Welcome to the winter issue of Liner Notes Magazine. Thank you to all those who participated in the Reader’s Survey back in November/December, which is discussed in more detail below. To this quarter’s issue.
In the Editor’s humble opinion, one of the hallmarks of great writing is the ability to distill the essence of something in as few words as possible. And if that can be done with flair and eloquence, all the better. Liner Notes contributor Roger Pines has this talent. In his French singers article, his vivid and evocative descriptions make one want to hear each track. It’s a wonderful and entertaining journey through a bygone era.
No less compelling is Jon Tolansky’s extended piece on legendary conductor Otto Klemperer. Like his earlier profile of Beecham, this article examines the conductor from the musician’s standpoint, with many telling and humorous anecdotes. This ties in nicely with our label focus: Archiphon, which has three new amazing Klemperer sets on offer – all destined to become collector’s items.
There are many interesting intersections between music, art, and sports. As it happens, many who did cover art during the LP era were also sportsmen/women. Robert Velde was one such individual and his artwork for Columbia Masterworks and Westminster is captivating and well worth a retrospective.
Changes to Liner Notes going forward from 2023:
Slightly shorter magazine – rather than 200+ pages, it will run to no more than 150. This issue exceeds that, but not by much. This was the general consensus expressed in the Reader’s Survey.
Departing:
- The Games Dept (or “Divertimenti”). This section will move from the magazine to the new website.
- Loose-Leaf Dept (e.g., articles from The Etude). This will be replaced by “Soundings” – see below.
- CD/Download Dept On hiatus now, this will also move to the new website (ETA @ late April).
Arriving:
- Soundings – A new department that will explore the history of recorded sound – engineers, producers, manufacturers. That is, more the “hardware” side of things. In this issue, Alan Sanders examines German “tonmeister” Helmut Krüger’s pioneering efforts in stereophonic taping. This was done with Magnetophon technology in Berlin during the Second World War.
www.liner-notes.magazine.com 2.0
A new website is in the works, but will not debut until late April, hopefully in time for the spring issue.
Planned improvements are as follows:
- The “my account” area will allow one to easily access and download past issues and articles.
- One will be able to read the magazine online more easily using “page flipper” technology.
- A powerful search engine will enable one to search out particular articles, features and/or tidbits.
The spring issue will be published at the end of April. Thank you for subscribing and for your support. I hope this finds you well.
—Warm Wishes, Joe
Purchase this issue today, or if you’re a subscriber, you can find it available in your account or below, if logged in.