Golden Age Classical Records - Mercury Living Presence Hi-Fi Stereo
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- The Golden Age of Classical Records is a series I have been working on to showcase the great classical records that were produced during the late 50's and early 60's. Among the greatest labels was Mercury Living Presence. In this video, I comment on some famous records from Mercury, and what makes the label so unique and still desirable to audiophiles and music lovers.In addition to large scale orchestral records, they featured much music for band and wind ensemble, many premiere recordings of 20th century composers, as well as a series of organ recordings. Among the conductors recorded for Mercury are Antal Dorati, Frederic Fennell, Paul Paray, Howard Hanson, and Sir John Barbirolli. Soloists included Byron Janis, Henryk Szeryng, and others. the label was also one of the pioneers of recording on 35mm magnetic film.
00:00 Introduction
01:07 Prokofiev / Dorati
08:05 British Band Classics / Fennell
11:36 Composer and His Orchestra / Hanson
13:22 Balalaika Favorites / OSRFO
16:06 Stravinsky / Dorati
18:39 Conclusion
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![Magnificent Mercury-Mercury Living Presence Stereo Series [1955 1968]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0_tmZXa_JeU/mqdefault.jpg)
Great
Thank you!
Mercury living presence was my introduction to audiophile pressings of music!! Soft spot whenever i see them in the wild
Yes it's always a thrill to see that banner splashed across the top of the records from this series. The jackets can be beautiful too. It's was so cool finding these back in the early 90's. Never pay a premium unless you can hear them though. Surfaces in originals can be an issue. We really need a top tier reissue campaign for this series.
Two of my favorite Mercury Living Presence recordings are Paul Paray's version of Chabrier Espana and Ravel Rapsodie Espanole. These recordings were made in the Cass Technical High School auditorium in Detroit and the sound is excellent.
Another great one is the Enescu Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1 with Antal Dorat and the London Symphony. A dynamite performance😊
I agree, both the Chabrier and Ravel are excellent. I will probably include them in the next installment when I pick another 5 titles. Apparently I only have the Enescu on a Golden Import but sometimes they can be really good.i appreciate all your comments and suggestions. Thank you so much for contributing great info to the discussion 😁
Oh yes, I'm familiar with the Mercury Living Presence Series sound quality. 😻 Whenever I see them in the wild, I buy them if they're in good shape and don't cost too much. I don't have many, but what I do have sounds great. The one I particularly enjoy is the Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture lp. 😻 It just rumbles. I wasn't aware of the Mercury Golden Import versions of these recordings. That's a great tip, and I'll keep a look out for them. I never cease to be amazed at your in depth knowledge of classical music lp's. Thank you again for sharing your experiences and knowledge with us, sir! 👍👍👍
Thank you! It's about time for a deeper dive into the label. I'll start listening for second round picks!
That recent reissue done by Thomas Fine was excellent, and my pressing was great. For the price, I think it's worth it for anyone who'd like to hear an excellent version of it on vinyl. I do agree that Dorati's version is excellent, but Ansermet's reading with l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is also right up there. The Ansermet on Speakers Corner is just mind-blowing and the pressing is excellent. Those are my top 2 favorites with the Firebird 1919 Suite being next - Muti conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra (Hi-Q records pressing is excellent!). This one has enormous dynamic range and I highly recommend it. One can't ever have too much Stravinsky! =)
Hi and thanks for the informative comment! I too enjoy Ansermet's take on this and have his in a Blueback, Stereo Treasury and Speaker's Corner. I'll have to pull out the Speakers Corner again for a fresh listen. I've only tried the Firebird from Tom Fine's reboot of the series. I did get a good pressing on second try and Can recommend it as an affordable way to get entry to this recording. It has a bit more hiss than the Classic, but I'd rather some hiss than noise reduction. I think I was still using the Hana SL when I auditioned it, and that cartridge exaggerated surface noise in my system. The AT 33 EV does not, so I should take the new one for another spin! Thanks for the tip!
Hi Scott. I am looking foreward to this Video.👍😁 Greetings Reinhard 😊
I hope you like it!
@@ThePressingMatters for shure👍🤩
Scott, I love your classical music videos. Your commentary and enthusiasm is inspiring. It is your recommendations that have me searching these forgotten gems.
