Well the interwebz don't offer much. Were his recordings with Lathar Ritterhoff mentioned?This page http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19360314.2.43.3.aspx says their recording of the Beethoven Romances was played on March 14,1936 on Empire Station in Singapore.Another page from Singapore mentions his Beethoven with Hans Hagen.There is a radio listing page from the New York Sun of March 9,1935,that list a live recital program on DJC on short wave. I wish I knew more about Borack too.All I knew was the one Mercury 10" record I had. If his records came out on Parlophone-Odeon in the 30s,does this mean some were issued on American Decca? Roger > Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 22:36:10 -0400> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] music criticism was Kurt Borack> To: [log in to unmask]> > Hope folks will change SUBJECT when thread drifts.> Folks who might have info about BORACK may stop> reading posts because it has gone on to other issues.> > Thanks! Thomas.> > -----Original Message-----> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of John Haley> Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 6:04 PM> To: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> > > Ideas about what constitutes good musical criticism are just as trendy as> ideas about what constitutes valid musical performance practice. Most> notions of "valid" performance practice tell us a lot more about our own> age than whatever happened in past ones, as with a lot of criticism. A> whole lot of old-time criticism seems funny today (e.g., Toscanini vs.> Furtwangler, as opposite poles--how silly), as perhaps ours will in the> future. Fortunately, musical masterpieces and masterful performances of> them as preserved in recordings survive all this trendiness just fine.> > Sometimes it is rewarding to rediscover an overlooked performer like Kurt> Borack, who may have been unjustly maligned by past reviewers whose> small-minded expectations of the day were confounded by whatever he did.> And recording careers are certainly not the same thing as performing> careers, and neither of those are always good indicators of a performer's> actual talent.> > Steve, I hope you were being facetious about portamento! Thankfully we> have plenty of recordings to show us what beautiful orchestral, vocal and> instrumental portamenti sounded like, and how much well executed ones can> add to the enjoyment of the right music where they are appropriate (e.g.,> Weingartner's Brahms Symphonies). Romantic composers certainly expected> them, and they are an essential part of "correct" style, whatever> modern-minded critics or trendy style-setters tell us. Likewise, what a> trendy notion it is that Bach and other baroque music is supposed to be all> detached, without connecting any of the notes. When it comes to correct> musical style, it is just foolishness to ignore the evidence (often good,> sometimes bad) to be encountered on historical recordings. The fact is> that with every passing generation we get further and further away from a> particular musical style. Thank God for recordings!> > Best,> John Haley> > > > > On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 4:47 PM, Steven Smolian <[log in to unmask]> wrote:> > > Hi, Don, et al (smalla in al,> >> >> > I'm afraid I don’t have the time or the passionate interest in doing this> > particular write-up. I don't have (and don't want) the two mags nor do I> > want to relive the passionate frustration and anger many of their reviews> > provoked. Let's say that often the recorded evidence (especially as> > regards performance practice) was counter to their expectations.> > Portamento is the devil! I'd just as soon not relive those arguments.