I guess if there is any common thread to my listening and appreciation (such as it is) with all the music I’m posting about here, it is the love of hearing this music coming from vinyl LPs. While I certainly enjoy music from all formats, the LP record is my favorite music delivery device. In most cases, “classical” music was designed for live performance primarily – the concert hall was the only place one could hear it originally. The dawn of the 20th century changed all that. New recording technology (starting with the wax cylinder) made it possible to capture sounds like photography captured images. With populations on the rise, particularly in cities, the industrial age witnessed the rise of the middle class – some of whom either possessed the leisure time to enjoy or the disposable income to help fund centers of culture. Indeed, an important link in the music-dispersal process of the modern era is one I haven’t really thought to write about much until now: Public Libraries.
Ever since I was a young lad, I have always loved libraries. I have many happy memories of libraries from every place I’ve lived, from all eras of my life. I can still recall the smell of the library in my neighborhood where I grew up in New York City.
Even as a kid I had no problem being quiet enough in the library. I’ve heard this social custom has relaxed somewhat in recent years. Pity. There should be quiet places for people to either ease their minds or challenge them. Invariably every library I remember going to had stacks of vinyl LPs for people to borrow. Like this:
The library I had access to as a teenager was quite loaded with LPs. I discovered a lot of great music borrowing records over the years. When digital CDs came along, I was saddened to see the library purge its entire LP collection. Idiots. I was shocked to see that happen. So, over the years I’ve managed to build up my own decent library of albums from many genres – most recently from the classical / serious music realm. For me, LPs are an interactive way to dig into this music – just enough information per LP side to soak in – just enough room on an LP cover for some liner notes. Not too much music (like CDs) – not too little (like 78s). And goodness knows there is an avalanche of used classical vinyl out in the thrift shops to be plundered. So the “man zone” is starting to look more and more like a library (not to the universal enthusiasm of everyone in the house, mind you).
Public libraries also help to explain existence of all the piles and piles of classical records still lurking out there. As postwar prosperity rippled across the US in the 40s, 50s and 60s, new communities sprang up especially in the suburbs. These new communities had their own libraries funded through local taxes and / or grants. With LP records emerging as the most popular music dissemination medium, it is only reasonable to figure record companies received a lot of orders to fill from libraries across the country. Of course classical records were sold to individuals as well, but the libraries must have provided a steady customer base for the classical branches of record labels to crank out their product for. Mishandled discs also meant more sales when libraries replaced damaged items over a period of time. The industry was able to sustain through these avenues of demand for their product.
It is fascinating to note how most budding record labels maintained classical divisions even when sales for those discs did not bring in the big money as popular music did. Of course the bigger labels had classical divisions – RCA Living Stereo, Mercury Living Presence, Columbia Masterworks, Capitol / Angel. Yet even the smaller labels got into the game – Vanguard issued classical discs as did Elektra on their Nonesuch imprint.
I really like Nonesuch albums. The covers are distinctive and the variety of musical performances is impressive - from medieval chants to modern composers. The smaller labels often specialized in music that was otherwise ignored by the major companies. Their catalog also included releases from what would eventually be called “world music” ensembles. Like this all-women’s choir dedicated to Eastern European folk songs.
I don’t know how many records this vocal ensemble put out but I sure like the sound of this one! Not that I have much of a clue as to what the words mean (the lyric translation sheet is missing from my copy), but it’s the overall sound of the music that does it for me. Nonesuch releases would sometimes focus on a time period or style of music, like the Baroque era, and include several composers’ works on one LP like this:
Or perhaps a particular grouping of instruments like recorder music:
Initially, the recordings issued on Nonesuch featured European orchestras and lesser known conductors. This helped to keep costs down, which was one of the initial goals of president Jac Holzman. It was a budget label with class. The initial focus of the releases tended toward chamber music and early music. Eventually the floodgates opened to anything the majors wouldn’t bother with – especially “world music” and modern classical. The musical and visual aesthetic was pioneered by label director Teresa Sterne who was responsible for the titles chosen and even the distinctive cover art. Her work with the label lasted from 1965 to 1979. The wiki page for Nonesuch details the various phases of the label from the early days as an offshoot of Elektra through the merger with Warner / Reprise in the late 60s to its present incarnation as a more popular music imprint. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonesuch_Records
The variety of music to be found within the Nonesuch catalog is impressive. To the extent that I’d be happy to collect all the titles someday. Any time I see a Nonesuch LP that isn’t yet in my collection I scoop it up no matter what the music is (so long as its in good shape). Aside from the diversity of the music selections, many of the titles feature excellent sound. Check out this great article on the freelance sound engineer responsible for many titles issued on Nonesuch by the name of Marc Aubort here:
http://www.analogplanet.com/content/elite-recordings-conversation-freelance-recording-engineer-veteran-marc-aubort-0
If it were only just the presence of the majors and Nonesuch alone, there would be a wealth of classical music to keep listeners busy for a few lifetimes. Yet, the market in those days must have been good enough to sustain more companies like Vox, whose Turnabout imprint seemed to consciously compete with Nonesuch. The album covers from Vox Turnabout often look quite similar to the Nonesuch designs. Here’s a great LP of Medieval Irish Harp music from Vox Turnabout:
And that’s only two independent labels. There were many more. How on earth did these labels stay in business? People had record players. Plus, one must also consider how many record pressing plants existed in those days. In between the big popular music runs any given factory would be working on, to keep the machines running with no downtime I’m sure these batches of classical LPs were an integral part of the business as a whole. No point in having employees sit around waiting for the next Beatles album to press up – keep ‘em working with some Morton Subotnick and Elliot Carter! That’s how you keep people working and the machines running.
As much as we might be seeing a resurgence of popular and jazz vinyl reissues and new releases, I don’t think the trend could extend to new classical LPs. The majority of the new vinyl releases particularly are pressed at smaller factories. Vinyl LPs, once the industry standard, have become boutique items. The good news is that all the product the pressing plants churned out between the 40s and the 80s is still out there, much of it in very acceptable condition if you know where to look. Listeners are quite fortunate that the companies responsible for these records took the risks, maybe even at profit losses, to make the music available. Now with internet and digital technology the music is perhaps more available than ever, but what’s missing is the drive to advertise and call attention to the music in the marketplace.
Somehow I think vinyl LPs were a good way not only for listeners to interact with the music itself, but also to fuel an entire industry. Some punk bands of the 70s and 80s referred to LPs as “flyers”. They didn’t intend to make money off the record sales, but the physical products were an effective method of advertising – a way to get people to the live shows. I imagine the same was true of classical records. The LPs, as a means for advertising music new and old, served as a way for listeners to get familiar with the material. If you know Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony from listening to the record, hearing it live would be that much more rewarding. I can only imagine how early concert audiences must have been baffled by new works - hearing them for the first time live.
There's a civility about vinyl records. It is encouraging to see new businesses emerging around the renewed interest in LPs. Even The Economist has taken notice:
http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2014/06/vinyl
The time to appreciate all of this has never been better. If you're looking to unplug from the avalanche of fluff the mass media delivers via TV and radio, a secondhand turntable might be your best friend! Happy hunting and listening!
