-tilated, all the while singing of these verythings, creates the credibility gap I find in allof her work. But she can be awfully good inan essentially cold, correct way, and she ishere in Love Hurts and Elton John's ComeDown in Time. The album's production, byArif Mardin, emphasizes how well Collins haslearned and recites her lessons. That the les-sons don't seem to come from her own lifebut from the cooly observed antics of themadding crowd doesn't seem to bother otherpeople much, but it always stops me. P.R.

JESSI COLTER: Diamond in the Rough. JessiColter (vocals, piano); Waylon Jennings (gui-tar); John Leslie Hug (guitar); Ritchie Al-bright (drums); other musicians. Diamond inthe Rough; Would You Leave Now; Hey Jude;Ain't No Way; and five others. CAPITOLST -11543 $6.98, @ 8XT-11543 $7.98, ©4XT-11543 $7.98.

Performance VariableRecording: Very good

Jessi Colter's background, back in Arizona,was in rock, but she sounds too grown-up anddisillusioned to sing certain rock songs now,so side one here is rather a mess. Get Backand Hey Jude don't work at all-most Beatlessongs don't work for other people; there's toogood a version to compare the covers to-andthe title song by Donnie Fritts and SpoonerOldham runs for seven minutes in place, be-ing utterly stale and derivative. The secondside, though, is pretty good, full of the kindsof songs, Colter's and other people's, that shedoes well. These tend to be sad and slow, buther crying way with pitch also works wellwith the shimmering outburst kind of thingyou'll find in Ain't No Way. The arrange-ments feature some startling electric guitarsolos on that side, some of them no doubt byher husband, Waylon Jennings. Colter is justabout uncategorizable as a vocalist, but herway with a song is quite personal and in thegood half of this you can tell the songs meansomething specific to her. That's the kind sheought to keep. N.C.

MICHAEL DINNER: Tom Thumb the Dream-er. Michael Dinner (vocals and guitar); or-chestra. Jul ye; The Promised Land; The Swal-low; Apple Annie; Pale Fire; and four others.FANTASY F-9512 $6.98, ® 8160-9512 H $7.98,© 5160-9512 H $7.98.

Performance Bombastic tapiocaRecording: Good

The high-flown bosh here is reminiscent of,say, Elliot Murphy at his tumid peak. The title

song, for instance, contains such gems as"You are a lover of the opera/I'm just a sing-er in a band/And everyone can see/That youwere running away from me/But in your soul Iswear there's rock-and-roll." This dynamiteperception is hotly followed by "So you're apatron of the arts/Well I draw graffiti in themen's room/And everyone can see/That youwere running away from me/But in my soulthere's a little bit of Rimbaud . . ." (Ver-laine's sake, I do wish they'd leave poor oldRimbaud out of their dimwitted musings).

E

NwidikJUDY COLLINS

Not visibly folded, spindled, or mutilated

This ought to give you a fair idea of the levelof glutinous nonsense trying to pass as"meaningful" communication here, all, bythe way, set to a strange sort of glossy c -&-wbackground music. If you like tapioca swim-ming in creme de menthe you're gonna lovethis album. Yecccch! P.R.

DOLENZ, JONES, BOYCE & HART. (Mick-ey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Tommy Boyce, Bob-by Hart (vocals); instrumental accompani-ment. Right Now; I Love You (and I'm GladThat I Said It); You and I; It Always Hurtsthe Most in the Morning; I Remember the Feel-ing; Sweet Heart Attack; and six others. CAPI-TOL ST -I 1513 $6.98, @ 8XT-11513 $7.98.

Performance: SlickRecording: Slick

Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones were mem-bers of the Monkees, a cosmetic group of thelate Sixties who were designed and pro-grammed to sound and act like the Beatles.Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were, andare, highly competent commercial songwrit

ers with the skill to cloak the obvious withSincere Emotion and pass it off as beingMeaningful. Among the many groups theywrote for at the peak of their careers were theMonkees, and they simultaneously pursuedthe limelight as performers.

When the Monkees broke up in the earlySeventies, Dolenz and Jones were set at liber-ty and Boyce and Hart's dual careers wentawry. Recently the four of them looked aboutand saw they weren't doing much, so they ap-plied the "leaning reed" theory and combinedwhat forces they had into the present quartet.The result is a rather schizophrenic groupdominated by a busy and aggressive Boyceand Hart-who are the stronger performersand who also wrote most of the material and,I suspect, controlled the production. Dolenz'sand Jones' contributions are relatively feeble.How much market nostalgia value can therebe for the Monkees? Musically the album iswell crafted and cannily presented slick Cali-fornia pop. Beyond that . . . well, thereisn't anything beyond that. J.V.

BOB DYLAN: Hard Rain (see The Pop Beat,page 52)

ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY:Nights Are Forever. England Dan and JohnFord Coley (vocals and instrumentals); or-chestra. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight;Long Way Home; Lady; Showboat Gambler;Westward Wind; and six others. BIG TREE BT89517 $6.98, OO TP 89517 $7.98, © CS 89517$7.98.

Performance: Pleasantly reminiscentRecording: Good

These are quiet, precise performances byEngland Dan and John Ford Coley of songsthat seem tailor-made for their restrainedstyle. Dan Seals and Coley wrote most ofthem, and they drift along amiably enough.The biggie is, of course, I'd Really Love toSee You Tonight by Parker McGee, and thattoo stays in a nice tranquil groove. The wholealbum is pleasantly reminiscent of the kind ofstuff the Chad Mitchell Trio and the SmothersBrothers used to do way back yonder in theSixties. P.R.

FAIRPORT: Cottle o' Geer. Dave Swarbrick(vocals, fiddle, viola, mandolin, madocello,guitar, autoharp, dulcimer); Dave Pegg (vo-cals, mandolin, bass); Bruce Rowland (vo-cals, drums, keyboards); Bob Brady (vocals);Roger Burridge (vocals); other musicians.When First into This Country; Our Band; LayMe Down Easy; Cropedy Capers; The Frog upthe Pump; and four others. ISLAND ILPS 9389$6.49 (available from Jem Records, ImportRecord Service, Box 343, 3001 Hadley Road,South Plainfield, N.J. 07080).

Performance: DisjointedRecording: Very good

"Where's all the members of our band?"Dave Swarbrick writes in a tune here Ithought might, but really doesn't, come togrips with the old Fairport personnel shuffle.Here the sound of Fairport seems to be goingoff in as many directions as the members ofFairport Convention. Gone again is the hus-band -wife, one-two punch of the old group,Sandy Denny and Trevor Lucas, and alsogone is what some considered the three-fourpunch, guitarist Jerry Donahue and drummerDave Mattacks. The other two Daves, Swar-

(Continuea on page 106)

104 STEREO REVIEW

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brick and Pegg, continue to hang tough, butthis album has so much outside help (includ-ing, on guitar in one piece, Simon Nicol, oneof the early deserters from Fairport) that it ispractically a studio album and leaves me withno idea of what the group now sounds like.Nor do I have a very clear idea of what thestudio group sounds like, as things changefrom piece to piece and no style seems to runthrough it. The instrumentals include every-thing from saxophones to dulcimers; Galla-gher and Lyle are both in there somewhere,along with a host of other people. With all thathelp, no very authoritative lead singer ap-pears, and the more I hear of Swarbrick'shonking, the more I wish one would. Stilt,Swarbrick and Pegg have been going throughthis sort of thing for years (although they nev-er felt the need to lop off half the group'sname before), and they may put somethingimportant together again. Meanwhile, thereare a nice mandolin -led instrumental here anda couple of decent songs, including one Den-ny left behind, but the rendering is rather amishmash and a hodgepodge. N.C.

FANIA ALL STARS: Delicate and Jumpy.Johnny Pacheco (flute, percussion); BobbyValentin (bass); Ray Barretto (congas); Ro-berto Roena (bongos); Papo Lucca (piano);Nicky Marrero (timbales); vocal and instru-mental accompaniment. Desafio; I'll See YouAgain; El Himno de Amor; Picadillo; FaniaAll Stars' Cha Cha Cha; and four others. Co-LUMBIA PC 34283 $6.98, PCA 34283 $7.98.

PCT 34283 $7.98.

Performance: InsultingRecording: Fair

Disgraceful! Four of the finest musicians inLatin salsa-Johnny Pacheco, Bobby Valen-tin, Ray Barretto, and Roberta Roena-hereserve as nothing more than a rhythm sectionfor a disco album smothered in overwrittenstring arrangements concocted by producerGene Page. I have great respect and affectionfor the whole of Latin music, of which salsa(literally, "sauce") is the most recent style,and I don't like to hear it debased and guttedby clammy commercialization. There isn'tmore than five minutes, all told, of anythingresembling salsa on this album. Much of itsounds as though it were being played by stu-dio hacks in Los Angeles, where it was re-corded, and even when Pacheco et al. are au-dible, their efforts are subverted by the venalexpediency of the reason for this musicallyworthless recording.

That reason is, according to the publicitypuff accompanying the album, the desire ofthe executives of Fania Records (a leadingsalsa label that has entered into a production/distribution agreement with Columbia Rec-ords) to "break . . . Salsa out of an out -dat-ed 'ethnic' barrier." Translation: "We havesold all the records we can sell in the Latinmarket, and if we want to do business in thebroad, national pop market, we have to makeLatin music sound like everything else, sowe'll capitalize the 'S' in salsa and try to passit off as a phenomenon."

I submit that it is impossible to make Latinmusic "palatable" to an American mass mar-ket unless you destroy everything that makesit Latin. Black music-blues, gospel, jazz,even disco-is and has been shaped by theAmerican experiences of American blacks fortwo hundred years. Latin music comes froman entirely different culture, part of which in-cludes a language-Spanish-that in its

rhythms, expressions, accents, and intent ismore subtle than English and infinitely morepoetic and emotional. Latin music is, by itsvery being, "ethnic," as is a French chanson,an Israeli horah, an Indian raga, a Cole Portertune, or a black field holler. All are individualand sublime.

There is no need for any "ethnic" music tomeet any other type of music even halfwayunless the musicians find pleasure and interestin doing so, and to feed salsa into the homog-enization machine that spews out the monoto-nous, lobotomized pop music of these times iscriminal. J.V.

FLO AND EDDIE: Moving Targets. HowardKaylan and Mark Volman (vocals); instru-mental accompaniment. Mama, Open Up;The Love You Gave Away; Elenore; MovingTargets; Sway When You Walk; and five oth-ers. COLUMBIA PC 34262 $6.98, PCA34262 $7.98.

Performance: New, improvedRecording: Good

A line from the title song here asks: "Are youpleased that we've straightened up our act?"Well, yes, I am. Having dispensed with thesnide vulgarity and aging -brat arrogance oftheir previous Flo and Eddie albums, HowardKaylan and Mark Volman (formerly of theTurtles) hayed turned in a listenable set ofperformances. Mama, Open Up, for instance,about a rocker who never made it to the top,contains references to life on the roadwhich-I know from personal experience-are accurate. Keep It Warm includes a deli-cious series of catty references to pop idols,and there is a re-creation of Elenore-the Tur-tles' best record, and close to anybody's bestrecord from 1968. Sway When You Walk hasappeal, as do The Love You Gave Away andBest Friends.

Flo and Eddie continue to take themselvesmore seriously than they ought-their successis not, after all, a matter of mortal concern toanyone but themselves-but on the evidenceof this album they are getting less franticabout their psyches and getting more down tobusiness. Good. J.V.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITCRYSTAL GAYLE: Crystal. Crystal Gayle(vocals); orchestra. I'd Do It All Over Again;Come Home Daddy; Let's Do It Right; Oh MySoul; One More Time; and five others. UNIT-ED ARTISTS UA-LA614-G $6.98, 08 UA-EA6I4-H $7.98, © UA-CA614-H $7.98.

Performance: Very goodRecording: Gorgeous

Crystal Gayle is a young c -&-w singer (andsister of superstar Loretta Lynn) who soundsas if she's really involved with her materialand who has a unique (at least amidst the cur-rent clatter of Nashville) ability to recognizeand pass along much of the folk -root honestyof the kind of music she sings. She's aidedenormously here by the gorgeous string andhorn arrangements of Charles Cochran andthe atmospheric production by Allen Rey-nolds. The songs, unfortunately, aren't up tomuch, but when Gayle lets loose her deep -toned but always cooly astringent (no phony"pure" falsetto here) voice on such things asOh My Soul and One More Time I get one ofthose nice, comforting clicks that assures meI'm in the company of someone with a truegift for what she is doing. Before all this delir-

106 STEREO REVIEW

CRYSTAL. GAYLE:passing on the

folk -root honestyof her music

ium goes too far I'd like to add that this is noAmerican Chants d'Auvergne, but it is an in-teresting album by a singer who is definitelyon her way and who is distinctly head andshoulders above the average Nashville"find." There's a lot of talent in that family.

P.R.

GLORIA GAYNOR: I've Got You. GloriaGaynor (vocals); orchestra. Let's Make aDeal; Be Mine; Do It Right; Let's Make Love;and four others. POLY DOR PD1-6063 $6.98, (..)8T1-6063 $7.98, CT1-6063 $7.98.

Performance LivelyRecording: Uproarious

There's enough hubbub here to turn ForestLawn into a discotheque, but Gloria Gaynorcomes through loud and clear no matter howpervasive the surrounding uproar; she makesMermanishly sure of that. Gaynor's a belter,rock -blues -gospel style, with a built-in throb-bing beat to her voice that is as hard to resistas it is to ignore. She burrows into her materi-al with a ferocious, terrier -like determinationand seems content only when she can lay thesong, gasping, at your feet. About the onlynumber that survives this treatment is her re-ally exciting pursuit and near capture-it's aneventual standoff-of Cole Porter's classicI've Got You Under My Skin. If any of therest of the songs here were anywhere nearthat caliber, this would be one of the best al-bums of the year. As it is, it's still a lot of funand a terrific choice for any holiday partyingthat includes dancing. Now come on, Gloria,leggo. Leggo! P.R.

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD: Good Singin'Good Playin'. Grand Funk Railroad (vocalsand instrumentals). Just Couldn't Wait; CanYou Do It; Pass It Around; Miss My Baby;Out to Get You; Goin' for the Pastor; andfive others. MCA MCA -2216 $6.98, ®MCAT -2216 $7.98, © MCAC-2216 $7.98.

Performance: GoodRecording: Good

Remember when Grand Funk Railroad wascontroversial? In the early years of this dec-

ade they were damned by atavistic rock writ-ers for being a cyst on the flesh of the youthculture, but teenagers adored-even wor-shiped-them. In those most spectacular daysof their career, I thought Grand Funk was ablitheringly incompetent band, but they haveimproved. Each successive album (I have re-viewed several for this magazine since 1971)has been their best to date, and the presentoffering is, once again, a demonstration ofprogress.

I am, however, compelled to say-withoutany malice-that they are now about asaccomplished as your average group of fiveyears ago in technique and execution. As re-gards material, well, their material seldomhad substance in the past and, except for rareinstances like "We're an American Band,"there has been little redeeming humor. GrandFunk Railroad was really more fun when theywere produced by Todd Rundgren. Here theproducer is Frank Zappa, whose low-keyguidance is entirely different from his usualzany, anti -matter approach.

This is a good enough album, but it is ironicthat the band should be entering a period ofrespectable accomplishment long after thehullaballoo about them has ceased, and when,perhaps, their former greatest fans and de-tractors have ceased to listen. I. V

MERLE HAGGARD: My Love Affair withTrains. Merle Haggard (vocals, fiddle); theStrangers (instrumentals). Union Station; SoLong Train Whistle; The Silver Ghost; IWon't Give Up My Train; The Hobo; Rail-road Lady; and five others. CAPITOL.ST -11544 $6.98, ® 8XT-11544 $7.98, ©4XT-11544 $7.98.

Performance: Above the materialRecord.ng: Very good

Merle Haggard has a large collection of modeltrains and an elaborate track layout thatcomes out of his house, circles the railing ofthe sun deck, and goes back into his house.He also has a thing about theme albums thathave a way of turning out what I'd call half-baked. A fine writer, he's picked out a num-


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DECEMBER 1976 107

" biting topical songs is one way of practicing politics ..."

93obcDylan's"Hard Rain"

By Noel Coppage

I BEEN Marshall McLuhaned, I been RodMcKuened I been Marlon Brandoed,

I been Tony Orlandoed . . . I been MaryTyler Moored, I been Dinah Shored . . .

been reggaed and discoed, I been San Fran-ciscoed . . . I been Gerald and Bettyed, J.Paul Gettyed and Helen Reddyed . . . Ibeen galloped and trotted, I been boozed andpotted . . . I been Bob and Rayed, I beensometimes afraid, I been needing amaid . . . and I almost got spayed. Pop cul-ture, yeah!

If I'd been Jules Feiffered, I'd be drawnright now doing the dance of the political ani-mal coming out of hibernation. I've beenholed up here in the Post -Watergate Depres-sion with nothing but myself to think aboutand pick at. Well, I haven't been the only one,and it hasn't been entirely our fault; lookingout and seeing John Mitchell bent on puttingour kind in jail was one thing, but gettingthrough that to look out and see a decent -sortPresident bump his head on airplane door-ways was something else again-it plays wellonly once, like a novelty record-and so welooked in instead of out. "Sandpaper themsensibilities, son," was how the times put it tome, "and feel yourself." Lots of people gotsimilar messages, judging by how the self-help and awareness businesses flourish. Lotsmore people have been Jesused, gurued, andested than have been Common Caused

against interests vested. Tom Wolfe calls thisthe Me Decade. One of the by-products of thisingrown viewpoint is that you can becometuned to crazy little coincidences that some-times make you wonder if there's a commonenergy out there and you've been too busythrowing rascals out to notice it before-Iimagine it isn't too different from the light-headedness that would come from fasting inthe wilderness-and, of course, this turns outto be already discovered and written up byothers. One psychologist calls it synchronici-ty. I call it Little Signs: you watch for littlesigns when you are holed up and picking atyourself, sort of like the way a farm girlwatches for a car on the road. I've had a num-ber of little signs pop up lately that seem toadd up to one solid blob of synchronicity.And every one of the little beggars is pointingout toward the world.

First, there was this eagerness that cameover me-its origin as mysterious as LeonRedbone's-for the Presidential debates toget started. Without thinking about it, I start-ed buying the Sunday newspaperagain . . . the Boston Globe, not the Times;my instincts knew you have to build yourselfup gradually for these things. A friend saidsomething about one's world-view being, as apractical matter, a part of one's personality,and my whole body is still humming from theway that resonated. I happened to pick up a

III`STEREO REVIEW

book of George Orwell's essays and turn to apage where he says he never wrote anythingany good that wasn't political. And as I wasreading the Esquire piece about the late PhilOchs, just after I'd passed the part where itsays in 1965 Bob Dylan said to Ochs, "Poli-tics is bullshit," the mailman knocked on mydoor to deliver Dylan's new live album,"Hard Rain."

Where else could I go but toward a politicalresponse to it?

That may be a good thing, too, since aes-thetically-to the degree I can assess it aes-thetically-it seems almost a dud. The band iscapable but ragged, not good ragged in theloose, freewheeling way Dylan's backing of-ten is, but clashing -ego ragged or too -scared -or -preoccupied -to -listen ragged or one ofthose. At times it seems to me the players aregoing through the same isolationist, inward -looking phase as the rest of us. The thingseems to lack any real bottom for longstretches, probably because the bass player,Rob Stoner, is screwing around playing lead -guitar licks-although the sound is hard andtrebly, too; it sounds better one or two roomsremoved from the stereo. The electric guitarsdo a lot of programmed riffing, and they some-times go for the same hole at the same timewith fills whose colors are so similar theyclash. Scarlet Rivera's fiddling seems to havebeen all worked out beforehand and the mo-ment seldom seems to get to her. But thereare a couple of exceptions, cuts where theplaying is alive, existential; the most notableone is the way the band jells into an ensemblein You're a Big Girl Now, where Stoner issimply a superb bass player.

THE singing, though, and the way Dylanhas reworked some old songs, just won't bejudged aesthetically, at least not here at themouth of my cave. I keep thinking back towhat Orwell said and trying to generalize onit. Excellence in aesthetic terms is a by-product, is one thing he was saying; the goal iseffect. So it has always been with Dylan; Ican't forget what a shock his gnarled, gnom-ish little voice was back in the early Sixties,going against my conditioning that folkieswere supposed to sound sweet. The effect heachieved in "Nashville Skyline" was anothershock. Political? You bet your bumper stick-ers. He's always been political, unless yourdefinition of politics is awfully narrow. Thewhole Rolling Thunder Revue tour, culminat-ing in this album and the television special ofthe same name, struck me as an effort to stirthings up again, stir people together again,bring them out as well as bring Dylan out. I'dsensed about the tour and some of the stuff at-tending it, such as the "Planet Waves" rushjob and Dylan's grasping, almost desperateconstruction of topical songs in the GeorgeJackson and Hurricane Carter matters, thatthe man had no clear idea of how to get him-self back out there, of what his forum was.

"Is there life after youth?" Gail Sheehyasks in her book Passages in looking at howour smugness tends to go up in smoke in ourdelicious and terrible thirties. "What's thematter with me? . . . I don't have much tosay," Dylan had said, sensing long before Idid this dissipation and the concurrent cur-rent -events -related appearance of isolation

booths everywhere. In "Hard Rain" hedrives his voice, beams it, as if emulating thetitle, straight at you. It's difficult to picture itmaterializing through microphones and wiresand diodes and speakers. It's trained on allthose shells we have around us and seems tobe trying to crack them. Two old songs, OneToo Many Mornings and Lay Lady Lay,stand virtually rewritten if not turned insideout, aiming for the different effects thesetimes call for. It's mainly the way Dylan singsthat rewrites them-he's relentless, turnsmelody into inflection more than ever, keepsup a constant pressure-but he's also droppedsome new words in there and, as in the goodold days, you can roll your own meanings.

"Forget this dance," Dylan sings to theLady-and he isn't cool and sweet-talkingand forever young this time but a man (in histhirties) who has a sense of his own mortal-ity-"Let's go upstairs." Cultural politics be-ing what it is these days and my own littlesigns pointing the way they do, I roll my ownpossibly farfetched meaning here and I likethe way it smokes. Forget this dance, he saysinto the jingle -music disco era that seems totry, among other things, to glorify the sepa-rateness and narcissism of the Me Decade-forget this dance that further isolates youfrom other people and the world; let's go up-stairs and touch each other and see if we canhelp me stop concentrating on me.

It may not mean that to you, or to Dylan,but the point is, who needs topical songs, allready-made and packaged, when you can getstuff like this that, as McLuhan would say, in-volves you in the creative process? IdiotWind (grinning maniacally, I see a connectionthere with the Presidential debates) is evenricher in this way-and I must say it's prob-ably the first live -recorded song running tenminutes that didn't seem too long for me.Writing topical songs is one way of practicingpolitics, but they seldom give a writer likeDylan a place to put his depth. And things aremore complicated now that we've learnedhow naive we used to be, now that we'velearned how to make our fall -out shelters in-visible and portable.

IT a mess out there, and none of us politicalpersons, Dylan included, knows what to doabout it. But there may be a feeling about tosurface that it can do something (again) forus. Anyway, I'm almost ready for "The Weekin Review" again. Listening to "Hard Rain,"and knowing I want it to sound better but notknowing whether that's what I need, I feelmostly another nudge toward the outsideworld. I'm already practicing dodging skate-boards. This time I'm going to remember notto follow any leaders and to watch my parkingmeters. And other places where little signsmight pop up.

BOB DYLAN: Hard Rain. Bob Dylan (vocals,guitar); Steven Soles (guitar); Rob Stoner(bass); Howard Wyeth (piano, drums); GaryBurke (drums); Scarlet Rivera (strings); othermusicians. Maggie's Farm; One Too ManyMornings: Stuck Inside of Mobile; Oh, Sister;Lay Lady Lay; Shelter from the Storm;You're a Big Girl Now; I Threw It All Away;Idiot Wind. COLUMBIA PC 34349 $6.98, ®PCA 34349 $7.98, PCT 34349 $7.98.

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GEORGE JONES & TAMMY WYNETTENestlin' up while the band plays on

ber of second-rate songs here, mostly writtenby other people. He was trying to avoid the"usual" train songs, I suppose-WabashCannonball, Wreck of the FFV, etc.-but hewould have been better off taking the time towrite some new ones himself rather than set-tling for such junk as Here Comes the Free-dom Train. He wrote one, No More Trains toRide, and of course it is one of the best onesin the bunch. Dolly Parton's My Love Affairwith Trains, Red Lane's The Coming and Go-ing of the Trains, and Railroad Lady, by Jim-my Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker, are decentenough, but in an album of normal quality forHag they'd be counted as throwaways.

The real theme that emerges is that the rail-roads are vanishing and America is being di-minished by that-Haggard as a sociologisttends to shoot under people's heads some-times-and, of course, it's usually the songcelebrating a particular train that makes yourecall the smell of cinders. But the perform-ances here are good; Haggard's strong, hon-est voice and fine band do better by these dit-ties than they deserve. Freedom Train, as youmight guess, has become a hit single. N.C.

GEORGE JONES & TAMMY VVYNETTE:Golden Ring.George Jones and Tammy Wy-nette (vocals and guitar); orchestra. GoldenRing; Tattletale Eyes; Cryin' Time; Near You;Did You Ever?; and five others. EPIC KE34291 $6.98, 0 EA 34291 $7.98, © ET 34291$7.98.

Performance Ain't love grand?Recording: Good

Tammy and George are nestlin' up to eachother through thick and thin while the bandplays on. Why, Even the Bad Times AreGood, to hear them tell it. When they singsomething like Golden Ring you can almosthear their lovin' feelin's through the airwaves. You can also hear the sound of a cashregister ringing up sales on this album sinceboth Jones and Wynette are unarguably supe-rior c -&-w performers and they've got a sure-fire way with this kind of material. Take myword fer it, Sonny, there ain't gonna be ajuke -box from Macon to Modesta that ain't

gonna have at least a coupla sides from thisone. Unless, that is, the old credibility gapcatches up with them: Tammy & George havesplit up, you know. . . . P.R.

