Mozart

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, KV 551 "Jupiter"

_____

Schubert 

Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished"

Mozart

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, KV 551 "Jupiter"

I. Allegro vivace

II. Andante cantabile

III. Menuetto (Allegretto) & Trio

IV. Finale (Allegro molto)

New York Philharmonic / Bruno Walter

(LP transfer; Columbia, issued 1954; recorded Jan. 23, 1945; Carnegie Hall, New York)

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Schubert 

Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished"

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante con moto

Philadelphia Orchestra / Bruno Walter

(LP transfer; Columbia, issued 1954; recorded March 2, 1947; Academy of Music, Philadelphia)

Schubert

Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished"

I. Allegro moderato

II. Andante con moto

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Erich Kleiber

(78 rpm transfer; Telefunken, recorded Jan. 28, 1935)

Sergei Prokofiev

Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (1952)

Overture Russe, Op. 72 (1936)

Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (1952)

I. Moderato 
II. Allegretto
III. Andante espressivo

IV. Vivace
Overture Russe, Op. 72 (1936)

Paris Conservatoire Orchestra / Jean Martinon
(LP transfer; RCA, 1959; recorded by Decca, 1957)

Mahler

Symphony No. 1 in D Major

I. Langsam

II. Kräftig bewegt

III. Feierlich und gemessen

IV. Stürmish bewegt

New York Philharmonic / Bruno Walter

(LP transfer; Columbia, recorded 1954).

Beethoven:

Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 "Pastorale"

I. Allegro

II. Andante

III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace

IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo

Vladimir Sofronitsky, Piano

(LP transfer; Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, recorded Nov. 26, 1953)

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 "Moonlight"

I. Adagio sostenuto

II. Allegretto

III. Presto agitato

Victor Merzhanov, Piano

(LP transfer; Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, recorded 1954)

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat, KV. 271

Walter Gieseking, Piano

Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Hans Rosbaud

I. Allegro

II. Andante

III. Rondo - Presto

(78 rpm transfers; Columbia, recorded Sept. 29, 1936)

Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16

Walter Gieseking, Piano

Berlin State Opera Orchestra / Hans Rosbaud

I. Allegro molto moderato

II. Adagio

III. Allegro vivace

An der Wiege, Op. 68, No. 6

Französische Serenade, Op. 62, No. 3

(78 rpm transfers; Columbia, recorded April 29, 1937)

Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 4 conducted by Hermann Abendroth, Fritz Busch & Guido Cantelli

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68

Hermann Abendroth (1883-1956)

I. Un poco sostenuto – Allegro

II. Andante sostenuto

III. Un poco Allegretto e grazioso

IV. Adagio – Più Andante – Allegro non troppo ma con brio – 

     Più Allegro

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Hermann Abendroth

(78 rpm transfers; Odeon, recorded 1941) 

________

Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

Fritz Busch (1890-1951)

I. Allegro non troppo

II. Adagio non troppo - L'istesso tempo, ma grazioso

III. Allegretto grazioso - presto ma non assai

IV. Allegro con spirito

Danish State Radio Symphony Orchestra / Fritz Busch

(78 rpm transfers; HMV, recorded 1947)

_________

Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 91

Guido Cantelli (1920-1956)

I. Allegro con brio

II. Andante

III. Poco Allegretto

IV. Allegro

Philharmonia Orchestra / Guido Cantelli

(LP transfers; EMI, 1979; first release of the stereo recording, 1955) 

________

Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

I. Allegro non troppo

II. Andante moderato

III. Allegro giocoso; poco meno presto

IV. Allegro energico e passionato; Più allegro

London Symphony Orchestra / Hermann Abendroth

(78 rpm transfers; issued by Victor, 1928; recorded by HMV, March 27, 1927) 

Carl Goldmark (1830-1915)

Ländliche Hochzeit, op. 26 

(Rustic Wedding Symphony)

Karl Goldmark

I. Wedding March; Variations

II. Bridal Song

III. Serenade

IV. In the Garden

V. Dance

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Robert Heger

(78 rpm transfers; issued by Victor 1931; recorded by HMV Jan. 1929)

Brahms, who thought highly of this work, told Goldmark: "That is the best thing you have done; clear-cut and faultless, it sprang into being a finished thing, like Minerva from the head of Jupiter."

Opera enthusiasts will know Robert Heger (1886-1978) through the innumerable opera recordings he made during his long career featuring many of the leading singers of his day. But Heger also made numerous recording ventures into the field of symphonic music as well - and the Goldmark Rustic Wedding Symphony from 1929 almost certainly belongs among the earliest. There's also the chance that this fine, spirited recording may one of Heger's least-known.

This set was found lying on the floor in the dusty corner of a second-hand shop on the outskirts of Seattle during the 1980's. The discs were all covered with an even film of fine, light-brown dirt (not dust). I like to think that I somehow saved it from destruction (at the time, many people who worked in such second-hand shops were unaware that these records were breakable - consequently, many were, in fact, broken).

