Job. A Masque for Dancing* [44'09]
Incidental Music to 'The Wasps'. Overture* [10'26]
Introduction to Ninth Symphony by Sir Adrian [0'26]
Symphony No.9 [37'35]
Malcolm Arnold:
Four Scottish Dances, op.59^ [9'35]
Symphony No.3^ [34'57]
London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult and Malcolm Arnold^
Two 16bit/44.1kHz (Omega-Vanguard) and three 24bit/96kHz digital downloads (Countdown Media) of Everest originals (recorded 1958; first issued in 1959 on LP)
Recording venue: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London and Royal Albert Hall, London*
Recording engineer and Producer: Bert Whyte
Many of these classic recordings and performances of some of the finest compositions by Vaughan Williams and Arnold have appeared in so many different transfers and on so many different labels that I thought it worthwhile bringing together the best sounding of them in one post. I have posted both of the Omega-Vanguard CD rips here before om MIMIC- 15 March 2017and 20 April 2016. (They are no my rips and many thanks to the original provider.) The three 24bit/96kHz downloads are from Countdown Media, via HD Tracks.
As there has been a lot of interest lately in differences in sound quality of various digitizations of Everest originals, comparison here may be of interest. For me, I am still very happy with the quality achieved by the Omega-Vanguard transfer engineers in 1994 and find no obvious improvement in the 2014 and 2018 digital transfers by Countdown Media. Indeed the CDs often appear warmer and less brittle but with no loss of detail. It appears that there is no HD digital download available for The Wasps Overture. The only currently available version is on a Harkit CD but I haven't heard that. Many of their other Everest issues have been decidedly inferior.
These recordings of both Arnold works and the Vaughan Williams Ninth Symphony and Job have never been superseded although the Arnold Third Symphony has been matched by Vernon Handley and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for Conifer (now Decca) and Job by Vernon Handley for EMI (again with the London Philharmonic). Some have not liked the Royal Albert Hall's (at that time) cavernous acoustic but it seems appropriate for Job, if not for the Wasps Overture. (Although there is plenty of organ detail throughout Job, real organ enthusiasts will find the Vision of Satan in Scene VI overwhelming in Andrew Davis' recording with the Bergen Philharmonic for Chandos.)
01. - 12. Ralph Vaughan Williams - Job a Masque for Dancing
13. Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Wasps. Overture
14. - 17. Malcolm Arnold - Four Scottish Dances, op.59
(16bit/44.1kHz flacs: CD rip, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Download from MEGA.
01. Introduction to Ninth Symphony by Sir Adrian
02. - 05. Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphony No.9
06. - 09. Malcolm Arnold - Symphony No.3
(16bit/44.1kHz flacs: CD rip, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Download from MEGA.
Everest (Countdown Media) SDBR3019
01. - 12. Ralph Vaughan Williams - Job a Masque for Dancing
(24bit/96kHz flacs: digital download, cover scan)
Unusually for Countdown Media, there is no booklet for this issue at any of the many download sites.
Download from MEGA.
Everest (Countdown Media) SDBR3006
01. Introduction to Ninth Symphony by Sir Adrian
02. - 05. Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphony No.9
(24bit/96kHz flacs: digital download, booklet and cover scans)
Download from MEGA.
Everest (Countdown Media) SDBR3021
01. - 04. Malcolm Arnold - Four Scottish Dances, op.59
05. - 07. Malcolm Arnold - Symphony No.3
(24bit/96kHz flacs: digital download, booklet and cover scans)
Download from MEGA.