EMI ASD 349: Kubelik's Early Stereo Beethoven
EMI HMV ASD 349
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major "Pastoral"
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik, conductor
Pressing: ED1, white/gold label
Date first published: 1960
Stampers: 2YEA 222-7, 2YEA 223-3
Performance: 7/10
Sound: 7/10
Price range: $46-767 (mean $152) on popsike.com
Comments: I'm on a Kubelik kick tonight. To my knowledge, this is the only Beethoven symphony that Kubelik recorded for EMI. He later went on to record the entire cycle for Deutsche Grammophon the 1970s, conducting each symphony with a different international orchestra. I am just visiting these recordings for the first time, having purchased DG's recent Kubelik Symphony Edition box set, and they are really excellent. This earlier effort with the Royal Philharmonic is also decent with warm tube sound and nice dynamic range, though there is a bit of distortion in the louder passages that steals away some of the clarity (and which, if you've been following this blog, is not an uncommon phenomenon on several of these golden age stereo recordings, no matter how expensive they sell for). Overall, though, the listening experience is very positive and makes this album worth seeking out.
Comments: I'm on a Kubelik kick tonight. To my knowledge, this is the only Beethoven symphony that Kubelik recorded for EMI. He later went on to record the entire cycle for Deutsche Grammophon the 1970s, conducting each symphony with a different international orchestra. I am just visiting these recordings for the first time, having purchased DG's recent Kubelik Symphony Edition box set, and they are really excellent. This earlier effort with the Royal Philharmonic is also decent with warm tube sound and nice dynamic range, though there is a bit of distortion in the louder passages that steals away some of the clarity (and which, if you've been following this blog, is not an uncommon phenomenon on several of these golden age stereo recordings, no matter how expensive they sell for). Overall, though, the listening experience is very positive and makes this album worth seeking out.
There is a Fanfare pressing (SIT60039) that has the potential for improved sound. I've yet to acquire a Fanfare LP, but I presume they are excellent. Discogs shows quite a few of the titles and I would guestimate that the reissue of the Pastoral dates from 1975 which are some of the lowest sound floor emi pressings. I would expect the Fanfare to ameliorate the congestion on the original.
ReplyDeleteWould this be the best audiophile caliber Beethoven Sixth? I've got a 6 eye Columbia. I would say the other contender would be the Klemperer ASD reissue of this original SAX recording. What is the best Beethoven 6?
I think that the Bruno Walter Beethoven 6th (probably the 6-eye Columbia you have) is probably the most revered audiophile 6th on vinyl. I owned a VG++ copy a few years ago and liked it ... it's also a TAS list record, for what that is worth.
ReplyDeleteCBS were labelled as Philips in the UK/Philips UK mastered. After 1962/3 they were on CBS (CBS UK Mastered from c.1965) but a few Columbia matrices got imported: I've that Walter Beet 6 as one example from 1965: matrices:4FF/4DL.
DeleteKubelik's RPO/Bartok.ConcforOrch was on WRC ST836 using 'old style' ASD matrices (11/6) - as was Kempe's RPO/Brahms 4 (ST932 5/2)..not exactly 'must have' performances, IMO..
A while back, I was really curious to compare the US Columbia/CBS pressings with their UK Philips counterparts. The Philips issues had nicer covers, in my opinion, but the surfaces were no better, and neither was the sound. Perfect examples would be the Leonard Bernstein albums with the NYPO (I posted on his Beethoven 7 last year), which to my ears have no sonic advantage on the Philips label but yet are priced much more highly than the US pressings. I found a VG copy of the Walter Beethoven 6 on Philips Hi-Fi Stereo for $1.99 at a local record shop a few months ago and picked it up just to test it out. The surface noise due to condition aside, the record sounded more or less like the 6-eye.
DeleteHow are those WRC pressings, soundwise?
Those WRC's are not ones where the sound hinders/improves the desirability (to me!)...but would need to re-check the sonics (recall as being 'second-rate').
ReplyDeleteCBS UK came out with some excellent transfers of older discs: Walter 72143 (Tannhauser/Lohen/Idyll: Bruckner 4/7 fill-ups) is one from c.1969 (A3/B1) and their pressing-quality was superb around 69/70.
