Are we talking about SACDs, because I'm interested Bernsteins' Mahler second in that format with the N.Y. Phil that only seems to be available in a Japanese remastering? http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=SICC-10054 

--- On Fri, 6/1/12, [Richard A Kaplan] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: [Richard A Kaplan] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Who needs vinyl?
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Friday, June 1, 2012, 1:09 PM

Sony's release of Bernstein's Mahler cycle last year in new masterings from
 session tapes was revelatory; it shows (a) what they're capable of when
they're  willing to use the resources, and (b) how inadequate the huge bulk of
their CD  reissues have (has?) been. I'm with Steve: More!
 
Rich Kaplan
 
 
In a message dated 6/1/2012 3:05:07 P.M. Central Daylight Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:

I  recently heard the last 2 movements of the Beethoven 3d Piano Concero  on
the radio and was amazed.  I had no idea who was before the public  at
present who played the piece this well. What particularly grabbed me was 
how
rich the piano tone was, how clear the various piiano voices and  orchestral
parts were and how well the whole thing sounded  together.

Imagine my surprise.  It was Leon Fleisher, George Szell  and the Cleveland
Orchestra, made in 1959.

After a bit of  investigation, I learned it was a new, 2012 24 bit ransfer
from Sony. I  orderd the box of the 5 Beethoven and two Brahms Concerti that
night. When  it arrived, it also proved to contain the Brahms Handel
Variations, the op.  39 Waltzes and  Mozarrt's 25th Concerto.

I'm playing the 3d now  through my office listening set-up.  It's far more
than the radio  disclosed. 

Though I've yet to see a review that addresses it,  this is clearly (!) a
huge improvement over all previous releases in any  format.   

I am assuming they've used Capstan as there is no  wow or flutter- something
to which my my ear is particulary  sensitive.  The crispness of the sound
indicates corrections to  problems caused by slight misphasings, firmly and
distinctly positioning  the instruments within the orchestra.  A slight cut
made here at about  2700 cycles allows the piano to sound completely
equalized throughout its  range with no notes suddenly sticking out.  The
occassional buzzy  noise I used to think were defects in the recording are
now revealed as  piano problems.  I can't hear any tape hiss at all. The
only
negative  is that the time between movements is often too short and
unrelated
to the  music's pulse. 

Oh, yes.  Setting aside a few missed notes  in a few of the more elaboate
passages, the 3d is a terrific  performance.  They are well enough known by
now not to require a  review.

The digital millenium has arrived.  More!   More!

Steve Smolian