So it turns out that the Japanese collection of Ormandy Sibelius recordings does feature the First Symphony. Listening to it now it sounds more like Tchaikovsky than Sibelius, but the playing is something to behold, however wrongheaded the Conducting.
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Which contains 2 1sts CBS from 1962 and RCA from 1978.Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View PostComment
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Just to confirm the two Stokowski recordings:
(1) Stokowski and his Symphony Orchestra (it was a specially assembled recording orchestra consisting of top New York players, mainly from the NBC Symphony and New York Philharmonic) recorded in 1950. It was issued initially on 78s but then transferred to LP on both the RCA and HMV labels. It was reissued on Cala CACD 0541 in 2005 and the booklet reproduces a letter from Sibelius to Stokowski, thanking him for his "wonderful recording of my First Symphony." The coupling is the Sibelius 2nd, recorded by Stokowski and the NBC Symphony in 1954 and also originally issued on the RCA and HMV LP labels.
(2) Stokowski recorded the 1st Symphony again in London in 1976 at the age of 94, coincidentally with another 'ad hoc' recording ensemble, the National Philharmonic, with first-desk players from the LSO, BBC SO, LPO, RPO, and Philharmonia, led by Sydney Sax. This has been out three times on CD: the aforementioned 'Great Conductors' 2-CD Stokowski set; a Sony 'Essential Classics' 2-CD set that also featured Sibelius recordings conducted by Bernstein and Ormandy; and in a 10-CD Sony set of all of Stokowski's 'Columbia Stereo Recordings.'
As far as I can make out, the above are still available so should be on the list!
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Many thanks, seabright.
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]Comment
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Am I right in thinking this is the EMI recording? (I don't think he recorded this with DG.....?)Originally posted by Beef Oven! View Post
Lenny Bernstein, VPO; Herbie von Karajan, BPO; Anthony Collins, LSO; Vlad Ashkenazy, Philharmonia. All
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Yes, I didn't bother to say EMI, because there is no DG recording.Originally posted by visualnickmos View PostComment
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I have Barbirolli(EMI, 1965), Ashkenazy(Decca), Sir Mark Elder and Paavo BerglundDon’t cry for me
I go where music was born
J S Bach 1685-1750Comment
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Just listened again to the first movement to see why I didn't like it and I still don't. The sound is all too smooth, warm and rich, almost cloyingly so and I prefer a sparer sound - more nordic?? Must find time to listen to the rest of it though.Originally posted by visualnickmos View PostComment
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#27 richardfinegold, the painting by Munch is "To halvfiguren ved stranden" and its in the Munch museum in Oslo, but alas, I cant translate it for you.Comment
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The later Stokie is part of a 2 CD collection that contains Ormandy's 2nd, various tone poems and my favorite recording of the VC, Francescatti/Bernstein . I listen to the VC quite a lot, and I usually play the collection in it's entirety, so I am quite familiar with the Stokie, which is excellent and brilliantly recorded. Thanks you for filling in my lacunae of knowledge about the composition of the National Philharmonic .Originally posted by seabright View PostJust to confirm the two Stokowski recordings:
(1) Stokowski and his Symphony Orchestra (it was a specially assembled recording orchestra consisting of top New York players, mainly from the NBC Symphony and New York Philharmonic) recorded in 1950. It was issued initially on 78s but then transferred to LP on both the RCA and HMV labels. It was reissued on Cala CACD 0541 in 2005 and the booklet reproduces a letter from Sibelius to Stokowski, thanking him for his "wonderful recording of my First Symphony." The coupling is the Sibelius 2nd, recorded by Stokowski and the NBC Symphony in 1954 and also originally issued on the RCA and HMV LP labels.
(2) Stokowski recorded the 1st Symphony again in London in 1976 at the age of 94, coincidentally with another 'ad hoc' recording ensemble, the National Philharmonic, with first-desk players from the LSO, BBC SO, LPO, RPO, and Philharmonia, led by Sydney Sax. This has been out three times on CD: the aforementioned 'Great Conductors' 2-CD Stokowski set; a Sony 'Essential Classics' 2-CD set that also featured Sibelius recordings conducted by Bernstein and Ormandy; and in a 10-CD Sony set of all of Stokowski's 'Columbia Stereo Recordings.'
As far as I can make out, the above are still available so should be on the list!
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...lbum_id=798189Comment
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The Davis/Boston set was my introduction both to the Sibelius Symphonies and to Munch. That was one advantage of Lps vs CDs (or streaming/downloads).Originally posted by umslopogaas View PostComment
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I was trying to work out the links Sibelius/Boston/Munch/LP sleeves - then put 2and2 together and came up with the wrong Munch - enough to make you scream!Originally posted by richardfinegold View PostComment
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No translation, but here is the picture.
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I have the Sony / Sibelius 2-CD set too and entirely agree about the superb Francescatti / Bernstein VC. Incidentally, I was half expecting the Sibelius discussion this morning to refer to the VC as recorded in 1934 by Heifetz and Stokowski, just reissued on Guild, but it didn't get a mention. For some reason, Heifetz refused to allow it to be issued at the time but the eventual lapse of copyright meant it is now in the public domain. However, it's a rather strange performance, so I'm not sure everyone will take to it! ...Originally posted by richardfinegold View Post
As to the National Philharmonic, another Cala CD on which they play music from "The Sleeping Beauty" mentions some of the first violinists sitting in the rank and file just behind Sydney Sax; namely Hugh Bean, John Georgiadis, Desmond Bradley, Bela Dekaney and Kenneth Sillito. The horn section was led by Alan Civil and the trumpets by John Wilbraham. Lots of other well-known names completed quite a starry line-up so Tchaikovsky's score gets a highly colourful performance! ...
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