Carlos Wendy - Well Tempered Synthesizer (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Stop complaining

James Schulze | 05/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...This album, Carlos' follow up to Switched On Bach, is actually better than it's predecessor. This is to be expected as the technology improved, but perhaps more importantly, Carlos' feeling and attention to detail improved as well. The timbres are lighter and airer, and there is a greater sense of rhythm and intensity. And there is always something eerie about this work, and with most of her early recordings. The sounds are fluttery, elusive, sometimes off tune, and the pitches waver. I'm always struck at how bold her sound is, compared to other artists like the ethereal Isao Tomita, and this album is all the more rich and powerful because of it. If you have to own one of her early recordings, this is the one to get. The haunting final Monteverdi piece, with its strange, beautiful, and terrifying electronic vocals is worth the price of admission alone."

Carlos's best album?

Christopher Beecroft | San Francisco, CA | 06/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was Wendy's second album released around 1970. The readings of the Scarlatti and Handel are very well done with good tempos and bright arrangements. The Monteverdi is also an amazing piece of early synthesizer work. Perhaps the crown work on this album is Bach's 4th Brandenburg Concerto, which Glenn Gould once called the the most perfect interpretation."

A long time coming to CD

A. Smith | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma United States | 02/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm by no means well-versed in classical music, but this album served as an peppy invitation to me as a child. My parents did not expose me to music in the form of, say, piano lessons, but my father did bring home demo albums of all types from the radio station he worked for. I wore out his copy of "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer," ran off with it to college and, over 20 years later, I still have that scuffed and skipping copy today. I waited a long, long time for this to be distributed on CD, and prayers were answered first with the Switched-On Box Set. A much different feel than the Bach albums, this work is my hands-down favorite. If you prefer D. Scarlatti to Wagner, you will love it. Please try it."

More of the quasi-same

ygghur | Rome, Italy | 07/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many people know the first Wendy (then Walter) Carlos album, the more than justly acclaimed Switched-on Bach, a marvellous album representing a sort of Best of Bach but also the first album totally executed on the Moog Synthesizer and the one that helped more than a bit the world to know and embrace the new sounds and peculiarities of what at the time wasn't even considered an instrument. For me it was the album that turned me on to electronic music and to this day is one of my favourite instrumental albums regardless of genres. Funny then that only recently did I find the need to purchase other Carlos' albums! However, The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, while not reaching the heights of its predecessors is a very good album indeed, introducing a welcome variety by adding other musicians to the mighty Bach and Scarlatti's music seem particularly apt to be translated. Quite interesting also Monteverdi's, while Handel's is a bit weak but still pleasant enough. Hats off once again to Bach's, there is a special empathy that makes the performance invigorating and memorable. I'd definitely recommend this one to whoever owns Switched-on Bach and to fans of electronic music in general."

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