The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've entitled this 74-minute compilation "Showpiece! Encore" (A few years ago I put together one called -- yes, you've guessed it -- "Showpiece!" I didn't have the energy to be more original I guess).

Anyway, it's an interesting mix of stuff, both recent acquisitions and records that have been in 12" albums for years in my closet.

The sound quality varies (source, not pressing), but is generally good. The best are (surprisingly) the '20s European recordings: the 1926 Elgar recordings (quite famous, but my only Elgar-conducted 78s unfortunately; I do have the EMI CD and earlier LP transfers); and the marvelous Albert Wolfe Lamoureux record; also the Satie by Koussevitsky/BSO; the Stock/CSO Wagner recordings (much improved on the Pomp & Circumstance No.1 from a few years previously); and the 1934 Bruckner recordings (recording premieres, albeit with cuts).

The download link for the 2 zip files is: http://www.mediafire.com/?o5u7o55xht2av (mp3s encoded for iTunes, with record label photos).


Here is the playlist, in a nutshell:

Massenet: El Cid (Ballet Suite) Alfred Herz/San Francisco Symphony Orchestra 16:55 Victor Set M-56 (1406-1408) (Oakland, 28-Feb-1928)

Saint-Saëns: Romance in F Minor for Horn & Orchestra Albert Wolff/Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris 4:12 Brunswick Polydor 90121 (1721) (1929)

Mussorgsky: Gopak from The Fair at Sorotchinsk Albert Wolff/Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris 1:53 Brunswick Polydor 90121 (1722) (1929)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee from Czar Sultan Albert Wolff/Lamoureux Orchestra of Paris 1:29 Brunswick Polydor 90121 (1722) (1929)

Johann Strauss II: Wiener Blut-Walzer, Op. 354 Serge Koussevitzky/Boston Symphony Orchestra 4:25 Victor 6903-A (Boston, Symphony Hall; 20-Dec-1928)

Johann Strauss II: Frülingsstimnnen-Walzer (Voices of Spring-Waltz) Serge Koussevitzky/Boston Symphony Orchestra 4:31 Victor 6903-B (Boston, Symphony Hall; 20-Dec-1928)

Satie (orch. Debussy): Gymnopédie No. 1 Serge Koussevitzky/Boston Symphony Orchestra 4:20 Victor 7252-B

Rossini: Semiramide-Overture Creatore and His Band (Giuseppe Creatore, Director) 8:20 Victor 35827 A/B

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance-March No. 1 in D Sir Edward Elgar/Royal Albert Hall Orchestra 4:21 Victor 9016-A
(Queens Hall, London, 27-April-1926)

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance-March No. 2 in A Minor Sir Edward Elgar/Royal Albert Hall Orchestra 3:59 Victor 9016-B
(Queens Hall, London, 27-April-1926)

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance-March No. 1 in D Frederick Stock/Chicago Symphony Orchestra 4:31 Victor 6648-B (Orchestra Hall, Chicago, 1-July-1927)

Wagner: Tannhäuser-Fest March (Act 2) Frederick Stock/Chicago Symphony Orchestra 4:02 Victor 7386-A

Wagner: Lohengrin-Prelude to Act 3 Frederick Stock/Chicago Symphony Orchestra 3:13 Victor 7386-B

Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor--Scherzo Fritz Zaun/Berlin State Opera Orchestra 4:14 Victor 11939-A (Feb-1934)

Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor--Scherzo Fritz Zaun/Berlin State Opera Orchestra 4:25 Victor 11939-B (Feb-1934)

Great selections of records. Like you said, the Elgar selections sounds fantastic - they surely is the one big example of great performances captured by early microphone. They sound even better to Elgar's remake with BBC Symphony Orchestra on some point.

Thanks a lot for posting these....but is the label scans included in this? I can't find it so far...

Mark.

The label scans are embedded in the mp3s, but I suppose only for iTunes. There were so many labels, I will put them in a zip file of their own and upload them. Glad you liked the selections.

congrats nice one you all good guys