Side 1
	01	Explosions Polka, Op. 43						02:20
	02	Im Krapfenwald'l Polka (In The Little Jelly Doughnut Woods Polka), Op. 336						03:34
	03	Champagne Polka, Op. 211						02:34
	04	Banditen Galop, Op. 378						02:44
	05	On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314						08:25
	06	Radetzky March, Op. 228						03:03
	Side 2
	07	Feuerfest Polka (Fire Festival Polka), Op. 269						02:35
	08	Auf De Jagd Polka (At The Hunt Polka), Op. 373						02:31
	09	Tales From The Vienna Woods Waltz, Op. 325						10:59
	10	Bahn Frei Polka (Clear Track Polka), Op. 45						02:30
	11	Pizzicato Polka						02:30
	12	Unter Donner Und Blitz Polka (Under Thunder And Lightning Polka), Op. 324						03:38

"One of the all-time best audiophile recordings ever to be released on vinyl. Easily the rarest LP from the Telarc catalog. Erich Kunzel conducts the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in this dramatic rendition of Johann and Josef Strauss favorites. The dynamic range and sound effects present on this album are legendary and the back cover features the famous "Warning! Digital sound effects: Lower Levels are recommended for initial playback until a safe level can be determined for your equipment". A remarkable achievement from the direct metal mastering process used by Telarc. "


Companies etc

Phonographic Copyright (p) – Telarc Records
Copyright (c) – Telarc Records
Manufactured By – Matsushita Electric Ind. Co., Ltd.

Credits

Art Direction – Ray Kirschensteiner
Composed By – Eduard Strauß (tracks: 10), Johann Strauss Jr. (tracks: 1 to 5, 8, 9, 11, 12), Johann Strauss Sr. (tracks: 6), Josef Strauss* (tracks: 7, 11)
Conductor – Erich Kunzel
Design – Alan Davis
Edited By – Ronald Whitaker
Engineer – Jack Renner
Orchestra – Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
Producer – Robert Woods (2)
Producer [Assistance] – Elaine Martone

Notes
Track [5] also appears on "Time Warp."

Track [11] composed by Johann & Josef Strauss.

Total Playing Time: 47:59

*** Technical Information ***

Recorded in Music Hall, Cincinnati on June 2 & 3, 1984
Microphones: Schoeps Colette Series
Recorders: Soundstream Digital Tape Recorder; Sony Digital Tape Recorder
Console: Neotek
Monitor Speakers: ADS Model 1530
Power Amplifier: Threshold Model A/500 Stasis
Interconnecting Cables: Audio-Technica
Control Room Acoustic Treatment: Sonex from illbruck/usa
Digital Editing: Sony DAE 1100

During the recording of the digital masters and the subsequent transfer to disc, the entire audio chain was transformerless. The signal was not passed through any processing device (i.e., compression, limiting, or equalization) at any step during production.

Sampling frequency conversion of Telarc's Soundstream digital master to the Compact Disc format was accomplished with the Studer SFC-16 sampling frequency converter. The digital information was not subject to any analog intersteps, thus preserving the integrity of the original digital master.

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Fake $30-$40 LP re-issues of Telarc's "EIN STRAUSSFEST" and "CARMINA BURANA" are being sold for 10 times their value or more, passed off as originals! Here's how to tell the difference.

If you're looking at this, you know all about Telarc, and why their vinyl records are prized by collectors. Starting with "Frederick Fennell Conducting Cleveland Symphonic Winds," 5038/DG-10038, Telarc pioneered the combined use of digital master recordings and half-speed mastering to press some of the finest-sounding records ever made, with some notable titles being the 1812 Overture, with digitally recorded 19th century cannons (a challenge for any turntable/cartridge to negotiate); Wellington's Victory, with gunshots and cannon fire throughout; the late and rare soundtrack of the Nutcracker, again featuring a few cannon shots; and the delightful Ein Straussfest, a compilation of polkas and dance tunes from the Strauss family, mostly Johann, incorporating gunshots, cannon fire, aerial explosions, and even a mighty thunderclap to augment the scores. It is this last release that is causing problems in the collecting community.

