6 New Dutton Epoch Classical and Soundtrack Quad SACDs Feb. 16, 2022

[GOS]

Thanks Jeff! Ordered....just that one though.

Totally bought this based on Dave's comments......which is good. I know he's gotta be right. I can't wait to hear this.

 

[steelydave]

Based on the @sjcorne and @steelydave accolades, I’m in for Planets, but am having difficulty identifying anything else I’d dig from the 6 new releases. Color me a bit disappointed after the long wait but glad that DV is back in the groove.

I know Mike would've liked to have got things out sooner, but just like it impacted the rest of the world, the Omicron variant wave became a multi-month speedbump for D-V. It's my impression that he's not prioritising one type of release over another, they're just working with what tapes have been made available to them at the current point in time. If there are no more unforseen public health crises (not that anyone can predict that with any certainty, that's for sure) I'm hopeful that some pop releases should follow in the months ahead.

But in the meantime, maybe there's an already-released D-V pop title from the last few years that you haven't got yet that you might give a try? I'm sure if there are any you're on the fence about people here could chime in with reccomendations...

 

[The56Kid]

I know Mike would've liked to have got things out sooner, but just like it impacted the rest of the world, the Omicron variant wave became a multi-month speedbump for D-V. It's my impression that he's not prioritising one type of release over another, they're just working with what tapes have been made available to them at the current point in time. If there are no more unforseen public health crises (not that anyone can predict that with any certainty, that's for sure) I'm hopeful that some pop releases should follow in the months ahead.

But in the meantime, maybe there's an already-released D-V pop title from the last few years that you haven't got yet that you might give a try? I'm sure if there are any you're on the fence about people here could chime in with reccomendations...

Your input is always appreciated and @J. PUPSTER has already made a recommendation that I’m strongly considering. I was really worried that the pandemic might have put an end to D-V, so regardless of my opinion on the latest batch, I’m ecstatic to see new quad SACDs from Michael and his team.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

But in the meantime, maybe there's an already-released D-V pop title from the last few years that you haven't got yet that you might give a try? I'm sure if there are any you're on the fence about people here could chime in with reccomendations...

I initially passed on the Blood Sweat & Tears two-fer, but after listening on headphones in Sony 360 on Amazon, I'm impressed.
The material is stronger than I remembered.
Ordered, I need this to play through grown-ass man speakers.

I'm enjoying 360 streams of other D-V quad titles, hopefully this might generate some interest in physical product for them, since the Amazon app won't stream to a real AVR system.

 

[The Rang]

I know Mike would've liked to have got things out sooner, but just like it impacted the rest of the world, the Omicron variant wave became a multi-month speedbump for D-V. It's my impression that he's not prioritising one type of release over another, they're just working with what tapes have been made available to them at the current point in time. If there are no more unforseen public health crises (not that anyone can predict that with any certainty, that's for sure) I'm hopeful that some pop releases should follow in the months ahead.

But in the meantime, maybe there's an already-released D-V pop title from the last few years that you haven't got yet that you might give a try? I'm sure if there are any you're on the fence about people here could chime in with reccomendations...

That’s what I’ve done too, chipped away at my wish list, recent buys include EWF, Donald Byrd, O’Jays, Poco, Hugo Montenegro, Don Sebesky.
There are still 22 on my list, (though at least a half dozen or more are lower tier, non “must buys”)

 

[4-earredwonder]

I do consider it an honor and privilege to be able to hear these stellar classical recordings from the early Quadraphonic era in such pristine sonics unheard in their proper discrete configurations since they were committed to tape. World class conductors and orchestras meticulously captured by recording and remix engineers with the intent of showing off Columbia and RCA's proprietary SQ matrix and CD~4 technologies without the limitations of decoders with the added bonus of being remastered from the ORIGINAL QUAD MASTER TAPES.

As much as I relish similar recordings of that era from classical labels DGG, Philips and EMI, since they had no monetary stake in the replication of QUAD, their ambient only approach [with few exceptions] to music is dry and sterile compared to what Michael J. Dutton has released in the past few years ... and NOW!

We recently had a discussion on QQ Forum's classical thread pertaining to a viable discrete surround version of Holst's warhorse THE PLANETS ... and finally here it is. And to hear Ravel, Debussy, Wagner, Ives, Vivaldi, J.S. Bach et alia similarly freed from the constraints of ambient only concert hall recordings makes each and every one of DUTTON~EPOCH'S HISTORIC QUAD SACDs....sonic treasures ... to treasure FOREVER.

 

[kfbkfb]

EQ - although not a D-V release, I'm still disappointed that the Doobie Brothers Quadio BR is EQed, any evidence that the D-V classical releases are EQed (beyond what may be need to restore the fidelity of older analog master tapes)?


Kirk Bayne

 

[dadregga]

Oo I'm glad that Bernstein Planets got released - as mentioned that one has been overdue for a proper digital quad master for decades - I have the Sony SACD and enjoy it even with the problems.

(And if anyone's looking to fill their cart with more classical, the Samuel Coleridge-Talyor disc by the Tippet quartet is one of my favorite recent DV releases)

 

[ubertrout]

EQ - although not a D-V release, I'm still disappointed that the Doobie Brothers Quadio BR is EQed, any evidence that the D-V classical releases are EQed (beyond what may be need to restore the fidelity of older analog master tapes)?


Kirk Bayne

I don't think so? The DR isn't as great as what some of the independent classical labels like BIS are doing, but this strikes me as being what was on the master tape in terms of DR. There isn't much interest in EQing classical outside of the really pop crossover stuff.

 

[Soundfield]

Yes, I've ordered -

View attachment 76044

My discs have arrived. Slightly disappointed I've had to wait so long - I ordered them 23hours ago!!

