I bought a few of these and loved them. I didn’t really know my way around classical music and decided to follow these curated sets. It took me a couple of years but I have all 62 and a couple of 45s they released from the series. I’m currently purchasing all of the DG Original Source series and it has been very interesting. The Bruckner cycle box set is just incredible. A whole world of amazing music and these are probably just the ones that sell well. Classical music is so rewarding!
You went about it like I did back in the original pressing era. I bought by label. RCA, Mercury, EMI, Decca London, Lyrita. Never regretted any of them. Then I did Classic and Chesky, Testament and Speakers Corner. And finally the AP Living Stereo! I need to get the rest!
I really hope Chad keeps all of his classical in print. I have a full run of the Classic reissues (which I love, apart from the early ones) but there are still a few titles that AP has done which I do not have.... Love Rubinstein. Saw him play at my school when I was about 15, sat on the stage about 10ft from the keyboard and could see everything he was doing. Remarkable - such refinement and soul in his playing, and he made it look and sound effortless. His autobiography is a terrific read. He was a very, very naughty boy!
I hope so too, but it doesn't seem to be the case. He told me there are no plans to repress, unless they have extra jackets. I also have the complete run of Classics, so after picking up a few heavy hitters, I'm slowly picking up the ones that were not done by Classic. This one was top on my list, and you saw the next two in the video. I may get The Sea and The Four Seasons next. That's great you saw Rubinstein. I can imagine what am experience that was! I've heard good things about the Carnegie disc, so that is on my wishlist too.
Thanks Scott, once again your timing is spooky. I'd received an email from AP about this second batch, then lost the email and forgot about it. My dad left me a pile of records from this era, and I was going through them just yesterday. There is his beat-up copy of Rachmaninoff's 2nd. He didn't take care of his records, and he played them a lot. He'd just pile 5 or six of them onto his walnut Electrohome stereo console, throw the switch and let the BSR changer do its worst. He loved it. He was about as far from an audiophile as you can get, but he loved classical music. He worked for a radio station in Hamilton Ontario, and he asked the program director for advice on classical records. The guy told him, just pick records from RCA, Mercury and Columbia, conducted by Reiner, Dorati and Walter. Just buy whatever you like from them; let those guys do all the QA, trust their judgement, you can't go wrong. Not bad advice, it turned out.
Well first of all thank you for your confidence in me, and I'm so glad you decided to get this record. Its one you'll always treasure. For more recommendations, check out my playlist called The Golden Age of Classical Records. They'll be more classical suggestions coming soon too.
You did not inquire of me but the Solti Venice LP is one I would recommend. My grandfather had the original RCA shady dog and I grew up hearing that Dance of the Hours I know it by heart. Every track on that record just sings. Today, I have his old LP and the ClassicRecords reissue. AP had released theirs but I am not certain if it is out of print or not.
I bought the AP/QRP reissue in summer 2023. You’re right, this record is stellar in every way. Rubinstein’s performance is beautiful and exciting and perfect. Reiner and the CSO totally nail it. The piece itself is gorgeous. I hadn’t listened to this in some months. After your review ended, I put it on and am once again blown away. Thanks for getting the word out to your community of subscribers that this is definitely one to pick up. R.
I just received that Rubinstein last week in an order from Acoustic Sounds. I had all of the RCA Living Stereo albums in my wish list and had been ordering them over time. But since some of them were disappearing I decided to order all of them, and of course the "Stravinsky: Petrouchka" was out of stock by this time. Back in the '90s I subscribed to almost all of the hifi magazines, including TAS and Stereophile. Well I recently subbed to those two again and got the first issues, although I had been watching some of the TAS videos on RUclips. It use to be that all the reviewers were deeply into classical music, but it seems that has changed. So many channels now are at best into jazz, and many just rock. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but back in the '50s movies had awesome orchestral scores, which I think worked as a stepping stone into classical for me. But Hollywood these days just dumps a bunch of old or new pop and rock into films. I guess it's just part of the mediocre educational system and general dumbing down of America.
Great comment and glad that you got ahead of the news I'm about to share. Many of these are not going to be repressed. If there are jackets left there might be but don't count on anything. I heard this today from Chad himself. I'll be announcing it soon. I'm going to have to order what I can afford now.
@@ThePressingMatters I've been trying to get the "Mercury Living Presence" records also, and now the "Deutsche Grammophon" too. I made a dumb mistake on my last order and bought two Mercury albums I already had, both are Janos Starker, #SR90303 and #SR90370. I did that numerous times back when I belonged to all of the CD record clubs, lol.
@@ThePressingMatters #SR90303 Janos Starker: Dvorak, Bruch Violoncello Concerto · Kol Nidrei and #SR90370 Janos Starker: Bach, Suites For Solo Cello No.2 In D Minor No.5 In C Minor. They are both very good and he was great on the cello.If you need them let me know as they are still sealed from Acoustic Sounds. Another one I just got is #SR90304 Rafael Puyana: The Golden Age Of Harpsichord Music. I'm not a big harpsichord fan although I do like a lit of the baroque Bach stuff, but this is totally different. From the info on the album he had two custom built instruments made and they sound amazing, almost like a hybrid of harpsichord, piano and organ. Very cool.
Haha, I have the LSC-2068 - Analogue Productions RKS in the shelf for couple of months, but never had the time to listen to it. Will do today :) Thank you Scott.
That's it! I've also got that Reader's Digest issue with Wild, but with different cover art. Great sound and one of the most exciting piano performances I've heard on record.
Another thoughtful and in-depth overview of this record. Your reviews are like listening to NPR but with more heart and sole in your delivery. Thanks again and cheers!
Hi Micheal, Thank you so much for watching and the lovely complement. I do try to set a certain tone and relaxed but informative delivery. I try to picture as if I'm talking with friends, which in a way I am!
