Discographical Questions early 30s

8-10 November 1928

Reissued on Pearl GEMM 9334 and perhaps elsewhere.

Regards, Eric Grunin

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In Robert C. Marsh's article in _High Fidelity_, 'A Discography: The Heritage of Bruno Walter' (issue of Jan., 1964, vol.14, no.1), the author writes, in the entry on the Rhine Journey and Funeral Music from Wagner's _Götterdämmerung_:

'There are acoustical versions of both these works and an even earlier electrical attempt at the _Rhine Journey_, but if Walter's performances of this music are to be recalled, the above-mentioned are the only valid means.' Marsh here refers to a 1931 recording with the 'British Symphony Orchestra'.

In another Wagner entry, an early acoustical recording of the _Siegfried Idyll_ with the Royal P. O. is dated 1924. All I can do at this point, not having a really useful discography of Bruno Walter (a reference to which would be much appreciated!), I can only guess that the other RPO recordings of this material are likely also from 1924 or thereabouts, at least prior to 1925, when electrical recording came in.

Hope this helps...

From http://www.bwdiscography.com:

December 7, 1924; Columbia Petty France Studios, London

November 20, 1925; Columbia Petty France Studios, London

Regards, Eric Grunin

Ronald Taylor's discography of English Columbia 12' records up to 1930, based on UK ledgers, gives only the year (1928) for this.

Here there are two RPO versions, 7 Dec 1924 (AX798-9) and 20 May 1927 (WAX2758-9). Andante's Walter discography agrees with Taylor here. Andante also lists the British Symphony Orchestra version, 15 April 1932 (WAX6385-6).

Four sides cover Klingsor's Magic Garden and the Flower Maidens' Scene. Taylor and Andante both give 22 Nov 1925 for WAX1156-9. Andante also lists WAX2720-2 on 19 May 1927, but this appears to be an error, those matrix numbers belonging to the Parsifal Act I Prelude.

From Taylor, 15 Apr 1926 for WAX1458-60. Ride of the Valkyries, on side four, is from 13 Apr 1927, WAX2580.

Unissued BW from the Columbia matrix books:

1924 May 22 WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, pt. 1 AX457 1924 May 22 WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, pt. 2 AX458 1924 May 22 WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, pt. 3 AX459 1924 May 22 WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, pt. 4 AX460 1924 May 22 STRAUSS, Richard Tod und Verklärung, pt. 1 AX461 1924 May 23 STRAUSS, Richard Tod und Verklärung, pt. 2 AX462 1924 May 23 STRAUSS, Richard Tod und Verklärung, pt. 3 AX463 1924 December 3 WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, pt. 3 AX784 1924 December 3 WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, pt. 4 AX785 1926 November 22 WAGNER Parsifal - Prelude WAX2202 1927 May 20 WAGNER Die Meistersinger - Act I, Vorspiel WAX 2756/7 1928 June 14 MOZART Die Enthführung - Overture WAX3843

Mike Gray

Mike, isn't there also an unissued 1926 Beethoven 5th with the RPO which was bumped by the second Weingartner version, and an unissued 1928 Mozart overture (I can't recall which one) with the PCO ('Mozart Festival Orchestra of Paris'? I recall reading that a test pressing of the latter still exists.

Mark Obert-Thorn

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the list. Can you (or anyone else) tell me whether Walter's recording of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra (I have it on Japanese DG CD POCG-6067 = 459 585-2, which says that it was released in 1925) is acoustic or electric? The sound of the timpani hints at an electric recording, but there is quite a bit of bassoon reinforcement in many passages, as in the acoustic days. Also, is 1925 the year of issue or recording?

Thanks in advance.

Ramon Khalona

Yes, the Beethoven is on WAX2196/2200 from November 19-21 1926 - I didn't include it because it's in the Andante discography. The same applies to the Figaro overture on WAX3844. The BW's above I discovered in the EMI files last January and weren't included in the Andante disco ... 'cause I didn't know about them then! There are many more unissued Columbia sides from 1926 - 1932, at which time they stabilized the production process ans stopped having so many failures.