Obviously, that's not the case.
I assume they have pre-orders from Amazon (and other online shops) they need to fulfil.
The new audiophile vinyl series The Original Source from Deutsche Grammophon (AAA)
- Thread starter kodomo
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I assume they have pre-orders from Amazon (and other online shops) they need to fulfil.
I hope you are right as I do not want to have to order directly from DG simply due to all of the poor customer service experiences people are reporting.
So far, I have been able to order and receive every record of this series that interests me from USA retailers, such as Music Direct, Elusive Disc and Amazon. I hope and pray that I'll be able to continue receiving the future issued records as they become available.
Best wishes to all,
Don
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Finished listening to the Verdi Requiem this afternoon. I agree with you on the pressing and the performance.Just finished side one of the Verdi Requiem.
My God, what a recording this one is! Extremely well done! They again push it to the limits, but with this recording the dynamic range is HUGE! From the softest of the pianissimo to the loudest of the fortissimo with excellent dynamic shading and gradations all the way through! Very impressive and all without distortion!
With this recording I would think that you would ideally want to have a big system. Big full range speakers, components that have huge power reserves with lots of headroom to avoid clipping and to let the music breath and soar to the best of it's ability.
The soundstage is incredible! It's wide, it's deep, it's high, it's enveloping. Layers upon layers! It's breathtaking!
The acoustics are so alive and present, you feel as though you are there basking in the waves of music. It just flows over you and through you!
The voices of the choir and the soloists are pure, the tenors are sonorous and the sopranos are angelic!
The strings sing with beauty and the brass with authority!
The performance is so well done and articulate. This one really gets you deep inside your heart and soul. I'm talking goosebumps!
This recording is a powerhouse that engulfs you with emotions of death, of humility, of judgment, hope and of grace!
The Original Source has knocked this one out of the park! I am so happy I ordered this one. The vinyl is flat, centered, and quiet! No tics, no pops, no distortions! If you even have the slightest interest in choral works and you want to experience it on vinyl, I dare say that this recording is a must have!
Here is a pic of my system that I just got done playing it on.... ( the distortion is from using wide angle lens )
View attachment 114543
If you are sitting on the fence, trying to decide if you should order this record or not... kind of like I was just a few days ago. Don't wait! Get it now while you still can. I am so completely thrilled to have this record and I think you may be too
Now onto side two! If I hear anything in the remaining sides that change how I feel about this recording, I will come back with an update
Best wishes to all,
Don
The soloists just soar and have great presence.
‘The sections with full orchestra, chorus and soloists fill the room with incredible sound.
A great performance.
I love it when I come across a record in the collection that I have somehow forgotten. It’s like stumbling across an old friend- we catch up and get reacquainted. I find out how my appreciation has deepened with age.EUREKA!
Have you ever experienced something like this....? You might have a dress suit that you typically only wear to certain occasions, like a wedding or a funeral. It might be months in-between wearing this suit. Today is the day you need to wear it again.... you put it on, you slide you hand into one of the pockets and low and behold, you have a wad of cash sitting in there from the last time you had worn it, in which you had completely forgotten it was ever in there! Eureka, it can feel like you just stroke GOLD!
I just had a similar experience today! I have suffered several major strokes, and one of the many deficits that I am challenged with as a result is a very poor memory. Today, I was looking for something special in my house. Something that I hadn't used or seen for many years, but I know it is somewhere in my house. I looked high and low, everywhere. I even went into storage areas (where I am a little embarrassed to say that we still have boxes and containers of things that we have never unpacked from when we had moved into this current house and we've been here for roughly 18 years) and still could not find the special item that I was searching for.
I haven't been in these storage areas for years... but, today it was like putting on that suit and reaching into the pockets! EUREKA! I STRUCK GOLD!
I found 4 Large Rubbermaid Totes filled with pristine, NM original pressings from the likes of Shaded Dogs, Londons, Decca's, Phillips, Columbias, Verve, Riverside, etc! I have several hundred NM records "in my music room" that are in my normal rotation, but I had completely forgotten about all of these other lp's that had never gotten unpacked from our last move.
What does this have to do with The Original Source Series??? Well, today my Schubert "Trout" Original Source arrived via Amazon (I wasn't impressed at all with their shipping packaging this time around, by the way). Also, as I was thumbing thru the "treasure find" from this afternoon, I happened to find an original 1st pressing Living Stereo Shaded Dog from 1962 of the Schubert "Trout", but it was performed by different musicians.
So, I was very excited to be able to hear both of these recordings tonight and to share my excitement with you all!
All I can really say is that as nice as the Shaded Dog recording is, I truly enjoyed The Original Source pressing much, much more!
The Original Source Series seems to carry through with the same DNA from record to record, at least from what I have experienced with the hand full that I have received.
* TRANSPERENCY - Forget about looking thru a freshly washed window... the window is wide open!
