A Record Library

Dear Friends,

I want to post this up because this is not an accidental assemblage, but the result of half a lifetime's refining and experimenting. Not everything I retain is an obvious recomendation, and soem things are perhaps a bit dubious as examples of the record engineer's art, but there is not one thing here not worth noting from the musical standpoint.

Unfortunately it is a huge opperation, but Bach is the biggest, followed by Beethoven and Haydn. I shall endevour to finish the job over the weekend!

I am wrecked with a pulled muscle in my back so I thought I would start this. It is from memory, so there may be gaps, and the only references to the records is to make sure opus and catalogue (editor's numbers are right)

All the best from Fredrik

Missed from JS Bach

Mass In B Minor:

- Leonhardt
- Richter

Art Of Fugue:

- D Morrony - Harpsichord

WF Bach

Concerto for two Harpsichords in F Ton Koopman and Tina Mathot

Beethoven

Symphony No 1 in C:

- BPO, Furtwangler, live, 1954
- VPO, Furtwangler, live, 1952
- VPO , Furtwangler, HMV Studio, 1952

Symphony No 2 in D:

Philharmonia, Klemperer, EMI studio, 1958 or 59

Eroica symphony, in E Flat:

- VPO, Furtwangler, live in 1944,
- VPO, Erich Kleiber, Decca Studio in 1954?
- Phhilharmoinia, Klemperer, EMI Studio, later recording.
- BPO, Furtwangler in 1950, and in 1952.

Fourth Symphony in B Flat:

- Philharmonia, Klemperer, EMI Studio in 1958
- VPO, Furtwangler, live in Munich in 1952
- VPO, Furtwangler, HMV Studio in 1952

Fifth Symphony in C Minor:

- BPO, Furtwangler live in 1943, and in 1954 (also live in Paris in 1954).
- Concertgebow, Erich Kleiber, Decca studio in 1954?
- Philharmonia, Klemperer EMI Studio, 1954
- VPO, Klemperer live in 1968 or 69.

Pastoral Symphony in F:

- Philharmonia, Klemperer, EMI Studio in 1958
- Concertgebeow, Erich Kleiber, Decca Studio in 1954?
- BPO, Furtwangler, live in 1944, and 1954

Seventh Symphony in A:

- Philharmonia, Klemperer, EMI Studio in 1954 or 55
- Philharmonia, van Beinum, live in RFH in 1958 or 59.
- BPO, Furtwangler, live in 1943 and in 1953
- VPO, Furtwangler, HMV Studio, 1950
- VPO, Furtwangler, live at Salzburg in 1954
- Stockholm Phil, Furtwangler, live in 1948

Eighth Symphony in F:

- BPO, Furtwangler, live in 1953
- VPO, Furtwangler, live at Salzburg in 1954
- Stockholm Phil, Furtwangler, live in 1948

Choral Symphony:

- Philharmonia, Klemperer, live in 1958 and 1961
- Philharmonia, Klemperer, EMI Studio, 1958.
- Philharmonia, Furtwangler, live at Lucerne in 1954
- Stockholm Forenings Orkester, Furtwangler live in 1943
- VPO, Furtwangler, live in 1953 (?)
- BPO, Furtwangler, live in London in 1937.

Missa Solemnis:

Klemperer, twice for Vox in Vienna and the EMI set

Theatre Music:

- Egmont, complete, VPO, Szell
- Overture, two songs and Funeral March, Nilsson, Klemperer
- King stephen Incidental Music. Hugarian forces on Hungaraton.

Overtures.:

- Klempere's set
- Coliolan, twice from Furtwangler

Piano Concertos:

- Schnabel, LSO/ LPO, Sargent 1932-35
- Serkin, live in Italy in the late 50s, orchestra unknown, but this is very fine.
- Emperor, Curzon, VPO, Knappertsbusch
- Emperor, Edwin fischer with the Philharmonia under furtwangler
- Third and Fourth, Fischer with the Philharmonia (directing as well)
- Dame Myra Hess, LPO, Boult, live at a Prom in 1960.
- No 1, Geza Anda, Philharmonia, Galliera

Violin Concerto and Romances

- Menuhin, live in 1947 with the BPO, in 1947 an EMI Studio with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and with the Phlharmonia in London in 1953, all accompanied by Furtwangler.
- Erich Rohn, BPO, Furtwangler live in 1944
- Josef uk, Philharmonia, Boult EMI Studio, late 60s.
- Romances played by Menuhin in 1953 and Oistrack in 1962.

