Thanks to Karl for his message in reply to my comments about Henry
Hadley's Ginn 78s.
I didn't intend what I wrote to denigrate Hadley in any way, and I am
sorry if it seemed to do so. I can understand how it might have seemed to. In
fact I agree with Karl about Hadley's significance in American music. I was
referring only to my reaction to the Ginn recordings I have heard. In fact
I have great regard for Hadley's musical achievements, despite my awkward
comments. I should revisit the Ginn records and give them better
consideration, I think.
An interesting and, I think, seldom-encountered Victor 78 set is M-634
(12599/600):
Hadley: Concertino for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 131 -- Eunice Howard,
pf./"Victor SO"/Philip James (3 sides)
Hadley: October Twilight, Op. 95 no. 2 -- "Victor SO"/James
Don Tait
Reading the thread on the NY Phil Ginn Recordings...While I will agree with Don that Hadley was not a great interpreter, I find his work to be quite fine, even if it was not "inspired." He was a significant musician in the history of America Music and I believe his work should be considered of some value. Thanks to discographer Fred Fellars, I have transfers of recordings he made for Okeh and many of the Ginn discs. As many of you may know, there is also a surviving video of Hadley conducting the New York Philharmonic.
Some of you will know of David Canfield. Dave's dad did his dissertation on Hadley. Worth reading and available online. Dave has also supplied me with several recordings of Hadley's music, as has conductor John McLaughlin Williams. John has made commercial recordings of the music of Hadley and has also given me copies of some of his concert performances of Hadley's music. During his lifetime, Hadley's music was performed by virtually every major symphonic organization in this country. But, as with so many composers like Piston, Creston, Whithorne, Kelley, etc, very little of the music has been performed since his death.
Just to say, he did make a substantive contribution to music...and I very much enjoy what I have heard of his compositions.
Best,
Karl
--- On Tue, 1/24/12, Don Tait ([log in to unmask]) <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: Don Tait ([log in to unmask]) <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Fwd: [ARSCLIST] New York Philharmonic Ginn Recordings.
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 1:48 PM
> In answer to Roger's question, I have
> probably found twenty or twenty-five
> of the Hadley-conducted Ginn New York Philharmonic Members
> 78s over the
> years. Both 10" and 12". Since my experience with those I
> owned had been that
> I found most to be, as I wrote yesterday, of
> negligible musical value
> (short pieces and snippets) and interpretive quality, I
> only took them if I got
> them for next-to or nothing. Yes, they are
> interesting curiosities in the
> history of records and recording, and that's why I took
> them. And James
> North is undoubtedly correct that the records are rare
> today; they had both a
> limited purpose and limited circulation. But from the
> standpoint of musical
> value, in my opinion they have nothing to offer. Even the
> few 12" records
> I've found of complete works. I seem to remember a
> Mendelssohn overture
> conducted by Hadley, perhaps Ruy Blas. Musically: yawn.
>
> Yes, during the 1960s RCA Victor produced a
> multi-disc series of LPs
> intended for schools and young people featuring Howard
> Mitchell and the
> National (Washington DC) Symphony Orchestra. I have
> about six of them in my
> basement. As I recall, each was directed to one or
> another grade school level,
> with what were thought to be good classical music
> excerpts for the kids.
> Short pieces, excerpts, snippets.Yes, each LP was
> packaged separately, in a
> box. All of mine are mono. Some excerpts from the
> series were issued on a
> Victrola LP during the 1960s in stereo. Given the
> 1960s origins of the project,
> I'd imagine that all or most of the original
> recordings were made in
> stereo.
>
> Don TaitThe other day I
> brought up the recordings of the New York Philharmonic for
> the Ginn and Company.The extent of my knowledge of these
> records comes from James North's 2006 New York Philharmonic
> discography.Appendix D in particular.I have been monitoring
> Amazon for a while,and I recently purchased the only
> inexpensive copy I have seen pop up.I am still waiting for
> it.Parts of this are up on Google Books.The page in question
> can be found by Doing a Google Book search for "new york
> philharmonic" ginn "henry hadley" education.
>
> Mr.North states
>
> "The records are rare today,partial collections exist at
> the New York Philharmonic Archives,at The Yale Collection of
> Historical Sound Recordings,at Yale University's Gilmore
> Library,and at The Library of Congress."
>
> Mr.North then goes on to explain the differences in the
> performances,sound quality,and works between the Gennet and
> Columbia recordings,the matrix numbers,and differences in
> speed,as well as descriptions of the program notes.lesson
> plans,and instructions for the teacher.Mr.North states there
> was a 1932 blue shellac pressing,which may be the rarest
> ones of all.
>
> In this Appendix,he asks for further information about
> these records.
>
> If someone here has a complete set,and especially the
> accompanying paperwork,the institutions above would be very
> interested in hearing from you.I would suggest you make a
> list of what you have,and offer to donate the ones to
> Yale,LoC,or NYPO that they do not have.
>
> In the event you have any left,I will GLADLY take them off
> your hands.
>
> I have a large historical classical collection,somewhere
> between 5-10000 Lps,78s,and 45s.In nearly 25 years of
> scouring thrift stores,flea markets,yard sales,dealer
> auction lists,and eBay.I have found a total of one of these
> records.G52,with the Goldmark and the Liszt.I have seen one
> dealer action list that had two Ginn records a few years
> ago,I was outbid,and do not know what they went for.
>
> I would be curious how many of these Don Tait has found.
>
> Recordings for schools,are one of the least examined,and
> least known areas,of classical record collecting,especially
> those that contain unique recordings.I have only found two
> that fit this bill.One is a set,of 10" 78s,on RCA
> Victor,from1946,according to the school date stamp,it may be
> earlier,of instruments of the orchestra,with Malcolm
> Sargeant.Obviously done for HMV.I ought to pull it out to
> see if it credits an orchestra.It's on a yellow label.The
> other is a box set,from 1963,also on RCA,by Howard
> Mitchell,and The National Symphony Orchestra,of assorted
> excerpts and shorter works.It appears to have done for about
> a 5th,or 6th grade level,and the box has a boy and a
> girl,listening to various 1959-61 Red Seal albums,in mono.My
> set is mono,too.Stereo copies exist,but I have yet to see
> one.The records are aon the black RCA popular label.
>
>
> Roger
>
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