Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C major, D.956 ** (with Kurt Reher, 'cello)I: Allegro ma non troppo ~ II: Adagio ~ III: Scherzo. Presto -Andante sostenuto -Presto ~ IV: Allegretto 2 files zip FLAC Mega Download
Johannes Brahms: Piano Quintet in F minor, op.44 ** (with Victor Aller, piano)
I: Allegro ma non troppo ~ II: Andante un poco adagio ~ III: Scherzo. Allegro ~ IV: Finale 2 files zip FLAC Mega Download
Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet no.12 in F major, op.96 ('The American')
I: Allegro ma non troppo ~ II: Lento ~ III: Scherzo. Molto vivace ~ IV: Vivace ma non troppo
Bedrich Smetana: String Quartet no.1 in E minor ('From my life')
I: Allegro vivo appassionato ~ II: Allegro moderato a la polka ~ III: Largo sostenuto ~ IV: Vivace 2 files zip FLAC Mega Download
The Hollywood String Quartet: (Felix Slatkin & Paul Shure, violins, Paul Robyn** / Alvin Dinkin, viola, Eleanor Aller, 'cello)
HMV RLS 765 (HLM 7228-7230) 1982 LP's/matrices: P1 8133 -1U / P2 8133 -1U // P1 8269 -1U / P2 8269 -1U // P2 8307 -2U // P1 8331 -2U.
Recorded: 15-17 January 1951 / 30-31 March 1954 / 23-24 January 1955 / 2 November 1955 - Capitol Studios, Hollywood. Re-edited January 2014
Unlike HERE there's been no 'faking' of the pitch (+ 'typical' screechy/elevated High Frequencies, blurring/information loss, et al. Mr.Pristine's Smetana mp3 sample starts @ 6:58")
Glory to you Frank for those transfers, sometimes Mr. Rose lets fly his imagination so far away, miles away than one would expect. Your transfers sounds more natural, I belive that you increase 1/2 dB from 1 Khz to 10Khz but still works fine for me.
ReplyDeleteHello Pablo,
DeleteNope - these are 'flat' transfers; in fact, to be strictly accurate, this MM PU should have had about <+0.75dB over that frequency-spread - but the sound was already 'clear' - so didn't bother.
Thank you for sharing with us your wonderful transfers of these great recordings. Would you find it possible to continue with other Hollywood Quartet recordings, especially the Beethoven late quartets? Many thanks again.
ReplyDeleteHello Elliot,
DeleteI did recently mention this set over on the HISTORICAL blog (Busch/Beethoven) - and that I don't have the Hollywood/HMV Beethoven box (a bit sad; but I 'took notice' of The Gramophone review!!).
The only other Hollywood album I retain is a 1955 release (the switchover from Decca to EMI: Decca cover/matrices - EMI pressing) of Schoenberg/Debussy/Ravel - CTL 7096.
Aside from The Amadeus there doesn't seem to have been much of a UK market for String Qt LP's in the 1950's (this Smetana wasn't issued here before) - though have some; one being the Endres Qt of Smetana 1/Borodin 2 (PL 10 190 - Vox US matrices/Decca 1957 pressed) - to which I could add the Schubert 'Death & the Maiden from a 1958 US VoxBox.
But will do the remainder of this set before any more 'in that line'..
Eagerly await more, esp. Schubert Cello Quintet -- whose slow mvt IMNSHO is the most beautiful piece of music in the whole world!
DeleteThanks a lot! Looking forward for the next one!
ReplyDeleteThe Hollywood Quartet was really something... Thank you very much for the natural sounding transfer.
ReplyDeleteTrust these are OK from the point-of-view of any 'vinyl thingies' (I think they are) as came down with a heavy cold/high temperature on Saturday; so things became rather 'fuzzy' whilst editing the Brahms - and especially the Schubert; the former work I don't seem to have found an LP performance I really like (must have a few 'never heard') - and was also a bit Grumpy about the ancient Lener Qt version - on 'Collectors Corner' - but the Dvorak/Smetana, above, are really excellent.
DeleteAs far as the denoising goes, there are very few vinyl 'artifacts'--if you will--and the ones that are there are hardly distracting given the otherwise excellent sound. I have a lot of Hollywood's issues on Testament (unfortunately I do not have the dvorak or smetana for comparison), and your versions are considerably warmer and clearer in the high end. The Testament issue has some pretty deep bass.
DeleteAnyway, I listened through the Dvorak/Smetana... all I can say is 'wow'. What a shame that Slatkin died at such a young age!
It's a fools errand manually attempting 'perfection' - even with 'new old stock' vinyl...also additionally carefully washed.
DeleteDid recently consider additionally making complete Audacity file/s available (the 2 tracks + saved data file/s - which re-open at the 'edited thus far' stage)- as (very little) blemishes simply can't be heard/get hidden by transients - 'vanish' depending on the listening axis to the computer speaker/s - or are more revealed via Foobar/Windows MediaPlayer..
The VOX Endres LP's from 1957/8 are rather 'dynamic', so it may be worth uploading some, as the Smetana/Borodin is only on a 'Forgotten Records' dubbing,(the D.956 String Quintet also in another VoxBox + a rather good 'Death & the Maiden') and tend to prefer them to the earlier Hollywood here - so am not overly bothered that I've only one additional LP of theirs.
