If you wish us to send a CD to an address other than your own please e-mail us with the full address details of the recipient, stating the CD order reference.
In his editorial for the latest issue of Classic
Record Collector, Alan Sanders writes:
"Like
it or loathe it, the internet has become an integral part of record
collecting. Personally, I think there's nothing to rival the interest
of browsing through rows of CDs in a shop and finding some desirable
disc that you didn't know about, and I'd be very sad if the number of
retail outlets continued to dwindle in the face of online competition.
But
the fact is that many of us do buy CDs and DVDs online, because it is a
convenient way of acquiring discs – so long as the package is small
enough to go through the letterbox or if you're in when the postman
calls. Some posties, alas, leave stock on doorsteps when they
shouldn't, but the alternative is a time-wasting trip to the nearest
sorting office in order to collect undelivered goods...
...Some
enterprises such as Pristine Audio make their entire catalogue
available as downloads (though Pristine will supply finished copies if
requested). The advantage here is that a company can afford to make
recordings of very specialised interest available to order without
there being a need to pay speculatively in advance for even a small
pressing run. The cost of maintaining a catalogue item on a website is
minimal, by comparison, so fewer deletions can be expected. A
disadvantage is that a download, even with labels and inlays supplied,
is seldom so visually attractive as a well-produced conventional CD.
Still less do mp3 downloads give the collector a feeling of acquiring
something of aesthetic value..."
I'm sure many will share Alan's sentiments with regard to the hunting
down of records and CDs - in many ways the hunting was for me perhaps
more exciting than the having. If one has spent years trawling through
the record shops of London looking for a long out-of-print disc, as I
often did when I lived there, the sudden rush of exhiliration upon
finding it often quickly faded as it became just another CD in the rack
or LP on the shelf.
But he does touch on precisely what allows Pristine Classical to
operate - our major costs are calculated in unpaid man-hours rather
than warehouses full of unsold CDs, and our downloads are unlikely to
be deleted without very good reason. We can look for specialist
recordings, whilst not forgetting the more mainstream material which
keeps us going, because generally we don't make a loss on our releases
- though how much profit a recording will make is another matter
altogether. Generally the answer is 'not very much', but cumulatively
it's enough to keep us going.
It seems impossible to turn back the tide of music sales moving online
- what small-town classical record store (of they still exist where you
are) could possibly compete with Amazon, either on range or price? But
the silver lining to this cloud is that as more people move online it
makes enterprises like ours more viable and maybe, just maybe, we'll
unearth a recording you've been looking for for years too...
Zinka
Milanov, Bruna Castagna, Jussi Björling, Nicola Moscona
The Westminster Choir
NBC Symhony Orchestra
conducted by Arturo Toscanini Radio
broadcasts from 1940
New
source material courtesy of Luciano Crivello
Transfers and XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, January
2010
Cover artwork based on a photograph of Arturo Toscanini
VERDI- Overture to Aida (world
première performance)
CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO- Overture to The Taming of the
Shrew (previously unissued)
Zinka Milanov, soprano Bruna Castagna, contralto Jussi Björling, tenor Nicola Moscona, bass The Westminster Choir, directorJohn Finlay Williamson The
NBC Symphony Orchestra
conductor Arturo Toscanini
Toscanini's links to Verdirun
very deep indeed, having played under the composer's baton, premièred
his works, and worked alongside him in preparation for leading a number
of performances.
"Toscanini may have been the most commanding expondent of
his time of the Requiem" writes Mortimore H. Frank, noting his 29
performances of the work, beginning in 1902 with a concert marking the
first anniversary of Verdi's death.
This 1940 concert recording is certainly a classic - and
with a newly-discovered source can now be heard in better sound quality
than ever before in this new Pristine XR remastering.
It's coupled with two short recordings from the same year
- Toscanini's world première of Verdi's discarded overture to his opera
Aida, as well as a previously unissued overture by the Italian
Castelnuovo-Tedesco, both in absolutely superb sound quality.
