Columbia SAX 2475: Szell conducts Schumann, Part 2
Schumann: Symphony No. 1 "Spring", Symphony No. 4
The Cleveland Orchestra
George Szell, conductor
Pressing: UK, ED1, blue/silver
Date first published: 1959 (Symphony No. 1), 1961 (Symphony No. 4)
Stampers: YAX 983-1E, YAX 984-1
Performance: 10/10
Sound: 7/10
Price range: $60-305 (mean $157) on popsike.com
Comments: My previous comments about Szell's Schumann symphony recordings, especially as they pertain to these UK pressings, hold true here as well. These are my favorite analog recordings of these works, though, again, more for their performances than their sound. The sound quality is decent but not exemplary and -- I repeat myself -- not worth the pretty steep price of admission here. I did an A/B comparison between this and the US Epic release of the "Spring" Symphony (BC 1039) and found very little discernible difference if any between the two. Based on the fact that the US release of the "Spring" Symphony was paired with the "Manfred" Overture and took up more than one side of the record (the UK release puts the entire symphony on side 1), I'd venture to say that EMI must have remastered the disc from the master tapes. As my blog colleagues have pointed out, no matter how skilled the EMI sound engineers were, they must have nevertheless been limited by the quality of the master tapes. Any further insight into this process would be greatly appreciated.
The cover of this SAX is actually imported from the US release of the "Spring Symphony", which had the same colorful painting but against a black rather than white background. Interestingly, Symphony No. 4 was released in the US with Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 (Epic BC 1254).
Other recordings of the Schumann symphonies from the same era that would be worth comparing to these include Rafael Kubelik's series with the Berlin Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophon and Leonard Bernstein's with the New York Philharmonic on US Columbia/CBS. Of these, I only have Kubelik's LP pairing of the 1st and 4th (SLPM 138 860, blue tulips label). Some mild surface noise aside (which unfortunately wouldn't go away even after a cleaning on the VPI 16.5), the sound on this recording has greater hall presence, more body to the instruments, and greater dynamic range. However, it is unfortunately plagued by frequent distortion, and I therefore cannot recommend the original pressing. Perhaps a later pressing would resolve this problem, but I would have to hear it to believe it. The digital remaster sounds better. I have not heard the Bernstein cycle on vinyl, but if it is characteristic of most of the US Columbia records of the time, it probably would not be particularly impressive.
This had a CBS Classics UK release in this format (decades since I listened to it).
ReplyDeleteThe use of YAX likely due to the LP contents differeing from the US release.
Do you think that EMI must have had access to the US master tapes?
DeleteRather a Bridge Too Far for me.
DeleteAs CBS/Columbia would master from a copy-tape there's no reason why what was sent to EMI would be any inferior - straight copy/or equalized..
The problem could be the EMI transfer: I hope you didn't buy the SAX Szell: Dvorak 7/R,Strauss !!!
No no, I stayed away from those. I have a few more to review ... the Schumann 3, Wagner album (ugggh, a sleeper for me), Brahms PC 1 with Fleisher, Pictures at an Exhibition ...
DeleteAny particular reason you'd avoid the Dvorak 7/Strauss?
DeleteIt was shockingly distorted on side 2. EMG demanded EMI do a re-cut - unlikely they did, and the LP was deleted within a year or so..so Beware.
DeleteNB: Re: the Kubelik.
Some DGG's aren't readily to hand - so may have a UK pressing - but No.1 got an impressive transfer (DG) on the 1980 'Pickwick/Contour' label (CC7532) - unfortunately, as was DG's wont, coupled with a 1971 No.4...there was a 1975 DG Privilege release mentioned on the sleeve.
DGG's are mostly a dead-loss for early pressings: another 'dime LP' was a 1963 copy of the 'must have' Beethoven VC/Schneiderhan - 1962 transfers: execrable sound.
I have that Schneiderhan ... need to listen to it more carefully again and will get back to you on that!
DeleteMy experience with DG's is that the original tulips pressings are a toss up. Some really sound great. Some are horrible. Case in point. I have the Mravinsky Tchaikovsky 4 (not the red stereo but the next one after that), and there is plenty of distortion on that one. Then I found the later Italian pressed box set of 4-6, and the sound was so much cleaner. I would definitely write off the later DG pressings just because they are a dime a dozen. Some of them are real improvements over the originals, at least to my ears.
At the time of this writing DG has reissued the Kubelik set, all three records on 180gr virgin vinyl, with new analog mastering for 49 Euros. I think that even if you factor in shipping to the US and import fees it is still a bargain.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip! I will have to check out that Kubelik DG set!
Delete