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Sibelius/Violin conc./Oistrakh / Philadelphia / Ormandy (1959) -- CD reissue

2K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  13hm13 
#1 ·


The YouTube video here is ripped from the Sony CD:


A comment on the YouTube page suggests the Sony CD may be digitally enhanced ("boosted"). It does sound pretty fat and bold for 1959. But, I can't really tell as I've never heard the orig. LP/recording.

If you have access to the Lp or CD (or can otherwise venture an opinion), can you tell if the Sony CD was enhanced?

A fine performance and recording in any case.
 
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#3 ·
I'm going thru some of my Sony/Ormandy/Phila. CDs now and they all seem to have that fat+big sound. The soundstage portrayed is large, but there's no razor-sharp imaging. Never really paid attn. to this until now. It may have been like this in the orig LPs (engineering) of that era for that orch./hall/conductor.
Hmm ... I'll keep digging ... YouTube often has Lp rips, and I can use those to compare.
 
#4 ·
I've never liked that Oistrakh/Ormandy Sibelius VC- mainly for the sound - Oistrakh is one of my favorite violinists - great big rich sound - but on this disc - he sounds recessed, small, almost, and the orchestra sounds distant and wimpy....
There are far better versions with Oistrakh - one on video with Reiner/NYPO[??] from c 1946 - mvt II - gorgeous, rich...
and complete concerto with Oistrakh and Rozhdest'sky[??] I think.

my favorite Sibelius VC is Heifetz/Hendl/CSO. Heifetz is brilliant, Hendl rock-solid. I played this work in the orchestra with Walter Hendl when I was at school - he really knew the work..
 
#5 ·
Thx for all the useful fdbk thus far, folks!

While not Oistrakh/Ormandy Sibelius VC, the following two examples are the SAME recording (Lp and CD of Orff/Carmina Burana) from roughly that same period of Ormandy/Phila. doing Sibelius.

The LP sounds worn (and it was doctored up per the "diamondcut.com" de-noise process noted on the YT page) but I think it sounds better than the CD (dunno which mastering of the CD is used here as there are more than one)

LP:


CD:
 
#6 ·
Thx for all the useful fdbk thus far, folks!
The LP sounds worn (and it was doctored up per the "diamondcut.com" de-noise process noted on the YT page) but I think it sounds better than the CD (dunno which mastering of the CD is used here as there are more than one)
you have to remember that the Ormandy/Phila recordings were "doctored up" to promote the "Philadelphia Sound" hype that CBS wanted to market...
The strings were miked up - probably re-mixed to produce a lush, almost glassy sheen, while th ewoodwinds and brass were recessed...
The orchestra did not sound like this live, at all...I heard Ormandy/Philly many,,many times during those years, andthe orchestra sounded great....the strings were superb - but not all miked up front and processed - it was just a terrific string section. I don't know what went wrong with the Oistrakh/Ormandy Sibelius VC...
 
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