PSL ESOTERIC ESSG-90296 BIZET/GOUNOD Carmen & L’Arlésienne Faust KARAJAN SACD

Description: DescriptionCautionThis product is a preorder item.Release date : Sep. 14, 2024 Genre: Orchestral musicHerbert von Karajan, conductorBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra Label: Deutsche GrammophonSound Source: Universal Music G.K.Specifications: Super Audio CD HybridDSD MASTERING / Super Audio CD layer2-channel stereoBeautiful and luxurious paper digipak packageItem number: ESSG-90296 A masterpiece recording that captures the superb sound of Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker at the peak of their powers.ESOTERIC has reissued many of Karajan's masterpieces recorded by various labels at various times. This time, the world's first Super Audio CD hybrid release of popular orchestral works by two French composers recorded in the early 1970s is featured. The supreme sound of Karajan & the Berlin Philharmonic, echoing through the Church of Jesus Christ in their peak period, captured in the famed recordings of the early 1970s. Herbert von Karajan: Pioneer of 20th-century recording mediaHerbert von Karajan (1908-1989) was a pioneering figure who devoted his life to recording with unwavering passion. The vast amount of recordings he left behind spans from the SP era to digital recordings. Our series has revived numerous masterpieces recorded by Karajan across various labels and periods. His contributions to transforming the package medium of discs into true artistic works for musicians are monumental, from selecting the repertoire and setting up the ideal microphones in each recording venue to mixing the works optimally and ensuring the clarity of the jacket images. This time, our series features an album of popular orchestral pieces by two French composers, recorded in the early 1970s. Selection and Packaging Conscious of the Vinyl Record MediumA notable feature of Karajan's discography is that it reflects his approach of recording works not because he frequently performed them in concerts, but because they were popular as records, independent of his live performances. Bizet's opera "Carmen" was a favorite of Karajan's, frequently performed at opera houses and music festivals. However, the suites from this opera and the two suites from Bizet's "L'Arlésienne" were chosen as repertoire to fit the LP record medium. Karajan first recorded these three pieces in 1958 during his time with EMI. The LP, featuring Van Gogh's oil painting depicting the scenery of Arles on its jacket, was highly praised and quickly became a bestseller. To replicate this success, Karajan and Deutsche Grammophon recorded these three pieces again in late December 1970, during breaks in rehearsals for Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" for the New Year's Eve concert. This album, adorned with a photo of the remnants of the Pont Saint-Bénézet in Avignon on its cover, soon became a staple of the analog era. These three pieces, selected to create a suite with vibrant colors and strong contrasts, serve as a showcase for the orchestra. Karajan fully reveals the palette of tones and dynamics of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The rich emotion in the Intermezzo from "Carmen" Act III, the Adagietto from "L'Arlésienne" Suite No. 1, the Minuet from Suite No. 2, the grandeur and majesty in the Pastorale and Intermezzo from "L'Arlésienne" Suite No. 2, and the meticulously calculated progress and dramatic crescendos in the Farandole—each piece offers countless highlights. The crowning achievement is entrusting the saxophone solos in the Prelude to "L'Arlésienne" Suite No. 1 and the Intermezzo from Suite No. 2 to the renowned French virtuoso Daniel Deffayet (1922-2002) instead of a member of the Berlin Philharmonic. The Berlin Philharmonic's Precise Reproduction of Orchestration DelightsThe ballet music and waltz from Gounod's "Faust" were recorded the month after the Bizet sessions and coupled with excerpts from Offenbach's "Gaîté Parisienne," featuring the famous print by Lautrec on the cover. This pairing of Gounod and Offenbach is actually a re-recording of a best-selling record originally recorded by EMI in 1958. It focuses not on ballet music for dancing but on the fascinating aspects of orchestration, with its myriad colors and rhythms, which the Berlin Philharmonic masterfully and effortlessly brings to life. It is truly exhilarating to witness. Karajan translates Gounod's clear and straightforward orchestral writing into sound with unparalleled precision. Unfortunately, aside from the ballet music and waltz from "Faust," Karajan's recordings of Gounod's works are limited to just one aria from "Faust" and the "Ave Maria," leaving opera and other orchestral recordings unrealized. Recorded at the Church of Jesus Christ in Dahlem, the church that produced some of the most famous recordings of all time.The session was held at the Church of Jesus Christ in the Berlin suburb of Dahlem, which was a staple for Berlin Philharmonic recordings in the stereo era. The Titania Palast, where the Berlin Philharmonic and other orchestras gave their concerts, was also heavily occupied and acoustically unsuitable for recordings, so in the late 1940s Deutsche Grammophon discovered the church and began using it as a recording venue. Since then, it has been used for a variety of recordings in Berlin, from solos to operas. Although the church is somewhat difficult to shield, its high ceiling and rich resonance make it possible to record with a truly deep and lustrous sound, which is a great advantage. After Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic made their first contract with Deutsche Grammophon in 1959 for "Life of a Hero", most of their DG recordings in Berlin were made at this church until the early 1970s. The dense sound of the Berlin Philharmonic is captured in its entirety from a broad perspective by the veteran Günter Hermanns, who should be considered the face of Deutsche Grammophon in the analog era (the extreme mixing, which was more string-oriented and became more prominent in the late 1970s when the recording venue was completely moved to the Philharmonie, is still in place). (The rather extreme mixing, which has been more heavily oriented toward the string parts since the late 1970s when the Philharmonic was moved to a new recording venue). The four tracks on this disc were not released on CD until 1989---Karajan digitally recorded the same three Bizet pieces (and the solos by Defaye) in 1983, and they were released on CD first, so the CD release of the analog recordings came a little later than the CD of the Bizet pieces. Since then, it has been a staple of the catalog, but this is the first time it has been made available as a Super Audio CD hybrid. As in the past, no compromises were made in the process from the selection of the masters to the final DSD mastering. In particular, Esoteric Mastering was used for DSD mastering. The Master Sound Discrete DAC and Master Sound Discrete Clock, ESOTERIC's top-of-the-line equipment, were carefully tuned. The generous use of MEXCEL cables enabled us to transfer the information contained in the original master to disc with a smooth sound.ShippingStandard Shipping (Japan Post , DHL , FedEx , UPS) The package will arrive 5-10 business days after shipment.Expedited Shipping (Japan Post , DHL , FedEx , UPS) The package will arrive 1-4 business days after shipment.International Buyers - Please Note:Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying. Please note that refusal to receive merchandise due to non-payment of customs duties will result in our company having to pay a large amount of customs duties and return shipping fees even if the merchandise is returned to Japan, and the merchandise price will not be refunded. We appreciate your understanding. If there is a remote charge for your address, we will charge you for additional shipping.

Price: 69.99 USD

Location: YAMAGUCHI

End Time: 2024-08-21T23:39:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD