#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalTimeMachine Week 2
For the month of October, the Classics a Day team turned nostalgic. Classical musicians have been making recordings since the 1890s. So we all have over 130 years of documented performance practices. And we can judge first-hand the artistry of legendary performers.
The challenge is to post classical recordings made before 1949 (pre-LP era). Here are my posts for the second week of the #ClassicsaDay theme #ClassicalTimeMachine.
10/12/20 Bruckner – Symphony No. 8 (1944)
This performance by Herbert von Karajan and the Orchester der Berliner Staatsoper was partially recorded in stereo. It was one of thousands of master recordings to disappear into Russia after the war. Many (including this one) were only returned to Germany in the 1980s.
10/13/20 Elgar- Salut d’amour (1927)
Isolde Menges was a student of Sauret and Auer, and one of the most important violinists of the early 20th Century. She was the first artist to make a complete recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in 1923.
10/14/20 Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 1 (1934)
Artur Schnabel recorded all of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas plus additional piano works for HMV. They were originally only available by subscription, in a set of 102 78 RPM discs.
10/15/20 Ravel – Jeux d’eau (1920)
Russian-born pianist Benno Miselwitsch began his recording career with 78 RPM shellac discs and ended with stereo LPs. Ampico (American Piano Company) recruited many top artists to record piano rolls.
10/16/20 Chopin – Valse Brilliante Op. 34, No. 1 (1922)
Ignacy Jan Paderewski made both acoustic and piano roll recordings. Aeolian Duo-Art piano roll recordings captured far more detail than any other company’s.
