Telarc Issues 3 SACDs and Announces 24 Releases for 2004

Telarc International has released three more Super Audio CD discs. The latest titles include a «day and date» release on both SACD and Stereo CD of the Dante Symphony and Tasso by Liszt as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra as well as two Super Audio CD Samplers of music from the PentaTone Classics and PentaTone RQR Series. In addition, Telarc has announced their first 24 classical and jazz SACD releases for next year.

Liszt: Dante Symphony & Tasso
The new recording of Dante Symphony (Inferno and Purgatorio) and Tasso, Lamento E Trionfo performed by Leon Botstein conduting the London Symphony Orchestra is Telarc’s latest Classical Music release on Surround Sound Super Audio CD. It was recorded at Watford Town Hall in Watford, England in January by Everett Porter of Polyhymnia.

According to Telarc, the new album, which also features performances by the London Oratory School Schola is «a compelling, all original DSD recording in Stereo and Surround Sound».

As noted above, it was released on the same day in both Surround Sound Super Audio CD and Stereo CD formats. The Surround Sound SACD is a Hybrid disc which features Surround Sound SACD, Stereo SACD and CD Audio versions of the music on the disc. It is playable on SACD, CD and SACD compatible DVD Video players.

  • Leon Botstein, London Symphony Orchestra — Liszt: Dante Symphony & Tasso (Telarc SACD-60613)

    2 Super Audio CD Samplers from PentaTone
    Also new from Telarc are 2 new Super Audio CD Samplers of music from the PentaTone label in Europe. Readers of High Fidelity Review will recall that PentaTone was formed two years ago by former executives of the Philips Classics record label (after it was sold to Universal Music) and Polyhymnia International (a firm formed by the recording engineers that formerly worked for Philips Classics).

    PentaTone began by releasing new Classical Music albums that were recorded in the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) format. They later supplemented that with a second series of albums that were taken from the Philips Classics Analog Quadraphonic Master Tapes — mixes that were made but never released during the 1970′s Quad era. This latter group of releases are known as the Remastered Quadro Recordings or «RQR» Series. The label then arrived in the U.S. through a disribution deal with Telarc earlier this year.

    To familiarize Classical Music fans with the PentaTone catalog, they have released two new samplers. The first features 15 selections from the first 14 PentaTone Classical SACD releases. Also available is a separate Super Audio CD Sampler disc of one selection taken from each of the first 16 PentaTone RQR SACD discs.

    PentaTone also notes that they have more Super Audio CD material coming to market. This will include PentaTone’s first opera recording — Glinka’s «Russian and Lyudmilla» which was recorded at the Bolshoi Opera Theater in Moscow on the PentaTone Classics label. Turning to the 4 Channel masters from Philips Classics, PentaTone says they plan to release 60 more Surround Sound SACDs on their «RQR» Series discs in the coming years.

  • PentaTone Classics — Super Audio CD Sampler (PentaTone Classics SACD-66043)
  • PentaTone RQR Series — Super Audio CD Sampler (PentaTone RQR SACD-66044)

    Telarc Announces Initial Group of SACDs for 2004
    Following on the heels of their recent announcement of 7 Super Audio CD releases in 2004 on their Heads Up International jazz label, Telarc has now provided a 2004 release list of 24 upcoming Classical and Jazz Surround Sound SACDs on the Telarc International label.

    The upcoming releases start in late January with a Jazz Sampler as well as new discs by Dave Brubeck, Rory Block and a performance of Romeo and Juliet by Paavo Jarvi conducting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Here’s how next year’s Super Audio CD releases are shaping up so far at Telarc:

    January 27, 2004 Release Date

  • Dave Brubeck Quartet & London Symphony Orchestra — Classical Brubeck
  • Rory Block — Last Fair Deal
  • Jarvi, Cincinnati Symphony — Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet
  • Various Artists — Telarc Jazz Sampler: SACD Sampler III (Single Inventory SACD Release)

    February 2004 Release Date

  • Jacques Loussier — The Best of Play Bach (Single Inventory SACD Release)
  • Tierney Sutton — Dancing In The Dark: Inspired by the Music of Frank Sinatra
  • Zander, Philharmonia Orchestra — Mahler: Symphony No. 3
  • Jarvi, Cincinnati Symphony — Ravel: Bolero; Suite No. 2 from Daphnis et Chloй, “Pavane for a Dead Princess,” Five Nursery Songs (Suite) from Mother Goose and La Valse

    March 2004 Release Date

  • Monty Alexander with Ernest Ranglin — Rock Steady
  • Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra — Classics Unleashed
  • Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra — Jennifer Higdon’s City Scape and Concerto for Orchestra

    April 2004 Release Date

  • Martin Pearlman, Boston Baroque — Bach: Orchestral Suites

    May 2004 Release Date

  • Hiromi — TBA

    June 2004 Release Date

  • Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ) — Guitar Heros
  • McCoy Tyner — TBA

    August 2004 Release Date

  • Geri Allen — TBA
  • Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra — Berlioz: Requiem

    September 2004 Release Date

  • The Manhattan Transfer — TBA
  • Jarvi, Cincinnati Symphony — Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring & Nielson: Symphony No. 5

    October 2004 Release Date

  • Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra — Ballet Favorites

    Additional SACD Titles Scheduled for Release in 2004

  • Marcus Miller — M2
  • Maria Muldaur — Southland of the Heart
  • Gerry Mulligan — Dragonfly
  • Various Artists — A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins
    Leon Botstein, London Symphony Orchestra — Liszt: Dante Symphony & Tasso (Telarc SACD-60613)