Whats on your turntable tonight?

Good recommendation and reminder, Montepilot:

I recommend opening new records that you intend to keep for personal listening soon after purchase for inspection.

I'm unfortunately in that uncomfortable position of having many new records that I've opened for a visual inspection but have not been able to listen to due to our move. I'm keeping fingers crossed as I start going through them: cleaning and then listening.

I just looked online for the 45 rpm Ravel, "Rapsodie Espagnole" you mentioned above. I have the 33 rpm, but not the 45 rpm, and the only place I can find the 45 rpm is now asking $75 for it. Guess I should have gotten it a few years ago... If this is anything like the other 45 rpm Mercuries that Classic Records reissued (e.g., Prokofiev "Scythian Suite" and Stravinsky "Firebird"), I'm sure it's everything you describe. In each case, these 45s have been far superior to the rather disappointing 33 rpm versions.

Cheers,

Note that I'm referring above to the Classic Records 33 rpm Mercury reissues, only. The Speakers Corner 33 rpm Mercury reissues and been outstanding, and I highly recommend those.
.

Rushton, My turntable is no where near the status of your Walker however the 45 rpm Ravel, "Rapsodie Espagnole" in my system is every bit as dynamic and detailed as the Prokofiev,Scythian Suite 45 rpm of which I have. I would not be surprised if you found it the equal of Stravinsky/Firebird 45 rpm. Unfortunately I dallied too long in purchasing the 45rpm version of Firebird. If it shows up somewhere the price will no doubt be out of my reach. However I do have the 200g version and am happy to at least have this format.

I have just finish paying dearly for a couple of records that nearly doubled in price because there were only a few copies left in stock.

Today I just heeded some earlier advice to obtain Starker's Cello Suites/Mercury Speakers Corner before it goes out of print. Acoutic Sounds has it back ordered and some of the other outlets are out of stock. Fortunately Music Direct had it at list price so I did not delay any longer and purchased it today.

In a few years I think we will not regret the financial sacrifice of obtaining these remarkable reissues. I remember years ago when Sid Marks of the Absolute sound did his column on Mercury Living Presence and RCA Shaded Dogs how difficult it was to find clean first issue copies. And if you did find them the prices at least for me was prohibitive. To have them reissed with original cover art and superior vinyl is an analog lovers dream.

Follow up to Ravel:"Rapsodie Espanol" 45 rpm. This set does not include Ibert's: "Escales" aka "Ports of Call" which is on the 33 rpm version.

I agree completely.

"In a few years I think we will not regret the financial sacrifice of obtaining these remarkable reissues."

I'm currently in the process of buying each of the Speakers Corner Mercury reissues as they appear (with a very few exceptions), have been doing the same with the Analog Productions (Acoustic Sounds) Fantasy 45 series, and will be trying to purchase as many of the Music Matters and Analog Productions Blue Note 45s as I can manage. The Cisco classical reissues have also been good, but not quite at the same level of original source material even though their production is every bit as good. This is a renaissance of vinyl I never expected to see.
.