Various Artists - Mercury Living Presence: The Collector's Edition Vol. 3

Same limited-edition, numbered box set approach as the other Collector's Edition sets

Every 180-gram LP is expertly remastered at the Emil Berliner Studios

Original rear inlays, to make these new pressings as authentic as possible

"One feels oneself in the living presence of the orchestra" — The New York Times

As a companion release to the Mercury Living Presence Collector's Editions, Volume 3 of this limited-edition set presents six iconic and much sought-after LPs on high quality 180-gram vinyl. This landmark release completes the project started a few years ago to release the entire Mercury Living Presence catalog in physical form. These albums were lovingly re-mastered by the original producer in the 1990s and have now been made available again. That alone is a major triumph, since the re-masters of these marvelous recordings are regarded as definitive.

Each has been restored and re-mastered from fragile tapes, thus allowing the fullest possible appreciation of this landmark label. This conversion was an engineering feat; included in this collection are performances of Respighi's Roman Festivals, Franck's Symphony in D Minor, Ernest Block's Concerti Grossi Nos. 1 & 2 and more.

The third limited edition vinyl box set has been prepared, featuring recordings by Antal Dorati conducting the Minneapolis Symphony and the Philharmonia Hungarica; Paul Paray conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Howard Hanson conducting the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra; and Frederick Fennell and the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

 

 

 

 

LP 1

Side 1

Respighi: Roman Festivals; Church Windows

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)

1. Roman Festivals, P. 157

Side 2

2. Church Windows (Vetrate di Chiesa)

LP 2

Side 1

Wienerwalzer Paprika

Franz Lehar (1870-1948)

The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe); Act 3

1. Waltz

Emmerich Kalman (1882-1953)

The Gypsy Princess (Die Csardasfurstin); Act 1

2. Waltz

Josef Strauss (1827-1870)

3. Village Swallows from Austria, Op. 164 (Dorfschwalben aus Osterreich)

Side 2

Wienerwalzer Paprika

Ernst von Dohnanyi (1877-1960)

The Veil of Pierette, Op. 18 (Der Schleier der Pierette)

1. Wedding Waltz

Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915)

2. The Skaters Waltz, Op. 183 (Les Patineurs)

Joseph Lanner (1801-1843)

3. Die Schonbrunner, Op.200

LP 3

Side 1

Block: Concerti Grossi Nos. 1 & 2

Ernest Block (1880-1959)

Concerto grosso No. 1

1. Prelude: Allegro energico e pesante

2. Dirge: Andante moderato

3. Pastorale and Rustic Dance

4. Fugue

Side 2

Concerto grosso No. 2

1. Maestoso

2. Andante

3. Allegro

4. Tranquillo

LP 4

Side 1

Franck: Symphony in D Minor

Cesar Franck (1822-1890)

1. Lento – Allegro ma non troppo – Allegro

Side 2

2. Allegretto

3. Allegro non troppo

LP 5

Side 1

Ballet For Band

Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)

Pineapple Poll Suite

1. Arranged for Wind Ensemble by W.J. Duthoit

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)

Suite La boutique fantasque (after Rossini)

2. Aranged for Wind Ensemble

Side 2

Ballet For Band

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

Faust, Ballet Music (1869)

1. Arranged for Wind Ensemble

LP 6

Side 1

Paray Conducts Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Der Fliegende Hollander

1. Overture

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg

Concert Version

2. Suite

Side 2

Die Walkure

Concert version

Dritter Aufzug

1. Wotan’s Farewell and Magic Fire Music

Rienzi

2. Overture

Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 1 person(s) rated this product.

Worth the price of admission posted on 04/04/2015 5 Stars Just for the brand new re-mastering of the 1954 mono recording of Respighi Roman Festivals and Church Windows. For all the technological advancements that have taken place since the early 50s, if audio never got any better than what I heard when I put this brand new re-issue mono LP on my turntable, I couldn't have cared less. Stunning mono (and stereo) sound on superb quality pressings as has become the norm for these reissues.

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