From the MusicWeb International Listening Studio: March 2025 Report
by John Quinn
Discs auditioned
Bruckner – Symphony No 7. Pittsburgh Symphony / Honeck (details here)
Bruckner – Symphony No 6. China NCPA Orchestra / LÜ Jia (details here)
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No 4. Barenboim / NPO/ Klemperer (details here)
Puccini – La Bohème. Soloists Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan (details here)
Sibelius – Symphony No 5 / R Strauss – Ein Heldenleben. Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan (details here)
Mahler – Symphony No 7 BRSO / Rattle (BR Klassik 900225)
Shostakovich – Symphony No 4 Oslo Philharmonic / Mäkelä (details here)
Ravel – Daphnis et Chloé. LSO / Pappano (details here)
Elgar – The Dream of Gerontius. Gabrieli / McCreesh (details here)
When David Dyer, Len Mullenger and John Quinn got together in the MusicWeb International Listening Studio in mid-March, it came as something of a shock to realise that, due to such things as holidays and crowded diaries, our last session had been as long ago as July 2024. It was time, then, for some serious catching up and we included several releases that had appeared in 2024, as well as some much more recent offerings.
The first disc to go in the player was one of many released last year to celebrate the bicentenary of Anton Bruckner. The recording of his Seventh symphony by Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony was widely admired when it came out; indeed, so highly regarded was it by MusicWeb’s reviewers that it was the clear choice as our Recording of the Year for 2024. Subsequently, the disc won the 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Engineered Classical recording. Today, we listened to the first movement. Immediately, we were impressed by the richness of the sound produced by the horn and cello sections; the word glowing would not be inappropriate. The recording has a very full dynamic range but, then, so does the orchestra itself under Honeck’s direction. We admired the way that Honeck builds climaxes. We greatly appreciated the tonal weight of the Pittsburgh Symphony when required as well as their delicacy in the quieter passages. Two striking features of the recording are the firm (but not excessive) bass and the clarity with which the various elements of the orchestra can be heard, all in a very natural way. The Pittsburgh brass section offers all the necessary power but never overwhelms the rest of the orchestra or the listener. LM described the recorded sound as having a “lovely solidity”. DD’s only slight reservation was to wonder if the dynamic range, especially at the quiet end of the spectrum, might be excessive on more budget-conscious hi-fi systems. We were seriously impressed with the achievement of the engineering team from Soundmirror Inc. The GRAMMY® Award is well deserved, we feel.
We followed Bruckner from America with Bruckner from China. The China NCPA Orchestra and their Music Director, LÜ Jia recorded the nine numbered symphonies, mostly between 2022 and 2024; the complete cycle was released last year to mark the bicentenary. All the performances were set down in the Concert Hall of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Ralph Moore has reviewed all of them and was most impressed. At his suggestion we listened to the Sixth symphony and we selected the Adagio second movement. JQ teased his colleagues by inviting them to listen ‘blind’ and guess the provenance of the performance. Both LM and DD guessed, after a while, that we were listening to a European orchestra; when JQ revealed that a Chinese orchestra and conductor were responsible we all agreed it was a sincere compliment to the performers that they sound so idiomatic in this music. We liked the spacious interpretation and we admired the quality of the performance; this is the work of a fine orchestra and of a conductor who is thoroughly at home in Bruckner’s music. There was an interesting divergence of opinion over the recorded sound itself. We agreed that the sound is very good; indeed, DD preferred it to the Honeck recording. LM and JQ, on the other hand, expressed a strong preference for the Honeck recording, feeling that the Chinese engineers, for all the quality of their work, haven’t produced the sharp definition that is experienced on the Honeck disc. We agreed that our comparative judgements might have been different had we listened to the Chinese recording first. What we can say, though, is that based on the extract we heard, this Bruckner cycle from Beijing is a notable achievement, as Ralph Moore’s appraisals have suggested.
