15 January 2015

Arturo Toscanini / NBC SO - American in Paris ~ L'Arlesienne ~ Suppe, Waldteufel, Sousa - NBC/RCA 1943/45

Georges Bizet:  "L'Arlesienne"  - Suites 1 / 2  (excerpts)
I: Prelude ~ Minuetto ~ Adagietto   /   II: Pastorale ~ Carillon     (Studio 8-H  - 19 September 1943)
Franz Suppe:  "Poet & Peasant"     (Studio 8-H  - 18 July 1943)  
Emil Waldteufel:  Skater's Waltz, op.183     (Carnegie Hall  - 28 June 1945)            3 files zip FLAC   Mega Download
George Gershwin:  "An American in Paris"  
John Philip Sousa:  "El Capitan"  -  "The Stars and Stripes Forever"      (Studio 8-H  - 18 May 1945)  
John Stafford Smith:  "The Star-Spangled Banner"      (Carnegie Hall  - 19 March 1942)         4 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
The NBC Symphony Orchestra  conducted by  Arturo Toscanini     
Franklin Mint  TOS3  (1983 USA 5 LP's)  sides 4/7/10     label +mr pristine 'studio' piccie >>>
The Bizet extends to c.10kHz (piccolo to c.13kHz...); the former being the limits of Rose's claimed 'best transfer': http://conta.cc/1AXFuC5


El cheapo Crap:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr11/articles/andrew-rose.htm



9 comments:

  1. Sounds awful. Pristine Classical have a much better version of the Bizet and the Gershwin. Why do you rip them of anyway?

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  2. I'm Thrilled that they sound awful -and suggest you give your money to Fatso Rose for his marinated in MonoSodium Connedumate productions.
    Fuck Off (and, BTW, these were intended for November last - but did the Busch instead).

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  3. I thought your transfers were fine, as usual. I think if the true critic above were interested in anything besides dissing you, he could have found fault with the notoriously bad acoustics of Studio 8H or even with the kind of sound that Toscanini cultivated there with the encouragement of RCA. Since he wasn't, you can say to him in the words of the Earl of Rochester, "I please one man of wit, am proud on 't too, / Let all the coxcombs dance to bed to you."

    PS : I agree about that junk. They have better - at Value Village!

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    Replies
    1. I had a premonition of that 'complaint' by 'Anon' .

      Surely it couldn't be Fatso Rose: who re-emerged @ that hour on RMCR - after vanishing since 26 Nov.2012 (when I dissed his cheapo Brahms Symphonies/Klemperer LP dubbings) to offer late condolences about the grief-stricken/18month delayed RMCR 'RIP's' for Jeffrey Powell - who'd tormented him about his 'stunning transformations' ('the douche-bag of digital').

      The Toscanini database has commentary on these Franklin Mint LP's: I'd compared the Suppe to the RCA transfer on a mint HMV (issued 1957:2 volumes) - and it sounded much better - less screechy/more 'substance' - but I did apply a slight treble increase to all sides (about 1.5dB. over and above the +1.4dB I infrequently apply - as the transfer/s are a bit 'dull') - and these sounded OK to me (the Bizet is the same 'live performance' as Fatso just made available) - particularly given the date...though dynamics are pretty compressed.

      I'd created a 'cover design' for the other intended upload (Tchaikovsky Manfred -from a 1959 Decca LP + The Franklin 'Nutcracker' from this box-set - on 25 Nov.2014..

      That SoS photo was a real Hoot...!!

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  4. It doesn't sound awful at all!! Sounds very good, much natural than "Mr. don't know the difference between much treble than much distortion Rose". Don't know what sort of speakers or headphones Mr.Rose is actually using but I don't pay him anymore for those distorted bootlegged CDs, he exceeded so far the limits of the sources and then applies a lot of noise reduction, Mr.Dutton can't do it worst. So, thank you for those transfers that makes this material available in very good condition.
    P.S I hope that Mr.Rose doesn't use anything of what is show on the picture for his actual transfers.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Pablo:
      If you check Toscanini Database ( http://arturotoscanini.net/db/Toscanini/performance/A/db.html ) then most transfers seem problematic (though Decca LP versions aren't mentioned).

      Via Audacity analysis I could see the treble on these was quite filtered/not well extended - so there are limits as to what can be done with my particular 'source'.

      I suspect he still uses those BBC/Rogers speakers - with rather poor treble extension/analysis (inevitable with fabric dome 1 inch tweeters)...but played via a good system these files should sound quite decent (although you can hear some harmonic distortion on woodwinds, etc due to the cutting equipment/1940s electronics.

      My 1978 B&W DM7's are more advanced than his speakers - and the Cambridge R50's (with Tonegen Ribbon tweeters + the KEF T27 / B110 / B139) are very analytic/fast - though rarely check the files on these as don't have a desktop system there - so the files probably sound better than I think, as mostly hear them via laptop/small Sony SRS-58's - or the QUAD 57 / 11L speaker systems..which have power-handling limitations..

      Anyway; I particularly liked the Bizet (this was its first release: and the 'Pastorale' is lovely).

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  5. I have always loved Toscanini's recording of "An American in Paris," which I think he did to honor the liberation of the city in August 1944. This performance doesn't seem to fare well with critics. Nevertheless, it's been my favorite since first hearing it in high school. Toscanini made one significant improvement in the score by substituting a trumpet for English horn as an obligato instrument. Ever since, I expect to hear this part played on trumpet. Other conductors might do well to follow Toscanini's lead. In addition, Toscanini's version is more a throwback to the Jazz Age than most others. Thank you for this transfer.

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    Replies
    1. Hello David.

      Toscanini also arranged the Sousa's - with similar alterations? [I wouldn't claim to have heard any other recordings]

      I'm anyway nervous transferring Toscanini from LP (Decca's 1960 mastering of the NYPO Beethoven 7 seems less unsatisfactory) - so, hopefully, I haven't made them too bright - although any adjustment wasn't (IMO) excessive..

      The knocked-about (by me) Mr Rose does have a different version of the Gershwin. Whether it's worth paying-for is another matter...

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