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1PD31 Munch in London
Charles Munch was engaged by Decca to record with the
Paris Conservatoire Orchestra during their tours of
Britain in 1946 and 1947. Here are four fine examples
of that collaboration:
- Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major Op.93
[listen]
- Saint-Saens Le rouet d'Omphale Op.31 [listen]
- Mendelssohn Symphony No 5 in D major Op.107
"Reformation" [listen]
- Ravel Daphnis et Chloe Suites Nos 1 and 2
[listen]
THE RECORDING ENGINEER
This disc is as much about the art of balance
engineer Kenneth E. Wilkinson as it is about the
conducting style of Charles Munch. "Wilke" as he was
known to his colleagues, came to Decca along with
Chief Engineer Arthur Haddy when Decca purchased
Crystalate Records in 1937. While Haddy concentrated
on improving the technology of recording Wilkinson
developed the art of placing microphones in a hall to
enable the recording to have sufficient presence from
the auditorium without overwhelming the orchestral
sound. Charles Gerhardt, an RCA producer who often
worked with Wilkinson, expressed the view that the
Ravel released here for the first time on compact
discs was the best recording of Daphnis et Chloe
Suites ever made.
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Robert Matthew Walker
writes in International Record Review
for March 2008:
"They are fascinating performances, notably the
Beethoven, where the conductor's brilliant fast
speeds and few repeats get through the work in
about 22 minutes. The Saint Saens gives the
impression of being recorded more distantly,
yet the tone on theses 78s is at times very
impressive."
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