Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor, op.37 (HMV DB.1940-4. 17 February 1933) 3 files zip FLAC Mega Download
Piano Concerto no.4 in G major, op.58 (DB1886- 9. 16 Feb.1933) / Piano Concerto no.5 in E flat major, op.73 (DB1685-9. 24 Mar.1932)
Variations in F major, op.34 (HMV DB.3263/4. 11 Jan.1938) / Bagatelle in A minor (DB.3786. 10 Nov.1938)
Polonaise, op.89 / Andante in F major (unissued. Rec: 11 Nov.1938)
4 files zip FLAC Mega Download
Artur Schnabel, piano - London Symphony Orchestra (Conc. 1/5) -&- London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent
EMI World Records SHB 63 (4LP) Issued 1980. 78 Transfers by Keith Hardwick. Rec: EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road (Studio 3 -solo items).
Great transfers, thank you!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the file labeled no.4 is actually identical to no.2. Could you please reload the fourth?
Both my retained files are of #2: and, in over a week, nobody has noticed/mentioned that - despite very many downloads.
DeleteNo.2 was created 6 April (and which I previously uploaded with No.1: that posting was removed) - and 'No.4' was from 10 April: which means I never actually transferred No.4.
The 'correct' No.2 is actually 'No.4' - as I decided to very slightly reduce the transfer level with a new transfer - and 'forgot' about No.4 (No.1 is, relatively, very slightly 'under-recorded') .
TBH - I am not really interested in these blogs any more - and had intended closing/abandoning them in about a weeks time...and this 'event' tends to suggest people are just downloading - but not actually listening to the files!
(over 500 WAV downloads of the two files (people either don't, now, want the FLAC -or don't like Sendspace) - but it brings the total to almost 600 files downloaded without any comment..and multiply that by the number of recordings above (...) - so why should I bother?
I just came across your site. These are some of the best transfers I've heard. I enjoy them a lot. Especially the Beethoven cello sonatas. It'd be of course very nice to hear your transfer of no.4. But I'm already very very grateful, Tin Ear!
ReplyDeleteWell..on this blog.. they can only be 'as good' as the LP transfer from 78's - and there are numerous defects that I've felt obligated to remove - either the actual transfer (bad edits/very many (vast amounts of..and too obvious) retained 'truncated ticks') - or, sometimes, the vinyl: Beethoven PC3 had many minutes of near continuous 'crackles' @ the start of each side- which I've individually removed: so it's hardly surprising that forgot to do no.4 - as had spent so much time on these 'mint/perfect' LP's.
DeleteIf I was to use noise-reduction software, then the files would be inferior: as I consider others' are (even professional/charged for) compared to the 'raw' source - which is then manually corrected.
Unfortunately, my method is quite impractical: and, combined with the limited response, (particularly annoying in this case: within a day or so I would have provided the correct No.4) it does seem appropriate to 'call time' on this nonsense - which has easily equalled 1000 LP's listening-time over some 3 years: and with several thousand LP's that I've never heard!
If the no.4 is without too many problems it may be uploaded: but it's an indication that I just wanted to see the back of this, self-inflicted gargantuan effort, that the error occurred..
Thank you for taking the time to transfer and upload the fourth concerto, thus completing the set. Your work is, despite the limited feedback, very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAlex M.
Yes...the 'feedback' aspect doesn't just apply to my Blogs (and quite likely a reason for blogs to be abandoned..)!
DeleteI had, due to time constraints, to leave a % of 78 ticks (noticeable on some sides of the 4th - also some other Concerto sides: presumably due to a mix of commercial 78s/vinyls from metalwork.
Have just checked this posts file downloads: over 2,200 (Toscanini/Rossini: 400 in 1 day...)
Thanks for your work and the great transfers ! I'm glad to have the fourth.
ReplyDeleteFranck
I suspect you may find these (my) transfers on 'Russian Classics'...also I made an error whist saving the WAV files of PC3 - as the Audacity overall gain must have been increased from 'level 0dB' to +1dB - but have (mostly) corrected some very slight 'clipping' when a FLAC was subsequently created...but this file is therefore slightly 'louder' than the others.
DeleteSurely all who download your files appreciate your work, effort and contribution to keeping a culture and heritage alive. I am certainly one of them. Thank you! JC
ReplyDeleteTo a great extent these are 'superfluous' inasmuch as there are other transfers - but these Keith Hardwick (& Griffith's: 1970's, mostly) dubbings, even if still available, are quite likely to have been 'debased' by various 'tinkerers'..
DeleteBTW: must mention that it appears the Russki 'raritetclassic.com' swiped these LP transfers of mine; 'Russian Classics' (intoclassics.net) merely swiped some Malko's some years back..at least the last time I checked..
