steviefromalaska
06-04-2016, 11:50 PM
Out of frustration over the fact that the 1976 Original Broadway Cast Album of Pacific Overtures was not one of the 2005 Sondheim CD remasters I did my own remix and remaster in 2007, sourced from an excellent analogue reel to reel tape I acquired in the 1970s. I think it sounds better than the current commercial CD. The vocals are more present and as usual with my remixes the orchestra is more spread out behind the singers, especially important for Jonathan Tunick's magnificent orchestrations for this score.
I have one caveat though which I have to warn you about this version. It is slightly expanded. Paul Gemignani, who conducted the Broadway Cast, made a recording several years later for Book-of-the-Month Club of instrumental pieces from Pacific Overtures and from this recording I have extracted an orchestral Introduction and the March to the Treaty House, which were omitted from the Broadway Cast album (probably for time limits of LPs then). Also I include a bonus track of three additional instrumental pieces from the same recording at the end, also remixed & remastered. If you would like to hear this remix/remaster I include a link to a MP3 "320 kbps" file (sorry no FLAC available for this remaster). Perhaps it will serve you as a good alternative until Sony, the current owners of the RCA/BMG catalog, gets around to doing a new remaster themselves.
Here is a limited time link to the Pacific Overtures file:
MP3 (320 kbps): http://www.mediafire.com/file/aa54n5tp56pohtf/Pac%20Ov%20Cast%20Remastered.zip

I have one caveat though which I have to warn you about this version. It is slightly expanded. Paul Gemignani, who conducted the Broadway Cast, made a recording several years later for Book-of-the-Month Club of instrumental pieces from Pacific Overtures and from this recording I have extracted an orchestral Introduction and the March to the Treaty House, which were omitted from the Broadway Cast album (probably for time limits of LPs then). Also I include a bonus track of three additional instrumental pieces from the same recording at the end, also remixed & remastered. If you would like to hear this remix/remaster I include a link to a MP3 "320 kbps" file (sorry no FLAC available for this remaster). Perhaps it will serve you as a good alternative until Sony, the current owners of the RCA/BMG catalog, gets around to doing a new remaster themselves.
Here is a limited time link to the Pacific Overtures file:
MP3 (320 kbps): http://www.mediafire.com/file/aa54n5tp56pohtf/Pac%20Ov%20Cast%20Remastered.zip
