I bought the UM2s just before they changed the cabling, so my cable turned an ugly greenish-black color within months of purchase. Then, before they were even a year old, the nozzle on one of the phones just fell apart (glue issues!). I called them about repair and they were willing to repair...

Breaking News at the Gramophone website: there is an ongoing examination of Joyce Hatto's recordings, and they have reached the conclusion that her recordings are not by her, but by many different pianists! Apparently her husband, who is supposed to have made the recordings, has been using...

Is it just my browser, or are others having trouble with the smilies? I'm not seeing the smile or those cute devil faces veryevil or evil. In fact, if I put in the smilies, I just get a blank! Here goes: I see them in my editing window but not on the posted message or in the preview...

Quote: Originally Posted by JayG Why do people love historic recordings of, for example, Beethoven's 9th recorded in god-awful 1930s/40s mono sound transferred from 78s and played with way too many strings and orchestral balances that couldn't be much more different than what they were...

For all of you who enjoy a good chuckle, be sure to read David Hurwitz's editorial on the decision that Pluto is not a planet. Here's the link to the piece which is called, "Pluto De-Planetized; Holst Vindicated; Matthews Disgraced."

Scarlatti seems to crop up occassionally here, so I thought it was time for a thread dedicated to his works. For those unfamiliar with Domenico Scarlatti, he was an Italian composer, the son of composer Alessandro Scarlatti, who was famous as a harpsichordist in Rome before becoming the music...

Check out this price for the new Bertini Cycle. Get it before they correct it! Amazon Caiman

Classicstoday just posted their list of "CIA" (Classical Internet Award) winners for 2005. There are a lot of familiar recordings there and unfamiliar ones as well. I note that the Hough Rachmaninov is given an award as is Ashkenazy's recording of the Moments Musicaux. Opinions?

My husband brought back Akiko Suwanai's new release of Bach Violin Concertos from Japan. This was the first time I had ever heard one of her recordings and it is outstanding. She plays a violin formerly owned by Heifetz (the Dolphin Stradivarius, loaned to her by a Japanese foundation), and was...

I briefly heard a thing on tv about not giving dogs food that is flavored with or contains onions and garlic. Despite my best efforts I couldn't come up with more information about this. It just seemed a little strange as garlic in some form is used as a flavor enhancer in many dog foods...

Well, at long last forensic science has determined the cause of the great composer's death and possibly the personality changes that were remarked starting in his 20s. Apparently Ludwig had a favorite wine goblet that was lead based. Examination of his hair and bones showed high amounts of lead...

For everyone who has been looking at RCA Red Seal recordings, they are on unadvertised sale at Towerrecords, and I don't know how long this will last. This also includes the new Harnoncourt Paris Symphonies (yeah, 29.95 ain't cheap anyway). Also, selected titles from the DG Originals (Blue Seal)...

For everyone who knows and loves the music of Chuck Berry, it is sad to note that Johnnie Johnson, the pianist who gave Chuck Berry his famous sound, passed away Wednesday, April 13, 2006. He started in the Chicago clubs, playing with Muddy Waters and Albert King, but is most famous as the...

Aside from my one recording, I was privileged to hear Roy Harris's 3rd Symphony at Carnegie Hall last February, performed by the Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of Franz Welzer-Most. Along with the Harris, Radu Lupu soloed in Beethoven's Piano Concertos 2 and 3. It was a memorable evening as...

I am in the process of upgrading my audio system and have found that in NYC there is no dealer that recommends a dedicated cd/sacd/hdcd/dvd-a player, and instead they all advise a dvd/hometheater (audiophile quality) player. The one that has come up most frequently is the Denon DVD 3910, which...

I've always been a fan of Artur Schnabel, but the sound on those recordings leaves a lot to be desired. I also love Rudolph Serkin, and a whole list of pianists depending on which sonata and what mood I'm in. I have huge problems with the sonatas because I can't seem to find any one...

I think that Head-Fi is one of the greatest sites on the web. Not just because of the useful information that is available about headphones, ipods, encoding, amplifiers, and all the techy stuff, but because all of the members are really nice people! I'm really glad that I found this place.

Artie Shaw died today. Who could not enjoy Begin the Beguine or In the Mood the way Artie did them? Thanks for all the good times! RIP

Eddie Layton, the long time organist for the NY Yankees has passed away after a brief illness. He had retired in September 2003 after 38 seasons of playing for the Yankees. He was the first organist to work in Yankee stadium, having been brought in by then president, Mike Burke in 1967...

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul is scheduled to undergo surgery on December 15 for prostate cancer. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6691876/ I remember the first time I ever went to one of his concerts, it was a phenomenal experience. I pray that he will recover and soon be performing again...

In Congress, a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act will soon be coming up for a vote. This bill will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. Presently, because of the insurance company policies, women are forced...

My cd collection is getting so out of hand, they are now filling 6 shelves (2 deep) in my living room, which makes locating any individual cd both difficult and awkward. I have tried listing them, alphabetizing them, arranging them by genre, etc. But one party, (like Thanksgiving) and they end...

These are NOT made up. This list is "The Worst [or best] Country-Western Song Titles of all time!" 1. Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed 2. Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing you Goodbye 3. Her Teeth Was Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure 4. How Can I Miss You...

This year has seen the end of the Curse of the Bambino, and the Washington Redskin Curse on the Incumbent. Anyone have an idea of another sports myth that's ripe for being busted?

I just saw the October 2004 issue of Popular Science, and found this review on p.86. Here's a link for anyone interested. http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/ar...697584,00.html