Jaroslav Kocian's "Elfin Dance" on announced Columbia

[beaumonde]

Here's a new transfer of a record I've owned for a dozen years. It's a 1909 double-sided pressing of a 1903 master...

Elfin Dance by Spies

Jaroslav Kocian, violin (Columbia A609 (1458)...Transferred at 78.26 rpm, using a 2.8 mil TE stylus. The record is in approximately V condition, although I always find grading these really early ones tricky.

20 years old at the time of recording...

[Starkton]

Here is an older pressing. Kocian is not even named on the label - as if he was a third rate artist! Was there more than one take? It is interesting to compare the stamper numbers of both pressings: stamper 20 towards stamper 23. Columbia must have pressed many copies of this record.

[beaumonde]

Thanks for that image. I suspect that since the artist was announced, Columbia originally thought that it wasn't necessary to write his name on the label (stuck in a cylinder mentality). I suspect there were different takes, but have only heard mine. The sound quality is quite dim, and not just because of the surface noise (in fact I had to pull back a bit on the noise reduction, not wanting to remove the music along with the surface noise!). I wonder if original pressings sounded any better?

Do you have the means to transfer your copy for comparison?

[Starkton]

I am sorry, I have no means to make a transfer at the moment.

My record is in good condition and both violin and piano accompaniment are reproduced loud and strong on my open horn gramophone.

[beaumonde]

Well, I have nothing to lose playing my copy on one of my gramophones, either. I suppose I should try and report back!

[beaumonde]

I just read violinist Josef Suk's obit in the NY Times. He was apparently a student of Kocian until the latter's death in 1950. I hadn't been aware of this.