Pristine Audio

mascagni leoncavallo pristine

Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana & Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci (Pristine Audio)

A pleasure to hear Björling in these excellent Pristine transfers, even if these two roles are not amongst his greatest [PT]

morini victor pristine

Erica Morini (violin) The Complete Victor Recordings (Pristine Audio)

Youthful Erica Morini’s earliest recordings from New Jersey show her scintillating in morceaux [JW]

wagner knappertsbusch gotterdammerung

Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Pristine Audio)

The culmination of a great Ring cycle has a place among the best: scintillating singing, playing and conducting [RMo]

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Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Pristine Audio)

A good but not quite superlative recording in enhanced sound [MBu]

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Toscanini: The 1939 Beethoven Cycle (Pristine Audio)

One of the finest Beethoven Symphony cycles in the best remasterings [DF]

Cav Pag Bjorling Pristine Audio XR PACO209

Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana & Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci (Pristine Audio)

Remarkable sonic restoration, almost recreation, and a must for Verismo opera lovers [EJW]

wagner siegfried pristine

Wagner: Siegfried (Pristine Audio)

Another majestic instalment of living theatre  – the best so far – in Kna’s 1956 Bayreuth Ring, in superb sound but again afflicted by persistent coughing [RMo]

wagner walkure pristine

Wagner: Die Walküre (Pristine Audio)

Pristine’s stereo remastering reveals its glories yet more vividly – but unfortunately also highlights the constant hacking of the audience and Windgassen’s coordination problems. [RMo]

gioconda pristine

Ponchielli: La gioconda (Pristine Audio)

A great Callas recording is tidied up a bit, and her co-singers are brought into better focus [RMo]

Goossens Cincinnati Symphony v3 Pristine PASC712

Eugene Goossens (conductor) – Cincinnati Symphony, Vol 3 (Pristine Audio)

Goossens’ final Cincinnati recordings complete a worthwhile 3-CD series [JW]

wagner rheingold pristine

Wagner: Das Rheingold (Pristine Audio)

A great performance revitalised in extraordinarily vivid sound – another Pristine remastering triumph [RMo]

mahler boult pristine

Mahler: Symphonies 5, 7 & 8 (Pristine Audio)

A specialist issue, but Mahler devotees and admirers of Sir Adrian Boult will find it fascinating [JQ]

donizetti lucia lammermoor pristine audio

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio)

Pristine refreshes Callas’s 1959 stereo recording and prompts a re-evaluation of its considerable merits [PT]

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Ponchielli: La Gioconda (Pristine Audio)

No one who loves this opera can afford to be without this recording for Callas’ unique insight into the title role [GF]

mahler boult pristine

Mahler: Symphonies Nos 5, 7 & 8 (Pristine Audio)

Revelatory Boult in Mahler from the archives [LD]

cherubini medea pristine

Cherubini: Medea (Pristine Audio)

Callas’ stereo studio Medea gets the Pristine XR treatment [PT]

donizetti lucia lammermoor pristine audio

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio)

On balance, still the best of Callas’ recordings of Lucia di Lammermoor [RMo]

Beethoven: Symphonies 7 & 8 (Pristine Audio)

Great, essential performances, clearly recognisable even with less than ideal sound quality [PBW]

Puccini Manon Lescaut Tebaldi Pristine PACO201

Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Pristine Audio)

A so-so “classic” recording [RMas]

cherubini medea pristine

Cherubini: Medea (Pristine Audio)

Pristine’s revitalising of the sound here goes a long way towards countering any criticism of Callas’ sole studio recording of Medea [RMo]

donizetti lucia lammermoor pristine audio

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio)

Callas’ stereo remake is a more mature and inward reading of the role – now in even fresher sound [GF]

brahms toscanini pristine audio

Toscanini: The 1948 Brahms Cycle Vol. 1 (Pristine Audio)

Toscanini at his best in these great live concert recordings from 1948, lovingly remastered [GPJ]

Frederick Stock Chicago v3 Pristine Audio PASC699

Frederick Stock (conductor) Chicago Symphony, Vol 3 (Pristine Audio)

Further evidence that Stock was an exceptionally able conductor [JW]

cherubini medea pristine

Cherubini: Medea (Pristine Audio)

This recording is an established classic, and should be in every decent opera collection, especially in this newest incarnation [GF]