Decca Legacy - Volume I-IV

Housed in Deluxe Linen Style 7 1/4" X 7 1/4" Booklet!
Beautifully Illustrated Booklet Details the History of These Recordings!

Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering Produced Using PureFlection Process! This Ultra HD 32-Bit Mastering CD will play on ALL CD players!

First Impressions Music presents Decca Legacy Volume I-IV, a musical account of the Golden Age of Decca stereo recordings.

The set includes four Ultra-High Definition 32-Bit CDs replicated with the industry-leading Pure Reflection process and authenticated with Pit Art anti-piracy technology.

These four CDs featuring 42 superlative tracks are selected from the foremost albums of Decca's 100 year history, highlighting the label's "Golden Age", remastered by Grammy Award-winning engineers. The set is housed in a 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" x 3/4" beautifully illustrated booklet that details the history of these recordings.

The name “Decca” dates back to a portable gramophone called the “Decca Dulcephone,” patented in 1914 by musical instrument makers Barnett Samuel & Sons. The name “Decca” was coined by Wilfred S. Samuel, by merging the word “Mecca” with the initial “D” of both the “Dulcet” logo and their trademarked “Dulcephone.” Barnett Samuel & Sons was eventually renamed The Decca Gramophone Company Ltd., prior to being sold to former stockbroker Edward Lewis in 1929.

During the 1930s, Decca promoted itself as “The Supreme Record Company.” This claim was truly borne out when Decca began recording Full Frequency Range Recordings (FFRR) in 1944, subsequently graduating to Full Frequency Stereophonic Sound (FFSS) in 1958.

A Better CD Production Process - The Pure Reflection (PureFlection) Process:
FIM UHD CDs now sound undeniably better than ever! FIM's first priority is to locate a factory that at offers the latest technologies throughout its entire production chain, from the best A-grade polycarbonate materials, to testing and accurate quality control tools. The factory must produce a detailed specification sheet which ensures the discs produced demonstrate the same quality as the original recording.

To assure us of the best results, FIM has enlisted the help of one of the most experienced mastering engineers in the industry to craft the glass disc for the final replication process. Winston Ma continually maintains close rapport with him, as well as the original recording engineers, the mastering engineers and the manufacturer to achieve consensus regarding musicality and the sound spectrum.

FIM's glass mastering-disc engineer maintains expertise in the latest technologies: he currently uses a special blu-ray recordable mastering thermal process technique to create small smooth grooves which result in precision fidelity. He is meticulous in ensuring the best track pitch and the distance between the spiral of the pits, to reduce the amount of noise the tracking servo in the drive picks up from adjacent tracks, thus ensuring the best parameters on Cross Talk (XT) by minimizing the servo noise of the Drive during playback of the replica results.

To further ensure the best quality, FIM stipulates the most extensive test specification requirements. Pure Reflection (PureFlection) discs show in every CD booklet the full spectrum of specification of a given CD in the following categories:

BLER (17 items)
BERL (9 items)
Physical (6 items)
Jitter (6 items)
E22 Graph and
BLER Graph

The concept of UHD 32-Bit PureFlection is the transformation of a superior sound into something truly exceptional, enhancing the experience without interfering in it. Sit back, relax and listen to the new sound of a UHD 32-Bit PureFlection CD!

Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering!
Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering is a proprietary ultra-high-quality mastering system. This leading-edge system has achieved unprecedented sonority and musicality, reproducing as closely as possible the sound of the original master tape! This format employs what is currently the highest attainable resolution bit depth (word length) in the professional audio field, i.e. 32-bit. 32-bit resolution makes possible maximized, undistorted dynamics, and the lowest noise floor, allowing even the quietest musical information to be heard more clearly. This breakthrough results from the development, through years of experience and application of advanced digital technology, of a sophisticated A/D and D/A processing system.

Ultra HD 32-Bit Mastering does not specify a sampling rate; this allows flexibility in meticulously choosing the appropriate bandwidth for a particular recording. The higher the sampling rate -- for example, 192 kHz -- the greater the bandwidth. However, merely employing the greatest bandwidth may not guarantee the ultimate sound. With some recordings, a lower sampling rate -- 96 or 176 kHz -- may offer better musicality and more homogeneous harmonics. This determination requires careful and discerning auditioning and professional judgment. In the end, the human being’s hearing and emotions should be the final arbiter, rather than the print-out of testing equipment or technical measurements.

Recognizing these variables, FIM nevertheless tries to use 32-bit depth and 192 kHz bandwidth whenever the original analog master is at hand. Alternatively, if the original recording is on 24/96, the 32/96 may eventually be used to maintain the integrity of the sonority particular to that recording. With this flexibility, First Impression Music believes that preeminent sound is only achievable when the chemistry of the recording, mastering, glass-stamper making, replication, and quality control is right. As always, listening is believing.

This recording has been mastered by the new Ultra High Definition 32-Bit Mastering process, which creates an unbelievable sound surpassing other formats!

The benefits of Ultra HD 32-Bit Mastering:
• Ambience of Analogue Sound
• Higher Resolution
• Undistorted Dynamics
• The Lowest Noise Floor, allowing even the quietest musical information to be heard more clearly!
• Richer Sound Field
• Master-Tape Quality Sound!!!
• Delivers what musicians originally intended!

