Ειρήνη Παπά* / Βαγγέλης Παπαθανασίου* – Ραψωδίες

Compared to the first CD edition, this remastering significantly improves the sound, especially the voices, which are much more natural. The definition is magnificent, the spatiality of the sound takes on a new dimension in the very well-defined 3D staging. The dynamic range is extraordinary, reproducing the percussions explosively from the lowest threshold to the highest. This remastering is not affected by the sound war, DR13.

I bought this album as new. The cardboard case is a joke. The white paint from the CD is ununiform and spots of white paint are present on the edge of the CD and near the middle hole. It looks likes an amator job. Ripping this CD gave 3 errors. I would advice to avoid this version of Rapsodies.

It seems the original Polydor CD's of this album have pre-emphasis. I don't know if it flags, as I don't own it, but a lot of Vangelis' stuff on Polydor in the 80's had it, but not all of it flagged. I always found this album very brash, but having applied a de-emphasis EQ in Audacity, it's finally listenable! The quality isn't on par with his earlier work, but the way the album was recorded and the fact it was his last to be recorded at Nemo Studios, maybe it was rushed slightly...

Does it sound any better than the 2007 remaster? I couldn't find any information if the use the same source for this edition.

A very satisfying release, beautiful melodies and amazing vocals , though this release version made my pc crash when i played on it, as the last track ends the pc crashes. even my cd stereo hi-fi has sometimes difficulty to read this cd version.

This is the worst remaster of Vangelis I ever heard. In fact, this is even not a remaster in my understanding of this word - they just applied a couple of poor audio filters, that's all. And the sound became worser, lost it's original clarity, Irene's voice "drowned" in the music. Same thing I can tell about another "remastered" album - "Odes". The good news is the RMS level is adequate now, not so huge as in the original 1986 release.

I find Odes maybe the best Vangelis album (with Irene Papas) which is extremely powerful, hypnothic, progressive. This one, the Rhapsodies is controversary: nothing interesting apart from the last track....