![]() It doesn’t compare to Reiner (RCA) as an interpretation, but it is an excellent alternative version because of Stokowski’s special brand of orchestral color. Scheherazade is an exception that cannot be denied. Thus, his Phase 4 versions of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, a collection of Wagner bleeding chunks, Glazunov’s Violin Concerto, and other shorter works are variably interesting, but none of them could be first recommendations. ![]() Therefore, his straight repertoire recordings are frequently curiosities, in contrast to his symphonic syntheses and orchestrations, which are frequently brilliant, and no one could conduct them like Stokowski. ![]() The concept of a conductor, no matter how gifted, changing the instrumentation of composers like Berlioz and Rimsky-Korsakov is ridiculous. Subjective conducting is fine, but when Stokowski actually changed the music or the orchestration, he usually went too far. His charisma was undeniable in the concert hall, but that was not always apparent in his recordings, especially late in his career. Leopold Stokowski (9 CDs) was Phase 4’s superstar conductor. While reviewing this box set, I will primarily focus on the leading conductors, and some other individual selections, for better or worse. A new 41-CD box set, Phase 4 Concert Series showcases many aspects of Phase 4 technology in repertoire ranging from the ridiculous ( Yellow River Concerto) to the sublime (the Herrmann recordings). In fact, Phase 4 technology at its best is ideal for Herrmann’s music.īecause Phase 4 Concert Series releases have appealed to some audiophiles-and because tracking down individual releases can prove to be frustrating, time-consuming, and costly-it seems appropriate that an anthology would save listeners time and money while including some previously unavailable (and valuable) recordings. Film music provided the high point of the Phase 4 Concert Series, because Bernard Herrmann’s unique orchestrations do not require a concert hall perspective to sound good. The ubiquitous Stanley Black was basically a crossover artist who churned out numerous faceless collections of popular warhorses. Unfortunately, many releases featuring mediocre conductors like Henry Lewis juxtaposed manipulated sound and horrid performances. Other major conductors like Lorin Maazel, Erich Leinsdorf, Anatole Fistoulari, and Arthur Fiedler made a few recordings for the label. Phase 4’s big name conductors were Leopold Stokowski, Antal Doráti, and Charles Munch. Perhaps the most perverse aspect of the Phase 4 phenomenon was the fact that many of these recordings were made in Kingsway Hall, where they converted the best sounding recording venue in the world into something that was totally unrecognizable. Lilley’s recordings are usually more tolerable for purists, and some are outstanding. ![]() Bannister was generally more aggressive in the way he manipulated the sound. Some recordings sounded outrageous, and others were reasonably realistic.Īrthur Lilley and Arthur Bannister were Phase 4’s principal engineers. This spotlighting was seemingly random in nature and had little to do with musical values. Decca’s instrument for achieving more blatantly flashy recordings was a massive 20-channel mixing console capable of manipulating the listening experience by highlighting soloists, instruments, and instrumental groups within the sound field. American producer Tony D’Amato never claimed to be interested in recreating a purist concert hall experience. The design was to make more spectacular recordings that emphasized stereo directional effects and added variable amounts of artificial reverb. Its more controversial classical releases ran parallel with but were completely separate from Decca’s highly regarded classical division, which at the time was making formidable recordings like the Solti Ring. Phase 4’s popular bestsellers made a big initial splash. RCA replaced Living Stereo with Dynagroove and Decca’s American subsidiary (London Records) initiated Phase 4 in 1962 with popular and crossover releases, and eventually in 1964 with classical music on the Stereo Concert Series. After nearly a decade that is frequently described as the Golden Age of Recording, led by Mercury Living Presence, RCA Living Stereo, and British Decca, record producers, especially in America, were eager to maximize the effects achievable with stereo sound. The 1960s were a time for major change, and not necessarily for the better in the classical recording industry.
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