Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwangler – Bruckner: Symphony No.4; Wagner: Parsifal (2016)
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 01:17:00 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 1,06 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,34 GB
Recorded in 1951, this recording features Wilhelm Furtwängler leading the Wiener Philharmoniker in one of the most infamous readings of Bruckner’s Symphony No.4. The legendary maestro is also joined by the Berlin Philharmonic for the Good Friday Music from Wagner’s Parsifal.
Read more
Fumiaki Miyamoto – Hommage Au Bleu (2000) [Japan]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 38:21 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 1,56 GB
or DSD64 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,54 GB
or FLAC (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 729 MB
Fumiaki Miyamoto (宮本文昭) is a Japanese classical oboist and conductor. He’s began his worldwide career at the age of 18, when he moved to Germany to study under Helmut Winschermann. He played in the municipal symphony orchestra in Essen, the Frankfurt Broadcast Symphony Orchestra, and then Cologne Broadcast Symphony Orchestra; he was the first Japanese oboist to hold first chair in Europe. He continued to live there until the year 2000, in which he returned to Japan. He has released several albums, not only in classical but also in pop fields like jazz, film music.
Read more
Beethoven Orchester Bonn, Stefan Blunier – Franz Schreker – Irrelohe, Opera In 3 Acts (2011)
SACD ISOs: 7,05 GB (Stereo + MCH DSD) | FLAC @ 24bit/88.2kHz: 2,09 GB | Full Artwork | 3% Rec. Info
Label/Cat#: MDG “Live” # 937 1687-6 | Country/Year: Germany 2011
Genre: Classical | Style: Opera, Late Romantic
Franz Schreker (originally Schrecker, March 23, 1878 – March 21, 1934) was an Austrian composer, conductor, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, his style is characterized by aesthetic plurality (a mixture of Romanticism, Naturalism, Symbolism, Impressionism, Expressionism and Neue Sachlichkeit), timbral experimentation, strategies of extended tonality and conception of total music theatre into the narrative of 20th-century music.
The opera was first performed on 27 March 1924 at the Stadttheater Köln, conducted by Otto Klemperer. Productions in a further seven cities followed (including Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Leipzig), but critical response was mixed and, together with changing audience tastes and the complexity of the score, the work failed to maintain its place in the repertoire.
The first production in modern times was at the Bielefeld Opera in 1985. The work was also staged at the Vienna Volksoper in 2004 and at the Bonn Opera in 2010. Wikipedia
Read more
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner – Vienna (2005)
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 3,20 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 1,40 GB | Full Artwork
Label/Cat#: RCA Red Seal “Living Stereo” # 82876-71615-2 | Country/Year: Europe 2005, 1957/1960
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Various, Orchestral, Waltz
This RCA Living Stereo release showcases the conducting talents of Fritz Reiner. It is a compilation of universal favourites linked to Vienna and ranging from Johann Strauss junior to Josef Strauss, from Richard Strauss to Weber. I doubt that the music of Old Vienna has ever sounded more entrancing than on this SACD from ‘stereo’s golden age’ performed as it is with unique style and panache.
Read more
Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven: Symphonies & Overtures (Japan 2018)
PS3 Rip | 3x SACD ISO | DSD64 Stereo > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 210:40 minutes | Basic Scans | 8,48 GB
or FLAC Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Basic Scans included | 4,41 GB
Fritz Reiner, the famous Hungarian conductor who as the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brought the 1st golden age to the Symphony. Its achievements have dramatically improved the standards of orchestra performance in the 20th century. These outstanding performances were recorded by RCA’s state-of-the-art recording technology of “Living Stereo” & still retain the overwhelming freshness.
Read more
Friedrich Gulda, Orchester des Wiener Staatsoper – Mozart: Piano Concertos 21 & 27 (1963) [Japan 2016]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 55:53 minutes | Front/Rear covers | 2,26 GB
or FLAC Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Front/Rear covers | 1,19 GB
Mozart was certainly among the “domestic deities” of Viennese pianist Friedrich Gulda. He repeatedly played Mozart’s piano music in his concerts and had it recorded. In so doing, this classically-trained musician, who had already played successfully in jazz bands at a young age, ignored the strict limits imposed by genres: he wanted to show audiences that there are no distinctions between musical styles whenever good music is played honestly and conscientiously. This Japanese reissue of Mozart’s Piano Concertos 21 & 27 features the 96kHz/24bit DSD Mastering from the analog master tape.
