21 July 2013

Pierre Monteux / San Francisco - Rimsky-Korsakov. Scheherazade - RCA 1942

Rimsky-Korsakov
"Scheherazade"  - Symphonic Suite, op.35.  
I: The Sea and the Vessel of Sinbad  ~  II: The Tale of the Prince Kalender ~   
III: The Young Prince and The Young Princess  ~  IV: The Festival at Bagdad - The Sea - The Vessel Is Wrecked - Conclusion
2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download   
Naoum Blinder, solo violin  - San Francisco Symphony Orchestra  conducted by  Pierre Monteux    
RCA Camden  CDN 1009   1959 Decca pressing/matrices: J3RP 3695 -1A  /  J3RP 3696 -1A   
Recorded: 3/4 March 1942 - War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.
Telephone Line transmission to Los Angeles. Recorded onto Film stock (this appears to derive from lacquers)   Sleeve-note >>>



6 comments:

  1. Anonymous21 July, 2013

    What does this mean? "Telephone Line transmission to Los Angeles."

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    Replies
    1. It was recorded in a Los Angeles studio - utilising a telephone link to the San Francisco hall.

      HMV did similar with some of their earlier electrical (78) recordings - but the quality was generally inferior to a recording done with the recording equipment in-situ; however, this has a very extended frequency-range..

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  2. bittertea22 July, 2013

    The wonderful Monteux. Thanks very much for this

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    Replies
    1. I didn't bother checking if this was currently available (probably in some 30CD compilation..) but thought it might be interesting.
      Unfortunately, the companion SFSO LP (listed in the sleeve-note) is one I'd missed-out buying, several decades back.

      This probably has more 'drive' than the LSO version - but was rather taken with his LSO Sibelius 2 (have stereo test-pressings).

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  3. Anonymous23 July, 2013

    Thanks once again. I never acquired this, nor the companion LP which looks like a mixed bag but contains the wonderful Istar. I missed out on the LSO version as well, which seems to have been reissued only on a budget CD (but then I'm not the most expert of searchers). The RCA LP fetches high prices so perhaps the sound quality is the draw. You are quite right about the Sibelius 2 - as I heard a reviewer point out, this has real conducting, making the LSO of the time sit up and work hard.
    Andrew Smith

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    Replies
    1. The LSO Scheherazade was quite popular as the RCA Victrola (have 3 copies) and contained the original SB matrices (the 'World Of' - SPA re-reissue may sound quite similar; not checked). Gibson's Sibelius 5 VICS reissue also used original matrices.

      I tend to have 'quite a lot' of unplayed LP's bought decades back, but knew this to be rather good (as opposed to Victor de Sabata's orchestrals on Decca/WRC..or DGG..)

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