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47.156.137.5
1958, Severance, using tubed recording gear.
OK, old guys rule and know. Sorry, this is old stuff, but I haven't had much play time, and the loved one is out.
This pressing is almost click free (one), and the string sound and orchestral tone is incredible. Very full and balanced recording, capturing a pretty good facsimile of a live orchestra. Clevelanders are super and Szell is Szell. Have to get out my Epic gold label and compare. I frankly was blown away how good this LP was with my new Hana HO MC cart. The Epic sounded a bit thin with my Shure V15VxMR stock cart. Anyone have the CD or SACD to compare?
Have to get out my Kertesz London and Kubelik DGG tulip!
Incidentally, my kid's youth orchestra played both works during her time there. Great music.
Follow Ups:
Looks like sweet vinyl......
Too bad Szell didn't do the entire Smetana "Ma Vlast", which the "Moldau" is the second part..... The first part would have been tailor-made for this conductor/orchestra.....
(I got the idea of how the first part may have sounded with Szell/Cleveland. Click link. Blank out the video, and pretend.)
You made me get out my Epic version yesterday that I thought, a few months ago, I didn't like as well as at first. Changed my mind again.
Maybe it's because I was able to crank it up to concert levels but I love it once again for much the same reasons you cite about your Franklin Mint.
I am in general a fan of Szell, but I haven't heard his Dvorak 8th. Right after Szell died (way too soon), I caught the Cleveland Orchestra on tour, led by Susskind, doing Dvorak's 8th, and loved it. I have often wondered how much Szell was in that performance.
I think the 8th symphony is a highly enjoyable symphony, but I own Kertesz, Kubelik and Neumann, and they have given me what I think I need out of this symphony. Having said that, if I came across a mint copy of the Franklin set, I would leap in a heartbeat.
Occasionally I wonder what Szell might have recorded had he lived another dozen years. It would have been terrific if could have finished the set of London symphonies - 99 to 104. More Sibelius? More Mahler? Or would we have had a lot of rehashing of previously recorded material, the way EMI was doing when they signed him.
As much as I enjoy Szell's performances of Dvorak's works, and I may have all of them, I prefer Walter's Eighth.
Walter's New World was my intro to that symphony. Haven't heard it in years, but a couple of years back I acquired an unopened LP of it, on Odyssey (Odyssey was a real thrill was I was 18-20 - bought a lot of those).
How did it sound?
Walter stuff from his Hollywood days feature wonderful sound from made up orchestra, stereo, a bit bass fullness, close up miking.
His 8th is famous, but I found some of it slowish, not exciting but very expressive and poetic.
I forgot, I have my uncle's copy of probably 2 eye, listened to it once, some surface noise on and off.
The very excellent Dohnanyi/Cleveland sets (7-9, and 6 plus Scherzo C, etc.) are easily obtainable on Decca CD, and I have a sealed digital LP copy. People claim they're a bit bright, but this isn't that bad and the sound is very very good.
Neumann CPO, I have a sealed copy, on Teldec.
Too much to hear it all.
Here's a discography that is incomplete but which lists many items that were once available (or may still be) on broadcast transcriptions or "private"/pirate issues:
http://classite.com/music/Szell/discography-szell.htm
http://classite.com/music/Szell/discography-szell-2.htm
Note: He did record Haydn 99 and 104 commercially.
Note 2: There are some items missing from the discography, including an off-the-air recording of the Mozart Gran Partita, K.361, some concertos with different pianists or violinists, the Sibelius violin concerto.
Thanks for the discography. Yes, he did do 99 and 104, in mono. I believe the plan was to complete the stereo set, but he died first.
I'm a little sad that the Sibelius 5th isn't part of the unofficial discography. Seems that it would have been a perfect fit.
I wasn't clear if you were thinking 99 was in mono or stereo - I've got it in stereo, and the last issued Haydn-Szell box shows what was what (as of 2011):
The discography I looked at (reference above) seemed to indicate that this was issued in mono. Guess I have a little research to do; of course, I would be looking for the LP, instead of a flattened out harsh, and compressed CD......
It's definitely in stereo - I believe they made a big deal at the time that this was the first release of the stereo incarnation. (You can see from the cover below.) So I guess if you want stereo, you'll have to make do with one of the "flattened out harsh, and compressed CD" incarnations - I'm so sorry for you! ;-)
Interesting. I found a mono LP of 97 and 99 on eBay. Pretty old - on Epic, probably issued in 58 , and I have just had a negative experience with another LP I picked up on eBay, also old (I mean, a Decca/London in mono only-gotta be from 55 or something like that). Even though visually OK, full of snap, crackle and pops. Most of the time things are OK, but every now and then you have a horror story. I love the liveness of the sound of LP - I still play CDs, too, and SACDs, and no, you don't hear what you hear on LP, IMO, but used LP collecting is a crap shoot. At times I want to swear off used vinyl.
Hi, did you note that I have a new cart, and the sound is way better. The comments on sound that you describe are correct, don't want to go to Vinyl Asylum to get verification, nor argue.My Franklin copy is practically as if unplayed condition, same with over 60% of my LP's. I have around 1000 classical albums.
Chris usually doesn't like vinyl anymore. :), but I have much of that material (Szell/Hadyn) in MS and newer pressings, either here or in my family collection.
Linked is the Japanese discography again.
http://classite.com/music/Szell/discography-szell.htm#HaydnThere are no recordings of 100-103. The 88 and 104 were in mono. I own an LP of these. Very good performances, mono old sound.
Edits: 03/01/17
The 2010 remastering on a Sony Classical Originals CD is very pleasing to my ears.
I have the Kertesz recording as well. Another long time favorite.
Kubelik wasn't well served by DG's recording efforts.
my blog: http://carsmusicandnature.blogspot.com/
I, too, found it interesting that they were often better than the actual brand name labels. I can see Szell being good in the 8th. I came late to this symphony and have thoroughly enjoyed Walter's and Kubelik's on Lp.
As for contemporary performances, people are raving about Honeck's on Reference. On my list.
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