The latest set of releases has joined the Decca Pure Analogue Series, which brings beloved classical recordings to high-quality vinyl. The latest slate of recording brings works from iconic composers like Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, and Berlioz to crisp new vinyl.
The first new recording comes from conductor Sir Neville Marriner and the orchestra of Academy of St Martin in the Fields—the most recorded conductor and orchestra pairing in history. With featured soloist Alan Loveday, the musicians take on Vivaldi’s eternal score, The Four Seasons. In addition to Loveday’s violin solos, this recording in particular is notable for Simon Preston’s continuo realisation on harpsichord and organ. The concerto was recorded at St John’s, Smith Square in London in 1969.
The next recording features acclaimed conductor André Previn and violin soloist Kyung Wha Chung in her debut record. With the London Symphony Orchestra, they present Tchaikovsky & Sibelius Violin Concertos, two pieces of music in a recording that helped propel the then-22-year-old Chung to worldwide renown. The record was highly acclaimed upon its initial release in 1970 and has remained a staple of the classic music canon for over 50 years. After winning the Edgar Leventritt Competition in 1967, Chung had the opportunity to substitute for Itzhak Perlman with the London Symphony, where she was rapturously received and exclusively joined the Decca label for nearly two decades.
Finally comes the recording of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique with conductor Sir Colin Davis and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. This recording was first released in 1974 and has remained a favorite of classic music collectors and experts in the years since. Davis was known as a champion of Berlioz’s work, and the new issue from the Decca Pure Analog series lives up to that goal. Here, the music made a new stereo mix from the recording’s original, four-track quadraphonic master tape.
The Decca Pure Analogue Series has brought a number of classic recordings back to the forefront from some of the world’s most respected musicians. Recent releases include the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Sibelius and the Wiener Philharmoniker’s New Year’s Day Concert in Vienna 1979.
