Anatole Fistoulari recordings
Wed, Feb 29 2012, 5:29PM
Hi,Can anyone tell me if the Fistoulari recordings of Caucasian Sketches by Ippolitov-Ivanov, and The Red Poppy by Glière, recently reissued on the Eloquence label, are stereo recordings? They were originally on mono RCA LPs but recorded in London by a Decca team in 1958 or 59. As at that time Decca had been using the stereo technology for several years (RCA also), it seems strange if these recordings were not taped in stereo. The Eloquence listings give no help in this matter. Information would be appreciated. Fintan
Wed, Feb 29 2012, 10:30PM
#2
RE: Anatole Fistoulari recordings
Thanks Ted. My dating was based on details given with LPs of the recordings offered for sale on Ebay. You are probably right with the earlier dates, but the tapes could still be in stereo. Fintan
Sat, Mar 3 2012, 2:36AM
#3
RE: Anatole Fistoulari recordings
I have a Decca stereo recording(the first?) that was made in 1954(Ansermet/Roussel).The recordings that you are asking about were made after that date(09/1956,03/1957)with Kenneth Wilkinson as recording engineer.They are recordings made by Decca for RCA.You would think that they would be in stereo,but Wilkinson was with the "mono"division of Decca until April,1958.Very confusing.They could very well be in mono.I can`t seem to find a complete listing of all the Decca stereo recordings(and these shouldn`t and are not to be found in the RCA "Living Stereo" discography).The sole Amazon reviewer seems to think that the recordings are in mono.There are no samples on Amazon for me to hear for myself.
Fri, Mar 2 2012, 10:37PM
#4
RE: Anatole Fistoulari recordings
Thanks BWells,
Your information is helpful and the answer would seem to lie in the fact that "Wilkie" was still with the mono team in Decca at the time of these recordings. Fistoulari was just the conductor for these works, but they would certainly benefit from the extra space that even early stereo would provide. I contacted Eloquence by email but so far they havn't replied. Fintan
Sat, Mar 3 2012, 1:27AM
#5
RE: Anatole Fistoulari recordings
The recordings are in mono issued on RCA in 1957/8.
Sat, Mar 3 2012, 4:06PM
#6
RE: Anatole Fistoulari recordings
To those of you who kindly replied to my query, I have at last received a reply from the Eloquence label in Australia. It is:-
Dear Fintan,Thank you for your email. I referred your question about the Anatole Fistoulari CD to Universal Music Australia, who are responsible for production of the disc. They have replied that the re-issued title (the first time on CD) is indeed in stereo format; what they refer to as "early stereo". I hope this information is useful to you. Regards, Neville Page, Buywell Australia.So this reissue is probably the first time that the stereo tapes have been used. The RCA was certainly mono.Thanks again for your help. Fintan
I don't know the exact answer but I think these were recorded slightly earlier than you suggest, in 1956 and 57.
Ted