24/48: Carmen Dragon - Capitol SO - Orientale - Capitol 1958

Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov:  "Caucasian Sketches" - Procession of the Sardar
Fritz Kreisler/arr: Dragon:  "Tambourin Chinois"   (this is great..)    
Cesar Cui/arr: Dragon:  "Orientale"    
Ludwig van Beethoven:  "The Ruins of Athens" - Turkish March        
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov/arr: Dragon:  "Sadko" - Song of India    
Amy Woodforde-Finden/arr: Dragon:  "Kashmiri Song"    
Peter Tchaikovsky:  "The Nutcracker" - Arab Dance
Peter Tchaikovsky:  "The Nutcracker" - Chinese Dance        
Alexander Luigini:  "Ballet Egyptien" - Dance    
Modest Moussorgsky:  "Khovantchina" - Persian Dance

10 files 16/44 zip FLAC  Mega Download              10 files 24/48 zip XR FLAC  Mega Download

Capitol Symphony Orchestra  conducted by  Carmen Dragon    
EMI Capitol  SP 8453  1959 First Edition LP. Matrices: SP1-8453 -D6 / SP2-8453 -D8.  Recorded: 28-30 March / 19-20 June 1958 - Samuel Goldwyn Studio, Hollywood.     Sleeve-note >>>  

Jan Hus Tichy / Prague National - Tchaikovsky. Mazeppa, Eugene Onegin, Joan of Arc, Pique Dame - Supraphon 1962

Peter Tchaikovsky:  "Mazeppa"  Act Two  - Josef Heriban  
"Eugene Onegin"  Acts Two & Three  - Ivo Zidek  /  Eduard Haken  /  Milada Subrtova  &  Premsyl Koci   
"Joan of Arc"  Act One  - Eva Zikmundova  
"Pique Dame"  Act One  - Beno Blachut,  Drahomira Tikalova,  Vera Krilova  
"Pique Dame"  Act Two   - Vera Krilova  /  Jindrach Jindrak
8 files zip FLAC   Mega Download   
Prague National Theatre Orchestra  conducted by  Jan Hus Tichy  
Supraphon  SUAST 50469  c.1964 LP/matrices: E159 -A / E160 -A    Recorded: c.1961       NOT ON CD      EMG review / sleeve-notes >>>
Excellent clean sound ....mildly 'tickly' surfaces. 

Collins / Beinum - London Philharmonic: Bizet, Falla -&- Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Mozart, Handel - Decca 1950

Bizet: "Carmen" - suite  (Act 1: Prelude ~ Act 4: Entr'acte ~ Act 2: Entr'acte ~ Act 3: Entr'acte ~ Act 3: Scene des Contrebandiers ~ Act 1: La garde montante ~ Act 2: Danse boheme)     
Decca  ACL 9    1958 matrix: ARL 280 -1DR  (First issue: LXT 2510)    Recorded: 3 February 1950

Falla: "El Amor Brujo"- suite. (Intro. & Scene - Dance of Terror ~ The Magic Circle ~ Ritual Fire Dance ~ Pantomime & Finale)  
Decca  ACL 124    1961 matrix: ARL 5032 -1A   (First issue: LXT 2518)    Recorded: 4 February 1950
London Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by  Anthony Collins            2 files zip FLAC Mega Download  

Tchaikovsky:  "Romeo and Juliet" - Fantasy Overture in B minor    
Decca  ACL 11   1958 matrix: ARL 271 -3DR   (First issue: LXT 2531)    Recorded: 12 January 1950

Bizet:  "L’Arlesienne" - suite 1:  Prelude ~ Menuetto ~ Adagietto ~ Farandole.  
Decca  ACL 9   Matrix: ARL 281 -2DR   (First issue: LXT 2510)    Recorded: 11 February 1950

Mozart:  Symphony no.35 in D major, K.385  “Haffner”      
Decca  ACL 66   1959 matrix: ARL 4526 -1A   (First issue: LXT 2534)    Recorded: 1 May 1950

Handel (arr: Hamilton Harty): "Water Music" - suite  (Allegro - Air - Bouree - Hornpipe - Andante expressivo - Allegro deciso)  
Decca  LXT 5379  1957 matrix: ARL 367 -3DR  (First issue: LXT 2534)    Recorded: 5 May 1950

Decca  LXT 2518 Borodin:  "Prince Igor" - Polovtsian Dances      Rec: 11 April 1950  (awful original LP..slight de-click + extra treble (Dec.2014) 
London Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by  Eduard van Beinum           5 files zip FLAC  Mega Download      ACL sleeves / LXT sleeve-notes >>>   

