Very
well played and extremely well recorded: Saint-Saëns (Carnaval
des animaux) and Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake) conducted by Jonel Perlea:
R-199-160.
The
original R-199-11 Scheherazade recording of H. Arthur Brown which
was to be replaced by the Karl Rucht performance.
The second cover
was used for both the H. Arthur Brown and Karl Rucht releases with
the same reference number.
R-199-254,
the release of R-199-172 in a new cover.
Sigurd
Rasher around 1950.
On
Bertelsmann Schallplattenring 8135 a variety of Remington artists can
be heard: Wolfgang Sawallisch, Alexander Jenner, Karl Rucht and Laszlo
Halasz.
Rossini
'Stabat Mater' and Kodaly 'Psalmus Hungaricus' - 18 203/04 LPM
'Zigeunerweisen'
(Gypsy Airs) Op.20 (Pablo de Sarasate) and 'Hejre Kati' (Jenö Hubay)
on 45 RPM - 30 089 EPL and on 17 071 LPE (coupled with Polovetsian Dances
from Prince Igor - Borodin)
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When in the
September 1954 edition of High Fidelity the first Remington record
with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra was reviewed, many a critical music
lover was surprised to find that an orchestra of this stature was
recording for Don Gabor's Remington Records. The RIAS Symphony (Symphonie-Orchester)
had actually been Ferenc Fricsay's orchestra and, since 1948, had
been molded and shaped by this great Hungarian conductor into an excellently
sounding and performing group of musicians. By 1953 the orchestra
had already made recordings for the Deutsche Grammophon label and
was going to make many more. What were the circumstances leading up
to the appearance of the RIAS orchestra on Remington Records?
In
Berlin, on the 7th of February 1946, the "Drahtfunk im Amerikanischen
Sektor" (DIAS) is founded. Initially the programs are broadcast via
the telephone cable. But most telephone lines were distroyed. So it
is decided that as of September of that same year the programs are
being broadcast over the air, and DIAS is renamed RIAS (Radio In The
American Sector/Radio im Amerikanischem Sektor). This radio station
is in need of an orchestra for broadcasting music programs.
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An
early image of Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt and "his" NWDR
Symphony Orchestra.
Edited image from the cover
of the recording of Dvorak's New World Symphony - Telefunken
LE 6505 from 1954.
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After
World War II in all regions ("Länder") of Germany existing
orchestras are being regrouped and new orchestras are founded on the
instigation of the Allied Forces which are in control of public life
and many institutions.
In Hamburg 'das Sinfonie-Orchester des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks'
with conductor Hans-Schmidt-Isserstedt is founded. In Stuttgart
the new orchestra is the Symphony Orchestra of the Southwest Radio
(SWR, Südwestfunk). In Bavaria it is the Orchestra of the
Bavarian Radio - just to mention two.
In Berlin it is the 'RIAS Symphonie Orchester', founded on
the 15th of November 1946. It is the radio orchestra which has its
home in the American Sector of Berlin and it is financed by the Americans,
in fact the US governement. After nearly a year of selecting musicians
and rehearsing, the first concert is given in the Titania Palast.
The conductor is a man named Walter Sieber. Some time later Sergiu
Celebidache conducts an all Gershwin program which immediately
puts the orchestra on the map.
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This
picture of a RIAS microphone was taken from Europäischer
Phonoklub, Opera 3112 release: Adolf Wreege mit seinem RIAS
-Orchester. The picture was edited and enhanced by R.A.B.
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Director of the
classical music division of the radio station is Elsa Schiller
who later became the famous recording producer for Deutsche Grammophon.
She persuades Ferenc Fricsay to come to Berlin. Ferenc Fricsay
not only has a taste for the works of a variety of classical composers
- and especially Beethoven and Mozart - but he also is the man who establishes
a modern repertory with compositions of Bartók, Berg, Blacher, Hindemith,
Kodaly, Schönberg, Stravinsky, Von Einem, Egk and Tcherepnin. And thus
the RIAS Symphony Orchestra also becomes the exemplary institution to
perform what was then regarded as "contemporary music". No
wonder that works of most of these composers can be found on early recordings
of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft label. Already
in those days several recordings were made in the Jesus Christus Kirche,
not just because of its acoustics but also because that was probably
the only alternative to the Titania Palast which was also in use by
the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ferenc Fricsay
performs with his RIAS orchestra in concert with pianists Géza Anda,
Claudio Arrau, Walter Gieseking, Friedrich Gulda, Margit Weber, and
Clara Haskil; with violinists Yehudi Menuhin, Wolfgang Schneiderhan
and Tibor Varga; with violoncellist Pierre Fournier; and with singers
like Maria Stader, Rita Streich, Josef Greindl, Ernst Haefliger and
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
 In
1947 Yehudi Menuhin performed with the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra under conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. This performance
by a Jewish violinist just two years after the war had ended
and of all places in the former center of the NAZI government,
was regarded as very controversial and received severe criticism.
But by performing in the destructed city of Berlin, Yehudi
Menuhin sent a strong message to the world: We have to look
forward. Not only that, but he certainly indicated that many
suffered and were opposed to the fascist regime. In 1949 Yehudi
Menuhin again performed in Berlin, but now with the RIAS
Symphony on August 23, when he played the solo part in
Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, Ferenc Fricsay conducting.
This historical performance was a radio broadcast.
It was later issued on LP No. 29 in the Italian series
produced by Longanesi Periodici "I grandi Concerti".
