Mercury Living Presence - The Collectors Edition Vol.3 - Box Set 53CDs

Label : Mercury
Format : Flac (image + cue)
Cover : Yes

Here is yet another major multi-disk set of recordingsr importance to collectors. This presumably is the last in the highly regarded series of Mercury Living Presence reissues. Some of these recordings were issued some years ago on SACD, giving collector the opportunity to gear the original three-track recordings. Now we have the opportunity to hear the two-track recordings all in superb remasterings that make them sound better than ever before. Some are well-balanced mono, most are stereo. Many of these recordings have a treasured spt in recording history. They were produced by the remarkable team of Wilma Cozar, Howard Lawrence and engineer Robert Fine—all masters of their craft .In this new set, these recordings are in separate cardboard jackets and usually we view the original LP cover, whic,will bring back memories for many collectors. Each disk is well-filled, so the cover features only one of the cover illustrations. And of course we have the advantage of silent "surfaces" - no clicks, pops or surface scratches to distract from the listening experience. A handsome 132-page booklet accompanes the set giving complete recording information about each disk, with many photos. For a complee list of contents showing all major recordings, click here (REPERTORY)

I particularly welcome the return to the catalog of many recordings by Paul Pa. music director of the Detroit Symphony who from 1952 to 1964. He made numerous recordings for Mercury during his tenure, and now we have the opportunity to re-hear many of them: the Schumann symphonies, symphonies of Franck, Causson, Sibelius, Dvoak, as well as Wagner, and many French composers. Paray's Berlioz CD is stunning - one of he finest recordings I've heard of Symphonie fantastique and a blazing account of Roman Carnival Overture that brings new life o this warhorse.

There are a number of Antal Dorati recordings among the missing. Although four Tchaikovsky symphonies are here, Nos. 4 and 6 are not. One wonders why, as they were part of a complete set. In 2007, Decca issued the famous 1958 Minneapolis recording of the composer's 1812 Overture with its famous cannon and artillery (REVIEW).It is included in the new reissue, along with Capriccio Italien and Deems Talor's discussion of he cannon, but, for whatever reason, Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, so appropriate a coupling for 1812, is not, although it was on the earlier reissue. Strange, indeed. We are fortunate that producers went outside the Mercury catalog to include Dorati's magnificent 1955 Philips recording of the four Tchaikovsky orchestral suites with the New Philharmonia Orchestra. This has long been one of my favorite audio display recordings, and here it sounds better than ever.

CD01-2 - Dorati - Brahms The Symphonies
CD03 - Dorati - Wienerwalzer Paprika (Famous Waltzes)
CD04 - Dorati - Handel Water Music & Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik
CD05 - Dorati - Mendelssohn Fingal's Cave & etc
CD06 - Dorati - Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade & etc
CD07 - Dorati - Rimsky-Korsakov & Borodin
CD08 - Dorati - Overtures by Verdi & Rossini
CD09 - Dorati - Richard Strauss Don Juan & etc
CD10 - Dorati - Tchaikovsky Symphonies No.1 & 2
CD11 - Dorati - Tchaikovsky Symphonies No.3 & etc
CD12 - Dorati - Tchaikovsky Symphonies No.5 & etc
CD13 - Dorati - Wagner Preludes & Overtures
CD14 - Fennell - Frederick Fennell Conducts Gershwin
CD15 - Fennell - Frederick Fennell Conducts Victor Herbert
CD16 - Fennell - Frederick Fennell Conducts Cole Porter
CD17 - Fennell - Carousel Waltz & other popovers
CD18 - Fennell - Conducting the Eastman Wind Ensemble
CD19 - Fennell - Fabulous Marches for Orchestra
CD20-21 - Dorati & Fistoulari - Adam Giselle & etc
CD22 - Hanson - Bloch Concerto Grosso No.1 & 2
CD23 - List & Hanson - Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue & etc
CD24-25 - Hanson - The Composer and his Orchestra
CD26 - Mackerras - Kaleidoscope An Orchestral Extravaganza
CD27 - Paray - Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique & etc
CD28 - Paray - Dvorak Symphony No.9 & etc
CD29 - Paray - Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2 & etc
CD30 - Paray - Chausson Lalo Barraud
CD31 - Paray - Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night's Dream
CD32-33 - Paray - Schumann The Four Symphonies
CD34 - Paray - Marches and Overtures
CD35 - Paray - Paul Paray Conducts Wagner
CD36 - Skrowaczewski - Schubert Symphony No.5 & 8
CD37 - Skrowaczewski - Schubert Symphony No.9 & 6
CD38 - Dorati - Variations in High Fidelity
CD39 - Dorati - Copland Symphony No.3
CD40 - Dorati - Respighi Roman Festivals & etc
CD41-42 - Dorati - Tchaikovsky 4 Suites for Orchestra
CD43 - Dorati - Beethoven Symphony No.3 'Eroica'
CD44 - Richter & Kondrashin - Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 & 2
CD45-46 - Richter & Rostropovich - Beethoven Sonatas for Piano & Cello
CD47 - Vishnevskaya & Rostropovich - Moussorgsky & etc
CD48 - The Romeros - World of Flamenco
CD49 - Krainis & Marriner - Concertos for Recorders and Strings
CD50 - Fennell - Hindemith & Schoenberg & Stravinsky
CD51 - Puyana - Soler Music for the Harpsichord
CD52 - Dorati - Tchaikovsky 1812 Festival Overture
CD53 - Borodin Quartet - Shostakovich String Quartet No.4 & 8

Complete tracklist : Mercury Living Presence Vol.3