Don Pearce wrote:
On Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:05:15 +0000, Eiron wrote:

Roger Thorpe wrote:
Eiron wrote:
Roger Thorpe wrote:

concerts) Downloading a high definition "studio master" recording of
the late Mozart symphonies and burning them to DVD-A was an
interesting, if uneconomic experience. Why would you sell a download
at a higher price than the SACD?


Details? Where can you download them and how do you write DVD-A?

My broadband's bandwidth is less than the Amazon/postman solution.

the downloads are from Linn
http://www.linnrecords.com/
they are by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Charles Mackerras.
The files are available as 24/88.2 FLAC and WMA , CD resolution and MP3.
There's a very short sample available for free to test your software and
hardware.
Although it's a modern orchestra (they use modern instruments) the
performance is what I think is called "historically Informed", so not
too much vibrato and a very brisk, exciting approach.
There's a "Messiah" up there that got rave reviews too.

I didn't find the download straightforward because, to download all the
tracks at one click you need to use a download manager. I used
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/
but it took me a while to realize that it won't work with Netscape!

To write the DVD-As I used DVD-Audio Solo as an evaluation from
http://www.cirlinca.com/
This part was blissfully easy, there's some freeware around, but I think
that it might be a more difficult operation. I will buy the license,
even if I do no more HD downloads I'll be able to assemble long pieces
at CD resolution.
Thanks.
At least that site showed me where to get a decent surround-sound version
of Tallis's Spem in Alium. My 'Music for Pleasure' version gives me a
headache.
I don't know if the download version is multi-channel but I think I'll
just buy the SACD instead.

Did you hear the R4 edition of "Soul Music" that featured Spem in
Alium? They talked about the ultimate surround sound system. The
singers were miked individually, and there was one loudspeaker per
singer in the listening room. I believe the piece calls for four
groups of four singers - so 16 total. This was done for an exhibition
somewhere. The listener would stand in the room with the 16 "singers"
positioned all the way round. I'd have liked to try that.

Yes. That was what prompted me to waste £3 on the EMI 'Classics for
Masochists' version.
One of those cases where you do get what you pay for.

It's eight groups of five singers and originally performed
in surround-sound in 1571.

--
Eiron.