The reviews that I have seen so far have all been very informative, in-depth and thoughtful and your approach to the review is very easy to listen to and relate to. I know that your background in classical is far greater than mine will EVER be but I find that you use descriptions and evaluations that I can relate to regardless of genre. Looking forward to ALL of your reviews moving forward... Cheers!
Thanks Scott, for the great review, I happened to have that readers digest box, never played it, as thought was going to be disappointing, I will give it a spin, thanks for the tip!
Piano concertos must be among the most challenging musicial events to record and mix. Thank you for your attention to Rubinstein who is almost completely lost to “wider audiences” today (as is classical music generally in North America; I am confident there will be a renaissance eventually). I have Rubinstein's Chopin Concerto No. 1 on RCA Red Seal (1961) with the NSO of London. My mom bought it new (We didn’t have stereo until the '70s!).
Big thanks for this video Scott, hopefully your thoughtful reviews of this series will move a few units and get these titles back in print. I have about a dozen AP RCA Living Stereos and they are all top notch. I’ll be picking this up soon… I’m holding out for whatever Black Friday savings that may be in store. Anyways thank you for a few minutes of distraction from the current election bombardment most of us are enduring. 💙💙💙
I know, the stress level is high right now for me too. My advice, after speaking with Chad today, is to get this and any others you want, as there are not repressing the bulk of them. I'm going to make a hit list and get my must haves, a couple a month. I'd grab this one before the video really takes off. People are ordering due to the review.
Thanks for another great video. It feels like I'm visiting a friend when you talk about music and records. I immediately visited Acoustic Sounds website and ordered this record....plus 3 more to get free shipping. Not really sure if I saved money on that financial decision. 😂🤣
I do the same calculations! It makes me feel better. I'm sure you're going to enjoy this as much as I did. I'm also glad that you acted on it right away. I heard from Chad for the first time ever today about an unrelated matter and made sure to ask about the Living Stereo repress situation. In general, this is the last time for most of them and he was surprised this was still available. As this video gets some traction, the copies left will be gone sooner than later. I also want to thank you for your donation to the channel. I'm glad to have you here as part of the community. Take care and let me know how you like this record once you've settled in with it.
RCA made a practice of very short total timings for many of their top artists. For example, Rubinstein's later Rachmaninoff 2nd with Ormandy and Philadelphia has a length of 33:43. Also, the Heifetz/Reiner Tchaikovsky and Brahms Concertos are 29:34 and 34:29 respectively. The shortest timings I'm aware of are the Heifetz Sibelius at 26:43 and the Heifetz/Piatigorsky Brahms Double at 29:18.
Very interesting! Do you think it was for better sound, or that the big name would sell the record, and they could hold back "filler" for another release?
@@ThePressingMatters I think the short timings were not an attempt for better sound for a few reasons. Firstly, artists such as Heifetz and Rubinstein wielded more power than is customary today and could always threat to take their services elsewhere as Horowitz did. Secondly, the vast majority of home stereo systems during this time did not have component systems, but single units often in a console so the fantastic quality of the material was not realized in most homes. This changed as the market evolved to separates and then the home listener was able to finally appreciate what was actually on the records. It is interesting to note that Mercury Living Stereo were a bit longer during this era but their artists were considered a step down from the RCA stable. The bottom line is that we are blessed to have these fabulous recordings to enjoy.
Good move, Anthony. Unfortunately, the word today from Chad is no represses unless leftover jackets. This is the end of the line. I'm glad you grabbed this one.
Another great video Scott not sure why it arrived so late on my feed. My UK location is the only reason I’m not all over those fabulous sounding AP Living Stereos. It just adds way too much on top especially after Brexit removed the relative affordability of German record sellers as an option. I suspect Chad will continue the same approach as Speakers Corner banging out a few of the same old classical favourites when there is the occasional spare capacity but nothing new that would add significant overheads. I do think genre mixing channels like yours and Michael’s are doing an amazing job as a gateway into the joys of Classical. Keep up the great work!
Thank you, my friend. I can understand the hesitation of purchasing these overseas. I did have a brief text conversation with Chad, and there's not likely to be represses of this series unfortunately. I hope all the companies will do an occasional classical reissue like Impex did for the Heifetz record, The Lark. A well-done surprise once in a while would be fantastic.
@ Thanks for the heads up Scott, I do have a very small number of AP Living Stereo’s on my want list so it’s useful to know this might be the final chance. The Lark was awesome I ordered that one after your rhapsody of a review!
I've also been awaiting the 'Venice' repress. I do have the Classic 33rpm but am so curious to hear any audible difference in the AP issue. Also been long-awaiting a repress of the Kondrashin/Khachaturian 'Masquerade/Comedians' title. You are quite fortunate to have found a lot of nice RCA Living Stereo originals many years ago. Seemingly these titles are few and far between these days - especially in clean condition. Thanks and keep the classical reviews/overviews coming!
Im afraid I have some bad news. There will not be a repress of the AP Venice. Both of us will have to be content with the Classic. I wouldn't hold out hope for the ones that are gone. Whatever is on your AP Living Stereo wish list has to be bumped up to priority status. Chad told me today there will be no more once these are gone.
I’ve been collecting these reissues all year from Chad and Mike at InGroove. I have 40 plus I think all bought this year. I understand the license has lapsed hence no represses, and of course diminishing demand. I’ve bought a few from their Chicago collection of these which are premium priced. Thank goodness for Original Source, which have outsold expectations and are now repressing a number as non numbered from this month. This title is currently en-route to me now 😍😍
Word today from Chad is that unless there are jackets left, there will be no more represses of most titles. But now or cry later but this time he really means it.