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON: Surreal Thing.Kris Kristofferson (vocals, guitar); instru-mental accompaniment. You Show Me Yours;Killing Time; The Prisoner; Eddie the Eunuch;It's Never Gonna Be the Same; and five oth-ers. MONUMENT PZ 34254 $6.98, 0 PZA34254 $7.98, © PZT 34254 $7.98.

Performance Blue-eyed bullyingRecording Excellent

Kris Kristofferson, he of the Arctic Oceaneyes, red beard, and strong but sullen voice,is big on personal freedom, and at his belliger-ent, bullying best when he is saying goodbye:"I said, don't try to make me a part of noplan/Take me or leave me alone/Freedom's afeeling that few understand/And I got a life ofmy own. . . ." In his latest album, he offersa lady of wealth with "rings on your fingersand time on your hands" the chance of a tem-porary claim on him in You Show Me Yours("and I'll show you mine"), a ballad with a ti-tle more provocative than its contents;patronizes the poor suckers who spend theirlives "slowly marching by the numbers to thefreedom of the grave" in Killing Time; warnsa girl dazzled by her own celebrity to take agood look at the gutter beyond "them goldensidewalks that you're walking on today"; andinvites people who don't share his admirationfor Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell,and, especially, Hank Williams to kiss him ona part of his anatomy that mustn't be men-tioned outright, God forbid, in a family publi-cation. Having thus asserted his rights,abused his women, and browbeaten the oppo-nents of his tastes, Kristofferson, who cer-tainly has a persuasive style both in puttingtogether a ballad and putting it over, takes outin Eddie the Eunuch after a rock-and-roll crit-ic who, he seems to think, "makes a damn'good livin' . . . putting other people down."He should live so long. P.K.

(Continued on page 112)CIRCLE NO. 58 ON READER SERVICE CARD

110 STEREO REVIEW

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LADY FLASH: Beauties in the Night. LadyFlash (vocals); orchestra. The Thunderbolt;Jumpin' at the Woodside; Upfront; StreetSingin'; and five others. RSO RSI-3002 $6.98,0 8T1-3002 $7.98. rd) CT1-3002 $7.98.

Performance GoodRecording: Very good

Barry Manilow's production and arrange-ments are the real stars here, although theheadliners are the three girls who make upLady Flash. Very flashy indeed is this wholealbum. The best thing is the Count Basie/JonHendricks Jumpin' at the Woodside, arrangedand performed at a galvanic pace that soundsas if three Bette Midlets had been let loose inone studio. The slower stuff, such as Mani -low's Buried in the Ruins of Love, with a finesolo vocal by Debra Byrd, is good enough,but it is more of a showcase for Manilow thanfor the performers. That doesn't seem to beintentional; it's just that anybody as good asManilow needs heavyweight performers ifhe's not to overshadow them. Lately he'scome into his own in a way that makes onewonder just how much he did contribute toMidler's early success. A lot, obviously. P.R.

BARRY MANILOW: This One's for You (seeBest of the Month, page 99)

COUNTRY JOE McDONALD: Love Is a Fire.Joe McDonald (vocals, guitar); John Blakely(guitar); David Hayes (bass); Ted Ashford(keyboards); Jim Gordon (drums); other musi-cians. It Won't Burn; You're the Song; InLove Naturally; Oh, No; Baby, Baby; TrueLove at Last; and four others. FANTASYF-9511 $6.98, 0 8160-9511 H $7.98, ©5160-9511 H $7.98.

Performance: InaneRecording: Good

I know some of us have chided Joe McDonaldin the past for being strident about politics,but we didn't know the alternative was this.It's enough to send me back to the barricades,

112

4 -

LADY FLASH:three Bette Midlerslet loosein one studio

if there were any barricades. These are lovesongs, no doubt wrought with sincerity and allthat, but they are simply a hopeless mess ofchiches. The only real thing about the albumis McDonald's voice; the old sense of humor,the old cynicism won't work on this domestic -bliss schism, and if there's one thing Joe is not

don't mind his singing about it, but heshould've let someone else write the words.

N.C.

CHRISTINE McVIE: The Legendary Chris-tine Perfect Album. Christine McVie (vocals,keyboards); instrumental and vocal accom-paniment. Crazy 'Bout You Baby; I'm On MyWay; Let Me Go; Wait and See; Close to Me;I'd Rather Go Blind; and six others. SIRESASD-7522 $6.98, 0 8147-7522 H $7.98, 05147-7522 H $7.98.

Performance: The (ahem) bluesRecording: Good

Christine McVie, the estranged wife of JohnMcVie of Fleetwood Mac, was formerlyChristine Perfect. In 1969 she was the fea-tured vocalist with another British bluesband, Chicken Shack. This album, recordedin that year, became a best-seller in England,but it is being issued in this country now forthe first time.

Although Ms. Perfect/McVie is a vocalistof pleasant tone and good intentions, theseperformances are tepid, which is not as muchthe lady's fault as it is that of the inherent de-ficiencies of the British blues -band form,which was mostly form (religiously modeledon American records) with little content. TheBritish blues -band movement was an out-growth of the British folk movement of thelate Fifties. It was personified by LonnieDonnegan, who took Leadbelly as his model,just as the avalanche of similar Americanblues outfits stemmed from our little folkboom of 1958-1964. On both sides of theocean, these "movements" were always a


STEREO REVIEW

The Sensuous Speaker.Yamahas new two-way beryllium doleNS -500A very responsive speaker with a rich,luscious satire. A deeply invciving sound.Highly def ned, finely detailec.

016 NS -5)C is created from the sateadvanced beryllium techndogy that'smade Yatralta's revolutionary NS -1000Series speakers, in the eyes and ears ofmany audi3 experts, the highest standardcf sound accuracy. (Specific benefits ofYamaha s Leryllium technology have beencocumented in a paper presented to :Le52nd Convention of the Audio Enginr-ing Society..With the NS -500, you get all of bery.liu-resadvantages (-.ransparency, detail, and lackcf distortiai that go beyond tie best eiec-irostatic speakers), but at a price rougilyhalf tha: of the NS -1000. On y 8500 .heFair, suggestee retail price.

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CIRCLE NO. 73 ON REA)Ei EEPVICE CAR:J

trifle too precious and supercilious; they pro-duced an anemic music that delighted cultistsbut had little sass or muscle.

The performances by Ms. Perfect/McVieand the musicians backing her can best be de-scribed as "conscientious"; otherwise therewould be little excuse for the reverent butstale way they sing and play. True, these riffsand figures are endemic to the blues, but theycannot live and breathe unless they are deliv-ered with thrilling force or companionablesloppiness. The blues is so limited a musicalform that it always teeters on the edge of be-ing unimaginative. It takes an artist of gran-deur, bravado, humor, and experience tomake the blues work. Ms. Perfect/McVie'sapproach is clinical and hesitant. She is notsinging the blues; she is dabbling in them.Still, I would rather hear her coo than hearother dabblers scream. J. V.

RAY THOMAS: Hopes Wishes and Dreams.Ray Thomas (vocals); instrumental accom-paniment. In Your Song; Friends; We NeedLove; Within Your Eyes; One Night Stand;and five others. THRESHOLD THS 17 $6.98, ®THS8 17 $7.98, © THS5 17 $7.98.

Performance TearfulRecording Excellent

Ray Thomas, whose fan club is in Surrey(England, that is), writes his own songs andsings them in a self-pitying treble whichshould keep the letters coming as long asthere is an England. Several times I wastempted to write him a comforting little notemyself, as he chanted his ballads of sleeplessnights, thwarted dreams, disappointments inlove, and fading memories. This performer'ssongs are so insipid and his way with them sodepressing-the album ends with The LastDream, in which he has a vision of his owndeath (in the middle of a performance, if I got

RICHARD THOMPSON:an interesting curiofrom an ex -Fairport

Conventioner

it right)-that I had to wait almost five min-utes after listening to him before I was able togo on with my life.

In an accompanying leaflet containing allthe idiotic words to everything, there are full -color photos of the pale young people whosurround this poor man-Nicky James, whohelps write the songs, John Jones and TrevorJones, who strum on the various acoustic andelectric guitars, Mike Moran at the electrickeyboard, Graham Deakin in earphones pre-siding over the percussion, and Terry James,an older, bearded gentleman who supplies allthe fancy arrangements. Every single one ofthem has a ghastly yellow complexion and ap-pears not to have seen the light of day forages. Send vitamins, fans. P.K.

RICHARD THOMPSON: (Guitar, Vocal).Richard Thompson (vocals, guitar); FairportConvention (vocals and instrumentals); LindaThompson (vocals); other musicians. TimeWill Show the Wiser; Throwaway Street Puz-zle; Mr. Lacey; The Ballad of Easy Rider;Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman; Sweet LittleRock 'n' Roller; and seven others. ISLANDICD 8 two discs $9.49 (available from JemRecords, Import Record Service, Box 343,3001 Hadley Road, South Plainfield, N.J.07080).

Performance Very goodRecording. Variable

This is an interesting curio, but there's toomuch of it to do the job properly. It suggestswhat Richard Thompson can do as a guitarist,from folk finger -picking an acoustic Martin toslashing through American rock-and-roll on aStratocaster to putting an edge on Britishfolk-rock with a Gibson Les Paul; it suggeststhat, as a singer, he perhaps should have beentaken more seriously earlier-should havesung more with Fairport Convention-but

then, such suggestions made, it just goes onand on remaking them. It would have workedbetter as a one -disc album, as the long, live -recorded pieces that dominate the seconddisc, Night Comes In and Calvary Cross,don't work at home and wouldn't even if theirsound were better. What's worse, they takethe starch out of good feelings you have builtup listening to the first disc, or parts of it.There's some early and rare Fairport Conven-tion there, with Judy Dyble and Ian Matthewssinging lead on Time Will Show the Wiserfrom the 1968 album, as well as Mr. Lacey,with Matthews and Sandy Denny, and a coverof Ballad of Easy Rider, featuring Denny,that weren't previously released at all. Ten ofthe thirteen cuts had not been previously re-leased, in fact, but then several of themshouldn't have been. The sound on JackClement's It'll Be Me, recorded live by Rich-ard and his wife, Linda Thompson, is badenough to be a distraction, however charm-ingly incongruous it is for them to sing such asong and in spite of the boisterous good timethey seem to be having. But you'll turn overan unexpected nugget or two, such as theThompsons' vocal of Dark End of the Street,recorded in mono with only his acoustic guitarfor backing. Just be prepared to do your ownediting. N.C.

TWIGGY. Twiggy (vocals); orchestra. Cara-van Tonight; Here I Go Again; VaudevilleMan; Pieces of April; and seven others. MER-CURY SRM-1-1093 $6.98, ® MC8-I-1093$7.98, © MCR4-1-1093 $7.98.

Performance "By Jove, she hasn't got it!"Recording Supportive

Henry Higgins' delight ("She's got it. . . .

By Jove, I think she's got it!") in My FairLady when his pupil, Eliza Doolittle, at lastbecomes "a lady," at least in voice and ac-cent, is one of the great moments in Americanmusical theater. Entirely unmomentous is thesolo recording debut of Twiggy, the real -life(?) mod Eliza Doolittle of the Sixties. It is anextremely dull moment indeed, muffled some-what by clever production and supportivecontrol -room techniques, but basically it'sdead air. For some unexplainable reason, amid -Appalachian twang has been grafted ontoTwiggy's normally charming cockney accentwith the result that she sounds like some sortof mysterious child bride at the general storewhining about life in general. Done My Cryin'Time, for instance, sounds as if she's doneanything but, and Rain on the Roof is a pro-longed sigh. In short, there doesn't seem to bemuch future for Twiggy on records, certainlynot in the guise of a c -&-w diseuse. Her for-mer image-the chic little waif washed up onthe shores of then swinging London, improba-bly clad in thousand -dollar dresses-was a lotof fun. This new image-well, she's simplydrear, m'dear. P.R.

DWIGHT TWILLEY BAND: Sincerely.Dwight Twilley Band (vocals and instrumen-tals). I'm On Fire; Could Be Love; Feeling inthe Dark; You Were So Warm; I'm LosingYou; Sincerely; and five others. SHELTERSRL-52001 $6.98, ® 8-52001 $7.98, ©5-52001 $7.98.

Performanc- InterestingRecording Good

At first I cringed at the noisy mediocrity of theDwight Twilley Band, especially during the


114 STEREO REVIEW

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Going at it, left to right: Michael Shrieve,Stomu Yamashta, Klaus Schulze, and Stevie Winwood

first two tracks (the second, Could BeLove, issung so stridently and horribly off-key that Ihollered back at the record, "It could be gaspains too, kid!"). But by the end of the albumI was pleasantly perplexed. I'm still not sureif Twilley's group is an imitative bunch livingin the recent musical past (end of the Beatlesera) or if they're affectionately satirizing it.But on the whole, with the exception of thefirst two tracks, I found the album delightful.If Twilley's music is satire, it is accurate; ifit's nostalgia, it has a rowdy charm. J. V.

WAR: Greatest Hits, War (vocals and instru-mentals). All Day Music; Slippin' into Dark-ness; The World Is a Ghetto; The Cisco Kid;Gypsy Man; and five others. UNITED ARTISTSUALA-648-G $6.98, 0 EA 648-H $7.98, @CA 648-H $7.98.

Performance. ExcellentRecording: Excellent

There is usually very little to say about"greatest hits" albums except to note thatthey are often lucrative repackagings issuedby record labels who want to get some addi-tional sales mileage out of proven productthat has already paid for itself. In this case,though, the "greatest hits" are impressive,since War is one of the best bands operatingtoday-crisp, inventive, and occasionallyquite brilliant. You can enjoy War's music forthe adroit way they mix jazz, pop, and rockbut leave enough breathing space for all threeelements to stay healthy. Besides, you candance to it. Okay? Okay! J. V.

STOMU YAMASHTA, STEVIE WINWOOD,MICHAEL SHRIEVE: Go. Stomu Yamashta(percussion, synthesizers); Stevie Winwood(vocals, keyboards); Michael Shrieve (drumkit); other musicians. Solitude; Nature; AirOver; Crossing the Line; Man of Leo; andnine others. ISLAND ILPS 9387 $6.98.

Performance: Nice tryRecording: Very good

Something there is about starting a story by

panning in from outer space with a synthesiz-er that puts my guard up. I've been trying toget past that; the ride here is pretty wild attimes, and the story starts in the middle of thealbum, at the beginning of side two, which isan interesting switch. Stomu Yamashta, whohas worked as a percussionist with the Chica-go Chamber Orchestra and the jazz-rock (aterm that tends to hoist my guard again) groupCome to the Edge, and who has written filmmusic and a score for the British Royal Ballet,apparently saw the composing of Go as thefirst step toward a stage or film or multimediaproduction-or perhaps a whole industry, likeTommy. I think a movie is his best shot,something with a big screen and overpower-ing color, as his music is quite cinematic andgrandiose. The theme of the story (you haveto read the accompanying booklet to keeptrack of it) is not all that original, dealingwith the irony of how the definitions of win-ning and losing won't stay put (Tom McGuanedid a fine job of scripting that theme for Ran-cho Deluxe, a humble movie that lost a lot inthe director's translation), but there are op-portunities for Oriental -style violence in thisone . . . and, of course, those zoom shotsfrom space.

As for Go as a composition, without pic-tures-well, it works a little better if you startwith side one, but it still seems disjointed tome. Yamashta (and Stevie Winwood, whowrote one small segment) tried to integratejazz, rock, and classical musics, but theydon't sound integrated, they sound graftedtogether. The lyrics, by Michael Quartermain,aren't pretentious -ethereal like the lyrics ofmost rock groups that have tried to go classi-cal on us, but still they don't seem to fit theflow, and the simple rhythms of rock that gowith them seem so prosaic, so spell -breakingin the context that's set up here. I keep want-ing to go back to the far reaches of space andtry it again without the jazz and rock ele-ments. I'd like to do it without Ken Russell,too, if it comes to that. N.C.


STEREO REVIEWCIRCLE NO. 55 ON READER SERVICE CARD

116

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"l he gilts and the sou/ of that never -say -die art zele call folk".111111111=11111111

G8teeleyeG8pan:Merely

Impeccable

COMPOSER/CRITIC Virgil Thomson once es-poused the theory that having a lot of

fancy art music was not the mark of a verymusical people; or, to put it the other wayaround, that a highly musical nation had noparticular need of concerts and operas and"classical" music. This, of course, appliesespecially to Great Britain; the English, the

Welsh. the Scottish, and the Irish are amongthe most musical peoples in the world, butmost of their genius has expressed itself in thefolk and popular modes.

Now, a living popular -music tradition doesnot stand still, but evolves with the times.John Gay (The Beggar's Opera) had one wayof hearing the traditional tunes, ThomasMoore (Moore's Irish Melodies) had another,Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharp still anoth-er. The popular folk-rock group SteeleyeSpan merely offers a contemporary view, andwhy not? They are no ethnomusiciologists,bus they give us back the guts and the soul ofthat strong, never -say -die people's art we callfolk.

It is odd, but somehow logical, that a newimpulse should come into English folk musicvia American rock. British popular traditionwas, of course, transplanted to these shores,

where it has been one of the basic sources forthe continuing evolution of American folk andpop. The American folkies-Dylan, Collins,Baez. & Co.-broke down the barriers be-tween "folk" and "rock," but their folk stylewas that special, American, urbanized varie-ty. The first English group to try to backdatefolk-rock to the sixteenth century was, ofcourse, the Incredible String Band, with theirunique mixture of creativity, traditionalism,naiveté, and, in both the best and worstsenses, amateurism.

Next to the Incredible String Band (indeed,next to almost anybody), Steeleye Span isbrilliant, sophisticated, and very together.They are a bit gimmicky and not quite as crea-tive as their predecessors, but they have con-trived to hold on to that sense of strength andnewness that gives contemporary life to veryancient sorts of music. These arrangementsare sophisticated, but they are not out oftouch with the rude, expressive vigor thatgave birth to the music in the first place.

Steeleye Span's ingenuity has grown fromalbum to album, and as the music has veeredcloser to rock-particularly in the use ofdrumming styles-their work has reached alarger audience. I am obviously not a purist inthese matters, and I don't think they havesacrificed much in the process. What theyhave is the feeling; there is a unity, a sense ofstyle, and a message in their new work that is,within its limitations, impressive and some-times really spine -tingling. And that's the wayit mu't have been in the first place.

ON "Rocket Cottage," their latest, some ofthe chills come from the arrangements: a sur-realist/percussion version of Fighting forStrangers (a song of social significance if everthere was one) and a fine fiddling -strumming -and -drumming version of Sligo Maid. But thebest is the singing, especially that of MaddyPrior. It is Maddy's voice on top of the verycareful and beautiful production which raisesmost of the goose pimples: a song calledOrfeo (with a fiddling reel attached at the end)and, especially, The Brown Girl, a touchinglyric with an original tune that manages to liftan entire phrase from Penny Lane withoutsounding like a plagiarism. Maddy Prior is ab-solutely devastating here; she has grown vo-cally and emotionally over the years, and myonly complaint is that there isn't more of heron the album.

Well, almost the only complaint. A studio -gag version of Camptown Races (not evenlisted in the liner credits) could have beenomitted. But they're English, you know, so Isuppose we have to forgive one small error oftaste in American repertoire. The rest is mere-ly impeccable. -Eric Salzman

STEELEYE SPAN: Rocket Cottage. SteeleyeSpan (vocals and instrumentals). London;The Bosnian Hornpipes; Orfeo/Nathan'sReel; The Twelve Witches; The Brown Girl:Fighting for Strangers; Sligo Maid; Sir Jamesthe Rose; The Drunkard. CHRYSALISCHR-1123 $6.98, ® M8C-1123 $7.98, (.0

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118 STEREO REVIEW

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OBA KOSO (The King Did Not Hang). DuridoLadipo National Theatre of Nigeria, DuridoLadipo director. KALEIDOPHONE KS -2201two discs $13.98 (from Traditional MusicDocumentation Project, 3140 KanawhaStreet, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20015).

Performance: OverpoweringRecording: Very good

Durido Ladipo's National Theatre of Nigeriais a company that has traveled far and widesince 1962, presenting his musical dramas notonly all over Nigeria but in other parts of theworld as well. Ladipo has written some fortysuch works, many of them for Nigerian televi-sion. It is difficult to imagine just what one ofthese productions is like until you've been ex-posed to it.

The Yoruba dance drama performed on thisset of two records was recorded at the Kree-ger Theatre in Washington when the play wason tour there in 1975; the cast had to give uptheir only day off in order to make the record-ing. And a strange and, in some ways, won-derful recording it is. For Oba Koso is notonly acted, it is sung, danced, drummed,squealed, shouted, and declaimed. Althoughit takes almost as long to read the synopsis ofthe plot as to listen to the seventy -three -minute production, the story is a fairly simpleone based on an ancient legend about a Nige-rian king named Sango. Sango is a warriorwhose enemies fear him, but he has grown too

confident of his power and too preoccupiedwith attending to his five hundred wives. Ad-visors come to warn him that he has given anexcess of leeway to his generals-Timi theArcher and Gbonka the Sorcerer. Somehowhe must get rid of them and stop allowingthem to wage costly wars with neighboringlands. The king banishes his two generals oneafter another, but the sorcerer Gbonka, in ascene of Macbeth -like eeriness, goes to thewitches in the forest for the power to kill hisrival Timi. When the king learns that Timi theArcher is dead, he goes mad, slays hundredsof his subjects (including his own sons andheirs), then hangs himself from a tree. But thetree falls and the king returns to life.

There is little talking as all this is hypnoti-cally enacted, but the drama unfolds to a com-pelling kind of savage music and strange lyr-ics that embody the wisdom of legends and fa-bles while the flutes wail, drums pound, theprincipals intone their parts almost operatical-ly, and the action moves slowly but relentless-ly to its denouement. The going is monoto-nous and static at times, but in the long haulObo Koso justifies close attention, rewardinga patient listener in abundance with its exotic,disturbing kind of beauty. The piece is im-pressively performed and brilliantly recorded.

P.K.

OBSESSION (Bernard Herrmann). Original -soundtrack recording. National PhilharmonicOrchestra, Bernard Herrmann cond. LONDONSPC21160 $6.98, e SPC8-21160 $7.98, ©SPC5-21160 $7.98.

Performance: AuthoritativeRecording: Lush

Brian De Palma's film Obsession has beenkicking up a lot of dust on the strength of itsbeing a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, specifi-cally his Vertigo, and Obsession's score, thelast by the late Bernard Herrmann, has beengetting almost as much publicity as the flick,which is unusual, to say the least. Nothinglike this happened the last time De Palma and


John Lithgow and Cliff Robertson in a scene from Obsession:music underscoring the air of gothic somberness


Dolby FM Ends The High -Frequency Power ShortageLook at this graph. You wouldn't toleratean amplifier that did this to your music.So why put up with an FM systemthat does this to your amplifier?

50

20

10

Oo. 5

2

1

A4°11-0

X9

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O McKnight Peak levels eached in recordedY3 octave bands.

C) Kabrick Peak levels eached, various spectralanalysis methods.

X Bauer Peak levels eached in recordedoctave bands, for 1/10% of the

A Bauer Peak levels eached in recordedoctave bands, for 1% of the time.

music,

music,time.music,

ooot

...

-r,

5 100 2 5 1000 2

Frequency - Hz

Take a typical state of the art 50 -wattamplifier. It will deliver its full 50 wattsover the whole audio bandwidth.Well, what would you think of a systemthat treated the high frequencies likethe one pictured above? A droop tohalf -power at only 2 kHz? Or a pitiful 2watts at 10 kHz? It sounds ridiculous.And yet this is what the conventional75 microsecond FM broadcastingsystem does to the signal. It isimpossible for a conventional stationand a conventional receiver to dobetter than this.

Of course, the full 50 watts isn'tneeded at high frequencies. The graph

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Herrmann got together on the sadly over-looked Sisters, also a pseudo-Hitchcockianthriller. At any rate, Obsession is similar toVertigo (though not about it, as some haveclaimed) in the general outlines of its plot andthe vague, dreamlike atmosphere it exudes,but it's nowhere near as good (if memoryserves-Vertigo has been out of circulationfor some years). De Palma isn't interested inhis characters very much, and he lacks theMaster's delicious black humor and sharp eyefor detail.

Herrmann's score likewise suffers in com-parison with the earlier film, and here memorydoes not have to serve, for the music he con-cocted for it is still available in condensedform on the London label. The new effortworks very nicely within the confines of thepicture, underscoring the air of unreality andgothic somberness, but, given De Palma's lu-gubrious pacing and the apparently deliberatecardboard quality of the characterizations,there really wasn't much for Herrmann to doexcept reinforce the mood. The result, di-vorced from the visual images, is what youmight expect: high-class mood music. Ofcourse, Herrmann's mood music is a lot moreinteresting than anybody else's, but at bestit's still wallpaper. There is, however, a per-fectly lovely waltz mixed in along the wayand, as usual for the composer, the orchestra-tions are scrumptious.

I'm glad, however, that Herrmann's swansong has attracted so much attention. He wasone of the few genuinely creative talents inhis medium, and, although he was hardlyoverlooked during his lifetime, it's nice toknow that his posthumous reputation contin-ues to grow. Still, if you want to hear some-thing a bit more representative of his gifts,you would do well to search out his next tolast score, Scorsese's Taxi Driver, in whichthere are, mixed in with his familiar bag ofmusical tricks, some ironic, even sinister ref-erences to Fifties big -band jazz. Though Aris-ta's soundtrack recording is sadly truncated,what's left remains almost as gripping as thefilm itself. And let's hope that the next timesomebody puts together a record of previous-ly unrecorded Herrmann material they will re-member to include the little closing title themehe wrote for Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, aminute or so of some of the eeriest music everwritten. -Steve Simels

SHOW BOAT (Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammer-stein II). Patrice Munsel (soprano); HelenMorgan (soprano); Janet Pavek (soprano);Gogi Grant (soprano); Rise Stevens (mezzo-soprano); Robert Merrill (baritone); HowardKeel (baritone); Paul Robeson (bass); variousorchestras and choruses, Lehman Engel, PaulWhiteman, Henri Rene, and John Scott Trot-ter cond. RCA Vicraot.A AVMI-1741 $3.98.

