Like I said just a generalization and I would agree adding more specifically the virtuoso style. Angelich isn't banging away at the keyboard, he is just placing stronger emphasis on the parts of the score that call for it, whereas Gilels was slightly softer/"flatter" in those portions.
I don't know if this has been posted before, but DG has a few videos about their remastering/remixing work on Leonard Bernstein's Beethoven cycle with the Vienna Philharmonic. This one here is about transferring the analogue multitrack to hi-res digital. There is a second video about the remixing process that contains comparisons to the mix on the old CDs.
To me, most (if not all) classical music can stand up to multiple interpretations. In fact, I admit part of my enjoyment is hearing and comparing various sound pictures and artistic choices of the different versions. I happen to enjoy the Roge Satie more than Ciccolini's as well (partly due to sound), but I also sometimes hear pianists play his words so romantically, I can only imagine how Satie himself would react!
DECCA has earned their place in the annals of great recorded sound. Their number one tool: Wilkie AKA Kenneth Wilkinson.
I think the closest we will get to how Satie envisioned them are the recordings of the Gymnopedies by one of his friends. I heard them years ago on Youtube, but for the life of me I can't remember who it was.
Listening to this LP now, a recent “dollar” bin acquisition (more like the “2 Euro bin”). A NM copy of a tulip-labelled pressing of Karl Böhm conducting Strauss tone poems. It came with a Polydor inner sleeve that doesn’t have the usual year of manufacture printed on it, but I would assume it’s from late in the tulip label’s life, so circa 1970. Looks and sounds like it’s never been played.
When they reissue LPs, I wish they would work straight from the analog master rather than making a digital copy, regardless of the resolution.
There is a recording of Poulenc playing Satie (and some of his own works for piano) that sounds fine to me. It is part of the Eric Satie & Friends box: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01A6NG7WU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
I am very curious about the mastering on the first two discs of that set. Can you say more or provide a small sample of disc one? I have this disc and the mastering is mixed. The Poulenc works are quite muffled, but the Satie sounds a bit better: I had hoped that Naxos Historical would have put out that material, but they no longer make CDs. I say Naxos because the price is cheap and the mastering/transfers are almost always wonderful, with minimal noise reduction. Similarly, I hope to see the recordings get released on APR, as the have been putting out a lot.
I am listening to the recording right now through my BeyerDynamic T1 headphones and cannot hear any difference in recording quality between the piano pieces by Poulenc and those by Satie (all recorded over two days in 1950). I am quite sure the mastering is a new one; the booklet says that all 13 cds have been mastered by Martin Kistner and Philipp Müller of b-sharp music, a company that has been entrusted with a lot of the newer masterings for Sony, and which is almost always doing an excellent job in my opinion. Your version seems to be a combination of the first two cds of the newer box, and looks like it's been around for a while (but I have not heard it). I am working my way through the box, which is a recent aquisition, and am pleased with the technical quality encountered so far: the recordings are from the '40s to the late '70s.
I kind of suspect there's only so much you can do. I'd rather listen to modern or at least 50s or later performances informed by these historical recordings tbh - any suggestions for those?
As I posted elsewhere I've spent much of the night so far listening to Nelson Freire (his recent Decca CD with Piano Sonata 3 and a few other pieces) and Radu Lupu (his Decca solo set) playing Brahms solo piano pieces , and I must say I prefer Lupu by a large margin. Freire's playing sounds deliberate, as if he has thought about every note way too much, while Lupu's playing sounds natural and flowing, the way I like to hear those Brahms pieces. Freire is certainly not bad, but it's Lupu for me in Brahms. Has anyone else compared the two? Just curious .
Midnight Lightning's a Haydnhead Haydn Edition CD119 Baryton Trios 1-7 by Esterhazy Ensemble while re-reading Anguish & Triumph last night Playing CD120 Trios #8-12,14 now through the stereo Not exactly virtuoso caliber stuff but a unique sound that's pleasant and not distracting. I'll probably play through all 125(!) once. They're nice but I don't really need 125 of them. 1 or 2 best-of discs could have sufficed.
Not a lot of tape hiss (but my hearing is no longer stellar!); the CD sounds like a good '50s mono recording to me, i.e. I enjoy the music without being distracted by any technical deficiencies. Most of the CDs in the box are good stereo recordings from the '60s and '70s, so don't let the few mono recordings turn you off. And anyway, a good mono recording (especially of piano music) may sound as good as a later stereo one IMHO.
Good to know, thanks! I'd never be turned off by mono solo piano recordings. I own and enjoy ones that are 25 years older than the ones we are discussing. What does turn me off is the processing that is often done to older recordings to try and make them sound more modern that ends up dulling the piano tone. Sounds like your set is less afflicted than my single CD, so that's good.
Speaking of great sounding historical mastering, Marston Records is having a rare 30% off sale. I just got this email from them: Marston Records - dedicated to preserving the great performances of the past and keeping alive the remarkable traditions that were prevalent at the dawn of recording. For those residing in the U.S., I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. For those whose Thanksgiving is in the near past or future, please share our holiday in spirit. This has been a year with personal ups and downs, but at Marston, there is always something to be thankful for. In fact, in less than a month, Marstonwill mark its 21st year in business. Many of you have been with us since the beginning and we want to celebrate our 20th Anniversary with you in a meaningful way. A Marston sale is a very rare event. I believe we have had just three sales since we began and the value of our CD sets seem to increase universally. Starting now, at the beginning of black Friday and ending on Cyber Monday (27 November 2017 at 11:59 pm EST), everything in our current catalogue will be 30% off. Please use this opportunity to fill in gaps in your Marston collection, or get your holiday shopping done early. Share your interest with a friend or a loved one and know that you will be supporting something that hopefully has been meaningful to you. Go to our website, order what you like, and type CELEBRATE when prompted to enter a discount code. Your CD order will be reduced by 30%. Happy 20th Anniversary to Marston. May we all be around to celebrate future anniversaries together. Joyfully, Ward Marston, Scott Kessler, Rich Harris, and Mark Stehle (610) 690-1703 [email protected] www.marstonrecords.com
I'm fine with mono recordings from the early 50s. But pre-tape recordings just don't have the fidelity I'm looking for. I don't demand audiophile nirvana, but I want to hear a reasonably lifelife reproduction.
