MUTI THE RITE OF SPRING MFSL 519 AUDIOPHILE LP DEMO

$

206

Yes, you are looking at a rare Demo copy of MFSL LP 1-519 Stravinsky The Rite of Spring by Riccardo Muti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. This Lp is an audiophile tour de force that will take your system on a journey unlike any other.  From  Arthur Salvatore's website, High-EndAudio.com :   
                      "  

*******************SPECIAL AWARD********************

***********MOST DYNAMIC ORCHESTRAL RECORDING***********

STRAVINSKY-THE RITE OF SPRING-MUTI-MOBILE FIDELITY MFSL 1-519

The description above says it all. There are no qualifiers to this well deserved title, and careful readers must have noticed I try to avoid absolutes. I don't need to with this record. If there exists one record ever made that could be truly described as "awesome", this is it. There will be a few more immediate and natural sounding orchestral LPs, but none of them are more unique, overwhelming and unforgettable as this.

This LP will make the top two classes, and not only because of its unique strength, but because it also has body and a low sound-floor. Amazingly, it is still clean at even the highest volumes, though it does homogenize slightly (but that could be my own system). This record is not on any other list, but it is still hard to find, and it appears to be in constant demand, so it will usually sell for $ 100 or even higher in auctions. As far as I'm concerned, it's still obviously worth it.

ALTERNATIVE PRESSINGS: I have heard most of the other pressings of this recording. The (digital) Angels are pretty good, but that is it. The Japanese (EAC-80558) has good body and it is clean, but the dynamics are "only" excellent, not extraordinary. The original English EMI (ASD 3807) is a little better than the Japanese, and even has a touch more body than the Mobile, but it also doesn't have the unbelievable dynamic range of the Mobile.

PLAYING SUGGESTIONS: If your system has average or better "headroom", then just play this record at your normal listening level and patiently wait for the unique experience to unfold. If your system has very limited headroom, like mine, lower the volume a little the first time you play the LP, just to be safe.

Recent Follow-up

Since I awarded this LP the title of "The Most Dynamic Orchestral Recording", the price has unfortunately skyrocketed. One copy actually sold for around $ 250 on e-Bay. It used to sell for around $ 30 or so when I initially recommended it. This hysterical price inflation was never my goal, since I have been looking for a back-up copy of this LP myself now for several years, but the real news I have about this LP has nothing to do with its current price or its availability.

It appears that this LP, or at least my own play copy, is "out of phase". This means that your own system must also be out of phase, putting the final sound back "in phase", to hear it at its best. So, if you feel or sense something isn't "right", I would switch the system phase to experiment. As a bonus, the stupendous dynamic qualities will be even further enhanced when the record is heard in phase.

Further- I received a letter from a reader in September 2006 on the above. I thought it was both interesting and informative. Here it is:

"I have both the Mofi pressing and also a US Angel pressing from RCA Music Service. While the RCA Angel is not the equal of the Mofi, it is very good, quite transparent- far better than the awful US EMI Angels of the 60s and 70s. The record number is R132496. In this connection, I have found a few late US RCA classical pressings (1977 and later) that were much more transparent than the usual dreck Red Seals (eg Harris Sym 3/Ives 3 Places in NE performed by Ormandy (ARL1-1682))."

The same reader also had some observations on "record phase":

"I find that the majority of records are "inverse phase". I had a Melos 333 preamp for 5 years and it had a phase switch so I could do instant comparisons. The only records I found to be consistently "in-phase" were French pressings and records pressed in the Soviet Bloc. Of course, many recordings are not clearly in or out of phase due to micing techniques. Pop recordings are mostly phase ambiguous unless more natural techniques were used. In addition, recordings using spaced omni micing (as with many Deccas) also introduce phase anomalies. This is part of the reason that Decca's orchestral sound is so big and enveloping. EMI used cardioids more often so the inverse phase attribute is clearer (at least to my ears on A-B comparisons). Often phase differences are subtle. The most reliable way I've found to ID phase is to pay attention to the relative amount of centerfill, rather than to transient punch or instrument focus. These latter factors can be greatly affected by micing or mixing decisions."

Personal Note- I think it's well worth experimenting with the default phase on your system, especially if you don't have a phase switch, which is the case in 95+% of audio systems. You can either change the speaker cables temporarily, or the cartridge pins (both channels in each instance, always!), if you decide to later make the change permanent."

*******************************************

                                               
This particular copy is in great shape, with absolutely no spindle marks whatsoever on the labels.  I don't know if it was ever played.  I'll grade it conservatively at VG++ to NM-- according to Goldmine standards.  The Demo is well-substantiated as it was purchased from a friend of mine whose uncle was a record exec. back in the day.  The only flaws this Lp has is:
The jacket grades out at VG+ due to some slight ringwear and corner denting.  However the vinyl retains full luster, perhaps it could use a vacuum cleaning to get some slight dust off the pressing before playing and enjoying this audiophile darling of an Lp.  There is a small fingerprint smudge on one side, which can easily be removed.  There are no spindle marks on either side of the labels.
There is also a RC 5 Plus sticker on Side 1, indicating that the Lp was treated .

International bidders you can calculate your postage by going to USPS.COM and type in the beginning destination as 28805 USA.  Then, put in the weight of the package (~ 3 pounds, fully packed - double-boxed) and your method of delivery and your country. The package measures approximately 14 x 14 x 3 inches.

Insurance is optional, but highly recommended.  I cannot be responsible for damage incurred in shipping and transit.  The Lp will be very well packed - in fact it will be double-boxed for supreme safety.

Please note that I only accept paypal for payment and payment is due within 3 days after auction close. 

Thanks for looking and best of luck in this auction!

 

On May-27-07 at 19:56:25 PDT, seller added the following information:

doraldj store