Re: [ARSCLIST] Medtner playing his 3rd Piano Concerto]

[Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 27/12/2008, Punto wrote:
> I do want to follow up on this since I initiated the discussion by
> trying to decipher and decode a record in hand. From the start, I was
> able to transliterate enough to be certain that Medtner was the
> composer and soloist on the disc and I had tracked down the Testament
> CD of the Medtner/Philharmonia/Dobrowen recording. I could not read
> enough of the rest of the text to conclude that this was definitely
> the 1947 Mahrajah of Mysore sponsored recording and not some other one
> since the recording company and all other information beyond composer,
> work and performer, was undecipherable to me. I did hear from Marcia
> Segal who very helpfully deciphered a scan I sent them and I now know
> that it is just a dismally poor pressing of the Philharmonia Abbey
> Road LP. I have not asked for permission to quote, so I hope she won't
> mind my sharing a portion of the correspondence in hope that someone
> else is familiar with the issuing label and might have more
> information on it. Mike Biel and Steve Smolian have ventured a fair
> amount on clarification on the Melodiya/MK situation, but this does
> not appear have anything to do with them, but rather something close
> to what is below.
> 
The 1947 recording was made on 78s, and judging from the Testament
transfer had poor sound for its period. This CD was made 15 years ago,
and possibly a new transfer from the original parts (if they survive)
might improve on it slightly, but I doubt if there is much more to
extract.

So I would expect a Russian copy, whether made from 78s or from LP,
to be in very poor sound.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx