Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Old CSO Low Brass......overrated????????


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Richard on February 16, 2002 at 21:50:55:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Old CSO Low Brass......overrated???????? posted by dp on February 16, 2002 at 20:40:25:

Mr. Jacobs was the only one I spoke with at length on this topic. He felt that the early Living Stereos '54-56 tended to favor the strings at their expense. In fact, the '54 Zarathustra, Heldenleben, '55 Bartok Concerto, have the brass in a kind of off-mike perspective. But the few mikes that were used were placed for that sound. The horns are at a particular disadvantage in the heavy tuttis of the Strauss works, although Farkas' solo playing comes through beautifully, thanks to the orchestration, and the acoustics of Orchestra Hall. As for the Bartok, that was the sound I heard, sitting with my mother and one of her friends downstairs, too far up close and way on the side. The brass were out of sight, but not out of earshot. The recording of course has a centered perspective, but it's up close, downstairs. When I became more independent and took myself and my friends to concerts, I discovered the Gallery, which is where the brass has the most focus and presence.

It may be that the RCA audio team of Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton sampled the sound of the CSO from other vantage points, because they did evolve a sound which was more balcony/gallery like from 1956 onwards. They also developed 3-channel mastering for mix-down to two, for more control, but as they did it, the recordings turned out beautifully, and remain the standards to this day. Mr. Jacobs appreciated the later Living Stereos more than the early ones. One of his favorites was Alexander Nevsky, where he had the advantage of playing into a chorus mike. Nevsky is very "Gallery" and anyone who thinks the CSO brass was over-rated, had ensemble or rhythmic or intonation problems needs to check out this recording. I wish the hubris ridden teams at Decca had checked it out. They might have learned something. But probably not.


Follow Ups: