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Hi-res opera lovers, rejoice! Decca has started making more of its legendary opera catalog available in wonderful 24/96 remasterings, among them one of the greatest opera recordings of all time for both performance and sound quality: Puccini’s ‘Turandot’, recorded in 1972 with Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, and Montserrat Caballe, Zubin Mehta conducting. I got the download from ProStudioMasters yesterday (it’s not yet available on HDtracks), and the sound is simply sensational. This was always a favorite demo recording since its LP days, though I found the CD release pretty harsh and strident (no surprise there!). The new 24/96 ameliorates all of that, leaving us with simply resplendent and sumptuous sound quality, effortless in its dynamics, breadth, and depth. I haven’t heard it this good since my old LPs and reel-to-reels! The performance can hardly be bettered, especially with Sutherland and Pavarotti in their glorious prime. Incidentally, I spot-checked several of the tracks in Audacity, where substantial high-frequency content up to the 48kHz limit was evident. Great job, Decca!
Russell
P.S. Other new Decca operas in 24/96 include Donizetti’s ‘La Fille du Regiment’ (Sutherland/Pavarotti), Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’ (Fischer-Dieskau, Suliotis), and Verdi's ‘Rigoletto’ (Sutherland/Pavarotti). (The Solti ‘Ring’ and Britten’s ‘Peter Grimes’ were released in 24/96 some time ago.)
Follow Ups:
I doubt if many who are into Opera are into downloads, we still use BD & SACD or even antique LP.
Edits: 06/04/14 06/05/14 06/05/14
I've found that, especially since the arrival of blu-ray, opera on an audio-only medium (and that includes CD, SACD, LP, and downloads) is IMHO a second-rate experience, missing the essential visual elements of the work which the composer and librettist had in mind. Of course, as a counter to this, so many of the recent productions available on blu-ray are nothing but disgusting Eurotrash revisionism, despite excellent singing and playing by the performers, so I end up listening with the video off anyway! As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, "It's always something!". ;-)
Great news, though I rather prefer this stuff on Blu-ray because it is more convenient to use - for me! I wonder if these issues will soon be on that format as well. These old Decca recordings are so good. Perhaps the Solti 'Salomé' and 'Elektra' soon?
Dave
LP.
Barry Holden, Universal Classics VP, stated as such in a recent Stereophile interview (posted here earlier), Here's the relevant quote (link to full interview below):
"I do intend, by the end of the year, to put out some full-length operas on Blu-ray. We just remastered the Pavarotti catalog in 24/96 in our newly acquired Abbey Road studios. We've got his great recordings with Karajan, and the great La Bohème, Turandot, and Madama Butterfly from the late 1960s and early 1970s."
And he also said:
"I want everything that's on Blu-ray to be at HDTracks. There will be bumps along that path, but not for long, I hope. However, not everything that gets to HDTracks will necessarily make it to Blu-ray."
I presume he also meant to include other hi-res download sites, like ProStudioMasters and Qobuz, with whom UMG has contracts.
Anyway, good news, and hopefully they will reissue more than just the (admittedly great) Pavarotti stuff on Blu-ray and hi-res download.
Russell
Dave,
Is the reason that Blu-ray is more convenient to you simply because this 24/96 just isn't available to us in the UK? From the vendor's website "ProStudioMasters is available for residents of the United States and Canada."
Outside of the items on Linn's website is there very much at all available in hi-rez to us over here? HD tracks was supposed to launch in the UK in spring. Nothing happened.
No it isn't that - I assume these downloads will eventually be available in UK. I just find downloads much harder to actually play. All I have to do with a BDA is put it in the disc player. A download demands more fuss.
I'll bet one of you guys has a solution!!
Dave
Drag, Drop, Burn, Listen.
. . . once you've got the files downloaded and available for playback, it's SO much easier! I'm of course speaking for myself here. ;-)
You can say that again & again
they are just Files in a Folder.
Thanks for your usual insight…
nt
All part of the adventure of downloading! ;-)
Russell = Thanks for your assessment of this acclaimed release in its new hi-rez incarnation. I used to have the LP album (autographed by Sutherland AND Pavarotti!), but I got rid of it. (Unlike many here, I've never had a romantic relationship with LP's!)
I'm certainly tempted, even though I own two blu-ray videos of "Turandot" already (one from the Met, one from Spain - both with Guleghina in the title role), both multichannel DTS Master Audio probably at 24/48.
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