Dear Sir,
May I pick up on a statement in S. Andrea Sundaram’s “The Decca Sound” article?
The article comments that the Rhinemaidens in Solti's Das Rheingold recording are “panned” to give the impression of movement. This is not true. If you look at session photographs, watch the documentary The Golden Ring, or read the producer John Culshaw’s book Ring Resounding, you will see that there is a stage marked out in squares on which the singers performed and three microphones strung in front. The singers were directed to move as they would in a staged performance and the recording reflects that movement. There is no engineering interference.
Regards,
Jonathan Allen
I just made the assumption based on what I heard. Knowing how it was done is far more interesting. Thanks for writing in. . . . S. Andrea Sundaram
