State-of-the-Art Recordings of Classical Works (SACDs)

[SCAudiophile]

I do not post much however, this is recently released and worthy of note.

Some things are worth waiting 40+ years for...

1974 original analog master tapes

"The" lineup for this opera with a young Pavarotti plus Freni, Ludwig and Kerns, and Vienna + von Karajan at the top of their game.

First time ever on SACD, meticulous remaster from an amazing AAA recording.

I grew up with this recording as a reference, it's stunning to hear it revitalized.

This is right up there with Esoteric's remastering of the Solti Wagner Ring Cycle in terms of a landmark remastering (IMHO).

 

[SCAudiophile]

Also available on LP...

 

[Yuen A.]

Robert Schumann Concerto in A minor for Violin and Orchestra (version by the composer of the Cello Concerto Op.129) Fantasy in C major Op.131 Concerto in D minor for Violin and Orchestra WoO.1 Ulf Wallin (violin) Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie/Frank Beerman (BIS-SACD-1775)

The performances here are passionate, emotive and virtuosic. The violin especially sounded realistic, nuanced and present. There's air and space around it. Bass lines are awesome too. These recordings benefit from a volume boost.

Music Web International says: "Ulf Wallin is an expressive soloist, but a disciplined one too. His vibrato is infinitely variable, but also tastefully restrained. Neither he nor Beerman take many liberties with the tempos, and when the music builds up to a climax, or one of those many localised fortes at the top of a phrase that you find in Schumann, there is often a very slight accelerando accompanied by an evenly graded crescendo in the strings. And when the music requires, Beerman has no qualms about overpowering the soloist for one of these brief climaxes, all the better to highlight the violin's return to dominance in the following phrase."

Classic fM says "Wallin captures a freshness and energy in his performance. Brushing aside those associations of madness that have coloured Schumann's music, Wallin and his equally dedicated orchestra and conductor have achieved new levels of understanding - listen to the captivating second movement of the Concerto in D minor to appreciate his poetic interpretation."

 

[Yuen A.]

Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Wasps: Aristophanic Suite Fantasia on Greensleeves Sir Edward ELGAR Variations on an Original Theme Enigma Kansas City Symphony/Michael Stern (REFERENCE RECORDINGS RR-129 SACD) A Relisten

Wow, these recordings have never sounded so incredibly lifelike until now (many thanks to my upgraded DAC)! In other words, I was transported to the recording venue. Fortissimos and bass lines are awesome. The soundscape is huge, wide, deep, resonant and immersive. (The recordings benefit from a volume boost)

Music Web International says: "The value of this issue really lies in the recording. I doubt if the pieces have ever been so spaciously captured in all the years since their first performances. Keith O. Johnson has another spectacular winner in the SACD surround recording. It’s detailed as well as capturing the huge acoustic of this massive auditorium. It reminded me of being mid stalls at a real concert, and there is no higher praise to come from this quarter. I would expect the company to be well pleased with their efforts. The vinyl version is somewhat less detailed and direct comparisons show that inner orchestral lines - in the 'Dorabella' variation for example - emerge much better from the SACD 5.0 track than the LP stereo, though the latter does capture the space almost equally well. Before any audiophile responds I will admit that this might vary with playback systems. What however disturbed me was the fact that the second disc, sides 3 and 4, of the vinyl set had a cyclic bump and that all four sides were slightly off-centre and thus the pitch varied. This often afflicts vinyl but at 45 rpm the frequency of the variation rises and is more disturbing to my ears. The pressings are very quiet and beautifully packaged, but for me the SACD, being just one disc, even quieter, free of pitch changes, and multi-channel, has to be the winner."

Classic fM says: "Fans of these two key players in the British music sphere will not be disappointed. Every nuance of Elgar's very particular dynamic markings is captured in this recording from the Kansas City Symphony, conducted by Michael Stern. The strings' shimmering vibrato, too, brings Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on 'Greensleeves' to life, with an orchestral sound so crisp that it's easy to be mentally transported directly to the concert hall."