Arthur Rubinstein is one of my favorite pianist. I have many of his LP's, hi-res downloads, and the 142 CD box set that contains all of his RCA Victor recordings and the one album he recorded for Decca.
@@ThePressingMatters I look forward to more Rubinstein LP reviews. He had such a beautiful singing tone on the piano. I have the Analogue Production of Rubinstein - Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini / Nights In The Gardens Of Spain. It sounds great...especially side 1.
@mr.classicalmusic5607 The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is one of the best, and I agree about side one. Not sure what happened in the Gardens of Spain but I prefer the Decca for that.
I'm hoping to do the Chopin Nocturnes, one of my favorites. No vinyl reissue from an audiophile company. That's one that might be best on CD or digital. You want perfectly quiet playback for that set.
Oh, man! That Monteux "Petrouchka" is my standard...the sound is phenomenal--that killer bass drum and soundstage depth and width--and the performance just...magical? I have this Rubinstein/Reiner disc in an OG pressing but haven't listened to it yet. You have to love those kind of weird, "artist-out-in-the-field" covers, as with "The Reiner Sound." Does the piano have that frequent, odd RCA 'Giant Piano' effect where the image of the piano spreads from far left to far right? It's the one thing about the RCA engineering that is a bit distracting to me as it always seems out of proportion and kind of odd.
I know the effect on concerto recordings you mean. When compared to the Readers Digest, which is tightly focused and better balance between soloist and orchestra, there is some spread of the piano. I don't find it distracting in this case though
nice review. I don't think classic ever re-issued this title even though Mike Hobson dove deeply into the RCA catalog. So the only audiophile option is the acoustic sounds version. On the regular RCA issues, for sonics the uncoupled version is the copy to get. I had several copies of both for many years. On the coupled copy you can hear the compression used to squeeze the tracks into the space allowed. Assumption is probably right about RCA trying to give more music for the dollar spent to their customers. Very few had to know or care what they were giving up in sonics by buying the coupled version. Even today very few seem to be aware of the trade offs in groove spacing. Also agree with your comments on not much classical being re-issued today. Mostly pop and rock with the exception of the DG Original source series.
Thanks for the excellent comment. You are spot on with all that you have said here. I think you'll be very interested in the video which premieres tomorrow. ruclips.net/video/3lupP1Nh5Ds/видео.htmlsi=rZo-r0XTig-vl6Rh
I think the declining classical fan base is connected to the diminishing quality or lack of instrumental music programs in public schools. This started back in the late 90s and continues to this day. When budgets in schools gets tight, the first thing that goes is music. If children don't get a chance to play an actual string or wind instrument or at least hear what they sound like, they will never have interest in the sound of an orchestra. Very sad.
This is absolutely contributing to the decline. Sad state of affairs. A child with any interest would need special schooling and parents or sponsors who could afford it.
I am from the UK. The situation here is utterly dire. I am also a trumpet player & it's a very challenging environment. Opera is even worse. I work in a large office in a day job. Not one person listens to or has any interest in classical music.
@Iamusinggoogle Theres a gentleman on the panel of the Everything Classicak live stream that is in the UK. He is involved in performing classical, and has mentioned the same many times. I do say he finds some fabulous record though, mostly in charity shops. His finds are always fantastic and cheap! 99p!
If you're not aware of it, check out Mercury Living Presence: Byron Janis and Moscow Philharmonic - Prokofiev and Rachmaninov piano concertos ("first recording ever made in Russia by american technicians!") , it's simply ...beyond.
I'm interested in how you catalog your records and that might be worthy of a video. Is it always alphabetical? By composer? By director? By instrumental solos? (i.e harp, guitar, flute) Do you separate RCA LS and Decca and Mercury and, and? My collection is 3000+ and I'm struggling to figure out the best way to catalog them so that it's easier to find what I'm looking for. I already have them separated by Popular, Jazz, Blues & Classical in different bookshelves but, I need a better way to sub-divide them within those genres. Is it E for Elvis or P for Presley? Just curious how people do it.
I tell you how I do it, and it's a great suggestion for a video. My classical is by label, then order of release, or catalog number. I find this far easier than any other method of arranging the classical. Jazz, Blues, each have their own section by artist, then label, and within that catalog number. Rock Pop and Folk are together by artist, and then alphabetically by title. Soundtracks are by title of the film generally, followed by collections by film composers.
The one you said I didn't want IS the one I know I have. Those "outdoor" photographs would be pretty easy to fake, somehow I do not think they would haul a grand piano out in a field to take an out-of-focus picture, but I could be mistaken. Looks similar to the jacket on The Reiner Sound, maybe that's Fritz's backyard. Did Classic Records do a re-issue of the original shady dog? If not then I know I don't own it so this one is a good candidate for my "want-list".... Oh, Honey, here's my early Xmas present how much is in the paypal acct.
I don't mean to put down the RCA re-do. It's a fine record and the running time is still within acceptable limits. I just have always been aware of the difference, and prefer the original, just because it's unique in that it spreads out the music over so much surface and places the climax smack in the middle of the second side! You can really hear the difference. I think you'll easily prefer the AP reissue if you choose to get it. I always wondered about that photo. Must be some early photo trickery involved! Classic never did this title or the others I showed that are going to be covered soon. The Alexander Nevsky is really something!
@@ThePressingMatters No no, Scott you are spot on and have made many succinct points. I damn well want this record, the original or the AP issue. It is not expensive used on FeePay, heh; but scoring a minty copy used is not very likely so I will spend a little more for a new LP. Thanks for delving into this one.
Chad answered my questions about repressing the titles. Bottom line is this is it, and I know he really meant it. If you are interested in this, try and act on it soon.
