The Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch - In Nature's Realm (1999) [SACD]

Audiophiles will rejoice upon hearing this disc, but it's a recording any lover of Dvorák (or Liszt) can appreciate. The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the skillful baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, performs Liszt's Les Préludes to great effect, as well as Dvorák's three famous overtures. Recorded with an all-analog, all-tube recording setup (technology that hadn't been used on a major orchestra in 20 years), these are sonically balanced, memorable performances. In the liner notes, you can read all you want about the painstakingly intricate mic setup, but the fact is you'll feel like you're in attendance at the Academy of Music, albeit somewhere near the back. The well-mannered volume level isn't what we're used to in these days of bombast and deep low end, but the recording (and the playing) is first-rate and straightforward, with moderate tempi and an extremely natural sound. Proof positive that, with a little ingenuity, all those stateside orchestras dropped from major labels can still release excellent, world-class music.