The L.A. production of Sweeney Todd, finally on DVD. I can't wait. For those who know, it has been one of the most eagerly wished-for DVD releases. The videotape I have is grainy, with poor sound (stereo, but not hi-fi), and the laser disc, which has fetched ridiculously high prices from collectors, suffered from a very poor production run. I haven't seen a single copy that wasn't plagued with laser rot drop-out (white speckles all over the image). The creeps who try to get $200 or more for these defective laser discs can now presumably cram them into their various loading trays, so to speak.
I can only rate this DVD 5 stars in anticipation, since it's not released yet. Let's hope… Read more
Hearing these old recordings, which for years were around as budget LP pressings of mediocre quality on the London Stereo Treasury label, are a great joy for me. There is no better example of the distinctive sound of French orchestral playing - a sound that is gone from the world forever. They were recorded in Paris in 1956 and 1957 by the Orchestra of the Paris Conservatory, where the techniques that created this style and sonority were taught for many years. The woodwinds and brass, in particular, are unlike anything you hear these days. Over the decades of the 20th century wind instruments had taken on a brighter, louder, and more piercing quality throughout the world, and playing… Read more
I thought I would post a dissenting opinion from the one already here about the Delius "Florida Suite" on this Nimbus CD, a piece of which I am particularly fond. The reviewer criticizes a lack of coherence or musical form overall, and calls it an "immature work by someone who was less than a master." It's true that this relatively early piece does not reflect Delius' mature style, and a paradigm of musical form it's not. However, I find its lyrical beauty and communicative power extraordinary, and to the receptive mind it evokes a time, place, and atmosphere as vividly as any music I've ever heard. At certain points, say in the first movement (Daybreak) and last movement (At Night), it… Read more
