STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel (Death And Transfiguration)

Fritz Reiner Conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

New & Sealed Audiophile Vinyl Record

Format: 1LPs 180g 33rpm / gatefold sleeve

Release date: 23.09.2016

Manufacturer: Acoustic Sounds

Record Label: Classic Records/RCA Victor LSC 2077

The legendary RCA "Shaded Dog" Living Stereo RCA LSC 2077. Given the Classic Records Audiophile treatment, this is a stunning and hard to find classic.

Highly collectable release from audiophile label, Classic Records. This title was mastered by Classic Records at Half Speed from the original source master tapes. An all-analog, tube amplification process was used at every step. Classic Records used a proprietary vinyl that guaranteed virtually no surface noise and sonically superior dynamics.

Classic Records pride themselves for releasing each album with the original artwork, LP labels and any other materials which were included with original pressings.

Record is new and still sealed in it's original plastic sleeve. Perforation is completely intact. Corners are sharp, colors vibrant and spine is straight. There are no flaws or blemishes. 100% mint.

Review: Not all the Fritz Reiner gems were recorded in Chicago. From London, there is the magnificent RPO Brahms Fourth Symphony (Reiner's personal favorite), and from Vienna, this superb recording of two of Strauss' greatest tone poems. Reiner was linked inextricably with the great works of Strauss, helped in no small way by his amazing Chicago recordings of Also Sprach Zarathustra and Ein Heldenleben. As expected, his exacting standard of orchestral execution continues in the City of Music. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is dazzling and they present the scores with the utmost conviction and luminosity. The opening of Death and Transfiguration tells that tale. Divided into many parts, the diaphanous sound of the string section captures the yearnings of an old man close to death. I have heard most recordings of this very spiritual work, and few achieve Reiner's feel for the old man's sense of longing. The final ascent to heaven is equally beautiful.

Reiner's Till is a very happy affair. The orchestra's virtuosity in this brilliant score is remarkable for its clarity and awesome power. All of the instrumental parts are wickedly difficult, and Reiner adds to this difficulty by setting some very fast tempos. As an interpretation, it captures the essence of human emotions: love, hate, revenge, forgiveness and redemption. Turn the lights down and the volume up, and be prepared for a knockout musical punch.

The Classic Records reissue has served the memory of its original very well. In fact, the Decca-sourced recording displays the Vienna Philharmonic in a clinical light. Initially, I thought the recording to be slightly bright, the blame placed squarely at the feet of the pressing. Not in this case, though. Simply, the Vienna Philharmonic's tradition of tuning the orchestra to A=448 (much higher than American orchestras' A=440 or 442) was heard clearly as a continuing sparkle, affecting piccolo to double bass. One has to admire recorded accuracy such as this.

Living Stereo: In the decade following 1953, RCA Victor made a substantial body of recordings which have come to be identified with their early stereo release label, Living Stereo. As the adoption of Stereo audio became more widespread, Living Stereo offered a wide range of music and performances in high quality sound. A majority of these records, particularly classical music, offer music, performances and audio quality which are considered definitive. Living Stereo influenced many of the recordings that followed with their recording and marketing philosophies.