Digital Recording Telefunken Vinyl


My wife gave me a few records for Christmas that she purchased at the local used vinyl store, and in addition to the John Fahey and Rick Wakeman, the salesman sold her a Telefunken copy of Mozart's Symphonies 35 and 34 by Concertgebouw Orchestra / Nikolaus Harnoncourt (yes, my tastes are a bit ecclectic). It is a mint copy, and not to sound like an ingrate (she and the store are OK with me exchanging it), my questions are:

Generally speaking, isn't a digital recording defeating the whole idea?

Anyone know if this is a decent performance?

thanks
wdi
Don't know about the performance or the recording as those are completely separate issues.

As for digital versus analog, I generally prefer analog but conversions from an excellent digital master DIRECTLY to analog at the studio is very different than the multiple mix down and conversions that we receive in red book CD.

Perfect example is Alison Krauss "Forget About It." A BEAUTIFUL recording and what a voice! The LP is clearly better than CD on my system although the master is as digital as can be.

Short answer, if that is a performance you want, spin it and enjoy.
Wdi, I have a number of classical music LPs in my collection that are digital recordings. Overall I prefer an all analog recording and mastering chain for best sound. But, quite a few of the digitally recorded LPs in my collection have very nice sonics, and, where I've been able to compare, they typically sound better than the Redbook CD of that same recording.

I don't know this particular recording of Mozart's 34 and 35, but Harnoncourt is an outstanding conductor and his performances are generally very good indeed, particularly if you are partial to more "historically informed performances". The Concertgebouw is one of the world's great orchestras, as you probably know. And, Telefunkens are generally very well engineered recordings. My expectation is that you might be very pleased with this recording and with this performance.
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