NAGRA 75th Anniversary Collection Tape

NAGRA 75th Anniversary Collection - Musical History, Preserved on Tape

What makes an anniversary collection worth returning to? 

Famous names help. A programme that connects great performances with the craft of recording offers something more enduring.

NAGRA Audio and 2xHD Fusion bring those elements together in this deluxe two-tape collection: 15 selections spanning intimate jazz, cinematic orchestration and acoustic performances, presented on distinctive red and silver Nagra reels.

The red reel begins with Bill Evans’ “These Foolish Things,” followed by Sonny Rollins’ “Blue Room” and Emilie-Claire Barlow’s “La belle dame sans regrets.” It then turns to Miles Davis and Quincy Jones at Montreux, including “Boplicity” and “The Maids of Cadiz.” These choices place musical personality and historical significance at the heart of the programme.

The silver reel opens the perspective. The FILMharmonique Orchestra, conducted by Francis Choinière, performs John Williams’ “Raiders March” and “Hedwig’s Theme,” before the programme explores double bass, voice, harp, cellos and guitar. Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan” and Piazzolla’s “Oblivion” sit alongside less familiar discoveries, ending with an extract from Scott Haggart’s “Untitled,” described as “the river as instrument.”

That breadth is the collection’s most intriguing editorial choice. It invites listeners to move between musical worlds while considering what each recording preserves: a performance, a room, an atmosphere.

The engineering notes add another dimension. They describe orchestral recordings captured with two battery-powered Neumann M50 tube microphones, a single Josephson 700S for “The Swan,” and a Neumann SM 69 stereo tube microphone in Blumlein configuration for “Oblivion.”

For anyone fascinated by recording technique, these details offer a reason to listen closely. How does each microphone arrangement convey space? How do small ensembles and orchestral forces inhabit the same two-reel programme?

The packaging states “From original masters (AAA),” while the certificate describes transfer from a custom vacuum-tube Nagra-T to a Nagra IV-S. René Laflamme is credited with editing and mastering at the 2xHD mastering lab using Nagra equipment, with production by Laflamme and Matthieu Latour.

This is an editorial preview rather than a listening verdict. Its promise lies in the meeting of repertoire, recording heritage and a carefully presented physical edition.

Deluxe edition highlights:

• Two RTM SM900 tapes on red and silver metal Nagra reels
• 15 ips • ¼-inch • 2-track stereo • 10.5-inch NAB reels
• CCIR or NAB equalisation — select the version matching your playback setup
• Deluxe double box and certificate of authenticity
• Numbered limited edition of 100 copies
• 2xHD Fusion • Catalogue: 2xHDFT-V1305 • Made in Canada

Distributed by OpenReelToReel Group. Available through The Sound of Tape, with dispatch usually within 2–3 weeks of ordering.

Which would you play first: Bill Evans’ intimate jazz, Miles and Quincy at Montreux, or the orchestral sweep of John Williams? Tell us your choice and the tape machine you would use. 

Long Live Analog. Long Live Music.

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