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.
I received this enquiry by e-mail a few
days ago - I can't help but can you? If so, drop me a line and I'll put
you in touch.
I am seeking a source for the Kapell Reiner
Pittsburg Symphony b'cast of the Strauss Burlesque. It dates from 1948.
Would you happen to be able to recommend a source?
Editorial - A farewell to
Peter Harrison - whose record collection lives on...
When Pristine Classical launched some five years ago
its main shortcoming was a dearth of content. My first efforts to get
us up and running had produced some 12 recordings, some of them
exceedingly short, and we needed up build up a catalogue of recordings
quickly if we were to be taken seriously by anyone. Fortunately help
was at hand in the person of one Peter Harrison. I'd met Peter very
briefly before moving from England to France, and we'd communicated on
an almost daily basis by phone and e-mail thereafter. Peter was newly
retired and had returned to the passion he'd wanted to pursue
throughout his working life - music.
Peter's new enterprise, disk2disc, was somewhat unusual as
businesses went. The idea was for it to run at break-even, making just
enough money for Peter to invest in it, enjoy it, but not incur any
taxes upon it. This led to an exceptionally generous offer in the very
first months of Pristine Classical - in return for being a part of the
growth of Pristine, and links back to Peter's own website (and any
attendant publicity in reviews and the like), Peter offered to provide
four recordings a month for Pristine to release. At the time far too
much of Peter's day-to-day transfer work was what he calls the "baby
gurgles" type - old family tape recordings and the like. This allowed
him to spend time doing what he really wanted to do!
As time went on we had a lot of fun together - an enjoyable lunch with
Gramophone's James Jolly to discuss the National Gramophonic Society
recordings, numerous trips to France where tapes or discs were
deposited and Peter's car filled with large quantities of the local
claret, and so on. Thanks to Peter's work for Pristine he ended up not
only meeting but recording one of his life-time heroes, Peter Katin,
and he's now developed something of a sideline in live classical music
recordings, something he was doing back in the 1960s with Nixa and the
BBC.
I should point out to those expecting this to turn into an obituary
that Peter is still very much alive! However, recent illness has led to
him deciding on a less sedentary existence than music restoration
allows for (and my expanding waistline attests to its shortcomings),
and two weeks ago Peter arrived here on his first trip in a while,
carrying his LP collection in a large van. Right now I'm in the process
of sorting through somewhere around 3000 or so records, scattered
around the floor in piles and still boxed up, with any number of
treasures being picked out as I go. (Thanks to our work together, Peter
inherited another record collection from a Philips art director a
couple of years ago, so there are many unplayed LPs and test pressings
to sort through in addition to the results of Pete's lifetime of record
collecting.)
Just before Pete packed his wagon and boxed up his VPI record cleaner I
persuaded him to do a couple of last-minute transfers for me - and
these can be heard in this week's release of Mendelssohn and Boccherini
as recorded by the New Music Quartet. I think they're among the finest
examples of chamber music on our site, and a fitting testament to
Peter's invaluable contributions to Pristine Classical. This is my
opportunity to say thank you to Peter - and wish him all the best in
the future.
And now, crawling around on my hands and knees between boxes and
stacks, back to those records!!!
Andrew Rose, St. Méard de Gurçon, France
P.S. As I type I'm listening to Mengelberg's 1940
Brahms 1st in a part-completed XR remastering from one of Peter's LPs -
in truly stunning sound and surely coming out very soon...
New
Music Quartet:
Broadus Erle - Violin
Matthew Raimondi - Violin
Walter Trampler - Viola
Claus Adam - Cello (Mendelssohn)
David Soyer - Cello (Boccherini)
Transfers
by Peter Harrison at disk2disc
XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, March & April 2010
Cover artwork based on a 1955 photograph of the New Music Quartet with
David Soyer, cello
Excellent double-set of Mendelssohn and Boccherini
The
New Music Quartet - a short-lived but brilliant ensemble
MENDELSSOHNQuartet No 2 in A minor, Op. 13[notes/score] Recorded
7th January, 1954
MENDELSSOHNQuartet No 5 in E flat, Op. 44,
No. 3[notes/score] Recorded
27th May 1954
Issued as Columbia Masterworks ML 4921
BOCCHERINIQuartet in B minor, Op.58, No.4,
G.245[notes] Recorded
11th May 1955
BOCCHERINIQuartet in B-flat, Op.2, No.2,
G.160 Recorded
11th May 1955
BOCCHERINIQuartet in E-flat, Op.53, No.1,
G.236 Recorded
19th May, 1955
BOCCHERINIQuartet in E-flat, Op.58, No.2,
G.243 Recorded
19th May, 1955
Columbia 30th Street Studios, New York
Issued as Columbia Masterworks ML 5047
Broadus
Erle- Violin Matthew Raimondi-
Violin Walter Trampler-
Viola Claus Adam-
Cello (Mendelssohn) David Soyer-
Cello (Boccherini)
NB.
