Category: SACD

Title: The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell – Schubert: Symphony No. 9 (1970-2019/2019)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

The final recordings of George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, “The Greats,” newly hybridized to SACD from the original domestic analog master tapes. Newly remastered. Featuring new liner notes. George Szell (1897-1970), who passed away in July 1970 shortly after his first visit to Japan for the Osaka Expo, recorded this “Great” performance—truly his swan song—alongside Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and others for the old EMI label in April of that same year. It has now been revived on the latest SACD. Released as a commemorative LP that same year, this performance has long been cherished as a definitive recording evoking his former glory. Note: This is released as a commercially available SACD single-layer disc. For this reissue, a master digitally converted at 96kHz/24bit from the original UK master tapes was used, with separate new mastering for the SACD layer and CD layer. Features new liner notes. A permanent collection edition. The legendary recording by the Cleveland Orchestra arrives on SACD hybrid disc. While commercially available as a SACD single-layer disc, this marks its first release as an SACD hybrid disc. The previous stereo recording from 1957 also featured a solid structure and intricate dynamics, with particularly impressive agility in responding to the mood of the fourth movement. This new release further showcases a remarkable sense of stability stemming from the strength of their bond, along with a richly elevated musicality. Through the latest high-quality digital conversion and mastering, I believe you can sense an even more accomplished and splendid world created by both artists. Note that this recording occasionally exhibits noise originating from the master tape, some distortion, and techniques typical of recordings from that era. However, as always with our reissues, we respected the original master and aimed for mastering that prioritizes the texture of the instruments and the musicality. We hope you can appreciate the artistic vision of this historic masterpiece even more deeply. For this series, the SACD layer aims for extended high frequencies, soft nuances, high resolution, and a rich soundstage, while the CD layer strives for a cohesive, solid sound with a tangible, present-to-the-touch tonal quality. The CD itself possesses high potential; indeed, we encourage you to enjoy this as an SACD hybrid disc that allows you to savor the best of both formats. This 22nd installment of the Definition Series will release a total of three titles. <Production Notes> As noted in the accompanying booklet, during mastering we conducted thorough comparisons with previously released versions. We strived for optimal mastering that respects the original analog master tapes while maximizing the music’s potential. Generally, master tapes are raw material prior to final production. Their condition and quality vary significantly depending on the recording era, storage conditions, and the label’s approach to the master. Therefore, while the degree of processing differs, the fundamental principle for most cases is to apply only the absolute minimum necessary processing tailored to each final product format.。

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