FLTWS
Headphoneus Supremus
LOL, me too!!! All in good fun, I'm sure.
What a long, strange trip it's been -- (Robert Hunter)
- Thread starter Baldr
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LOL, me too!!! All in good fun, I'm sure.
KoshNaranek
Headphoneus Supremus
Yes, all in good fun!
Lurker0918
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I think Loge is the Germanized "Loki". Maybe those three are an inside joke/nicknames for people at Schiit?
I'm going with bosiemoncrieff. The old country is in Mike's veins.
Mike's taking a week off to listen to the Ring Cycle, it takes that long!
Mike's taking a week off to listen to the Ring Cycle, it takes that long!
bosiemoncrieff
Headphoneus Supremus
maybe Mike's going to listen to a different ring cycle every day; it's only 14-17 hours of music (depending on the conductor)
Right now I'm recovering from a four-berlin-museum marathon (Anne Frank Zentrum, Brücke Museum, Bauhaus Museum, Hamburger Bahnhof Museum) and preparing for at least four tomorrow (Knoblauchhaus, Schloss Köpenick, Berlinische Galerie, Gemäldegalerie, and if I can swing it, the Kunstbibliothek, Kunstgewerbemuseum and Kupferstichkabinett—do not refer to those last three as an acronym, please!)
I'm getting ready to tuck in, but have been comparing the two great sopranos of the golden age of Wagner—Frida Leider and Kirsten Flagstad. Flagstad is far better represented on record (indeed, we do not have a single complete opera from Leider), and I have always preferred Leider out of a youthful contrarian impulse, always found Flagstad's tone as conveyed by recordings to be annoyingly soft around the edges, as if she were singing into a cushion, or to a pair of heavy drapes. As it is recorded, it feels a bit sepia, a bit LCD-2, a bit HD650 through a syrupy tube amp.
I think much of this is the fault of recording.
Although Leider's gleaming, knifelike clarity retains its special place in my heart, I find that having a quick vibrato can make up for a lot. Perlman, discussing Heifetz, says that the master's vibrato was "volcanic"—impossibly fast. Voices are different from violins, of course. But a loose, slow vibrato is to the operatic voice perhaps as sagging skin is to the body. Callas lost her quick vibrato with time. Gwynth Jones never had a quick vibrato to begin with. But of the five major Wagner sopranos of the C20—in rough order of careers, Leider, Flagstad, Varnay, Mödl, Nilsson—to my ears, right now, Flagstad's vibrato is the second quickest, behind only Mödl (Mödl, of course, a mezzo with a high extension, had her own issues, though this may explain how she maintained a career from the late 40s until the late 1990s, albeit as a contralto by the '80s). Thus, even as its tone seems excessively soft, and the end of her notes seem almost to "fade out," as though lacking the power to come to a sharp end, I'm beginning to hear what recommends her to so many. I will make a careful study of her performance in the 1952 Tristan; I've hitherto listened "past" her, if you will, as if to isolate Furtwängler from the world.
EDIT: Didn't make it to the "Kunst/Kunst/Kup" trio — I was at the Gemäldegalerie for a long time this afternoon, and boy howdy was it worth it. Perhaps the best collection of fifteenth century Flemish painting in the world. Jan van Eyck was supremely well represented, as were Rogier van der Weyden, Hugo van der Goes, the Master of Flémalle, etc. See "the twitters" for more. I've been walking 10-20 miles a day here in Berlin, and oh my is it worth it. The Berlinsche Galerie this morning was a special treat, though some of the temporary exhibitions felt a little bullschiitty (the permanent exhibition was much better).
Right now I'm recovering from a four-berlin-museum marathon (Anne Frank Zentrum, Brücke Museum, Bauhaus Museum, Hamburger Bahnhof Museum) and preparing for at least four tomorrow (Knoblauchhaus, Schloss Köpenick, Berlinische Galerie, Gemäldegalerie, and if I can swing it, the Kunstbibliothek, Kunstgewerbemuseum and Kupferstichkabinett—do not refer to those last three as an acronym, please!)
