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Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
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  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
  • Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique Op. 14 Charles Munch Boston Symphony Orchestra RCA Victor Red Seal GCSD-6 2 Track Half Track 7.5 IPS
$175.00

Condition: Good
Description

This is a classic early RCA Victor Red Seal stereo reel with Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. It’s one of those performances that lives on momentum and color, big crescendos, sharp contrasts, and that fever-dream energy that builds movement by movement.
Details

Album: Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14

Conductor: Charles Munch

Orchestra:

  • Boston Symphony Orchestra

Label: RCA Victor

Year of Release: 1956

Duplicator: RCA Victor

Country: United States

Genre:

  • Classical

Reel: 7 1/2 IPS 7 inch Tape, 2 Track Tape

Condition Notes:

  • Box: Box cover is rough with heavy shelf wear, edge and corner wear, scuffs, and splitting as shown in the photos. Insert is present.
  • Sound Quality: Very Good
Track List

Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14
1 Rêveries Passions
2 Un Bal
3 Scène aux champs
4 Marche au supplice
5 Songe d’une nuit du sabbat
Tape Review

This tape has been fully play tested and sounds very good. No issues were detected. Expect a bold, vivid orchestral presentation with strong dynamic swings, lots of hall air, and excellent instrumental separation when played on the correct 2 track half track machine. The big tuttis have real impact, and the quieter passages carry that classic tape smoothness with natural texture.

This is a 2 track half track stereo reel at 7.5 IPS. Many consumer decks are 4 track quarter track and will not play this correctly. The box also notes displaced heads, which is common language on some early stereo releases. If you want, message us your deck model and we’ll help confirm compatibility before purchase.
The Half-Track Golden Age (and How We Got There)

Two-track stereo reels grew out of early post-war tape, when consumer releases were mostly mono (often with a “flip the reel” second side). Once in-line two-track (half-track) became standard, big tracks at 7.5 ips made great jazz and classical sound incredibly real. The industry eventually moved to 4-track because it was cheaper and offered more playing time- learn more here.

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