 His
recordings for Electrola (EMI) of the Beethoven Violin Concerto
in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Mendelssohn
Concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker, both conducted
by Wilhelm Furtwaengler, were a natural consequence
of his stance.
The image shows Yehudi Menuhin and Wilhelm Furtwaengler listening
to a playback. (Image courtesy Yorgos Manessis from Greece.)
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However, it appears
that maintaining this orchestra is a costly affair, despite the fact
that the general economic situation improves somewhat. The orchestra
has an enormous deficit. On top of that the Americans do realize that
their RIAS Symphony Orchestra is in fact the only orchestra which
is subsidized by the American government. Subsidizing an orchestra
is simply not done in the USA. So in July 1953 they decide to cut
the budget. In fact they stop financing the orchestra. That is why
off 1954 Fricsay is forced to give up his post of principal conductor
because the orchestra is simply no longer in the position to pay his
salary. Fricsay takes up the post of conductor of the Orchestra of
the Bavarian Radio (Sinfonieorchester/Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen
Rundfunks) which was founded by Eugen Jochum in 1949 in Munich.
Several musicians leave the RIAS orchestra and those who remain get
paid only for rehearsal time and performances.
The only way
to keep the RIAS Symphony Orchestra alive is by hiring guest conductors
for singular concert performances and by earning extra money through
commercial recordings with record companies. One of these is the Hannover-based
Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft who continue to make recordings
with the orchestra, generally with Fricsay, but also a few with Wolfgang
Rennert, Ferdinand Leitner, Richard Kraus, Vilnus Komor and Kurt Goebel.
A few recordings are made by Telefunken with Artur Rother (Liszt,
Mendelssohn). A remarkable and rare recording is the Deutsche Grammophon
issue with Fritz Lehman and cellist Enrico Mainardi
playing the Cello Concerto of Robert Schumann. This recording is later
attrubuted to the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, probably because
this recording was issued in 1956 when the name of the orchestra had
been changed. However, the original Deutsche Grammophon disc LPM 18
222 mentions RIAS Symphony.
The
RIAS logo designed by Rolf Schloesser as it was printed on the cover
of Kilenyi's recording of works by Franz Liszt.
Strange as it
may seem, there is another record company who makes use of
the RIAS Symphony and that is Don Gabor's Remington Records Inc.,
New York. Gabor was tipped by US government people about the possibility
to hire the orchestra by the hour and making quality recordings for
relatively low fees. Every strong dollar is worth a lot in Germany.
Fact is that Don Gabor does not buy ready tapes, and in no case tapes
of obscure and illegal origin, as so many always suspected. In those
early years of the long playing record, Gabor's Remington Records
is one of the largest (if not the largest) independent label with
a significant turnover. He is well able to hire this genuine and well
trained, virtuoso orchestra of professional musicians. Furthermore
able conductors and soloists are hired.
The recordings are made under the supervision of 
Laszlo Halasz
who, after a disagreement with the board of directors, left the New
York City Opera Company in 1952, the company he himself had founded
in 1943. Although Halasz was involved in earlier Remington productions,
he now officially is Recording Director of Remington Records. Many
a recording session is also attended by
Donald Gabor
himself.
Heinrich Köhler is principal cellist of the RIAS Symphony Orchestra
from as early as the season of 1949/50 and he stays with the orchestra
until 1995. He witnesses the artistic rise of the orchestra under
Ferenc Fricsay, the financial troubles from 1953 on, and the resurrection
of the orchestra as Radio Symphonie Orchester (RSO Berlin). Mr. Köhler
remembers the many recording sessions for Deutsche Grammophon, and
of course also those for the Remington label. He recalls that in a
three hour session at least one hour ready music was to be recorded
on tape. This tight schedule led at least at one time to a more or
less hilarious happening with conductor Günther Wand. Mr.
Köhler recalls:
"In
a three hour session at least one hour ready music should
be recorded on tape. Unknown conductors acquitted with difficulty
their tasks. At one time Günter Wand stood in front
of the orchestra; already at that time he was a feared perfectionist.
He explained a lot of the music while rehearsing and he shaped
every detail. (Even at his old age his interpretations are
mind-blowing.) When Günter Wand wanted to record the
same passage again because he wanted a better take, recording
director Laszlo Halasz had enough of it and said: "Hey man,
we already have that on tape". Günther Wand put
down his baton, took his hat and coat, and left. The
recording sessions for Remington records had a rather business
like character. For example a work was played through and
recorded in the same session and the title was ready: The
next piece please!"
- Heinrich
Köhler
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Halasz knew of
course many colleagues and performing artists. In collaboration with
Bertelsmann Schallplattenring he hires a host of able conductors and
soloists. Not well known is conductor Karl Rucht. And the name
of André Gabriel?
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Tossy
Spivakovsky plays Glazunov?
(Photo Everest)
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Label
and cover of the disk with Glazunov's Violin Concerto mention
André Gabriel as the performing violinist, but the name
cannot be traced and connected to a specific artist. André Gabriel
apears to be a pseudonym, but for who? For Roman Totenberg?
Or was the violinist Janine Andrade - who later made
a recording in Germany with conductor Hans Jürgen Walter of
the Tchaikovsky Concerto Op. 35 and also of Mozart Concertos
with Kurt Masur? Or maybe Gerhard Taschner? Or Rudolf
Schulz, first violinist (leader) of the RIAS Symphony who
may be the violinist in the Remington Swan Lake and Carnival
of Animals recordings with Jonel Perlea? But attributing this
thoroughbred performance to him would not be logical. Sure is
that the unknown violinist is an artist who did not want his
name mentioned because of personal or legal (contractual) issues.
