Unusual Transparency Orchestral music by Ottorino Respighi - heard by STEPHEN FRANCIS VASTA '... first-class performances ... in excellent sound.'

It's been years since I've had the opportunity to review a so-called 'super-LP' — a heavyweight (here, 200-gram) vinyl pressing of a carefully remastered recording (here, at half-speed) — and I'd forgotten what I'd been missing. There's an unusual transparency and lifelike detail in the quiet passages, with the instrumental sound retaining that spaciousness as the music builds.

But does the vinyl really deserve the credit for all this? Unlike most of the 'super-LPs' that appeared during their 1990s vogue, which were reissues of 'golden age' stereo productions, this is a comparatively recent (2001), and digital, recording, from a company, Reference Recordings, acclaimed for its audiophile-quality engineering...

OTTORINO RESPIGHI

ROME

ITALY

MINNESOTA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC