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ReDiscovery
Catalog Conductors page two |
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Charles Mackerras / Hamburg
Philharmonic Orchestra Dvorak: Symphony 8 Jonel Perlea / Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Dvorak: Symphony 8 reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 087 - 71:55  |
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Charles Mackerras / London Proms Orchestra Sibelius: Finlandia, Valse Triste, King Christian II excerpts, Pelleas and Mellisande entr'acte Grieg: Two Melodies, Two Elegiac Melodies, Wedding Day at Troldhaugen Kenneth Alwyn / London Philharmonic Orchestra Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite 1 reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 175 - 57:43 Yet another consistently high quality transfer which seems to be an improvement over the original copies of the vinyl discs - I cannot understand "the dinosaurs" who still misconceivingly hang onto the idea that vinyl is better than digital. Just listen to David Gideon's impeccable transfers - no crackle, no clicks, minimal hiss, no sign of warps - all very excellent. I wonder if the original RCA recording of the Mackerras tracks were produced and engineered by the excellent team of Charles Gerhardt and Kenneth Wilkinson, who went onto do excellent things for Reader's Digest? Now there is something for David Gideon to do more of - please transcribe some more RD recordings please. I also wonder if the London Proms Symphony Orchestra (also labelled originally as the New Symphony Orchestra of London) was the forerunner of the excellent ensemble of orchestral musicians that Sidney Sax used to "fix" for Gerhardt which was known as the National Philharmonic Orchestra? Thank you for yet another excellent release. --DH, UK Many thanks to you for issuing the Mackerras Alwyn Sibelius/Grieg album. Why this has not been issued is a mystery to me. Great, great album. Alwyn's Grieg is wonderful too! --SP, OR |
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Jean Martinon / French National Radio Orchestra
and Chorus / Vanzo (t), Berbie (ms), Cales (bar), Soyer (b), Andreozzi
(t), Brossmann (bar), Soumagnas (b) Berlioz: L'Enfance du Christ ReDiscovery RD 178/179 - 1:34:15 |
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Jean Martinon / Lamoureux
Concerts Orchestra Berlioz: Overtures: Roman Carnival, King Lear, Beatrice and Benedict, Corsair Ernest Graf / Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Chamber Chorus Berlioz: Funeral and Triumphal Symphony ReDiscovery RD 107 - 66:45 |
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Muir Mathieson / Sinfonia of London Bizet: Carmen Suite, L'Arlesienne Suite Schubert: Symphony 5 in B-flat reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 133 - 63:55 |
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Paul Paray / Detroit Symphony
Orchestra Roussel: The Spider's Feast Franck: Psyche Faure: Pelleas and Melisande Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Chabrier: Espana Rhapsody Conversations ReDiscovery RD 057 - 72:53 |
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Karl Ristenpart / South German
Philharmonic Beethoven: Symphony 3 in E-flat Eroica Karl Ristenpart / Saar Chamber Orchestra Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat ReDiscovery Stereo RD 169 - 72:01 Everything went fine; save it, extract, and open with iTunes. Wonderful to hear the Haydn again after all these years; the Eroica sounds like the world premiere. Thanks again for everything. --DM |
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Karl Ristenpart / Saar Chamber
Orchestra Haydn: Symphony 6 Morning, Symphony 7 Afternoon, Symphony 8 Evening reel tape masters Haydn: Symphony 21 ReDiscovery Stereo RD 040 - 69:36 Your new Ristenpart/Haydn disc is superb in every way, right down to the lovely reminders of the original Nonesuch release via the cover art and the excerpts of notes by Edward Tatnall Canby. Really, the current neglect of Ristenpart, who was such a vital force in music for many of us in the '60s, is shocking. Still, part of me wondered whether his music making would stand up after all these years. No need to worry! The performances of the Morning, Noon and Evening symphonies are just as vital, just as wonderfully musical, as I remember them, and beautifully recorded to boot. And the bonus performance of Symphony 21, taken from an LP, is almost impossible to distinguish from the open reel source performances of the companion symphonies. Amazing! This disc is a treasure! --TB, VA This is an elegant transfer, and I'm enjoying it immensely. A superb job! --RF, MA I am happy to say that the CDs sound just as good as everybody says they do. I thought I was the only person left with a fondness for the work of Karl Ristenpart. He occupies the most of what's left of my LP collection, on Nonesuch, MHS, Music Guild (and one Odyssey), for obvious reasons. Despite being the supreme executant of all of pre-1790 music, he has been almost wholly ignored since the advent of CDs. The