563
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Ditto - I'm following your posts religiously; even if I don't have time to listen right away, I make a point of getting to them. Keep up the great and generous work!
Digital Restoration of 78s (links updated 7/22)
- Thread starter bigshot
- Start date
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
Christoph Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice (concise version in Italian)
Fritz Stiedry conducting the Southern Philharmonic Orchestra
Kathleen Ferrier, Anne Ayars, Zoe Vlachopoulos
& the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus (Recorded 1947)
Download:
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/gluckorfeoedeuridice.mp3
Christoph Gluck was born in 1714 in what is now known as Czechoslovakia. At a young age he left home to pursue a career in music. He travelled throughout Europe, studying and absorbing the various musical styles of the day, until he settled in Vienna in 1752. He was granted a pension by Prince Lobkowitz, and took a position there as director of the royal orchestra and opera.
Along with the poet Calzabigi, Gluck wrote several operas, most notably Orfeo ed Euridice, based on the Greek myth of Orpheus's trip to the underworld. Gluck's approach to the music was unique. Instead of the traditional florid, ornamented music that was so often irrelevant to the story being told, Gluck resolved to make the music serve the poetry by expressing the drama of the situation. The storyline of Orfeo ed Euridice was simple and direct, with understandable emotional motivation behind the characters' actions. Gluck blurred the line between recitative and aria, giving the work a continuity that other contemporary operas lacked.
The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music sums it up by saying, "Gluck's music can have driving energy, but also a serenity reaching to the sublime. His historical importance rests on his establishment of a new equilibrium between music and drama, and his greatness on the power and clarity with which he projected that vision. He dissolved the drama in music instead of merely illustrating it."
Fritz Stiedry was born in Vienna in 1893. He worked as an assitant to Gustav Mahler along side Bruno Walter in the first decade of the 20th century, and like Walter, was driven from Berlin in 1933. He spent a few years in Russia before emigrating to the United States in 1938. He was one of the principal conductors at the Metropolitan Opera in the 40s and 50s, and passed away in Switzerland in 1968.
But this particular recording of Gluck's masterpiece is important primarily for the contribution of the contralto singing the title role... Kathleen Ferrier. Born in Lancashire in 1912, Ferrier showed promise as a singer and pianist at an early age, but the family's financial circumstances required her to leave school and take a job at age 14. Her singing attracted the attention of vocal instructor, J. E. Hutchinson, who recognized her God-given talent and helped her build a repetoire of music by Handel, Purcell and Bach. Baritone, Roy Henderson continued her training in German art songs by Brahms, Schubert and Schumann.
As soon as she was introduced to the public, she became an overnight success, performing with all of the greatest conductors and orchestras of the time, including Bruno Walter, who recognized her voice as being perfect for Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.. She performed as Lucrecia in Britten's Rape of Lucrecia, and sang the lead role in Orfeo ed Euridice at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1947, which led to this particular recording of the work. In 1951, she underwent treatment for breast cancer, which temporarily interrupted her career. Two years later, even though she was very ill, Ferrier was scheduled to sing Orfeo again under the baton of John Barbirolli. But she was only able to take the stage in two performances. She died of breast cancer at age 41.
Bruno Walter wrote that "Kathleen Ferrier was a woman of good humor, and should be remembered in a major key." The emotion in her singing still rings true, and the conviction and honesty comes through loud and clear across the years since she passed away. This recording is a testament to her greatness... a voice that was silenced much too soon.
Fritz Stiedry conducting the Southern Philharmonic Orchestra
Kathleen Ferrier, Anne Ayars, Zoe Vlachopoulos
& the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus (Recorded 1947)
Download:
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/gluckorfeoedeuridice.mp3
Christoph Gluck was born in 1714 in what is now known as Czechoslovakia. At a young age he left home to pursue a career in music. He travelled throughout Europe, studying and absorbing the various musical styles of the day, until he settled in Vienna in 1752. He was granted a pension by Prince Lobkowitz, and took a position there as director of the royal orchestra and opera.
