Thirty three and a third.

[vandermolen]

Yes, I definitely find that helps a lot   

Yes, makes a big difference 
And thanks to PD too 

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Flac-ed this today, a very beautiful recording in superb Westminster sound quality.




I only have three clean LPs left in my stack. My audio dealer--whose Keith Monks machine I use--is closed for obvious reasons, so I am contemplating buying the entry-level VPI. At 600$, these are supposedly bullet-proof and will last forever. (I had a Nitty Gritty ages, ages ago, but it was kind of a POS and stopped working after a couple years.)

[Irons]

Flac-ed this today, a very beautiful recording in superb Westminster sound quality.




I only have three clean LPs left in my stack. My audio dealer--whose Keith Monks machine I use--is closed for obvious reasons, so I am contemplating buying the entry-level VPI. At 600$, these are supposedly bullet-proof and will last forever. (I had a Nitty Gritty ages, ages ago, but it was kind of a POS and stopped working after a couple years.)

This may be worth checking out  https://www.whathifi.com/news/pro-ject-launches-two-new-record-cleaners-to-keep-your-vinyl-healthy

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Flac-ed this today, a very beautiful recording in superb Westminster sound quality.




I only have three clean LPs left in my stack. My audio dealer--whose Keith Monks machine I use--is closed for obvious reasons, so I am contemplating buying the entry-level VPI. At 600$, these are supposedly bullet-proof and will last forever. (I had a Nitty Gritty ages, ages ago, but it was kind of a POS and stopped working after a couple years.)

I couldn't see your image on your original post, but I was able to copy the link and see it there (interesting?!).  Bet that it's a neat recording!  I love the Dumky.   

I have an Okki Nokki cleaner which I really like.  Looking at their website, I see that they have a couple of new versions.  This is the one that I own.  It's very sturdily built (=heavy to move) but does a quite decent job.  https://www.tonepublications.com/review/the-okki-nokki-record-cleaner/

[aligreto]

I also have had an Okki Nokki RCM for some years now and find it quite effective.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I also have had an Okki Nokki RCM for some years now and find it quite effective.

Do you, like me, also wear ear protection when you use it?  I grab the same heavy-duty ear protection headset that I wear when I do things like using my weed whacker! 

PD

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Thanks folks for the record cleaning machine rec's. Both the Project and Okki Nokki look really good being more compact and cheaper than the VPI (now $800 not 600!!). I just wonder about long-term reliability/longevity, as people I know with the VPIs have had them for nearly 30 years, and they are apparently bulletproof.

I am still holding off for now, but will keep in mind if things don't return to some semblance of normal in a few months. 

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

...neat...

You sound like a member of my generation (born in the 70s!)

Do the phrases "Now you're cookin' with gas!" and/or "Lookie-Loo" mean anything to you? 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

You sound like a member of my generation (born in the 70s!)

Do the phrases "Now you're cookin' with gas!" and/or "Lookie-Loo" mean anything to you? 

[aligreto]

Do you, like me, also wear ear protection when you use it?  I grab the same heavy-duty ear protection headset that I wear when I do things like using my weed whacker! 

PD

Its not too bad but I don't really use it that often. I clean in batches rather than continuously and a lot of mine are done now..

[Irons]

Recordings from behind the old "Iron Curtain" are a treasure trove for collectors of vinyl and surprisingly they are readily available in the West. Possibly over-production by pressing plants led to dumping in the West.

Hungarian, Hungaroton/Qualiton with their distinctive yellow labels - I have never seen any other colour - are excellent pressings. This label served the rich legacy of the music of Hungary well. Hungaroton released every scrap of music composed by Bartok on LP for example.



Kodaly too is well served and typically not only the popular works. I am particularly impressed by Dances of Marosszék a rondo of fire-cracker and contemplative dances shaped into a whole.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Recordings from behind the old "Iron Curtain" are a treasure trove for collectors of vinyl and surprisingly they are readily available in the West. Possibly over-production by pressing plants led to dumping in the West.

Hungarian, Hungaroton/Qualiton with their distinctive yellow labels - I have never seen any other colour - are excellent pressings. This label served the rich legacy of the music of Hungary well. Hungaroton released every scrap of music composed by Bartok on LP for example.



