Albert Coates and the London Symphony Orchestra - Magic Fire Music ('Die Walkure' - Wagner) (1926)

Albert Coates conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (as 'The Symphony Orchestra') in the 'Magic Fire Music' from 'Die Walküre,' recorded in Queen's Hall, London, on 25 January 1926.
Considering that it was just 7 months since HMV made its first electrical sides, these recordings from Queen's Hall are stunningly good!
From Wikipedia: Albert Coates (23 April 1882 - 11 December 1953) was an English conductor and composer. Born in St. Petersburg where his English father was a successful businessman, he studied in Russia, England and Germany, before beginning his career as a conductor in a series of German opera houses. He was a success in England conducting Wagner at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1914, and in 1919 was appointed chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
His strengths as a conductor lay in opera and the Russian repertory, but was very unjustifiably not thought as impressive in the core Austro-German symphonic repertory despite powerful, incisive renditions of Beethoven's Ninth in 1923 on late acoustic 78s, and of Mozart's 'Jupiter' a few years later on very early electrical 78s. After 1923 he failed to secure a permanent conductorship in the UK despite richly deserving of that honour, and for much of the rest of his life guest-conducted in continental Europe and the U.S. In his last years he conducted in South Africa, where he died at 71.
As a composer, Coates is little remembered, but he composed seven operas, one of which was performed at Covent Garden. He also wrote some concert works for orchestral forces.
I transferred this recording from a solid stock black label Sydney pressing of HMV D 1079.

[@jpknijff]

Some of the most beautiful music ever written, obviously, and OMG what a beautifully finished performance, thank you!

[@vintagesounds3878]

Thank you!

[@georgejohnson1498]

Again Coates seems to really have a feel for this music and orchestra plays well. This recording is in better focus than than for the recording of The Entry Of The Gods music. The very early Western Electric recordings do sometimes seem a bit hit and miss! Best wishes from George

[@vintagesounds3878]

Thanks George.