> >> > Steve> >> > -----Original Message-----> > From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:> > [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Donald Tait> > Sent: Friday, August 16, 2013 2:52 PM> > To: [log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> >> > Roger --> >> > You seem to be saying that attention to a topic or subject is to be> > determined by a single personal opinion about the number of people perhaps> > potentially interested in it, and that if the answer to that one person's> > guess is "not many," the topic isn't worth discussing and should be ignored.> >> > I disagree.> >> > If a topic is interesting, which this is to me, I don't care a jot if> > anyone else is interested. What is "water under the bridge" for one person> > can be someone else's nectar. No one would be required to read such a> > discussion. I've found such reading interesting for almost sixty years.> > Everything that might teach or give a bit more perspective deserves, even> > demands, exploration. Clearly, you wouldn't be interested. Fine. Just> > ignore it and move on. But your assumption that your moderate interest in> > this topic means that the majority of others believe the same as you, and> > that that should dictate whether it is worthy of attention, is wild of the> > bull's-eye.> >> > Incidentally: Jochum's first name was Eugen, not Eugene.> >> > Peace.> >> > Don Tait> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > -----Original Message-----> > From: Roger Kulp <[log in to unmask]>> > To: ARSCLIST <[log in to unmask]>> > Sent: Thu, Aug 15, 2013 10:35 pm> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> >> >> > Don, To be fair,all this is water long under the bridge.Only a small per> > centage of historically minded classical music listeners these days are> > even vaguely aware of what you and Steve are talking about here.I have done> > my fair share of digging in old issues of Saturday Review,Gramophone,High> > Fidelity,etc online,as well as thumbing through numerous old guide books to> > classical music from the 40s,50s,and 60s so I have some idea of what you> > are talking about here.It does help explain why when digging through> > classical records at thrift stores,why you can find thousands of copies of> > the same work by a Toscanini or a Eugene Ormany,instead of some by Eugene> > Jochum or Hermann Abendroth. Roger > Date:> > Thu, 15 Aug 2013 19:06:14 -0400> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject:> > Re:> > [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> To: [log in to unmask]> > Hi Steve,> >> > Total> > agreement with all you wrote. Thanks so much, as always. What you raised> > is a huge NYC critical topic during the 1950s and '60s that needs to be> > discussed and written about. No one is better qualified than you -- and> > that's not meant as flattery, believe me. That stuff had major influence.> > And not all to the good> > by any means.> > Don Tait> > > > > > > > -----Original Message----->> > From:> > Steven Smolian <[log in to unmask]>> To: ARSCLIST <> > [log in to unmask]>>> > Sent: Thu, Aug 15, 2013 5:51 pm> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> > >> > Hi, Don and all,> > Having known some of the Gramophone Shop and, foir> > that matter, all those at > "The New Records" (H. Royer Smith, Phila.)> > reviewers I found that personal > prejudices played a much stronger part in> > their reviews than in the coated-paper > magazines. They are useful to> > track items such as this but, unless there are > strong specifics, I'm wary> > of the musical opinions. Remember this was in the > "Toscanini is the> > Greatest" days, Furtwaengler was the anti-Toscanini, etc. > Brahms' piano> > recoitals were dissed if not done whatever the "American" way was. > Not> > always, but often enough to be very, very cautious about the opinions >> > expressed. > > Steve Smolian> > -----Original> > Message-----> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > On Behalf Of Donald Tait> Sent:> > Thursday, August 15, 2013 5:26 PM> To: [log in to unmask]>> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST]> > Kurt Borack> > Record Ratings (Myers and Hill) shows the following on> > page 52> > for Mercury MG > 15021 (10"):> > Brahms: Ballades from Opp. 10 and 118> >> > Op. 10 nos. 1-4 -- Priegnitz, p. > Op. 118 no. 3, in G Minor: Kurt> > Borack, p.