Remington's
Catalog (Complete Alphabetical Listing By Composer) issued in
the Fall of 1953 may give a hint in this matter. On the last
page it is mentioned that there are plans to make recordings
with Tossy Spivakovsky, with harpsichordist Sylvia Marlowe,
and with singer Mack Harrell. Recordings with Sylvia Marlowe
and with Mack Harrell are made and released. But a Spivakovsky
disk labelled as such can not be found. Spivakovsky - who had
come to live in the US in 1940 and lived first in New York -
may have been contacted by Remington's Recording Director Laszlo
Halasz. A definite conclusion cannot be drawn because - as far
as my research goes - there is no Glazunov Violin Concerto issued
on the Bertelsmann label, nor on the Opera label on which at
least Albert Spalding's Remington Recital with Anthony Kooiker
is released in Europe. And there is also no Glazunov Violin
Concerto on the Tefifon Schallbänder (Sound Film), the medium
that bears many of the Bertelsmann-Remington recordings. No
Spivakovsky or Gabriel (or any other name mentioned above) is
mentioned in the catalogs of these German firms.
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Although
It is plausible that Spivakovsky is the soloist, there is yet
another possibility and that is Bronislaw Gimpel. His style
of playing comes somewhat close to that of André Gabriel.
Yet there are important differences. Years ago my first guess
was Roman Totenberg who toured Europe at the time the RIAS recordings
were made. In 1954 Heinrich Köhler's scrapbook is signed
by both Bronislaw Gimpel and Roman Totenberg as Doris Köhler,
daughter of the cellist, tells me. She sent Roman Totenberg's
autogram from February 1st, 1954. Conductor Georg Ludwig Jochum
does sign the book on the following day.
It
is a wonderful and also fascinating performance. It is not a
dragging account with too many phrases played legato as if most
of the concerto has to be executed in one endless stroke as
some modern recordings evoke. The Remington performance has
a wonderful, lyrical and dramatic concept with depth, detail,
and the result clearly shows a thourough understanding of the
work, not only by the virtuoso violinist but also by the very
able conductor Georg Ludwig Jochum. His fine rendering
of the score is in contrast to the somewhat less structured
approaches of Ferenc Fricsay with Erica Morini and Vaclav Smetacek
with Ida Haendel for instance. Jochum and the soloist know how
to re-create the score with its varying moods in a very expressive
and at times humble, yet effective way. Here the old - but magnificent
- school is talking to the listener. - R.A.B.
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Click here
for a Sound Clip of Cadenza and the beginning of the Third Movement
of the Glazunov Violin Concerto
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On January 9, 2012, Allan Evans of Arbiter Records, who interviewed
Roman Totenberg extensively and prepared the 2 CD set "The
Art of Roman Totenberg from Bach to Webern", confirms that
the Remington recording is indeed of Roman Totenberg. He writes:
"Totenberg laughs about how he had to coin this pseudonym
in order to have an extra recording out. He was an Allegro artist
then, and couldn't have his name on Remington. The original
tape is with German radio (...)".
This explains why the sound has the typical characeristic of
Frequency Modulation Radio which differs substantially from
the other Musirama recordings made with the RIAS Orchestra.
As early as 1950 FM radio (UKW, Ultrakurzwelle) is already in
use. The differend sound characteristic means that this recording
is not done by the Remington-Bertelsmann team, although Laszlo
Halasz may have supervised this Radio In American Sector recording
as well for it is not a live recording of a concert performance.
And it probably is Halasz who talked Roman Totenberg into doing
the performance. - R.A.B.
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Relatively unknown
to record collectors are Wolfgang Sawallisch, Manuel Rosenthal,
George Sebastian, Georg Ludwig Jochum (brother of famous Eugen
Jochum), Otto Matzerath, and Jussi Jalas (son in law
of Jean Sibelius, who had married his daughter Margareta). The only
real veterans are Jonel Perlea (1900), Anatole Fistoulari
(1907) and Leopold Ludwig (1908), one could say.
After the first sessions have resulted in satisfying recordings, Laszlo
Halasz - like so many other artists and conductors - signs Heinrich
Köhler's scrapbook.
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With
best wishes to a great orchestra and hope for a long and happy
association - Sincerely, Laszlo Halasz, Febr. 20. 1954.
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The
date Halasz writes is February 20, but it is suspected that recording
started already by the end of 1953.
The recordings are all in the new MUSIRAMA presentation except for
one which is not presented as such and that is the new recording of
Rimsky-Korsakoff's Scheherazade. On Remington R-199-11 originally
an early recording of the Viennese Symphonic Society Orchestra conducted
by
H. Arthur Brown
(founder of the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor from 1948
till 1958) is released. When problems arise between Brown and the
union, Gabor stops the pressings of Brown's Remington recordings and
some of these are shifted to the Plymouth label. Now it is time to
acquire a new Scheherazade recording as no record label can do without
this best selling score. The new recording is the one with the RIAS
Symphony Orchestra under Karl Rucht.
For
a long time it was not certain if this recording was the same as the
Urania 7133 (=Urania 7-19) recording with 'Symphony Orchestra of Radio
Berlin'. This recording was already listed in 'The Long Player' of
December 1953 while the Remington with the RIAS Orchestra under Rucht
was released in the following year. Ernst Lumpe who investigates many
recordings bootlegged by Eli Oberstein and released on
Allegro-Royale,
compared the Urania Scheherazade to the Remington RIAS and
found that these are different recordings.
