An acoustic "Pathetique" Symphony!

[Wolfe]

I love historical recordings of classical music. But even though I've tried many a time, I've never been able to record them satisfactory onto tape. Dolby and old records don't like each other. It could be that the high surface noise upsets it, but my transfers always had a fizzy sound. When recording without Dolby, the high cut set in too soon. With popular music that was no problem, but with classical music it was.
Nowadays with the possibility to record directly on to hard disk that should not be a problem anymore.

If you want to go 'old school' record to reel to reel with no Dolby. Or just go digital (because reel tape is cumbersome and now quite expensive.) Cassettes are a waste of time, and can't really handle the wild dynamic / amplitude swings that 78's can present.

[yankmycrank]

There were a surprising number of Victor acoustic sets in the late acoustic era, including a Petrouchka with Goosens conducting, and Beethoven's 9th conducted by Coates. Hope you post some of these others as well!

[beaumonde]

I would if I had them to transfer! (hint, hint)

[Guest]

If I owned them, you could borrow them! As it is, I'd be happy to lend you both my acoustic and electric Beethoven 5ths with Landon Ronald conducting RAHO--the latter on a gold pressing (amazing for M5!!!).

[yankmycrank]

I can help with one set--I have both the acoustic (blue label) of Landon Ronald conducting Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, as well as the electric (M5)--the latter in a very scarce gold label pressing from about 1939! Yes, this one was in the catalog forever!

[Lenoirstreetguy]

I finally found the pics of Landon Ronald and Kreisler. It's dated ca 1925 but I think it's closer to 1930. The photo is uncredited but it certainly looks like the work of Eric Salomon to me: he was the first photo journalist to really make his mark by means of candid photos taken without flash. Salomon made his first trip to London ..as a photographer...in 1929 when these pics were made, I betcha. I love the last one where Kreisler has raised his fiddle in order to give Ronald the cue for the tutti!
Kreisler is wearing a cutaway coat, not tails, hence it's most likely a matinee performance.

Jim

[Lenoirstreetguy]

And there's more: here's the announcement from the April 1925 supplement. I wonder if indeed they got " many many requests" for the Pathetique, but I think it in fact was more popular before 1940 , in the sense that it was programmed more often, than it is today.

Jim