More Japanese Toshiba-EMI Classical SACD's:

Got some more of those great sounding Japanese SACD's from Toshiba EM:

Mahler Symphony 9 - Barbirolli
Sibelius - Finlandia, eyc. - Barbirolli
Chopin Piano Concertos - Samson Francois, Fremaux
Faure Nocturnes - Heidsieck
Holst The Planets - Boult
Chpon Etudes - Samson Francois
Chopin Nocturnes - Samson Francois

Overall, my opinion hasn't changed - they sound fabulous. Very immediate. Smooth, non-fatiguing. Detailed. Lots of depth and air, wonderful transparency. Tonality is excellent - vibrant, colorful. String tone in particular is shimmering yet non fatiguing - no digititis on display here. Sure, there has been judicious use of noise reduction - I emphasize, judicious. Well judged. The music is all here, better than ever (and by the way, I listen to redbook only - never bought into SACD as a format, even though I suppose I could listen to the SACD layer if I could be bothered hooking my OPPO to my stereo).

The Mahler 9 by Barbirolli is a true classic, and essential performance. Not just because Barbirolli rarely recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic - but because the reading is absolutely riveting, edge of the seat riveting. A rather driven, intense account, all the more glorious as the BPO play their hearts out. The 1960's BPO was Karajan's machine, and Barbirolli makes no attempt to change that vibratoless sound, the sound where the bow seems to never touch the string. Barbirolli uses that sound to give a bloom to the dark drama of the reading. Sonically, it's all here on this reissue. Absolutely essential.

Barbirolli was an outstanding Sibelian, and in fact no one would play Sibelius this way today. Finlandia, the warhorse, is much more rough hewn, the brass puncy, the reading less a theme for the climax of Die Hard 2 than to a Nordic myth. Aside from an excellent Karelia suite that eschews sentimentality, Pohjola's Daughter is the other major work, and again, Barbirolli is unique in conjuring a Nordic atmosphere and mythology without any overt romanticism. Lemminkainen's Return is just as good. An essential Sibelius selection.

Holst's The Planets has many competing versions, but Boult's late version, his Indian Summer reading, has much to recommend it. It is superbly played by the LPO, and Boult sees it not at all as a sci-fi epic, but as a continuity of the English orchestral tradition from Elgar, through Bax and Vaughan Williams. The sound is first rate, completely competitive with even the best modern recordings, appropriately as Boult's recording was in the day considered a sonic spectacular.

An inspired choice is a double disc set of Faure's Nocturnes played by Eric Heidsieck. A long forgotten name, Toshiba-EMI have done a great service by reissuing this set, recorded in 1960 and 1962. The playing is totally inside the idiom of late 19th century French music, straddling the birth of impressionism. Heidsieck plays it without sentimentality, as a set of tone poems for piano, and this is simply a classic reading. Not to be missed. Natural piano tonality, a realistic acoustic, little to betray the age of the tapes.

Samson Francois was both a distinguished Chopin interpreter, but also a great interpreter of French classics - Debussy, Ravel, and others. His Chopin Nocturnes are essential. This double set of 60's recordings is to many still the benchmark of Chopin interpretation. Sounds better than ever. Not so much so Francois' Etudes, which were started in 1950's mono and ended in 1960's stereo. Here, particularly on the mono, I felt the sound was limiting, dry, less involving. No doubt this has to do with the master tapes, and sonically the later stereo etudes are very good. As a set, though, and at the price, this is a tougher one to recommend. The Piano Concertos with Fremaux conducting are given excellent performances, particularly by Francois, however I felt that Fremaux's conducting has not aged as well over the years. The sound here is fine, but overall there are better options available.