This Abbado/LSO Le Sacre du Printemps (originally from 1975) is my first review of the initial four LPs from Deutsche Grammophon’s entrance into the hot market of all analogue remasters and recuts called “The Original Source”. The four selected DG 4-track tapes (with lots more to come) were sent to the fine people at Berlin’s Emil Berliner Studios, one of the top houses for quality remastering, lathe cutting and recording in the business. Rainer Mallard producer and managing director at Berliner explains the technical aspects of the process here.

Also, The Original Source Series means no tape copies used, no unnecessary devices in the signal path and of course no digital sound processing: pure analogue. This is the shortest possible way from the original master to the cutter head.

Compared to the original releases, the advantages in sound are outstanding: More clarity, more details and better frequency response, as well as less noise, less distortion and less compression.

The LPs are remastered by Rainer Maillard and cut by young wunderkind Sidney Meyer. My copy was flawless—flat, silent and dynamic as hell with no degradation or distortion as we moved to the craziness of Stravinsky’s endings to Part One (Side One) and Part Two (Side Two). I remember playing Le Sacre in rehearsal in a confined space (about 110 players) and towards the massive ending of Part One’s “The Dance of the Earth” there was so much energy, volume and speed in the room, I felt I was levitating! It was the weirdest feeling and never happened to me again either playing or conducting, You may not levitate, but Abbado, the magnificent LSO and Herr. Maillard give it a damn good try!

The original recording was good—great hall for the space (Fairfield Hall, Croydon UK) and no Karajan to fiddle with the settings. Abbado left them to it.

I was auditioning in London at the time of the live shows as they prepared for this recording. Abbado/LSO playing just about anything was always the hottest ticket even in the dreadful Royal Festival Hall acoustics. All the Stravinsky recordings and concerts were well received, but interestingly, only Pulcinella and Jeu de Cartes (rightly so) received the raves. The three main ballets were good, but that was about it. For Le Sacre on record, one always purchased the two Decca dynamos, LA/Mehta or CSO/Solti. Well, now add this crackerjack recording and performance to the top of the list.

The best-sounding hall in London is not in London. Fairfield Hall, Croyden. 10 miles south of London.

Like all good remastering and recuts, they’re aiming for clarity, huge dynamics, micro dynamics, zero distortion and a beautiful analogue sound. Score 10/10 on every point. As Martin Gatt begins his sorrowful high-bassoon solo, you know you are in for a virtuoso treat. In 1975, the LSO was in transition (all great orchestras always are) and two years away from Star Wars, but the young virtuosos (the LSO always has the pick of the litter) outdo themselves on this performance. The ensemble is LSO tight, meaning super tight tolerances with a gorgeous tone.

After the quiet beginning, the second violins and lower strings launch themselves into the stamping "Augurs of Spring" with more gusto than I heard on the original. The brutality is quite shocking. And very cool. Soon Frank Nolan and Lowry Sanders (a chamber music prof of mine at Trinity College of Music, London) on piccolos shriek louder than I’ve ever heard before, with even the very fast, always unheard grace note very clear. And the bass pizzicato is so clear and rich in the acoustic. And perfectly imaged.

And so it goes. No matter the volume, no distortion (the tapes must have been in top shape) with the orchestra never losing its focus. The final “Sacrificial Dance” is outstanding; as exciting and voluminous as you would imagine. You’ll feel like jumping up and applauding. I did.

So, what you get is exactly what Abbado was hearing in his head a nano-second before his great orchestra made it happen. The previous incarnations only hint at it.

It’s releases like this that make the analogue world go round.

Very highly recommended.

The artwork, gatefold jacket, photos and information are all first-class.

Further information: DG Classics