The new audiophile vinyl series The Original Source from Deutsche Grammophon (AAA)

[tima]

Of the last 6 titles received, 2 go back with pressing defects. The von Karajan 'Vier letze Lieder' and the Bartok Concerto. The pressing defects are substantial, not subtle -- I never cleaned or played either, just put them back in their sleeves while keeping the plastic outer-wrap intact. One will be replaced, the other (Bartok) is out of stock, though I sourced it elsewhere.

Given the limited number any given dealer receives, I think there is an argument to be made against buying extra copies and keeping them sealed. Inspect each record visually. If one is an extra copy and looks good, just put it back in its sleeve. Although it is open, it is still Mint unplayed. Try keeping the outer plastic wrapper and reinsert the album -- this retains the 'Original Source' labeling which  may keep some value.

Purchasing ~15 of these TOS albums, I have mixed feelings about receiving 2 with defects. I realize some level of manufacturing defects is real world inevitable, but still a pita. I don't know what it would take to improve quality control. I suppose the manufacturer is content to let the consumer play that role. The 'issue' is the limited edition. Of course we know this going in to a transaction.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

batch of 4 titles arrived today on the left coast.

From a letter from the UK Royal Mail / Parcel Force to pay the UK VAT of 20% plus customs duties Friday gone, which I paid yesterday, should receive them to my UK address this coming Tuesday.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

Of the last 6 titles received, 2 go back with pressing defects. The von Karajan 'Vier letze Lieder' and the Bartok Concerto. The pressing defects are substantial, not subtle -- I never cleaned or played either, just put them back in their sleeves while keeping the plastic outer-wrap intact. One will be replaced, the other (Bartok) is out of stock, though I sourced it elsewhere.

Given the limited number any given dealer receives, I think there is an argument to be made against buying extra copies and keeping them sealed. Inspect each record visually. If one is an extra copy and looks good, just put it back in its sleeve. Although it is open, it is still Mint unplayed. Try keeping the outer plastic wrapper and reinsert the album -- this retains the 'Original Source' labeling which  may keep some value.

Purchasing ~15 of these TOS albums, I have mixed feelings about receiving 2 with defects. I realize some level of manufacturing defects is real world inevitable, but still a pita. I don't know what it would take to improve quality control. I suppose the manufacturer is content to let the consumer play that role. The 'issue' is the limited edition. Of course we know this going in to a transaction.

For such a series as this from DG, this definitely shouldn't be happening 'tima' !

I had a faulty record to one track in the last batch (posted it a few months back) which were direct from DG (like all the other batches I have bought) but couldn't be bothered to send it back to DG, particularly as it was a 1st edition (numbered) batch and I have no plans to sell them in the future (they will be passed down to one of my family members when I am gone)

 

[MadFloyd]

Most of mine have remained sealed as I haven't had the inclination to clean & listen to them so none will be going back for replacement. Oh well. We takes our chances.

 

[Michael S.]

 

[tony22]

The Post Office tried delivering my 4 titles on Saturday. For some reason, this time, DG sent it Signature on Delivery. I wasn’t home so they left a tag showing “First Attempt”. I was home today figuring I’d get it, waited, and at some point decided to check the mail. I was surprised to find the mail had been delivered, but no records! It wasn’t until I looked at the tag more closely, clicked on the url code, to discover that (at least my) USPS no longer automatically makes follow on delivery attempts!!! I had to request online that they do so. So now my DG records have been sittings at my local USPS location over the weekend - plus now an extra day! - having who knows what happening to it! There’s probably a worker there using it as a seat cushion.

 

[No Regrets]

Hi Tim,

I was just able to order the Pastoral from Acoustic Sounds tonight, along with the Daniel Barenboim / Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

Best wishes,
Don

Mine arrived last Saturday, but I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet. I actually had my system shut down and unplugged due to the Solar Storms that were happening.

