[78-L] test pressing query

[fnarf at comcast.net]

Are these possibly LPs, not 78s? The matrices look suspiciously like 1950s LPs. "XLP" is a Columbia "extended long player" prefix. The Budapest Quartet (there was a famous quartet called that) recorded for Columbia late in their career, in the 50s and 60s (according to Wikipedia). They were on Victor before that (from 1917).


--
Steve.

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Donna Halper <dlh at donnahalper.com>
> This is not my area of expertise, so perhaps somebody on the list can 
> advise.  A friend of mine found a big album of 78s at a flea market-- 
> he didn't know what they were (I mean, he knew what 78s are, but as 
> you will see, this confused us both) and was curious about several things.
> 
> First, the album contains about 18 records, all of which say "TEST 
> PRESSING, Columbia Recording Corporation."  Some have greenish-blue 
> labels, some have white labels.  None identifies the artists, but all 
> say "Budapest" on the label.  A couple of the matrix numbers:  XLP 
> 8021-16, and the label reads "Beethoven Q'tet, Budapest." Another 
> reads XLP 9774-!E, and another reads XLP 8020-16.  Some have the 
> words "Op. 18" on them (I assume that's Opus).  Later in the 
> collection of test pressings, it sames "Brahms" rather than Beethoven 
> but still says "Budapest" and "q'tet" on all of them.
> 
> When might these have been recorded and by whom?  And typically, who 
> would have received this heavy album of 18 test pressings-- 
> reviewers?  Concert promoters?  I doubt they would have been sold to 
> the general public with no name of the group, would they have?   
> 
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