Shanghai Quartet in Concert

This past week I travelled to the University of Richmond to hear the Shanghai Quartet perform works by Mozart, Ligeti, and Dvorak.

The Mozart work was late (1790-1), and was one that I did not have regular familiarity. It was well played, but later hearing the group on more grueling material, I felt they might have injected a little more dynamics into the Mozart.

This is my time really hearing the Shanghai quartet. Each of the players has a personality that stuck throughout the evening’s concert. The most expressive player is V1, while V2 is the least expressive. The cellist is the most facially interesting as he plays, and the viola, he’s the most animated during applause, but plays with the most straight of backs and is a little stiff.

Of course none of this matters; it’s the sound and emotion that make us love or hate the experience. I was unfamiliar with the Ligeti work, and found many instances where the composition went wrong. The performance, though, was convincing, and well-done. It was quite a contrast with Mozart, and was well-received by the audience. Powerful sound, for sure.

The Dvorak was the crowd-pleaser. Having been written at the start of Antonin’s deparure from America, it had one thinking about journey. The Shanghai felt, I gather, most at home here, making the most out of this work, with the widest range of dynamic and emotional contrasts. They were “warmed up,” and the last of this work gave them all a workout with fleeting notes.

I typically go to concerts to hear one or more works on the program. This was unique, I guess for me, going for the ensemble over the music. While the vibrato used in the Mozart was at times making me wince (it’s a personal issue, I know), I found the whole experience musically satisfying.

Great Bach

This weekend I’ve been listening to some music; some of which I have neglected for some time. Too many times I surf the web while listening, and in doing so, miss many details.

This time around I stopped surfing, because the music was so arresting.

Pierre Hantaï on his second recording of the Goldbergs on Mirare; Rachel Podger on Bach’s solo Sonatas & Partitas. Hantaï is special for the little flourishes he adds; a great sounding instrument, and articulate, fast fingers.

Podger has a very blooming-sounding violin (thanks to her acoustic playing space), and isn’t a timid player. You can tap your foot to her Bach; and all the time, it’s easy to listen to and full of dynamic interest.

Who knows if Manze will ever record the S&P of Bach; but I think I’d like this one better.

I have been whipped…

The biberfan house has been occupied of late, with what you might ask? We bought into the Wii-bug. But we cannot find a Wii to buy. I know I’m not alone, for sure, but how frustrating this is.

Today, I hit my limit with 5 stores. No Wiis to be found. And here I thought “Sunday” must be the day… it all started Friday, then Saturday, visiting GameStops, WalMarts, and Target stores. They sure have the games, but where are the consoles?

A friend of the Fan of Biber got one some weeks ago at a Target. It played like something rather cool and new, a refreshing experience, for sure. And when you touch an iPhone, you want an iPhone. Wii isn’t much different, for that feeling, at least.

It’s even cheaper than iPhone.

ToysRUs promised them in today, but alas, the lady simply reported today: “No, we don’t have any.”

They have remotes, numchucks, steering wheels, oodles of games, and even Wii backpacks. But where is the stupid game?

I will say, the quest to get one has been infectious and a curious adventure. But my sense of ability in this game of Wii-dom has come to a quick end, I am afraid. My tired feet can’t keep me in the race.

iTunes and Ringtones

As I have said many times before here, I enjoy my music through my computer. My Mac. And yes, I have an iPhone which I also use to enjoy music, in addition to using it to take photos, or surf the Web.

I think a discussion about my experiences are warranted. Especially so now, I feel I have something to say, with regards to this latest “addition” to the phone, the concept of “ringtones” and buying music online through the iPhone itself.

First, the iPhone+iTunes is flawed for a user like me. When I sync the phone, I want iTunes to do some heavy lifting (like it already does with my iPod Shuffle) by re-encoding the tracks I sync on the fly to their lower-resolution cousins. Instead, iTunes does not do this, and I have had to manually create a sub-set of tunes specifically for the phone.

This functionality is not necessary with my larger iPods that store data on hard disk drives.

With this flaw aside, it is a very nice iPod; in fact, I’d say it’s near perfect: it allows me to browse the cover art, change tracks, and sort by composer or by CD. Yes, I cannot use audiophile headphones with an adapter, but… I use it more for casual listening anyhow, waiting for something, at the gym, etc. Small flaw.

The news that you will soon be able to buy songs online through the phone ,and at Starbucks locations, is not necessary, but welcome. Why not be able to buy music while you’re sipping coffee, with a magazine, work, or just hanging out? (And furthermore, why not use the trusted system iPhone is using to purchase other products?) The idea that the actual song that is playing will be identified on my iPhone is pretty darn cool. Kudos to Apple and Starbucks at making a partnership that seems pretty sophisticated, under the counter.

Mind you, I don’t purchase many iTunes tracks (I’m fussy and like to buy CDs), but the power to purchase is convenient, for when I do.

So, yes, to start: the iPhone gets 4.5 stars from me, and these further developments this past week help cement the iPhone as a solid product that I like.

We needn’t mention the price drop. Ouch. But the store credit is better than nothing, and will silence my initial shock and disappointment.

But I will speak-out against the Ringtones scheme. iTunes doesn’t need more bloat by adding a sound editing piece to custom-make your ringtones! And the idea of double-paying for a ringtone? Outrageous, by any stretch of the imagination.

I realize they have to do this because the recording industry has convinced someone at some point that artists deserve cash for their songs used as a signal rather than as music to be enjoyed. I don’t agree with it. A sound recording is a sound recording. If I can legally play it, then I want to legally play it.

So, I was happy to hear of a new “fix” with iTunes that allowed folks to create their own MP4 audio files, and change the extension to “.m4r” to make the audio file a ringtone. iTunes would do the lifting and install it for you. Simple enough, if you have the sophistication of knowing how to edit sound files.

I don’t necessarily want pre-recorded music on my phone as a ringtone. I might want my own voice, or my own music, or my own sound effects. And Apple’s now going to change the software so I can’t do this?

It seems silly that Apple makes software to allow you to make your own music/audio (Logic, GarageBand, SoundtrackPro), but won’t give you the tool to move that audio file to their own phone. We know its technically possible.

But now they won’t let it happen. Yes, I know, I’ve read of ways to “make it work again” but their intent is still there. Copyright law does include a provision of protection for the owner against “public performance” of their works; but why isn’t a 10 or 15 second ring tone “fair use”? Why is a short clip of music on a phone considered “public performance” when many phones have such lousy speakers to make the ring-sound only audible by a small group of people in a crowded room?

Who knows… but I personally find any measures taken my companies to manage how I enjoy my (purchased, legal) media suspect and discouraging.