BMG Classics provided more information on their upcoming release of 10 newly remastered Living Stereo SACDs earlier today. The information was provided on the label’s newly opened web forum on the BMG Classics U.S. web site.
BMG Classics staffers provided fans there with news of the U.S. release date of the first 10 Living Stereo SACDs along with the news of additional titles in the SACD series and plans to release more information shortly.
A U.S. Release
In our earlier story on the upcoming release of 10 RCA Living Stereo Super Audio CDs (see web link below), we noted that the discs would be released in Europe on September 20th. At that time, we speculated that the SACD series would likely be released in the U.S. market as well since the albums will be assembled in the U.S. by BMG.
Today we learned that is indeed the case. On the newly launched BMG Classics web forum located at http://www.bmgclassics.com/board/index.jsp, BMG Classics officials announced that all 10 of the RCA Living Stereo SACDs will indeed be available in the U.S. on September 14th – one week before their appearance in Europe.
Plans for 10 More RCA Living Stereo SACDs
And the news gets better for Classical Music fans. BMG Classics also announced that the RCA Living Stereo Super Audio CD releases will be an “on going series” with the label. To emphasize that point, they told hi rez audio fans today that the Living Stereo SACD Series will see 10 more SACD releases appear in the U.S. market in Winter 2005.
Original Analog Master Tapes
The balance of the information on the BMG Classics forum confirmed the earlier detail we had been provided. Namely that the SACD series will use the original analog master tapes for each release and that the 2 Channel recordings will be made available as Hybrid Stereo SACDs with 2 Channel Stereo SACD and 2 Channel Stereo CD tracks while the 3 Channel recordings will be issued as Hybrid Surround Sound SACDs – complete with 3 Channel SACD, 2 Channel SACD and 2 Channel CD tracks. Of special interest to audiophiles, the label has no plans to add “ambience” to the surround channels on the Surround Sound SACD tracks of the series.
More Information Forthcoming
The BMG Classics staff also indicated that more information and detail about the initial 10 RCA Living Stereo SACDs would be made available on their U.S. web site shortly. In the meantime, they encourage interested fans to visit their BMG Classics web discussion forum to submit further questions.
This is certainly some very good news for Classical Music fans that have long wished to see some of these legendary recordings of the 1950’s and 1960’s era appear on Super Audio CDs.