French Accord label has issued a few, including a recent 6-CD box of Ristenpart recordings of Bach's purely orchestral works, the same ones that were available on Nonesuch LPs. Lo and behold! The Brandenburgs, the 2 triple concertos, and 2 of the 4 multi-harpsichord concertos are monophonic!!!. Despite the beautiful stereo of the LPs. And Accord issued the Brandenburgs about 13 years ago--in stereo. But now mono! What a company! I would be a ready buyer for any more Ristenparts from ReDiscovery, especially the Bach Magnificat, the Haydn Sinfonia Concertante, any more Mozart, the Schubert Symphonies 1 & 2, plus Vivaldi and Telemann, inter alia. --WW, PA As a teenager I learned much about Bach from the recordings of Karl Ristenpart. It was his recording of the symphonies 6-8 of Haydn that introduced my ears and mind and heart to early Haydn. I was enthralled then and since then by Haydn's symphonic output. This reissue brings back fond memories and, lo and behold, these performances are even better than I recalled. (I wore out two LP copies of this recording!) Ristenpart's stylish performances set a standard then and they maintain it now and challenge us to match them. The lumionous opening of No. 6 has never for me been matched by any other performances. Top all of this off with sound far superior to the Nonesuch LP I had. "Great recordings of the century" missed this one--perhaps we can call it a great reissue of the 21st! Many thanks! --WW, PA The Ristenpart Haydns and the Omegas were always very good-sounding, but your CDs are even fuller. The Haydns now sound a little more natural and better blended. This particular LP has always been one of my desert island (or bomb shelter) choices. Never thought I would even see it in a CD, let alone one as great-sounding as this one. --CG, MA What a mixed bag!!! I am happy to have the records, don't get me wrong, but a lot of questions are raised: Curve? Upper mid-range boost seems obvious--wonder why. Noise? Any filtration done on bkgd noise? I am presently listening to Haydn symphonies and hear some ragged attacks that are hazed in noise; maybe it's user malfucntion at this end--I'll try them later on a big very definite state-of-the-art stereo system I have that brings out the best of everything, so these remarks may be premature but some of the same distortion problems associated with LP I find here. However, I listen thru all the above to the music, and it's fine. None of it a big issue. Not high-end sound, for sure, as your fan on www said to me when recommended. But I am interested to hear these. --JVS, NM I received my CDs this morning through my cousin and I thank you! I liked a lot the music Karl Ristenpart played and I had some opportunities to listen to him live when he came to Paris in the 60s and also in Saarbrucken where I spent one year. I was very sad when I learned his death and I felt as if I lost a member of my family. By the way, I saw on the CD covers that you performed the analog to digital conversion. Great job. I had some of these records on Nonesuch, but I'm glad to listen to them in my car too! --JCG, France |
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Karl Ristenpart / Marie-Jose
Billard, Julien Azais /
Saar Chamber Orchestra Mendelssohn: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A-flat Karl Ristenpart / Roger Boutry / Saar Chamber Orchestra Schumann: Introduction and Allegro for Piano and Orchestra Karl Ristenpart / Georges Barboteau, Michel Berges, Daniel Dubar, Gilbert Coursier / Saar Chamber Orchestra Schumann: Concertstucke for Four Horns and Orchestra ReDiscovery Stereo RD 034 - 77:12 Wow. I got this yesterday, and have played it through twice already. I was initially hesitant because I'd bought another company's transfer (from lp) of a vocal disc, and was disappointed in the quality--no such problem here. The stereo imaging is very good, and there's no "record" sound that I can hear at all. --JD, NY Great job! --RK, CA I am glad to have these recordings on CD, especially as it appears that the holder of the original masters (if they still exist) must be comatose. I was somewhat wary of CDs made from LPs (especially since pure surfaces were a sometime thing at Nonesuch), but my wariness was unfounded. These are excellent and I recommend them to anyone looking for some good out of the way works from a couple of early Romantics, splendidly performed. Only through headphones, and listening closely, could I vaguely detect anything. Certainly better than my old LPs, which I can now retire. --WW, PA Sounds great! --WK These are superior performances, remembered as one of my first classical albums bought on Nonesuch with paper route money in my innocent youth! as an antidote to the rock stuff I spent too much on, a cure learned from my father's classical music devotion. I still have the LP and the cassette incarnations, but your CD transfer is better, better even than my Cleaning Lab software attempts (some minor rumble is occasionally audible in your transfer, but negligible--Nonesuch did not have DGG or Philips pressing plants!). Fidelity is unexpectedly wide-ranging, clear and distortion free. A magnificent job, for utterly magnificnt music-making. Delighted to discover someone who knows and loves Ristenpart as I do! Classical music died with Karajan. Ristenpart was in that lofty realm of great interpreters. Many sincere thanks! (I am buying another Schumann as a gift for a friend.) --JK, WI I grew up on the Nonesuch Ristenpart/Saar recordings. I thought I'd never hear these again. They sparkle better than any renditions I've heard since. In fact, that is why I have probably been so disappointed with other recordings of this material. --JM, CO |
