Albert Sammons, violin & William Murdoch, piano. Rec: 2 February 1935 Columbia LX 379-381 (matrices: CAX 7421-6)
String Quartet, in E minor, op.83 Allegro moderato ~ Piacevole (Poco andante) ~ Allegro moderato
The Stratton Quartet. (George Stratton - Carl Taylor - Watson Forbes - John Moore) Rec: 20 December 1933 HMV DB.2139-41 (2B 5530-5)
Piano Quintet, in A minor, op.84 Moderato - Allegro ~ Adagio ~ Andante - Allegro
Harriet Cohen, piano & The Stratton Quartet. Rec: 1 October 1933 HMV DB.2094-7 (2B 5354-61)
Organ Sonata no.2 in B flat, op.87a Introduction - Toccata - Fugue
Herbert Dawson at the Kingsway Hall Organ Rec: 6 April 1933 HMV B.4422-3 (0B 3513-3516) 4 files zip FLAC Mega Download
Cambridge Records DIMP 1 (2LP) Issued 1981. 78 Transfers by Bryan Crimp (a vast amount of editing needed!)
Thank you for this thoroughly idiomatic performance of the String Quartet!
ReplyDeleteHello Andrew.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid these will need to come in dribs'n'drabs as don't have much time to spare now - but wanted to make a start as also have the 'Aeolian Qt' version of the Quartet/Piano Quintet.
Recorded 30years later they were the re-named 'Stratton Qt' - still retaining Watson Forbes on the 'viola .
Those should appear 'soon' on the other blog - but they aren't the easiest listen in terms of sonics. Completing these files might be a 'trial'; not least due to some 'iffy' pressing quality - had to re-upload the Qt due to some missed 'ticks'...
They certainly have the 'Imprimatur' of Elgar and his time...so it should be interesting to compare the performance/s with the later ones (rather over-shadowed - and N/A for many years now).
This is fantastic! I can't wait to hear the recording of the Piano Quintet - which is a thoroughly gorgeous work.
ReplyDeleteFortunately the Pf Qnt has quiet(er) '78' surfaces..
ReplyDeleteHave now transferred the remainder: maybe all uploaded by this week (despite LP surfaces being problematic - particularly the Violin Sonata).
Bought these when deleted..plus the Harty/Halle: Elgar Enigma/Cello conc (Squire).
Thank you once again! Harriet Cohen is fabulous in the Quintet.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe that I spent 5hours, each, editing the Pf Qnt/Violin Sonata ?!
ReplyDeleteI'm much obliged for your hard work!
ReplyDeleteNever posted here a comment,but I'll make it now.I consider this blog as being among the best.I eagerly wait for your posts,and I appreciate their quality-tehnically and musically.I learned some things and others made me happy.
ReplyDeleteThat's very kind of you!
ReplyDeleteI'm just listening (again, for pleasure) to the wonderful performance of the Violin Sonata.
I should get around to A.C.Griffith's transfers of Sammons Elgar Violin Concerto/Delius: VC - though realize they are on CD in various versions.
Your location reminds me that I need to get-around to Rozhdestvensky's Enescu Symphony no.1 - the 1961 stereo Melodia LP. Should have uploaded that early last year...
Thanks again for a wonderful set of performances - I bought most of my Elgar in the late 70's and early 80's (though have continued to buy more modern performances) and it is so great to hear the earlier ones, and in such good form thanks to your hard work. Have picked up a few late 50's that I haven't heard before, but they are in rough condition unfortunately (and probably re-released on CD at some point anyway!)
ReplyDeleteHello Fred. I may line-up the later, 1959 Argo, RVW: Mass in G (c/w Britten Ceremony of Carols) for the other blog: didn't wish to dub the earlier Fleet St version last November - the Argo likewise never on CD. .