Best wishes,
Don

 

[Lxgreen]

Question for owners of the Steinberg 3 album DG set. I keep the albums in the included box but it is a very tight fit. No room to put covers on each album. Do you keep the albums separately outside the box or keep them in box? It seems to me that the edges will gradually wear down on the album covers from taking in and out of box.

 

[Kjetil]

I keep mine in the box. Not worried about wear and tear.

 

[tony22]

I'm glad I had the notion to go to the Post Office this morning. My suspicion was correct - they didn't have my DG box out for delivery today. When they did give it to me at the counter it looked liked it had been dropped from the top of a building. I don't understand why DG ships internationally in such a poor manner. A big outer box within which my four titles (granted in their own packaging) rattles around with absolutely no other protection other than - literally - one sheet of brown paper. You'd think such a renowned record producer would know how to ship their stuff more securely.

 

[tony22]

Fortunately, at least by visual inspection, all 4 of my releases look perfect.

 

[tima]

For some reason, this time, DG sent it Signature on Delivery.

Nowadays almost every delivery from overseas requires a signature.

Question for owners of the Steinberg 3 album DG set. I keep the albums in the included box but it is a very tight fit. No room to put covers on each album. Do you keep the albums separately outside the box or keep them in box? It seems to me that the edges will gradually wear down on the album covers from taking in and out of box.

I keep those 3 LPs outside of their box.

For a record, I put the original inner sleeve in the record cover. Put the record in a new sleeve, put an outer sleeve over the cover. Slip the record in its inner sleeve between the cover and the outer sleeve with the inner sleeve opening sideways. That makes it simple to remove and insert the record without bothering the cover. With outer sleeves on them the Steinberg LPs will not fit in the box.

In the case of the TOS issuances, after I put the original inner sleeve back into the cover, I slip the fragile plastic cover with the TOS stickers back over the record before putting it in its outer sleeve. It's a pita and takes a bit of care when taking off that original thin plastic cover, but it can be done, and makes for a nice presentation.

When I clean a record I'll stamp the date of cleaning on a small post-it note and stick that on the inner sleeve.

 

[tony22]

I'll stamp the date of cleaning on a small post-it note and stick that on the inner sleeve

I use 1/2” round adhesive labels that I got off Amazon. They work well and are removable, if need be.

 

[Birdwatcher]

I was curious about the Bartók LP with Kubelik, too, as Bartók is not just one of my 4 favorite composers, but as a Hungarian citizen I grew up with his music in many different interpretations, listened in several concerts live and on radio.
Imho the Kubelik interpretation is quite good, but doesn’t shows many of the nuances, small contrasts and humorous parts of the work, and many hungarian characters are still missing.
As very nice interpretations please listen to the recordings with Ivan Fischer or Zoltán Kocsis, two of the famous conductors (and Kocsis as former just pianist) in the last 50 years in hungarian classical music scene, both as outstanding interpretators of the oeuvre of Bartók.

Unfurtunatly my first Bartók TOS had some distortion, but the second one was OK.

The Strauss - Tod und Verklärung / Vier letzte Lieder is for me far not so outstanding as many reported here, neither sonically nor the interpretation.

 

[tony22]

Unfurtunatly my first Bartók TOS had some distortion

Whereabouts on the record did you hear this? How did it show itself?

 

[tima]

I was curious about the Bartók LP with Kubelik, too, as Bartók is not just one of my 4 favorite composers, but as a Hungarian citizen I grew up with his music in many different interpretations, listened in several concerts live and on radio.
Imho the Kubelik interpretation is quite good, but doesn’t shows many of the nuances, small contrasts and humorous parts of the work, and many hungarian characters are still missing.
As very nice interpretations please listen to the recordings with Ivan Fischer or Zoltán Kocsis, two of the famous conductors (and Kocsis as former just pianist) in the last 50 years in hungarian classical music scene, both as outstanding interpretators of the oeuvre of Bartók.

Unfurtunatly my first Bartók TOS had some distortion, but the second one was OK.

