Melodiya LPs

[teamsaint]

Hi all

I fancy, on a bit of a whim to be honest, buying a few Melodiya Vinyl LPs.
I was thinking of Russian music, of the slightly less well known sort, ie not Tchaik, Prokofiev etc, although I 'm not too fussy at the right price .

Ebay and amazon turn up a few at around £10 , and some at much higher prices.

Does anybody know of a good reliable source for such things?

And as a supplementary, does anybody have news of how the digitisation of the Melodiya catalogue is going?

Thanks
TS

[umslopogaas]

During the years I collected LPs (which ceased about seven years ago when I moved away from my old sources) I bought quite a lot of Melodiyas.

HMV had a tie-up with Melodiya to issue some of their catalogue in their ASD series: these were labelled on the sleeves as such. Generally, I think the Russian originals sounded better, though the HMVs had better quality sleeves, the Russian ones were rather fragile. However, the Russian vinyl was very good quality.

The Melodiya coding system was very complicated and pretty much incomprehensible, to me at any rate.

I bought mine mostly from two sources: Ben's Records in Tunsgate, Guildford (Ben Darnton) and Fine Records of George Street, Hove (Julian Pelling). Both were still going strong when I last contacted them, which would have been within the last year or so. These shops of course only stock second-hand vinyl, so they dont actually stock Melodiya, they just sometimes have some if there were any in second-hand collections they acquired.

My best ever Melodiya was the original issue of Shostakovich's 15th symphony, cover picture a head shot of the composer looking suitably gloomy, and ... signed by the composer, in biro, on the front cover. The dealer I bought it from, for a song, must have thought it was part of the art work, but it isnt. I know DS came to the UK at the time that LP was issued, just before he died, and presumably signed copies for some lucky owners.

[umslopogaas]

During the years I collected LPs (which ceased about seven years ago when I moved away from my old sources) I bought quite a lot of Melodiyas.

HMV had a tie-up with Melodiya to issue some of their catalogue in their ASD series: these were labelled on the sleeves as such. Generally, I think the Russian originals sounded better, though the HMVs had better quality sleeves, the Russian ones were rather fragile. However, the Russian vinyl was very good quality.

The Melodiya coding system was very complicated and pretty much incomprehensible, to me at any rate.

I bought mine mostly from two sources: Ben's Records in Tunsgate, Guildford (Ben Darnton) and Fine Records of George Street, Hove (Julian Pelling). Both were still going strong when I last contacted them, which would have been within the last year or so. These shops of course only stock second-hand vinyl, so they dont actually stock Melodiya, they just sometimes have some if there were any in second-hand collections they acquired.

My best ever Melodiya was the original issue of Shostakovich's 15th symphony, cover picture a head shot of the composer looking suitably gloomy, and ... signed by the composer, in biro, on the front cover. The dealer I bought it from, for a song, must have thought it was part of the art work, but it isnt. I know DS came to the UK at the time that LP was issued, just before he died, and presumably signed copies for some lucky owners.

[umslopogaas]

Sorry, my computer seems to have the hiccups.

[Pabmusic]

If you do not yet have the two Kalinnikov symphonies, rectify it. Svetlanov made good Melodiya recordings.

[Ferretfancy]

I still have quite a few Melody LPs, including Maxim Shostakovich's performance of his father;s 15th, and the splendid Kondrashin version of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances. Sadly, I only have the Kallinikov No. 1.
Those LPs have a very characteristic sound, spacious and reverberant, but with a very bright top. This gives a haunting effect at the very end of the Shostakovich 15, I don't know of a better performance. The same acoustic gives a wonderful 'empty dance hall' effect to the saxophone solo in the Rachmaninov -odd but appropriate.
I sometimes think that it's easy to overlook the effect that recording acoustic can make to our enjoyment of a performance.

[Dave2002]

The comment about the Melodiya pressings being better than the HMV/EMI ones is interesting. Some of the EMI ones were, I thought, very good - though maybe it's the rose tinted ears phenomenon - and some, such as the Glazunov symphonies conducted by Fedoseyev, which are now available on CD have been remastered from tapes which have deteriorated with age, so it may be that the Russian Melodiya pressings of those would give better results. Maybe I will try to get one or two of the Melodiya verions, for comparison.

I think some Russian recordings issued on CD sound dull, or worse.

I recall that a few of Svetlanov's LPs were very good. I can't remember exactly which ones - possibly Shostakovich 10, Rachmaninov 1, Prokofiev 5 - if he recorded those.

