Dutton Epoch Announces 6 Surround Sound SACD Classical Music Releases (October 19, 2019)

[ubertrout]

Linn Records actually released another Copland & Chávez program just a few months ago: Pan-American Reflections, pairing Copland’s 3d Symphony with Chávez’s 2d (“Sinfonía India”). Unfortunately it’s only an RBCD. Although Linn used to release multi-channel SACDs (hall-ambient only, but still), they stopped a while ago. They do sell this one as a 24/192 “Studio Master” FLAC download, though--at a steep price--if you gotta have the super-hirez.

That's certainly his most popular piece - we have the Bernstein recording as well as his own on Everest and a few recent ones. I don't actually know the piece but this could be a good impetus to listen.

 

[ubertrout]

That's certainly his most popular piece - we have the Bernstein recording as well as his own on Everest and a few recent ones. I don't actually know the piece but this could be a good impetus to listen.

Listened to the Sinfonia India today at the office. It's...fine? Not objectionable but not terribly interesting either from my perspective - more notable for its inclusion of indigenous instruments when that was uncommon than for melodic invention. I can imagine his works being a good fit for surround though.

 

[JonUrban]

Poll created, but I still get totally confused with what to call these things.

Carlos Chávez/Aaron Copland - THE FOUR SUNS/APPALACHIAN SPRING [SACD] makes sense to me, because it's artist/title

CHAVEZ: FOUR SUNS/SELECTIONS FROM PIRAMIDE & COPLAND: APPALACHIAN SPRING [SACD] is fine, but it's got two complete artist/title listing, which is going to totally screw up the poll software.

Then again, half the time I can't tell who the artist/conductor is vs the composer, and then the title.

My aging brain can deal with 'THE BEATLES - Abbey Road'. Neat and clean, artist, title.

These classical things wipe me out. The official title from the DV website is

"Chávez: Pirámide & The Four Suns/Copland: Appalachian Spring (complete ballet)/Copland Rehearses Appalachian Spring"

 

[humprof]

Listened to the Sinfonia India today at the office. It's...fine? Not objectionable but not terribly interesting either from my perspective - more notable for its inclusion of indigenous instruments when that was uncommon than for melodic invention. I can imagine his works being a good fit for surround though.

Came across an interesting piece on Chávez from the Times in 2015, when the Bard Music Festival devoted two weekends of programming to him. Sounds like the Sinfonía India was sort of made-to-order to please his patrons....

 

[humprof]

Slowly making my way through this batch. Yesterday & today it's the E. Power Biggs Bach sinfonias + Music for Organ, Brass and Percussion. Wow! I'm not a huge organ-music fan--I mainly got this one out of loyalty to Dutton (and in memory of my mom, who was a church organist herself and who made a point of catching Pipedreams on the local NPR station every week). But this is a quad demo disc, for sure.

 

[ubertrout]

Listened to the Roussel 3rd Symphony last night - I'll admit I didn't know the piece well, and wasn't a huge fan. But certainly great fidelity and a very active mix.

 

[jefe1]

I finally opened my E Power Biggs six organ concertos Dutton sacd.
Enjoying it so far.

I do have a question there is a bonus track listed Sonata to Cantata 31 Easter Cantata that's is only on the SACD layers.
Where did it come from? Mr Dutton doesn't say......

 

[fredblue]

I finally opened my E Power Biggs six organ concertos Dutton sacd.
Enjoying it so far.

I do have a question there is a bonus track listed Sonata to Cantata 31 Easter Cantata that's is only on the SACD layers.
Where did it come from? Mr Dutton doesn't say......

its an Easter Cantata Easter Egg from Santa Dutton masquerading as the Easter Bunny!! hoppity hoppity hop!!

(tbh i skipped Argent for tonight, i wasn't in the mood to hear it again so soon.. and am playing this E. Power disc now instead, only part way through the first Organ, Brass, Percussion album but blow me down its just... astounding in surround!!!! demo material indeed

 

[ubertrout]

I finally opened my E Power Biggs six organ concertos Dutton sacd.
Enjoying it so far.

