Is there any interest in early albums of classical 78s?

[marcapra]

And to think that the seller of the Edison 12" needle cut records with the beautiful gold labels with lightening bolts called me a week before the APS auction offering me the records for $200. At the time I didn't realize the rarity or the beauty of those records, so I turned him down!

[epigramophone]

Were these early classical sets in Europe put out in their own unique albums? Or just sleeves or a generic album? I think what I meant was that Columbia was the first to put out complete classical works in their own albums. I do have some albums with Rachmaninoff playing piano, and Glazunov conducting The Seasons ballet, and Stravinsky conducting The Fire Bird and Paderewski playing his piano concerto. I think the original Orthophonic Victor albums might be collectible as even the albums are nice to look at. I know with Edison records sometimes the classical records sell higher than the popular. At the APS dinner two years ago, I saw the Haydn string quartet sell for $575 on two 12" Edison needle cuts, but they were truly beautiful records, not to mention rare!

As stated in my previous post, the 1909 Odeon sets were (according to Roland Gelatt among other sources) issued in their own special albums.

The Odeon catalogue stated that "Purchasers of the complete Casse-Noisette Suite receive, without added cost, a handsome mauve portfolio which holds the set". I assume that a "portfolio" would have been more than just a generic album. Perhaps one of our members owns one which they can show us.

[estott]

I pick up the earlier Victor album sets - the paper covered albums through the Scroll era sets- but I would not pay a great deal for most of them.

[jboger]

I've never really liked the term "classical music". "Serious music" is a term even worse. I like all music, but it is this music I always return to, especially late Beethoven. I now have probably about 400 to 500 78s, mostly popular music with some classical mixed in when I bought in volume. I generally avoid classical albums if I can. Why? Because when I want to listen to this music, I want the best sound quality I can get. The old 78s just don't cut it. I bought a box of CDs for $5 about two years ago. Mixed in was a two CD set of trio recordings by Pablo Casals, Alfred Cortot, and a third (violinist) whose name I can't remember. These CDs were re-masterings of originally Victor recordings from the late 20's. The three musicians are legendary, but despite the remastering I'd rather listen to a modern recording of Beethoven's trio where the technology nowadays far exceeds that of 90 years ago. I could see a musicologist studying these early recordings to understand the history of performance styles, but that's not me nor most people. And by the way I find the condition of these classical records to be exceptional, which suggests to me that they were not listened to that much back in the day when they were current.

[jboger]

A correction to my earlier comment. Caruso. There is a tension in his voice that gives it a dramatic quality unlike any other singer. There is a reason why he is remembered. Caruso I would listen to any day of the week, morning, noon, or night.

[marcapra]

I also like late Beethoven, actually early, middle, and late Beethoven. But that music is virtually unknown to all but Beethoven buffs, and the patience it takes to appreciate it is rare indeed for most people. Even as great a composer as Tchaikovsky thought that late Beethoven, that is compositions above Opus. 100, were not of much worth. And as great a pianist as Vladimir Horowitz dismissed late Beethoven and did not record the late piano sonatas. I also like the works of Schubert and also Schumann, not to mention many more! Now, all of this music is available for free on Youtube in modern recordings. Great music has never been so available to everyone, although few will take advantage of late Beethoven!

[epigramophone]

I also like late Beethoven, actually early, middle, and late Beethoven. But that music is virtually unknown to all but Beethoven buffs, and the patience it takes to appreciate it is rare indeed for most people. Even as great a composer as Tchaikovsky thought that late Beethoven, that is compositions above Opus. 100, were not of much worth. And as great a pianist as Vladimir Horowitz dismissed late Beethoven and did not record the late piano sonatas. I also like the works of Schubert and also Schumann, not to mention many more! Now, all of this music is available for free on Youtube in modern recordings. Great music has never been so available to everyone, although few will take advantage of late Beethoven!

The great conductor Sir Thomas Beecham described Beethoven's late string quartets as "music which could only have been written by a deaf man". I think this was a bit harsh! Beethoven is in my opinion the greatest classical composer, partly because he overcame the handicap of increasing deafness.

[estott]

I also like late Beethoven, actually early, middle, and late Beethoven. But that music is virtually unknown to all but Beethoven buffs, and the patience it takes to appreciate it is rare indeed for most people. Even as great a composer as Tchaikovsky thought that late Beethoven, that is compositions above Opus. 100, were not of much worth. And as great a pianist as Vladimir Horowitz dismissed late Beethoven and did not record the late piano sonatas. I also like the works of Schubert and also Schumann, not to mention many more! Now, all of this music is available for free on Youtube in modern recordings. Great music has never been so available to everyone, although few will take advantage of late Beethoven!

The great conductor Sir Thomas Beecham described Beethoven's late string quartets as "music which could only have been written by a deaf man". I think this was a bit harsh! Beethoven is in my opinion the greatest classical composer, partly because he overcame the handicap of increasing deafness.

Beecham never let anything get in the way of exercising his sharp tongue: http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/entert ... ham/16/07/

[epigramophone]

Were these early classical sets in Europe put out in their own unique albums? Or just sleeves or a generic album? I think what I meant was that Columbia was the first to put out complete classical works in their own albums. I do have some albums with Rachmaninoff playing piano, and Glazunov conducting The Seasons ballet, and Stravinsky conducting The Fire Bird and Paderewski playing his piano concerto. I think the original Orthophonic Victor albums might be collectible as even the albums are nice to look at. I know with Edison records sometimes the classical records sell higher than the popular. At the APS dinner two years ago, I saw the Haydn string quartet sell for $575 on two 12" Edison needle cuts, but they were truly beautiful records, not to mention rare!

As stated in my previous post, the 1909 Odeon sets were (according to Roland Gelatt among other sources) issued in their own special albums.

The Odeon catalogue stated that "Purchasers of the complete Casse-Noisette Suite receive, without added cost, a handsome mauve portfolio which holds the set". I assume that a "portfolio" would have been more than just a generic album. Perhaps one of our members owns one which they can show us.

I have now found this image of the "Handsome Mauve Portfolio" which puts the matter beyond doubt :

[larryh]

Recently I got a bunch of records from a college library some of which were like new and had almost no surface sound. Many of those are quite good even on my decent stereo system. But I know that usually a set will not bring much if you sell it. It seems that they have like many records dropped in interest over the past few years. I don't know if maybe were running out of older people who tend to relate them to their youth perhaps? But as mentioned a rare artist can bring big bucks. Fortunately I am happy with most standard music. I have a Grado 78 cartridge which does a good job. Lately though I think it may have some issue as the surface noise sometimes cuts in and out? I need to check into that.

Larry