Classic FM Magazine (February)

[Dave2002]

As a technical point, I believe that music transferred from LPs can be quite wide-ranging, at least as wide as CD permits. You need virtually a pristine copy, though. Which reminds me, Pristine Audio do remarkable transfers from 78s and early LPs. I have their download of the famous Kenneth Alwyn disc of Tchaikovsky items, including 1812 and the Capriccio Italien. I decided to have the highest-fi version, which ranges wider than CD. It is very good indeed and retains the feeling of analogue graciousness admirably.

Re vinyl, I like I suspect other older members here, grew up with records, initially 78s, and then LPs and EPs. I enjoyed them, but there were terrific problems with scratches, click, and of course wow and flutter, rumble, and plain old distortion, etc. Good kit could give apparently very good results, but mere mortals couldn't afford that. I looked forward with keen anticipation from the early 1970s to the arrival of the digital era. When it came it was clearly (!) better, and although it was relatively expensive at first, it was manageable. Then came the vinyl backlash. People said that vinyl sounded better. Some of these were undoubtedly conservative backwoodsmen, some had cloth ears, but others may have had a point. Some journalists jumped on the bandwagon - they probably didn't really believe much of what they wrote, but they didn't let that worry them. Those who could afford expensive turntables and cartridges (say £1000 and up) claimed that LPs were better. Not helpful to most of us who could only afford CD players costing a mere £200. It was admitted later by some recording engineers that there were problems with some early CD issues, but they hadn't noticed at the time. Some of the problems were masked by CD players which effectively only had approximately 14 bit quantisation. However, for most people CDs were a great improvement.

Once or twice I did hear good LP systems and I was surprised how good they sounded. They really did sound like good CDs, but they were still far too expensive. Now it seems there is still a group of people who like vinyl, and who may have acquired equipment good enough to make some LPs sound good. I recently heard a digitised copy of some tracks taken off an LP, and was impressed/surprised at how digital they sounded. There was no rumble, no discernable distortion, no hiss, no crackles and pops, and no wow and flutter.
I believe that the equipment used, even second hand, probably cost at least £500, possibly a lot more. There are still people out there willing to pay a lot for some high quality turntables and cartridges.

There may still be a point in playing some older LPs and they may now represent the best chance of recovering some older material in high quality sound. My own investigations into Melodiya recordings by, for example Fedoseyev, suggest that where the master tapes are deteriorating, that recovery from LPs may provide the best hope of unlocking the recorded sound in acceptable audio quality.

[mathias broucek]

By the way, since alerted to these things, I checked the March edition of Classic FM magazine as well, and the double CD cover-mount is even more tasty, with a wonderful Van Cliburn/Reiner/CSO Schumann Piano Concerto (reminds me in some ways of young Pollini playing the Chopin Piano Concerto 1), the magnificent Brahms Sym 1 from Karajan and the VPO, and Lisa Della Casa in the Four Last Songs.

The notes say they're transferred from vinyl, though, and I wasn't quite convinced that full spectrum of sound I remember from my old vinyl of the Brahms was available here.

Is that the Decca Brahms 1?

[silvestrione]

Is that the Decca Brahms 1?

Yes indeed. A wonderful and superbly engineered recording in my view. The brass choir at the end right across the sound picture at the back, glorious!

[Barbirollians]

I bought this Classic FM magazine issue today - heavens what a marvellous performance and recording of Brahms 1 .Stunningly beautiful playing and such warmth so unlike many of those late glassy dead DG recordings of von Karajan conducting the BPO.

[cloughie]

I bought this Classic FM magazine issue today - heavens what a marvellous performance and recording of Brahms 1 .Stunningly beautiful playing and such warmth so unlike many of those late glassy dead DG recordings of von Karajan conducting the BPO.

Having all but the Schumann on these discs I checked out alternatives and ordered the Cliburn/Reiner Schuman PC/Beethoven Emperor for approx cost of the magazine. I notice CFM mag has switched to a flimsy cardboard sleeve for its CDs.

[Barbirollians]

Not that flimsy indeed a pretty stiff sleeve.

[Barbirollians]

The van Cliburn performance is exciting but not the highlight for me . I have always loved Lisa della Casa's performance of the Four Las Songs and the slight sounds of the vinyl in this remastering actually together with the transfer make it the warmest of the transfers of her recording I have . It remains enchanting.

[Barbirollians]

Having been delighted by the Ferras/Silvestri Tchaikovsky Concerto on their Feb disc I wonder if anyone knows whether the March issue was the last or whether there is to be an April issue with some more great archive recordings on the front !

[Alf-Prufrock]

Having been delighted by the Ferras/Silvestri Tchaikovsky Concerto on their Feb disc I wonder if anyone knows whether the March issue was the last or whether there is to be an April issue with some more great archive recordings on the front !

There is an April issue out in the shops now, and it is the last.

The disc contains Munch's recording of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony and the Nettle-Markham version of the Carnival of the Animals. I have both already, and shall not be buying it. The magazine recommends our going to the Classic FM website to solace us for the absence of the mag. Not something I shall do easily.

[Barbirollians]

Rather a let down - I shall skip it I think.

[cloughie]

Rather a let down - I shall skip it I think.

Anyone starting their collection in the 60s would surely have encountered Munch's SS3 on RCA Victrola and probably bought it on CD also, if not this is an opportunity to get it now, but you can get from Amazon for under £4 or as a download for £1.78. The magazine CD sleeve is definitely flimsy!

[John Wright]

Anyone starting their collection in the 60s would surely have encountered Munch's SS3 on RCA Victrola and probably bought it on CD also, if not this is an opportunity to get it now, but you can get from Amazon for under £4 or as a download for £1.78. The magazine CD sleeve is definitely flimsy!

But you have to remember that the CD is aimed at audience who have only ever heard one or two movements of each piece on a daytime programme, between adverts featuring meerkats and a moustache-twirling 'opera' singer who continually invite you to compare them.....

[cloughie]

But you have to remember that the CD is aimed at audience who have only ever heard one or two movements of each piece on a daytime programme, between adverts featuring meerkats and a moustache-twirling 'opera' singer who continually invite you to compare them.....

In the case of the symphony the odd half movement. The tone of discussion on these boards tends to be towards whether the cover CD is a gem recording at a bargain price to add to an already adequate collection. Th go comparing is more likely to be with the other dozen or more versions they already have.

[Nick Armstrong]

who is it we see plain as a pikestaff applauding at around 10:00?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77DgE...endscreen&NR=1

Good Lord !! My heart leapt!!

More great You Tube mining, ammy

[amateur51]

Good Lord !! My heart leapt!!

More great You Tube mining, ammy

Glad you got there Calibs - I was gobsmacked! (as Saint St John of Stevas would never have said )