I have never ever been able to listen to the American by this Quartet. Your work is outstanding and I can't thank you enough for this transfer in particular! Had no idea that Mr. Rose had attempted some of the Hollywood's performances. Pablo Varela states it clearly. So I am pleased to have made my choice and stayed here.
ReplyDeleteIgnoring any noise-reduction/XR remastering, et al 'effects' of his; listening to these whilst editing the sides I really couldn't hear why Rose decided to alter the pitch - which he has done, quite frequently, 'to his tastes'; in one case (Kulemkampff's pre-war Telefunken Beethoven VC) to a disastrous degree - sounding quite ludicrous compared to the original 78's - played @ 78.
DeleteIf anyone thinks there is something wrong sound-wise (pitch-wise) with these 'correct speed' transfers then I'd be interested!!
(if it wasn't for the copyright aspect I'd previously intended uploading the 1980 Decca - Gabrieli SQ version of The American - only on a Jap CD - though the op.61 coupling of theirs is on a 'mono only' 1962 Supraphon by the Novak Qt: 2 sides - and that LP sounds very fine (single sided as a 1977 UK reissue) - with an excellent performance.
You're absolutely right about the "pitch" bending that Rose does. Many a time I have listened and wondered WHY on earth fiddle around so much when a straight transfer would sound so great as is!
DeletePity what you mention about the Gabrieli SQ. Have never heard them. A friend got a fantastic VoxBox set of LP's of some Dvorak's String Quartets + the Piano Quintet [Gyorgy Sándor] by the Berkshire Quartet which were wonderful. The American wasn't on the box he managed to get, though.
I've that Vox Pf Qnt (Decca/Turnabout TV 34075 S - coupled with the (British) "Dumky Trio" playing the 'Dumky Trio'); but the claimed 'p' on the labels is 1965. So only if they were actually US-issued pre-Jan/Feb 1963 could I use them.
DeleteLikewise, most of Supraphon's Dvorak Chamber is in copyright (and/or on CD) - but I don't think the Novak Qt's op.61 has been on CD (?).
The Gabrieli Qt are 'variable' (have most of their LP's). They started in the late '60's for World Record Club - then Classics for Pleasure - before the many Decca LP's.
These are really nice performance. Do you have Schubert's "death and the maiden" and Schumann's piano quintet they played? Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteNo, as mentioned previously, my only other retained Hollywood SQ LP is a new 1955 UK copy of Schoenberg/Debussy/Ravel (CTL 7096).
DeleteMaybe Mr 'Pristine' Rose will 'oblige you' (?!)
Thank you so much for this. The Schubert is one of my favourite classical pieces, and the transfer of this outstanding performance is streets ahead of Mr. Rose's (What can I say? I fell for the hype, I was desperate to hear this ensemble, and I was an idiot. I now know better). This transfer is much more 'in the moment', and is quite simply a thing of beauty. Will download the other files as soon as permissions allow. Thanks again. All the best.
ReplyDeleteCould you please check the links in the Sibelius historical recordings (http://musicparlourhistorical.blogspot.gr/2012/05/jean-sibelius-kajanusbeechamschneevoigh.html#more). Is seems that you have uploaded Busch's Beethoven instead of the right files. Sorry for writing it here, but I did not know where should I put my comment. Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the newly edited files - i can only agree with the other commenters about these..
ReplyDeleteI'm not too keen about the playing - especially the slow sections - where the ensemble seems a bit 'amateurish'; also the playing is a bit 'schmaltzy/perfumed' for my taste.
DeleteI was going to bid on eBay for the equivalent box-set of Beethoven late quartets...but suspected I'd be disappointed.
Interesting, i see what you mean but quite like these - but then, i haven't heard many other versions of these works. At slow passages i marvel at the sound quite a bit, though.
DeleteThe late Beethoven quartet -transfers are available at that Rare Classical Vinyl -blog if you want to sample before deciding (can't say myself if they are similar in style, as haven't downloaded it.)
Some boxsets are surprisingly inexpensive (i'm looking at a 4LP set at £15, but can't buy before 9th...the postage here will of course double the price!), but i've yet to see 99pence! Kind of surprising you're still activelly looking to expand your piles, but perhaps you're actually planning to listen to them one day ;)
DeleteThank you so much,
ReplyDeleteDo you have the Schubert D 956 by Amadeus Quartet (1952) with Martin Lovett (Cello) Peter Schidlof (Viola) William Pleeth (Cello) Siegmund Nissel (Violin) Norbert Brainin (Violin)?
Hi there...
DeleteNot had many comments the past month on these blogs - so yesterday transferred all the 24/96 derived onto 'PRISTINE' and the CDRW's from there to here...(some post comments seem to have got jumbled) as, unless I decide to create any new CDRW's, then this blog is effectively Archived...and unsure whether I'll continue on PRISTINE/HISTORICAL.
Getting back to your query. I did mention on Satyr's blog (Haydn Qts) the Amadeus' excellent-sounding 1982 3LP box - which includes D 956 - that I fairly recently obtained + have 3 copies of the original CLP issue (+ other originals) and would be willing/interested in doing a 24bit transfer - except I may need to wash the LP's due to some minimal noises + have only around 3GB of space left on Mega.......