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Thanks for the review, Michael! These reissues are extraordinary, the Mahler and Beethoven in particular-the Mahler blew me out of the room, by the final movement I was launched to the stars. I did notice noise on the Schubert, but still very good. And yes the jackets are gorgeous, the photos and color saturation are striking. A winner.
Been waiting for this video. I have all 4 as well and I absolutely love their sound. Not cut too hot at all. Violins and high frequencies sound completely balanced with the rest of sound spectrum. Something you didn't mention that jumps at me: timbre of all instruments is so wonderfully transparent and natural. Also, decay of strings is so nice, you can hear those strings vibrating away, you clearly hear bodies of instruments. Space that's being performed in can also be very clearly heard. DG has done a very good job.
I had no idea that Optimal manufactured jackets. Interesting. Based on my experience, I would not expect an utterly silent sound floor from Optimal's vinyl formulation. Pallas would be the pressing plant for that level of silence. I am perfectly happy with my OG DG pressings. They are the greatest bargains in my entire vinyl collection. But, I am delighted that DG is breathing new life into their archives. Perhaps I will look into one or two of these when they come, Berlioz in particular.
All my life, I have loved Deutsche Grammophon. Every time I purchased a DG record, I expected the highest quality and I was never disappointed. I have collected the classical genre since 1968. I have played on my stereo some DG favorites many, many times with pure enjoyment. Karajan and Berlin stand out to me as being of the highest quality in performances, recordings and the DG productions.
If anyone wants a recommendation, a place to start if you're not into classical, find a vinyl box set of the complete Beethoven Symphnonies, Karajan/Berliner (1963). Such precision and beauty. Beethoven's genius comes alive in your stereo.
@@continentalgin Well, does the new reissue of the brilliant circle have improved audio qualities as well? I can't find any confirmation that the production process is the same as with the Original series. I really hope, that I don't need an upgrade...
Thank you so much Michael for the comparisons, I am intrigued and will check these out as I would like to start to fill out my classical collection a bit more.
In the "old days" tuned into the local Public Broadcasting of the Boston Pops live on the FM portable radio at dinner time. You heard the hush in the audience sitting after applause and sound of the wood on the violins with the orchestra ready at attention for the first note. Seeing the photos of the musicians in the gatefolds Michael you show us reminds that pure art and music isn't driven necessarily by only fame or money. No putting down Taylor Swifts wealth and fame for example, but more respect in ways for the many unsung musical heroes who have as much passion but are close to being complete unknowns.
Excellent review and information on the new DG audiophile reissues. Around 1973, I noticed that the US OG DG releases began to have a noisier noise floor and thinner pressings. This was also the case with popular and jazz OG releases as well.
So happy to hear these are as good as you say they are, though not surprised given the excellent work EBS has been doing on the DG catalogue of late. For anyone interested, check out my article from a few months back on Tracking Angle which goes into the pressing/remastering history of DG in relation to this new vinyl series (can't post the link here or my comment will automatically be deleted). Can't wait to hear these (and compare the Mahler and Stravinsky to the excellent EBS remasterings done for SACD from a few years back).
Hello, Michael! These made me a classical fan. The Rite of Spring and the Beethoven 7. Wow! Talk about punch! These guys did classical music a favor in terms of recruiting fans.
One more thing, Michael...if you talk to Sidney, tell her what an amazing job she's doing and thanks and we hope she (and Berliner Studios / DG) makes many more classical releases of this calibre. Also, another round of conversatiom with her (and maybe Rainer as well?) would be really really cool. I just have to stress how pleased I am that we have a true top quality, audiophile, classical series made in europe. Do we know how many releases altogether are planned for "Original source"? I hope for many releases and an ongoing thing.
Thank you so much for this video, One of the most helpful so far for me, that you have done. Your observations do not surprise me asOG's, while usually in great condition, were not made for audiophiles but for everyday listeners using everyday equipment of that era, and cut accordingly. It is such a frustrating circumstance for the classical music listener that classical music as a genre have embraced virtually exclusively, digital recording and manufacturing since it's inception, making only modern lifeless digital recordings or dynamically/spacially lacking older recordings the only 2 choices available for the most part. If that were not the case, I would listen to much more classical than jazz but it is the other way around for that reason only.
