Stereophile
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- Apr 19, 2013
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- #1
<img src="http://www.stereophile.com/images/886rotmjgh.1.jpg" alt="886rotmjgh.1.jpg" width="250" height="245" hspace="10" vspace="4" border="0" align="right" /><b>Stravinsky: <i>The Firebird</i> (1910 Suite)</b><br /><b>Debussy: <i>Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun</i></b><br />Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf<br />Sheffield Lab Direct-to-Disc Lab 24 (LP). Lincoln Mayorga, prod.; Doug Sax, James Boyk, engs.
<p>
For some reason, <i>Stereophile</i> didn't receive an early pressing of Sheffield's latest orchestral recording, their first since the Wagner and Prokofiev discs back in 1977. So, guess where my review copy of this finally came from? From Harry Pearson, that's who. How did this come about? Well, I had seen a passing comment in <i>The Absolute Sound</i> to the effect that HP didn't like the recording, and since I was favorably impressed with what I'd heard of it at the last two Consumer Electronics Shows, I phoned HP to ask what he didn't like about it. "Dull high end, closed-in sound, not enough spaciousness" was the reply. Thank you, I said. Several days later, a copy of the disc arrived, postmarked Sea Cliff, NY.
</p><p>
Thank you Harry, but I must disagree with you about this recording.
</p><p>
This is one of the most incredible symphonic recordings I have heard! It's not as high-powered as Reference Recordings' <i>Church Windows</i>, but then <i>Firebird</i> isn't as high-powered music. Yes, it is very dramatic (in parts), but it is dynamic rather than massive. But all in all, I feel this <i>Firebird</i> is a more realistic recording.
</p><p>
It does not sound as if it was recorded in a vast concert hall with billowing reverb, because it wasn't. The venue was a very large recording studio at MGM, their Sound Stage One. The orchestra pickup was, according to the jacket notes, a "single-point" stereo microphone, and the perspective is a little more distant than on Sheffield's first two LA/Leinsdorf discs. In fact, the mikes do not sound coincident to me; they sound as if they may have been 9" or so apart, as there is more depth than I usually hear from coincident recordings.
</p><p>
In fact, this is the only symphonic recording I have heard recently that has, for me anyway, exactly the <i>right</i> amount of ambience. It does not call attention to itself, as do Telarc's and Reference Recordings' symphonic recordings (Hey, look how spacious I am!); it is just <i>there.</i> The perspective is moderately close, giving an impression of listening from perhaps 20' behind the conductor. (I would guess the mikes were about 10' behind him and 10' over his head.)
</p><p>
The high end on this LP is gorgeous
[Source: http://www.stereophile.com/content/recording-august-1986-sheffield-labs-orchestral-direct-disc-lp]
<p>
For some reason, <i>Stereophile</i> didn't receive an early pressing of Sheffield's latest orchestral recording, their first since the Wagner and Prokofiev discs back in 1977. So, guess where my review copy of this finally came from? From Harry Pearson, that's who. How did this come about? Well, I had seen a passing comment in <i>The Absolute Sound</i> to the effect that HP didn't like the recording, and since I was favorably impressed with what I'd heard of it at the last two Consumer Electronics Shows, I phoned HP to ask what he didn't like about it. "Dull high end, closed-in sound, not enough spaciousness" was the reply. Thank you, I said. Several days later, a copy of the disc arrived, postmarked Sea Cliff, NY.
</p><p>
Thank you Harry, but I must disagree with you about this recording.
</p><p>
This is one of the most incredible symphonic recordings I have heard! It's not as high-powered as Reference Recordings' <i>Church Windows</i>, but then <i>Firebird</i> isn't as high-powered music. Yes, it is very dramatic (in parts), but it is dynamic rather than massive. But all in all, I feel this <i>Firebird</i> is a more realistic recording.
</p><p>
It does not sound as if it was recorded in a vast concert hall with billowing reverb, because it wasn't. The venue was a very large recording studio at MGM, their Sound Stage One. The orchestra pickup was, according to the jacket notes, a "single-point" stereo microphone, and the perspective is a little more distant than on Sheffield's first two LA/Leinsdorf discs. In fact, the mikes do not sound coincident to me; they sound as if they may have been 9" or so apart, as there is more depth than I usually hear from coincident recordings.
</p><p>
In fact, this is the only symphonic recording I have heard recently that has, for me anyway, exactly the <i>right</i> amount of ambience. It does not call attention to itself, as do Telarc's and Reference Recordings' symphonic recordings (Hey, look how spacious I am!); it is just <i>there.</i> The perspective is moderately close, giving an impression of listening from perhaps 20' behind the conductor. (I would guess the mikes were about 10' behind him and 10' over his head.)
</p><p>
The high end on this LP is gorgeous
[Source: http://www.stereophile.com/content/recording-august-1986-sheffield-labs-orchestral-direct-disc-lp]