[78-L] Scriabin

[DAVID BURNHAM]

I've just been listening to the Stokowski versions of Scriabin's "Poem of Ecstasy" and "Prometheus", recorded in 1932.  Each of the sides except the last side of each selection ends abruptly, as if they did a hot swap while the orchestra continued playing - like many Toscanini sets.  Does anyone know if these were live recordings or were they played without stopping for the 33 1/3 rpm transcriptions or was this a Stokowski idea that preceded the fade-out/fade-in stage that he employed for sets like Tchaikovsky 5th and Nutcracker?  Each side begins with a metallic spring switch noise before the music starts.  This seems like strange repertoire to be recording when the record business had hit rock bottom and these sets couldn't hope to sell well.

db