Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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53 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful, but watch out for a mastering error, November 6, 2000
These are of course the classic 1936-39 recordings, essential. Here in Ward Marston's new transfers they sound better than ever, and Naxos' price is lower than anybody else's (not counting the pirates). And it's terrific to see all the recording dates and master numbers listed in the credits. So, five stars on all that.But watch out for a CD mastering error, at least if you're getting an early copy. Specifically, listen to track 6 of disc 1. It is of course supposed to be movement 6 (gigue) of suite 1, but instead it is the first half (first 78 rpm side) of movement 1 from suite 6! Therefore this gigue is omitted from the set. My copy is marked "MADE IN CANADA" and here are all the stamper numbers from disc 1: DIDX-075407 5 IFPI L324. And then closer to the hole there is 6706. I am writing to Naxos' contact address (in the USA) to ask if a corrected replacement is available from a different pressing run. Also there's a typo in the credits: in the Air from the orchestral suite #3, the pianist "Otto Schulf" should be "Otto Schulhof." p.s. Naxos cheerfully replaced the defective disc soon after I wrote to them with the complaint. The good new copy of that first disc is stamped 811AF000915 and 23B61.
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33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Which remastering...which remastering...?, May 12, 2001
I'm not even going to discuss the performances because I couldn't add anything that hasn't already been said, and I have a feeling by the time you read this you've already made up your mind about Casals and Bach anyway. The issue is with this new mastering: is it "better" and how much? The Amazon review says it is significantly better than the EMI. After listening twice with audiophile-grade headphones to both sets, I've concluded...it's probably a coin toss. All depends what you like. This new one is a bit quieter and more "recessed," but to my ears the EMI sounds a bit more vivid and has more presence. At times the EMI sound gets a bit "tubby" and "smeary," especially in the fast scalar passages. At the same time, the EMI better captures the burnished tone of Casal's cello. Pedal notes, not surprisingly, are also more dramatic on the EMI. The best analogy I can give is the Naxos makes me feel like I'm at a recital sitting in the twelfth row, whereas the EMI makes me feel like I'm next to Casals. It all depends on where you want to be. Honestly, since I can't decide, I'd recommend you get both masterings of these seminal works. Both sets are fairly inexpensive and the Naxos gives you some bonus music not found on the EMI. The liner notes on the Naxos are also better. So my recommendation is for both.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic!, December 20, 2000
There is no doubt that this iteration of the Bach Cello suites is one of the finest on record. There really should be no fear of an "old" sound coming from your system when playing these; Ward Marston has done a superb job, as usual, in cleaning these up. Unless you are super sensitive to any sound other than the music coming through your speakers, you will thouroughly enjoy the sheer tonal quality produced by these wonderful HMV mastersAs for the mastering error outlined below by another reviewer, I had no such problem. The number on my discs are: Disc 1 811AF000915 6709 and Disc 2 DIDX-072408 2 6711. I assume that they caught the error and it is now being released with the correct tracks. Casals provides us with a very solid performance with plenty of personal energy and conviction. Some may prefer a more cerebral and flowing approach, but for pure passion, energy and rhythmic genius, this is the set you want. I am wholly pleased with this and I laud Naxos for making this one of the best purchases of the year for me. As the reviewer below states, these performances have never sounded better.
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