Scherchen Westminster Anomalies

[Frank Forman]

Scherchen Westminster Anomalies

I. I just shelled out $99 for a 2TB "data pack" to speed up your
downloading. Before, you could get 200MB each month of fast downloads, but
after that was exhaused, it went back to slow downloads.

I have 13,754 files at FileFactory now! Some are duplicates and others not
made public for copyright reasons.

II. Will someone please check the Dance of the Hours on the stereo
half-track tape SWB 7051?
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc69730/Sonotape_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008.wav
(2011.7.18)
and an opinion that the conducting is NOT Scherchen (The tape is clearly
designated Scherchen, but Paul Miller discovered that it is identical to
that on W-LAB 7069. which is clearly labeled Armando Aliberti. Then
consider The Swan on the same tape and opine whether it is Aliberti or
Scherchen.

III. Will someone please check these against one another?
http://www.filefactory.com/file/skt8v7z0c1f/C2241a_Sonotapes_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008_(Ion_0.5).wav
(2103.8.11)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/1p6ddd85nka9/C2241a_Sonotapes_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008_(Ion_0.7).wav
(2013.8.11)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc69730/Sonotape_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008.wav
(2011.7.18)

I got out the tape, used my Tape2PC deck and Audacity (much improved!) as
WAV, and uploaded it. Later I decided to redo it, since I feared I had
recorded it too high. I used the 0.7 setting the first time and 0.6 for
the remake. Then I decided to convert to mp3. Audacity doesn't allow you
to do this, so I tried NCH (Australia) WavePad Sound Editor to do the job.
What I discovered was that the wave form ahows not the normal pattern of
loud and soft but nearly everything was loud, louder at 0.7, of course,
than 0.5.

I can't tell how this sounds. I then discovered that I had uploads it
after all. I looked at the wave form, and it looked fine.

So, please, someone, tell describe how these files sound.

I don't know when I'll be making fresh uploads from my cassettes. I
reported that I found out that there were three cassettes that are on the
spreadsheets but not in FileFactory. Turns out that one of them was for a
bad tape and another was minor anyhow. For the third, I had uploaded side
a. Side b turns out to be Ashkenazy playing the Emperor Concerto, which is
far less than fifty years old and so can't be used.

IV: FIVE ANOMALIES AMONG THE SCHERCHEN WESTMINSTERS

I am making a listing of the Scherchen Westminsters that have appeared
post-LP, either as CDs or as mp3 downloads. This may be a pointless
undertaking, since you can get all of them recorded before 1964 in my
files in FileFactory.

Unless I am mistaken, I have already uploaded every Scherchen Westminster
(except for those from 1963 until his last in 1965.

1. Haydn 100 (PSOL, 2nd). No other LP issue, though there is a monophonic
two-track Sonotape SW 1024. (I have both.)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc53274/W-LAB_7024a_Haydn_100-1,_Adagio-Allegro_PSOL_(Miller).mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc53289/W-LAB_7024b_Haydn_100-2,_Allegretto_(Miller).mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/c5b9367/W-LAB_7024c_Haydn_100-3,_Menuet._Moderato-Tri_(Miller).mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc533a6/W-LAB_7024d_Haydn_100-4,_Finale._Presto_(Miller).mp3
I can upload the WAVs for LAB 7024 and both the mp3s and WAVs for SW 1042
(mono).

2. Saint-Seans: Carnival of the Animals: 14, The Swan, performed with
MASSED CELLI, as opposed to the version of the complete Carnival on XWN
18525/WST 14040 and XWN 18737, with SOLO CELLO. XWN 18735, a sampler disc,
"Perchance to Dream," containing recordings by many conductors. Also on a
half-track STEREOPHONIC Sonotape SWB 7051. XWN18525/WST 14040 comes with
narration and the natural sound of animals at the Bronx Zoo, while neither
XWN 18757 and Sonotape SWB 7051 do. (I have Sonotaoe SWB 7051 but have
never seen XWN 18735, whose contents I have tried to deduce from several
sources.)

3. Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals: 14, The Swan (version with MASSED
CELLI) (SWB 7051)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cd26db6/Sonotape_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008.mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc69730/Sonotape_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008.wav
I have never seen XWN 18735, a sampler disc, "Perchance to Dream," with
many conductors. There is no narration or natural sounds of animals at the
Bronx Zoo.)

Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals: 14, The Swan (version with SOLO
CELLO)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc83aa9/XWN_18737b1_S-SAnimals_no_ZOO_8-14.wav
(WITHOUT narration or the natural sounds of animals recorded at the Bronx
Zoo)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/7651voltvqbt/WGS_8187b_S-S_Animals_ZOO.mp3
(WITH narration and the natural sounds of animals recorded at the Bronx
Zoo)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc73573/WGS_8187b_S-S_Animals_ZOO.wav
(WITH narration and the natural sounds of animals recorded at the Bronx
Zoo)

3. Smetana: Bartered Bride: 9, Polka. W-LAB 7061. ONLY ISSUE. (I have it.)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc53b11/W-LAB_7061b_Wein_Pol&Fug_Smet_Polka.mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc8b6e8/W-LAB_7061b_Wein_Pol&Fug_Smet_Polka.wav

4. Tchaikovsky: Marche Slav (VSOO, 2nd). W-LAB 7068. It also appeared on a
half-track STEREOPHONIC Sonotape SWB 7009 and on a much later stereo LP:
MCA 1423.
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc7ab2a/MCA_1423b2_M._Slav.mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc69cc0/MCA_1423b2_M._Slav.wav
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cd26db6/Sonotape_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008.mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc69730/Sonotape_SWB_7051,_7009,_7008.wav
I do not have W-LAB 7068 (mono).