Apparently
to keep the appealing Steinweiss cover as it originally was used for
the Brown recording, no MUSIRAMA emblem was printed on it in the right
lower corner as this would have spoiled it. Also the label does not
have the MUSIRAMA lettering.
Rucht and the RIAS Symphony give a far better rendition than H. Arthur
Brown does with the orchestra from Vienna - not only because the RIAS
seems a superior orchestra, but also because Brown takes tempi that
are far too slow and it seems that he does not completely understand
what the music is about. It is likely to assume that the violinist
in the Rucht Scheherazade is Rudolf Schulz. When the Rucht
version was later released on Masterseal MSLP 5012 for conductor
the name of Kurt Wöss is mentioned. The change of the
name is probably made because the contract with Bertelsmann had been
breached and had ended prematurely. A later re-release with the name
Rucht was unlawful.
Karl Rucht
 Initially
I only found Karl Rucht listed in early editions of Schwann
Long Playing Record Catalog conducting Scheherazade on Urania.
In a French catalog he was listed on Concerteum CT 263/4 (later
issued on Musidisc 842/843) conducting Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
played by the Berlin Chamber Orchestra. There is also Urania
7146 with Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor, and Urania 7149
with Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by pianist
Helmut Roloff (coupled with Beethoven's Piano Concerto
No. 1 in C Op. 15 with eminent Beethoven pianist Hugo Steurer
and conductor Gerhard Pflueger). And there are also the
Remington disc with Liszt and Brahms (R-199-218) and the Masterseal
releases with excerpts from Gayaneh by Khatchaturian.
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Picture
of Karl Rucht
(Image taken from Berlin Philharmonic
catalogue of concerts. Image supplied by Ernst A. Lumpe.)
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The Scheherazade
on Remington Musirama not only shows excellent ensemble playing
but a good recording technique (which applies to all MUSIRAMA
recordings made in Berlin). Not just for Remington standards
but it is in principle also superior if compared to the recording
technique used by Deutsche Grammophon at the time.
Recently
more data regarding Karl Rucht have been published and it appears
that Karl Rucht (1918-1994) was more than the trumpet player
in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1944 till 1949. He
was chief conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Pfalz
(Philharmonisches Orchester der Pfalz) in Mannheim - later renamed
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz - from the beginning
of season 1951/1952. He was conductor of the Heidelberg Philharmonic
Orchestra (Philharmonisches Orchester der Stadt Heidelberg)
from 1954 until 1960. This means that he led two orchestras
simultaneously in the years 1954 till 1957. Being the conductor
of these two orchestras in the same region made it possible
to perform large orchestral works by "borrowing" musicians
from his other orchestra. - R.A.B.
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The
virtuoso quality and discipline of the RIAS Orchestra can also be
witnessed on many other Remingtons, but in particular the Jonel Perlea
disc with excerpts from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) and Le carnaval des
animaux (Saint-Saëns) in which Heinrich Köhler plays
the cello part (The Swan/Le cygne).
Georges Sebastian's 'Symphony fantastique' (Berlioz) is also a very
skillful and sensitive performance. And the recordings by Edward Kilenyi
of works by Liszt do have the right intensity and the perfect balance
between soloist and orchestra. However in the first notes of the Glazunov
Violin Concerto played by André Gabriel there is some wow in
the recorded sound. It is possible that the tape did not reach the
correct speed when the recording started or the cutting lathe did
not yet reach the right speed when the laquer was cut and no second
laquer was cut.
Recordings
made with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra and released on Remington records:
R-199-11
Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov) - Karl Rucht, conductor.
R-199-159
La boîte à joujoux - The Box of Toys (Debussy) - Jonel
Perlea, conductor.
R-199-160
Carnival of Animals - Carnaval des animaux (Saint-Saëns))
and Excerpts from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) - Jonel Perlea, conductor.
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Click here
for a Sound Clip of 'Le cygne' (The Swann) from 'Carnival of Animals'
performed by cellist Heinrich Köhler.
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With
the highest admiration for the very excellent Rias orchestra,
Jonel Perlea 27/8/53
Mit höchster Bewunderung für das ganz vozügliche
Rias Orchester,
Jonel Perlea 28/8/53
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R-199-164
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms) - Edward Kilenyi, pianist and  Jonel
Perlea, conductor.
R-199-166
Piano Concerto No. 1 and Totentanz (Liszt) -
Edward
Kilenyi,
pianist and Jonel Perlea, conductor.
R-199-170
Orchestral medleys from The Merry Widow (Lehar) and One Night in Venice
(Strauss) - Gerhard Becker, conductor.
R-199-172 Gaité parisienne (Offenbach) - Manuel Rosenthal,
conductor. Later released in a new disguise as R-199-254. The same
recording was issued on Rondolette A8 around 1958. Were the tapes
acquired via Don Gabor? Or was Rondolette another of Don Gabor's labels
or (partly) owned by him?
R-199-174
Orchestral excerpts from Wagner operas -
George Sebastian,
conductor.
Picture
of George Sebastian taken from an advertisement for Remington MUSIRAMA
releases.
R-199-176
Symphonie Fantastique (Berlioz) - George Sebastian, conductor. In
Germany released on the Diamant label, reference
BL 733. The recording was probably made in the Fall of 1953.
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To
my good friends and colleagues of the wunderful, magnificently
sounding RIAS orchestra. My thanks for making harmonious music
together and all best wishes for a great future. January, 1954,
Berlin. Georges Sebastian.
Meinen
vielen Freunden und Kollegen des wunderbaren klanggrossartigen
RIAS Orchester (...). Dank für harmonischem Zusammen Musizieren
und alle besten Wünsche für eine grosse Zukunft. Januar,
1954, Berlin. Georges Sebastian.