I do have a question there is a bonus track listed Sonata to Cantata 31 Easter Cantata that's is only on the SACD layers.
Where did it come from? Mr Dutton doesn't say......

Pretty sure it's from the original disc? https://www.discogs.com/E-Power-Big...rto-Sinfonias-From-The-Canta/release/10830387

 

[jefe1]

I have to look for my vinyl copy of the Bach disc to check. But if the Easter Cantata is included why is Michael listing it as a bonus track not included on the cd layer.......unless not enuf time on the Cd layer?

 

[Quad Linda]

Copland Conducts Copland Appalachian Spring is a fave of mine. I first got it on a 2ch LP w/bonus 7" rehearsal disc. I bought a used SQ a few years back.

My SACD is en route from Dutton. I have another order with these new releases behind it.

The definitive performance. You NEED it!!

 

[steelydave]

For anyone interested, I've added discogs entries (with full credits) for all six of these titles.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Copland Conducts Copland Appalachian Spring is a fave of mine. I first got it on a 2ch LP w/bonus 7" rehearsal disc. I bought a used SQ a few years back.

My SACD is en route from Dutton. I have another order with these new releases behind it.

The definitive performance. You NEED it!!

I'll be sure to put that one in my next order; along with some traveling mates

 

[fredblue]

For anyone interested, I've added discogs entries (with full credits) for all six of these titles.

a true labour of love inputting all that data i'm sure, especially all that German schtuff!! danke schoen!

 

[Aging quadie]

Intrigued by the attempt to synch up George Gershwin's piano roll of Rhapsody in Blue to a newly recorded orchestration helmed by Michael Tilson Thomas, I bought this album on SQ. Unfortunately, the pianolist set the tempo much faster than Gershwin ever intended. The resulting performance was so discomforting that I got rid of the album shortly afterwards.

 

[MrSmithers]

​

​ A new Epoch Historic release A trawl of the Columbia and RCA archives has yielded a further six titles in our series devoted to landmark classical recordings of the 1970s, all of which are presented in both their original stereo and quadraphonic mixes. Among them are Georg Solti’s recording of Puccini’s “La Bohème,” Pierre Boulez’s recording of Schoenberg’s epic cantata “Gurre-Lieder,” and Aaron Copland’s recording of the original version of “Appalachian Spring.”

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It's truly wonderful to have a great surround mix of George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue... Why is it that only peeps from the 1970s had the balls (and skills) to mix classical music into proper surround? What a mega set this was!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Intrigued by the attempt to synch up George Gershwin's piano roll of Rhapsody in Blue to a newly recorded orchestration helmed by Michael Tilson Thomas, I bought this album on SQ. Unfortunately, the pianist set the tempo much faster than Gershwin ever intended. The resulting performance was so discomforting that I got rid of the album shortly afterwards.

That pianist was none other than the composer, George Gershwin, himself, who set the tempo and MTT was simply conducting the orchestra at the tempo which Gershwin set. IMO, a magnificent performance [even magical] made even more alluring with D~V's magnificent discrete transfer!

 

[humprof]

That's a fascinating piece. Assuming Dutton found it when they were putting the album together; it would be perfect as a liner-note essay.

An anecdotal postscript to those would-be liner notes: Puccini's reaction to Gurre-lieder (via Alma Mahler):

https://www.therestisnoise.com/2024/11/the-night-puccini-found-schoenberg-too-conservative.html

 

[ubertrout]

An anecdotal postscript to those would-be liner notes: Puccini's reaction to Gurre-lieder (via Alma Mahler):

https://www.therestisnoise.com/2024/11/the-night-puccini-found-schoenberg-too-conservative.html

Love that!

And a good moment to remind folks of the recording: https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=2CDLX7367. This isn't scary atonal Schoenberg - it's very much following Mahler's later works. The recording itself was one of the major projects in quadraphonic recording - with the quadraphonic format really used to bring the listener into the music and its many moving parts for this massive piece. Unlike many other conductors Boulez was very open to the possibilities of surround sound and this recording showcases that.

 

[JediJoker]

...Alma Mahler...