Living in the UK, we don't see as many MHS LPs (or CDs) as you, but I have
seen many of the European discs they originated from, and I've never seen
any name changes beyond those deemed necessary to make maybe unfamiliar
European ensemble names more transparent to US buyers.

I'm no expert on the history of MHS - I wish I was - but I don't believe
they would have needed to use pseudonyms, as they didn't (to my knowledge)
issue European radio tapes which might have fallen off the back of a lorry,
but licensed commercial European originations on a totally legit (and always
acknowledged) basis. I'd welcome any correction.

I believe MHS also originated material itself, or at least co-produced. One
example is the Bach Cello Suites recorded by Nikolaus Harnoncourt; another
is his Marin Marais LP. Both were licensed by Harmonia Mundi France, and are
often assumed to be HM originations - but I don't think that's right. Seems
odd, I know, that MHS should have a hand in these but in fact it had issued
some of his earlier recordings made in Europe by Metronome and Amadeo. I'd
love to know more but I fear that MHS's paper archive, if there was one, may
already have bitten the dust.

In fact, I'd love it if ARSC could look into the feasibility of a register
of record company archives, not to mention master tapes - which would also
include a register of known losses and destructions. But I realise that's a
very big, erm... ask.

Nick
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard L. Hess
Sent: 10 August 2017 13:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] classical music LPs to CDs

On 2017-08-10 12:55 AM, Paul Stamler wrote:
> 
> Tracing what became of the 1950s labels (and their master tapes) might 
> make a nice article for the ARSC Journal.
> 


And that brings to my mind, what happened to Musical Heritage Society? I 
lost track of them when I left NYC in 1981 (if not before), but I 
understand that they moved from their over-stuffed Broadway office to 
some place in New Jersey. I have a bunch of their LPs. They offered an 
interesting way to explore music at reduced cost. Of course you always 
had to send that blasted coupon back every month or you got something 
you didn't want!

My understanding was that many of their recordings were repurposed 
European recordings. Were they guilty of changing the names of the 
players/ensembles like some others?

Cheers,

Richard
-- 
Richard L. Hess                   email: [log in to unmask]
Aurora, Ontario, Canada                             647 479 2800
http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.