Alexander Alyabyev (1787-1851)

Two Overtures: 
"The Village Philosopher"

"Overture"

___________________________________

Dance Suite

1. Polonaise

2. Polka

3. Mazurka

4. Ecossaises

5. Waltz

6. Quadrille

USSR Symphony Orchestra

Nikolai Anosov

Sleeve - Overtures & Dance Suite

(LP transfers; Mosoblsovnarkhoz, c. early 1950's)

_______________________________

The Magic Drum ‒ Ballet Music (excerpts)

1. Увертюра. (Overture)

2. Марщ-пастораль (March-pastorale)

Аллегретто и финал 1 действия (Allegretto and 1 final action)

3. Вступление ко 2 действию (Introduction to the 2nd action)

4. 3-я сцены (3rd Scene)

5. 4-я сцены (4th Scene)

6. финал 2 действия (Final 2 actions)

All-Union Radio Symphony Orchestra

Nikolai Rabinovich

(LP transfers; Dolgoigrayuschaya / Aprelevsky, c. early 1950's)

__________________________________________

Trio in A minor for Piano, Violin and Cello

I. Allegro

II. Adagio

III. Rondo

(recorded 1947)

Sonata in E minor for Violin and Piano

I. Allegro con brio

II. Adagio cantabile

III. Allegretto scherzando

(recorded 1952)

Emil Gilels. Piano

Dmitri Tsyganov, Violin

Sergey Schirinsky, Cello

(LP transfers; Melodiya, issued 1973)

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44

I. Allegro brillante e molto vivace

II. Andante non troppo

III. Allegro con fuoco

 Tatiana Nikolayeva (1927)

Tatiana Nikolayeva, Piano

USSR Symphony Orchestra

Nikolai Anosov

(LP transfers; Dolgoigrayuschaya / Aprelevsky, recorded 1951).

Brahms

Trio in E flat major for Piano, Violin and Horn, Op. 40

I. Andante 

II. Scherzo: Allegro

III. Adagio mesto

IV. Finale: Allegro con brio

Adolf Busch, Violin

Aubrey Brain, Horn

Rudolf Serkin, Piano 

(78 rpm transfers; HMV, recorded Nov. 13, 1933) 

Brahms

Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34

I. Allegro non troppo 

II. Andante, un poco adagio

III. Scherzo: Allegro

IV. Finale: poco sostenuto; Allegro non troppo; 

      Presto non troppo

Rudolf Serkin, Piano 

Busch Quartet

Adolf Busch, Violin

Gösta Andreasson, Violin

Karl Doktor, Viola

Hermann Busch, Cello

(78 rpm transfers; HMV, recorded Oct. 13, 1938)

Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924)

Violin Concerto in D major

Adolf Busch, Violin

Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam / Bruno Walter

(live performance, March 12, 1936) 

I. Allegro moderato - Quasi andante

II. Allegro impetuoso

Adolf Busch, Violin

Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam / Bruno Walter

(LP transfer; Rococo, c. 1960's)

Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)

The Seasons - Ballet, Op. 67

Alexander Glazunov conducting

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Glazunov's only recording as conductor ... was made for Columbia in 1929. The recording producer, Joe Batten, recalled the occasion thus in his autobiography: "(The Seasons) was recorded at the old Portman Rooms in Baker Sreet. I shall never forget meeting him, tall, elderly, so ill with gout and rheumatism that I wondered if he could stand the physical strain of three or four hours of intensive recording. But he did, and produced a performance of sheer beauty."

... when Glazunov was invited in 1931 to conduct a concert at Eastbourne, the local "Eastbourne Chronicle" had this to say: "Glazunov electrifies the orchestra, much as Sir Thomas Beecham - certainly it did not want for lack of impetus and his conducting, though dignified like that of Nikisch, is full of vigor and a grace that is infectuous. His qualities are commanding, and through sheer personality he produces mass emotion, not only in the orchestra, but in the audience. The augmented orchestra acquitted itself nobly ... Glazunov had it in complete control."

1. Winter: Introduction; Four Variations (Frost, Ice, Hail, Snow)

2. Spring: Scene

3. Summer: Waltz of the Cornflowers and Poppies; Barcarolle; Variation and Coda

4. Autumn: Bacchanale; Appearance of Seasons; Petit Adagio; Scene; The Bacchantes; Apotheosis

Symphony Orchestra / Alexander Glazunov

(LP transfer; recorded 1929 by Columbia UK)

Dmitri Shostakovich

Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93 (1953)

"I couldn't write an apotheosis to Stalin, I simply couldn't. ... But I did depict Stalin in my music in [...] the Tenth. I wrote it right after Stalin's death [1953], and no one has yet guessed what the symphony is about. It's about Stalin and the Stalin years. The second part, the scherzo, is a musical portrait of Stalin, roughly speaking. Of course, there are many other things in it, but that is the basis. 

I must say that it's difficult work depicting the benefactors of humanity in music, evaluating them through music. Now Beethoven managed it, from a musical point of view. He was mistaken from the point of view of history, however."  

- Dmitri Shostakovich, from Testimony - The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich (Faber and Faber, 1979)

I. Moderato

II. Allegro

III. Allegretto

IV. Andante; Allegro 

New York Philharmonic / Dimitri Mitropoulos

(LP transfer; Columbia, recorded 1956)