Many music lovers miss the sound from vinyl pressings.
Many others have yet to discover how pleasant the sound can be.
Most of our albums are mastered from vinyl LP pressings and earlier
recordings (before 1953) from 78 rpm discs. It is our ability to
recreate, in the digital age, the sound from the disc era that many of
our customers find most enjoyable.
Unlike modern digital recordings tracks in our
albums do contain some distortion, and the occasional surface noises,
but for many listeners these "defects" are soon forgotten.
What the Critics Say
"
I recall reading a review of van Beinum’s Brahms – not these
recordings, I think, but it applies to them – to the effect that he
couldn’t put a foot wrong. It’s certainly true of his recording of the
First Symphony: I’d be hard pressed, for example, to name a more
affectionate account of the ‘big tune’ in the finale. The recording has
come up well for its age, though it’s inevitably rather thin.
"This recording of the Violin Concerto ... at nearly
22 minutes this is one of those performances where the first movement
sounds almost as slow as the real slow movement but most seem to like
it so and it’s certainly not the worst offender. Listen to Heifetz and
Reiner (RCA) and you may never wholly enjoy any other account but
there’s no lack of passion in Grumiaux’s playing or the accompaniment
throughout. "
Brian Wilson at MUSICWEB
INTERNATIONAL where you can read the full review
"
The unavailability of Love in Bath except
as a download coupled on a
budget twofer with Solomon makes the Beulah reissue of this delightful
music, originally concocted from a wide range of Handel’s music as The
Great Elopement, all the more welcome and the inclusion of the
Delibes,
another ballet which Beecham brings off superbly, clinches it...for me Love in Bath
is too full of sheer delectation and delight to be
criticised.
As for Le Roi s’amuse, I fell
in love with the music years ago when
BBC2 used it as theme music for a dramatisation of Kenilworth.
Beecham’s is the most complete recording of the music and easily the
best. "
Brian Wilson's REISSUE OF THE MONTH at MUSICWEB
INTERNATIONAL where you can read the full review
"
Sir John Barbirolli’s Antartica appeared on HMV ALP1102 mere
months before Sir Adrian Boult’s now much better known Decca recording;
they shared Margaret Ritchie in the soprano role. Though the Boult is
the one which has become a classic – in many ways preferable to more
recent recordings, even Boult’s own – the Barbirolli stayed at full
price in the catalogue well into the stereo era: it was still
advertised as such in 1966 and it was until recently available in a
Warner British Composers set (now download only). Like Barbirolli’s
Eighth (4PDR17, with Elgar Symphony No.2 – DL
News 2016/6), this deserves to be heard by every VW enthusiast and
the recording has come up well for its age, though not quite as well as
the Decca Boult. The Beulah transfer is good for its age, a trifle dry
but no more so than the Warner reissue, streamed via Qobuz.
Barbirolli recorded the Franck Symphony with the New
York Philharmonic in the days of 78s and that remains available on
Guild but his Czech Philharmonic version is rarer. I wish I could be
more enthusiastic about it: the performance has a vitality that
sometimes challenges even the classic Beecham (Warner, download only)
and Munch (RCA and Sony, download only or 86-CD set) recordings but the
Supraphon recording seems to have been problematic, even for Beulah who
have made much older Supraphons sound very acceptable. I suspect that
the original LP was a ‘swinger’, with the central hole not quite
accurately placed, or slightly warped. It’s not a gross problem but the
pitch is just sufficiently off to be the musical equivalent of that
slightly rough tooth that your tongue keeps getting attracted to. "
Brian Wilson at MUSICWEB
INTERNATIONAL where you can read the full review
" A well-filled RPO/Beecham album brings reissues
of Overtures: to BEETHOVEN’s Ruins
of Athens, BERLIOZ’ Le
Corsaire and Le Carnaval
Romain,
BRAHMS’ Academic Festival,
MENDELSSOHN’s Midsummer
Night’s Dream, ROSSINI’s La
Cambiale di Matrimonio and La
Gazza Laddra,
SUPPÉ’s Poet and Peasant,
BOCCHERINI’s Overture in D and MÉHUL’s Timoléon. Carnaval Romain and the last two
were recorded in 1953/4 in
mono, the rest in stereo in 1959/60. It’s very convenient and enjoyable
to have them collected by Beulah in such good transfers. "
Brian Wilson at MUSICWEB
INTERNATIONAL where you can read the full review
"The Brahms is beautifully sung and accompanied but
the recording sounds much older than 1958. I checked and it was indeed
recorded in February 1958 and issued later that year on a 10” LP. The
fault clearly lies with the original recording, not with Beulah’s
transfer. The VSO and Gillesberger may not have been in the top league
but they offer mainly stylish accompaniment in the other items. At the
time Heynis was compared with Kathleen Ferrier but I prefer her voice
to Ferrier’s and she is much better recorded than Ferrier. The rest of
the Beulah recording is better than the Brahms: Philips quality had
improved immeasurably in three short years. Recommended for all but the
Brahms. "
Brian Wilson at MUSICWEB
INTERNATIONAL where you can read the full review
"I can’t resist giving Beulah the accolade twice
this month – see Handel above. I’ve been hoping for some time that they
would reissue their recording of the Enigma Variations to replace the
earlier release on 1BX181 –
DL Roundup February 2012/2). It was a
Recording of the Year and I see no reason not to stand by my very firm
recommendation in its new guise.
"The Brahms is one of two versions which Monteux
recorded around the same time. Originally on RCA, this is preferable to
his LSO Philips recording made shortly afterwards. Monteux’s more
relaxed and caressing account makes a fascinating adjunct to
Klemperer’s rugged recording of around the same time, also recently
reissued by Beulah. Even if you bought the original Beulah reissue of
the Elgar, the modest price of the new download is worth paying for the
Brahms. Both recordings are available on Eloquence but differently
coupled, adding to the value of the Beulah release. The transfer is
very good, with a touch of brightness on the upper strings reflecting
the Decca sound of the time."
Brian Wilson's RECORDING OF THE MONTH at Music
Web International
