Philips’ Mercury Living Presence CD reissue series was one of the biggest classical successes of the early 1990s. Whether or not that achievement can be repeated a decade later with SACD remains to be seen, but the new DSD remasterings do bring us closer than ever before to the sound of the original 2-channel stereo master tapes (the SACD layer also includes a new 3-channel mix). Howard Hanson’s symphonies emerge with a new vibrancy and impact, thanks to the sound’s greater clarity, presence, and expanded dynamic range. The composer leads the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and Chorus in stirring, authoritative renditions of his own works, even though the playing may not be up to the standard of today’s best ensembles (as it certainly is in Leonard Slatkin’s beautiful performance of No. 2 with the St. Louis Symphony).
Mercury’s standard close-perspective engineering puts you in the front row, or maybe even on the conductor’s podium, where every detail (the woodwinds in particular) registers with razor sharpness. While no one new to these recordings will mistake them for modern-day productions (the tape hiss is a dead giveaway), it’s nonetheless stunning how well these performances sound nearly five decades later. Still, the difference is not so dramatic that owners of the original CD issue need dip into their pockets again–but newcomers shouldn’t hesitate to experience these classic performances from a legendary label. [12/14/2004]
