Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture etc. / Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops (Multichannel Hybrid SACD)

 (25 customer reviews)

First, let's start out by admitting this was meant to be a demo disc. Since the LP was invented, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture has been used to show how close audio reproduction is getting to "perfection" - whatever that is. This 6.0/5.1-channel SACD does not disappoint. The cannons are so realistic that my dog was arching her head to try to figure out where the sound was coming from (the only other time that happened was in the "barking" sequence of the remastered "Hey Bulldog"). Since cannons come out of all four corner speakers, it made quite an interesting scene. My multichannel SACD player directed the low bass to the LFE channel - make sure to set your bass management properly on your multichannel SACD player, such as the Sony SCD-CE775, before playing the disc. The equalization and levels are very consistent with other multichannel SACDs. The orchestra sounds very realistic, as you would expect with a multichannel SACD. The orchestral...Read more

Telarc International made recording history in 1978 when they used digital audio technology to record the 1812 Overture. With its live cannons and phenomenal dynamic range, it quickly became a favorite demo disc in many audio stores, and the ultimate test for my new CD player and system.The advent of multi-channel discrete surround sound and high-definition audio recording systems such as 24/96 PCM and the DSD system, with its frequency response extending beyond 100 kHz and the availability of Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio, were enough to coax Telarc to create a new recording of the 1812. The new recording is even more taxing on your sound system than the original.Deciding to release the recording on the latest DSD recording equipment, the music, Civil War-era cannons, and the church bells were captured in different venues. The recording is mixed to include optional height information using the LFE channel. Telarc's height information is used to drive a pair of elevated side,...Read more

This disc was among those on my list for when I finally got my hands on an SACD player. I was very excited when I finally put it in and pressed play.Then I was a little disappointed. The orchestra seemed dull....almost far away in the mix. The volume on the recording is very low, and I found myself turning up the volume just to hear the detail in the strings.What's more, I found the perfomance a wee bit uninspired. Maybe a little too slow for my tastes. (My favorite recording of the 1812 is Claudio Abbado and the Cleveland Orchestra....now that would make a truly great SACD)Then came the cannons....wow! But, far far too loud when compared to the rest of the mix. The orchestra and chorus are practically drowned out by them, and I also found myself having to turn down the volume at that point just to avoid speaker damage. The cover does warn you to be aware of the volume when the cannons blast, but had the orchestra been mixed a little louder, i would not have had my volume...Read more