 

[MrSmithers]

YES - THE PLANETS!!! Woohoo, been hoping for that one for a while...

Throw in the Wagner and No No Nanette, yes please... May return for the others at some point too...

 

[MrSmithers]

It's also worth mentioning (for me anyway) that the Wagner Siegfried Idyll/Love Feast of the Apostles disc is the very last Columbia Masterworks quad release, both numerically (M 35130) and date-wise: the phonographic copyright is 1978, but the Library of Congress website and several reviews in trade publications (page 93 of this one, for example) suggest the album didn't come out until the spring of 1979. Also, as a single-inventory quad release (and like all of the Masterworks quad releases from about 1976 onward) this was an SQ-only LP release, so this is the first time the discrete master is being heard since Ray Moore mixed it in 1978.

This is really cool, love seeing how the equipment from the 70s has progressed to have digital displays now. Ha, I like the term "Wagnerians".... It will be really great to have the last ever published quad. And Ray Moore's Firebird mix is spot on...

 

[berninahusq]

Regularly I check the Dutton Vocalion site for new Multi-Channel SACD releases but didn't see any a couple days ago when I last checked.

I woke up this morning at 1:00 am wide awake and saw this thread. This is great news as the Boulez Conducts Wagner and No, No Nanette SQ albums have been in the top 20 of my 150+ SQ/CD-4 albums. I first heard the Wagner Tristan und Isolde, Prelude and Love-Death in 1976 in a University of Southern California Music Appreciation class. That following weekend I saw and picked up the Boulez Conducts Wagner Q8. Since then Boulez's rendition of these Wagner selections have been my reference performances from which I rate other recordings of them from other directors. Also I can't tell you how many times I have listened to the No, No Nanette SQ Album. I ripped, declick/pop with iZotope RX and decoded both the SQ albums to FLAC for cleaner recordings. But I am VERY excited to get Michael J. Dutton's remaster of these reference recordings!

So I hurriedly placed an order for those two SACDs plus nine other SACDs (Pierre Boulez Conducts Ravel and Falla, James Galway, Leonard Berstein Conducts Stravinsky, Holst, Trouble in Tahiti & Candide (which I haven't gotten around to rip the SQ Album yet---will not have to now!), Eugene Ormandy Conducts IVES Holiday Symphony, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Leopold Stokowski Conducts Beethoven). When I woke up they were already shipped. I can't wait to get them!

Thank you Michael Dutton! Keep them coming!

Kanga

 

[windhoek]

I received the email from D-V this morning about the new releases and The Planets as conducted by Bernstein caught my eye straight away. Some digging around the web suggests this one was previously released by Sony and that the multichannel version on that disc is more expanded stereo rather than an authentic quad transfer, as it were. Here is the link to the Sony release - please advise whether the D-V release is the same as the Sony version and if so, is it still expanded stereo, assuming anyone's bought a copy of the new D-V release and has heard it.

I've got lots of The Planets but like many here, I'm still holding out for that stellar surround mix of The Panets to top them all (in the same way Ormandy's Shostakovich 5 is the best genuine multichannel option of that piece by a country mile).

 

[sjcorne]

I'd expect the D-V version to be an authentic quad transfer, as was done with the Boulez Conducts Bartok Concerto For Orchestra disc.

 

[windhoek]

I'd expect the D-V version to be an authentic quad transfer, as was done with the Boulez Conducts Bartok Concerto For Orchestra disc.

Yeah, that's how I see it; just holding out for confirmation before ordering as I've bought so many duffs over the years I'm just a bit more cautious nowadays. I want quality rather than quantity when it comes to formats of music. I also want quality music as opposed to owning lots of less than average music but that goes without saying

 

[4-earredwonder]

Yeah, that's how I see it; just holding out for confirmation before ordering as I've bought so many duffs over the years I'm just a bit more cautious nowadays. I want quality rather than quantity when it comes to formats of music. I also want quality music as opposed to owning lots of less than average music but that goes without saying

Derek, with D~V's 'definitive' discrete Quadraphonic release of L. Bernstein's THE PLANETS, billed back in the day as A SONIC SPACE SPECTACULAR, I believe your [space] ship has finally arrived! Even Steelydave who pens liner notes for many of D~V's releases stated that Michael J. Dutton was 'particularly proud' of this release.

 

[jefe1]

While I put together a new DV order....Im getting the first three listed of the new 6 classical.... the Bernstein Rite of Passage disc from an older release group has been mentioned as a good choice. However I am confused as the credits say the selections were taken from quad lps but Michael Dutton has remixed them.
So are you getting the 70s quad mix or Mr Duttons new quad remix? Why would he remix an already available quad mix if so?

Im also thinking of getting the Vivaldi 4 Seasons release, although I have the quad lp and am burned out on this popular work ( frequently heard almost as much as Stairway to Heaven) it is paired with some Vivaldi concertos that look interesting.

 

[steelydave]

Yeah, that's how I see it; just holding out for confirmation before ordering as I've bought so many duffs over the years I'm just a bit more cautious nowadays. I want quality rather than quantity when it comes to formats of music. I also want quality music as opposed to owning lots of less than average music but that goes without saying

By all means wait until someone here receives their disc if you want to be totally sure, but Mike confirmed to me that this release is from the original quad master and not whatever it is that Sony used 20 years ago, which seemed to be the front channels of the quad mix and fake reverb in the rears. D-V are well aware of these old problematic Sony releases and part of the reason they're doing new releases like this one (and the Boulez Conducts Bartok) is to rectify these issues.

 

[berninahusq]

I'm still disappointed that the Doobie Brothers Quadio BR is EQed,

Yes I too was very unimpressed with this set insofar that I listened to each disc once and put it away.