Well, it sure has been awhile since my last post here. I've been listening more than writing though I have to admit I still haven't tackled that Wagner Ring Cycle (maybe over the summer?). My insatiable appetite for classical platters has only slightly diminished, at least for common core stuff. How many versions of Beethoven's 9th Symphony are you willing to keep on the record shelf? Sometimes it's just better to leave those platters in the bins for other folks to plunder. Yet, every so often I'll spot a few noteworthy records of interest which can lead to interesting surprises.
Tonight I found myself reaching for the mono LPs again. I've been doing this for the past week or so. Some weeks it's stereo albums - some nights it's all CDs. But lately mono LPs have been in heavy rotation.
Even though I have other versions of this famous Beethoven trio piece, I had to pick this album up since it was in very nice shape (A) and it features Antonio Janigro on cello (B). I have a favorite Janigro record of solo cello Bach suites (the one with the orange cover) so of course any Janigro records are fair game.
And here's that nice red Westminster label. This company put out really excellent quality pressings for their time. Westminster was definitely in competition with the Mercury Living Presence line and boasted the same philosophy to recording (at least for the mono versions anyway) - one single microphone! That's the science behind their "Natural Balance" slogan. And to tell the truth I have yet to hear a bad Westminster record from this era - mainly the 1950s. Of course Westminster would be bought out by ABC Records in the 60s and by the 70s had been issuing those fake-stereo and worse LPs with the questionable album covers. But the original Westminster was a formidable presence on the classical music scene and those platters still sound great.
In fact, I have to say I really like classical recordings in mono. Sometimes classical music recorded in stereo ends up being more about the sound of the hall than the instruments and the music can sound blurry. Not in all cases, mind you. Mono recordings can sometimes sound "pinched" compared to their stereo counterparts revealing their downside as well. It's all on a case by case basis with this stuff. If you really like the music, checking out both mono and stereo mixes (when available) can yield different experiences and you might be surprised at which can sound better!
In the same pile of records with the Beethoven trio album, there were a few 10" records like the one pictured above. It is a sobering reality to consider that the great Bela Bartok himself was living in near-poverty at the time of his death and had made some recordings of himself playing his own music to generate needed cash. I think the above disc was put together after his death with other similar recordings being released on other labels. This disc is pressed on the Bartok Records label. Was this label owned by his family? It would be interesting to know (if so, it would be the precursor to the Zappa Records label indeed!).
I'm certain I have a Remington Records release of Bartok playing piano compositions. Haven't spun that yet, but this little 10" disc is fascinating. Wouldn't we love to be able to hear Beethoven playing his own stuff? Unfortunately he was about 100 years too early for that. I bet it would be shocking stuff though! Not so shocking perhaps, but quite enjoyable piano playing can be heard on Walter Gieseking records like this:
I picked this album up a few years ago during a Princeton Record Exchange heist. This LP featured transfers of 78s Gieseking made in 1939. Interesting to note that after World War II, Gieseking was embroiled in a bit of post-war scandal as he was being accused of having collaborated with the Nazi government. Although he was German by nationality, he had been born in France and became a leading authority on Debussy's piano music. Knowing this bit of history and having really enjoyed the above album I picked up this 10" of Gieseking playing Debussy pieces out of the same pile the Bartok record was in.
As usual when scoping out platters, I gave a quick glance to the disc inside the sleeve and, having determined it was satisfactory enough for the customary $1 investment, I added it to my pile to purchase. This was a few weeks ago. When I got around to taking the record out for a spin I noticed a little piece of paper inside the record jacket. When I extracted the paper, this is what I saw:
Wow! A flyer for a performance in Hawaii in 1952 - with the artist's autograph! Score!! I love it when stuff like this happens. Now, if that wasn't cool enough - when I looked closer at the disc itself I thought I noticed something unusual on the label:
Hot dang! Another signature! You can see it very well in my photograph here, but to the naked eye on the record itself it is not too clear. I have no idea if these autographs are particularly collectable, but if the antique road show ever comes near me I'm bringing them in! Walter would pass away in 1956 having only gained a renewed popularity on the concert stage in 1953 with a sold out performance at Carnegie Hall. So - this signature and performance flyer predates this comeback phase. Innneressting, eh Watson? Yet another reason why I like classical vinyl.
But vinyl isn't the only way to dig some serious music vibrations. In fact, I'm a bit shocked at what I've found lurking in thrift store CD bins - modern classical! Check out this pile of 20th Century stuff on CD:
John Adams, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and yes even Stockhausen! I've only played a few of these so far, but what a great way to hear some modern sounds! I was especially knocked out by the Steve Reich disc "Music for 18 Musicians". I played that CD in the car and I just........kept on driving! I think I may have journeyed to distant galaxies when I had that album going!
Equally invigorating was the Terry Riley / John Cale collaboration - "The Church of Anthrax". Although this is a happy hybrid of modern rock and modern classical, it really rocks my socks! What a kooky album cover too, eh?
So - I can heartily recommend these albums to those seeking adventurous, yet sonically pleasing, abstract instrumental vibrations. Keep seeking and listening!
