Review: Decca's Enduring Mono Years--53 CDs Worth!

This fine box offers a splendid retrospective of a fascinating period in the history of recordings, a combination of post-War reconstruction and rapid technological change. There are some landmark recordings here, led off by the Griller Quartet's cycle of the four Bloch string quartets, but then the entire collection adds up to much more than the sum of its parts, even if some of the performances have since been surpassed.

[@mariodelahuerga3614]

How about reviewing the second Decca Sound cd box that covers the stereo era of 50 CDs?

[@jdoc1357b9g]

This is an enjoyable set. Lots of interesting stuff, and the "Decca Sound" is generally quite good for the vintage. There's something about that old mono sound when it's good and not too dim or crackly, has character. Makes me kind of nostalgic somehow, even though it's before my time. Another cool set kind of like this is that "Musik... Sprache der Welt" set, two boxes on DG, mainly symphonies and a few other orchestral works from the early-mid 50's (Markevitch, Fricsay, Jochum, Lehmann, etc), also in good mono sound. Fun to listen to these and travel back in time.

[@james.t.herman]

It's remarkable to think that the whole culture of classical music listening on record is brand new. It's pretty much all happened since my dad was born (which was in 1950). Before that, if you couldn't hear a live performance or play it yourself on the piano, you couldn't hear this music.

[@paulmacdowell4010]

I was happy to see you give an acknowledgment to Alfredo Campoli, an unjustly overlooked violinist rom the 20th century. He appeared to be unable to make an ugly sound and he always retained that characteristic through the toughest music. I look forward to your review of the 6 Eloquence 2 disc sets of his work. He really should be better known.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I'll definitely do some, but maybe not all. We'll see.

[@zdl1965]

What I like about these boxes is that they are musical time capsules. They give an idea what record labels were up to back in the day, who was performing what, and what people were listening to. Notice the complete absence of period instrument groups or classical musicians from Asia. Things have certainly changed, for better or for worse. Discuss!

[@kanishknishar]

What professional Asian orchestras even existed that performed full time and which performed at the same level as the American/European orchestras in the 50s?

[@zdl1965]

@@kanishknishar Exactly!

[@kanishknishar]

@@zdl1965 India didn't have one until 2004? And even now there's only one which performs about a dozen concerts in the entire year and that's it.

[@zdl1965]

@@kanishknishar That will change with years to come, as I've seen it happen in Southeast Asia. Watching the progress of classical music is one of the most satisfying things of the past decade!

[@steveschwartz8944]

I have the Pristine Classics version of Griller's Bloch quartets. The only disadvantage is that they did only the first four. Bloch wrote a fifth the Griller never got to.

[@ppfuchs]

Well, thank you for your comments on those Ansermet records. Ever since I started collecting records as a teenager people have been praising those recordings, and they just never sounded very good to me. Also, agree on Munchinger 's classical-era recordings ; but some of his Baroque recordings are lovely. Especially the Wassenauer (Pergolesi) Concerti Armonici.

[@patriciadaloni2619]

Well Dave, you just sold that one out at Amazon. Fine video, thanks.

[@nealkurz6503]

Ask and ye shall receive! A Van Beinum box was JUST announced. Decca Universal (International not Eloquence), 44cds which will be the complete Decca and Philips. Presto Classical lists it. As far as orchestral standards, just for sake of discussion, would you include Stokowski/Philadelphia, Mengelberg/COA and/or Koussevitzky/BSO somewhere in that trajectory toward the "modern" orchestra along the Toscanini continuum? They were certainly virtuoso orchestra builders, but of course the style is so different it's difficult to compare.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Well, technically, you could probably take it back to Mahler, but yes, I think you're right here.

[@richardgoldberg4310]

Glad you reviewed this, Dave. The Van Beinum box of Complete Decca and Philips Recordings is being released by Decca at end of September. Do you feel the Philharmonia were the British and European exception in terms of their quality?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Largely, I think so.

[@edwinbaumgartner5045]

Well, the last of the Beethoven-symphonies is the 10th, of course, more or less channeled by Barry Cooper. Just kidding. Like you, I hope for a van-Beinum-box. This would be great!

[@geraldmartin7703]

Having played (cello) in a junior high school orchestra, I can be forgiving of a less than fully professional orchestra. (I have the set.)