Performance All-starRecording: Well remastered,

well assembled

When, a year or so ago, Columbia Recordsreissued its 1932 recording of Show Boat (thefirst recording ever made up of songs from aparticular Broadway score) with Paul Robe-son as Joe, Helen Morgan as Julie and JamesMelton as Gaylord Ravenal, one assumed thatworshipers of the Kern -Hammerstein classicwould be satisfied once and for all. Well, theyare going to be even more satisfied by RCAVictrola's "Collector's Show Boat." Thistime around, not only is it possible to hearPaul Robeson's strong, solemn bass doing

justice to 01' Man River (although he hasdone the song better in other recorded ver-sions) and Helen Morgan's throbbing, sob-bing, heartbreaking soprano in Can't HelpLovin' Dot Man and Bill, but there are also animpressive lineup of opera singers, four or-chestras, and five conductors on hand in thisreconstruction of the score.

Here are Robert Merrill and Patrice Munselto deliver Make Believeand You Are Love (asong Kern hated, and so do I); Rise Stevens tosing Dance Away the Night; Howard Keel tooffer I Have the Room Above, a lovely balladadded for the first movie version in 1936which Keel sang in the 1951 revival; Janet Pa-vek to add a welcome bit of sparkling humorin Life upon the Wicked Stage; Gogi Grant tosing Nobody Else but Me; Dorothy Kirstenpaired with Robert Merrill in Why Do I LoveYou?; the entire World's Fair opening num-ber of the second act; and even a performanceof After the Ball, which Kern borrowed fromthe works of Charles K. Harris to supply a bitof period atmosphere (Munsel makes themost of it).

Here, then, are sixteen numbers comparedwith Columbia's nine, and if the record racksup the sounds and styles of too many orches-tras one after another for its own good, well,that is a built-in handicap; remastering engi-neer Bernard Keville still has managed-frommasters spanning the period 1928 to 1958-tomatch up the elements so skillfully that itscarcely matters. Show Boat, from its 1927premiere in Washington, D.C., to its latestoutdoor revival at New York's Jones Beach in1976, has been out there plying the Mississip-pi of our hearts for half a century; may itnever be put in drydock. This Victrola as-semblage of the score is an admirable job-abargain worth buying. In fact, it's hard toimagine any real collection of musical comedyrecords without it. P.K.

YANKEE DOODLE FLOPS. Rob Barron,Marcia Lewis, George Rock, Phil Gray, RoilyFanton, the Characters, the Crown City Four(vocals); instrumental accompaniment. CrazyGeorge Washington (Hessian Drinking Song);The Richer They Are (The A.M.A. Rouser);Confederate Victory Song; Congratulations,Tom Dewey; We're Depending on You, Gener-al Custer; I Wish I Was in the White House;and six others. Et ECTRIC LEMON PLP- 1919$5.98.

Performance AmateurRecording: Good

Richard Sherman is a Hollywood songsmithand Milt Larsen a TV producer and script-writer. Their "Smash Flops".comedy album,comprising songs supposedly written to com-memorate historical events that never cameoff, was a word-of-mouth hit not too long ago.The premise for their "Yankee DoodleFlops" is on the same order but applied to theBicentennial.

Unfortunately, the premise and the song ti-tles are funnier than the content and delivery.The performances are about what you'd hearat a second-rate Off -Off-Broadway revue-you know, the kind that makes you wish, af-ter you've sat through half of it, that you'dspent your money on a ticket to the BotanicalGardens instead. The humor is often weak,sometimes forced, and occasionally vulgar.Too bad; the idea was good but it neededmore work. J. V.

(Continued on page 124)CIRCLE NO. 26 ON READER SERVICE CARD

122 STEREO REVIEW

There has never been anything quite like the newNakamichi 600 Cassette Console, either in appearanceor performance. Elegant functional styling, coupled with

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dynamic range of the 600. The NakamichiFocused -Field Crystal Permalby head notonly assures a remarkable frequency re-sponse of 40 to 18,000 Hz; it achievessuperior penetration of the tape coating,producing a higher, undistorted signallevel. Special IM Suppressor circuitryreduces saturation nonlinearities and in-creases dynamic range to an incredible68dB at the standard 3% distortion figurewith Dolby' on. Program material may berecorded at levels 3 to 4dB higher thanpreviously possible.

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RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITTOSHIKO AKIYOSHI/LEW TABACKINBIG BAND: Tales of a Courtesan (Oirantan).Toshiko Akiyoshi (piano); Lew Tabackin(flute, piccolo, tenor saxophone); orchestra.Road Time Shuffle; Strive for Jive; Village;and three others. RCA JPL1-0723 $6.98.

Performance: SuperRecording: Excellent

When I reviewed the Toshiko Akiyoshi/LewTabackin Big Band's last album ("Long Yel-low Road," RCA JPLI-1350), I expressedgreat enthusiasm and called for more. Well,here it is, another extraordinary set of per-formances arranged by Toshiko, who thistime is also responsible for all the composi-tions. I was never terribly impressed with To-shiko as a pianist, but I must say that she isone hell of an arranger, and the band she hasto work with is simply the best big bandaround today. I'll spare you the details; theyare better heard on the record, and hear it youmust. This is one big band that makes othersseem small. C.A.

ANTHONY BRAXTON: Saxophone Improvi-sations/Series F. Anthony Braxton (saxo-phone). BWC-12 N -48K; NR - 12-C (33M); andthree others. INNER CITY IC 1008 $6.98 (fromInner City Records, 43 West 61st Street, NewYork, N.Y. 10023).

Performance: You'll love RFO-MRecording: Good

This is Anthony Braxton in Europe a fewyears ago, though the album tells us neitherwhere nor when. He is all by himself, playingthe old favorites; when was the last time youheard NR -12-C (33M)? Yes, even then Brax-ton was cutesy and pretentious with his titles,but at least they weren't diagrams.

Braxton is one of the most important of thenew saxophone players, and much of what hedoes here underlines that, but there are alsosounds on this album that will make a subwaytrain's roar sound like the gentle lapping ofwaves on a summer afternoon. BWC-12N -48K, which starts off side one, is particu-larly grating, and JMK-80 CFN-7, which, sadto say, takes up all eighteen minutes of sidetwo, is almost as bad. The fact is that if Brax-ton didn't have the high reputation he enjoys,nobody would listen to this kind of non-sense-much less record it. NR -12-C (33M)and RFO-M I F (32), totaling nearly sixteenminutes, can be justified, but Braxton's workon Arista should have your priority. C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITELLA FTrZGERALD/JOE PASS: Fitzgeraldand Pass . . . Again. Ella Fitzgerald (vo-cals); Joe Pass (guitar). Rain; All Too Soon;

'Tis Autumn; Nature Boy; Solitude; and nineothers. PABLO 2310-772 $7.98, 0 S10-772$7.98.

Performance: BeautifulRecording: Excellent

If you enjoyed those albums of the Fifties onwhich guitarist Johnny Smith accompaniedsuch singers as Beverly Kenney and JeriSouthern, you may have wondered whateverbecame of unlabored, tranquil ballad albums,and you may have surmised-as I have-thatvery few singers today have voices equippedto survive such nakedness. Well, Sarah Vaug-han could sing anything to the accompani-ment of a dripping faucet with highly listena-ble results, so could Aretha or Marion Wil-liams, and so can Ella Fitzgerald. No, she do-esn't do that here, but she does glide ever sogracefully through a program of ballads withsubtle support from guitarist Joe Pass.

This is their second Pablo album together,but it is the first one I have heard. I hope it isnot the last. I still wish some more recent bal-lads could be injected into Ms. Fitzgerald'scurrent recording repertoire, but that com-plaint seems a petty one as I listen to thisbeautiful, perfect album by an enduring proand her skillful consort. C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITJAN GARBAREK/BOBO STENSON QUAR-TET: Dansere. Jan Garbarek (saxophones);Bobo Stenson (piano); Palle Danielsson(bass); Jon Christensen (drums). Svevende;Bris; Til Vennene: and three others. ECMECM -1-1075 $6.98

Performance Norwegian goldRecording: Superb

After World War II, when just about anythingAmerican was held in high esteem by mostEuropeans, jazz gained an even greater fol-lowing than it had had before. Of the Scan-dinavian countries, Sweden had the best mu-sicians in the area of modern jazz (bop); theycould imitate their American idols with greattechnical skill, but very few had anythingoriginal to contribute. There were a handfulof modern Danish musicians, too, but the

Danes were more into the New Orleans style,they emulated Johnny Dodds and Kid Ory asbest they could. For some strange reason,whatever jazz there might have been in Nor-way remained there, giving the rest of usScandinavians the impression that ourNorwegian friends simply hadn't taken to it.Well, things have changed. Some very inter-esting sounds are coming out of Norway thesedays, and much of the credit for that is dueGeorge Russell, one of the most innovativejazz composers, who took up residence inNorway in the Sixties.

I was not very impressed with the Gar-barek/Stenson Quartet's previous album("Witchi-Tai-To," ECM 1041), but Jan Gar-barek's musical mind has undergone tremen-dous development in the two years that sepa-rate that album from the present one. In fact,all four musicians seem to have matured inthe interim, and this album is filled withhauntingly beautiful music that is derivedfrom jazz but goes beyond any meaning ofthat word. Garbarek composed all the piecesexcept Lokk, which he arranged and whichconjures up mournful echoes bouncing acrossa misty fjord-a Norwegian blues. And thatrecorded sound ECM gets is as wondrous asGarbarek's music. This is a highly recom-mendable sample of both. C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITSTAN GETZ: The Best of Two Worlds. StanGetz (tenor saxophone); Joao Gilberto (gui-tar, vocals); Astrud Gilberto (vocals). DoubleRainbow; Just One of Those Things; Ligia;Izaura; and six others. COLUMBIA PC 33703$6.98, 0 PCA 33703 $7.98.

Performance: Gentle eleganceRecording: Excellent

The old bossa nova gang is hack without thehoopla and hype that went v, ith the fad in theSixties. I had forgotten just how sensuouslysoothing this music could be, and I wonderhow Columbia let it slip out without adding toit Herbie, Ramsey, Mahavishnu, and the restof the old plug -it -in -turn -it -on crew. The factthat Stan Getz produced this himself may be


STAN GETZ AND JOAO GILBERTOTotal rapport in a program of sensuously soothing bossa nova

124 STEREO REVIEW

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why it is unadulterated-it certainly explainsthe exquisite taste that prevails throughout. Iwas never wild about bossa nova, but I havebeen a Stan Getz addict ever since I heard hisfirst mellifluous statement rising out of the1947 Woody Herman Herd in a Summer Se-quence of breathtaking beauty.

Thirty years later, the beauty is intact. Getzmay well be the finest tenor saxophonistaround today, and he is as consistent as blos-soms in spring. Accompanied only by light,organic rhythm and Gilberto's guitar, Getz lit-erally oozes through the mostly south -of -the-border repertoire, gently nudging all yoursenses of the beautiful, sometimes (by multi-ple tracking) engaging in dialogue with him-self. The rapport with Joao Gilberto is total,and Astrud Gilberto-whose name appears onneither record nor album jacket-has a deliv-ery and a sensitivity toward the lyrics thatmakes her lack of range unimportant. A finealbum. C.A.

HERBIE HANCOCK: Secrets. Herbie Han-cock (keyboards, synthesizer); instrumentalaccompaniment. Doin' It; People Music; Can-telope Island; Spider; and four others. CO-LUMBIA PC 34280 $6.98, O PCA 34280 $7.98,© PCT 34280 $7.98, CAQ 34280 $8.98.

Performance: JiveRecording: Good

Heigh-ho and diddle -damn. Another "pop -jazz" album. No style, no content. Tempera-ture and consistency of lukewarm, watered-down celery soup. Also quick, easy moneysession for musicians. Do all in one take. Getout of studio fast. Fill out W-4 forms. Laughha-ha. Plenty plenty bumpa-bumpa rhythm(bumpa). Meandering, meaningless solos.

personnel listing (by God, you pay $6.98, youget your money's worth), plus color photos-front and back covers-of the artist, suitablyhalf-nekkid, standing by the sea, by the beau-tiful sea. Smart merchandising title suggestingintimate, tortured expression of eeeeeemo-tion. Great record to play the next time youwanna seduce a college student who is con-cerned about defense spending and the com-ing class war. J.V.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITTERUMASA HINO: Fuji. Terumasa Hino(trumpet); Takao Uematsu (tenor saxo-phone); Mikio Masuda (electric piano); Kiyo-shi Sugimoto (guitar); Yoshio Ikeda (bass);Motohiko Hino (drums). Be and Know; Fuji;Reaction; A Child Is Born. CATALYSTCAT -7901 $6.98.

Performance ExcellentRecording: Very good

When the Japanese Terumasa Hino Sextet ap-peared at the Newport in New York Jazz Fes-tival in 1972, few people heard it because, in-credibly, it had been scheduled to followDuke Ellington and His Orchestra. Well,here's what they missed: a superb, adventur-ous group of modern musicians who havemastered their instruments as well as a stylethat totters between Lonnie Liston Smith andMiles Davis but with less electronic hocus-pocus than either of the two.

Hino himself, who has lived in the U.S.since 1975, has been heard with Gil Evans,Jackie McLean, and, most regularly, LarryCoryell's Eleventh House. He lists as his fa-vorite trumpeters Louis Armstrong, Roy El-

dridge, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, FreddieHubbard, and Miles Davis, but only traces ofDavis are discernible on this album, whichpresumably dates back two or three years(Catalyst likes to keep its recording dates amystery). Tenor saxophonist Takao Uematsucan be facile and funky, but he can also resortto unpleasant raspiness, which yet is some-how made bearable by the truly excellentwork of bassist Yoshio Ikeda throughout thisalbum. Except for Thad Jones' A Child IsBorn-I'd say reborn, the way Hino coddlesit-all the compositions are by TerumasaHino, and, with almost thirty minutes on eachside, the portions are not only generous butdelicious. C.A.

FREDDIE HUBBARD: Windjammer. FreddieHubbard (trumpet, flugelhorn); Hubert Laws(flute); Mike Brecker (tenor saxophone); BobJames (keyboards); Eric Gale (guitar); SteveGadd (drums); other instrumentalists and vo-calists. Dream Weaver; Feelings; Rock MeArms; and three others. COLUMBIA PC 34166$6.98, PCA 34166 $7.98, © PCT 34166$7.98.

Performance Floor, pleaseRecording Very good

The personnel is lifted straight from any CTIsession you can name; the music is from thesoft soul formula (that is, it's suitable elevatorfare); the vocal group is of the whisperingloop variety; and Freddie Hubbard is, appro-priately enough, just plain bland. Disc jock-eys will love this record. C.A.

KIMIKO ICASAI/MAL WALDRON: One forLady. Kimiko Kasai (vocals); Mal Waldron(piano); Yoshio Suguki (bass); Hiroshi Mura-kami (drums). Don't Explain; My Man; LoverMan; Yesterdays; and four others. CATALYSTCAT -79000 $6.98.

Performance. Ill-advisedRecording Very good

Japanese singer Kimiko Kasai is said to beenormously popular in her homeland, wherethis recording presumably took place. I knowher only from this album, which is dedicatedto Billie Holiday and features accompanimentby the same Mal Waldron who once served aspianist to the real thing. Ms. Kasai obviouslyhas a problem with the English language; shemisplaces and mispronounces words and gen-erally doesn't seem to know what the hellshe's singing about. She has listened to Bil-lie's records, but if imitation is the sincerestform of flattery, flattery is getting Kimiko Ka-sai nowhere.

Mal Waldron is the album's saving grace,but there is that singer who keeps interrupt-ing. The American record market has beenspared a Polish blues singer named BessieSmithowicz (she reigned in the late Fifties),and this is one Japanese import we could dowithout too. C.A.

RONNIE LAWS: Fever. Ronnie Laws (flute,soprano and tenor saxophones); orchestra.All the Time; Night Breeze; Let's Keep ItTogether; and six others. BLUE No-rE BN-LA628-G $6.98, OO EA628-H $7.98, CD

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Performance Mostly ploddingRecording Very good

If Ronnie Laws has the musical sensitivity ofhis older brother Hubert, he barely reveals it

(Continued on page 128)CIRCLE NO 52 ON READER SERVICE CARD

126 STEREO REVIEW

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in this album of mostly conversation -killing,foot -stomping, disco -formula music. OnlyFrom Ronnie with Love has any substance toit; the rest is the by -now -familiar mixture ofvocal group, strings, electric chords, andLaws' horn blaring on the Grover Washing-ton, Jr., level. If, however, you simply wantsomething to get those wallflowers out on thefloor at your next party, and if you have deafneighbors, this album will serve you well.

C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITCARMEN McRAE: As Time Goes By. CarmenMcRae (vocals and piano). But Not for Me;Suppertime; Please Be Kind; More Than YouKnow; and six others. CATALYST CAT -7904$6.98.

Performance: Just fineRecording: A little blurry

This is a "live" recording of an appearancethat Carmen McRae made at a Tokyo clubcalled "Dug" in 1973. The grandeur of hersinging penetrates even the unsteady, blurredsound and the fact that she's providing herown piano accompaniment (not that she playsbadly, but in a recording it seems to split anysinger's concentration). The high point is aravishing and dramatic performance of Sup-pertime, a song Irving Berlin wrote back in theThirties for Ethel Waters. It's the simple,grisly tale of a black woman whose husbandhas been lynched and who yet continues to seta place fo. him at dinner. McRae's interpreta-tion is completely different from that of Wa-ters-the accent is more one of smolderingresignation as opposed to Waters' bitter de-spair-but it still packs its original wallop. Ev-erything else, naturally, is beautifully per-formed and sung in McRae fashion, andthere's a lacy But Not for Me that'll curl yourtoenails. P. R .

CARMEN McRAE: Can't Hide Love (see Bestof the Month, page 98)

HELEN MERRILL/TEDDY WILSON: HelenSings, Teddy Swings! Helen Merrill (vocals);Teddy Wilson (piano); Larry Ridley, Kuni-mitsu Inaba (bass); Lenny McBrowne, Take-shi Inormata (drums). Lover Man; Summer-time; You Better Go Now; Pennies from Heav-en; and six others. CATALYST CAT -7903$6.98.

Performance: NostalgiaRecording: Very good

The nostalgia fad of recent years has revivedart nouveau, boas, and Tiffany lamps of theTwenties; it has given everything from TVcommercials to discos that geometric art -decolook of the Thirties, brought back the Forties'whodunits, print dresses, and padded shoul-ders, and resurrected those lovable ducktailedjuvenile delinquents of the Fifties. Actually,the Fifties probably had the least going forthem: the Korean war wasn't nearly as ro-mantic as WW II, the McCarthy hearings,though they had their moments, have beenoutdone by Watergate, and none of thosegiant insects could hold a candle to KingKong. There was Elvis, of course, and themusic of Nervous Norvus and Mickey andSylvia will live forever on late -night TV com-mercials along with that of the Platters, theDiamonds, and early Pat Boone.

But what about that other music of the Fif-ties? Not everybody wore leather jackets,

128 STEREO REVIEW

sharkskin suits, and pompadours-rememberMary Ann McCall, Beverly Kenney, and JeriSouthern? Well then, chances are you also re-member Helen Merrill, whose soft breathingof romantic, familiar lyrics recalls that side ofthe decade's musical fence with such vivid-ness that it is hard to believe this is a fairly re-cent recording. Teddy Wilson's impeccablepiano accompaniments have been with usmuch longer, of course, but they transcendany decade. I am not much for re-creating themusical past, but that's not what this albumsets out to do-Ms. Merrill and Mr. Wilsonare the past, and they are hanging in there-asthe saying goes-rather nicely. C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITART PEPPER: Living Legend. Art Pepper(alto saxophone); Hampton Hawes (piano);Charlie Haden (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).Ophelia; What Laurie Likes; Lost Life; andthree others. CONTEMPORARY S 7633 $6.98.

Performance Peppier than everRecording. Very good

About four years ago, Contemporary releasedan Art Pepper album consisting of recordingsmade between 1956 and 1960. In a review thatappeared in these pages I marveled at thetimelessness of the recordings, pointed to thefact that Pepper was one alto player who tookhis own route rather than following CharlieParker's, and remarked that he had not madeany recordings since 1960 because of a veryserious bout with narcotics and that he wasplanning a new album. "It will be interestingto see what he can do now," I said in conclu-

Art Pepper in the Fifties:timeless then, even hotter now

sion. Well, here it is, and it is indeed interest-ing. This is a whole new Pepper, who hasadvanced his style with the times and, at fifty,should have a bright career ahead.

What has happened to Art Pepper in thefifteen years since he last recorded is de-scribed by him in his brief but frank and veryinformative notes. What has happened to ArtPepper's music since 1960 can best be

summed up in one word: Trane. However, it'sColtrane with a lot of Pepper, which-as weall know-changes the flavor and, sureenough, makes it hotter. This is a very goodalbum containing five fine compositions byPepper, a sensitive reading of Here's ThatRainy Day, and really excellent rhythmic sup-port from Hampton Hawes, Charlie Haden,and Shelly Manne. Welcome back, Pepper.

C.A.

ZOOT SIMS: Soprano Sax. Zoot Sims (so-prano saxophone); Ray Bryant (piano);George Mraz (bass); Grady Tate (drums).Someday Sweetheart; Bloos for Louise; Bau-bles, Bangles and Beads; Wrap Up; and fourothers. PABLO 2310-770 $7.98, ® S10770$7.98.

Performance Unpretentious swingRecording: Excellent

Zoot Sims seems to be label hopping thesedays. We have recently heard him on Choice,Chiaroscuro, and Famous Door, and now hepops up on Pablo for his best set in recentyears. Normally associated with the tenorsaxophone, Sims has also been heard on so-prano for the last two years or so, and heplays it beautifully. Ray Bryant is a tremen-dous asset here (and just about anywhereelse, for that matter), and, though I would liketo have seen a bit more imagination used inthe choice of the repertoire, this is a delightfulromp down the mainstream of jazz. I do ap-preciate the inclusion of the seldom per-formed Someday Sweetheart, which a veryyoung Alberta Hunter introduced in Chicagosome fifty-five years ago. C.A.

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ti4 a peribrming field day and musicians' ball with Gershwin"

IRA GERSHWIN is celebrating his eightiethyear this December, and in the time since

the 1935 debut of Porgy and Bess he has prob-ably seen and heard enough interpretations,variations, transpositions, and downrightmangling of some of the songs from that mas-terpiece to last him for the next eighty. Butthe music and the lyrics of Porgy and Besswill, like all masterpieces, endure no matterhow much "creative rethinking" goes intothem in new stage and/or film productions,no matter how many arrangers, singers, soi-disant "music directors," or just plain ham-handed bunglers mess around with the scoreon recordings. Porgy and Bess survives anyand all treatments because, like any great the-atrical work, it has a natural integrity and al-ways returns quite naturally to its originalshape.

For Porgy, that shape has always beensomething of a hybrid-part contemporary(for its time) Broadway musical, part folk op-era, part grand opera, and part the unique ge-nius of George Gershwin himself. It is a markof the composer's genius that he facedsquarely up to his responsibility as one of themost gifted, "serious" or "popular," musicalcreators of the twentieth century to produce awork worthy of those gifts without the slight-est nod in the direction of the well-worn con-ventions of Tin Pan Alley "songwriting" thathad already made him rich and famous.

Now all that may sound as if I were wind-ing up to clobber, on general principles, thenewly released RCA jazz version of Porgyand Bess starring Ray Charles and CleoLaine. Not at all. For what it is-one authen-tic jazz great (Ray Charles) and one creativelyinventive jazz stylist (Cleo Lathe) having aperforming field day and musicians' ball withthe Gershwin material as inspiration-it isjust right, just fine. Neither Ray's nor Cleo's

strong point is communicating through lyrics,however, so Ira (who, along with DuBoseHeyward, wrote the words) may not countthis version among his favorites. But George. . . well, he just might have been verypleased.

There is, first of all, no question of creden-tials here: both Charles and Lathe are impec-cable musicians with enough technique, taste,and musical savvy to tackle anything theydamn well please, up to and including Parsi-fal, and still come up with a reasonably enter-taining album. But there are times-RayCharles' piano work all the time, his singingmost of the time, and an occasional wryglimpse into Bess' character provided by CleoLaine (her Bess doesn't really need Sportin'Life to explain the ropes to her)-when thisalbum is considerably more than just "rea-sonable entertainment." The problem, then,is not the performers' relationship to the musi-cal material but ours: Gershwin's score is bynow so indelibly imprinted on the conscious-ness of most listeners that when, for instance,Charles pulls off a particularly deft and char-acteristically personal gesture (as he does in ared-hot A Woman Is a Sometime Thing), ourimmediate reaction is a grudging but still ap-preciative "Oh, isn't that clever. . . ." Butthis same familiarity with the "straighter"ways of performing the songs can also get inthe way of our enjoyment of Charles' andLaine's sophisticated, stylized rendition ofBess, You Is My Woman Now, for me one ofthe great love duets of any time, any musicalform. It is not just prior prejudice, I think,that kept me yearning for the full-throatedrapture of even the most routine, operaticallytrained Porgy and for that gorgeously sensualsoprano vocal line of Bess' that soars above itall like some great bird suddenly uncaged.What I got was Ray Charles sounding exactlylike Ray Charles, Cleo Laine sounding exact-

ly like Cleo Laine. Not bad in itself, forCharles is an artist of such enormous vitalityand style that he can bring a new dimension toanything he sings, and Laine, who here sub-stitutes her usual stratospheric scat singingfor the real thing, is too conscientious an art-ist to trivialize even the trivial-which Porgycertainly isn't. But what I want from this op-era, finally, is to be deeply touched, and that Iwas not.

