Richard Strauss Don Juan, Tod und Verklarung, Also Sprach Zarathustra Hand-Numbered Limited Edition 180g Import 2LP

Hallmark Recordings of the Vienna Philharmonic re-issued by Pro-Ject Audio Systems: "Analogue only" sets the Standard of Sound Quality.

The vinyl edition of the Vienna Philharmonic on Pro-Ject Audio Systems is transferred directly from the original tapes of Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, with no intermediate digital processing. Heinz Lichtenegger, owner and mastermind of Pro-Ject Audio Systems, is not only an avid music-lover in his private life, over the years he has emerged as one of the most vocal international proponents of the analogue audio world. Out of his admiration for the Vienna Philharmonic, a plan emerged to re-release 12 legendary recordings of the world-famous orchestra from the analogue era.

The selected recordings of the Vienna Philharmonic are basically known for their high-fidelity sound - after all, Decca and then Deutsche Grammophon only allowed the very best sound engineers to work with this top-notch orchestra. With this series, Pro-Ject Audio Systems wants to capture the original condition of these irreplaceable recordings as part of our cultural heritage for posterity.

Together with a team of specialists, Lichtenegger chose Herbert von Karajan, to be featured on this Vienna Philharmonic LP. Counting all concerts, operas, tours and recording sessions together, the Vienna Philharmonic performed around 700 times with Herbert von Karajan, beginning in 1934 and ending with the conductor's death in 1989.

These tone poems by Strauss constitute striking examples of the unique artistry of Karajan's interpretative powers. They were recorded in Vienna's Sofiensäle in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and attest to nothing less than Karajan's exceptional feeling for sonority, balance and, above all, expressive depth.

The transferring process starts in the archives of Universal Music in London, where the master analogue tapes and test pressings of the legendary Decca and Deutsche Grammophon analogue recordings from the 1960s and 1970s are stored.

Georg Burdicek, widely known sound engineer and recording guru of the "Tonzauber" studio located deep beneath the Vienna Konzerthaus, was commissioned to carry out the important task of tape copying and mastering. The astonishing thing is the high quality of the original tapes, which are still in excellent condition even after 60 years. Burdicek processes the original master tapes for perfect 1:1 transfers.

At the Tonzauber Studio an original Studer 810 stands ready for processing and prior to tape copying the heads are demagnetized and the azimuth perfectly adjusted. According to Burdicek, the sound is astonishing because of its dynamic range, which is far greater than indicated by the measured values: True dynamic range of 35 - 40 dB and frequencies up to 15 kHz can be achieved. Among other things, this can also be attributed to Burdicek's solid-tube mixing console and the analogue equalizer.

To ensure an outstanding sound in the vinyl format there is no compromising with the space on the record itself. The track sequencing has to be worked out so that each side of the records has about 20 minutes of playing time (in the vinyl era the playing time was systematically extended to over 25 minutes a side, which came at the expense of the - audiophile - sound). That is why a symphony such as Beethoven's "Pastorale" - Pro-Ject Records's first Vienna Philharmonic re-release - now needs three sides, with the fourth side devoted to the "Egmont" Overture.

Nowadays, the pressing material used is of the highest quality. A vinyl series like this is no mass market product, and is manufactured with a high degree of care. Georg Burdicek has no doubt that the LPs of the Vienna Philharmonic he is helping produce for Pro-Ject Audio easily rival the original source tapes, and even outperform them when it comes to dynamic range and quiet playback.

Nowadays, the pressing material used is of the highest quality. A vinyl series like this is no mass market product, and is manufactured with a high degree of care. Georg Burdicek has no doubt that the LPs of the Vienna Philharmonic he is helping produce for Pro-Ject Audio easily rival the original source tapes, and even outperform them when it comes to dynamic range and quiet playback.

As Lichtenegger says: "We produce the best possible quality for our customers and, while the original tapes continue to age, the vinyl records document their acoustic condition from 2019."