The End of an Era

[John Atkinson[_2_]]

http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html

Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

[Jenn[_3_]]

In article
>,
John Atkinson > wrote:

> http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>
> Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
> including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
> and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
> I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
> Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>
> John Atkinson
> Editor, Stereophile

Thanks, John. I was going to post on this yesterday, but I hadn't
gotten to it. It is sad news. Such a great library, both in the most
important sense (the music) and the related way (the sound). Ansermet,
D'Oyly Carte, et al. The Speakers Corner and Classic Records reissues
are great too.

Sigh...

[Herbert Hoover[_3_]]

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 07:51:26 -0800 (PST), John Atkinson
> wrote:

>http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>
>Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
>including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
>and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
>I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
>Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>
>John Atkinson
>Editor, Stereophile

It is sad news, indeed, John. Changes....huge changes......are afoot.
The costs of physical media are now prohibitive, especially given that
physical integrity is no longer a given

The difficult problem now is properly monetizing the alternatives. a
solution that has proved elusive so far to all the old media companies
of virtually every sort.



Herbert

[Herbert Hoover[_3_]]

On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:03:29 -0800, Jenn > wrote:

>In article
>,
> John Atkinson > wrote:
>
>> http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>>
>> Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
>> including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
>> and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
>> I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
>> Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>>
>> John Atkinson
>> Editor, Stereophile
>
>Thanks, John. I was going to post on this yesterday, but I hadn't
>gotten to it. It is sad news. Such a great library, both in the most
>important sense (the music) and the related way (the sound). Ansermet,
>D'Oyly Carte, et al. The Speakers Corner and Classic Records reissues
>are great too.
>
>Sigh...


I had forgotten Ansermet and the L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romandes.
That brings back memories, indeed. I remember as a child receiving as
a Christmas gift a London (I'm in the US) recording of
Rimsky-Korsakoff's Scherherazade with Ansermet along with Bolero. I
thing Capriccio Espagnole was one one of thoe recordings as well.

I played it on a Zenith stereo console and was mesmerized. They were
the first classical recordings I ever liked, and I became smitten. I
insisted to all who would listen that Ansermet was the best conductor
ever.

Subsequently those recordings fell by the wayside, but I think his
work stands up more than most


Herbert

[Harry Lavo]

"John Atkinson" > wrote in message
...
> http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>
> Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
> including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
> and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
> I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
> Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>
> John Atkinson
> Editor, Stereophile

It sure is, what a shame!

[Clyde Slick]

On 5 Feb, 12:13, Herbert Hoover > wrote:
> On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:03:29 -0800, Jenn > wrote:
> >In article
> >,
> > John Atkinson > wrote:
>
> >>http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>
> >> Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
> >> including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
> >> and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
> >> I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
> >> Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>
> >> John Atkinson
> >> Editor, Stereophile
>
> >Thanks, John. *I was going to post on this yesterday, but I hadn't
> >gotten to it. *It is sad news. *Such a great library, both in the most
> >important sense (the music) and the related way (the sound). *Ansermet,
> >D'Oyly Carte, et al. *The Speakers Corner and Classic Records reissues
> >are great too.
>
> >Sigh...
>
> I had forgotten Ansermet and the L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romandes.
> That brings back memories, indeed. I remember as a child receiving as
> a Christmas gift a London (I'm in the US) recording of
> Rimsky-Korsakoff's Scherherazade with Ansermet along with Bolero. I
> thing Capriccio Espagnole was one one of thoe recordings as well.
>
> I played it on a Zenith stereo console and was mesmerized. They were
> the first classical recordings I ever liked, and I became smitten. I
> insisted to all who would listen that Ansermet was the best conductor
> ever.
>
> Subsequently those recordings fell by the wayside, but I think his
> work stands up more than most
>
> Herbert-

luckily, the 'wayside' happens to be my lp bins.

[Herbert Hoover[_3_]]

On Thu, 5 Feb 2009 15:28:56 -0800 (PST), Clyde Slick
> wrote:

>On 5 Feb, 12:13, Herbert Hoover > wrote:
>> On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:03:29 -0800, Jenn > wrote:
>> >In article
>> >,
>> > John Atkinson > wrote:
>>
>> >>http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>>
>> >> Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
>> >> including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
>> >> and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
>> >> I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
>> >> Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>>
>> >> John Atkinson
>> >> Editor, Stereophile
>>
>> >Thanks, John. *I was going to post on this yesterday, but I hadn't
>> >gotten to it. *It is sad news. *Such a great library, both in the most
>> >important sense (the music) and the related way (the sound). *Ansermet,
>> >D'Oyly Carte, et al. *The Speakers Corner and Classic Records reissues
>> >are great too.
>>
>> >Sigh...
>>
>> I had forgotten Ansermet and the L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romandes.
>> That brings back memories, indeed. I remember as a child receiving as
>> a Christmas gift a London (I'm in the US) recording of
>> Rimsky-Korsakoff's Scherherazade with Ansermet along with Bolero. I
>> thing Capriccio Espagnole was one one of thoe recordings as well.
>>
>> I played it on a Zenith stereo console and was mesmerized. They were
>> the first classical recordings I ever liked, and I became smitten. I
>> insisted to all who would listen that Ansermet was the best conductor
>> ever.
>>
>> Subsequently those recordings fell by the wayside, but I think his
>> work stands up more than most
>>
>> Herbert-
>
>luckily, the 'wayside' happens to be my lp bins.

Wow!

You have them?

Was Capriccio Espagnol (Tchakovsky) on the Scherazade disc or the
Bolero?

Inquiring minds want to know


Herbert

[MiNe 109]

In article
>,
ScottW > wrote:

> On Feb 5, 11:40*am, "Harry Lavo" > wrote:
> > "John Atkinson" > wrote in message
> >
> > ...
> >
> > >http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
> >
> > > Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
> > > including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
> > > and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
> > > I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
> > > Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
> >
> > > John Atkinson
> > > Editor, Stereophile
> >
> > It sure is, what a shame!
>
> What do you expect when this happens?
>
> "At one point Decca signed a sex-change Paddington street-walker,
> plucked off a BBC reality show where she was seen playing the piano."
>
> Oh the shame..

That more than counterbalances the Decca library.

Stephen

[Iain Churches[_2_]]

"Soundhaspriority" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Harry Lavo" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "John Atkinson" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/090204-NL-decca.html
>>>
>>> Sad news, given the English company's pioneering work,
>>> including the first and still in some ways the best complete Ring,
>>> and the first Petrouchka on LP. Somewhere in my tape archive
>>> I have a private recording of an orchestral piece the late Antal
>>> Dorati wrote on the notes D.E.C.C.A.
>>>
>>> John Atkinson
>>> Editor, Stereophile
>>
>> It sure is, what a shame!
>>
> But the company, as talented individuals, died years ago. The current
> sadness is that Universal doesn't even consider it worth trading on the
> name.
>

The take-over by Polygram in 1980 was actually the end of the road
for The Decca Record Company. Sir Edward Lewis, the company
chairman had recently died. There was no-one to take his place.
A company like The Decca Record Company needs huge financial
resources to embark on recording projects which will not show a
profit for many years. The Decca Group, which included Radar,
and electronics could supply these resources. Once the group
was split up and sold off, this was no longer possible.

Polygram bought Decca for its remarkable catalogue, to which I
am proud to have made a modest but valid contribution.

Iain