THOUGH there are other songs here-ItAin't Necessarily So or the several variationson Summertime-that take beautifully andeasily to the jazz approach, something is ab-sent from this skillful, consistently stylizedproduction. That something is heart, the hu-manely uncritical understanding of fallible hu-manity that fills the work, the impressivelyfateful quality of so many of the themes, thelimpid, affecting beauty of the simple melo-dies. Paradoxically enough, Lathe, for all herapparent conviction that she will reach the ze-nith of her art when she has finally forced hervoice into a perfect imitation of some as yetundiscovered musical instrument, seemssomehow more aware of the basic feelings in-volved than does Charles. The production, byOld Jazz Master Norman Granz himself, issleek, beautifully engineered, understated,even elegantly self-effacing.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Mr. Gershwin.It must be a great satisfaction to know thatthey're still singing what you wrote more thanforty-one years ago, and that come what per-formances may, you and George probablyhad the last word on the matter that manyyears ago. -Peter Reilly

GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess, Ray Charles(vocals and piano); Cleo Laine (vocals); or-chestra. RCA CPL2-1831 (two discs) $11.98,

CPS2-1831 $14.25, CPK2-1831 $14.95.

Porgy and "Bess: Ray and Cleo

130 STEREO REVIEW

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Choosing Sides

THE ORCHESTRAL WORLD OF EDVARD GRIEG

ONE of the musical world's most engagingexperiences awaits the traveler who

makes his way to the house and studio nearBergen. Norway, in which Edvard Grieg livedand worked in the later years of his life. It isnot one of those reverential, mausoleum -likeshrines by which some other composers havebeen remembered. It is, rather, a living, lov-ing memento of a man, a simple woodsy pas-toral structure preserved just as it was the lasttime he was there (in 1907!). Even his broad -

brimmed hat and black walking stick areready should he suddenly reappear for a strollalong his beloved fjord.

That this picture arises so readily in themind as a consequence of listening to thethree discs in Vox's new release of theorchestral works of Grieg (QSVBX 5140) isinescapable proof of two things: that theorchestral works therein contained are asalive today as when Grieg was writing them ahundred years ago, and that Maurice Abrava-nel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra havegotten to the heart of the matter they havechosen to interpret. Best of all, the box ismarked Volume I, suggesting that any com-plaints of omissions are premature. More willbe coming, though at a date that has not as yetbeen determined.

But even on these first three discs, it mightbe argued, we have close to a full-length por-trait of Grieg as an orchestral composer(Grieg was, after all, barely five feet tall!). Inany case, this is certainly at least a head -and -shoulders likeness, with both profiles-thehumorous and the serious-showing. Thespan is from In Autumn, an overture com-posed in 1865, when Grieg was twenty-two, tothe Symphonic Dances and Lyric Suite of thelater years. Filling in pertinent developmentaldetails are not only such other thoroughlywell-known works as the Holberg Suite, theTwo Elegiac Melodies, and the two Peer GyntSuites, but a pair of miniatures (Evenings inthe Mountains and At the Cradle) published in1898. Just as In Autumn is typical of Grieg inits harmonic choices, its rhythmic vitality.and its limited resources in development, so

the two late vignettes (together they total only142 measures) are illustrative of the otherGrieg, one as terse in his musical expressionsas he was in his well -written critical essays.

Some may question whether a work by atwenty -two -year -old musician could really beconsidered "typical" of its composer. Onemight answer that by noting that Grieg'sgreat, much -sung Jeg Elsker Deg (I Love You)was, at the time of the composition of In Au-tumn, already a year old. That early master-piece opened two possibilities for Grieg's fu-ture: that everything else would be an anti-climax, or that this splendid song would behut a foreshadowing of fine things to come.

OUTSTANDING among the "fine things" towhich this collection by Abravanel will formany (including myself) be an introduction isGrieg's Op. 51, titled Old Norwegian Ro-

mance with Variations. Originally written fortwo pianos, it was orchestrated nine years af-ter its composition in 1891 and may be de-scribed in seed -catalog terms as a late -bloom-ing beauty. It is cast in a mode of which Grieg

was a master, and the variations (thirteen innumber) are climaxed by a coda as spaciousand summarizing as anything Brahms mighthave written.

This is a compliment by no means tingedwith derogation. No one but Grieg could havewritten the alternately soaring, skipping, andsauntering variations. Included are sections insuch dance rhythms as menuetto, valse, andtarantella which give new definition to theNorwegian folk melody utilized by the com-poser. The orchestral detail, moreover, istouched in with all the coloristic resources ofthe tonal palette he commanded. Little won-der, as Dr. Joseph Braunstein informs us inhis commentary, that two notable conductorsof the early twentieth century chose to per-form these variations to memorialize Grieg af-ter his death on September 4, 1907; they wereHenry Wood in London and Arthur Nikischin Berlin.

There has been at least one previous re-cording of this work, but I do not rememberhaving heard it, and this meager representa-tion would hardly hint at much greater promi-nence for it in the concert hall. Indeed, thelast performance of the Romance in an Amer-ican concert hall of which I can find mentionwas in 1916 (I didn't hear that either). We canput this scanty attention to the Old NorwegianRomance with Variations down to an over-sight, but how do we account for the rarity ofattention accorded Grieg's other, more repre-sentative, and better-known works in recentconcert -hall seasons?

I am not arguing a case for such fragile mas-terpieces as the Peer Gynt Suites; there arefew conductors now at work who couldre-create the innocent wonders of this musicin the way Beecham, Barbirolli, Goossens,and the early Arthur Fiedler did. But there isanother realm of writing in which Griegreigned supreme, one that is, on the whole,even more accessible.

It is a category to which this Volume I isproperly attentive and in which it is roundly

Edvard Grieg'sfamed residence.now a museum, atTroldhaugen, Norway

successful: the art of writing for strings. Thealbum includes the Two Elegiac Melodies,portions of the Lyric Suite, and, of course,the Holberg Suite. To judge from the marchof the opus numbers, it is in No. 34-the des -

"A sonorous structure neither Dvoi-ak norTchaikovsky ventured"112 STEREO REVIEW

ignation for The Last Spring and The Wound-ed Heart grouped as Elegiac Melodies-thatGrieg first gave indication of this special facil-ity. But it may already be found in Op. 23 (theoriginal numbering of the incidental music forIbsen's Peer Gynt) before it was divided intothe suites of Op. 46 and Op. 55. Everybodyknows Anitra's Dance; few appreciate thefinesse of its miraculous writing for pizzicatostrings (and triangle). Fewer, perhaps, areaware of the use of the same technique for at-mospheric purposes in In the Hall of theMountain -King (cellos and double basses incombination with bassoon).

GRIEG'S primary identity as a performerwas with the piano, but the sonority ofmassed strings attracted him repeatedly in hislater life. Asked, in 1884, to create a work tohonor Ludwig Holberg (the "Moliere of theNorth") on the two -hundredth anniversary ofhis birth, Grieg thought first of a cantata. Butthe work for male chorus that he wrote didnot satisfy his sense of appropriateness, andhe destroyed it. The string ensemble struckhim as more evocative of the period(1684-1754) associated with Holberg, but whathe did with that medium was no mere exercisein antiquarianism. Grieg ranged freely acrossthe means accessible to him, through doublestoppings, unisons, chordal combinations,doublings, and overlappings more suggestiveof 1884 than 1684 to produce a work thatlooked resolutely ahead as well as affection-ately backward.

More than a few years before (in 1875), An-tonin Dvofik had produced his Serenade forStrings, a work of great charm and typicallyresourceful technique. But it strikes me as aconception that is inherently for an enlargedquartet (with a bass part added to the usual vi-olins, viola, and cello) rather than a completerethinking of all the.opportunities such a com-bination affords. Tchaikovsky's Serenade forStrings, Op. 48, came a few years later (1880)with a broadened range of sonorities and acharacter that has made it best known in theform of a Balanchine ballet. But in the Hol-berg Suite, Grieg evolved a sonorous struc-ture which in density and tonal expanse ismuch more typical of the best works createdlater in the same medium, and he combinedthese musical details with an evocative ele-ment neither Dvofik nor Tchaikovsky hadventured.

Abravanel and his excellent string ensem-ble make the many merits of the HolbergSuite palpable in a version that honors all con-cerned, including the engineers. Here, in myview, is a truly seminal work, one whose de-scendants include Sir Edward Elgar's Intro-duction and Allegro (in which a solo quartet iscreatively combined with a larger stringgroup), Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia ona Theme by Thomas Tallis (in which the atmo-spheric element is strongly present), GustavHoist's St. Paul Suite, and eventually evenRichard Strauss' Metamorphosen.

EVERY time a modish conductor of todaypays his respects to Arnold Schoenberg'sVerklarte Nacht (a not unevocative work in it-self) in a performance for massed strings, hereminds those versed in Grieg that the greatViennese innovator knew the Norwegian'smind too-almost as well, perhaps, as heknew his own. All conductors should know itas well! A few more with such knowledgemight provide the symphonic repertoire witha diversity it sorely needs.

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DECEMBER 1976 133

CLASSICAL DISCS A\ D TAPESReviewed by RICHARD FREED DAVID HALL GEORGE JELLINEK PAUL KRESH

STODDARD LINCOLN ERIC SALZMAN

J. S. BACH: Concertos for Harpsichord andStrings: No. 1, in D Minor (BWV 1052); No. 2,in E Major (BWV 1053); No. 4, in A Major(BWV 1055); and No. 5, in F Minor (BWV1056). Concertos for Two Harpsichords andStrings: in C Minor (BWV 1060) and in C Ma-jor (BWV 1061). Concertos for Three Harpsi-chords and Strings: in D Minor (BWV 1063)and in C Major (BWV 1064). Concerto forFour Harpsichords and Strings in A Minor(BWV 1065). Raymond Leppard, AndrewDavis, Philip Ledger, Blandine Verlet (harpsi-chords); English Chamber Orchestra, Ray-mond Leppard cond. PHILIPS 6747 194 threediscs $23.%.

Performance: Crisp, brilliantRecording: Excellent

These are strong, vigorous performances witha wonderful, idiomatic sound, but they are allbody and very little soul. The choice of worksis a little odd: these appear to be all the extantoriginal harpsichord concertos as well as theones Bach arranged from other composersbut not the ones he arranged from otherworks of his own. At any rate, it is a bountifulselection, and the performances are crisp andbrilliant; just don't ask for too much in theway of good old Baroque schmaltz. Lots ofmuscle, no heart. E.S.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata In C Major, Op.52 ("Waldstein"); Piano Sonata in A -fiat Ma -

Explanation of symbols:= reel-to-reel stereo tape

® = eight -track stereo cartridge© = stereo cassette

= quadraphonic disc= reel-to-reel quadraphonic tape= eight -track quadraphonic tape

Monophonic recordings are indicatedby the symbol

The first listing is the one reviewed;other formats, if available, follow it.

jor, Op. 110; Andante Favori in F Major. Al-fred Brendel (piano). PH I LIPS 6500 762 $7.98.

Performance: AristocraticRecording Splendid

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in E Major, Op.109; Piano Sonata in A -fiat Major, Op. 110.Maurizio Pollini (piano). DEUTSCHE GRAM-MOPHON 2530 645 $7.98.

Performance: Brilliant, volatileRecording: Very good

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in A -flat Major,Op. 110; Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111.Gary Graffman (piano). COLUMBIA M 33890$6.98.

Performance: VirileRecording: Good

The post-Schnabel generation speaks impres-sively for itself in these three Beethoven so-nata discs. Taking the unduplicated repertoirefirst, I find Brendel's reading of the much -abused Waldstein fascinating in its essentiallyaristocratic quality and emphasis on lyricalvalues. His treatment of the first movement ison a par with that of Gieseking's pre-war Co-lumbia recording. After a marvelously sus-penseful slow movement, however, Brendelpresents a finale that is quite different fromthe urgently Dionysiac music we usually ex-pect: his pacing is more deliberate, more care-fully textured, but never heavy-handed-altogether convincing in its own fashion. Thesame elegance he brings to the Waldstein alsomarks his handling of the captivating AndanteFavori, once intended as the slow movementfor the sonata. In short, this is another splen-did addition to Brendel's current traversal ofthe Beethoven sonata cycle for Philips.

Maurizio Pollini opens the E Major Sonatain a briskly "objective" fashion with littleconcession to sentiment, and he plays theprestissimo middle movement with Toscanini-an fire and volatility; indeed, the Toscaninispirit permeates this performance, especiallythe final variation movement.

In the mighty Op. 111, Gary Graffman givesa fierce and gnarly account of the opening

movement, making more than usual of thedissonant elements, particularly in the trillsthat hark back in spirit to those of the Ham-merldavier finale. Those who seek high Bee-thovenian mysticism in the Arietta movementwill have to go elsewhere.

Given a choice of the three performancesof the A -flat Major Sonata, always a favoriteof mine, it's almost a tossup for me betweenthe linear purity and dramatic volatility ofPollini and the rich lyricism of Brendel. Uponrepeated listening, however, I find that it isPollini who gets closest to the core of theBach -drenched finale with its amalgam ofpoignant aria and soul -healing fugue. Graff -man's rather rough-hewn treatment-at leastin comparison to these others-seems to memore suited to middle -period Beethoven.

Philips and DG have both come up with pi-ano sound that is marginally superior to Co-lumbia's; this is more likely than not a matterof the instruments used in recording since theacoustic in all instances is quite satisfactory.

D.H.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4, in 13 -fiat Ma-jor, Op. 60; Grosse Fuge in B -flat Major, Op.133. Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields,Neville Marriner cond. PHILIPS 9500 033$7.98, © 7300 456 $7.98.

Performance Solving the Grosse FugeRecording: Excellent

Among the knotty puzzles of the "great tradi-tion," the riddle of the Grosse Fuge has al-ways been the most difficult to solve. It wasrejected in Beethoven's day, but knowledge-able people have since regarded it as a greatmasterpiece. And yet, it still "can't beplayed," and when it is, you generally wish ithad been left alone. That's not the case here.Neville Marriner's Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields is a kind of eighteenth -century en-semble that has branched out into the musicof the nineteenth and twentieth, and theirstarting point in Baroque style is a distinctadvantage. Line and counterpoint, dramaticchiaroscuro, balanced phrasing, rhythmicsuppleness and structure, dance -like move -

134 STEREO REVIEW

ment, and wit and intensity of expression arevirtues that can be learned from Baroquestyle and applied to many kinds of music.They are tremendously appropriate to theGrosse Fuge.

Lightness (without losing drama and ex-pressivity) and technical poise are crucial. Itis possible after all, Marriner shows, to playthe Grosse Fuge, not as an agonizing Olympi-an masterpiece that no one wants to hear, butas music.

The Grosse Fuge is the really exceptionalpart of this recording, but the main bill isequally attractive: a light, supple, yet full-blown performance of that most delicious ofBeethoven symphonies, No. 4. Marriner isdecidedly not one of those new -breed musi-cians who excel in the early and the offbeatbut fall down on the standard repertoire. E.S.

BENNETT: Violin Concerto in A Major. LouisKaufman .(violin); London Symphony Or-chestra, Bernard Herrmann cond. A Song So-nata; Hexapoda. Louis Kaufman (violin); An-nette Kaufman (piano). CITADEL CT 6005$6.98.

Performance: DefinitiveRecording: Concerto faded, sonata

all right

Robert Russell Bennett is so well known as anorchestrator of other composers' music-thebrilliant "symphonic picture" of Porgy andBess and the Jerome Kern and Stephen Fosterpieces as well as the dozens of Broadway mu-sicals-that most of us are quite unaware ofhis wholly original concert works. The ViolinConcerto in A Major, which carries the sub-heading "In the Popular Style," is unpreten-tious and easy-going in its demands on the lis-tener, though it is probably difficult to play. Itis a tuneful, animated, eminently agreeablepiece which could stand exposure on concertprograms. It was composed for Kaufman,who gave it a bang-up performance with thelate Bernard Herrmann in this 1956 recording.The sound itself, however, is not only phonystereo, but far below the standard of thatyear: I gather from Tony Thomas' notes thatthe disc may have been processed from acopy and not from a master tape.

The violin -and -piano works on side two,also composed for Kaufman, come off muchbetter sonically, though they too may havebeen taped some time ago. Both of these arealso very much "in the popular style." ASong Sonata is in five unconventional move-ments, and Hexapoda is subtitled "Five Stud-ies in Jitteroptera." Jascha Heifetz recordedboth works (his version of the sonata is stillcurrent on RCA LM -2382), but Kaufman'sproprietary fervor makes his performances noless definitive than that of the concerto. Withbetter sound on the orchestral side, this couldhave been a real winner. R . F.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14a.Orchestre National of the ORTF, Jean Marti -non cond. ANGEL ID S-37138 $6.98.

Performance: Very fineRecording: Very good

Of the nearly two dozen currently availablerecorded versions of the Fantastique, this oneby the late Jean Martinon belongs among thetop three or four. Like Monteux, Martinondisplays a fine awareness of Berlioz's roman-tic -classic polarities, placing special emphasis

on legato lines throughout his reading withoutin any way diluting the essential drama of thepiece. He also chooses to observe the exposi-tion repeat in the first movement and to enrichthe texture of the Ball movement withBerlioz's added cornet parts.

The stereo recording perspective struck meas being unusually deep, at least in regard tothe placing of the brasses, a situation which Ifind all to the good, and the sound is decidedlyenhanced in four -channel playback. D.H.

BIZET: Carmen (see Best of the Month, page97)

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9, in D Minor.Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Baren-boim cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530639 $7.98.

Performance DramaticRecording: Good

Add yet another fine reading of Bruckner'sapocalyptic and impassioned Ninth Sympho-

ny to the several already listed in Schwann.Barenboim chooses to emphasize the dramarather than the epic aspects of the score, andon this level he scores a telling success. How-ever, those who seek the bigger line will dowell to stick with Karajan on DG or Haitinkon Philips. Like Haitink, Barenboim takes thescherzo at a slower pace than Karajan.

DG's Chicago recording is more closelymiked and somewhat more shallow in depththan the Berlin and Amsterdam performancesbut has more precise balancing of tutti chord-al attacks and more dramatic highlighting ofthe music's dissonances. D.H.

DET1': In the Bottoms (see GRIFFES)

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITDUTILLEUX: Symphony No. I. MARTINON:Hymne a la Vie, Symphony No. 2. Orchestre

National de l'ORTF, Jean Martinon cond.frit Das 995 028 $7.98 (from HNH Distribu-tors, P.O. Box 222, Evanston, Ill. 60204).

Performance: SuperbRecording: Very good

Although Henri Dutilleux is regarded as theoutstanding symphonist among contemporaryFrench composers, his music is rarely heardoutside of France. The loss is ours, as the lateJean Martinon's stunning performance of theFirst Symphony (composed in 1951) makesclearer than ever. This may be an even strong-er work than Dutilleux's Second Symphony,which we have had on records for some time(Musical Heritage Society MHS 3022, CharlesMunch conducting). The four -movement lay-out commences with a passacaglia and endswith a variation movement; through the wholesequence there is a propulsive quality bal-anced by a restrained sort of lyricism. Thelanguage, the design, the orchestral coloringall bespeak an unlabored originality; this isundoubtedly an important work.

NEVILLE MARRINER:the Grosse Fugecan be played

I

Martinon wrote his Second Symphonywhen he came out of a prisoner -of -war campin 1944. Its overt romanticism, dramatic ur-gency, and marvelously rich orchestral pal-ette suggest the work as a concise companion -piece to Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony(The Inextinguishable), of which Martinonwas a distinguished interpreter. Part of thecolor here is provided by the ondes Martenot,which makes a few appearances in the outermovements and unexpectedly enhances thesoaring affirmation of the finale, flying off af-ter she cresting brass chorale like an intoxicat-ed dove. The entire work-expressive, deep-felt, ultimately joyous-shows Martinon athis superb best in both his creative and per-forming roles; its appearance now is the mostmeaningful sort of memorial to the man andthe musician. R . F.


135DECEMBER 1976

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RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITELGAR: The Apostles, Op. 49. Sheila Arm-strong (soprano), Blessed Virgin, Angel; Hel-en Watts (contralto), Mary Magdalene; Rob-ert Tear (tenor), St. John; Benjamin Luxon(bass), St. Peter; Clifford Grant (bass), Judas;John Carol Case (bass), Jesus. London Phil-harmonic Choir; Choir of Downe HouseSchool; London Philharmonic Orchestra, SirAdrian Boult cond. With an illustrated talk onThe Apostles and The Kingdom by Sir AdrianBoult. CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CS 3-2094three discs $20.94.

Performance: SuperbRecording: Resplendent

Connoisseur Society has put all American El-garians further in its debt by issuing, from the1974 EMI tapes, Sir Adrian Boult's recordedrealization of The Apostles. Unlike the essen-tially lyrical and contemplative score of TheKingdom, part two of Elgar's projected butnever completed trilogy of oratorios, whichwas reviewed in these pages last April fromConnoisseur Society's CS 2089, The Apostlesis a considerably more ambitious tonal can-vas, calling for six rather than four soloistsand in its last pages for a children's choir toaugment the normal forces. There is more"action" music here than in The Kingdom, inparticular the storm episode on the Sea of Ga-lilee where Jesus challenged Peter to walkupon the water, and the sinister march -likemusic leading to the seizure of Christ at theinstigation of the traitorous Judas. Neverthe-less, as in The Kingdom, the real substance ofElgar's music is in the establishment of atmo-sphere and of human character. If Peter is themost arresting character of The Kingdom, Ju-das in his obsession with temporal power andeventual black remorse and suicide is themost gripping figure in The Apostles. Peter,Mary Magdalene, and Jesus Himself are ma-jor figures here, but they pale beside the tragicfigure of the Great Betrayer.

I find the musical content of The Apostlessomewhat more uneven than that of TheKingdom: the weakest section-the choralepisode "Turn you to the stronghold" whichconcludes Part I-is very pallid indeed, butJudas' great scene of remorse and self-destruction (". . . I am unto myself moregrievous than the darkness") is for me thegreatest single piece in the two oratorios. Andthere are other stunningly memorable mo-ments: virtually the whole of side one, as thepeople greet the sunrise over Jerusalem andthe Apostles rejoice in their calling to serveJesus in His ministry; the soliloquy of MaryMagdalene, with choral interjections, as sheponders repentance and recalls her past; Pe-ter's scene of remorse, depicted by unaccom-panied chorus; and the duet for Mary andJohn in the aftermath of the Crucifixion.

As he did in his 1%9 recording of The King-dom, Sir Adrian Boult, now eighty-five, di-rects a performance wholly communicative ofthe essential compassion and tenderness ofElgar's musical utterance-and the surgingpower is there in ample measure when need-ed. The soloists impress me as more effectiveas a team than as individual protagonists, butClifford Grant as Judas really towers over hismale colleagues, vocally and artistically, in adramatic character not inferior to such otherdark and guilt -ridden musical personages asBoris Godounov. The choral work is general-ly excellent, especially in the reflective pas -


A Selective

Calendarof

American Music1612-1976

prepared forSTEREO REVIEWby James Good friend

1976

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Stereo Review is proud to announcean important set of recordingscreated to help you expand yourunderstanding of music.

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In the GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDINGMUSIC, David Randolph first discusses.by means of recorded narration, how thecomposer uses and unifies all the basicmusical elements. After each musicalpoint is made in the narration, a musical demonstration of the point underdiscussion is provided. Thus you becomea part of the creative musical process bylistening, by understanding, by seeinghow music's "raw materials- are em-ployed by composers and performers toattain their highest level of expressivityand communication through musicalform.

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sages, although there is the usual trouble with"t"s and sibilants that don't come together.The recording is altogether superb-spaciousin ambiance. rich in detail, and ample in body.And special praise is in order regarding sidesix, on which Sir Adrian offers genuinely in-formative and helpful spoken commentarywith musical illustration on the leitmotivesand structure of both The Apostles and TheKingdom. D.H.

ELGAR: Songs. Twilight; The Torch; Clap-ham Town End; Pleading; Oh! Soft was thesong; The River; The Shepherd's Song; Like tothe Damask Rose; Two songs from "TheSpanish Lady"; Queen Mary's Lute Song; 0Salutaris Hostia; and four others. John CarolCase (baritone); Mary Thomas (soprano);Daphne Ibbott (piano). SAGA 5304 $6.98.

Performance: Adequate to goodRecording: Fairly good

There are sixteen Elgar songs in this generoussampling of vocal music written over a rangeof fifty years, including excerpts from his he-roic cantata Caractacus (1898) and incidentalmusic to the plays Grania and Diarmid (1902)and The Starlight Express (1915). There isconsiderable variety in the remainder, too:Schubertian pastoral songs, Edwardian salonpieces, an arrangement of a Yorkshire folksong, a religious hymn, and two highly dra-matic pieces (The Torch and The River) thatrecall Elgar's frustrated operatic ambitions.

Elgar undoubtedly had the skill to shapesingable melodies, and he was a fastidiouscraftsman. The simpler songs in this sequenceare invariably engaging, while the more elabo-rate ones seldom make a real impact on firsthearing. Of course, with a Janet Baker astheir interpreter, the reaction might be differ-ent. The baritone in this instance, a warmlycommunicative singer, is enjoyable through-out, but the soprano's tonal unsteadiness is attimes disconcerting. Both artists enunciateclearly, but the texts should still have been in-cluded. The recorded sound is somewhatlacking in liveliness.

