add to wish list | library


37 of 38 recommend this,
would you recommend it?

yes | no

Support this site by purchasing from these vendors using the paid links below. As an Amazon Associate SA-CD.net earns from qualifying purchases.
 
amazon.ca
amazon.co.uk
amazon.com
amazon.de
 
amazon.fr
amazon.it
 
jpc

Discussion: Franck: Symphony, Stravinsky: Petrouchka - Monteux

Posts: 17
Page: 1 2 next

Post by Ivymike July 29, 2005 (1 of 17)
This 1959 recording of "Petrouchka" is my favorite of dozens I've heard over the years. The performance is first-rate and the sonics only slightly behind. The CD issued in the Pierre Monteux Edition in the early 1990's sounds a bit overloaded on climaxes, with the brass becoming "screamy" as tape rolls happily into saturation. It is a soundstaging champ, however,with a bass drum that sounds( and feels!) just like it should in a concert hall and it's easy just to get lost in the music.

The new SACD sounds first-rate in three-channel mode as well. As usual, I notice the soundstage actually seems wider in three-channel playback and the center fill is a bit more solid. There are places, however, when the center channel level seems a bit too high and all of the woodwinds, some brass and violas all "pile up" atop one another dead center mono, but at obviously different distances. It sounds a bit odd, and as I've carefully set the playback levels on all three channels to be equal I'm not sure if we're hearing a transfer quirk or something Bob Simpson, the original engineer, was doing. In any case the effect is not always noticeable and hardly detracts from this super release.

Post by tream July 29, 2005 (2 of 17)
Ivymike said:

This 1959 recording of "Petrouchka" is my favorite of dozens I've heard over the years. The performance is first-rate and the sonics only slightly behind. The CD issued in the Pierre Monteux Edition in the early 1990's sounds a bit overloaded on climaxes, with the brass becoming "screamy" as tape rolls happily into saturation. It is a soundstaging champ, however,with a bass drum that sounds( and feels!) just like it should in a concert hall and it's easy just to get lost in the music.

The new SACD sounds first-rate in three-channel mode as well. As usual, I notice the soundstage actually seems wider in three-channel playback and the center fill is a bit more solid. There are places, however, when the center channel level seems a bit too high and all of the woodwinds, some brass and violas all "pile up" atop one another dead center mono, but at obviously different distances. It sounds a bit odd, and as I've carefully set the playback levels on all three channels to be equal I'm not sure if we're hearing a transfer quirk or something Bob Simpson, the original engineer, was doing. In any case the effect is not always noticeable and hardly detracts from this super release.

I have this one on order. Both pieces were Monteux specialties.

Post by Johnno July 29, 2005 (3 of 17)
Elsewhere, some people are saying that this third "Living Stereo" set is the best transferred of the three with many of the recordings sounding quite spectacular.
My set is on its way so I hope to receive it sometime next week.

Post by Windsurfer December 13, 2005 (4 of 17)
I love Monteux's performances but I question that the sound is so great. There is serious overload in some sections and it is really annoying. Am I sorry I bought it though? - no - but I won't be listening to it as much as I expected I would want to on first reading the reviews by Ramesh and Ivymike.

There is too much harsh sound here for consistent enjoyment. On the other hand when there is no overload it is quite beautiful.

Post by diw December 14, 2005 (5 of 17)
windsurfer's got it right on this disc. most of the reviews are being too kind, this is not one of the better Living Stereo's (sonically, that is), even in its current incarnation.

Post by nickc December 14, 2005 (6 of 17)
Windsurfer said:

I love Monteux's performances but I question that the sound is so great. There is serious overload in some sections and it is really annoying. Am I sorry I bought it though? - no - but I won't be listening to it as much as I expected I would want to on first reading the reviews by Ramesh and Ivymike.

There is too much harsh sound here for consistent enjoyment. On the other hand when there is no overload it is quite beautiful.

Hi Bruce
as you are a MC addict like me why don't you try the new RCO Live Petrushka/Symphonic Dances?
Petrushka is beautifully played though perhaps a tad low-key and the Rachmaninov is excellent. The new DSD 5.0 recording is excellent as well. Last post before review!
Cheers
Nick

Post by ramesh December 15, 2005 (7 of 17)
Windsurfer said:

There is too much harsh sound here for consistent enjoyment. On the other hand when there is no overload it is quite beautiful.

