Hi Tom,

Just to clarify; I have a recording date for November 28, 1959 for the DSO/Paray
performing Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, at the Cass Auditorium.
Is that incorrect, or did you mean the Cass recordings started in Nov. 1959 instead of Nov. 1960?

I know the DSO began both the 1959 and 1961 concert seasons with this symphony,
(of which I have audio copies), but their online archives show no performances in 1960.


and to John Haley (and others)...I believe the DSO Archives are closed down due to budget cuts.
However, there is a list of Ford Hour broadcasts in their online archives,
where you can search by date, artist, composer or event title.

This link to the database search should work:
http://www.dso.org/performanceTitle.aspx?page_id=648

Thanks,

--Leo Gillis
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 3/19/14, Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ford Sunday Evening Hour broadcasts
 To: [log in to unmask]
 Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 6:09 PM
 
... The move to Cass started with the November 1960
 session and encompassed the remaining Mercury/DSO recordings
 (November 1960, March 1961 and March 1962; the 1961 and 1962
 session were recorded on 35mm magnetic film).

 
 -- Tom Fine
 
 ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Haley" <[log in to unmask]>
 To: <[log in to unmask]>
 Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 1:43 PM
 Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ford Sunday Evening Hour broadcasts
 
 
 > Thanks,  Good thoughts re getting a list.  I
 will pursue that.  Steve, the
 > ones I have do have the announcer saying Detroit, as
 well as the venue,
 > which was the 5000 seat Masonic Temple in Detroit.
 >
 > Thanks,
 > John
 >
 >
 > On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 12:44 PM, Roger Kulp <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
 >
 >> If you are looking for program information,would
 the DSO have it
 >> themselves in their archives? How about The
 University of Michigan?
 >>
 >> Roger
 >>
 >> > Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:38:14 -0400
 >> > From: [log in to unmask]
 >> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ford Sunday Evening
 Hour broadcasts
 >> > To: [log in to unmask]
 >> >
 >> > An absolutely complete one, almost regardless
 of who leads, should have
 >> an
 >> > announcement with the venue.
 >> >
 >> > If it's' clear that Reiner is conducting the
 Detroit SO and not the
 >> Chicago,
 >> > then this should do it.  A ticket stub
 should also have that info, as
 >> should
 >> > a program.
 >> >
 >> > Steve Smolian
 >> >
 >> > -----Original Message-----
 >> > From: Association for Recorded Sound
 Discussion List
 >> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
 On Behalf Of John Haley
 >> > Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 9:42 PM
 >> > To: [log in to unmask]
 >> > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ford Sunday Evening
 Hour broadcasts
 >> >
 >> > Hi, Don.  I have several Reiner ones, but
 there are many more by other
 >> > conductors.  You know where bits and
 pieces turn up--vocal selections on
 >> > Eddie Smith vocal records.  At some
 point, copies of these broadcasts
 >> > existed, because Smith got access to a lot of
 them to raid them for vocal
 >> > records focusing on particular singers. 
 Pretty hard to find them now,
 >> tho.
 >> >  If anybody has a collection of them, I
 sure would love to know about it.
 >> >
 >> > Best, John
 >> >
 >> >
 >> >
 >> >
 >> > On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 7:38 PM, Don Tait ([log in to unmask])
 <
 >> > [log in to unmask]>
 wrote:
 >> >
 >> > > I have tapes or private CD-Rs of some of
 those broadcasts. From  circa
 >> > > 1941/2. Each 30 minutes. All I have are
 conducted by Fritz Reiner, who