Along with the poet Calzabigi, Gluck wrote several operas, most notably Orfeo ed Euridice, based on the Greek myth of Orpheus's trip to the underworld. Gluck's approach to the music was unique. Instead of the traditional florid, ornamented music that was so often irrelevant to the story being told, Gluck resolved to make the music serve the poetry by expressing the drama of the situation. The storyline of Orfeo ed Euridice was simple and direct, with understandable emotional motivation behind the characters' actions. Gluck blurred the line between recitative and aria, giving the work a continuity that other contemporary operas lacked.
The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music sums it up by saying, "Gluck's music can have driving energy, but also a serenity reaching to the sublime. His historical importance rests on his establishment of a new equilibrium between music and drama, and his greatness on the power and clarity with which he projected that vision. He dissolved the drama in music instead of merely illustrating it."
Fritz Stiedry was born in Vienna in 1893. He worked as an assitant to Gustav Mahler along side Bruno Walter in the first decade of the 20th century, and like Walter, was driven from Berlin in 1933. He spent a few years in Russia before emigrating to the United States in 1938. He was one of the principal conductors at the Metropolitan Opera in the 40s and 50s, and passed away in Switzerland in 1968.
But this particular recording of Gluck's masterpiece is important primarily for the contribution of the contralto singing the title role... Kathleen Ferrier. Born in Lancashire in 1912, Ferrier showed promise as a singer and pianist at an early age, but the family's financial circumstances required her to leave school and take a job at age 14. Her singing attracted the attention of vocal instructor, J. E. Hutchinson, who recognized her God-given talent and helped her build a repetoire of music by Handel, Purcell and Bach. Baritone, Roy Henderson continued her training in German art songs by Brahms, Schubert and Schumann.
As soon as she was introduced to the public, she became an overnight success, performing with all of the greatest conductors and orchestras of the time, including Bruno Walter, who recognized her voice as being perfect for Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde.. She performed as Lucrecia in Britten's Rape of Lucrecia, and sang the lead role in Orfeo ed Euridice at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1947, which led to this particular recording of the work. In 1951, she underwent treatment for breast cancer, which temporarily interrupted her career. Two years later, even though she was very ill, Ferrier was scheduled to sing Orfeo again under the baton of John Barbirolli. But she was only able to take the stage in two performances. She died of breast cancer at age 41.
Bruno Walter wrote that "Kathleen Ferrier was a woman of good humor, and should be remembered in a major key." The emotion in her singing still rings true, and the conviction and honesty comes through loud and clear across the years since she passed away. This recording is a testament to her greatness... a voice that was silenced much too soon.
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
To those who want a quick sample of Ferrier in this role...
Che faro senza, Euridice?
http://vintageip.com/xfers/chefaro.mp3
It will make you cry!
Che faro senza, Euridice?
http://vintageip.com/xfers/chefaro.mp3
It will make you cry!
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
More of my 78rpm restorations. Enjoy!
Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg Act III
Karl Bohm conducting the Saxon State Orchestra
Chorus and Soloists of the Dresden State Opera
Torsten Ralf, Hans Hermann Nissen, Eugen Fuchs, Margarrete Teschemacher, Lene Jung, Sven Nilsson, Arno Schellenberg, et al.
Recorded 1938
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/meistersingeract3.mp3
Richard Wagner set aside the composition of his mammoth four opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen to take time to rest and recharge his creative batteries. He decided to compose two smaller, simpler operas in the interim... the tragic story of star-crossed lovers, Tristan und Isolde; and the comedy, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. But true to form for Wagner, neither one ended up being small or simple. The first of the two operas, Tristan, revolutionized tonal harmony with the now famous "Tristan chord", a grouping of notes that musically illustrated Wagner's inwardly directed theme of "liebestod" (or "love death"). Likewise, Die Meistersinger blossomed from being a simple comedy about a legendary German cobbler to being a four hour long exploration of the true nature of art and its relationship with society.
