The Miracle 1959

China—the world's oldest continuous civilization—has undergone an astonishing transformation in a brief span of recent history. Since the collapse of its once-glorious empire in 1911, China has seen decades of epic turmoil and upheavals, emerging in the new century as both an authoritarian megastate and an economic powerhouse, poised to become an imposing global force.

Johannes Brahms - Piano concerto No. 1
Artur Rubinstein, piano / Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Fritz Reiner
SACD ISO (2.0): 765 MB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 840 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Red Seal "Living Stereo" # 82876-66378-2 RE1 | Country/Year: US 2005, 1955
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

…In essence, this is glorified stereo with remarkable presence – one feels quite close to Rubinstein, & the CSO seems only feet away – but there is no additional surround sound depth. For the sake of authenticity, this is just as well, & Rubinstein & Reiner at least are not misrepresented through creative engineering. One may regret, however, that this SACD has no bonus tracks & find that it offers less value than other titles in the line.

Most followers of electro-acoustic music recognize the contributions both Bruno Maderna and Luciano Berio have made to the field, mainly due to their collaborative work Ritratto di Citta, which established the Studio de Fonologia in 1955. Fewer, however, are familiar with their individual projects from the late '50s and early '60s that clearly set them apart from their counterparts in Cologne. Berio and Maderna were both obsessed by the human voice as a basis and endpoint in electro-acoustic music…