This Remington LP, made late in the career of Albert Spalding, presents to us a still technically secure artist with deep insight into the piece in question. Both players engage completely with the score and command our attention -- and our assent -- by their passionate, if nonetheless oddly aristocratic reading of this beloved sonata.
The thrift store record used for the renovation was embarrassingly beat up, especially the first movement, but the options available in DartPro 24 allowed it to be cleaned up impressively. There are moments of slight residual noise, usually barely discernible, that I left in order to retain the full sonic impact of the information in the grooves. And this particular Don Gabor production delivered plenty of raw information for a quite usable renovation. There are undoubtedly better LP sources for a restoration than what I had, but I haven't been able to find one posted online. Pearl made a CD of the recording, but I have not heard it, so cannot comment on their restoration. For my purposes, and I imagine for those of many others, the present offering will do just fine.
The record contains Hungarian Dances 8, 9, and 17 as filler with Anthony Looiker at piano.
Link to FLAC and MP3 files of entire LP
Thank you! Do you have the other two sonatas as well? Would be wonderful to have them!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I only have this one sonata with Spalding and Dohnanyi, although I know there is another Remington record with them doing the 2nd and 3rd. If you do find a download of them, please come back and let me know where they are. Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteMore Dohnányi here: http://easyjams.blogspot.com/2012/04/janos-starker-dohnanyi-cello-concerto.html
DeleteHi Lawrence,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great addition to Spalding's complete Remington album of the Hungarian Dances. I retrieved that offering from the European Archive. If you have more Remington LPs, I'd love to hear them!
Thanks,
Fred
Thanks for the heads up on Spalding's recording available on the European Archive. Thanks, too, for following the blog; as a new music blogger it's gratifying to know others seem to like what I'm doing. I'll be returning to your blog to download some things -- the Sacher Christian Bach record among them -- and find it very interesting. I certainly have more Remington records among the way too many LPs I've acquired over the years. I bought my first Beethoven Symphony, aged 15, some 43 years ago, and I'm still at it. I seem, though, to find Remington records mostly in horrible condition, not just because of the inferior materials used, but because people apparently considered these cheap records throw-aways. These days, though, if they will track, you can put them right. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat transfert !
ReplyDeleteI'd love to share the links on my blog (pointeuaxames)...
many thanks
Thanks. Nice to hear the transfer works. It was and especially trying effort, the record was in such bad shape, and I really did not expect to get a file worth posting. So I was very pleased at the end of the work that I had something that was even listenable.
ReplyDeleteCould you link your blog to here for people to pick up the mediafire links. If possible, I like to keep track of what kind of interest various posts generate. Of course downloads at mediafire would do that too, so it's up to you. Is there a way to find you blog?
About 20 years ago I gave the Spalding Hungarian Dances a casual listen and thought a few notes sounded a out-of-tune, so I took it off the platter intending to toss the LP. But that night I had a dream about Spalding's manner of interpreting Brahms. To make a long dream short, there was swirling, whirling splash of colors and arms and legs and flying Balkan hair and skirts as Albert put the DANCE back into the no-longer-precious Hungarian Dances. Of course, I did not toss the LP and it became one of my favorites! Thanks so much for the music! I am all anticipation! PS. I made a passable CD of the dances. I'll check out the European Archive and if mine seems better I'd be glad to make it available. --Mitch Lee
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. And, for sure, check your LP of the Hungarian Dances. Eu. Archive sometimes has some pretty marginal LPs. I am quite thankful for them, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the Sonata in G! I had a wonderful time listening to it last night. Spalding's playing is surprisingly lyrical here. His Hungarian Dances, in contrast, are brusque and muscular. I have decided to have another go at converting the roughly made Remington LP of the Hungarian Dances. I was a bit lazy last time. Thanks again!
ReplyDelete-- Mitch Lee
Mitch: Good Luck. Those Remington LPs can be a challenge, but there are some real gems.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your uploads. For some reason I wasn't able to find the links to Spalding on europarchive. Could you please post the link?
ReplyDeleteLawrence - Spalding was one of the great violinists of a former age, and his Beethoven Concerto recording has a semi-legendary status. Thanks for your review of the Brahms' LP (as seen on the dartpro blog).
ReplyDeleteyou do a public service :)
ReplyDelete