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Ken Burns' "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History" on PBS (great story, neat planar music)

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Posted on September 20, 2014 at 21:04:43
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 3082
Location: South FL
Joined: May 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since:
July 26, 2010
There may be a cat or two among us ladies here who my want to watch this new documentary by Ken Burns, currently running on PBS. It is long; 7 two-hour parts, I think. Great series. We just finished watching it all, but it will be re-running for a while.

When Ken Burns' "The Civil War" documentary first aired decades ago, I did not own planars speakers. Still, it was clear that he took good care in selecting the music for it. To this day, "Ashokan Farewell" has remained embedded in my mind, and still stirs strings in my soul. LOL, of course, that fiddle tune did get replayed many times over during the series...

For "The Roosevelts...", I did not expect much in terms of music themes but I did expect some care to the selection of the soundtrack and its delivery. Thus, I set the Maggies for the "event". Basically, I turned off the surround system and let the Maggies do the job alone, just the two of them. I don't even use a center speaker anymore and the rest of my surround system is...ordinary :-))

As I expected of any pair of planars, they happily took on the job of delivering solidly centered narrators and other voices, plus a large soundstage with superbly textured background music behind them. And "background" it is; a whole wide stage at times, or a delightfully single instrument at others. Never intruding into the story...simply adding to the richness of the whole experience.

I did develop a sense of enhanced dual perception in many passages. Very often, the clarinet comes out particularly vivid in its natural "reedines", and other instruments also hold good solidity and great textures in the background. My ears simply commanded the brain to add "perceptual space". LOL, kind of like more mental channels. I suspect that some of you know what I mean;, happens while watching TV & movies with good music soundtracks. So, if you watch it, let the planars do the audio job if you can. I can't wait to get the Blu-ray disc, for better audio.

Anyway, "The Roosevelts..." story is still outstandingly well told and filmed, even on TV speakers. Black and White photography never looked so colorful!

 

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Soundtrack CD coming!, posted on September 21, 2014 at 07:46:07
The Duke
Audiophile

Posts: 536
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 6, 2001
I agree. The Roosevelts series was typical of Ken Burns and that is to say first class, superb documentary making in every way. Another great job by Florentine Films.
A soundtrack CD is coming in November!

 

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