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RCA Living Stereo
Through the decade following 1953, RCA Victor made a wondrous and substantial body of recordings which have come to be identified with their early stereo release label, Living Stereo. At the beginning of the widespread adoption of stereo audio in the home, Living Stereo offered a widely available range of quality music and performances in high quality sound. An impressive amount of these records, particularly in the classical genre, offer music, performances and audio quality which are still top choices and in many cases, still definitive. In its recording and marketing philosophies, Living Stereo influenced many of the recordings made since.
Beginning around 1992, BMG Classics, owner of RCA Victor, began a reissue of the Living Stereo series on CD. Initiated under the direction of the original producer of many of the recordings, Jack Pfeiffer, the CDs made a conscientious attempt to faithfully replicate both the pioneering audio and the original packaging, while taking advantage of the extended playing time of the CD medium. Generally limited to classical recordings, most releases were standard CDs at affordable prices, while a select few issues were also made available in even higher quality gold CDs. Recently, Living Stereo has begun a new era on advanced SACD format CDs from Sony/BMG (these SACDs are also playable on all standard CD players). This amazingly successful series is enjoying a mutually beneficial relationship with the SACD medium. Today, Living Stereo lives again, offering a widely available range of high quality music and performances in high quality sound.
Living Stereo recordings have also proven well sought after. Original and early LP pressings in fine condition can command high prices. The series has also seen remarkable quality releases under license to other labels, including Chesky on CD and vinyl, Classic Records on vinyl and JVC on XRCD.
This website hopes to provide a reference for anyone interested in purchasing or collecting these remarkable recordings. It is wholly non-profit, and I do not sell any records. Submissions of articles, discography information or corrections are welcome! If you have knowledge of these recordings or recording of the era or their transfers for reissues and would like to share an article for other enthusiasts to enjoy, that would be welcome too.
May Living Stereo add a breath of life to your collection! |
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