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To
my dear RIAS Orchestra - with sincere thanks for brilliant (professional?)
music making. November/January 1953/54. Otto Matzerath.
Meinem
lieben Rias Orhester - mit herzlichen Dank für glanzvolles
(professionelles?) Musizieren. November/Januar 1953/54. Otto Matzerath.
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R-199-177
Wagnerian Overtures - Leopold Ludwig, conductor.
R-199-180
Symphony No. 1 (Schumann) - Otto Matzerath, conductor - released
Spring 1955
R-199-181
Light French Opera Overtures: Von Suppé, Adam, Aubert, Maillart
- Gerhard Becker, conductor.
R-199-183
Music by Offenbach - Manuel Rosenthal, conductor.
 R-199-188
Sinfonietta (Rudhyar), Gymnopedia (Glanville-Hicks) -
Jonel Perlea,
conductor (coupled with Henry Brant's Saxophone Concerto performed
by Sigurd Rascher (saxophonist of the New York Philharmonic)
here with the Cincinnati Symphony conducted by Thor Johnson) - released
Fall 1955
R-199-189
Can Can (Offenbach) - Manuel Rosenthal, conductor (coupled
with selections from the musical Can Can played by Tony Osborne and
his orchestra).
R-199-191
Violin Concerto (Glazunov) - André Gabriel, violin and Georg
Ludwig Jochum, conductor (coupled with The Origin of Fire (Sibelius)
with the
Helsinki University Chorus
and soloist Sulus Saarits, baritone, and Pohjola’s Daughter,
Op. 49 (Sibelius). Probably recorded in February, 1954, when Georg
Ludwig Jochum signed the scrapbook of cellist Heinrich Köhler.
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A
heartely thank you to the outstanding RIAS Orchestra for many
hours of dedicated following. Georg Ludwig Jochum. February 2nd,
1954
Dem
augezeichneten RIAS-Orchester einen herzlichen Dank für viele
und schöne Stunden teurer Gefolgschaft. Georg Ludwig Jochum.
2 - 2 - 1954
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 R-199-192
Orchestral medley from The Beggar Student (Millöcker) -
Gerhard Becker, conductor.
R-199-194
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 (Bach), Concerto Grosso No. 5(Handel)
-
Wolfgang Sawallisch,
conductor.
R-199-197
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Tchaikovsky) -
Conrad Hansen,
pianist and Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor.
R-199-201
Symphony No. 5 (Sibelius) - Jussi Jalas, conductor.
R-199-203
Francesca da Rimini (Tchaikovsky) and Theme and Variations (Tchaikovsky)
- Anatole Fistoulari, conductor.
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All
my thanks for the recordings! And You personally all the best
for 1954!
Yours Wolfgang Sawallisch.
Besten
Dank für die Aufnahmen! Und Ihnen persönlich alles Gute
für 1954!
Ihr Wolfgang Sawallisch.
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R-199-205
Variations on a Theme by Haydn (Brahms) - Wolfgang Sawallisch
conducting. Coupled with Tragic Overture (Brahms), Academic Festival
Overture (Brahms) with conductor Otto Matzerath.
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Heitor
Villa-Lobos conducting.
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Jussi
Jalas recorded Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2 and 5 and Five
humoresques for violin solo and orchestra with violinist Anja
Ignatius. Only Symphony No. 5 was released on Remington. Below
Leopold Ludwig.
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R-199-207
Choros No. 6 (Villa-Lobos) - conducted by Villa-Lobos himself,
coupled with the older recordings of Enesco's Rumanian Rhapsodies
Nos. 1 and 2, conducted by Enesco. The coupling probably in remembrance
of George Enesco who died in 1955.
R-199-208
Suites from Sylvia and Coppélia (Delibes) - Anatole Fistoulari
and George Sebastian, conductors. In 1967 these performances
were reissued in 1967 on Everest 6116 (mono) and 3116 (stereo). This
indicates
that the recordings were made in stereo, though not on 35 mm film
which most certainly was not used for the dubbing of the tape either.
The Everest release not only shows that the sound of these recordings
was basically excellent for those days standard, but also the performances
are noteworthy.
R-199-218
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and No.14 (Liszt), Hungarian Dances No. 1
through 6 (Brahms) with Karl Rucht conducting; the same program
of rhapsodies and dances was later re-released on the Paris-label
(Album 12) and pressed on better vinyl. Although I saw the cover of
199-218 once, various Schwann catalogs, the 1956 Artist Listing and
the Artist Issue of 1958 included, do not have this recording listed.
It may have had a very short life span as a Remington release, because
after the last releases starting at 200, the label soon was suspended
and the recordings were released on Gabor's other labels like Paris,
Buckingham and Webster and were not listed any longer in the serious
record catalogs: Schwann and The Longplayer.
There were also
a few recordings made with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, for
example: R-199-209 with Hindemith: Mathis der Mahler; Schumann:
Manfred Overture; Von Weber: Euryanthe Overture; all conducted by
Leopold Ludwig.
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Tefi Schallbänder - Tefi Sound Films.
Many
of the recordings made with the RIAS Orchestra are listed in
the catalog of the Tefi Schallbänder (Tefi Sound
Films).
The Tefi Sound Films were to be played on the Tefifon
and other special Tefi reproducers (Tefi Geräte). The Tefi
Schallband was an alternative to the gramophone record, the
tape recorder and the
Philips
Miller Sound Recording System.
The Tefifon was invented by Dr. Karl Daniel (1905-1977).
