Muti: Orff – Carmina Burana (FLAC)

Performer: Jonathan Summers, Arleen Augér, John van Kesteren
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra
Conductor: Riccardo Muti
Composer: Carl Orff
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: EMI Classics
Size: 276 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

01. O Fortuna
02. Fortune Plango Vulnera
03. Veris Leta Facies
04. Omnia Sol Temperat
05. Ecce Gratum
06. Tanz
07. Floret/Silva
08. Chramer, Gip Die Varwe Mir
09. Reie/Swaz Hie Gat Umbe/Chume, Chum Geselle Min
10. Were Diu Werlt Alle Min
11. Estuans Interius
12. Olim Lacus Colueram
13. Ego Sum Abbas
14. In Taberna Quando Sumus
15. Amor Volat Undique
16. Dies, Nox et Omnia
17. Stetit Puella
18. Circa Mea Pectora
19. Si Puer cum Puellula
20. Veni, Venim, Venias
21. In Trutina
22. Tempus est Iocundum
23. Dulcissime
24. Ave Formosissima
25. O Fortuna

Recording accuracy results in much controversy…

I must join all the defenders of this recording as Muti’s Carmina is my favorite of the various versions I own (Shaw, Ozawa, Previn and Jochum). I first bought this recording in LP format, thoroughly enjoyed both the interpretation and vividness of the recording (those wonderful bass drum whacks!!!) and never noticed any problem with the recording levels… of course, I only listened to my LP’s in my reasonably well insulated music room. It wasn’t until I bought the CD version of this recording that I experienced the frustration of trying to listen to it in my car and dealing with its very wide, uncompressed dynamic range. I have encountered the same problem in my car with various versions of Ravel’s Bolero… there is no way I can hear the snare drum at the beginning of the piece without having to adjust down the volume a couple of times as more instruments join up and the sound becomes gradually louder.

It is my belief that this recording is not defective but rather an accurate recording of a piece that has an extremely wide dynamic range. I typically listen to it with good quality headphones and find that I do not need to adjust the volume throughout the work… same goes for the Bolero…