* DYNAMICS - This one isn't as explosive like the others have been, but the sense of attack on the strings and keys are notable.
* TONE - The stringed instruments sound very clear with nice tone, as does the piano!
* QUIET VINYL - All of the records I've received so far have been quiet, flat, and centered!
So, "IF" you enjoy this kind of music. I think you'll find this to be a nice little nugget to add to "Your" Pot of Gold.
Best wishes,
Don
it is really interesting to listen to music that I first heard 50 years ago. No longer new, yet able to appreciate in new ways.
Certainly helps to have a more refined stereo!
Just the opposite, although amazon does not get the latest issuance immediately.
I listened to the Abbado Debussy/Ravel this afternoon. Another great recording, performance and pressing. Absolutely quiet vinyl - which is perfect for the quieter passages in these pieces.
The strings were sonorous, the chorus blended perfectly with the orchestra. The hall sound really added to the ambience that essential to getting the mood for Impressionist music.
The strings were sonorous, the chorus blended perfectly with the orchestra. The hall sound really added to the ambience that essential to getting the mood for Impressionist music.
I suspect many SACD recordings have gone through PCM during mastering. I have transferred all my master tapes (mostly copied from production or safety masters) to DSD128, and through my new PS Audio Directstream Mk II DAC, the difference between the files and the tapes is miniscule. If the tapes are in good condition, the DSD files always trumps the LPs.My copy from the Brahms concertos arrived yesterday and I had the time and the desire to listen to it.
I compared it to my issue of the same recordings on Sacd (both remastered from Emil Berliner Studios)
![[IMG]](https://i.ibb.co/KzdztGj/IMG-4436.jpg "[IMG]")
They pushed the limits with this vinyl remasters at EBS, yes vinyl has its flaws which are in the technical limitations. I have never seen a record cut with such few inner groove.
But it works well I must say.
As good as the Sacd is (and it is very good), I would prefer the vinyl. More attack, more soundstage, warmer timbre in the sound.
Are those characteristics possible in comparison to Sacd or part of the flaws of vinyl that tricked my ears?
Maybe. But for me it is more important what gives me more pleasure.
That Brahms reissue is the perfect example what brought me into this hobby. Highly recommended!
![[IMG]](https://i.ibb.co/QfL7rDL/IMG-4435.jpg "[IMG]")
I have been thinking about buying the tapes of the Gilels Brahms concertos from Horch House for some time, but they are rather more expensive than these Original Source LPs. I have ordered these, which should arrive next week. I hope I would not have to buy the tapes if these sound good ! Has anyone had a chance to compare the Horch House tapes with these LPs ?
This is a great thread, one of the most enjoyable ones on WBF ever. I don't own vinyl playback myself but listen to music in my system exclusively through high-quality CD playback instead, which I love. Yet I also thoroughly enjoy vinyl in friends' systems, and as such, as well simply as a passionate music lover, I can also very much delight in the descriptions on this thread. Through them I can also in some way partake in the joy that these musical discoveries bring to the diverse posters here. There is an additional attraction to me as I love a lot of Deutsche Grammophon recordings (both old and new). This is a really heartwarming thread, and I thank you all for your contributions. I look forward to more great posts.
My wish list for candidates to be added to The Original Source Series:
- all Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli on DG
- all Maurizio Pollini on DG
- all Martha Argerich on DG
- all opera/song with Arleen Auger
- the wonderful Berlioz Beatrice and Benedict with Minton and Domingo, with Cotrubas and Fischer-Dieskau and conducted by Barenboim
What are yours?
- all Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli on DG
- all Maurizio Pollini on DG
- all Martha Argerich on DG
- all opera/song with Arleen Auger
- the wonderful Berlioz Beatrice and Benedict with Minton and Domingo, with Cotrubas and Fischer-Dieskau and conducted by Barenboim
What are yours?
Oh, I do not have the overview of the DG four track masters.
Maybe the Pollini Chopin etudes album is one?
Listening to the Schubert Forelle with Gilels, 3/4 Amadeus and Zepperlitz again. It’s excellent musically, but I may be in disagreement with the choice of balance between the close and ambient mikes. I’d like a bit more “room”.
That said, mvts IV and V sound somewhat different, as if the mikes were at a slightly greater distance in those two sessions.
Maybe the Pollini Chopin etudes album is one?
Listening to the Schubert Forelle with Gilels, 3/4 Amadeus and Zepperlitz again. It’s excellent musically, but I may be in disagreement with the choice of balance between the close and ambient mikes. I’d like a bit more “room”.
That said, mvts IV and V sound somewhat different, as if the mikes were at a slightly greater distance in those two sessions.
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I completely agree with you in regards to the balance of the mic's.
Where I live, we have a very fine Conservatory of Music. They have a beautiful orchestral hall, which has the most amazing acoustics. This is where the symphony performs. However, they also have a recital hall, which is much smaller. The acoustics of this room are very much dampened and so what you hear is mostly just the very direct sound of the instruments. I guess this is nice in it's own right, but I prefer the sound of the instruments to be able to bloom and resonate and reverberate throughout the entire space.
