June 2005
The producer-engineer teams for both recordings were as legendary as the artists: Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton for the piano concerto, and James Walker and Kenneth Wilkinson for the violin concerto. The perspective for both recordings is close-up, a little closer for the Violin Concerto. The frequency range is expertly balanced from top to bottom, with rock-solid bass that never booms. Presence is palatable. JVC has worked its 24-bit transfer sorcery on both master tapes to good effect. The piano sound in the Gilels recording is singularly solid and realistic. Szeryngs violin sound is as good, with remarkable presence, but the orchestral strings on that disc are a bit harsh on top. These XRCD24s pose no sonic threat to the best SACD transfers, but they are considerably better than your average CD. The packaging is attractive, too. GO BACK TO: |