I was rather surprised to hear Julian Johnson in the Bruckner BAL enthusing about recordings that seemed to place you in the middle of the orchestra...this used to be a common criticism of some (e.g. over-miked) recordings. Isn't it more natural to have a sense of depth to the sound image, strings, then woodwind, than brass at the back, etc (as indeed on Karajan Bruckner recordings but also on e.g. Haitink's old recording of Schubert's Great C Major, which I've been playing).
Also, in current IRR, Michael Dutton makes interesting criticsims of what he sees as the current 'European standard' method of recording orchestras, and is particularly against violins left and right, which, with some other current habits, results in 'a vastly reduced stereo image and the sound lacks air and space'...
Is this why I so often find sound on CDs constricted compared with older recordings, e.g. on LP?
Also, in current IRR, Michael Dutton makes interesting criticsims of what he sees as the current 'European standard' method of recording orchestras, and is particularly against violins left and right, which, with some other current habits, results in 'a vastly reduced stereo image and the sound lacks air and space'...
Is this why I so often find sound on CDs constricted compared with older recordings, e.g. on LP?
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