Like Die Walkure's first act, the third act of Die Meistersinger is essentially a self-contained opera in its own right. As the act begins, the conflict of the story is clearly established. A song contest has been called. The winner will claim the right to Eva Pogner's hand in marriage. Walther is madly in love with her, but he isn't a member of the Master Singers' Guild, so he is ineligible to compete. Being an impetuous and visionary soul, a song comes to Walther in a dream. He becomes determined to use it to win Master Singer status and the hand of Eva, but the song lacks the solid foundation of tradition. Beckmesser the marker represents the opposite extreme... rigid conventionalism. Despite his lack of original ideas, he too is determined to win Eva's hand.
Hans Sachs, the most respected Master Singer, takes Walther under his wing, educating him about the nature of art and the value of tradition. Convinced that Sachs holds the key to winning the song contest, Beckmesser sneaks into his cobbler shop and steals Walther's song so he can win Eva's hand for himself. But on the day of the contest, Beckmesser makes a bungle of the song he has stolen. Walther on the other hand, triumphs by performing the song in a way that reflects both inspiration and tradition. The opera ends with Eva's father Pogner passing her hand in marriage to Walther, and Sachs proudly passing the mantle of Master Singer on to him as well.
This recording, made in 1938 in Dresden, was the last major recording of Wagner to come out of Germany before the war. The conductor was Karl Bohm, who had been serving as the head of the Dresden opera since 1934, when he succeeded Fritz Busch (who had been driven into exile by the Nazis). When this recording was released by Victor, it was highly acclaimed by critics, who singled out the choral singing, conducting and recording quality for special praise.
In the International Record Book, David Hall writes...
"I wonder if the time will ever come when we shall have a complete and integral recorded performance of this wonderful Meistersinger score? If such a thing does come to pass, I hope the results will be comparable, in terms of production, ensemble work and recording at least, with the complete Act Three performed by the Dresden State Opera... The second volume of this recording, comprising the final scene is, in our opinion, an absolute "must" for any library of recorded opera."
Karl Bohm was a well known conductor at both the Vienna Opera and the Salzburg Festival throughout the wartime years. He conducted at la Scala, the Teatro Colon and the Metropolitan over the next decade, and made his Bayreuth debut with Tristan und Isolde in 1963. He went on to conduct acclaimed performances of The Ring cycle, Die Meistersinger and Der Fliegende Hollander at Bayreuth. He was also well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner, Strauss and Berg. He passed away in Salzburg in 1981.
Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg Act III
Karl Bohm conducting the Saxon State Orchestra
Chorus and Soloists of the Dresden State Opera
Torsten Ralf, Hans Hermann Nissen, Eugen Fuchs, Margarrete Teschemacher, Lene Jung, Sven Nilsson, Arno Schellenberg, et al.
Recorded 1938
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/meistersingeract3.mp3
Richard Wagner set aside the composition of his mammoth four opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen to take time to rest and recharge his creative batteries. He decided to compose two smaller, simpler operas in the interim... the tragic story of star-crossed lovers, Tristan und Isolde; and the comedy, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. But true to form for Wagner, neither one ended up being small or simple. The first of the two operas, Tristan, revolutionized tonal harmony with the now famous "Tristan chord", a grouping of notes that musically illustrated Wagner's inwardly directed theme of "liebestod" (or "love death"). Likewise, Die Meistersinger blossomed from being a simple comedy about a legendary German cobbler to being a four hour long exploration of the true nature of art and its relationship with society.
