RIMSKY-KORSAKOFF: Scheherazade – Moscow State Symphony Orchestra/ Pavel Kogan – Dual Disc – CD + DualDisc of DVD-A/DVD-Video, 2-channel only, Classic Records HDAD 2021 [Distr. by Naxos], 47.8 min. ***1/2:
Musically I doubt if I need to say much about this recording. It’s up against considerable competition – the Fritz Reiner 3-channel Living Stereo SACD probably the favorite of most readers. This one may not have quite its fiery dynamism, but it does have even clearer and cleaner sonics – though without the advantage of the center channel which most of the other DVD-As in this Classic Records series possess. The orchestra sounds quite impressive, and I wasn’t even aware of the unusual wind timbres heard on most recordings of Russian symphony orchestras.
The technical side bears some explanation however. Not part of the Everest 35mm mag film series of reissues, this is a two-channel recording taped in Salzburg, Austria by Classic Records in 1999 and is offered here on the DVD-Audio side of the DualDisc in 192K/24-bit sonics. (However, the back of the booklet erroneously continues to talk about 35mm mag film and 96K three-channel options.) The standard DVD side of the disc carries both a two-channel Dolby Digital track and an uncompressed 96K/24-bit two channel track.
The session producers were Marc Aubert and Joanna Nickrenz of Elite Recording, and Bernie Grundman did the mastering in Hollywood, using an all-tube analog system. Though missing the center channel, there’s no hint of the 35mm film deterioration of some of the Everest reissues, and the performance is excellent. Still, considering the premium price of this HDAD duo, the Reiner mid-price Living Stereo SACD has a definite edge and also includes a second work by Stravinsky.
– John Sunier
