Merry Christmas. I’ve done a quick transfer of the traditionally festive fare of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel overture, in an early orchestral recording from John Barbirolli for Edison Bell’s Electron label. Humperdinck – Hänsel & Gretel – Overture – John Barbirolli and his Symphony Orchestra (mp3 file – click to play, or right click the […]
Landon Ronald’s Midsummer Night’s Dream
For Shakespeare’s birthday back in April, I made available the Scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream music, in a 1911 recording conducted by Landon Ronald. To complement this, I’ve now transferred the Ronald’s early recordings of the Overture, Nocturne and Wedding March, together with his later electrically recorded version of the Nocturne. I’ve included the […]
Posted by Damians78s on June 5, 2016
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2016/06/05/landon-ronalds-midsummer-nights-dream/
400 years
Although I have had not had a great deal of time to work on recordings for this site recently, I could not let the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death pass unmarked. There are several spoken word Shakespeare recordings to be found on site and music based on his works (just enter Shakespeare in the search […]
Posted by Damians78s on April 23, 2016
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2016/04/23/400-years/
New Year’s Suppé from Basil Cameron, and Sir Henry Wood’s 1924 Enigma
For the traditional Viennese welcome to the New Year, here are three Suppé overtures, all performed by the Hastings Municipal Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron. These Decca records from 1929 and 1930 are rather worn, and the sound is not therefore all I would hope for. Suppé – Light Cavalry – Overture – Hastings MO, […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 31, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/12/31/new-years-suppe-from-basil-cameron-and-sir-henry-woods-1924-enigma/
Bransby Williams as Scrooge (1926)
After Christmas carols earlier in the week, today it’s another Dickensian helping from Bransby Williams. His 1912 Columbia recording of his Scrooge monologues, together with a Micawber speech appeared here last year. These were replaced with later acoustic recordings in 1924, but these were swiftly rendered redundant by the advent of electrical recording. Thus in […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 24, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/12/24/bransby-williams-as-scrooge-1926/
Christmas Carols in German and English
For the festive season, I’ve transferred a 1950s Classics Club LP of two children’s choirs singing carols in German and English. Side 1: Children’s choir of the Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg High School, Walter Rust Franz Gruber arr Rust – Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht Handel arr Rust – Tochter Zion (Judas Maccabaeus) Trad arr Rust – In Dulci […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 22, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/12/22/christmas-carols-in-german-and-english/
A Night at the Proms with Henry Wood
On Friday 17th July the BBC Proms began. It’s 120 years since the first Proms season, and for the first fifty seasons, Sir Henry Wood did the lion’s share of the conducting. Wood’s discography is large, and includes many works he performed at the proms. In 1934, Columbia made a compilation record of excerpts of […]
Posted by Damians78s on July 19, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/07/19/a-night-at-the-proms-with-henry-wood/
Coates and Shakespeare
April 23rd is Shakespeare day, and also the birthday of the great Albert Coates. Firstly, two songs by Peter Warlock, the first to a Shakespeare test, sung by Parry Jones. Warlock – Take, o take those lips away (Shakespeare) Warlock – There is a lady sweet and kind (Thomas Ford) Parry Jones, tenor with piano […]
Posted by Damians78s on April 23, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/04/23/coates-and-shakespeare/
Good Friday Music
As a quick Easter update, the Good Friday Music from Parsifal seemed apposite, here with Hermann Jadlowker and Paul Knüpfer. Wagner – Parsifal – Charfreitagszauber Orchestra, Bruno Seidler-Winkler Hermann Jadlowker, tenor Paul Knüpfer, bass Wagner – Parsifal – Good Friday – Jadlowker, Knüpfer (mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then […]
Posted by Damians78s on April 3, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/04/03/good-friday-music/
Classical Recordings Quarterly and CRQ Editions
I’ve subscribed to Classical Recordings Quarterly since it began life as International Classical Record Collector in 1995. It’s always been a fascinating magazine, covering mainly historical recordings, and the performers, producers and record labels associated with them. It remains consistently fascinating, but as a small but well-produced magazine in a world of rising costs and […]