The sound was engraved on an endless film and was originally
read by a crystal pick up cartridge and later moving magnet
designs were incorporated. The principle of this system was
devised already by Oberlin Smith, the man who also had
the idea for magnetic recording in 1889.
The Tefi cassettes were available from 1950 until 1962. A great
advantage of the system was that it was really a long play
medium as one Tefi Schallband (sound tape) could easily
have one hour of music at a speed of 19 cm/s. And it was also
suitable for stereo. When stereo was introduced the ceramic
cartridge was replaced by a better phono cartridge which then
read the endless groove.
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The
Tefifon Schallband with the Second Symphony and Five Humoresques
of Jean Sibelius, conducted by Jussi Jalas, with violinist
Anja Ignatius as issued in Germany. The
recording of the Five Humoresques was in fact the world
premiere recording and was never issued by Don Gabor though
he and Laszlo Halasz supervised these recordings in Berlin.
J. Radnuz was the recording engineer.
Image
of the Tefifon cassette and information on the Tefifon
Schallbänder submitted by Dr. Klaus Holzapfel, Germany.)
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Only the recording of the 5th Symphony of Jean Sibelius
was issued in the MUSIRAMA Series. The recording of the
Symphony No. 1 was released together with Five Humoresques
on
Varèse Sarabande VC
81043 in 1978. Varèse-Sarabande mentions 'Radio
Symphony Orchestra' instead of the RIAS Symphony. This
is incorrect as the recordings were made in January of
1954 and the RIAS orchestra was renamed Radio Symphony
Orchestra (RSO) only in 1956.
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The
Tefi Schallbänder catalog (Tefifon Schallband Katalog)
shows many of the titles which also appeared on Remington:
Edward Kilenyi playing Franz Liszt's Concerto No. 1 and
Brahms's No. 2 with Jonel Perlea, Conrad Hansen playing
Tchaikovsky's Op.23 with Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Karl Rucht
conducting Scheherazade, Hungarian Rhapsodies and Gayaneh, and
Anatole Fistoulari conducting Tchaikovsky's Francesca
da Rimini, just to mention a few.
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The collaboration
with Bertelsmann in Germany officially started in 1953 and some 200
recordings were planned to be made the new MUSIRAMA-technique, first
with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra and later with orchestras of Düsseldorf
and Hamburg. In Germany they were of course released on Bertelsmann's
Phonoring or Schallplattenring as well as on the Tefifon tapes. Don
Gabor wanted to release the older recordings from Austria and several
American recordings in Germany too. For that he created the German
Diamant label already in 1953 when the Bertelsmann deal had
been signed.
 The
Diamant releases are pressed from Remington plates, probably
in the Webster plant in Massachusetts, although there is mention in
Billboard magazine that Gabor was setting up a pressing plant in Berlin.
From the way the covers are printed and manufactured, I assume that
the covers are made in the printing division of Remington's Webster
pressing plant as well because trhyat would be cheaper than having
them manufactured in Germany. On the label is printed "Licensed by
Remington Records." The German covers had no liner notes. There was
probably no time to write these, or a translation of the American
notes would take up more time and would make the releases more expensive.
All covers have a standard pattern of yellow-light and blue-white
colored stripes. On the front are printed the name of the composer,
of the work(s) and the names of the performers, and there is a reference
number for ordering the record, in German, "Best. Nr." (Bestell Nummer).
On the Diamant
label appear older recordings made in Vienna like Franck's Symphony
in D conducted by Hans Wolf (BL 743), Astrid Varnay
singing Wagner arias (BL 737) and Gaspar Cassado performing
Dvorak's Cello Concerto with conductor Kurt Wöss (BL 745).
This is all as planned.
But
also Symphony Fantastique (Berlioz) with the RIAS Orchestra under
Georges Sebastian in the new Musirama sound is released as
BL 733 while this recording is also released by Bertelsmann and on
the Tefifon Band (tape). Distributing the Diamant releases in Germany
is of course against the terms agreed upon between Gabor and the Bertelsmann
firm.
Cellist Heinrich Köhler told me that there was a law suit: Bertelsmann
v. Remington (Don Gabor).
The outcome is that the contract with the RIAS Orchestra and Bertelsmann
is prematurely ended. That is why more recordings made with the RIAS
Symphony are not issued in the US. Also the later stereo recordings
were excluded.
The breach
of contract with Bertelsmann prevented the release on Remington
of many more recordings made with the RIAS Symphonie-Orchester
which were released in Germany on Tefi casettes (Tefifon Schallbänder):
Beethoven:
Symphony No. 2 - Georg Ludwig Jochum
Berlioz: Ballet Music - Wolfgang Sawallisch
Borodin: In the Steppes of Central Asia - Anatole Fistoulari
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphony No. 4 - Otto Matzerath
Glinka: A Life for The Tsar Overture - Anatole Fistoulari
Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture - Otto Matzerath
Glinka: Waltz Fantasy - Anatole Fistoulari
Ponchielli: Dance of the Hours - Wolfgang Sawallisch
 Rimski-Korsakov:
Russian Easter - George Sebastian
Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre - George Sebastian
Saint-Saëns: Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah - George
Sebastian
Schubert: Symphony No. 2 - Otto Matzerath, recorded on
February 19, 1954, according to another entry by Laszlo Halasz
in Heinrich Köhler's scrapbook.