How shameful of me to not have seen this sooner. Easily the best transfers of these I have heard and you deserve every bit of gratitude I am able to offer. Schnabel's way of the piano--especially in Beethoven--is god-like. Again, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI invariably check eBay.uk to see if Volumes 3 + 5 of Schnabel's Beethoven Sonatas are available - but hardy ever - and not in good enough condition/sensibly priced...so that set of 5 c.1980 HMV albums probably won't appear here.
DeleteHowever, this set turned out to be a 'freebie' from an eBay seller!!!
Hoho! A freebie? Very nice. It would be amazing if you ever came across Schnabel's recordings of Beethoven's sonatas. I've had to deal with EMI's mediocre "transfers" accompanied with what can only be a large amount of noise reduction, which, in and of itself, isn't always a bad thing, but they seem to go a little overboard with their noise reduction. I've heard the Dante set on CD is much better, but I haven't ran across a reasonably priced set thus far.
DeleteSchnabel Vol.1/2/4 were from a collection 'split down the middle' between 2 brothers..so Decca Haydn Symphonies/Quartets/Sonatas/ Bach Organ, etc were also somewhat incomplete sets...
DeleteUnfortunately 'my area' is not frequented by Retirees, so can't now find such collections - or @ Auctions.
For some reason my transfers seem 'better' than commercial CD's (not just 'Historical') or from 'other's' - even though a CD-RW is the intermediary..
Thanks for these.. The recordings compare favorably to the shinseido transfer I had until now.. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your transfer of Schnabel's classic Beethoven concert cycle.
ReplyDeleteI habe compared it with some other CD incarnations I have within my collection and they are really good, maybe even the best ones I have heard so far!
Unfortunately, I have a problem with this link at the end of the post for Schnabel's 1947 5th, with Galliera. I cannot reach the blog 'themusicparlour78' altogether, it is restricted for invited people and not public. Can you help me please?
Sorry about the 'dead link' - I sometimes de-activate the 78 blog and forgot to remove that link..as am never really happy with my transfers - though that Schnabel was said to be better than the Japanese EMI CD....
DeleteMost post-1970 EMI LP transfers from 78's are very fine - and the general comment/s are that the various transfers here are superior to any CD's.
In terms of Schnabel/Beethoven - I have 2 new 78 albums (#3/4) of this box-set + most of the 15 Beethoven Society albums - but have not really listened to the 4volumes of c.1979/81 EMI LP box-sets (am missing vol.5 - but have all those as 'new' 78's).
Thank you for your response and explanation about the extinct link.
DeleteI have listened to your Busch and Backhaus transfers and commented on them today.
By the way, when I am talking about those really great pianists like Backhaus and Schnabel: I am 'missing' one of my favourties here on your blog and I'd like to use the opportunity here to encourage you to surprise us with transfers of Walter Gieseking if you have access to some pressings of his recordings.
I cannot figure out any other pianist I know whose recordings are treated so badly now. A lot of his EMI material is not even published on CD so far or it is rarely accessible (Japanese editions!), and in all cases I am not rearly satisfied with the results. Probably Gieseking was at his best in the 30s and early 40s, but these recordings have also been published only partly on CD and these transfers are far from ideal in most cases unfortunately (For example, his Debussy recordings from the 30s are clearly superior to his later ones for EMI - which are also great of course). In addition there are some fine recordings for German radio, such as another, more exiting Beethoven cycle and especially a complete set of Bach's WTP I & II, which is very, very straightforward. I only know the CD transfer of DG from the 90s and this one is really terrible. I don't know the original LP pressing but I suggest that this recording has much more potential than we can hear today in the DG transfer. Is there an chance that you will work on some of Gieseking's recordings in the future?
OK: re: Gieseking: I don't recall having any 78 transfers to LP.
DeleteHave a small-ish quantity on 78s - mainly Beethoven: a c.1930 Sonata..Concerti 1/5 + the Grieg I uploaded.
My others are LP-era: mostly the c.1980 2LP sets of Debussy + Ravel and some Beethoven on Columbia 33CX (a late 1950's pressing of the Karajan/Emperor sounds exceptionally fine) - but these are all on CD.
I am limited to what I have/bought - from several decades back - ie: before eBay made most 'collectible' prices excessive - and am unlike, say, 'Mr Pristine' (whose Gieseking Debussy is highly likely copied from CD) as I don't get 'gifted' large collections of 78's...(which are not subsequently used!..)...nor derive any income from this time-consuming lark.
I'm really not sure about 'the future' as I have now developed a very strong dislike of manually removing LP surface 'noises' - which nobody else does (and why my transfers, amongst other factors, sound rather superior to 'elsewhere'..).
So you may just have to put up with (and pay for) 'second-best'...!!