Daniel A

Spotify is a distributor, so they get the music from whatever label that owns the rights, or - in the case of public domain material - from any label that has signed up with them and is offering it. Since it's possible to make a digital-only release of a PD recording very cheaply, there's a wealth of labels that seem to exist for this very purpose only. Much of this shouldn't really be available in the US as it's not in the public domain there. In album view the label/rightsholder is stated, usually at the bottom. When an album is available in multiple versions (as the PD material almost invariably is) i always try to see if I can find a release from the proper rightsholder as to not unnecessarily feed the shadier PD labels. As for albums in bad sound, there's too much to mention among the digital PD labels.

Actually, you initiated this sub-discussion by calling SHM a scam. Sorry for responding.

I'm not sure I get your point, but that's probably my fault.The reason I brought up EAC was that the ripping time is affected by how difficult a disc is to read, and that I have observed a general difference in ripping time between scratch free CD:s and SHM CD:s I've ripped.

You are falling into a common misconception about CD error correction. It's an error correction algorithm that is applied to every bit that is read from the CD all the time. There is no strain on the error correction circuits because they aren't working harder, they're working the same as if the CD had no errors. The bits go through error checking circuitry and if a bit needs to flip, it's flipped. If it doesn't need to be flipped, it isn't. There is no additional circuitry needed to flip these bits. Sorry for not presenting it correctly. What I meant was that there's a limit to what the error correction can "guess" from missing/faulty bits. I didn't mean that the circuitry was literally under pressure. Whether the SHM/non-SHM difference is enough to ever make a real (audible) difference I don't know, but I doubt it (which is why I added "theoretically"). What I have observed, though, is that the SHM CD:s seem to be easier to read for the CD-ROM drive.

As for SHM being a hoax, I can attest to the fact that when ripping these CD:s to a computer with a software like EAC, which reads every frame multiple times until there is consistent data for a given number of consecutive reads, the ripping is generally faster than for the majority of common CD:s. This seems to indicate that there are fewer read errors from SHM CD:s. As a CD player only gets one chance to get it right a common CD theoretically puts more strain on the error correction circuit. To what extent this difference is perceptible I don't know, and it doesn't matter much to me. However, I'm happy with the remastering of the SHM series. David's point about optimal playback of digital files is of course valid. Strange as it may seem, having these pieces of plastic shipped from Japan is still the only option of having some of this music in uncompressed 16/44 in this part of the world, though. (Not to mention the bonus tracks of this series, which I believe that the "common" CD reissues with the same mastering are missing.)

The Lego concentration camp: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Libera

The Feldman album is nice, but not quite what the line-up might make you think, IMO. I don't return to it often at all. Fresh Sound is continuing to milk the last P.D. year, 1962, it seems. Nobody else would have reissued them I suppose, but how they can be "remastered" in the usual sense of the word is beyond me since I can't believe they have got the masters to work from.

Of course he could hardly have been unaware of Stravinsky. But he came from a very poor family and suffered from a lifelong illness that severely restricted his ability to move. I doubt he traveled much.

Happy birthday!

In Sweden, streaming is indeed saving the music industry. According to figures that were made public recently, digital sales accounted for 79 percent of the revenue during 2013, and 75 out of those 79 were generated from streaming; only 4 percent from downloading. Total revenue for the (Swedish) music industry has grown rapidly for the last few years and now seems to be at the same level as about ten years ago.

Sometimes it seems as if some albums on Spotify come and go and then come again without an apparent reason. You might find that a few tracks on a certain album are unavailable in your country, but then discover they are available as part of a legit compilation album.

I agree with this. For me, Jacknife is the one I'm returning to the most, if only because I love "Blue Fable". I like Jackie the most when he's going almost out, but over chord changes (as opposed to more "free" contexts).

Joe Pesci?

Tom Evered once confirmed that the master tapes were lost. Judging from what I hear, I think the previous "Blue Note Works" TOCJ reissue was a vinyl transfer too, albeit better done than the US Rare Grooves edition.

The cutting edge comment was your first reply to Ligeti. Obviously you found him full of himself, and it bothered you enough to make a sarcastic and rude remark. That kind of action does not exactly serve to generate civil discussion or move the thread forward. I think here are other ways to read Ligeti's post. Edit: further comments deleted.

Unless his blood turned into salt I'm sure he'll be back in 2016. Watched the film at the age of 10 on TV without parental guidance and it made a lasting impression! However, the score - which is fantastic - did not register with me until second viewing 20 years later. I'm sure there'll be a third time one of these days.

Oh no! Too late! Well, belated birthday wishes, Jeff!

The Bernstein symphonies box ran out but is now back at Italian Amazon. Those interested should probably act soon. A friend at (Swedish) Sony said they were unable to get a copy for me because it was out of print.

Thanks everybody! Sorry for not posting this earlier. Even if the world is probably past "peak Facebook" staying out of it (like I do) means nobody remembers your birthday. Besides you and a few internet friends the only ones who did were wife, parents and an aunt. Anyway my wife took me to see 'Flashdance' which is running as a musical at a theatre in town.

Happy birthday, Paul! Thanks for your contributions to these forums.

I'm very late, but nevertheless: happy birthday!

I just ordered the Berstein symphonies box. Too good to pass, and now only two sets in stock at Amazon Italy.

I went by Andra yesterday when I had an unexpected free hour in the afternoon. That doesn't happen often with two small children at home (I'm currently on paternity leave). Sure enough Mats Gustafsson was in the shop - apparently he's currently on tour in Sweden - and the owner was in a jovial mood. When I entered Mats had just auditioned a copy of Herbie Hancock's 'The Prisoner', original Liberty pressing, but found it (the music, I presume) "no good". Even before I got to the shop I had decided to look for Gil Evans' LP only 1970 album on Ampex records. That title has kept me curious for 25 years but I've never knowingly come across it or actively sought it out. In high school there was this guy who knew both jazz history and the then current scene. He went to another college, but I used to run into him once or twice a year. When I was 16 years old and getting into jazz (from Peter Nero through Oscar Peterson to Red Garland) he told me "You should listen to Miles Davis' album 'Kind of Blue'". I did that and it had an enormous impact on me. A year later he told me "You should listen to some Gil Evans. Try 'The Individualism of Gil Evans'". I did that and I'm very thankful for where it led me. In the CD liner notes for 'Individualism' the Ampex album is mentioned as something GIl never would want to see released again as it consisted of orchestral sketches not fully realized or something to that effect. Naturally it made me curious. So yesterday I walked into the store, found a mint copy for not much money and brought it home. It bears repeating - Andra is great!

Fair question. Lack of interest in life? In others? In musical possibility? In the things that any educated person knows about music? Like if you never read a book by a person who had been alive during your lifetime and didn't think anyone else should either? Could be anything, I don't know. Those are possible answers (and I can think of others that are not as condescending) to the question why a performer doesn't do works by living composers, not the question why he/she does have to do them.

I think that all the talk about how flawed this is as a concept is blowing the whole thing out of proportion. You can also choose to believe that this was a just a modest experiment, one that may have its merits but will only appeal to a minority. I chose that way and I'm enjoying life and music as much as ever.