Like Die Walkure's first act, the third act of Die Meistersinger is essentially a self-contained opera in its own right. As the act begins, the conflict of the story is clearly established. A song contest has been called. The winner will claim the right to Eva Pogner's hand in marriage. Walther is madly in love with her, but he isn't a member of the Master Singers' Guild, so he is ineligible to compete. Being an impetuous and visionary soul, a song comes to Walther in a dream. He becomes determined to use it to win Master Singer status and the hand of Eva, but the song lacks the solid foundation of tradition. Beckmesser the marker represents the opposite extreme... rigid conventionalism. Despite his lack of original ideas, he too is determined to win Eva's hand.
Hans Sachs, the most respected Master Singer, takes Walther under his wing, educating him about the nature of art and the value of tradition. Convinced that Sachs holds the key to winning the song contest, Beckmesser sneaks into his cobbler shop and steals Walther's song so he can win Eva's hand for himself. But on the day of the contest, Beckmesser makes a bungle of the song he has stolen. Walther on the other hand, triumphs by performing the song in a way that reflects both inspiration and tradition. The opera ends with Eva's father Pogner passing her hand in marriage to Walther, and Sachs proudly passing the mantle of Master Singer on to him as well.
This recording, made in 1938 in Dresden, was the last major recording of Wagner to come out of Germany before the war. The conductor was Karl Bohm, who had been serving as the head of the Dresden opera since 1934, when he succeeded Fritz Busch (who had been driven into exile by the Nazis). When this recording was released by Victor, it was highly acclaimed by critics, who singled out the choral singing, conducting and recording quality for special praise.
In the International Record Book, David Hall writes...
"I wonder if the time will ever come when we shall have a complete and integral recorded performance of this wonderful Meistersinger score? If such a thing does come to pass, I hope the results will be comparable, in terms of production, ensemble work and recording at least, with the complete Act Three performed by the Dresden State Opera... The second volume of this recording, comprising the final scene is, in our opinion, an absolute "must" for any library of recorded opera."
Karl Bohm was a well known conductor at both the Vienna Opera and the Salzburg Festival throughout the wartime years. He conducted at la Scala, the Teatro Colon and the Metropolitan over the next decade, and made his Bayreuth debut with Tristan und Isolde in 1963. He went on to conduct acclaimed performances of The Ring cycle, Die Meistersinger and Der Fliegende Hollander at Bayreuth. He was also well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner, Strauss and Berg. He passed away in Salzburg in 1981.
mpsipos
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Very nice work bigshot! I would love to listen to/convert some of my old 78s. I have a 1904 record of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade that I would love to listen to on a high-quality turntable system. I used to listen to them with my aunt's victrola about 15 years ago but now I don't have anything to play them on. Was thinking of getting a Rega RP-1 or Pro-Ject Debut III just to be able to play them, but I decided to invest in a new integrated amplifier and speakers for my CD collection.
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
Look for a Dual 1018, 1218 or similar. You can get them for around $75 and they're the perfect 78 table. You can get cartridges at garage-a-records.com. My favorite for older classical records is a 3.5 mil conical mounted on a Grado DJ cartridge. You need a graphic equalizer too. I can give you more info if you're interested.
William007
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Why would you wanna digitalise records? You lose so much warmth sound quality and you'd lose the good old taking records out of sleeve and put them on your pickup ritual
mpsipos
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I don't know how much sound quality is left in them, though. They've been in a cluttered garage for the past 40 years, and in a barn for the 20 years before that. Now I have them (>300 shellac records, man they're heavy) in my basement and only a little over 20 are in sleeves. 
It's too bad the only one that's warped significantly is the Scheherazade from 1904.
It's too bad the only one that's warped significantly is the Scheherazade from 1904.
ultrabike
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Quote:
1) For practical reasons: playing them in the car, conveniently store them on a server/NAS...
2) To restore an old recording:
3) To backup your record (btw, a second NAS backup could help keep things safe should the Drobo fail - backup services as well.)
If the process is done properly using the appropriate equipment, one should retain the warmth sound quality, dynamics and extension (just listen to the treasures bigshot is generously posting in this tread.)
