[78-L] Columbia classics

[Michael Biel]

From: samhopper at mail.com
> I totally disagree with your comments re: Columbia orchestra recordings.
> After writing 250 pages of my pet project - the Columbia Masterworks 78
> rpm discography and having listened to hundreds of Col. recordings -
> I can say that there are countless excellent electrical recordings
> released by Columbia of US orchestras!  http://masterworks.gramophile.com/

And that discography is coming along great.  I will be providing
additional info and photos in a little while.  I have 4 or 5 of the
first dozen of the acoustical albums.  And yesterday I finally got a
chance to see and photograph the Kosty-Godfrey Peter and the Wolf MM
1034.  Didn't get to listen to them to compare with the LPs.  I think
these past two weeks I have solidified my worldwide reputation as that
guy who comes to sound archives to look at the records instead of
listening to them.  

From: DAVID BURNHAM <burnhamd at rogers.com>
>> When Sony issued the Mitropolous recording of Mahler's 1st Symphony
>> and some Bruno Walter recordings by NYPO, they proved there was a
>> lot more quality tucked away in the master grooves than was ever
>> evident on the issued 78s.

I think these were reprocessed by Seth Winner, and he gave an ARSC
presentation about these.  Considering playback equipment in the 40s was
not anything at all like we now have, it is obvious that the dubbed 78s
can not compare.  It has been my experience that the sound quality of
different transfers to the 78s can sound vastly different.  I noticed
that many decades ago when comparing two copies of one of the Rathbone
dramas, and this has led me to check every alternate copy I've come
across to see if the numbers are different.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com