[
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2007, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]
70.23.253.39
Back in 1999, BMG released a number of "High Performance" RCA Living Stereo recordings that were "digitally remastered in Weiss 24/96 technology using a customized Studer transport with Cello electronics and universally compatible UV22 Super CD Encoding".According to the enclosed booklet, these recordings "delliver the full spectrum of concert hall realism...A 96kHz sampling rate allows a wider frequendy reponse and renders the delicate harmonics in classical musical instruments in a far truer, more musical manner: overtones are no longer pinched or squashed... Due to the nature of 24/96 technology, sound is no longer contained or squelched. You may be startled by the powerful dynamics of the music in some passages, but this is normal and you are not experiencing a problem with your playback equiptment."
I have several of these BMG "High Performance" remasterings, including the 1968-1969 Seiji Ozawa recording of Stravinsly's "Petrouchka" with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas on the piano and Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; the 1968 Arthur Fiedler Boston Pops' recording of Schedrin's "Carmen Ballet" plus music by Shostakovich and Glazunov; the 1962 Erich Leinsdorf BSO recording of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and Kodaly's "Peacock Variations" and Horowitz performing Scarlatti, Liszt, Chopin and Rachmaninov live at the Met in 1981.
Writing about these BMG "High Performance" releases in 1999, renowned harpsichord virtuoso and prolific critic, Igor Kipnis was very enthusiastic in recommending them as "sounding better than the initial pressings and richer and fuller than the original LPs". Commenting specifically about the Ozawa, Fiedler and Leinsdorf recordings mentioned above, Kipnis called them "speaker rattling lease busters".
I too was amazed that RBCDs could have such a remarkable dynamic range, ultra-wide soundstage and clarity and detail of instruments, and I was wondering if BMG has any plans for re-issuing these "High Performance" re-masterings in SACD? BMG also released several Conifer Extended Dynamic Range non-compressed recordings in the late 90's, including the Gatti/Santa Cecilia performance of the Respighi Triology I mentioned in a thread below. I would think that, if BMG were to re-issue these extended range re-masterings on SACD, they should be nothing short of spectacular. If you wish to listen to these "High Performance" RBCDs, there are some still available at Amazon.com for the budget price of $7.97.
I already have several BMG hybrid SACD releases of RCA Living Stereo recordings that I had on original LP versions, including the three Van Cliburn recordings, most of the Fritz Reiner collections and a number of others by Horowitz, Heifitz etc., and am eagerly looking foreward to many more.
Barney
Edits: 07/18/07Follow Ups:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2007, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]