Dolmetsch family personal/private recordings

[John Wright]

A fellow 78rpm collector has stumbled on a set of private recordings of the Dolmetsch family, recorded in the 1930’s. Some rough digital transfers appearing on YouTube, here’s the first, more to follow

https://youtu.be/87QzylSVMSU

John

[MickyD]

A fellow 78rpm collector has stumbled on a set of private recordings of the Dolmetsch family, recorded in the 1930’s. Some rough digital transfers appearing on YouTube, here’s the first, more to follow

https://youtu.be/87QzylSVMSU

John

Thank you, John. It's pretty amazing that in the 30's, the Dolmetsches were unearthing such neglected composers as Marin Marais, and doing it with a sure sense of style from what one can hear on this recording.

[John Wright]

Thanks for response MickyD. Rob plans to have the recordings digitally restored; the clicks can be removed quite efficiently with audio software like ClickRepair or Algorithmix, but there are occasional distortions which will be difficult to deal with.
Of course we have recorder music

https://youtu.be/BWB8BE4PyeQ

[MickyD]

Thanks for response MickyD. Rob plans to have the recordings digitally restored; the clicks can be removed quite efficiently with audio software like ClickRepair or Algorithmix, but there are occasional distortions which will be difficult to deal with.
Of course we have recorder music
https://youtu.be/BWB8BE4PyeQ

Fascinating, John...buried treasure indeed! They must have been such an eccentric family, on a par with the Sitwells, I would imagine! But what a legacy.

[Richard Tarleton]

Fascinating, John...buried treasure indeed! They must have been such an eccentric family, on a par with the Sitwells, I would imagine! But what a legacy.

A not-very-encouraging insight in Thea Abbott's biography of Diana Poulton - Arnold Dolmetsch was so beastly to the young Diana, reducing her to tears at every lesson, that he almost put her off the lute for good. Fortunately for Dowland scholarship and lute playing generally, she made her own way. He sounded most unpleasant.

[John Wright]

MickyD, yes fascinating. Rob asking what is the music.
Typing on the label says
Dolmetsch Recording Test Record
Too Much Modulation. Descant peaks on top.
Recorded June 5th 1937, by L Ward, M. Fair, T. Bad.