Piano sonatas:

- Complete plus The Diabelli Variation several sets of Bagatelles, and other things. Artur Schnabel
- Late Sonatas, Nos 27 to 32, Solomon.
- No 9, No 23, and 31 played by Edwin fischer. I esed to have another, but it has gone!

Violin Sonatas:

- Haskil/ Grumiaux

Cello Sonatas:

Fournier/ Schnabel

String Quartets:

- Vegh (complete)
- Busch Quartet in the EMI and US Columbia series.. [which I must have loaned a fortnight ago and have dissappeared!]
- Opus 18 No4 in C Minor, Ous 74 [No.10 in the Cannon], and Opus 131 [14], Rose Quartet.

Fidelio:

- Salzburg live in 1950. Flagstad, Patzak,, and so on with the VPO under Furtwangler

Borge:

Victor Borge at The Palladium!

Bizet

Symphony in C, Beecham (Also a private recording).

Carmen and Arlesinenne Music, Beecham

Brahms

Symphonies:

- LPO, Boult, Pye Studio in 1954
- LSO/ LPO, Weingartner, EMI Studios between 1938 and 1941
- Philharmonia, Klemperer, EMI
- BPO/ VPO, Furtwangler, EMI release os Radio Tapes from 1948 to 1952
- Philharmonia, Toscanin, live in the RFH in1952 ish.
- BPO, Furtwangler in Nos 1 and 3 from 52 and 53.

Piano Concerto in D Minor:

- Solomon
- Curzon

:Piano concerto in B Flat:

- Edwin Fischer
- Solomon

Violin Concerto:

- Oistrack for DG in 1954
- Oistrack in about 1960 for EMI with Klemperer

Double Concerto:

- Suk, Navarra, Czech Phil, K Ancerl
- Boskowsky/ Brabec, VPO, Furtwangler, live in 1952
- Schneiderhan/ Starker, RIAS Orchestra, Fricsay

Requiem:

- Klemperer for EMI
- Furtwangler live in 1948 with nice unknown (nowadays) Soloists, and Stockholm.Phil. [terrible recording].

Clarinet Qunitet,

- Reginald Kell twice, with the Busch Quartet in 1937, and with the Fine arts Quartet [US based] in about 1960.

Horn Trio:- Abrey Brain, Adolf busch and Rudolf Serkin, on EMI

String Quartet in C Minor:- Busch Quartet

Vioin Sonatas:- Giaconda de Vito/ Edwin Fischer

Bruckner

Sympony No 4: Jockum, BPO, DG Studio, and Dreden state Orch, under Boehm, EMI Studio, 1935

Fifth:

- BPO and VPO, Furtwangler, in 1942 and 1951, both live
- Dresden state Orchestra, Boehm, EMI Studio, 1936.

Sixth: Fragments only and not worth mentioning.

Seventh:

- VPO, Knappertsbusch, 1949, live.
- Dresden State, Boehm, live from 1940s.
- BPO, Furtwangler, 1949 live, issued by EMI

:Eighth:- VPO Furtwangler 1944, and BPO, furtwangler 1949, both live

Ninth:

- Columbia Symhpony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
- BPO, Furtwangler, live in 1943

Corelli

12 Grand Concertos, opus 6 - Pinnock

Couperin

- Eighth Odre and Third and Fourth Concerts from Les Concerts Royaux - Laurence Cummings - Hapsichord and Reiko Ichise - Gamba.
- Second Quartet for two Harpsichords, and Les Nations - Imperereale - Koopman and Mathot

Dvorak

Sympny Number Six Seven and Eight in the series made for HMV by the Czech Phil in London, under Vaclav talich

New World Symphony, with hte same artists for Supraphon in 1949. This is the better of two they made within a year, the second being on tape, but both artistically and technically the 78 set wins. The best I know in the music.

