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| Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition/Night On Bald Mountain/Khovanshchina. St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin, 1975. Mastered by MFSL on The GAIN 2 System by Paul Stubblebine. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab hybrid SACD (UDSACD 4004). Release Date: February 24, 2004. www.mofi.com |
In the past two decades, numerous readings of Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An
Exhibition and Night On Bald Mountain by other conductors and ensembles were
inevitably compared to the Telarc/Maazel accomplishment. Some groups provided
greater insights in many passages; but ultimately they failed to distinguish
themselves significantly from one another. Most importantly, none of them could
compete against the Telarc disc sonically. Thus, my encounter of the other discs was
often fruitless and discouraging.
My expectations for Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s re-release of a 1975 recording was
shadowed by my past experiences with all other label’s similar attempts. Then, before
I listened to the hybrid SACD, names of the companies that assisted in the creation
of this disc was printed on the back cover of the MoFi disc, rekindling a spark of hope
in me:
Tim de Paravicini, Edmund Meitner, Pass Labs, Silverline Audio, Sound
Application, EgglestonWorks, Clearaudio, Aesthetix, Stax Electrostatic, LINN &
Z-Systems.
I have Linn’s Klimax Twin solid-state power amplifier and Z-Systems’ RDP-1 Reference
Digital Preamplifier, so I became enthusiastic about the potential advantages these
two names alone would contribute to the sound of the recording. The accompanying
booklet’s inner page further tells about the recording process from the viewpoint of
the original engineer, Marc Aubort (see sidebar).
Exhibition and Night On Bald Mountain by other conductors and ensembles were
inevitably compared to the Telarc/Maazel accomplishment. Some groups provided
greater insights in many passages; but ultimately they failed to distinguish
themselves significantly from one another. Most importantly, none of them could
compete against the Telarc disc sonically. Thus, my encounter of the other discs was
often fruitless and discouraging.
My expectations for Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s re-release of a 1975 recording was
shadowed by my past experiences with all other label’s similar attempts. Then, before
I listened to the hybrid SACD, names of the companies that assisted in the creation
of this disc was printed on the back cover of the MoFi disc, rekindling a spark of hope
in me:
Tim de Paravicini, Edmund Meitner, Pass Labs, Silverline Audio, Sound
Application, EgglestonWorks, Clearaudio, Aesthetix, Stax Electrostatic, LINN &
Z-Systems.
I have Linn’s Klimax Twin solid-state power amplifier and Z-Systems’ RDP-1 Reference
Digital Preamplifier, so I became enthusiastic about the potential advantages these
two names alone would contribute to the sound of the recording. The accompanying
booklet’s inner page further tells about the recording process from the viewpoint of
the original engineer, Marc Aubort (see sidebar).
Slatkin’s version of the Pictures At An Exhibition
has a rather thoughtful arrangement that fosters
listener involvement, one that is not inundated with
over-indulgence from either the conductor or his
players. This intelligent and masterful reading of
the work favors equal objectivity on the part of the
listener, and you may soon find it rewarding as
repeated listening brings greater and more
insights.
In terms of duration, this MoFi version is
substantially shorter than my favorite disc by von
Karajan of Deutsche Grammophon, a master of
precision interpretation. The Telarc disc, of course,
continues to the be record holder of the fastest
playing of the piece.
The brilliance of this disc is the Night On Bald
Mountain, in which Slatkin and St. Louis Symphony
conjured up an impeccable tempo that served all
purposes: continuity of speed in depiction of the
orgy, lustrous tonality and a superb playing that is
rich in details.
has a rather thoughtful arrangement that fosters
listener involvement, one that is not inundated with
over-indulgence from either the conductor or his
players. This intelligent and masterful reading of
the work favors equal objectivity on the part of the
listener, and you may soon find it rewarding as
repeated listening brings greater and more
insights.
In terms of duration, this MoFi version is
substantially shorter than my favorite disc by von
Karajan of Deutsche Grammophon, a master of
precision interpretation. The Telarc disc, of course,
continues to the be record holder of the fastest
playing of the piece.
The brilliance of this disc is the Night On Bald
Mountain, in which Slatkin and St. Louis Symphony
conjured up an impeccable tempo that served all
purposes: continuity of speed in depiction of the
orgy, lustrous tonality and a superb playing that is
rich in details.
