BENNETT: ARMED FORCES SUITE 1960 RCA Living Stereo + Bonus Tracks (DSD Remaster)

Robert Russell Bennett is most remembered today as Broadway’s premiere orchestrator but he also composed some wonderful original compositions as well. I hope you enjoy the three offered here.

ARMED FORCES SUITE was composed specifically for a 1960 RCA Red Seal recording, which besides Bennett’s music, called for numerous sound effects, all designed to show off LIVING STEREO’s separation between the two channels at its most spectacular. Bennett’s score incorporates many patriotic tunes associated with America’s wars, including Yankee Doodle, Star Spangled Banner, Texas Ranger’s song, Buena Vista, Hail to the Chief, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Over There, Anchors Aweigh & numerous others. The suite is in 8 movements and scored for no less than 3 individual ensembles, employing a full symphony orchestra, a symphonic band & a large combo.

Several years earlier Bennett was also commissioned by RCA to compose works to introduce and show off their “New Orthophonic High Fidelity Sound”, which resulted in the two bonus tracks on this download, AN ADVENTURE IN HIGH FIDELITY & THE ORCHESTRA IN A NUTSHELL (based on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker). Although these two 1954 works were originally recorded monaurally, the extraction process used in the remastering allows for a much more satisfactory listening experience on the typical 2 speaker and/or headphone systems in use today. ARMED FORCES SUITE has been completely remastered and remixed from a fairly decent DSD archived original “Shaded Dog” RCA pressing, preserving its glorious “Living Stereo” analog sound in digital format.

ROBERT RUSSELL BENNETT: Armed Forces Suite, An Adventure in High Fidelity & The Orchestra in A Nutshell
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Thank you.

Thanks for sharing this extremely entertaining music Steve. The sound has that wonderful, wide stereo spread, that these recording s are noted for. I like the tonal balance of the mix and in all important areas this is a musical, highly enjoyable experience. Well done!

Thanks!

thank you Steve

Thank you very much

Thank you for sharing this!

Thank you for your great work, Stevie!

Thank you for sharing this music. It’s amusing.

Thanks a lot !

Thank you steviefromalaska for another wonderful post. The RCA Living Stereo series is a particular favorite of mine and I am sure many other forum members. Thanks again.

Thank you share!

Thank you.

Thanks

GREAT post! thanks

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Thanks for this rarity!

Thank you!!!

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Thanks

Thank you very much!