my morning with Starker.......

[Mike Lavigne]

first Monday in October, a light rain falling, and i'm retired. had a busy Football weekend, a little baseball and the Ryder Cup too. so not much listening.

i pulled out my original pressing Bach Starker "Suites For Unaccompanied Cello"...Complete Box Set (Mercury SR3-9016). i do have the fine AP 45rpm box set, which is good.....this is 'gooder'. more sonorous. sweeter. more direct. more intimate. more shimmer and air on the strings. i'm more captured. maybe not quite as low noise, as energetic or big space sounding as the 45's. but......perfect rainy day morning music. wet sounding.

Played one side each on 5 arm/cart combos. this music really sets the mood. and it also digs into what each arm/cart is doing. and if it's your cup of tea, and you are in the mood, gets deep into your soul. it is, i was, it did.

the CS Port linear tracker/Etsuro Gold the most subtle and least reproduced, T1/Tosca/DaVa the most on fire, the T1/FCL/Etsuro Gold the most luscious, the NVS/Tosca/At-MC2022 the most inciteful. the NVS/Telos/Koetsu Azule the most boisterous. obviously i'm over-simplifying and they all are beautiful and touch all the bases. but this music really does make it easier to understand what is going on. it's both right and left brain engaged. this music is life affirming.

 

[Lee]

I just bought the UHQR set and it sounds very lifelike on the Caliburn. And I do tons of cello recordings so I do know what they sound like.

Do you have the Speaker's Corner box or the UHQR from Chad?

 

[astrotoy]

Hi Mike, the original Starker Bach Suites is one of the super catches of the entire Mercury Living Presence catalogue. I've never seen it less than in at least the lower stratospheric level of prices either. I have the Speakers Corner box and before that had a copy of the Mercury Golden Import version which was quite good - and for a Golden Import was quite pricey, in the low three figures. I ended up getting a nice copy on 15ips 2 track tape, expensive, but still less than an original vinyl that you have.

Larry

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I just bought the UHQR set and it sounds very lifelike on the Caliburn. And I do tons of cello recordings so I do know what they sound like.

Do you have the Speaker's Corner box or the UHQR from Chad?

no, i have the AP 45 box from Chad. not the Speaker's Corner box set. the AP Box is technically better. the Mercury Original Box Set is more emotional. sorta sweeps you off your feet. you tend to play the whole box set at once hoping for a 4th disc. alas, Bach only did 6 suites.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hi Mike, the original Starker Bach Suites is one of the super catches of the entire Mercury Living Presence catalogue. I've never seen it less than in at least the lower stratospheric level of prices either. I have the Speakers Corner box and before that had a copy of the Mercury Golden Import version which was quite good - and for a Golden Import was quite pricey, in the low three figures. I ended up getting a nice copy on 15ips 2 track tape, expensive, but still less than an original vinyl that you have.

Larry

mine is a "Promotional Copy, Not For Sale". was given to me by a friend. good friend.

but as my pictures show, i have the 'Gold' version, not the original Red label. love what i hear.

i'm sure the tape is awesome.

 

[Lee]

no, i have the AP box from Chad. not the Speaker's Corner box set. the AP Box is technically better. the Mercury Original Box Set is more emotional. sorta sweeps you off your feet. you tend to play the whole box set at once hoping for a 4th disc. alas, Bach only did 6 suites.

Cool. Thanks.

 

[astrotoy]

mine is a "Promotional Copy, Not For Sale". was given to me by a friend. good friend.

but as my pictures show, i have the 'Gold' version, not the original Red label. love what i hear.

i'm sure the tape is awesome.

I think the gold promo is worth even more than the red/maroon label. The promos that I have (had) were all different colors from the regular issues. Not sure, but I think that the promos were the earliest pressings. Someone can correct me on that. Larry

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I think the gold promo is worth even more than the red/maroon label. The promos that I have (had) were all different colors from the regular issues. Not sure, but I think that the promos were the earliest pressings. Someone can correct me on that. Larry

interesting. thanks very much Larry for all the info. we are all learning from you.

