Yevgeny Mravinsky - Mravinsky conducts Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4-6 (2013) [Hi-Res]

Yevgeny Mravinsky made these recordings with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra for DGG whilst on a tour of western Europe in the autumn of 1960 in sessions which took place in London (Symphony No. 4) and Vienna (Symphonies 5 & 6). Although regarded still today as pillars of the recorded canon, reviews both upon release in 1961 and, quoted here, upon reissue in the 1970s, found something lacking sonically. Likewise contemporary reviews of the currently-available DGG CDs.

My aim in carrying out a 32-bit XR remastering of the recordings was to see whether a harmonic rebalancing of the recordings might serve to eliminate these reservations, and I'm pleased to report that substantial improvements have been possible. The sound of the originals was unusually boxy for 1960, with a rather constricted top end and a lack of real depth in the bass. All three of these shortcomings have been resolved here, bringing an even greater sense of immediacy and realism to these fabulous performances. ~ Andrew Rose