The Strauss - Tod und Verklärung / Vier letzte Lieder is for me far not so outstanding as many reported here, neither sonically nor the interpretation.

It takes an Hungarian to play an Hungarian.
Géza Anda and Ferenc Fricsay

Bartók - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1, Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1, Bartók - Concertos for Piano and Orchestra Nos. 2 and 3 - The Audio Beat - www.TheAudioBeat.com

read audio reviews, ratings, and user opinions on audio equipment before you buy an audio system

www.theaudiobeat.com

 

[adrianywu]

I was curious about the Bartók LP with Kubelik, too, as Bartók is not just one of my 4 favorite composers, but as a Hungarian citizen I grew up with his music in many different interpretations, listened in several concerts live and on radio.
Imho the Kubelik interpretation is quite good, but doesn’t shows many of the nuances, small contrasts and humorous parts of the work, and many hungarian characters are still missing.
As very nice interpretations please listen to the recordings with Ivan Fischer or Zoltán Kocsis, two of the famous conductors (and Kocsis as former just pianist) in the last 50 years in hungarian classical music scene, both as outstanding interpretators of the oeuvre of Bartók.

Unfurtunatly my first Bartók TOS had some distortion, but the second one was OK.

The Strauss - Tod und Verklärung / Vier letzte Lieder is for me far not so outstanding as many reported here, neither sonically nor the interpretation.

There were so many great Hungarian conductors during the early stereo era; Reiner and Solti both recorded wonderful accounts of this piece. And then there were Ferenc Fricsay, Antal Dorati, George Szell and Eugene Ormandy. In fact, if one lists the greatest conductors of the 20th century, Hungarian conductors will occupy a pretty large percentage !

 

[Birdwatcher]

Yes, of course, but I think there is still a great evolution in interpretation of classical music after the analogue/LP era!
I think, if someone is not just a Hifi of LP friend, but a really music friend and interested in more than just in the historical great recordings, you cannot (and shouldn’t!) ignore the classical music scene of the last 40 years. There are so many researches of music history, and so many new ways of new interpretations, not just in the so-called „historical informed“ movement, but even in many modern compositions. I think, we cannot ignore the newer (lol, some of them are 30-40 years old!) cd/sacd era recordings.

In the case of Bartok there is/was a Bartok music research institute in Budapest and as a result there were among others a „new bartok series“ of all works released from the beginning of the 90ies on Hungaroton label as SACD (unfortunatelly not completed), even if the piano works were just the transfered earlier Philips recordings with Zoltán Kocsis.

Please apologize for these offtopic excursion.

@tony22:
There were some little distortion, little cracks and plops, as I imagine on both sides. The second unit is flawless.

 

[adrianywu]

Yes, of course, but I think there is still a great evolution in interpretation of classical music after the analogue/LP era!
I think, if someone is not just a Hifi of LP friend, but a really music friend and interested in more than just in the historical great recordings, you cannot (and shouldn’t!) ignore the classical music scene of the last 40 years. There are so many researches of music history, and so many new ways of new interpretations, not just in the so-called „historical informed“ movement, but even in many modern compositions. I think, we cannot ignore the newer (lol, some of them are 30-40 years old!) cd/sacd era recordings.

In the case of Bartok there is/was a Bartok music research institute in Budapest and as a result there were among others a „new bartok series“ of all works released from the beginning of the 90ies on Hungaroton label as SACD (unfortunatelly not completed), even if the piano works were just the transfered earlier Philips recordings with Zoltán Kocsis.

Please apologize for these offtopic excursion.

@tony22:
There were some little distortion, little cracks and plops, as I imagine on both sides. The second unit is flawless.

Indeed. But these legends got the first mover's advantage and established a "standard" for this piece. Especially Reiner, who was very close to Bartok. No doubt many of today's conductors are contributing their own thoughts into the interpretation of the piece.

 

[Kjetil]

Thank you for the off topic, @Birdwatcher. I am still anticipating the TOS Kubelik Bartok. I only have the Reiner and Chicago SO from before. Small steps!