by Lidia Paulinska | Jan 3, 2017
December, Fathom events – L’Amour de Loin (Love from Afar), an opera in five acts, received its world premiere performance at the Salzburg Festival on August 15, 2000.
The current Met Production is distinguished for two historic reasons. First, composed by the Finnish Kaija Saariahoit , it is only the second opera composed by a woman performed by the Met since 1903. In addition, the brilliant conducting is masterfully handled by another Finn, Susanna Malkki, who enjoys the distinction of being the very first woman to grace the Met’s orchestral podium in it’s entire 137 year history. One might conservatively say, “It’s about time.”
The vocals for the evening were ably handled by Susanna Phillips as Clémence Tamara Mumford as the Pilgrim, and a powerful Eric Owens as Jaufré, all meeting and surpassing the challenges of the complex score.
Production credits go to Robert Lepage whose controversial Ring Cycle is remembered by Met opera goers. In this production, the entire Met stage is taken up with no less than 28,000 LED lights in parallel rows representing the sea. Except for the chorus occasionally popping up from between the rows, the principal vocalists are restricted to an odd, mechanical contraption in a cage at the end of a protruding arm.
The giant mechanism moves (carefully) between the rows of the distracting blinding lights. The set then becomes the forced focal point of the production, upstaging the vocalists in every scene.
On balance, the set stands as one of the more unfortunate expressions of scenic design in recent Met memory. Planning to attend? Don’t forget your sunglasses, the score is worth your time.
by Lidia Paulinska | Dec 3, 2016
December 2016, NAMM – The 32nd NAMM TEC Awards nominees for upcoming Winter NAMM were announced. The celebration of the winners in 23 categories of Outstanding Technical and 8 categories of Outstanding Creative Achievements will take place during the in Anaheim on Saturday, January 21, 2017. The TEC Awards are recognition of the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind sound recordings, live performances, films, television and video games. More info at www.tecawards.org and congratulation for the nominees.
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Amplification Hardware – Studio & Sound Reinforcement: Crown – XLS DriveCore 2, d&b Audiotechnik – 30D, dbx – DriveRack VENU360 Series, JBL – M-Patch, Lab.gruppen – E Series, Powersoft – Deva HD
Ancillary Equipment: Antelope Audio – OCX HD, Antelope Audio – 10MX, Dangerous Music – 2-BUS+, Little Labs – Monotor, Radial Engineering – DiNET TX & RX Dante direct boxes, Rupert Neve Designs – RNHP: Precision Headphone Amplifer
Audio Apps & Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones/Tablets: Antelope Audio – Satori Remote, Avid – Pro Tools | Dock, iConnectivity – iConnectAUDIO2+, Moog Music – Model 15 App, Radial Engineering – BT-Pro, Sennheiser – Wireless System Remote
Audio Education Technology: EarMaster – Pro 6, Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group – Recording Unhinged, iZotope – Pro Audio Essentials , JBL – SpeakerPro, Neumann – Neumann in the Home Studio, NYU Music Experience Design Lab – Groove Pizza
Computer Audio Hardware: Antelope Audio – Orion32+, Apogee – Symphony I/O Mk II, Prism Sound – Callia, Focusrite – Red 4Pre, PreSonus – Studio 192 26×32 USB Interface, Universal Audio – Apollo Twin USB Interface
DJ Production Technology – Hardware/Software: American Audio – VM55 Controller, Denon – DJ MCX8000, Native Instruments – TRAKTOR Kontrol S5 controller, Numark – CDmix USB, Rane – MP2014 mixer, Reloop – Mixtour 2 mixer/controller
Headphone / Earpiece Technology: AKG – K182, Audio-Technica – ATH-M50xMG, Sennheiser – HD 25 Plus, Shure – KSE1500 Electrostatic Earphone System, Ultimate Ears Pro – UE Pro Reference Remastered, Waves – Nx Virtual Mix Room Plugin
Large Format Console Technology: Allen & Heath – dLive Series, AMS Neve – Neve 88RS, Avid – S6L, DiGiCo – Stealth Core2 , Solid State Logic – System T, Yamaha – Rivage PM10
Microphone Preamplifiers: AMS Neve – Neve 1073DPX, Antelope Audio – MP8D, Chandler Limited – TG Microphone Cassette, Grace, Design – m108 remote mic preamp / ADC, Kush Audio – Omega, Radial Engineering – Jensen Twin-Servo 500
