This recording was also made in the acoustically dead Camden Church
Studio number 2, rather than in the Academy of Music, Philadelphia,
which was the recording location for the 1927 Schéhérazade. In
the restoration provided in the mp3 links below, Marcos Abreu has opened
up the recording, providing an ambiance that restores 'air' around the
beautiful performances of the Philadelphia musicians. The Camden
Church Studio was designed with acoustic insulation to be acoustically 'dead',
somewhat like the famous (infamous) Studio 8-H of Toscanini recordings.
This reduced reverberation may have aided recording, but it removed much of
the acoustical atmosphere surrounding this great orchestra.
This restoration for me reveals orchestral detail,
particularly of the inner instruments,
which I had not previously heard. The bass of this restoration is
also particularly effective, giving the solid bass structure Stokowski
always sought, without the 'boomy' or muddy bass often found in these
recordings made in the Camden Church Studio. Now, we can concentrate
on enjoying the music, without the distractions which often come from the
intrusions of the defects inherent in these recordings from more than 75
years ago. Thanks Marcos.
(Marcos Abreu is an audio mastering and restoration expert. You can contact
him at Marcos Abreu - Audio mastering and restoration services, email address:
mastering@terra.com.br
If you enjoy the restoration, drop him a note and say 'Thanks Marcos !')
The mp3 restorations provided in the links below are of the four
movements of Schéhérazade. Part 1, starts with the brass (the
sultan) contrasting with the sensuous violin (Schéhérazade) telling
her tale of the sea, and of Sinbad the Sailor. Part 2 tells
the story of the Prince of the Kalenders, who is a royal Prince
disguised as the head of the Kalender dervishes. The music
features the violin solos of Concertmaster Alexander Hilsberg,
and his wonderful colleagues, Walter Guetter, bassoon, Marcel Tabuteau,
oboe, William Kincaid, flute, and Arthur Berv, horn. The
clarinet solo in Part 2 is by Robert McGinnis,
and his performance moves the music in circles, similar to the dances of the
dervishes which the music depicts.
Alexander Hilsberg, Concertmaster, William Kinkaid, flute, Marcel
Tabuteau, oboe, Arthur Berv, horn
In Part 3, Schéhérazade, the violin tells the tale of the love
between the Young Prince and the Young Princess. This
more lyrical movement begins quietly, and builds up to a climax
with cymbal crashes to an emotional conclusion. In
Part 4, Schéhérazade introduces the Festival at Baghdad,
with wild and wilder dancing, accompanied by percussion.
The music then transitions to the further story of Sinbad and the
Sea, introduced by brass, and depicting Sinbad's ship crashing up
onto the rocks. The music then becomes quiet and lyrical, with
Schéhérazade's theme reentering, and the music becoming quiet.
Perhaps the sultan has fallen asleep, as is Schéhérazade's
intention. Click below to enjoy Marcos Abreu's restoration.
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Rimsky-Korsakov Schéhérazade - Sea and Vessel of Sinbad
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Rimsky-Korsakov Schéhérazade - Tale of the Kalender Prince
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Rimsky-Korsakov Schéhérazade - Young Prince and Young Princess
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Rimsky-Korsakov Schéhérazade - Festival at Baghdad
1934 - Dvorak
- Symphony no 9 in e minor, opus 95 'From the New World'
Dvorak Symphony no 9 in e minor, opus 95 'From the New World' Only
about 34
musicians were used for this recording in the Camden Church Studio, but
the microphone placement probably supervised by Stokowski, was effective
in presenting the picture of a larger group. Also, in this
recording, the Victor engineers used the overlapping recording
technique, where the last few seconds of one side are repeated during
the first seconds of the next side. This was done by using
multiple disk cutting machines simultaneously, with the objective of
reducing the disruption to the music of side changes.
This is a good performance, but for me, somehow lacking in the magic of the
1927 recording of the Dvorak 9
. This 1934 recording was issued on five 12 inch Victor Red Seal
disks, and in Britain on HMV disks DB 2543, DB 2544, DB 2545, DB 2546, DB 2447,
matrices CS 84525, CS 84526, CS 84541, CS 84542, CS 84543, CS 84544, CS 84545,
CS 84546, CS 84547, CS 84548. Victor presented these in their Musical Masterpiece album
M-273, issued in early 1935.