Schubert: Rosamunde Overture - Otto Matzerath
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 - Jussi Jalas
Sibelius: Five Humoresques- Jussi Jalas (and violinist
Anja Ignatius)
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 - Jussi Jalas
Strauss: Don Juan - Otto Matzerath
Strauss: Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - Otto Matzerath
Tchaikovsky: Capricio Italien - Anatole Fistoulari
Tchaikovsky: Marche Slave - Karl Rucht
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings - H. Charlier
Weber: Invitation to the Dance - Otto Matzerath
 Arrangements
could probably have been made for the release on Remington of
the 2nd Violin Concerto of J.S.Bach played by then 23 year old
violinist Helga Hussels (who
later (1969) was refused to be a member of Karajan's Berliner
Philharmoniker and subsequently went to live in Sweden to play
in the orchestra of Göteborg. She played with the
RIAS Youth Orchestra conducted by Willy Hanuschke. (Bertelsmann
338089; coupled with Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 conducted by
Wolfgang Sawallisch).
In the Tefifon catalog the orchestra is just mentioned as RIAS
Symphony Orchestra. That same conductor recorded Georg Philip
Telemann's Wassermusik which was released later on Classique
13 160G (10").
And there is also no Remington disc of Beethoven's Symphony
No. 1 with Jonel Perlea conducting the Teatro la Fenice
which was released in Germany on a Tefi cassette. This recording
- which should replace the Viennese disc with "conductor
X" - was made at the time of Lucia di Lammermoor and of
music by American composers Brant, Glanville-Hicks, etc..
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It is
likely that several tapes with these recordings - which were practically
all supervised by Laszlo Halasz (in some cases together with Don Gabor)
were taken back to the US or were shipped to Don Gabor's headquarters
but were not issued on record after the verdict and were not discovered
by Tom Null when he was producing the Remington Series for the Varèse-Sarabande
label, or were all in a bad state..
As is printed on the covers of the
Varèse-Sarabande Remington Series,
most recordings were supervised by both Don Gabor and Laszlo Halasz,
and the recording technician was J. Radnuz. Tape recorders with 30
IPS speed were in use to obtain high quality.
It is not sure if the orchestra was also conducted by Laszlo Halasz.
The release of Bertelsmann Schallplattenring 8135 indicates
that Laszlo Halasz conducted the RIAS Symphony in Hungarian Dance
No. 6, which is of course one of the dances conducted by Karl Rucht.
This same Bertelsmann disc has excerpts from recordings made by other
Remington artists: Wolfgang Sawallisch, Alexander Jenner and Karl
Rucht. It is possible that Halasz did conduct the Hungarian Dance
more for fun and that his name was deliberately changed into that
of Karl Rucht or the opposite may have been the case. An oddity is
the recording with Karl Rucht conducting Gayaneh by Khachaturian on
a Masterseal release with the Remington Musirama label and
Remington matrix numbers which were printed also on the label: 33
1637. I did not find a Remington Musirama equivalent. After Columbia
Records had won the case against Don Gabor, the latter was no longer
allowed to use the wording Masterworks and the label name "Masterseal"
which easily could be confounded with Columbia's Masterworks, many
records were released with the Remington style labels and the Masterseal
logo was omitted on the covers.
On Webster ST12 Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Suite with Jonel Perlea
from R-199-160 is reissued together with Otto Matzerath's performances
of Academic Festival Overture and Tragic Overture (Brahms) from R-199-205.
When Bertelsmann
founded the Ariola division, many of the "Remington recordings"
were released on their Classique label. To mention a few:
13174H - Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist
Conrad Hansen and conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch.
16 087D - Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 conducted
by Wolfgang Sawallisch.
13153H - Hindemith: Matthis der Mahler performed by
the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leopold Ludwig.
Recordings
made with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra and released on Deutsche Grammophon
Gesellschaft
From 1953 till
1956 there are many conductors who perform with the RIAS Symphony
Orchestra, especially during this 'period of draught' (when the orchestra
was short of finances): Karl Böhm, Georg Solti and Otto Klemperer,
Leo Blech, Hermann Abendroth and Eugene Ormandy. And there were of
course the lesser greats. One of them is Herbert Sandberg who conducts
Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite on Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft LPE
17046.
A noteworthy event was when the Scala Opera Company visited
Berlin in 1955 and performed with the RIAS Symphonie-Orchester
in Lucia di Lammermoor conducted by Herbert von Karajan
with singers Maria Meneghini Callas (Soprano), Giuseppe di Stefano
(Tenor), Rolando Panerai (Baritone), Nicola Zaccaria (Bass-Baritone),
Giuseppe Zampieri (Tenor), Luisa Villa (Mezzo-soprano), Mario Carlin
(Tenor), The Chorus of La Scala Milan. And there are prominent soloists
like pianist Michael Raucheisen. And there is cellist Enrico
Mainardi who performs Cello Concertos of Haydn and Schumann with
Fritz Lehmann conducting (LPM 18 222).
The conductors of the younger generation also swing the baton in front
of the orchestra and Ferenc Fricsay continues to conduct the orchestra
on various occasions, for concerts and for recordings as his discography
shows.
Ferenc
Fricsay (August 9, 1914 -February 20, 1963)
(Photo Copyright Schumacher/Deutsche Grammophon)
Ferenc
Fricsay
makes many recordings with the RIAS Symphony:
Bartok's Violin
Concerto with Tibor Varga (18006 LPM), Bartok's Two Portraits Op.