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Karl Ristenpart / Robert
Veyron-Lacroix / Saar
Chamber Orchestra Mozart: Three Piano Concertos (after J C Bach) K 107, Piano Concerto 8 in C Major K 246 reel tape masters Karl Ristenpart / Saar Chamber Orchestra Vivaldi: Concerto in A for Strings and Continuo P 235, Concerto in G Minor for Two Cellos and Orchestra P 411 ReDiscovery Stereo RD 050 - 70:46 I'm absolutely astounded by the sound quality...this is more than mere "restoration." Congratulations on another superb job. --RF, MD |
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Karl Ristenpart / Saar Chamber
Orchestra Mozart: Concertone in C K 190, Violin Concerto 3 in G K 216, Violin Concerto 4 in D K 218, Six Country Dances K 606, Three Divertimentos K136-138, Three Marches K 408, Serenade 4 in D K 203, Sinfonia concertante in E-flat K.Anh C14.01 (from 297b), Sinfonia concertante in E-flat K 364, Symphony 24 in B-flat K 182, Symphony 28 in C K 200, Symphony 34 in C K 388 ReDiscovery Stereo RD 088/89/90/91 - 4:44:34 I just received your spectacularly well-produced, 4 CD Ristenpart Mozart package. Wow! Thank you for a completely first rate job. The sound quality is superb and the packaging very attractive. More important: the performances are as fine as I remember them (from various Nonesuch LPs), so fine I really have to wonder that the owner of the master tapes has not seen fit to reissue all of Ristenpart's recorded legacy. But there's no need to protest when Ristenpart's reputation is so handsomely served by your wonderful efforts. I really can't recommend this set too highly. Anyone who buys it will be richly rewarded by over four hours of impeccably stylish and heartfelt Mozart performances, guided by a master conductor whose spirit is desperately needed today. Bravo! --TB, VA ReDiscovery has put the class back into classical music. In recent years there has been little to celebrate, what with the demise of the independent classical labels and producers, the passing of artists such as Karajan, Szell, Bernstein, Martinon, Reiner, Horowitz, Milstein, Richter, Kempff, Beecham, Kempe, and so many more--men who had a direct link to the great traditions of the 19th Century. Why, a man like Arrau could trace via his teacher Martin Krause an artistic pedigree back to Beethoven! With 40 years tenure in this musical passion, I think I can safely state that no one active today in classical music can approach the certain mastery of Karl Ristenpart, for example. HIP be damned. Who is closer to a real musical tradition born of methods tried and true? Ristenpart or some academic who "believes" his book-learned method to be correct? Who lives the music, whose heart beats the music? Not the ivory tower pedants. This Ristenpart Mozart set from ReDiscovery is my best Christmas present in years! Thank you, for Ristenpart, Steinberg, Paray, de Almeida, Scherchen, those wonderful Hamburg Heaven treasures, all the catalog. You make collecting interesting again! --JK, WI I have been in possession of the 4 CD-Mozart album by Karl Ristenpart and the Saar Chamber Orchestra that I recently ordered from you for a few days now, and would like to tell you how happy I am to be able to listen to these wonderful recordings in a superbly remastered version. As a long-time Ristenpart fan who became his biographer, I own most of the LPs he had produced in France, their American licensed copies, and the few CDs later issued by Accord, Erato or Universal Records in France. It is therefore an immense satisfaction to finally be able to enjoy professionally produced CD versions of works that have never been reissued in that form in France by EMI or Universal Music, the two record companies that currently own the original tapes. Initiatives by the Association des Amis de Jean-Pierre Rampal are being taken to remedy this situation, but I am afraid it will be a while before some more Saar Chamber Orchestra jewels appear on the European market. Meanwhile I will recommend your productions to the Ristenpart fans I know--starting with his children and grand-children--and hope these people will also find friends in the States willing to carry these great recordings to Europe in their luggage. With regard to the Mozart set I have acquired, I am particularly impressed by the fact that you managed to include in a single box, recordings that originated from 2 different French record companies: I doubt any European endeavor will equal that kind of