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From: greg@olivej.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Good old vinyl recordings (long)
Message-ID: <235@olivej.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Oct-84 13:25:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: olivej.235
Posted: Tue Oct 16 13:25:58 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Oct-84 08:20:53 EDT
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Organization: Olivetti ATC, Cupertino, Ca
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Steve, you need to hear the Reiner "Pictures" and the Telarc "Carmen"
suite on better equipment.  Don't be surprised if you find your
comments about the relative sound qualities remain the same, but
are reversed as to which recording they apply to.  On the Magneplanar
MG-III or Tympani IV (which I've heard driven by a Threshold amp)
it's the digital recording that sounds as though there is a veil
between the orchestra and listener and the analogue which removes
that veil.

As to the Giulini/Chicago "Pictures", I find this a well-conceived
and satisfying performance, but have to agree with the negative
comments on the recording.  I have it on a reliable source that
the DGG engineers were consciously trying to "improve" the sound
of the Chicago Symphony - specifically, to make it sound like
the Berlin Philharmonic.  Or, rather, to make it sound like their
recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic.  Not only did this not
work, but it squandered the resources available - i.e., the
marvelous tonal qualities of the actual Chicago Symphony.

I have to admit, however, that for all of the discussion of the
recorded sound on these performances, the recording of this work
which finds its way onto my turntable most often is the Toscanini/
NBC Symphony which I find has the power and force occasionally
lacking in the Reiner performance and the animation and vibrancy
occasionally lacking in Giulini's.  The recorded sound is poor
even for its time and requires some patience on the part of the
listener to listen through to the actual playing.  This poor
recorded sound, which at least appears to have been reproduced
honestly on the gold-jacket English "Toscanini Edition" series,
is made worse by the additional treble boost and bass cut on the
domestic RCA Victrola issue, and the phony echo and attempted
spaciousness which further muddies the sound on the Italian
"half-speed mastered" edition.

	- Greg Paley