Copper


Spotlight on Brahms

Issue 213Sitting In

Copper has an exchange program with PMA magazine of Canada (and other publications), where we share articles, including this one.   Here are three discs I recommend for exploring the music of Johannes...

For J: Songs of Love

Issue 212Sitting In

"I hope these songs bring back happy memories. You will know why I picked them. Every day we were together was the best day of my life. I will love you...

Jean Sibelius: The Seven Symphonies

Issue 203Sitting In

Copper has an exchange program with AAA (Analogue Audio Association) magazine of Switzerland (and other publications), where we share articles, including this one.   The composer Sibelius (1865 – 1857) has given his...

Can One Year in Music Change Your Life?

Issue 200Sitting In

What's the most important musical year of your life? The one year you can look back on right now with the fondest of recollections? For me, it's always been 1976. ...

In Memory of Music

Issue 195Sitting In

Music can be a sort of time machine. When I hear The Carpenters' version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You," I am transported back to the family television...

Does Surround Sound Have a Future In Jazz?

Issue 188Sitting In

Surround sound and immersive audio are increasingly common in pop music. Do these technologies make sense for jazz recordings?   Since the late 1950s, stereo sound has served jazz well;...

Why I'll Stick with FM Radio and Won't be Strea...

Issue 179Sitting In

Over the past year or so I’ve noticed an increasing use of streaming services to supply the music at audio shows and other audiophile events. This article explains why I...

What if Elvis Had Lived?

Issue 174Sitting In

Let’s go back to August 1977. Elvis Presley’s records were not being played much on Top 40 radio. He released one single in the summer of 1977, “Way Down,” that...

Same Space, Different Time: A Visit to Van Geld...

Issue 169Sitting In

I was flipping through my inbox in the morning and came across one of Paul McGowan’s Paul’s Posts daily e-mails. This one said that the new Octave Studios recording facility...

Cataloging a Classical Music Collection

Issue 166Sitting In

Let’s begin by setting the stage. I have a very large collection of digital music, representing the equivalent of well over 4,400 albums, most of it classical. A number of...

Musical Realism and the Performance of Our (Agi...

Sitting In

It appears my earlier essay on declining hearing (in Issue 160) touched something of a nerve, so to speak. I appreciate the many thoughtful comments it prompted. Perhaps I should not have...

95 Tears

Issue 162Sitting In

I cried a little bit when Jerry Garcia died. I saw the Grateful Dead for the first time in 1967 and was in awe. I became a Deadhead and saw...

Pristine Classical: Preserving Priceless Histor...

Issue 162Sitting In

Historical performances don’t get a lot of love from audiophiles. And let’s face it: many historical performances were recorded using primitive equipment, under less-than-ideal conditions. To modern ears, accustomed to...

Musical Realism and the Performance of Our (Agi...

Issue 160Sitting In

As a male of 67 years (as of this writing), I’ve recognized for some time that my ears are not the golden performers they once were. I’ve recently confirmed through...

A Music Lover’s Journey

Issue 159Sitting In

I’m serious when I tell you this stuff keeps me up at night. The following recounting of musical experiences and personal reference points is not meant to be a boastful...

When I Was a Boy

Issue 150Sitting In

I don’t remember the exact date that I became a budding audiophile, but it all started in 1965 when I was in the seventh grade. My parents were building the...

Nanci Griffith: Sometimes a Rare Music

Issue 144Sitting In

A master of songcraft is silent now, passing on Friday, August 13, 2021. Nanci Griffith, singer, songwriter and proponent of “folkabilly”: her unique combination of folk and country is gone at 68. Griffith was born in...

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: The Other Two Guys

Issue 136SITTING IN

The rock music biz has had its fair share of power trios, mostly consisting of a front man on lead guitar and vocals, accompanied by a bass guitarist and drummer....

Nicky Hopkins: An Unsung Musical Hero

Issue 132SITTING IN

Nicky Hopkins is hardly an unknown entity in the world of rock music. A stellar piano/keyboard player, even the most modest rock fan is likely familiar with his work. Think...

An Overview of Audiophile Playback Software, Pa...

Issue 131SITTING IN

It’s a safe bet that many Copper readers are interested in getting involved with higher-quality audio streaming services and digital music servers if they’re not using them already. In this...

Stream-O-Nomics: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Issue 130SITTING IN

Aerosmith and their lead singer Steven Tyler sang for years about “dream(ing) until your dreams come true.” Quite prophetic, for sure, as for musical artists, success requires being a dreamer...

The “Sound” of Speaker Cables: an Analysis

Issue 124SITTING IN

From time to time Copper offers guest articles from audio manufacturers and others in the industry. These viewpoints are their own and we publish them in the spirit of providing information from...

The “Sound” of Speaker Cables: an Analysis

Issue 124SITTING IN

From time to time Copper offers guest articles from audio manufacturers and others in the industry. These viewpoints are their own and we publish them in the spirit of providing information from...

Close Encounter With The Rolling Stones

Issue 122SITTING IN

As music lovers, we all have our most favorite concert experiences. A lot goes into deciding which shows were the best, including the venue, the sound, the seat location, and,...

An Olympian Experience

Issue 122SITTING IN

I. It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2016. My phone rang. “Hi, this is Robert. Have you heard of the VOX Olympian?” Robert started his career working for Mark...

My Audio Journey, Part Two

Issue 121SITTING IN

Copper reader Adrian Wu lives in Hong Kong and has spent time in the UK and elsewhere, as you will see. He is a contributor to the Asia Audio Society...

An Audio Journey

Issue 120SITTING IN

Copper reader Adrian Wu lives in Hong Kong and has spent time in the UK and elsewhere, as you will see. He is a contributor to the Asia Audio Society website, dedicated to...

Close Encounter of the Musical Kind

Issue 117SITTING IN

How great would it have been to drink coffee with Mozart, share a pint with Brahms, or take a shot of Stoli with Tchaikovsky?  Just to sit around and talk...