SpeakerTalk

[iso]

Decca has issued 50 years of Decca sound 50 CD box in 2011. It seems that there are quite many interesting recordings on it. It would have been nice if more Ernest Ansermet recordings had been included.

RCA has also issued 60 CD Living Stereo box. Many classic Friz Reiner recordings are included.

I have quite many 70´s Decca/London CS and STS series LP pressings of 60´and 70´s recordings. Quite many of them are pretty good, there are also examples with considerable LF noise and other defects.

If anybody have bought these CD boxes, it would be interesting to know how well CD transfers are made. Also recommendations where they can be bought here in Europe most economically is appriciated.

Best Regards

Kimmo

[Gary]

Those are huge! Can anyone ever get through one of those sets?



The Decca one sounds interesting.
_________________
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[iso]

I bought Decca box 2 weeks ago and have listened 4-6 CD:s. I suppose many CD:s will remain unplayed for ever. Boxes have been priced modestly and I think if there are 5 exelent recordings and 10 good ones, the box is worth the cost of E 95,00 at local Stockman department store.

I have noted that performances of many recordings are very nice, even my expertise on classical music is very limited. Quite often performances are considerably better than on recordings that are available here. I think record companies like Naxos present fair amount of music for reasonable fee, but performances are not as good as on this Decca box.

Sound quality of recordings I have listened has been average to pretty good. I suppose I did expect too much...

Decca has also issued Mercury Living Presence box, which may also be interesting. If Decca, Mercury and RCA boxes present correctly 1960´s cataloque of ea. record company, it is funny to note how different were offerings same time on both sides of Atlantic.

Best Regards

Kimmo

PS I wonder why Decca has not issued similar box on their pop/rock cataloque?

[audiolabtower]

Ah! memories, one of my all time favourites was the Ansermet Firebird, done by the legendary Kenneth Wilkinson in the legendary old Kingsway Hall if my memory is correct. I had the CD transfer for a while but replaced it with the Montreal/Dutoit digital. Both are superb orchestral recordings with great presence but accurate perspective and huge but natural bass. Ansermet's Scheherazade was also wonderful. Even today I listen to the Solti Ring and wonder at the sound they produced in the late 50s and 60s. Sure top end is down compared to today, there may be some hiss at high levels, and very low bass may be a touch flabby, but what a natural sound - such warmth with clarity, real orchestras in real halls with real musicianship, the opposite of cold, clinical, too bright sound.

[audiolabtower]

p.s. I haven't heard these latest box sets, but my experience is that reissues are getting worse unless done by really expert classical mastering engineers. Too often the levels have been played with, compression added, maybe top and bottom boosted. If you look at waveforms of modern recordings they are mastered beyond 100% level, deliberately into clipping (inaudible supposedly), all to chase the loudest possible playback impact instead of a natural dynamic range.

[iso]

Ansermet´s Scheherazade has been also my favorite on London STS vinyl. Low bass is flabby and there is considerable amount of rumble, but solo violin really sings. I haven´t played this one for years. As far as I remember Ansermet made this one with Paris Conservatoire Orchestra. He may have done it also with L´Orchestere De La Suisse Romande.

It is possible that master tapes are not in such good condition anymore. My London STS transfer was made probably in 70`s.

Best Regards

Kimmo