EMI ASDQ 5274: The Italian pressing of the rare ASD 313
Stravinsky: La Sagra della Primavera
Philharmonia Orchestra
Igor Markevitch, conductor
Pressing: Italian, ED1, gold/green
Date first published: 1960?
Matrix numbers: 2YEA 264-9, 2YEA 265-12
Performance: 10/10
Sound: 7/10
Price range: $35-158 (mean $66) on popsike.com [ASD 313 $15-1,010, mean $312]
Comments: Given the forbiddingly high price of the original UK EMI ASD 313, I took a chance a couple of years ago on this Italian pressing of the same album that shares the same cover art and has a gold/green rather than gold/cream label. The matrix numbers bear the the same UK 2YEA prefix, though the stamper numbers are a little high up there. I'm find that rather interesting, considering that this is one of the rarest EMI gold/creams in existence and I have never seen a semi-circle pressing -- how many copies of this did they press? In any case, this is one of those legendary analog recordings of Le Sacre du Printemps, and one for which Markevitch would always be remembered. (Apparently, he also recorded this with the Philharmonia in mono in 1951 -- the Testament CD reissue contains both versions). The performance is excellent and has plenty of raw savagery to it. For me, it's a three-way tie between the Markevitch, the Dorati (Mercury), and the Bernstein (CBS) for best performance on vinyl. This recording definitely leans towards warmth. The soundstage is rather cavernous -- not particularly wide but very deep and lacking in openness. Treble sounds rolled off. It's a dynamic album but these aforementioned qualities subtract from its overall impact, and for a work like this, impact is critical to the listening experience. A word of advice: get the EMI Classics for Pleasure (CFP 129) with the black/white label. Same 2YEA stampers. Markedly improved with a more open, transparent sound, better treble extension, and great dynamics. Cost? I got mine for $1.50.
OK. 2YEA I believe is the matrix identifier for all of these issues, so it does not mean the same stampers which would explain why the CFP sounds better, it was remastered. I believe I am correct in saying that each number after this like -9 and -12 above mean a different lacquer was used/remastered.
ReplyDeleteWhat we don't know exactly is whether new stampers meant that the recording was remastered. Probably at some point they had to remaster it -- that would be my guess.
DeleteSo, is it the case with some of the Italien pressings, that they are made with British mother stampers cut in the UK?
ReplyDeleteThis is the only Italian EMI pressing I have ever owned. Your question is a good one. My guess is that EMI sent stampers and not the master tapes or copies thereof. Maybe some of our UK colleagues can provide some better insight?
DeleteASD313 XR Stravinsky: Rite of Spring Philh Markevitch SREG1024 CFP 129 $500
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you mention the Bernstein CBS. I have this on the Philips Hi Fi Stereo plum pressing, SABL 111 / 835 505 Ay.
ReplyDeleteThere is a modicum of vinyl roar but the pressing is excellent as evidenced level of detail and ambiance present in the recording and there is no hint of any distortion either. All in all a good recording of this work.
Very cool ... I'm glad to hear that some of those plum Philips CBS pressings are good. A number of those Bernsteins are highly priced but I also question the actual sound quality.
DeleteOn a similar note, that horrid UK RCA SB6540 I mentioned in my comments yesterday was being sold by an Ebay seller for upwards of 60-70 GBP. Same matrix numbers. Luckily, I got mine shipped from the UK for under $20, but I cannot imagine the look on someone's face who paid $100+ for that album. Probably similar to the one that was on my face after I purchased the Beethoven Archduke Trio Columbia SAX with Oistrakh.
The beloved G1 pressing layed an egg? ... A lot of the great magic of the Decca/RCA combo, many an RCAphile will claim is the Westrex cutter head sound with the Decca recordings which they maintained was superior to Decca. I think the difference is more obvious than this; RCA took an approach of broad band EQ to "fix" recordings (as did Grundmann in honoring this in the Classic Records reissues). This might be 1/2 db or so broadband and Decca did not do this. Good and bad, but definitely unique RCA sound.
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