User Details - nickc

recommendations


Name:
  nick cummins
Details:
  44 years old, classical music lover, am trying to get to like jazz!
Location:
  melbourne, australia
HiFi:
  marantz sr7300 receiver
oppo bdp-93au
krix lyrix gold mains
krix kdx centre
krix equinox rears
Email:
  nickc@rabbit.com.au
Web:
 
Posts:
  514

 
 
Reviews
Found: 93 show all

The Image of Melancholy - Eike        (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
  March 29, 2014

What struck me listening to this disc is what I could term the affinity of latitudes. Here we are in the northern climes, stretching from Scandinavia all the way to the British Isles, with an ensemble of 2 violins, a viola and violone, lute, two cellos and organ/harpsichord. Track 1, an original ... more
Szymanowski: Symphonies 3 & 4 - Wit      (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
  March 22, 2014

Sybaritic decadence, a sort of whirling dervish of Oriental mysticism so beloved of early twentieth century Europeans, or a last efflorescence of hyper-extended chromaticism before the stern and unbending Schoenberg and his acolytes scythed any wonder or transcendence from music? Even the name ... more
Pettersson: Symphony No. 6 - Lindberg        (6 of 6 found this review helpful)
  March 15, 2014

I first played this disc about a month ago. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my listening life. The last twenty minutes I almost couldn't breathe, it was like life was ending, the universe was winding down as the string skirls wended and wound their way to a beautiful sense of ... more
Mozart, Brahms: Clarinet Quintets - Steffens, Scharoun Ensemble        (6 of 6 found this review helpful)
  March 28, 2008

The two greatest clarinet chamber works in the repertoire, perhaps the two greatest chamber works of either composer. Karl-Heinz Steffens has a beautiful, liquid tone which is just a joy to listen to, and the Scharoun Ensemble are fully equal partners. Unfortunately if you play the Brahms at a ... more
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique - Davis        (10 of 12 found this review helpful)
  March 26, 2008

Like me I suppose a lot of readers had this on CD and bought it to see how much improvement there was in the master tapes. Well there is an improvement, but unfortunately I can't summon as much enthusiasm for the sound as the other reviewers. This was recorded in 1974 and it would be idle to ... more

 
 
Latest Posts

Discussion: Bizet: Carmen - Bernstein
March 27, 2015
I received this yesterday, and have only listened to the first 15 or so minutes, but I can report the sound is excellent for 1972. The timpani rolls in the prelude are fantastic, very spacious in 4.0, the slowness of the prelude, mmmm perhaps not so fantastic, but it is Lenny........... ... more
Discussion: Puccini: Madama Butterfly - Karajan
January 17, 2015
I have the BD-V of this, and have always thought that indeed Pavarotti's expanding waist-line was the reason he was replaced by Domingo in the Ponnelle film. One thing I will say is that the lip-synching in the Blu-ray is terrible (though you seem to become more inured to it as the film progresses), and highly disconcerting when a character is ... more
Discussion: Brahms: Symphonies - Chailly
September 27, 2014
I remember Universal also saying they might re-release certain stereo titles in future where they have MC mixes, but of course we don't know which ones they are! N ... more
Karajan hi res downloads avalanche from Warner.
July 18, 2014
I've got his early 70s Madama Butterfly on pre-order, it is the video performance with Domingo and Freni directed by Ponnelle. My old VHS had a pretty washed out picture, this is Blu-ray and I'm more interested in the sound, I hope/assume it is one of the 24/96 remasters Universal have been slowly releasing as you have noted. Nick PS Although EMI ... more
Discussion: Strauss: "The Complete Analogue Recordings" - Karajan
June 6, 2014
I see on One Bit Audio it will be released on SACD in Japan, with the Janowitz Four Last Songs. Like a voice crying in the wilderness ( or is it in space no-one can hear you scream?) I ask why don't they include Metamorphosen, as they have before with this coupling? It's even the same cover!!! ... more