I'm getting ready to tuck in, but have been comparing the two great sopranos of the golden age of Wagner—Frida Leider and Kirsten Flagstad. Flagstad is far better represented on record (indeed, we do not have a single complete opera from Leider), and I have always preferred Leider out of a youthful contrarian impulse, always found Flagstad's tone as conveyed by recordings to be annoyingly soft around the edges, as if she were singing into a cushion, or to a pair of heavy drapes. As it is recorded, it feels a bit sepia, a bit LCD-2, a bit HD650 through a syrupy tube amp.
I think much of this is the fault of recording.
Although Leider's gleaming, knifelike clarity retains its special place in my heart, I find that having a quick vibrato can make up for a lot. Perlman, discussing Heifetz, says that the master's vibrato was "volcanic"—impossibly fast. Voices are different from violins, of course. But a loose, slow vibrato is to the operatic voice perhaps as sagging skin is to the body. Callas lost her quick vibrato with time. Gwynth Jones never had a quick vibrato to begin with. But of the five major Wagner sopranos of the C20—in rough order of careers, Leider, Flagstad, Varnay, Mödl, Nilsson—to my ears, right now, Flagstad's vibrato is the second quickest, behind only Mödl (Mödl, of course, a mezzo with a high extension, had her own issues, though this may explain how she maintained a career from the late 40s until the late 1990s, albeit as a contralto by the '80s). Thus, even as its tone seems excessively soft, and the end of her notes seem almost to "fade out," as though lacking the power to come to a sharp end, I'm beginning to hear what recommends her to so many. I will make a careful study of her performance in the 1952 Tristan; I've hitherto listened "past" her, if you will, as if to isolate Furtwängler from the world.
EDIT: Didn't make it to the "Kunst/Kunst/Kup" trio — I was at the Gemäldegalerie for a long time this afternoon, and boy howdy was it worth it. Perhaps the best collection of fifteenth century Flemish painting in the world. Jan van Eyck was supremely well represented, as were Rogier van der Weyden, Hugo van der Goes, the Master of Flémalle, etc. See "the twitters" for more. I've been walking 10-20 miles a day here in Berlin, and oh my is it worth it. The Berlinsche Galerie this morning was a special treat, though some of the temporary exhibitions felt a little bullschiitty (the permanent exhibition was much better).
Last edited:
wink
His amps are made out of recycled beer cans
and his source from tomatos.
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COME BACK, Mike.......... All is forgiven ...
....
Baldr
Sponsor: Schiit Audio
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I'm back. Putting out some minor fires but will be back online soon with news of Jil, available Friday or Monday.
Pietro Cozzi Tinin
Headphoneus Supremus
Is Jil the official name for the MP?
You have out done yourself once again with Eitr......there is only so much we mortals can absorb! 
I think we are in for a royal flush show!
I think we are in for a royal flush show!
wink
His amps are made out of recycled beer cans
and his source from tomatos.
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bosiemoncrieff
Headphoneus Supremus
Planning a visit to the Schiitr on the fifth. Can't wait to hear Vidar, Mani, etc.
adydula
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Seeing how I just got a Bifrost a month back, I called Schiit about a self install but there not ready for that yet...so they offered to exchange my Bifrost for a new Gen 5 USB one! I was very peleasantly surprised and it was a great customer service story.
I should have this on Sat and will post my experience with Gen 5 USB.
Alex
I should have this on Sat and will post my experience with Gen 5 USB.
Alex
ETanner
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They offered me the same deal with my Gumby. I shipped it back a couple of days after the reveal of Gen 5 and will have it by the time I get off my trip. Lots to enjoy these days from Schiit.
ToddRaymond
Previously known as Turdski
Is it nearly tube-based phono preamp time?
KoshNaranek
Headphoneus Supremus
Hjuki and Jil(Jack and Jill) in Norse mythology, went up the hill to fetch song-mead from the well of Mimir. They were then taken up into the heavens by Mani.
I know my logic is convoluted and tortured, but it sounds plausible to me.
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