@fueledbylove The jacket is heavy duty and the pack extremely well. Should not be an issue. Please note that they will ship the record outside of the jacket if requested.
My father had this performance in mono. He didn't buy a "stereo" until late 1969. His recording was the second version of it with the Liszt First Piano Concerto. I'm pretty meh about the Liszt too. Rubinstein/Reiner's Rachmaninoff Paganini Variations and Brahms First Piano Concerto are excellent too. A shame Reiner angered Rubinstein during a recording session. It would've been nice to have other piano concertos performed by that pair.
I always wondered why the pairing didn't continue. That explains it! Thankful that this one happened at all. Two strong personalities I suppose. I wonder if that was the case with Heifetz as well. Some of his records were with Hendl rather than Reiner.
I believe SACDs for these titles were available as well. RCA themselves did a series of Living Stereo SACDs that was short lived but affordable. I picked them all up before they disappeared.
My wife is a huge fan of Rachmaninoff. She would really appreciate hearing the original pressing or the AP/QRP reissue pressing. 😻 When you started talking about this concerto, I immediately made a connection between the music and film. There is a scene in The Seven Year Itch movie where this composition is mentioned. You can see it here: ruclips.net/video/pCiwEO_6xS0/видео.html. Tom Ewell's character in the film shares your enthusiasm for this concerto. I bet a lot of people were motivated to hear the concerto after seeing The Seven Year Itch. 🎹🎹🎹
That's right, parts of this concerto pop up in film over the years. I'm sure many know the melodies without realizing what it is. Pop fans might remember the Eric Carmen hit All By Myself also took the theme of the second movement in the lyric "When I was young, I never needed anyone. And making love was just for fun. Those days are gone... it was really effective!
@@ThePressingMatters It is used to great effect in The Seven Year Itch for sure. 😻It really is such a pity that some of the greatest music ever made is fading away.😲 It is in unison with the decline of western civilization and the rebellion against its culture.😲
@audiophileman7047 Fortunately, those who live in the big cities (myself included) have access to live classical music. It's out there, but the public at large could care less.
@@ThePressingMatters To dismiss such great music is a big mistake. It's good to see that it is being kept alive in at least a small way. I particularly enjoy attending symphony performances when possible. I just love the huge sound of a symphony. It's an audiophile's dream come true with the myriad of musical sounds produced by a large number of musicians. It can be really thrilling.
It really is. I love small scale performances as well, like chamber music. Often times a church will have organ recitals or choral performances for very little money. It is definitely out there if you look.
The decline of popularity of classical music is most unfortunate. It makes any chance of remastering and reissuing of any more Living Stereo classical albums unlikely. 😢
I sure hope this isn't true. I don't know how LS reissues, in particular, are selling. But it doesn't seem true that classical reissues are slowing down. A couple years ago, Deutsche Grammaphone announced its "Original Source Series" of reissues and those have been selling well. Other labels such as Impex put out new reissues on the regular. Scott has reviewed some of them on this channel, including "The Lark" by Heifetz.
Unfortunately that’s probably true. I don’t think there’s many young people getting into classical music nowadays. And the younger generation that’s getting into vinyl will be happy as long as target continues to carry their Taylor Swift records.
The latest AP/QRP reissues show just how great 45 rpm can be. I'd really like to see some fresh RKS or BG 45 cuts in the classic genre. Super vinyl would be accepted too, of course! 😁
I estimate that the success of an Original Source, for example, is unfortunately far behind that of a Blue Note Classical, Tone Poet series or a Pablo AP, ... . I only compare “audiophile” pressings. Overall, classical music is relatively strong, but more in the digital sector and especially in terms of CD sales. Reasons for this are that new productions are only recorded digitally - so why buy vinyl. Another reason is that classical music listeners don't follow trends and want to be cool as much as the younger generation when buying vinyl records.
Yes it is, and certainly seems so that future reissue campaigns are unlikely. I'll be picking up what I can of the titles I don't yet have over the next few months.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought a few of these and loved them. I didn’t really know my way around classical music and decided to follow these curated sets. It took me a couple of years but I have all 62 and a couple of 45s they released from the series. I’m currently purchasing all of the DG Original Source series and it has been very interesting. The Bruckner cycle box set is just incredible. A whole world of amazing music and these are probably just the ones that sell well. Classical music is so rewarding!
You went about it like I did back in the original pressing era. I bought by label. RCA, Mercury, EMI, Decca London, Lyrita. Never regretted any of them. Then I did Classic and Chesky, Testament and Speakers Corner. And finally the AP Living Stereo! I need to get the rest!
I really hope Chad keeps all of his classical in print. I have a full run of the Classic reissues (which I love, apart from the early ones) but there are still a few titles that AP has done which I do not have.... Love Rubinstein. Saw him play at my school when I was about 15, sat on the stage about 10ft from the keyboard and could see everything he was doing. Remarkable - such refinement and soul in his playing, and he made it look and sound effortless. His autobiography is a terrific read. He was a very, very naughty boy!
I hope so too, but it doesn't seem to be the case. He told me there are no plans to repress, unless they have extra jackets. I also have the complete run of Classics, so after picking up a few heavy hitters, I'm slowly picking up the ones that were not done by Classic. This one was top on my list, and you saw the next two in the video. I may get The Sea and The Four Seasons next.
That's great you saw Rubinstein. I can imagine what am experience that was! I've heard good things about the Carnegie disc, so that is on my wishlist too.
Have them all! The 45s specially sound amazing. Great of you to bring this up!
My pleasure. I haven't tried AP’s 45s but have many of the Classic 45 series. Do you have a favorite 45?