Thank you so much for letting me know how much you like these videos. I really enjoy sharing what I know and hope others will give this music a chance. It's a vast world of beauty to explore. It's also an area of collecting that doesn't have to cost much to explore which is refreshing!
Thank you so much for the Hanson recommendation. The lecture was incredible and the music is pretty amazing as well.
Hi John!
I'm so glad you checked it out! I learned a lot about the process from that record. Did you find a copy or hear it through CD or streaming? I haven't seen an LP since I found mine decades ago.
I saw your video and immediately tried to find it through streaming, which was difficult but I got there in the end. I find orchestral colour fascinating and it was one of the best introductions to the topic I have heard. I might try to get it permanently on disc, if it’s available
That's so cool! It's not been reissued so enjoy it on streaming! Of course if you ever see it in the wild in good shape, grab it. There was a Vol 2, that came out of Mercury Golden Imports, but I'm not sure if the original did.
Fantastic! I always look for your coverage of classical music especially.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for watching and for your support and encouragement. More to come!
You’re videos just keep getting better and better 🎉 Great job Scott
I appreciate that Marco. I can be hypercritical as you know lol, and I appreciate that you can see the small improvements over time. Thank you for your donation.
Hi Scott! Another great teaser for buying some more classical music. I bought the 2006 Speakers Corner release of the British Band Classics by confidence and I was blown away by the marching band sound in my room. Although I am teased to buy the CR 45 set, I am quite happy with the SC pressed by Pallas, and it is still obtainable at low prices. It is amazing that this record is still somewhat overlooked. A hidden treasure.
Hi Thomas! I want a Speakers Corner of British Band Classics. Where do you see them for a good price?
Discogs!
@@thomashertl3037 of course!
Thank you so much for this video. This is awesome. I often pick up cheaper classical music records for the interesting covers, so I will definitely keep my eye out for these.
Im glad you liked this video! You definitely can't miss an early Mercury jacket. They practically beg you to take them home with the bold banner, bright color images and shiny laminate finish. They are beautiful in and of themselves. Don't miss any Golden Imports!
Thanks!
Thank you so much, Marco for your continued support!
Wonderful and informative video, Scott. Looking forward to more of these.
Thank you George, glad that you found it of interest! I plan to do one on early London /Decca and another on EMI classical. After that I'll bring up individual titles from those labels and other noteworthy records I've discovered over the years. Thank you for supporting these videos. I'm so happy they are gaining fans!
@@ThePressingMatters Thank you, Scott for all the great reviews and info on these great records. I'll be hunting for the Dorati/Firebird. I have the Telarc [Robert Shaw?] you mentioned and it's great. But Dorati is awesome, especially on Merc. He also did a great Respighi, "Ancient Air and Dances" on MLP as well. Looking forward to your next installment.
@@georgeholoubek6600 Thank you for your comments, George. The Mercury is one of the greatest and an essential for someone interested in the rich history of Mercury. If you can get the Classic, that would be my first choice. The 33 is highly regarded and the 45 gives you a bit more at the expense of continuity.
Wow, awesome job! You open me up to more classical albums! Thank you so much
Wish we could go record shopping. You have so much knowledge. Bravo bravo bravo
Fantastic
Thank you Scott. Thank you so much
Thank you Joey. If you search out one of these, the first one, Love For Three Oranges / Scythian Suite is probably most accessible and a sure bet. I know you'd love it. I think Firebird would be a good second choice. The other three are for more hardcore Mercury fans, which you might be after hearing those two!
@@ThePressingMatters I am on the hunt. Thank you so much!
Great job
If you ever make a trip to Miami, we'll go record shopping!
@@ThePressingMatters sounds great. Thank you and have a great week!
Bravo bravo Bravo
nice review of these titles, also the speakers corner re-issue of British Band classics is quite good.
Thank you! British Band Classics was probably my first record of this type of music. Might as well start at the top! I don't think most people realize how enjoyable band music can be.
Great to see you discussing these gems. I have all the Classic Records versions (a couple in 33 and 45) and they are stunning. I do not know that Hanson record at all - well worth seeking out methinks. I have most of the Speaker's Corner Mercury reissues which are also excellent. I especially love the Paul Paray catalogue, and would highly recommend anyone to buy the two recent box sets on CD put out by Eloquence. Incidentally, I assume you/ve heard the exciting news about the DG Original Source LP series coming out soon. I wrote a big piece for Tracking Angle about this. Now we just need to get Chad to do a Mercury series as you suggested!