Our identification of the middle two Boccherini quartets differs from
that shown on the original LP, which lists them as Op. 1 No. 2 and Op.
40 No. 2, which in no modern catalogues exist as string quartets. A
positive musical identification was made in the former case, Op.2 No.
2, whilst the latter, Op. 53 No. 1, has been indentified by a process
of deduction - there is only one quartet by Boccherini with both the
same number of movements and the same tempo indications for those
movements. We could neither locate a recording nor an online score of
this quartet to confirm this match.
NEW MUSIC QUARTET:Mendelssohn &
Boccherini
The New Music Quartet was, during the first half of the
1950s, one of the great new American chamber music ensembles, with
direct links both back to the Strub Quartet and forward to the Guarneri
Quartet.
Although - as the name suggests - the bulk of the
quartet's recorded output concentrated on new repertoire, they also cut
a handful of works by Wolf (one of our most successful chamber music
releases), Mozart and Schumann, as well as these two wonderful LPs,
originally issued in 1954 and 1955, of Mendelssohn and Boccherini.
The playing is crisp and precise where needed, broad and
romantic when required, and throughout in excellent sound quality,
further enhanced by our new XR remastering.
Download
long listening sample:
(Boccherini Quartet
in B minor, 1st movement)
Technical
notes:
Both
of these recordings are excellent examples of how well the better
record companies had adapted to and adopted the new technologies of the
1950s. Although the true advent of stereo was still to come, the rapid
development of high quality tape and vinyl recording and reproduction
helped to drive other advances in high fidelity recording equipment and
techniques, with the net result being clear for anyone to hear.
The
tendency was still to a certain dryness in studio recordings,
especially in the field of chamber music - quite possibly a result of
years of similar practise and expectations dating back to the age of
acoustic recordings, which simply couldn't capture any easily audible
room acoustics. Thus throughout the 78rpm age and into the early years
of vinyl we still find quite dry and - to modern ears - slightly
brittle or sterile recordings.
The
judicious use of a modern convolution reverberation, reproducing
exactly the acoustics of specific concert halls and venues, can greatly
help in the enjoyment and appreciation of recordings such as this - the
idea is not to swamp the instruments in echo, but rather to allow the
string to resound more fully and in a more realistically rounded style
as one would expect in a live performance environment.
This
approach has worked particularly well here - take a listen to our
Boccherini sample to hear what I mean. Despite the lack of precise
stereo positioning (it remains, of course, a mono recording), the sound
is full, clear and simultaneously contemporary and yet 55 years old.
Ultimately it achieves - I trust - the goal of any restoration, which
is to bring the listener closer to the music and performance, removing
as much as possible in the way of sonic obstacles to enjoyment.
But
that's all the boring technical stuff. What you need to know is that
this is a trulysuperbquartet, playing at their height
just before going their separate ways, and is absolutely not to be
missed. Close to two full hours of uninterrupted musical pleasure
awaits you!
Andrew
Rose
Available
as
320kbps MP3, 16-bit mono & Ambient Stereo FLAC, 24-bit mono
FLAC, CD
or
listen on demand with
Pristine
Audio Direct
Access
(PADA)
Boston
Symphony Orchestra
conductor Pierre Monteux Recorded
1956, Moscow
LP
from the private collection of Anders Riber
Transfer & XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, April
2010
Cover artwork based on a photograph of Pierre Monteux
Recorded
live at the Moscow Conservatoire, September 9th, 1956
First issued in the USSR as Melodiya LP M10 45701 005
SCHUBERT:Symphony No. 9 "Great"
in C major
The great French conductor Pierre Monteux has some
curious gaps in his lengthy recorded repertoire - among them Schubert's
"Great" Ninth Symphony, of which no studio recording was ever made by
him.
This rare recording is the closest we can get. Taped in
September 1956 at the Moscow Conservatoire, where Monteux was on tour
with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and later issued on a Soviet
Melodiya LP, we find both conductor and orchestra in excellent form.
