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In Reply to: WWS!D posted by TA on November 20, 2002 at 08:30:40:
I think the HvK is the one to have (along with Solti/CSO and the Adler).The shrillness is a product of the DG recording practices of the time.
Follow Ups:
Yes, I agree with Severius about DG's recording practices. I have been listening to their vinyl and CDs...both are less than ideal.Philips' sound is so much superior that when I buy vinyl I almost always opt for a Philips recording, even if it means I don't get my prefered performance. A great performance but a crappy recording is worse that a good performance and a great recording.
Beg to differ. The LPs were acceptable on this score. The problem is with CDs -- they must be tamed! For this purpose the best tool is the Audio Desk System, but at $500... well..I recommend a good optical polish such as Optrix, or a *great* one such as Vivid, followed by an anti-static treatment such as Nordost ECO. You will be amazed by the reduction in glare, the increase in resolution and the enhanced clarity of the bass.
The Karajan is a terrific performance, there's no doubt about that. But the recording is actually much better than suggested by the most recent CD issue in The Originals series. The earlier full price CD issue sounded quite good and the LP is even better.So the disappointing sonic presentation on CD is more a product of bad remastering practices than of the original recording. Where have I heard that before?
Frankly even though i was expecting some typical DG upper mid frequency emphasis i was surprised. For that reason i have ignored the DG original series in general.
Just another example to show DGG's deteriorated product values go back a long way.
Take Orff's Carmina Burana by Jochum, THE definitive performance according to many, including me. First play the Originals CD issue. Than play a late (ca. 1980) LP pressing in floppy vinyl (yellow label with the white rim). Finally, try to get an early 1968 pressing on heavy vinyl (with the "tulips" label). In each case the step up in sonic quality is astonishing. The CD is flat and shrill beyond belief. The late pressing is still fairly flat in perspective and has a limited bootom end, but at least the violins don't sound like white noise anymore. The early pressing has amazing depth and bass power and rivals the best of Decca or RCA from this vintage.
The current CD issue is a very far cry from the original LP. So much for "Originals"......DGG is not alone. Everybody is whining about the death of classical all the time, especially the "established" labels. But with product values like these it's inevitable. And frankly they don't deserve any better. The Universal group (and the EMI group, and the Bertelsmann group, or any other "group" for that matter) is at the end of its lifespan when it comes to classical music recording. The death can be witnessed by looking at "phenomena" like Vanessa May, Andrea Bocelli or The Three Tenors. Who can we blame for this? The big corporate MBE mentality.
Hopefully the market hasn't been destroyed completely and small labels making quality product (which fortunately DO still exist) can survive. End of sermon.
A steady diet of CDs from Harmonia Mundi, Dorian, Hyperion, Helios, Chandos, LSO Live etc. (many many more) might help you quite a fair bit :))Look forward and not back. If you wanna look back, look wayyy back. Just my opinions.
> > > The shrillness is a product of the DG recording practices of the time. < < <
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