Kodaly too is well served and typically not only the popular works. I am particularly impressed by Dances of Marosszék a rondo of fire-cracker and contemplative dances shaped into a whole.

I envy your access to Hungaroton!  I snap them up (either CD or LP) when I come across them.  I know that Qualiton was their importer here in the States, but did they also have their own label?

Any favorites of theirs Irons?  And any ones that you would consider not-that-thrilled-with/'duds' in terms of either the music and/or the performances?

Best wishes from her living room,

PD

[Irons]

I envy your access to Hungaroton!  I snap them up (either CD or LP) when I come across them.  I know that Qualiton was their importer here in the States, but did they also have their own label?

Any favorites of theirs Irons?  And any ones that you would consider not-that-thrilled-with/'duds' in terms of either the music and/or the performances?

Best wishes from her living room,

PD

And best wishes from mine to yours, P.

Information on labels from the Soviet bloc is hard to come by (with the exception of Supraphon). You do pick up snippets and get some idea collecting them over the years but most is (educated) guess work. I am of the view that Qualiton and Hungaroton are the same. During the late 1970's or early 80's the Qualiton name was dropped. All the labels in the bloc were state owned and run, of course.

My rule of thumb is that the results of the recording of large-scale orchestras on all labels are variable (with one exception which will post later). I have puzzled for years how can it be that some are excellent and others are poor. Where Hungaroton come into their own is chamber and instrumental.



Many years ago I read an article which is so true. The Soviets allowed only a tiny proportion of a vast pool of gifted artists exposure in the West. Just because the names are unknown to us does not reflect how good they are. Hearing Mihaly Bacher  playing Beethoven Op.32 came as a revelation, a recording I treasure.

Stay safe.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

And best wishes from mine to yours, P.

Information on labels from the Soviet bloc is hard to come by (with the exception of Supraphon). You do pick up snippets and get some idea collecting them over the years but most is (educated) guess work. I am of the view that Qualiton and Hungaroton are the same. During the late 1970's or early 80's the Qualiton name was dropped. All the labels in the bloc were state owned and run, of course.

My rule of thumb is that the results of the recording of large-scale orchestras on all labels are variable (with one exception which will post later). I have puzzled for years how can it be that some are excellent and others are poor. Where Hungaroton come into their own is chamber and instrumental.



Many years ago I read an article which is so true. The Soviets allowed only a tiny proportion of a vast pool of gifted artists exposure in the West. Just because the names are unknown to us does not reflect how good they are. Hearing Mihaly Bacher  playing Beethoven Op.32 came as a revelation, a recording I treasure.

Stay safe.

Hi Irons,

I found this on Hungaroton's website:

"About the Publisher


Hungarian Record Productions (MHV), the predecessor of Hungaroton Records, was founded in 1951 by the Hungarian state. It followed private-owned publishers previously owned by Hungarian, later by international companies, as a monopoly. From that time on almost only socialist countries brands (first of all Melodia, Supraphon and Eterna) meant competition for the Hungarian company for almost four decades long in Hungary. As a result of MHV's market position the whole Hungarian classical and pop music, even the best actors made their records at MHV. The archive counted a valuable set of ten thousand records.


Export started to grow stronger from the mid-60s, the brand name Qualiton was changed to Hungaroton. Qualiton remained the brand name for Hungarian music, Gipsy music and operetta. Later from the 1970s in terms of some internal commercialization individual pop music brands (Pepita, Bravó, Krém) were set up within the company. The 1970s and 1980s meant the Golden Age. The most popular pop singers and pop groups easily reached the then awarded Gold Record after one hundred records were sold. Classical records were sold all over the world in large numbers thanks to their excellent art and technical qualities and their relatively low price. Although pop music made more money, convertible currency coming from classical music exportations covered the price of imported raw materials.


Liberalization of the national market in 1988 put a halt to this. Western pop music records and talents of classical music that used to be almost inaccessible became available overnight. The turnover of Hungaroton started to decrease and on top of that repayment of the bank loans got for the construction of the record factory and warehouse in Dorog. These two pressures did almost shatter Hungaroton Hungarian Record Productions. Just before the company holding this name ceased its operations via liquidations, publishing activities were continued in different new companies. From 1992 pop music under the name of Hungaroton Gong, classical and folk music, literature, tale and other genres from 1993 under the name of Hungaroton in two separate limited liability companies.