Cello Concerto

- Fournier, Philharmonia,, Kubelic
- Navarra, National symphony Orchestra, Schwarz
- Rostropovich, Czech Phil, Talcih
- Rostropovich, RPO, Boult

Violin Concderto:- Josef Suk, Czech Phil, K Ancerl

Piano Quntet:

- Schnabel, Pro Arte Quartet
- Serkin, Busch Quartet

Missing from Bach

Cello Suites:- Fournier

.....Is there anybody out there.....

Let me finish it Bob! I am nearly half way! Fredrik

Blimey Fredrik, hope you've got this lot insured!

Elgar

Firstly the big EMI issue from 1994 of the complete (surviving) Electricl Recording of Elgar himself between 1926 and 1934.

Symphony Number One in A Flat:

- LPO, Boult, HMV,Studio, 1949
- BBC Philharmonic, George Hurst Naxos Studio in 1992

Second symphony in E Flat

- BBC SO, Boult, HMV Studio at Bedford in 1944
- BBC Philharmonic, Edward Downes, Naxos studio in about 1992, and also live from a Prom in about 1988!

Elgar/ Payne: Symphony No 3, Bournemouth, Daniel {Not a very good idea].

Violin Concerto:

- Sammons, New queen's Hall Orchestra, Henry Wood, Columbia studio in 1929

Cello Concerto:

- Andre Navarra, Halle, Barbirolli
- Tortellier, BBC SO, Sargent, HMV Studio in 1954.
- Anthony Pini, LPO, van Beinum, Decca studio 1950

Enigam Variations: LPO,Boult, HMV Studio 1953

Falstaff:

- LPO, Boult, HMV Studio, 1950
- Natinal Youth Orchestra, Christopher seaman, IMP Studio in about 1986. Brilliant
- LPO, Boult HMV Studio in 1960s

Saguine Fan and Other Shorts: LPO, Boult, HMV Studio, 1960s

Concert Overtures:

- In The South, and Froissart, LPO, BOult, 1953
- Cockaine, LPO, van Beinum, Decca Studio 1949/50

Violin Sonata:

Sammons Murdoch, Columbia studio in 1935

Dream Of Gerontius:
- H Nash an co, Sargent and the Huddersfield Chorus, with the Liverpool Phil in April 1945 for EMII
- Gedda, Boult Philharmonia, in HMV Studio, 1976.

Faure

Requiem:- Rutter

Greig

Symphony: - N Jarvi, Gothenberg for DG

Piano Concerto: - Solomon, Philharmonia, Menges

Piano Sonata and Lyric Pieces: A lovely record I can't find, but I'd never loan it so it must be about.from a senior Norwegain pianist- pupil of Schnabel - recorded by the Norwegian Culture Council

Flgstad sings Greig and Scandinavian Melodie, MHV Studio, 1919 to 1948. Great Recordings Of The Century issue

Peer Gynt: - Beecham

Holberg Suite (String Version), Norwegian chamber Orchestra twice. In 1979 with the beautiful but small complete string music on BIS, and live at the 1985 Edinbourgh fstival with Iona Brown. (Also several pribvate recordings)

Handel

Messiah: Pinnock

Concerti Grossi opus Three: Pinnock

Concerti Grossi, opus Twelve:

- Busch chamber Player, US Columbia studio in 1946
- Pinnock
- No 11 and 12 Bath festival Orchestra, Menuhin.

Water Music:

- Pinnock
- Menuhin, Bath festival Orchestra

Okay, I give up for now, but let me finish it tomorrow, before we start discussing anything, or else it will loose its shape. Please!



Please.

All the best from Fredrik

So no Happy Mondays then?

Add to Greig

Piano sonata in E Minor etc: - Rbert Riefling - piano.

Haydn

Paris Symphonies: Austro-Hugarian Haydn Orchestra Adam Fischer [nos 82-87]

88 in G:

- BPO, Furtwangler, DG Studio in about 1950
- Adam Fischer as abovewith the symphonies throught to 92 [this is a great and unsung patch!].