The
discovery of a new source copy of Toscanini's 1940 VerdiRequiemwill be of great interest to
collectors. The tape appears to be a straight dub of 16-inch acetate
discs, with no editing between sides which (just) overlap sufficiently
to create a seamless recording. Italian collector Luciano Crivello
acquired the tapes recently and, in addition to making them available
to online Toscanini groups in a straight copy transfer, offered them to
Pristine Audio for editing and restoration, commenting: "...of this
Requiem several were the issues (Arturo toscanini Society, Music and
Arts and many others, I have one also with commentaries and the Deum,
but the sound is not so good). The material is really very rare and
certainly has never been used even by private labels. This material has
never been put in Commerce. It seems to me that the previous releases
for sale do not have this sound so good, although some were of
excellent quality. But there are some points of this record that sound
so natural and strong, as I had never heard before."
The
sound quality was indeed remarkably good, if at times a little strident
and prone to overload distortion during some louder passages. The
treble is reasonably extended and it's been possible to remove some
background noise as well as to extend and reinforce the bass. Various
minor faults and flaws in the recording have been tackled, including
occasional pitch instability and small disc surface defects.
The
other two recordings included here both date from earlier in 1940 and
have been preserved in remarkably good sound quality - both are cleaner
and have considerably higher treble response than theRequiem.Whilst it is well known that
Toscanini premièred Verdi's discarded overture toAidaat the 1940 concert of March
30th, it has been impossible at the time of writing to find out much
about the Castelnuovo-Tedesco overture.
The
composer had been supporting of Toscanini in Italy when the conductor
was under scrutiny by Mussolini, and eventually was forced to flee to
the United States, where Toscanini sponsored his relocation in 1939.
The overture was played twice in concerts given by Toscanini and the
NBC Symphony Orchestra (the second performance, on 3rd March 1944, is
also available on CD), and in 1945 Toscanini also gave a single
performance of the Castelnuovo-Tedesco's overtureA
Fairy Tale. I have failed to locate any other recording of the
presentTaming
of the Shrew Overture, nor any further information about the work.
As
such it is impossible to state whether this is the overture's world
première, its broadcast première, its US première, or indeed, all three
- or of course none of the above. Should this or any other pertinent
information become available I will of course update this page. Alas my
recording of the work contained too little rapidly-faded applause to
include here - suffice to say, therefore, that the audience response
was certainly positive, and not the silence implied by the present
transfer.
Technical
notes by Andrew Rose
Available
as 320kbps MP3, 16-bit mono or Ambient Stereo FLAC, 24-bit FLAC, CD
or
listen on demand with
Pristine
Audio Direct
Access
(PADA)
Vienna State
Opera Chorus - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Clemens Krauss
Recorded in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, September 1950,
Rreleased as Decca LXT 2550-2551
Julius
Patzak-Gabriel von Eisenstein Hilde Gueden-Rosalinde
Kurt Preger -Frank
Sieglinde Wagner -Prince
Orlofsky
Anton Dermota -Alfred
Alfred Poell -Dr. Falke
August Jaresch -Dr.
Blind
Wilma Lipp -Adele
Vienna
State Opera Chorus Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
ConductorClemens
Krauss
Recorded:
16-22 September 1950
Producer: Victor Olaf
Engineer:Cyril Windebank
Location: Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna
Matrix Nos.: VAR113-27/29-33
Additional notes: For the party scene, three sides recorded in Jun 50
(VAR68-70), plus one made in London in Apr 50 (DAR15616), were
interpolated.
When Pristine Classical launched, nearly
five years ago on 1st February 2005, this was one of the twelve
recordings which made up the starting catalogue.
It had been presented to us by Peter Harrison in late
2003 as a prime example of his meticulous work and vinyl transfer
skills. It was an immediate hit: "The DECCA CD was terrible, the NAXOS
one a vast improvement over the former. The PRISTINE CD reproduces
magnificently..." wrote one happy listener.
Peter went on to produce dozens of remastered recordings
for Pristine Classical, but this week we decided to go right back to
the beginning. Now also available in an Ambient Stereo version, we've
also taken the opportunity to add new notes to the cover, update the
web page, and re-encode the MP3 at 320kbps, the highest bitrate
possible.
Possibly Clemens Krauss's finest recording - and not to
be missed!
In their 1956 book,The
Record Guide, Edward Sackville-West and Desmond Shawe-Taylor, not a
pair to mince their words, sit on the fence or hold back from
expressing an opinion, wrote of this recording:
"It is scarcely possible to
imagine a more delightful pair of records than the complete DeccaFledermaus.