Following long arrangements Hungaroton Records were privatized in 1995. The state required golden share in the privatized company in order to be able to control the archive, so it set up Hungaroton Music Rt. that had a share in the limited liability companies. The public limited company was privatized when the two limited companies results were going up. Hungaroton became a member of the Fotex Group and being in Hungarian ownership spared it from peculiar difficulties of multinational companies.


Classic and Gong were merged in 1998 and became Hungaroton Records Publishing Kft. The company is merged into Fotexnet Kft. on 1st January 2013 holding naturally both its publishing activity and its brand name. Its catalogue being present on the market includes a total of more than two thousand five hundred recordings of classical and pop music. Records earlier only available on Bakelite or cassette are being digitalized. These albums are available at Hungaroton Music Store an on iTunes.


Hungaroton's classical music artist team includes names of the past along with today's illustrious and future's promising talents, i.e. pianists: Annie Fischer, Tamás Vásáry, Péter Frankl, Ilona Prunyi, Zoltán Kocsis, Dezső Ránki, András Schiff, Gergely Bogányi, Alex Szilasi and Tihamér Hlavacsek; conductors: János Ferencsik, Tamás Vásáry, Iván Fischer, János Kovács, Zoltán Kocsis, György Vashegyi; violinists: Dénes Kovács, György Pauk, Vilmos Szabadi, Barnabás Kelemen, Antal Szalai; string-quartets: Tátrai, Bartók, Takács and Auer Quartets; chamber orchestras Liszt Ferenc, Erkel and Erdődy. A few prestigious artists who had been working abroad with exclusive contracts have recently started new records at Hungaroton (Kocsis, Schiff and Vásáry).


Hungaroton excels in world premiere publications and has a strong early music profile sealed with such names as Malcolm Bilson, Miklós Spányi, Anikó Horváth, Anneke Boeke, Benedek Csalog, Ildikó Kertész, Balázs Máté, Pál Németh, Róbert Mandel and several Hungarian and foreign colleagues. World famous Amadinda Percussion Group, a Cantemus and Pro Musica Girls'Choirs, the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir make their records at Hungaroton.


The publisher's classical music profile includes never before recorded repertoire and outstanding works of Hungarian music. Just because of the aforementioned, Hungaroton Records uses the pitch "publisher of revelations". The "Bartók New Series", the second edition set of the composer has been experiencing significant success (the first edition was published by Hungaroton, too). Hungaroton's set of Kodály has been started as well. Furthermore, sets concentrating on a given genre have been published selecting from the work of Jenő Hubay, László Lajtha and Leó Weiner.


In pop music life's work of everlasting Hungarian stars is concentrated at Hungaroton as follows Zsuzsa Koncz, György Korda, Péter Máté, Pál Szécsi, Bikini, Illés, Omega, Neoton Família, Benkó Dixieland Band. In the genre of cabaret and pop music Géza Hofi represents the flagship. Children's favourite is Judit Halász either she sings, tells a story or guides them through the world of operas. When talking about folk music Márta Sebestyén and Kati Szvorák singers and Jánosi, Muzsikás and Vujicsics Group have to be highlighted. The best of the bests are queued here in the genre of Hungarian song, Gipsy music as well, e.g. Lakatos, Sánta and Kállai Kiss dynasties, the Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra, Rajkó Band (Gipsy Orchestra) and dulcimer players such as Oszkár Ökrös, Apollónia Kovács, Erzsébet Talabér, Margit Bangó, Károly Solti and singing Ferenc Bessenyei who leads us to actors of literature discs: Zoltán Latinovits, László Mensáros, Imre Sinkovits, Irén Psota, Éva Ruttkay, Klári Tolnay and relics quarding own poetry recitals of poets.


