Some collectors may feel grateful that Sony keeps many of its classic Columbia recordings available in its Great Performances series, and they may wax nostalgic over reissues they once owned decades ago as LPs. But others may puzzle over the label's seemingly endless repackaging of albums that sounded fine enough when they were released initially, yet which are constantly being upgraded as audio technology changes. Take, for instance, this reissue of The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, splendidly recorded in 1968 by the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, the Cleveland Brass Ensemble, and the Chicago Brass Ensemble, and augmented with recordings of pieces by Giovanni Gabrieli and Girolamo Frescobaldi, performed in 1959 by the New England Brass Ensemble with organist
E. Power Biggs. As we have it here, this is a remastered version of the original analog tapes, which appeared on CD in 1996 and afterwards as a hybrid SACD in 2000. Granted, even on yinyl, the combined brass ensembles' sound was astonishing in its warmth, depth, color, and presence, and Gabrieli's contrapuntal, antiphonal works (i.e., music composed for instruments divided into two or more "choirs" that play in a call-and-response style) has rarely sounded more mellifluous and golden. Sony's direct stream digital process has enhanced the tone and resonance of the masters, and all tape hiss is eliminated, so it's much better than a standard-issue ADD version; but no one should think that they're getting SACD quality on this mass market CD. What will probably matter most to listeners, though, regardless of which version they try, is the excellent playing that made this album a hit and extended the general public's awareness of Gabrieli's music beyond knowing only the famous Sonata pian e forte. So even if Sony's marketing practices cause some confusion (and even if the routinely ugly Great Performances cover art causes consternation), this is still a worthwhile CD to own for the glorious music.