5. Vivaldi: Four Seasons (Olevsky), WST 14087. The recording of the
complete Op. 8 is on XWN 18913 =set XWN 3315.
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc528f0/WGS_8208a_Viv_Spring_Summer.mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc528f7/WGS_8208b_Viv_Fall_Winter.mp3
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc736f7/WGS_8208a_Viv_Spring_Summer.wav
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cc73664/WGS_8208b_Viv_Fall_Winter.wav
I do not have the original stereo issue on WST14087.

NOTE: You might be interested in the paths of research I often take to
track down just what is on a disc. The real challenge here is finding out
the contents of XWN 18735. I knew about this not from any Westminster
listing, or by inquiring at the International Piano Archives at Maryland,
with inherited Kurt List's donated Westminster recordings, nor from Kurtz
Myer's five-volume Index to Record Reviews, but only from Canfield's
Guide, which gives:

Rodzinski: Dvorak: Largo from Sym 9; Grieg Peer Gynt sel
Scherchen: Bach, JS: Air; Saint-Saens: The Swan
Williams, Herbert: Tchaikovsky: Waltz
LPO/EBO/VSOO

I think Dave is in error, that there should be PSOL rather than LPO, since
afaik the only Westminster records with the the London Philharmonic
Orchestra were a few in conjunction with the English Nixa label. My not
very profound discovery when doing discographies I that every mistake the
can be made WILL be made. This included even catalog numbers. You would
THINK that a catalog is the definitive source of catalog numbers, but
catalogs can be mistaken. The finest among us, even Dave, make mistakes.

In the meantime, lots of old record magazines have been uploaded to the
Web. Here are the relevent two:

Audio: the original magazine about high fidelity, 1958 September has:
Air (Bach)
Perchance to Dream
Largo
Solveg's Song
Ase's Death
Morning
The Swan
Hymn to the Sun
Waltz of the Flowers

Hi-Fi Review, 1959 January has:
Perchance to Dream
Rodzinski, Scherchen, Herbert Williams, cond.
Dvorak: Largo
Bach: Air in D
Grieg: Aase's Death
5 Others.

I decided to go by Dave's listing and decided on this:
Title: Perchance to Dream
Rodzinski, Artur (PSOL): Dvorak: Symphony 9 (on5): 2, Largo from Sym 9
Rodzinski, Artur (PSOL): Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite: Solveg's Song, Aase's
Death, Morning
Scherchen, Hermann (English Baroque Orchestra): Suite 3 in D: 2, Air
Scherchen, Hermann (VSOO): Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals: 13, The
Swan
Aliberti, Armando (VSOO): Rimsky-Korsakov: Hymn to the Sun
Williams, Herbert (Orchestra): Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker: Waltz of the
Flowers

I also checked on the Web for some others:

Hi-Fi and Music Review, (1957 December)
Sonotape SWB 7008:
Khachaturian: Gayne Suite exceprts
Hermann Scherchen VSOO (from Westminster advertisement)

Sonotape SWB 7009:
Tchaikovsky: Marche Slav
Khachaturian: Gayne Stuie, 7 Lezghinka
Hermann Scherchen, VSOO (from Westminster advertisement)

Hi-Fi and Music Review, Vol. 1n8 (1958 September) gives:
SWB 7051:
Ponchielli: Dance of the Hours
Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Hours: 13, Swan

Hi-Fi and Music Review, Vol. 1n8 (1958 September) also gives:
SWB 7052:
Weinberger: Schwanda the Bagpiper: Polka and Fugue
Smetana: Bartered Bride: Polka

CAUTION: Here are the contents of the cassette Mark Koldys made for me in
1993 of several Sonotapes:

Ponchelli: Dance of the Hours (Paul Miller verified that this is the same
as that conducted by Armando Aliberti, VSOO, on W-LAB 7069, which he
happened to own). SWB 7051

Saint-Säens: Carnival of the Animals: 14, The Swan. VSOO, a different
recording from that with Gary Moore, narrator, and "the natural sounds of
animals recorded at the Bronx zoo" on WST 14040$. This recording has piano
and massed celli, while 14040 has piano and solo cello. I thank Paul
Miller for making these observations.

Tchaikovsky: Marche Slav. SWB 7009
Khachaturian: Gayaneh: Suite No. 1. SWB 7008 (for nos. 1, 5, 3, 6, and 4)
and SWB 7008 (for no. 7, Lezghinka)

My suspicion is that Aliberti, or some other conductor in the Westminster
stable recorded the independent Swan. Mark included a xerox of the tape's
contents, which was clearly marked Scherchen, while the W-LAB Paul owns
clearly says Aliberti. Aliberti, in general, recorded lighter music than
Scherchen did, so perhaps the independent Swan is Aliberti's, also.

[John.w...@btinternet.com]

Dance of the hours is definitely Aliberti and your transfer is very fine. How do I access your other Westminsters? I'm intrigued.....