Fedoseyev Glazunov Symphonies

[mathias broucek]

These recordings have legendary status but weren't released on CD, allegedly due to deterioration of the master tapes. They HAVE been available as cheapie MP3s.

Brilliant Classics are about to release them on CD for under a £10 from Amazon UK. Does anyone have any idea whether Brilliant have had acccess to decent source material? Are they even the same recordings (the back of the Brilliant box says the performances are live).

Thanks

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glazunov-Symphonies-Tchaikovsky-Moscow-Radio/dp/B00DUPU6PG/ref=pd_luc_sbs_01_01_t_lh?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[umslopogaas]

Neither The Rough Guide to Classical Music nor the 2010 Penguin Guide mention versions of Glazunov symphonies conducted by Fedoseyev. They appear to have been issued in USSR on the Melodiya label, then reissued in the UK by HMV in their ASD series under an arrangement HMV had with Melodiya. I have HMV issues of nos. 3 and 7 and Melodiya originals of nos. 5 and 6. As usual, its a long time since I played them, but I dont recall any problems with the sound: indeed, the sound quality on original Melodiya LPs is usually pretty good.

There is no indication on any of my LPs that they are live performances. It appears therefore that there may be more than one Fedoseyev cycle, with at least one live and one studio. But perhaps, if the masters of any of them have now degraded, it may be possible to retrieve the performances from the LPs?

[Dave2002]

Recovering these performances from LPs is a project I've been meaning to attempt for some while. I have some mp3s, and some CDs which I had sent from Japan. The claim that the CDs were taken from master tapes is probably true, but unfortunately about 40 years too late. I feel that the worst affected performance is of Symphony 5. I have managed to get some LPs, but I've not had time to start my project yet. My guess is that any CD made in the last decade from master tapes is bound to show up problems, and it's highly likely that the EMI/Melodiya LPs will sound better if played on good equipment. I would be interested to know how the Brilliant CDs sound.

It's possible the Brilliant issues aren't the same performances. It might be possible to check by looking at the dates on the LPs, which I can't do right now.

[umslopogaas]

Dave 2002, if you would like to borrow any of the four LPs listed in #2, just send a private message via the for3 administrators and I'm sure it can be arranged. I'm afraid I dont have the facilities to make a CD or tape for you (could once have made you a tape, but got rid of all that equipment when I changed to my current car, which doesnt play cassettes).

The disposal of the cassettes was rather amusing. They were mostly recordings of classical music, made by me from LPs so I could play them in the car. Having no further use for them, I put them in a box on the tea-room table at work with a note saying help yourselves. By the time tea-time arrived, they'd all gone. I remarked to our secretary what a high-toned bunch worked here, given that there was some fairly heavy stuff - the complete Solti 'Ring' for example. She rather deflated me by suggesting they'd only taken them so they could over-record them. So all my patiently recorded Wagner was probably replaced by Radio 1.

[mathias broucek]

It's possible the Brilliant issues aren't the same performances. It might be possible to check by looking at the dates on the LPs, which I can't do right now.

That'd be great as and when you can. Brilliant say that "their" recordings are from 1974-1982