There is no spoken dialogue, but a virtually uncut performance recorded
with good balance and a wonderful bloom on the vocal and orchestral
tone. No better conductor could have been found for this delectable
score than Clemens Kraus; he handles the detail with as much care as
though it were Mozart...an almost incredible delicacy... Perhaps the
greatest musical pleasure comes from Julius Patzakand Hilde Gueden[right,
as Rosalinde]: their duet in the second act[Dieser
Andstand]...is particularly ravishing. Apart from its musical and
technical excellence, the recording has captured to a remarkable degree
the illusion of a stage performance... This is one of the best opera
sets yet published in England."
Pristine Audio is delighted to bring you an incredible
brand new transcription and restoration of these discs from the golden
ears of Peter Harrison ofdisk2disc.
When I put it to Peter that Sackville-West and Shawe-Taylor seemed to
like it quite a lot, he replied:"So
do I - and I have five other recordings of it! The only one that comes
close is a DVD with Carlos Kleiber."
This really is a masterful recording, lovingly restored
from near-mint original vinyl, and sounding gorgeous - in this his
first commercial remastering for Pristine Audio, Peter Harrison truly
excelled!
NB.In
January 2010 we prepared an Ambient Stereo version of this recording,
which was among Pristine's original set of twelve releases for our
launch in February 2005. We also took the opportunity at this time to
upgrade the MP3 files to a maximum possible 320kbps resolution and to
make additions and minor modifications to the cover notes.
Available
as 320kbps MP3, 16-bit FLAC, 16-bit Ambient Stereo FLAC, CD
or
listen on demand with
Pristine
Audio Direct
Access
(PADA)
New
MP3 transfers at PADA Exclusives
by Dr. John Duffy
in Ambient Stereo
Hidemaro
Konoye
conducts Beethoven
Hidemaro
Konoye
Beethoven
Symphony No. 1 in C, Op 21
La Scala Orchestra
cond. Hidemaro Konoye Rec. 1931?
Viscount
Hidemaro Konoye(近衛
秀麿, Konoe Hidemaro, 18 November 1898—2 June 1973) was a conductor and
composer of classical music in Shōwa period Japan. He was the brother
of pre-war Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe.
Konoye
was born in Kōjimachi, Tokyo as the younger son of Prince Konoe
Atsumaro, scion of one of the Five regent houses of the Fujiwara clan.
The Konoe clan traditionally provided gagaku muscians to the Imperial
Household, and Hidemaro chose to follow the family’s musical tradition,
whereas his older brother Fumimaro went into politics.
Konoye
attended the Gakushuin Peers School, where he became a close friend of
Takashi Inukai. In 1913, he entered the Tokyo University of the Arts,
where he specialized in the violin. In 1915, he went to study briefly
in Germany to study musical composition, and became a pupil of Kosaku
Yamada on his return to Japan.
His
debut as a conductor was in 1920, with an amateur orchestra led by
Toukichi Setoguchi. Konoye returned to Europe for further studies in
1923 in Paris under Vincent d'Indy and Berlin under Franz Schreker.
He
also studied conducting under Erich Kleiber, and Karl Muck. In 1924, he
conducted at the Berlin Philharmonic, and returned to Japan in the fall
of the same year. Konoye co-founded the Japan Symphonic Association in
1925, and the following year became conductor of the orchestra. Konoe
later founded the New Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo (the present day NHK
Symphony Orchestra), and helped mold the orchestra over a 10 year
period into an ensemble that was praised as competitive with many of
the better orchestras in Europe.
Today
he is remembered for making the premiere recording of Mahler's Fourth
Symphony, done in May 1930. It was also the first electrical recording
of any complete Mahler symphony. Additionally, Konoye made numerous
guest appearances in Europe and America, conducting some 90 different
orchestras in the course of his career including the orchestra of La
Scala, Milan and the NBC Symphony Orchestra.
He
created friendships with Erich Kleiber, Leopold Stokowski, Wilhelm
Furtwängler and Richard Strauss. He went to Germany and conducted
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in second half of 1930s. In the early
days of the NBC Symphony, he planned an American tour under the
supervision of Stokowski, but the project was cancelled due to World
War II.