Just got home, and delighted to see this great, detailed review. I am becoming more interested in Classical Music as well and learning much about this highly complex music. I thank you Michael for this Classical review and comparison.
I purchased All 4 records and couldn’t be happier. Superb quality in the jacket and the mastering. The dynamic range is incredible, my system sounds brand new. Thanks, Michael.
Great video, Michael. Glad to see that classical music is getting some love. You covered the recordings very well and I have most of the OGS, which I got back in the day. Abbado and LSO - that's really the ticket, yeah? IMHO, he did his best work, at least consistently, with LSO on DG. I'm a huge Abbado fan and collecting his records since the early 70s and I have his complete LSO cycle on CD for DG - it's like 46 CDs. He also did a Brahms symphony cycle with Vienna that is just outstanding and that is also on DG. You may want to check that one out - if you like Brahms. The Kreiber Beethoven 7th is pretty good, but nothing that special. IMHO, there are better Beethoven 7s out there. His Beethoven 5 on the other hand for DG is just wonderful. Just my 2 cents.
Well done. Old Deutsche Grammophon LPs are fairly plentiful in the Detroit area at very cheap prices. And I have grabbed a few when a titled sounds interesting. I am looking at purchasing the reissue of Das Rheingold by Sir Georg Solti. The packaging looks beautiful. Danke.
I have been working with DG recordings for many years now and I think I have come to some interesting conclusions: The original pressings of the 70s are all very modest in terms of sound: hardly any low bass and treble, very centre-emphasised, little spatiality and dynamics, slightly tinny and simply boring. I think DG did this deliberately so that these records would play on the new compact systems that were being sold in their thousands at the time without overloading the systems. This practice is also said to have been used for some deep purle albums, even when listening at a higher volume. The older 60s recordings sound much better, sometimes even audiophile (here I particularly recommend the symphonies by Tchaikovsky with Mavrinskij, early 60s). It is not worth buying a DG recording from the 70s unless it is a reissue of an older recording from the 60s. In the 90s, DG already started to remaster some of the first 80s digital recordings that had the same sound problems (e.g. ‘Karajan-GOLD’, later ‘The originals’). And now we have finally arrived at the 70s. Very high-calibre recordings were made back then (e.g. a complete Mahler cycle with Rafael Kubelik, complete symphony cycles with Karl Böhm of Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven, as well as other high-calibre performers such as Ozawa, Karajan, Bernstein, Steinberg, etc.), so that we can probably look forward to the new recordings.
This new series from DG is indeed pretty amazing. I was surprised how powerful and good they are. I ordered all 4 of them directly at DG. Especially the Mahler / Karajan vinyl is very dynamic and nearly killed my speaker, ha ha ! You get a lot of mid lows and it nearly sounds like my classical music R2R tapes 7.5ips from Columbia, Ampex etc.
Stravinsky is also crazy dynamic. Yeah, dynamics on these releases is amazing. Schubert less so but only because it's a quintet, it's different type of music. Top stuff.
I plan to order the Karajan/Mahler release. I have an original, but it is very flat-sounding and the winds are very soft in the mix. I hope this new edition is an improvement.
Wow those Jackets pop with vibrancy of colour. Credit has to be given for these AAA reissues. Packaging is of a very high standard. Interesting comparison, reissues beating the Ogs ,that’s not supposed to happen 😂 I find it so refreshing if you can’t beat the originals when you have the original tapes then don’t bother, It also sounds like there’s noise on the tapes that they were able to tone down on reissues,which is a great plus. Cool video to share,giving classical the spotlight, Michael take care,see you on the next one 🤙
I listend to Schubert, Beethoven and Mahler, and I can only say that they sound amazing. The records will be worth trice their price in a couple of years.
Classical music is an avenue I'm pursuing. I've a dozen or so classical LPs in very good condition considering their age 40-55years. Your passion, honesty is why I absolutely trust your opinions. Chapeau Michael, chapeau.
