SWF D17 : Wiener Philharmoniker, Stockholm, 25 September 1950
Rarely can we present an entire concert to our members.
A few years ago, we produced a compact disc — our last CD! — featuring the first part of the concert performed by the Wiener Philharmoniker in Stockholm on 25 September 1950. However, we only had second-hand material.
On 20 December, you will be able to listen to the entire concert in high definition, just as if you were listening to the radio broadcast. You will even enjoy the announcer's announcements and the opening national anthems!
To do this, we had the chance to work with the best source, the Swedish Radio, which provided us with the sound files in high definition. Christophe Hénault, our regular sound engineer, had to correct a few things. Dynamics are quite exceptional, and the sound palette is very rich. However, it should not be forgotten that the footage was recorded on tape, which was then transferred to disc for archiving. The background noise is affected by this, but more drastic processing would have resulted in a loss of definition.
As for the content: Haydn Symphony No. 94, a wonderful alternative to the HMV disc, Sibelius' En Saga, with its subtle hues, a Don Juan by Strauss, as crepuscular as Lenau's character, and a Beethoven Fifth of the best days!
The booklet includes Marc Vignal's text, written for the 2017 CD, as well as transcriptions of the radio announcements.
Here's an extract from En Saga (in mp3) to whet your appetite.