Weber: Der Freischütz - Kleiber
Universal (Japan) UCGG-9091/92 (2 discs)
Stereo Single Layer
Classical - Opera
Weber: Der Freischütz
Gundula Janowitz (Agathe)
Edith Mathis (Ännchen)
Peter Schreier (Max)
Theo Adam (Kaspar)
Franz Crass (Hermit)
Siegfried Vogel (Kuno)
Bernd Weikl (Ottokar)
Günther Leib (Kilian)
Gerhard Paul (Zamiel)
Rundfunkchor Leipzig
Staatskapelle Dresden
Carlos Kleiber (conductor)
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Recorded in February 1973 at Lukaskirche, Dresden, Germany, 16/44.1
Recording producer: Eberhard Geiger
Executive producer: Dr. Ellen Hickmann
Balance engineers: Klaus Strüben & Hans-Peter Schweigmann
Mixing: Klaus Hiemann & Werner Mayer
Remastered in 2016 at DSD 64fs by Emil Berliner Studios, Berlin, Germany, using the original analogue master tapes.
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Comment by Waveform - July 23, 2016 (1 of 3)
Well, this looks very interesting! The first SACD version of the album, surely. But just stereo... According to Emil Berliner Studios (the website) this one was the first 8-track opera production for Deutsche Grammophon. This means that it would be possible to release a multichannel album in the future. We'll see...
Comment by hiredfox - July 29, 2016 (2 of 3)
Universal's single layer DSD re-masterings from original analogue tapes seem to be aimed fairly and squarely at the Japanese market where multi-channel has far less currency than in the US (for example) for well known reasons. The recordings are 'universally' excellent, probably the best sounding re-masterings ever committed to disc. Played on decent stereo equipment the way in which they can recreate a life-like three-dimensional landscape is astonishing. They are not cheap, nor should they be, quality comes at a price and it is evident that the utmost attention and care has been lavished on these recordings to achieve exemplary results. In my view a multi-channel version of the original recording from this label is unlikely and in my view unnecessary.
Having said that SCD's recent LSO Live version of this opera is superb and you should look no further for an excellent Mch account.
Comment by Dissonance - May 10, 2020 (3 of 3)
Scheduled to be released on 12th June 2020, Universal (Deutsche Grammophon) will re-release this one on Blu-ray Audio, re-mastered at Emil Berliner Studios in 24-bit / 192 kHz: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Weber-Der-Freischutz-Blu-ray/269007/.
This could have been a very positive addition to its Hardback Opera Series but due to the lack of Surround Sound (presumably might have been 4.0 or 5.1 + an alternative Dolby Atmos) I'm not excited on this one. According to Presto Music (https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8786447--weber-der-freischutz) the BD-A disc consist of only DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (24-bit / 192 kHz). What a huge disappointment, I have waited for this moment for a long time. Personally I'm not going to purchase this one for only to get a bit better audio quality...
However, having listened to the CD countless of times the recording seemed to be produced in a way it was captured using a 4-channel or even 8-channel master tape recording equipment back then; all of those distant sounds coming from the tavern during dialogue and especially the sound effects during the Wolf Glen scene. In addition the stereo mix seemed to be far too wide to be recorded only in that way.
Frankly speaking Universal has a really strange way to proceed with its reissues. We don't need another Carmen in 5.1 & Dolby Atmos (I'm referring to yet unreleased BD-A re-release of Claudio Abbado's 1977 recording with London Symphony Orchestra: https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8782335--bizet-carmen)...