This is much better
value for money from BMG. It has, emblazoned
on the sleeve, "Two complete Living
Stereo LPs on a single disc!" In
fact RCA some years ago issued this
self-same coupling on an RCA mid-price
release (RCA 09026-67958-2). In the
CD format there is absolutely no difference
in sound quality between the audio CD
in the older coupling, and the SACD
version played on a standard CD player.
Any difference is said to be dependent
on having an SACD player.
Reiner’s recordings
in this series have been enthusiastically
received by music-lovers. At last they
have now been allowed to appreciate
what superlative playing Reiner was
able to conjure from the Chicago orchestra.
On this well-filled
disc we have performances of Russian
orchestral repertoire. These would be
difficult to better anywhere and with
recordings which now more than adequately
show what the engineers were able to
get from Symphony Hall in Chicago. Let
us hope that BMG will eventually issue
all of the Living Stereo series of recordings.
They often seem to start, and then fizzle
out in mid-stream. There are many wonderful
goodies still waiting for us in the
RCA vaults, some of which have yet to
see the light of day on CD; a tragedy
for all, listeners, artists and the
company itself, through lost revenues.
The Living Stereo recordings
were originally mixed down from three
tracks to two. Now that Surround Sound
has arrived, BMG is reissuing these
recordings with the three discrete channels,
left, right and centre being separate
rather than mixed down to the two channel
sound which we are all used to. Having
the central channel available improves
the sound quality somewhat, but the
effect is minimal. Indeed in some of
these recordings, the original engineers
only recorded the left and right channels,
so the SACD and CD versions are identical.
One good check of your equipment is
a blind test to see if you can pick
out the two channel recordings – I failed.
Like many of Reiner’s
recordings, the performances have never
been surpassed, and the Pictures is
one of these. I know that there are
many first class performances around,
by eminent conductors and ensembles,
but for me, this one can hold its head
up against any comers. I would never
say that this is the only performance
to get because in such a work there
are so many perfectly valid ways of
presenting it to the public. Nevertheless,
the whole programme is in this category,
and if I was to single out one choice
from this disc it would be the Kabalevsky.
There has never been a performance to
compete with this one. It is simply
superb.
John Phillips
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner. 
BMG-RCA LIVING STEREO 82876 61394-2 [70’57"]
