Hérold-Lanchbery: La Fille Mal Gardée

A perennial on our founder’s Super Disc list, the Hérold-Lanchbery score for La Fille Mal Gardée is among the most famous of audiophile recordings. And like a good many of the “guilty pleasures” discs our community holds so dear, the music found herein may not be quite as “super” as the recording. That, of course, is a highly subjective thing. In any case, the sound of ORG’s Bernie Grundman mastered set is outstanding. But then so is the original, which this edges out in low-level detail, air, and dynamic range, which is quite natural—as opposed to the exaggeratedly wide scale we often get from audiophile faves. Strings are exceptionally silky, warm, and vivid; brass is throaty and rich. The soundstage is large, with impressive depth layering, air, and “bloom” around instruments, which also have terrific focus. Perspective is superb, with a “you-are-there” mid-hall placement rather than front-row. High frequencies are sweet and airy if not particularly extended. Lows, too, are tuneful and textured but not of kapow! subwoofer demo quality. With the help of Ying Tan ORG has firmly established itself as an important source for excellent, eclectic reissues.