Beethoven: Complete String Quartets

A String of Pseudo Pearls

Advantages: Excellent backing tracks, competent vocals, a couple of strong pop hits
Disadvantages: Not much in the way of soul, some dull tracks, all rather dated now

mind that in 1972 "The Black & White Minstrel Show" was still one of the top rated TV shows, which tells you something about the era. The Pearls were signed to the Bell label ? which had some hugely popular acts on their roster including the Bay City Rollers, Barry Blue, David Cassidy and Gary Glitter. The UK arm of the label focused mainly on commercial pop and the Pearls fitted into this perfectly. Interestingly the US arm tended to focus more on soul music. A String of Pearls Going back to my dad?s old Sanyo radio cassette recorder there was a song which was oft played by myself back in 1974 called ?Guilty?. Performed by the Pearls I loved it and have vague recollections of a Top of the Pops performance which incorporated judges? wigs. I have hunted high and low for this clip on the internet and sadly can only conclude it was ...

rosebud2001 10.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of String Of Pearls, A [Remastered] - Pearls (The)

A String Quartet + Rekindled Love = An Equal Music

Advantages: The writing, the setting, the music
Disadvantages: The characters are not sow ell defined or likable

I bought this book, An Equal Music by Vikram Seth, for the grand sum of one penny on the basis of a review written by Floon. I was enchanted by his description of the storyline and the author?s writing style. I was not disappointed. The author, Vikram Seth states, in an author?s note located on the last page of the book, that, ?Music to me is dearer even than speech?. To convey this, he focuses his novel on the world of music and its performance. The central character, Michael Holme, is the second violinist in a London-based string quartet. His life has settled somewhat into a rut. He plays his violin; teaches the violin; makes love to one of his students, Virginie; rings his father; all as a matter of routine. His comfortable lifestyle is suddenly disturbed by a series of events each connected and occurring in parallel ...

MAFARRIMOND 28.08.2004 · Read full review
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Review of An Equal Music - Vikram Seth

Music For The Ages-- Beethoven's Late Quartets

Advantages: Music of astonishing perfection; performances that are breathtaking and up to the task.
Disadvantages: Cheesy cover art.

); and the Fifth ?Emperor? Piano Concerto (1811). During this period, Beethoven?s hearing would almost completely vanish, leaving him totally deaf by his Late Period. This final, less prolific stage, would see the creation of the Ninth Symphony (1824), as well as other compositions such as the Piano Sonata, Opus 111 (1821) and Late String Quartets (1825-7) whose extreme innovation in harmony, scope, style, and form made many believe the by now totally deaf composer had gone insane. Beethoven deeply lamented his loss of hearing: he felt humiliated in company, terrified that someone would uncover his secret, and despairing of ever hearing music again. As his Heiligenstadt Testament, effectively a ?To be or not to be? debate for and against suicide, declares, it was the need to express unsaid things in music that saved him from taking his life ...

Soaring_Chicken 15.04.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Quartetto Italiano