FIM Pit Art:
In response to widespread CD piracy, FIM has pioneered its patent-pending PIT ART design, launched in the spring of 2014.

Conventional labels use cutting, lacquer coating or ink printing to create images on their CDs; these technologies are notoriously easy to counterfeit. FIM instead utilizes the disc’s inner layer of data-storing metallic foil, imprinting on it the elegant PIT ART logo you see on our new CDs.

PIT ART represents a landmark in the evolution of counterfeit protection and detection, and its introduction has immediately drawn interest from major music labels.

The presence of the PIT ART logo on the inner section of each FIM CD is your assurance of authenticity.

Features:
• 4CD Set
• Housed in a beautifully illustrated, deluxe linen style booklet detailing the history of these recordings
• Dimensions: 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" x 1/4"
• Produced using PureFlection (Pure Reflection) Process
• Ultra HD Mastering
• Beautifully packaged
• Playable on ALL CD Players!
• Re-mastered by Michael Bishop & Robert Friedrich
• Produced by Winston Ma
• FIM Pit Art anti-piracy technology for assurance of authenticity

Musicians:
Disc 1 - FIM UHD 089
Romantic Russia / LSO / Solti - (1)
Radu Lupu / LSO / Previn (2-3)
Frühbeck de Burgos/New Philharmonia (4)
Swan Lake Highlights/Ansermet/L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (5)
Film Spectacular II/Stanley Black (6)
Willi Boskovsky/Vienna Philharmonic (7-8)
Ros On Broadway/Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra (9)
Neapolitan Songs/Pavarotti (10)

Disc 2 - FIM UHD 090
Verdi Choruses/Carlo Franci - (1)
Suite Española/New Philharmonia/Frühbeck de Burgos (2-3)
España/Argenta/LSO (4-5)
Romantic Russia/LSO/Solti (6-7)
Film Spectacular II/London Festival Orchestra/Black (8)
Ros On Broadway/Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra (9)

Disc 3 - FIM UHD 091
Zubin Mehta/LA Philharmonic (1)
Ansermet/L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (2)
Frühbeck de Burgos/New Philharmonia (3)
Verdi Choruses/Carlo Franci (4)
Swan Lake Highlights/Ansermet/L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (5-8)
Lanchbery/Royal Opera House Orchestra (9-10)
Willi Boskovsky/Vienna Philharmonic (11)
Stanley Black/London Festival Orchestra (12)

Disc 4 - FIM UHD 092
David Oistrakh/LSO/Horenstein (1)
Igor and David Oistrakh/Moscow Phil/Kondrashin (2)
Marriner/Academy of St. Martin In The Fields (3-8)
Dances of Old Vienna/Willi Boskovsky (9)
Philharmonic Ball/Willi Boskovsky/Vienna Philharmonic (10)
Mantovani & His Orchestra (11)

Selections:
Disc 1:
Decca Legacy: Volume One (FIM UHD 089)
Mikhail Glinka (1803-1857)
1. Overture - Russlan and Ludmilla

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Piano Concerto in A minor
2. Movement 1
3. Movement 2,3

Enrique Granados (1867-1916)
4. Intermezzo from Goyescas

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Swan Lake
5. Act 1, Valse

Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004)
6. The Magnificent Seven

Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899)
7. Voices of Spring
8. Perpetuum Mobile

Carl Loewe (1796-1869)
9. I Could Have Danced All Night

Encore:
Eduardo Di Capua (1865-1917)
10. O sole Mio

Total playing time, 65:45

Disc 2
Decca Legacy: Volume Two (FIM UHD 090)
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
1. Aida - Gloria all’Egitto

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)
2. Castilla (Seguidillas)
3. Austurias (Leyenda)

Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)
4. Capriccio Espagnol

Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894)
5. Espana

Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)
6. Night on the Bare Mountain
7. Khovanshchina – Prelude

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
8. On the Waterfront, Symphonic Suite

Encore:
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979)
9. I Whistle A Happy Tune

Total playing time: 69:28

Disc 3:
Decca Legacy: Volume Three (FIM UHD 091)
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
1. Also Sprach Zarathustra – Prelude

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
2. The Three Cornered Hat – Act 1
3. Ritual Fire Dance

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
4. Nabucco – Act I, Gli arredi festivi

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Swan Lake, Act 2
5. Tempo di Valse
6. Andante non troppo
7. Allegro Moderato
Swan Lake Act 3
8. Danse Espagnole

Ferdinand Herold (1791-1833)/ Lanchbery
La Fille Mal Gardee
9. Introduction
10. Pas-de-Deux

Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899) & Josef Strauss (1827-1870)
11. Pizzicato Polk

Encore:
Max Steiner (1888-1971)
12. Gone With the Wind - Tara's Theme

Total playing time, 57:21

Disc 4:
Decca Legacy: Volume Four (FIM UHD 092)
Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Scottish Fantasia, Op. 46
1. Movement 1

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
Sinfonia concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra K.364
2. Movement 1
Divertimento K.136
3. Allegro
4. Andante
5. Presto
Serenata Notturna K. 239
6. I. - Marcia
7. II. - Minuet
8. III. - Rondo

Johann Strauss, Sr. (1804-1849)
9. Tivoli-Rutsch Waltz

Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899)
10. Blue Danube

Encore:
Erno Rapee (1891-1945)
11. Charmaine

Total playing time, 67:47