VPO The Orchestral Edition

[makropulos]

But not the stereo version alas - the idiots at Decca managed to "lose" the master tape....

Have always hoped it would turn up one day - for many years they "forgot" about the stereo master tape of the infamous Kna recording of Bruckner 5 (ed Schalk) and put out a version in fake stereo

Not "idiots at Decca" and not "lost". Specifically it was Arthur Haddy, Decca's Technical Director, who instructed that stereo tape should be destroyed (see note in the VPO box booklet). Haddy – an early proponent of LPs, and of stereo –was hardly somebody to have done a thing like that without good reason.

[mathias broucek]

I stand corrected with thanks to my fellow Janacek lover.

I read somewhere that Erich was unhappy with the balance of the horns (they're rather backwards). Perhaps that's why?

[Dave2002]

Not "idiots at Decca" and not "lost". Specifically it was Arthur Haddy, Decca's Technical Director, who instructed that stereo tape should be destroyed (see note in the VPO box booklet). Haddy – an early proponent of LPs, and of stereo –was hardly somebody to have done a thing like that without good reason.

Maybe, but why?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It wasn't just a rumour then.

[makropulos]

I stand corrected with thanks to my fellow Janacek lover.

I read somewhere that Erich was unhappy with the balance of the horns (they're rather backwards). Perhaps that's why?

That would certainly make sense. The details in the VPO booklet indicate that the whole release history of this record was odd. Apparently it was due to be released in 1956 as LXT 5064 but that wasn't issued (its announcement and non-appearance was reported in Gramophone in November 1956), so its first appearance was on Ace of Clubs in 1959.

[Barbirollians]

That would certainly make sense. The details in the VPO booklet indicate that the whole release history of this record was odd. Apparently it was due to be released in 1956 as LXT 5064 but that wasn't issued (its announcement and non-appearance was reported in Gramophone in November 1956), so its first appearance was on Ace of Clubs in 1959.

Odd though . Kleiber died in Jan 1956 so I suppose if he was not happy with it in 1956 they might have felt they should not release it but by 1959 ...

[Ferretfancy]

According to a note in the VPO box, the stereo tape of the Eroica was wiped at Arthur Haddy's direction. The recording had been made by Roy Wallace on the 11-14th April 1955 in the Grosse Saal of the Musikverein. Decca were never very happy with recording at that location, so perhaps there were technical problems. Kleiber's recording of Le Nozze di Figaro was made after a move to the Redoutensaal in the Hofburg, but in November 1955 recording began in the Sofiensaal.All this must have been quite a saga in searching for a hall with a good acoustic and large enough for the spectacular opera recordings that followed.