The stereo upgrade continues.  For those interested, I'm very happy with
my Rega Planet 2000 and have added a Musical Fidelity A308 Amp--an amp
they call a wire with gain.  Vandersteen 3a Signatures are on the way.
England, England, and Hanford (where?).  I'm very interested in Silver
Audio interconnects and speaker wires.  Anyone have any, er..."input"
please respond privately.  After these items I'm done.  If I were to
spend any more money I might as well just buy an Eastern Bloc musician.
Vandersteen's are excellent, but they are not kidding about placement.
I've had to move all my furniture around--my wife was furious.  (Oh,
that's right, I don't have a wife).  ha ha

Gergiev's Sheherazahde (SP): an exciting performance, but remember the
old Tom and Jerry cartoons where the cat would run so fast that his skin
would jump ahead of his bones?  Well.  The recording is *so* reverberant
that in tutti sections one can hardly hear attack; only the sound that
comes after it.  Oh well.

Back to my old Barber.  I tried the new Barber series on Naxos, and found
it harsh harsh harsh, esp. the Piano Concerto.  I'm standing by my Telarc
with Zinman/Baltimore, (for the concerto only);  and for misc. orchestral
music, the Argo with the same forces.  The Slatkin is fetching at moments,
but the recording isn't very flattering to the strings.  And everything
is so distant.

Gliere's llya Muromets on Telarc with LSO/Botstein: Wow.  Nothing wrong
with Downes on Chandos, but the former really whip things up, esp. in
the finale.  Fast yes, but weighty and exciting none the less.

Hanson on Naxos: Very impressed with the Nordic, with Schermerhorn and
the Nashville Symphony.  Strings are lush and palpable--can't wait for
the rest.

John Smyth
Sacramento, CA