Click here to listen to (or download) Movement 1 of the 1934 Dvorak Symphony no 9
'From the New World'
Click here to listen to (or download) Movement 2 of the 1934 Dvorak Symphony no 9
'From the New World'
Click here to listen to (or download) Movement 3 of the 1934 Dvorak Symphony no 9
'From the New World'
Click here to listen to (or download) Movement 4 of the 1934 Dvorak Symphony no 9
'From the New World'
(note: awaiting better sources for Movements 3 and 4).
1934 Ippolitov-Ivanov - Caucasian Sketches - In the Manger
October 22, 1934 Ippolitov-Ivanov - Caucasian Sketches opus
42 no 2 'Berceuse - In the Manger'
1934 Bach - "Es ist vollbracht" from the St. John's Passion BWV 245
Following the Dvorak and Ippolitov-Ivanov recordings on October 22, 1934,
Stokowski and the orchestra turned to Bach, orchestrated by Stokowski.
This was his orchestration of 'Es ist Vollbracht !', aria number 58
(or movement 30) from Bach's St. John's Passion BWV 245, in
a Stokowski orchestration. Bach's original score was for a (boy) Alto singer,
accompanied by viola da gamba, plus two violins, a viola, and continuo, of course
far less than the full strings and winds used by Stokowski. This original
text can be heard in a wonderful 1950 performance by Peter Schreier, then only 14,
and before his successful professional career, with Anton Spieler, cello and Hans Otto,
organ continuo and conductor Rudolf Mauersberger.
Peter Schreier - boy alto
Click on the link below to
hear the beauty
of Bach's music which inspired Stokowski's arrangement and orchestration.
Click here to listen to (or download) the Peter Schreier singing Bach's 'Es ist Vollbracht'
The text 'Es its Vollbracht' - 'It is accomplished', Christ's last words on
the cross, begins with quiet and meditative music reflecting on the Passion of
Christ, but then transitions to an allegro, celebrating and affirming that death is
vanquished. This aria, with its celebration allegro interruption
('Der Held aus Juda'), and its quiet ending is one
of Bach's most sublime works. Stokowski has captured the spirit of this music,
except perhaps the first theme of 'Es ist Vollbracht', in which Stokowski's performance
has given Bach's thought-filled music a reading more lugubrious than it is
contemplative. In a June, 1936 review, the Gramophone Magazine gave a
favorable review of this recording, speaking of the music, and ending with the
observation: '...There cannot, I think, be anyone to object to such a transcription,
making yet another beautiful record of Bach at his finest...' 3
Listen to the beautiful duet solos of Marcel Tabuteau, oboe, Walter Guetter,
bassoon, and Robert Bloom, English horn.
Robert Bloom (1908-1994), a oboe and English horn student of Marcel Tabuteau at the Curtis
Institute, was English horn of the Philadelphia
Orchestra 1930-1936 and later, Principal oboe of Arturo Toscanini's NBC
Symphony Orchestra.
This Bach recording was issued by Victor on two sides of a 10 inch Red Seal disk, Victor 8764
matrix BS 84553-1 and BS 84554-1, both being the first takes of each side.
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Stokowski orchestration "Es ist vollbracht" BWV 245
1934 Girolamo Frescobaldi orchestrated by Stokowski - Gagliarda
October 22, 1934 Girolamo Frescobaldi orchestrated by Stokowski - Gagliarda
Victor 1985 matrix BS 84555-1.
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Girolamo Frescobaldi orchestrated by Stokowski - Gagliarda
1934 Tchaikovsky - Symphony no 5 in e minor opus 64
On November 12, 1934, Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra began an
intensive day of recording, including 7 different works. This
recording session began with Stokowski's interpretation of the
Tchaikovsky Symphony no 5 in e minor, opus 64.
There is beautiful bassoon playing by Walter Guetter in his brief contribution
to the second movement of this Tchaikovsky Symphony no 5. Stokowski makes
cuts in the finale of the fourth movement, as was his habit. However, this
is a performance mostly free of the mannerisms and speeding up and slowing that
sometimes detracted from Stokowski's performances of Tchaikowski late symphonies.
This recording was issued in the Victor Musical Masterpiece album M-253,
containing six disks, 8589, 8590, 8591, 8592, 8593, 8594. Matrices
were CS 84558, CS 84559, CS 84560, CS 84561, CS 84562, CS 84563,
CS 84564, CS 84565, CS 84566, CS 84567, CS 84568, CS 84569.
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky Symphony no 5 movement 1
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky Symphony no 5 movement 2
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky Symphony no 5 movement 3
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky Symphony no 5 movement 4
1934 - Vivaldi - L'estro armonico - Concerto grosso opus 3 no 11 in d minor RV 565
On November 12, 1934 Stokowski recorded his re-orchestration of the Concerto grosso
no 11 from the opus 3 L'estro armonico by Vivaldi.
