Rachmaninov Conducts The Isle of the Dead (1929) 2022 Mastering

Sergei Rachmaninov The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29 Sergei Rachmaninov, conductor The Philadelphia Orchestra Recorded on April 20,1929 at Academy of Music, in Philadelphia The inspiration for “Isle“ came to Rachmaninov in 1907, when he saw a black and white print of Arnold Böcklin’s famous painting by the same name in Paris. The dark, evocative image stirred something in him, and he set to work upon the music. After completing the score in 1908 he finally got a look at the original, which disappointed him. “It is fortunate that I saw the image in black and white.“ He said. “If I had seen it in color, ’The Isle of the Dead’ would not exist.“ The present recording from 1929 is his original version of the piece. He revised in the 1930s, making expansive extensions to the score and increasing its overall effectiveness. Rachmaninov was a highly distinguished conductor in his own right. He turned down the post at the Boston Symphony as Chief Conductor, not wanting to be tied to the commitments it would require of him. All of his recordings, (There are only three.), were made with his favorite orchestra; The Philadelphia. The current restoration is an effort to get as close to the original matrix as we can get. Most of our effort here was to find acoustic flat and restore time align. What emerges is an excellent recording from 1929. In order to preserve acoustic accuracy, the recording is presented at its original recording level as well. The original signal-to-noise for these early electrical recordings was a tiny 37 db. This is probably the first time it has been mastered at those levels since the 1940s, but the results are much more accurate. This is also the earliest RCA recording we know of that used multiple microphones in a mix. Although the early mixes tend to be somewhat deliberate this one is beautifully executed. This is the same year as “42nd Street“, and amazing things were happening in audio production by 1929. In order for our posts to remain commercial-free, we do not monetize on this channel. If you wish to offer support for this kind of music and sound, you may make a donation to: