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Author Topic: guidelines for purchase of used classical tapes  (Read 5042 times)

Offline steveidosound

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guidelines for purchase of used classical tapes
« on: April 06, 2012, 12:43:39 PM »
Hi,
This is directed a bit more @ Larry and Steve, but others chime in as well.  Are there any resources other than looking on line for references to  reviews of the same recording on vinyl,  for information about both the performance and sound quality of older,  primarily classical,  pre-recorded tapes? I especially would be interested in finding out about some of the more obscure orchestras from the smaller  or early labels. The tapes of well known early stereo performances that also were on vinyl from major labels and orchestras are not so hard to find reviews of. If not the tape, then of the vinyl.
The only thing I remember seeing here before was a link to a list of early tapes with a letter grade of the sound quality.
There might be some real "gems" from obscure orchestras and labels. On the other hand, the major stuff is far more of a known quantity. Would like to avoid paying too much for a really poor recording / performance.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2012, 12:52:24 PM by steveidosound »
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Offline michael22

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Re: guidelines for purchase of used classical tapes
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2012, 10:13:19 AM »
Two sources come to mind, neither of which are very practical. Dan at D'Antiques had - past tense - an excellent data base of some 4000+ tapes online, with sonic ratings, images of boxes, and detailed reviews of tapes, when such were submitted by readers. That database has been removed and no longer available. It's a testament to the fact that online data is ephemeral and could disappear at any moment. The second source is the review of tapes printed in High Fidelity, Tape Recording, and Saturday Review magazines of the era, i.e. 1955-1960. These are available in some libraries. Of course it would be wonderful if someone compiled these and published them online.
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Offline astrotoy

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Re: guidelines for purchase of used classical tapes
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2012, 09:47:09 AM »
Hi Steve, Sorry for the delayed response. I have been travelling and haven't looked at TP Forum in almost a month. I don't have any review sources other than Gramophone, the British mag that has many reviews online of the vinyl issue. However, there are a few interesting orchestras which recorded incognito for smaller labels as well as pretty famous pick up orchestras. Two come to mind, the New York Stadium SO which recorded under Stokowski in the '50s and '60s on Everest. I have read that this was actually the New York Philharmonic which was recording exclusively for Columbia. Also Bruno Walter's stereo recordings were with the Columbia SO, a very fine pick up orch in LA, of course, on Columbia.

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Offline ironbut

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Re: guidelines for purchase of used classical tapes
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2012, 10:50:16 AM »
Good stuff Larry (I hope your visit to the UK is going great).

Steve; Just so you know, Gramophone Magazine has been archived and available on the web. Every issue since 1923 is here;

http://www.gramophone.net/AboutTheArchive/
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