The Audio Beat critic, Tim Aucermann, gives our Kansas City Symphony Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, “Organ” Reference Mastercuts LP a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in Music and Sound:
“Reference Recordings (RR) has catered to vinyl-playing audiophiles since the mid-1970s, and label CEO Tam Henderson has a solid grasp of what his finicky audience wants: recordings of acoustic music performed in actual concert spaces captured in holographic sound with a genuine sense of presence. And realistic bass, don’t forget the bass. That is exactly what RR achieves from their fifth collaboration with the Kansas City Symphony, offering Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor, opus 78, otherwise known as Saint-Saëns’ “Organ” symphony. Though technically divided into the traditional four movements, it is actually a two-movement symphony, and each conveniently fits on one side of the album.… Reference Recordings offering this symphony as a half-speed mastered 45rpm LP really pays off. This approach gives the cutting head twice the amount of time to carve a plentifully wide groove for low notes while enabling smooth, detailed high frequencies. Consequently, sonics couple superb low-frequency weight and articulation with an exquisite depth of tonality, all within an envelope of acoustic presence, delivering a delightful concert-like experience. Just listen to the clear and obvious distinctions between the voices of oboe and cor anglais or the tightly plucked basses to appreciate the quality of this recording.… Kudos goes to the Kansas City Symphony, conductor Michael Stern, the Reference Recordings team (Tam Henderson, Keith Johnson and Paul Stubblebine), as well as to the folks at Quality Record Pressings, where the LP was pressed, for this archetype of a modern vinyl record. Several fine recordings of this work are available, but this one has moved to the top of my list.” —Tim Aucremann, The Audio Beat