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Classical Recordings from the Golden Age

Hello All,After having accidentally damaged Quad 2905 panels in both speakers, I’ve been sending speaker after speaker out for panel replacements. So currently, I am right back in mono mode while having a speaker sent out for said repair. The logical choice in a situation like this would be, to strictly play mono recordings. My CD collection is for the most part made up of stereo recordings however, I should add that many of my favorite CD’s are mono remasters from the golden age on labels like Andate, Orfeo d’Or, Music and Arts of America, Testament and Pearl, Great Pianists of the 20th Century, etc.... And, those that especially stand out as favorites are live recordings, i.e.the Salzburg Festival.One major priority when CD shopping is to look for well done remasters from the original sources. The Andante label was far and above a stand out when it came to digital remastering and I so wish they were still in business. However, Orfeo d’Or is a black belt label and now my primary go to for historical recordings. I should note that the Clara Haskil Salzburg Festival recording is remarkable as is the Irmgard Seefried Recordings 1944-67 box set. The Gerard Souzay disc on Testament is a treasure.I could go on listing my favorites but I’m wondering if others also collect mono remasters and if so, what are your recommendations?
goofyfoot
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
4,908 posts
 

I have kept my ARC LS-1 all these years expressly for it’s mode switch---Stereo/Reverse/Mono/Left/Right. Before the current rash of 60’s albums issued in Mono on LP and CD (Dylan, The Beatles), the Stereo pressings of albums I wanted to hear in Mono (not having a Mono cartridge) would go into my main pre-amp, the Stereo signal sent out the tape out jacks to the LS-1, where the Mono switch would be engaged. The now Mono signal would be sent back to the main pre via the main output jacks of the LS-1 (the Mode switch is located after the tape output in the circuit) to be heard. Sure, the extra signal processing (extra pre-amp and two pair of ic cables) resulted in a loss of ultimate transparency, but those 60’s albums don’t have that great of sound anyway. I have always played my Mono LP’s with a Stereo cartridge, but a Mono cartridge is in my sights.

A Mode switch is also fun for listening to the Left and Right channels of 60's albums that have the instruments on one, the vocals and other overdubs (tambourine, etc.) on the other. Early Beatles, for instance. You can also switch between the two to hear the God-awful sound of "Electronically Reprocessed For Stereo" (Mono mixes with phase and frequency distortions added) 60's albums, offered for $1 more than the Mono version. In the late-60's, all the early-mid 60's Mono albums of The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, etc. were cut-out of the label's catalogs, a hole was drilled in the cover or a corner of it cut off, and sold for 59 or 69 cents in drug stores, markets, etc. We collectors made the rounds of the stores regularly, looking for copies for either our collections or to sell/trade to/with other collectors. I still have hundreds of them in my LP racks.

goofyfoot OP
451 posts
 
Yes bdp, mono recordings are being reintroduced for there audiophile significance, i.e. MOFI 'Surrealistic Pillow'.  In some ways, I still believe that splitting the recording into two channels to create a stereo recording is somewhat of a gimmick. And while mono remasters are on the rise, they pale in comparison to the number of stereo recordings available. 
My interest in mono classical recordings doesn't lye so much in the mono recorded listening experience, as it does in the artists performances from a time period while recorded music was still in its earliest stages. And with technological advancements making early recordings more listenable, I still find the selection of these reissues limited. Given the lack of response to my post, I believe that my subject matter may be too arcane for a larger audience. Nevertheless, please feel free to list any mono titles you'd recommend!
daverz
477 posts
 
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 - Szigeti/Beecham on Naxos (transfer by Mark Obert-Thorne)

https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.110973
goofyfoot OP
451 posts
 
Thanks daverz, if I’m not mistaken this Prokofiev concerto was recorded at Abbey Road with the LSO on August 23rd 1935. I have a digitally remastered recording of this as well as the Bartok and Bloch pieces but on the Andante Label. If you’re a fanatical Szigeti fan,the Andante Szigeti is a four disc set but it’s out of print.http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Feb02/Szigeti.htm

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
3,018 posts
 
@goofyfoot ,
My interest in mono classical recordings doesn't lye so much in the mono recorded listening experience, as it does in the artists performances from a time period while recorded music was still in its earliest stages.

Same here. I have a collection of classical mono based on my love of the great conductors and the noteworthy performances we seldom hear.
  I have a vast CD collection of modern classical; I prefer minimal mic techniques, but that stopped in the 1970s.

I have a limited knowledge of good quality classical recordings from the early years. I've been mostly disappointed in the SQ of my purchases. So far, Music & Arts and Orfeo d’Or are the standouts.
I recently went on a tear of buying Horenstein CDs and had to stop due to the uneven SQ. Some recordings from the 40's are distorted and I have no way of knowing if that's from the original, or if distortion was introduced during many generations of dubbing over the years.

Is there a guide to the best recordings or do I need to keep searching classical forums?


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