By Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra
"The Rite of Spring" becomes the world's first LP

Valery Gergiev's 1999 recording of the Phillips Label (now Decca) with the Kirov Opera Orchestra (now the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra), Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" appears as the world's first analog record. To do.

This Gergiev "Rite of Spring" was digitally recorded at the Baden-Baden Festival Theater in Germany using vacuum tube equipment, and the first appearance was a CD released in July 2001. The first press of the Japanese CD seems to have the power of gold CD specifications, and the late Mr. Koyoshi Uno, who wrote the liner notes, and the late Mr. Okihiko Sugano, who commented on the CD band, etc. As soon as it was released, it quickly became known as a famous performance and recording in an audio file. In Stereo Sound Magazine, No. 141 (September 2001), "Best Disc-Excellent Recording CD for Audio Files", all six selected people including Professor Okihiko Kanno were listed as recommended boards, and since then. It can be said that it is an audio masterpiece with the ultimate, such as appearing frequently as a reference board (check disc) when listening to audio equipment.

However, strangely, this work has never been made into an analog record until today, even though it is such a highly rated and popular famous recording and performance. Some audio critics speculated that it was difficult to engrave the huge sound energy contained in this recording into the groove of the vinyl board without hitting it, but that is often the case. The energy contained in this recording is so tremendous that it may not be a mistake, especially at the beginning of side A (Part 1 "The Augurs of Spring and the Dance of the Maidens"-"The Game of Abduction"). The bass sound of Gran Cassa can be described as violent.

This time, using the original digital (PCM) master, it was engineer Shigeru Takezawa of Nippon Columbia who carved the sound on the lacquer board. The equipment used is Neumann's cutter head "SX74" + cutting race "VMS70" (motor replaced with DENON) + cutting amplifier "SAL74B", which should be called his limbs. As a result of repeated auditioning conducted at the Shizuoka factory of Sony Music Solutions, we have selected a regular disc of approximately 140g for this disc.


Recording: July 24-27, 1999 Baden-Baden

Executive producer: Anna Barry / Recording producer: Stan Taal
Balance engineer: Jaap de Jong / Recording engineer: Thijs Hoekstra
Recorded on Jaap de Jong vacuum tube equipment
Additional recording facilities by Polyhymnia International B.V.,
Editing facilities by Stan Taal / A & R co-ordinator: Hermine Sterringa
Mastered by The Audio Archiving Company Limited
Recording location: Festspielhaus, Baden-Baden, 24-27 July 1999
Publisher: Édition Russe de Musique (Stravinsky)