Thanks Scott, once again your timing is spooky. I'd received an email from AP about this second batch, then lost the email and forgot about it. My dad left me a pile of records from this era, and I was going through them just yesterday. There is his beat-up copy of Rachmaninoff's 2nd. He didn't take care of his records, and he played them a lot. He'd just pile 5 or six of them onto his walnut Electrohome stereo console, throw the switch and let the BSR changer do its worst. He loved it.
He was about as far from an audiophile as you can get, but he loved classical music. He worked for a radio station in Hamilton Ontario, and he asked the program director for advice on classical records. The guy told him, just pick records from RCA, Mercury and Columbia, conducted by Reiner, Dorati and Walter. Just buy whatever you like from them; let those guys do all the QA, trust their judgement, you can't go wrong. Not bad advice, it turned out.
Very good advice it was!
I bought just this record because of your review and I want to thank you ! Great!
I need some more Classical Advices, please
Well first of all thank you for your confidence in me, and I'm so glad you decided to get this record. Its one you'll always treasure. For more recommendations, check out my playlist called The Golden Age of Classical Records. They'll be more classical suggestions coming soon too.
You did not inquire of me but the Solti Venice LP is one I would recommend. My grandfather had the original RCA shady dog and I grew up hearing that Dance of the Hours I know it by heart. Every track on that record just sings. Today, I have his old LP and the ClassicRecords reissue. AP had released theirs but I am not certain if it is out of print or not.
@ I do have the Classic, but not an original, nor AP. The AP is out of print. I wonder if there was a Victrola of that record. I might have that.
@fueledbylove Actually there is a Victrola! VICS 1119! I have it!
I got mine two weeks ago! Excellent Recording Analogue Productions !!! Sounds great with my new Ortofon Blue!!
Great to her your thoughts on it. Thanks for watching!
I bought the AP/QRP reissue in summer 2023. You’re right, this record is stellar in every way. Rubinstein’s performance is beautiful and exciting and perfect. Reiner and the CSO totally nail it. The piece itself is gorgeous.
I hadn’t listened to this in some months. After your review ended, I put it on and am once again blown away.
Thanks for getting the word out to your community of subscribers that this is definitely one to pick up.
R.
Thank you so much for your comments! Its great that the review got you to listen to an old favorite!
I just received that Rubinstein last week in an order from Acoustic Sounds. I had all of the RCA Living Stereo albums in my wish list and had been ordering them over time. But since some of them were disappearing I decided to order all of them, and of course the "Stravinsky: Petrouchka" was out of stock by this time.
Back in the '90s I subscribed to almost all of the hifi magazines, including TAS and Stereophile. Well I recently subbed to those two again and got the first issues, although I had been watching some of the TAS videos on RUclips. It use to be that all the reviewers were deeply into classical music, but it seems that has changed. So many channels now are at best into jazz, and many just rock.
I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but back in the '50s movies had awesome orchestral scores, which I think worked as a stepping stone into classical for me. But Hollywood these days just dumps a bunch of old or new pop and rock into films.
I guess it's just part of the mediocre educational system and general dumbing down of America.
Great comment and glad that you got ahead of the news I'm about to share. Many of these are not going to be repressed. If there are jackets left there might be but don't count on anything. I heard this today from Chad himself. I'll be announcing it soon. I'm going to have to order what I can afford now.
@@ThePressingMatters
I've been trying to get the "Mercury Living Presence" records also, and now the "Deutsche Grammophon" too. I made a dumb mistake on my last order and bought two Mercury albums I already had, both are Janos Starker, #SR90303 and #SR90370. I did that numerous times back when I belonged to all of the CD record clubs, lol.
Which pressings of the Mercuries?
@@ThePressingMatters
#SR90303 Janos Starker: Dvorak, Bruch Violoncello Concerto · Kol Nidrei and #SR90370 Janos Starker: Bach, Suites For Solo Cello No.2 In D Minor No.5 In C Minor. They are both very good and he was great on the cello.If you need them let me know as they are still sealed from Acoustic Sounds.
Another one I just got is #SR90304 Rafael Puyana: The Golden Age Of Harpsichord Music. I'm not a big harpsichord fan although I do like a lit of the baroque Bach stuff, but this is totally different. From the info on the album he had two custom built instruments made and they sound amazing, almost like a hybrid of harpsichord, piano and organ. Very cool.
I didn't know they were still available!
Got this one, you’re so right (Analogue Productions) perfect!
It's a beauty. So glad I grabbed this.
Haha, I have the LSC-2068 - Analogue Productions RKS in the shelf for couple of months, but never had the time to listen to it. Will do today :) Thank you Scott.
This happens to me a lot.
Well you're a lucky man because it's the last hurrah for this title.
That's it! I've also got that Reader's Digest issue with Wild, but with different cover art. Great sound and one of the most exciting piano performances I've heard on record.
Earl Wild is wonderful. I have collected many other Wild performances on the Quintessence label.
Thanks!
Thank you so much Ryan for supporting what I do. Means a lot to me!
Another thoughtful and in-depth overview of this record. Your reviews are like listening to NPR but with more heart and sole in your delivery. Thanks again and cheers!
Hi Micheal,
Thank you so much for watching and the lovely complement. I do try to set a certain tone and relaxed but informative delivery. I try to picture as if I'm talking with friends, which in a way I am!
The reviews that I have seen so far have all been very informative, in-depth and thoughtful and your approach to the review is very easy to listen to and relate to. I know that your background in classical is far greater than mine will EVER be but I find that you use descriptions and evaluations that I can relate to regardless of genre. Looking forward to ALL of your reviews moving forward... Cheers!
@@MichaelRMarshall1Thanks again for joining me!
Thanks Scott, for the great review, I happened to have that readers digest box, never played it, as thought was going to be disappointing, I will give it a spin, thanks for the tip!
Oh no, it's a real treat! Some of the best recordings ever.
