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I'm exploring my Karajan '1960's' DG box set and I have to say that I'm really enjoying them. I believe they were re-mastered to expunge some of the Maestro's 'knob twiddling' and I find the balance to be infinitely better.
I may be wrong but I believe HvKs "knob-twiddling" phase occurred in the mid-to-late seventies when rudimentary multitrack technology appeared on the classical music scene, affording hitherto unavailable opportunities for tweaking orchestral recordings. HvK's legendary 60s Beethoven, Tchaikovsky & Sibelius sets were taped directly to stereo by the non-pareil of DG tonmeisters Günter Hermanns, & the contemporaneous vinyl LPs weren't subjected to later conductorial re-jigging for the simple reason that this wasn't technically possible.
Currently listening to the Decca recording of Adriana Lecouvreur with Tebaldi and Del Monaco, conducted by Capuana. It's amazingly good - and I didn't even think I was that keen on the opera.
I may be wrong but I believe HvKs "knob-twiddling" phase occurred in the mid-to-late seventies when rudimentary multitrack technology appeared on the classical music scene, affording hitherto unavailable opportunities for tweaking orchestral recordings. HvK's legendary 60s Beethoven, Tchaikovsky & Sibelius sets were taped directly to stereo by the non-pareil of DG tonmeisters Günter Hermanns, & the contemporaneous vinyl LPs weren't subjected to later conductorial re-jigging for the simple reason that this wasn't technically possible.
Michel Glotz gets the blame for the strange balances on Karajan's 70s recordings - though the balances were noticeably more eccentric when von K was recording for EMI. Glotz described himself as 'the extension of his (von K's) will in the control room.' DG and Decca had a policy of barring Karajan from the mixing desk by various means but I think EMI were just desperate to have him.
Michel Glotz gets the blame for the strange balances on Karajan's 70s recordings - though the balances were noticeably more eccentric when von K was recording for EMI. Glotz described himself as 'the extension of his (von K's) will in the control room.' DG and Decca had a policy of barring Karajan from the mixing desk by various means but I think EMI were just desperate to have him.
That's very interesting. I know I much prefer these new issues in the 1960's, 70's & 80's boxes. Much less String heavy.
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