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Beethoven's Diabelli Variations: the Finest Hour of Piano Music in the World Robert Silverman

Sidebar 1: Robert Silverman

In a world that sees wunderkinder of the piano come and go, Robert Silverman has reached a level of musical and technical authority that can be accomplished only after years of deep commitment to the instrument and its vast literature. Many aspects of Silverman's playing are frequently noted: a polished technique, an extraordinary range of tonal palette, an uncanny ability to sing his way into the heart of a phrase, and probing interpretations of the most complex works in the repertoire.

The distinguished Canadian pianist has performed in…

Beethoven's Diabelli Variations: the Finest Hour of Piano Music in the World Track Information

Sidebar 2: Track Information

Variations (STPH017-2) Total Playing Time: 68:03

Ludwig van Beethoven

33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli in C Major, Op.120 (1819, 1822–23) 56:31
[1] Theme: Vivace 0:55
[2] Variation 1: Alla marcia maestoso 1:51
[3] Variation 2: Poco allegro 0:53
[4] Variation 3: L'istesso tempo 1:25
[5] Variation 4: Un poco più vivace 1:08
[6] Variation 5: Allegro vivace 1:01
[7] Variation 6: Allegro ma non troppo e serioso 1:51
[8] Variation 7: Un poco più allegro 1:07
[9] Variation 8: Poco…

Beethoven's Diabelli Variations: the Finest Hour of Piano Music in the World Who Was Who And What Was What

Sidebar 3: Who Was Who And What Was What

Pianism extraordinaire: Robert Silverman
Production: Robert Silverman, with John Atkinson
Engineering: Graemme Brown, with Ray Kimber, John Atkinson, Brett Terry
Digital Editing & Mastering: John Atkinson
Piano technicians: Russell Sorenson, Lamar Watts
Piano: Steinway (New York) D
Venue: Mark Evans Austad Auditorium, Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts, Weber State University, Ogden, UT
Recording Dates: August 14–18, 2004
CD Booklet Design: Natalie Brown Baca

Microphones: two…

Threshold SA-1 monoblock power amplifier

Eleven years ago, Threshold Corporation entered the high-end audio market with the first amplifier ever to use sliding bias (footnote 1) in its output stages. Some 10 years later, Threshold spawned another innovation: their so-called Stasis circuitry, which yielded the S-series amplifiers. The SA-1 and its lower-powered sister SA-2 are the latest from Threshold, and are the first Threshold amps to abandon sliding bias for straight class-A operation. Both use the Stasis circuit.

In most amplifiers, the voltage amplification stages are used to drive the output transistors, which in turn…

Threshold SA-1 monoblock power amplifier Specifications

Sidebar: Specifications

Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier. Rated power: 160W into 8 ohms, 300W into 4 ohms. Current capability: 40A continuous, 60A peak. Frequency response: 7Hzצ100kHz, +0/–3dB. Voltage gain: 26.5dB. Input impedance 75k ohms.
Dimensions: 19" W by 8¾" H by 19" D. Weight: 78½ lbs.
Price: $6000/pair (1986); no longer available (2006).
Manufacturer: Threshold Corp., Sacramento CA 95815 (1986); Threshold Audio, Inc. PO Box 41736, Houston, TX 77241. Tel: (713) 466-1411. Fax: (713) 856-0278. Web: www.threshold-audio.com.

Bill Firebaugh: The Well-Tempered Innovator

Bill Firebaugh's first product, the outrageous-looking Well-Tempered (tone) Arm, established him as one of audio's most innovative designers. At the 1985 Winter CES, he showed a prototype companion product—the Well-Tempered Turntable—and was producing production units by January 1987. He discusses here the WTT's unusual design features. (Readers should note that, since we have not yet tested the new turntable, this interview is not to be interpreted as an endorsement of the product.)

Holt: Bill, what prompted you to get into the turntable business?

Firebaugh: Well, after I had…

Bill Firebaugh: The Well-Tempered Innovator Page 2

I don't know if I could assign a magnitude to the improvement, but you can sure see it when you're making flutter tests. And you can hear it. A friend of mine who has a home-built, very massive turntable like a Micro Seiki, uses a very stiff belt with it, made out of rubber-impregnated Kevlar. He tried flipping it over and he told me he very definitely notices a difference. He always uses it twisted now.

It was while I was experimenting with belts that I discovered something amazing. The belt goes slower than the pulley. And it's not because the belt is slipping, it's more like it's…

Bill Firebaugh: The Well-Tempered Innovator Page 3

Holt: Because the motor normally would have a tendency to cog. It is a hysteresis synchronous type, isn't it?

Firebaugh: Yes, it is. So I asked myself, "What would happen if I just put a certain kind of grease in there?" I happened to have some saltwater wheelbearing grease, which is quite heavy and doesn't get runny when it gets hot. And I squirted that in there, and gosh, that worked great. I mean, it made a difference you could really hear.

Holt: Doesn't it creep up the sides when it's spinning?

Firebaugh: Well, I had to experiment a lot with the viscosity of that…

Bill Firebaugh: The Well-Tempered Innovator Page 4

The problem with using an oscilloscope was that, while it showed me that I had problems with resonances, it didn't tell me much about where those resonances were. So I bought a computer with a Fast Fourier Transform program, and all of a sudden I could see all those sidebands.

Holt: What you see is essentially all the release of the stored energy.

Firebaugh: Yes. An impulse contains all frequencies, and its duration is so short in comparison with the time it takes for the system to release the energy from the pulse that it stores, that all you read is the system's response. That'…

MBL 111 loudspeaker

The speaker review in the July 1996 issue of the German audio magazine Stereoplay didn't hold back the praise. "Absolut Spitzenklasse III Referenz" was their overall rating, which I guess translates to "You'd better hear this, buddy," in American English. So when MBL of America's Marc Lawrence called to find out if I wanted to review the subject of that review, the MBL 111, I didn't need to be asked twice.

Radialstrahler
The 111 is a serious attempt at producing a true omnidirectional speaker, radiating the same sound balance in every lateral direction. This has significant…