Philips would have to be my absolute favourite record label. Although, it's slightly below their sub-label, Philips Classics. I think that Philips and Philips Classics were sometimes underappreciated during their main period of recording. Some people don't realise that Philips Classics actually made one of, if not the most, successful and amazing accomplishments in Compact Disc history: The Complete Mozart Edition. The Complete Mozart Edition was a series of 45 different themed box sets, consisting of CDs ranging from 1 to 12. It was originally released in 1991 and gained popularity very quickly and soon became a common occurrence on collectors' shelves. Some of the featured artists included singers such as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sylvia McNair, Francisco Araiza, Edita Gruberova, Arleen Auger, Margaret Marshall, Helen Donath, Hanna Schwarz, Dame Margaret Price and Sir Thomas Allen. There were also several internationally acclaimed conductors and soloists, including Alfred Brendel, Sir Colin Davis, Henryk Szeryng, Arthur Grumiaux, William Bennett, Heinz Holliger, Irena Grafenauer, Karl Leister, Mitsuko Uchida, Ton Koopman, Herbert Kegel, Edo de Waart, Willi Boskovsky, Semyon Bychkov, Sir Alexander Gibson (as mentioned here; same role), Bernhard Klee, Leopold Hager, Peter Schreier, and especially Sir Neville Marriner. Marriner became a large part of The Complete Mozart Edition, conducting the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in Volumes 1 (Early Symphonies), 2 (Symphonies 21-41), 3 (Serenades for Orchestra), 7 (Piano Concertos; Nos. 5-27), 8 (Violin Concertos, K. 364), 9 (Wind Concertos), 22 (Oratorios, Cantatas, Masonic Music, etc.; K. 35), 23 (Arias, Vocal Ensembles, Canons; alternative operatic arias), 35 (Il re pastore; with Sylvia McNair, Iris Vermillion, Claes H. Ahnsjo, and Anna Maria Blasi). Although, Colin Davis was a large participate in the later operas (Le nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, La clemenza di Tito). Anyway, I'm off-tracking. Point is, both Philips and Philips Classics are amazing labels and should be shared throughout the world!.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

I think that Mozart edition was the first of the truly complete composer editions and set the standard for similar future releases. You're right, a terrific label.

5:45 According to the Decca website, Watford Town Hall and Barking Town Hall were the venues used for recording Szeryng's Mozart concerti.

I recently discovered your videos and having a wonderful time watching them all. They are fantastic! These kinds of recommendations are exactly what I am looking for. Please make lots and lots more!!

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

I plan to!!! So glad you are enjoying them. Thank you.

A few weeks ago I found a Decca Eclipse from Van Beinum his Brahms Symphony No 1 with the Concertgebouw. Love it. Keep making video's! Cheers, Koen

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic! That's the same recording I mentioned, I believe. Eclipse is full of great stuff - though beware the "Reprocessed for Stereo" duds....

Thanks a lot for this video. I also discovered Philips back in the late '70s. I have many great recordings with the Philips label. 2 are stuck in my mind: the 2 glorious recordings Jessy Norman made with themr The 4 last lieder's by Strauss and the one of Sacred music. Those recordings are the gate to heaven for me. Cherish them. Thanks for the tip on Tippett ... need to explore him more. You were lucky to hear all those pianist live ... I only had the chance to hear Szering live and you're right .. his tone was different than Heifetz. I actually heard Heifetz recordings *after* hearing Szering live and I was startled by the difference. Again thanks for the video.

@musiconrecord6724

Жыл бұрын

I was lucky indeed - of course at the time I had no idea just how lucky! Jessye Norman was something else - you know she even sings on one of Dorati's recordings of Haydn operas!! She's also on Colin Davis's marvelous recording of Tippett's A Child of Our Time for Philips - well worth seeking out....

@musiconrecord6724

Жыл бұрын

Lucky you hearing Szeryng live. I've also been picking up some wonderful Grumiaux records of late. Again a ripe, full tone - old school indeed.

