Universal Ramps Up Classical SACD Releases for August and September

Universal Music is ramping up their release of Classical Music titles in the Super Audio CD format this Fall in the U.S. market. Earlier this week, they added two more titles to their upcoming SACD Release List and moved 6 Classical Music SACDs from their Coming Soon list to the formal SACD Release Schedule for the months of August and September. Here are the highlights of the week’s SACD news from the Universal Music Group.

2 More Classical Music SACDs
Universal Music’s Deutsche Grammophon label has added two titles to their list of upcoming Super Audio CDs. The new discs are a Hybrid Stereo SACD of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony performed by Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rцssel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt, Walter Berry, Wiener Singverein and Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and a Hybrid Surround Sound SACD of an album entitled Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra featuring Anne Sofie Von Otter and Thomas Quasthoff with Claudio Abbado conducting the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. The Von Karajan SACD is due on August 10th and the Von Otter SACD is scheduled for September 14th.

  • Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rцssel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt, Walter Berry, Wiener Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra — Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Anne Sofie Von Otter, Thomas Quasthoff, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe — Schubert: Lieder With Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon)

Upcoming Universal Music SACD Release List
In addition to the two new additions, Universal moved 6 Classical Music SACD titles up from the Coming Soon list to release dates on August 10th and September 14th. This means we are currently slated to see 12 new SACD titles from Deutsche Grammophon on August 10th and 3 more on September 14th. That should certainly cheer the day of Classical SACD fans.

Moved Up to August 10th

  • Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic — Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Concerto Koln & Saraband — Dream of the Orient (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic — Beethoven: Symphonies No. 7 & 8 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Mikhail Pletnev — Pletnev Plays Schumann (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Moved Up to September 14th
  • Richard Croft, Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre — Gluck: Orphee et Eurydice (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Bryn Terfel, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra Europe — Mozart: Don Giovanni (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • The other change to the release list was a change in the release date of the upcoming Chistina Milian Surround Sound SACD entitled It’s About Time. It has been moved from June 15th to a new in-store date of July 13th.Here’s an updated look at the Universal Music SACD Release List with these the new additions and date changes mentioned above.

    June 15, 2004 SACD Releases

  • Joseph Calleja — Tenor Arias (Decca Classical)
  • Riccardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra — Mahler: Symphony 3 (Decca Classics)
  • Jamie Cullum — Twenty Something (Verve)
  • Valery Gergiev, Kirov Opera — Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 & 9 (Philips)
  • Various Artists — SACD: The Ultimate Audio Experience — The Classics Sampler (Universal Music Classics)
  • June 22, 2004 SACD Release
  • Lionel Ritchie — Just For You (Island)
  • July 13, 2004 SACD Releases
  • Allman Brothers Band — Eat A Peach (Mercury)
  • Allman Brothers Band — Live At Fillmore East (Mercury)
  • Vince Gill — High Lonesome Sound (MCA Nashville)
  • Diana Krall — Love Scenes (Verve)
  • Christina Milian — It’s About Time (Island Records)
  • August 10, 2004 SACD Releases
  • Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic — Mahler: Symphony No. 5 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Juliane Banse, Pierre Boulez, Cleveland Orchestra — Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Pierre Boulez, Berlin Philharmonic — Ravel: Bolero (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Concerto Koln & Saraband — Dream of the Orient (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic — Beethoven: Symphonies No. 1 & 2 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic — Beethoven: Symphonies No. 3 & 4 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic — Beethoven: Symphonies No. 5 & 6 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Herbert Von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic — Beethoven: Symphonies No. 7 & 8 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rцssel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt, Walter Berry, Wiener Singverein, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra — Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort & Players — Handel: Messiah (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Mikhail Pletnev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian National Orchestra — Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 & Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Mikhail Pletnev — Pletnev Plays Schumann (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • September 14, 2004 SACD Releases
  • Richard Croft, Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre — Gluck: Orphee et Eurydice (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Bryn Terfel, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra Europe — Mozart: Don Giovanni (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Anne Sofie Von Otter, Thomas Quasthoff, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe — Schubert: Lieder With Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • SACD Releases Coming Soon
  • Count Basie & His Orchestra — April In Paris (Verve)
  • John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman — John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse)
  • Sheryl Crow — The Globe Sessions (A&M)
  • Antal Dorati, Philharmonia Hugarica Orchestra — Respighi: Ancient Airs & Dances for Lute (Decca Classics)
  • Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra — Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete);Tango; Scherzo а la Russe (Decca Classics)
  • Marvin Gaye — The Marvin Gaye Collection (Motown)
  • Herbie Hancock — Gershwin’s World (Verve)
  • Shirley Horn — Here’s to Live: Shirley Horn With Strings (Verve)
  • Byron Janis, Antal Dorati, London Sympohny Orchestra, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra — Rachmaninov: Piano Concerti 2 & 3; 2 Preludes (Decca Classics)
  • Tonu Kaljuste — Te Deum (ECM)
  • Eleni Karaindrou — Soundtrack: Ulysses’ Gaze (ECM)
  • Olivier Latry — Midnight at Notre Dame: Organ Transcriptions (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Motley Crьe — Greatest Hits (Hip-O Records)
  • Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra — Suppй: Overtures (+Auber) (Decca Classics)
  • Janos Starker — Bach: Six Suites For Solo Cello (Philips)
    SACD: The Ultimate Audio Experience — The Classics Sampler (Universal Music Classics B0002622-36) — Universal Music’s 1st SACD Sampler, Coming to Stores on June 15th