Otto Klemperer / Philharmonia - Beethoven. Symphony 7 - EMI stereo 1955

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Symphony no.7 in A major, op.92
I: Poco sostenuto -Vivace ~ II: Allegretto ~ III: Presto -Assai meno presto ~ IV: Allegro con brio 

Ludwig van Beethoven:  "Prometheus" overture, op.43*

5 files 16/44 zip FLAC  Mega Download

Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Otto Klemperer

HMV  ED 29 1341  1987 DMM pressing. CDRW transfer. Matrices: A-1 / B-3.  Recorded: 3-7 October 1955  /  *25 November 1957 - Kingsway Hall
Had intended including this with the original Columbia mono Symphonies 3/5/7 earlier this year. ( "Prometheus" not included in the 1977 2LP SXDW 3032 which has the 1969 sessions).  Sleeve-note / 1988 Hi-Fi News review >>> 

Bliss. Piano Concerto / Mewton-Wood ... Tippett. Double Strings Concerto / Walter Goehr - Concert Hall / HMV 1952

Michael Tippett:  Concerto for Double String Orchestra  (1939)     FLAC Mega Download  
The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Walter Goehr   
EMI Music for Pleasure  MFP 2069  1967 LP/matrix: XEA642 -2.  Recorded: 3 March 1952 - EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road.  

Arthur Bliss:  Piano Concerto in B flat major  (1939)           FLAC  Mega Download
I: Allegro con brio  ~  II: Adagietto  ~  III: Andante maestoso - Molto vivace
Noel Mewton-Wood, piano  - Utrecht Symphony Orchestra  conducted by  Walter Goehr   
Nixa  CLP 1167   (Concert Hall CHS 1167)   1953 LP/RCA Matrices: E2KP 6991-1C / E2KP 6992-1B. 'A2'   Recorded: 1952.    
NOT ON CD.  Nixa + MFP sleeve-note / EMG + RG2 reviews >>>  Solomon Cutner's 1943 recording >>> 
The Bliss is a stunningly fine performance and in This transfer sounds absolutely splendid. Previously had 2 LP>CD transfers (same matrices) by Bryan Crimp & Mr.Pristine - who mentions a 'swish' on side 2; actually it's on both groove-walls to virtually the same degree: an unavoidable & very infrequent faint 'rustling' is anyway far preferable to Mr.Pee's "SUPERB" muffled/muddled nasality....absolute Pants, by comparison!

Wilhelm Schuchter / Philharmonia - Kodaly. Hary Janos ... Dohnanyi. Ruralia Hungarica - Parlophone 1955

Zoltan Kodaly:  "Hary Janos" - suite    
Ernst Dohnanyi:  "Ruralia Hungarica", op.32b  - suite          
2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Wilhelm Schüchter  
Parlophone  PMC 1017   1955 LP/matrices: 2XMG 45 -1N / 2XMG 46 -1N   
Recorded: 31 Dec.1952 / 1 Jan.1953  -&-  10 Nov./ 31 Dec.1952                 Not on CD
'Hary Janos' receives a laid-back performance. The gorgeous 'Ruralia Hungarica' has very fine playing.
The original LP chosen instead of the 1966 MFP reissue (MFP2042) due to greater depth/ambience - though with less inherent treble clarity.     November 2015: '1.2' declick + very slight treble EQ    Sleeve-note >>>

Khachaturian. Violin Concerto - Igor Oistrakh / Philharmonia / Goossens - Columbia 1954

Aram Khachaturian:  
Violin Concerto in D minor  (1940)  
I:  Allegro con fermezzo - Cadenza (by David Oistrakh) - Tempo I  ~
II:  Andante sostenuto  ~  III:  Allegro vivace
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Igor Oistrakh, violin  ~ The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Eugene Goossens  
EMI / Music for Pleasure  MFP 2050   (1954 issue: Columbia 33CX 1141)
1966 LP/matrices: XAX448 -3 / XAX449 -3.   Recorded: 2 December 1953 - EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road.
Slightly 'cleaner' sound than the original 1954 matrices.   Not on CD   Re-edited: Dec.2013   33CX sleeve-note/MFP sleeve >>>

Otto Klemperer / Philharmonia - Brahms. Symphony 4 - Columbia 1957

Johannes Brahms:  Symphony no.4 in E minor, op.98
I:  Allegro non troppo   ~  II:  Andante moderato  ~  III:  Allegro giocoso  ~  IV:  Allegro energico e passionato  
4 files zip FLAC   Mega Download
The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Otto Klemperer 
Columbia  SAX 2350  Original 1960 pressing/matrices: YAX 269 -2 / YAX 270 -2. Recorded: 27-29 March 1957, Kingsway Hall.

'Mr Pristine's' version apparently has very poor phase stability @c.26% - whereas even my 'slightly defective' initial transfer of Brahms 4 was @ 87%!! A 'Fanfare' review castigated the 'Pristine Audio' LP dubbings..

Slightly re-edited October 2022 and now 4 movements. Transferred with a JVC Z-1 Shibata cartridge. Slight stylus suspension fault which didn't seem to affect the sound - but could be seen on the RH channel waveform. The JVC Z-1 uses the same Beryllium cantilever but the Coils aren't 'laminated' -so has a lesser performance than the JVC X-1 Shibata (used extensively on the 'Historical' blog)    Sleeve-note >>>

This 1960 matrix also sonically much superior to a later transfer ('-7') in the 1970s SLS box-set (and as almost certainly used by 'Mr Pristine'..).  See screenshot - also showing the precise channel balance on the 1960 mastering (sampled with a new Shure M95HE).