Click
1934 - George Frederick Handel - Suite from the 'Water Music'
Also during this intensive November 12, 1934 recording session in Camden, Stokowski and the
Philadelphia Orchestra recorded music by George Frederick Handel. This was of the
Suite from the Handel 'Water Music', first performed on the Thames river in 1717 as a
concert for Handel's patron, King George I.
Handel at about the time of the 'Water Music'
This Suite seems to have been based on the version by Sir Hamilton Harty,
but further changed by Stokowski. The movements selected for this Suite are
marked: 1. allegro, 2. air, 3. bourrée, 4. hornpipe, 5. andante espressivo,
6. allegro deciso.
This performance has some of the negative aspects (in my opinion) of
Stokowski's 1930's performances of baroque music. This is not
simply a reaction to the lack of what we currently regard as "correct"
baroque performance practices, tuning, original instruments, and other practices
now favored. Rather, the performance has a tendency toward a heaviness that
contradicts the music's festive purpose and bubbling nature. The strings swoop,
and the rhythm rises and falls. However, there is also some animated playing
which can give pleasure. Also, the performance is more to current
tastes than, for example
Stokowski's ponderous Bach Brandenburg Concerto no 2
.
Stokowski in Baroque music often seems not to accept a
simple ending as written, which is no exception here. The ending of the final
allegro is transformed into a sort of Technicolor apotheosis. I believe
Hamilton Harty did this better in his recordings, although of course we should
not expect what is our idea of 'correct' performing practice.
However, you can judge for yourself by clicking on the music links below.
This recording was issued on two 12 inch Victor Red Seal disks 8550, 8551,
matrices CS 84574-1, CS 84575-1, CS 84576-1, CS 84577-1, all first takes.
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 - Handel Suite from the Water Music (large file)
1934 - Palestrina - 'Adoramus te, Christe' (Stokowski orchestration)
On this busy recording day of November 12, 1934 in the Camden Church Studio, Stokowski
and the Philadelphia Orchestra recorded his orchestration and adaptation of 'Adoramus
te, Christe', which has been attributed to Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 or
1526-1594). This is a motet in four voices, which Stokowski likely performed on
the organ.
Palestrina (1525 or 1526-1594)
In his interesting book The Mystery of Leopold Stokowski, William Ander
Smith writes:
'...I have been asked if others did not orchestrate the pieces such as
the Frescobaldi or Palestrina...' 2.
Smith identifies Stokowski as the orchestrator
of these two pieces, confirmed by the Stokowski score collection. Some have
suggested Fritz Stein (1879-1961), a musicologist, and colleague and biographer of
Max Reger (1873-1916) who did orchestrate some baroque works, including Gabrieli's
Sonata pian e forte from the 'Sacrae symphoniae', which Stokowski recorded.
Fritz Stein was also the discoverer of the manuscript of the so-called 'Jena
Symphony', once thought to be a work by Beethoven. H. C. Robbins Landon later
demonstrated that the 'Jena Symphony' was by Friedrich Witt (1770-1837).
However, the Frescobaldi and Palestrina orchestrations were by Stokowski.
This orchestration of 'Adormaus te' was issued on a Victor 10 inch (25 cm) disk, matrix
BS 84578-1, in two versions. It was on Victor 11-8576 in M-963 with Bach or
In Europe, HMV issued the recording on DA 1606, coupled with the Frescobaldi Gagliarda.
The recording was also issued in the 1940s as a filler of a 12 inch (30 cm) Victor Red Seal
disk 15206 B, coupled with the final side of Stokowski's 'Symphonic Synthesis' of Tristan
und Isolde - Acts 2, 3 (disk 15206 A) contained in Musical Materpiece album M-508.
Click here to listen to (download) the 1934 Palestrina - 'Adoramus te, Christe'
1934 Brahms Serenade no 1 - Minuetto
Victor 1675 matrix BS 82129-1
Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra recorded
the fourth movement, marked 'Minuetto' of the Brahms Serenade no 1. This was
recorded in the Camden Church Studio on November 12, 1934. Only about 40
musicians were used.
