AudioBanter.com - View Single Post - Beethoven's 9th conducted by Solti and myths about Decca/London records

In article ,
(Bruce J. Richman) wrote:

Stephen wrote:

In article ,
(Bruce J. Richman) wrote:

S888Wheel wrote:

Did I mention the copy I just got of
Beethoven's 9th was masterd by Harry Fisher in 1972? I paid 3
bucks...

This is probably the same recording re-released on Mobile Fidelity. I
got one of those for $3...

I rarely feel like hearing the glorious 9th by Ludwig Van.

Any time, in general, you can get a Mobile Fidelity LP for $ 3.00, you've
got
yourself a bargain. While performances and sound quality vary, as a
group,
I
think Mobile Fidelity LPs are certainly above the average (along with
shaded
dogs, bluebacks, and living presences, of course - and also, some of the
Command classical LPs aren't too shabby either).

I have a few bargains in the collection: Al Stewart "Year of the Cat,"
"Parallel Lines" Blondie, etc. I had one of those stupid thrift shop
experiences a few weeks ago when I found the MoFi "Aja" at a Goodwill.
Well, the lp cover.

Good deal. My best MoFi buy was a few years ago at a record dealers'
get-together. One of them had a NM copy of the Grateful Dead's American
Beauty
MoFi in a terribly beat up jacket at a bargain price because of the cover.
Since I don't play the covers , I gobbled it up. Beautiful sounding album
-
especially a cut called 'Ripple". (Blondie was here in S. Florida recently,
one of our local race tracks runs weekend nostalgia concerts and brings back
a
lot of the old groups for one day stands - they get folks for the concerts
for
gen. admission to the track - $ 5.00, and of course, hope you'll stay and
bet,
but even if you don't, it's a good deal).

I've got a Mobile Fidelity copy of Solt, with the London Symphony
Orchetra,
performing Holst's The Planets. (originally on London/Decca). An
excellent
performance and recording.

Also, if you enjoy atmospheric soundtrack music, with an almost classical
quality, I'd highly recommend either of the 2 London/Decca/Mobile Fidelity
albums - Fantasy Film World of Bernard Hermann and Mysterious Film World
of
Bernard Hermann. Among other well-known themes, you'll find a chilling
rendition of the music from "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and
"Gulliver's
Travels".

The sound quality on both of these albums is truly spectacular.

Oh, yes! Is "The Day the Earth Stood Still" the one with two theremins?

You betcha! Hermann liked to use exotic instrumentation in his
orchestrations.

I remember reading in the liner notes that in on of the pieces (I think it
was Sinbad), he uses an ancient brass instrument called a
"dragon". The sound it makes is hard to describe but sort of like a
constricted tuba.

Hmmm. Interesting, I did some searching and it was "Journey to the
Center of the Earth" and the instrument is the "serpent," only a stone's
throw from a dragon, especially in German!

The constricted sound is what you'd expect from something that looks
like this:

http://www.berliozhistoricalbrass.org/serpent.htm

FWIW, both of these albums have been on TAS' best records list for many
years. In this case, their inclusion is, IMHO, fully justified.

Cheers,

Stephen