I think one of the problems with that is that the MLP tapes are in Europe in Philips possession. I doubt they’d send them overseas to be remastered unless someone there remastered them.
Didn't Chad do one Mercury on 45? Perhaps William Makee who did many of the Decca Living Stereo could do the remastering as he did with those. Where there's a will, there's a way. The stumbling block may be Tom Fine. He has been doing his digital reissues and he may have some say in how the catalog is done. I missed most of the Speakers Corner titles though I do have three - the Janis Rachmaninoff, the Dupre Widor, and Paray Daphnis. Hopefully we see more from someone, but I think Chad is the obvious best choice. Can you imagine seeing these jackets in high gloss Stoughton tip ons with all analogue remastering? That would be exciting! 25 choice titles. Hope my dream comes true.
Sure, I buy them as well. Honestly, though, I’m not sure how much of an improvement they could do over the Speakers Corner, the Classic and the Decca releases. I think ORG did Love for Three Oranges as well. I think it would be a better idea if they recorded it to DSD and then sent it over. They could still be excellent.
But I think we may be dreaming. The AP’s RCAs sell but slowly. Let’s face it there isn’t that much interest in classical music these days except by a small minority. I’m thrilled tat at least we now have several sources for the Mercury in very good sound. And, btw, the covers of the MLP Decca releases, though not tip-on or glossy are clearly thicker than the standard releases. I like them a lot.
@@ericlubow4354 You're probably right, and I must start searching out what's still available of the Speakers Corner reissues. I have seen some Decca titles but I didn't know enough about them to try one. The prices originally seemed very reasonable. I had wanted to try The Black Maskers - isn't that one of them? Did you try any of the Abbey Road ones from Tom Fine? I only bought Firebird.
Yes, I bought Fiesta in HiFi. It’s a wonderful record of American composers. The sound on some of the tracks is phenomenal. I have a quiet RFR - tremendous dynamics. Also have the SC version. Honestly, the reissues are terrific. Didn’t get any others because I already had the Classics
and the SC.
I have most of the original Mercuries in WLP(other colors towards the end), that are more dynamic than the dark burgundy labels.
Hi Bruce, I've never found one of those out in the wild, but I'm not surprised that they might be mastered a bit more dynamic. I'll be on the lookout for them. Honestly the situation with the original pressings is generally frustrating. In my experience it's hard to find truly quiet ones. I hope an organized all analogue reissue campaign will come some day. These recordings deserve it. I think Tom Fine's efforts are notable but it seems a misstep to do them digitally. I can only base that on The Firebird. I think someone like AP could really do a definitive series right.
So many of the GOLDEN IMPORTS were excellent. I have most of them. Yes, the dynamics might not be up to the originals but in other respects they make up for it.Did you see Arthur Salvatore’s comparison? He thinks they’re much better tha the originals.
I keep up with his website and I have noticed he's added some over the years to his lists. They are well worth seeking out.
Did you get any of the three volume Mercury Living Presence box set from Decca a few years ago? I found them terrific with excellent sound. There are quite a few that Speakers Corner never did.
No i haven't. I would think those are the way to go with those titles. I think the originals do have compromises , and have so far preferred reissues. I have one Speakers Corner, the Byron Janis Rachmaninoff - excellent.
BG did 6 for Classic Records:
3 Oranges
Balalaika
Fire Bird
Española
Chabrier
Ravel
Oh yes I know, I actually have all 6, but I always forget about HI Fi Española! Mine is not the 33, it's the single disc 45 in a plain jacket.
Sometimes it is hard to get all the detail I want into a take. There's so much than could be said, and without a script, I sometimes will miss an important detail. I have tried working from a script and it didn't work out to well! It lost the natural feel of my delivery so I didn't attempt it again!
Just bought about 28 classical music recordings. Mostly Living Stereo (including the Munch rendition of Ravel’s Bolero), many Decca (including Gold Labels), some Vox, Angel and even Melodiya…about 3 to 4 dollars each. Been cleaning up with ultrasonic wash, mo-fi sleeves. Most are probably VG. A couple are VG+. The Angel recording (Angel 35116) is a beautiful rendition of Gregorian Chant. Really trying to clean that one up (very appropriate for the times, btw). Mendelsohn Midsummer Night Dream b/w Symphony No 5; on Mercury Living Presence
Your thoughts on Vox, Melodiya, Angel and the old Columbia 10 inch recordings.