 >> > > presumably took the train up from
 Pittsburgh for the gig. I got the
 >> > > recordings from  fellow Reiner
 collectors and have no idea who might
 >> > > have conducted other programs. As one
 might expect, the selections are
 >> > > short and  the musical gruel is
 pretty thin. The "theme music" for
 >> > > each program is the  French horn
 "bedtime" music from Hansel und
 >> > > Gretel.
 >> > >
 >> > >   I do not remember
 whether the announcer(s) said  from where the
 >> > > broadcasts originated. Sorry.
 >> > >
 >> > >   Don Tait
 >> > >
 >> > >
 >> > > In a message dated 3/18/2014 3:38:10 P.M.
 Central Daylight Time,
 >> > > [log in to unmask]
 writes:
 >> > >
 >> > > Starting  in 1934 and continuing for
 a number of years thereafter, the
 >> > > Detroit  Symphony appeared on a
 radio program, the Ford Symphony Hour.
 >> > >  Some
 >> > > of  the most distinguished
 conductors of that time regularly guested
 >> > > on this show, which also featured big
 name soloists.  Preserved
 >> > > broadcasts show that the orchestra was an
 excellent one during this
 >> > > period,  and the acoustics audible
 on these recordings sound OK, with
 >> > > a touch of  nice hall
 ambiance.  A number of these broadcasts are
 >> > > sought after by  collectors.  I
 don't know where these shows were
 >> > > recorded, but I  assume they predate
 the Ford Auditorium referred to
 >> > > previously.
 >> > >
 >> > > Best,
 >> > > John Haley
 >> > >
 >> > >
 >> > >
 >> > > On Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at  3:57 PM,
 Leo Gillis <[log in to unmask]>
 >> > > wrote:
 >> > >
 >> > > > Hi  Tom,
 >> > > >
 >> > > > I must second that statement.
 >> > > > The Ford Auditorium  had one of
 the worst acoustics it has ever been
 >> > > > my (dis)pleasure to 
 experience.
 >> > > > No real music lover was saddened at
 the news of its  demolition a
 >> > > > couple years ago.
 >> > > > I used to joke that the best 
 sounding concert I ever attended there
 >> > > > was Marcel Marceau  :-)
 >> > > >
 >> > > > Meanwhile, a couple miles away on
 Woodward is the  magnificent
 >> > > > Orchestra Hall, which has one of the
 best  acoustics of any hall
 >> > > > anywhere, and it was built in a
 matter of 5  months - probably not
 >> > > > to any 'scientific' principles!
 >> > > >
 >> > > >  In between these two extremes,
 the excellent auditorium (and entire
 >> > > >  building)
 >> > > > of Cass Technical High School is now
 demolished.
 >> > > >  Perhaps you have some info on
 the recording session for Berlioz'
 >> > > >  Symphonie Fantastique that
 Paul Paray and the DSO did there for
 >> > >  Mercury?
 >> > > > Despite my hometown bias, this is
 still one of my favorite  versions
 >> > > > of that work.
 >> > > >
 >> > > >
 >> > > > -- Leo  Gillis
 >> > > >
 >> > > >
 >> > > >
 >> > > > 
 --------------------------------------------
 >> > > > On Tue, 3/18/14, Tom Fine 
 <[log in to unmask]>
 wrote:
 >> > > >
 >> > > >  Subject: Re:  [ARSCLIST]
 Old Mercury recording venue gets a rebuild
 >> > > >  To:  [log in to unmask]
 >> > > >  Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2014,
 7:11  PM
 >> > > >
 >> > > > ...
 >> > > >
 >> > > >  As bad as Northrop was as
 a  recording venue, the absolute  worst
 >> > > > was the Edsel Ford  Auditorium
 in Detroit. This was  another
 >> > > > "modern" venue designed  by
 "science." It was almost  unusable for
 >> > > > stereo recording and  barely
 usable for mono  recording. Mercury
 >> > > > ended up using the old 
 orchestra hall,  then called the Paradise
 >> > > > Theatre and used at  other
 times by  a local evangelical church.
 >> > > > Then Cass Technical  High 
 School's wonderful auditorium was
 >> > > > "discovered," just in 
 time  for 35mm recording and improved stereo
 >> > > > cutting.
 >> > > >
 >> > > >  -- Tom  Fine
 >> > > >
 >> > > >
 >> > >
 >>
 >>
 >
 >