Piano concertos must be among the most challenging musicial events to record and mix. Thank you for your attention to Rubinstein who is almost completely lost to “wider audiences” today (as is classical music generally in North America; I am confident there will be a renaissance eventually).
I have Rubinstein's Chopin Concerto No. 1 on RCA Red Seal (1961) with the NSO of London. My mom bought it new (We didn’t have stereo until the '70s!).
That's a beautiful record you mention, and it will be included in my next video on Rubinstein.
Big thanks for this video Scott, hopefully your thoughtful reviews of this series will move a few units and get these titles back in print. I have about a dozen AP RCA Living Stereos and they are all top notch. I’ll be picking this up soon… I’m holding out for whatever Black Friday savings that may be in store. Anyways thank you for a few minutes of distraction from the current election bombardment most of us are enduring. 💙💙💙
I know, the stress level is high right now for me too.
My advice, after speaking with Chad today, is to get this and any others you want, as there are not repressing the bulk of them. I'm going to make a hit list and get my must haves, a couple a month.
I'd grab this one before the video really takes off. People are ordering due to the review.
Great advice… gotta get ‘em before they’re gone for good people!
Thanks for another great video. It feels like I'm visiting a friend when you talk about music and records. I immediately visited Acoustic Sounds website and ordered this record....plus 3 more to get free shipping. Not really sure if I saved money on that financial decision. 😂🤣
I do the same calculations! It makes me feel better. I'm sure you're going to enjoy this as much as I did. I'm also glad that you acted on it right away. I heard from Chad for the first time ever today about an unrelated matter and made sure to ask about the Living Stereo repress situation. In general, this is the last time for most of them and he was surprised this was still available. As this video gets some traction, the copies left will be gone sooner than later.
I also want to thank you for your donation to the channel. I'm glad to have you here as part of the community.
Take care and let me know how you like this record once you've settled in with it.
Many thanks for this heads up! Definitely worth considering. Please do the Chopin recordings review. Hearty greetings!
Hi Thomas,
It's definitely on my list of topics. Stay tuned and thanks for watching!
RCA made a practice of very short total timings for many of their top artists. For example, Rubinstein's later Rachmaninoff 2nd with Ormandy and Philadelphia has a length of 33:43. Also, the Heifetz/Reiner Tchaikovsky and Brahms Concertos are 29:34 and 34:29 respectively. The shortest timings I'm aware of are the Heifetz Sibelius at 26:43 and the Heifetz/Piatigorsky Brahms Double at 29:18.
Very interesting! Do you think it was for better sound, or that the big name would sell the record, and they could hold back "filler" for another release?
@@ThePressingMatters I think the short timings were not an attempt for better sound for a few reasons. Firstly, artists such as Heifetz and Rubinstein wielded more power than is customary today and could always threat to take their services elsewhere as Horowitz did. Secondly, the vast majority of home stereo systems during this time did not have component systems, but single units often in a console so the fantastic quality of the material was not realized in most homes. This changed as the market evolved to separates and then the home listener was able to finally appreciate what was actually on the records. It is interesting to note that Mercury Living Stereo were a bit longer during this era but their artists were considered a step down from the RCA stable. The bottom line is that we are blessed to have these fabulous recordings to enjoy.
Very interesting observations, thank you!
Bedankt
Thank you so much for the support! I really appreciate your donation my friend!
Great video, Scott. Thanks. Ordered lol 👍
Good move, Anthony. Unfortunately, the word today from Chad is no represses unless leftover jackets. This is the end of the line. I'm glad you grabbed this one.
Another great video Scott not sure why it arrived so late on my feed. My UK location is the only reason I’m not all over those fabulous sounding AP Living Stereos. It just adds way too much on top especially after Brexit removed the relative affordability of German record sellers as an option. I suspect Chad will continue the same approach as Speakers Corner banging out a few of the same old classical favourites when there is the occasional spare capacity but nothing new that would add significant overheads. I do think genre mixing channels like yours and Michael’s are doing an amazing job as a gateway into the joys of Classical. Keep up the great work!
Thank you, my friend. I can understand the hesitation of purchasing these overseas. I did have a brief text conversation with Chad, and there's not likely to be represses of this series unfortunately. I hope all the companies will do an occasional classical reissue like Impex did for the Heifetz record, The Lark. A well-done surprise once in a while would be fantastic.
@ Thanks for the heads up Scott, I do have a very small number of AP Living Stereo’s on my want list so it’s useful to know this might be the final chance. The Lark was awesome I ordered that one after your rhapsody of a review!
I wish Impex would try another classical title!
I've also been awaiting the 'Venice' repress. I do have the Classic 33rpm but am so curious to hear any audible difference in the AP issue. Also been long-awaiting a repress of the Kondrashin/Khachaturian 'Masquerade/Comedians' title. You are quite fortunate to have found a lot of nice RCA Living Stereo originals many years ago. Seemingly these titles are few and far between these days - especially in clean condition. Thanks and keep the classical reviews/overviews coming!
Im afraid I have some bad news. There will not be a repress of the AP Venice. Both of us will have to be content with the Classic.
I wouldn't hold out hope for the ones that are gone. Whatever is on your AP Living Stereo wish list has to be bumped up to priority status.
Chad told me today there will be no more once these are gone.
@@ThePressingMatters Appreciate the head's up on that, Scott. Much obliged. Order coming in stat! xo
I’ve been collecting these reissues all year from Chad and Mike at InGroove. I have 40 plus I think all bought this year. I understand the license has lapsed hence no represses, and of course diminishing demand. I’ve bought a few from their Chicago collection of these which are premium priced.
Thank goodness for Original Source, which have outsold expectations and are now repressing a number as non numbered from this month.
