My last LP for the day before we head out to hear Jake Shimabukuro play his ukulele - a record I actually forgot I owned, a 1977 DGG disc of Seiji Ozawa and the Boston performing Mahler 1. I always found it somewhat amusing that this symphony is titled “The Titan,” considering how much shorter (and more accessible) it is than many other of Mahler’s symphonies.
I can’t believe I forgot about this. If someone had asked me, I would’ve sworn I didn’t start collecting Mahler until much later, well into the CD era. This one’s worth pursuing in you’re looking for a stellar 1st by Mahler. The sound is clear, with wide frequency and dynamic ranges and good surfaces overall. Deutsche Grammophon 2530 993.
This one’s a bit unusual for me - a sampler LP of recordings by Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti, who took the classical music world by storm, but who ultimately died far too young in 1950, at age 33, from Hodgkin’s Disease. That means these recordings, all previously released by Columbia, were likely made in the 1940s, an era I typically haven’t explored, beyond the occasional big band album. But it’s a decent enough sound, no doubt through whatever engineering magic was available when this collection was put together in the late '50s. Lipatti’s playing is precise yet expressive, as the music (which here includes Bach and Mozart) demands.
A record I haven’t listened to as often as I should, since it’s a genuine treat - both musically and sonically: a 1965 live recording of David Oistrakh performing the Khachaturian Violin Concerto with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer, Aram Khachaturian. It was recorded by the Soviet label Melodiya, and was issued on this Columbia LP in 1977. Superb record.
I feel like I’m posting too much, but I’m just enjoying this trip through my classical library immensely, and feel the need to share.
Here’s another of those old Vox LPs that has just outstanding performances and sound - from 1959, Gaspar Cassado performing three cello works, accompanied by the Bamberg Symphony, conducted by Jonel Perlea: Lalo’s Concerto in D minor, Saint-Saëns’ Concerto in A minor, and Fauré’s Elegie for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 24. The cello sound is very “present,” and its lower registers are almost startling.
Besides the two classical record clubs from my young adulthood that I’ve written about here before (the Musical Heritage Society and the International Preview Society), I was also a long-time member of a couple of book clubs, one of which, the original Book-of-the-Month Club, would occasionally offer records.
Like this one - 8 sides of Vladimir Horowitz, compiled and issued by Columbia in 1977 on behalf of “Book-of-the-Month Club Records.” Four LPs for the princely sum (for me) of $17.95. And once again, it had been unplayed for so long I forgot it was in my collection. The surfaces and recorded sound are quite good for a book club bargain issue, and Horowitz is, well, Horowitz. Hard to go wrong there. The program includes Beethoven, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Scriabin, Debussy and Liszt. I’m very happy to have rediscovered it. The only downside is the sides are sequenced for playback on a changer, but since no individual works are split between sides, it’s almost no inconvenience at all.
From the pianoforte to the fortepiano - a 1978 release on Titanic Records of noted fortepiano expert Malcolm Bilson performing four Haydn keyboard sonatas, in what was the first volume of a series I didn’t pursue. As lovely as this performance and recording are, my interests ended up turning more toward the Mozart-and-later periods, particularly the late Classical and Romantic. Titanic TI-51.
As @joe-appierto demonstrated, it does still exist. When I discovered that a few months ago, I thought briefly about joining again, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out their membership program from the scant information offered on their website. So I decided my life would be just fine without them.
Something different here - I post this one as a PSA. This is one of the few records my wife brought to our relationship 37 years ago - a 1974 two-LP set of Handel’s Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and Concerto in Bb for 2 Wind Choirs and Strings. It’s a 1974 release on Columbia (MG 32813), and in my opinion is best avoided. I will grant you, I’m not a huge Handel fan in the first place. I’ve never much liked the kind of music that accompanies powdered wigs promenading in big stately circles around the royal court. But even if you are, find another recording. This one is brash, harsh, and generally assaults the ears, especially the Water Music’s famous opening fanfare and early movements; later movements in which the music calms down a bit are more listenable. Still, after this listen, it’s going back on the shelf where it’s likely to remain, unless I decide to sell it.
I actually owned this recording on an old Advent CR70 cassette transfer. One of my old favorites that I then digitized via a Nakamichi tape deck hooked up to my computer.
Another album my wife brought to our relationship, coincidentally shelf-adjacent to the Handel album I just posted (her other contributions were non-classical, and consisted mostly of Carly Simon and Barbra Streisand). As it happens, the music of this album is from the same general time period as that Handel album (oh no - not another recording of the Pachelbel Canon?! ) but is infinitely better-recorded, relying less on harsh-sounding wind instruments, and what a world of difference it makes. This is actually enjoyable to listen to. Clear and detailed, even on massed instruments, and with clearly audible, if not to say prominent, bass continuo. The double basses and cellos actually surprised me. If you stumble on it somewhere, and it appears in good shape, don’t hesitate to pick it up (Columbia MX 34544).
I never had the vinyl to compare it to, but I think it is pretty good considering it’s some 40 year age at the time I digitized it.
Good detail on the keyboard and you get a sense of the room.
I did the same process for a Delmar recording of Padre Antonio Soler harpsichord sonatas and that recording is AMAZING. So much detail of the room, the harpsichord. HDTT had specifically mentioned that recording as part of their restoration of the Delmar catalog and I keep waiting for that one to show up.
