As for the Vanguard Classics recording of La pietra del paragone, I have the real deal. I had owned this on LP many, many years ago, and I just recently bought the CDs. Oddly, I purchased a used copy off Amazon and received a brand-new copy from eBay. It came shrink wrapped in its slip case, with libretto and even a Vanguard Classics catalog from Fall 1992! The performance is vibrant and delightful, but, to my ears, the sound is atrocious for a commercial studio recording set down in 1971. The slipcase says the recording was 'Remastered using B&W Matrix 801 loudspeakers', so their engineers used good quality equipment. It's too bad they couldn't have done more to improve the recessed and anemic sound. You had mentioned that the audio deficiencies are more noticeable on headphones, which I how I listened to it the first time around. I just played a bit of Act II though my ancient Bose speakers, and that was a slight improvement.
I haven't heard the recording on the Bongiovanni label, so I may just get it, too. Although both have weaknesses in their casts, the recordings on Naxos and Nuova Era (recorded live at the then Teatro Communale di Modena in April 1992) are rather fun.
Thanks, Stephen - I don't how that fell off but I have restored the link, now. My venerable copy on Vanguard Classics is over thirty years old but it really isn't anywhere near as bad as you describe - I wonder if you are playing the same issue or have a defective or different copy?
I recently wanted to re-read Ralph Moore's review of Rossini's La pietra del paragone , and I noticed that his reviews of 'Three harder-to-find' Rossini operas aren't listed under Resources and Articles with his other surveys. I found it easily enough by searching for 'paragone', but I was puzzled by the omission.
I fully agree with his review, even if I find the sonic inadequacies a bit hard to take. It's a very professional performance marred by distinctly amateur engineering. It sounds like it was recorded on a cassette deck in someone's mum's garage.
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