Best of the Best. Audiophilia Dream List All Stars. Episode 7

[@markfischer3626]

I just listened to this recording and it is fantastic. Great music, great recording, great performance. I checked with Dave Hurwitz as I often do. His opinion is... drumhroll... THE GREATEST RECORDING EVER...of this music and one of his favorites of all recordings. I always enjoy your podcasts and look forward to them each week.

[@dmntuba]

This recording needs to be owned by anybody that loves classical music. Even if you can only find it on 8 track...it's that great 👍 Happy New Year! 🎉

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@dmntuba sure is. All the best. Happy New Year to you, too 🎉🥂

[@sidesup8286]

Nice video. What are your 3 favorite Nutcracker Suite and complete Nutcracker recordings? The Christmas season still goes on for many of us. I celebrate till at least January 15th. The outdoor markets in Germany, including the biggest in the world stay open till the 15th. My favorite 3 suites are Rostropovich/Berlin, igor Markevitch on early label Angel, and an extended suite with John Lanchberry conducting the LSO. With a honorable mention to Stanley Black's reading on London Phase 4, and Leonard Slatkin with the St.Louis Symphony . My 3 favorite complete Nutcracker's are the Anatole Fistoulari (the one in stereo), but the track sequences on the cd are in a very strange order, the second Previn version where he conducted The Royal Philharmonic, and out of nostalgia still in my soul, the early stereo Ernest Ansermet on Decca SXL, (better sounding) than the London Blueback. No one mentions The Bernstein recording. I always meant to hear it.

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@sidesup8286 great choices. Here you go: www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2019/10/29/0k98o6rcv45e9ghov8wuu7q38p92su Tops, suite Rostropovich, ballet vinyl Previn, CD Mackerras 👍

[@sidesup8286]

Good choices. The Mackerras sounded like a god performance but the tone colors sounded not as vivid as I was used to. Now that my system has deeper tone colors using V Fet amplification (maybe more technicolor than tubes), I should try listening to that one again; if I can find it. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy on Bela Fleck's Jingle All The Way cd is a very creative version. The recurring and prominent bass clarinet playing on this version, got me searching for bass clarinet recordings. One of the coolest sounding instruments ever. One of two best suites if one is looking for something different are actually jazz recordings. The Duke Ellington version of The Nutcracker Suite and a version of the same with Doc Severinson and the old Tonight Show Orchestra, which is a must hear; how they really further the development of the music.

[@jennifermartin8628]

Thanks for this. It's a wonderful record!

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@jennifermartin8628 you are most welcome, Jennifer 👍

[@leeannbroomfield4132]

Happy New Year !🎉. Great review!

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@leeannbroomfield4132 Happy New Year 🎉🥂

[@postalPLAYBOY]

Great video maestro, postage stamp is in my want list. Cheers!

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@postalPLAYBOY Hi. Happy New Year 🎉🥂

[@postalPLAYBOY]

@ Same to you sir! Can’t wait for Wednesday

[@postalPLAYBOY]

Happy New Year Jan!

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@postalPLAYBOY Jan says hi 👋

[@raywelsh5335]

Happy New Year Anthony! Great vid mate. Will keep my eyes peeled for a copy, Thanks.

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@raywelsh5335 Happy New Year 🎉🥂 Cheers to you and all the people of Christchurch, NZ.

[@musiconrecord6724]

I believe the decision to record in the Temple Church came about because the film composer Bernard Herrmann recommended the space - he and his wife were friends with the Barbirollis. The 70s Postage Stamp does indeed sound terrific! I'd love to hear an OG, but I agree that the PS sounds as good if not better than the second press and Alto. Every classical music lover should own this album. I must confess I also love the Boult version on 70s EMI, and for the Elgar the Britten version on his "English String Music" Decca is incredible - another essential record. (I also love the Boult version of the Elgar, also on EMI, coupled with Tortelier's very fine version of the 'cello concerto).

[@NotedArchived]

Would love to hear an original of this - I have the Alto, though, which sounds quite nice on my system / to my ears. Nice choice here!

[@musiconrecord6724]

Michael, the postage stamp does sound terrific (though it can be ticky). I also have the semi-circle second pressing and the Alto - I think the PS is marginally better.

