Richard Strauss/Rudolf Kempe Reissue

[Petrushka]

I see that yet another incarnation has appeared of Kempe's famous set with the Dresden Staatskapelle of the Richard Strauss orchestral works. Originally issued on LP by EMI in the 1970s the set now appears on the Warner label () and has, apparently, been completely remastered from the original East German tapes.

Has anyone heard this and done a comparison with the previous mastering to see if the new set is superior? The sound was always slightly disappointing and if this new set is superior I will be interested in investing as the recordings have been a mainstay of my musical life for 40 years.

Any comments would be appreciated.

[richardfinegold]

I see that yet another incarnation has appeared of Kempe's famous set with the Dresden Staatskapelle of the Richard Strauss orchestral works. Originally issued on LP by EMI in the 1970s the set now appears on the Warner label () and has, apparently, been completely remastered from the original East German tapes.

Has anyone heard this and done a comparison with the previous mastering to see if the new set is superior? The sound was always slightly disappointing and if this new set is superior I will be interested in investing as the recordings have been a mainstay of my musical life for 40 years.



Any comments would be appreciated.

haven't heard them. I too had several of these performances on EMI budget label lp in the States, and then purchased the CD set about 20 years ago. Agree that the sonics have always felt inadequate, and I am wagering that any attempt at remastering will be an improvement.

[Beef Oven!]

There's already a couple of reviews on Amazon. One says yes, one says no!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3QKXOJ5IQE7EN?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00FJZQRR6&cdMSG=addedToThread&cdPage=&channel=detail-glance&newContentID=Mx1M35QA56HIIE1&newContentNum=1&nodeID=229816&ref_=cm_cr_dp_cmt&store=music#CustomerDiscussionsNRPB

[Nick Armstrong]

There's already a couple of reviews on Amazon. One says yes, one says no!

Then there's only one way to sort it out.

FIGHT !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8uG42u4KdY

[Beef Oven!]

Then there's only one way to sort it out.

FIGHT !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8uG42u4KdY

Violence is never a solution.

[BBMmk2]

Well, I have the EMI set and I can quite honestly say how satisfied I am with it!

[visualnickmos]

Well, I have the EMI set and I can quite honestly say how satisfied I am with it!

I agree - the sound is amazing, very crisp, deep and even - shucks!

But seriously, the EMI box set is a winner.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This is of interest to me. In my ongoing review of a particular work in this set, I commented on two versions by this conductor, acknowledging the more polished playing by the Dresdeners, but regretting the significantly poorer sound, among other things.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Violence is never a solution.

Maybe not, but it's fun

[Gordon]

I agree with others above that the EMI set is very fine and I'd be happy to keep the old set rather than this new one. The sound is characteristic of the orchestra and the era of course but also of the engineer Claus Struben and location, the Lukas Kirche. The recordings were made by the state recording company VEB as was Karajan's very fine Meistersingers of 1970, the same vintage as some of these Strauss ones and of course Jochum's very good Bruckner symphony set. The sound of all these is very similar, rich and sonorous if a little tubby. What a glorious orchestra that was and still is despite a bit of modernising - Davis' spell there produced some good things. Their Prom visit a few years ago [2004] was very memorable.

[Petrushka]

I agree with others above that the EMI set is very fine and I'd be happy to keep the old set rather than this new one. The sound is characteristic of the orchestra and the era of course but also of the engineer Claus Struben and location, the Lukas Kirche. The recordings were made by the state recording company VEB as was Karajan's very fine Meistersingers of 1970, the same vintage as some of these Strauss ones and of course Jochum's very good Bruckner symphony set. The sound of all these is very similar, rich and sonorous if a little tubby. What a glorious orchestra that was and still is despite a bit of modernising - Davis' spell there produced some good things. Their Prom visit a few years ago [2004] was very memorable.

So is the impression of the slightly disappointing sound quality just down to the peculiar timbre of the Staatskapelle? The 1970 Karajan Meistersinger has always sounded very fine but I do notice similar sound issues to the Strauss appearing in the Jochum Bruckner set of similar vintage. It isn't by any means bad but was interested to see if the re-mastering boffins of the Strauss set had performed miracles.

[richardfinegold]

Inspired by this thread, I am listening to the Heldenleben from this set right now. I hadn't played this set for a while, as most of my Strauss listening in the past year has been the reissued Reiner/CSO recordings, which do sound amazing. I've upgraded my system a bit since I had last played this and I think it sounds pretty good, definitely better than my recollection of the Seraphim lps. I think the comparison to the Jochum Bruckner cycle, which I have been listening to quite recently, is apt, and that is a good thing. I am sure that a new remastering can probably find a lot of room for improvement, but I've heard many recordings in much greater need of sonic refurbishment than these (most CBS recordings from the 1950s and 60s--Bernstein, Ormandy and Szell recordings in particular)

[Gordon]

...I've heard many recordings in much greater need of sonic refurbishment than these (most CBS recordings from the 1950s and 60s--Bernstein, Ormandy and Szell recordings in particular)

Agreed!! Some of those early multitrack CBS issues were pretty poor, especially noisy with constricted dynamics. Some of them have been "done over" in the past to better effect. Some that come to mind are Szell's Beethoven symphony set and his Haydn and Mozart and some Chicago/Cleveland/Philadelphia brass too. Mind you Lenny's NYPO Mahler hasn't done so well. The old Hall was very reverberant.

Some of these CBS recordings are getting out of copyright so perhaps Andrew Rose et al can have a go at them but he'll not necessarily get at the tapes just some clean vinyl.

[akiralx]

Mind you Lenny's NYPO Mahler hasn't done so well. The old Hall was very reverberant.

I don't have it but I thought the latest incarnation of the NYPO cycle (from the Japanese SACD remasterings) was supposed to be a sonic revelation?

[Acavus]

I have always valued this Kempe/Strauss set above all others and remember thinking that the sound of the Lps did it full justice. The EMI remasterings for CD always seemed a disappointment, particularly in the lower strings which sounded muddy, and there was little impression of hall ambience. A few months ago I invested in the second of the three Japanese SACD boxes, just before the already-expensive prices rocketed. The results of the SACD remastering are breathtaking and one feels will be difficult to better. Everything that was missing is now restored, and I wish I had taken the plunge and bought all three! As with the Bernstein/Mahler SACDs, which also showed a dramatic improvement in sound, they are single-layer, so it is not possible to distinguish what is due to the remastering and what due to the higher resolution. What is clear to me, however, is that there is considerable room for improvement in a new CD remastering. I will be fascinated to hear what others make of the PLG UK Classics masterings.