Posted by Damians78s on February 1, 2015
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2015/02/01/classical-recordings-quarterly-and-crq-editions/
Waltzing in the New Year – Krips, Scotney and Bertin
Following the Christmas festivities, I like to ring in the new year with the Strausses. To that end, here are three of his most famous waltzes, one in purely orchestral form, one in both orchestral and vocal versions, and another only in its vocal form. The two singers had their Strauss waltzes backed by the […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 31, 2014
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2014/12/31/waltzing-in-the-new-year-krips-scotney-and-bertin/
Stanford Robinson’s Nutcracker and Bransby Williams’s Scrooge
With Christmas nearly here, it’s time for my customary festive posting. On the orchestral side of things, Stanford Robinson conducts the Nutcracker Suite, and then there’s a feast of Dickensian recordings from Bransby Williams. Then as a non-festive bonus, a monologue from Wilfrid Brambell, best known as Albert Steptoe in Steptoe and Son. He apparently […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 24, 2014
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2014/12/24/stanford-robinsons-nutcracker-and-bransby-williamss-scrooge/
Lorenzo Molajoli orchestrals, and opera in America
Over the past year or so I’ve produced several CD reissues for CRQ Editions. One of these was devoted to orchestral recordings conducted by Lorenzo Molajoli. The following set arrived too late for inclusion on the Molajoli CD. Verdi – Nabucco – Overture Bizet – Carmen – Prelude Act 1 Milan Symphony Orchestra, Lorenzo Molajoli […]
Posted by Damians78s on August 24, 2014
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2014/08/24/lorenzo-molajoli-orchestrals-and-opera-in-america/
Luisa Tetrazzini and Percy Pitt
Over the past year or so I’ve produced several CD reissues for CRQ Editions. These included 3 CDs of Percy Pitt’s Columbia recordings, followed by a 2CD set of his HMV recordings with singers. In compiling the last I listened to and did initial restoration on many more records than the set could accommodate, and […]
Posted by Damians78s on June 22, 2014
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2014/06/22/luisa-tetrazzini-and-percy-pitt/
Richard Strauss – 150th anniversary
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Richard Strauss. To mark this, I’ve transferred two acoustic recordings of great tone poems by Strauss. The first is Henry Wood’s heavily abridged 1916 account of Till Eulenspiegel, the first ever recording of the work. It’s cut down to just two sides, losing approximately half of […]
Posted by Damians78s on June 11, 2014
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2014/06/11/richard-strauss-150th-anniversary/
Shakespeare Day
Although I’ve not posted much here recently, I’ve been doing plenty of restoration, for CRQ editions – there are now four volumes of Percy Pitt recordings available, and one of Lorenzo Molajoli. My reason for posting today though is to honour Shakespeare’s birthday. I’ve transferred a recently acquired late acoustic Vocalion of Henry Baynton (1892-1951), […]
Posted by Damians78s on April 23, 2014
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2014/04/23/shakespeare-day/
Strauss (and Ivanovici) for the New Year
As ever I like to ring in the New Year with a nod in the direction of a Viennese New Year’s Day Concert. France’s Garde Républicaine returns with two pieces with a Danube theme. Iosif Ivanovici – Flots du Danube (Valse) Johann Strauss II – Le Beau Danube Bleu Garde Républicaine Ivanovici – Flots du […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 31, 2013
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2013/12/31/strauss-and-ivanovici-for-the-new-year/
Malcolm Sargent conducts the Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (1947)
Britten – Peter Grimes – Four Sea Interludes Op.33A No.1 – Dawn No.2 – Sunday Morning No.3 – Moonlight No.4 – Storm London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent Britten – Peter Grimes – Sea Interlude 1. Dawn – LSO, Sargent Britten – Peter Grimes – Sea Interlude 2. Sunday Morning – LSO, Sargent Britten – […]
Posted by Damians78s on November 23, 2013
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2013/11/23/malcolm-sargent-conducts-the-sea-interludes-from-peter-grimes-1947/
George W Byng conducts the Ballet Music from Gounod’s Faust
I received an email recently asking if I knew where George W Byng’s recording of the Ballet Music from Gounod’s Faust might be found. Some six years ago, before I had this website I did a transfer of the recording, so the time seemed apt to revisit it for a new transfer. Listening again, I […]
Posted by Damians78s on October 6, 2013
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2013/10/06/george-w-byng-conducts-the-ballet-music-from-gounods-faust/