Read more
Friedemann Witecka – Beauty And Mystery Of Touch (2001)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 63:47 minutes | Scans included | 2,61 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,16 GB
West German guitarist Friedemann Witecka is a popular arranger, producer, & studio musician in his homeland. His U.S. releases for Narada prove he’s also 1 of the most imaginative composers of instrumental music influenced by rock & jazz fusion styles. This catchy, spirited music gracefully sidesteps most pop cliches. This is Friedemann’s 1st ‘Best-of’ compilation & contains favourite songs from the albums Indian Summer (1987), Aquamarin (1990), Legends of Light (1995) plus Passion & Pride (1999). Released by Vollton Musikverlag as part of “The Millennium Collection”.
Read more
Free – Tons Of Sobs (1968) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 52:23 minutes | Scans included | 2,13 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 1,00 GB
Although Free was never destined to scrape the same skies as Led Zeppelin, when they first burst out of the traps in 1968, close to a year ahead of Jimmy Page and company, they set the world of British blues-rock firmly on its head, a blistering combination of youth, ambition, and, despite those tender years, experience that, across the course of their debut album, did indeed lay the groundwork for all that Zeppelin would embrace. That Free and Zeppelin were cut from the same cloth is immediately apparent, even before you start comparing the versions of “The Hunter” that highlight both bands’ debut albums. Where Free streaks ahead, however, is in their refusal to compromise their own vision of the blues — even at its most commercial (“I’m a Mover” and “Worry”), Tons of Sobs has a density that makes Zeppelin and the rest of the era’s rocky contemporaries sound like flyweights by comparison. The 2002 remaster of the album only amplifies the fledgling Free’s achievements. With remastered sound that drives the record straight back to the studio master tapes, the sheer versatility of the players, and the unbridled imagination of producer Guy Stevens, rings crystal clear. Even without their visionary seer, however, Free impresses — three bonus tracks drawn from period BBC sessions are as loose as they are dynamic, and certainly make a case for a full Free-at-the-Beeb type collection. Of the other bonuses, two offer alternate versions of familiar album tracks, while “Guy Stevens Jam” is reprised from the Songs of Yesterday box set to further illustrate the band’s improvisational abilities. As if they needed it.
Read more
Johathan Freeman-Attwood, John Wallace, Colm Carey – The Trumpets That Time Forgot (2004)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 58:55 minutes | Scans included | 3,39 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 978 MB
Features works by Richard Strauss / Edward William Elgar / Josef Gabriel Rheinberger| Linn Records # CKD 242
…Outstanding and strikingly idiomatic ensemble music creatively reimagined for two trumpets and organ.
In the expansive acoustic of Hereford Cathedral, these three musicians draw the listener into a late-Romantic world of outstanding and strikingly idiomatic ensemble music. Yet none of these pieces are, in fact, original trumpet and organ works. The transformation from a violin, cello and organ piece – in the case of the Rheinberger Suite – reveals an extraordinary new 19th-century sound world of dazzling dialogues, wide dynamic range and beguiling lyricism. As composers could not imagine the potential of the medium in the decades either side of 1900, The Trumpets That Time Forgot deliberately makes up for ‘lost time’ and re-establishes the trumpet as a solo protagonist in what is supposed to be barren land for all but the cornet showpiece.
Read more
Free – Free Live! (1971) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 40:42 minutes | Scans included | 1,64 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 806 MB
Although Free made excellent studio records, Free “Live” is perhaps the best way to experience the band in all its glory. Led by singer-guitarist Paul Rodgers and lead guitarist Paul Kosoff, the band swings through nine songs with power, clarity, and a dose of funk. Of course, the hit single “All Right Now” is gleefully extended, much to the audience’s and listener’s delight. Superbly recorded by Andy Johns, this is one of the greatest live albums of the 1970s.
