The latest addition to my collection of 78s is one of those peculiar couplings that one sometimes finds on early double-sided records. This Indian pressed His Master’s Voice disc contains two 1912 recordings. On one side is the Hungarian March from Berlioz’s Damnation of Faust, performed by he New Symphony Orchestra conducted by Landon Ronald. This is in fact the only issued example of Ronald condcuting Berlioz – he made another two attempts at the same work in 1923, but these were unissued. The other side of the disc, is Sibelius’s Valse Triste, played by the young violinist Joszka (later Joseph) Szigeti, with an unnamed piano accompanist. Szigeti was just 19 at the time of this recording.

Berlioz – Marche Hongroise (from La Damnation de Faust)
New Symphony Orchestra, Landon Ronald
Sibelius – Valse Triste
Joszka Szigeti, violin with piano

Download – Berlioz – Marche Hongroise – Landon Ronald

Download – Sibelius – Valse Triste – Joszka Szigeti

(mp3 files – right click the link, then select “Save as”)

His Master’s Voice M 203 (Indian pressing from Calcutta plant)
Matrices Ai 5867f, Ai 6217f (single side numbers 0746, 07971)
Recorded 6th January 1912, 3rd April 1912, London