[78-L] Stravinsky Le Sacre Columbia Masterworks MM 417

David Lennick dlennick at sympatico.ca
Fri Apr 3 13:24:22 PDT 2009


I transferred both Le Sacre and the 1946 Firebird for Pearl about ten years 
ago, from 78s. ML 4882 is terrible, with everything squeezed onto two long 
sides and reverb added to boot. The 78s of Sacre are unusually dull transfers 
from the 16-inch lacquers but with a quiet pressing, good sound can be heard. 
I've never run across a tombstone LP of either recording.

The Bartok was from a CBS broadcast..not sure who'd have played on it unless 
they're identified on the Vox album.

dl

David Lewis wrote:
> David Hamilton wrote:
> 
>  
> 
> I don't know of a tombstone edition, but I have a copy of ML4882, which
> couples Stravinsky's 1940 NY Phil Sacre with the 1946 NY Phil Firebird Suite
> recording (omitting the "connecting interludes" unique to the so-called
> "Third Suite."
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks David for this -- I did not know of ML4882. That must be a very short
> 
> "Firebird Suite." This "Le Sacre" is ever so slightly condensed, with one tiny
> 
> transition snipped out and with the "Augurs" shortened a tad -- it runs 29:57
> 
> in my edit (the average is 33-36 minutes elsewhere). Also the band does not
> 
> wait out rests, and the tempo is pretty breakneck -- I understand Igor Fyordorovich
> 
> was running a 103 degree temperature that day. However, the sloppiness (and
> 
> otherness) of this performance is part of what makes it so exciting.
> 
>  
> 
> I guess this would have been the same percussion section that backed up Bela
> 
> Bartok on his and Ditta's recording of the Concerto for 2 pianos and percussion
> 
> just 3-4 years later. They didn't really have a good day with the Bartok, but they
> 
> are really quite "on" for Stravinsky.
> 
> 
> Uncle Dave Lewis uncledavelewis at hotmail.com
> 
> 




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