Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Sibelius Available Now
UPDATE 2024
We played a 4S/1S copy of this record, VICS 1069, and thought it sounded terrible.
It was flat and bright with splashy cymbals and crude brass.
Even if we assume the copy we played many years ago could have been much better than this latest pressing — which is doubtful but certainly possible — there is no reason to pursue this version of the album when there are known top quality pressings of this very same performance on Decca.
Our Old Review
DEMO QUALITY SOUND and quiet surfaces too.
I don’t know when I’ve heard this album with better sound. This one may be better than the best Shaded Dog for all I know — it’s that good.
You’ll notice that there is a copy of this very same record on the website for $1.99. That one sounds dull. I don’t think you’ll be able to find a better sounding copy of this record than the pressing we are selling here, because it really is an exceptionally good sounding record. If it weren’t, it would be more like $1.99.
UPDATE
Yes, we used to sell some records for $1.99 in the early 2000s. Probably should have donated them to the Goodwill. Most of our run-of-the-mill classical goes there now. The local record stores don’t want them anymore. That ship has sailed.
Notes for this pressing
Yet another wonderful example of just how much energy and power the deservedly-lauded Decca recording engineers were able to capture on analog tape in the earliest days of stereo.
These spectacular works are played with deep feeling – we know of no better performance, or any recording of these pieces with better sound.
Further Reading
SPA91 (matrices 2K/1K -new 1970) is GROSSLY inferior to the SB2063 original (1960 new 1U/1U stampers) – matrices 1E/1E.
Just a few seconds of Finlandia will demonstrate that – for starters the Brass powerfully surges – but is flattened in SPA91.
A better example is SPA89 (Scheherezade/Monteux ) 1K/1K which has power/Bass extension somewhat lacking in the original 1D/1D – 1966 UK reissued same matrices as VICS1013.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for your helpful comments.
We wanted to order up a copy of SB2063 and give it a listen based on your helpful recommendation, but all the copies on Discogs are 1D/1D. No 1E/1E pressings in site.
Perhaps you have misread the stampers of your 1E/1E copy?
We are not fans of Jack Law’s (Mr. D) cuttings in general and would probably not want to spend the money to find out his Finlandia is like a lot of his other work, no up to par.
Best, TP
In my Enthusiasm transposed matrices D/E; otherwise – No Contest.
1960’s UK RCA Victrola/SB are typically ‘K’; the above 2 unusual as earlier SPA typically ‘W’.
Maybe buy mine (will start re-selling sometime)..brand new record/sleeve – bought from a ‘mad scientist’ (WW2 Bletchley Park) nearly 30years back – ‘audiophile’ collection).
As you realize SPA can be good -SPA152 (Stravinsky/Monteux) is well-worth investigating – superior to the SB (considerable bass extension- and, very interestingly, are 3D/2D -must be around the last ‘D’s) – but SPA121 (1W/1W – Elgar/Brahms-Monteux) is less compelling (‘second generation sound’) compared to the SB/VICS (1D/1D).
So it’s worth trying them out – probably lots of ‘sat-upon-sonics’ though!.
Fair enough, will get one in and give it a spin.
TP