Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Horenstein - Liszt: A Faust Symphony; Wagner: A Faust Overture (2015) [Hi-Res]

Getting the best out of Jascha Horenstein's "early stereo" recordings made for Vox in 1957 can be quite tricky. The microphone placing used here means any number of potential compromises are necessary: a brighter remaster sounds more alive, with the brass positively shining, but the strings may occasionally sound a trifle raw and screechy; rein this in and the whole thing risks sounding dull and dead, not helped by an unusually close acoustic. Thus here I've had to tread a careful path to avoid tipping things too far in either direction, whilst maintaining the "Wagnerian weight and breadth" and "tremendous drive" referred to by Deryck Cooke in his review of the original UK LP issue. My thanks, again, to Misha Horenstein for his help and expertise in producing this recording.