Hello Michael i have dozens of DG that were pressed in the late 70's and 80's and they are very noisy, you just confirmed my observation about the noise. other issue the jackets always come apart along the glue lines, poor glue perhaps. The new pressings may be worth the purchase considering GC jackets and new vinyl Thanks
Michael, based on this video I ordered the Schubert Trout Quintet. It is as sensational as you've described! I'm not a hardcore classical listener, but the use of double bass renders a very modern sound, easy for my mostly rock ear to adjust to. Thanks!
Michael: Thank you for your review. I agree with much of your assessment of these LPs. I received my 4 LPs Friday and I was initially dismayed when I saw the box they were shipped in. The oversized box looked like they used it to play football with while it was making it's way to the US. It was badly dented and torn on three sides. Upon opening this outer box, I found the box had been padded with crumpled brown paper and each LP was enclosed in its own very secure, very well made mailer. The mailers had great corner protection and my LPs emerged with their jackets in perfect condition. I wish Rhino had used this type of mailer for their two High Fidelity series releases. I slightly disagree with your assessment of the vinyl. I too have the Klaudio UCM and 5 disk auto changer. I placed all 5 LPs in the auto changer and gave them each a 5 minute wash and 5 minute dry. On my system the vinyl was silent at normal and even loud listening volumes. The one exception was when I turned the Beethoven's 7th Symphony up to levels high enough to make my "ears water". Only then some faint surface noise could be heard. I rarely, if ever, listen at this level and this is testimony to just how amazing these releases sound. I have no OG's to compare these LP's to. I do have the 1963 DG Box Set of Beethoven's Symphonies by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Herbert von Karajan. The Origin Source Series blows the DG Box out of the water. It has a superior sound and is a superior pressing. I did not find the sound to be too hot or harsh. I found it had great clarity and detail. One thing that struck me immediately was the sound stage. I was aware of a much more noticeable interplay between the left and right sides of the orchestra. I wasn't sure if this was due to the quadraphonic nature of the original master tapes. Perhaps they were trying find a way to play up the quadrophonic sound on the master tapes. A classical version of the way they played up early stereo jazz and rock recordings with the hard panned sound to the left and right channels. I am not a classical expert at all. I have about 125 classical LP's, which tend to favor audiophile pressings such as RCA Living Stereo Mercury Living Presence and Decca. These are both used OG's and new modern repressings. I wasn't sure what I would do goin forward, with this new Original Source Series. These 4 initial offerings make that decision easy. I am fully on board and will order the rest of the releases being offered this year. Thank you for your review comparing the to the OG's.
Very interesting video. I listen to a lot of classical music and almost all of my classical records come from the used bins, so it is hard to get my mind around paying $45 for a classical record when I usually pay $5. Recently, I bought the DG album with Hilary Hahn playing the Dvorak and Ginastera violin concertos. I paid full price and was dismayed to find that the vinyl was quite noisy. Not the quality you expect at that price point. Last weekend, I picked a 1980s DG record called "Horowitz in Moscow" out of the 99 cent bin at my local record shop. It played quieter than the $45 record did smh. I really enjoy hearing your review of these albums, but I don't think DG will get my money until I am sure they have their quality control problems handled.
Great that you brought this up. I bought Beethoven's 7th Symphony, compared it to other vinyl editions, and immediately ordered the Mahler Fifth Symphony next. The feel, quality of the vinyl as well as the whole presentation are outstanding. I can't recall ever experiencing such punch in a classical recording outside of the concert hall. When the Vienna Symphony gets going, they really jump out at you. All the more brilliant, then, how sensitively the second movement's tapestry of sound develops. Worthy of discussion is the tonal structure of the instruments. I expect percussion and timpani at the back in the middle, according to the structure of the symphonic orchestra. For me, the timpani (in a grandiose dynamic) come from the left. This could be because the Tonemaster Rainer Maillard went back to the four-track master tapes that were still available and mixed to two-channel. However, this does not detract from the rousing musical result. The price is not a pittance, though justifiable in comparison with often overrated high-end recordings of other genres. I compared with DG's own competition, the Beethoven Edition from 1969 with Herbert von Karajan, also worth recommending. The box with the nine symphonies is available on the net for 10-15 euros, a clear tip!
Thank you Michael for this wonderful video, I would to start this collection…so could you please tell me which album you recommend to buy first (I know that any of those are very different} but just an idea please…greetings from Mexico!