This title is currently en-route to me now 😍😍
Word today from Chad is that unless there are jackets left, there will be no more represses of most titles. But now or cry later but this time he really means it.
Please let me know how you like the Rachmaninoff.
Well done Scott! 💯
Oh yeah the Early Wild on Chesky is the Giggity Bomb!
Thanks so much!
Arthur Rubinstein is one of my favorite pianist. I have many of his LP's, hi-res downloads, and the 142 CD box set that contains all of his RCA Victor recordings and the one album he recorded for Decca.
I'll be getting to more of his work as time permits. My favorite pianist from this era, and perhaps all time.
@@ThePressingMatters I look forward to more Rubinstein LP reviews. He had such a beautiful singing tone on the piano. I have the Analogue Production of Rubinstein - Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini / Nights In The Gardens Of Spain. It sounds great...especially side 1.
@mr.classicalmusic5607 The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is one of the best, and I agree about side one. Not sure what happened in the Gardens of Spain but I prefer the Decca for that.
@@ThePressingMatters It is the same way on the CD and hi-res download. I've always thought the cover with this album is stunning.
I'm hoping to do the Chopin Nocturnes, one of my favorites. No vinyl reissue from an audiophile company. That's one that might be best on CD or digital. You want perfectly quiet playback for that set.
Oh, man! That Monteux "Petrouchka" is my standard...the sound is phenomenal--that killer bass drum and soundstage depth and width--and the performance just...magical? I have this Rubinstein/Reiner disc in an OG pressing but haven't listened to it yet. You have to love those kind of weird, "artist-out-in-the-field" covers, as with "The Reiner Sound." Does the piano have that frequent, odd RCA 'Giant Piano' effect where the image of the piano spreads from far left to far right? It's the one thing about the RCA engineering that is a bit distracting to me as it always seems out of proportion and kind of odd.
I know the effect on concerto recordings you mean. When compared to the Readers Digest, which is tightly focused and better balance between soloist and orchestra, there is some spread of the piano. I don't find it distracting in this case though
nice review. I don't think classic ever re-issued this title even though Mike Hobson dove deeply into the RCA catalog. So the only audiophile option is the acoustic sounds version. On the regular RCA issues, for sonics the uncoupled version is the copy to get. I had several copies of both for many years. On the coupled copy you can hear the compression used to squeeze the tracks into the space allowed. Assumption is probably right about RCA trying to give more music for the dollar spent to their customers. Very few had to know or care what they were giving up in sonics by buying the coupled version. Even today very few seem to be aware of the trade offs in groove spacing. Also agree with your comments on not much classical being re-issued today. Mostly pop and rock with the exception of the DG Original source series.
Thanks for the excellent comment. You are spot on with all that you have said here. I think you'll be very interested in the video which premieres tomorrow.
ruclips.net/video/3lupP1Nh5Ds/видео.htmlsi=rZo-r0XTig-vl6Rh
I think the declining classical fan base is connected to the diminishing quality or lack of instrumental music programs in public schools. This started back in the late 90s and continues to this day. When budgets in schools gets tight, the first thing that goes is music. If children don't get a chance to play an actual string or wind instrument or at least hear what they sound like, they will never have interest in the sound of an orchestra. Very sad.
This is absolutely contributing to the decline. Sad state of affairs. A child with any interest would need special schooling and parents or sponsors who could afford it.
Fortunately in our area, more string programs are being started in the public schools.
I am from the UK. The situation here is utterly dire. I am also a trumpet player & it's a very challenging environment. Opera is even worse. I work in a large office in a day job. Not one person listens to or has any interest in classical music.
@Iamusinggoogle Theres a gentleman on the panel of the Everything Classicak live stream that is in the UK. He is involved in performing classical, and has mentioned the same many times. I do say he finds some fabulous record though, mostly in charity shops. His finds are always fantastic and cheap! 99p!
Yes it is sad
If you're not aware of it, check out Mercury Living Presence: Byron Janis and Moscow Philharmonic - Prokofiev and Rachmaninov piano concertos ("first recording ever made in Russia by american technicians!") , it's simply ...beyond.
Oh yes! I have it but forgot to mention it. It is one of the great Mercury titles.
You got a great deal. I've got several Reiner recordings. Earl Wild and Ashkenazy were also fine Rachmaninoff interpreters.
Yes they were. We'll get into Decca London and Ashkenazy soon, I promise.
I'm a piano guy so I have to get this one.
It's really lovely.
I'm interested in how you catalog your records and that might be worthy of a video. Is it always alphabetical? By composer? By director? By instrumental solos? (i.e harp, guitar, flute) Do you separate RCA LS and Decca and Mercury and, and? My collection is 3000+ and I'm struggling to figure out the best way to catalog them so that it's easier to find what I'm looking for. I already have them separated by Popular, Jazz, Blues & Classical in different bookshelves but, I need a better way to sub-divide them within those genres. Is it E for Elvis or P for Presley? Just curious how people do it.
I tell you how I do it, and it's a great suggestion for a video. My classical is by label, then order of release, or catalog number. I find this far easier than any other method of arranging the classical.
Jazz, Blues, each have their own section by artist, then label, and within that catalog number. Rock Pop and Folk are together by artist, and then alphabetically by title. Soundtracks are by title of the film generally, followed by collections by film composers.
Thanks!
You're welcome!
The one you said I didn't want IS the one I know I have.
Those "outdoor" photographs would be pretty easy to fake, somehow I do not think they would haul a grand piano out in a field to take an out-of-focus picture, but I could be mistaken. Looks similar to the jacket on The Reiner Sound, maybe that's Fritz's backyard.
Did Classic Records do a re-issue of the original shady dog? If not then I know I don't own it so this one is a good candidate for my "want-list".... Oh, Honey, here's my early Xmas present how much is in the paypal acct.