Thank you for your recommendations; very helpful.
Very interesting assortment of classical labels. Of course Angel are the US versions of EMI recordings and although the UK records are usually preferable, I still collect Angels as well. I usually stick to the blue label pressings with the black rim. They are often very rare in their British counterparts, so a welcome bargain if a few dollars. The ones I like have the maroon spine and often are gold stamped STEREO on the front. They are in really nice textured jackets too. I never pass up a nice one. You mention Decca gold label, and I'm thinking you mean American Decca. There are some interesting ones, but not to be confused with British Decca. The US versions of British Decca are London labels, yet are almost all pressed in the uk at the same time as the Deccas. These are truly the same records, and much cheaper. The STS series from London has some great ones, particularly the later stampers. Not really familiar with Meloydia, and any Mercury is worth a try at a few dollars. Keep an eye out for the Golden Imports and the RCA VictrolaS as well. FUN STUFF!
@@ThePressingMatters Thanks again for your insights. Yes, american Deccas are not even the same company as the English one, hence the need for London records label in the US. I did have a couple of English Deccas and, to be clear, I concur that the presentation is superior to the American “Deccas”, which are much less dynamic and lacking as a whole; not terrible, but not as exciting and as enjoyable.
Yes I picked up a few things on the American Decca label - there are some good performances, but not great recordings by and large.
Great video & series Scott. With all I know about early stereo lps like these, the question hit me of what came first; Living Stereos or Living Presence? I think my guess along with most would be the RCA's. It's common knowledge that they started releasing in 1958, but not as common knowledge when the Mercury Living Presence series started coming out. Was it 1959? Also let's not forget that reel to reel people had factory prerecorded stereo music titles from both labels years before they perfected the stereo record groove and stereo cartridges to play them. There were so many old stereo lps ruined by people playing them with mono cartridges. What confused them was that you could play a mono lp with a stereo cartridge, and it was logical for some of them to think the other way around was alright too. It wasn't! I never got real excited finding an early stereo title until I actually got home to play it, to see how it sounds. The Mercuries were definitely a wilder ride and a faster rollercoaster than the RCA's. More dynamic and brassier, and a presence peak from a cutter head Mercury was using. I imagine the Golden Imports didn't have that problem. I heard some Golden Import pale by so much to the original that I stopped picking them up; but then I heard one that was truly exceptional, and I started viewing them in a different light; at least some of them potentially. Records like these found used often have serious condition problems; enough so that you might think you don't like the music. A cleaner copy or a cd will solve that.
The performance of The Firebird that was on the older version of the TAS list before the Dorati was the Stokowski performance on Capitol Full Dimensional Stereo. I think it was with the Berlin Philharmonic. I never did quite get why that one was on the list. It sounded so far away and distant. It was eventually dropped from the list in favor of the Mercury recording with Dorati. British Band Classics Vol.2 was one of those records I found where if the condition was a bit better, I would have liked the music a lot more. Then one day I found a double lp set of the recording (and Vol.1) on a Fontana label lp. It was mint and I soon realized what a great recording it was. Fontana might have been a British label. It had a very glossy gold colored cover which was completely different than the Mercury. The Scythian Suite in particular, was said by Harry Pearson to be his choice for best recorded symphonic piece. He referred to the Mercury Living Presence series as the greatest recorded classical music series of all time.
The Balalaika Favorites is an impressive recording. What believability and what an experience. "What big guitars" someone once commented. "Those are Balalaikas" I said. Would The Beatles or Stones have looked as cool with guitars that big? Can you name the well known Beatles song, where Balalaikas are mentioned in one of the verses?
Im not sure who was first. Seems like they both came around "59 but I'd have to Research it. I think RCA was doing mono and stereo recordings at the same time back in "57, but stereo records were not a reality quite yet. These appeared on the stereo two track tapes first.
This particular series seems to have a high number of damaged original pressings. For some reason they don't seem as well cared for vs RCA, and the pressings are iffy to begin with. Might be the mono stereo compatibility issue, coupled with the cartridges being unable to track the ultra dynamic passages and ruining them in the process. If you ding a clean original Mercury, you have gold in your hands!
