Classical Classical Notes CBS Records Masterworks Production Head Digital Recording Field

28 Classical Classical Notes CBS Records Masterworks production head digital recording field. According to presiden Paul Myers reportedly is moving over to the and chief engineer Clark Galehouse, Crest is the Decca /London organization, part of PolyGram. first custom label serving the educational mar- It's expected he'll take a top level a &r position ket to offer digital sound. The equipment is by there.... The Honolulu Symphony has an open- Sony. Morton Gould conducts the Univ of Flor- ing for associate conductor following the resig- ida Symphonic Band in several of his own works nation of Sidney Rothstein. Rothstein will pur- in a digital recording that Golden Crest is issuing sue his career on the mainland. commercially. The company also specializes in custom recordings of high school and college Violin Concertos of Korngold and Conus were ensembles, and has employed digital technology taped by Itzhak Perlman following recent con - for several of these projects. ceds with the Pittsburgh Symphony. The record- ing is for EMI /Angel. Galehouse is privately issuing a blindfold digital -analog comparison recording for his Nancy Zannini has been named to head the clientele to judge. But the engineer's own choice Philips Records division of PolyGram Classics. seems clear from the enthusiastic comments in- Zannini, formerly Philips publicity director, will cluded with digital albums already produced. have the title of vice president and assumes re- ... Minneapolis' Sound 80 Records has several sponsibilities handled by Scott Mampe. more digital recordings in the works, including Mampe's resignation was announced last week. two additional St. Paul Chamber Orchestra tap - Other PolyGram Classics divisional vice presi- ings. The orchestra's stunning "direct -to -digi- dents now are Allison Ames, Deutsche Grammo- tal" recording of the "Appalachian Spring" phon, and Richard Rollefson, London Records. SONG SMITH -Gregg Smith conducts his Gregg Smith Singers in a free lunch -time performance at New York's Suite recently earned the label a Grammy ... Texas Christian Univ. has conferred an hon- Brentano's on Fifth Ave. Promotion sponsor Moss Music Group has more than a dozen Vox and Turnabout albums Award. Also planned is a Sound 80 production orary doctoral degree on pianist Lili Karus. Its with the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor by the vocal ensemble. one of several she holds. Neville Marriner. Composers Recordings Inc. has the debut The Metropolitan Opera has launched a ma- RCA Usage, recording of Virgil Thomson's Symphony No. 3, Increases Digital jor new endowment funding drive keyed to the performed by the New Hampshire Symphony led Plans More $11.98 Releases centenary. The goal is $100 RED DEAL upcoming company SEAL by James Bofle. The symphony is a recently or- million, one -third of which already is pledged. Records Red According to is chestrated version of the composer's String NEW YORK -RCA Shepard, RCA ap- RCA artists are being involved in 1983 -84 is the company's 100th anniversary. Quartet No. 2. Seal division is stepping up its use of proaching the half -way point in the digital session work, including Eu- It's stressed that the new endowment fund will digital recording technology and conversion to an all- digital produc- gene Ormandy, Eduardo Mata, Which was the most successful of this year's not replace the need for ongoing annual contri- plans an increasing number of re- tion state. The company uses Sony James Galway, James Levine, radio marathons? The Den- symphony orchestra butions. ... Lyric Opera of Chicago general leases at the $11.98 list price point. and Soundstream digital systems, Emanuel Ax and the Canadian ver Symphony with station KVOD's help netted manager Carol Fox has announced austerity The upscaling is part of response both of which are being brought in Brass. $211,000 in a 66 hour drive. That's claimed to measures for the 1980 season. Only five operas to increasing demand for audiophile independently. And recently digital be the biggest per capita sum raised by any or- equipment will be presented, instead of the usual seven product. However, the label isn't In addition to digital mastering, was brought in for RCA's ongoing chestra.... The Moss Music Group has entered productions. The streamlining is partially a re- formally launching a separate au- new quality measures in disk plating series of Vladimir Horowitz concert into an agreement for U.S. and Canadian release sult of huge expense overruns incurred in