[@rogerwebb7501]

Good advice for ASD 521....I had a couple of 'postage stamp' pressings of this fabulous recording, but EMI later re-pressed it with the black top/red bottom hemisphere HMV label (mid 80s if I remember correctly) - mine has stampers 2 yba 705 - 5 (A side), 2 yba 705 - 3 (B side) and looks like EMI Hayes. This a much cleaner pressing than the postage stamp ones I had (all bought second hand). My general feeling/impression is that later issues in black top/red bottom are better than either 70s postage stamps or the 'Angel Series' Gt. Britain pressings - for example the Delius opera series and the 'Mass of Life' all issued as Angel 'yellows' and quite poor pressing-wise. But the reissue of 'Mass of Life' in BT/RB gave us immaculate surfaces and 'cleaner' chorus peaks. My favourite EMI pressings are the DMM Teldec Hamburg ones that started to appear in the early 80s...do you know the Marriner/Minnesota Britten YPG/4 Sea Interludes, ASD 1436281? Beautiful engineering by Michael Sheady....ditto his work on the Rattle/CBSO Sinfonia da Requiem, sound to die for in Warwick Univ. Arts Centre!!

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@rogerwebb7501 thanks Roger for your erudite and detailed information. Manna from heaven for vinyl enthusiasts. Will research your recs. A Mass of Life lol When I played this at a gig in London many years ago, we were tired of it after two three hour sessions and rechristened it “A Mess of Life” :) All the very best and Happy New Year 🎉🥂

[@musiconrecord6724]

Very interesting.... I've never really investigated those later EMIs simply because I bought many of the earlier EMIs as they were issued in the 70s. But now you've got me curious... I've always had mixed feelings about DMM pressings. I have a few of L'Oiseau-Lyre that are more detailed but start to sound a little fatiguing over extended listening periods, but then I have a few that are superior. Swings and roundabouts...

[@rogerwebb7501]

Yes, my comment re. DMM pressings, rather a generalisation I suppose...there are many examples of the species to confound the notion that they're better per se! Still, one builds up a picture over the years.....but in the case of EMI pressings the 'sweet spot' for me was those Black top/Red bottoms of the early eighties. I've had many an argument (friendly!) over Lyrita pressings: I favour the reissues by Nimbus, but many swear by the Decca New Maldon ones - I was lucky enough to buy the residual Lp stock of Lyrita when they discontinued vinyl, and had the opportunity to compare various pressings....and replace those in my own collection with pristine Nimbus ones - before selling the remainder to a New York dealer!

[@Orchestra101]

Nice choice indeed. 👍🏼 Happy New Year!!

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@Orchestra101 Happy New Year 🎉🥂

[@wickedexile4531]

Happy new year Anthony !!! Excellent review. Thank you very much, I’ll be on my quest to find a postage stamp pressing. Cheers, Tony

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@wickedexile4531 Happy New Year, my friend 🎉🥂 Insist that it’s play tested and NM. I went through three “NM” before I found a clean one. Good luck. Tell us how it goes on the show 👍

[@petermikelson4971]

I have been lurking on your channel for a while, much to my satisfaction. I will be subscribing. I am happy to report my Angel S 36101 from 1963 sounds very good. Would love to be able to compare it with the HMV.

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@petermikelson4971 hi Peter. Welcome. Please drop by our livestream sometime and say hello and tell us about your collection. Happy New Year 🎉🥂

[@Andrew_from_Oz_Vinyl_Landscape]

Many thanks Anthony for this review, I was watching over my breakfast, and was so inspired that I broke off and went to my record library and pulled out a minty version of this, which I haven’t heard as have always listened to Mariner on Argo. I will clean it and have a listen tonight many thanks !

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@Andrew_from_Oz_Vinyl_Landscape enjoy my friend. Happy New Year 🎉🥂

[@leqin]

This was the first classical record that I ever listened to, and it was in 1964 and I was 7 years old and it was played for us by Mrs Bryder our class teacher and she also taught music. I don't think she would approve of much of the music I listen to, but I do know she would be thrilled knowing that in my collection of thousands of LP's and CD, and hundreds of thousands of digital recordings, there is a copy of the record she played that day and also that I have listened to it at least once every few months for well over 50 years now.

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@leqin what a wonderful story. 👍👍

[@audiophileman7047]

Happy New Year to you and your family, Anthony! It is my hope that I will have more time to watch your channel in 2025. I look forward to it. 👍👍👍

[@AudiophiliaChannel]

@@audiophileman7047 Happy New Year 🎉🥂All the very best 👍👍

[@audiophileman7047]

@@AudiophiliaChannel Thank you! 💪👊