[78-L] columbia classical

[DAVID BURNHAM]

I still stand by what I said earlier - there are countless recordings made by columbia on 78 that are very well recorded. 


Here are a few more examples and some food for thought...


Set M-136 - Time Magazine, 1930: "An excellent recording"
Set M-314 - ?...Technically and artistically these are records of which Columbia may well be proud, an album set that will honor any collection...? Gramophone Supplement 
Set M-319 - ?...luscious, richly recorded version...? Gramophone Supplement 1938
Set M-330 - ?...matchless recording...? Gramophone Supplement 1938
Set M-338 -  ??vitality and fullness of the sound...?
Set M-336 - ??remarkably full-sounding recording...?
Set M-372 - ?...Crystal clear recording and beautifully clean playing make this set one of the most rewarding in the Columbia catalogue...? Gramophone Supplement 1944
Set M-400 - ?...The recording is beyond reproach...? Gramophone Supplement 1944
Set M-429 - ?...The recording is breathtaking in its clarity and realism, and the performance is without equal...? Gramophone Supplement 1945
Set M-448 - ??Very good reproduction of the instrumental sound...?
Set M-467 - ?...Though there are deficiencies in the performance of this quartet, notably a too-sensuous tone, the recording is remarkable for its clarity and balance...? Gramophone Supplement 1945
Set M-496 - To the best of our recollection there has been no recording in recent years where two such fine artists play this sonata at the top of their form, nor do we believe there has been a recording in recent years which shows such technical excellence. We can assure the reader that this will be one of the most popular albums in his library.? April Records; April 1942
Set M-500 - ?...extraordinarily brilliant job of recording? one of the major gamophonic achievements of a major Beethoven work...? Gramophone Supplement 1945
Set M-551 - ??The recording is resonant and clear, with an excellent balance being maintained between the piano and cello. The recording of a modern composition cannot be praised too highly...?
Set M-562 - ?...The recording is bright and open, and the singers voices emerge with clarity and realism...? Gramophone Supplement 1945
Set M-657 - ?? Zigeunerweisen is vibrantly and brilliantly recorded...? 
Set M-326 - ?...The recording is beyond reproach. In fact, it is one of the best piano recordings in the entire Columbia catalogue...?



And the list goes on... and on... and on. I got tired writing!
Rock on Columbia!


SAM

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I do not have the resources to find out what recordings all of these reviews refer to.  But don't forget, the vast majority Columbia's classical recordings in the 20s and 30s were from British and European sources and there's a world of difference between the sounds on these recordings and the American recordings.  Also, as David Lennick has pointed out many times, wartime and postwar classical recordings from both Victor and Columbia were harsh and wooden sounding.  Perhaps the engineers had lost their touch during the long Petrillo strike or maybe the old engineers had moved on to other vocations and there was a new batch of engineers after the strike who weren't really up to speed yet.  Also, as dl pointed out, the recording characteristics from each company were kept a secret and one company's records didn't sound their best on the other company's playback equipment.  I mentioned earlier that an American recording from the 40s or the late
 30s would sound stridently brilliant on a British gramophone, well I don't know how aware David Hall was of the different recording characteristics, he often comments that British and European recordings sound muddy compared to their American counterparts, which, of course, they would if one isn't taking the recording curves into consideration, (and this is no disrespect for David Hall, I have a profound admiration for DH and as I read his 1947 record book - the most recent one I have - I'm always amazed at how ahead of his time he was.  He already forsaw the arrival of stereo and he constantly shows an appreciation for period performance 10 to 15 years before anyone else did.).

Another observation about David Hall and his feelings towards domestic Columbia recordings.  When he was commenting on recordings by Stokowski's All-American Youth Orchestra, he is always, commendably, very gentle if he has any criticism about the performance, (and usually blames the conductor if there's a problem).  This was obviously a brilliant assembly of young musicians and I'm sure if I could see a list of players, I would recognize many names who went on to very successful careers.  But when it came to the recordings themselves, he dropped his restraint and roundly criticized  the poor quality with which they were recorded.  When I was a child, the only recording I knew of the Pathetique Symphony was by this group.  David Hall's comments about this recording, comparing it to the same conductor's recording with the Hollywood Bowl, (Victor): 

"Both Stokowski readings are individualistic, to say the least, but the Hollywood Bowl Symphony is at least richly recorded as compared with the muffled and ill-balanced sounds that emerge from the All-American Orchestra discs."

Once again, when I heard another recording of this work in the 50s, (this time it was Hermann Abendroth with the  Music Treasures of the World orchestra, whoever they were), I was overwhelmed by the improvement in sound.

db