Debussy & Ravel - Iberia - Fritz Reiner
Claude Debussy - Images pour orchestre, No. 2
Maurice Ravel - Valses Nobles et Sentimentales & Alborada del Gracioso
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Fritz Reiner, conductor
1 LP, Gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : RCA Victor Red Seal
Recorded in Orchestra Hall, Chicago
Remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound
Originally released in 1958
Reissued in 2015
Tracks :
Side A - Debussy - "Images" Pour Orchestre No. 2
- Par Les Rues Et Par Les Chemins
- Les Parfums De La Nuit
- Le Matin D'un Jour De Fete
Side B - Ravel
- Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales
- Alborada Del Gracioso
Awards :
Winner of a Gruvy Award, chosen by AnalogPlanet's editor, Michael Fremer, for vinyl records that are musically and sonically outstanding and are also well mastered and pressed.
TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Classical
Reviews :
Reviewer Anthony Kershaw calls Iberia "one of the few records that transcends engineering, and simply allows Debussy, Ravel, Reiner and his orchestra to make our souls a richer place." This RCA is a "perfect" synthesis of interpretation, playing and sound.
The recording is rich in timbre and detail, and is beautifully transparent, identifying the accurate placement of instruments and the boundaries of Orchestra Hall's stage. The soundfield is complete (depth and width) with the center boasting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's fabulous woodwind section.
As it seems to be on many great orchestral recordings, the percussion section steals the "audiophile" show. The percussionists' playing in Iberia will amaze you with their crack ensemble and the way they accomplish quick changes in dynamics, these ranging from quiet delicacy to raw power. Conductor Fritz Reiner must have reveled in the sound of the castanets clicking merrily on his left and the different styles of tambourine technique employed by the section player on his right. From the softest stroke of a soft mallet on suspended cymbal to the superb timpani sound, Iberia is all that recorded percussion should be.
AllMusic
Discogs : 4.14 / 5