Classical music recordings of the publisher have regularly received prizes at international competitions. In addition to awards by Diapason, Goldberg, Le Monde de la Musique, Pizzicato and other classical music journals, other awards are worth special mention, such as the three MIDEM-awards for the Dohnányi violin concertos (1999), the Bartók Complete Works (2002) and the first SACD of the Bartók New Series (The Wooden Prince, Kossuth – symphonic poem), as well as the Classical Internet Awards prize (2004) for an SACD conducted by Zoltán Kocsis. The most recent CD of the Bartók New Series comprising the violin sonatas performed by Barnabás Kelemen and Zoltán Kocsis won the ,,Recording of the Year" prize in the 2013 competition of Gramophone Awards in the chamber music category. Hungaroton released Beethoven's complete piano concertos in 2015 performed by Dénes Várjon and Concerto Budapest conducted by András Keller; the recording won the Gramofon Prize a year later in the category "Best Hungarian Classical Music CD". Another album entitled "Bartók the pianist" was also picked as "Best Historical Recording of theYear" and at the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) voting in 2017; it was among the three top choices in the historical category. The Hungaroton label has produced several nominees during the past three years for ICMA, and two of its collections (Bartók the Pianist, 2017, - Best Historical Collection of the Year" category and The Great Book of Flute Sonatas, 2019 - ,,Best Collection" category) have made it to the final three nominees."

It's here:  https://hungarotonmusic.com/cegtortenet.html

A bit confusing to read (perhaps something lost in translation?).  They don't explain where/how/why Qualiton came into existence? It sounds like it might have initially been used as the label name for exports?

In any event, thank you for your thoughts and insight and I'll keep an eye out for Bacher!   

Must get in a walk today to keep my sanity.  Busy at the allotment?

Best wishes,

PD

[Irons]

That is most interesting P, and many thanks for taking the trouble to post. It is a fact that all record companies, and not only from that part of the world, do not follow a logical course. The article's answer to the Hungaroton/Qualiton conundrum sort of makes sense as the Tatrai Quartet recorded the complete Haydn SQ's and some boxes are on H and some on Q. I also notice that the Bartok Quartet have their early SQ set on Qualiton and middle SQ's on Hungaroton but the article states that Qualiton was for Hungarian music only, which Beethoven is plainly not. On the other hand, the names could have switched between the two sets, so yes, you probably have come up with the answer.
The US importer used the name Qualiton for recordings from Hungary but that is different and not to do with above.

Without the allotment I would be climbing up the wall by now! A beautiful sunny day which is the last thing the Government wants.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Hi Irons,

I found this on Hungaroton's website:

"About the Publisher


Hungarian Record Productions (MHV), the predecessor of Hungaroton Records, was founded in 1951 by the Hungarian state. It followed private-owned publishers previously owned by Hungarian, later by international companies, as a monopoly. From that time on almost only socialist countries brands (first of all Melodia, Supraphon and Eterna) meant competition for the Hungarian company for almost four decades long in Hungary. As a result of MHV's market position the whole Hungarian classical and pop music, even the best actors made their records at MHV. The archive counted a valuable set of ten thousand records.


Export started to grow stronger from the mid-60s, the brand name Qualiton was changed to Hungaroton. Qualiton remained the brand name for Hungarian music, Gipsy music and operetta. Later from the 1970s in terms of some internal commercialization individual pop music brands (Pepita, Bravó, Krém) were set up within the company. The 1970s and 1980s meant the Golden Age. The most popular pop singers and pop groups easily reached the then awarded Gold Record after one hundred records were sold. Classical records were sold all over the world in large numbers thanks to their excellent art and technical qualities and their relatively low price. Although pop music made more money, convertible currency coming from classical music exportations covered the price of imported raw materials.


Liberalization of the national market in 1988 put a halt to this. Western pop music records and talents of classical music that used to be almost inaccessible became available overnight. The turnover of Hungaroton started to decrease and on top of that repayment of the bank loans got for the construction of the record factory and warehouse in Dorog. These two pressures did almost shatter Hungaroton Hungarian Record Productions. Just before the company holding this name ceased its operations via liquidations, publishing activities were continued in different new companies. From 1992 pop music under the name of Hungaroton Gong, classical and folk music, literature, tale and other genres from 1993 under the name of Hungaroton in two separate limited liability companies.


