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Reviews: Ravel: Bolero - Boulez

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Reviews: 3

Review by nickc August 27, 2004 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Has there ever been such a magical (in the true sense of the word) composer as Ravel? And even he never created a more beautiful work than his Mother Goose Suite. I have always thought Dutoit reigned supreme in Ravel, an impression borne from his classic St Eustache recordings for Decca in the 80s. Boulez has always been accused of being a little 'cold' and may not hit the heights of rapture of Dutoit but these are magnificent recordings. Alborado del Gracioso, the first track on the second disc, explodes from the speakers in a riot of colours.
The MC mix is excellent. You can just feel the sound in Berlin's famous Jesus Christ Church (always a better acoustic than the Philharmonie) expand through your living room in a way that stereo can just hint at. The recording is of 1994 vintage so may not have the ultimate range of a new DSD production but is pretty spectacular! A treasurable disc.

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Review by jdaniel@jps.net September 15, 2004 (7 of 8 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
A special, special recording, even when it came out in standard two-channel a few years ago. This is the *best* re-release in SACD surround that I've heard from the DG back-catalog--it doesn't sound 'processed' in any way, and the Berlin strings sound even warmer than the original--which isn't always the case, as we have discovered, when PCM is transferred to SACD. Wait until you hear the surging climaxes of "Un Barque..." in the (finally) unrestrained acoustic of surround--made my skin tingle. We get the Berlin Phil playing Ravel, ( a surprising rarity), and Boulez in a very generous mood--he draws luminous playing from the orchestra and no passing beauties are short-changed in the name of poise or classical restraint. A Gramophone recommended recording.

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Review by Al September 30, 2004 (3 of 9 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Has anyone else noticed that the channels are reversed on the Stereo SACD layer? For example, on Bolero, the constant drum playing should come from the left-rear, but on this disc it comes from the right-rear instead.

I had the same problem with the Mobile Fidelity Hybrid Multichannel SACD (MOB 4002, Ravel: Bolero, Orchestral Works - Skrowaczewski).

I don't have this problem with any other SACDs. Classic Records had this same problem on some of their 24/96 DADs.

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