This Pristine XR remastering has managed to lift much of
the veil of dull sound from that old Russian LP, and despite an
at-times distant-sounding microphone, has resulting in a far more
vibrant sound, one which immediately engages you in this fine
performance.
Download
long listening sample:
(1st movement)
Technical
notes:
A
few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend of Pristine's in
Denmark, the former organist at Aarhus Cathedral Mr. Anders Riber, who
stated: "I would like direct your attention to the following: Lately I
got hold of an LP from Moscov 1956. It is Schubert 9´ in C with Monteux
and the Boston.S.O. live from Russia. Considering geography and age,
the recording is fairly good, a bit treble-sharp (and fast) but in many
ways a terrific experience... it is in almost mint condition" Would I
be interested, he asked, in remastering the recording for release?
A
quick perusal of the Monteux discography revealed that the great French
conductor had never made a studio recording of the work, and judging by
its absence in the general catalogue had perhaps rarely performed it
live. The prospect of a mid-50s recording in mint condition was
certainly one too good to miss, and I'd like to publically express my
gratitude to Mr. Riber for sending his rare record to me.
From
a technical point of view it posed certain minor problems. Although the
LP was a later pressing and, as suggested, in near mint condition, the
original recording was made using 50s-era Soviet technology which (I'm
guessing here) was probably not quite up to the standards found in the
west at the time. Furthermore, being a live recording, the microphone
placement was perhaps not all it could have been, and the resultant
sound was a little veiled and sometimes acoustically boxy.
Happily
this was almost entirely resolved quickly and easily by XR remastering
and the mildest acoustic treatment. Although personally I would still
like to feel myself just a little closer to the orchestra, it's still a
very good live recording for its era, and a very enjoyable listen. (If
it was an 'official' recording one might date it to 1951 rather than
1956, so you see it's not that far off!) All in all it's a surprisingly
rare opportunity to hear one of the great orchestras and conductors
tackle one of the great works of the classical repertoire together -
and one that's sure to find a very warm welcome indeed in many music
collections for all the right reasons.
Andrew
Rose
Available
as
320kbps MP3, 16-bit mono & Ambient Stereo FLAC, 24-bit mono
FLAC, CD
or
listen on demand with
Pristine
Audio Direct
Access
(PADA)
Special
offer - International Record Review
The April issue of International Record Review
includes a major feature article looking at a number of Pristine
releases, written by Mortimer Frank - his thoughts on the Busch
Quartet's 1938 Schubert recordings are quoted in full above.
Although the magazine is widely available through record stores you can
now order a single copy via the Subscribe page on their website http://www.recordreview.co.uk
You can also get a free random sample copy there for just the
cost of the postage!
The new issue of International Record Review was published on 6th April
2010 - don't miss it!
New
MP3
transfers
at
PADA
Exclusives
by Dr. John Duffy
in Ambient Stereo
Gilels
plays Tchaikovsky
Emil
Gilels
Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1in B
flat minor, Op. 23
Emil Gilels, piano.
USSR Symphony Orchestra
cond. Ivanov Rec. 1951
Emil
Grigoryevich Gilels (Ukrainian: Емі́ль Григо́рович Гі́лельс, Russian:
Эми́ль Григо́рьевич Ги́лельс, Emi'li Grego'rievič Gi'lelis; October 19,
1916 – October 14, 1985) was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of
the greatest pianists of the 20th century. His last name is sometimes
transliterated Hilels..
Gilels
was born in Odessa (now part of Ukraine) to a musical family . He began
studying the piano at the age of five under Yakov Tkach, who was a
student of the French pianists Raoul Pugno and Alexander Villoing
Thus,
through Tkach, Gilels had a pedagogical genealogy stretching back to
Frédéric Chopin, via Pugno, and to Muzio Clementi, via Villoing.
Tkach
was a stern disciplinarian who emphasized scales and studies. Gilels
later credited this strict training for establishing the foundation of
his technique. Gilels made his public debut at the age of 12 in June
1929 with a well-received program of Beethoven, Scarlatti, Chopin, and
Schumann.
In
1930, Gilels entered the Odessa Conservatory where he was coached by
Berta Reingbald, whom Gilels credited as a formative influence. Also in
Odessa Conservatory Gilels studied special harmony and polyphony with
professor Mykola Vilinsky.