I understand the value of the ritual. You can have both: http://www.head-fi.org/t/532065/classical/60#post_8505745
1) For practical reasons: playing them in the car, conveniently store them on a server/NAS...
2) To restore an old recording:
3) To backup your record (btw, a second NAS backup could help keep things safe should the Drobo fail - backup services as well.)
If the process is done properly using the appropriate equipment, one should retain the warmth sound quality, dynamics and extension (just listen to the treasures bigshot is generously posting in this tread.)
I understand the value of the ritual. You can have both: http://www.head-fi.org/t/532065/classical/60#post_8505745
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
I'd be happy to have you come over and wash my records for me and put them on the table. For me that's a chore. Anyone who enjoys washing records doesn't have enough records.
My transfers sound better than the original records.
Digital audio is perfectly capable of reproducing any sound a turntable can. With good capture hardware you wouldn't be able to tell any difference. LPs don't contain any magical qualities that CDs don't.
William007
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but yeah your right..
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
I don't know how much sound quality is left in them, though. They've been in a cluttered garage for the past 40 years, and in a barn for the 20 years before that. Now I have them (>300 shellac records, man they're heavy) in my basement and only a little over 20 are in sleeves.
Shellac records are the most stable recording medium ever devised. I have 100 year old records that play like new. I got a collection that a guy had stored for over a year under tarps in his backyard. The records were fine.
LFF
Co-Organizer for Can Jam '09
Member of the Trade: Paradox
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Quote:
This is true. I have received 90 year old records that still play...extremely well after a good wash.
I have seen shellac records that were found at the bottom of an old barrel that was left outside for years that still played. I have even glued broken ones together and they still sounded good. They are a very hardy recording medium.
We have tapes recorded in the 1970's that won't play today despite having been stored in vaults!
This is true. I have received 90 year old records that still play...extremely well after a good wash.
I have seen shellac records that were found at the bottom of an old barrel that was left outside for years that still played. I have even glued broken ones together and they still sounded good. They are a very hardy recording medium.
We have tapes recorded in the 1970's that won't play today despite having been stored in vaults!
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
More historical xfers from original 78s... enjoy!
Richard Wagner: Orchestral Music From Between The Wars
Beecham, Walter, Von Schillings, Knappertsbusch & Wood
Recorded 1926-1938
Tannhauser: Grand March (1938)
Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra (4:04)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars01.mp3
The Flying Dutchman Overture (1937)
Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra (10:47)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars02.mp3
Goetterdaemmerung: Siegfried's Journey To The Rhine (1927)
Bruno Walter / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (6:31)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars03.mp3
Parsifal: Prelude To Act I (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (12:25)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars04.mp3
Parsifal: Transformation Music (1927)
Hans Knappertsbusch / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (8:13)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars05.mp3
Parsifal: Scene Of The Flower Maidens (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (8:10)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars06.mp3
Parsifal: Good Friday Spell (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (9:05)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars07.mp3
Parsifal: Finale To Act III (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (4:00)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars08.mp3
Bonus Track (just for fun)
Goetterdaemmerung: Song Of The Rhine Daughters (1926)
Sir Henry J. Wood / The New Queen's Hall Orchestra (9:29)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars09.mp3
The music of Richard Wagner rose to an unprecidented level of cultural importance between the two World Wars, for both good reasons and bad. On one hand, listeners in the twenties and thirties were provided with an embarassment of riches when it came to conductors and singers able to excel in Wagner's difficult scores. On the other hand, Wagner's music was appropriated as a propaganda tool by of one of the 20th century's most heinous political movements. The taint still lingers, adding a sour note to some of the most beautiful music ever performed.
This collection of Wagner instrumental excerpts brings together a wide variety of interpretation of some of Wagner's greatest music. Several of the conductors on this collection were great men, one in particular was a remarkably bitter and cruel one... but whether the conductor was heroic or villainous, the music of Richard Wagner speaks for itself, sweeping away politics and flawed personalities, replacing them with passion and beauty that everyone with ears to hear can connect with.
