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"The Beulah
record label has always been one of the most idiosyncratic, and
therefore perhaps most interesting, of reissue marques. While the basic
character of Beulah remains the same as in its Compact Disc days, the
range of its present catalogue, driven now by the ease of downloading,
has been extended in remarkable fashion. Browsing the Beulah catalogue
is now rather like being in a 78rpm record shop: there are plenty of
recordings of short pieces available to whet your appetite for either
repertoire or artist, while at the same time there are numerous full
length works available if you wish to consolidate your collection with,
for instance, major symphonies. All of Beulah's transfers, as might be
expected of a distinguished reissue label, are of very high quality."
David Patmore writing in Classical
Recordings Quarterly
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New for March
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.
Our albums are available from
many download and
streaming sites.
We highly
recommend downloading from  where you can download or stream in high quality, for
the
same price as iTunes medium quality.
New album
What the Critics Say
"Sony’s reissue of the original cast Candide
recording is now download only, comes without coupling and costs more
than this Beulah transfer, which contains a considerable coupling. The
recording is bright and a trifle brash but very tolerable.
"Leonard Bernstein’s own recordings of Facsimile
feature on a number of
Sony and DG single and multiple releases, but I believe that this is
the only currently available version of Joseph Levine’s recording with
the Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Levine’s interpretation is
lighter, more balletic than the composer’s own and the recording has
come up needing little tolerance.
I had already made the Ivor Novello Reissue of the Month, but
this must share the accolade with it – a double whammy for Beulah."
Brian Wilson at Musicweb
International
"Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be; with the
fading away of the pre-war generation who revelled in Ivor Novello’s
music – The Dancing Years was the last show at Drury Lane before the
balloon went up – there seems to be less interest in the music of the
1930s today. And yet ... endless repeats of Dad’s Army and Poirot, with
its art deco sets, still command a faithful audience on TV and I’m as
hooked as anyone.
"Novello’s
operettas are well
crafted, if now rather sentimental sounding, and there should still be
a place for them. The recording of The Dancing Years requires a little
tolerance, but that of the other items doesn’t.
Naxos offer this recording of the items from The Dancing Years with
1948 recordings of music from The King’s Ransom, but most will prefer
this Beulah release, which has the field to itself in the 1963 items.
Lovers of Novello should snap it up. Though
it’s not part of my regular
repertoire, this has to be my pick of the Beulah reissues this month."
Brian Wilson at Musicweb
International
"There are just two versions of the Bartók of this
vintage that I would have chosen – Reiner (RCA, above) and this rather
less extrovert but very valid account from Kubelík. It was originally
released by EMI (ALP1744) but I owned the World Record Club reissue, my
enjoyment of which was spoiled only by rather noisy surfaces. I’m
pleased to report that there is no hint of surface noise on the Beulah
transfer, where this fine performance sounds much better than I recall.
Full marks.
"It’s very valuable to have the composer’s own take
on it, not necessarily definitive
but well worthwhile. It’s also available on a Hungaroton 2-CD set,
which I haven’t heard but doubt if it sounds any better than the very
fine Beulah transfer.
"I didn’t know the Shchedrin, but it’s a typically
quirky piece which receives an appropriate performance and recording."
Brian Wilson at Musicweb
International
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