Thanks for this look back at the Philips catalog. I'm glad to have discovered you channel. As a lover of classical LPs living in the US during the period when the quality of the RCA and London pressings was plummeting, it was nice to be able to count on high quality, clean pressings from Phillips. I have hung on my vinyl copies of several Colin Davis Berlioz opera sets, and particularly value my copy of the original vinyl issue of the David Midsummer Marriage. This was the piece that first introduced me to Tippett, and I've loved his music ever since. It was exciting to hear of the premiers of the new works that were issuing from his pen, to use an expression which suggests how long ago that was, and in those days many local FM stations were still carrying weekly live broadcasts from the major US orchestras such as NY, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Boston, so I was able to get to know the Tippett 3rd by taping a live broadcast with Davis and the BSO. The sound was wretched, of course, so I was happy when the Davis recording. How fortunate that you were acquainted with LLoyd-Jones. He did an invaluable service to the musical world with his edition of Boris (wish I could afford a copy of the Oxford vocal score!). I've also been enjoying his Bax symphony series on CD.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for your support and interesting comments. Great to meet a fellow Tippett lover! Alas, I have never seen Midsummer Marriage onstage, but I did attend the Premiere of "The Ice Break" at Covent Garden, and it was fantastic. Very thought-provoking and full of wonderful music. I loved Britten's music from an early age, singing several of his choral works over the years. I came to Tippett later. His music is so distinctive, but sharing with Britten that particular strain of melencholy which I think is to be found in most British music - even Rock!. If you do not have it, seek out the ARGO recording by Neville Marriner of Tippett's string music - a true gem sonically and musically. Yes, I was fortunate indeed to know David Lloyd-Jones. He was/is a phenomenal opera conductor, and that performance of Prokofiev's "War and Peace" is seared into my brain - an absolutely fantastic piece which, alas, is performed far too infrequently. I have many of David's recordings of British music and they are all first-rate: his version of Walton's "Facade" is the only one I can tolerate and actually enjoy - it is a singularly annoying piece.....! Apart from Hyperion and Naxos, he has some excellent releases on Dutton.

Hey! Thanks for linking to my video of Tippett's 3rd Symphony! This is an amazing piece of music and well worth getting in to. I've only recently discovered your channel and am slowly working my way through your excellent videos - keep 'em coming! Greetings from Bob in the UK.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

It really is, isn't it! I love what you are doing with your transcriptions - superior to any other transfers from vinyl that I've come across on youtube. I also like how you have put so much time into the visual representations. Repertoire choices are inspired too. Glad you are enjoying my videos, and thanks for posting these links so others can enjoy the music you are highlighting.

@ClassicsAndVinyl

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 Thanks for your kind words about my videos! I also post the videos with the album covers and labels, and notes, in my blog - for the total vinyl enthusiast. This also includes videos on my other channel (jazz, pop, plus the occasional world, and film music). There's a link to in the description of my videos. As far as repertoire goes, you might notice I'm heavily into 20th Century British music - almost certainly a result of growing up in Guildford when Vernon Handley was Music Director there. He programmed all kinds of obscure British stuff in amongst the standard fare. I could easily devote my whole channel to this music but in an attempt not to scare off too many people I do put other music up as well ;o) Please feel free to link to any of my videos if they're relevant to your great posts.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

@@ClassicsAndVinyl Happy to post links - and if you spot a connection I miss feel free to add your link. I know Guildford well (my parents lived about 20 miles away and as a teenager I used to go to a summer music course at the university; one of the professors there also gave me conducting lessons). Whenever I visited from the US I would make a visit to Ben's Collector Records - I hope it is still there! Never apologize for a love of British music!!!

@ClassicsAndVinyl

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 Small world, isn't it? The professor wasn't Reginald Smith Brindle by any chance. The Guildford Phil did a first performance of his one - quite likely the only performance, as it was, er, challenging ;o) And yes Ben Collector's Records is still in Tunsgate!

I've been averaging at least one in my collection, from each of your recommendations! I'm new to classical music and your videos have been helping me greatly. I've since already acquired two records based on this series, looking forward to more. Thank you!

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

I am so happy these videos are inspiring you to explore further!

Great video, interesting records you reccomend here. Will have to go digging. I was just a little confused about the Fontana label on the two Beinum records.. But I think I have figured out that sub-label of Philips.

BONSOIR un seul mot pour célébrer votre chaîne FANTASTIQUE !!!THANKS 😊

@musiconrecord6724

5 ай бұрын

Merci beaucoup!

I've been watching Dave's channel for a number of months now, but I only discovered your channel in the past few days. Your content is brilliant! I'm only 20, but I've already been collecting classical records for three/four years now. I've filled half of my 4x4 Kallax IKEA unit back in my parent's house already... The Philips catalogue has some real gems; of course, the Davis Berlioz cycle is a must-have. Davis' first Sibelius cycle with the Boston Symphony is one of the great Sibelius symphony cycles. One of my personal favourites is Dorati's recording of the Nutcracker with the Concertgebouw. Thanks so much for the video!

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the complement. Always excited to hear about a new young listener. You have so much wonderful music ahead of you to discover. Try to hear Dorati's earlier Nutcracker on Mercury - it's a classic in spectacular sound.

@xxsaruman82xx87

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 Thank you for the reply! I’m very lucky; like you I grew up surrounded by classical music - my mum is an opera singer - and collecting it on vinyl was a natural progression of that. Thank you for the recommendation. Dorati was a fabulous ballet conductor

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

@@xxsaruman82xx87 Dorati was a fabulous conductor in pretty much everything. Eloquence has recently reissued his early Mozart and Haydn recordings in superb remasters. Also, seek out all his Bartok recordings on Mercury - stunning! What kind of opera does your mother specialize in? ( I will be doing an opera introduction very soon, BTW).