ReplyDeleteI'll try to upload the later Aeolian versions of the Elgar - but want to avoid 'too much' British Music - (-not to mention dodgy pressings: most of the time here was spent individually removing the remnants of 'clicks' that Bryan Crimp's 'de-clicker' had left behind!) but maybe willl upload Campoli's Elgar VC - which sounds excellent on the 'Ace of Clubs' pressing (compared to the original LXT) - even more so does the Bliss VC.
Also, there are the 1950's transfers of Elgar (conducting), by Griffith, on HMV ALP's - which were taken from Vinyl copies of the metal masters - which were then destroyed (the two later 1970's box-sets being from Shellac, in those instances..).
Moving picture of the Elgar, the recordings are wonderful as always; a pity that in the second movement of the quintet there are some distortions for the rest the sound is excellent!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I'm assuming these (Pf Qnt) were from Vinyl copies of the metals - the surface can be pretty quiet in places - but the 'fuzzy' section starting after 16:22 could almost be an HMV 'dubbing' onto another master - but no information is given in the sleevenote (though there is mention of this for one side for the Elgar: Enigma (Halle/Harty) - and don't have original 78's to check if this was some later matrix deterioration.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! A couple of things which you might like to consider doing:
ReplyDelete1) the rare 1946 recording of the RVW Mass sung by the Fleet Street Choir (when they were doing their best work);
2) the Melodiya recordings of British music and artists made during the famous visit to the USSR by Bliss and Co. in 1956. But as those are most likely inferior pressings, don't want you getting annoyed with them and chucking the lot in, so only if you feel like it!
3) Whittaker (of course!)
Thanks again!
Maestro
Maestro...sorry - don't have the items you mention (except the darned Whittaker LP - grrrrrrr.) Will possibly do transfer #6 (was going to add a vibrant performance by the London Soloists of Bartok's Roumanian Dances from a stereo CBS-Realm LP. There's the other 'mad Pipes' Viking LP - also Owen Brannigan recorded 4 Whittaker song arrangements in HMV EP's 7EG 8551/8578 (acc: Gerald Moore) which I have (14 North country/Northumbian Folksongs in total).
ReplyDeleteYou may be lucky (?) - but I don't relish transferring that particular LP....
Actually, the only Whittaker in which I am really interested is the Viking Lp with the chamber music and anthem. But don't tear your hair out over it!
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like, I can forward my transfers next week of a Melodiya record of Elgar and Bliss made during said trip (1956). I also have Munchinger's other Liszt recordings made in Paris which you probably don't have, in case you're interested.
Maestro
Well - it's like this..I made something like 5 transfers of Whittaker #1 (as in desperately trying to reduce surface noise).I couldn't see how I could repair the Pf Qnt on side 1/band 2 without Aeons of time spent - though could remove most of the dire cutting faults in the Anthem.. I've uploaded, temporarily, here the Whittaker sleevenote (file dated 1 Sept 2010.....) for you to have a vicarious read.I'd be interested in the other items - the Munchinger I don't have - and could add your transfer to the posting, if you wanted.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise you'd gone to so much effort with it already! Most grateful for the sleevenote. My transfers might have to be improved first, but they're not too bad. I haven't done anything with them - they are straight transfers. See what you think. I can get them to you next week.
ReplyDeleteMaestro
Thank you for these Elgar remasterings!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done, making it a pleasure to hear these historical recordings.
Elgar's late music is very special, the Violin Sonata in particular.
I'll maybe do a re-edit of these files - and play-through the Pf Quintet LP to check if something untoward may have happened (don't think it did).
DeleteThe Organ Sonata (dreary) wasn't sufficiently popular to justify retaining the file.
My step-son turned up unexpectedly today, having figured out how to install upgraded FireFox,
ReplyDeleteso I have the Strattons at last! Many thanks for posting them, as well as Bax & Cunningham!
Mike un Plovdiv
That's good: and hope I didn't seem tooo mean - but Zippy would be better if they had 60 day retention as could put more files there; but eventually the old ones risk deletion....and many have been reuploaded numerous times due to 'other reasons' and am getting a bit battle-weary...
Delete