[78-L] Question 1812 Overture

[Robert M. Bratcher Jr.]

That green label Columbia LP set of the Beethoven 9 symphonies I have is by 
Felix Weingartner with whatever orchestra he was conducting at the time. Why it 
was on green label instead of blue label was always a mystery to me. Oh & David 
since you know more about Columbia than I do can you tell me more about the 
Entre label? I have one in my collection (can't tell you offhand what the actual 
recording is as I'd have to go dig it up) that seems to sound fairly good 
similer to what the dark blue classical LP's sounded like. All I know is that it 
was a lower priced budget line of classical music. A quick Google search tells 
me that they came out in 1952 & sold for $2.95 each.




________________________________
From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Sat, April 2, 2011 4:32:50 PM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Question 1812 Overture

Columbia began recording 16-inch lacquers in late 1939, initially as safeties 
but before long as source material for 78 issues and later for lps. However, 
English and European Columbia didn't go near tape or 33rpm for a long time so 
those early Columbia LPs issued from England were dubbed from 78s, usually very 
poorly. Columbia eventually relegated these to their Entre label, unless the 
recordings were of historical importance (Szigeti, Weingartner et al). And yes, 
I've always felt that the 78 transfers sounded far superior and made a 
deliberate point of using them when I was doing reissues for Pearl and Dante. 
There are those who grew up with the early lps and preferred them. Note that 
echo was often added during the lp transfers. Note also that a lot of 
Columbia's early lps were dubbed direct from the lacquers, since they were 
working on the format well before 1948 and tape hadn't been introduced, so the 
engineers had to be pretty quick in accomplishing side joins LIVE. Nothing any 
competent radio operator of the 40s and 50s didn't know how to do in his sleep.

dl

On 4/2/2011 4:31 PM, Robert M. Bratcher Jr. wrote:
> Part of your horrible sound quality experience with LP's made by Varsity, 
>Royal,
> Plymouth&  other budget labels was the cheap low quality vinyl they all used
> plus the equilization wasn't RIAA but something else entirely. You have to
> remember that prior to 1955 many different recording curves were used such as
> AES&  others I can't think of at the moment. Most of those early curves don't
> sound great when played on a modern system. Columbia's LP curve for example 
has
> weak bass when played on RIAA.
>
> The first Columbia classical LP's came out around 1948 or 1949&  were all 
>dubbed
> from the 16 inch masters that the original 78's were made from or they may 
have
> been dubbed from the 78 rpm stampers. I don't have the exact answer on the
> dubbing sources for these. Even if you the have a preamp that is able to
> reproduce the LP curve I don't think those early Columbia LP's sound as good 
as
> the 78 RPM issues as I've managed to find a few 78 sets for some of my early
> dark blue label Columbia LP's&  the 78's sound better to my ears.
>
> Oh&  I've got a green label Columbia Beethoven set of the 9 symphonies that
> sounds ok however the dark blue label 78's (of the exact same recordings) 
sound
> much better.