One where things aren't boring is STP624 - Szell Walton 2/Partita - which uses 'original' EMI matrices: 3/2...(I guess you know the SAX Hindemith is from Columbia metalwork)
Something really good is STP31; the 1959 Swan Lake (Sinfonia of London/Hollingsworth: my 1963 pressings are 8/3) - Nutccracker a bit less good; Sl.Beauty not so good in my 1962 disc.
Swan Lake beats the pants off other SinfLondon performances...
CBS UK also issued the complete Szell/Cleveland Orchestra Brahms symphony cycle in a box set, which made it to one of Salvatore's lists (more for performance than for sound). I found a copy for pretty cheap and tried it out and found it to be on par with the US pressings (Masterworks, not the 2-eyes).
DeleteI have the Walton 2/Partita but haven't posted on it yet, but now that you bring it up, it'll move up on the list!
It is great to hear about the World Record Club pressings. The same for the UK CBS pressings of Columbia material. I am surprised that US record companies sent metal work over to the UK, but your Walter Beethoven sIx is strong proof of that and have similar matrices to the two copies I have. (I have quite a collection of Columbia CBS. No New York or Philadelphia because I did not like the sound. Alot of Stravinsky and Bruno Walter with Columbia Symphony.)
Deletejust found a Decca Jubilee of Beethoveen 2 Monteux. I'll check out the spa. I must say finding a good Brahms on LP has been a challenge for me I've never connected with the music. Beethoven LP's have been challenging to.I find your World Record Club Kempe suggestions appealing just because at least they might do well in the performance sound combination. Sorry to say if the sound was really bad it's a little more difficult for me to enjoy even the best performance.
Monteux LSO/Beet 2 SPA584 is a 1982 Decca mastering (2V/2V UK Polygram pressing). The STS (Jubilee?) presumably is Dutch.
DeleteI uploaded Klemperer/Brahms 4 original SAX. A 1957 reissue (LXT5368) of Krips/LSO from 1950 is fabulous sound/performance...but wouldn't bother with the Kempe/RPO! (nor Reiner's..) - though the performance got good reviews.
There weren't many Columbia matrices imported... OTTOMH I've: Prokofiev VC1/2 Stern (a CBS UK transfer not good) - Stravinsky Firebird (great) - Mozart PC21/24 Casadesus - Sibelius 7/Romane (uploaded that). 72270 (Stravinsky Jeu/Bluebird is interesting as EMI mastered/pressed it in 1965 and sounds excellent.
Anyway - must stop chattering - and my blogs are getting no comments now!
Your comment about connecting with Brahms is not unusual. While I do very much like the music of Brahms, it is like eating a very, very rich meal ... all of the time. Tchaikovsky once said about the music of Brahms, "All pedestal, no statue." Sometimes you just have to be in the mood. It's like listening to Bruckner.
DeleteIf you are looking for solid Brahms symphonies in the analog era, I would definitely look for Szell's interpretations with the Cleveland Orchestra. Perhaps getting a Columbia 2-eye would be best, since that would have been the earliest pressings of these. Don't expect to be moved to tears by the sound -- it's not fantastic -- but the performances are fantastic. Alternatively, Eugen Jochum's Brahms cycle on EMI with the London Philharmonic Orchestra are also well reputed.
Tin Ear, your comments are always greatly appreciate on this blog, and we sincerely appreciate hearing your thoughts!
Tin Ear -- my apologies, as I have not had the opportunity to visit your site in a long time. I just checked it out and will not follow closely by email. I forgot just how many LP treasures you have transferred and now look forward to downloading these files to listen on my system! Many thanks for all your hard work!
ReplyDeleteWas that 'now' .. or 'not' !!!.
DeleteBeen quiet (being Summer) for uploads (not just comments: thanks for your Franck: have replied)..with some recent 'ancient computer' problems not allowing 24/96 transfers (noticeably better than 16bit - except for 'Historical LP' material: however the files (mostly 16it CD-RW based) beat any 'competition' - and not just 'IMO'!!)...but have almost filled my 50GB Mega allowance.
The 1940 Mengelberg/Beethoven Symphonies on the 'Historical' blog are hard to surpass (and have been downloaded many thousands of times...)
My apologies ... that was "NOW" and NOT "not"!
Delete