[78-L] 75rpm v. 78rpm.

[Chris Zwarg]

At 23:16 04.11.2008, you wrote:
>Hi!
>
>I agree with all of this. When I get an early Russian or Italian 
>operatic record, I usually begin with 75 as a default speed setting. 
>I also have the strong feeling that France was using 75rpm even after 
>WW2. I have some post-war records of Piaf that I'm pretty sure should 
>play at 75rpm or thereabouts.

Quite true! As classical post-1945 French Columbias are very well settled at 78, you never know however if that's not early cases of "sharp" mastering, i.e. records *intended* to be played faster than they were recorded - a well-known nuisance among 1950's and 1960's pop 45s. The sound at 3 to 5 % sharp certainly has a better "cutting edge" which might have been an advantage on jukeboxes in noisy barrooms, but still the effect is unmusical to these ears especially with female voices (Brenda Lee and Connie Francis come to mind, some of whose titles play in-between keys at 45 and sound considerably less shrill and piercing if corrected to the next lower musical key). I habitually correct it (to the occasional dismay of some reissue producers who want the "authentic" sound on their CDs).

>To be fair to Edison, I've yet to play a Diamond Disc record that 
>didn't seem 'right' at 80rpm.

Although many of them are *very slightly* flat at the end (speed raises from about 79.7 to 80.2 or thereabouts), probably a result of a weight-driven lathe being used.

>American Columbias seemed generally to start out at 75 or 78 and only 
>go to 80 later, say after WW1, I've found.

Yes, after 1916 comes the "fastest" period for Columbias from several countries - both Slezak's 1917 Viennese recordings and John Coates' 1918 London session need about 86-87 rpm for score pitch and comfortable vocal timbre. Probably that's why Clara Butt apparently insisted of printing the keys on all her Columbia labels: At more conventional speeds she *really* sounds like a baritone!

Chris Zwarg