Handel "Water Music" George Szell, London Symp. on UK Decca, AMAZING SOUND!!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Aug 3, 2012.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    What was Georgie doing in England making a record for Decca? Did he do that a lot? I thought he was under contract to Epic?

    At any rate, this Decca LP sounds so amazing I thought I'd mention it for those of you who wanted a nice "Water Music" on vinyl. It's ffss SXL-2302 from 1962.

    It doesn't have that really distant wonky treble sound that so many Decca's have, it's nicely balanced and dynamic, not a "cheap seats" performance at all.

    I doubt it came out on London in the Blueback series (because of the Epic conflict) but I could be wrong.

    The LP has the "Royal Fireworks" on side two plus LARGO from "Xerxes"..

    Just thought I'd pass it on even though I know not one person will read or comment on this!
     
  2. ccarty

    ccarty Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Mississauga
    Oh ya?:)

    Sounds like another record to add to the want list, thanks for the tip!
     
  3. PH416156

    PH416156 Alea Iacta Est

    Location:
    Europe
  4. drh

    drh Talking Machine

    Just out of curiosity, does this account of the H2O music present the Hamilton Harty arrangement for modern orchestra, once popular but now pretty much a dead letter?
     
  5. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    There is a speakers corner version...
     
  6. Scott Wheeler

    Scott Wheeler Forum Resident

    Location:
    ---------------
    Thanks for the heads up.
     
  7. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    There are also some Decca 24 bit remasters on CD called the Decca Legends series. Decent sound.
     
  8. cwon

    cwon Active Member

    He did a recording of the incidental music for Egmont that was highly regarded at the time.

    http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-com...034888&sr=1-2&keywords=beethoven+egmont+szell

    He also did a coupling of Beethoven's 5th and Sibelius 2nd with the Concertgebouw on Philips that I have on vinyl.

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...sibelius+2+szell&rh=n:5174,k:sibelius+2+szell
     
  9. dale 88

    dale 88 Errand Boy for Rhythm

    Location:
    west of sun valley
    This Handel recording was done August 1961 in Kingsway Hall, the recording engineer was Kenneth Wilkinson and the producer was John Culshaw.

    It also appears on CD in a 5 CD Decca Box from 2005 titled:

    George Szell: Decca & Philips Recordings 1951-1969.

    The box was part of a series called Original Masters. I don't have the LP but the CD sounds pretty good I think.

    SzellDecca.jpg
     
  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    He must have had quite a flexible contract.
     
  11. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Didn't Fritz Reiner do some Decca recordings while recording for RCA Red Seal in the states? Similar situation?

    Matt
     
  12. cwon

    cwon Active Member

    Couldn't get away with that nowadays
     
  13. stever

    stever Senior Member

    Location:
    Omaha, Nebr.
    I was just listening to Tafelmusik's interpretation on Sony CD this afternoon. Fantastic music! I'll have to find Szell.
     
  14. apileocole

    apileocole Lush Life Gort

    Some Deccas were RCA Living Stereos here, nice ones too but unfortunately none were included in the Living Stereo CD or SACD series. Also if I remember right the Royal Phil did some with Reiner, Munch, Boult and a few others for Reader's Digest in 1962, incl. my favorite Brahms 4th.
     
  15. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yup and yes.
     
  16. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    One of my fav. classical pieces. I have it on vinyl but I don't think it's that old.... I bought it in the 1980's.
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

  18. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Yes, but not this one, as far as I know. 1961, I think. London in US; Decca in Europe.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Steve,

    One of my favorite Water Music recordings of all. The best sounding George Szell recording I ever heard. Superior sonics to his Epic output, especially those horrid sounding Blue Label later pressings.
     
  20. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Anybody have an opinion on it? Generally I find their Decca reissues top notch but I haven't picked up this one.
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    It's pretty OK.
     
  22. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Is their a fantastic sounding digital version of this available?
     
  23. kevinsinnott

    kevinsinnott Forum Coffeeologist

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    Szell was probably better recorded by Decca, plus their engineers weren't likely to be intimidated by the conductor the way the Columbia engineers supposedly were. Szell's Columbia LPs were notoriously bass shy, and by accounts due to the fact that that conductor has his home loudspeakers on the floor, which tilted the bass. Anyway, later Sony CD releases corrected this. I'm a fan of his Handel Decca recordings, but my original music friends can't warm to it. I have plenty of screechier modern recordings to pacify them.

    I wish I had the LP, but I've never seen it. Nice score Steve!
     
  24. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Just finished listening to this record. Really nice sound...

    Nice quiet copy...
     
  25. Scooterpiety

    Scooterpiety Ars Gratia Artis

    Location:
    Oregon
    RCA had a distribution deal with Decca after the longtime RCA/EMI partnership ended in the late '50s.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine