FIRST HIGH-RESOLUTION RELEASE OF STOKOWSKI’S DESMAR RECORDING
OF RACHMANINOFF’S SYMPHONY NO. 3 AND VOCALISE
TRANSFERRED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES
TRANSFERRED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES
HDTT customers have enthusiastically praised its recent release of Leopold
Stokowski’s Desmar recording,
HDTT is now releasing this legendary conductor’s other great Desmar recording, in its first high resolution release (including Pure DSD), based on HDTT’s recent transfer of the original Desmar master tape. Stokowski is heard conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra, a London orchestra created largely from “cherry-picking” front-desk and other esteemed players from other great London orchestras, primarily to make recordings.
Both pieces in this recording are by Stokowski’s old friend and colleague, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), who was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, as well as one of that century’s greatest composers. Stokowski (1882- 1977) was five years younger than Rachmaninoff and lived a long, productive life, still making excellent recordings in his nineties (these were made at age 93).
Both recordings are historic audio documents in their own right. Stokowski premiered Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra on November 6, 1936, only months after its completion, but he never recorded it or even performed it again until the instant recording was made almost 40 years later. While the Vocalise exists in a number of versions, the 1912 original being a wordless song for soprano or tenor accompanied by piano, this Desmar recording is Stokowski’s only recording of the full orchestration made by the composer in 1916. Needless to say, Stokowski’s mastery of every aspect of the music heard here is unquestionable. How fortunate we are that Desmar’s enterprising founder Marcos Klorman preserved Stokowski’s authoritative interpretations in such brilliant sound, as experienced in this recording.
As noted by Recording Producer Antony Hodgson in the original Desmar album, “The acoustics of this splendid hall ( West Ham Pentecostal Mission) with its very long reverberation period are very helpful to the recording engineer, and with Stokowski’s approval, the orchestra was divided into instrumental choirs placed apart from one another so that both spaciousness and clarity could be obtained. This of course recalls [Stokowski’s] methods of orchestral placement in his performances in America.” Hodgson further reported that Stokowski was “always happy with this orchestra.”
As noted by Recording Producer Antony Hodgson in the original Desmar album, “The acoustics of this splendid hall ( West Ham Pentecostal Mission) with its very long reverberation period are very helpful to the recording engineer, and with Stokowski’s approval, the orchestra was divided into instrumental choirs placed apart from one another so that both spaciousness and clarity could be obtained. This of course recalls [Stokowski’s] methods of orchestral placement in his performances in America.” Hodgson further reported that Stokowski was “always happy with this orchestra.”
DETAILED LINER NOTES BY LEADING RACHMANINOFF AUTHORITY FRANCIS
CROCIATA TO BE POSTED SOON.
Artist(s): Conductor - Leopold Stokowski
Orchestra - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchestra - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Recording Info: Recorded by Desmar in West Ham Pentecostal Mission, London,
on April 28 and 30 and May 1, 1975
Engineer – Bob Auger
Executive Producer – Marcos Klorman
Producer – Antony Hodgson
This recording was transferred from the original Desmar Master Tapes,
2023.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 44
1 Lento; Allegro moderato 16:58
2. Adagio ma non troppo 9:41
3. Allegro 12:03
4. Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 44 (arranged by the composer for full orchestra 6:55
Please Note: This release was mastered in DSD with no PCM. (Pure DSD)
Copyright © & ℗ High Definition Tape Transfers 2023, including all compilation, transfer, remastering, and restoration aspects
