The Bargain Hunter: World Record Club Reissues, Part One
Nine years ago, my colleague Meles wrote a post on this blog entitled "Audio Nervosa and Matrices: The EMI Reissues Part 1", in which he began a survey of the World Record Club (WRC) reissues of "golden age" classical recordings. While I am certain that he had intended to continue this as a series, unfortunately that did not happen. I'd like to pick up the torch and continue this journey that my colleague began nearly a decade ago. There are so many treasures in the WRC discography that can be found for a very reasonable price on the used market, and most of these seem to be in rather excellent to near mint condition. Many of them have very unique, artistic cover art that has even been collected into a book on the subject by Geoff Hocking. One of our readers previously commented that they would like to see more of the cover art of the WRC reissues. Happy to oblige!
Starting today, Miles to Mozart will now also include some audio clip samples to give you a little preview of each album.
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3
David Oistrakh, violin
The Philharmonia Orchestra
Alceo Galliera, conductor (Prokofiev)
David Oistrakh, conductor (Mozart)
Australian pressing, white label test pressing
Matrix numbers: YAX 223-10 / YAX 224-11
Mother: 1 / 1
Cover by Janice McBride
This is the 1967 WRC reissue of the highly coveted Columbia SAX 2304, which typically sells for several hundreds of dollars on Ebay. I have confirmed from two independent sources that the matrix numbers for the blue/silver label first (and only) SAX pressing were YAX 223-10 and YAX 224-11, the same as the ones for this WRC.
We have an interesting pairing of violin concertos, Prokofiev's second with Mozart's third. Both are given beautiful performances. The sound of this record is warm, rich, and vibrant, and while I have not had the pleasure of hearing the original blue/silver SAX, I suspect that the WRC probably comes very close at a mere fraction of the cost. I like the balance between soloist and orchestra on this recording; to my ears, the presentation of Oistrakh's violin is slightly more laid back but blends nicely with the Philharmonia. This is in contrast to some of the Leonid Kogan concerto recordings for Columbia, which seem to place him very clearly front and center with the orchestra sounding like a round mass behind him. A wonderful WRC and a bargain when compared with the original SAX.
WORLD RECORD CLUB S/T4326
España
Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34
Granados: Andaluza-Dansa española No. 5
Chabrier: España
Moszkowski: Spanish Dances, Book 1, Op. 12
The London Symphony Orchestra
Ataulfo Argenta, conductor
Australian pressing, green "strobe light" label
Matrix numbers: SL1 A ZAL-3521-9G / 311 A ZAL-3522-10G
This is the 1968 WRC reissue of the famous and still highly collectible Decca SXL 2020, recorded in Kingsway Hall in December 1956 and January 1957. This disc is full of delightful Spanish-flavored orchestral music by Spanish and non-Spanish composers. I have never owned the original Decca for comparison, but I have previously owned a non-Blueback London FFSS pressing and the German Speakers Corner audiophile reissue. To my ears, I prefer the WRC, which is similarly dynamic and sounds more natural and organic. The 9G/10G matrix numbers on this WRC put it after the early Decca and London FFSS pressings (mostly 2E/3E, 3E/2E, 4E/5E, 5E/4E, and a rare 1K/1K from what I could gather on Discogs and Popsike) but before the 1970 Decca Ace of Diamonds (11G/11G) and 1977 Decca Eclipse (12G/12G) reissues.
I ran across an interesting article in the augural issue of the International Classical Record Collector (Summer 1995) dedicated to this recording, in which a panel of listeners listened and compared the original Decca SXL, the Decca Eclipse, the Speakers Corner, and a CD reissue. Interestingly, the consensus was a unanimous preference for the Decca Eclipse because of its warmer, more natural sound and a greater sense of concert hall acoustics. While I haven't heard the Decca Eclipse, I would wager that the WRC probably shares similar sonic characteristics. If I ever find the Eclipse (or the Ace of Diamonds), I'll try to do an A/B comparison.
WORLD RECORD CLUB S/T4159
Prokofiev:
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55
Samson Francois, piano
The Philharmonia Orchestra
Witold Rowicki, conductor
Australian pressing, green "strobe light" label
Matrix numbers: YLX 1133 21 / YLX 1134 21
This is the 1967 WRC reissue of the pretty rare and expensive Columbia SAX 2533 (1963). A quick survey of Popsike and Discogs shows the original UK SAX selling at a median of approximately USD $238-246 and a maximum of USD $323-846. Before finding the WRC, I had a pretty clean US Angel blue label pressing (S36193) of this album and was sadly quite disappointed with the murky, unnatural and at times distorted sound. I am pleased to say that the WRC does not disappoint sonically. How it compares with the original SAX I cannot say, but this reissue sounds excellent. Quiet surfaces, clear and very dynamic sound without distortion, open and airy with a nice sense of atmosphere and hall presence. Francois' piano, beautifully recorded, is clearly center stage but well balanced with the orchestra.
