Nancy Gustafson, sop; Florence Quivar, contralto; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Israel Philharmonic Orch/Zubin Mehta, cond.
TELDEC 94545 TT: 78:29
(5.1 channel)
This massive work was recorded early in 1994 in Fredric R. Mann Auditorium, Tel Aviv. Mehta's hasty interpretation misses much of the score's grandeur, the concluding orchestral pages disappoint. Sound is huge and reverberant, with an impressive organ (dubbed in?). A work such as this is ideal for multi-channel sound but there is little presence in spite of the 6 channels. It isn't indicated if this was recorded in multi-channel sound in 1994; it might have been, but there is no particular "surround" effect.
Ton Koopman, organist
TELDEC 82041 TT: 72:23
(5.1 channel)
The rebuilt Christian Müller organ of Grote Kerk, Leeuwarden, is heard in these superb performances by Koopman. The CD booklet contains an article by engineer Adriaan Verstijnen about the advantages of higher resolution and sampling available today, and how this permits more accurate reproduction of sound including acoustics of the recording site. He's right; this is an extraordinary listening experience. Koopman is a master of his instrument in these splendid performances.