To me, this recording makes me feel as though it was performed in our local recital hall, versus our orchestral hall. As nice as this recording is, I too wish it had more ambient hall information so it didn't sound so "closed in" per se.
Best wishes,
Don
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You are using poor analog recordings then, if you cannot beat digital. No amount of analog gear is going to excel then. With good analog recordings you should be about to beat excellent digital at a relatively decent budget
Honestly, neither do I.
From DG's web site:
Sometimes many years have to pass for old treasures to be rediscovered. For their 125th anniversary in 2023, Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft will be releasing a very special new series on vinyl: the Original Source Series. For the first time, reissues of legendary recordings from the 1970s have been cut directly from the 4-track ½ inch masters, rather than the stereo ¼ inch tape copies. The result will be the highest-possible, audiophile quality and gives listeners the chance to enjoy this repertoire as never before.
In order to better understand the background to this extraordinary series, it is worth looking at DG’s technical developments in sound recording. The recording department started producing for quadrophonic surround sound as early as 1970. The recording format was a 4-track analogue tape with left, right, front and rear channels. After the recording was finished, these 4-track tapes were edited in the studio at DG’s site in Hanover. The recording takes were cut with scissors and reassembled with sticky tape.
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Best case: all 1970's recordings (or until they switched to digital recording).
Worst case: some of the 1970's recordings.
My wish list was in case they had most of their 1970s catalogue in 4 track analog tapes.
Mravinsky Tchaikovsky symphonies 4,5,6.
Kubelik Dvorak symphonies 8, 9.
Schneiderhan Beethoven Violin Concerto
Eugen Jochum Mozart Requiem
Just off the top of my head
Everyone prefers differently. I feel what you are saying, but personally I like my chamber music rather direct. I have had great concert experiences with solo instrument, duos or trios in a large living room, in house concerts as it were. Of course this was quite direct sound. I have also heard a riveting chamber concert of modern music by Wolfgang Rihm in the German Embassy in Boston, which was quite or even very direct as well, depending on the distance of performers from the audience, which varied throughout the concert. A great chamber hall in Vredenburg, Utrecht, in the Netherlands where I lived for a while conveyed rather direct (and very warm) sound, even though it wasn't very dampened but rather free sounding. So when I hear quite direct sound on a chamber record, I enjoy that. I did enjoy some chamber concerts in reverberant acoustics, but listening to a record at home I prefer this less.
There are exceptions in my preferences: I like impressionistic piano music, e.g., from Debussy or Ravel, in a very reverberant hall setting, as this seems to fit the mood. There are a number of recordings of such piano music in reverberant settings, perhaps for that reason, and I have come to enjoy them as such.
For orchestral music I like a direct sounding front of the orchestra, since I enjoy sitting close to the orchestra in live concerts as well. Yet I also like great depth portrayal on orchestra, with the back of the orchestra in a more reverberant setting, as over distances the ratio between direct and reflected sound changes. If you sit close to the orchestra you can get such drastic changes in reverberance from front to the back of the orchestra, depending on the venue. Boston Symphony Hall and, perhaps to a somewhat lesser extent, Jordan Hall of New England Conservatory, two halls that I regularly visit, allow for that. Of course, sitting in the balcony, or midhall, rather equalizes the acoustic environment from front to back of an orchestra in comparison. Many orchestral recordings portray sitting in front of the orchestra, yet with spatial depth as described, rather well. I prefer a midhall perspective of an orchestra on recordings less.
For recordings of choral music a direct impact can be nice, but I like a reverberant setting, preferably even in a church, very much as well.
I have the original Japanese issue of the Trout, which is why I did not buy the Original Source. My impression is that the recording is very dry, and I always wondered if this is improved on the Original Source vinyl, which includes the two back channels for more ambience.
To my understanding, it's not unusual for small groups to perform in smaller venues to avoid longer reverberation times, the past impinging on the present.
I am very much a «first bencher» myself, preferring transparency to bloom if I can choose. My stereo setup is similar, with the first room returns 20 dB down and a 90 degrees wide triangle.
Do any of you notice a difference in sound especially between the first mvt and the two last ones?
Do any of you notice a difference in sound especially between the first mvt and the two last ones?
The question I asked myself is when did DG stop recording vinyl with 4-track ½ inch tape and how would one tell if a recording was captured that way.
I briefly searched the Web for an answer. It's probably out there but I did not find it. I did find - you may have seen this already - a nice article about Deutsche Grammophon that includes commentary on the first TOS issuances. One bit of information I garnered for reissues is to look for 'Emile Berliner Studios'
Redefining the Deutsche Grammophon Sound
DG'S all-analogue "original source" vinyl reissues will tackle the label’s variable sonics
trackingangle.com