After
graduating from the Odessa Conservatory (Ukraine) in 1935, he moved to
Moscow where he studied under Heinrich Neuhaus until 1937. Neuhaus was
a student of Aleksander Michałowski, who had studied with Carl Mikuli,
Chopin's student, assistant and editor. A year later he was awarded
first prize at the 1938 Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels by a
distinguished jury whose members included Arthur Rubinstein, Samuil
Feinberg, Emil von Sauer, Ignaz Friedman, Walter Gieseking, Robert
Casadesus, and Arthur Bliss. His winning performances were of both
volumes of the Brahms Paganini Variations, and the Liszt-Busoni
Fantasie on Two Motives from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro". The other
competitors included Moura Lympany in second place, and Arturo
Benedetti Michelangeli in seventh place.
Following
his triumph at Brussels, a scheduled American debut at the 1939 New
York World's Fair was aborted because of the outbreak of the Second
World War. During the War, Gilels entertained Soviet troops with
morale-boosting open-air recitals on the frontline, of which film
archive footage exists.
In
1945, he formed a chamber music trio with his brother-in-law, the
violinist Leonid Kogan and the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. After the
war, he toured the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe as a
soloist. He also gave two-piano recitals with Yakov Flier, as well as
concerts with his violinist sister, Elizaveta.
Gilels
was one of the first Soviet artists, along with David Oistrakh, allowed
to travel and concertize in the West. His delayed American debut in
1955 playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Philadelphia with
Eugene Ormandy was a great success. His British debut in 1959 met with
similar acclaim.
In
1952, he became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, where his
students included Valery Afanassiev and Felix Gottlieb. As chair of the
jury of the International Tchaikovsky Competition at the sensational
inaugural event in 1958, he awarded first prize to Van Cliburn. He
presided over the competition for many years.
Gilels
made his Salzburg Festival debut in 1969 with a piano recital of Weber,
Prokofiev and Beethoven at the Mozarteum, followed by a performance of
Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto with George Szell and the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1981, he suffered a heart attack after a
recital at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and suffered declining
health thereafter. He died unexpectedly during a medical checkup in
Moscow on 14 October 1985, only a few days before his 69th birthday.
Sviatoslav
Richter, who knew Gilels well and was a fellow-student in the class of
Heinrich Neuhaus at the Moscow Conservatory, believed that Gilels was
killed accidentally when an incompetent doctor at the Kremlin hospital
inappropriately gave him an injection of a drug during a routine
checkup.
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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of historic recordings are available for listening and free
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Pick
of the reviews
Rob Cowan in Gramophone,
May 2010
Pristine Audio continue to surprise
with various unexpected renovations, including an interesting NBC
concert under Arturo Toscanini from March 25, 1950 [PASC208],
where energy levels are high and tempi generally fast even though there
are odd moments when the venerable maestro sounds as if he's only just
holding things together (near the beginning of Debussy's Iberia, for
example). I doubt he would have countenanced the concert's commercial
release, even though the sound is excellent and, judged overall, the
performances pack a fair wallop. The other works programmed are
Prokofiev's Classical Symphony (the first movement really does sound
rushed off its feet), Danse macabre and Don Juan.
Fans of Sir Thomas Beecham will want
to investigate a valuable memento [PASC212],
hopefully the first of three, of the conductor's Seattle sojurn,
Beecham having transformed the local Symphony Orchestra into a capable
band, if not quite the best. All the recordings are from 1943, some
with tiny bits missing but all sounding rather better than you might
have expected. Elgar's Enigmas combine energy and pathos (ie the
defiance of "Nimrod"), though some of the ensemble is scrappy. For your
pennies you also get more Elgar (the Larghetto from the Serenade),
Wagner (Flying Dutchman Overture and Prelude to Act 3 from Die
Meistersinger), and Delius's On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring. How
wonderful to hear a musician of stature inspiring his colleagues to
reach, in a sense, beyond their natural capabilities.
Turn to New York's Manhattan Centre
seven years later and Fritz Reiner was taking Johann Strauss's Die
Fledermaus on a Broadway-style outing [PACO037]
with a cast that included Regina Resnik, Patrice Munsel, Jan Peerce,
Risë Stevens and Robert Merrill. Idiomatic it ain't (singing the score
in English rather scotches that idea), but Reiner captures the
excitement – and occasionally the charm – of the moment in a
performance that sounds as if it was achieved with a minimum of takes.
Mark Obert-Thorn's transfer is a few notches up, quality-wise, on my
old RCA LP.
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