Koussevitzky Boston Symphony first recording session

[Governor Flyball]

Found a cache of interesting records in an antique shop. Amongst them was an early Victor set AM50 Beethoven 6th Symphony (drop changer sequence version) in 10 sides. I could not find the changer version numbers listed in the DAHR database. The recording was made during the first Victor sessions in November 1928.

It is the earliest 1929 pressing: note still the Victor Talking Machine Company on the label. Yet it has the changer sequence.

The only Victor changers were in the models 10-50 and 10-70. Certainly they would suit the 10-50 for after the first five sides, you would retrieve the discs from the shute and flip the pile to load the last five sides.

Don't know of any drop changers in 1929. Do you?

[gramophone-georg]

The 10-35 is sort of close to a drop changer, I suppose, but weren't drop changer sets designated as "DM" rather than "AM"?

[Governor Flyball]

The 10-35 is sort of close to a drop changer, I suppose, but weren't drop changer sets designated as "DM" rather than "AM"?

That is a good question. I have another early standard drop changer sequence (1-6, 2-5, 3-4) in an early pressing of Stokowski-Philadelphia Symphony of Tannhauser Overture as an AM sequence. Later (I do not know when but I guess by the mid thirties), the designation appeared to change to be M for manual 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 etc. AM for the sequence 1-4, 2-5, 3-6 and DM 1-6, 2-5, 3-4.

Note on the AM50-1 disc depicted above, the flip side label says AM50-10 or the last side of Beethoven's 6th Symphony.

I like to play these symphonies on a Capehart flip changer. The M and later AM sequences the Capehart can play the complete work without intervention. The DM sets (including this earlier AM designated sequence on the Capehart you have to stop after the first half of the work to remove and reload. With the Capehart however, you have to shuffle the discs to be in order. You can't simply flip the pile and reload.

The sequence business is convoluted and you have to think about it.

[drh]

Found a cache of interesting records in an antique shop. Amongst them was an early Victor set AM50 Beethoven 6th Symphony (drop changer sequence version) in 10 sides. I could not find the changer version numbers listed in the DAHR database. The recording was made during the first Victor sessions in November 1928.

It is the earliest 1929 pressing: note still the Victor Talking Machine Company on the label. Yet it has the changer sequence.

The only Victor changers were in the models 10-50 and 10-70. Certainly they would suit the 10-50 for after the first five sides, you would retrieve the discs from the shute and flip the pile to load the last five sides.

Don't know of any drop changers in 1929. Do you?

Actually, I don't know how early it is--those are Canadian issues. Did the "batwing" type label and VTM name linger on in Canada after they disappeared in the United States? If so, they could be late enough that the changer style issue would resolve itself.

[Governor Flyball]

Actually, I don't know how early it is--those are Canadian issues. Did the "batwing" type label and VTM name linger on in Canada after they disappeared in the United States? If so, they could be late enough that the changer style issue would resolve itself.

The batwing label remained in Canada through the 1940s. But in Canada, RCA appeared on the label about the same time as the US after the RCA acquisition in 1929. Further, note the catalog number assignment of the changer sequence catalog numbers of the AM sequence immediately follows the manual sequence which suggests the automatic release was at the same time as the manual release in 1929.