London Symphonies [93 to 104]:

- Concertgebeouw, Davis, for Philips
- RPO, Beecham, for EMI
- Adam Fischer as above

Symphony Number 104 in D, The London, Edwin Fischer Chamber Orchestra. amazing!

Trumpet concerto: Edvard oOe Antonsen, ECO, Tate, A nice bunch of concertos by Hummel, Tartini, and others, this is also the finest version of the Haydn I have come across.

Oboe Concerto in C Major; - Evelyn Rothwell [Lady Barbirolli], Halle orch, Sir John B. This is part of a bouquet of concertos, which are the most wonderful music making. Others represented include Coreli, Pergolesi, Cimarosa, and Marcello. The highlights are the Marcello (which I have in Bach's arrangement played by Fischer in the Adagio alone]. These were re-released by Dutton.

Three Violin Concertos: - Standage, Pinnock

Cello Concertos in D and C: - Truls Mork, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Iona Brown
- In D: - Fournier, Lucerne strings under Baumgartner
- In C: - Milos Sadlo, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Alois Klima

Piano sonatas; John McCabe, for Decca

String quartets:

- Sis quartetes opus 33, Six, opus 71/74, Six opus 76, Two opus 77, and Last Seven Words From The Cross: Tatrai Quartet. on Hungaraton
- 27 Quartetes (plus two by Hoffstetter!}, including all the really big late works: - Pro Arte Quartet HMV 1930s Studio.
- Two quartetes opus 77 and two fragments opus 103: Moaiques Quartet.

Seasons: Colin Davis

Creation, in English.
- BBC forces.
- Hogwood

Almost all the Masses in performances by George Guest.

Janacek:

Sinfonietta and Four Preludes: Pro Arte Orchrestra, Mackerras

Massanet

Meditaton From Thais: - Albert Sammons and Gerald Moore, violin and piano, English columbia Studio 1928. This is part of a recital that takes in the Sinfonia Concertante of Mozart with Tertis and the Elgar Sonata. These three pieces represent the high point of this new Naxos issue.

Mozart

Symphonies:

Very early Ones; Prague Chamber Orchestra, Mackerras Magic stuff!
25, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38 to 41: - Philharmonia, Klemperer with such rarities as the Masonic Funeral Music.
35, 36, 38 to 41: - BPO, Boehm
35, 36, 38, 39, and 41: - VPO Kubelic, HMV Studio
39 in E Flat, BPO, Furtwangler live in 1943
40 in G Minor, Vienna Phil, furtwangler, HMV Studio 1947/8

Piano Concertos:

No 9 in E Flat, and 23 in A , Haskil, VSO, Paul Sacher, Also Haskil and Otto Ackermann, live in the 1950s in No 9
No 6, 17 and 21, Geza Anda, Cam Ac des Salzburger Moozarteums
No 14 in E Flat, R serkin, Busch Chamber Players
Nos 19 and 27, Haskil, Fricays with the BPO and Bavarian radio Orchestras.
No 20 and No 13, Haskil, with Fricsay and Baugmgartner
No 27 with the Koln Guezenich Orchestra and Otto Klemperer, live performance
Nos 20 and 24, Haskil, Lamoureux Orchestra, Markevitch
No 23 and No 24, Solomon, Philharmonia
No22 and No 25, Brendel, Vienna Orchestras, Paul Angerer. {on Vox, now owned by IMP].

Violin Concertos: Grumiaux, LSO, Davis
3, 4 and 5, Szymon goldberg, Philharmonia, Walter Susskind

Horn concertos:

- Civil, Philharmonia, Klemperer
- Brain, Philharmonia, Karajan

Adagio and Fugue for Strings:

Busch Chamber Players, EMI Studio in 1938
Klemperer and the Philharmonia, EMI Studio in 1955

Mass In C Minor, Gardiner

Requiem:

- Vienna State Opera Soloists, VPO, Bruno Walter
- Vienna Boys Choir, Men of Saint stephen's cathedral, VSO, Hans Gillesberger. Plus some nice extras, including a wonderful reading of Haydn's gloriously sunlight Te deum.