Mstislav Rostropovich plays... Miaskovsky. Cello Concerto ... Prokofiev. Sinfonia Concertante - EMI 1956/1957

Nikolai Miaskovsky: Cello Concerto, op.66 
I: Lento ma non troppo - Andante - Tempo 1  ~  II: Allegro - vivace - Piu marcato - Meno mosso - Tempo 1 - Piu largamente - Andante semplice e tranquillo - Tempo 1 - Piu tranquillo - Cadenza - Lento come prima      

Serge Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante, op.125 
I: Andante  ~  II: Allegro giusto  ~  III: Andante con moto      
2 files zip STEREO FLAC  Mega Download
Mstislav Rostropovich, violoncello  ~  Philharmonia Orchestra  /  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by  Sir Malcolm Sargent
HMV  SXLP 30155  -1973 matrix: 2YEA 23 -4  /  SXLP 30266  -1978 matrices: 2YEA 5998 -2 / 5999 -2  
Recorded: EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road: 5 March 1956 / 15 April 1957.

William Walton conducts... "Troilus & Cressida" -&- Orb & Sceptre - Crown Imperial - Portsmouth Point - Wise Virgins - EMI 1953/1955

William Walton:
"Orb & Sceptre" - Coronation March, 1953   /   "Portsmouth Point" - overture  
"Crown Imperial" - Coronation March, 1937 (original version)   /     J.S.Bach: arr Walton: "Sheep may safely graze" ("The Wise Virgins")  
4 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
Columbia  33C 1016  1953 LP. Matrices: XA 291 -4N / XA 292 -4N.   Rec: 18 March 1953 - Kingsway Hall


"Troilus and Cressida"   
Act 1: 'Is Cressida a slave?' ...  'Slowly it all comes back' 
Act 2: 'Now can I sleep?' ... 'If one last doubt remain'   /   'Now close your arms'
Act 3: 'All's well!' ... 'Diomede! ; Father!'     4 files zip FLAC   Mega Download
TROILUS:  Richard Lewis, Tenor  ~  CRESSIDA:  Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Soprano  ~  EVADNE:  Monica Sinclair, Contralto   

THREE  WATCHMEN:  Geoffrey Walls, Tenor  ~  John Hauxvell, Baritone  ~  Lewis Thomas, Tenor
EMI  World Record Club  OH 217   1969 reissue/matrices: XAX 790 -3 / XAX 791 -2    Recorded: 18 April ~ 20 May 1955 - Kingsway Hall.

The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Sir William Walton.          Sleeve-notes >>>

Robert Irving / Philharmonia - Tchaikovsky. Swan Lake - HMV 1953

Peter Tchaikovsky:
"Swan Lake", op.20 - excerpts (54 minutes)   
Side One:   Act One:  Scene  ~  Valse  ~  Sujet  ~  Danses des coupes  /  Act Two: Scene  ~  Danses des cygnes  
Side Two:  Act Three:  Danse hongroise  ~  Danse espagnole  ~  Danse napolitaine  ~  Mazurka  ~  Pas de deux  ~  Scene  /  
Act Four: Entr'acte  ~  Scene  ~  Danses des petits cygnes  ~  Scene  ~  Scene finale.     
2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Robert Irving       
HMV  CLP 1018    1959 pressing / matrices: 2XEA 398 -4N  /  2XEA 399 -3N.     Recorded: 4/5 May 1953 - Kingsway Hall.     
Last re-edit: May 2025  Gorgeous playing/sound. (Ortofon Model 'C' / Rebuilt Leak "Varislope Stereo" control)   Sleeve-note >>>  

Benno Moiseiwitsch: Rachmaninov. Piano Concerto 2 -&- Paganini Rhapsody - HMV 1955

Sergei Rachmaninov: 
Piano Concerto no.2 in C minor, op.18   I: Allegro moderato  ~  II: Adagio sostenuto  ~  III: Allegro scherzando. 
Moment Musical in E minor, op.16/4 -&- Prelude in G major, op.32/5 
HMV  CLP 1094   Matrices:  2XEA 890 - 3N / 891 -1N  Rec: 13/14 August 1955,  EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road

SergeiRachmaninov:  "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", op.43   
HMV  CLP 1072   Matrix: 2XEA 888  -4N

Rec: 15 August 1955, EMI Studio 1, Abbey Road

Benno Moiseiwitsch, piano  - The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Hugo Rignold
3 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
       
October 2015: minimal '1.2' declicked + slight treble added.
Earlier HMV recordings of PC 1/2 + Paganini on HISTORICAL    World Records Sleeve-note >>>  

Paul Kletzki / Philharmonia - Berlioz. Overtures - Columbia 1952

Hector Berlioz:  Overtures -
Le Carnaval Romain, op.9  
Beatrice and Benedict
Le Corsaire, op.21
Benvenuto Cellini, op.23
Les Francs Juges, op.3
5 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
The Philharmonia Orchestra  conducted by  Paul Kletzki
HMV  XLP 30014  1963 LP/matrices: XAX2300 -2N / XAX2301 -1N.  Issued 1952 as: Columbia 33CX 1003 + Le Carnaval Romain  (78)   
Recorded: a: 7 July 1952 / b: 5, c-e: 6 September 1951 - Kingsway Hall.     Re-edited: June 2014.     Not on CD ?