In many of the raucous passages, Stravinsky innovated by juxtaposing chords of unrelated keys; hence deliberately introducing tonal and semitonal clashes. Is it possible that at least some of the harshness is due to the high resolution medium capturing more of the higher harmonics of these notes? I don't have a score of this, but at least it's a testable hypothesis, since tape or microphone overload would occur equally on 'pure' chords as when the composer is deliberately seeking a harsh and discordant climax.

Post by Windsurfer December 15, 2005 (8 of 17)
ramesh said:

In many of the raucous passages, Stravinsky innovated by juxtaposing chords of unrelated keys; hence deliberately introducing tonal and semitonal clashes. Is it possible that at least some of the harshness is due to the high resolution medium capturing more of the higher harmonics of these notes? I don't have a score of this, but it at least is a testable hypothesis, since tape or microphone overload would occur equally on 'pure' chords as when the composer is deliberately seeking a harsh and discordant climax.

It is possible except I was really referring to the Franck. I like Petrushka, but just haven't taken much time listening to that part of the disc. I did hear it at least once! Also I think (haven't heard it for a few months) my Jarvi (fils)recording Stravinsky: Petrouchka, Firebird Suite etc - Järvi
does not suffer at all from the problem mentioned.

Post by DSD December 15, 2005 (9 of 17)
Windsurfer said:

I love Monteux's performances but I question that the sound is so great. There is serious overload in some sections and it is really annoying. Am I sorry I bought it though? - no - but I won't be listening to it as much as I expected I would want to on first reading the reviews by Ramesh and Ivymike.

There is too much harsh sound here for consistent enjoyment. On the other hand when there is no overload it is quite beautiful.

I agree there is serious distortion and overload on the Franck Symphony, it was so bad I have found excellent alternatives for both pieces.

First let me say I am a huge fan of RCA Living Stereo recordings. I've owned them on RCA 7 1/2ips Reel to Reel tapes, on the later Magtec / Stereotape 7 1/2 ips Reel to Reel tapes, on RCA Shaded Dog LPs, MFSL LPs, Chesky LPs and Classic Records 180 Gram and 200 Gram LPs. The RCA Living Stereo recordings released so far on SACD sound fantastic, not quite the equal of the Classic Records LPs but very very close! On my system the Frank sounds like a Dynagroove recording! Anyone have the original LP? This is the first time I have owned this recording and it is a later recording at the period I trace RCA's downfall.

The Franck Symphony has a severe Dynagroove-like Compression/Distortion on climaxes with lower overload distortion though-out that sounds like it was recorded TOO HOT to avoid tape hiss. The Franck is an excellent performance. It is coupled with Stravinsky's Petrouchka which sounds superb, NO distortion, wide dynamic range and beautiful string tone like most of my other Living Stereo's. To my ears the Franck does not sound like a RCA Living Stereo but a later RCA Dynagroove Red Seal.

I have sold this on eBay and replaced it with the Franck: Symphony and Accursed Huntsman on Membran SACD. Excellent performance and superb sound quality, one of their better sounding ones. And for Petrouchka I have my fave conductor Paavo Jarvi on Telarc SACD.

I whole-heartily recommend the entire RCA Living Stereo SACD collection except for this one. Why was this released?

My SACD player is the tubed Xindak SCD-1, pre-amp tubed AMC, power amp solid state Adcom GFA-555II and speakers floor standing Infinity Reference Standard Kappa 7's (the original version with 12 inch woofers, 3 inch midrange and EMIT tweeters).

Happy Listening,
Teresa

Post by DSD December 15, 2005 (10 of 17)
ramesh said:

In many of the raucous passages, Stravinsky innovated by juxtaposing chords of unrelated keys; hence deliberately introducing tonal and semitonal clashes. Is it possible that at least some of the harshness is due to the high resolution medium capturing more of the higher harmonics of these notes? I don't have a score of this, but at least it's a testable hypothesis, since tape or microphone overload would occur equally on 'pure' chords as when the composer is deliberately seeking a harsh and discordant climax.

On my system the Stravinsky Petrouchka sounds great, it the Franck Symphony that has the gross overload distortion due to being recorded at too high a level. The Petrouchka recorded at a lower level sounds 1000 times better than the Franck symphony and is quite enjoyable.

Page: 1 2 next

Closed