In all honesty, Prokofiev's piano concertos have not always been my favorite piano concertos, but this recording may have changed my viewpoint. I may have to revisit, or visit for the first time, some of the other vinyl recordings of these works from around the same era. Some alternative choices for the Prokofiev No. 3:
- 1961 Van Cliburn recording with Walter Hendl and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, paired with MacDowell's Concerto No. 2 (RCA Living Stereo LSC-2507)
- 1962 Byron Janis recording with Kyril Kondrashin and the Moscow Philharmonic, paired with the Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 1 (Mercury Living Presence SR 90300)
- 1967 Martha Argerich recording with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic, paired with the Ravel Concerto in G (Deutsche Grammophon 139349 SLPM)
- 1970 Julius Katchen recording with Istvan Kertesz and the London Symphony Orchestra, paired with the Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue and Ravel Concerto in G (Decca SXL 6411)
That's it for this week's WRC roundup. More to come on these in the near future. If there are any particular WRC reissues you'd like me to cover sooner rather than later, please state your request in the comments below. If I have them, I will prioritize them. Until next time, happy listening!
Thank you for your review. As wonderful as the original SXL, ASD, LSC, SR records can sound, I have long suspected that the budget reissues can equal or surpass them. Stands to reason that the anything pressed 10-15 years later might play more quietly. And even if these reissues don't quite reach the sonic heights of the original, if they get 90% of the way there but cost an order of magnitude less I think that's a wonderful trade off.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your insightful comment! I wholeheartedly agree, and it can be that much more satisfying to find a $1 to $10 reissue that approximates the sound of the original or even improves upon it with quieter surfaces and more dynamic, uncompromised sound.
DeleteWhat you have to give up — often — are those beautiful covers and labels. Surprisingly difficult thing to do!
DeleteIndeed. Those beautiful covers certainly have their appeal! The nice thing is that with the WRC reissues, you get some very original art, unique and interesting in its own way!
DeleteWhen it comes to the covers, if you have to own them at all costs one can always buy the mono editions. At least the LM and LXTs are far cheaper than their stereo equivalents. I have done this with Reiner's Spain-bought the mono edition and the Chesky RI, far cheaper than buying the original LSC. Then again, you will run into shelf-space problems.
DeleteCompletely agree, Kostaszag. The monos are a reasonable way to get the original cover without "breaking the bank". I did this with a couple of the Szell Beethoven symphonies on SAX (SAX 2565/33CX 1924 and SAX 2510/33CX 1869). The recordings actually sound fairly decent in mono even without the stereo spread. You get the overall flavor of the performance.
DeleteHave you considered the Analogue Productions reissue of Spain?
Why would I bother with AP reissues? I bought the Decca Eclipse RI for cheap and could not be happier! Nowadays I only chose the AP way if the original is truly unattainable, like LSC-2553, the sole Daniil Shafran Living Stereo that never had a reissue, or the Ansermet Gala Performances, where even reissues are stupidly expensive.
DeleteAh, my misunderstanding. I thought that perhaps you were not satisfied with the Chesky, hence I mentioned the AP. I agree - the AP's are nice copies for the ones that are harder to find in original form. In my opinion, they do sound better than the originals - much quieter surfaces and better bass extension. I still have my Royal Ballet Gala AP reissue.
DeleteΟΚ, Ι really need to focus more. I thought you were talking about the Espana, by Ataulfo Argenta. You are obviously talking about Spain by Fritz Reiner. No, I don't consider buying the AP Reissue, I am quite satisfied with the Chesky and my shopping list of records is long enough as it is. Perhaps in the future.
DeleteIt’s very intelligent research and useful resources who are lookig for hidden gems of analogue music like WRC, LP cutting of 1960s. That’s impressive.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your very kind words! We are so fortunate to have engaged readers as you and always welcome your feedback.
DeleteLooks like Australian WRC is providing a thrifty Goldmine; so why not list those you have?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately ICRC only had that 'Espana' type comparison for a few initial issues.
Thanks, Tin Ear! I'll try to provide a list later today.
DeleteThanks for the tip about ICRC. I recently downloaded the PDFs of their complete run and started with the first issue. Seems like that they wrote a lot of interesting historical articles and interviews. It's too bad that the "Espana" type comparisons were limited, though. Were you a subscriber?
Have the complete >print-run<: the first issue is a rarity. Became too specialised (totally unknown singers!) and, towards the end, padded-out with CD reviews,etc. I recall (or in HiFi News I downloaded) Decca engineer stated their half-speed matering ceased in 1962 (not '68, as I recall here/elsewhere).
