[Scott Dorsey]

wrote:
I am a conductor/percussionist who works mostly on contemporary music
in and around New York.
I've also been recording myself and others for the last ten years or
so and the basic understanding of recording techniques,
psychoacoustics, etc (a lot of it coming from this group, thank you)
has helped me tremendously when performing.

So here is my question:

What recordings of classical orchestral repertoire you recommend from
an audio perspective?

For the most part, all the ones I recommend are minimalist recordings of
some sort. I suggest listening to anything, for example, on the Pope Music
label, and anything from Delos.

The old Mercury Living Presence recordings are done with spaced triads, which
give a sense of depth that I think is a little artificial but which some
people like. Also their Dorati recording of Petrouchka is just an amazing
performance.

I've been listening a lot to Harnoncourt's Beethoven Symphonies with
the European Chamber Orchestra for example, and I am very impressed
with the balance between sound clarity and richness, and the stereo
image is so perfect you can almost see the musicians in front of you.

That is on Teldec. I am not sure what their recording procedures are.

There is an energy there I am not used to get from a recording. I
could never find that in Karajan/Berlin Phil. for example. What are
the orchestral recordings that really impressed you?

The 1980s Karajan recordings, like most of the DG stuff from that era,
were horribly butchered by abusive spot miking. Not only did they mike the
crap out of everything, but they couldn't keep their hands off the faders
so you would hear the whole orchestral perspective changing when a solo
instrument came in.

They also were done in short pieces which were pasted together. This
technique can work well and it can also cause the orchestra to totally fall
apart, depending on the conductor and the producer. I don't think it worked
well here.

Listen to the 1950s Karajan Beethoven set... the recording quality is a
thousand times better. I don't think the performances are quite as good
but I have some odd tastes in Beethoven that came out of early experiences
with provincial orchestras... but they are definitely more "whole."
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Jos Geluk]

Scott Dorsey schreef:

The old Mercury Living Presence recordings are done with spaced triads, which
give a sense of depth that I think is a little artificial but which some
people like. Also their Dorati recording of Petrouchka is just an amazing
performance.

I have a recording of Petrushka by Antal Dorati on Decca, with the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Is that the same one? The booklet says:
recorded June 1980 in the United Artists Auditorium, engineered by Mr
James Lock.

Jos.


--
Ardis Park Music
www.ardispark.nl

[Scott Dorsey]

Jos Geluk wrote:
Scott Dorsey schreef:

The old Mercury Living Presence recordings are done with spaced triads, which
give a sense of depth that I think is a little artificial but which some
people like. Also their Dorati recording of Petrouchka is just an amazing
performance.

I have a recording of Petrushka by Antal Dorati on Decca, with the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Is that the same one? The booklet says:
recorded June 1980 in the United Artists Auditorium, engineered by Mr
James Lock.

No, this one is from the mid-sixties. It's Dorati with the Minneapolis,
on Mercury. Should I get the Decca one to compare? Is it good?
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Jos Geluk]

Scott Dorsey schreef:
Jos Geluk wrote:
Scott Dorsey schreef:

The old Mercury Living Presence recordings are done with spaced triads, which
give a sense of depth that I think is a little artificial but which some
people like. Also their Dorati recording of Petrouchka is just an amazing
performance.
I have a recording of Petrushka by Antal Dorati on Decca, with the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Is that the same one? The booklet says:
recorded June 1980 in the United Artists Auditorium, engineered by Mr
James Lock.

No, this one is from the mid-sixties. It's Dorati with the Minneapolis,
on Mercury. Should I get the Decca one to compare? Is it good?

I have no other recordings available to compare, but I like its clarity
and the way it sounds like some of the instruments are really close. The
flutes at the very start for instance sound nice clear and breathy,
instead of reverb-y and away in the distance. Only the solo piano
passages are a bit too far away and too close to the noise level, but
that could be my listening environment.
What struck me most about this CD, however, is the recording of Le Sacre
du Printemps that follows Petrushka. I knew the piece fairly well when I
first listened to it, and I was amazed by the sheer raw force of the
music, the earthiness and violence that reminds one of heavy metal, if
you like, but with better dynamics. In a way Stravinsky was saying: see
what absolutely obscene things I can do with an orchestra. The recording
brings that out quite well.
I have many times listened to the music with the score on my lap, and I
had no trouble identifying every instrument, no matter how loud and
chaotic the music. That alone has taught me a lot about orchestration.

So yes, I don't think you would be disappointed.

Jos.

--
Ardis Park Music
www.ardispark.nl