Hi Tom,
Thanks for the update! I'm a little fixated on Berlioz, as you might have noticed :-)
I think it says a lot about Cass Tech that from the very first session, one of the benchmark performances of the Fantastique was produced.
Not everyone like its harrowing pace, but it certainly set a standard. Paray and the DSO were superb, but so was the hall, and the Mercury engineers - kudos!
-- Leo Gillis
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 3/20/14, Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ford Sunday Evening Hour broadcasts
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2014, 12:07 AM
Hi Leo:
You are a steely-eyed missle-man! I was never scanned one of
the session book pages, covering
November, 1959 in Detroit through April 1960 in
Minneapolis!
So, updated history:
First Cass sessions were November 27-29, 1959. Next in
February 1960, then November 1960, March
1961, March 1962 (35mm).
That first Cass session did indeed yield "Symphony
Fantastique" as well as the Franck Symphony and
the Suppe Overtures album.
Thanks Leo!
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leo Gillis" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 6:04 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Ford Sunday Evening Hour broadcasts
> 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
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > >
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
>
|