DG has always had a "higher" noise floor in their vinyl recordings as compared to ECM or other audiophile labels.The engineers cut hot so it comes with the territory of sonic physics.
I am now considering buying the Abbado Sacre. I have several Sacre recordings by different conductors, but if this reissue is much better than the old DG pressing, I would like to compare it to my (sonically) favourite Sacre, which is Riccardo Muti in the MFSL version.
Nice review. I had wondered how these are going to sound. The 1970s and 1980s DG pressings from Hanover, Nippon Phonogram and Polydor KK for the Japan market, and the UK pressings wre all highly compressed, with the lower frequencies rolled off. A huge superstar list of artists in the DG catalogue with really inferior sonics; may as well have been recorded through an AM radio band before cutting the lacquer. Regarding the vinyl a person would have to wonder why they did not go to Pallas and get these pressed at Pallas vs. Optimal?
Would be interesting to hear your take on the comparison to the classical releases of ERC releases. I know it’s not apples to apples because you don’t get the same releases, but in a sense it is similar to comparing analogue productions to classic records or mobile fidelity releases. The ERC approach is a bit more raw in the sense that it’s more focused on the technical aspect whilst one could argue the deutsche Grammophon also has an artistic level to it because or the classical team working on it.
Makes one wonder what on earth went wrong with the original DG issues. We're the engineers rea happy with the sound? I, for one, thought the originals came up short and never did justice to the performances. So I do wonder how they were issued with generally sub standard sq
ha Michael, i am thinking of getting the beethoven 7th by kleiber and i was just wondering if you would do a comparison of these original source series and there it popped up on youtube haha
I find it hard to believe that these recordings from the 70s sound good. Deutsche grammphon is not an audiophile label. Decca is really an audiophile label and I have a lot of those English vinyls from the 60s and 70s. They are wonderful.
you are correct on all points-----the Mahler sound wise and performance) is amazing--perhaps the best recorded. The NY Phil with Mehta on Teldec(I think out of print now) is good also, but just not quite as good as the Von Karajan. The counterpoint in the finale is amazing nd the choral in the finale is the best ever. STRAVINSKY--- Sounds great sonically! however ( I have quite a few versions) the Bernstein (1st)version) on Columbia is perhaps my favorite. The Boulez with the Cleveland (1st one) is also amazing, far better performance wise with this version by Abbado...!just my $0.02--JG
I absolutely agree on both main points. The packaging is fabulous. The vinyl is absolutely flat and totally silent. Quality control better then most of my recent Analog Production Acoustic Sound Series - admittedly my only point of reference. I am old enough to have bought a number of DG Classical Lp, from the mid 1970s onwards and generally the sound quality then was not, in my unprofessional opinion, as good as those from EMI. These new DG are fabulous and the bonus is that unlike the aforementioned VASS they inspire confidence that subsequent releases will be just ad good as far as the quality control is concerned, which given the premium price of these re releases from companies like both of the above is very reassuring.
Very interesting topic I start my journey to classical music with DG Records were for 1 $ and I was buying everything. The more I listened the more I liked classical music. Thank you DG. I always play DG Beethoven essential collection records to compere. And as performance DG is always winner. But let’s talk about sound. Mmm… None of DG record sounds good to me. Original tulips, heavy vinyl reissues, Japan reissues None. The best sound was on French Prestige series which I bought in Paris for 50 cents for record on flea market. All decca or EMI sound way better. I’m waiting for my tape master copy for 2 record but not expecting miracles. There is something wrong with DG sound engineers.
