DG The Original Source Series vinyl reissue—Debussy & Ravel: BSO/Abbado
I’ve owned and admired the original DG LP of Abbado and the Boston Symphony playing Debussy & Ravel since its release in 1970. My much-played record was in rough shape after many moves, basic youthful turntables and many, many plays over the past 53 years. You could say I know the record and repertoire intimately. I’ve played the three pieces on the LP several times; the “Suite Nr. 2” included here from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé is a veritable flute concerto.
Abbado was especially good in 20th-century repertoire, Stravinsky and the modernists, especially. But he could also conjure beautiful sounds in the French repertoire, especially when he had the great Boston Symphony as his colourist. In fact, in 1970, the Boston Symphony still had the Gallic blood of Charles Munch in its veins and many important players appointed by Munch. When Munch left in 1962, the BSO appointed an unimaginative Erich Leinsdorf and then the underrated William Steinberg before settling in on charismatic and brilliant Seiji Ozawa in 1973. So, after the seven years of Leinsdorf, young wunderkind Abbado was just the match to light the fire and take Boston back to first place. And with this spectacular record, he did.
Very happily for me, and anybody else with a wrecked original, DG’s The Original Source team at Berlin’s Emil Berliner Studio has cast their hands over this recording and polished it to gem status. Be sure, the orchestra, the hall and the conductor would seem to be an original match made in heaven. But no fear, the original DG engineering team was there to make things murky, spotlit and bass-shy. They did the same with Abbado on his LSO Le Sacre. Rainer Maillard (remastering engineer) and Sydney Meyer (cutter) did wonders for that record. You can read my review here.
It’s not all been sunshine and roses for the Original Source releases. The Emil Gilels, Eugen Jochum, Berliner Philharmoniker Brahms: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2 received some criticism for distortion, the same for the Karajan Verdi Requiem. You can read what I thought about their Karajan Mahler Symphony No. 5 here.
But on this LP, no distortion and no Karajan sound world to deal with. The original was slightly recessed, with limited dynamics. The qualities of the great orchestra were certainly heard, but the famous soloists’ tone and phrasing were subdued. Not on this splendid new release.
The vinyl from DG is silent and flat. A good-quality pressing.
The sound is very open and dynamic with lots of the hall, which is not only a surprise, but a very enjoyable attribute. Have you attended a concert in Symphony Hall? It’s a magical space. Some of that magic is on this recording—none of it was on the original.
Knowing the flute part intimately, I could hear deep into the recesses of the magnificent Doriot Anthony Dwyer’s phrasing and magical, sparkling tone in the long Daphnis solo. Her fast vibrato; we were always taught not to do it, but hers is so damn beautiful. James Stagliano's horn is suitably sad and phrased beautifully in Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte.
During the massive climaxes in Daphnis, the soundstage for the most part is clear and well-balanced. No matter how much information the original DG four-track tapes could take, some of these volumes are intense. I’m assuming no compression by the Berliner team, so, am I hearing the slightest, tiniest bit of distortion at the top of the ffff climax in the Daphnis? These are difficult to record let alone recut.
However, it is in Debussy’s masterpiece Trois Nocturnes where the real magic happens.
The microdynamics, so important in the coda’s of many of Debussy’s orchestral works, sound effortless and perfectly focused. So much so, that the almost impossible-to-get-right “Sirènes” from the Trois Nocturnes has never sounded better to me (the conductor has to balance the women’s chorus with Debussy’s very particular orchestration). Even the final, vague harmonic resolution of the work is so clear. And Debussy’s gamelan-inspired percussion clinking and splashing in pianissimo are all heard. This, almost alone, makes this Trois Nocturnes the leading recording of the work, leap-frogging Haitink’s classic Concertgebouw on Philips.
Next, the orchestra explodes out of the speakers in “Fêtes'‘.
Debussy says: "Fêtes" gives the vibrating, dancing rhythm of the atmosphere with sudden flashes of light. There is also the episode of the procession (a dazzling fantastic vision), which passes through the festive scene and becomes merged in it.”
Leading the flashes of light is the BSO’s great principal trumpet, Armando Ghitalla. The recording captures him how I remember. I spent many hours as a child in the hall listening and admiring the wonderful players on this album. Rainer Maillard and Sydney Meyer take me back to that time. Seems they “get” Abbado. Karajan, because of his incessant control room interference, is maybe a little more challenging. I’m looking forward to their Ozawa/BSO Symphonie Fantastique. The original recording is better than the Abbado Debussy & Ravel and the performance is my favourite. Please keep them coming.
Once again, I believe with only 2500 copies printed, buy before you cry.
The renowned Berlin-based Emil Berliner Studios are remastering 4-track recordings from the 1970s, using their own cutting-edge and 100% pure analogue techniques to create versions of the highest possible audio quality. Produced on 180g virgin vinyl by Optimal, the discs will be issued in deluxe gatefold editions featuring additional photos and/or recording documentation.
