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RE: Kudos to Art Dudley

Posted by throwback on September 21, 2016 at 16:32:46:
Art. Plus 1. Plus 2 other observations.
1. Excerpt from an email I sent my old friend, Kemper Holt, after the Capital Audio Fest.

"I wanted to review two listening experiences that are somewhat linked. The first was at Capital. The exhibitor was Deja'-Vu. The system was very old: a pair of Western Electric tube amps driving an equally old (bass reflex?) speaker I don't even know the name of. I don't remember the cartridge either. I just know it wasn't a new $10,000 jobby. Wow! I was reminded of that sound when I went to hear a classical quartet here in town.

The spec I believe we are missing when we talk about audio, is "aliveness." One reason it isn't a spec is because engineers haven't figured out a way to make it one. But boy, is it important. The cello I heard last week was alive. It was almost overpowering. It filled the room and asserted itself with every bow-stroke. It growled and was full of the most exquisite texture. It was enveloping. Even on my system, the cello doesn't sound like that. But it sounded a lot closer to that at Deja'-Vu. . . . I go to lot of concerts, small and large, from solo recitals to Mahler-sized orchestral performances. I have sung in semi-professional choruses (including the Paul Hill Chorale in D.C.) and I have produced international piano competitions. So I believe I have a reasonably good ear. And that ear is telling me we have a long way to go. And maybe, the direction we need to go is back."

2. You appear to be as in love with Frost's "Choose Something like a Star" as I am. In fact I wrote a short play about a bunch of high school students discussing this deep, surprising and multi-layered work. If you ask me nicely, I'll send you a copy.