To round off the Wagner and Verdi bicentenary year, I’ve gathered a varied selection of music by these two operatic greats, in various guises. Dajos Béla recorded extensively in many genres. The following abridged version of the Tannhäuser Overture is one of his more straightforwardly classical recordings, though the scoring is adapted for his band […]
All posts in category Orchestral
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/
Adrian Boult and Stanley Chapple conduct Wagner on Vocalion
More Wagner for the bicentenary year, this time with rarely head Vocalions from Adrian Boult in the overture to the Flying Dutchman and the Procession of Masters from Die Meistersinger (both 1927), and from Stanley Chapple in the Act 3 Prelude from Lohengrin (1927) and the Siegfried Idyll (a late acoustic recording from around 1925) […]
Posted by Damians78s on July 7, 2013
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2013/07/07/adrian-boult-and-stanley-chapple-conduct-wagner-on-vocalion/
Percy Pitt conducts Wagner
It’s quite some time since any of Percy Pitt’s recordings appeared here. I’ve therefore opted to share one of his acoustic HMV recordings. It’s an orchestral recording, unusual in his HMV output, which was mainly devoted to accompanying singers either as pianist or conductor. Wagner – Götterdämmerung – Siegfried’s Journey to the Rhine Symphony Orchestra, […]
Posted by Damians78s on February 22, 2013
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2013/02/22/percy-pitt-conducts-wagner/
Boult’s early Humperdinck and lighter fare for 2013
As the festive season passes, it’s time for some of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, in early acoustical recordings by Adrian Boult. To follow this, in the spirit of the New Year Concert, if not the letter, some very light fare indeed: two entertaining bassoon solos from E W Hincliff and two numbers performed by the […]
Posted by Damians78s on January 1, 2013
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2013/01/01/boults-early-humperdinck-and-lighter-fare-for-2013/
Franz André conducts Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Serenade for Strings
It’s been some time since my last update, but we were due something for Christmas. This is another Franz André LP on Telefunken, with works by Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky – Nutcracker Suite Op.71 I. Miniature Overture II. March III. Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy IV. Russian Dance (Trepak) V. Arabian Dance VI. Chinese Dance VII. Dance […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 25, 2012
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2012/12/25/franz-andre-conducts-tchaikovskys-nutcracker-suite-and-serenade-for-strings/
Malcolm Sargent conducts Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance No.1 at the opening of the Royal Festival Hall
To celebrate this Diamond Jubilee weekend for Queen Elizabeth II, I present here two records from the year before her accession to the throne. The opening of the Royal Festival Hall in 1951 included Handel’s Coronation Anthem “Zadok the Priest,” which was also heard during the Queen’s Coronation in June 1953. The 1951 concert also […]
Posted by Damians78s on June 6, 2012
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2012/06/06/malcolm-sargent-conducts-handels-zadok-the-priest-and-elgars-pomp-and-circumstance-no-1-at-the-opening-of-the-royal-festival-hall/
Easthope Martin – Godard and Grieg; Albert Coates – Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Dance of the Tumblers
There are two parts to this latest addition to my site. First, a performer who has appeared already as a composer: Easthope Martin, whose popular “Come to the fair” has been heard here performed both by Julie Andrews, and her stepfather Ted Andrews. However, in the period before the First World War, Martin recorded a […]
Posted by Damians78s on April 23, 2012
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2012/04/23/easthope-martin-godard-and-grieg-albert-coates-tchaikovskys-romeo-and-juliet-rimsky-korsakovs-dance-of-the-tumblers/
Carl Schuricht – Die Fledermaus overture; Franz André – Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers, Suppé’s Poet and Peasant overtures
To welcome in the New Year, I’ve transferred Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus overture in an early recording by Carl Schuricht, and as an extra, a pair of overtures by Suppé and Offenbach, conducted by Franz André. J. Strauss II – Die Fledermaus – Overture Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Carl Schuricht (credited on label as “New […]
Posted by Damians78s on January 1, 2012
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2012/01/01/carl-schuricht-die-fledermaus-overture-franz-andre-offenbachs-orphee-aux-enfers-suppes-poet-and-peasant-overtures/
Ernest Macmillan – first 4 movements of Holst’s Planets; Adrian Boult – Elgar’s Imperial March; Gustav Holst – Saturn – two acoustic versions (1923 & 1925)
This latest update contains a selection of Planets, prompted by an email I received recently. Sir Ernest Macmillan recorded just four parts of Holst’s Planets Suite with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for Victor in 1942 – Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. As Mercury required only one side, Adrian Boult’s BBC Symphony Orchestra recording of Elgar’s […]