Following long arrangements Hungaroton Records were privatized in 1995. The state required golden share in the privatized company in order to be able to control the archive, so it set up Hungaroton Music Rt. that had a share in the limited liability companies. The public limited company was privatized when the two limited companies results were going up. Hungaroton became a member of the Fotex Group and being in Hungarian ownership spared it from peculiar difficulties of multinational companies.


Classic and Gong were merged in 1998 and became Hungaroton Records Publishing Kft. The company is merged into Fotexnet Kft. on 1st January 2013 holding naturally both its publishing activity and its brand name. Its catalogue being present on the market includes a total of more than two thousand five hundred recordings of classical and pop music. Records earlier only available on Bakelite or cassette are being digitalized. These albums are available at Hungaroton Music Store an on iTunes.


Hungaroton's classical music artist team includes names of the past along with today's illustrious and future's promising talents, i.e. pianists: Annie Fischer, Tamás Vásáry, Péter Frankl, Ilona Prunyi, Zoltán Kocsis, Dezső Ránki, András Schiff, Gergely Bogányi, Alex Szilasi and Tihamér Hlavacsek; conductors: János Ferencsik, Tamás Vásáry, Iván Fischer, János Kovács, Zoltán Kocsis, György Vashegyi; violinists: Dénes Kovács, György Pauk, Vilmos Szabadi, Barnabás Kelemen, Antal Szalai; string-quartets: Tátrai, Bartók, Takács and Auer Quartets; chamber orchestras Liszt Ferenc, Erkel and Erdődy. A few prestigious artists who had been working abroad with exclusive contracts have recently started new records at Hungaroton (Kocsis, Schiff and Vásáry).


Hungaroton excels in world premiere publications and has a strong early music profile sealed with such names as Malcolm Bilson, Miklós Spányi, Anikó Horváth, Anneke Boeke, Benedek Csalog, Ildikó Kertész, Balázs Máté, Pál Németh, Róbert Mandel and several Hungarian and foreign colleagues. World famous Amadinda Percussion Group, a Cantemus and Pro Musica Girls'Choirs, the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir make their records at Hungaroton.


The publisher's classical music profile includes never before recorded repertoire and outstanding works of Hungarian music. Just because of the aforementioned, Hungaroton Records uses the pitch "publisher of revelations". The "Bartók New Series", the second edition set of the composer has been experiencing significant success (the first edition was published by Hungaroton, too). Hungaroton's set of Kodály has been started as well. Furthermore, sets concentrating on a given genre have been published selecting from the work of Jenő Hubay, László Lajtha and Leó Weiner.


In pop music life's work of everlasting Hungarian stars is concentrated at Hungaroton as follows Zsuzsa Koncz, György Korda, Péter Máté, Pál Szécsi, Bikini, Illés, Omega, Neoton Família, Benkó Dixieland Band. In the genre of cabaret and pop music Géza Hofi represents the flagship. Children's favourite is Judit Halász either she sings, tells a story or guides them through the world of operas. When talking about folk music Márta Sebestyén and Kati Szvorák singers and Jánosi, Muzsikás and Vujicsics Group have to be highlighted. The best of the bests are queued here in the genre of Hungarian song, Gipsy music as well, e.g. Lakatos, Sánta and Kállai Kiss dynasties, the Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra, Rajkó Band (Gipsy Orchestra) and dulcimer players such as Oszkár Ökrös, Apollónia Kovács, Erzsébet Talabér, Margit Bangó, Károly Solti and singing Ferenc Bessenyei who leads us to actors of literature discs: Zoltán Latinovits, László Mensáros, Imre Sinkovits, Irén Psota, Éva Ruttkay, Klári Tolnay and relics quarding own poetry recitals of poets.


