Carl Adolph Schuricht, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Mozart: Symphony No. 35 "Haffner" / Schubert: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" (2 STEREO & 2 MONO recordings) (remastered 2024) - Japan Hybrid SACD Limited Edition

Credits:

Carl Schuricht、Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Description:

Rare stereo recording by Schuricht & VPO and a monaural recording by a different engineer are coupled on one disc. The latest reissue from the master tapes in the original country for this release! This is the world's first SA-CD release of this historic masterpiece, the only stereo album of Schuricht and the Vienna Philharmonic on the DECCA label, and a monaural version recorded at the same time by a different producer and engineer. Normally, we have reissued both stereo and monaural recordings in stereo, but for the first time, we are releasing both versions on one disc. As you know, DECCA started stereo recording in the mid-1950s, and for a while there were different production teams with different staffs. Therefore, the number of channels is not merely physically different, but the sound quality is actually different between the stereo and monaural versions.Although the possibility that the frequency of use of master tapes in this day and age has had an impact cannot be dismissed, when the DECCA reissue of Kubelík & VPO's Brahms: The Complete Symphonies was previously reissued on CD on the Tower project Vintage+plus, I had the opportunity to compare the stereo master from the original country with the monaural master. I had a chance to compare the stereo master and the monaural master. The sound quality of the two masters was completely different, and I was surprised at the difference in balance and freshness, and at the same time, I was impressed by the excellence of the monaural sound source. This recording was originally reissued in stereo from the original master tape in 2014 (PROC-1627), and I was amazed at the high resolution and quality of the sound. This time, we have included the two recordings on one disc so that you can listen to and compare the two different master tapes from the original recording. The stereo version of the original LP was only available in monaural format in Japan, and only a small number of test pressings of the stereo version were made available to related parties (the stereo version was finally released in Japan and the U.S. in the 1960s).In this sense, the use of the monaural master this time may be said to be the first time since the first LP release (only the unfinished version has been reissued in mono on 10-inch vinyl). At the time of recording, the Vienna Philharmonic had lost Clemens Krauss and Erich Kleiber in succession, and was getting even closer to Schurich. Originally, Erich, who died in January 1956, was to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic on the above-mentioned tour, but Schurich, who had enjoyed success in Salzburg, was selected. In June of the same year, a rare recording with the maestro, who was just before his 76th birthday (this year was also the bicentennial of Mozart's birth), was realized. According to the recollection of Caruso, the producer of the monaural version, he was fed up with Schuricht's repeated requests for recording, and no good anecdotes remain. However, the remaining recordings of both pieces are superb, and the musicianship of Schuricht, who was once admired by the Vienna Philharmonic, is truly evident in these performances.This reissue from both masters, whose sound quality and tone have been preserved as they were at the time, will convey the greatness of the music to listeners even more. Please check the overflowing music and fresh tone. (1/2)