stag- diophile series. and pressing are being introduced tapings. of albums by the Swingle Singers, multi- dimen- ing of Penderecki's "Paradise Lost" in 1978. Details of the evolving Red Seal by Red Seal. Sheaprd indicates that The Broadway cast album of sional contemporary vocal ensemble. The first The work was given its world premiere in Chi- production posture were revealed in a growing percentage of classical re- "Oklahoma" had a digital recording release is "Skyliner," featuring arrangements of cago. Fox has assured that the cut-backs will be an exclusive interview here with leases will be introduced at the too, possibly the first use of this big band tunes and American pop classics. necessary for only one season. Tom Shepard, division vice presi- $11.98 price point. technology for a show. Digital mas- Golden Crest Records has moved into the ALAN PENCHANSKY dent. A multi -Grammy winner and ters, however, haven't yet been used. classical producer for CBS Master- "We actually made a digital of works before joining Red Seal, as `Oklahoma'," explains Shepard, well as. a composer, Shepard is one "but we couldn't get it out as quickly of the industry's most knowl- as we would have liked." edgeable classical recording execu- Shepard emphasizes that digital tives. equipment still is in its infant stages, Shepard says he envisions no without much of the flexibility of change in RCA's basic production state -of-the -art analog gear. philosophy today despite emphasis on "purist" methods encouraged by "It's rather rigid right now," the smaller audiophile labels. producer notes. "Either you don't Recordings made with as few mi- have enough tracks, or editing is crophones as possible are endorsed cumbersome. by Red Seal. Shepard indicates that "It's just coming out of its pioneer- that multi -microphoning still allows ing phase. It's not a well oiled tool the fullest possible realization of the yet; it's still very creaky." music. Nonetheless, RCA is taking a "This is not a business of making hard look at one of the current pro- documentaries like newsreels," fessional systems as an interim in- Shepard explains. "The point is to vestment, explains the executive. capture as skillfully and elegantly as RCA owns a home digital recording possible the music and not the event. system used to make safety masters, "I want to have the score realized but has not yet invested in profes- in a recording," he adds. "If it's pos- sional quality machines. sible to improve on the event and get Shepard is enthused about the closer to the score I'll do it." performance of the Soundstream Further, he notes, "What is being digital editing process. However, he it is a argued in the press is the excesses of notes that highly involved multi -track, and there have been ex- procedure and still available only at cesses. One minute the percussionist Soundstream's Salt Lake City head- is on your lap and a few minutes ago quarters. he was in left field." "If we work with Soundstream the One of the most highly touted editing possibilities actually are qualities of many new audiophile greater than the physical cutting of disks is their tremendous dynamic analog tape," relates Shepard. "To range, a property that is the essence my knowledge no other digital sys- of realism to some listeners. How- tem or even analog system at this ever, Shepard sees excessive loud- moment can edit to that point." ness and softness extremes as im- Todate, the company Kai issued practical and in some ways three digital albums and a special undesirable for all but the most digital sampler. Price of the regular dedicated sound buff. digital disks was hiked by $2 to "In most cases the absolute dy- $11.98 list earlier this year. namic range of a concert hall is not According to Shepard, the albums desirable in a living room," the pro- receive special attention at the RCA ducer comments. "I don't want the factory, and a special "audiophile dynamic range of Carnegie Hall in pressing" sticker is being affixed. this room. I can't handle the buds "We get charged more at the plant and I certainly couldn't accom- for each record," Shepard explains. modate the same whisper. "There are far more inspection steps "I'm saying the reason we do not and it's being guarded and watched have total dynamic range as it exists far more carefully." in the real world is not because we Plating of the lacquers is being have such things as surface noise done out -of-house in another qual- and other technical limitations." ity preservation step, Shepard says. According to Shepard, all major ALAN PENCHANSKY www.americanradiohistory.com