Classical music recordings of the publisher have regularly received prizes at international competitions. In addition to awards by Diapason, Goldberg, Le Monde de la Musique, Pizzicato and other classical music journals, other awards are worth special mention, such as the three MIDEM-awards for the Dohnányi violin concertos (1999), the Bartók Complete Works (2002) and the first SACD of the Bartók New Series (The Wooden Prince, Kossuth – symphonic poem), as well as the Classical Internet Awards prize (2004) for an SACD conducted by Zoltán Kocsis. The most recent CD of the Bartók New Series comprising the violin sonatas performed by Barnabás Kelemen and Zoltán Kocsis won the ,,Recording of the Year" prize in the 2013 competition of Gramophone Awards in the chamber music category. Hungaroton released Beethoven's complete piano concertos in 2015 performed by Dénes Várjon and Concerto Budapest conducted by András Keller; the recording won the Gramofon Prize a year later in the category "Best Hungarian Classical Music CD". Another album entitled "Bartók the pianist" was also picked as "Best Historical Recording of theYear" and at the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) voting in 2017; it was among the three top choices in the historical category. The Hungaroton label has produced several nominees during the past three years for ICMA, and two of its collections (Bartók the Pianist, 2017, - Best Historical Collection of the Year" category and The Great Book of Flute Sonatas, 2019 - ,,Best Collection" category) have made it to the final three nominees."

It's here:  https://hungarotonmusic.com/cegtortenet.html

A bit confusing to read (perhaps something lost in translation?).  They don't explain where/how/why Qualiton came into existence? It sounds like it might have initially been used as the label name for exports?

In any event, thank you for your thoughts and insight and I'll keep an eye out for Bacher!   

Must get in a walk today to keep my sanity.  Busy at the allotment?

Best wishes,

PD

Irons,

I also found this on Discogs:  https://www.discogs.com/label/57574-Qualiton  and https://www.discogs.com/label/882260-Tonalit

To add a bit more confusion.  Have you ever run across any of the Tonalit records?  I see that they were 10 inch shellacs.  Do you have the capacity chez vous to be able to play those?

I should probably work outside a bit today.  Am debating on whether or not to bring trash to the local transfer station:  people?     Has your country started suggestion that one wear masks?

[Irons]

Irons,

I also found this on Discogs:  https://www.discogs.com/label/57574-Qualiton  and https://www.discogs.com/label/882260-Tonalit

To add a bit more confusion.  Have you ever run across any of the Tonalit records?  I see that they were 10 inch shellacs.  Do you have the capacity chez vous to be able to play those?

I should probably work outside a bit today.  Am debating on whether or not to bring trash to the local transfer station:  people?     Has your country started suggestion that one wear masks?

A huge discography and as you say features a fair bit of Hungarian folk music. Tonalit, I have not heard of, and yes my TT does play 78's but has not played one, or a 45 either come to that.

The Hungaroton Bartok edition is pretty amazing. They recorded literally everything he wrote, published or not. All issues included detailed notes in a a gatefold/book format.

If I could get my hands on a mask I would wear one, P. I am sad to say with the fabulous weather this weekend the British public are flagrantly ignoring lock-down instructions. 

[ritter]

...
The Hungaroton Bartok edition is pretty amazing. They recorded literally everything he wrote, published or not. All issues included detailed notes in a a gatefold/book format.
...

Yes! I had several of those issues decades ago (they were my first exposure to Bartók's music, along with the Boulez recordings on Columbia) and they were very beautifully produced.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I do have one from that edition.  It has "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta"; "The Miraculous Mandarin (concert suite)" with György Lehel and the Budapest SO.  Looks like it's Vol. 8 of the Orchestral Works.  Can't find a cover of it.

I did see on Amazon that the CD set of it is going for big bucks!     Didn't catch how many CDs were in it.  I noticed on the back of the LP that I have, they posted a "Draft Program of the Complete Edition" including some posthumous works.  Under that at the bottom "These four records which contain the posthumous works will be followed by others depending on the publication of other compositions written during his youth or unpublished as yet.

Think that I might try and make a list of ones to have on hand should I run across any more of them...or maybe just of the one that I do have?

How many of them do you own Irons?

Ritter, do you recall which ones you had and how you liked them?

Will have to look later and see who all is playing violin and also who plays the piano in his concertos.

Best,

PD

[Irons]

I have noticed quite a mix of participants in the series. Both labels also issued many Bartok records outside of the Complete Edition.

P, I do own the VC recording - my favourite Bartok work - with Kovacs Dénes (violin) and Budapest SO conducted by Lukacs Ervin. This is coupled with the two Rhapsodies for Violin and Orchestra.

PC3 from the edition is missing from my shelves. PC 1&2 is Zoltan Kocsis and same orchestra with Gyorgy Lehel.

It would not surprise me if the above works are repeated in the series with other artists.