FAURE: Requiem, Op. 48; Cantique de JeanRacine, Op. 11. Benjamin Luxon (baritone);Jonathon Bond (treble); Stephen Cleobury(organ); Choir of St. John's College, Cam-bridge; Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields,George Guest cond. ARGO ZRG 841 $6.98, ©841 $7.98.

Performance: Pretty goodRecording: Very good

George Guest has a fine feeling for the Re-quiem, Benjamin Luxon's contribution isfirst-rate, and the instrumental complement issplendid, but the choral singing here is reallyless tidy than it ought to be, and the very finerecording only makes that the more apparent.The boy soprano sounds a little riper thanthose in some other recordings, but certainlyacquits himself nobly. No other recording ofthe Requiem comes with notes as interestingand informative as those of Felix Aprahamianon the Argo jacket, but most others do offer atext of the work; Argo does not, though thetext of the Racine Canticle is printed inFrench and English. The same coupling ispresented with altogether more distinction bythe forces under Louis Fremaux on MusicalHeritage Society MHS 1507, and anotherCambridge choir (King's College) under Da-vid Willcocks gives us what is probably themost satisfying of all recorded performances

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DECEMBER 1976 139

of the Requiem (Seraphim S-60096, withFaure's Pavane as filler). R.F.

FOSTER: Songs (see Collections-RichardCrooks)

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITFRANCK: Psyche. Chorus of the Belgian Ra-dio; Orchestre de Liege, Paul Strauss cond.CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY 0 CSQ 2096 $6.98.

Performance ExcellentRecording: Excellent

Cesar Franck was more of a symphonic poetthan a true symphonist, and, in that wisdomwe never fail to gain from hindsight, perhapsit is not as mystifying as David Hall finds it inhis informative annotations that the composerundertook this ambitious orchestral -choralsymphonic poem during the very same years(1887-1888) he was working on his only sym-phony. The symphonic form imposed a re-straint on his expression; a sprawling multi -movement symphonic poem, on the otherhand, provided a ready outlet for it. ThatCesar Franck, of all people, should tackle apagan and erotic subject was, of course, sur-prising. But, as Martin Cooper sardonicallyobserves: "As in Les Djinns, he takes a paganlegend in Psyche and baptizes it."

Psyche has never been particularly popular,certainly not with those who find ripe and lus-cious Romanticism hard to take. The com-plete score has seldom been recorded, andthis appears to be its only version in the cur-rent Schwann. But if you like the D MinorSymphony, you will like Psyche, for its ex-

pressive idiom is virtually identical to that ofthe other work. The performance is beautiful,with transparent and smoothly integrated cho-ral singing, and conductor Strauss makes theOrchestre de Liege sound like a top-levelgroup. Some may find the sound a shadecathedral -like, but its richness and warmthseem very appropriate to the lushness of themusic. G.J.

FRANCK: Symphonic Variations (see GRIEG)

GRAND!: Dixit Dominus; 0 quam to pulchraes; Exaudi Deus; Vulnerasti cor meum; 0 vosomnes; Ave Regina; Jesu mi dulcissime; Mora -ho die ac nocte. Paul Esswood (countertenor);Edgar Fleet, Nigel Rogers (tenors); TrinityBoys' Choir; Accademia Monteverdiana,Denis Stevens cond. NONESUCH H-71329$3.98.

Performance FerventRecording: Resonant

The music of Alessandro Grandi falls stylisti-cally somewhere between that of Gabrieli andMonteverdi. Master of the Venetian choralstyle, he was equally at home in the early Ba-roque vocal -concerto style. Whether writingfor full chorus, a small ensemble, or a singlevoice, Grandi was always sensitive to theword and portrayed it vividly through mel-ody, texture, rhythm, and harmony. Althoughthis record presents only serious and rathersomber religious works, the emotional paletteis a rich one, ranging from tenderest intimacyto noblest splendor.

The performances offered by Mr. Stevensare simple and straightforward; they are per -

PAUL STRAUSSA beautiful performance of Psyche

fect for the echoey church sonorities so beau-tifully caught by the engineers. The balancebetween the soloists, chorus, a small stringensemble, and organ continuo is just right,contributing to a full-bodied effect along witha clarity of inner lines. Especially fine are thesolo motets sung by Messrs. Fleet, Rogers,and Esswood. Mr. Stevens is to be con-gratulated in bringing to our attention a bodyof unknown music in a performance worthyof its high quality. S. L.

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GRETRY: Danses Villageoises; Cephaket Pro-cris, Suite de Ballet; Overtures-L'EpreuveVillageoise, Les Manages Samnites, and Rich-ard Coeur de Lion. Orchestre de Liege, PaulStrauss cond. SERAPHIM S-60268 $3.98.

Performance: FineRecording: Good

Gretry's ballet music is to the Classical erawhat Rameau's is to the Baroque and Delibes'to the Romantic. Full of charm and sparkle,with a contagious audacity, it fits well into thegrand tradition of French dance music. Eventhough the overtures contain some rather mel-odramatic moments, they are full of melodicinvention and wit. They make excellent lightlistening and are a pleasant change from theRossini overtures.

The readings by Paul Strauss and the Or-chestre de Liege are clean and crisp. There isnothing outstanding to speak of, but thenagain, I have no negative criticism to offer. Ifyou are in a mood for light but unfamiliar mu-sic, this is your album. S . L.

GRIEG: Orchestral Works (see ChoosingSides, page 132)

GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16;Norwegian Dances, Op. 35; Wedding Day atTroldhaugen, Op. 65, No. 6. Grant Johannes -en (piano); Utah Symphony Orchestra, Mau-rice Abravanel cond. TURNABOUT 0 QTV-S34624 $3.98.

Performance: DirectRecording: Spacious

GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16.FRANCK: Symphonic Variations. Gyi:irgyCziffra (piano); Budapest Symphony Orches-tra, Gyorgy Cziffra, Jr., cond. CONNOISSEURSOCIETY CS 2090 $6.95.

Performance: IdiosyncraticRecording: Good

One could hardly find more strikingly con-trasting readings of the Grieg concerto thanthese two! Johannesen, ever the unflinchinglyhonest artist, turns in a performance of bril-liance and vitality, completely within thebounds of tradition. The Cziffra father -and -son combination take a full four minutes long-er in their performance and really go all outfor every bit of contrast that can be extractedfrom the score in terms of dynamic gradationand soulful phrasing-all very interesting inits own way, but it doesn't wear well. Thefirst -movement cadenza turns into almost aself-contained Hungarian rhapsody, but Czif-fra's playing of the cadenza in the finale is aknockout.

I found the Cziffras' version of the FranckSymphonic Variations somewhat more to mytaste, for I do get a bit tired of hearing pianistsand conductors just breeze through them a laSaint -Satins. But even this began to pall aftera time, if only because the overall structurewas on the verge of crumbling. Performancesfor the jaded, I would call these, but decentlyrecorded, withal, and the piano has decidedlymore effective presence and body than on theTurnabout disc. Abravanel gives staunchbacking to Johannesen and provides agree-able run-throughs of the orchestral pieces, butI found the spaciousness of the recording lo-cale a bit much, though by no means intoler-able. The Turnabout disc represents good val-ue as a Grieg package, but if it's a budget ver-sion of the concerto you want, minus the


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An opera full of mad passions calls for coolness in the pit...

Sherrill Milnes and Beverly Sills in the 1976 San Francisco Opera production

cn Elegant New `Thai's from c_ngelWE are in the midst of a bountiful Mass-

enet renaissance, in case you haven'tnoticed. 'Thereseand La Navarraise have al-ready been recorded (the latter twice, in fact),Esclarmonde is in the works (and at the Met-ropolitan as well), Le Cid is imminent, and wenow have a new recorded version of Thais tocoincide with the San Francisco Opera's re-vival that uses two of the same principals-Beverly Sills in the title role and SherrillMilnes as Athanael.

Thais is, to be sure, not all that rare onrecords. There have been three previous ver-sions: Urania 227, a decent mono perform-ance long deleted; RCA ARL3-0842, a thor-oughgoing disaster; and Westminster 8203.The last is a good, idiomatic performancewith a great deal of attractive singing to rec-ommend it, but it is slightly cut and sonicallyinferior to Angel's new release.

Sound, in fact, is a major asset of the Angelset. There are a few puzzling sonic perspec-tives, such as the opening of Act I, Scene 2,where, seeking some stage realism no doubt,the engineers have placed the voices too farout of focus. But such instances are rare; bal-ances are very good most of the time, andorchestral tone and color are remarkably wellcaptured. And this leads to another of theset's virtues, the conducting of Lorin Maazel.Thais is an opera about fanatics and mad pas-sions; there is hardly a moment when its threeprincipals conform to common concepts ofsanity. A certain amount of coolness is there-

fore essential in the pit, and Maazel providesit with his judicious tempos and a tight rein onepisodes that could be over -sentimentalized.All this, however, does not keep him fromwhipping up a fine climax for the end of ActII. Throughout the opera, he maintains pre-cise ensemble and evokes from his orchestrathe kind of perfumed, sensuous sound thatbest mirrors Massenet's subtle tone colors.

When Thais is discussed, it is usually interms of the heroine-Mary Garden, Geral-dine Farrar, and Maria Jeritza are the fre-quent points of reference-and seldom interms of such memorable past Athanaels asMaurice Renaud, Vanni Marcoux, TittaRuffo, and John Charles Thomas. A seductiveand compelling Thais no doubt rules thestage, but on records Athanael, the Cenobitemonk torn between faith and the flesh,emerges as an equally powerful personality.In this instance, Sherrill Milnes succeeds inmaking him the central figure. Beginning witha deeply moving delivery of his first mono-logue, Milnes never fails to convey a com-manding presence, making vivid dramaticpoints through sensitive use of vocal color.He meets the vocal demands head-on, eventhough his tones in the upper register are notalways. firmly sustained or appealing in sound.That :eservation aside, his is a thoughtful anddeeply committed characterization.

The same holds true of Beverly Sills' Thais,but hers is a characterization in paler colors

and of lesser overall impact, and it is at themercy of the intrusive wide vibrato that hasbeen plaguing her singing for some time. Hermirror aria ("Dis-moi que je suis belle") posesdifficulties in the high tessitura that few so-pranos have mastered (and none in the com-plete recordings of this opera), but sheachieves lovely effects in her duet of Act III,Scene 2, and in the finale, where Milnes isalso at his best.

Nicolai Gedda's singing has lost much of itslyric sheen, but he projects the role of the he-donistic Nicias with great conviction andeffectiveness. The Palemon and the AbbessAlbine perform their small roles with dignity,the voices of Crobyle and Myrtale are nicelyblended, and we get sensitive work from thedependable John Alldis Choir. Unquestiona-bly, Thais has been elegantly served in this re-cording. A beautifully designed booklet full offascinating illustrations and an informativeessay by critic Andrew Porter complete thepresentation. -George Jellinek

MASSENET: Thais. Beverly Sills (soprano),Thais; Sherrill Milnes (baritone), Athanael;Nicolai Gedda (tenor), Nicias; Richard VanAllan (bass), Palemon; Ann -Marie Connors(soprano), Crobyle; Ann Murray (mezzo-soprano), Myrtale; Patricia Kern (mezzo-soprano), Albine; Norma Burrowes (so-prano), La Charmeuse. John Alldis Choir;New Philharmonia Orchestra, Lorin Maazelcond. Angel SCLX-3832 three discs $22.94.

142 STEREO REVIEW

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quadraphonics, don't pass up the Fleisher/Szell version on Odyssey or the Katin/Davisone on London Stereo Treasury. D.H.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITGRIFFES: Sonata. WES: Three -Page Sonata.DETT: In the Bottoms. Clive Lythgoe (piano).PHILIPS 9500 096 $7.98.

Performance: CompellingRecording: Exceptional

Clive Lythgoe is a British pianist who hasbeen specializing in American music; on thisdisc he offers compelling, insightful perform-ances of works all but unknown to most of thecomposers' own compatriots. In his annota-tion, Lythgoe remarks that the Griffes sonata"may be regarded as the very peak of neo-Romanticism in American keyboard music,"but to me this extraordinary, fantastic, andoriginal work seems, at the same time, to bethe very peak of Impressionism. Rather thanworry about a contradiction in terms, wemight simply acknowledge it as a masterworkthat defines its own category. There has notbeen a recording of the sonata in well overtwenty years, and none that has come my wayhas suggested anything like the degree of in-volvement and fulfillment evident here.

Ives may have written his Three -Page Sona-ta "mostly as a joke," but within its conciseframework it is a work of real depth;Lythgoe's performance conveys the music'sfull stature without threatening to becomelarger than life. The Canadian -born NathanielDett's In the Bottoms is the suite that endswith the famous "Juba Dance," a piece thatreally ought not to be heard out of context;the four preceding movements complete abalanced picture, reminding us that Dett, in1913, was neither a primitive nor a minstrel -show caricaturist, but a thoughtful and well -trained professional whose racial conscious-ness was expressed in music of taste, subtle-ty, and substance. Lythgoe's understandingof and affection for all these varied works isquite remarkable, and his performance is en-hanced by the exceptional realism of Philips'sound. R.F.

HANDEL: Israel In Egypt. Elizabeth Gale,Lilian Watson (sopranos); James Bowman(alto); Ian Partridge (tenor); Tom McDonnell,Alan Watt (basses); Choir of Christ ChurchCathedral, Oxford; English Chamber Orches-tra, Simon Preston cond. ARGO ZRG 817/8two discs $13.%.

Performance: FlabbyRecording: Muddy

No other oratorio I know uses an entire nationas its protagonist and assigns such a heroicrole to a double chorus. A double chorus soresponsive to the magnitude of the text that itcan act like an individual, take us through thesufferings of the Israelites in Egypt, theplagues visited on that country, and the strug-gle through the tumult of the Red Sea, and de-pict their ultimate liberation is a hard one tofind. But that is only the first part: the chorusmust then sustain the titanic exultation ofMoses' Song of Victory and Thanksgiving.Handel may have been able to give us thismessage in music, but very few choruses areable to realize that cosmic event in actuality.

Now, the performance under considerationhas many merits. The sound of the Choir ofChrist Church, Oxford, with the angelic tim-bre of boys' voices, is a beautiful one. The re-

cording captures perfectly the resonance ofthe Merton College Chapel. Simon Preston'sreading is solid and well paced. Unfortunate-ly, however, the choral sound is more suitedto Byrd and Palestrina, as are the chapel'sacoustics. The result is a performance that israther too delicate and well molded for Han-del's animal vigor and a sound that rounds offthe harsh angles of Handel's impetuous melo-dies and sharp rhythms.

Although the soloists take a secondary rolein this chorally conceived work, they too havedifficulty in living up to the composer's forth-right worldly inspiration. Messrs. Bowmanand Partridge are among the finest singers ofearly -Baroque music we have, but here theylack the force and conviction required forlate -Baroque splendor. The two basses strug-gle valiantly with "The Lord is a man ofwar," but their struggle shows in some badpitch and forced sounds. Part of the soloists'forcing is a result not only of their zeal to dosuch virile music justice, but also of an or-chestra that strives for first place.

In listening to this performance, I am con-vinced that alive it must have been splendidand moving. But as a recording, it must bechalked up as a souvenir for those who wereat the concert and recall its glories. S. L.

HAUBENSTOCK-RAMATI: String QuartetNo. 1 (see WEBERN)

WES: Sonatas Nos. 1-4 for Violin and Piano;Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello; Largo for Vi-olin and Piano; Largo Risoluto I; Hallowe'en;Largo Risoluto II; In Re Con Moto Et Al; TheInnate (Adagio Cantabile) for Piano and StringQuartet; Three Quarter -tone Pieces for TwoPianos; Largo for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano.Millard Taylor, John Celentano (violins);Francis Tursi (viola); Alan Harris (cello);Stanley Hasty (clarinet); Artur Balsam, FrankGlazer (pianos). Vox SVBX 564 three discs$10.98.

Performance: Strong keyboard playingRecording: Good to very good

Ives is not generally thought of as a chamber -music composer, but there was a classicistside to his nature and, in fact, quartets and so-natas make up a large part of his output. Thisset, titled "Complete Chamber Music, Vol.I," contains mostly music for piano andstrings, including the four violin sonatas, thepiano trio, and shorter pieces. The brieferworks, mostly for piano and string quartet, fitthe old image of Ives the experimenter, but itis in the larger works that we really find thebreadth of vision that is perhaps the more im-portant aspect of Ives' contribution.

The three -disc set is built around the con-siderable artistic talents of Frank Glazer, andhe is the featured performer. But this is actu-ally all true ensemble work, and Millard Tay-lor, the violinist, is at least equally responsi-ble for the effect of these performances. Tay-lor is a very competent but rather unexcitingperformer. He is never less than on the buttonin all essential matters, but, even with somestrong pianistic prodding from Glazer, he onlyoccasionally takes off. The project is an emi-nently worthy one, however, and the per-formances are clean, fine, and decently re-corded-though sober. E.S.

IVES: Three -Page Sonata (see GRIFFES)

LISZT: Todtentanz; Hungarian Fantasia; LaCampanella; Faust Waltz. Gyorgy Cziffra (pi -

CIRCLE NO. 7 ON READER SERVICE CARD 144 STEREO REVIEW

CLIVE LYTHGOE:insightful American music

from anenterprising Englishman

ano); Orchestre de Paris, Gyorgy Cziffra, Jr.,cond. CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CS 2092 $6.98.

Performance: FancyRecording: Excellent

Gyorgy Cziffra, Sr., a kind of combination ofVan Clibum and Liberace with a Hungarianaccent, has had a major European careerwhich has never crossed the ocean; this re-cording, one of many, comes from Path&

sr

Marconi. He is a showman in the old way-superficial, brilliant, lots of flair. Liszt is anobvious specialty, and works like the Todten-tanz and the Hungarian Fantasia-both for pi-ano and orchestra-were designed for thiskind of pianism. Criticism is beside the point.Either you vibrate to the thrills of these old-fashioned melodramas or you do not. Cziffra,at any rate, does his mightiest to provide therequisite thrills. E.S.

MARTINON: Hymne a la Vie (see DUTIL-LEUX)

MENDELSSOHN: Songs (see Best of theMonth, page 100)

MOZART: Horn Concertos (see The BasicRepertoire, page 64)

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITMOZART: Zaide (K. 344). Edith Mathis (so-prano), Zaide; Peter Schreier (tenor), Go-matz; Ingvar Wixell (baritone), Allazim;Werner Hollweg (tenor), Sultan Soliman;Reiner Suss (bass), Osmin; Armin Ude (ten-or), Singer. Berlin State Orchestra, BernhardKlee cond. PHILIPS 6700 097 two discs $15.96.

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Excellent

The operatic fragment we know as "Zaide"was abandoned by Mozart, unfinished and un-titled (it was given its name by the score's firstpublisher in 1838). It seems that he had com-posed nearly the entire opera, based on aTurkish subject, in 1780. Some years later inVienna he found a better libretto on a similarsubject-Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail. Thathe completed with the well-known result, andthe earlier project was never resumed.

It so happens, however, that even in frag-mentary form Zaide is a delight, worthy notonly of recording but of concert perform-ances as well. It contains two magnificent so-prano arias (the first one, "Ruhe sanft, meinholdes Leben," already exists in several re-corded versions), several fine tenor arias, in -

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DECEMBER 1976CIRCLE NO. 17 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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cluding one addressed to a portrait (anticipat-ing Tamino's in The Magic Flute), a comicaria for a bass who is called Osmin (like hisEntfiihrung namesake), and two good bari-tone arias, to say nothing of several ensem-bles that are just about perfect. Zaide is asingspiel with the customary spoken pas-sages; dramatically it is rather feeble, and themelodramatic recitatives Mozart contrived toheighten the dramatic effect accomplish noth-ing of the kind. The musical numbers, how-ever, are radiant little gems.

For the present recording the spoken pas-sages have been sensibly edited by producerErik Smith. Good sense also dictated the useof Mozart's Symphony in G (K. 318) as theoverture (according to Alfred Einstein, it waswritten precisely for that purpose), and of the

joyous March in D (K. 320) for the finale. Thecast, outstanding all the way, is led by thatlovely -sounding, exceptional Mozart stylistEdith Mathis in the title role. Bernhard Kleeconducts with a light and elegant touch, se-curing precise and distinguished playing. Inshort, the set is a joy. G.J.

PETTERSSON: Mesto for String Orchestra(see SIBELIUS)

PIERNE: Les Enfants a Bethteem (see Best ofthe Month, page 96)

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITROSSINI: Stabat Mater. Sung-Sook Lee (so-prano); Florence Quivar (mezzo-soprano);

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Kenneth Riegel (tenor); Paul Plishka (bass);Cincinnati May Festival Chorus; CincinnatiSymphony Orchestra, Thomas Schipperscond. TURNABOUT QTV-S 34634 $3.98.

Performance: BeautifulRecording: Altogether lovely

When commissioned by the Spanish ministerto Paris to write a Stabat Mater. Rossini, part-ly for reasons of health, could manage onlysix out of the projected ten sections; the lastfour were written by a boyhood friend, Tado-lini. Almost a decade later, though, Rossinigot the music back, revised it, and composedafresh the Fac ut portem, Inflammatus,Quando corpus, and final Amen, in sempiter-na. As a result, the early parts of the work arein the dramatic musical style of the 1820's,while the later sections are decidedly morechaste and, where the text demands, morestraightforwardly expressive.

The Rossini Stabat Mater is no masterpieceon the level of Verdi's Manzoni Requiem, butit does have its very effective moments and itis full of fine vocal writing. The Cujus ani-mom remains a fine tenor vehicle, andKenneth Riegel in this new recording dealsmanfully with the concluding cadenza to D -flat at the end. In the Inflammatus, Korean -born soprano Sung-Sook Lee does bravelyand well. But for me the finest solo work of allcomes from Florence Quivar in her rich sing-ing of the Fac ut portem and from Paul Plish-ka in the Pro peccatis and Eja Mater as hissplendidly dark bass projects the text withoutbecoming opaque or wooly.

The Cincinnati May Festival Chorus, whichdirector Thomas Peck has trained to a fare -thee -well, is superlative in intonation, inflec-tion of phrasing, articulation of text, and in-ternal balances. Thomas Schippers comesthrough with a more refined reading here thanin his 1966 Columbia recording of the work,but he generates real fire in the fugal finale.Throughout, he elicits fine playing from theCincinnati Symphony and some breathtaking-ly lovely a cappella work from the choir.

No small contribution to the overall successis the wonderfully transparent acoustic ambi-ance of Cincinnati's Music Hall, and the re-cording team of Marc Aubort and JoannaNickrenz has taken full advantage of it to pro-duce a truly beautiful -sounding disc. The am-bient quadraphonics add just the right amountof spatial illusion in four -channel playback. Irate this issue as extraordinary value. D.H.

SIBELIUS: The Tempest, Incidental Music,Op. 109 (excerpts). PETTERSSON: Mesto forString Orchestra. Swedish Radio SymphonyOrchestra, Stig Westerberg cond. SWEDISHDISCOED SLT 33203 $7.98 (from HNH Dis-tributors, P.O. Box 222, Evanston, III. 60204).

Performance. ExcellentRecording Very good

The Sibelius side of this disc is the same re-cording that was available on Westminstermono twenty years ago (then coupled with theingratiating King Christian II Suite); it wearsits years extremely well and is a really excel-lent performance. In his well-chosen se-quence of eleven of the most attractive piecesSibelius composed for The Tempest, StigWesterberg realizes more of the essence ofthis magical score than Jussi Jalas does in hisrecent recording of the two complete concertsuites (London CS -6824). Allan Pettersson'sMesto. a twenty -five-minute work laid out inthe manner of his one -movement symphonies

146 CIRCLE NO. 36 ON READER SERVICE CARDSTEREO REVIEW

(contrasting sections are seamlessly linkedtogether), was originally the third movementof his 1957 Concerto for Strings, but it as-sumed an independent status almost at once.It suggests itself as a vaguely defined tonepoem for strings, more or less in the traditionof such works as Schoenberg's VerklarteNacht and Strauss' Metamorphoses but withgreater inner contrast and in a language as dis-tinctively Pettersson's own (despite an occa-sional bit of Prokofiev) as that of his SeventhSymphony. Mesto is more readily digestiblethan the symphony, and Westerberg makes avery strong case for it. The recording, nearlyas old as that of the Sibelius, is similarly de-ceptive in its unconfined richness. Altogethera most intriguing release. R.F.

JOHANN STRAUSS: Vienna Waltzes. MadyMesple (soprano), Resi; Bernard Sinclair (ten-or), Strauss Junior; Christiane Stutzmann (so-prano), the Countess; Philippe Gaudin (ten-or), Leopold; Arta Verlen (soprano), Pepi;Pierre Bertin (baritone), Strauss Senior; oth-ers. The Rene Duclos Chorus; Orchestre duTheatre National de l'Opera-Comique, JeanDoussard cond. CONNOISSEUR SOCIETY CS2-2106 two discs $13.96.

Performance: GoodRecording: Very good

This is hybrid Strauss, and it originated backin the early 1930's, a time of acute economiccrisis in Austria. Responding to the treasury'sneed for foreign currency, two Viennese com-posers, Erich Wolfgang Korngold (whose DieTote Stadt had made him a continental celeb-rity) and Julius Bittner, came up with a typi-cally Austrian solution: an operetta for ex-port, based on Strauss melodies. ViennaWaltzes saw a long and successful run in Lon-don, then in Paris (with further adaptation)under the title of Valses de Vienne. Eventual-ly, in 1934, New York saw it, and Hollywoodinevitably followed shortly thereafter. Whilethe English version appears to have fadedfrom the picture, there seem to have beenseveral revivals of Valses de Vienne, whichexplains the present recording under the aus-pices of Pathe-Marconi, Paris.

