GRooVE back magazine n.005/25

GRooVE back magazine | bimonthly | Year 2 | Issue 005

Free with this issue is the Da Vinci Classics Sampler

The digital recording we're offering free with this issue is from Da Vinci Classics, which boasts a catalog of over a thousand titles, distinguished by undeniable artistic and technical quality, as evidenced by the twenty-four tracks in this tracklist. In the new issue of GRooVE back, in the article "A Guide to Listening to the Sampler," you'll find the link and download code.

GRooVE back magazine is available in print and free digital versions. The digital download version includes two PDFs, one single-page and one facing-page; you can choose the PDF that best fits your reading style. Both versions are interactive: from the cover to the table of contents, from the various articles to the advertisements, you'll find numerous links to external sites. You can also view the magazine in flip format here. If you missed the other issues, you can download them for free by clicking here.

«Get your groove back»

Editorial by Andrea Bedetti

In the last issue we commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the legendary concert that Keith Jarrett held in Cologne and, again using the temporal law of ten lustrums, in this issue we have decided to recall the figure of one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, Dmitrij Šostakóvič, who died in Moscow on 9 August 1975 and to whom I dedicated an article in which, in addition to underlining the anguished historical period in which he lived, under the anvil of Stalinist terror, I introduce our readers to his production dedicated to the symphonic genre and to that of string quartets.

Still on the subject of classical music, the digital recording we offer with this issue is the "Promo" from a record label I'm particularly fond of, Da Vinci Classics, which now boasts a catalog of over a thousand titles, distinguished by unquestionable artistic and technical quality, as can be seen from the twenty-four tracks that make up the tracklist. The large contingent dedicated to this quintessential classical genre continues with an interview with harpist Cristiana Passerini, a talented performer who has finally succeeded in valorizing the art of transcribing for her instrument through recordings of Bach and Handel masterpieces. Another anniversary, that of Maurice Ravel and the 150th anniversary of his birth, is also covered, with a review by Michele Benignetti of a double CD dedicated to some of his piano works, while the book review section is dedicated to some original reflections on Beethoven by Curzio Vivarelli. Linked to the relationship between literature and music, here is the second and final part of the story of the "scapigliato" Antonio Ghislanzoni chosen by Noemi Manzoni.

Francesco Cataldo Verrina introduces jazz pianist and composer McCoy Tyner, as well as reviews a CD dedicated to Gerry Mulligan. Two new contributors to the magazine, Simone Baldacci and Stefano Rossi, both rock specialists, discuss some very interesting artists. The former introduces the latest album by English songwriter Richard Dawson and recalls Brian Wilson, the recently deceased Beach Boys mastermind. The latter, through two interviews, delves deeper into Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci and crossover pianist and composer Roberto Jonata.

Sandro Vero, in addition to introducing our readers to questions related to the meaning of music, continues his valuable work of disseminating knowledge about the magical world of magnetic tape. And here we enter the audiophile section, where we welcome Andrea Bin, who begins a series of articles dedicated to the world of vinyl and analog. Furthermore, an article examines the PC as an audio source, along with reviews of the Level power amplifier and the excellent Meze 105 AER headphones.

Happy reading everyone!

The Summary

• 7 Editorial
• 8 In memory of Pierre…
• 12 Listening Guide to the Da Vinci Classics “Promo” Sampler
• 20 Dmitri Shostakovich, the musician forced to sleep in his clothes
• 36 McCoy Tyner, piano
• 44 Reading Tips
• 48 Dream Theater, the “dream” of their music continues
• 54 The meaning of music
• 60 Cristiana Passerini, when aspiring to beauty means exploring the ancient
• 66 Brian Wilson: a lifelong torment
• 72 Discovering the wonderful world of reel-to-reel tapes
• 78 Seong-Jin Cho's Ravel, a journey into the soul of man
• 82 The “small modern world” narrated by Richard Dawson
• 86 Roberto Jonata, music to feel free and to be able to think
• 96 Gerry Mulligan's “Nocturne”
• 102 Records and turntables, a perfect match
• 108 Armageddon Power Amp: Put a Tiger in the System
• 114 The Personal Computer, another audio source
• 120 La Meze 105 AER, when air becomes sound
• 126 Beethoven in the company of other giants