The collection opens with a recording by one of the most famous conductors of the 20th century. Sir Thomas Beecham was a multi-faceted British conductor, as adept at the interpretation of the music of Handel and Mendelssohn as he was with Delius and Sibelius. His recording of the overture to The Flying Dutchman, made in 1937 was the primary recommended recording of the work throughout the 78rpm era. One listen to the visceral impact of the windswept waves of music will clearly show why it was so highly regarded. Beecham's quick wit made him the subject of many funny stories. My favorite is the one about the female cellist whose playing displeased Beecham. He politely pointed out the problem to her, but she continued, oblivious to his irritation... "Madam" Beecham quipped, "You posess between your legs an instrument capable of bringing great pleasure to mankind, yet you persist in scratching it!"
Bruno Walter was perhaps the greatest Wagnerian of his day. He studied under Mahler in Vienna and rose to fame in the 1920s. His Jewish heritage eventually brought about persecution by the Nazi regime in the early 30s. In 1938, he was forced to leave the country and abandon his post as principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic. He became an American citizen during the war, and his fame as a conductor flourished throughout the world until he passed away in 1962. Walter's specialty was music from the German tradition... Beethoven, Mahler and of course Wagner. Those who have heard my CD of the first act of Die Walkure from 1936 know that in this music, he knows no peer. The early electrical recording of Siegfried's Rhine Journey included on this CD was made in May of 1927 and was released on the Columbia Viva Tonal label. The vividness of sound must have been astonishing to listeners of the time who were probably accustomed to the constricted and unbalanced sound of acoustic orchestral records.
Next on this collection is an extensive set of excerpts from Wagner's final opera, Parsifal. These recordings are seldom heard today, not so much because of the quality of the recordings themselves, but because of the notoriety of the person responsible for creating them. Max Von Schillings was a composer and conductor who began his career studying under Strauss in Munich. He moved on to the Royal Court Theater in Stuttgart, and eventually achieved the prestigious position of the head of the Berlin Opera. But this success was short lived. Controversy regarding creative and financial matters forced Von Schilling from this post in the mid-1920s. His career drifted for a couple of years, until he landed a guest conductor position with the Berlin State Opera in late 1927. It is from this period that the recordings on the CD were made. The conductor most associated with Parsifal at Bayreuth in the 50s, Hans Knappertsbusch steps in to conduct one part.
From here, Von Schillings' actions become indefensible... When Hitler came to power in 1933, he appointed Von Schillings Director of the Prussian Academy of Arts. Von Schillings took advantage of this position to settle old scores with the people who opposed him in the past. He expelled "non-Aryan" members of the Academy, and participated in the firing and blackballing of Jewish musicians, including Arnold Schoenberg. He was a particularly vindictive person, and few mourned his death later that same year from a heart attack. Wilhelm Furtwangler studied under Von Schilling, and listening to these Parsifal excerpts, one can hear the impact he had on that great conductor of Wagner's music. But as beautiful as these recordings are, Von Schillings' reputation has forever cast a cloud over his music-making. I offer these rare transfers, not in tribute to the man himself, but to the transcendent quality of Wagner's music.
Last on this CD is an odd recording of the Rhine Maidens' Song from Gotterdammerung by Sir Henry Wood. Wood is best known as the founder of the famous Albert Hall Prominade Concerts. The Rhine Maidens' Song was recorded in 1926, and was one of Columbia's earliest classical electrical recordings. Wood uses an orchestra that is reduced in size... so reduced that the music sounds totally different than the way it appears in the opera. It's clear that Columbia hadn't yet developed its techniques for recording electrically. The reduced orchestra and close miking make the record sound more like an acoustic recording than an electrical one. This record won't win any awards for sound or correct presentation... Wood freely rearranges the music into a dandied-up stew of themes... but it does have a certain naive charm.
