Search - Mozart, Munchinger, Krips :: Serenade in G Major

CEDARized!

SwissDave | Switzerland | 03/12/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"It does not say so anywhere, but these are legendary recordings from the late fifties. Also, the CD contains one item more than indicated by Amazon:



Mozart/Münchinger, SCO: Divertimento in D Minor (1958?) - Decca



Münchinger's "Kleine Nachtmusik" in particular was in its time regarded as perhaps the finest interpretation of all. Now to the sad news: beware of this release!



The remastering is badly over-CEDARized, and hardly a legitimate re-issue, since all too obviously NOT remastered from the original master tapes, but from what sounds like used LPs - impossible to overhear in particular in the two symphonies with Krips.



I collect historical recordings and do not per se mind sonic limitations and/or noise, BUT: in this case, those limitations don't stem from the source, that is, the recordings themselves (all of which I know from better-sounding original LP releases).



Ironically, the CEDAR software appears to strip the music less of noise than musicality: what it does here is cause sonic dryness and compression without much eliminating ticks, pops, distortion, or wow and flutter (none of which, I am sure, would be present on the original master tapes in the first place). At least in the hands of whoever was responsible for this patched-up release. Cheap but cheaply done. Caveat emptor!



The only good thing I can say about this CD is that the copy protection (!) doesn't keep it from running smoothly on my separate component CD-transport/DAC combo.



So, could Decca please offer a legitimate reissue of these recordings? The performances no doubt deserve it.



Greetings from Switzerland, David."