feat! I have always felt that one of the shortcomings of my biography of the conductor (published in Saarbrucken in 1999) was the lack of documents and/or a witness account of his contacts to his American record producers and critics. Spurred by the leaflet signed Richard D. Freed which accompanies your Mozart set, I have decided to try and reach that insightful critic in the hope that he might own documents that could enrich the Karl Ristenpart Archive that I created at the Musicology dept of Saarland University in the year 2000. --CS, Frankfurt I am of course very familiar with Ristenpart's work and his performances are extremely polished. Your CD transfers are superb and I have enjoyed them. I'll be in touch with ReDiscovery again later for more. --KC, PA |
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Karl Ristenpart / German
Philharmonic Orchestra Schubert: Symphony 1 in D, Symphony 2 in B-flat Karl Ristenpart / Saar Chamber Orchestra Mendelssohn: The Fair Melusina Overture ReDiscovery Stereo RD 059 - 71:02 I recieved the CD and I listened to it immediately. You did a superb transfer job. Thanks very much. --RK, CA My memory of the Checkmate Ristenparts seems pretty reliable. I still find the performances missing a little verve and lilt (I guess I will never quite get the sound of the Beechams out of my head), but not as astringent as I remember the Leibowitz that was on Oceanic to have been. But the sound on your transfer certainly makes a better case than the LP did. By the way, another Ristenpart candidate from me would be the two Teleman motets that were on Westminster/Erato 17109. --CG, MA Pure joy. -- WE, GA I'm less taken with the Ristenpart Schubert symphonies than is Richard Freed, your so estimable liner note writer. (By the way, it's always good to see Mr. Freed in print and you are to be commended for obtaining his services. I've been reading his criticism for almost 40 years now and always with pleasure.) Ristenpart's Schubert is, to my taste, just a tad stiff and charmless; not a criticism I would direct at the accompanying Mendelssohn overture performance which is marvelously fleet and supple--a real treat! --TB, VA |
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Karl Ristenpart / Jean-Pierre
Rampal / Saar Chamber
Orchestra Pergolesi: Flute Concerto reel tape master Sammartini: Flute Concerto reel tape master Tartini: Flute Concerto reel tape master Vivaldi: Flute Concerto reel tape master Karl Ristenpart / Saar Chamber Orchestra Vivaldi: Viola and Guitar Concerto Marcello: Oboe Concerto ReDiscovery Stereo RD 075 - 69:12 |
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Joseph Rosenstock / Mannheim National
Symphony Orchestra Beethoven: Leonore Overture 3, Symphony 1 in C reel tape master Bizet: Carmen Suite reel tape master Dr Hans Wolf / Mannheim National Symphony Orchestra Haydn: Symphony 100 in G Military reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 126 - 74:48 |
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Hermann Scherchen / Cento Soli Orchestra of Paris Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 reel tape masters [1-4] ReDiscovery RD 002/003 - 1:52:04 |
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Hermann Scherchen / Lucretia West
/ Vienna State Opera
Orchestra Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer, Kindertotenlieder ReDiscovery Stereo RD 070 - 44:30 Hermann Scherchen's way with Mahler--well, with music(!)--was never to take the easy way out. His performances are a combination of head and heart: well thought-out, full of passion and intensity. These two cycles show us that very well: the tempi in certain songs are sure to raise an eyebrow or two at first. Yet as the music unfolds the brilliant musician behind it becomes apparent. In Lucretia West he found a fine partner for these cycles. Her voice was not a large one, or the most gorgeous one you'd ever hear--though the tone is quite attractive. But she and HS are of one accord in this music. Indeed, it is difficult to speak of LW and HS separately; better to refer to them as "LucretiaHermannWestScherchen" perhaps, for the ensemble is stunning! Like minds are at work here and we are treated to some of the most satisfying performances of Mahler songs it has been my pleasure to hear. I have heard these cycles numerous times and surely this CD can sit rightfully next to any others I have in my collection. A pity we heard so little from LW. Thank you for restoring these superb performances to the listening public. --WW, PA |
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Hermann Scherchen / Paris Opera Orchestra French Overtures reel tape masters Auber: Le Muette de Portici Thomas: Mignon Adam: If I Were King Maillart: Les Dragons de Villars Lalo: Le Roi D'Ys Boieldieu: La Dame Blanche Hermann Scherchen / Vienna State Opera Orchestra Weber: Die Freischutz Overture Smetana: Bartered Bride Overture and Dances reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 015 - 73:06 |
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Hermann Scherchen / David Carlile
Hermges / Vienna Radio
