BACH, Sonatas & Partitas NATHAN MILSTEIN [DG] German 3LP box set

$

25

Nathan Milstein, J. S. Bach* ?– Sonaten & Partiten Label: Deutsche Grammophon ?– 2709 047 Format: 3 × Vinyl, LP  Box Set  Country: Germany Released: 1975 Genre: Classical Style: Baroque Tracklist  Sonata No. 1 In G Minor, BWV 1001 A-1 Adagio 3:56 A-2 Fuga. Allegro 5:01 A-3 Sicilana 3:11 A-4 Presto 2:33 Partita No. 1 In B Minor, BWV 1002 B-1 Allemanda 4:06 B-2 Double 2:13 B-3 Corrente 2:35 B-4 Double. Presto 2:47 B-5 Sarabanda 2:10 B-6 Double 1:26 B-7 Tempo Di Borea 2:02 B-8 Double 1:55 Sonata No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 1003 C-1 Grave 4:01 C-2 Fuga 7:22 C-3 Andante 4:35 C-4 Allegro 6:09 Partita No. 2 In D Minor, BWV 1004 D-1 Allemanda 4:05 D-2 Corrente 3:33 D-3 Sarabanda 4:01 D-4 Giga 4:13 D-5 Ciaccona 13:56 Sonata No. 3 In C Major, BWV 1005 E-1 Adagio 4:22 E-2 Corrente 9:46 E-3 Largo 3:15 E-4 Allegro Assai 3:33 Partita No. 3 In E Major, BWV 1006 F-1 Preludio 3:36 F-2 Loure 4:12 F-3 Gavotte En Rondeau 3:08 F-4 Menuet I 1:56 F-5 Menuet II - Menuet I Da Capo 2:02 F-6 Bourrée 1:31 F-7 Gigue 1:59 Companies, etc. Recorded At – Conway Hall, London Credits Composed By – Johann Sebastian Bach Violin – Nathan Milstein Notes Recorded in Conway Hall, London in February, March and September 1973.  Laminated box with tri-lingual illustrated booklet. 

GERMAN TRIPLE VINYL ALBUM SET IN BOX WITH BOOKLET AND ORIGINAL POLY-LINED INNER SLEEVES.

BOX: VERY GOOD+, SOME SHELF, CORNER, EDGE AND RING WEAR.  JOIN BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM HAS COME APART.  BOOKLET AND INNER SLEEVES VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISCS: EXCELLENT MINUS. NO MARKS OR SCRATCHES, JUST A COUPLE OF FINGERPRINTS ON DISC THREE. CLEAN LABELS.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are  clearer.

On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant.  The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.