From modern recordings we went back to some famous recordings of the past which have been given a new lease of life through remasterings for SACD. JQ has reviewed the cycle of the Beethoven piano concertos which Daniel Barenboim and Otto Klemperer recorded for EMI in 1967. Warner has recently issued the set on SACDs. We listened to the first movement of the Fourth concerto, starting with the CD version. The CD to which we listened is LM’s copy though he has not listened to it for a while. He thought that the sound was better than he had remembered. JQ, who had used LM’s CD copy for his comparative review of the whole set, noted that the recording presents a firm bass but the treble end is a bit glassy. To an extent that he hadn’t remembered from listening on his system at home, the oboe sound is somewhat piercing; the players are not flattered. When we listened to the same music on the remastered SACD, JQ thought that the sound of the piano was a bit rounder. In general, the orchestral bass remains firm and though the treble is still bright there seems to be a degree more warmth and presence in the sound as a whole. The oboes’ sound is more pleasant. On the Listening Studio equipment JQ preferred the SACD sound to the CD. LM felt that the recording is a little sharper and the orchestra is a bit better defined on SACD. He also thought there was an enhancement in the piano sound. DD, on the other hand, expressed a preference for the CD sound. Overall, our verdict is that the remastering brings a bit more out of the original recording but anyone who has the CDs need not feel pressed to trade up because the differences are not substantial.
Next, we moved from the concert hall to the opera house to sample another famous recording which has recently received the SACD treatment, this time from Decca. This is the 1972 recording of Puccini’s La Bohème which featured Luciano Pavarotti as Rodolfo and Mirella Freni as Mimi; Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic were ‘in the pit’. At the end of 2024 JQ wrote a review comparing the SACDs with Decca’s original remastered CD release. The obvious part of the opera to audition was the end of Act I, beginning at ‘Che gelida manina’; we began with the CD. Pavarotti’s voice has a wonderful ring to it and the CD version presents the voice ideally; the orchestra is clear and present. Moving into ‘Si. Mi chiamano Mimi’, Mirella Freni portrays Mimi’s vulnerability in a really touching way. Again, her voice is very truthfully presented and the orchestra’s playing is very delicate; there’s real finesse here. We loved the gleam and bloom in Freni’s tone; as JQ put it, “she’s just fabulous”. It was time to switch to the SACD. We wanted to hear right through to the end of the Act, but though we decided to deny ourselves a second opportunity to hear ‘Che gelida manina’ the chance to again experience Freni’s ‘Si. Mi chiamano Mimi’ was irresistible. We noticed immediately a greater sense of acoustic space around the voices. At the start of ‘O soave fanciulla’ the ardour in Pavarotti’s singing is palpable; you can tell simply from the vocal acting that Rodolfo is smitten. Thereafter, the two voices combine gloriously and the orchestral playing is simply gorgeous. Right at the end, the distancing of the two voices is expertly managed. Decca’s recording and, of course, the skill and commitment of all the performers, draws the listener right in. Weighing up the two options, LM said that the remastering sharpens everything up; on SACD he had much more of a sense of “a stage with two characters on it”. JQ agreed. On the other hand, DD didn’t hear a great difference between CD and SACD; the CD version was already impressive. The verdict we eventually reached was that though the SACD represents an advance on the CD, the results are not as revelatory as those which Decca achieved with their Ring cycle and with War Requiem; we’ve commented on those remasterings in previous Studio sessions. It should be noted, though, that in those cases Decca were remastering recordings which were several years older than the 1972 La Bohème. We feel that, on balance, anyone who already owns this marvellous version of Puccini’s great opera can probably rest content. However, if in due course Decca offer the SACD version at a more modest price than currently, trading up will be more worthwhile.
