Respighi - Belkis, Queen Of Sheba Suite, Pines Of Rome - Eiji Oue (200g, Half-speed Mastering)
Composer Ottorino Respighi
Chad Shelton, tenor (B4)
Minnesota Orchestra
Eiji Oue - conductor
1 LP, Gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-Speed Mastering
Heavy Press : 200g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Reference Recordings
Original label : Reference Recordings
Recorded May 28-29, 2001, at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN
Recorded by Keith O. Johnson
Mastered at half-speed by Paul Stubblebine
Produced by J. Tamblyn Henderson, Jr.
Originally released in 2001 (as a CD)
Reissued in 2013 (for the first time as an LP).
Tracks:
Side A : The Pines of Rome
- The Pines of the Villa Borghese
- The Pines Near a Catacomb
- The Pines of the Janiculum
- The Pines of the Appian Way
Side B: Belkis, Queen of Sheba - Suite
- Solomon's Dream
- The Dance of Belkis at Dawn
- War Dance
- Orgiastic Dance
Awards :
TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Classical
SoundStage Best Audiophile Recording, 2001
Reviews :
“Dazzling orchestral colors,” is one one way to describe the music of Ottorino Respighi. Belkis, Queen of Sheba was conceived as an evening-long ballet with singing whose lavishness has kept it from view since its La Scala premiere. This is only the second recording of a suite prepared by the composer – for the first time with the tenor solo (sung by Chad Shelton), and with the movements in the correct order. The music’s oriental perfumes and barbaric splendor guarantee the enthusiasm of anyone who hears it. Dance of the Gnomes is a little-known but characteristically dramatic and colorful (some might say “lurid”) tone poem. “Prof.” Johnson’s stunning HDCD-sonics make Respighi’s greatest hit The Pines of Rome (with extra brass and organ!) a dazzling conclusion to this unusual, inventive program.
Half-speed mastering
In half-speed mastering, the whole process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
Discogs : 4.46 / 5