Guido Cantelli / La Scala Orchestra - Tchaikovsky. Symphony 5 - HMV 1952

Peter Tchaikovsky:  
Symphony no.5 in E minor, op.64

I: Andante - Allegro con anima  ~  II: Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza
III: Valse (Allegro moderato)  ~  IV: Finale (Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace)         FLAC Mega Download

Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Milano  conducted by  Guido Cantelli

HMV  ALP 1001   New 1955 LP/circa 1955 matrices: 2XEA 119 -20N / 2XEA 120 -18N    Rec: 23/26 Sept.1950 - EMI Studio no.1, Abbey Road.
Very slightly re-edited (again) December 2024.    Sleeve-note >>>

Peter Katin ~ London Philharmonic / Boult - Rachmaninov. Piano Concerto 1 -&- Tchaikovsky. Concert Fantasia - Decca 1958

Sergei Rachmaninov:  Piano Concerto no.1 in F sharp minor, op.1 
I:  Vivace  ~  II:  Andante  ~  III:  Allegro vivace
FLAC  Mega Download
Peter Tchaikovsky:  "Concert Fantasia", op.56        
I:  Quasi rondo  ~  II:  Contrastes
FLAC  Mega Download
Peter Katin, piano  - London Philharmonic Orchestra  conducted by  Sir Adrian Boult  
Decca  SDD 188   STEREO  1972 LP/1968 matrices: ZAL 4061 -2W / ZAL 4062 -3W    Recorded: 17-19 February 1958 - Kingsway Hall.
Christopher Howell's July 2011 MusicWeb review    Feb.2011 WAV's ... Re-edited   January 2014      Sleeve-note >>>  

Sergio Fiorentino ~ Hamburg Pro Musica / George Hurst - Tchaikovsky. Piano Concerto 1 - Saga 1959

Peter Tchaikovsky:  Piano Concerto no.1 in B flat minor, op.23.  
I:  Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito  
II:  Andantino semplice - Prestissimo - Andantino  ~  III:  Allegro con fuoco
2 files zip FLAC Mega Download 
Sergio Fiorentino, piano  - Hamburg Pro Musica (NDR SO, Hamburg)   conducted by   George Hurst   
Saga Films  AAA-ST 4003   STEREO   c.1959 pressing / PYE matrices:  A-1 / B-2    Recorded: 18 May 1959 - Musikhalle, Hamburg
May 2013:  'auto de-clicked' files.  This process does slightly impair clarity/'attack' - even at my near-minimum settings.  

SAGA history @garthbanks.blogspot    Label scan >>>

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 >>>  

Anatole Fistoulari / Paris Conservatoire - Tchaikovsky. Nutcracker suites - Decca 1951

Peter Tchaikovsky:  "The Nutcracker", op.71      
Suite no.1: 
Minature overture ~ March ~ Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy ~ Russian Dance ~ Arab Dance ~ Chinese Dance ~ Dance of the Mirlitons ~ Waltz of the Flowers      

Suite no.2:  
Scene (Act.1) & Coda ~ Pas de deux ~ Scene & Grandfather Dance ~ Pas de deux ~ Waltz of the Snowflakes ~ Scene (Act.2) ~ Spanish Dance ~ Final Waltz & Apotheosis
2 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
L'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris  conducted by  Anatole Fistoulari 
Decca  LXT 5371  (first issue: LXT 2611)  1957 matrices: ARL 901 -4DR / ARL 902 -5DR   

Recorded: La Maison de la Mutualite, Paris - 21-23 June 1951    Re-edited May 2012    LXT 5371 sleeve-note >>>

Enrique Jorda / Paris Conservatoire - Tchaikovsky. Francesca da Rimini -&- Music from Spain - Decca 1950

Tchaikovsky:  "Francesca da Rimini"   (Fantasia after Dante), op.32
FLAC   Mega Download     
Decca  ACL 89   (LXT 2531)   Reissued 1960. Matrix: ARL 363 -3DR   (slight re-edit October.2022 - excellent performance/sound)    
Falla:  "La Vida Breve"  - Spanish Dance No.1     
Granados:  Danzas Espanolas, op.37 -  No. 5: Andaluza  /  No. 2: Oriental  /  No. 6: Rondalla aragonesa     
Turina:  La Procesion del Rocio, op.9  - Fiesta en Triana  ~  La Procesion   
Albeniz, orch: Arbos:  "Iberia" - El Puerto  ~  Triana  
Decca  ACL 12  (LXT 2521)   Reissued 1958. Matrices: ARL337 -2DR / ARL337 -1DR                           4 files zip FLAC  Mega Download
L'Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris  conducted by  Enrique Jorda 
Rec: 24/28 February 1950 - La Maison de la Mutualite, Paris.   ("Spain" - Oct.2015: '1.2' declick+slight treble increase)     NOT ON CD  until 2021    EMG LXT 2531 review >>>