Orchestra
and
Academy Choir Schumann: Manfred Hermann Scherchen / Vienna State Opera Orchestra Smetana: The Moldau reel tape master Enesco: Rumanian Rhapsody 1 reel tape master Saint-Saens: The Swan reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 058 - 69:17 I am very grateful to you for sending me the CD of Scherchen's Manfred interpretation. It recreates (alarmingly) well the echoey atmosphere of the recording session in the Vienna Konzerthaus 38 years ago. If my memory serves me correctly the overall audio quality of the CD is superior to that of the original LP. Your re-mastering could not do anything though to repair shortcomings in the performance.The result rather reminds me of the legendary curate's egg--good in places. Nevertheless, it is a distinctly interesting curiosity for whose "rediscovery" you deserve great credit. It was an enticing offer: narrator on an LP recording with Hermann Scherchen and the Vienna Radio Orchestra of Schumann's Manfred using Byron's original poem. A combination which had never been tried before. My immediate impression of Scherchen was positive. No trace of his alleged difficulties. Just a fiery enthusiasm for everything British, in particular for the mystical magic of Manfred. A run-through of the text with Scherchen before the scheduled recording brought up several points of disagreement. Too many liberties had been taken with the text in order to fit the musical exigencies. I argued and got my way on most points, compromising on some others. The intention the following day--hot and sultry in (June?) 1964--was to spend the morning in a full run-through with narrator, orchestra, and choir. Then the actual recording in the afternoon with ample time for re-takes and any additional dubbing. The whole operation had to be finished by late afternoon because the orchestra was playing a concert in the evening. Things went wrong. Before we could even get going--in the Mozartsaal of the Vienna Konzerthaus--the whole operation came abruptly to a standstill. The sound engineer, an elderly man, I cannot remember his name, received a major electric shock while setting up the microphones. It looked at first as if he was on his way out. Fortunately he was brought round. Valuable hours had been lost though. It was decided, around midday, to go straight into hit-or-miss recording with immediate retakes whenever necessary. The session proved anything but smooth. Scherchen knew what he wanted all right but he had difficulty in communicating it to the widely separated participants: orchestra on the podium, the choir at floor level, and the narrator up on the balcony. Tempers soon began to fray. An hour before the five pm deadline only about half of the work was in the can. The heat was on. We just had to (literally) steam ahead and see that the rest of the piece got onto tape in some sort of shape. The result was certainly not optimum. However, Scherchen was not unhappy and said we would have an opportunity to correct any unsatisfactory passages. We never did. How wonderful it would be to re-record the whole piece under optimum studio conditions (including occasional balance checks), giving more prominence to Byron's polished prosody. Alas Hermann Scherchen is no longer with us! --David C. Hermges, Vienna Really wonderful! The Moldau is superb! Excellent sound! -- GG, MD WOW! What an amazing experience to compare your CDs with the LPs. I know that you are not necessarily working with recalcitrant source materials, but no other "restorer" seems to be in your class (perhaps Dutton with the recent Stokowski Brahms First might come close). The most striking differences came (unexpectedly) with the Westminsters. All the LPs now sound tinny and constricted (the Music Guilds of the Suites and Manfred perhaps less so). Had no idea there could be such richness in those performances. --CG, MA |
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Hermann Scherchen / Roger Delmotte,
Arthur
Haneuse / Vienna State
Opera
Orchestra Trumpet Concertos reel tape masters Corelli: Concerto for Two Trumpets in B-Flat Telemann: Concerto for Three Trumpets in D Major L Mozart: Trumpet Concerto in D Major Manfredini: Concerto for Two Trumpets in D Major Stoelzel: Concerto for Six Trumpets in D Major ReDiscovery Stereo RD 010 - 50:04 The sound quality is extraordinary and all of the selections are very well done. The Manfredini and Stoelzel Trumpet Concertos are new to me and excellent also. This is an excellent addition to my collection and the price was right!! --DS, TX How wonderful to hear this album again! I grew up on Scherchen and Ristenpart and am reliving the best of my childhood. Thank you for all your help and the great work you are doing. --DFM Recently I received this CD, ordered by an American colleague. I am impressed by the quality of the recording (I own the vinyl version of the trumpet concertos) and thank you for your contribution. --WR, Germany I heartily agree with all the glowing reviews you've been receiving. Bravo! Encore! --DF, Israel |
