Universal Musics U.S. Labels Announce 3 Upcoming SACD Releases

Universal Music Group’s operation in the United States has announced the upcoming release of three Super Audio CDs in the American market. The new SACDs include a new Classical Music Surround Sound SACD arriving in the Fall and two SACDs by the Moody Blues.

This news comes after Universal Music’s last Super Audio CD release, a Classical Music Surround Sound SACD this January and several Super Audio CD releases late last year. Here’s a recap of the news from the Universal Music Group in the U.S.

3 Upcoming Super Audio CDs
The first two new SACDs to arrive in the U.S. from Universal Music will be familar to Super Audio CD fans in Europe. They are two titles from the recent Moody Blues SACD Remastered Series. Both discs feature 4.1 Surround Sound mixes supervised by Moody Blues band member Justin Hayward that are said to be derived from the original 4 Channel Quadraphonic Mixes of the band’s albums that initially appeared in the 1970’s and then again more recently as DTS Music Discs. These two SACDs are due to arrive in music stores in the U.S. on Tuesday with a list price of $18.98. (One wonders if the balance of the Moody Blues SACD Remasters might arrive in the U.S. market later in the year.)

Later in the year, fans of Super Audio CD Classical Music will be interested to learn that a Surround Sound Super Audio CD featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. This SACD release will feature performances of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre Du Printemps), Mussorgsky’s Night On A Bare Mountain and Bartok’s Suite from the Miraculous Mandarin.

June 6, 2006 – Upcoming SACD Releases

  • Moody Blues – A Question Of Balance (Fontana/Universal Music Imports 9837706)
  • Moody Blues – On The Threshold Of A Dream (Fontana/Universal Music Imports 9832153)

    September 12, 2006 – Upcoming SACD Release

  • Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra – Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps; Mussorgsky: Night On A Bare Mountain; Bartok: Miraculous Mandarin (Deutsche Grammophon 477 619-8)

    Universal Music SACD Releases in Late 2005 and January 2006
    Prior to this week’s news about upcoming SACDs from Universal Music Group, the label had released several Super Audio CDs in late 2005 and in January. These releases included several new Surround Sound Classical SACDs and another five titles in their popular Mercury Living Presence SACD Remastered Series. Here is a recap of those releases:

    January 10, 2006 – New SACD Release

  • Seiji Ozawa, Saito Kinen Orchestra – Bartok: Concerto For Orchestra (Philips B0005818-36)

    November 8, 2005 – New SACD Release

  • Janine Jansen – Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Decca Classical B0005507-36)

    October 11, 2005 – New SACD Releases

  • Anne-Sophie Mutter, James Levine, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – Carmen Fantasie (Deutsche Grammophon B0005317-36)
  • Neeme Jдrvi, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra – Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies (Deutsche Grammophon B0005319-36)

    October 11, 2005 – Mercury Living Presence SACD Remastered Series Releases

  • Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Mercury Living Presence B0005304-36)
  • Frederick Fennell, Eastman-Rochester Pops Orchestra – Music Of Leroy Anderson (Mercury Living Presence B0005305-36)
  • Byron Janis, Antal Dorati, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra – Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition (Mercury Living Presence B0005306-36)
  • Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker; Serenade For Strings (Mercury Living Presence B0005307-36)
  • Janos Starker, Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra – Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B Minor; Bruch: Kol Nidrei; Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (Mercury Living Presence B0005308-36)

    Availability
    While we await the release of the next set of SACDs in the U.S. by the Universal Music Group, I’ll mention that the prior UMG Super Audio CDs are available from music stores in the U.S., including Tower Records as well as web sites that carry Super Audio CDs including Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disc and Music Direct. Those web sites also are carrying all of the Moody Blues SACD Remaster Series discs.