Pristine Audio

Puccini: Turandot (Pristine Audio)

A most worthwhile remastering of this classic Turandot, with sonic improvements throughout [EJW]

Brahms franck PASC706

Brahms & Franck: Symphonies (Pristine Audio)

One relative novelty, plus a valuable addition to Leinsdorf’s discography [SV]

Grieg sibelius PACM126

Grieg & Sibelius: String quartets (Pristine Audio)

More pre-war classics from the Budapest Quartet [JW]

wagner knappertsbusch gotterdammerung

Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Pristine Audio)

All Wagnerians should consider this 1956 live Bayreuth Götterdämmerung [SB]

stock chicago pristine

Frederick Stock (conductor) Chicago Symphony Vol. 4 (Pristine Audio)

An absorbing study of an unjustly neglected body of recordings continues [JW]

Puccini Turandot Bjorling Nilsson Pristine PACO218

Puccini: Turandot (Pristine Audio)

Yet another classic opera recording given new lustre by Pristine’s remastering [RMo]

mengelberg congebouw pristine

Willem Mengelberg (conductor) The Concertgebouw Telefunken Recordings Vol. 4 (Pristine Audio)

Further excellent performances and transfers in this ongoing series [PSt]

Bellini: Norma (Pristine Audio)

A pleasure to be reacquainted with Callas’s Norma in this remastering of her second studio recording [PT]

Ponchielli La Gioconda Callas 1952 Pristine PACO216

Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Pristine Audio)

Pristine’s splendid enhancement of this recording into Ambient Stereo further minimises the differences between this and Callas’ recording seven years later [RMo]

puccini butterfly pristine

Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Pristine Audio)

De los Ángeles is a winning Butterfly in this classic set, now reissued by Pristine [PT]

Joseph Szigeti (violin): European Columbia Records Volume 2 (Pristine Audio)

An evergreen Beethoven Concerto with delightful encores as a bonus [RMas]

Bizet Carmen Le Conte Pristine PACO217

Bizet: Carmen (Pristine Audio)

A marvellous restoration of an old and half-forgotten recording [GF]

schoenberg unheard pristine

Schoenberg: Unheard Recordings (Pristine Audio)

An extraordinarily vivid sonic refurbishment of Stokowski’s 1941 vibrant Pelleas [RMo]

Bruckner Symphs 3-5 Kna Pristine PASC723

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos 3-5 (Pristine Audio)

Pristine offers three great Bruckner recordings from Kna in a handy, sound-enhanced set [RMo]

karajan french pristine

Karajan Conducts French Music (Pristine Audio)

Familiar recordings, probably skippable [SV]

wagner siegfried pristine

Wagner: Siegfried (Pristine Audio)

This third instalment of the Knappertsbusch Ring will not disappoint enthusiasts [SB]

Bizet Carmen Le Conte Pristine PACO217

Bizet: Carmen (Pristine Audio)

An authentically French, operetta-style Carmen of the kind you will not hear today – but over-refined and lacking punch [RMo]

Nathan Milstein (violin) The American Columbia Solo Recordings Vol. 1 (Pristine Audio)

Splendid transfers of Milstein’s 1930s baroque repertory [JW]

wagner walkure pristine

Wagner: Die Walküre (Pristine Audio)

This second instalment of Knappertsbusch’s 1956 Ring is very acceptable [SB]

puccini butterfly pristine

Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Pristine Audio)

A classic if not definitive recording, in superb sound [MBu]

Budapest Quartet Early Recordings v2 Pristine PACM123

Budapest Quartet: Early Recordings Vol 2 (Pristine Audio)

Finally, volume 2 appears and it’s well worth the wait [JW]

schubert tsong pristine

Fou Ts’ong plays Schubert (Pristine Audio)

In Fou Ts’ong, Schubert finds a true friend [NC]

Wagner Rheingold Knappertsbusch Pristine PACO210

Wagner: Das Rheingold (Pristine Audio)

This is a rewarding set, and fans of the singers, in particular, will be pleased [SB]

boult bbc pristine

Boult and the BBC Symphony – The Pre-war Recordings Vol. 2 (Pristine Audio)

A sequence of overtures demonstrates the versatility and virtuosity of Boult’s pre-war BBC Symphony [JW]