RETREAD: Coates' 'Tod und Verklarung' - F.J.Nettlefold conducted by Sargent 'n' Charles Hambourg (with Elsie Suddaby joining-in).

[tinear]

Subtle remastering of a recent (& quickly withdrawn..) Vivid transfer
of the acoustical Coates recording..
Plus: 3 of 5 discs from HMV's Private label 78 album of F.J.
Nettlefold Compositions - the only example of Hambourg conducting...
And a Private Acetate 78 of the infrequently recorded Philip Lewtas,
accompanied by Alan Bush.
http://themusicparlour.blogspot.com

[Too busy, currently, to upload more; & this message will vanish
pretty quickly too..]

[CharmNick]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[tinear]

A 'mystery' is why Sargent was the conductor of the first disc of 'Il
Penseroso' - leaving Hambourg to do pts 2/3 (the Organist was Herbert
Dawson, btw).
Very conventional melodic ideas - though there's an unexpected (&
attractive) harmonic progression towards the end of side 3..
There is a connection with Albert Coates, inasmuch as both Charles
Hambourg and Coates were married to Vera de Villiers (at different
times - there being a Scandal).
The recording-dates would be interesting (circa 1937/8?).
The Tod discloses somewhat odd 'fluttering' Horn Resonances in the
more highly-scored passages - but the remastering (fancy word) evens-
out the crackly hiss - which I found very uncomfortable when listening
to the CD-RW via T-L monitors..
Ooops - another message to delete!

[Bill Anderson]

Hello

Let me add my appreciation for posting the Coates D&T. A fine and full
transfer of extremely rare sides. Thank you for the files! And
excellent timing, sir. Coates' birthday is just around the corner,
April 23.

I was unaware of the relationship of Vera de Villiers with Hambourg.
But according to an article in the Classical Record Collector from a
few years back, Vera de Villiers was married to Mr. Nettlefold as
well. From an earlier post I made in Feb 2008:
_____________

A little tidbit of history. The singer...Vera de Villiers, was the
wife of arts benefactor FJ Nettlefold. Coates had a (then) scandalous
affair with Vera after Nettlefold helped arrange Vera's performances
with Coates and the LSO in 1932. That scandal put an end to Coates'
possible directorship of the LSO, and severely limited his
performances and recording options in England after that.

Coates eventually married her in 1945.
_____________

The scandal and its aftermath *may* have influenced these Nettlefold
private recordings being made with the LPO instead of the LSO, but who
knows?

Thanks again.

- Bill

[tinear]

My mistake - Googled late for info - and saw the sole entry/top-line
(my message from October) which 'joined the two together'..

Vera de Villiers was the wife of Albert Coates - and, previously, of

F.J.Nettlefold.
Is there any further info about this late-ish 1930's *F.J.Nettlefold*
album - has anyone transferred it?<<

Despite the added hiss/crackle (& some 'oddities' - possibly a
recording mechanism fault - don't think it's due to my processing - as
heard also on a previous uploaded transfer) the 'Tod' can create
'goosebumps'..

[Paul]

My mistake - Googled late for info -  and saw the sole entry/top-line
(my message from October) which 'joined the two together'..

Vera de Villiers was the wife of Albert Coates - and, previously, of

F.J.Nettlefold.
Is there any further info about this late-ish 1930's *F.J.Nettlefold*
album - has anyone transferred it?<<
Despite the added hiss/crackle (& some 'oddities'  - possibly a
recording mechanism fault - don't think it's due to my processing - as
heard also on a previous uploaded transfer) the 'Tod' can create
'goosebumps'..

Just a small query, but is the conductor Charles Hambourg the cellist?
Was he any relation of Mark Hambourg?

Thanks for any info.

Paul

[Paul]

Post by Paul

My mistake - Googled late for info -  and saw the sole entry/top-line
(my message from October) which 'joined the two together'..

Vera de Villiers was the wife of Albert Coates - and, previously, of

F.J.Nettlefold.
Is there any further info about this late-ish 1930's *F.J.Nettlefold*
album - has anyone transferred it?<<
Despite the added hiss/crackle (& some 'oddities'  - possibly a
recording mechanism fault - don't think it's due to my processing - as
heard also on a previous uploaded transfer) the 'Tod' can create
'goosebumps'..

Just a small query, but is the conductor Charles Hambourg the cellist?
Was he any relation of Mark Hambourg?
Thanks for any info.
Paul

Sorry, that first sentence doesn't make sense.

