Columbia SAX 2411: Oistrakh's First Stereo Brahms for EMI
Brahms Violin Concerto
David Oistrakh, violin
French National Radio Orchestra
Otto Klemperer, conductor
Pressing: UK, semi-circle 2nd
Stampers: YLX 1062-3, YLX 1063-2
Date first published: 1961
Performance: 10/10
Sound: 7+/10
Price range: $25-500, mean $160 on popsike
Comments: There's not much that needs to be said about this record. The performance is marvelous and has been well-respected pretty much since its original release. There are some who might prefer Oistrakh's later EMI recording of the Brahms with George Szell, which is also excellent, but I've tended to have a preference for this one. Oistrakh plays with such a beautiful tone and with such nobility and authority, and Klemperer and the French National Radio Orchestra give him a worthy accompaniment. As you can see from the photos, I have the ER2 second pressing, but I have no major reservations about the sound. It's warm and full-bodied with a wide, expansive soundstage, and the violin, heard center-stage, is beautifully recorded and never dominates the orchestra. The sound would be well near ideal for a concerto album if it weren't for the shade of distortion that muddies the orchestral sound in the dynamic third movement. Nevertheless, the music predominates in the end. Without a doubt, this is one of the better sounding Columbia SAX recordings in the catalog and one for which the quality of the sonics more or less mirrors its historically steep price tag.
Update 8/2/15:
Took this out for another listen, the first time listening on an all-tube system. Sounds just as magnificent, and the comments I made earlier remain unchanged. Oistrakh's violin is superbly reproduced. The orchestra loses its clarity during the loud passages in the third movement. I wonder if Meles' 3rd label copy is plagued with this distortion. I've updated the grading based on our new 10 point scale.
Pressing: UK, semi-circle 2nd
Stampers: YLX 1062-3, YLX 1063-2
Date first published: 1961
Performance: 10/10
Sound: 7+/10
Price range: $25-500, mean $160 on popsike
Comments: There's not much that needs to be said about this record. The performance is marvelous and has been well-respected pretty much since its original release. There are some who might prefer Oistrakh's later EMI recording of the Brahms with George Szell, which is also excellent, but I've tended to have a preference for this one. Oistrakh plays with such a beautiful tone and with such nobility and authority, and Klemperer and the French National Radio Orchestra give him a worthy accompaniment. As you can see from the photos, I have the ER2 second pressing, but I have no major reservations about the sound. It's warm and full-bodied with a wide, expansive soundstage, and the violin, heard center-stage, is beautifully recorded and never dominates the orchestra. The sound would be well near ideal for a concerto album if it weren't for the shade of distortion that muddies the orchestral sound in the dynamic third movement. Nevertheless, the music predominates in the end. Without a doubt, this is one of the better sounding Columbia SAX recordings in the catalog and one for which the quality of the sonics more or less mirrors its historically steep price tag.
Update 8/2/15:
Took this out for another listen, the first time listening on an all-tube system. Sounds just as magnificent, and the comments I made earlier remain unchanged. Oistrakh's violin is superbly reproduced. The orchestra loses its clarity during the loud passages in the third movement. I wonder if Meles' 3rd label copy is plagued with this distortion. I've updated the grading based on our new 10 point scale.
Well the third pressing of this is more lean and mean and I recall being quite happy with the sound. I'd say the second pressings tend to have the warm colorouration but often just don't cross the line on detail the way an original or later pressing might. Classics for Pleasure CFP 4398 would be a very safe bet for the money and I intend to acquire a copy when I see one for a good price. I am not sure that this is one of the better sounding EMI, but certainly combined with the performance a great record.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear your magic notes pressing to see if they managed to cut out the distortion. The CFP, I'm pretty sure, would sound cleaner overall and would be worth an audition.
DeleteI must not be that familar with this recording. I just listened to your link and was amazed by the performance of the final movement. much better than the Heifetz Reiner.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I much prefer the Oistrakh to the Heifetz, whose super fast vibrato I could never really love. Oistrakh's tone is much warmer and more stately in my opinion. An alternative -- which I could never afford -- is the Kogan SAX. I've heard the performance on CD and really like it, but I've never heard the original vinyl or the EMI Testament reissue.
DeleteI must be losing my mind, Tin Ear mentioned sxlp 30264 and its right there on my spreadsheet. Just listened to 3rd label. No good. Now I want the concert classic S
DeleteXLP 30264
I have this in:
ReplyDeleteBlue/silver with YLX 1062-3 and YLX 1063-2 2 M stampers
Semis Circle with the same YLX 1062-3 and YLX 1063-2 3 RD stampers
Notes (3rd label) YLX 1062-4G and YLX 1063-3G 3 H stampers
The semi Circle is the best of them from an SQ point of view.
No kidding! I would've thought the blue/silver would take home the trophy. Anything in particular about the SC that put it over the top? (I'm grinning because that's the pressing I own)
DeleteThere seems to be more clarity and definition to the Orchestra in the S/C compared to the B/S and the SC has a little more warmth on the violins top notes than the 3rd issue which I find more pleasing.
DeleteMy 3rd lable is 4G/3G but I think I see an M in the deadwax. What do you mean by 2 M stampers, 3 RD stampers, 3 H stampers? What is the significance of these letters?
DeleteI am shocked that such a valuable is not great in the original pressing. Do you both still rate this record highly sonically? AQL has gotten much more conservative so I wonder what the current rating should be, perhaps and update to the new scale is in order? I've got this on deck for a relisten, but it was more on the passable side for me.
I'll put it on the table now and update you with a score out of 10. I also haven't heard this on my tube system.
DeleteUpdate 8/2/15:
DeleteTook this out for another listen, the first time listening on an all-tube system. Sounds just as magnificent, and the comments I made earlier remain unchanged. Oistrakh's violin is superbly reproduced. The orchestra loses its clarity during the loud passages in the third movement. I wonder if Meles' 3rd label copy is plagued with this distortion. I've updated the grading based on our new 10 point scale and given it a 7+. That might seem lower than the 4.5 I initially gave it, but that distortion in the 3rd movement forced me to take it down a notch.
My 4G/3G is fine sounding and I suspect is more of a typical ASD or SXLP pressing as opposed to something like Studio Two sound. The balance is on the warm side, but not too much. With this pressing something is a bit hard sounding. I am listening to loud passages of third movement and its not bad for breakup. I concur with the new sonic rating; this is extremely good and brings out the performance, but the recording does have issues. Breakup is not very noticable for me.
DeleteThanks for your repeat listen. With the new change in rating system (and my change to tubes), my plan is to revisit the recordings that we have already posted and revise the score. Having had a chance to listen to the wide spectrum of recordings, I think that some if not many of them will need re-evaluation of the score. I was originalyl more generous with scores but will likely be more conservative moving forward to help readers/collectors get a better idea of what is good and what is really great.
Delete