The score combines some of the best-known melodies of both Strausses (The BlueDanube and the Radetzky March amongthem) with more unfamiliar tunes, all boundtogether with expert and loving care and fittedto a standard operetta plot based on the real -life rivalry between father and son. While 1am not particularly fond of synthetic productsof this kind-and Gallicizing Strauss under-lines its artificiality-there is no denying thecharm of the music and the expertness withwhich Korngold and Bittner accomplishedtheir task. Unlike some ill-advised latter-dayinnovators, they were content with the spiritof the original harmonizations and contrivedto preserve an authentic period sound.

Mady Mesple's spectacular singing of TheTales from the Vienna Woods is one of the al-bum's highlights. The other singers rangefrom good to good enough. Although the mu-sical direction could do with a little more snapon occasion, it sustains an infectious spiritthroughout. There is no libretto, but the notesby Maurice Tassart and Hans Fantel are un-usually informative. G.J.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITSZYMANOWSKI: Harnasie, Op. 55. Kazi-mierz Pustelak (tenor); Warsaw National Phil-

harmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Witold Ro-wicki cond. MUZA SX 1317 $6.911.

Performance ExcellentRecording: Very good

Harnasie (The Highland Robbers), which oc-cupied Szymanowski through most of his six-ties, is based on the folk legends of the TatraMountains. and he used actual tunes from theregion in his score. But the music is no more"folkish" than, say, Petrouchka. There arepassages with the barbaric vigor of the Polov-etsian Dances, others as subtly colored asDaphnis et Chloe. The strongest parallels sug-gested here are Bartok's Miraculous Man-darin and The Wooden Prince-not in anysense of direct resemblance (let alone imita-tion on Szymanowski's part), but by way of

categorizing Harnasie as a work whose stun-ning impact comes from a similar combinationof elements: a highly developed sense of fan-tasy, imaginative transformation of folk ele-ments, and the most original sort of brilliancein the orchestral writing. An earlier mono re-cording under Stanislaw Wislocki, because ofits sonic limitations, gave only the vaguestidea of what is in this score, and it may havebeen a bit less than complete as well. Rowickiand his associates give the very devil of a per-formance, the sound quality is very good in-deed, and the surfaces are fine. Since the cho-rus and the solo tenor do not merely vocalize,it would have been nice to have the text oftheir material, and 1 wish the jacket were lessflimsy. But in every way that matters this is animportant and richly enjoyable item, well

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DECEMBER 1976CIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD

14-

worth going out of your way to obtain-whichis where you'll have to go even though Muzasare now being handled by an American dis-tributor (Qualiton). R.F.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITTIPPETT: Symphony No. 1; Suite for theBirthday of Prince Charles. London Sympho-ny Orchestra, Colin Davis cond. PHILIPS 9500107 $7.98.

Performance: DefinitiveRecording: Rich and full

The Rupert Foundation, which sponsored Co-lin Davis' Philips recording of Tippett's ThirdSymphony two years ago, has put us furtherin its debt by supporting this stunning newone of the First which completes the recordedcycle of Tippett's extant symphonies by thesame conductor and orchestra (the Secondwas issued on Argo several years ago). Eachof these three symphonies has a characterdifferent from its two companions (thoughNos. I and 2 are not all that dissimilar), and Isuspect it is the First that would appeal mostto a "general" audience. It is a broad -scaled,large -gestured symphony, traditional in de-sign and almost (perhaps more than "al-most") romantic in outlook. It was written in1945, and its first movement in particular hasmuch in common with those vast, broodingmoderatos of Shostakovich-even though it isbrisker and conspicuously more concise. Agood deal of the work suggests a communityof spirit with some well-known end -of -the -war works by Shostakovich, Prokofiev,Bart6k, et al., but there is little in it that might

MICHAEL TIPPETT: the English character at its warmest

be mistaken for the music of any other com-poser. The actual themes may not be especial-ly memorable, but, from dramatic opening totragic slow movement to robust scherzo to ex-ultant double -fugue finale, the First Sympho-ny's openhearted expressiveness can hardlyfail to register.

It is one of the glories of the English char-acter, I think, that a man who served a prisonsentence for his pacifism in wartime wassubsequently commissioned to compose mu-sic to celebrate the birth of the royal heir, andeven achieved knighthood. The Birthday

Suite itself glows with that English characterat its warmest and reveals a thoroughly in-gratiating side of Tippett. The five brief move-ments incorporate old English and Frenchairs, a medieval carol, and music from two ofTippett's own operas, all in the most imagina-tive settings.

It is astounding that neither of these workshas been offered to us before, but gratifyingto have them at lest in these surely definitiveperformances, which Philips has captured inrich, full, beautifully defined orchestralsound. Don't miss this one. R.F.

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148CIRCLE NO 63 ON READER SERVICE CARD STEREO REVIEW

URBANNER: Third String Quartet (see WEB -ERN)

WAGNER: Der Ring des Nibelungen (see TheOpera File, page 57)

WEBERN: Five Pieces for String Quartet, Op.5; Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, Op. 9;String Quartet, Op. 2.9. HAUBENSTOCK-RAMATI: String Quartet No. I ("Mobile").URBANNER: Third String Quartet. AlbanBerg Quartet. TELEFUNKEN 6.41994 AW$6.98.

Performance SuperbRecording Excellent

Webern's quartet music was written in orderof interest. The Op. 5 is a wonderful set ofstring miniatures and remains far and awaythe composer's most performed work. It is of-ten heard in Webern's own string -orchestraarrangement, but this is the original quartetversion, and it is performed by the AlbanBerg Quartet to an intense fare-thee-well-Mahler in an atonal nutshell.

The Bagatelles, Op. 9, are also fascinatingworks. They come close to the outer extremeof conciseness and brevity. Extremism, al-though only occasionally a virtue and neverfor its own sake, is sometimes admired as if itwere an absolute good. In the course of devel-oping his aphoristic style, Webern replacedexpression with cleverness. While Op. 5 laysbare intense inner feelings, the Bagatellescover things over with masks.

The Op. 28 String Quartet represents a laterphase. What was discovered through an in-tense search for expression, and exploredthrough wit and cleverness, is now elaborate-ly formalized. This is a double formalism: tra-

Webern's teacher Schoenberg imposed onWebern's personal, inner vision. Beautifulplaying does not redeem its ultraformalism.

The two works on the overside of this discwere both written for the Alban Berg Quartet.Erich Urbanner is a middle -generation Austri-an composer with a rather sweet contempo-rary expressionist style. Roman Hauben-stock-Ramati, one of the older members ofthe European avant-garde and a resident ofVienna for many years, has produced a moreexperimental work in the form of a "mobile."The term is borrowed from Calder, of course,but the musical mobile was invented byHenry Cowell in the Twenties and developedlater by Earle Brown. The Haubenstock-Ramati Mobile here is a kind of Central Euro-pean version of the Brown open -form idea,artfully worked and perfectly correct in itsfar-out-ness but without, I'm afraid, any re-deeming social value. E. S .

COLLECTIONS

MARIAN ANDERSON: Spirituals. Deep Riv-er; He's Got the Whole World in His Hands;Roll, Jerd'n, Roll!; Go Down, Moses;Crucifixion; Sometimes I Feel Like a Mother-less Child; Let Us Break Bread Together;Plenty Good Room; Everytime I Feel de Spirit;If He Change My Name; 0 What a BeautifulCity; Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen;Hear de Lam's a-Cryin'; and eight others.Marian Anderson (contralto); Franz Rupp (pi-ano). RCA Vic-raoLA AVM 1-1735 $3.98.

RICHARD CROOKS: Songs of Stephen Fos-ter. Old Folks at Home; Beautiful Dreamer;


DECEMBER 1976

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The ideal way to save your valuable copies, keepthem well protected and make It easy for you torefer to any issue at any time. Both decorative andattractive enough to enhance the decor of any room,each case holds a full year's copies. Constructed ofreinforced fiberboard, these durable cases arecovered in a rich -textured leatherette. The goldembossed back adds to its elegance and makeseach case a welcome addition to your bookshelfor cabinet.Cases are available for your favorite magazines.Only $5.95 each. 3 for $15.50 in any combinationof titles, including all postage and handling charges.Outside U.S.A. add $1 per case.

CHARGE YOUR ORDER TO YOUR AMERICAN 4nFxPRESS. BANKAMFRiCARD. MASTERCHARGE OR DINERS CLUB ACCOUNT

Ziff -Davis Sere. Div., Dept. 11, 595 B'way, N.Y. 10012Please send the Magazine Cases indicated below:

TITLE QUANTITY

CHECK: All Black Maroon Back, Black Sides ENCLOSED IS $ sR 126

D CHARGE: 0 BankAmericard D Master Charge0 American Express 0 Diners Club

Account # Exp Date-Master Charge Interbank

(4 numbers over your name)

Signature

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Address

City State ZipResidents of Calif., Col., Fla., Ill., Mich., Mo.,N.Y. State, D.C. and Tex. add applicable sales tax.

OURNAME WON'TFOOL YOU ...

If

STI:It1:41:m14~NI.

Ot_r volume buying power enables usto pass our discount prices on to you.Send for your Free Hi Fi and CBCatalog ... or call for E price quote onour "Super Service" line ...

301-252-6880r- - - - - - ...ISR12

Name

Address

Cif, State Lp

I STEREO DISCOUNTERS 7A Aylesbury Rd.i Timonium, Md. 21092

CIRCLE NO 48 ON READER SERVICE CARD149

STEREO REVIEW MARKET PLACENON -DISPLAY CLASSIFIED: COMMERCIAL RATES: For firms or individuals offering commercial products or services, $2.10 per word (including name andaddress). Minimum order $31.50. Payment must accompany copy except when ads are placed by accredited advertising agencies. Frequency discount: 5% for 6months; 10% for 12 months paid in advance.READER RATE: For individuals with a personal item to buy or sell. $1.25 per word (including name and address). No minimum! Payment must accompany copy.DISPLAY CLASSIFIED: One inch by one column, $265.00. Two inches by one column, $530.00. Column width 2-1/4". Advertiser to supply film positives. Pleasewrite or phone for frequency rates.GENERAL INFORMATION: First word in all ads set in caps at no extra charge. All copy subject to publisher's approval. All advertisers using Post OfficeBoxesin their addresses MUST supply publisher with permanent address and telephone number before ad can be run. Ads are not acknowledged. They will appear inthe first issue to go to press after closing date. Closing Date: 5th of the 2nd month preceding cover date (for example, March issue closes January 5th). Sendorder and remittance to: Classified Advertising, STEREO REVIEW, One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016, Attn. Hal Cymes.

EQUIPMENT

WRITE for quotation on any Hi -A components: Sound Re-production Inc.. 460 Central Avenue, East Orange, N.J.07018. 201-673-0600.

NO fair trade laws in D.C. Write for discount prices on yourchoice of components. District Sound, Inc., 2316 R.I. Ave,N.E., Wash., D.C. 20018. (202) 832-1900.

STEREO TVThe SE 200 TE LEDAPTER EASILY CONNECTS TO ANY TV &STEREO SYSTEM Using our coupling and matrix circuit, teledapter takesa low impedance output horn the television and delivers two HIGHIMPEDANCE CHANNELS OF SIMULATED STEREO. to drive anyamp! eeeee Frequency response is ontemed so you can hear the tinkle ofpelts or booming bass sounds as It

mhappens on TV. With service warranty

and hookup instructions 519.95 ppd. Guaranteed to make your TV 100%mom *movable.OUR NEW TE.300 VHF. UHF TELEVISION Ugh Fidelity AUDIOTUNER is now available. Completely salid.state Recording and ampoutput lacks Anodized Alumsnum front panel and simulated WalnutCbriwt. 110 volt operation. 6169.95 ppd.SEND CHECK. M.O., MASTERCHARGE, or BANKAMERICARD NO.and Expiration date TO RHOADES NATIONAL CORP DEPT NO. SFBOX 017. HENDERSONVILLE. TENNESSEE 37075

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

DIAMOND NEEDLES and STEREO CARTRIDGES at DIS-COUNT PRICES for SHURE, PICKERING, STANTON. EM-PIRE, GRADO and ADC. Send for free catalog. LYLECARTRIDGES, Dept. S, Box 69, Kensington Station,Brooklyn, New York 11218.

ABSOLUTELY THE LOWEST PRICES on name brandstereo components. Send for our free catalog to BOSTONAUDIO EXCHANGE, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge,Mass. 02139.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Tampa, 1531 South Dale Mabry, Tampa, Florida 33609.

CANADIAN Discount Catalog. Name brand stereo and 4 -channel gear. Etco-3, 521 5th Ave. NYC 10017.DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Sarasota, 6564 Gateway Avenue, Sarasota, Florida33581.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Ft. Walton Beach, 652-D Beal Parkway, N.W., Ft. WaltonBeach, Florida 32548.

CROSSOVERS -Custom designed; fully tested; guaran-teed quality. Free Brochure. Write: Crossovers, Box 458,Placentia, CA 92670.

LOWEST PRICES on many brands of stereo components -4 day delivery, write for same day quotes. University StereoCooperative, 57 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, N.J.07450.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Mobile, 1770 Beltline Highway, Mobile, Alabama 36609.STEREO NEEDLES and CARTRIDGES -ADC, Audio Tech-nica, B&O, Empire, Grado, Micro Acoustics, Pickering,Ortofon, Shure, Sonus, Stanton, Supex, BSR, G.E., RCA.Sony, Panasonic and others. For FREE CATALOG, write:NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK, INC., P.O. Box 17436, Washing-ton, D. C. 20041.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Pensacola, 3731 Navy Boulevard, Pensacola, Florida32507.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta, 3164 Peachtree Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia30303.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta, 1030-3 Cherokee Road, Smyrna, Georgia 30080.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta, 4166 Buford Highway, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia30345.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta, 4162 Jonesboro Road, Zayre Center, ForestPark, Georgia 30050.DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof North Tampa, 1441 East Fletcher Avenue. Tampa, Florida33612.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta, 2769 Lakewood Avenue, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia30315.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Montgomery, 3386 Norman Bridge Road, Montgomery.Alabama 36105.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof St. Petersburg, 9151 Park Boulevard, North Largo,Florida 33037.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Panama City, 5220 West Highway 98, Suite 0, PanamaCity, Florida 32401.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta No. 6, Belvedere Plaza Shopping Center, 1203Columbia Drive, Decatur, Georgia 30032.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Knoxville, 5710 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee37919.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Birmingham, 123 Roebuck Plaza Drive, Birmingham,Alabama 35206.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Orlando, 1915 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida32803.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Miami, 1756 S. W. 8th Street, No. 201, Miami, Florida33135.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Jacksonville, 1239 Arlington Road & Lone Star, Jackson-ville, Florida 32211.DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Jacksonville, 6078 Old St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville,Florida 32217.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Clearwater, 1502 A Gulf To Bay Boulevard, Clearwater,Florida 33515.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Birmingham, 103 South 18th Street, Birmingham, Ala-bama 35233.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof MobileNillage Square, 301 South Craft Highway, Mobile,Alabama 36610.

SAVE UP TO 69% on over 100 top brand audiocomponents from Carston Studios. New England's AudioSupermarket, one of the oldest mail order firms (Est. 1952)and certainly one of the most reliable. All orders shippedfrom stocked warehouse. Send for price quote and pricelist. Carston Studios, Old Brookfield Rd., Danbury, Conn.06810.

PROFESSIONAL HI-FI COURSE -Instructors include LenFeldman, Julian Hirsch, Larry Klein, and Larry Zide. Homestudy course also available. Send $2.00 for full color AUDIOPRIMER and full information on joining Society Audio Con-sultants (SAC), 49 E 34th St., Dept. SR, New York, New York10016.

PERFECTIONISTS PREFER DYNAKITS. Before PurchaseYou Owe Yourself Our Quote. Mainline 11r, 971 Fronheiser,Johnstown, PA 15902.

NO GIMMICK! Buy new components at 50% discountsusing highly innovative purchasing methods. Fully legal.Request FREE information packet. Stereo Cost Cutters,Box 8014, Canton, Ohio 44711.

NO SACRED COWS. Top Discounts on BOSE, Infinity,Hegeman, ADS. Dual, Dyna, Sansui, Sony, Marantz,Yamaha, SAE, Klipsh, B&O, Teac, McIntosh, Citation,others. Seriously Audio Sales, 2126 Faulkner, Atlanta, GA30324. (404) 325-7353.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Ft. Lauderdale, 3347 North Federal Highway, Ft. Lauder-dale, Florida 33306.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Pensacola No. 2, 3820 North 9th Avenue, Pensacola,Florida 32503.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof North Miami Beach, 1807 N.E. 164th Street, Miami Beach,Florida 33162.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Tallahassee, 1119 Apalachee Parkway, Parkway Shop-ping Center, Tallahassee, Florida 32301.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Hialeah, 6741 West 4th Avenue, Hialeah, Florida 33012.

C BUY HI -Fl '1 /ADC DYNACO BS'COMPONENTS DUAL AR4cB,

THE MODERN SHERWOOD KOSSWAY: N7 MANY OTHERS

PHONE & MAILCall TOLL FREE or write for LOW PRICES

800/854-7769800/472-1783

Nationwide

California

McK SALES250 N THOMAS, PO BOX 2100

POMONA CA 91766

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Plantation, 231 South State Road 7, Plantation, Florida33317.

FANTASTIC DISCOUNTS on Hi-Fi Components. Write forFREE catalog! Gochenour's Sound House, P.O. Box 86,Eden, N.C. 27288.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Hollywood, 5719 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood,Florida 33021.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Ridgewood, 25 Godwin Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey07450.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Gainesville, 434 N.W. 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida32601.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Fair Lawn, 34-09 Broadway, Fair Lawn, New Jersey07410.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Dumont, 78 Washington Avenue, Dumont, New Jersey07628.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Boca Raton, 499 N.E. 20th Street, Boca Raton, Florida33431.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Atlanta No. 7, 215 Copeland Road, Atlanta, Georgia30342.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Jacksonville No. 3, Cedar Hills Shopping Center, 3716Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville ,nda 32210.

BUILD YOUR OWN SPEAKERS ANDSAVE UP TO 50%

huutS and sa,e IO hall !ha ,051 otcomparable speakers Snd 10, Our it..32.page catalogue of speaker kits, rawspeakers and accessoriesSPEAKERLABDept SRI. 55003501 N ESesnis Washington 11E1105

ESOTERIC AUDIO PRODUCTS - ARC, Magneplanar,Nakamichi, IMFried, Ampzilla, Quatre, Luxman, others.STEREO (phile) SHOP, 107 Third Ave. SE., Cedar Rapids,Iowa 52401Nillage Shopping Center, Davenport, Iowa52806.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Biloxi, 441 Porter Avenue, Biloxi, Mississippi 39530.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Ft. Myers, 3081 Cleveland Avenue, Ft. Myers, Florida33901.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Daytona, 1769 South Ridgewood, South Daytona, Florida32019.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Birmingham No. 3, 2134 A & B Warrior Road, Birming-ham, Alabama 35208.

AUDIO RESEARCH, MAGNEPLANAR, DAHLOUIST, LUX,QUAD and other supreme quality audio components avail-able from DKL SOUND LAB, 804 Burlington Ave., SilverSpring, Maryland 20910. (301) 588-6257. We ship anywherein U.S. Prepaid and Insured.

TAPE RECORDERSDYNAKITS, DYNASPEAKERS, SHURE, SME-lowestprices. FRIED LOUDSPEAKERS (not discounted). Perfect-ionist modifications. Underground HiFi Sales, 324a Broad -water Road, Arnold, MD 21012. (301) 647-0919.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Aurora, 10218 East Colefax, Colorado 80010.DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Westminster, 2969 West 72nd Avenue, Westminster, Col-orado 80030.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Macon, 1564 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon, Georgia31206.

DON'T PAY the high mail order prices. Thieves Warehouseof Pensacola No. 3, Town & Country Plaza, Pensacola,Florida 32505.

SANTA CLAUS KNOWS WHAT THE SERIOUS STEREOBUFF WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS. He wants the Dubie CD -5or CD -10 for multiple taping, mixing, dubbing and editing.The CD -5 works three recorders and the CD -10 works up tosix recorders at once. Available for Christmas at Olson andTeam Electronics stores for only $59.95. Or write Dubie, Rt.4, Box 98, Stigler, Oklahoma 74462.

GO TO BED with Music ...Control I automatically switchesyour system off. $49.95. Electromedia, P.O. 2611, Livingston,N.J. 07039.

CONFIDENTIAL: Pioneer or Akai "Dealer Cost List", $1.00each (U.S. currency). Box 463. Roswell, GA 30077.

FORMULA 4 PLS4/D the best sounding universal tone arm.available U.S. Dealers. Literature $1 bill. Mayware Ltd., 15Heather Walk, Edgware, Middlesex. England H.48 9TS.ELECTRO-VOICE SENTRY PRODUCTS. In stock: SentryIII, Sentry IV -A, and the new Sentry V professional loudspeaker systems for studio monitoring and demandinghome applications. Immediate shipment and next day airfreight delivery to most North American destinations. NA-TIONAL SOUND COMPANY, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. (305)462-6862.

NOW!! A Hi-Fi store specializing only in quality sound re-production equipment. Conveniently located in the heart ofthe Midwest. We feel that our contribution to the audiomarket lies in our consistent attitude to otter our customersa selection of only the finest in stereo components. Call orwrite us today and become one of the many happy and sat-isfied customers of HOOSIER ELECTRONICS, P.O. Box2001, Terre Haute, Indiana 47802. (812) 238-1456

FUTTERMAN direct -coupled output transformerless tubedamplifiers, we're manufacturers. Golden Ear's Referenceloudspeaker system utilizes satellites, bass commode.Sonically pure recordings. Free information. GOLDENEAR, Box 2189, Riverview, Michigan 48192. (313) 479-1234.

STEREO CO-OP - We're back, now purchase Pioneer,B.I.C. and E.P.I. directly from a manufacturers coop andrealize substantial savings. Guaranteed lowest prices andfull service. Write for specific price quotes. 5631 Balto.Nat'l. Pike, Balto., MD 21206.

SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS on most High -End lines.The Sound Affair, 364 Mission Court, St. Louis,

MO 63130.

TAPE AND RECORDERS

RENT 4 -track open reel tapes-tree brochure. Stereo-Parti,P.O. Box 7, Fulton, California 95401.

THRIFTIEST "Live"-Operatic, Symphonic-Tapes &Cassettes. P.O. Box 1101, Woodhaven, New York 11421..OPERA TAPES-Open Reel and Cassettes-Historical per-formances of past 40 years. Unbelievable treasures andrarities. Also LP records. Ed Rosen, 66-33 Saunders St.,Rego Park, N.Y. 11374.

GOLDEN AGE RADIO-your best source for radio tapes.Box 25215-T, Portland, Oregon 97225.

OLD RADIO PROGRAMS on tape. Thousands available.Six hours, $8.00. Catalogue, 50 cents. Nostalgic Radio, Box29-B, Peoria, IL 61601.

1930-1962 RADIO PROGRAMS. Reels, $1.00 hour!Cassettes, $1.00 show!... Mammoth Catalog, $1.25. AMTreasures, Box 192SR, Babylon, New York 11702.

YESTERDAY'S RADIO PROGRAMS on Tape. Catalog $1.00refundable first order. Reel -Cassette. ADVENTURES, Box4822-S, Inglewood, California 90302.OPERA CLASSICAL MUSIC Open Reels. Rare mostly livefree catalogue. K. Lohan Tapes, P.O. 298. Mastic Beach,N.Y. 11951.

TDK, BASF, Memorex, Maxell, cassettes, reels. 8 -tracks.Lowest prices, new guaranteed. S&S Audio, P. 0. Box56039, Harwood Heights, III. 60656.

OLD RADIO PROGRAMS. Two Catalogs $1.50, Cassettes81.59 hour, Reels four hours $5.00. Nostalgia Sounds, 4151Florence, Santa Susana, California 93063.

40,000 OLD RADIO SHOWS on Tape. Jazz/Big Band re-motes, Country/Western, discographies, anthologies,chronologies. Send $2 for huge catalog 1refundable). Mc-Coy's Recording, Box 10695, Richland, Washington 99352.

40 MODELS ABOVEAS LOW 5% DEALERAS... V COST

Send for discount sheets - also see our giant ad in nestweek's New York Times mail order section.

SAXITONE1716 Columbia Rd. NW Wash. D.C. 20009

3600' FRESH Low Noise, High Output Ampex tape. 10-1/2"metal reel, 6 for $35.00 plus $3.50 UPS. Other tapes also onspecial, write for catalog. S.1.C., P.O. 88338, Atlanta, GA30338.

WE WILL BEAT any distributor, wholesaler, jobber, ordealer in America. Featuring TDK, BASF, AMPEX, andothers. Tape World International, Box 231, Butler, PA16001.

MANY Superb Operatic Tapes. Bargain Prices. CompleteOperas, Recitals, Galas, Free Catalog From J. A. George,Box 601, STEREO REVIEW, Classified, 1 Park Ave., NYC10016.

MAXELL TAPE All widths. Lowest prices. Write NOW andSave! NAB Audio, Box 7, Ottawa, Illinois 61350.

SONAR'S OPEN REEL TAPES. Duped one-to-one frommaster. Quad, stereo; 1/4, 1/2 track; 7-1/2, 15 IPS; 7",10-1/2" reels. Highest quality anywhere! Send for catalog.Sonar Records, P.O. Box 4555, Kingsbridge Sta., Bronx,N.Y. 10463.

RADIO'S GOLDEN DAYS on tape. Reel, Cassette,Cartridge catalog. Radio Memories, Box 2297, NewportNews, VA 23602.

BASF TAPE: SPECIAL! Chrome C-90, $45/20 includingshipping. Other BASF tape 40%-55% off. INTERGALAC-TIC, 1043 Kirts, Troy, Michigan 48084.

THRILLING LIVE OPERA TAPES. Satisfaction Guaranteed.Enormous Free Catalogue. Live Opera, Bcx 3141, SteinwayStation, LIC, N.Y. 11103.OLDTIME RADIO BROADCASTS. Free catalogue. (Wedon't sell catalogues-just superior quality tapes.) Carl R.Froelich, Route One, New Freedom, Pennsylvania 17349.

