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Phase 4, but still wonderful sounding.
Thanks, Larry. Was the Phase 4 pressing also a TAS Super Disc like the regular Decca Pressing?
Another great, great, great recording! I have three different versions of this album.
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Keith Johnson recorded this in both digital and analogue, one of the last of his analogue recordings, and before he could do high resolution with the Pacific Microsonics Model Two, which had not been developed back in 1996. The first release of the album was on CD. When Paul Stubblebine chose this for the Tape Project, he, of course used Keith's original analogue tape master (played back on Keith's focused gap machince that he used to record the album.) Those are the two Tape Project tapes on the front left. Then Reference decided to release copies of their original hirez files, on discs called HRx (done at 176/24 using their Model Two). Because Exotic Dances was not digitally recorded at the hirez, they also used the analogue original tape and made a 176/24 copy, which you can buy from them directly - seen at the front right. Those discs cannot be directly played except by a few machines, but one copies the files and then plays the files through a DAC. Finally, when Reference decided to get back in the vinyl business, they had Paul cut half speed lacquers which ended up being the record that Allen has and my copy is at the top of the picture.
All three different versions are actually different. The HRx has the same content as the CD, only at hirez and from the analogue tape. The Tape Project tape can only fit about 60 or so minutes onto the two reels, and so Paul left out the Rubinstein selection for the tapes. When he did the record, he couldn't fit 60 minutes without losing some dynamic range, so, in addition to the Rubinstein, he left out the Dvorak selection.
Anyway, this was the first of many Reference Recordings done with Oue and the Minnesota Orchestra.
Larry
Allen, both Ben Hur and Quo Vadis only came out in Decca (and London) Phase Four versions, not regular Decca. I haven't heard the London Phase Four versions. Some of the London Phase Fours are essentially identical to the Deccas (my experience is that Deccas of the same stampers are slightly better, but the differences are fairly small.) However, London did take some of the Phase Fours and reengineered them to boost the highs and lows - more "high fidelity for those Americans". Don't know whether the Ben Hur or Quo Vadis were some of those.
Larry
Quartetto Italiano - Beethoven Complete String Quartets
I'm a classical newbie but am really enjoying these as well as Tokyo String Quartet Schubert
By the way, arthurs, the Tokyo String Quartet's recordings of Beethoven's quartets are among my favorites, not the least because the recorded sound (on CD) is excellent. The perspective, soundstage, and resolution are excellent, IMO.
The Tokyo Beethoven series is a special bargain. Their second recording of the cycle was with Harmonia Mundi and it comes in SACD's with a CD layer. It is or recently was available as a complete boxed set for a real bargain price. Unfortunately, I bought the 3 sets (Early, Middle and Late) separately, and paid more than double the price of the box. I just saw it on Amazon for $40 for Amazon Prime (or $30 or so from other dealers) for all 16 quartets (8 discs) on SACD. They have an earlier set they recorded with RCA on CD only - don't have that one. The Tokyo SQ has recently retired (in 2013). Their violist was the only remaining original member of the quartet. We got to hear them in their farewell tour a couple of years ago in London. I also like their recording of the two Brahms Quintets (Piano and Clarinet). They did the Piano Quintet with Jon Nakamatsu, who won the Cliburn competition some time back.
Larry