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Classical DVD-Audio releases drying up. . .

Posted by Chris from Lafayette (A) on July 15, 2007 at 18:56:08

But. . . still. . . they. . . trickle. . . in. . .

Mahler Symphony No. 6 with Macal and the Czech Philharmonic on the Exton label (from HMV Japan). This is another one of those crazy Exton multiple disc sets with (2) hybrid SACD’s and a DVD-Audio of the same performance. Since the master was on DSD, why bother with the DVD-A? In any case, this live performance is not nearly so well recorded as producer/director Tomoyoshi Ezaki’s earlier (studio) effort on this work with Neumann and the CPO from 1995 (24-bit PCM master, on a Canyon CD – not to be confused with Neumann’s even earlier recording of this symphony on Supraphon, which Ezaki had nothing to do with). The deterioration results from differing microphone techniques in the two recordings, rather than from simple DSD vs. PCM – the newer (Macal) recording is more obviously multi-miked and (at least on my system) more clotted and congested than the earlier one (a truly spectacular CD). BTW, just to confuse things, Exton has also reissued the Neumann/Canyon recording of this work. . . on SACD. (Grrrrrrr! – What are they thinking???)

I also had the opportunity to obtain and listen to Roberto Prosseda’s Chopin recital, which has been out for some time already on the AIX label. These are very good performances – indeed quite a bit better than the earlier Chopin DVD-A on AIX (containing the four Ballades with another pianist). As you might expect from a 24/96 recording, the attack, clarity, and cleanliness of the texture and the individual notes is tremendous! My only problem is that the highest resolution “groups” on this disc seem to be devoted to “stage” mixes – with the microphones very close to the piano. In fact, the MLP multi-channel 24/96 tracks almost sound as if they were recorded inside the piano. From a listening perspective, I found the “audience” mix much more realistic – but this mix seems to be only available in (lossy) Dolby Digital. Believe me, as a pianist myself, I generally prefer close-in recordings of the piano, because this technique more nearly matches the sound I hear when I’m actually playing. But the “stage” mix on this disc seems to be too much of a good thing, and just a bit shallow sounding too – relative to the “audience” mix. Of course, this is just IMHO.

Finally, I’m wondering what the hold-up is with the next two installments of Classic Records “HDAD” reissues of the classic (small “c”) Everest recordings on DVD-Audio (24/192 stereo, 24/96 three-channel). These recordings (the Berlioz Symphonie fantastique and the Stravinsky Rite of Spring, both with Goosens and the LSO) were announced almost a year ago, shortly after the first six discs in these series were released. I obtained five discs from that initial batch, and each one was plagued to greater or lesser degree with slight pitch problems (due to deterioration of the original master tapes?). The Sargent performance of Respighi’s “Fountains of Rome” was particularly woozy in that respect. Perhaps Classic Records is trying to correct for such pitch vagaries in the upcoming two releases – but the vinyl versions of these two titles have already been out for some time now, so where are the HDAD’s??? Despite the pitch problems in the earlier set of releases, I’m willing to give Classic Records another chance.

Meanwhile, I’m still catching up with some of the Tacet DVD-Audios. I just listened to the Schubert Octet and the Bach Violin Concertos – they sound great, despite the synthetic and unorthodox placement of performers relative to the listener on these recordings.

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