Preserving transparency and dynamics in a recording of as many as 80 musicians performing Wagner's monumental music is a difficult task even under the best of modern conditions, but under the severe technical limitations of early electrical recording, it must have been a real challenge. It's amazing how vivid and lifelike some of these old recordings can be. A few of the records I used for this transfer had rough passages. This isn't uncommon for records from this era. In my restoration, I was careful to preserve the integrity and presence of the music. There are a few spots where a slight crackle or tiny bump might intrude briefly, but overall, I think you will be impressed with the amazing sonics of these historic recordings. -Stephen Worth
I would like to thank the participants in rec.music.classical.recordings for the valuable information they provided for these liner notes. In particular, I appreciate the input of Mike Scott Rohan and Rob Barnett.
Richard Wagner: Orchestral Music From Between The Wars
Beecham, Walter, Von Schillings, Knappertsbusch & Wood
Recorded 1926-1938
Tannhauser: Grand March (1938)
Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra (4:04)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars01.mp3
The Flying Dutchman Overture (1937)
Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic Orchestra (10:47)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars02.mp3
Goetterdaemmerung: Siegfried's Journey To The Rhine (1927)
Bruno Walter / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (6:31)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars03.mp3
Parsifal: Prelude To Act I (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (12:25)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars04.mp3
Parsifal: Transformation Music (1927)
Hans Knappertsbusch / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (8:13)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars05.mp3
Parsifal: Scene Of The Flower Maidens (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (8:10)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars06.mp3
Parsifal: Good Friday Spell (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (9:05)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars07.mp3
Parsifal: Finale To Act III (1927)
Max Von Schillings / State Opera Orchestra, Berlin (4:00)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars08.mp3
Bonus Track (just for fun)
Goetterdaemmerung: Song Of The Rhine Daughters (1926)
Sir Henry J. Wood / The New Queen's Hall Orchestra (9:29)
http://www.vintageip.com/xfers/wagnerbetweenwars09.mp3
The music of Richard Wagner rose to an unprecidented level of cultural importance between the two World Wars, for both good reasons and bad. On one hand, listeners in the twenties and thirties were provided with an embarassment of riches when it came to conductors and singers able to excel in Wagner's difficult scores. On the other hand, Wagner's music was appropriated as a propaganda tool by of one of the 20th century's most heinous political movements. The taint still lingers, adding a sour note to some of the most beautiful music ever performed.
This collection of Wagner instrumental excerpts brings together a wide variety of interpretation of some of Wagner's greatest music. Several of the conductors on this collection were great men, one in particular was a remarkably bitter and cruel one... but whether the conductor was heroic or villainous, the music of Richard Wagner speaks for itself, sweeping away politics and flawed personalities, replacing them with passion and beauty that everyone with ears to hear can connect with.
The collection opens with a recording by one of the most famous conductors of the 20th century. Sir Thomas Beecham was a multi-faceted British conductor, as adept at the interpretation of the music of Handel and Mendelssohn as he was with Delius and Sibelius. His recording of the overture to The Flying Dutchman, made in 1937 was the primary recommended recording of the work throughout the 78rpm era. One listen to the visceral impact of the windswept waves of music will clearly show why it was so highly regarded. Beecham's quick wit made him the subject of many funny stories. My favorite is the one about the female cellist whose playing displeased Beecham. He politely pointed out the problem to her, but she continued, oblivious to his irritation... "Madam" Beecham quipped, "You posess between your legs an instrument capable of bringing great pleasure to mankind, yet you persist in scratching it!"
