Michael Nyman - The Piano (ost) - Virgin 7243 8 11266 22 (2003) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (2.37GB) DR11 | 24bit/88.2kHz flac DR11 (1.07GB) +6dB gain | Stereo only | Film music Amazon review: Improved sound on SACD, music still marvellous 15 May 2004 The original recording was produced by Nyman himself and is characterised by the multi-miking, near-saturation and closeness for which performances of his music are generally noted. The DSD (stereo)remastering was done by Simon Heyworth in August '01 and it does sound better than the original. Although there's not noticeably much greater bloom, instrumental definition & tone is clearer and more characteristic of the instruments, especially John Harle's and David Roach's saxes, and that in turn adds to the stereo effect. It also adds greatly to the "height" of the sound. Fittingly for film music, it now covers a canvass as tall as it is wide. The sometimes electronic-sounding violins of the Munich Philharmonic not only pack a punch, they also soar. Bass extension is good without being dominant, as it can be in many Nyman albums. The immediacy of the sound is part of Nyman's stylistic signature of resolving the almost opposing forces of hysteria and inevitability. For the "Piano" this conflict is less explicit than in some of his pieces, but no less forceful. The hysteria here is an inward and muted one, befitting its association with the mute, piano-obsessed, emigrant bride Ada. The music too was written to suggest both Ada and her childhood memories of songs and piano pieces and so it reflects "Scottish" type themes and melodies as well as the tempestuousness of the new world Ada finds in New Zealand. I found the film itself embarrassingly melodramatic and it hasn't grown on me in the decade since its release, but the music has. It is possible to find it lightweight initially, a la George Winston and co, but it holds more than it seems to. It is deliberately "naive" music and eventually works on an almost atavistic emotional level. It's also bloody lovely, with a main theme Paul McCartney would die to have written (as Douglas Adams would have written). So, to sum up, it was worth trading in the redbook version for, and it'll get regularly played. ~By P. SIMPSON Tracks: 01. To The Edge Of The Earth 02. Big My Secret 03. A Wild And Distant Shore 04. The Heart Asks Pleasure First 05. Here To There 06. The Promise 07. A Bed Of Ferns 08. The Fling 09. The Scent Of Love 10. Deep Into The Forest 11. The Mood That Passes Through You 12. Lost And Found 13. The Embrace 14. Little Impulse 15. The Sacrifice 16. I Clipped Your Wing 17. The Wounded 18. All Imperfect Things 19. Dreams Of A Journey ***Big thanks to blog member josede for the loan of this disc.*** Michael Nyman Biog: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Nyman/e/B000APSXB8/ref=ac_dpt_sa_bio/275-9314302-2647103 ==================================================== foobar2000 1.1.13 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1 log date: 2012-07-01 22:52:45 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Analyzed: Michael Nyman / The Piano ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DR Peak RMS Duration Track (@ +6dB gain) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DR11 -5.40 dB -20.38 dB 4:08 01-To The Edge Of The Earth DR11 -6.21 dB -20.87 dB 2:53 02-Big My Secret DR13 -0.77 dB -18.90 dB 5:52 03-A Wild And Distant Shore DR11 -5.34 dB -18.99 dB 1:37 04-The Heart Asks Pleasure First DR13 -4.57 dB -19.57 dB 1:02 05-Here To There DR11 -1.92 dB -15.97 dB 4:16 06-The Promise DR10 -7.55 dB -22.37 dB 0:48 07-A Bed Of Ferns DR10 -7.87 dB -20.19 dB 1:30 08-The Fling DR12 -3.33 dB -21.48 dB 4:19 09-The Scent Of Love DR11 -0.18 dB -16.88 dB 3:01 10-Deep Into The Forest DR13 -7.48 dB -25.20 dB 1:14 11-The Mood That Passes Through You DR11 -1.47 dB -17.40 dB 2:27 12-Lost And Found DR12 -6.01 dB -20.86 dB 2:37 13-The Embrace DR11 -4.96 dB -18.69 dB 2:13 14-Little Impulse DR11 -5.71 dB -19.13 dB 2:50 15-The Sacrifice DR11 -2.12 dB -18.17 dB 4:37 16-I Clipped Your Wing DR11 -10.49 dB -23.87 dB 2:30 17-The Wounded DR10 -3.83 dB -19.06 dB 4:04 18-All Imperfect Things DR9 -2.22 dB -14.81 dB 5:32 19-Dreams Of A Journey ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of tracks: 19 Official DR value: DR11 Samplerate: 88200 Hz Channels: 2 Bits per sample: 24 Bitrate: 2625 kbps Codec: FLAC ==================================================== Checksum for iso: 5b980714d596cfc891f0e89cd6c17c31 *Michael Nyman - The Piano.iso Checksums for flac tracks: d246ec82f403dc37312defd669d5b13c *01 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - To The Edge Of The Earth.flac 8a762a5c4323d5a497ca1bd7c1ad85b0 *02 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Big My Secret.flac c66f851e56d94a16b8fb374cff40dd52 *03 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - A Wild And Distant Shore.flac 2547fc4c953a2480b0355a2784ff8122 *04 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Heart Asks Pleasure First.flac 492da2071c3b17ca3e98a3a36e2fcb63 *05 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Here To There.flac c45f4575acebba3003f73d228d5fddd5 *06 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Promise.flac 6aa78f559a25f6381fa0508e84d250ec *07 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - A Bed Of Ferns.flac 69e4cd0ae0a2b6c442e805ef819d00f5 *08 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Fling.flac e1425a94b907713682544c5675547719 *09 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Scent Of Love.flac 3e18a3295b09e8d4869a2ffab1114da4 *10 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Deep Into The Forest.flac 3b89ab3dc3baf9a231e5a1d5c9c1cf5d *11 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Mood That Passes Through You.flac 7369ad625b9ffd5fa68152d1bc5f1cfd *12 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Lost And Found.flac 497e7ef412eeae5298b871b2c2450aae *13 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Embrace.flac e8bddf828b9667ac8506fd9536978848 *14 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Little Impulse.flac 3a548727b896a18866f38e705db30497 *15 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Sacrifice.flac cf7d492ab1e6ba266b500315efb6d6ec *16 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - I Clipped Your Wing.flac b49e5c48ddcccc5124968c63b852c7d1 *17 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - The Wounded.flac 822d764f7b1a9d4fc49b3ceec943685f *18 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - All Imperfect Things.flac 84bc798e892601cecb0ded9c510db97d *19 - Members of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra - Dreams Of A Journey.flac