Archie Camden

Archie Camden (1888 – 1979) was one of England’s most famous bassoonists, playing with the Halle, BBC Symphony and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.
Mozart – Bassoon Concerto in B flat major K191
I. Allegro (2 sides)
II. Andante ma adagio (2 sides)
III. Rondo (Tempo di Menuetto) (1 side)
Senaille arr. Camden – Allegro Spiritoso
Archie Camden, bassoon
Orchestra, Hamilton Harty

Mozart – Bassoon Concerto – 1st movement – Camden, Harty
Mozart – Bassoon Concerto – 2nd movement – Camden, Harty
Mozart – Bassoon Concerto – 3rd movement – Camden, Harty
Senaille – Allegro Spiritoso – Camden, Harty

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

 Columbia L 1824-6
Matrices WAX 1387-1, 1388-2, 1389-1, 1390-2, 1391-1, 1392-1 (6036, ?6035?, 6037, 6038, 6039, 6034)
Recorded 30th March 1926
Available from February 1927 to January 1957

This much loved recording stayed a long time in the catalogue despite the variable recording speed typical of Columbia in the mid to late 1920s. Although all the sides were recorded on the same date, the first movement ranges from 80 to almost 81rpm on each side, the second from 79 to about 80.5 and the finale from 80 to 81. The Senaille is almost stable in pitch.

Camden’s inventive cadenzas are a delight, and Harty’s conducting is as pleasurable as ever, though the orchestra is rather thin sounding, with a fairly small complement of strings.
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