Another very successful SACD: Telarc has managed sound that envelops the listener without excessive rear-channel activity or that dulling of impact that seems endemic to so many less carefully produced multichannel issues. The performances themselves, as noted in my original review, are second to none: this disc makes the ideal introduction to the music of Hovhaness, and I can easily see the “eruption” in the finale of the Mount St. Helens Symphony becoming a popular audio demonstration disc for both stereo and surround sound systems. Whatever format you choose, buy this CD. It’s a total success both sonically and artistically.[5/27/2003]
