Reference Recordings - RM-2508 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl 

Limited Edition -  Pressed at QRP - 

Cut by Kevin Gray on a custom Cutting Lathe designed by Nelson Pass

Half Speed Mastering

The Absolute Sound Super Disc List   Harry Pearson Super LP List

Eugene Istomin's illustrious career spanned some fifty years with over 4,000 orchestral concerts and recitals around the world. His performances of Mozart have been called "vigorous and full-bodied" by The Washington Post. He has collaborated with Gerard Schwarz on these concertos many times in the past. The Seattle Symphony has won two Grammy® awards and is often called "the most recorded orchestra in America".

"Prof." Keith Johnson's recording wizardry pays large dividends in natural, high-resolution string textures and huge, three-dimensional soundstage.
The original CD is on The Absolute Sound "Super Disc List" and "RECORDING OF THE MONTH" --Stereophile

Reference Recordings is back in the swing of things! Creating LPs that is.  
For many years, RR has been searching the world over for the best possible vinyl mastering, plating and pressing facilities so they could re-enter the LP market. They now have a production chain that allow them to produce LPs to meet their high standards and satisfy their customers' demands, who have been waiting for these LPs for a long time!

Assembling the Team
Disc mastering is done at half-speed to insure maximum accuracy. The lathe system has custom electronics by Nelson Pass. The simple signal path contains no compression, equalization or unnecessary circuitry. RR Chief Engineer and Technical Director, "Prof." Keith Johnson consulted on the design of the system and helped with the rebuilding of the lathe and electronics, which is owned and operated by long-time mastering expert Paul Stubblebine. "Prof." Johnson has pronounced it equal to the challenge of our master tapes!

Once successful results were achieved in disc mastering, Reference Recordings faced the difficult task of choosing the best plating and pressing facility to manufacture the discs. Fortunately, the new Quality Record Pressings plant in Salina, Kansas was coming on line, and they felt that waiting for this plant to open was well worth it. A crack team of experts was assembled to design and run the plant, employing many unique techniques and features that clearly set QRP apart from all other pressing plants. The 200-gram deluxe vinyl pressings from QRP are truly exceptional.

Multiple Configurations for Reference Mastercuts
Depending on program lengths, some releases are cut at 45 rpm, some at 33-1/3 rpm. Some are single discs, some double. All feature deluxe gate-fold jackets crafted by Stoughton Printing . An unusual feature of new RR masterings is called the "FDS finish": the end of each side will have a 30-second band of silent grooves before the "pull-away." No one today uses a record changer, and the silent grooves allow time to lift the arm before the always-somewhat-noisy tie-off. (Some 1950s vintage Capitol Full Dimensional Sound pressings sported this feature.) RR founder, J. Tamblyn (Tam) Henderson deserves special recognition for identifying the value of this unique production feature and reintroducing it with the new Mastercuts.

Note: Half-speed Mastering involves a capturing process in which the original recording master is played back at exactly half of the recorded speed. A sequenced cutting lathe is then timed at exactly half of the playback speed. This process allows twice as much time to carve a groove that accurately represents the sound on the master tape. Half-speed mastering allows for cleaner reproduction and also permits extended high frequency response, extending into the ultrasonic region.

Eugene Istomin is a legendary pianist! Two recordings by one of America's greatest musicians with Gerard Schwarz conducting the Seattle Symphony. The original CD is featured on The Absolute Sound Super Disc List!

"Istomin and Schwarz performed these immortal concertos many times, and insisted on recording them in long, complete takes in order to capture the live experience. "Prof." Johnson's recording wizardry pays large dividends in natural, high-resolution string textures and huge, three-dimensional soundstage. "RECORDING OF THE MONTH" --Stereophile, May 1996

• Half-speed Mastered by Paul Stubblebine
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings
• Deluxe Stoughton gatefold jacket

Musicians:
Eugene Istomin, piano
Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Gerard Schwarz, conductor

Selections:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Andante
3. Allegro vivace assai

Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491
4. Allegro
5. Larghetto
6. Allegretto