5 with Violinist Rudolf Schulz (22248 LVM 78 RPM Variable Micrograde,
78 Langspielplatte, 78 rpm long playing record) - coupled with
Paganini Variations by Boris Blacher (16054 LP), Bartok's 3rd Piano
Concerto with Monique Haas (18223 LPM), his 'Music for Strings Percussion
and Celesta' (LP 16074), and
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Bartok's
Two Portraits Op. 5 with Violinist Rudolf Schulz (22248 LVM
78 RPM Variable Micrograde (78 UpM Langspielplatte, 78
RPM long playing record). These were also available on 16 054
LP with on the other side Boris Blacher's Paganini Variations.
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'Divertimento'
and Dance Suite (LPM 18153), Dvorak's 'New World Symphony' (18142 LPM),
Stravinsky's 'Le sacre du printemps' (18189 LPM and
'Capricio' with pianist Monique Haas (18004 LPM), Préludes and
Ballet Music from Carmen (17092 LPE), Stravinsky's 'Symphonie des Psaumes'
and Frank Martin's 'Petite Symphonie concertante' (18035 LPM), Tchaikovsky's
Fourth Symphony (18039 LPM), Werner Egk's 'Kleine Abraxis-Suite' (30228
EPL) and 'Suite française pour orchestre' (LPM 8401), a program
of well-known compositions by Berlioz (Danse des Sylphes from La damnation
de Faust) and Borodin (In the Steppes of Central Asia), coupled with
'Marche hongroise' performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, and with
the Lamoureux Orchestre (L'orchestre des concerts Lamoureux): Dukas
(L'apprenti sorcier) and Mussorgsky (A night on Bald Mountain)(19061
LPEM), Stravinsky's 'Petrouchka' (LPE 17003), Liebermann's 'Furioso'
and 'Suite' (30113 EPC), Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings (LPE 17036),
Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies 1 and 2 (LPE 17055), Mozart's Symphonies
Nos. 29 and 41 (18296 LPM), Dvorak's Violin Concerto with Johanna Martzy
(LPM 18152), Haydn's 'The Seasons' (18025/28 LPM), Haydn Symphonies
44 and 95 (18180 LPM) and 98 and 101 (18339 LPM), Rimsky-Korsakov's
Scheherazade (19075 LPEM), Hartmann's Symphony No. 6 (16401 LP), Rossini's
'Stabat Mater' with Maria Stader and Kodaly's 'Psalmus Hungaricus' with
Ernst Haefliger (18203/4 LPM, released in February 1955; the Deutsche
Grammophon CD is not the passionate RIAS Orchestra performance recorded
in mono but a later performance with slower tempi by Fricsay with the
Radio Symphony Orchestra from a radio broadcast in stereo); Tchaikovsky's
'Overture Solennelle - 1812' Op. 49, with the Don Cossack Chorus/Don
Kosaken-Chor, coupled with Wagner's Overture to 'The Flying Dutchman/Der
Fliegende Holländer' (LPE 17022) - the complete opera with Josef
Greindl, Annelies Kupper, Wolfgang Windgassen, Sieglinde Wagner, Ernst
Haefliger and Josef Metternich, the RIAS Choir and Orchestra conducted
by Ferenc Fricsay was released on AK (automatische Kupplung = automatic
sequence):18063/65 LPM and NK:18116/118 LPM. Then there are Kodaly's
Maroszek Dances and Dances from Galanta (LPE 17060), Respighi's 'La
boutique fantasque' (LP 17054), Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' (LPM 18264/266
NK) and 'Exultate jubilate' (17027 LPE), Mozart Symphonies 20, 32 and
35 (18066 LPM), Nos. 41 and 29 (18290 LP), Verdi's 'Messa da Requiem'
with Maria Stader, Marianne Radev, Helmut Krebs, Kim Borg and the St.Hedwig
Cathedral Choir (18155/56 or 18157/58 LPM).
Like Winnifred Atwell who wanted to record Grieg's Piano Concerto, also
famous violinist Helmut Zacharias had a wish to record more serious
compositions. He made a recording of 'Zigeunerweisen' Op.20 (Pablo de
Sarasate) and 'Hejre Kati' (Jenö Hubay) with the RIAS Symphony
conducted by Ferenc Fricsay, coupled with 'Polovetsian Dances' from
Borodin's opera Prince Igor (LPE 17071).
All the original releases of these recordings - except the Variable
Micro Grade 78 RPM pressings - had gatefold covers. Initially these
had separate compartments taped at the edges with blue linen tape. The
later releases had the stitched compartments which was the trademark
of Deutsche Grammophon for many years. Lateron these recordings were
released in single covers and the date on the back of the cover at the
end of the fine print tells when a particular recording was pressed.
This is not the date of the actual recording.
When in 1956
the orchestra becomes the official orchestra of "Sender freies
Berlin" (SFB), the orchestra's name is changed to Radio Symphony
Orchestra (RSO) Berlin and it keeps up its fine and high standard
of music making, thanks to the devotion of Ferenc Fricsay who again
is appointed as principal conductor in 1959, and thanks of course
to the members of the orchestra. By that time Don Gabor has already
stopped making recordings with the orchestra and also the recordings
with the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra and conductor Otto Matzerath
are history. With the advent of the stereo record Don Gabor discontinues
the Remington label altogether and starts to expand his Masterseal
label of which the first productions had already been released in
1953.
My thanks to Mr.
Heinrich Köhler for allowing me to publish several of the signatures
he collected in his scrapbook of conductors who recorded for the Remington
label. Thanks also to Dr. Klaus Holzapfel from Stuttgart, Germany,
for providing the tecnical data about the Tefifon system and several
recordings, the image of the label of the Sibelius recording as issued
on Varèse Sarabande, and the image of conductor Jussi Jalas.
Text and research
Rudolf A. Bruil - Page created August, 2001.
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