Mendelssohn: Symphonies No.4, Italian & No. 5, Reformation ~ Munch

Excellent sounding disc remastered by SoundMirror in 2006/2007 using vintage tube equipment. Amazing natural true to life sound.Since 2009 the sound on all Sony Classical and "Living Stereo since 2009 has been dragged down into the mud and is now at the level of most crappy Sony CD releases. Previously the RCA|BMG Living Stereo CD's and later SACD were transferred by the fine craftsmen at Soundmirror using vintage restored tube playback equipment, then mastered with the utmost care to preserve the tonality and full lifelike sound as well as dynamics of the original LP's. Well Sony does none of that - they fired the poor engineers who knew what they were doing and now have the same low end hacks master them who have already ruined the bulk of their modern CD's. RIP RCA/BMG Living Stereo and Boycott Sony Classical Living Stereo for murdering them!

This SACD sounds great. It would get a fine sound rating for a current release- one would never guess the performances date from 1957-1960, the earliest years of stereo-released recordings!

This is one of my all-time favorite recordings. The Italian symphony has great verve, and the Reformation symphony incredible power and balance. The BSO sounds great: luscious strings, and clear winds and horns that are in perfect balance and very present especially in the Fifth Symphony. Above all, the conducting and playing is supremely musical. Highly recommended.

Excellent recording and performance

Mendelssohn may have written only five symphonies, but the last three are some of the greatest ever written. This recording with Charles Munch conducting is an absolute delight. The performances are energetic and beautifully balanced and the sound quality is superb. How could RCA turn out such great sounding recordings in the fifties, when all the big companies especially DGG, turned out such horrors in the sixties and seventies? I recommend this recording to anyone that loves classical music whether they are a novice or an expert.

As usual, Munch's conducting and interpretation are spot on. The balance is great, and it's always wonderful to hear the 5th Symphony where the "tune" for "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" comes from.

Performance is superb in a light Mendelssohnian way. The SACD sound is very natural. Highly recommended!

One of my favorite symphonies. Great sound!

This disc is completely compiled from three track recordings made in 1957, 1958 and 1960. There are three ways of playing it back as it is compatible with stereo players, SACD players with stereo and stereo players with surround sound using just the front three speakers.If you have a surround system it is possible to compare the last two options and the results are very obvious. The surround option has enhanced depth clarity and general realism to a marked extent even though the stereo sound is particularly good for its date.As regards performances, Munch delivers a surprisingly light touch even though, as one might expect, tempi are kept on the move. The strings and woodwind especially are allowed to dance. In general his reading is not a far cry from tempi and weight delivered by period groups even though the orchestral textures themselves are considerably different from those. Those expecting Munch to be too hard-driven for this repertoire, will find that not to be the case. This also applied to his readings of the last two Schubert symphonies which also make for good listening.This then is a satisfyingly sympathetic delivery of the two symphonies and Mendelssohn's own orchestral version of the famous scherzo from his octet makes for a delightful, really full of delight, encore. As a collection disc it makes a useful way to add the fifth symphony without having to buy a complete set. The sound is as described in the opening paragraphs.Well worth considering for collectors, for those considering upgrading from the CD version and for those interested in a single copy of these works.

Ich habe die CD gekauft , weil die Münch - Einspielungen mit Heifetz m.E. sehr gut gelungen sind . Diese CD mit Mendelssohn ist zwiespältig . Die 4. ist zu hastig bzw. schnell und oberflächlich , während die 5. Sinfonie sehr schön und angemessen gespielt wird. Insgesamt troztdem als Zeitdokument akzeptabel.

Was mich an dieser SACD so begeistert, ist nicht nur das Tempo der Ecksätze der vierten Mendelssohn-Sinfonie, sondern der Orchesterklang insgesamt. Einzig und allein die Celli klingen, als wenn sie hinter einem Vorhang gespielt würden. Vielleicht war das ja wirklich so? Toll, wenn man eine KlarinettenSoloStelle klar orten kann: "Ziemlich genau in 18 Meter Entfernung mittig". Es scheint damalige Aufnahmepraxis bei Living Stereo gewesen zu sein, bei Orchesteraufnahmen die dritte Spur - wenn kein Solist dabei ist - den Holzbläsern zu überlassen. Die klingen doch wunderbar deutlich, obwohl immer hinten platziert.

was alles perfekt.

J'ai bien d'autres SACD "Living Stereo" qui m'ont comblé mais celui-ci m'a un peu déçu.L'image stéréo est très bonne mais un manque de définition décevant. A part l'intérêt de le retranscription de l'enregistrement de l'époque, la qualité SACD n'apporte pas ici la finesse qu'on pourrait attendre.