Drag though, they left off a track from the original Schubert recording because its wasn't recorded on a "4 track tape" They didn't have a work around? The sound of all the vinyl so far, beautiful
I can't wait to hear them. I'm also very curious to compare this reissue of Kleiber's Beethoven Seventh with the Speakers Corner reissue. Regarding DGG original pressing.... Sorry, but they aren't good. Compared to DECCA SXL, EMI ASD, Columbia SAX, Mercury Living Presence, RCA Living Presence, most of the original Philips pressing, DGG tumble to the bottom of the ladder! They are so less spacious, vital, realistic, punchy.
in my opinion the og deutsche grammophon need a phono stage with the possibility to choose the DGG TELDEC EQ CURVE .. with the RIIA EQ they all sounds flat and muffled compared to the right curve (it doesn't matter it is declared RIIA on the vinyl)... so for me it's clear that the new series sounds better compared to the OG using RIIA EQ.. it should be interesting to compare them using DGG TELDEC with OG and RIIA with new series... (i have recently bought a gold note ph1000 phono and made test) i have made a video on my channel and it is easy to understand the difference in few seconds of listening
If it didn't have a decent Cover & Sleeve it would be concerning, considering the 50 Euro cost per record. I prefer the 4 Track SACD CD's. At least the promise of listening to proper Quadraphonic recordings can be at last realised. Records wear out, are only downmixed Stereo, SACCD's do not...
DG always sounded more thin compared to Living Stereo, Archiv, phillips, London, Decca, etc OG is not a proper term - makes me nauseous every time I hear it Finding classical lps mint and cheap is very easy. Unless it is a super rare record Massive DG cd boxsets sound great with no noise and long running times. Sounds like the older records being quieter have more dynamic range - I will save my money. Thank you for the details
Not really, they sound as the artist intended them to sound. This artificiala live sound that some strive for is just fejk and a choice of production. I would argue that all classical labels are audiophile in comparison to modern music recordings. but then again there are recordings that simply not sound that good. If you want a certain record your are not that helped by the fact that another label has better sound either. As a label I personally prefers DG over DECCA, RCA etc
I was looking forward to getting my copy of INNER SYMPHONIES by Hania & Dobrawa on Deutsche Grammophon. Great music but *horrible* pressing. I have older Deutsche Grammophon LPs that are fantastic, so not at all what I expected. It's a double album, so I assumed there would be some flaws over the course of 2LPs, but there were so many pressing issues on both records that I simply returned it with no hope of reordering a clean copy. I instead picked up the BMG pressing of "Buena Vista Social Club At Carnegie Hall." The pressing is virtually flawless. Go figure.
Of course a great effort. But here in The Netherlands you can find originals in great condition in every thrift store for 1 or 2 euro's. Not always the best quality but with patience you'll find mint originals. But if the sound quality is this much better. I'll try it. I have a few originals of Holst The Planets and compared it to a new reissue and the original completely destroyed the new one. Of course that one is not from this new series. So they should reissue that one again. It's one of the best sounding DG's in my humble opinion. And they should do the Mahler Bernstein cycle on DG. Although I think those are digital. And of course the Kleiber Beethoven 5, Kubeliks Mahlers etc.
These are all sourced from the original multitrack tapes aren't they, rather than the stereo master (similar to the Kind of Blue UHQR)? I guess the existence of multitracks dictates the choice of titles for this series. And that's probably a big part of why they sound so much better than the originals, although as others have said, OG DG LPs are a bit flat sounding. In the case of the Mahler 5, they tweaked the mix to feature slightly less ambience of the church it was recorded in. I only have the Mahler and it does sound lovely but the pressing is pretty lousy. Things might improve with a clean.
Not going to get deep into the weeds, but Deutche Grammophon recordings have never been considered audiophile quality. I think they are good, and seek them out. But would I buy a high priced reissue? No.
I forgot to thank you for the video, as my concern was with the money. I really can't buy everything I'd like to buy (by far) and have to be very selective (still spending a lot of money, though) and try to compensate by waiting more and more for reduced prices, which works well for at least 80% of the new records/reissues I buy (major part of the records I buy are originals/early reissues). Anyway, on the one hand, I was hoping for a different result, on the other hand, the sound of many SG records is not THAT great as you always getting told (same with some, not many ECM records..) and itÄs good news, that they could be improved. So I am tempted to get at least my favorites. I am hoping for Mahlers 6, the first Mahler recording by Karajan, the first Mahler Symphony he took on (with years of preparation) after Barbirollis death (he always was not only a brilliant psychologist, but also a strategic thinker throughout his career, but also a refined narcissist). So well, please Amazon, let your algorithms do there work!
