While I can't comment at all regarding the performance or SQ on Honeck's Mahler 1 for Exton,I haven't heard it,I can now with even more authority, than before,report that Channel Classics SQ from Budapest is indeed absolutely State of the Art.
I have long held the view that Jared's recordings in general and Mahler's 1 st under discussion in this thread,in particular,are some of the absolutely best and most realistic recordings of large scale classical music ever made.
Now I now for sure.
I am just back home again from Budapest and four days of sessions and one live concert of Mahler's 5th symphony.
Those days can best be described as days in Heaven!
Although it was "hot as hell" 30 C or "in the 90s" all week.
I was actually in Budapest for 8 days,but four days of that week were pure MAHLER.
During those days,it was my great privilige to have one of the world's absolutely best orchestras,conducted by their chief conductor Ivan Fischer, play Mahler's mighty fifth Symphony approximately six,seven times basically for me personally.
The only other audience were the stuffed elephant and lion you may have seen on Youtube.
Wonderful long takes,almost always,whole movements played straight through without breaks,with occasional rehearsal/ repeats of really tricky passages,always real music making on the highest world class level, with lots of flow, and absolute dedication from both conductor and musicians.
The simple fact that timings of complete movements where within a couple of seconds between takes says a lot about the flow this orchestra and their conductor are capable of.
I spent most of the time in the Hall in pure bliss.Both on stage,behind the conductor,among the players,and in good seats around the hall,but I also made several visits to the control room where Jared Sacks and producer Hein Dekker had set up five Audiolab speakers in 5.0 surround setup with specially made heavy mono ampflification, one for each speaker, and had two VERY transparent AKG 1000 monitoring headphones connected.
The surround sound was impressive with lots of power , depth and clarity.
Jared even switched off the surround for me a couple of times. And it was very interesting to hear how the soundstage clearly collapsed,and then opened up again when he re-connected the back speakers. Surround sound was clearly much closer to what I heard live in the hall.
And the main stereo take as heard through the AKG 1000s was about the cleanest most realistic stereo sound I have ever heard. The main microphone setup goes straight into the Grimm /Pyramix.
And with even more insight also, into how much sheer physical work,omg all those cables, and how big the costs are to make these fantastic recordings my opinion is that they are not at all expensive they are in fact an amazing bargain for what they actually deliver!
If we music lovers want Jared and Hein to be able to keep "Channeling us great music" on this world class level,my advice is short and simple. Don't hesitate, buy!
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