Thirty three and a third.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 KV 488 [Haskil/Sacher] Post in 33 ⅓ thread.





Delving into my 10" collection which is something that I seldom do now, for some reason.

This one was recorded in 1955, I think, but was definitely released in 1956 as part of the Mozart Jubilee Edition 1956 to mark the 200th anniversary of Mozart's birth. The final movement in particular is a sparkling performance by Haskil. The orchestral accompaniment sounds a bit lean in the recording.

Do you have the specialized 10-inch wand from Okki Nokki?  I have so few 10-inch LPs that I haven't bothered to order one.

Clara Haskil was a fine pianist!  I have some of her recordings--some on LP and some on CD.   

PD

[aligreto]

Do you have the specialized 10-inch wand from Okki Nokki?  I have so few 10-inch LPs that I haven't bothered to order one.

Clara Haskil was a fine pianist!  I have some of her recordings--some on LP and some on CD.   

PD

No, I did consider it, PD, but I would have less than 100 10" so I never bothered.

Agreed on Haskil.

[Biffo]

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 KV 488 [Haskil/Sacher] Post in 33 ⅓ thread.





Delving into my 10" collection which is something that I seldom do now, for some reason.

This one was recorded in 1955, I think, but was definitely released in 1956 as part of the Mozart Jubilee Edition 1956 to mark the 200th anniversary of Mozart's birth. The final movement in particular is a sparkling performance by Haskil. The orchestral accompaniment sounds a bit lean in the recording.

In 2005 DG released what it called an expanded version of its 1956 Mozart Jubilee Edition. It contains performances of K459, recorded in 1955 and K415, recorded in 1960 with Clara Haskil. K415 (No 13 in C major) is accompanied by the Lucerne Festival Strings conducted by Rudolf Baumgartner. The booklet says 'The trend towards reduced orchestral forces culminated in the Festival Strings being pared down to the bone in 1960 to only 13 players...producing a dry sound that is unfashionable today...'

Presumably this was Haskil's preference, I don't know how much it applies to earlier recordings. She had hopes of recording a complete cycle but it never happened.

[aligreto]

In 2005 DG released what it called an expanded version of its 1956 Mozart Jubilee Edition. It contains performances of K459, recorded in 1955 and K415, recorded in 1960 with Clara Haskil. K415 (No 13 in C major) is accompanied by the Lucerne Festival Strings conducted by Rudolf Baumgartner. The booklet says 'The trend towards reduced orchestral forces culminated in the Festival Strings being pared down to the bone in 1960 to only 13 players...producing a dry sound that is unfashionable today...'

Presumably this was Haskil's preference, I don't know how much it applies to earlier recordings. She had hopes of recording a complete cycle but it never happened.

Thank you very much for that interesting information.

[Valentino]

Thanks Biffo. Superb info.

...

Glad I ordered the 7" and 10" adaptors with the HumminGuru. A pain to use, but I'm halfway through my 10" now. Getting there.

[Valentino]

Last night, on the kitchen island, Yup, that's a glass of pilsner beer:



Subchassis swap. The old Series II on the right and the new Series V on the left.



Also splashed out on a refurbished full oak cabinet. Has been on my wishlist for 15 years. Took the plunge because of the shipment costs across the pond. Now or never, right?



Click to enlarge.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Last night, on the kitchen island, Yup, that's a glass of pilsner beer:



Subchassis swap. The old Series II on the right and the new Series V on the left.



Also splashed out on a refurbished full oak cabinet. Has been on my wishlist for 15 years. Took the plunge because of the shipment costs across the pond. Now or never, right?



Click to enlarge.

Looks great!  What kind of cabinet/table do you have it on top of?

PD

[Valentino]

It's wall mounted actually. I made the shelf out of the sturdiest supports I could find and a bespoke glass plate.

The cabinet is Montana, a Danish classic, too soft for 20 kg turntable. Actually the floor is too soft as well, even for a suspended Sota.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It's wall mounted actually. I made the shelf out of the sturdiest supports I could find and a bespoke glass plate.

The cabinet is Montana, a Danish classic, too soft for 20 kg turntable. Actually the floor is too soft as well, even for a suspended Sota.

Oh, interesting!  So, you used a (I'm guessing) a thick glass plate as a shelf for the tt?

And you're not alone re floors.    The cabinet is, fortunately pretty heavy (particularly with a tube amp and pre-amp in it) which helps somewhat.  So, no doing the jitterbug in the same room with records playing then? 

