Classic Records 24K Gold CD

After months of searching, I have finally managed to find 80% of the Classic 24k Gold Cds that I desire.

There are two more classical in my list namely the Royal Ballet, Mother Goose, and 4 more Jazz Cds, namely Elle (2 CDs), Louise Armstrong (1 D) and one more from hirley Horn. In addition, there are 2 more from Belefonte..

The search for good vintage amplifiers has been a challenging task. However, the serach for excellent recording CDs are even harder as these were not popular during the early lauched period owing to its relatively high cost at that time. Nevertheless, my believe that the source of music is critical to good music production as what is the use of having excellent speakers, amplifiers, CD player, cables and interconnect when the source of music is bad?

Enjoy your music!

Beethoven Symphony No 9

Many of my friend has asked me why I have bought the Beethoven Symphony No 9..

Here is the reason:

An aging Beethoven, ill and deaf, conducting the orchestra and chorus in the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, conducting even after they had ceased to perform, after they had reached the end of the stunning new work, after the audience had already begun to applaud, continuing to conduct until a singer turned him around so that he could see the thunderous cheers that were resounding throughout the hall... Whenever the applause occurred, the fact that it passed unheard by Beethoven makes clear that he could never have heard a note of this most magnificent composition. Think about that bitter fact, and then wonder that a man so crossed by fate could still demand a choir to sing rapturously of joy.

Beethoven had first encountered Schiller's poem "An die Freude" ("To Joy") over thirty years before he completed the Ninth Symphony. The poem had first appeared in print in 1785, and from that time on was quite popular in the German states. Evidence suggests that Beethoven may have set the text to music as early as 1792. Other attempts were made in 1808 and 1811, when Beethoven's notebooks include remarks to himself concerning possible settings for the familiar text. These years of toying with Schiller's ode were also years of personal and professional growth. When he first came to know the poem, he was an optimistic young artist who had not yet composed his First Symphony, yet Beethoven's third approach to the poem, in 1812, came with the completion of the Eighth Symphony. Perhaps the professional experience he had gained in those decades led him to consider that a poem of such spiritual power required an equally powerful setting, for he soon embarked on the creation of his Ninth Symphony, the work in which Schiller's words would be given glorious flight.

Ten years would pass before this final symphony's completion, ten years in which Beethoven shed blood over every note, considering and rejecting over two-hundred different versions of the "Joy" theme alone. At the end of that time, he offered to the public a radically new creation that was part symphony and part oratorio, a hybrid that proved puzzling to his less daring observers. The conductor Louis Spohr, who knew Beethoven, asserted privately that the piece was "tasteless," and Verdi, who, it must be admitted knew a thing or two about how to blend music and words, lamented that the grand finale was "badly set." Yet others have better understood Beethoven's final symphonic work, and have defended it eloquently. Let us give Claude Debussy the last word: "It is the most triumphant example of the molding of an idea to the preconceived form; at each leap forward there is a new delight, without either effort or appearance of repetition; the magical blossoming, so to speak, of a tree whose leaves burst forth simultaneously. Nothing is superfluous in this stupendous work... Beethoven had already written eight symphonies and the figure nine seems to have had for him an almost mystic significance. he determined to surpass himself. I can scarcely see how his success can be questioned."

© Elizabeth Schwarm Glesner

I love the final part where they are great vocal!

《魔鬼的颤音》（Diabolus in Musica）

《魔鬼的颤音》（Diabolus in Musica）它精选了1975至1977年意大利小提琴家阿卡多（Salvatore Accardo）演奏帕格尼尼小提琴曲的选段，帕格尼尼最脍炙人口的作品几乎全都网罗在内。

魔鬼附身

阿卡多出生于1941年，六岁开始学习小提琴，1958年参加第四届帕格尼尼国际小提琴比赛荣获第一，一举成名！帕格尼尼是小提琴演奏史上，技巧最出神入化的一位。他的演奏炉火纯青、神乎其技，能人所不能，被“誉”为魔鬼附身！

阿卡多能够在以帕格尼尼为名的小提琴比赛中脱颖而出，技巧之高超自然不在话下。卡拉扬在生前就曾经说过：“假如要我举出10位当代最好的小提琴家，阿卡多肯定是其中的一位。”

Review from:

http://avmagazine.com/06/diabolus.htm

I have done a brief comparion between the three version of the Diabolus in Musica: the LPCD, the 24k Gold version and the normal CD version. The LPCD has the sharpest accuracy and dynamics while the normal CD sounded the smoothest. The 24K gold Cd is a good in between for those who want dynamism and yet long for natural flow of music. It all depends on you listening needs..

Classical music

I have been hooked onto Classical music lately. The beauty of the classical music lies in its depth of musical variation, as well as its tremendous musical presentations.

Extreme hard glass Cd

I have seen many audiophiles making negative comments on the extreme hard glass CD. For example What happen when one drop the CD, the sound would not be better then Lp etc etc.

I wonder how many has actually listened to the CD before making such comments? Have an open mind is neccessary, perhaps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2AEaQJuKDY&feature=related

Extreme HardGlass CD : Beethoven No 9

After much waiting, my Beethoven Symphonie No 9 glass Cd has finally arrived from Japan.