Going back earlier into Karajan’s relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic we sampled two recordings from a huge set which the orchestra has just issued on its own label. This set contains live radio broadcasts which Karajan and the orchestra made between 1953 and 1969. The set is so large – it runs to 24 SACDs – that, uniquely, MusicWeb published a composite review by JQ and his colleague, Philip Harrison. We auditioned a disc which each of them had reviewed. First, we listened to a 1957 performance of the Sibelius Fifth symphony which JQ had covered in his review; then we sampled a 1964 account of Ein Heldenleben which was discussed by PH in his review. The 1957 performance was given in the concert hall of the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin; by the time of the Ein Heldenleben performance the orchestra had taken up residence in the Philharmonie. Both recordings are in mono. First, we listened to the finale of the Sibelius symphony. The sound is quite close and this emphasises the great urgency that’s apparent at the start of the movement. As we listened, we noted that the great polish with which one came to associate the BPO under Karajan wasn’t quite there – this performance came relatively early in his time as Chief Conductor – but on the other hand the playing is full of energy and conviction. The brass are rather overpowering – at least as recorded – as the final peroration approaches. The principal impression, though, is that the performance is absolutely compelling. LM drew our attention to the fact that Karajan did not, as many conductors do, draw out the ‘hammer-blow’ chords with which the symphony ends; this seems consistent with the urgency of his performance. We then listened to the opening section of Ein Heldenleben. Here, the orchestra isn’t quite as closely recorded; there’s more of a sense of space. We needed to turn up the volume from the level we’d used for the Sibelius in order to achieve the proper impact. By the time of this performance the Karajan/BPO partnership had been established for some nine years; it shows. There’s a greater polish than was evident in the Sibelius and, as JQ suggested, we’re getting much closer to experiencing the legendary partnership. The performance has tremendous thrust and momentum; LM described it as “white hot”. JQ hadn’t listened to this disc before – it wasn’t included in his part of the composite review – and he was seriously impressed. This substantial set is expensive but it gives a fascinating view of the way Karajan’s partnership with the BPO developed from its earliest years. On the evidence of our limited sampling, the recordings have been skilfully remastered for SACD.
Sir Simon Rattle has recently become Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and BR Klassik has not been slow to issue live recordings by the partnership. All the signs are that a Mahler symphony cycle may be on the way: the Sixth and Ninth have already been issued and the latest release is an account of the Seventh. This was recorded at performances given as recently as November 2024 in Munich’s Isarphilharmonie im Gasteig. JQ has recently received the disc for review but had not yet listened to it. We decided that the second movement, Nachtmusik I, would be an excellent test of the sonics. This is music which shows amazing powers of invention on Mahler’s part, not least in terms of scoring: ‘phantasmagorical’ was LM’s very apt description. Rattle’s famed attention to detail pays great dividends in music such as this. As we listened, we noted the exciting way in which accents are observed, the very sharp pointing of rhythms and the scrupulous attention to dynamics. The playing of the Bavarian RSO is magnificent and extremely idiomatic. LM welcomed a “lovely recording” while DD was no less enthusiastic: “fantastic recording; you feel as if you’re in the midst of the orchestra”. JQ noted that on their first appearance the cowbells are ideally distanced; later on, they are – rightly – more present. At the end, LM commented that he had heard details he’d not previously noticed when listening to this movement; yet we all agreed this was done without any artificial highlighting. This is a superb recording and a wonderful collaboration between conductor, players and engineers. JQ’s appetite to listen to the whole symphony for his forthcoming review has been well and truly whetted.
Last year Decca released a triptych of Shostakovich symphonies – numbers 4, 5 and 6 – in performances by the Oslo Philharmonic and Klaus Mäkelä. All three of us have heard the performances – and JQ reviewed the set in September 2024 – but in the year that we mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death it seemed appropriate for us to sample the set in the Listening Studio. We listened to the second movement, Moderato con moto, of the Fourth symphony. As with the Mahler disc, we experienced a very detailed, clear recording. Mäkelä and his players keenly observe and articulate Shostakovich’s music; the projection is excellent. We noted that the rhythms are sharply defined; the music is full of life in this performance and the quirkiness of the music registers marvellously. We very much admired the quality of the Oslo Philharmonic’s playing. JQ loved the way Mäkelä and the orchestra bring off the spectral end, where Shostakovich uses hushed strings and untuned percussion to telling effect; just as pleasing is the way the engineers capture that passage. LM liked the “nice, lean recording”, which was ideal for this music. The BR Klassik engineers had set the bar very high with their recording of the Mahler Seventh but the Decca team has done a fine job with this recording in Oslo.
