DLV Khatchaturian Masquerade Suite - Kabalevsky The Comedians - Kiril Kondrashin
This title remains a top-tier release in the Living Stereo series, with a hallmark natural presentation that avoids spotlighting with 3D imaging and gorgeous tone. It was recorded at the famed Manhattan Center, known for producing many of the greatest Living Stereo titles. This remastered version greatly enhances all of these elements from our original release and should not be overlooked.
Artist(s): Conductor – Kiril Kondrashin
Orchestra – RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Violin – Oscar Shumsky
Recording Info:
Engineer - Lewis Layton
Producer – Richard Mohr
Recorded at Manhattan Center, New York City, October 30, 1958.
Sourced from a 2-track tape
Analog: Transferred using a modified Nagra 4SJ tape deck feeding a Merrill Tape Preamp
Digital: Merging Hapi Analog to Digital Converter clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock
Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components
All components grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs

Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master
then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using
Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings
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Great Value, You Can't Go Wrong.
There's some excellent performances here. Some may not be my "Desert Island" choice but it would be going on the list for the enjoyment and excellent remastering. Tremendous value too. Russian Favourites? They're mine too. Just Marvellous.
Kyrill Kondrashin, the Supreme Band Master
This isn’t music you’d normally listen to every other Sunday or even every leap year, but in the dazzling performances we get here from Kondrashin and the American band RCA provided him with in 1959 and 1960 you may well find yourself pulling this disc out on more occasions than one. The great draw here of course is that Kondrashin proves wholly incapable of producing a cheap or sentimental sound. Instead he lavishes on these lightweight pieces a degree of rhythmic precision and orchestral detail that you’d expect him to do with a Stravinsky score – and to refulgent effect. You then also begin to discover the more wistful or even melancholic vein in some of his Khatchaturian and Kabalevsky (at 05:15!), let alone Tchaikovksy. Thanks to HDTT’s first-rate transfers from 4-track tapes the fulsome exuberance on offer here becomes as irresistible as their Liszt edition with Kondrashin and Sviatoslav Richter.
Russain Favourites
Kondrashin is at one with these pieces and the digital processing has produced something very close to a modern direct hi-res recording. Excellent!
A tale of two Shaded Dogs
Two for the price of one is always good, but especially so when they're Shaded Dogs! Here you get LSC2323 and 2398, with Kiril Kondrashin and the RCA Victor Band (whoever they were that week) delivering rollicking performances of some well-known Russian and Soviet pops. The great Mravinsky tended to overshadow all Soviet conductors of the 20th Century, but Kondrashin was a fine artist in his own right, as evidenced by performances such as these. These recordings were never in the top rank of LSCs as regards SQ, but the sound here is airy, transparent and spacious - albeit lacking bass and midrange heft, as well as being dynamically limited. Interestingly, I compared this against some (way more expensive) commercial SACDs of parts of the programme, and preferred the HDTT version. So there. You get a lot of music here, so it's well worth your hard-earned dollars.
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24bit 352.8kHz PCM Flac (DXD) DXD is only playable on compatible hardware and software.
24bit 192khz PCM Flac is playable on most all playback devices
24bit 96khz PCM Flac is playable on most all playback devices
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Gold Premium Compact Disc 300+ years longevity - The recording layer resists UV and heat better than other discs. Includes Complete Jewel case and Liner Notes
Regular Premium Compact Disc Includes Complete Jewel case and Liner Notes Budget Compact Disc contains only the disc without jewel case or liner notes
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