A few years ago (2005), the Telarc label was bought by the Concord Music Group. It's a fine label with some fine products, but tragically, Concord has decided to pander to the vinyl community by issuing three Telarc titles from better times: "Ein Straussfest", "Carmina Burana", and a compilation of themes and songs from the Westerns genre called "Round-Up". This last title was never released by Telarc on vinyl originally, but "Ein Straussfest" and "Carmina Burana" were. The original release of "Ein Straussfest" was done by Germany's Teldec pressing facility with the DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) technique, cutting-edge technology at the time (both titles were originally pressed in Germany). The performances are riveting, and the recordings are absolutely stellar by every count, so it's understandable these titles would get re-issued. But the re-issues are supremely disappointing, (presumably) cut in real time, using the 16-bit, 44.1KHz CD's as "masters", plated and pressed at a no-name facility with pasted-on labels and substandard materials; noisy, dull, lifeless, and most decidedly un-Telarc-sounding -- and certainly not worth the hundreds of dollars commanded by original pressings. In direct A/B comparisons with the original releases, the re-issues are absolutely AWFUL. More importantly, these titles are currently available for sale, brand new and sealed, at Concord's website for USD$30 - $40.

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/Orff-Carmina-Burana-LP-10056/ ($40)

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/Ein-Straussfest-Music-Of-The-Strauss-Family-LP-10098/ ($30)

But that didn't stop at least one unscrupulous seller from unloading his used $30 fake of "Ein Straussfest" for $120, while original copies have sold for between $240 and $400 with a sealed original currently at auction for $580 (nor has it stopped another seller who fills in the holes of his ignorance with total lies and fabrications, "elsitamia2mco", from asserting that the "Carmina Burana" is a "better release" for ghastly mistaken reasons). This is a big-ticket item, and buyers need to be aware of potentially fraudulent listings!

So how do you know which version you're getting? Whether sealed or open, it's easy; here's how.


UPC SYMBOL ON BACK COVER:

If there is one, it's a fake. The re-issues simply use the back cover of the CD versions, including what becomes a giant UPC symbol; GENUINE issues have their own LP-appropriate layouts with liner notes, etc., and no UPC symbol. Ask your seller if a UPC symbol is present on the back of the album; if he's sketchy about his answer, avoid the seller.
SEALED "Ein Straussfest":

Original Telarcs came in loose-fitting plastic bags with one side perforated about a half-inch from the edge. The new re-issues, or "fakes", so called because the company making them is NOT the same company that made the originals, come in tight shrink-wrap.

Original copies included a sticker designating them as Teldec product. These came in two varieties: one was a gold foil sticker applied to the outer plastic bag, with "IMPORTED PRESSING" and Teldec info on it; the other was a round DMM sticker applied directly to the cardboard album cover, and is much more common. Fakes have neither sticker, and many fakes (but not all) have a triangular "180G" sticker at the upper right.
REAL "Ein Straussfest" with less common gold foil Teldec sticker, mid-left (appears black in this photo).
REAL: Close-up of gold foil sticker.

REAL "Ein Straussfest" with more common DMM sticker in lower left corner.
FAKE "Ein Straussfest" with 180G sticker.

OPENED "Ein Straussfest":

Original copies have "Made in Germany" at the label's left. Fakes have "Made in the E.U." instead.
REAL "Ein Straussfest" label.
FAKE "Ein Straussfest" label.


SEALED "Carmina Burana":

Original copies came in loose-fitting plastic bags with one side perforated about a half-inch from the edge, and a 2" x 4" black sticker that says "Specially Priced Two-Record Set", plus additional details. The new re-issues, or "fakes", come in tight shrink-wrap, and have no such sticker. More importantly, there is a fool-proof visual detail that readily identifies each version, whether sealed or opened, in the upper-right corner: the yellow TELARC logo box. On original copies, the box has a lower addition connected to it by its white borders that has the words "Two Record Set" in it, capitalized as such, and the "Stereo DG-10056/57" is capitalized the same way. On fake copies, the lower addition is free-floating, i.e., NOT connected to the logo box by its white borders, and the words "TWO RECORD SET" and "STEREO DG-10056/57" are in ALL CAPS.
REAL "Carmina Burana" in loose-fitting plastic bag with black sticker on bag.
FAKE "Carmina Burana" with tight shrink-wrap and no black sticker.
REAL "Carmina Burana" logo box.
FAKE "Carmina Burana" logo box.

OPENED "Carmina Burana":

As with "Ein Straussfest", original copies of "Carmina Burana" have "Made in Germany" on the label's left side. Fake copies have "Made in the E.U." instead.

If you want to bid on a used, opened copy of either "Carmina Burana" or "Ein Straussfest", DEMAND pictures of the label if the listing hasn't included any before you bid! If you want to bid on a sealed copy of either album, make sure the details listed above are intact, and again, DEMAND pictures of the relevant images if the listing hasn't included any. No one deserves to get duped into paying $315 or more on a profoundly inferior re-issue that sells new from the label's website for $30! Further, if you are in the market for either LP and have questions regarding an item listing's authenticity, don't hesitate to send me a message through eBay and I'll answer any questions I can as soon as possible. Stay safe, and happy bidding!