Arthur Fiedler - Hi-Fi Fiedler - Boston Pops Orchestra - Living Stereo 82876-67895-2 (2005) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (3.05GB) | 24bit/88.2kHz Flac tracks, 3ch (2.09GB) & 2ch (1.45GB) | Scans | Logs | DR11 | 4.32dB Gain | Classical A program devised to demonstrate the delights of stereo high fidelity (Hi-Fi) becomes a digitally dazzling showcase for DSD remastering & the SACD format audaud.com review: RCA Victor began recording in multichannel 5 years before the introduction of the 1st single-groove stereo LPs in l958. They began using 2-channel 1/4-inch Ampex decks but soon moved up to 3-channel 1/2-inch models as the Mercury Living Presence label had been doing from the start. The idea was to provide the mixing engineers with more flexibility in preparing the final master for production. The center channel signal could be raised slightly in level to bring a solo violin or piano more forward, &/or its signal could be mixed in varying amounts into the left & right channels to achieve a more uniform & balanced stereo soundstage. But also at this time things weren’t completely jelled as to stereo being limited to only 2 channels. Alan Blumlein had never stated in his original patent that only 2 channels were required. It was just as easy to make tape heads with 3 channels as 2. But the single-groove stereodisc locked the format into 2 channels – it was quite impossible to get 3 channels with the 45/45 system of cutting & playback. R. D. Darrell’s notes for the 1958 stereo LP release state that the 3 selections (the SACD has room for 6) were specifically designed to demonstrate the newest heights yet attainable in the never-ending but ever-closer approach to perfect sonic replicas of the original “live” symphonic performances. The 1st is the nearly half-hour suite from Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera Le Coq d’or. This composer would easily be the hi-fi choice among 19th-century composers for his kaleidoscopic orchestral colors & drama – a perfect choice for the album. The other 2 selections of the original LP are the pair of chestnuts Rossini’s William Tell Overture & Tchaikovsky’s Marche slave. They are also both full of coloristic elements that make the fullest use of the modern symphony orchestra. Similar material recorded for a 2nd LP later fills out the SACD. (The actual dates for this collection were 1956, 1958 & 1960.) Chabrier’s sparkling España is another natural for hi-fi demo purposes, with its brilliant dance impressions & striking of tambourine. The disc closes out with 2 very familiar Liszt selections: the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 & the Rakoczy March. Fiedler conducted the Boston Pops for 50 years & became the best-selling conductor in history. His 78rpm disc of the tango Jalousie had been one of the top-selling classical records in history – 1 million copies. He had a lifelong goal of bringing light classical music to the millions. Perhaps he was celebrated more than was his due, but Fiedler did have a way to bringing life & excitement to just about everything he chose to conduct – he had a catholic & voracious taste for new works. Never before has the general public had the opportunity to hear these examples of his work as the RCA engineers heard them in the control room – from the original 3 channel tape playback. The soundstage is deepened & widened. Even a mint vinyl copy of the original pressing on a quality turntable doesn’t equal the impact of this 3-channel hi-res digital disc, & it’s only around $10. - John Sunier ======================================================== foobar2000 1.1.11 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1 log date: 2012-05-26 16:35:31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analyzed: Arthur Fiedler / Hi-Fi Fiedler ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Duration Track ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR12 -0.97 dB -19.58 dB 9:44 01-King Dodon In His Palace DR15 -4.01 dB -24.87 dB 4:46 02-King Dodon On The Battlefield DR12 -0.72 dB -18.45 dB 7:00 03-King Dodon With The Queen Of Shemakha DR8 -0.19 dB -11.78 dB 3:40 04-March DR11 -2.35 dB -19.79 dB 11:54 05-William Tell - Overture DR10 -0.83 dB -15.66 dB 9:48 06-Marche Slave DR13 -0.01 dB -18.44 dB 6:27 07-Espana DR12 -1.69 dB -19.46 dB 9:39 08-Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 DR10 -2.27 dB -16.48 dB 6:43 09-Rakoczy March ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks: 9 Official DR value: DR11 Samplerate: 88200 Hz Channels: 2 Bits per sample: 24 Bitrate: 2657 kbps Codec: FLAC ======================================================== Checksum for iso: e8aab35361b973c2a3d90a9214514e73 *Arthur Fiedler - Hi-Fi Fiedler.iso Checksums for 3ch flac tracks: 3a6d94be4056b223ceb70692a81cd824 *01 King Dodon In His Palace.flac 74668ca2a15ffd34938c16f41ddc071c *02 King Dodon On The Battlefield.flac 3a39c541a0fb84dedd849eb77789471c *03 King Dodon With The Queen Of Shemakha.flac 647ad03a8013a73497746e60032b4dad *04 March.flac be6d9525d776848a1f1690e7667da810 *05 William Tell - Overture.flac 717f84d5aaf4aaaf825821858f64f889 *06 Marche Slave.flac 6d61057ba6f70b5ca969217eb63d45d0 *07 Espana.flac 34eecfe2821a73d8ad2ab7edb066a7c9 *08 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.flac 1175982fd649115b2036926977585430 *09 Rakoczy March.flac Checksums for 2ch flac tracks: 0e30cb7c433f816b45b82822f7149955 *01 King Dodon In His Palace.flac 52522685c772ee75a3854bdbf18fba49 *02 King Dodon On The Battlefield.flac 9ffee46de11a5df91100c33b8695a227 *03 King Dodon With The Queen Of Shemakha.flac 83a738b2731721b25b618efb0ebcf4fe *04 March.flac 3b6d4905f74b0294d63776ae46958168 *05 William Tell - Overture.flac 30bee1d150bc90fe1249590747215a9d *06 Marche Slave.flac 8cd340dea147dde65e035b29852ea2a9 *07 Espana.flac e5cac1cd3fbe22dc1ff70467b2375d19 *08 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.flac 382c281a54be623f1b593dbdd68462bb *09 Rakoczy March.flac