Konoye
wrote original compositions, but was more deeply interested in
arranging existing music, including, for example, Modest Mussorgsky's
Pictures at an Exhibition and Schubert's C major Quintet, which he
orchestrated. Konoye died in 1973.
This
transfer is presented with Ambient Stereo remastering by Dr. John Duffy.
Over
400 PADA Exclusives recordings are available for high-quality streamed
listening and free 224kbps MP3 download to all subscribers.
Remastered
by
Dr John Duffy In Ambient Stereo
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or stream this recording and many others from only One Euro a
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Latest
Reviews, e-mails & comments
"Not
being an opera-lover the name of Ettore Panizza was unknown to me until
I received this
CD. I imagine that I am not alone here so a little biographical
information might be useful. Born in Buenos Aires in 1875, Panizza made
his debut as assistant conductor at the Rome Opera when only 22. He was
most closely associated with La Scala, Milan, the Royal Opera House in
London, New York’s Met and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Interestingly, when Toscanini conducted the premiere of Puccini’s
Turandot he stopped at the point where Puccini ceased writing, thus
allowing Panizza to be the first to conduct the opera as completed by
Alfano. Panizza was also a composer of four operas: Il fidanzato del
mare (1897), Madioevo Latino (1900), Aurora (1908) reportedly his most
successful work, and Bizanzio (1939). He published an autobiography
(Medio Siglo de Vida Musical) in 1952 and died in his home town as
recently as 1967.
According to the brief notes, by Mark Obert–Thorn, on the rear inlay,
it appears that Panizza made very few records, as was fairly typical at
the time. His complete recorded output could be contained on less than
three CDs. Almost all his recordings were made at La Scala and were of
operatic music. This CD contains the sole exceptions – concert music
and a recording made at the Teatro Colón.
So to the Mendelssohn. It is obvious from these few performances that
Panizza was a fine conductor for here are well rehearsed and performed
interpretations of two masterpieces of the concert repertoire and a
delightful trifle. The Hebrides Overture receives a fine reading, full
of a salty sea tang and with a very tempestuous climax as the waves
beat against the shore. This is a very good performance, with very
little portamento. I would have expected more for this period, and
apart from the occasional rather dull thud, which is the timpani, the
sound is very good indeed. The Italian Symphony really sparkles here.
The first movement races along at a reasonable tempo, and despite a
couple of moments of scrappiness in the strings, no doubt brought about
by the tempo, this is good stuff. The pilgrims’ march of the second
movement is nicely paced, and the third movement has a delightfully
restrained swagger, making it perfect for dancing. The final saltarello
is taken at a slower speed than is usual, but it is still full of
Mediterranean fire, and after the side join the tempo increases
slightly. I found his to be a most satisfying account of this wonderful
Symphony, and it’s as good as any, historical or otherwise, because it
has such a marvellously musical logic to it. The Wedding March from the
incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream receives a solid
performance. There’s not much more you can do with this piece.
What’s going to draw listeners to this CD is not the Mendelssohn, good
though it is, but these six excerpts from Felipe Boero’s opera El
Matrero, recorded within weeks of the world premiere, with the original
cast. Mark Obert–Thorn believes that one reason for this recording was
that the great Italian baritone Apollo Granforte was making his debut
at the Teatro Colón in this season. I don’t think that we need worry
about the plot. Pristine Audio doesn’t give one with the CD but a
synopsis is available on their website, and it probably isn’t important
anyway. The first excerpt – La Media Caña – is almost entirely
orchestral, a kind of dance interlude, and it’s quite delightful,
reminiscent of the music for film which later composers were to create
for the wild west. The sung excerpts show an opera written in a very
straightforward style, with moments of delightful Americana and
passages of obvious Italian influence. Whilst it probably was the
availability of Apollo Granforte who brought about this recording, I
have to admit to having more than an admiration for the glorious mezzo
of Nena Juarez, a rich and fruity voice, free from affectation and a
fine melodic instrument.
