Mercury Living Presence to release hybrid SACDs

[Guest GregM]

LAUNCH OF MERCURY LIVING PRESENCE RECORDINGS ON SUPER AUDIO CD

The Decca Music Group, which owns the celebrated Mercury Living Presence classical catalogue, is pleased to announce the launch of Mercury Living Presence recordings on the new audiophile format, Super Audio CD. Mercury Living Presence continues to enjoy a special reputation as one of the most enterprising and prestigious labels in the history of classical recording, with many of its classic 60s and 70s recordings never leaving the catalogue.

The first releases are slated to be released late fall/winter 2003, and will include such notable recordings as Antal Dorati’s complete Firebird ballet, Rachmaninov’s 2nd and 3rd piano concertos with Byron Janis, the complete Bach solo cello suites from Janos Starker, Respighi’s popular Ancient Airs & Dances with the Philharmonia Hungarica and a disc of Suppé overtures from Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony.

The Decca Music Group is also delighted to announce the full support for these new SACD releases from the legendary founder and producer of Mercury Living Presence, Wilma Cozart Fine. The discs will feature new DSD (Direct Stream Digital) analogue-to-digital transfers from the original analogue master tapes. Most excitingly, these new SACD discs will also include a 3-channel transfer of the original 3-track recordings, as well as a new DSD stereo mix. This will be the first opportunity for Mercury Living Presence enthusiasts to hear their favourite recordings in the original 3-track format.

All Mercury Living Presence SACD issues will be ‘hybrid’ discs – that is, the discs will incorporate the CD recording along with the new SACD mixes, making the discs fully compatible with all existing CD players.

Future releases of Mercury Living Presence SACDs are expected to include the famous 1812 Overture recording from the Minneapolis Symphony and Dorati, American repertoire from Frederick Fennell, and such celebrated one-offs as the Balalaika program from the Osipov Russian Folk Orchestra.

The distinctive logo and livery of Mercury Living Presence will be retained for these releases.

http://boards.iclassics.com/cgi/dcforum/dc...conf=DCConfID11

[Z-Man]

BIG thumbs up to the Starker. Many would disagree with me, but Starker's 1963 take on the Cello Suites is my personal favorite.

[Guest GregM]

I'm looking forward to that one in particular.

[Claude]

That's great news. I love those vintage classical recordings from the Mercury Living Presence and RCA Living Stereo series. The Rachmaninov piano concerts played by Byron Janis are absolute classics.

Let's hope they put out more interesting stuff than the Suppé overtures, the Balalaika concert and the 1812 Overture, which are are mainly audiophile demonstration discs. They have many artistically important recordings in their archives.

50 Years Living Presence: 1951-2001

Mercury Living Presence Series (listing)

Edited August 20, 2003 by Claude

[Stefan Wood]

Cool! Now RCA would do the same thing for their Living Stereo line.......

Edited August 20, 2003 by Stefan Wood