Sony's Original Jacket Collection

Ca$hing in on Nostalgia

Despite having died over twelve years ago, Vladimir Horowitz remains a potent force in the ever-shrinking Classical music market. Since his death in 1989, Horowitz' complete recordings have been remastered and reissued, and a number of previously unreleased recordings have also surfaced.

The marketing gimmick behind the Original Jacket Collection is a simple one: ten CDs, with the music duplicating the original LP release, with the original liner notes and bearing the original LP covers (albeit in miniaturized form).

Horowitz was in his late prime during his Columbia (now Sony) years, 1962-1973. The performances in this box are rightfully legendary. Highlights include: loads of Chopin including the Sonata, Op. 35 (1962), a brooding Poloniase-Fantasie, Op. 61 (recorded live in 1966), an electrifying performance of the neglected Introduction & Rondo, Op. 16 (1971); Horowitz' own transcription of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19; and the all Scarlatti, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, and Scriabin LPs. It is worth noting that most of these recordings were Grammy winners and have never been out of the catalogue since they were initially released.

That's part of the problem. Horowitz fans with sharp ears will detect that these are not new remasterings, they are straight transfers from Sony's 1993 Complete Masterworks Recordings reissue. In a number of cases here, such as in Schumann's Kreisleriana, alternate takes were used, which differ from the original LP issues. While the performances don't suffer from the alterations, should not Sony have done their homework and checked the CD remasterings against the original LPs?

Given that most of these CDs clock in at about 40 minutes, and that the potential CD playing time is twice that long, shoppers are advised to spend a few extra dollars and buy the 13-CD box of the Complete Masterworks Recordings, as they offer much greater value for the money. The 5-star rating is for performance quality only.

© Hank Drake

This page is part of The Vladimir Horowitz Website
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