Posted by Damians78s on June 25, 2011
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2011/06/25/ernest-macmillan-first-4-movements-of-holsts-planets-adrian-boult-elgars-imperial-march-gustav-holst-saturn-two-acoustic-versions-1923-1925/
Toscanini conducts the last two movements of Mozart’s Symphony No.39 (Recorded 1920)
Things have been going slowly here, but I’m still working on assorted transfers. There should be a big update in the next month or so, but in the meanwhile, I’ll try to post occasional smaller updates, such as this one. One of Toscanini’s acoustic sides has already featured here, but here are another two, the […]
Posted by Damians78s on June 4, 2011
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2011/06/04/toscanini-conducts-the-last-two-movements-of-mozarts-symphony-no-39-recorded-1920/
Shakespeare recordings by pupils of the Guildhall School of Music, Basil Maine and John Gielgud; Albert Coates conducts Siegfried’s Funeral March
Today marks the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and death, and is also St. George’s Day. To mark the first of these, there are two quite different Shakespeare recordings from 78s, which are linked by a review in Gramophone magazine. Then there’s a set of Linguaphone recordings of John Gielgud performing Shakespeare. This is different to […]
Posted by Damians78s on April 23, 2011
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2011/04/23/shakespeare-recordings-by-pupils-of-the-guildhall-school-of-music-basil-maine-and-john-gielgud-albert-coates-conducts-siegfrieds-funeral-march/
Brahms Intermezzi played by PM Ireland; Vocal gems from Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl; Lulworth Cove – Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra – Charles Williams
While a big project slowly progresses, I’ll be posting occasional smaller updates. This latest includes three very different records, embracing opera, orchestra and piano. Balfe – The Bohemian Girl – Vocal Gems: Light Opera Company: Sopranos: Della Baker, Helen Clark, Erva Giles, Emily Stokes Hagar, Olive Kline, Lucy Isabelle Marsh, Gladys Rice Contraltos: Edna Indermauer, […]
Posted by Damians78s on January 17, 2011
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2011/01/17/brahms-intermezzi-played-by-pm-ireland-vocal-gems-from-balfes-the-bohemian-girl-lulworth-cove-queens-hall-light-orchestra-charles-williams/
Albert Whelan – Dickens; Bransby Williams – Dickens and others; Wilhelm Backhaus – Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms, Bach; Vladimir de Pachmann – Chopin; Mark Hambourg – Chopin, Schubert; Irene Scharrer – Chopin; Moritz Rosenthal – Chopin 1st Piano Concerto
This Christmas update brings a batch of Dickensian spoken word recordings and related items. A few of these have appeared here before, but are presented here in new transfers. There are more items for the Chopin anniversary from various pianists, and some recordings by the same pianists of other composers, including a little festive Bach. […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 24, 2010
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2010/12/24/albert-whelan-dickens-bransby-williams-dickens-and-others-wilhelm-backhaus-chopin-schubert-beethoven-brahms-bach-vladimir-de-pachmann-chopin-mark-hambourg-chopin-schubert-irene-sch/
Albert Sammons – Vieuxtemps’s Ballade et Polonaise; Adela Verne – Chopin’s Polonaise in A flat major Op.53
Albert Sammons (1886-1957) was a much loved violinist, nicknamed the English Kreisler. He made several concerto recordings which are still highly regarded. The recording below was the first orchestrally accompanied version of Vieuxtemps’s Ballade et Polonaise, though with wind band accompainment. British military pitch at this time was A=452Hz, so this is the standard I’ve […]
Posted by Damians78s on December 12, 2010
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2010/12/12/albert-sammons-vieuxtempss-ballade-et-polonaise-adela-verne-chopins-polonaise-in-a-flat-major-op-53/
Landon Ronald conducts Berlioz’s Hungarian March; Joszka Szigeti plays Sibelius’s Valse Triste
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. […]
Posted by Damians78s on November 21, 2010
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2010/11/21/landon-ronald-conducts-berliozs-hungarian-march-joszka-szigeti-plays-sibeliuss-valse-triste/
Dolores Wilson – Lucia di Lammermoor, sextet and mad scene; Joan Sutherland – Lucia mad scene; Toscanini conducts Bizet’s Farandole (La Scala Orchestra, 1921)
Today would have been Dame Joan Sutherland’s 84th birthday. It is also exactly four weeks after her death. It seems apt to mark this with one of her earliest discs. Her Lucia di Lammermoor mad scene from 1959 was issued as part of a recital disc, but also was issued on a mono 45rpm record. […]
Posted by Damians78s on November 7, 2010
https://music.damians78s.co.uk/2010/11/07/dolores-wilson-lucia-di-lammermoor-sextet-and-mad-scene-joan-sutherland-lucia-mad-scene-toscanini-conducts-bizets-farandole-la-scala-orchestra-1921/