1224.00 PLN

51 CD:

Nr kat.: 4785437
Label  : DECCA

THE ANALOGUE YEARS

In the late 1940s, the pioneering Decca recording engineers perfected a new set of microphone techniques that allowed the full range of frequencies to be fully heard by listeners for the first time, and the term ‘full frequency range recording’ was launched. It was a major revolution in sound quality, and the beginnings of high fidelity. Perfected with the birth of stereo in the mid-1950s, Decca’s ‘Full Frequency Stereophonic Sound’ became a worldwide hallmark of sonic excellence and a golden age of classical recorded music was born. THE ANALOGUE YEARS presents a 50-Album overview across 53 CDs, in original jackets, of the celebrated international recordings that emerged from the London-based record label in that pre-digital era. by Roy Gregory | February 1, 2014 f the sudden flood of high-value CD box sets has abated, at least to some extent, it looks like sheer quantity is being replaced by quality. It’s not that the original offerings were dubious -- far from it -- but recent offerings have really raised the bar, with Decca’s latest bobbing to the top of the heap. The original Decca Sound box, in its distinctive red-and-blue chest, was a comprehensive history of the Decca classical labels, from the mono days of FFRR, through the early stereo days of FFSS, Argo and L'Oiseau-Lyre, right up to the latest CD issues. There were more than a few real gems in amongst those 50 discs, but there were also a few landmark titles, like Decca’s first digital release (Biskovsky/VPO New Year’s Day Concert In Vienna) and The Three Tenors, choices that reflected the commercial rather than artistic high points of the label. Still, at less than $3 a disc, the set as a whole was a massive musical bargain. Now comes the second Decca Sound box -- The Analogue Years -- and if the first set leaned toward the history student, this is one for the audiophile and the student of recording, its techniques and evolution. Few classical collectors would argue that the Decca catalogue in the '60s and '70s represented something of a golden age, but to start with at least that reflects the quality of the recordings as much as the quality of the artists roster. Great recordings capturing emerging talents was a recipe for fantastic records and musical documents that have withstood the test of time. I’m not going to laboriously run through the repertoire here -- life’s too short and you can just search Amazon for the complete list -- but suffice to say, it’s both extensive and musically and sonically rewarding. With 54 discs to choose from, there shouldn’t be many potential purchasers questioning the value here, but that’s only half the story. Of those 54 discs, 36 have considerable additional material added, reflecting the shorter run time of the original LPs. Tot up the extra tracks and you are probably looking at the equivalent of 75 LPs, especially if you consider that there are two operas and several longer works here that originally constituted two- or three-disc sets. Nor are the extra offerings mere filler. So, Britten’s 1972 Snape recording of scenes from Schumann’s Faust is paired with a previously unreleased 1963 performance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, captured in Kingsway Hall by the legendary Kenneth Wilkinson. And therein lies the clue. - https://www.theaudiobeat.com/music/decca_analogue_years_cd.htm