Arthur Fiedler – Gershwin: An American In Paris / Rhapsody In Blue

“This reissue cut by Ryan K. Smith from the original 3 track beats every original I have (four) in every way. It peels back layers of murk without adding brightness or spotlighting or anything bad. Instead, it’s as if layers of dust and dirt have been expertly cleaned away revealing a fresh, clear window onto the live musical event. … (Earl) Wild’s piano has never sounded as cleanly rendered or as well-focused. You’ll see it as clearly as the skyscrapers. The finale has never packed such a ferocious wallop either. … With records like this coming out, audiophiles who declare flatly that reissues never sound as good as originals skate further and further onto the thin ice. If you intend to own but a single classical record in your collection, make it this one.” —  Music = 9/11; Sound = 9/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer’s full review, click here: http://www.analogplanet.com/content/analogue-productions-irhapsody-blueiiamerican-parisi-living-stereo-reissue-beats-original

“These are the best vinyl releases of RCA LPs I’ve yet heard.” — Jonathan Valin, executive editor, The Absolute Sound

“Grade A++. This is a disc that I have never been wild about (though it was always one of HP’s favorites). My complaint was the cavernous hole in the stage center, which made Earl Wild’s piano sound tiny, distant and swamped with reverberation. Here mastering magic has been done by Kassem and his crew. The piano track, apparently not properly mixed back in ’59, has been given the prominence it should always have had. Don’t worry: The “stage” ambience (usually a bit of a misnomer, given that the BPO was seldom recorded on the stage of Symphony Hall, more often in the “orchestra section” of the hall, after the first-floor seats had been removed) has not been lost: it’s just no longer overcooked, making a scintillating performance that much more immediate and exciting. (Thus the extra “+.”) — Jonathan Valin, The Absolute Sound.com, June 11, 2013. To read the full review click here: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/sneak-preview-acoustic-sounds-rca-reissues/

With Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin, a popular songwriter, established himself as a serious composer. His American in Paris tells the story of a trip through the streets and cafes of France. A first rate orchestra (The Boston Pops), a distinguished conductor (Arthur Fiedler), and a superb pianist (Earl Wild) combine to make this landmark recording something to be treasured.