PD

[Valentino]

Oh, we can dance. The Sota isolation is legendary. Trouble was that the suspension was moving sideways, plus the Montana cabinet (12mm MDF) couldn't support the weight of the thing. Photo of shelf and supports soon. In the meantime have a look at somebody else's suspension at work:

https://youtu.be/BDZDBY4jZu4

[Valentino]

As promised. The business side of things don't tend to look good.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Oh, we can dance. The Sota isolation is legendary. Trouble was that the suspension was moving sideways, plus the Montana cabinet (12mm MDF) couldn't support the weight of the thing. Photo of shelf and supports soon. In the meantime have a look at somebody else's suspension at work:

https://youtu.be/BDZDBY4jZu4

Wow!  Quite impressive!  I thought that I heard the record skip once, but then again, I don't know that recording.  Still, quite something!  So, was something a bit too big in your new setup (as in things were shifting inside)?

As promised. The business side of things don't tend to look good.

It looks fine!  Don't be so hard on yourself!

PD

[Valentino]

No, nothing too big. Just my house and stereo cabinet bring too soft. I saw the suspension moving about and I didn't want that.

He manages to skip the record in the video, Do not try to do the same with a Rega or a Thorens even. No go.

Have been listening to the Böhm DG box with Mozart symphonies 25-41 lately, working my way through it. Quite entertaining. Böhm knew how to Mozart.

[Irons]

Spinning.



A magical performance of Norfolk Rhapsody No.1 from Sir Adrian. The opening weirdly had echoes of Mahler's 1st Symphony opening, I thought. My copy is an early large dog label.

Glazer plays Satie straighter then Ciccolini which I prefer. A UK pressing from Decca.

[Irons]

Sibelius: 2nd Symphony.

Not Barbirolli's EMI recording but a latter one which was part of the superb set of various works which Charles Gerhardt (producer) and Kenneth Wilkinson (sound engineer) made with the RPO under the best conductors of the day commissioned by Readers Digest.
My copy on Italian pressed RCA is low down in the food chain. Chesky released the whole set on LP at premium prices for the audiophile market. I have a few of the other Chesky releases and although nice pressings I'm not sure they are worth the extra outlay over standard issues.

   

A typical Barbirolli performance being rich, warm and on the slow side.

[vandermolen]

Spinning.



A magical performance of Norfolk Rhapsody No.1 from Sir Adrian. The opening weirdly had echoes of Mahler's 1st Symphony opening, I thought. My copy is an early large dog label.

Glazer plays Satie straighter then Ciccolini which I prefer. A UK pressing from Decca.

Lol,
I remember, when I was in the 6th Form at school c.1972/3 asking my 'Musical Appreciation' teacher to play that Boult LP of the 4th Symphony in our lesson (which he kindly agreed to). I think that it's a great performance and because of the superior recording preferable to the earlier Decca version. I don't remember that RCA Gold Seal LP of Barbirolli conducting Sibelius's 2nd Symphony.

[Irons]

I have on my shelves individual copies of the Decca set but I confess I don't play them anymore, Jeffrey. I have read in the past that the younger Boult's RVW and Elgar too (in my view he is the supreme conductor of both) are more dynamic which is probably true. But a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom he brings to the music during his Indian summer more then compensates. Also, as you say, the EMI recordings are far superior. To hear the Decca set at their best CD is probably the best route unless the LPs can be played on a dedicated mono system. 

[vandermolen]

I have on my shelves individual copies of the Decca set but I confess I don't play them anymore, Jeffrey. I have read in the past that the younger Boult's RVW and Elgar too (in my view he is the supreme conductor of both) are more dynamic which is probably true. But a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom he brings to the music during his Indian summer more then compensates. Also, as you say, the EMI recordings are far superior. To hear the Decca set at their best CD is probably the best route unless the LPs can be played on a dedicated mono system.

This was my way into VW's music Lol - arguably my most important classical purchase:

[Irons]

This was my way into VW's music Lol - arguably my most important classical purchase:

Very special then, Jeffrey.

Released in 1954 and only just missed out on being in true stereo. From the official Decca discography -
Decca made its first stereo recordings in Geneva on 13th May 1954. The new technology was used in Rome from July 1954 and Vienna from April 1955. In London it was used experimentally in December in December 1954 but mono persisted there for three years, with stereo only becoming the norm at Kingsway Hall from December 1955 and at West Hampstead from February 1958.

[vandermolen]

Very special then, Jeffrey.

Released in 1954 and only just missed out on being in true stereo. From the official Decca discography -
Decca made its first stereo recordings in Geneva on 13th May 1954. The new technology was used in Rome from July 1954 and Vienna from April 1955. In London it was used experimentally in December in December 1954 but mono persisted there for three years, with stereo only becoming the norm at Kingsway Hall from December 1955 and at West Hampstead from February 1958.

Indeed Lol - I think that only Symphony No.8 (from the original Boult/Decca cycle) was recorded in stereo, although I assume that No.9 was recorded in stereo by Everest. No.6 had VW's speech of thanks to Boult and the orchestra at the end of the disc and Boult made a spoken tribute to VW (who had died a few hours before the recording session) at the start of the Everest LP.