Shostakovich isn’t the only composer with an anniversary this year; 2025 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel. To mark the occasion, LSO Live has released a performance of his masterpiece, Daphnis et Chloé. This comes from concerts given in April 2024 in the Barbican Hall by the LSO and Sir Antonio Pappano; they were joined by the crack chamber choir, Tenebrae. Perhaps inevitably we decided to focus on Part III of the ballet but we also listened to the very opening of the work. Here, the LSO’s extremely hushed playing impressed us greatly, as did the way the recording conveys the sound they make. The only slight caution we would express is that the dynamic range of both performance and recording means that listeners may strain to hear the ultra-soft beginning of the work. We moved on to ‘Lever du jour’ to experience the famous sunrise at the start of Part III. Immediately, we were struck by the great amount of detail conveyed in the recording. Pappano builds the climaxes with excellent control and then the climaxes themselves are thrillingly delivered. The playing of the LSO is absolutely top class. Initially, LM expressed slight concern that the choral parts were not as clear as he is accustomed to hearing, but JQ pointed out the deliberate use of a small chorus – 38 singers – which conforms to Ravel’s intention that the choir should just be part of the overall texture. The main climax – the aural depiction of sunrise – is superbly achieved. We also listened to the ‘Danse Générale’. In this performance it’s a tumultuous conclusion to the ballet, in which everything is expertly controlled. These last few minutes are very exciting; we admired both the thrilling precision of the playing and also the impact of the recorded sound. This recording of Daphnis et Chloé is a winner on all counts.
Crossing the English Channel, we listened to part of a recent recording of Elgar’s choral/orchestral masterpiece The Dream of Gerontius. This was recorded in 2023 under studio conditions in Fairfield Halls, Croydon; the organ of Hereford Cathedral was dubbed in (very successfully). The recording, conducted by Paul McCreesh, is notable for a couple of reasons. It is the first recording which uses instruments from Elgar’s time; these are played by the musicians of the Gabrieli Players. Furthermore, if the instruments are old, the same cannot be said of the singers: the choir comprises young British singers from the Gabrieli Roar project, joined by members of the Polish National Youth Choir; the Gabrieli Consort were on hand to sing as the semi chorus. JQ suggested we should listen to the section in Part II where the Chorus of Angelicals paves the way for ‘Praise to the Holiest’; he felt that the various elements in this episode would be a good demonstration of the recorded sound. The Chorus of Angelicals contains several layers of choral sound. Here, the young female singers produce a lovely, fresh sound. Eventually, the male voices join in and they’re similarly good. The performance displays excellent dynamic control and contrast, all of which is well conveyed by the engineers. When the chorus ‘Praise to the Holiest’ erupts, both the performance and the recording itself are thrilling. The choral lines are clear and, later in the section, the double choir division is well delineated. After the reprise of the ‘Praise to the Holiest’ outburst, Paul McCreesh drives the music forward very quickly indeed but even at this pace the choral singing is disciplined and well defined and everything is very clear in the recording. JQ thought that on the Studio equipment the integration of the Hereford Cathedral organ was even more successful than he’d experienced on his own system. The instrument is ideally presented; it makes its presence felt, as it should, without being in any way overpowering. LM found much to admire in the sound; he felt the recording conveyed an impression “very like actually being there”. His only reservation was that he would have liked a stronger spotlight on the two soloists, especially the tenor, though JQ pointed out that at this juncture in the work Elgar’s focus is principally on the chorus. LM took that point, observing that in this recording the chorus certainly makes an impact. JQ was delighted on the Studio equipment to hear a recorded performance which he had greatly admired in his original review.
Once again, our time in the Listening Studio had run its course, compelling us to leave for next time recordings of French organ music and works by Kurt Weill. We’d experienced several outstanding recordings on this occasion. BR Klassik’s Mahler recording took the palm but it was a close-run thing, with Decca’s Shostakovich and LSO Live’s Ravel providing stiff competition. As ever, though, we are full of admiration not just for the musicians whose work we experienced today but also for the audio engineers and remastering technicians, whose skills and sensitivity in reproducing the music enabled us to enjoy to the full all these performances.
Equipment used
Meridian 808i Digital preamp + Series 5 CD player
Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus 802D speakers
Tellurium Black Diamond speaker cables
Bryston 14B3 power amp (Power output: 600 watts/channel into 8 ohms)
Oppo BDP-105D DVD / Blu-ray player
Audioquest Interconnects. Pre to Power Audioquest Water XLR.
Chord Co. ‘PowerAray Professional’
Chord Co. PowerHAUS M6 mains cleaner
Chord Co. Power Block