[CallMePaul]

I have a Tchaikovsky rarity - Orleanskaya Dyevcha (The Maid of Orléans) conducted by Rozhdestvensky with Irina Arkhipova in the title role, on a 4-LP HMV/Melodiya box set - SLS852. Unfortunately the LPs are marred by some bizarre side-breaks in the middle of set pieces. The opera has never been transferred to CD - I suspect that Warner does not own the copyright - and I am not aware of any other recording of the complete opera. Either of the set-pieces for Joan of Arc - nos 5 and 15 - would make a fine set-piece for a dramatic mezzo or even a contralto - yet few if any from outside Russia have attempted them and may not even be aware of their existence. I accept that staging a complete performance would be unrealistic for most opera companies and I believe that even Valery Gergiev has not conducted it at the Maryiinsky Theatre (he has conducted almost everything worthwhile in the Russian repertoire and plenty that is not worthwhile as well). Given this, why is there no CD release of what is available, with fine conducting, a great mezzo in the title role and some more than decent singers in supporting parts?

[Bryn]

I have a Tchaikovsky rarity - Orleanskaya Dyevcha (The Maid of Orléans) conducted by Rozhdestvensky with Irina Arkhipova in the title role, on a 4-LP HMV/Melodiya box set - SLS852. Unfortunately the LPs are marred by some bizarre side-breaks in the middle of set pieces. The opera has never been transferred to CD - I suspect that Warner does not own the copyright - and I am not aware of any other recording of the complete opera. Either of the set-pieces for Joan of Arc - nos 5 and 15 - would make a fine set-piece for a dramatic mezzo or even a contralto - yet few if any from outside Russia have attempted them and may not even be aware of their existence. I accept that staging a complete performance would be unrealistic for most opera companies and I believe that even Valery Gergiev has not conducted it at the Maryiinsky Theatre (he has conducted almost everything worthwhile in the Russian repertoire and plenty that is not worthwhile as well). Given this, why is there no CD release of what is available, with fine conducting, a great mezzo in the title role and some more than decent singers in supporting parts?

Could this be it?



The soloists are not all named, but the recording is said to have been made in 1969.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have a Tchaikovsky rarity - Orleanskaya Dyevcha (The Maid of Orléans) conducted by Rozhdestvensky with Irina Arkhipova in the title role, on a 4-LP HMV/Melodiya box set - SLS852. Unfortunately the LPs are marred by some bizarre side-breaks in the middle of set pieces. The opera has never been transferred to CD - I suspect that Warner does not own the copyright - and I am not aware of any other recording of the complete opera. Either of the set-pieces for Joan of Arc - nos 5 and 15 - would make a fine set-piece for a dramatic mezzo or even a contralto - yet few if any from outside Russia have attempted them and may not even be aware of their existence. I accept that staging a complete performance would be unrealistic for most opera companies and I believe that even Valery Gergiev has not conducted it at the Maryiinsky Theatre (he has conducted almost everything worthwhile in the Russian repertoire and plenty that is not worthwhile as well). Given this, why is there no CD release of what is available, with fine conducting, a great mezzo in the title role and some more than decent singers in supporting parts?

This is a stunning performance of one of my favourite operas, and the recorded sound is slightly less bad than the Melodiya norm.
There is a CD version, released relatively recently and I have it (as well as the LP set).

[CallMePaul]

Could this[/URL] be it?

I think it may well be, although the date in the LP booklet is 1971 not 1969. I agree with the website reviewer about the baritones, especially Vladimir Valaitis (who had a distinguished international career; Sergei Yavkovenko is less well-known), but I am very surprised that he/she does not mention Irina Arkhipova, one of the greatest mezzos of her generation and on good form! It is good to see these Melodiya recordings being reissued, especially when there is little chance of a new one!

[LeMartinPecheur]

...I am very surprised that he/she does not mention Irina Arkhipova, one of the greatest mezzos of her generation and on good form!

I give Arkhipova a very favourable mention on the BaL Mussorgsky Songs and Dances of Death 17/05/14 thread, and a plug for her cover artwork

[Don Petter]

The comment about the Melodiya pressings being better than the HMV/EMI ones is interesting. Some of the EMI ones were, I thought, very good - though maybe it's the rose tinted ears phenomenon - and some, such as the Glazunov symphonies conducted by Fedoseyev, which are now available on CD have been remastered from tapes which have deteriorated with age, so it may be that the Russian Melodiya pressings of those would give better results. Maybe I will try to get one or two of the Melodiya verions, for comparison.

I think some Russian recordings issued on CD sound dull, or worse.

I'm just listening to one of two Melodiya CDs I picked up recently in charity shops. (Shostakovich Symphony 5, c/w Symphony 3 - Kondrashin. The other is Symphony 4 - Kondrashin.)

It sounds pretty good to me.

Amazon vendors seem to be asking rather high prices for this series, and the box set is currently £90, so I'll plan to keep an eye out for more from the charities!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have the full Shostakovitch Symphonies box. When I ordered it, it was for a box of the composer's first 15 symphonies. By the time it arrived, the composer had died, and it became (unintentionally) the first recording of the complete set.

[Don Petter]

I have the full Shostakovitch Symphonies box. When I ordered it, it was for a box of the composer's first 15 symphonies. By the time it arrived, the composer had died, and it became (unintentionally) the first recording of the complete set.

I gather the box has some other works as well as the symphonies. The individual CDs suggest a total of 10, rather than 11, for the latter?