Who is your Favorite Historical Conductor?

I listened to Pristine Audio’s transfer of the wartime Furtwangler Brahms 4 last night.  I think it may be from the same source as Music and Arts, as their is a fair amount of noise, like a generator hum, at the beginning that goes away about two minutes in.  I’m guessing the first acetate must of have been compromised but the rest were better.  The Germans were experimenting with the tape but I don’t know the origin of this recording and Pristine, contrary to their usual practice, doesn’t mention the original source.

I contacted High Def Tape Transfers for some info. There are a few options for download; DSD, DXD FLAC, PCM FLAC.

Since I no longer have a computer audio setup, I asked about discs. They stopped selling Hires DVD, I doubt there was much demand. Gold Redbook CDs are the highest quality discs from the master ($25). Next, they have what is referred to as "budget CD" ($8.99).

I like that they publish details of the original recordings; ie, Szell Mahler:

Source used for Transfer: Transferred from a Columbia 4-track Tape
Recorded October 1 and 2, 1965 at Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio

@mahler123 

I listened to the Pristine version of Furtwängler's Beethoven no. 3 (1944) and the sound is astonishing. Going from memory, it sounds way better than Music & Arts. I assume they're the same performance. Do u know if the rest of this cycle sounds this good?

It's pricey, maybe I can find a used CD.

Continued...

Here's an excerpt from the review on the above link:

Compared to the Music & Arts remastering that colleague Henry Fogel reviewed in 18:3, the sound here is far more natural—the frequency and dynamic ranges are opened up, and an annoying rippling sound in the background has been totally removed.

@lowrider57 

I have the M&A  1944 Eroica.  This was actually my first introduction to B3, albeit on a budget lp that my older sister bought in 1972.  That recording imprinted me; every other recording of the piece has never seemed as Life and Death as this one.

  I did play a bit of the M&A after the last time that I listened to Pristine, and the differences weren't as significant as I thought they would be.  The Pristine is preferable but I think the Fanfare reviews the Pristine regularly uses on their website doth protest a bit to much.

  I actually bought the Pristine Digital Collection, and subscribe to the streaming service.  If you do the latter then you get free downloads.  The only problem with the streaming service is it doesn't work with most of the players that play Qobuz,Tidal, etc.  You either need a computer or listen from a mobile device on the Pristine site.  I use Chromecast from my phone to my Cambridge Audio streamer.

At any rate if you do the streaming service and download from their site once a month you basically have it for free, and there are enough recordings on the PA site to make it worthwhile, imo.

   Speaking of Pristine Audio and wartime recordings from the Third Reich, I listened to the Walter Gieseking Beethoven Emperor recording from 1944 that was made in stereo.  I had heard it previously when it was released, and aural memory is unreliable but the Pristine recording sounds amazing.  btw there is a brief audible burst of antiaircraft fire