Ferde Grofé: Grand Cayon Suite / With Thunderstorm Effects (reference recording: Erich Kunzel)

Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) Grand Canyon Suite 00:00 Sunrise 05:10 Painted Desert 10:32 On the Trail (Philip Ruder, violin ; Rick Snyder, celeste) 18:33 Sunset 23:19 Cloudburst 31:02 Crickets & Distant Thunder 32:05 Cloudburst (with thunderstorm effects) Telarc Digital Compact Discs, especially those containing substantially wide dynamic range, will present an extraordinary challenge to all stereo systems. Certain components - even the finest - may have problems with the most demanding passages. Damage could result to speakers or other components if the musical program is played back at excessively high levels. ERICH KUNZEL CINCINNATI POPS ORCHESTRA Recorded in 1983 and 1985, at Music Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio USA Rolf Maeder, Photography Sedona 🔊 Join us with your phone on our WhatsApp fanpage (our latest album preview): https://cutt.ly/5eathESK 🔊 Find our entire catalog on Qobuz: https://cutt.ly/geathMhL 🔊 Discover our playlists on Spotify: https://cutt.ly/ceatjtlB ❤ Support me on Patreon https://cutt.ly/ZezaldhI FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING. In 1982, Telarc set out to "record a thunderstorm that contained all the right elements" for use in an experimental overdub in the final movement of Grofé's *Grand Canyon Suite*. Five years, several recording engineers, and countless (and costly) storm-chasing expeditions equipped with microphones yielded just enough material to complete the project. Recording thunder requires as much luck as skill. Unwanted background noise makes it essential to record far from any signs of civilization. Thunder captured anywhere outside the vast canyons and mesas of the American Southwest (or perhaps certain regions of Australia) simply does not produce the desired sound. Moreover, thunder obscured by rain is out of the question. As Telarc's Jack Renner puts it: "It sounds like hail on a tin roof." "Dry thunder" is not easy to find, and it seems especially elusive when it knows you are trying to record it. Among the many unsuccessful attempts, the winner was our friend and colleague Bruce Leek of California. Bruce recorded the opening section that precedes Track 12 in Sedona, Arizona, during the summer of 1983. Throughout those sessions, the major storms were "always over the mountain, about twenty miles away." Finally, in 1986, while driving through southern Utah, he was able to pull off the highway just as a storm approached. Fortunately, he had brought along his battery-powered digital recorder. He succeeded in capturing several violent thunderclaps and the deep, rolling thunder so characteristic of the American West—all without rain. Those are the sounds you hear at the heart of the movement. Once again, this remains, at most, an experimental addition. Although Grofé's score calls for a wind machine, he brilliantly created his own sonic images of lightning and thunder through the colors of the symphony orchestra. He succeeded magnificently, we might add, since the dynamic range of this orchestral storm spans nearly the full limits of the recording. Recording engineer Michael Bishop supplied the wind effects. We urge you to pay particular attention to the playback volume of this recording, especially Track 12. The average power and the extremely high- and low-frequency energy generated by a powerful thunderclap can damage even the finest audio equipment if the disc is played at excessive levels. Please exercise particular caution when listening through headphones. We recommend using them only after you have become familiar with the program and have first established a safe listening level using loudspeakers. — Robert Woods, Producer Other Album available // Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Italian Capriccio by Antal Doráti 🔥🎧 **Choose music service** : https://lnk.to/tchaikovsky1812dorati Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music (Hi-Res/flac) Apple Music (Alac/aac) Spotify (Lossless/mp3) Deezer (Hi-fi) Youtube Music (mp3) Rare composers XVII-XX Centuries PLAYLIST (reference recordings): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3UZpQL9LIxOCpFQi9nCZpAUMyYUqNaX1