I’ve been occupied with building code stuff and away from the listening room for a few days. I’m back now, for a bit, and today we’re playing a 1979 LP on Angel of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Concerto in F, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, featuring André Previn on piano and conducting. It’s a smooth and delightful performance, and Previn is a fine interpreter of Gershwin. And sonically it’s one of Angel’s better efforts (SFO-36810). Worth seeking out.
I always enjoyed records on the Archiv label, which I believe is or was an arm of, or otherwise connected to, Deutsche Grammophon. This is a 1979 release on the label (2533 420), Early Italian Violin Music, Ca. 1600. performed by Musica Antiqua Köln, under the direction of Reinhard Goebel, and played on period instruments.
The performance sounds fine, it’s a delight to listen to, and the trickier passages sound perfectly played, but I’m not an expert on this musical period. That’s not to say I’m an expert on any other period, just that I haven’t heard hundreds, or even dozens, of recorded versions of this particular music, so I don’t have the experience to judge this ensemble’s playing. As far as the sound of the recording goes, it’s quite nice. Dead quiet backgrounds and clear tone.
This is another one of my older records, though, that suffered a bit from the inner sleeve’s poly lining, which stuck to one side of the record, only slightly this time, but still enough to imprint a visible bit of crazing on the record’s surface. Fortunately it’s not the least bit audible.
According to the Google AI:
Yes. Archiv Produktion (often referred to simply as Archiv) is a sub-label of [Deutsche Grammophon.
While Deutsche Grammophon is known for its mainstream classical catalog, Archiv was founded by DG in 1947 specifically to specialize in early, baroque, and medieval music, often focusing on historically informed performances.
I know that during the LP era (or perhaps more accurately the “pre-CD” era), the touchstone recording for Copland’s Appalachian Spring was arguably the Minnesota Chamber Orchestra’s direct-to-digital Sound 80 album. But this 1971 Columbia release (M 30649) Copland Conducts Copland, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, gives it a real run for its money. The performance is flawless, and while the sound isn’t state-of-the-art, it is exceptional, and more than up to the comparison. Plus it includes the near-warhorse Fanfare for the Common Man and the lovely Lincoln Portrait, here narrated by the late Henry Fonda. An excellent album.
This Chopin record is a peach! Volume nine of a 15 volume set on London/Decca released in 1978 (I can’t say why I didn’t buy any of the others at the time - probably too busy graduating from college), it contains the 24 Preludes in addition to the Ballade No.2 in F Major and the Grande Valse Brillante in Ab Major, performed just brilliantly by my favorite pianist of the era, Vladimir Ashkenazy. The Ballade No.2, by turns lyrical and thundering, is worth the price of admission alone. The sound is superb, having been engineered by Decca’s fabled Kenneth Wilkinson, who always did outstanding work. CS 7101, should anyone wish to hunt it down.
I was fortunate to find, many years ago, this imported 1977 EMI recording of the Bruch Scottish Fantasy (one of my favorite violin pieces) and Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor, played superbly by Itzhak Perlman alongside the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Jesús López-Cobos. I say “fortunate” because I didn’t have to buy it on Angel, EMI’s US arm. Not that Angel is always bad, but they seem nearly always to sound poorer than their British counterparts. EMI ASD 3310.
A terrific 1979 live 2-LP set of classical guitarist John Williams and lutenist/guitarist Julian Bream in a duo concert, on RCA Red Seal (ARL2-3090). Besides beautiful performances and serviceable sound, I have a sentimental attachment to this one, as my brother and I were in attendance at one of the concerts from which the contents of this album were pulled (see photo of the program from the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium where we saw them play on October 21, 1978, complete with tag marks I made of my favorite pieces).
This one’s a little odd - I don’t remember where I got it, probably second-hand many years ago. It’s a 4-LP boxed DGG set of Brahms symphonies plus his Tragic Overture, by Karajan and the Berlin, issued in 1978, but the record number on the booklet doesn’t match the one on the box, the latter having been applied as a sticker over whatever number was there before. Curiously, a google search gives the same result for both numbers - the same year, the same pieces, the same performers, though with different cover art. Plus the cardboard of the box had some sort of poly laminate, which over time had produced some wrinkles, as you can see in the pics. Regardless, they’re an enjoyable listen, with great performances. It’s hard to get more professional and technically excellent than the Berlin under Karajan. I’d say the sound is average Deutsche Grammophon - good, but not the last word in timbre or dynamics.
The last for tonight. Much vacation prep still to do.
A 1970 recording, issued by Philips in '71, of the Brahms Double Concerto and Beethoven’s Violin Romances, performed by Henryk Szeryng (violin) and the incredible János Starker (cello), accompanied by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink. Lovely music, and a pretty good recording for '70. (6500 137)
PSA: Spirit of Turtle Flash Sale on Van Baerle Trio albums
If you enjoy the Van Baerle Trio as I do, you may not want to miss the 40% Sale on all of the Trio’s albums recorded by Bert van der Wolf. Ends May 25. See:
now my app decided to play this album, a soundtrack to test the limit of your system with a lot of micro detail and deep deep bass:
The music is more in the movie than the movie itself, So expressive
sorry except the last four song that were pop artist that I discarded from my database
I don’t know what those song do on this soundtrack but no good at all
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