EMI HMV ASD 325: Schubert's "Great", Round 3

EMI HMV ASD 325
Schubert: Symphony in C Major (The Great)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik, conductor

Pressing: UK, ED1, white/gold

Date first published: 1959

Stampers: 2YEA 174-2, 2YEA 174-5

Performance: 8/10

Sound: 7/10

Price range: $40-211 (mean $128) on popsike.com

Comments: Having alluded to this recording as an alternative recording of Schubert's "Great" in my previous post regarding Columbia SAX 2517, I decided that it was high time to take a closer listen.  The results were interesting.  From an interpretation standpoint, Kubelik and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra give us a decent performance, though I think my go-to vinyl recordings are still those of Munch and the BSO (RCA) or Krips and the LSO (Decca).  Soundwise, there was a touch of tube glow to the recording that provided it with a kiss of sonic warmth.  Presentation overall was a little more distant (mid-hall seating), though the sound nevertheless had an airiness to it.  Dynamic range was quite good, better than I would have expected, but the clarity of both the strings and the brass in the high octane fourth movement was diminished due to distortion -- the very same sort that I have found to plague all but the very best of these highly valuable golden age EMI recordings.  Gosh, and this recording came so close to being a winner.  That being said, if you can find this Kubelik LP (it's relatively rare with only 2 copies listed on popsike for 2014), it's still worth a listen, and if you can get over the distortion at the end, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy the overall ride. 


Audio setup: VPI Aries 1 turntable, JMW Memorial tonearm, Lyra Delos cartridge, Parasound JC3 phono stage, Musical Fidelity M6i integrated amplifier, Von Schweikert VR2 floorstanding speakers