The Vallée d'Obermann is a prime example of one of Liszt's favorite compositional techniques, that of thematic metamorphosis; this entire piece is based on a…
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Profound melancholy continues with Liszt's quote from Letter 53: "What do I want? what am I? what to ask of Nature?...For cause cannot be seen, and conclusions but mislead; all forms change and are reshaped, and the illusion of permanence soon exhausts itself...I feel, I exist only to be diminished by indomitable desires, to imbibe the allure of a fanciful World, and to be awestruck at her seductive imperfections (footnote 3)."
Sidebar 1: The Music
Sonata: Piano Works by Franz Liszt (DDD) STPH008-2 Robert Silverman, piano
Franz Liszt: Piano Sonata in b (S.178) 33:11
[1] Lento assai—Allegro Energico 13:08
[2] Andante Sostenuto 8:23
[3] Allegro Energico 11:40
[4] La lugubre gondola I (S.200) 4:21
[5] La lugubre gondola II (S.200) 9:05
Années de Pelèrinage, First Year: Switzerland
[6] Vallée d'Obermann (S.160/6) 15:37
[7] Orage (S.160/5) 5:01
[8] Liebestraum (S.541) 5:21
Total Playing Time: 72:37
Sidebar 2: Robert Silverman
Robert Silverman is perhaps best-known in his native Canada, where he has performed with major orchestras from coast to coast. But he has also appeared, to outstanding reviews, with the Chicago Symphony and the Boston Pops, and in New York, Washington, London, Paris, Budapest, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and the former Soviet Union.
His repertoire ranges from Bach to Mozart to Gershwin to new age to contemporary—including the first performance in Canada of George Crumb's Makrokosmos.
He has made over a dozen recordings: for Stereophile, CBC…
Atkinson: Everything is organically connected to everything else.
Silverman: The entire fabric of the work is based on the three themes you hear right at the beginning: the quiet quarter-note Gs, followed by the descending scale [fig.1, track 1, 0:00]; then I was going to say the "Wagnerian" outburst right after that [fig.2, track 1, 0:43], but as far as I'm concerned a Wagner opera is an extended Liszt symphonic poem, the sonata staged and sung; then, finally, the repeated note theme [that starts with the] "snare-drum" triplet figure [fig.3, track 1, 0:55]. You turn the page over and…
Sidebar 3: Who Did What and When
Recorded at the First United Methodist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 2-5 1993.
Production: Robert Silverman & John Atkinson
Engineering: John Atkinson & Robert Harley
Editing/Mixing: John Atkinson
Executive Producer: Larry Archibald
Assistant Producers: Maura Rieland & Gretchen Grogan
Piano: Steinway D supplied by Riedling Music Company, Albuquerque, NM.
Piano Technician: Charles Rempel
Booklet notes: Igor Kipnis, John Atkinson
Booklet Design: Suey Surprise
Cover painting: On a Theme by…
Well, it was inevitable. Prior to the MCD, every CD player had been a product of a major Japanese or European manufacturer, and we all know what kind of audio electronics "major" manufacturers usually design: adequate, but rarely much better. The MCD is the first player from a small, perfectionist-oriented firm, and an English one at that (Boothroyd-Stuart).
While Meridian's rather high-priced amplifiers and preamps have not garnered the best of reviews on their home turf (the English seem to prefer American electronics at the really high end), there is no question that their products…
George M. Graves II wrote about the MCD in April 1985 (Vol.8 No.4):
It is interesting how, as audiophiles, we tend to rate the acceptability of a component according to our expectations of its capabilities. I know people with $10,000+ stereo systems who are perfectly happy to listen to the audio emanating from their mono VHS or Beta VCRs! This audio isn't even up to the performance standards of a good AM radio station—why do these people put up with it? Because they expect no better (footnote 1).
None of us expect an FM tuner, regardless of cost, to sound as good as our phono…
Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: The review of the Meridian MCD by George M. Graves raises a number of questions. Bob Stuart unequivocally states that Meridian has never produced an MCD with tantalum capacitors in the output. The 68µF capacitor used is of the solid-aluminum type mentioned by Mr. Graves as being used by Philips in his Magnavox player. While aluminum capacitors look very similar to tantalum capacitors, they are most suitable for audio use.
Moreover, the aluminum caps in the MCD are bypassed with polypropylene and polystyrene units. High-value capacitors for AC…
Anthony H. Cordesman wrote about the Meridian MCD Pro in September 1985 (Vol.8 No.6):
There are very few seminal products in audio; most are but slow steps in evolution. We may forget this in the face of all the hype surrounding each new product, but for all the changes in technology, improvements in sound quality are usually quite small.
The Meridian MCD Professional compact disc player is, however, likely to be recognized as a seminal product in at least one important sense. It is the first CD player to be able to compete head-on against the most expensive analog tonearm,…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Programmable, top-loading, nonremote-controlled CD players, both based on Philips CD-101 deck. All specifications perfect.
Dimensions: 12½" W by 10½" D by 3" H (MCD), 5" H (MCD Pro).
Serial number of review sample: Not noted, MCD; 34895131, MCD Pro.
Price: $689, MCD; $1400, MCD Pro (both 1985; both no longer available, 2005).
Manufacturer: Meridian Audio Ltd., Stonehill, Stukeley Meadows, Cambs PE18 6ED, England, UK. Tel: (44) 01480-52144. Fax: (44) 01480-459934. US Distributor: Madrigal, Middletown, CT (1985); Meridian America Inc. (2005…