One More from George Enescu

A very late addition to the series of recordings that George Enescu made of his own music - here he tackles his "Romanian Rhapsody No. 2" in a good recording from one of the Parisian orchestras, issued by Remington.

I almost didn't transfer this LP because it has a radial crack that makes the pressing look like it was hit by a ball peen hammer. But with some careful handling and digital refurbishing, it doesn't sound too bad.

The performance of Smetana's "The Moldau" on the other side - a spirited one - is from the so-called Austrian Symphony under George Singer. Michael Gray's website tells us this is the Vienna Tonkunstler Orchestra. NOTE (December 2018): the Smetana is a new transfer that eliminates the sonic problems on the original.

The cover is by Alex Steinweiss, post-Columbia. (I used to have a hat like that, but mine had a red plume.)

Georgescu Conducts Enescu

Here is a coda to the short series of recordings that George Enescu (Enesco) made for Remington circa 1950. This is not an Enescu recording, rather an LP made by the Bucharest Philharmonic, the orchestra renamed in the composer's honor after his death.

On the program for the venerable conductor George Georgescu are Enescu's first and second Romanian Rhapsodies. These performances are considered authentic and who am I to disagree. The sound is vivid as well. And I love the cover. Nice package.

ADDENDUM: the online Georgescu discography suggests that the conductor recorded these works only once, in 1942.

Enescu Conducts Enescu

Continuing a series of the recordings that composer/violinist/conductor George Enescu (Enesco) made for the Remington label circa 1952 . . .

Here is an example of Enescu conducting his own music, in this case his greatest hit, the first Romanian (Rumanian) Rhapsody. It's a fine performance, to be sure, but in somewhat hectic sound - and hoo boy those Remington pressings!

Remington coupled the Enesco with a good version of Liszt's Les Preludes from George Singer and a thin-sounding Austrian Symphony (actually the Tonkünstler orchestra, per Michael Gray, who suggests the recording took place in 1951).

Addendum: my remastering sounds much better than the original transfer.

Enescu Plays Schumann

I had a grand plan to share the recordings composer/violinist George Enescu made for Remington about mid-century. Except I can't find the Bach record. And this Schumann sonata has a pressing fault causing noise throughout most of the first movement. (Note: the 2019 remastering almost completely removes this noise.)

Ah well. I wish I could say the performance makes up for it, but the great man's work here is distinctly human. Pianist Céliny Chailley-Richez, however, plays well and the sound is pretty good, except for the noise, that is. (Note: ten years later, I'd say the performance is very fine indeed; the fallibilities are minor.)

I'll be back later with Enescu conducting his own music - and the Bach, if I can find it.

Enescu Plays Enescu

This is a highly collectible record, and I'd like to think it is because it is an expressive performance of beautiful music by the composer, George Enescu and a longtime collaborator.

Not sure that's the case; who knows why certain records get a reputation as being valuable, which then makes them more valuable, even though, like this one, they aren't really rare. Popsike shows this album auctioning from $100 to above $300.

Well, its value certainly couldn't be because of a particularly lovely cover. This one could charitably be described as hideous, like many of the LPs issued by Remington.

Remington was a budget label that for some reason has acquired a latter-day following. It even has a tribute web site with a page devoted to Enescu's recordings - here.

Enescu's great music and performance rises well above the ugly cover, awful pressing, and utilitarian sound values. Remington gets the pianist's name wrong in two different ways - she is Céliny Chailley-Richez.

I'll be posting a short series of recordings that Enescu made for Remington.