Nearly two decades ago, Telarc’s version took the
audiophile world by storm for its wild dynamics and
unprecedented bottom-end definition. Its unrelenting
tempo was fun to listen to, while reminded me of the
disco version from “Saturday Night Fever”. At that
time, Lorin Maazel’s version was the fastest and wildest. It still is.
Slatkin’s MoFi disc surpassed the Maazel standard by reasserting a more unified
tempo which accorded the virtuosic players of the St. Louis Symphony a platform for
a most coherent and fluidic performance. Slatkin nearly exerted a Germanic-like
discipline and precision upon his players, imparting newfound subtlety in the contrasts
among instrument groups without sacrificing the agility of the ensemble as a whole.
To my ears, the MoFi presentation is more firmly rooted in the classical tradition, with
less frantic overall pacing and none of the abrupt swing of pacing when compared to
the renowned Telarc/Lorin Maazel version. On top of that, the freshness of the St.
Louis Symphony’s playing was both lingering and powerful. Upon the third playing of
this disc in 48 hours, I continued to find every minute of music from the MoFi disc
intensely tasteful and devoid of boredom.
Among the last four tracks on the MoFi disc, Mussorgsky’s Dance of the Persian
Slaves from his epic opera, Khovanshchina, harnessed the most haunting score, even
more so than his Night on Bald Mountain. Reminding me of Jean Sibelius’ beautiful
but starkly melancholy Valse Triste, Dance of the Persian Slaves was more subdued in
the emotional outcry; but otherwise comparably exotic and stimulating. Running at a
little over six minutes, it simply ended too soon.
This MoFi disc competes with offerings from the likes of Deutsche Grammophon in
performance, and with Paul Stubblebine mastering the DSD transfer using MFSL's
proprietory GAIN 2 technology, who also works on releases from Seattle-based
audiophile label First Impression Music, this MoFi disc just got a new lease in life.
audiophile world by storm for its wild dynamics and
unprecedented bottom-end definition. Its unrelenting
tempo was fun to listen to, while reminded me of the
disco version from “Saturday Night Fever”. At that
time, Lorin Maazel’s version was the fastest and wildest. It still is.
Slatkin’s MoFi disc surpassed the Maazel standard by reasserting a more unified
tempo which accorded the virtuosic players of the St. Louis Symphony a platform for
a most coherent and fluidic performance. Slatkin nearly exerted a Germanic-like
discipline and precision upon his players, imparting newfound subtlety in the contrasts
among instrument groups without sacrificing the agility of the ensemble as a whole.
To my ears, the MoFi presentation is more firmly rooted in the classical tradition, with
less frantic overall pacing and none of the abrupt swing of pacing when compared to
the renowned Telarc/Lorin Maazel version. On top of that, the freshness of the St.
Louis Symphony’s playing was both lingering and powerful. Upon the third playing of
this disc in 48 hours, I continued to find every minute of music from the MoFi disc
intensely tasteful and devoid of boredom.
Among the last four tracks on the MoFi disc, Mussorgsky’s Dance of the Persian
Slaves from his epic opera, Khovanshchina, harnessed the most haunting score, even
more so than his Night on Bald Mountain. Reminding me of Jean Sibelius’ beautiful
but starkly melancholy Valse Triste, Dance of the Persian Slaves was more subdued in
the emotional outcry; but otherwise comparably exotic and stimulating. Running at a
little over six minutes, it simply ended too soon.
This MoFi disc competes with offerings from the likes of Deutsche Grammophon in
performance, and with Paul Stubblebine mastering the DSD transfer using MFSL's
proprietory GAIN 2 technology, who also works on releases from Seattle-based
audiophile label First Impression Music, this MoFi disc just got a new lease in life.
Review System:
47 Laboratory 4704 PiTracer CD transport with two Power Humpties
Harmonix Reimyo DAP-777 20bitK2 DAC
Loth X JI300 integrated 300B amplifier
Tannoy Churchill Wideband loudspeaker
Via Audio Note Sogon digital cable, Sogon interconnects, AN-Vx
interconnects, AN-SPx speaker cable
47 Laboratory 4704 PiTracer CD transport with two Power Humpties
Harmonix Reimyo DAP-777 20bitK2 DAC
Loth X JI300 integrated 300B amplifier
Tannoy Churchill Wideband loudspeaker
Via Audio Note Sogon digital cable, Sogon interconnects, AN-Vx
interconnects, AN-SPx speaker cable
| February 15, 2004 by Constantine Soo |