Bruno Walter was perhaps the greatest Wagnerian of his day. He studied under Mahler in Vienna and rose to fame in the 1920s. His Jewish heritage eventually brought about persecution by the Nazi regime in the early 30s. In 1938, he was forced to leave the country and abandon his post as principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic. He became an American citizen during the war, and his fame as a conductor flourished throughout the world until he passed away in 1962. Walter's specialty was music from the German tradition... Beethoven, Mahler and of course Wagner. Those who have heard my CD of the first act of Die Walkure from 1936 know that in this music, he knows no peer. The early electrical recording of Siegfried's Rhine Journey included on this CD was made in May of 1927 and was released on the Columbia Viva Tonal label. The vividness of sound must have been astonishing to listeners of the time who were probably accustomed to the constricted and unbalanced sound of acoustic orchestral records.
Next on this collection is an extensive set of excerpts from Wagner's final opera, Parsifal. These recordings are seldom heard today, not so much because of the quality of the recordings themselves, but because of the notoriety of the person responsible for creating them. Max Von Schillings was a composer and conductor who began his career studying under Strauss in Munich. He moved on to the Royal Court Theater in Stuttgart, and eventually achieved the prestigious position of the head of the Berlin Opera. But this success was short lived. Controversy regarding creative and financial matters forced Von Schilling from this post in the mid-1920s. His career drifted for a couple of years, until he landed a guest conductor position with the Berlin State Opera in late 1927. It is from this period that the recordings on the CD were made. The conductor most associated with Parsifal at Bayreuth in the 50s, Hans Knappertsbusch steps in to conduct one part.
From here, Von Schillings' actions become indefensible... When Hitler came to power in 1933, he appointed Von Schillings Director of the Prussian Academy of Arts. Von Schillings took advantage of this position to settle old scores with the people who opposed him in the past. He expelled "non-Aryan" members of the Academy, and participated in the firing and blackballing of Jewish musicians, including Arnold Schoenberg. He was a particularly vindictive person, and few mourned his death later that same year from a heart attack. Wilhelm Furtwangler studied under Von Schilling, and listening to these Parsifal excerpts, one can hear the impact he had on that great conductor of Wagner's music. But as beautiful as these recordings are, Von Schillings' reputation has forever cast a cloud over his music-making. I offer these rare transfers, not in tribute to the man himself, but to the transcendent quality of Wagner's music.
Last on this CD is an odd recording of the Rhine Maidens' Song from Gotterdammerung by Sir Henry Wood. Wood is best known as the founder of the famous Albert Hall Prominade Concerts. The Rhine Maidens' Song was recorded in 1926, and was one of Columbia's earliest classical electrical recordings. Wood uses an orchestra that is reduced in size... so reduced that the music sounds totally different than the way it appears in the opera. It's clear that Columbia hadn't yet developed its techniques for recording electrically. The reduced orchestra and close miking make the record sound more like an acoustic recording than an electrical one. This record won't win any awards for sound or correct presentation... Wood freely rearranges the music into a dandied-up stew of themes... but it does have a certain naive charm.
Preserving transparency and dynamics in a recording of as many as 80 musicians performing Wagner's monumental music is a difficult task even under the best of modern conditions, but under the severe technical limitations of early electrical recording, it must have been a real challenge. It's amazing how vivid and lifelike some of these old recordings can be. A few of the records I used for this transfer had rough passages. This isn't uncommon for records from this era. In my restoration, I was careful to preserve the integrity and presence of the music. There are a few spots where a slight crackle or tiny bump might intrude briefly, but overall, I think you will be impressed with the amazing sonics of these historic recordings. -Stephen Worth
I would like to thank the participants in rec.music.classical.recordings for the valuable information they provided for these liner notes. In particular, I appreciate the input of Mike Scott Rohan and Rob Barnett.
bigshot
Headphoneus Supremus
To those following my postings of historical transfers... I'm going to be posting all of these on my Facebook now. That's the best place to follow them. Feel free to friend me. There is a picture gallery called "Classical Music". That has everything to date, including Act 3 of Die Walkure with Traubel that I just posted recently. http://www.facebook.com/swworth
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