Solemne Vesperes di Confessore, H Rilling

Don giovanni:

- 1950 at salzburg, Soloists of the VSOC, VPO, Furtwangler
- 1954, new production as above
- Glyndbourne festrival production under Fritz Busch 1936

Cosi Fan Tutti, 1935 in Glyndbourne, as above

Marriage Of Figaro:

- Salzburg performance, from 1953
- 1955, Glyndbourne production under Vittorio Gui..

Magic Flute, 1951 salzburg recording, as above.

A handful of Piano Sonatas played by Haskil and Edwin Fischer.

Mendelsohnn

Italian symphony: Guido Cantelli, Philharmonia

Elijah: sargent, Heddersfield choir, and Harold Williams as Elijah. Columbia from 1948.

Oktete: Members of the VPO,led by Willi Boskowsky. Coupled with Beethoven's Septet not mentioned earlier [Doh!].

Rachmaninov

Second Piano Concerto and Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Moiseievich, Philharmonia, Hugo Rignold, HMV late fifties.

Symphonic Dances, Private recording.

Sibelius

Symphonies:

- Barbirolli, and the Halle, with such things as the Korelia suite, and Finlandia.
- Anthony Collins and the LSO,which cycle was done for Decca between about 1952 and 55
- 1, 2, 3, and 5. Kajanus, who was recomended by Sibelius to make these pioneering and still wonderful recordings. Also contains Tapiola, whicxh is still unsurpased, and other splendid rarities.
- 4, 6 and 7. LPO and RPO under Beecham.

Violin Concerto:

- Heifetz, LPO Beecham. EMI Studio pre 1939.

Viennese Strauss Family

150th Vienna Phil Anniversary set of Walzes, Polkas etc. La Creme de la creme, of the histrory of this bands association with the Dance Kings of the World!

New Year's Day Concerts from 1979 [Boskowskys finale effort] and 1989, which was Carlos Kleiber's only time in the concert. Both very special.

Richard Strauss

Metamorphosen, Krauss with the Bamberg SO

Horn Concertos 1 and 2, Brain Philharmonia, Sawalisch

Don Juan, Two performances from Furtwangler

Till Eulenspiegel, BPO Furtwangler once.

Tchaikowsky

Pathetic Symphony, Furtwangler, BPO, in HMV
Studio in 1938

Violin Concerto, Oistack in Dresden in 1954

Nutcracker suite, BBC SO, Sargent

Vaughan Williams

Sereneade to Music, Lark ascending, English Fiolk song Suite etc, LSO/ LPO, Boult

Wagner

Four discs of various preludes and overtures, all with the BPO or VPO under Furtwangler

Walton

Walton conducts walton, which contains a very great deal of the important big works.

First Symphony:

- LSO, Previn
- LSO, Harty for Decca in 1935

Beshazaar's Feast. Liverpool PHil, Huddersfield, Walton in 1942

Second Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Szell.

Webber,

Die Freischutz, Salzburg Festival 1953. VSOC, VPO, Furtwangler.Still about the best in this.

You will be please to know that there is Alexander von Zemlinsky!

It is finished, even if there are undoubtedly a few missing things.

On advantage of this is that if I could not remember them they can go!

Thanks for standing off till it was finished!

Any Questions, suggestions or general, amiable chit chat!

All the best from Fredrik

PS: Put like that my taste is not very romantic is it?

And I forgot my very numerous (not) pop records including Buddy Holly From The Masters, Doors' The Doors, Eagles' When Hell Freezes Over. Joyce Grenfell, Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Dire Straits. Three of theirs!

Well I have no shame when it comes to things I don't inderstand. Oh and that man. You know the one who did the Brick-layers monologue! Begins with H...

All the best from Fredrik

quote:

Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf

POP??...really!!

Fredrik I must protest.

And I missed out Schumann, and Schubert, which is a big enough over-sight for me to leave the work till tomorrow now! Fredrik

PS: Also please accept my apologies over the shower of typos. Something this size requires more skill than I have in the typing departement.

