Sony Classical's 1990-95 CD back catalogue reissues ("Secondary
Exploitation" as we called it) were highly variable iin transfer quality.
Some of the earlier ones came from Lp masters ("two-tracks"). However, as
of 1991, original 3-track masters and session parts were employed for
Essential Classics, the Bernstein "Royal" Edition, and lines devoted to
Bruno Walter, Boulez, Gould and Stern. Everything was done in 20-bit and
much was edited via Sonic Solutions. In addition to working on those lines,
I was either Producer or Series Consultant to the Masterworks Heritage
line. Recognizing that later technical evolution would have improved the
product, I can nonethelessl attest that those releases were produced to the
highest standards available.

DDR

On Fri, Jun 1, 2012 at 6:30 PM, Carl Pultz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Steve,
>
> The Walter/NY/Mahler 1st was released in the Masterworks Heritage series
> (MHK 63328). Did that fall short? That's one I like. I'm excited to hear
> about this new stuff, as I found the huge series of ca. 1990 reissues to
> mostly be different rather than better. Equivocal enough, anyway, to hold
> on
> to the LPs.
>
> Carl
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steven Smolian
> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2012 5:49 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Who needs vinyl?
>
> I'm still trying to figure that out myself.  At a guess, they're multiple
> CD
> sets with a 2012 release dat.  I'm going to order the Bruno Walter Mahler
> set to hear how the 2d came out.  It's always sounded squished to me.  I
> was
> at two of the sessions and recall a bit of what got retaken and why.  At
> least one of the corrections was not used.
>
> I hope they do the mono 1st which I far prefer to the tired-sounding LA
> one.
> And I much prefer Mitropoulos's performance of the 5th.  We'll see.  I'll
> check the date on that one as well.
>
> I see the Perahia Mozart concerti are also available in a new box and may
> go
> for that one as well.
>
> The date on the boxes will give us some scope of the span.  Sort of a "do
> not buy if dated before" indicator.
>
> Steve Smolian
>



-- 
Dennis D. Rooney
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