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Robert Shaw / Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra Music of Victor Herbert reel tape masters The Streets of New York / Every Day Is Ladies Day with Me / Kiss Me Again / I Want What I Want When I Want It / Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! / A Kiss in the Dark / Thine Alone / March of the Toys / Toyland / Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life / I'm Falling in Love with Someone / Sweethearts / When You're Away / Gypsy Love Song / Italian Street Song ReDiscovery Stereo RD 174 - 47:06 |
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Leonard Sorkin / Musical Arts
Symphony Symphony of Dance reel tape masters Bizet: L'Arlesienne Minuet Bolzoni: Minuet Borodin: Polovtsian Dances Glinka: Russlan und Ludmilla Overture Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite Rimsky-Korsakoff: Dance of the Buffoons Sibelius: Valse Triste Smetana: Dance of the Comedians Strauss: Die Fledermaus Overture, Tales from the Vienna Woods ReDiscovery Stereo RD 120 - 64:02 |
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Leopold Stokowski / Symphony of the Air Beethoven: Symphony 7 in A reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 001 - 38:02 |
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Leopold Stokowski / Illinois University Orchestra,
Oratorio Society Chorus, with Miriam Stewart (s),
Dorothy Clark (c), William Miller (t), Bruce Foote (bar), Paul Pettinga Monteverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin ReDiscovery RD 016 - 58:28 I am amazed at how good the Monteverdi sounds, given the starting material. It is absolutely incredible how much noise you eliminated and how much sound you managed to squeeze out of the original. I always felt that Stokowski was a very spiritual conductor at heart, despite all the superficial histrionics. You can hear it in his transcriptions of Bach's quasi-religious pieces, such as the chorale preludes. The Monteverdi brings out this spirituality in great measure. Stokowski's approach to this music is majestic, epic, spiritual, and deeply emotional, as the music requires. I know of no other performance which reveals the many moods of this music better than this one. Listen to the Magnificat, with its hushed chorus, beautifully accompanied by spotlit, antiphonal oboe and flute, and later two violins. Simply stunning! This performance provides a magnificent opportunity to hear Stokowski in his first role: choral conductor. Based on this performance, it is not hard to understand how Stokowski advanced so quickly from choral conductor in a London church to the orchestra conductor whose name will be associated forever with his greatest legacy, the Philadelphia Orchestra. --GD, PA I never expected to hear Stokowski's 1952 Monteverdi Vespers and, of course, was not quite sure what to expect when I placed this CD in the player. I feel most of the practitioners of the ghettoized early music field are rather sterile and limited in their approach to this wonderful music. Monteverdi's contemporary forces just could not have sounded anything like John Elliot Gardener wants us to imagine they did. But putting aside all historical considerations and just listening to this CD as, say, an original composition of Leopold Stokowski and one has a unique musical experience. If only there were more recordings of Monteverdi with this degree of fevor and wide range of expressive devices. --DW, MA I liked your CD of the Monteverdi Vespers very much. You have done a very good job of rejuvenating what must have been a very difficult LP. The singing is excellent and it's good to hear the work given such a dramatic and forthright interpretation. --RG, Australia Great CD...The sound is much better than what I have. --TR, IL There were two recordings in the Stokowski discography that I never expected to hear. One was the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Heifetz and the other was the Monteverdi Vespers. Well, the Philadelphia Orchestra made the former available and you the latter. Thank you for including Bob Stumpf's notes. Seeing his name reminded me of my small and (to me) surprising contribution. I was a member of the LSSA and ordered the tapes, Lps and discs as they were issued. Before this time, somewhere between 1976 and 1978, PBS offered an ASO/Stokowski concert program. I opened the back of my TV and, armed with alligator clips, a Voice of Music reel to reel recorder and the hope that only the performance would prove to be electrifying, I taped the concert. I provided Bob with a copy of my tape and he proceeded to make the Barber Violin Concerto available to LSSA members and, if memory serves (and frankly my memory refuses to play Igor to my Dr. Frankenstein), he was sufficiently grateful that I got a year's membership for free. We separately contacted PBS and attempted to get the film of that concert and the one of the Ives's 4th but no luck. Anyway...what has stayed with me was the warm sense of having contributed at least a little something to the effort. I hope you experience something of the kind as a result of your efforts. I have never heard the Lp of the Monteverdi – how many were pressed – do we know? - but the sound on your disc is quite listenable and, if it is as true of this disc as it is of the others I received, it is an improvement over the source. I agree that it is rather straightforward but having heard most of Stokowski's recorded work, it seems that he was always more so when performing less familiar works than when performing "warhorses" e.g. Tchaikovsky's 4th where he took great liberties. His performances were never redundant. --RL, VA |