Microphones – Recording: Aston – Spirit, Blue Microphones – Bottle Mic Locker, Bock Audio – U195, Lauten Audio – LA-320, Luke Audio – AL-X767, Mojave Audio – MA-1000 Signature Series, Schoeps – ORTF-3D
Microphones – Sound Reinforcement: AKG – C7, Audio-Technica – ATM230, Countryman – A3 podium mic, DPA Microphones – d:facto 4018VL, Electro-Voice – ND Series, Shure – KSM8 Dualdyne
Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects: Antelope Audio – Zen Tour, Blackstar – Artist Series, Line 6 – Firehawk 1500, Radial Engineering – JDX Direct-Drive, Softube – Marshall JMP 2203, Tech 21 – Bass Fly Rig
Musical Instrument Hardware: Casio – GP-400, Dave Smith Instruments – OB-6 Synthesizer, Korg – Minilogue, Line 6 – Helix / Helix Rack, Moog Music – Mother-32, Novation – Circuit Synthesizer / Drum Machine
Musical Instrument Software: IK Multimedia – Miroslav Philharmonik 2, Output – Exhale, PPG – Phonem, PreSonus – Notion 6 Music Notation Software, Softube – Marshall Bluesbreaker 1962, Tracktion – BioTek Organic Synthesizer
Signal Processing Hardware: A Designs – Hammer 2, Antelope Audio – Goliath, Chandler Limited – RS124 Compressor, Manley – Nu Mu, Warm Audio – WA-2A Tube Opto Compressor, CEDAR Audio Ltd – CEDAR DNS 2 Dialogue Noise Suppressor
Signal Processing Hardware (500 Series Modules): API – 512V, BAE – 1066DL, Bettermaker – C502V, dbx – 555, elysia – karacter 500, Phoenix Audio – Tilt Tone Channel/500
Signal Processing Software (Dynamics / EQ / Utilities): Empirical Labs – Arousor, iZotope – Ozone 7 Advanced, iZotope – RX 5 Audio Editor, McDSP – 6050 Ultimate Channel Strip, SPL – Transient Designer Plus, Waves – Greg Wells Signature Series
Signal Processing Software (Effects): Eventide – Tverb, iZotope – VocalSynth, Melodyne – Studio 4, Softube – Fix Flanger and Doubler, Soundtoys – 5, Universal Audio – Fender ’55 Tweed Deluxe Plug-In
Small Format Console Technology: Allen & Heath – Chrome Qu Series, Lawo – Sapphire Compact, Mackie – AXIS Mixing System, Solid State Logic – Sigma Delta, Waves – LV1 Live Mixer, Yamaha – CL/QL V4.0
Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers: Bose Professional – F1 Flexible Array, EAW – Anna, JBL – EON ONE, Meyer Sound – MJF-208 Stage Monitor, PreSonus – ULT Series , VUE Audiotechnik – al-12
Studio Monitors: Augspurger – Solo12MF, Dynaudio – LYD Series, Focal – Trio6 Be, Genelec – 8340A IP SAM, JBL – LSR7 Series, Ocean Way Audio – HR4
Wireless Technology: Audio-Technica – ATW-T1006 Boundary Mic Transmitter , Lectrosonics – Venue 2 Receiver System, MIPRO – ACT 2400 Series, Neutrik – Xirium Pro, Sennheiser – Evolution Wireless G3 A-1 Band, Line 6 – Relay G10
Workstation Technology / Recording Devices: Avid – Pro Tools 12.3, Celemony – Melodyne Studio 4, MOTU – Digital Performer 9.1, PreSonus – Studio One 3.2 Professional , Steinberg – Cubase 8.5, Tracktion – T7
Outstanding Creative Achievement
Film Sound Production: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Bridge of Spies, Star Trek Beyond, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian
Interactive Entertainment Sound Production: Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, Star Wars: Battlefront, Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End, World of Warcraft: Legion
Record Production – Album: Blackstar, David Bowie, A Head Full of Dreams, Coldplay, Culcha Vulcha, Snarky Puppy, Crosseyed Heart, Keith Richards, Hamilton, An American Musical, various artists
Record Production – Single: Blackstar, David Bowie, Can’t Stop the Feeling! Justin Timberlake, Empty, Garbage, Hello, Adele, Stare, Prince
Remote Production – Recording or Broadcast: 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, 58th GRAMMY Awards, 70th Annual Tony Awards, 88th Academy Awards, Superbowl halftime with Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars
Studio Design Project: Boston Symphony Orchestra Control Room, Deadmau5 Mau5trap, Man Made Music, Valenzo Studios, VSL Synchron Stage
Television Sound Production: Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Mr. Robot, The Walking Dead, Vikings
Tour/Event Sound Production: Adele Live 2016, Dave Matthews Band 2016 Summer Tour, One on One Tour – Paul McCartney, Radiohead 2016 World Tour, Rock Paper Scissors North American Tour – Sting and Peter Gabriel