Read more
Free – Free (1969) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 47:30 minutes | Scans included | 1,96 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 958 MB
Free’s second album was recorded with the band itself in considerable turmoil as principle songwriters Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser demanded strict discipline from their bandmates, and guitarist Paul Kossoff, in particular, equally demanded the spontaneity and freedom that had characterized the group’s debut. It was an awkward period that saw both Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke come close to quitting, and only the intervention of label chief Chris Blackwell seems to have prevented it. Few of these tensions are evident on the finished album — tribute, again, to Blackwell’s powers of diplomacy. He replaced original producer Guy Stevens early into the sessions and, having reminded both warring parties where the band’s strengths lie, proceeded to coax out an album that stands alongside its predecessor as a benchmark of British blues at the turn of the 1960s.
Read more
Free – Fire And Water (1970) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2010]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 35:37 minutes | Scans included | 1,44 GB
or DSD64 2.0 (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Full Scans included | 1,41 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 702 MB
Features the 2010 DSD mastering based on Japanese original analog tape. Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD transferred by Manabu Matsumura.
If Fleetwood Mac, Humble Pie, and Foghat were never formed, Free would be considered one of the greatest post-Beatles blues-rock bands to date, and Fire and Water shows why. Conceptually fresh, with a great, roots-oriented, Band-like feel, Free distinguished itself with the public like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple did (in terms of impact, only) in 1970. Free presented itself to the world as a complete band, in every sense of the word. From Paul Kossoff’s exquisite and tasteful guitar work, to Paul Rodgers’ soulful vocals, this was a group that was easily worthy of the mantle worn by Cream, Blind Faith, or Derek & the Dominos.
Read more
Fred Jackson – Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’ (1962) [APO Remaster 2009]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 73:25 minutes | Scans included | 3,0 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,34 GB
Unjustly ignored at the time of its release, Fred Jackson’s lone album, Hootin’ ‘N Tootin’, is a thoroughly enjoyable set of funky soul-jazz with hard bop overtones. It is true that Jackson doesn’t try anything new on the set, but he proves to be a capable leader, coaxing hot, infectious performances out of guitarist Willie Jones, organist Earl Vandyke and drummer Wilbert Hogan, all of whom were collegues of Jackson in the Lloyd Price band. All of the songs on the album are Jackson originals, and while there are no substantial, memorable melodies, they provide an excellent foundation for the group’s smoking interplay. Both the uptempo R&B numbers and the slower blues give the musicians plenty of opportunity to flaunt their chops while working the groove, and the result is a modest but highly entertaining set of earthy, bluesy soul-jazz that should have been heard by a wider audience.
Read more
Fred Hersch Trio – Everybody’s Song But My Own (2011) [Japan 2015]
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 63:22 minutes | Front/Rear Covers | 2,57 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Front/Rear Covers | 1,42 GB
Fred Hersch is one of the greatest jazz pianists of our generation. Equipped with Bill Evans-esque lyricism, boundless imagination and fierce creativity, he has recorded many beautiful albums for various labels. His career was almost cut short by AIDS, but he came back from a near-death experience and began recording again. From this background comes his surprising first album for Venus Records. Unlike his recent releases, this album consists entirely of standards. Aided by John Herbert on bass and Eric McPherson on drums, Hersch displays his prestine tone, elegant interpretations of the standards, and his improvisational flair which often climaxes towards the end of a tune. An inspirational, strong trio album from the contemporary master of jazz piano.
Read more
Fred Hersch – Personal Favorites (2006)
SACD Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 65:02 minutes | Scans included | 2,8 GB
or DSD64 2.0 Stereo (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Full Scans included | 2,56 GB
or FLAC 2.0 (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 1,2 GB
Features Stereo and Quadrophonic Surround Sound | Label: Chesky Records # SACD 324
Fred Hersch is an American jazz pianist and educator. He has performed solo and led his own groups, including the Pocket Orchestra consisting of piano, trumpet, voice, and percussion. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 70 of his jazz compositions. Hersch has been nominated for several Grammy Awards. This compilation of celebrated pianist’s best-loved recordings for Chesky culls material from three discs-1991’s Forward Motion, 1993’s Dancing in the Dark and 1994’s The Fred Hersch Trio Plays.
Read more