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Brahms Serenade no 1 - mvmt 4 - Minuet
1934 - Etanraku - Japanese Ceremonial Prelude
Prepared by Prince Hidemaro Konoye (1898-1973)
Prince Hidemaro Konoye 1898-1973
In the November 12, 1934 recording session, Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra
recorded music prepared by by Prince Hidemaro Konoye (1898-1973). This was called
'Etanraku - Japanese Ceremonial Prelude' for this recording. Prince Konoye was
a creative and innovative spirit, who achieved a number of innovations in recording and
in the development of music. Hidemaro Konoye made the first full recording of the
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major K297b, and recorded it in 1937, with no less
a group than the Berlin Philharmonic.
The interesting music site by Braveheart wrote of Prince Konoye: '...Konoye was one and
great conductor in the first age of Japanese Classical Music world. He founded
the 'New Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo' - later the NHK Symphony Orchestra, today,
He recorded the first recording of Mahler's 4th Symphony in May, 1930 in Japan.
He created friendship to Erich Kleiber, Leopold Stokowski and many other famous conductors
in Europe and USA. [In} The early days of NBC Symphony, he get chair of conductors
with Artur Rodzinski and Charles Munch. He planned US tour which was supervised
by Stokowski, but due to begun of World War 2, his plan was missed. He went
to Germany and conducted Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in second half
of 1930s. He died in 1972. 1
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Japanese Ceremonial Prelude by Prince Hidemaro Konoye
1934 - Tchaikovsky - Nutcracker Suite opus 71a
In November 1926, Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra recorded a
beautiful performance of the Suite from Tchaikovsky's ballet 'The
Nutcracker', one of the earliest totally successful electrical
recordings of a full symphony orchestra. This album, the
1926 Victor Musical Masterpiece M-3
was a best-selling album for a number of years. In 1934, Victor decided
to replace this album with a new recording, which was accomplished
almost exactly 7 years after the 1926 Nutcracker Suite.
As with many of teh 1930s re-recordings of the music Stokowski had recorded 1926-1929,
this 1934 Nutcracker is good in both performance and sound, but lacks, perhaps the extra
bit of magic of the 1926 performance. This Nutcracker Suite recording was issued on
Victor Red Seal 12 inch disks 8862, 8863, 8864, matrices CS 87000-1, CS 87001-2B,
CS 87002-5, CS 87003-1, CS 87004-1, CS 87005-1 in Masterpiece album M-265. In
Europe, HMV issued the recording on HMV DB 2540, DB 2541, and DB 2542.
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky - parts 1, 2, 3 (awaiting better source)
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky parts 3, 4: Sugar-Plum Fairy, Trepak
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky parts 5, 6, 7: Arab, Chinese, Flutes Dances
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Tchaikovsky part 8: Waltz of Flowers
1934
- Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Christmas eve, 1934 was a busy day for Victor, Stokowski and the
Philadelphia orchestra in the Camden Church Studio no 2. They
recorded two concerti: the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
and the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Both the Rachmaninoff with
Rachmaninoff at the piano and the Sibelius with Heifetz as soloist were
from the first take of each 78 RPM side.
The Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini was composed in
Rachmaninoff's summer home in Switzerland in the summer of 1934.
Stokowski, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Rachmaninoff premiered the
work in Baltimore, Maryland at the Lyric Opera House on
November 7, 1934. So, this recording, made on Christmas Eve, 1934 was only
months following the premiere.
Although Rachmaninoff was clearly a renowned composer, as well as piano
virtuoso, this Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini seems to have had the
effect to remind the public that Rachmaninoff was first of all a gifted
composer, and second, a re-creative artist.
This recording was made in the Camden Church Studio number 2 with 70
musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and issued on three Victor Red
Seal 12 inch disks, Victor 8553, 8554, 8555 with matrix numbers CS 87066-1,
CS 87067-1, CS 87068-1, CS 87069-1, CS 87070-1, CS 87071-1, all in album
M-250.
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Part 1
Click here to listen to (or download) the 1934 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Part 2
1 'Braveheart' music site. Mozart : Sinfonia concertante KV 297b
Published bybraveheart@bh2000.net. 1998-2003.
http://www.bh2000.net/special/patzak/detail.php?id=54
2 page 102. Smith, William Ander.
The Mystery of Leopold Stokowski Fairleigh Dickinson
University Press. New Jersey 1990 ISBN-13: 978-0838633625
3 page 18. Philadelphia Orchestra, Stokowski: Es ist vollbracht
(Bach). HMV DB2762 (12 inch, 6 sides).. Gramophone
Magazine. London. June, 1936.
If you have any comments or questions about this
Leopold Stokowski site, please e-mail me (Larry
Huffman) at e-mail address:
leopold.stokowski@gmail.com
