Another of the classic vinyl Golden Age Decca recordings, reissued by F.I.M. on the highest resolution yet possible using the standard 44.1K/16-bit format. The original analog tapes made by Decca in 1958 in Victoria Hall in Geneva were transferred to the K2 HD mastering format of 100K/24-bit PCM and then bit-mapped down to the standard CD format with the greatest care. I didn’t have the Decca vinyl at hand for a comparison, but the disc’s sound clearly has an analog nature about it, as though played on the finest turntable setup but without a hint of surface noise.
The 13 excerpts from the full ballet give a sensible impression of the scenario, and the printed notes aid the listener. All the good tunes are here; for casual listening the entire ballet can be a bit too much – this is just the right length if you’re not watching one of the several video DVDs of the complete ballet. The deep bass is almost too strong, I found I had to reduce the LFE channel a bit to avoid a sort of juke box bass end. The disc reproduces the original LP’s cover and notes; its interesting that the swan in the photo is not gliding regally about, but has its head under the water and its derriere up in the air!
– John Sunier