I had felt the same about the Golden Imports, yet kept picking them up as they were so affordable, nice modern pressings in quiet vinyl. Some disappointed but once I hit a few winners, I kept going and have them all. There are some great ones that surpass the originals.
Some of Harry's choices do leave you scratching your head. That Capitol you mentioned is one. Another Stokowski Capitol that is terrible is Carmina Burana. Grainy distant and unlistenable.
Balalaika Favorites is a world class recording. Music may not be for everyone, hence my suggestion to stream it first, but yes the balalaika is mentioned in Back in the USSR. Maybe McCartney was a Mercury fan lol!
What are your favorite symphonic suites on vinyl? I just got the Empire Strikes Back Suite and it was an absolute revelation. Excited to hear more grown up things. Thanks!
I'll have to think about that a bit. Orchestral film scores are a great way to get into classical. I'll try and think of something and do a video on it .
@@ThePressingMatters the symphonic suite is a great format, because you get all the highlights in one short sitting. Thank you for any of your classical recommendations.
Empire is probably the best sounding record I've heard by the way, it might be worth hearing it at some point
@@AndrewBell Absolutely!
Which pressing of this are you taking about? Could you provide the label and catalogue number? That would be helpful.
L'Arlésienne Suites by Bizet are amazing if you like romantic music, which, if you appreciate film music, you probably do. I would especially recommend Claudio Abbado's recording of them with the London Symphony Orchestra on DG. Not perhaps the most audiophile, but unbelievably beautiful and exciting in equal measure. I would also strongly recommend the Tchaikovsky ballet suites, but you've probably already heard those.
Hi Scott, I'm a bit confused by the Classic 45 editions of Love for Three Oranges on Discogs and maybe you can help clarify. Did Classic Records put this out as 2XLp at 45rpm or as 4XLP single-sided at 45rpm? Are they all the same? Also, I think I saw the Munch version on the super disc list and wonder how the Dorati compares to the Munch? Thanks, Jason
Hi Jason,
As far as I know, the Classic is 4x45 only. There may have been a limited number of test pressings done of part of the record on two discs, but looking over Discogs I think you're getting confused with a 2x45 put out by ORG. It was delayed for a long time and I didn't know it had been released. There are some for sale there so I guess it was. Oddly no one has reviewed it. I have many of the Decca 45s from ORG and they are good, but in this case I would think the Classic is preferred. Wilma Cozart worked with Bernie in the Classics and they went to great lengths to get them right. I think she may have been more involved with the 33, but the source and mastering engineer are the same.
Now, looking at the TAS list, it seems they've replaced the Classic with the ORG 45. I wouldn't take that to mean it's better, and I would try to find some reviews that compare them before choosing. TAS often updated to the latest pressing after Harry Pearson left. I don't know how much weight I would put on the list these days.
I haven't found the listing for Munch doing this piece, are you sure you don't mean Fiedler. He did do it and that record is a fantastic record. It used to be cheap in its original pressing. And it was redone by AP with very good reviews. Still the Dorati is the one for both interpretation and sound, as well as historical significance.
Price wise it seems the ORG is a bit more affordable than the Classic but not by much. $125 or so for a nice ORG and up to $160 for the Classic.
I'm going to repost my comment from my post in the SHF regarding both interpretations, in case others are interested:
Based on my audition of the Fiedler tonight, I'm betting AP does a great job on this one. Fiedler seems to be really enjoying the heck out of playing this and the sound is pretty impressive on the original white dog pressing. Bass depth and dynamics are pretty astonishing. String sound isn't the best I've heard from Boston, but this could be the pressing. I sure Ryan Smith did wonders with this.
I then played the Dorati 45 Classic and i do prefer Dorati's way with this. The recording is much better though it was done years earlier. The soundstage is huge and never gets congested on the big parts. Huge bass impact and thrills galore. Quiet parts and strings sound better to me as well. It's really special, where the Fiedler is a nice alternative. The Fiedler is impressive but the Dorati is huge and threatening.
Another point to think about is the coupling for each record. On the Dorati you get a magnificent Scythian Suite with is right up there with the first side. The Fiedler has the Chopin Les Sylphides which is not as exciting, and an odd coupling.
Scott- I assume you know that photo was not Robert Fine.
I knew I should have double checked. I'll note it in the description