To be serious

Fredrik

What percentage of what you listed is lilely to still be obtainable?

Dear Geoff,

They are all CDs, and it never ceases to amaze me how much is current even if I had to wait years for the re-issues on LPs and CDs!

A good 80% I would think is currently available, as it seems we have reached a point where (fortunately) just because something is stereo or digital does not mean it priority over the really great music making from the whole recorded epoch.

There are far too many new recordings.

If one consideres that there is no more music making in London, Vienna or Berlin now than in the past and consider how many great artists never did very much in the studio, and now think of all the young Turk's who have repertoire canned before they are fifty! Tehn you begin to see why it is harder to find the real gems.

But it is truely gratifying to see the gramophone at last finding it role as a recorder of great artistry rather than simply a peerveyor of the latest fad.

I have been delighted to be able to send people to things I waited 15 years for, even out of the way, but great music making.

Actually doing this has made me realise things I want to investigate further. So a useful excercise for me, if no one else!

FRedrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:

Well I have no shame when it comes to things I don't inderstand. Oh and that man. You know the one who did the Brick-layers monologue! Begins with H...

Hoffnung! That is his name if not how to spell it.

I wonder if Adam will let me have a dispensation to proof this lot tomorrow. Doubtful, I suppose.

Fredrik

Schubert

Symphonies

3, 5 and 6. RPO, Beecham
The Unfinished, No 8, in B Minor.
- VPO, Klemperer, live in 1968 or 9
- BPO Futwangler, twice in 1952 and 3
Great C Major
- BBC SO Boult, in HMV Studio in 1934
- BBS CO, Boult live at a 1969 Prom
- Koln Orchestra, Erich Kleiber, live in 1954
- VPO. Furtwangler, live in Stockholm in 1943
- BPO, Fyrtwangler, live in Berlin in 1942 or 3?
- BPO, Furtwangler live in 1953

Pianno Music

Sonata in B flat, D960:

- Curzon
- Schnabel

Sonatas in A, D959, in D, D850, Various Shorts (and some duets with KU Schnabel). Artur Schnabel

Impromtus, D 899 and 935:

- Edwin Fischer withe the wanderer Fantasy and Moment Musiceaux
- Artur Schnabel

Oktett:

- Hausmusik on EMI
- Wiener Oktett

Trout Quintet::

- Curzon and members of the VPO
- Schnable and members of the Pro Arte Quartet

Arpegione sonata, Postropovich/ Britten

Fantasy in C for Violin and Piano

- Szymon Goldberg/ Radu Lupu
- Adolf Busch/ Rudolf Serkin

String Quartets:

- Death and the Maiden, plus two more whose designation I can't remember, and are out at the mo. Busch Quartet

Schumann

Symphonies.

- Boult, LPO, Pye studio, mid fifties
- Kubelic, Bavarian Radio Orchestra
- Sawalisch, Dresden ste Orchestra

Piano Quintet, Schnabel and the Pro Arte Quartet

Smetana

My Country:

- Talich, Czech Phil (1950s)
- Ancerl, Czech Phil (1960s)

That really is it.

there are individual items missing, but none so important that they will hurt.

I hope some of you enjoy the read at least. It has been useful to me, as it ceratainly showed me how artist led is my eventual choice at least on paper, but in reality the choices result from what I find most illuminating to music I know and love.

I find two great performances by say klemperer (like the Choral or Missa Solemnis) far more illuminating than two less fine ones even if they are more contrasted!

All the best from Fredrik

Dear Fredrik,

Thankyou for a wonderful thread (though I'm sorry to hear about your back). I've been away for a few days, but I look forward to having the time to peruse this properly.

regards, Tam

Thanks Tam!

Just as a silly erratum.

I missed out of Handel one of the best representations of Heavy Metal, in that there was a wonderful recording done 200 years to the day of Handel's death of his Fireworks Music with 24 Oboes, 9 French Horns, 6 pairs of timpany, ... [etc, well you get the picture] which reflected what Handel requested for its first performance. Wind Band under Mackerras, which is currently out on Testamant. I don't think any rock band would beat it either for sheer volume or quality actually!

Fredrik