Roy Harris: Symphony no.3 Recorded: May 1953 2 files zip FLAC Mega Download
EMI / Mercury MMA 11097 1960 pressing. Matrices: MG 50148A -FR1 / MG 50077A -FR2
Walter Piston: Symphony no.3 Recorded: 11 May 19542 files STEREO zip FLAC Mega Download
Philips / Mercury SRI 75107 (electronic stereo) 1982 pressing
These transfers are VASTLY superior to 'Mr Pristine's' (sic) MusicWeb crap.. Sleeve-notes >>>
Donald Clarke (SymphonyShare 14Jan2014) is at it again with another 'puff' for Mr Pristine's abysmal transfers: "I eagerly purchased their dub [Mr Piratical 'HaydnHouse'] of the Piston 3rd symphony, made for Mercury in 1954 by Howard Hanson, and I was glad to have it, but it was not as good as the transcription later made by Pristine in France, which is a miracle, caputuring the sound of the original Mercury LP better than anything I have ever heard". [& dubbed from this SRI release..!!]
MY RMCR COMMENTS RE: 'Mr Pristine's transfer....http://rec.music.classical.recordings.narkive.com/uKbX4fPv/pristine-classics
These transfers are VASTLY superior to 'Mr Pristine's' (sic) MusicWeb crap.. Sleeve-notes >>>
Donald Clarke (SymphonyShare 14Jan2014) is at it again with another 'puff' for Mr Pristine's abysmal transfers: "I eagerly purchased their dub [Mr Piratical 'HaydnHouse'] of the Piston 3rd symphony, made for Mercury in 1954 by Howard Hanson, and I was glad to have it, but it was not as good as the transcription later made by Pristine in France, which is a miracle, caputuring the sound of the original Mercury LP better than anything I have ever heard". [& dubbed from this SRI release..!!]
MY RMCR COMMENTS RE: 'Mr Pristine's transfer....http://rec.music.classical.recordings.narkive.com/uKbX4fPv/pristine-classics
Thanks for these great Hanson recordings of American music. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWere it not for the Hanson-conducted performances I have on LP (Barber's Adagio/School for Scandal overture excepted) being on CD I'd add more.
ReplyDeleteThe strangely hard and 'stringy' sound of the orchestra aside, i really like these pieces of 'music of freedom' (as i call it...)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for the great transfers and the often disregarded music!
'billinrio' has a very large Mercury LP collection on his blog.
DeleteThe UK generally received 'tamed' transfers - so the EMI mono, above, is one of the exceptions, being 'identical' to the late 50's US issue: these uploaded as Mr Pristine had used the electronic-stereo versions: also had seriously debased the Philips 1980's LP: even though its sound is rather 'fizzy' it has good detail - which became smothered in the 'MusicWeb recommended' 'Pristine Audio' transformation.
Appreciate the tip and the information! Also it seemed to me at least that the sound on these transfers of yours/versions must be pretty authentic for the orchestra - not polished, but sort of fits well with the rugged American atmosphere.
Deletedear Tin Ear, why are you still wondering to the biased criticism? it's time to assume, that all of the laudatory reviews to Pristine Audio are written by deaf or stupid people (or some perverts in sonic meaning). or, maybe, paid for it. you are an adult man with your wit and your real merits. do ignore them. just do your deed and, as Dante says, "Move onwards, ignoring the moans repeatedly sounding around".
ReplyDeleteThat's quite an old 'attached comment' (brought this post forward as there's another transfer of the 'Golden Imports' LP just been made (with a 'pretence', in 2 comments, that a) this didn't exist / b) the 'Pristine's' are recommendable).
DeleteBut aren't you 'just as annoyed' when you read those reviews - having previously 'tasted a sample' - or compared with mine.
They certainly are a red-rag-to-a-bull to me !! (and, I might ask, what is 'so special' about Mr Rose that his distortions (and his 'company'..) are accepted/presented as 'legitimate' - other than as a little 'conspiracy' formed by a dishonest 'clique'.
Anyway - people can always compare the 'end-results'; so if they think his 'transformations' are bloody wonderful, then why should I care.
Thanks again for a vastly superior transfer of some good music. I tried listening to some of Pristine Audio's transfers, and I cannot understand how people perceive that obnoxious amount of treble as an 'improvement'. Add that to the amounts of de-noising on some of their transfers (though to their credit, I've heard some pretty noisy transfers), and it's quite a puzzle!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, less about them, and more about this. Thanks again! I hate to 'request' anything--this is more of a curiosity--but do you happen to have any Silvestri or Enescu lying around?
Cheers!
Ha! I do seem to 'have a thing' about Mr Pristine's transfers - but when 'false information' gets put down 'as Gospel' by certain reviewers, then I'm 'all enraged' LOL!!!
Delete[As stated a few times before..his 'boosted treble' is an attempt to disguise the loss of information; so another aspect of '32bit XR' Pristine Farce]
Anyhow..the Remington/Enescu (now on HISTORICAL) was an earlier example where you can't properly 'sum' an electronic stereo; but (aside from a Scherchen/Westminster) I only have the 1962 Melodiya Rozhdestvensky Enescu Sym.1, etc (0253-4 stereo) - never on CD - but sounding as if recorded 'at a great distance' in an aircraft hanger (the music is also 'loosely constructed', sic).
Silvestri LP's rarely sold in the UK prior to the Bournemouth material (the concerto discs being an exception)- but, amongst a few retained, did recently obtain a new copy of ALP 1684 (Bolero, etc) - very fine - but now on CD (and presumably still mono only?) and had occasionally considered uploading the Kogan: Mendelssohn/Mozart 3 from the first UK stereo (on CFP)...so the CD-based blogs are likely best for that material..
The hot weather will possibly put-paid to many more transfers - but early today was checking/listening to the *exciting* mono's of M.Gould/Copland (RCA) and Howard Mitchell's Westminster's of Copland & Creston...
As a stereo reprint of the 1954 Munch 'Fantastique' has recently appeared on another blog I'd be strongly tempted to transfer the quite stunning 1955 mono LM 1900 pressing (infinitely more 'balls' than the first stereo issue, in 1986, on RCA Gold Seal, DMM'n'all as that tape had a too-recessed sound-balance).
Unfortunately besides the recordings that BBC Legends has released I can find hardly any Silvestri amongst the web! Very frustrating, but it seems EMI has a nice and cheap boxset of his recordings and it's not OOP just yet, I may just purchase that (I sure hope the audio itself isn't butchered).
DeleteShame to hear about the lack of Enescu recordings! I thought if anyone had some recordings of him conducting/performing it may be you considering your vast library. I've been getting interested in him as a conductor/performer as of late, especially after hearing his "Mass in B" (Great!), but it appears that he hasn't been served too well on CD. Oh well.
I did dispose of some 'rare' Silvestri's (but the really obscure ones were the earlier mono only HMV ALP's: rarer than the now $$$$ Kogan/Tchaikovsky SAX, for example (though retain 2x mono 33CX's; likely sounding 'rather better').
DeleteStill have an original ASD 261 (Tchaikovsky 5) - but I'd advise the ICON box (which must have been 'blog-bootlegged' somewhere..) and the price would mean the 'odd' performances could be discounted (some I've heard on LP were quite unconvincing; hence wouldn't be tempted to upload them even if I had them!).