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Leopold Stokowski / His Symphony Orchestra Tchaikovsky: Aurora's Wedding reel tape master ReDiscovery RD 009 -37:10 Congratulations! The transfers on the Stokowski Russian disc are nothing short of incredible. The Russian Easter Overture and first Khovantchina extract are partcularly stunning, given that they are from LP sources. The transfer from tape for the Aurora's Wedding selections are equally spectacular... and all the more so when one remembers that the recording is from the early 1950s. The performances match the excellent sound. Stokowski was the best Tchaikovsky conductor of all time, and you won't find a better testament to his "owning" the Aurora's Wedding selections than you do here (in other words, the passion and beauty surpass the 1947 recording and the later one with the National Philharmonic). Many thanks for yet another important release! --SO, VA RD 009 is an unqualified success. You did a wonderful job adding some life to the LP material, Rimsky-Korsakoff and Mussorgsky. I have the LP (RCA LM-1816), so I can make the comparison. Needless to say, the Aurora'a Wedding material sounds great, having come from a tape. --GD, PA Both of the Stokowski discs I've ordered have been truly superb. RCA itself could have done no better, and might have done much worse! Keep up the good work and please give us more Stokowski. --WH, CA Congratulations on the sound of the Rimsky, the Moussorskgy, and the Beethoven 7! This is best best sound that I have ever heard of these particular performances. The old LPs I had never gave satisfactory reproduction. However, the Tchaikovsky suffers, I think from "cracked" or "fluttering" solo woodwind and brass playing. Perhaps this was because of the CD's derivation from tape. In any case, it is, I think, a serious flaw. --RG, Australia I first heard the Russian Easter Overture as an excerpt on the "Hearing Is Believing" demo disc from 1954 that my parents had. I fell in love with it and always wanted to hear the rest. More years ago than I care to think about, I got the Quintessence PMC 7026 reissue and was delighted to hear it in its entirety. The addition of Nicola Moscona is very effective. The rest of the disc was equally enchanting and it has become a well worn favorite. Me thinks you have discovered a virgin copy of this release and made an excellent transfer while turning down the treble some. My only experience with the Aurora's Wedding was from an original pressing from around '51-'53 that I found in a used record store and it has an extremely crackly surface. I remember listening to it once thinking it was nice but the surface noise was really to distracting to listen to again. All I can say about your copy is WOW! what a performance, even better than the Sleeping Beauty excerpts on London Phase 4. --GG,CA Wonderful quality. I sort of expected good quality from the tape-based materials, but even the vinyl-sourced items were excellent. Keep up the good work! --AL, NJ The Stokowski Russian disc is phenomenal. I have no idea how you get so much signal from the LP pressing of the Mussorgsky and Rimsky items with barely a hint of any surface noise. The only remote disappointment on this disc was the third Khovantschina item, where the louder parts are almost startling in their reality, but there is a slight "graininess" in the softer passages. In the past, I have not been impressed by CDs taken from LP sources - much of the stuff on Dante is a travesty (my LPs are cleaner than any item included on their Kondrashin sets). In this context, the quality of your efforts is a revelation. --EG, PA The Stokowski Russian disc was wonderful and of particular interest to me because, it was one of the first records I purchased as a boy. The remastering was excellent. --GC, NJ The Aurora's Wedding struck me at first as still seeming a little strident (as the LP does) but the ear quickly adjusts. Keep up the good work. --CG, MA Stupendous performances and transfers. I revere the Russian Easter & Kovantchina, but honestly, I've never liked Aurora's Wedding. What was Diaghilev thinking? Imposing an alien plot on the Sleeping Beauty music and so having to delete some of its greatest passages?! (I've always wondered why Stoki recorded this compilation "as is," when he was anything but shy about putting together his own "suites" - as in Boris Gudonov, Parsifal & Pelleas!) In any case, they are all magnificent performances and transfers...Bravissimo on the sound! You really get that nice, rosin-y bloom to the strings and that mellow, sharp-cheddar "tang" to the woodwinds (if I may mix metaphors). --MF, NY |
