 A new chapter in the story of the Decca Sound DECCA CLASSICS PRESENTS FOUR NEW TITLES IN ALL-ANALOGUE VINYL SERIESRELEASE: Friday 8 May 2026     Iconic Stereo and Quadraphonic recordings from legendary artists on the DECCA and PHILIPS labels All titles mastered and cut directly from the original analogue tapes by Rainer Maillard & Sidney C. Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios and pressed on 180-gram heavyweight virgin vinyl Decca Classics announces the release of the second batch of titles in the Decca Pure Analogue vinyl series, presenting iconic recordings from the Decca and Philips catalogues. The series is mastered by Rainer Maillard and cut by Sidney C. Meyer at the renowned Emil Berliner Studios utilising their 100% pure analogue techniques (AAA). Only analogue sources from the original stereo and quadraphonic master tapes are used, including recently discovered analogue masters created during the earliest years of digital recording. Pressed in Germany at Schallplattenfabrik Pallas on 180g virgin vinyl, these limited-edition, hand-numbered deluxe gatefold releases feature the original artwork and liner notes, archival photography, and facsimiles of original recording session sheets. Each individual release includes newly commissioned notes by distinguished contributors, detailing the artistic, historical, and technical background of the recording alongside insight into the mastering process.Featured in the second selection of Decca Pure Analogue titles, released on 8 May 2026:Few orchestral pieces demand precision engineering as much as Richard Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony. The Decca recording by Sir Georg Solti and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra was made in 1979, at the close of Decca’s analogue era. Solti, who had known Strauss personally, approached the work with rare authority, producing a performance of extraordinary scale and sonic impact recorded in Munich. Zubin Mehta’s sonically spectacular 1971 album of orchestral works by Edgar Varèse with the Los Angeles Philharmonic remains a landmark of the Decca catalogue. Celebrated for both its virtuoso playing and its engineering brilliance, the recording captures Mehta’s early career dynamism and Decca’s celebrated Los Angeles sound. Seiji Ozawa’s recording of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 From the New World, made in 1975 with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, represents one of Philips’ final quadraphonic productions. Specially remixed for this edition, the release preserves the vivid spatial character and dramatic presence of the original four-channel master. Bernard Haitink’s Mahler recordings have long been regarded as cornerstones of the Philips catalogue. The 1970 quadraphonic recording of Symphony No. 5 and the Adagio from Symphony No. 10, made in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, continues to be recognised for its clarity, balance, and architectural strength. Dominic Fyfe, A&R Director, Decca Classics, writes: “Decca Pure Analogue is proving a revelation for collectors and audiophiles, as well as introducing new audiences to the warmth and brilliance of an all-analogue sound. The first three titles have now all but sold out and critical acclaim for the sound and bespoke presentation has been near unanimous. For this second batch we have again mined the Philips catalogue of early 1970s quadraphonic masters with Haitink and Ozawa; and taken two classic Decca stereo recordings which bookend the decade: Mehta’s 1971 Varese and Solti’s 1979 Alpine Symphony, one of the last triumphs of the analogue era. Wherever possible we have captured the reminiscences of original producers and engineers for the accompanying essays and mined our photographic archive for rare session photographs. In every way these Pure Analogue titles bring recorded history vividly back to life”. The first titles in the Decca Pure Analogue series were released in January 2026. Further selections of titles will be released in September. R. STRAUSS: An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie) [Decca]Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Georg SoltiMIXED AND MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL DECCA STEREO MASTER TAPES Few orchestral pieces demand precision engineering as much as Richard Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony. The Decca recording by Sir Georg Solti and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra was made in 1979, at the close of Decca’s analogue era. Solti’s close connection to Strauss and his commanding approach to the score resulted in a performance of exceptional authority and scale.Recorded by Decca at the Herkulessaal, Munich, in September 1979, the original ¼-inch, two-track stereo tapes have been mastered by Rainer Maillard and cut by Sidney C. Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios. VARÈSE: Arcana; Intégrales; Ionisation [Decca]Los Angeles Philharmonic / Zubin Mehta MIXED AND MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL DECCA STEREO MASTER TAPES Zubin Mehta’s 1971 recording of works by Edgar Varèse with the Los Angeles Philharmonic remains one of Decca’s most sonically striking releases. Combining virtuoso orchestral playing with Decca’s celebrated engineering, the album stands as a defining example of the label’s Los Angeles productions. Recorded by Decca at Royce Hall, Los Angeles, in April 1971, the original ¼-inch, two-track stereo tapes have been mastered by Rainer Maillard and cut by Sidney C. Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios. DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 From the New World [Philips]San Francisco Symphony Orchestra / Seiji Ozawa MIXED AND MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL PHILIPS QUADRAPHONIC TAPES Seiji Ozawa’s recording of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, made in 1975 with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, represents one of Philips’ final quadraphonic productions. This edition preserves the dramatic presence and spatial character of the original four-channel recording. For this release, Rainer Maillard at Emil Berliner Studios utilised the original four-track quadraphonic master tape to create a new stereo mix sent directly to the cutter head, maintaining a fully analogue signal path. MAHLER: Symphony No. 5; Adagio from Symphony No. 10 [Philips]Concertgebouworkest / Bernard Haitink MIXED AND MASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL PHILIPS QUADRAPHONIC TAPES Bernard Haitink’s Mahler cycle with the Concertgebouworkest remains one of the great achievements of the Philips catalogue. The 1970 recording of Symphony No. 5 and the Adagio from Symphony No. 10 continues to be recognised for its exceptional clarity, balance, and structural insight. |
Decca Classics announces the release of the second batch of titles in the Decca Pure Analogue vinyl series. Haitink, Mehta, Ozawa, Solti.
