"LONDON PHASE 4 STEREO"
aest...@hotmail.com
Kerrison
wrote:
> http://www.endlessgroove.com/issue4/lp4s.htm
How strange - no mention of any of Stokowski's Phase 4 Stereo LPs
(around 20 of them ranging from The Four Seasons and Scheherazade to
L'Ascension and the Beethoven 9th), nor any of the many other
classical Phase 4 LPs made by Maazel, Leinsdorf, Munch, Sir Malcolm
Sargent, Henry Lewis, Carlos Paita, George Hurst, etc. Antal Dorati
just scrapes in with a mention I see, but not Arthur Fiedler, who in
any case didn't actually conduct his last Phase 4 sessions, being too
ill. These were taken over (uncredited) by his Boston Pops assistant,
Harry Ellis Dickson.
This site could provide much more interesting detail about the Phase 4
classical LPs than it does at the moment, and since it devotes a page
to Bernard Herrmann, why no mention of his Ives 2nd Symphony LP? Then,
as now, it hardly counted as standard fare, nor tied in the with the
overtly "popular" image of the Phase 4 label itself.
William Sommerwerck
stereo, not surround, it remains a mystery why they have not been issued on
multi-ch SACD.
The two Bernard Herrmann recordings _were_ issued on four-channel tape. The
first of these was supposedly the biggest-selling quad open-reel tape of any
music in any genre. If you're heard it, you know why.
Oddly, this album -- "The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann" -- does
not appear in the discography, while "The Mysterious Film World of Bernard
Herrmann" appears implicitly ("Mysterious Island").
If I had the money, I'd buy the rights and release these recordings.
deac...@yahoo.com
wrote:
And then you'd lose your money.
TD
Paul Penna
"William Sommerwerck" <grizzle...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Ignoring the fact that these four-channel recordings were usually mixed for
> stereo, not surround, it remains a mystery why they have not been issued on
> multi-ch SACD.
Actually, Phase-4 recordings weren't "four-channel" or intended to be
quadraphonic or surround. The confusion often arises because of the
name, which is basically marketing hype. One rationale is given in the
first paragraph of the site's opening page, to the effect that stereo
recording had allegedly gone through three stages of development and
this, the "fourth phase" was now the most advanced. Another explanation
I've seen traces Decca/London's recording processes starting with
extended-range 78s, then to "ffrr" LPs, then to "ffss" stereo LPs, and
now the fourth and most glorious of all, Phase-4. Or the third could
have taken stereo tape into account, which D/L designated "ffst."
Phase-4's real gimmick was the multiple-channel highlighting of
individual instruments or instrumental sections, a practice which, when
they started recording classical repertoire, was at the time
controversial to say the least (notwithstanding it being right up
Stokowski's alley). I remember there being considerable carping in the
pages of High Fidelity and Stereo Review.
Releases on quad tape were remixes of the original multi-track
recordings.
The Gilbert & Sullivan Discography has a page addresses the Phase-4
business:
William Sommerwerck
news:tterrace-37F953...@nnrp-virt.nntp.sonic.net...
> In article <8ZmdnQJB4Nwi1eva...@comcast.com>,
> "William Sommerwerck" <grizzle...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> Ignoring the fact that these four-channel recordings were usually
>> mixed for stereo, not surround, it remains a mystery why they
>> have not been issued on multi-ch SACD.
> Actually, Phase-4 recordings weren't "four-channel" or intended
> to be quadraphonic or surround.
That's what I said. They were made on a four-track recorder, and are thus
"four-channel" recordings. However, they were conceived in terms of stereo
playback.
William Sommerwerck
news:83eaff70-4d51-4a19...@n20g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> If I had the money, I'd buy the rights and release these recordings.
And then you'd lose your money.
It's possible that a careful selection of titles -- especially those with
Bennie conducting -- would sell. His film music would _definitely_ sell.
deac...@yahoo.com
<grizzledgee...@comcast.net> wrote:
> <deacon...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
Perhaps.
But the distribution and production costs would be prohibitive. There
is little or no mo ey to be made in such a cottage operation.
TD
number_six
Battle Stereo by Bob Sharples.
No landmark in classical recording (obviously!) but I enjoyed it as an
unusual mix of narration, period music, and special effects.
xxxxxx
"Kerrison" <kerrison1...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:b486b084-19ee-4fb9...@v32g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
Dontait...@aol.com
Agreed. The site seems to primarily concern the "pop" stuff. There
is scant attention to the classical titles and seems to be little
knowledge about them.
About some other things, too. The statement that it was an oddity
for the London Phase 4 LPs to be pressed in England and the jackets
made in the USA is absurd. Except for a brief period around 1953/4,
*all* London records were pressed in England (or Holland at some point
in the late 1970s) and the jackets made in the USA. It was that way
from the introduction of the label to the USA on 78s in the late
1940s.
Don Tait
Steve de Mena
> About some other things, too. The statement that it was an oddity
> for the London Phase 4 LPs to be pressed in England and the jackets
> made in the USA is absurd. Except for a brief period around 1953/4,
> *all* London records were pressed in England (or Holland at some point
> in the late 1970s) and the jackets made in the USA. It was that way
> from the introduction of the label to the USA on 78s in the late
> 1940s.
>
> Don Tait
You are right except that for the last few years of the London STS
(Stereo Treasury) LPs they switched to (I feel inferior) U.S.
pressings. I think the record sleeves were plain paper too.
This to me looks like one of the U.S. pressings:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b267/jiggyco/classical%20lp/9131.jpg
Steve
Paul Goldstein
says...
That's right. Those US pressings were atrocious. I don't think I ever bought
one that was worth keeping. Their cassettes deteriorated similarly.
To this day, the British STS pressings sound great if you can find one in decent
condition.
music...@gmail.com
> http://www.endlessgroove.com/issue4/lp4s.htm
Has anyone heard Hurst conducts Wagner?:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51S7DCrR%2BdL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
