Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue; Concerto In F; An American In Paris [Hybrid SACD, Import]

The reason I could not give this SACD a 5-star rating is that in some of the loudest passages the music becomes congested and compressed. And, I don't remember that occurring in my previous experiences with this special recording of the Boston Pops led by Arthur Fiedler. It is truly amazing, however, that such an historic recording can sound so uncannily present.

The stereo SACD layer of this disc does what SACD is supposed to do: the instruments are much better placed within the three dimensional sound stage, timbre is more accurately rendered, the instruments are, also, resolved more finely, more of the ambience of the venue is captured and the air around each of the instruments more realistically clarifies their positions, bass is much more controlled and real, which adds up to more realism and more musical drama. Some moments on this SACD are truly transcendent (I could tell you where, but I'll leave the wonderful surprises to you), while the rest is damned good.

I guess I hoped for more, though.

Why?

When this RCA Living Stereo recording of Rhapsody in Blue was last released on CD in 1997, the remastering used 20 bit technology, a customized Studer transport, Cello electronics and UV22 Super CD encoding (per the CD cover). This remastering had done a phenomenal job in getting as much musical information onto the CD as possible. Consequently, this raised the bar that the present SACD had to outstrip, which it does. However, it does not do so as handily as other Living Stereo SACDs whose prior CD release did not have such wonderful remastering.

Another problem I noticed with this SACD and some other RCA Living Stereo SACDs that have been released recently is that there is something missing at the very top end. I thought though that maybe I was just now hearing these recordings as they sounded from the master tapes, as all the hype has stated. However, Harry Pearson has the same problem. As he expressed recently, "The top octaves sound rolled off, and harmonically depleted."

Is this better than the most recent CD iteration? In most respects, yes, except for the caveats just stated.

If you treasure the RCA Living Stereo series as I do, the improvements that this SACD brings to the table are well worth the price of admission.

Attention all music snobs! This SACD is just what you need to clean out your ears, and your soul. I just finished listening to it after spending a dispiriting morning with a 2004 multichannel release of a major, very serious violin concerto from a major label, major soloist, major orchestra and conductor. On that disc, tepid music-making, oh-so-careful recording and mastering. Oh so boring.

Now here's the real thing. Made back when people enjoyed making and hearing "light classics" -- and it really shows. Although I'm a boomer, I was not familiar with earlier iterations of this famous Boston Pops recording. Therefore I can't comment on whether it's as good as this remastering or that original shaded dog or whatever.

All I can say is, wow! This three-channel SACD really hits the spot. The pianist, Earl Wild, is probably unmatched in this repertoire. The orchestra, under its founding conductor, plays with matching exuberance. Everyone seems to be having a ball, first measure to last. When's the last time you heard a classical recording like that?

The recorded sound is open, colorful, engaging, and totally persuasive. Sure, the soloist is brightly lit, and there's a bit of suspect reverb. But I can hear the hall, the imaging is pretty good, and it's just so involving! Bless you, Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton and all the rest. Why can't they make 'em like this anymore?

So, unconditionally recommended. Once you've heard this, you can go back to your Magnus Lindberg or Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach or Pierre Boulez or 13th-century Moldavian motets or whatever and feel like one of the few, the precious few again. But at least you will have had some fun.

I have enjoyed many of the Living Stereo SACD remasterings, but this one is quite special.

As a kid, I remember hearing the "Living Stereo" series of RCA-produced LP recordings on my uncle's expensive (for the time) "Hi-Fi" setup, and being totally impressed with the sound of the recordings. This SACD-DSD re-issue brings it all back, and today my surround-sound system far surpasses what my uncle had way back then, and the sound is so much more impressive (you do need a SACD-capable player to fully appreciate the sound technology built-into this disc, however, but I have also played it on one of my standard CD players and it still sounds amazing).

The music on this disc was originally recorded in 1959 and 1961 on 3-track professional tape, which RCA would mix-down to the standard 2-track stereo for the LP record. The "Living Stereo" series of recordings that RCA made used specially-selected microphones, and were recorded with minimal or no electronic processing or equalization on the 3-track tape. When transferred to LP, some of the dynamic range in the original recording was lost, however, due to the constraints of the LP as a recording and playbeck medium at the time (some equalization had to be added). For this SACD re-issue, the original 3-track tapes were apparently used, and the full dynamic range of the original recordings seems to be present. Note that, if you listen to this disc using a SCAD player and a surround-sound system, you will find that only the front-left, front-right, and center channel speakers are active, just the way it was originally recorded.

This recording was made in Symphony Hall in Boston, not in a recording studio, by Arthur Feidler and the Boston Pops Orchestra, featuring Earl Wild on the piano. I've been lucky enough to have attended concerts at Symphony Hall, and to my ears, I can actually hear the sonics of the hall in this recording. As for Earl Wild on piano, I imagine him to be channeling George Gershwin himself (I've always loved this music, and I find the performances on this disc to be extrememly satisfying).

While I own other recordings of this same music by other performers, on standard CD and also LP, in my opinion this "Living Stereo" re-issue by BMG is the most satisfying of them.