Music and Recording Features

Pleasure & disgruntlement

Editor: "What," my wife asked in her most perplexed tone, "could possibly have inspired you to write a letter to Stereophile?"

"A most pleasurable experience coupled with modest disgruntlement," I replied obtusely.

The Pleasure: The new Intermezzo LP is magnificent! I have now listened at least six times, and each time it almost brings tears. The dynamics...the ambience...the performance...the sound! My congratulations—and my thanks—to everyone associated with its production.

My counsel to anyone who has not yet ordered? Call, order today—you're missing something very special. Enough said.

The Disgruntlement: The review of products not yet on the market; specifically, the Lindsay-Geyer interconnects. In my view, full reviews are inappropriate until such time as a product is generally available to the public in a reproducible form.—Fred W. Horne, San Jose, CA

Thank you, Mr. Horne, for your kind comments on our Intermezzo LP. It was our intention not just to produce an "audiophile" disc, with sound but no substance, but to release a recording that scored highly on musical grounds. During Intermezzo's editing, I began to feel that my recording-session enthusiasm for Robert Silverman's performances of both the Brahms sonata and the Intermezzi had been justified. His playing is out of the ordinary, particularly in his risk-taking way with tempi, and I am gratified that the message seems to have been received.

Robert Silverman has recorded two other albums for Stereophile: Concert (1994), featuring works by Bach, Chopin, Schubert, and Schumann, and Sonata, featuring works by Liszt. Both, along with Mr. Silverman's traversal of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, can be purchased from the secure "Recordings" page on this website.—John Atkinson