The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I recently borrowed this Victor album set to transfer. The pressings appear to be good first-gen. "ortho" pressings. Interesting that they are automatic sequence, yet labeled as M-45, not "AM" or "DM".

Anyway, here is Edvard Grieg's Sonata in C Minor, Op. 45 (No. 3) for Violin and Piano, played by those luminaries (and great friends) Fritz Kreisler and Sergei Rachmaninoff (their only collaborative effort on shellac), recorded in a Berlin studio on September 15, 1928. Matrices are: CL4511-5; CL4512-5; CL4513-5; CL4514-5; CL4515-6; CL4516-5. This must have have been an all-day affair -- just look at the number of takes! I've used mediafire, and have given a link to the downloadable mp3 files (i.e. not streaming). They are fully encoded for iTunes.

Thanks for all this incredible work, Adam. I have a copy of this, as well as a CD reissue, but this certainly sounds way much better!

Adam do you mean in Greig because they recorded the Beethoven Sonata in G ( The Kreutzer) in 1928 for Victor . That was the version of which some smart critic wrote"With Rachmaninoff on the piano and Kreisler on the violin poor Beethoven was bound to fall in between.." or words to that effect. I don't agree at all , but it was witty.
The high number of takes here ( likewise in the Beethoven) were the result of Rachmaninoff's perfectionism . Fritz didn't mind a little slip here or there and it was probably he that made Rachmaninoff do the retake routine. One fussy artist can make a recording session last forever. ( And I know whereof I speak as the piano tuner in waiting... )

Jim

Jim, you're sort of correct. I erred when I stated this was their only recording together. I just checked my BMG complete Rachmaninoff box (haven't listened to it in some years) -- they did record Beethoven, not the Kreutzer, but Op.30, No.3, and a Schubert sonata. Sorry for the misinformation.

I will have to listen again to the others!