 

[dan31]

I have not listen to the Starker Cello suites for years. Listening to the SACD while cleaning up email.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

my R2R SM version sounds awesome

 

[bonzo75]

my R2R SM version sounds awesome

Here it is https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/fellas-show-me-thy-cellas.31430/post-795494

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

cool I forgot

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

@bonzo75
made a new recording for you now
A80 Nextgen reproboards SE direct out
new Tommy Hørning Litz wired toroid nanocrystalline OPTs
new TH nanocrystalline ITs and gridchokes
new CD horns doing 600Hz-20K controlled dispersion 85x45 degrees incl Duelund Cu caps in X/O
and Powersoft Litemod 4HV doing FLH and subduty
upper FLH slightly delayed compare to lower to create pinpoint focusing......learned from Rune at NNNN

 

[DetroitVinylRob]

I only have experience with the Acoustic Sounds Analogue Productions 6 disc, version and find it quite nice. Beautifully pressed, superb tonality, dynamically explosive, just as I imagine the performance should be.

 

[Argonaut]

A very recent acquisition :

 

[astrotoy]

A very recent acquisition :

View attachment 117645

I didn't have the stereo (or mono) version of this in my collection. Not sure whether it was part of the 3 record set that Mike's post is about or whether it was a separate recording. I remember an anecdote I read in some forum about someone bringing the Mercury box to Starker to autograph late in his career. Starker looked at it and said something like "Sins of my youth." Larry

 

[bonzo75]

I didn't have the stereo (or mono) version of this in my collection. Not sure whether it was part of the 3 record set that Mike's post is about or whether it was a separate recording. I remember an anecdote I read in some forum about someone bringing the Mercury box to Starker to autograph late in his career. Starker looked at it and said something like "Sins of my youth." Larry

He recorded it first on EMI and then a few times on period label. If he thinks Mercury was sins of his youth he must really hate the EMI. His last was on RCA in 92.

that said the Mercury sounds the best and energetic.

for a much faster performance, Annlies Schmidt

The original one copy is listed on discogs for 3500 USD.

 

[oldvinyl]

I have the Speakers Corner box and before that had a copy of the Mercury Golden Import version which was quite good - and for a Golden Import was quite pricey, in the low three figures.

Larry - I found a copy of the Mercury Golden Import for less than $20 at a sale at The Record Man on El Camino when I lived in Redwood City. Gary, the owner of The Record Man, lived two doors down from our house.

I think it was not priced right, but I got a bargain!

Also purchased the Acoustic Sounds 45 rpm 6 LP set when it came out. It is fantastic.

 

[XV-1]

first Monday in October, a light rain falling, and i'm retired. had a busy Football weekend, a little baseball and the Ryder Cup too. so not much listening.

i pulled out my original pressing Bach Starker "Suites For Unaccompanied Cello"...Complete Box Set (Mercury SR3-9016). i do have the fine AP 45rpm box set, which is good.....this is 'gooder'. more sonorous. sweeter. more direct. more intimate. more shimmer and air on the strings. i'm more captured. maybe not quite as low noise, as energetic or big space sounding as the 45's. but......perfect rainy day morning music. wet sounding.

Played one side each on 5 arm/cart combos. this music really sets the mood. and it also digs into what each arm/cart is doing. and if it's your cup of tea, and you are in the mood, gets deep into your soul. it is, i was, it did.

the CS Port linear tracker/Etsuro Gold the most subtle and least reproduced, T1/Tosca/DaVa the most on fire, the T1/FCL/Etsuro Gold the most luscious, the NVS/Tosca/At-MC2022 the most inciteful. the NVS/Telos/Koetsu Azule the most boisterous. obviously i'm over-simplifying and they all are beautiful and touch all the bases. but this music really does make it easier to understand what is going on. it's both right and left brain engaged. this music is life affirming.

Hey Mike

What has the bigger differences in the sonic picture, sound quality of this release?

Difference between the original pressing and the AP box?

Or

the differences between the 5 different table/arm/cartridge combos?

Cheers

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hey Mike

What has the bigger differences in the sonic picture, sound quality of this release?

Difference between the original pressing and the AP box?

Or

the differences between the 5 different table/arm/cartridge combos?

Cheers

differences in the releases are much more distinctive. i would say most would easily hear them. not all good and bad, just presentation differences where likely you would have a clear preference.

in my particular system all the vinyl gear pieces are relatively high level. but there are degrees of rightness and certainly areas of attributes that stand out. the pressing presentation differences are more profound.

maybe part of that is living with my different arms/carts i am already clued into their character. likely someone fresh in my room listening might not be as quick to hear these things. it's my process to go from arm to arm to arm during my sessions, as that has added value to my vinyl listening.

maybe the highly respected Speaker's Corner set is closer to the original presentation? cannot say, not heard it myself.