@xxsaruman82xx87

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 Yes! He absolutely was. His Haydn cycle is, of course, one of the most important set of recordings ever made. Thank you for recommending his Bartok! I also really enjoy his Brahms symphony cycle, also on Mercury. My mum started out in G&S (her first role was Mabel in Penzance) and then she began to sing more lyric soprano roles. She sang Mimi in Boheme, Marguerite in Faust, Leonora in Trovatore, Servilia in Clemenza, and both Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. She also sang a lot of songs and oratorios - even though she retired when she had me she still sings with my dad’s choir doing solos. Eagerly awaiting your opera introduction!

I have a CD of Erica Morini on Westminster playing the Brahms and Tchaikovsky concerti. It's a lovely, warm sound in beautiful stereo (1956) and she's there in the room...I understand your comments about the soloist sounding, on newer recordings, being in a little room recording by themselves.

Thank you! Always excited to see a new GEMS video in the feed!

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Great talks!! Keep on posting please!!!

I really enjoy your videos.

No mention of Bernard Haitink he did make more recordings for Philips than enyone else Mahler and Bruckner a worthy note

I enjoyed your Philips overview very much. While you were talking about the great conductor Van Beinum, I wondered whether you also own the Philips LPs of the conductor Paul van Kempen, who was just as great in his time. My father owned his Eroica with the Berlin Philharmonic on a great sounding Philips Minigroove LP and I'm sure you'll love the performance. Van Kempen was originally a violinist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and played under Willem Mengelberg.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for your kind words. Naturally I've heard of van Kempen, but I now realize I've never listened to any of his recordings! Mea culpa. I will be investigating him immediately -- and it's always great to have someone recommend a specific recording.

@theophicen7850

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 That recording of Beethoven's Third is not widely known, but is still highly appreciated by many music lovers to this day and can be compared to that of the best conductors of Van Kempen's time.

Some nice LPs there. But London records, at least originally, were pressed in England just as the Decca ones were. Decca didn't have the rights to the Decca name in the US and so had to use a different label for LPs exported there.

Thanks a lot for all these great videos. I recently subscribed to you channel and am enjoying all your videos a lot. They are really helpful in helping vinyl lovers navigate through the different labels, pressings, etc. Would you have any advice on smaller and sometimes lesser well known classical labels such as Calliope, Harmonia Mundi, Nimbus and also Erato? Regards from Brussels, Ignacio

@musiconrecord6724

Жыл бұрын

European leafless like Erato, Harmonia Mundi, and Nimbus are usually very good quality. Nimbus even cut some titles at 45rpm. Do not own any Calliope I'm afraid.

In the 70s Philips was pressing in the United States. The surfaces were ghastly, and Philips canceled the whole enterprise and began importing pressings from Europe. "The Midsummer Marriage" is a must-hear. Besides the accessibility of the music, Helen Watts covers herself with glory as Sosostris. The whole production with Davis is first-rate.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

I didn't know that. I only ever see imported pressings in the used bins. I guess everyone threw the US ones away!

@morrigambist

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 That's what I did with the few I owned.

Great survey again! I can advise the Philips recordings conducted by Willem van Otterloo a very good, but unjustly underrated conductor, mainly with the Residentie- Orchestra ( Hague Philharmonic)

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip.

Another great video for those of us who love records. For me, it's a personal appreciation, in the analog era, Philips recordings were a bit superior to Decca. Obviously not in all cases.

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

There are some really beautiful recordings in their catalogue for sure.

Being a cynic, I always felt that the reason Philips don't have the collector value of other companies, especially Decca/EMI/DG, is due to the fact their labels were plain and didn't vary much over the years. Certainly Philips made some excellent recordings, especially Chamber Music.

I am so glad that KZread's algorithm led me to your channel! I found the two episodes that I listened to most enlightening. Thank you in particular about your comments about Henryk Szeryng, a name out of the past (for me) about whom I have heard or read little recently. Today I listened to Oistrakh's recording of Mozart 4th Violin concerto and compared this to Szeryng's. My take is that Oistrakh of course is formidable in anything he does, but he plays the Mozart concerto the same way he would play the Brahms or Tchaikovsky concertos with the same bravura bowing and piercing tone. In comparison, I found Szeryng to be more delicate and nuanced and this was for me for fitting for Mozart. Do you agree with this?

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Completely!

Hi I love the Philips recordings I bought in the pre- digital age Haitinks Mahler and Bruckner with the Concertgebow are so beautifully recorded The Ein Heldenleben they did I still think is the best The house piano sound of the label was also very beautiful The digital reissues took a bit of the beautiful bloom off a bit unfortunately The cover art was probably the worst out there - terrible eg Tosca /Colin Davies Which probably explains a bit your initial non interest A really great recording from the 70s I remember was Rimskys Sheherezada with Haitink and the LPO Not an immediately glamorous line up - but actually fantastic

@musiconrecord6724

2 жыл бұрын

Those Haitink records are really wonderful - will be talking about some of them in my next Philips Gems video..... And yes, the piano sound is excellent, much better than DG.

@albiepalbie5040

2 жыл бұрын

@@musiconrecord6724 Great - will look forward to that