EVERYTHING ON OPEN REEL! Classical. Popular. Dolby.Quadraphonic Latest releases. For "Reel News," send$1.00. Barclay -Crocker, Room 857 S, 11 Broadway, NewYork 10004.

LIQUIDATING ST-OC Collection, many rarities, list 25cents (refundable). Box 1912, Hollywood. FL 33022.SCOTCH RECORDING TAPE, exclusively, all new, lowestprices. TAPE CENTER, Box 4305, Washington, D.C. 20012.

RECORDS

SHOW ALBUMS, Rare, Out -of -Print LP's. 52 pg. list. 50cents. Broadway/Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown,Conn. 06829.PROTECT your LP'S-Poly sleeves for jackets 8 cents;Round Bottom Poly Inner sleeves 7 cents. Poly lined paper15 cents; white jackets 35 cents. Postage $1.50. RecordHouse, Hillbum, N.Y. 10931.

THOUSANDS like new LP's and prerecorded tapes.Catalogue $1.50. Records, Hillbum, New York 10931.COLLECTORS' Soundtracks. Mint. List 50 cents (refund-able). Jemm's, P.O. Box 157, Glenview, Ill. 60025.

SOUNDTRACK RECORD ALBUMS-Mail Auction-FreeList. Whalon, 2321D Hill, Redondo Beach, Calif. 90278.

LouisvilleOrchestraFirst Edition Records

Now in Retail Stores' For Catalogue. write:

TM LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA333 W Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202

QUADRAPHONIC RECORDS AND TAPES-World'slargest selection - all labels, over 1000 titles - at discountprices! For your free illustrated quad catalog, write: SOUNDCONCEPTS, Box 654-A, Peoria, IL 61601.

RECORD RATERS WANTED! Anyone qualifies. We shipyou nationally released LP's to rate. We pay postage andhandling. You pay nothing for LP's. All you pay is smallmembership fee. Applicants accepted "first come basis."Write: EARS., Inc., Dept. SR, Box 10245, 5221 W. CenterStreet, Milwaukee, WI 53210.OLDER JAZZ, Swing, LP's - lowest prices. Monthly lists.Soundtracks, Auctions! Records, Box 11388, Whittier,Calif. 90609.SOUNDTRACKS, ORIGINAL CASTS, PERSONALITIES -Free Newsletter/Auction. RTSR, 3700 Plaza, F211, SantaAna, California 92704.

CASH for unwanted LP's and pre-recorded reel-to-reeltapes. TAPES, Hillburn PO, New York 10931

RARE RECORDS, 45's, 78's, 33's, Soundtracks, Original,Cast Personalities, all kinds, mostly mint, 5,000 record lists.$2.00. Refundable. Dealers Welcomed. Gurley, Box A72,Princeton, N.C. 27569.

ADVENT RECORDS Superb recordings for the discriminat-ing audiophile. Free Catalog. 4150 Mayfield Road, Cleve-land, Ohio 44121.SOUNDTRACKS. Original casts. Large discount catalog 25cents. STAR -163, Box 387, Owings Mills, MD 21117.

PROTECT YOUR ALBUMS. White cardboard replacementjackets 35 cents. Plastic lines inner sleeves 15 cents. Post-age $'.25. Record boxes and 78 sleeves available. CABCO,400-1, Box 8212, Columbus, Ohio 43201.

DECEMBER SPECIALS: Jazz, Rock, Classical LP's, Tapes;Cutouts, Imports. 45's; Record Finder Services. Catalogs$1. NERT, Box 268SR, Lawrence, Mass. 01842.

CONNOISSEURS, collectors of church music: St. John'sFestival Choir Detroit, Huw Lewis, John Birch, organists.Works of Howells*, Maekelberghe*, Vittoria, Byrd, Stan-ford. Franck. Quadraphonic disc $5 ppd. (..not previouslyrecorded). Festival, 50 E. Fisher Freeway, Detroit 48201.

IMPORTED CLASSICAL, FOLK, JAZZ AND ROCK recordsfrom Eastern Europe. Send for free catalogue to: QUALI-TON RECORDS, LTD., 65-37 Austin Street, Rego Park, N.Y.11374.

RARE CLASSICAL. Soundtracks, Musicals, Personalities,Imports. Enormous catalog 50 cents. Grammy's Attic, Box181, Bluffton, S.C. 29910.

HARD TO GET Soundtrack, Show, Personality, Folk, LP's.Free List, Davidson, 6114 Gist, Baltimore, MD 21215.

OUT -OF -PRINT Records: Musicals, Soundtracks,Personalities. List $1.00 (refundable). Cohawk Services,278 W. 19th St., No. 1, NY, NY 10011.

HARD TO FIND Soundtracks, Disco, Rock. Some set price.Periodic auctions - Send $1.00 for auction list. The VinylJunkie, P.O. Box 3598, L.A., CA 90028.

HARD -TO -FIND Soundtracks, Shows, Nostalgia. SuperbImported, Domestic selections. Catalog $1.00 (refundable).List Communications, P.O. Box 916-x, NYC 10023.

CLASSICAL LP's pop/current. List. Collections bought.MIS PAUSICA, 13 Dante St, Larchmont, NY 10538.OLDIES oldies, 45rpm. Also current hits. Free Catalog. Cor-ny's Record Shop, Box 166HL, Mason, Ohio 45040.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

I MADE $40,000.00 Year by mailorder! Helped others makemoney! Free Proof. Torrey, Box 318 -NN, Ypsilanti,Michigan 48197.

MAILORDER MILLIONAIRE helps beginners make $500weekly. Free report reveals secret plan! Executive (1K12).333 North Michigan, Chicago 60601.HI -Fl ENTHUSIASTS WANTED!! Earn more than just sparemoney in your spare time. We need campus representativesto sell name brand stereo components at discount prices inyour area. High commission, no investment required.Serious inquiries only, please. Contact: Alan Weisberg,K&L Sound Services Co., 75 No. Beacon St., Watertown,Mass. 02172. (617) 787-4073.

GET RICH with Secret Law that smashes debts and bringsyou 5500 to $5 Million cash. Free report! Credit 4K12, 333North Michigan, Chicago 60601.FREE SECRET BOOK "2042 UNIQUE, Proven Enterprises."Fabulous "Little Knowns." Work Home! Haylings-B, Carls-bad, Calif. 92008.STEREO REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED!!! Sell 100 brands!!Lowest Possible Prices!! Krasco, 623 Campbell Ave., WestHaven, Conn. 06516.CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES wanted to sell name brandHi-Fi components at discount prices in spare time. Write:Sound Savings, 18506 N.E. 5th Ave., N. Miami Beach,Florida 33179. (305) 652-7610.

BROADCAST STATION-FM or CABLE; excellent income,free tapes -records. Free details, "Broadcasting", Box 5516-RL, Walnut Creek, CA 94596.

MAKE $300 nightly. Complete mobile disco for sale. SoundOut console, custom base, Nimrod speakers, hundreds ofalbums and singles. Used less than 30 hours. Will ship inoriginal cartons. Pictures and information available%bats, Rt. 3, Box 76, Orange. VA 22960. (703) 672-2571even ngs.

PLANS AND KITS

TAPE -SLIDE Synchronizer, lap -dissolve, multiprojector,audiovisual plans, $8.50. Sampler, $1.00. Millers, 1896Maywood, S. Euclid, OH 44121.

TUBES

TV and Radio Tubes 36 cents. Free 48 page color catalog.Cornell, 4215-H University, San Diego, California 92105.

MARIAN ANDERSON, RICHARD CROOKS: reissues o

My Old Kentucky Home; Come Where MyLove Lies Dreaming; Oh! Susanna; Old BlackJoe; I Dream of Jeanie with the Light BrownHair; Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground; Ah!May the Red Rose Live Alway; De CamptownRaces. Richard Crooks (tenor); the Balla-deers; Frank LaForge (piano). RCA Vic-TROLA AVM 1-1738 $3.98.

Performances Great artists in theirspecialties

Recordings: Good for the period

There were some notable parallels in the ca-reers of Marian Anderson, born in Phila-

FOR SALE

WE PRODUCE records that demand excellence inequipment. Insight Records, 7726 Morgan AvenueSouth, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55423.OPERA NEWS from 1949 on. Detailed list 25 cents. PaulSamuel, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

UP TO 60% DISCOUNT. Name brand instruments Catalog.Freeport Music. 114 0. Mahan St., W. Babylon, N.Y. 11704.

ORGANS - PA SYSTEMS, Electronic Pianos - StringSynthesizers - Speakers - Guitar Amplifiers - ElectronicSound Rotators. Modern integrated circuitry. Factoryassembled or easy -to -build custom kits. Send one dollar(refunded with first purchase) to: WERSI Electronics. Dept.G, Box 5318, Lancaster, PA 17601.

WANTED

GOLD, silver, platinum, mercury wanted. Highest pricespaid by refinery. Ores assayed. Free circular. MercuryTerminal, Norwood, MA 02062.

HYPNOTISM

FREE Hypnotism, Self -Hypnosis, Sleep Learning Catalog!Drawer H400, Ruidoso, New Mexico 88345.

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delphia in 1902, and Richard Crooks(1900-1972), a native of neighboring Trenton,New Jersey. Both began as church singersand both developed early and auspiciously,yet chose to go to Europe to perfect their artand gain their first recognition. Eventually,both artists reached the Met (though Ander-son got there much too late and then only in asymbolic capacity), but opera was not to betheir true métier. Richard Crooks was a balla-deer, America's latter-day, native-born JohnMcCormack, and a hugely popular singer ofthe airwaves; Marian Anderson became theembodiment of faith and aspirations.

6

I

Her Victrola reissue, identical in content toRCA 2032, long deleted, offers spirituals re-corded in 1947 and 1952. That period is someyears past the recordings that captured theunique Anderson voice in its full opulence,but the deep-felt eloquence of Crucifixion andthe booming sonority of Hear the Lam's a-Cryin' give us cherished glimpses of a glori-ous instrument. Above all, there are a dedica-tion and spirituality about her singing thatmake technical flaws seem insignificant.

The Crooks disc (once available as Camden124) was recorded in 1937, in the artist'sprime. It is near -perfect: lovely tone, sensi-tive phrasing, excellent diction. The songs,beautiful to begin with, are enhanced by anapproach that clearly suggests that, despitethe 1860 vocabulary of his texts, which arejarring to today's ear, Foster's songs deservethe same fastidious care as those of Schubertor Faure.

Both discs have been cleanly reproduced;the more modern Anderson release offersmore naturalness of sound. G.J.

CARMINA BURANA: Volume 3-Songs ofSpring and Love; Songs of Gamblers. Olim su-dor Herculis; Virent prata hiemata; Officiumlusorum. Clemencic Consort, Rene Clemen-cic cond. HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 337 $7.98.

Performance: Wonderful Gamblers' MassRecording: Very good

This is the twelfth -century Carmina Bura-na-the original Bavarian collection of secu-lar tunes, bawdy ballads, drinking songs, andecclesiastical blasphemy that lights up a cor-ner of the Dark Ages. The Officium lusorum

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MICROPHONE RECORDING TECHNIQUES. New hand-book covers professional microphone techniques for alltypes of musical instruments. Also sections on microphoneprinciples, types and connections. $3.95 ppd. MTA, Dept.SR, 4260 Lankershim Blvd., No. Hollywood, CA 91602. Cali-fornia residents add 24 cents tax.

1977 STEREODIRECTORY &BUYING GUIDE

All the latest informationon stereo and quadra-phonic systems and com-ponents for your home. Acomplete guide to morethan 2000 products in all-with complete specifi-cations, descriptions and

prices. PLUS bonus feature articles. A must foranyone concerned with good sound.Order your copy from Ziff -Davis Publishing Com-pany, Consumer Service Division, 595 Broadway,New York, N.Y. 10012. Enclose $2.25 ($1.95plus 30e for postage and handling). Outside U.S.A.$3.00, postpaid.Residents of Calif., Colo., Fla., III., Mich., Mo.,N.Y. State, D.C. and Tex. add applicable sales tax(postage and handling charges are non-taxable).

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RUBBER address stamps. Free catalog. 45 type styles. 16mm SOUND Features, Shorts, New, Used for Sale. Free WINEMAKERS. Free illustrated catalog of yeasts, equip -Jackson's, Dept. K, Brownsville Rd., Mt. Vernon, III. 62864.

152

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STEREO REVIEW

or Gamblers' Mass is an extraordinary parodyof a Catholic service-a Black Mass, not inthe service of Satan but in the service of theGod of Fortune and his dice -throwing, wine -drinking disciples:

"Let us play. Lord God who has given us thepower to admire the evils of the three dice,grant us eternal sorrow to mourn their comingtogether. . . . Almighty and eternal God,who has sown great discord between the peas-ants and the clerics, grant, we pray, that wemay live off their hard earned labor, that wemay use their women, and that we may al-ways rejoice on the occasion of their death."

Rene Clemencic's realization is hair-rais-ing, with an extraordinary bellowing of voicesand clattering of instruments. Was this fear-ful, drunken noise actually perpetrated insidethe precincts of the church or just confined tothe tavern or bawdy house? Or was it per-formed this way at all? How genuinelytwelfth -century this interpretation actually isis beyond demonstration or rebuttal. Butmodern performance of old music should addup to something. The Gamblers' Mass hereadds up to down-to-earth stuff with a strongand wonderful flavor.

I have mixed feelings about the other sideof the album. The Labors of Hercules is dis-tinguished by some fancy and imaginative in-strumental work, but the singing seems tameand rather dull beside it. The rest of the side isoccupied by a rather passionate spring/lovesong pleasantly performed. E.S.

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Performance Not placidRecording: Loud and clear

As the repertoire indicates, Placido Domingomakes a big play in this pop -styled effort toconquer the Lanza audience, choosing thelate tenor's worldwide hit as the collective ti-tle. In the liner, Mr. Domingo expresses hisbelief that Because, too, was made famous byLanza. That was achieved by someone namedCaruso long before Lanza was born.

There is no denying that (a) Domingo has alovely voice and (b) he works very hard tomake this recital a success. Too hard. Heoversells every one of these very effectivesongs and compromises his usually exemplarystandards of musicianship in the process.Accompanied by a hybrid pop/classic aggre-gation that impersonates the London Sym-phony Orchestra-with a hopelessly waywardrhythm section-the tenor is entrapped byfrantic and charmless orchestrations goingfrom climax to climax without achieving realsatisfaction.

I don't know much about that "Lanza mar-ket." Who knows, this may become a million -seller. All 1 know at this point is that I was ex-hausted by it. G.J.

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RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITIX )ROTH1 DOROW, GUNILLA VONBAHR, LUCIA NEGRO: Recital. Adam:Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, maman."Dell'Acqua: Villanelle. Benedict: La Capin -era. Roussel: Deux Poemes de Ronsard.Alabieff: The Russian Nightingale. Mozart: IIRe Pastore: L'amere, sad, costante. Bishop:Lo! Here the gentle lark. Dorow: Pastourelles,pastoureux; Dream. Dorothy Dorow (so-prano); Gunilla von Bahr (flute); Lucia Negro(piano). Bis LP 45 $7.98 (from HNH Distribu-tors, P.O. Box 222, Evanston, III. 60204).

Performance Virtuosic and tastefulRecording Very good

This interesting Swedish import teams upthree fine musicians headed by English -bornsoprano Dorothy Dorow, an erstwhile pupilof Maggie Teyte who has lived in Swedensince 1963. The program is modeled on thoselegendary salon entertainments that used todelight Queen Victoria, but then it veers offinto unexpected directions. Surely, the im-pressionistic songs of Roussel and Miss Do -row's own weirdly fascinating Dream (withunconventional vocal and instrumentaleffects) are the kind of repertoire Adelina Pat-ti or Jenny Lind would not have touched witha ten -foot lorgnette.

The arrangements are in good taste. MissDorow hits a few high F's in alt, but, as a rule,virtuosity is not stressed for its own sake eventhough it is there in abundance. The flutetakes the violin obbligato part in the Mozartaria as if it had been written for it. In someways, the program is reminiscent of the Salli

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Terri/Laurindo Almeida series (Angel); it isdifferent, well done, and well recorded, and Irecommend it. G.J.

MARIA FOLTYN: Opera Recital. Mosiuszko:Halka: Arias from Act II and Act IV. Puccini:La Boheme: Mi chiamano Mimi. Tosco: Vissid'arte. Verdi: Aida: 0 patria mia. Un Ballo inMaschera: Morn?), ma prima in grazia. Wag-ner: Lohengrin: Einsam in triiben Tagen.Maria Foltyn (soprano); Orchestra of the Pol-ish Radio and Warsaw Opera Orchestra, Ar-nold Rezler and Zygmunt Latoszewski cond.MUZA XL 1017 $6.98.

Performance: First-rateRecording: Fiftyish sound

The brief liner on this Polish import (Volume Iin the series "Famous Polish Singers") callsMaria Foltyn "one of Poland's finest singersof the post-war period." Other complimenta-ry statements follow, all well deserved, I amhappy to say. This is indeed a cultivated sing-er with a warm -hued, well -equalized spintotimbre and a bright -sounding, easily producedtop. Otherwise, information about the artist isshrouded in the usual East -European obscuri-ty. Apparently, since her debut in 1949 shehas appeared in various European theaters,but now her active singing days seem to beover and she has become a successful stagedirector.

Except for a far too cautiously paced "0patria mia" (and even that is well sung), thisis a most enjoyable program, and hearing thetwo Puccini arias in Polish only adds spice toit. Naturally, the two arias from Halka aremodel interpretations. The recorded sound ispre -stereo but listenable. This is an artistworth knowing. G.J.

INTERNATIONAL PIANO ARCHIVES: Re-citals by Arthur Loesser, Ferruccio Busoni,Wanda Landowska, Isaac Albeniz, JoaquinMalats, Enrique Granados, Frank Marshall,Alicia de Larrocha, Harold Bauer, LeopoldGodowsky, Mischa Levitzki, and Josef Hof-mann (see Going on Record, page 62)

UNPLAYED BY HUMAN HANDS: A Com-puter -Performed Organ Recital. Rimsky-Kor-sakov: Flight of the Bumble -Bee. Roger-Ducasse: Pastorale in F Major. Mozart: Over-ture to "The Marriage of Figaro." Joplin: Ma-ple Leaf Rag. J. S. Bach: Concerto in A Minor(after Vivaldi, BWV 593). Ives: Variations on"America." Digital Equipment CorporationPDP-8 (high-speed, real-time, general-pur-pose digital computer); ninety -rank Schlikerpipe organ, All Saints Church, Pasadena, Cal-ifornia; Prentiss Knowlton, producer, corn -

LUCIA NEGRO, DOROTHYDOROW, GUNILLA VON BAHR:salon entertainment veeringoff in unexpected directions

puter programmer. CREATIVE RECORD SERV-ICE R 9115 $7.00 (from Computer Humanities,2310 El Moreno Street, La Crescenta, Calif.91214).

Performance ProgrammedRecording: Recorded by human hands

The pipe organ, like most keyboard instru-ments, is a kind of music machine, and it wasonly a matter of time before someone figuredout how to program it. Unlike the synthesiz-ers or computer -music projects, the actualsounds here are made by the conventional in-strument; only the instructions for playing itare computer -programmed. This is, of course,exactly the same principle as the player piano,which gives you an idea of how far technolo-gy has taken us in three-quarters of a century.

Not all the selections are in the worst oftaste. Some of this is actually appropriate tothe pipe organ, and the realization sounds likeperfectly competent provincial organ playing.Of course, a competent provincial organistcomes a lot cheaper than the computer andprogrammer time that it took to produce thisdisc, but then you can't stop the progress ofthe "humanities," can you? E.S.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITFRITZ WUNDERLICH: Viennese OperettaRecital. Lehir: The Land of Smiles: Immernur lacheln; Von Apfelbluten einen Kranz;Dein ist mein ganzes Herz. Der Zarewitsch:Wolgalied. J. Strauss: A Night in Venice:Ach, wie so herrlich zu schau'n. 'admit': DieZirkusprinzessin: Zwei Miirchenaugen. Count-ess Maritza: Komm Zigany; Griiss mir meinWien. Neuendorff: Der Rattenfanger: Wand -ern, ach wandern. Fall: Der Fidele Bauer: 0frag mich nicht. Die Rose von Stambul: ZweiAugen; Ihr stillen, siissen Frau 'n. Fritz Wun-derlich (tenor); various orchestras and con-ductors. ANGEL S-37108 $6.98.

Performance: ExemplaryRecording: Generally good

In various previous incarnations (mainly onCapitol 8688) these selections have beenaround before, and it is good to have themavailable once again. The late Fritz Wunder-lich was a singer of great natural charm,which, combined with his temperament, in-nate musicality, and bright, gleaming tenor,made him an exceptional operetta interpreter.What he does here ranks with the best ofSchwarzkopf and Gedda in this repertoire.

The program has been well chosen. Theless familiar Fall and Neuendorff items aregood enough to keep company with the oth-ers-and that is high praise.

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DECEMBER 1975 155

STEREO REVIEW1q7b EDITORIAL INDEX

AUDIO BASICS (Hodges)Glossary of Technical Terms -24, Jan. 20Glossary of Technical Terms -25, Feb. 20Buying a Tape Recorder, Mar. 24Glossary of Technical Terms -26, Apr. 28Glossary of Technical Terms -27, May 25Audio Education Continued, Jun. 20The New London Cassettes, Jul. 30Speakers: A Short Course, Aug. 16Glossary of Technical Terms -28, Sep. 25The New Angel Cassettes, Oct. 12Glossary of Technical Terms -29, Nov. 26Glossary of Technical Terms -30, Dec. 36

AUDIO NEWSAmplifier Power Ratings; Speaker Patent Upheld;

Uri Geller, Blessing the Pressing (Klein), Jan. 18Reverb and Reality (Klein), May 22Improving TV Sound (Livingstone), Oct. 28Cleaning Up Caruso (Klein), Nov. 30

EQUIPMENT REVIEWS(Hirsch -Houck Laboratories)

Amplifiers and PreamplifiersBGW 500D power amplifier, May 30Crown IC -150A preamplifier, Oct. 48Epicure Model Four Preamplifier, May 29Heath AA -1640 power amplifier, kit report adden-

dum, Oct. 54Heath Modulus audio components (kits), May 36Kenwood KA-7300 amplifier, Nov. 44Luxman L-100 amplifier, Mar. 33Rotel RA -I412 amplifier, Feb. 37SAE Mark 2500 (and Mark XXV) power amplifier,

Jun. 38

Cassette DecksAkai GXC-325D, Jul. 37Nakamichi 600, Nov. 35Sonab C500, Apr. 38Tandberg TCD-310, Feb. 36Uher CR 134, addendum, Feb. 40

HeadphonesAKG Model K-240, Jun. 32Sennheiser HD 224X, Dec. 50Stax SR -5, Jul. 40

Open -reel Tape DecksDokorder 1140 -see Quadraphonic EquipmentSony TC-880-2, Sep. 35

Phono CartridgesEmpire 2000Z, Oct. 44Micro -Acoustics 2002-e, Dec. 44Sonus Blue and Red Label, Aug. 28

Quadraphonic EquipmentDokorder 1140 four -channel tape deck, Feb. 29

Receivers, AM/Stereo FMNikko 7075, Aug. 32Onkyo TX -4500, Oct. 31Realistic STA-90, Mar. 46Sansui 9090, Jun. 27Tandberg TR-2075, Sep. 48Technics SA -5550, Jan. 32

Speaker SystemsDesign Acoustics D-2, Jul. 42Electro-Voice Interface:B, Apr. 36ESS AMT -la, Jun. 34Frazier Concerto, Mar. 44Genesis I, May 34Jensen Model 24, Oct. 40Leslie DVX, Jan. 34Onkyo Model 8, Feb. 34Tannoy Cheviot, Sep. 46

156

TunersKensonic Accuphase T-100, Jan. 25McKay Dymek AM5 AM tuner (and DA5 antenna).

Aug. 21Pioneer TX -6500, Nov. 52

Turntables, Automatic and ManualADC Accutrac 4000, Sep. 42Dual 510, Aug. 34Garrard 9900, Apr. 35Lenco L-85 IC, Jul. 44Miracord Model 825, Mar. 42Pioneer PL -15D -II, Jan. 36Sony PS -4750, Nov. 50Technics SL -1350, Dec. 41

Other EquipmentMXR stereo equalizer, Dec. 48Netronics Iso-Mount turntable sub -base, Jun. 30Phase Linear 1000 Autocorrelator noise -reduction

system, Apr. 42

TAPE HORIZONS (Stark)Phasing the Music, Jan. 22Drop That Mike, Feb. 24Measure for Measure, Mar. 28Recorder Overhaul, Apr. 30Recorder Fundamentals -An Overview, May 27Playback Equalization, Jun.22Lost in the Gap, Jul. 34Lost in Space, Aug. 18Record vs. Playback, Sep. 30Recorded Response, Oct. 26Recording Equalization, Nov. 32Signal Saturation, Dec. 38

TECHNICAL TALK (Hirsch)Cartridge/Arm Compatibility, Jan. 24AES Convention, Feb. 28A Decade of Tape Progress, Mar. 32Polishing the Golden Ear, Apr. 34Peak and Average Power Revisited, May 28Consumers Union Does It Again!, Jun. 26Speaker Testing Again, Jul. 36How to Judge Loudspeakers, Aug. 20Spectrum Analysis, Sep. 34Meters in Audio Components, Oct. 30Phono-cartridge Tracking Force, Nov. 34Weighting Curves, Dec. 40

TECHNICAL FEATURESAudio Accessories for Christmas (Hodges), Dec. 84Azimuth, The Problem of -see Cassette Perform-

anceCartridges -see Record WearCassette Deck, What to Look for in a (Hirsch), Oct.