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Hans Swarowsky / Vienna Chamber Choir,
Vienna State Symphony Orchestra, with Equiluz (t), Harper (s), Hesse
(a), Page (t), Engen (b) Bach: Christmas Oratorio ReDiscovery Stereo RD 123/124 - 2:33:25 I have received my copy of the Christmas Oratorio and it sounds wonderful, as well as being a fine performance. Thank you. I hope you have more Swarowsky up your sleeve: Haydn Society Haydn symphonies, perhaps, or symphonies I know only through English World Record Club releases in the late 1950s, or his other releases on Audio Fidelity about the same time. --RH, NY |
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Hans Swarowsky / Eduard
Mrazek / Vienna
State Opera
Orchestra Brahms: Piano Concerto 2 in B-flat Hans Swarowsky / Anton Kamper / Vienna State Opera Orchestra Schumann: Piano Concerto ReDiscovery Stereo RD 168 - 73:18 |
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Hans Swarowsky / Vienna State Opera
Orchestra and Chorus, with Stich-Randall (s), Casei (ms), Equiluz (t),
Simkowsky (b) Haydn: Mass in D minor Nelson Mass Hans Swarowsky / Adolf Holler / Vienna State Opera Orchestra Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Hans Jurgen-Walther / Hamburg Chamber Orchestra, with Nordbruck (oboe), Henker (bassoon), Wuehrer (violin), Sommer (cello) Haydn: Symphonie Concertante in B-flat ReDiscovery Stereo RD 156 - 73:18 |
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Hans Swarowsky / Vienna State
Opera Orchestra Strauss: Voices of Spring, Tales from the Vienna Woods, Pizzicato Polka, Accellerations Waltz, Music of the Spheres, Excursion Train Polka, You and You, Morning Papers, Free Shooter Polka, Emperor Waltz, Without a Care Polka ReDiscovery Stereo RD 106 - 79:46 There's an old adage that the Viennese have Johann Strauss in their blood and could play this music in their sleep. Some modern performances lead me to believe they are doing just that! No passion, no excitement, just notes. Not so here. Swarowsky's approach is remarkable. There is plenty of detail here yet he never loses sight of the entire effect a piece makes. A lightness inhabits the air in these performances. Nothing is rushed. You could truly dance to these performances! There is a sense that time has been suspended and this music is all of eternity. One example: the introduction to the Emperor Waltz is slightly slower than normal, and it has a nobility, dignity and elegance about it that is missing from so many performances. It sets the table perfectly for the main course in the music. Here is true nobility. Quite a remarkable release, this one. I do hope you will give us more HS. The man's greatness is now being truly revealed to us. Many thanks for a very special issue. --WW, PA Swarowsky's Strauss is wonderful, and so is his Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Schumann. The shorter works on Paperback Classics he does to a turn. Thank you for making Hans Swarowsky available! --AG, NY |
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Andre Vandernoot /
L'Orchestre National Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique reel tape master ReDiscovery Stereo RD 071 - 52:04 In a time when orchestras seem to strive for a homogenous sound, a bland, one-size-fits-all orchestral sound, it is refreshing to encounter the classic Gallic sound of the Paris Conservatory orchestra. Gad, the burr on the horns is absolutely stunning, the opointed focus of the string sound a delight. But it would be for nought if this were just a rountine performance of the Berlioz. It is definitely not that! Vandernoot likes to take chances, to challenge the staus quo and it is all to the good. I would place this on a par with any of my favourites, which include Monteux, Munch, Barbirolli, and a good distance above many better-known conductors then and now. Boult's Berlioz overtures are more than filler and your placement of them before the SF sets the stage beautifully. A treasurable disc! --WW, PA |
| Ernst Maerzendorfer: see Sir Adrian Boult Jean Martinon: see Dean Dixon Muir Mathieson: see A Stereo Tchaikovsky Concert Paul Paray: see Liszt: The Forgotten Recordings Paul Paray: see Wagner: The Forgotten Recordings Jonel Perlea: see Charles Mackerras Fernando Previtali: see The 20th Century Erich Riede: see Liszt: The Forgotten Recordings Hermann Scherchen: see A Stereo Tchaikovsky Concert Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt: see Liszt: The Forgotten Recordings Felix Slatkin: see Stereo Piano-and-Orchestra Extravaganza! Robert Stehli: See Sondra Bianca> Williams Steinberg: see Command Spectaculars Andre Vandernoot: see Walter Goehr Andre Vandernoot: see Command Spectaculars! Emanuel Vardi: see Stereo Piano-and-Orchestra Extravaganza! Hans-Jurgen Walther: see Sondra Bianca Hans-Jurgen Walther: see Sondra Bianca Hans-Jurgen Walther: see Sondra Bianca Hans-Jurgen Walther: see Hans Swarowsky Dr Hans Wolf: see Joseph Rosenstock Robert Zeller: see Joseph Rosenstock |
