Album Reviews

Dept. of Corrections: Due to a miscommunication between myself and Speakers Corner's Kai Seeman, I was led to believe this lush, yet detailed reissue was the first to be mastered by Maarten DeBoer, after the retirement of Willem Makkee at the newly refurbished Berliner Mastering facility in Hanover, Germany.

Unfortunately, that information was incorrect, though the original, erroneous headline remains. This release was the last to be mastered by Mr. Makkee, who retired after mastering this.

Makkee went out in style as this reissue of a much sought after original Mercury title is a superb-sounding transfer that's rich, detailed and dramatic. It easily bests the Golden Import version I have and while I haven't heard an original, Mercury connoisseur Richard Foster told me it beats the sound of the original.

The elegant, stately dance music, written by the Italian composer better known for "The Birds," "The Pines of Rome" and "The Fountains of Rome," and performed by the Philharmonia Hungarica, is based on music originally written for lute.

Comprised of three suites written between 1917 and 1932 and scored variously for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, brass, timpani, celesta, harp and strings, the melodic "street" music is easily grasped and falls on the ear with a comforting familiarity.

Respighi's lush yet open and airy arrangements cast a warm, sumptuous, delicate glow that acknowledges the age of the compositions while casting them in modern, 20th Century wrappings.

As a way into "classical music" this rich, spacious recording made in the largest (1840 seat) of the three venues contained within the Vienna Konzerthaus using three omni-directional microphones is difficult to beat.

The sound verges on intoxicating, with transparent strings that are light as soufflé and plucked instruments that capture the transient bite with proper speed and authority.

The stage is wide and very deep with the recording perfectly capturing the reverberant field and giving it just the right amount of attention so that the instruments project both delicacy and immediacy.

An aural feast that's easy to recommend!