Everest Records

[vandermolen]

Browsing in my local HMV store in Tunbridge Wells today I was surprised to see some CDs on the old Everest label. They only recorded classical music in the late 50s but produced some great stuff like Stokowski's Francesca Da Rimini, the first recording of Vaughan Williams's 9th Symphony (made within a few hours of his death, the old man had been due to attend the sessions) and many others, including works by Chavez.

I bought two items (they are now budget price at £6), Boult's recording of Shostakovich's 6th Symphony, which I never owned on LP (my brother had the old LP) It is only 33 minutes on the CD but the depth of the recording (made on v thick tape or 35mm film) and the performance are both excellent. I also bought Copland's Third Symphony with Copland conducting the LSO (the earlier and better of his two recordings) with Billy the Kid (better value at 60 mins of music). I do not know of a more moving performance of the Copland Symphony. The issues have all the old artwork from the LPs as a nice nostalgia touch. Everest recordings were once on CD before, but at full price.

Here are the initial releases:

http://www.harkitrecords.com/everest9.html

[Montpellier]

I noticed these among advanced releases on MDT - they took a while to come into stock - so I bought the Vaughan Williams Job and the Chavez Symphonies.  Very nice.  Let's hope they come up with a few more.  I wouldn't mind that Vaughan Williams' 9.

[Lethevich]

I wonder why the RVW 9th was reissued - isn't it the same one as in the currently available (and very cheap) Decca/Boult/mono box?

Edit: after a re-read, the OP doesn't mention the 9th as a reissue, and the site doesn't list it. I got my wires crossed

[Renfield]

I wonder why the RVW 9th was reissued - isn't it the same one as in the currently available (and very cheap) Decca/Boult/mono box?

It has to be, as I clearly remember Boult's prologue about VW's death earlier that day.

(I own the Decca set.)

[vandermolen]

There is no indication yet that they will reissue the famous VW No 9 (presumably they could have coupled it with Job). It is the same one as in the Decca box anyway. I have the Job and Chavez on previous Everest CD issue, both great performances.

[dirkronk]

I own the disc of Stokowski doing Villa-Lobos (Uirapuru, Modinha), Prokofiev (Cinderella excerpts) and Debussy (Children's Corner), and another disc of his Wagner (Walkure and Parsifal excerpts). I have the one of Goossens conducting Antheil (sym.4) and Copland on the same disc conducting his own Statements for Orchestra. And I have a fourth disc of Susskind doing Copland (Appalachian Spring), Gould and Gershwin. I think all of these are commendable, especially if you can get them at a good price. Very interesting music, conducted well--sometimes exceptionally so--and sonics better reproduced than at any time in their long histories except possibly the earliest analog vinyl issues.

Haven't checked their availability on Everest CD releases, but do keep your eye out for the famous Stoky Tchaikovsky Francesca/Hamlet recording and his Shostakovich symphony #5 (not as essential a performance perhaps, but an interesting take on the music). All of these have appeared at one time or another on other CD labels, but I don't know how the transfers and processing compare.

Cheers,

Dirk

[drogulus]

     The Shostakovich 6th was originally coupled with the 9th:

     


     The VW 9th came with the Arnold 3rd:

     

     I'm just glad to see these recordings available again.

[johnQpublic]

do keep your eye out for the famous Stoky Tchaikovsky Francesca/Hamlet recording

Words of wisdom, indeed.

[The new erato]

Words of wisdom, indeed.

Seconded - I have it. Some of the most convincing Tchaikovsky I have heard for quite some time.

[bhodges]

An Everest recording was the first LP I ever owned: Sir Malcolm Sargent and the LSO in Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome, a gift from a friend after we heard Pines by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  At the time it was touted as a sonic spectacular, and from comments on the current CD version I think it probably still holds up pretty well for its age.  Would be nice if it made it into this new series.

--Bruce

[Drasko]

Here are the initial releases:

http://www.harkitrecords.com/everest9.html

Initial batch had problems with pauses inserted between tracks where they shouldn't be, hopefully they resolved that.

[Daverz]

I wonder if Stokie cut Uirapuru.  Here are some timings:

Carvalho/Delos: 20:45
Mata/Dorian: 18:56
Stokie: 14:18

Or could he just be that much faster?  I couldn't find timings for Jan Wagner's recording on Bridge.

[vandermolen]

An Everest recording was the first LP I ever owned: Sir Malcolm Sargent and the LSO in Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome, a gift from a friend after we heard Pines by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  At the time it was touted as a sonic spectacular, and from comments on the current CD version I think it probably still holds up pretty well for its age.  Would be nice if it made it into this new series.

--Bruce

Me too. I don't think I've ever seen this on CD. Sargent is an underrated conductor I think. Excellent 'Planets', VW symphonies 1 and 4, Walton No 1 and my favourite Sibelius No 5 (BBC SO).

[pjme]

I bought it a couple of weeks ago at Amazon. apparently it is "unavailable" now. It's good. Goossens go at Feste romane is spectacular ( as it should be), but the sound is "unglamorous and the organ unaudible . Still, lots of nostalgia for a few euros.

( Now back to the radio for Purcell's Fairy queen!)


Peter

ps : next season in Berlin

Marie Victoire
Opera in four acts by Ottorino Respighi
Libretto by Edmond Guiraud, based on his same-named play
First performance on 27th January 2004, in Rome
Germany premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 9th April 2009


Deutsche Oper Berlin

German premiere: 09. April 2009
16. | 19. | 22. | 24. April 2009

[dirkronk]

I wonder if Stokie cut Uirapuru.  Here are some timings:

Carvalho/Delos: 20:45
Mata/Dorian: 18:56
Stokie: 14:18

Or could he just be that much faster?  I couldn't find timings for Jan Wagner's recording on Bridge.

Hmmm. Since Stokowski's version is the only one I've ever listened to, I'll have to defer to more knowledgeable folks here. But it wouldn't surprise me if the answer wasn't "a little bit of both." That is, some cuts AND some serious speed. That would be just, like, SO-O-O Stokie.


Dirk

[PerfectWagnerite]

An Everest recording was the first LP I ever owned: Sir Malcolm Sargent and the LSO in Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome, a gift from a friend after we heard Pines by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  At the time it was touted as a sonic spectacular, and from comments on the current CD version I think it probably still holds up pretty well for its age.  Would be nice if it made it into this new series.

--Bruce

It's okay, rather fierce and blowsy sonics though. You can probably do much better else in these warhorses elsewhere but it's the memory that counts.