64Cassette Performance, Optimizing (Kempler), Mar.

68Chromium Dioxide Pro and Con (Petite, Sivertsen),

Mar. 65Clean Up and 'Dine Up Your Audio System (Stark),

Jun. 48Consumer Electronics Show -see EquipmentDisc Quality -see Hot PlattersEqualizers, Audio (Shanefield), May 64Equipment: Can You Really Hear Those Hi-fi

Specs? (Cotter), Jan. 52Equipment, New: A Preview of Next Year's Sound

Equipment (Hodges), Sep. 64Equipment Performance: Using Interstation FM

Hiss to Test Recorders and Speakers (Ferstler),Nov. 74

Frequency -response Adjustments -see EqualizersHard Rock, Soft Ears (Burd), Feb. 52Hearing Loss -see Hard RockHot Platters (Hodges), Apr. 58Loudspeaker, Anatomy of the (Klein), Aug. 46Loudspeaker Placement: The Speaker and the Lis-

tener (Allison), Aug. 56Multitrack: A Whole New World of Tape Equipment

(Woram, Hodges), Mar. 60

V "I41\:% jraft-N

Receiver, How to Buy a (Hirsch), Dec. 66Recorder Testing -see Equipment PerformanceRecord Wear (Mastricola), Jul. 56Speaker Testing -see Equipment PerformanceTape -see Chromium DioxideTape Equipment -see Multitrack

THE BASIC REPERTOIRE (Bookspan)Beethoven's Rasumovsky Quartets, Nov. 64Brahms' Hungarian Dances, Sep. 60Brahms' Symphony No. 1, May 51Chopin's Waltzes, Aug. 44Dvotak's New World Symphony, Mar. 58Frank's Sonata for Violin and Piano, Apr. 57Franck's Symphony in D Minor, Jun. 46Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Jul. 54Mozart's Horn Concertos, Dec. 64Schubert's String Quintet in C Major, Jan. 50Schubert's Trout Quintet, Oct. 62Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, Feb. 50

BEST OF THE MONTHClassicalBerta: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 3, Oct. 86Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Apr. 78Bizet: Carmen, Dec. 97Brahms: Hungarian Dances, May 78Donizetti: Maria Stuarda, Aug. 67Elgar: The Kingdom, Op. 51, Apr. 77Gilbert and Sullivan: Utopia Limited, or The Flow-

ers of Progress, Oct. 87Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Apr. 79Ives: Songs, Sep. 86Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer, Jul. 84Martin: Six Monologues from "Jedermann," Jul. 84Mendelssohn: Songs, Dec. 100Milhaud: Saudades do Brasil; Trois Rag -Caprices;

Le Printemps, Feb. 74Mozart: Sonatas for Piano and Violin, Nov. 89Mozart: Symphony No. 26, in E -flat Major; Inciden-

tal Music to Thamos, King of Egypt, Jan. 76Pierne: Les Enfants 0 Bethleem, Dec. 96Prokofiev: Piano Concertos, Jun. 72Rachmaninoff: Songs, Oct. 86Schubert: Quintet in C Major, Op. 163, Mar. 79Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 7, 13, and 14,

Aug. 68Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin, Jan. 75Thomson, Virgil: Music for the Films, Jul. 89Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera, Mar. 80Verdi: II Corsaro, Sep. 86

Bergonzi, Carlo: Verdi Recital, Sep. 85Caballe, Montserrat: Music of Spain, Zarzuela

Arias, Nov. 88Price, Margaret: Mozart Arias, Nov. 89Rogers, Nigel: Canti Amorosi, Jun. 71Sills, Beverly: Music of Victor Herbert, Feb. 73

The Art of Courtly Love, May 77

PopularAtkins, Chet, and Les Paul: Chester and Lester,

Jun. 73The Band: The Best of the Band, Dec. 98Braxton, Anthony: Five Pieces 1975, Feb. 76Cole, Natalie: Natalie, Oct. 85Goodman, Steve: Words We Can Dance To, Aug. 69Green, Al: Full of Fire, Jul. 85Harper, Roy: When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease, Jun. 74L.A. Four: The L.A. 4, Sep. 88Lightfoot, Gordon: Gord's Gold, Mar. 80Lightfoot, Gordon: Summertime Dream, Oct. 87Manilow, Barry: This One's for You, Dec. 99McGarrigle, Kate and Anna, May 78McLoone, Annie: Fast Annie, Jun. 73McRae, Carmen: Can't Hide Love, Dec. 98Midler, Bette: Songs for the New Depression, May

79Mitchell, Joni: The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Feb.

75National Lampoon: Good-bye Pop, 1952-1976, Jul.

84 (Continued on page 158)

STEREO REVIEW

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Perhaps the clearest sound reproduction you have ever encountered.

1976 EDITORIAL INDEX(Continued from page 156)

Parks, Van Dyke: Clang of the Yankee Reaper, Mar.81

Simon, Carly: Another Passenger. Nov. 88Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes:1 Don't Want

to Go Home. Sep. 87Starland Vocal Band, May 80Steeleye Span: All Around My Hat, Apr. 79Syms, Sylvia: Sylvia Syms, Lovingly, Aug. 70Turner, Tina: Acid Queen, Jan. 76Walker, Jerry Jeff: Ridin' High, Jan. 77Watson, Doc: Doc and the Boys, Nov. 90Wood, Roy: Mustard, Apr. 80Wyman, Bill: Stone Alone, Jul. 86Zevon, Warren, Aug. 69

Vaudeville: Songs of the Great Ladies of the Musi-cal Stage, Nov. 87

CHOOSING SIDES (Kolodin)The Winds of Mozart, Jan. 100Schubert for Piano or Pianists, Feb. 96Copland (and Others) on Copland, Mar. 106Sir Georg Solti and the Beethoven Nine, Apr. 108Rubinstein's Beethoven Concertos (Mark Ill), May

110The Quartets of Franz Schubert, Jun. 96Late, Later, Last Beethoven, Jul. 104The Singular French Symphony, Aug. 90Rex: Sex, Vex, Hex, Sep. 114Old Man Disc vs. Kid Cassette, Oct. 114Strauss on Strauss, Nov. 134The Orchestral World of Edvard Grieg, Dec. 132

EDITORIALLY SPEAKING (Anderson)Hall of Fame, Jan. 4Musical Attitudes: Four Types, Feb. 4Crossovers, Mar. 4The Entertainment of History, Apr. 4Welcome to the Basic Repertoire, May 4Opera as a Spectator Sport, Jun. 4They're All Singing Our Songs, Jul. 6Alicia and Wolfgang, Aug. 4

Ceremonial Music, Sep. 4Will the Tortoise Win Again?, Oct. 4Musical Roots, Nov. 4Jingle Jangle, Dec. 4

GOING ON RECORD (Goodtriend)A Critical Education, Part Two, Jan. 42Seeing Music, Feb. 46The Imp of the Perverse, Mar. 52The Further Adventures of Lazar Berman, Apr. 52Ripples of an English Spring. May 44All the Classical Music You'll Ever Need, Jun. 42The Hall of the House of Fisher, Jul. 52Crossing Over, Aug. 37The Case for Multiplicity, Sep. 54Second Comings, Oct. 60Computers, Ghosts, and Other Talents, Nov. 60Pianistics from the Past, Dec. 62

THE OPERA FILE (Livingstone)San Francisco Firsts, Jan. 47Sampling the Met, Feb. 48Magic Nights, Mar. 50Tomorrow's Superstars, Apr. 48Bichi Sayao, May 48Bel Canto and Technology, Jun. 41Opera and the Bicentennial, Jul. 50Opera on the Tube, Aug. 42The French Revival, Sep. 52Ring, Ring, Ring!, Dec. 57

THE POP BEAT (Simeb)Winners in a Loser's Game, Jan. 48Pulp Music, Feb. 42Can Women Rock?, Mar. 56Pictures from Life's Other Side, Apr. 46The Sun Has Finally Set (Maybe), May 46Patti Again, Jun. 44Two Hundred Years of Rock?, Jul. 46The Surviving Beatle-and Others, Aug. 38He Lost Me (Again) at the Movies, Sep. 56A Shot of Rhythm -and -Blues, Oct. 56What's Playing in Peoria?, Nov. 62Apocalyptic Rock, Dec. 52

MUSICAL FEATURESABC/Command-see CommandAlmeida, Antonio de (Hemming), Aug. 64American Music, A Basic Library of (Jacobson), Jul.

70American Music, A Calendar of (Goodfriend), Jul.

64American Music, New (Rouse), Sep. 126American Sampler (Freed), Jun. 101American Sampler for Two Pianos (Kresh), Aug. 93America Sings: The Founding Years, 1620-1800

(Lincoln), Sep. 117Armstrong, Louis, and Earl Hines, 1928 (Vance),

Aug. 88Astaire, Fred-see CrosbyAvant-garde Music: Has the Avant-garde Become

the Establishment? (Salzman), Aug. 100Avant-garde, The Survival of the (Somer), Jan. 66Awards-see Just Deserts, Record of the YearAx. Emanuel: An Altogether Distinguished Chopin

Recital (Freed), Oct. 121Bach: Organ Music (Kipnis), Dec. 71; Unaccom-

panied (Kipnis), Feb. 104Beeson's Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines

(Reilly), Oct. 130Bicentennial Corner: Jan. 79; Apr. I 1 1; May 113;

Jun. 101; Jul. 91, 107; Aug. 93; Sep. 117; Nov. 137;Dec. 76

Bonynge, Richard-see SutherlandBowie, David, Collecting (Giangrande), Mar. 74Brass Bands, American: Our Brass Band Past (Hall),

Nov. 137Britten, Lesser Known (Freed), Sep. 120Buffett, Jimmy: Havana Daydreamin' (Reilly), Jul.

89Burton, Gary (Albertson), May 70Captain and Tennille, The (Ross). Aug. 62Citizens Band Radio: Put the Hammer Down (Cop -

page), Nov. 116Clarke, Allan, and the Hollies (Simels), May 90Command, Son of (Kresh), Jun. 116Cooke, Alistair: Talk About America (Kresh), Jul. 91Crosby, Bing, and Fred Astaire: Once More, a Third

Down (Pleasants), Oct. 96Denver, John: Spirit (Anderson), Nov. 102Desmar: A New Label Braves the Classical Seas

(Hall), Jan. 106Discomania: Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

(Weiss), Nov. 124

158 STEREO REVIEW

Disco Music: What Is This Thing Called Disco?(Terry), Sep. 74

Dylan, Bob: Desire (Frederick), Apr. 88; Hard Rain(Coppage), Dec. 108

Faye, Frances: Bad, Bad Frances Faye (Kresh),Jun. 92

Garrett, Kelly: Kelly (Reilly), Sep. 100Goldman Band: A Bicentennial Celebration (Kresh),

Apr. IIIGoodman, Steve (Coppage), Jan. 72Gottschalk, Louis Moreau: By Ivan Davis (Of-

fergeld), Apr. 119; By Eugene List and Others (Of-fergeld), Oct. 124

Grappelli, Stephan, Violinist (Albertson), May 102Haitink, Bernard (Hemming), Dec. 81Heifetz, Jasha (Kolodin), Feb. 66; The Heifetz Col-

lection, Volumes 1-6 (Jellinek), Jan. 112Herrmann, Bernard: Film Music (Kresh), Jan. 95Hines, Earl-see ArmstrongInstruments, Old, Learning from (Lincoln), Mar. 126Jazz, A Word About (Albertson), Jul. 62Jefferson, Music from the Age of (Freed), May 113Jennings, Waylon: Retrospective on a Stubborn

Survivor (Coppage), Oct. 104Joel, Billy (Mills), Oct. 82; Turnstiles (Reilly), Oct.

91Joplin: Treemonisha (Salzman), May 116Just Deserts: Musicians Receive Prizes, Awards,

Degrees, Aug. 52Keller, Greta: In Concert (Kresh), Mar. 100The Kinks: Schoolboys in Disgrace (Frederick),

Mar. 88Ladies' Day at the Turntable (Kresh), May 124Larrocha, Alicia de: Mostly Mozart, Volume II

(Ohlsson), Aug. 96Last Will and Testament of a Classical Record Col-

lector (Haber), Mar. 76Lee, Peggy: Mirrors (Reilly), Mar. 96Mahler Symphonies, A Basic Library of (Kolodin),

Oct. 76Massenet: Thais (Jellinek), Dec. 142Minnelli, Liza: Lucky Lady (Kresh), Apr. 98Mitchell, Joni: Innocence on a Spree (Coppage),

Apr. 58Muldaur, Maria (Korai!), Jun. 54; Sweet Harmony

(Coppage), Jun. 80Murray, Anne: Together (Coppage), Feb. 82Music and TV (Coppage), Jun. 64Music of Their Majesties (Bakshian), May 54

Music to Get Pregnant By (Royko), May 74Nielsen, Carl: Saul and David (Jellinek), Nov. 150Nilsson, Harry: ...That's the Way It Is (Coppage),

Sep. 108Olivor, Jane: First Night (Goodfriend), Nov. 95Opera: How It Began (Salzman), Jun. 56Palmieri, Eddie, on Salsa (Roberts), Feb. 58Parker, Charlie, on Dial (Albertson), Feb. 94Peter and the Wolf Again (Reilly), Apr. 83Peterson, Oscar: Duets (Albertson), Mar. 104Pop Puzzle (Warner), Dec. 76Porgy and Bess: A Reminiscence (Stiles), Apr. 70;

New London Recording (Salzman), Apr. 74; ByRay Charles and Cleo Laine (Reilly), Dec. 130

Presley, Elvis (Griffith), Jul. 76Price, Leontyne (Hemming), Jan. 62Raitt, Bonnie (Coppage), Oct. 74Ravel's Piano Works (Salzman), Jul. 112Record of the Year Awards 1975, Feb. 61; Apr. 68Reddy, Helen (Windeler), Dec. 92; Music, Music

(Coppage) Dec. 103Rolling Stones: Black & Blue (Simels), Jul. 92The Romantic Revival Continues (Cooper), Feb. 108Ronstadt, Linda (Coppage), Nov. 78; Hasten Down

the Wind (Coppage), Nov. 81Runaways (Simels), Sep. 91Savannah-see DiscomaniaSavoy Jazz, Arista to Reissue Three Decades of (Al-

bertson), Nov. 132Sedaka, Neil (Windeler), Nov. 84; Steppin' Out

(Reilly), Aug. 73Sex and Syncopation-see Music to Get Pregnant

BySibling Rock IMitz), Dec. 88Simon & Garfunkel, Soloists (Simels), Feb. 88Smith, Patti: Horses (Nelson), Apr. 96Snow, Phoebe (Ross), May 62; Second Childhood

(Reilly), May 83Sondheim: Pacific Overtures (Salzman), May 89Staff Biographies: George Jellinek, Jan. 116; James

Goodfriend. Feb. 117; Louise Boundas, Mar. 130;Roy Hemming, Apr. 122; Charles Rodrigues, May132; Paul Kresh, Jun. 121; Richard Freed, Jul.118; Borys Patchowsky, Aug. III; Stoddard Lin-coln, Sep. 136; Peter Reilly, Oct. 141; WilliamAnderson, Nov. 168; Irving Kolodin, Dec. 160

Steeleye Span: Rocket Cottage (Salzman), Dec. 118Steely Dan: Royal Scam (Holden), Aug. 80Stereo Review Throws a Party, Apr. 68

Strike Up the Bands: Broad Stripes/Bright Stars(Hall), Jul. 107

Sutherland, Joan, and Richard Bonynge(Livingstone), Nov. 68

Symphonic Music, American: The Great AmericanSymphony (Salzman), Sep. 78

Tatum, Art, and Company: The Tatum Group Mas-terpieces (Albertson), Jan. 98

Television Music-see Music and TVTomlin, Lily: Modern Scream (Kresh), Feb. 79Waller, Fats, The Complete (Vance), Jul. 98Waters, Ethel: Happy Birthday (Pleasants), Oct. 119When You and I Were Young, Maggie: American

Sentimental Songs of the Nineteenth Century(Anderson), Nov. 146

The Who: The Who by Numbers (Simels), Jan. 86Work, Henry Clay: Grand Master of the Novelty

Number (Salzman), Jan. 79Wright, Gary: Dream Weaver (Frederick), Jun. 88

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Introducing the Staff . . .

When a personal opinion, particularlya publicly expressed one, grates onour nerves, one of the commoner re-sponses is to ask, either under or atthe top of our voices, just who that so-and-so thinks he or she is. The ques-tion is asked of STEREO REVIEW withrespect to our regular contributorsand staff many times each month, andin this column we endeavor to supplythe answers. -Ed.

4 ,

-4114; is,1/` 1

Contributing Editor

IrvingKolodin

To describe Irving Kolodin "in theround" is not only to describe him

comprehensively-as the dictionary hasit-but to associate him geometrically withthe object with which he has beenidentified for much of his life. To describehim "in the cylindrical" would, by thesame kind of association, make him olderthan he is. And he definitely escapes beingalluded to "in the square" by virtue ofhaving collaborated on a book with BennyGoodman.

Kolodin was born and has lived most ofhis life on Manhattan Island, except for aninterval during which his family settled inNewark, New Jersey, where he attendedgrammar and high school. At age five hewas presented with a quarter -size violin,on which he gave advance warning of a ca-reer to come-not as a violinist, but as acritic-when he complained bitterly aboutthe five -dollar instrument's four -dollartone. His acquaintance with symphonicmusic began when he discovered that thefinale of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphonycame in two parts, each on a separatetwelve -inch disc.

The relative who made this discoverypossible soon became Kolodin's favoriteuncle: he ran a store in Rockville Center,Long Island, which had the only Victorrecord franchise for miles around. On oneprolonged, productive visit to the shop,the young visitor listened his way throughfour shelves of twelve -inch 78 -rpm discs,left right, left right. A major discoverywas that he found he preferred somethingcalled Dardanella to Poupie Valsante.

His life's direction acquired a palpableobjective when, in high school, he learnedthat there were people who got paid forlistening to music. Among them then wereDeems Taylor, James Huneker, and Er-nest Newman, to all of whom he soon be-came attached. He was driven by this dis-covery to resume study of the violin in or-der to qualify for entrance to the Instituteof Musical Art in New York. He emergedfive years later with a double distinction:insufficient credits for graduation, butenough published pieces in the school pa-per to receive a trial as a reviewer (atspace rates) for the Brooklyn Eagle. With-in a few months he found a berth on theNew York Sun, with which he remainedfor eighteen years until it was merged withthe New York World -Telegram. By thenhe had begun an affiliation with SaturdayReview which endures to this day.

HALF a dozen years ago, Kolodin es-timated that he had, in record reviewingby day and attendance at public musicalevents by night, logged more than 40,000hours of listening -to -music time. Alongwith the listening came the production ofthree editions of his Guide to RecordedMusic. which derived from fifteen years ofweekly record columns in the Sun, andsundry other duties that led to his presentwork for STEREO REVIEW. It IS his belief,based wholly on speculation, that Shake-speare was actually thinking of the museof music when he wrote of Cleopatra,"Age cannot wither . . . nor customstale/Her infinite variety. . . ."

To Kolodin the infinity of that varietyextends not only from Nero to Norvo buttakes in the visual as well as the aural. Hisresearches have led to several books andcurrently to lecture courses at New York'sJuilliard School. Travel and reading rankhigh among his avocations, in large partbecause they make a very compatiblecombination. On one trip to Australia heread both volumes of Tolstoy's War andPeace in preparation for the opening of theSydney Opera with Prokofiev's epic operaon that subject. On the way back he read abiography of Tolstoy.

Those who know Kolodin best talk tohim least: some other, more tolerant, folkare kinder. His enthusiasms include base-ball, beagles (but not bagels), and brie; thewritings of Graham Greene; the Nag'sHead Pub near Covent Garden; any Trad-er Vic's; Earl Grey tea; a good car on anopen road; secondhand book stores withlarge music stocks; and mint -conditionrecords he regularly discovers years afterhe put them away, whether by EddieSouth, Szymon Goldberg, Sigrid Onegin,Vella Pessl, Thelonious Monk, Finn Vide -rib, or Beatrice Lillie. -Irving Kolodin

STEREO REVIEWADVERTISERS' INDEX

DECEMBER 1976READER

SERVICE NO. ADVERTISERPAGE

NUMBER

3 Acoustic Research .. 472 Acousti -Phase 1284 ADC, BSR Division 42, 43

Advent Corporation 517 Angel Records 1448 Audio Expo 110

Audio Technica U.S. Inc. 30, 586 Ball Corporation 1199 Bang & Olufsen of America 115

Bose Corporation 9, 10, 11, 1210 British Industries Co., BIC Venturi .... 2

Brown & Williamson/Fact Cigarettes .... 80

11 CMS Records, Inc. 147Component Discounters 122

12 Craig Corporation 4913 Crown International 13

Design Acoustics 13314 Discount Music Club 615 Discount Sound 95

Discwasher 53, 54, 55, 5616 District Sound, Inc. 139

Dixie Hi Fi 136Dolby Laboratories, Inc 121

50 Dual 18, 19

17 Electro-Voice 14521 Empire Scientific Corp. 6399 Empire Scientific Corp. 5

23 Fuji Photo Film USA 31

19 Garrard 22, 23, 24. 25Heublein, Inc./Club Cocktails .... 158. 159

18 Hi Fi Buys 15420 Hitachi 1524 Illinois Audio 15425 Infinity Systems, Inc. 74. 7526 International Hi Fi Distributors 122

J & B Scotch 155Jensen Sound Laboratories 157

27 JVC America 143

28 Kenwood Electronics 2029 KLH Research & Development 4522 Koss Electronics Cover 430 Lafayette Radio Electronics 101

Marantz, Inc. 162, Cover 332 Matrecs Industries, Inc. 14039 Maxell Corp. of America 3733 McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 12834 Memorex Corporation 735 Meriton Electronics 11731 MGA 64

Midwest Hi Fi 13936 MXR, Innovations, Inc. 14637 Nakamichi Research (U.S.A.), Inc. 12338 Netronics Research & Development 15340 Nikko Electric of America 13141 Nova Manufacturing Co. 15342 Olympus Corp. of America 11211 Oryx-Saga Records 14743 Phase Linear Corp. 10945 Radio Shack 28, 2946 Recoton 847 Revox Corporation 127

R. J. Reynolds/Winston Cigarettes 17Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc. 108, 109

48 Rotel of America, Inc. 14949 Royal Sound Company, Inc. 3851 RTR Industries/American Monitor Co. 12052 S.A.E. 12674 Sansui Electronics Corp. ... 32, 33, 34, 3575 Sansui Electronics Corp. 86, 87

Schieffelin & Co. 141100 Scott, Inc., H. H 12963 Sennheiser Electronic Corp. 14853 Sherwood Electronic Labs, Inc. 5954 Shure Brothers 12555 Sonic Research, Inc. 11656 Sony Corporation of America 60, 6157 Soundcraftsmen 3944 Stanton Magnetics 10558 Stereo Corp. of America 11059 Stereo Discounters 149

Tandberg of America, Inc. 161TDK Electronics 111Teac Corporation 78, 79

6n Technics by Panasonic 2761 Technics by Panasonic 6562 Top Discount Audio 13950 United Audio 18, 19

1 U. S. Pioneer Cover 2, 1

5 VOR Industries 133

73 Yamaha International Corp. 113

160 STEREO REVIEW

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PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS MARANTZ COMPONENTS

"Marantz is just about the onlycomponent manufacturer aroundthat's devoted to system interfacing:Sound engineers and audiophiles were invited to evaluate Marantz professional components,including the 3800 Preamp, the 510M Power Amp and the 150 Tuner. The following commentswere taken from that taped discussion.

The 3800 Preamp"When you build a phono preamp, you never

know what you're going to plug it into. But the Marantz3800 can interface with the outside world. Whateveramplifier you hang on it won't affect the operationof the preamp one iota. The 3800 will drive any ampon the market - even the super amps!'

"Let's say you use three Sony reel -to -reels withthe nearest competitive preamp. You'd wipe out thebottom end. Not with the 3800. It'll actually drivea load as low as 1000 ohms at a reasonable leveland maintain full frequency response:'

"Until now you had to shell out over $1000 toaccomplish that with a preamp. This unit goes forwhat ... $599.95*?"

"Then there's the fact that the 3800 is virtuallythe quietest preamp going. Not only in specifications,but in perceived noise. Eight -tenths of a microvoltspecified:'

"Another thing about systems planning- the 3800has variable frequency turnover tone controls.Designed to complement both speakers and listeners.What that'll let you do is bring up a string bass andleave the viola alone:'

"Or if you use the mic feature, like in a liverecording, and you're playing your string guitar andyou want that nice ring you hear in recordings. Youjust put the tone controls in the four kiloHertz posi-tion and run the treble control up and you've got it!'

"It's just one of the most versatile preamps inthe world. Not only does it include a full -processDolby** Noise Reduction System, but also the tonecontrols can be used for tape equalizing:'

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The 510M"This is

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"There's one competitive unit that weighs over140 pounds. The 510M weighs 43:'

"It's got gain controls - two of them. Meter rangeswitches with the advantage of not being part of thelimiting circuit. And peak/overload indicators thatare really sensitive to the fluctuations of line voltage:'

The 150 Tuner"Biggest advantage to the Marantz 150 Tuner is

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"The Model 150, in stereo, performs for almostall conditions with FM distortion under 0.2%. Inmono it's around 0.1%. And this is right down totest equipment residuals. You'd have to spend a lotof money for a tuner to match that:'

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"I'd go so far as to say it exceeds the performanceof the original Marantz 10B and the 10B was theultimate tuner in my estimation:'

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The Marantz 3800 Preamp, 510M Power Ampand 150 Tuner are just part of the exciting Marantzcomponent line. Prices start as low as $199.95.*Each reflects the technical expertise and engineeringexcellence that has made Marantz the choice ofprofessionals world-wide. Stop by your local dealerand see the exciting Marantz line. Or send for afree catalog.

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