>> > > The one review listed is negative. From The Gramophone Shop, October> > 1951,> > > p. 3.> > Don Tait> > > > > > > > -----Original Message-----> From:> > Thomas Stern <[log in to unmask]>> To: ARSCLIST <> > [log in to unmask]>>> > Sent: Wed, Aug 14, 2013 6:12 pm> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> > >> > I found the following:> > MG 15021 lists Borack only on Ballade No.5> > >> > Schwann Record & Tape Guide - Page 20>> > books.google.com/books?id=CNM4AQAAIAAJ> 1952 - Snippet view - More> > editions> LPS-204 Piano Music from Op. 118, 119 Kurt Borack 10" Mer.> > MG-15022 > > > Gramophone Shop - 1951 - Snippet view - More editions 10" LP> > record, MERLP- > MG15024, $3.85. Brahms: Fantasias, Op. 116 & lntermezzi,> > Op. 117. Magda Rusy > (piano). 12" LP record, MERLP- MG10074, $4.85.> > Brahms: > Ballades, Op. 10 & Op. 118, No. 3. Hans Priegnitz & Kurt Borack> > ( pianos).> > > > Saturday Review of Literature - Volume 34 - Page 89>> > books.google.com/books?id=SCFVAAAAYAAJ> 1951 - Snippet view - More> > editions> Abram Chasins MG 1.5030—10" $3.85 Abram Chasins and Constance> > KecneMG10061 — 12"> > > > $4.85 J.an Germain MG15024— 10" $3.85 Kurt Borack MG15022— 10" $3.85> > > > Magda> > Rusy > MG 10074— 12" $4.85 Hans Priegnitz MG 15021— ...> > > > > > He is> > listed> > on 1 track of> ETERNA – 7 10 020 10" > Internationale Chansons > A3> > Comptine Du Quai Aux Fleurs Written-By – Fénelon* > Piano – Kurt Borack> > (tracks: A3)> > > > > > The Wireless World - Volume 34 - Page lv>> > books.google.com/books?id=59UnAQAAMAAJ> 1934 - Snippet view - More> > editions> _4.80, Ballad Recital by Oiikar Jolli (Baritone) and Kurt Borack> > (Pianoiorte): >> > > > > 1936 March 14 The Straits Times> Romanzas for violin and piano by> > Beethoven> Lathar Ritterhoff and Kurt Barack> > > New York Sun 19 Feb> > Beethoven> 1935> > Short Wave RADIO listing> Germany> 8:30— Tresi Rudolph, soprano; Lothar>> > Rlttarlioff. violinist; Kurt Borack,> pianist.> > > > Odeon O-25952 >> > TARTINI:> > Andante cantabile > Senta Bergman, violin, Günther Schulz-Fürstenberg,> > cello,> > Kurt Borack, piano > (role: Performer) > > > Odeon O-25952 > Schumann:> > Liebesgarten, op. 34, no. 1 > Senta Bergman, violin, Günther> > Schulz-Fürstenberg, cello, Kurt Borack, piano> > Odeon O-25952 10" 78rpm>> > SCHUBERT: Piano Trio in B major 1812> SCHULZ FURSTENBERG TRIO (Senta> > Bergmann:> > violin, Gunther Schulz Furstenberg: > Cello & Kurt Borack: piano)> > >> > Odeon O> > 26265 1938 > Schulz-Fürstenberg-Trio (Senta Bergman, Violine;> > Günther Schulz-Fürstenberg, > Cello; Kurt Borack, Flügel)> Beethoven-Trio> > Nr.8> > B-Dur: mit Variationen.> > > Odeon O-26276 > BEETHOVEN: Piano Trio in D> > major,> > op. 70, no. 1 'Ghost' - Allegro vivace con > brio > Senta Bergman,> > violin,> > Günther Schulz-Fürstenberg, cello, Kurt Borack, piano > (role: Performer)> > > > > DEUTSCHES RUNDFUNK ARCHIV> -------------------------> HUGO WOLF> Das> > verlassene> > Mägdlein> Eva-Regina Schulze, S> Kurt Borack, Kl> 1955 / DRA Babelsberg> > Mägdlein> MZ> > 11431/B> > In der Frühe> Eva-Regina Schulze, S> Kurt Borack, Kl> 1955 /> > DRA Babelsberg MZ11431/C> > Heb’ auf dein blondes Haupt> Eva-Regina> > Schulze, S> Kurt Borack, Kl> 1955 / DRA Babelsberg MZ11431/A> > > Best> > wishes, THomas.> > -----Original Message-----> From: Association for> > Recorded Sound Discussion> > List> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Gray, Mike> Sent:> > Wednesday, August 14, 2013 6:29 PM> To: [log in to unmask]>> > Subject: Re:> > [ARSCLIST] Kurt Borack> > > Borack was a prize winner in Germany in the> > 30's (see attached) and was active > in the 50s in Mannheim in the Opera> > House. > > >> > Nothing more to report, > > > Mike Gray > > > >> >> >> >
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