Robert Stumpf wrote:

>I had a copy of DG 419-780, Bernstein conducting Harris and Schuman, that
>bronzed.  It was pressed in 1987 according to the insert and there is no
>PDO anywhere I could find.  I wrote DG and they asked for the bronzed copy.
>I sent it and it was replaced by a disc that has no printing on it at all.
>Their letter does indicate that the disc was manufactured in the UK but
>doesn't state where.  The letter goes on to state that "As this particular
>recording is not available anymore, we cannot send you a new CD from our
>warehouse. ...

About a year ago I contacted the "Pat Burns helpline" to replace about
30 bronzing PDO discs.  They included items on the Albany, ASV, DG, DG
Archive, Helios and Hyperion Labels.  For out of print discs, I was told
to select any available in print substitute on THAT particular label.  I
was asked to ship them one of my bronzed discs (Albany), since they had
no experience with it ever becoming bronzed.  I sent it off to them, they
recognized it as a problem disc, and only then, replaced it.

I transfer any and all of my suspected, playable, bronzing CDs to CD-R
in order to make sure I have back-up copies.  I recently purchased an
inexpensive CD player (Marantz CD 5000, about $240) because it reads CD-RW,
(thus far all the brands I've tested), and has both coax and optical
digital outputs.  The interesting thing about this player is that it plays
a bronzed Italian OPTI.ME.S.  disc which fails on all my other CD players.
(Perhaps its capability in matters of reflectivity enables it to do so.)
Maybe CD-RW capable players can save the day for others who own otherwise
unplayable discs!

I seem to recall that when the PDO UK bronzing phenomenon first became
apparent, its cause was attributed to that plant's utilization of silver
and/or (?) aluminum in their discs formulation.  Bronzing discs do in fact
resemble tarnished silverware and perhaps some improperly sealed discs
tarnish in much the same way.

"Norman M. Schwartz" <[log in to unmask]>