DeleteICRC's demise was one of the saddest moments in press history for me. I guess it was inevitable at some point, but still sad. After Alan Sanders took over from Tully Potter as editor, it took a bad turn, became a genuinely depressing read, always lamenting the state of the classical record business, as if we needed to be reminded on every turn. I remember an article about famous record stores that had closed down and at some point they even started an obituaries section! It almost looked like they were trying to chase readers away.
DeleteAccording to discogs the Eclipse edition of Espana has -G stampers, by Ted Burkett, just like the WRC edition reviewed above. This is also the case with the World of...Edition of the Kertesz/Vienna New World Symphony, it too has stampers mastered by Ted Burkett. One copy of this issue was included by Tom Port into his Hot Stampers. I don't mean to open Pandora's box here, but I am beginning to see a certain pattern.
ReplyDeleteWas going to mention SPA87 (New World)- really impressive; however my 1970 copy is 8W/6W (so not a saintly 'G' 'Burkett'!).
DeleteWe can spend many of aqlam's $$$$ for him...
I am generally a fan of the -G (Ted Burkett) stampers. To me, those masterings seem to have the most balanced, natural sound of the Deccas. If I see any of those "-G" Eclipses or World of ... reissues for cheap, I try to pick them up.
DeleteTin Ear and Kostaszag, do you find the video/sound clips above helpful? You had brought this up as a suggestion in the past. I thought that sharing a short clip with the camera/microphone close to the "sweet spot" might supplement what I am trying to describe in words. Not the same as digitizing the LP but perhaps captures the listener's experience?
DeleteAlthough I've 3x Windows 10 I mostly still use Vista (except for Mega uploading) and that doesn't like YouTube. Maybe link-back your smartyphone effort to a proper audiophile clip here (ie to, say, MediaFire) and to advertise the site (I demoted your link to LH page bottom with 2 others:- used to link a dozen+ - but they'd become inactive over time..
DeleteI stand corrected, my SPA87 is also a -W pressing-hope I have not started an undeserved -G-stamper craze all by myself!
DeleteI did pick up years ago the 1977 Eclipse 12G/12G Espana and although I was quite new to Decca collecting it stood out as being so good I never felt the need to bother getting a Speakers Corner equivalent. My copy of it's close cousin the Tchai VC Campoli on Decca SPA 183 shares very similar lovely sonics, great transparency and Kingsway sounding glorious. That one is mastered by Bettyes with JT tax code so a bit earlier. I did get into non Aussie WRC after reading this blog years back so its great to see some activity restarting. The main similar quality I noticed with a large proportion of the WRC pressings is very loud noise floor when using my Fritz Gyger S, despite deep cleaning, which usually totally vanishes when using a basic Jico eliptical tip instead.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comments, Analogue Anorak, and for returning to our blog! I appreciate you sharing your insight into the Eclipse reissue. I used to have the London blueback of the Campoli Tchaikovsky VC, and the sonics were nice but not fantastic. Based on what you said, it sounds like the Eclipse is worth looking for.
DeleteI plan to add more reviews on Australian and UK WRC reissues in the coming weeks. As always, your comments would be warmly welcomed. The surfaces of the ones I've heard have been pretty quiet, although there have been a few with more crackles and pops than others. They look super clean, so I wonder if this might have been the consequence of past playback with a blunted needle. Sound quality of the music, particularly the reissues of HMV, Columbia, and Decca recordings of the 1950s-1960s, otherwise has been mostly excellent.
The eclipse Espana certainly delivers great bang for bucks, but not one for the early Decca tube sound fans. I have seen it popping up every now and then on ebay when browsing eclipses for as little as £7 so some patience required for a major bargain. As far as WRC killer finds and in keeping with this site's name, my WRC equivalent bargain is ST857 Count Basie and the Kansas City Seven which absolutely sings when using my Jico.
DeleteI am in agreement with you. I also don't like the early Decca tube sound compared with the later Deccas, which sound much more natural to my ears.
DeleteThat Count Basie WRC is a reissue of the US Impulse label recording AS-15. I didn't know that WRC reissued Impulse recordings. So many of those Impulse recordings are classics (eg, Blues and the Abstract Truth, Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane, etc)!
Wow , thanks for the info. I had always assumed it was a Verve UK EMI pressing. I have WRC AS-65 See you at the fair - Ben Webster but I have to admit I really don't like the stereo mix and often resort to my mono switch. I am partial to some of the early tube Decca sound but it's basically a crap shoot trying to predict what you are going to get. I did get very lucky with a trio of Stanley Goodall mastered Decca Ted Heath Orchestra stereo LP's from 1959 that sound gorgeous. Criminally under-rated but on the positive side very affordable.
Delete