RCA Living Stereo LSC-2097: Rare and Respectable Brahms from Munch and the BSO
RCA Living Stereo LSC-2097
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Charles Munch, conductor
Pressing: US, Indianapolis, shaded dog
Date first published: 1959
Matrix numbers: 1S/1S
Performance: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Price range: $14-124 (mean $66) on popsike.com
Comments: I was a bit surprised at how good this relatively early Living Stereo release sounded. Although Munch is not usually the first name people think of when they list their favorite Brahms symphony recordings, that should not discount the value of this performance. After giving this album a serious listen, I have to say that it's now one of the greats in my book, both musically and sonically. It's got a very respectable dynamic range. Like many original Living Stereo classical releases, it may be just a little bass-shy (see differing opinion below), but that's forgivable in the grand scheme of things. The clarity of orchestral textures is definitely laudable, as is the wide and expansive soundstage. I particularly liked the rich sound of the strings.
According to Jonathan Valin in the RCA Bible:
"Wonderful string tone & texture, powerful deep bass, and surprisingly good orchestral staging for such an early three-track. Good performance too. Munch has a way with Brahms; and I am not alone in thinking that, along with the Walter/Columbia, Karajan/DG & Klemperer/EMI, this is one of the better Firsts in stereo and certainly the best-sounding of the lot. Highly recommended. (ML notes, amusingly, that Munch is spelled "Munich" on the spine of the jacket!)." Rated 10/NR/Excellent.
Once again another missing Shaded Dog in my collection that I now want more than ever. Well done Aqlam. You truly are a top collector.
ReplyDeleteDon't make me laugh. I can't be compared to those billionaires in Asia who have every blue/silver SAX, white/gold ASD, and wide-band, ED1 SXL to play on their $100,000+ hi-fi systems. I'm pretty sure you can find a copy of this for relatively cheap.
DeleteI doubt they have heard half of what you've heard. Take note collectors. You don't need to archive your records for life, sell, free up funds, and move on. AQL has heard so many more great records than myself with this approach. Seriously, I have 10,000 records. If I listen to 3 a day, it still takes me ten years to listen to everything.
DeleteI want to start ridding myself of most of my collection because I don't listen to most of them and it will allow me to indulge. Do not laugh, AQL may be the best collector in the world in this regard. When in doubt, blow it out!
Haha - no, Meles, I haven't done anything to deserve that sort of praise. My philosophy: 1) music is to be heard and enjoyed, and 2) life is too short to listen to poorly recorded music. This whole hobby and reason for the blog is an exploration.
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