Enjoyed your video and couldn't agree more. DGG generally had a poor reputation from the 1970 's onwards for their bright harsh sounding recordings. However, in the 1950's and 1960's the original recordings from the SLPM stereo and even the LPM mono series sound magnificent, up there with the very best of the Decca SXL 2000's and EMI 3 digit ASD's. To know if you have an original, the Cover / Jacket will usually be different from the later ( and poorer sounding ) reissues and the labels will have the famous blue tulip around the rim and most importantly the words ' alle hersteller' at around one o'clock on the rim text. Now if you can get hold of one of those SLPM 's ( unfortunately they don't come cheap ) in perfect condition to compare against a re issue, that video I would love to watch and many others I bet also. I think the outcome though would be very different. A good place to start would be the Richter re cording of the Rachmaninov (the one with the keyboard cover, not the photograph Cover of himself. The piano explodes into the room the dynamic range is stunning. Happy hunting.
I don't agree. The 60s SLPMs are inferior to the Decca and ASD, SAX and SBs from that era and the prices collectors are prepared to pay for SLPMs (generally never more than £15) reflects that.
Three of my first LP's were DG Evgeny Mravinsky Tchaikovsky Symp 4, 5, 6 - irreplacable - I still prefer the originals despite having the latest release
Thanks DG for great efforts, but , yes , there is a but … I was never happy with DG records. The best pressings IMHO are French prestige series. I have huge expectations for new source releases . Finally I got my copy of Stravinsky Весна Священная. It is second press. Please let us know is this second press is good as the first one? After some moments of listening I realized something is wrong. The sound is kind of dead. Dynamics.? No they are much better then DG records, HF, LF are excellent as well. What I’m Imissing? The sound is not dead like digital. After couple of hours after I finished listening I understood. There is no reverberations. That why the sound is dead for me. Sorry guys, no more DG. Not recommended.
There is a problem. Apart from two releases, the Mozart Piano Concertos with Friedrich Gulda and the Brahms Piano Concertos with Emil Gilels, none of the interpretations are among the really outstanding ten in the catalogue. Not even the highly acclaimed recording of Beethoven's Seventh with Carlos Kleiber. In addition: DG was never an audiophile label like Decca, RCA and Mercury. The sound is ok but not exceptional.
Could not agree more. DG have chosen some really boring items from their back catalogue with a couple of exceptions. The Decca SXL2000s and SAX series blow DGs out of the water.
Hello Michael, veeeery interesting review! I have tons of classical records from my father's collection, and I have to say that many of the original DG plays whith background and crackle, while most of Decca, Philips and EMI releases play way better. So I have just ordered the first four new DG releases, and can't wait to play them on my -still imperfect- home equipment. I keep on following you. Thanks once again, and warmest regards. Luigi (from Italy)
I have to remind myself that these great composers of the past were, indeed, the rock stars of their day. Michael thank you so much for your detailed and heartfelt insightz. You help make me a wiser consumer of music.
@@bearded-sxl Because they released bland, middle of the road, mass market appeal, safe-bet classical, and the recordings sound all the same diffuse carpet of sound.
I find the YELLOW BANNER irresistable.......WARNING/ACHTUNG....what I am about to say could be OFFENSIVE to AUDIOPHILES.....I bought Carl Orff CARMINA BURANA DG for one dollar yesterday....my first DG on...........COMPACT DISC
I own about 300 DG Lp's all classical. You're spot on in your analysis, the OG's are terrible, horrendous vinyl and got paper thin as time progressed. The OG's were dull sounding, so I collected as many performances in Decca, EMI even Seraphim (budget EMI). Even the DG CD release of the same are are shall we say "polite sounding". DG never captured the true sound of ANY orchestra in its full glory...shame really considering they had access to the greatest orchestras and artists of the time....
Good point re DG pressings which I have been raising for a while, I have bought quite a few in the past years, and DG makes noisy LPs in my opinion, I have a few from Joep Beving and Roger/Brian Eno that are not good at all and it ruins the beauty of the fragile music on the LPs. Sort it out DG!!
As a customer living in USA not only is the price to order + shipping outrageous, the process takes much longer than anticipated w/ customs etc.... Deutsche Grammophon needs to think of ways to address this issue or i wont be ordering from their website anymore
