Bernstein DG Mahler newly released on Vinyl

[Ben]

Has anyone listened to any of the new LP pressings of Bernstein's DG Mahler cycle? Thoughts on the sound quality?

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/104651/Leonard_Bernstein-Mahler_Symphony_No_1-180_Gram_Vinyl_Record
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/89949/Leonard_BernsteinNY_Philharmonic-Mahler_Symphonie_No_2-180_Gram_Vinyl_Record
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/104652/Leonard_Bernstein-Mahler_Symphony_No_4-180_Gram_Vinyl_Record
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/94764/Leonard_Bernstein-Mahler_Symphony_No5-180_Gram_Vinyl_Record

Seems they've only done 1, 2, 4, & 5 so far. They're mastered from the original analog tapes for these new pressings.

They're tempting...but not cheap. I'd love to hear these recordings in better sound than the original CD releases - some of these are still my favorite recordings.

Ben

[John Kim]

This is GREAT news!

I too want to hear these recordings in improved sound, especially, the M4, M7, M8, and M9.

John

[AZContrabassoon]

Has anyone heard the Blu Ray mastering of The Ring recently made? Tremendous sound - far better than any of the cd incarnations. What I wish they would do is take that Bernstein DG set, throw in Das Lied, and remaster them all on one Blu Ray. I gave up LPs 30 years ago and have never wanted to go back. Having put up with all of the pitfalls for 30 years was enough punishment!

[James Meckley]

Yes, the Solti Ring on Blu-ray is quite impressive. Blu-ray audio was my first thought when I read Ben's original post. Given care in the mastering process, 24/96 audio (along with DSD) is as close as we can get today to the sound of the master tapes. For me, the analog vs. digital debate has been closed for quite some time; not for 30 years, when the converters were still rather crude, but for perhaps 15, when converters became really good and 24/96 audio became practical. YMMV

I cringed when I saw the layout for the LP of the first symphony: movements iii and iv (over 30 minutes!) both squeezed onto side two, forcing the heavily-modulated passages at the end of the symphony into the record's inner grooves, with limited possibility—because of the total time—of expanding them during the cutting process. Brings back lots of bad memories. They should have planned for two discs if they really cared about sound quality.

James

[ChrisH]

James,

How does the blu-ray compare to the Esoteric DSD mastering?

Thanks,
Chris

[James Meckley]

How does the blu-ray compare to the Esoteric DSD mastering?

I don't own the Esoteric/Teac version (it was cost prohibitive), but the knowledgeable commentary I've read suggests that the new Blu-ray version is better in most ways. This apparently has more to do with the individual mastering techniques used and the source materials available to the engineers than to the formats in question (in this case DSD vs. 24/48—sadly, no 24/96 remastering was ever made of the Solti Ring operas, and now Decca says the analog masters have deteriorated to the point of being unplayable). I don't remember all the details but if I can find my notes, I'll post further.

For anyone interested, the Solti Wagner Ring Blu-ray is currently available at Amazon for $58.68.

James

[ctcdaggett]

I have found each of the DG vinyl reissues to be dead silent, thick (180/200 gm), flat and well centered.  And, affordable compared to the originals which I don't own.  The jackets & boxes are likewise first rate.  I also see that Universal-Japan is releasing the whole set on SHM.  Remastered?  I haven't a clue.  Maybe later SHM-SACD or Blue-Ray Audio, who knows?  I think its fine to see Universal active with Bernstein DG's again.  I'm sure everybody knows that M9/Berlin is due for SHM-SACD soon.

The M3/Mehta/LAPO that Chad just released for $50 is also equally first class.  And its pre-digital audio quality is somewhat less irritating compared to the early-digital DG.  Universal has replaced Mehta's M2/VPO SHM-SACD with an affordable Blu-Ray Audio for about $20.

But for modern audio, I'd nominate the Exton Honeck and Inbal sets.

It's a good time to be interested in Mahler.

         bob berkman, Mojave Desert

[John Kim]

> The M3/Mehta/LAPO that Chad just released for $50.

What is this release? I cannot find it anywhere??

[ChrisH]

How does the blu-ray compare to the Esoteric DSD mastering?

I don't own the Esoteric/Teac version (it was cost prohibitive), but the knowledgeable commentary I've read suggests that the new Blu-ray version is better in most ways. This apparently has more to do with the individual mastering techniques used and the source materials available to the engineers than to the formats in question (in this case DSD vs. 24/48—sadly, no 24/96 remastering was ever made of the Solti Ring operas, and now Decca says the analog masters have deteriorated to the point of being unplayable). I don't remember all the details but if I can find my notes, I'll post further.

For anyone interested, the Solti Wagner Ring Blu-ray is currently available at Amazon for $58.68.

James

That is a steal for the Blu-ray. Thanks for the info, James.

[AZContrabassoon]

... for modern audio, I'd nominate the Exton Honeck...

The performances are quite fine, too. But will there be anymore releases coming from this source? Is Exton still in business? Honeck is still doing Mahler in Pittsburgh, I just hope it's getting recorded!

[James Meckley]

... for modern audio, I'd nominate the Exton Honeck...

The performances are quite fine, too. But will there be any more releases coming from this source? Is Exton still in business? Honeck is still doing Mahler in Pittsburgh, I just hope it's getting recorded!

Exton still exists as a corporate entity, but their relationship with Pittsburgh appears to be over, leaving behind an incomplete Mahler cycle. Pittsburgh has made its three most recent commercial CDs for Reference Recordings, the label started by Keith O. Johnson. These comprise recordings of music by Richard Strauss, Dvorak/Janacek, and Anton Bruckner. Oddly, Keith Johnson didn't engineer these three recordings, but subcontracted the work to Soundmirror in Boston, an excellent company.

James

[James Meckley]

The M3/Mehta/LAPO that Chad just released for $50.

What is this release? I cannot find it anywhere.

John, try this link:

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/96043/Zubin_Mehta-Mahler_Symphony_No_3_In_D_Minor_Forrester-200_Gram_Vinyl_Record

James

[John Kim]

James,

Thanks!

LPs are coming back!

Time to dig out my old turntable....

John

[waderice]

The Mehta LAPO M3 is probably one of, if not the rarest, of all of all the Mehta/LAPO recordings, as an original issue.  I think I remember seeing it available only once in that form, and it has never appeared again in that form.  If it were to appear somewhere in an auction, I'm sure it would command a pretty penny.

Wade

[barry guerrero]

That's insane. I never owned a British Decca pressing of it, but I did have a domestic London copy that was in real good shape. Nobody considered it great competition to the Horenstein or the Haitink on Philips. This is the ultimate form of, 'the grass was greener in the past'.