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From: jho@ihuxn.UUCP (Yosi Hoshen)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical,net.audio
Subject: Classical Recording on CD
Message-ID: <839@ihuxn.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Sep-84 13:55:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxn.839
Posted: Wed Sep 26 13:55:22 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Sep-84 05:00:15 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 38


I have had my Sony 101 CD player since February 1984.  I am generally pleased
with the CD sound.  I have over 50 classical CDs.  My main interest is
chamber and instrumental music.  The problem is the lack of selection
of CDs in this area.  You can find 5-6 performances of Dvorak's New World
symphony. Yet, you cannot get Brahms's string quartets on CD.  Denon seems
to be the only CD manufacturer that has a relatively large chamber music
selections.  Denon has almost completed issuing Beethoven's String quartets
on CD.  They have already issued all (six) Mozart's string quintets as
well two of his quartets.  The performers on these disks are the Smetana
Quartet + Josef Suk (viola) from Czechoslovakia.  These are gorgeous
recording.  The sound is great and the performance is superb (In May/June
issue of Fanfare there is a review article on the Smetana Quartet and their
recordings).  These recordings exhibit a very pleasant violin sound
without harshness which some people associate with the CD source. (Please
note, not all of Denon CDs are of the above quality.  My comments only
pertain to the Smetana Quartet recordings.) 

I have been disappointed with some CDs, some of which have received good
reviews.  For example, I am not very happy with the Schubert Death and
the Maiden quartet performed by the Amadeus Quartet (DGG).  Another
disappointment is Schubert's string quintet, performed by the Berg
Quartet, on the Angel label. Although the performance is satisfactory
(not great), I find the sound occasionally objectionable.  The first
violin is rather harsh and unpleasant. Since the LP format of the quintet
got a very good review, I suspect that the CD job was botched.

To sum up, the availability of the Mozart's and Beethoven's string
chamber music on the Denon label has made my purchase of the CD player
worthwhile.  It is also an indication that it is possible to
combine great performances with great sound on a CD.
-- 

Yosi Hoshen
Bell Laboratories
Naperville, Illinois
(312)-979-7321
Mail: ihnp4!ihuxn!jho