The transfers are excellent, only a very slight amount of surface noise
has been retained throughout all the recordings. I am sure that this is
essential in order to keep the upper register fresh and full of bloom,
as it is here. This is a fascinating disk and not just for the
collector of historical re–issues or the opera fanatic. Here is the
work of an almost forgotten conductor whose meagre catalogue has been
overlooked for too long. I welcome this chance to celebrate the work of
Ettore Panizza. "
"Just
wondering if you would like a copy of these? I figure if anyone could
make sonic sense of these, it would be yourself:
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA/SIR THOMAS BEECHAM, 1943
TAPE 1
SIDE A
1. Elgar. Enigma Variations, Op. 36 Performed
at the Second Subscription Concert of the 1943-44 season on Monday,
October 11, 1943 at 8:30 PM in
the Music Hall Theater.
2. Delius. On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring Performed
at the Sunday Matinee Concert on
September 26, 1943 at 2:30 PM in the Moore Theatre.
3. Sibelius. Valse Triste, Op. 44 Performed
at the Sunday Matinee Concert on
October 10, 1943 at 2:30 PM in the Moore Theatre.
SIDE B
1. Rossini. William Tell. Overture
2. Beethoven. Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93
1. Allegro vivace e con brio
2. Allegretto scherzando
3. Tempo menuetto
4. Allegro vivace
3. Massenet. La Vierge. The last sleep of the virgin
All three
performed at the Sunday Matinee Concert on October 10, 1943 at 2:30 PM
in
the Moore Theatre.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/SIR THOMAS BEECHAM, 1943
TAPE 2
SIDE A
1. Sibelius. Karelia Suite, Op. 11. Alla marcia Performed
at the Sunday Matinee Concert on
October 10, 1943 at 2:30 PM in the Moore Theatre.
2. Mendelssohn. Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56
"Scottish"
1. Andante; allegro un poco agitato
2. Vivace non troppo
3. Adagio
4. Allegro vivacissimo; allegro maestoso assai
Performed
at the Second Subscription Concert of the 1943-44 season on Monday,
October 11, 1943 at 8:30 PM in
the Music Hall Theater.
SIDE B
1. Elgar. Serenade for Strings. Larghetto Performed
at the Sunday Matinee Concert on
October 10, 1943 at 2:30 PM in the Moore Theatre.
2. Wagner. Die Meistersinger. Overture Performed
at the Sunday Matinee Concert on
October 10, 1943 at 2:30 PM in the Moore Theatre.
3. Wagner. The Flying Dutchman. Overture Performed
at the Second Subscription Concert of the 1943-44 season on Monday,
October 11, 1943 at 8:30 PM in
the Music Hall Theater.
4. Wagner. Die Meistersinger. Prelude to Act III Performed
at the Third Subscription Concert of the
1943-44 season on Monday, October 18, 1943 at 8:30 PM in
the Music Hall Theater.
5. Saint-Saens. Le Rouet d'Omphale, Op. 31 Performed
at the First Subscription Concert of the 1943-44 season on Monday,
September 27, 1943 at 8:30 PM in the Music Hall Theater.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/SIR THOMAS BEECHAM, 1943
TAPE 3
SIDE A
1. Dvorak. Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104
1. Allegro
2. Adagio ma non troppo
3. Allegro moderato
Mischel
Cherniavsky, cello
Performed
at the Third Subscription Concert of the 1943-44 season on Monday,
October 18, 1943 at 8:30 PM in
the Music Hall Theater.
SIDE B
1. Bizet. Patrie Overture, Op. 19 Performed
at the Third Subscription Concert of the 1943-44 season on Monday,
October 18, 1943 at 8:30 PM in
the Music Hall Theater.
2. Sibelius. Karelia Suite, Op. 11. Alla marcia Performed
at the Sunday Matinee Concert on
October 10, 1943 at 2:30 PM in the Moore Theatre."
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(Dieser Anstand, Ambient Stereo)
"It is scarcely possible to
imagine a more delightful pair of records than the complete DeccaFledermaus.
There is no spoken dialogue, but a virtually uncut performance recorded
with good balance and a wonderful bloom on the vocal and orchestral
tone. No better conductor could have been found for this delectable
score than Clemens Kraus; he handles the detail with as much care as
though it were Mozart...an almost incredible delicacy... Perhaps the
greatest musical pleasure comes from Julius Patzakand Hilde Gueden
