Sorry, for some reason Audiogon is not allowing me to create paragraphs in the above post.
Classical Recordings from the Golden Age
Hello All,After having accidentally damaged Quad 2905 panels in both speakers, I’ve been sending speaker after speaker out for panel replacements. So currently, I am right back in mono mode while having a speaker sent out for said repair. The logical choice in a situation like this would be, to strictly play mono recordings. My CD collection is for the most part made up of stereo recordings however, I should add that many of my favorite CD’s are mono remasters from the golden age on labels like Andate, Orfeo d’Or, Music and Arts of America, Testament and Pearl, Great Pianists of the 20th Century, etc.... And, those that especially stand out as favorites are live recordings, i.e.the Salzburg Festival.One major priority when CD shopping is to look for well done remasters from the original sources. The Andante label was far and above a stand out when it came to digital remastering and I so wish they were still in business. However, Orfeo d’Or is a black belt label and now my primary go to for historical recordings. I should note that the Clara Haskil Salzburg Festival recording is remarkable as is the Irmgard Seefried Recordings 1944-67 box set. The Gerard Souzay disc on Testament is a treasure.I could go on listing my favorites but I’m wondering if others also collect mono remasters and if so, what are your recommendations?
Showing 16 responses by goofyfoot
Yes bdp, mono recordings are being reintroduced for there audiophile significance, i.e. MOFI 'Surrealistic Pillow'. In some ways, I still believe that splitting the recording into two channels to create a stereo recording is somewhat of a gimmick. And while mono remasters are on the rise, they pale in comparison to the number of stereo recordings available. My interest in mono classical recordings doesn't lye so much in the mono recorded listening experience, as it does in the artists performances from a time period while recorded music was still in its earliest stages. And with technological advancements making early recordings more listenable, I still find the selection of these reissues limited. Given the lack of response to my post, I believe that my subject matter may be too arcane for a larger audience. Nevertheless, please feel free to list any mono titles you'd recommend! |
Thanks daverz, if I’m not mistaken this Prokofiev concerto was recorded at Abbey Road with the LSO on August 23rd 1935. I have a digitally remastered recording of this as well as the Bartok and Bloch pieces but on the Andante Label. If you’re a fanatical Szigeti fan,the Andante Szigeti is a four disc set but it’s out of print.http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Feb02/Szigeti.htm |
Thanks lowrider! Seems you've resurrected this thread so thank you. As far as Testament, I do have a few. My last purchase was a Richter recording of Schubert on the APR label. What I've been looking for recently are live radio broadcasts. The Salzburg Festival is plentiful in this regard. Less common but near to my heart are WDR Köln related recordings however SWR are easier to come across. As far as a guide, I typically will look at label websites directly and cross reference them with arkivmusic.com. The Audite and the Hänssler Classic labels seem to offer several historical recordings but I've yet to purchase any. |
lowrider, I borrowed the d'Orfeo George Szell box set from the library via its state wide borrowing system. I've also purchased a number of box sets i.e. Irmgard Seefried, Mozart Piano Sonatas (various artists), Wilhelm Furtwangler. I believe I either ordered them from arkivmusic or from Amazon. But regarding the entire catalogue, I'm not sure what is still in production and what isn't. For vinyl remasters, I'm looking at the Anlogphonic catalogue on Elusive Disc and Acoustic Sounds. Please let me know what stands out and/or your impressions of! |
lowrider, you may enjoy reading this citation by Rachmaninoff, https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/rachmaninov-on-the-future-of-broadcasting The Orfeo d'Or live radio broadcast recordings are vey good. Most are from the Salzburg Festival. I highly recommend the Clara Haskil, https://www.orfeo-international.de/pages/cd_c706061b_e.html Also, I don't know if your familiar with the now defunct Andante label but those recordings are some of my favorites. They have been out of print for some time but you can find them throughout the internet, though sometimes with an inflated asking price. I believe my next purchase will be an Audite download of Von Karajan conducting Mozart with Wilhelm Kempff at piano. Yes, I did say download; https://www.audite.de/en/product/CD/95602-edition_von_karajan_ii_w_a_mozart_piano_concerto_no_20_sym... Lastly I'd like to add that I wish websites would start distinguishing mono from stereo on their product descriptions. |
lowrider, are you aware of these RCO radio recordings? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000UAZD2/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=A28JFWC28I1EU7&psc=1 |
lowrider, I've seen the entire RCO anthology collection for as low as $350.00-ish. The prices may continue to fall, which is what I'm waiting for. That Volume 1 that you cite is pretty hard to find by itself. I also believe that Mengelberg is the director throughout volume 1, where as van Beinum is direct throughout volume 2. |
Elizabeth, do you know if the Pearl label has closed shop? They are no longer listed on the arkivmusic website and I can't find a home website for them. Yes, EMI, DG, Phillips, etc..., all of the larger labels have reissued a vast catalogue of historical recordings however I don't believe all of their previous releases come from the original source. I know that Music and Arts will reveal that part of a particular recording did not derive from the original source tapes where and when it applies. And Orfeo has proudly stated that the source tapes for a particular recording were pristine and of the chest quality. However, as remaster reissues are becoming good for business, some larger labels are beginning to invest in them by using original sources and by hiring the best people for remixing and remastering. In the DECCA Sound; The Mono Years description it states, 'and for the most part transferred from the best possible sources. ' So, this follows good logic in that if a label goes through the trouble of sourcing and remastering at the highest level, they'll make claim to it. |
lowrider, I'm not sure if the RCO anthologies are still in print. However, prices regarding arcane classical titles always seem to plunge over time. I only have Toscanini on vinyl, the complete Beethoven and Brahms box sets with the NBC. My thought is that the NBC is extremely idiosyncratic and can become tiresome though the quality of playing is obviously high. I've always had the same opinion of Emanuel Ax. Last time we chatted on this subject, we were discussing the early van Karajan Beethoven recordings on DG and found that there was a Japanese reissue of the 7th.The possibility of amazing sounding Japanese reissues keeps me intrigued also. |
I believe he DG box set is of the 1963 recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic. As far as the Japanese reissue of the 7th, I can't find it listed but my memory tells me that it comes from the above said collection and that it was the best recording of the whole. Wasn't there a complete symphony collection from the 50's; I can't find it anywhere. |
Thanks lowrider, I didn't realize the earlier recordings were on EMI. In my mind, von Karajan stands out as a Beethoven conductor but his Brahms interpretations are also super fantastic but Brahms is close to my heart. These are recommended on the Arkiv page; http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=1441&name_role1=1&name_id2=56047&... |
schubert, you’re looks are dead on Brahms’. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Hopefully your home doesn’t look like the one Brahms was born in. CBS is Sony, if I’m not mistaken. The Sony, Szell/Cleveland/Fleischer/Brahms is typically the gold standard for Brahms piano concertos and the remastering is beautifully done. |