Is the Charles Hambourg who conducts part of this set, the same person
as Charles Hambourg who was a cellist who made records for the
National Gramophonic Society in the 1920's?

[tinear]

Hello Paul.
Cellist/Conductor/Composer - & 'Cobbler' too, apparently.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/Tschaikov/Chapter5_page1.htm

After notices for 'cello-recitals, from 1921, "The Times" Archive
shows him conducting (7 Jan 1934) the first London appearance of the
'British SO' - with Mark Hambourg in Beethoven 3rd PC (+ piano-
pieces), and Dvorak Sym 9 & Hansel & Gretel overture - numerous
concerts afterwards.

A Times review (4/3/38) noting his first Queens Hall concert (with
Myra Hess - also conducting Brahms 2 - as, previously, at a 1934
'London Palladium' British SO concert)) - mentions him being a
'cellist.

[tinear]

Should add: that he conducted Nettlefold's 'Suite for Strings' with
the LSO (Queens Hall - 18 Feb, 1940 - review of concert in the next
day's paper - described the composition as 'modest but original')..in
a 'pop' concert - which included Moiseiwitsch in Rach PC2.

[Brendan R. Wehrung]

Post by tinear
Subtle remastering of a recent (& quickly withdrawn..) Vivid transfer
of the acoustical Coates recording..
Plus: 3 of 5 discs from HMV's Private label 78 album of F.J.
Nettlefold Compositions - the only example of Hambourg conducting...
And a Private Acetate 78 of the infrequently recorded Philip Lewtas,
accompanied by Alan Bush.
http://themusicparlour.blogspot.com
[Too busy, currently, to upload more; & this message will vanish
pretty quickly too..]

Is this Stealth Mode?

Brendan

[tinear]

Vivid 320 mp3 transfers from 'mint' Black label 78s ('Carneval'
apparently less 'murky/grungy' than a previous upload) - sonically
amongst the best Coates; others can suffer badly from compression/
distortion/blanketed frequency-range/side-inequality - & *Even More*
HMV Scratch (which precludes my uploading 'Hansel & Gretel', in
particular)...not to mention some pretty slipshod-playing.

D 1796 Dvorak: "Carneval" - Overture. Cc17860-IIA & Cc17861-IIA
http://www.sendspace.com/file/48o5vz
D 1856 Glinka: "Komarinskaya". CR2488-I & CR2489-IIIA
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7c39q3
London Symphony Orchestra

[Roger Kulp]

Post by tinear
Vivid 320 mp3 transfers from 'mint' Black label 78s ('Carneval'
apparently less 'murky/grungy' than a previous upload) - sonically
amongst the best Coates; others can suffer badly from compression/
distortion/blanketed frequency-range/side-inequality - & *Even More*
HMV Scratch (which precludes my uploading 'Hansel & Gretel', in
particular)...not to mention some pretty slipshod-playing.
D 1796 Dvorak: "Carneval" - Overture. Cc17860-IIA & Cc17861-IIAhttp://www.sendspace.com/file/48o5vz
D 1856 Glinka: "Komarinskaya". CR2488-I & CR2489-IIIAhttp://www.sendspace.com/file/7c39q3
London Symphony Orchestra

As a rule Victor pressings are better and less distorted than HMVs.The
picture in the Ernst Busch entry caught my eye.Is this an actual early
50s Eterma advertising poster ?


Roger

[tinear]

The Busch poster was via Google Images - 'Lied der Zeit' takes you to
the few about.
Probably from 1947/8 - as the colours match those of the first 'Lied
der Zeit' label (before it was [from 1949?] Blue 'Eterna - Lied der
Zeit' - then VEB Eterna) -
http://www.albis-international.de/cms/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=76
has a photo of an original sleeve/label (I only have Blue LdZ disca).

The distortion I was referring to was 'electronic' (or mechanical' in
terms of cutter/styli) in origin - independent of the disc material -
& judging by 'modern' standards few are really acceptable. EG:
Coates' 'Night on Bare Mountain' is very poorly recorded on side one -
& doesn't match side two (the playing is horribly scrambled, in any
event).
The '"Ko[a]marinskaya" is noticeably freer from these typical defects
- and is rather 'translucent' (my transfer has clipped some transients
- the recorded level being slightly higher than usual/expected..).