Ilse Hollweg, Sir Thomas Beecham, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Beecham Choral Society Grieg Music From Peer Gynt XRCD24

TAS Rated 4/5 Music, 4/5 Sonics in the April 2013 Issue of The Absolute Sound!
Audiophile XRCD24 Mastered from the Original Analogue EMI Master Tapes!
Can Be Enjoyed On Any CD Player!
Sir Thomas Beecham's influence on classical music during a span of several decades across the twentieth century was unparalleled.
In contrast to many other recordings from this period, EMI did not choose Kingsway Hall in 1957, but the large Studio 1 in Abbey Road. The elaborate production process took five days in the still young stereophony, but producer Lawrence Collingwood had the right instinct and was to create an extraordinarily successful recording. The interpretation by Sir Thomas Beecham is still considered groundbreaking today.
The XRCD remastering took place in 2012 at JVC Mastering Studios in Yokohama, using the existing analogue stereo mix of the recording, which was flown in from London. Old master Tohru Kotetszu sat at the controls and was supported by Kazuo Kiuchi and Shizuo Nomiyama. The recording still contains a subtle background noise, but at the same time appears in previously unheard dynamics and openness. In particular, the fine dynamic ramifications and attack of the choir were wonderfully worked out.
"The first thing I noticed in the comparison was that the Hi-Q disc sounded slightly smoother, with slightly better definition and separation of instruments. Next, I noticed that the Hi-Q product was slightly firmer and clearer overall; it was slightly less veiled, as though removing a fine layer of gauze from the sonics. I also noticed that the Hi-Q sound was slightly stronger in dynamic range and transient impact, with slightly more-extended highs and slightly tauter bass." - John J. Puccio, Classical Candor
The Norwegian Poet and Playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt in 1867, but it was not until 1876 that an abridged version, with incidental music by Edvard Grieg, was produced at the Christiania Theatre. Peer Gynt, fashioned from Norwegian folkfore, is a Poetic Fantasy based on a character of the same name, who appears in the role of a great hunter, and slayer of Trolls in Absjornsen's "Norwegian Fairy Tales".
Edvard Grieg, intensely nationalistic and saturated with Norwegian folk-music, had already made his mark in the musical world with his Piano Concerto in A minor, and his delightful songs and small scale works, for which he had a particular genius. The two orchestral suites made from the Peer Gynt music soon took their place amongst the popular in the world. (Although not everyone knows the fantastic adventures of Peer Gynt, every music lover knows the music written for him.)
The first concert music to be heard by Sir Thomas Beecham was that of Edvard Grieg. He became devoted to this composer's music making his recordings unequalled. This album contains perhaps the most glorious performances of Peer Gynt music ever recorded.
"The interpretation oozes the usual Beecham charm, long one of my favorites in this music, and the sound is obviously better than ever... What Beecham brings to the table is his characteristic twinkle, lighting up the music with enchantment and charisma aplenty... Hi-Q have remastered it using JVC's XRCD24/K2 processing, a technology I've described in the past that is meticulous, time consuming, and costly. It results in the best possible transfer of information from a master tape to a compact disc... The Hi-Q packaging, too, is first-rate. The disc comes housed in a Digipak-type container, with a cardboard cover and back, bound text and pictures in the center, the CD fastened to the inside back cover. With its glossy coating and original cover art, the package couldn’t look better." - John J. Puccio, Classical Candor, January 15, 2013
"[S]limmed-down glossy cardboard boxes... exude the perfectionist nature of the product... These are thoroughly engaging readings that never seem self-consciously 'expressive.' ...The two selections with solo soprano, 'Solveig's Song' and the concluding 'Wiegenlied,' are exquisite. The chorus is naturally integrated into the sonic picture and percussion details - tambourine, triangle - are easily heard over full orchestra, as they would be in life. There's a terrific sense of all the singers and players breathing the same air on stage.. [O]rchestral color is vividly presented..." - Andrew Quint, The Absolute Sound, April 2013, 4/5 Music, 4/5 Sonics

Features:

• Mastered from the Original Analogue EMI Master Tapes!
• Superior Audiophile XRCD24
• XRCD24 is a standard "Red Book" CD and can be enjoyed on any CD player

Musicians:

• Ilse Hollweg, soprano
• Beecham Choral Society
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Sir Thomas Beecham, Bart., C.H., conductor

Selections:

Edvard Hagerup Grieg (1843-1907)
Peer Gynt
1. Wedding March
2. Ingrid's Lament
3. In the Hall of the Mountain King
4. Morning
5. Ase's Death
6. 1st Arabian Dance
7. Solveig's Song
8. Anitra's Dance
9. Return of Peer Gynt (Storm Scene)
10. Wiegenlied

Recorded at Studio No. 1, Abbey Road, London on 5, 18, 21 & 29 November and 1 April 1957