I did a quick AB comparison between the glass CD versus the normal Cd, I must say that the glass Cd sounded very close to listening to live concert!

When coming to track No 5 vocal portion, the placement of people became very obvious. The voices are full of warm and emotion with clear definition, soundstage and refinement!

It has been a long struggles the price of the CD is equal to a nice Fisher 400Cx pre-amplifier or Fisher 5oC. However, given the important of the source of music (i.e recording of the CD), it is really worthwhile as what is the point of having nice power and pre-amplifiers, CD players plus all expensive cables and interconnect when the recording of the CD is bad? Enjoy!


http://news.u-audio.com.tw/newsdetail.asp?newsid=392

http://news.u-audio.com.tw/newsdetail.asp?newsid=380

http://news.u-audio.com.tw/newsdetail.asp?newsid=388

Great Cd- Classic records

In the past,I have not paid much attention to recording.These Classic records CD were not popular in the 90s..but these great CDs are really great in term of recording quality!

For the classic series,there are a total of 16 Cds...3 more to go to complete the list: 1812, Petrushka and witches Brew!!

Classical Top 100 List

Classical top 100 list

1. Beethoven: Symphony No.9 (Ode to Joy)
2. Beethoven: Symphony No.5
3. Dvorak: Symphony No.9 (From the New World)
4. Beethoven: Symphony No.3 (Eroica)
5. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
6. Pachelbel: Canon in D
7. Beethoven: Symphony No.6 (Pastoral)
8. Bach: The Brandenburg Concerti
9. Mozart: Symphony #41 (Jupiter)
10. Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
11. Handel: Messiah
12. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5 (Emperor)
13. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
14. Beethoven: Symphony No.7
15. Handel: Water Music
16. Mozart: Requiem
17. Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Ballet
18. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
19. Smetana: The Moldau
20. Mozart: Piano Concerto No.21 (Elvira Madigan)
21. Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
22. Holst: The Planets
23. Schubert: The Trout Quintet
24. Saint-Saens: Symphony No.3 (Organ)
25. Copland: Appalachian Spring
26. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
27. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor
28. Mozart: Symphony No.40
29. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1
30. Schubert: Symphony No.8 (Unfinished)
31. Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
32. Beethoven: Violin Concerto
33. Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks
34. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
35. Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.14 (Moonlight)
36. Barber: Adagio for Strings
37. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3
38. Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
39. Brahms: Violin Concerto
40. Schubert: Symphony No.9 (Great)
41. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
42. Massenet: Meditation from "Thais"
43. Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1
44. Dvorak: Cello Concerto
45. Brahms: Symphony No.1
46. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor
47. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
48. Mendelssohn: Symphony No.4 (Italian)
49. Sibelius: Finlandia
50. Bizet: Carmen Suites
51. Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
52. Bach: Mass in B minor
53. Haydn: Trumpet Concerto
54. Ravel: Bolero
55. Strauss, Jr.: The Beautiful Blue Danube
56. Brahms: Symphony No.2
57. Mahler: Symphony No.1 (Titan)
58. Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings
59. Handel: Largo from "Xerxes"
60. Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream
61. Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals
62. Telemann: Tafelmusik
63. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
64. Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
65. Bach: Anna Magdalena Bach Book Excerpts
66. Rossini: Overture to "William Tell"
67. Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien
68. Ponchielli: Dance of the Hours
69. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
70. Dvorak: Symphony No.8
71. Brahms: Symphony No.3
72. Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
73. Haydn: Symphony No.94 (Surprise)
74. Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
75. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6 (Pathetique)
76. Bruch: Scottish Fantasy
77. Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5
78. Elgar: Enigma Variations
79. Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
80. Beethoven: Triple Concerto
81. Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
82. Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites
83. Brahms: A German Requiem
84. Borodin: Polovtsian Dances
85. Bach: Cantata 140 (Sleepers, Awake)
86. Verdi: Requiem
87. Mozart: Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro"
88. Rossini: Overture to "The Barber of Seville"
89. Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze
90. Respighi: The Pines and Fountains of Rome
91. Berlioz: Harold in Italy
92. Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain
93. Wagner: Tannhauser: Overture and Venusburg
94. Albinoni: Adagio in G minor for Strings and Organ
95. Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 (Scottish)
96. Liszt: Les Preludes
97. Wagner: The Ring Cycle
98. Dukas: Sorcerer's Apprentice
99. Orff: Carmina Burana
100. Mozart: Piano Concerto No.23

Classic Records 24K Gold CD

Recently, I have been poisoned by Mr Teh who has introduced me to the highly "poisonous" Classic Records 24k gold Cd.

These CDs were not popular during the launch in the early 1990s. However, its superb recording has made them one of the most hard to find Cds among the well informed audiophiles.

I have had an A/B compariosn between a normal Cds versus these Classic Records Gold Cds and the differences were very obvious and clear!

MAny audiophiles have spent much money in the power amplifiers, pre-amplifiers, Speakers, speakers stands, interconnet, CD player etc...but often neglect the source of music..i.e CD or LPs

Quality in Quality out..