Stokowski's "New World" from 1925 and 1934

[beaumonde]

The 1925 recording was borrowed from the same good friend as were the Landon Ronald and Rachmaninoff/Kreisler albums. This was an experimental/transitional recording, it seems. Victor still wasn't sure how quite to effect electrical orchestral recording. The string basses were replaced by tubas, and the timpani were largely removed from the score! At times it sounds like the "New World" Symphony was being played by a symphonic band. It was recorded during 3 separate sessions (2 of these spread over 2 days) from May to December of 1925 and issued in Feb, 1926 as their Album-1 (M-1), albeit unnumbered on the first issue. Evidently everyone involved found the results unsatisfactory, as Victor re-recorded the symphony with the same forces in 1927, issued with the same matrices and same album number! The earlier set is thus quite scarce today. The first disc was quite warped, so I had to flatten it between 2 sheets of plate glass in a barely warm oven overnight. It worked, but I apologize for some residual groove damage still audible at the very beginning of the first movement.

I don't have the 1927 re-recording, but have had the spendid (albeit idiosyncratic) 1934 recording for a number of years, in a Nazi-era Electrola album. This was pretty much hi-fi. I had been intimidated by doing side joins on this one, as there are fade-outs and fade-ins for each movement, but they were pretty easy after all.

So, without further adieu, here is Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E Minor ("From the New World") in these two different recordings by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. I have put each into a zip folder for download, and they are fully encoded for iTunes.

Victor Album-1(6565-6570; Camden, 14-15, May; 6-7, Oct; 8 Dec-1925)CVE-32802-2, 32803-2, 33290-2, 33291-4, 33292-3, 33293-2, 33294-1, 33297-2, 33296-1, 33295-1. Recorded at 74.35 rpm, by the way!

Electrola D.B. 2543/2547 2A 84525, 84526 & 84541 through 84548; originally Victor 78rpm Album DM-275 (84525, 84526, 84541 - 84548). Academy of Music, 22-Oct-1934

[transformingArt]

It's always really nice to hear all these fabulous transfers you made - I have all these 3 versions of New World Symphony as a Japanese Victor pressings (all from mid-30s, it is interesting that they kept the whole three version in print at the same time!), but the shellac quality is rather gritty and some of them has a "nice" scratches and cracks.

I can't locate the 1934 version right now, but for me, those problematic side joints with fade-in/out are very difficult to join properly. So It is really a great job of you for joining all these sides seamlessly - something I will never able to achieve. I once tried to transfer another Stokowski recording of the same period, Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade suites, but it was such a difficult job for me so I gave up after spending hours on Young Prince and the young Princess which was still the easiest one for the editing!

Anyway, again, thanks for sharing all these files, Adam!

[Wolfe]

Thanks, these'll be interesting.

I know the 1927 version well, having the LP of it that RCA Victor packaged as a set, along with Stoki's late stereo version. Never liked it. The playing is so muted, it sounds like a toy orchestra.

[beaumonde]

On the earlier I can't really get past the "symphonic band" treatment of the re-orchestration, sans timpani (sorely missed in the scherzo, inter alia). I think Stokowski has also added saxophones (if my ears hear correctly). I wonder if this was initially prepared for an acoustical version in early '25, then delayed until the Western Electric apparatus was in place by June, at which point Stokowski and the engineers weren't aware how "clunky" it would sound with the clinical transparency of the electric recording! But since they didn't have an Orthophonic means of reproduction until the autumn of '25, they probably didn't realize. They were careful to keep the recording speed constant at 74.35 rpm throughout 3 sessions over 6 months (quite a feat in itself!). Obviously they then realized how odd it sounded, by 1926, and quickly re-recorded it.

I was enchanted by the '34 version (and thrilled by the sound), even if there were certain oddities and an over-lushness (the final cord of the finale was certainly different than anything I've heard).

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Adam...I have always liked this set for the fact that we get to hear electrically what is basically an orchestra scored for an acoustic session, as you point out. I always call this set the Dvorak Tuba Concerto because the tuba player is having a marvelous ,,and loud...time playing the string bass parts. ( I know what fun it is because in my tuba days I used to get seconded for this sort of thing in the orchestra in University. )
I am attaching two pics of the original album. It was still presented in the Musical Arts Library series that began in the acoustic era and it indeed is very blue. The programme notes are contained in a very elaborate booklet which fits into a pocket on the inside cover. As you can see , Victor in Canada played no " let's pretend there has been no change in the recording system" as was the policy in the States. The electricals from July of 1925 had V.E. Process on the label , as you can see here. The ads in the newspapers explained this meant " Victor Electric" . The logo was changed to V.E. Orthophonic after late 1926.

Jim

[beaumonde]

Thanks, Jim. Yes, that's the album and insert. I wasn't able to get a clear photo of the cover, that's why I opted for the record label instead.

[AZ*]

Adam,

I look forward to downloading and listening to these. I also have all 3 sets on 78, plus the 1934 version on an Italian CD (Sirio label) issued about 15 years ago. Based on your previous efforts, I'll bet your 1934 version is probably better than the Sirio CD.

Your comments on the 1925 version are spot on. It's interesting from an historic standpoint, but it definitely sounds like an oompah band in places.

[Wolfe]

I kind of enjoy the 1925 in an eccentric sort of way (and it certainly isn't harmed by your clear, clean transfer.) It's one to slot aside the 8 bazillion extant recordings of this work, for a different flavor.

The biggest thing I don't like about it is the relative 'stiffness' of the playing. But that's not unlike how these orchestral things often came across on the old acoustic recordings. I wonder if there was a line of thought that said that they had to hammer down on the beat to effect enough response from the recording diaphragm or something. Or make it excessively delineated for how it would come across on the acoustic machines.