90 Years of Gramophone
Wed, Mar 27 2013, 12:05PM
Since it is the 90th Anniversary of The Gramophone I thought this might be an amusing subject, as well as a good opportunity to make use of the Gramophone Archive.
When did you first read The Gramophone and which recordings did you buy (or perhaps even have subsequently bought) from that first issue?
My parents bought our first hi-fi system in November 1958 with the onset of Stereo. In those days magazines were not issued a month before their cover date and my first issue was October 1958
For my first purchases, of course I wanted stereo recordings! The very first LP I bought was the Beethoven Emperor concerto with Curzon and the VPO underr Knappertsbusch, a performance I still treasure in its CD version. Less successful was the 5th Symphony with Maazel, his first recording (on DGG). He wasn't ready for Beethoven then! Finally my first Klemperer recording: a 10" LP coupling a Handel Concerto Grosso with Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik.
It looks like quite a good month now! Other recordings that I acquired subsequently included Klemperer in the Pastoral symphony, Fidelio conducted by Fricsay (superb), Curzon and the Vienna Octet in Schubert's Trout quintet and the first volume of Kempff's idiosyncratic Chopin recordings for Decca.
What memories!
Chris
Thu, Mar 28 2013, 12:31AM
#2
RE: 90 Years of Gramophone
Somehere in the mid to late '60s but I seem to recall that at that time I read Gramophone more for a general musical education than for specific recommendations, with those long erudite reviews.
We first got equipment that would play LPs in 1950 & the first was a !0 inch Decca of Mendelssohn's Italian symphony (Rossi/Turin Symphony Orch) & the second was Ansermet's Three Cornered Hat (his stereo remake is in my view one of his finest records in stunning sound).
Curzon's incomparable Trout came much later on an Ace of Diamonds LP (as I didn't move to stereo until around 1969) & his Emperor is on a Decca Classic Sound CD. Here though I must disagree with Chris: nothing wrong with Curzon but the VPO's playing under Knappertsbusch is pretty second rate. They are transformed though a few months later with Solti at the Helm for Curzon's Tchaikovsky.
Thu, Mar 28 2013, 1:00AM
#3
RE: 90 Years of Gramophone
Greetings from the distant island of Maui, Hawaii. I was still at school when I started reading Gramophone in July 1951 on a regular basis. At the time, living in Glasgow, I was unable to buy records due to my limited income. apart from used 78s. LPs started to be released in 1952 in the UK, but the prices were beyond me at the time.
In 1962 when I arrived in New York, I was able to start buying LPs, which were much less expensive than those on sale in the UK. Most of the actual copies that I bought of Gramophone are here with me on Maui, having been carried from the UK to New York, from there to San Francisco, and finally here to Maui. Classical 78s are rarely seen here. Classical LPs and cds are rarely seen as well.
Over the years Gramophone has provided me with authoratative reviews of many recordings I now own. I still own about 50 78s which are the remnents of a 2000 78 collection. They have all been carefully carried from London over the intervening years, and all of them bought from the long demised Gramophone Exchange, a non stop Gramophone advertiser for many years.
At this late time in my life I am able to acquire and listen to many recordings that I was unable to afford in the early years of LPs. These older performances appear frequently at very low prices, re-released by the major cd labels, and all, with very few exceptions are or have been reviewed in Gramophone.
Irvine Shamrock
Thu, Mar 28 2013, 5:31AM
#4
RE: 90 Years of Gramophone
Back in 1939 (ha ha). I was born in 1962 but I didn't get to Gramophone until the awards issue of 2002. I may have looked at earlier issues for the CD reviews and then placed it back on the rack. Prior to that, I had a friend in the business who would give me his old Schwann catalogues and I would choose CD's that way. What I wanted to mention however was an advertisement that I once saw in a Gramophone issue for Quad ESL Planar Speakers, I believe they were the 63's. At that very point in time, I had convinced myself that I would someday buy a high end stereo and that I would purchase Quad ESL's. Two years ago I purchased the Quad 2905's, thanks Gramophone!
Thu, Mar 28 2013, 10:18AM
#5
RE: 90 Years of Gramophone
33lp, we share quite a few of our early purchases!
As for Knappersbusch, we definitely disagree! To my ears Knappertsbusch's noble and dignified conducting is in a different league from Solti's hyperactive Tchaikovsky! Be that as it may, it's interesting that two of Curzon's favourite conducting partners were Knappertsbusch and Szell: you could hardly imagine two more different! I don't think he recorded again with Solti after the Tchaikovsky.
Chris
Fri, Mar 29 2013, 7:47AM
#6
RE: 90 Years of Gramophone
Since I am not British, Gramophone has never played a "defiitive" role in choosing my purchases. However, in early Seventies and for some decade, it was a good guiding factor. However, I have always followed the French magazines and, later on, the German and American ones (to some extent). BBC music magazine has played an almost significant role since the early 90's.
So, the 90 years of Gramophone do not mean that much to me, as you may suggest.
Parla
Chris
i can't quite compete with you. My first issue was July 1973 and I've read every one since - so my 40th anniversary is looming. Do I get a badge from the publishers?
Early purchases - not all resulting from G reviews - were the Colin Davis Pastoral, shortly followed by the Klemperer complete Beethoven symphony set; Arthur Davison's Brandenburgs on CFP; the newly issued Boult Brahms 4; the then new Beethoven piano concerto set with Ashkenazy and Solti, and many more.
paul