Bernstein/LSO M2 – A Question

[waderice]

OT - but germane to the discussion - All this talk about the Ely Cathedral organ prompted a recall and curiosity of a recording I have in my library of an organ transcription by Arthur Wills, organist at Ely, of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.  This recording is an early digital one, on Hyperion AS66006, recorded on 6-7 July 1980, and engineered by Tony Faulkner, BTW.

The notes have the following about the organ:

"An organ was built in the Cathedral in 1685, reputedly by Ranatus Harris.  In 1831, Messrs Elliot & Hill built a new organ within the old cases, which stood on the choir screen.  This organ was rebuilt in the North choir triforium by Messrs Hill & Son in 1850, when the old cases and choir screen were removed, and the present case to a design by Sir Gilbert Scott, was installed.

In 1908 Messrs Harrison & Harrison built a virtually new organ, incorporating some of the old pipework.  Most of the organ was placed in the North choir triforium, with the console below, on the stone gallery behind the top of the choir stalls.

A restoration in 1974-75 included some tonal changes, a new Positive division in the lower part of the Scott case, development of the Pedal Organ, and modernization of the action and console.  The new scheme was drawn up by the Cathedral organist, Dr Arthur Wills, in consultation with Mr. Cecil Clutton and the organ builders.  It is a remarkably complete and versatile instrument, naturally well suited to music from the mid-nineteenth century onwards.  The Mussorgsky-Wills transcription enables this outstanding instrument to be heard at its best."

If at best, the organ had to have been "on its last legs" at the time of the Bernstein M2 recording.

Wade

[CFW]

There seems to be a lot of speculation on these pages about why further recording took place in Edinburgh. I find it very amusing, since I know the reason, since I was in the Edinburgh Festival Chorus at the time, and was one of the singers who made the original recording, and was involved in George Watsons in Edinburgh. No it wasn't for miming, and it was nothing to do with the organ....

The television recording was a one-off, since it was a live concert. After it was all over, the sound engineers were unhappy with the quality of the recorded sound, and so it had to be redubbed. Vast speakers were set up at the back of the hall, and the live concert recording was played back to us. Our chorus master, Arthur Oldham, had to synchronise precisely with Bernstein's timing, and our singing was recorded a second time.  In effect, the recording is the original recording with the George Watsons recording superimposed. In the final CD/DVD there is just one entry which is not quite synchronised, but you need to know where to spot it.

[James Meckley]

Very interesting, CFW. Thanks for this additional information.

James

[barryguerrero]

I'll stick with my original opinion: I like the earlier New York one better. I also agree that the Cleveland one is better still.

[waderice]

I'm interpreting the information within this update as an attempt to salvage what was felt to be a unsuccessfully engineered recording.  But thanks, CFW, for relating to us what you experienced.  Whether or not the result was successful in the minds of the engineers is one thing, but to my ears, I still don't hear the organ.  And personal preference of Lenny's many recorded performances is still yet another issue.  In conclusion, we probably should expect to hear an overall difference in sound between the Unitel filmed recording vs. the Columbia Masterworks recording.  The Masterworks recording has the overdub.

Wade