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5.0étoiles sur 5
Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults, Jui 9 2003
Now that Decca and Deutsche Grammophon, among others, are all part of Universal, we have seen some interesting things happen, and not all of them bad. What I'm referring to in this case is the new "Original Masters" Limited Edition Box Set series. Finally, the classical music world has taken a page out of the jazz reissue handbook -- put out a quality product featuring rare recordings but make its availability limited, and people will snatch it up. In the "Original Masters" series, first DG and now Decca have each reissued five boxed sets, of 4 to 7 CDs each, in distinguished, space-saving slim paper boxes, though the style of packaging is different. The DG sets feature 50s style graphics design on their covers, while the Decca ones have a distinctive rainbow/spectrum pattern on the spines and banners, and a black-and-white photo of the artist in question on the face of the box. This particular set features the great conductor Josef Krips' Decca recordings from 1950-58. As the track information is non-existent above, I will try to be of assistance. The first disc contains Mozart's Symphonies Nos. 39 and 40 (the back of the box indicating it as Symphony No. 4 is a typo) with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) from 1951 and 1953 respectively, and the 41st Symphony with the Israel Philharmonic from 1957. Disc two features Brahms' Symphony No. 4 (LSO, 1950) and the Dvorak Cello Concerto with Zara Nelsova (LSO, 1951). Disc three returns to Mozart with the 31st Symphony (LSO, 1951), then winds up with the Schubert "Unfinished" (LSO, 1950) and Schumann's 4th Symphony (LSO, 1952). CD Four begins by showcasing the vocal talents of soprano Inge Borkh on Beethoven's "Ah! Perfido" and the closing scene from Strauss' Salome (both Vienna Philharmonic, 1956), then concludes with Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (Vienna, 1958). The final disc starts with two Haydn Symphonies -- Nos. 94 & 99 both with the Vienna Philharmonic from 1957 -- and concludes back in London with Mendelssohn's 4th Symphony (LSO, 1953). Despite the fact that the majority of these recordings are in mono (the Mozart 41st from CD 1, all of CD 4, and Haydn 94th and 99th from CD 5 are the only stereo tracks), the first rate performances more than compensate for any audio shortcomings. Well, I guess the consolidation of the music industry isn't so bad after all, as long as I can look forward to more reissues like this.
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