Classical Music Only | What You're Listening to Now, Or Very Recently | Any Mediums :

Next up:

R-6723966-1443288023-5569.jpeg.jpg

What is your impression of the sound quality of these Living Stereo recordings in general, and particularly 'The Sea' and 'Also sprach Zarathustra' records you have mentioned here, (which I have on SACD)? Perhaps the vinyl is much better but I find the SACD versions (incl. CD layers) rather underwhelming in terms of SQ.

I have only SACD or CD versions for comparison but I find the Living Stereo to be a bit inferior to most Mercury Living Presence. Both were highly hyped at one time for sound quality but I find both to be distinctly inferior to the best modern recordings.
 
Hi Bill,

Overall I like these reissues. When compared to the British RCAs done by Decca, they don't compare, but unto themselves, they are overall enjoyable. Tonally there's a nice, natural warmth to them. They may not have the dynamics of the CR reissues or the soundstage depth/width of the Deccas or Decca engineered RCAs, but the quiet vinyl, good mastering, and natural warmth making them enjoyable to listen to.

re: Mercury. Given the close perspective that Mercury has, I don't listen to them that often. They are transparent and dynamic, but I feel I'm sitting way up front or the orchestra is in my lap. I like the mid hall presentations of the RCAs or the mid-to-rear perspective of the Deccas and RR recordings. Given system and taste YMMV of course...

Bill, what did you not like about the RCAs? Or just didn't live up to the hype?


allen
 
Hi Bill,

Overall I like these reissues. When compared to the British RCAs done by Decca, they don't compare, but unto themselves, they are overall enjoyable. Tonally there's a nice, natural warmth to them. They may not have the dynamics of the CR reissues or the soundstage depth/width of the Deccas or Decca engineered RCAs, but the quiet vinyl, good mastering, and natural warmth making them enjoyable to listen to.

re: Mercury. Given the close perspective that Mercury has, I don't listen to them that often. They are transparent and dynamic, but I feel I'm sitting way up front or the orchestra is in my lap. I like the mid hall presentations of the RCAs or the mid-to-rear perspective of the Deccas and RR recordings. Given system and taste YMMV of course...

Bill, what did you not like about the RCAs? Or just didn't live up to the hype?

allen

I don't listen to my Living Stereo reissues (SACD, but usually the CD layer), very often but the has as much to do with the music as anything else. The perspective and clarity aren't outstandingly good thought they are listenable. By way of comparison, I have Scheherazade, (CDs) on (1) RR by Serebrier/London Philharmonic, and (2) London by Dutoit/Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, (3) LS by Reiner/Chicago. My sound preferences are in that order. The clarity and perspective of the RR are by far the best, IMO. For clarity the London and LS are about equal, but I prefer the perspective and ambience of the London.

The MLPs, as you say, have a close perspective that I don't especially enjoy, and in some cases I liken the sound to that of a high-school gymnasium, (a slight hyperbole).

An example of excellent modern sound, IMO, (as well performance), is San Francisco Symphony, Mahler's Symphony No. 1 by Tilson-Thomas.
 
Hi Bill,

I really like the RR recordings as well, especially their all analog recordings from earlier on. They seem to capture space and dynamics exceptionally well.

Analogue Productions is releasing the British RCAs on hybrid SACDs (as well as LPs), something you may want to look into. I think most will consider them the best of the RCAs. The first two come out in Feb.
 
RCA licensed a bunch of their classical Living Stereo albums from Decca, which did the production and engineering. RCA had the license for 10 years which is relatively short compared with the typical sales life of a classical recording. This explains their relative rarity. Then they reverted back to Decca who issued most of them on Decca labels in England, usually their Decca Eclipse or SPA midprice and bargain labels. Sometimes they divided albums into two or more releases and sometimes they added pieces that may have been part of the original recording sessions but didn't make it onto the RCA release. You will find such combinations as Reiner (an RCA artist) conducting the Vienna Philharmonic (a Decca contracted orchestra). Decca also pressed RCA records in England for RCA's European market for many years. Decca continued to engineer many recordings for RCA, even after the end of the Living Stereo era.

When I interviewed Decca engineer Mike Mailes for my Decca Book (Decca: Supreme Stereophonic Legacy) back in 2013, he told me this story. On his first visit to the US in the early '70's Mike was working with Ken "Wilkie" Wilkinson recording Dorati and the Washington National Symphony. One of the members of the orchestra, knowing the reputation of the famed Decca recordings, told Mike that the US has some fine recordings also. In particular he mentioned several recordings on the RCA label, like "Witches Brew" and the "Royal Ballet." (Both of which are going to be reissued by Analogue Productions.) Mike told him that the recordings he mentioned were done by Decca!

Larry



Hi Bill,

I really like the RR recordings as well, especially their all analog recordings from earlier on. They seem to capture space and dynamics exceptionally well.

Analogue Productions is releasing the British RCAs on hybrid SACDs (as well as LPs), something you may want to look into. I think most will consider them the best of the RCAs. The first two come out in Feb.
 
an audiophile chestnut...

attachment.php

Classic records 33 reissue.
 

Attachments

  • Balalaika%u00252BFavorites.jpg
    Balalaika%u00252BFavorites.jpg
    51 KB · Views: 21
^ I lost an auction on this LP just y'day. Definitley need to get this.



But just got this one in today. POTO, a 1s/7s. I need to compare to the AP reissue...


