Deutsche Grammophon’s recent release of Sergei Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite and Lieutenant Kijé, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Claudio Abbado, is innovative in its engineering and “old school” in its delivery.

For Deutsche Grammophon’s “Original Source” series of vinyl they’ve gone back to basics, remastering and editing this release from the original one-inch, eight-track tapes in an all-analog process. And when I say vinyl, I mean vinyl: The recording is delivered on a 180-gram vinyl pressing like I haven’t held in decades. This is a serious record. It’s virtually unbendable, with a heft that feels like a record that has to sound good.

And the recording delivers on that impression! The audio separation is distinct, and you can hear a clarity of inner voices that aren’t nearly as apparent on the original vinyl release. There are orchestral effects at several points of Lieutenant Kijé, most notably the violins in the Noces de Kijé section, that I’ve never heard so distinctly. They made such an impression that I went back to my score and wondered, “Wow! How did I miss that?” Compared with the CD release, the sound is less homogenized, without the seemingly manipulated orchestral balances.

On side A of the album is Sergei Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite. Here again, the clarity of inner voices allows for a perspective on the work that I’d never heard. The piece engaged me differently and I enjoyed it, probably for the first time. Interestingly enough, the only other recording of Scythian Suite I’ve ever owned was the original vinyl pressing of this same performance, which sounded muddled to me and made the work more difficult to hear. This new vinyl release brings the performance to life. Fans of Scythian Suite will find a great interpretation here. If you haven’t enjoyed the piece before, this recording may be the one to change your mind.

On side B of the album, Claudio Abbado’s interpretation of Lieutenant Kijé offers a subtle deviousness as military officials scramble to conceal a clerical error from Tsar Paul I. The dark humor of the plot weaves its way through the movements as the tsar accepts each invention and, through his reactions, forces the deception to grow.

The brass section, crucial to the performance of both these works, is pure gold. Led by Bud Herseth, the Chicago Symphony’s principal trumpet for 53 years, the opening trumpet call in Lieutenant Kijé is ethereal. The brass is recorded with a clarity and brilliance that reminds me of hearing the orchestra live at Carnegie Hall 50 years ago. In 1977, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was at the top of its game. Claudio Abbado expertly manages the resources at his disposal to deliver performances that rival the best.

This was my first opportunity to hear a release from Deutsche Grammophon’s “Original Source” series. If the rest of the series is produced to this standard, this is as good as new vinyl gets.

— Vince Tillona

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