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time capsule from 1963
in an amplifier review that i read earlier this year the author used LPs from recordings of wagner's ring cycle conducted by georg solti as evaluation material -- specifically, das rheingold.
the story of these recordings made from 1959 to 1965 is quite fascinating by itself and described in decca producer john culshaw's book ring resounding. many period reviewers hailed these recordings as "the best ever made". needless to say, i became quite intrigued and was able to pick up still factory-sealed(!!) copies of seigfried and götterdämmerung for an absurdly small price.
well, i broke the seal yesterday on siegfried and gave the 5 LPs a listen... OMG, what an experience!!
first, everything was in perfect condition: box, booklet and LPs. in particular, the vinyl was absolutely flat and pristine without a single mark of any kind on all 10 sides -- just PERFECT. interestingly the vinyl is very thin, maybe ~100 grams.
as for the SQ, this recording / pressing is mind-blowingly good. the LPs played flawlessly: dead quiet, amazing dynamic range with the best recorded bass i have heard. i would describe the sound as rich and textured but also articulate and airy. i am not really a big opera fan; however, this transcends genre and is a captivating musical experience with an historical aspect to it.
are these the best recordings ever made? dunno -- not having heard every recording ever made, i can't say... but what i can say is that they are certainy among the very best i have ever heard.
anyway, this was a real treat and something that made all the effort and expense of putting together a nice system more than worth it. i only hope to have more than one audio experience like this.
in an amplifier review that i read earlier this year the author used LPs from recordings of wagner's ring cycle conducted by georg solti as evaluation material -- specifically, das rheingold.
the story of these recordings made from 1959 to 1965 is quite fascinating by itself and described in decca producer john culshaw's book ring resounding. many period reviewers hailed these recordings as "the best ever made". needless to say, i became quite intrigued and was able to pick up still factory-sealed(!!) copies of seigfried and götterdämmerung for an absurdly small price.
well, i broke the seal yesterday on siegfried and gave the 5 LPs a listen... OMG, what an experience!!
first, everything was in perfect condition: box, booklet and LPs. in particular, the vinyl was absolutely flat and pristine without a single mark of any kind on all 10 sides -- just PERFECT. interestingly the vinyl is very thin, maybe ~100 grams.
as for the SQ, this recording / pressing is mind-blowingly good. the LPs played flawlessly: dead quiet, amazing dynamic range with the best recorded bass i have heard. i would describe the sound as rich and textured but also articulate and airy. i am not really a big opera fan; however, this transcends genre and is a captivating musical experience with an historical aspect to it.
are these the best recordings ever made? dunno -- not having heard every recording ever made, i can't say... but what i can say is that they are certainy among the very best i have ever heard.
anyway, this was a real treat and something that made all the effort and expense of putting together a nice system more than worth it. i only hope to have more than one audio experience like this.