AAPC_2659-45__62453__08192009042553-5795.jpg
 
Hi Bill,

I really like the RR recordings as well, especially their all analog recordings from earlier on. They seem to capture space and dynamics exceptionally well.

Analogue Productions is releasing the British RCAs on hybrid SACDs (as well as LPs), something you may want to look into. I think most will consider them the best of the RCAs. The first two come out in Feb.

Allen, thanks for this info.
 
RCA licensed a bunch of their classical Living Stereo albums from Decca, which did the production and engineering. RCA had the license for 10 years which is relatively short compared with the typical sales life of a classical recording. This explains their relative rarity. Then they reverted back to Decca who issued most of them on Decca labels in England, usually their Decca Eclipse or SPA midprice and bargain labels. Sometimes they divided albums into two or more releases and sometimes they added pieces that may have been part of the original recording sessions but didn't make it onto the RCA release. You will find such combinations as Reiner (an RCA artist) conducting the Vienna Philharmonic (a Decca contracted orchestra). Decca also pressed RCA records in England for RCA's European market for many years. Decca continued to engineer many recordings for RCA, even after the end of the Living Stereo era.

When I interviewed Decca engineer Mike Mailes for my Decca Book (Decca: Supreme Stereophonic Legacy) back in 2013, he told me this story. On his first visit to the US in the early '70's Mike was working with Ken "Wilkie" Wilkinson recording Dorati and the Washington National Symphony. One of the members of the orchestra, knowing the reputation of the famed Decca recordings, told Mike that the US has some fine recordings also. In particular he mentioned several recordings on the RCA label, like "Witches Brew" and the "Royal Ballet." (Both of which are going to be reissued by Analogue Productions.) Mike told him that the recordings he mentioned were done by Decca!

Larry

Ha! And I was going to say I like POTO, too, but the eBay ad mentioned this was also engineered by Decca, too. Is that right, Larry?
 
Ha! And I was going to say I like POTO, too, but the eBay ad mentioned this was also engineered by Decca, too. Is that right, Larry?

Allen, you are right. It was engineered by Wilkie, produced by Charles Gehrhardt (who produced most of the Reader's Digest albums that Decca did for RCA also) in February 1962. Walthamstow Hall. Besides the Analogue Productions reissue, Chesky also did a reissue RC30, maybe in the early 90's. I have a copy somewhere in addition to the AP and the original.

Larry
 
Tonight I listen to a few works by Pierre Boulez on the occasion of his death yesterday, Jan. 6, 2016 ...

= Sonatine, for flute and piano

= Dialogue de l'ombre double, for bassoon and electronics

= Pli selon pli, for soprano & orchestra

MI0001014156.jpg


MI0001057369.jpg
 
Was thinking Bill would enjoy this when I bought it...

R-3088119-1394628453-8129.jpeg.jpg

The Borodin #2 plus Shostakovich #8 is a potent combo; rather different in style, of course. I have both quartets by the Borodin Quartet, though more recent versions separately on CD.

1987 ...
MI0000955500.jpg


2000 ...
MI0002927811.jpg
 
I've been enjoying this new (to me) set of Beethoven Sonatas. So far, Lewis exhibits a great balance of brawn, brains, and heart. Superb sound, too.

51XhCxT3RZL.jpg
 
Fingers Crossed they are on track to deliver on Vinyl ---

The CD is mesmerising haunting

Bruce

HG1.jpg
 
I've been enjoying this new (to me) set of Beethoven Sonatas. So far, Lewis exhibits a great balance of brawn, brains, and heart. Superb sound, too.

51XhCxT3RZL.jpg

We were very impressed hearing Lewis a couple of years ago in Berkeley, playing the Beethoven Diabelli variations. He is clearly one of the best of the younger pianists around.

Larry
 
Fingers Crossed they are on track to deliver on Vinyl ---

The CD is mesmerising haunting

Bruce

HG1.jpg

I am very interested in finding how you like the vinyl. I agree with your feelings about the CD. It is a wonderful, haunting album, I think the first recording of this work. Researching a bit, it looks like the vinyl is coming from the digital master (since it appears that Nonesuch did this in digital). Hopefully the digital master was done at a higher resolution than 44/16. 1992 is fairly early for higher rez digital.

There is an interesting connection to this for me. Dawn Upshaw and I graduated from the same high school located in a southern suburb of Chicago. I never knew her, since she graduated 15 years after I did.

Larry
 
I am very interested in finding how you like the vinyl. I agree with your feelings about the CD. It is a wonderful, haunting album, I think the first recording of this work. Researching a bit, it looks like the vinyl is coming from the digital master (since it appears that Nonesuch did this in digital). Hopefully the digital master was done at a higher resolution than 44/16. 1992 is fairly early for higher rez digital.

There is an interesting connection to this for me. Dawn Upshaw and I graduated from the same high school located in a southern suburb of Chicago. I never knew her, since she graduated 15 years after I did.

Larry

WoW Astro!--The connection there--great!-- yes I feared it would be from the Digital master--but I chased down an original Analog LP a couple of years back only to find it sold for $800USD--!!

Bit rich for me sadly!

Anyhow it would be good to have it on Lp as that is my main source of listening --I paid for this in Oct last year--$21 is not too much to suffer if the pressing is not up to snuff

Good Listening,

Bruce
 
Back
Top