I don't mean to put down the RCA re-do. It's a fine record and the running time is still within acceptable limits. I just have always been aware of the difference, and prefer the original, just because it's unique in that it spreads out the music over so much surface and places the climax smack in the middle of the second side! You can really hear the difference. I think you'll easily prefer the AP reissue if you choose to get it.
I always wondered about that photo. Must be some early photo trickery involved!
Classic never did this title or the others I showed that are going to be covered soon. The Alexander Nevsky is really something!
@@ThePressingMatters No no, Scott you are spot on and have made many succinct points. I damn well want this record, the original or the AP issue. It is not expensive used on FeePay, heh; but scoring a minty copy used is not very likely so I will spend a little more for a new LP.
Thanks for delving into this one.
Chad answered my questions about repressing the titles. Bottom line is this is it, and I know he really meant it. If you are interested in this, try and act on it soon.
@@ThePressingMatters I have ordered a new, sealed AP copy. Hopefully, it will arrive soon and without any mishap with the spine split issue.
@fueledbylove The jacket is heavy duty and the pack extremely well. Should not be an issue. Please note that they will ship the record outside of the jacket if requested.
My father had this performance in mono. He didn't buy a "stereo" until late 1969. His recording was the second version of it with the Liszt First Piano Concerto. I'm pretty meh about the Liszt too. Rubinstein/Reiner's Rachmaninoff Paganini Variations and Brahms First Piano Concerto are excellent too. A shame Reiner angered Rubinstein during a recording session. It would've been nice to have other piano concertos performed by that pair.
I always wondered why the pairing didn't continue. That explains it! Thankful that this one happened at all. Two strong personalities I suppose. I wonder if that was the case with Heifetz as well. Some of his records were with Hendl rather than Reiner.
@@ThePressingMattersThe Tchaikovsky concerto last movement was like F1 racing, Heifetz vs Reiner/CSO!
It certainly is! I have so many versions of that, but I need the Analogue Productions release.
These should be released as two(or in some cases three channel) SACD. ALL vinyl degrades and today's vinyl is based on nostalgia.
I believe SACDs for these titles were available as well. RCA themselves did a series of Living Stereo SACDs that was short lived but affordable. I picked them all up before they disappeared.
@@frankgyure3154 really? Very interesting and useful observation
Wilkinson has a legendary reputation
Those Readers Digest sets he did with Charles Gerhardt are treasure boxes!
My wife is a huge fan of Rachmaninoff. She would really appreciate hearing the original pressing or the AP/QRP reissue pressing. 😻 When you started talking about this concerto, I immediately made a connection between the music and film. There is a scene in The Seven Year Itch movie where this composition is mentioned. You can see it here: ruclips.net/video/pCiwEO_6xS0/видео.html. Tom Ewell's character in the film shares your enthusiasm for this concerto. I bet a lot of people were motivated to hear the concerto after seeing The Seven Year Itch. 🎹🎹🎹
That's right, parts of this concerto pop up in film over the years. I'm sure many know the melodies without realizing what it is.
Pop fans might remember the Eric Carmen hit All By Myself also took the theme of the second movement in the lyric "When I was young, I never needed anyone. And making love was just for fun. Those days are gone...
it was really effective!
@@ThePressingMatters It is used to great effect in The Seven Year Itch for sure. 😻It really is such a pity that some of the greatest music ever made is fading away.😲 It is in unison with the decline of western civilization and the rebellion against its culture.😲
@audiophileman7047 Fortunately, those who live in the big cities (myself included) have access to live classical music. It's out there, but the public at large could care less.
@@ThePressingMatters To dismiss such great music is a big mistake. It's good to see that it is being kept alive in at least a small way. I particularly enjoy attending symphony performances when possible. I just love the huge sound of a symphony. It's an audiophile's dream come true with the myriad of musical sounds produced by a large number of musicians. It can be really thrilling.
It really is. I love small scale performances as well, like chamber music. Often times a church will have organ recitals or choral performances for very little money. It is definitely out there if you look.
The decline of popularity of classical music is most unfortunate. It makes any chance of remastering and reissuing of any more Living Stereo classical albums unlikely. 😢
I sure hope this isn't true.
I don't know how LS reissues, in particular, are selling. But it doesn't seem true that classical reissues are slowing down. A couple years ago, Deutsche Grammaphone announced its "Original Source Series" of reissues and those have been selling well. Other labels such as Impex put out new reissues on the regular. Scott has reviewed some of them on this channel, including "The Lark" by Heifetz.
Unfortunately that’s probably true. I don’t think there’s many young people getting into classical music nowadays. And the younger generation that’s getting into vinyl will be happy as long as target continues to carry their Taylor Swift records.
The latest AP/QRP reissues show just how great 45 rpm can be. I'd really like to see some fresh RKS or BG 45 cuts in the classic genre. Super vinyl would be accepted too, of course! 😁
I estimate that the success of an Original Source, for example, is unfortunately far behind that of a Blue Note Classical, Tone Poet series or a Pablo AP, ... . I only compare “audiophile” pressings.
Overall, classical music is relatively strong, but more in the digital sector and especially in terms of CD sales. Reasons for this are that new productions are only recorded digitally - so why buy vinyl. Another reason is that classical music listeners don't follow trends and want to be cool as much as the younger generation when buying vinyl records.
Yes it is, and certainly seems so that future reissue campaigns are unlikely. I'll be picking up what I can of the titles I don't yet have over the next few months.
The walmartization of america; what sells the mo$t and is cheapest to produce
Thanks!
Thank you so much for helping support what I'm doing with the channel. It's very much appreciated.
Thanks!
You're welcome! Thank you for supporting The Pressing Matters, John!