""Natureís Realm"" Announced For SACD Release
Title of recording: Natureís Realm Catalog number: WLA-WS-66-SACD Artist: Philadelphia Orchestra Conductor: Wolfgang Sawallisch Titles: - Franz Liszt, Les Preludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3 (16:40) - Antonin Dvorak, Three Concert Overtures: In Nature's Realm, Op. 91 (14:08); Carnival, Op. 92 (9:44k Othello, Op. 93 (14:42) The Philadelphia Orchestra and Water Lily Acoustics have announced the release of ""Nature's Realm,"" the first all analog, vacuum tube, purist-miked recording of a major symphony orchestra since the advent of digital recording in the early 1980s. ""Nature's Realm"" features the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, performing Liszt's Les Preludes and three overtures by Antonin Dvorak. This all-analogue recording has been digitally mastered utilizing Sony's high resolution DSD system, and will be available to the general public as a Super Audio Compact Disc. Nature's Realm was engineered by Kavi Alexander of Water Lily Acoustics, using an all-tube recording chain entirely custom-designed by Tim de Paravicini of Esoteric Audio Research (E.A.R.), which includes microphones and mic preamp, and a one-inch, two-track tape recorder with proprietary equalization. The specs of the recording chain technically surpass those of any recording medium known today. With the exception of three direct-to-disc (and long-out-of-print) LPs, ""Nature's Realm"" is the only recording of a major American orchestra made with the phase- and amplitude-correct. crossed-figure-of-eight microphone technique developed by Alan Blumlein, the father of stereo, as we know it today. Blumlein's research was done for EMI: in England in the 1930s. Ironically, the Philadelphia Orchestra was the musical participant in the Bell Laboratories experiments in stereophony, done at the same time, which gave birth to the spaced-omni microphone technique overwhelmingly, preferred by the major U.S. recording companies. The spaced-omni technique is theoretically flawed, as it introduces phase anomalies which cause imprecise stereo imaging and tonal colorations due to comb filter effects. In the Blumlein technique, the microphones are coincident in space, thus phase anomalies are avoided and timbral accuracy maintained. The technique produces uncolored sound and a precise and natural stereo image. For more information, contact Dan Meinwald 310 396 1919.