# Leibowitz/RPO Beethoven Cycle: Reader's Digest vs. Chesky vs. Urania vs. Scribendum



## Nipper (Jun 5, 2020)

Apple Music has two versions of René Leibowitz' Beethoven symphonies cycle with the RPO.

This Reader's Digest set from 2011 (available for purchase at $9.99):









And this Urania set from 2015 (available for purchase at $49.99):









Presto Music also has the Urania set listed for download along with _The Art Of Leibowitz_ cd box set on Scribendum.

I compared the times of the movements between the sets. The Reader's Digest set has times very close the Chesky CD set from several years ago (the one with the gold cover). But a quick sampling shows the times of the movements are around 8-12 % faster than the Urania set! For example, the Scherzo of the Ninth is 13:33 on the Urania vs. 12:25 on the RD.

Sampling a few movements, they both sound like the same 1961-62 performances (Ludwig Weber, et. al.). The Urania sounds like a different mix/master (more bass), but definitely slower. Could it be the tape speed used during mixing/mastering? Yikes.

Anyone know more about the quality of the these four releases?

N.B. The Urania set also contains two overtures, but that would hardly account for the difference in price.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

The difference in timing is odd. A slower tape speed would mean lowering the pitch, wouldn't it? I have the original LPs that I bought w-a-y back in 1968! There are no timings on the labels or in the booklet. And then a RD release over two 3-disk sets where the timing is given as 12:20. Urania is an interesting label - I wonder what happened? Did the ninth ever make it to the Menuet label? I know a couple of the recordings did but I gave theme away when the RD versions came out. As far as Big Band Beethoven goes, these recordings are quite special to me, in part because I imprinted with them so early. But even then, the coda of the Eroica has never been done better by anyone. The vocal quartet in the Ninth is the finest ever put together. An extraordinary set and remarkably surprising once you learn more about the conductor, Rene Leibowitz.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The Urania set is slow. You can tell from the dragging of the bass. Also, if you have Spotify or another streaming service, compare them with the Naxos remasters and restorations using the original master tapes and you'll soon see they're significantly slower. The Urania transfers were always the ones to avoid. Listening again via Spotify the Naxos transfers sound superb. They've cleaned up some background hiss without losing presence and the strings sound cleaner.


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## Nipper (Jun 5, 2020)

Thanks. 

I discovered that the Naxos restored mastering is not available in the U.S. (nor in Australia/Singapore) due to copyright restrictions. I was able to listen to the samples on Apple Music/Japan, but it won't load through my U.S. account and regular player. I can just listen to the Reader's Digest release.


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