Also new today from Telarc and its distributor, Universal Music’s Fontana Distribution arm, came news of two more Surround Sound Super Audio CDs coming from Telarc in the month of November. Here’s more on today’s SACD releases and news from Telarc.

Consequence of Chaos
Al Di Meola with Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Barry Miles, John Patitucci and Others
SACD Surround Sound/SACD Stereo/CD Audio
(Telarc SACD-63649)

Consequence of Chaos is guitarist Al Di Meola’s fourth Super Audio CD release and his fifth album for Telarc. His earlier SACD releases were a Single Layer Stereo SACD of the classic album Friday Night in San Francisco with John McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia (Columbia CS 65168), a Single Layer Stereo SACD of the album Gypsy Flower released in Japan (Sony Music Entertainment Japan SRGS-4577) and the Hybrid Surround Sound SACD of Flesh on Flesh on the Telarc Label (Telarc SACD-63543).

On his new album, Di Meola is joined by a host of guest artists including jazz stars Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Barry Miles and John Patitucci. It features 15 new compositions by the guitarist. According to Di Meola “This is really a new and refreshing period for me. This recording marks my return to playing solid-body electric guitar in the context of modern concepts and composition. I love the energy and the fact that I have reconnected to my first love. My group has been playing countless years together around the world and our love of playing is even more evident on this recording.

Chick Corea was delighted to be a part of the project. I knew he would just tear it up on ‘Red Moon.’ I think it’s some of the best playing I’ve ever heard from him. Our duet piece, ‘Cry for Me,’ was one of the best interactions I’ve ever had with any musician. Chick is truly superhuman on every musical level.”

Consequence of Chaos was produced by Al Di Meola and recorded by Katsuhiko Naito and Di Meola 201 Studios. The Stereo Mix was done by Naito with the 5.1 Surround Sound mix from Telarc Engineer Michael Bishop. The CD layer of the disc was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering and the SACD layer was mastered by Michael Bishop at Telarc. The SACD was made by Sony DADC at their Hybrid SACD production line in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The new album by Al Di Meola does indeed represent some original and avant garde compositions. Listening to the 5.1 SACD Surround Sound mix, I was impressed by Michael Bishop’s spacious and imaginative sound mix. Bishop always compliments the music here with immersive surround sound used for many of the selections and some more subtle surround sound when that is called for musically.

Album Musicians
Al Di Meola – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboard, Percussion, Cymbals, Dumbek & Floor Toms
Chick Corea – Acoustic Piano
Steve Gadd – Drums
Barry Miles – Piano, Keyboards & Marimba
John Patitucci – Bass Guitar & Acoustic Bass
Ernie Adams – Drums, Percussion, Congas & Bongos
Gumbi Ortiz – Congas & Percussion
Mario Parmisano – Piano, Keyboards & Acoustic Piano
Victor Miranda – Bass Guitar, Baby Upright Bass & Electric Bass
Kornel Horvath – Udo, Gato Drum & Shaker

Album Tracks
1. San Marco (moderna)
2. Turquoise
3. Odyssey
4. Tao
5. Azucar
6. Sanctuary
7. Hypnose
8. Red Moon
9. Cry For You
10. Just Three Words
11. Tempest
12. Storm Off-Shore
13. Black Pearls
14. Africana Suite
15. San Marco (vecchio)

Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes; Elgar: Enigma
Paavo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
SACD Surround Sound/SACD Stereo/CD Audio
(Telarc SACD-60660)

This new Surround Sound Super Audio CD is the latest album from Paavo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Paavo Jarvi has been one of the more active musicians in terms of Super Audio CD releases with this album marking his 15th Surround Sound SACD release on labels including Telarc, PentaTone Classics and BMG Japan. It is a Direct Stream Digital (DSD) recording and features performances of material by two well known British composers – Benjamin Britten and Edward Elgar.

Conductor Jarvi says that “This recording pays tribute to three of Britain’s greatest composers—not only Elgar and Britten, but also Henry Purcell, who appears in The Young Person’s Guide as an inspiration from the past. My hope is that by having their voices together on one disc, you will enjoy hearing the dialogue between these giants of British music.”

Album Producer Elaine Martone describes Jarvi as “an absolute gem to work with. Paavo Jдrvi is a brilliant man with a wonderful sense of the line of the music. He brings out the inner parts, illuminating them so they shine. The orchestra played the difficult Britten and Elgar music with virtuosity, and Paavo shaped and guided it all with a sure hand.”

The album was recorded at Music Hall in Cincinnati by Telarc Engineer Michael Bishop using the Genex 8500 DSD Recorders, the Sony Sonoma DSD Workstation (for recording and editing) and the EMM Labs Meitner DSD Converters with the EMM Labs Meitner Switchman II for surround sound speaker monitoring. The SACD Production Supervisor was Eric Brenner. The SACD was made by Sony DADC at their Hybrid SACD production line in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Album Selections
Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34
1. Theme A
2. Theme B
3. Theme C
4. Theme D
5. Theme E
6. Theme F
7. Flutes and Piccolo, Variation A
8. Oboes, Variation B
9. Clarinets, Variation C
10. Bassoons, Variation D
11. Violins, Variation E
12. Violas, Variation F
13. Cellos, Variation G
14. Doublebasses, Variation H
15. Harp, Variation I
16. Horns, Variation H
17. Trumpets, Variation K
18. Trombones and Tuba, Variation L
19. Timpani and Percussion, Variation M
20. Fugue

Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. 33a
21. I. Dawn
22. II. Sunday Morning
23. III. Moonlight
24. IV. Storm

Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36, Enigma
25. Enigma-Theme: Andante
26. C.A.E., Variation I: Andante
27. H.D.S.-P., Variation II: Allegro
28. R.B.T., Variation III, Allegretto
29. W.M.B., Variation IV: Allegro di molto
30. R.P.A., Variation V: Moderato
31. Ysobel, Variation VI: Andantino
32. Troyte, Variation VII: Presto
33. W.N., Variation VIII: Allegretto
34. Nimrod: Variation IX: Adagio
35. Dorabella, Variation X: Intermezzo, Allegretto
36. G.R.S., Variation XI: Allegro di molto
37. B.G.N., Variation XII: Andante
38. ***, Variation XIII: Romanza, Moderato
39. E.D.U., Finale: Allegro

Upcoming Telarc Surround Sound Super Audio CD Releases in October and November
Telarc has three more Surround Sound Super Audio CDs in store for High Resolution Audio fans in October and November. In October, Telarc will release another in their popular series of “crossover” classical music releases. This one will feature Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and is entitled The Never Ending Waltz.

Following in November will be two more Surround Sound Super Audio CDs that were announced today. The new SACDs will be a performance of Kullervo by Robert Spano conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the long awaited Mega Movies Super Audio CD that was announced by Telarc some time ago but is just now arriving on their release list.

Telarc Surround Sound SACD Release – October 24, 2006