The Acoustic Gould, prelim. ver.

[frank@clark.net]

THE ACOUSTIC GOULD:
Recordings made acoustically (i.e., without the use of microphones)
that Glenn Gould recorded or broadcast

compiled by Frank Forman
<frank@clark.net>
very preliminary version, 1997 February 8

So far this list contains only recordings that are in my discography,
"Acoustic Chamber Music Sets (1907-1926)," version of 1997 January
17. Here are the sets. Details about the layout follow the listings.

BACH, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750) Germany
**Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in d, Schmieder 903 (ca. 1720, revised.
     ca. 1730). [3 sides]. Harold Samuel, piano. 1923.10. mxCc 3610-2/11-1/09-2/13-1. Gramophone.D 782/3A (1923, black). Filler:
     English Suite No. 2 in a, S. 807: 5, 6 (2) Bourr?es. All in LP:
     Pearl.GEMM 147; CD: Koch.3-7137-2 K2. 
GOULD ONLY RECORDED THE BOURREES. Harold Samuel, one of the
     first Bach specialists (though he objected to this label as being too
     exclusive) went on to record the rest of the second English Suite
     electrically. Discovering his playing on the LP was a real treat and I
     commend him highly to all Gould lovers. His complete recording are
     on the 2-CD Koch set, plus a Biddulph CD, LAB 076, which features
     my favorite but now almost forgotten lady violinist, Isolde Menges,
     playing the Brahms second and third violin sonatas with Samuel and
     the Kreutzer sonata with Arthur de Greef.

Sonata (Cello) 2 in D, Schmieder 1028 (ca. 1717-23). [4 sides]. Howard
     Bliss (brother of Arthur), piano; Stanley Chapple, piano. Vocalion.K
     05218/9 (Shaw gives 1925, black; not listed in the 1923 January
     Vocalion catalog)

*Sonata (Violin) 2 in a, Schmieder 1015 (ca. 1718-23). [4 sides]. William
     Primrose, Herbert Younge Tempelman. Late 1923/early 1924. mxCc
     3915-3/6-3/7-2/8-1. Gramophone.D 939/40 (1924, black); LP:
     Masters of the Bow.MB 1030

*Bach-Wood: "Suite No. 6 for Full Orchestra." Henry Wood, New
     Queen's Hall Orchestra. 25.3. mxAX 909/12. English Columbia.L
     1684/5. The six numbers are as follows: 
No. 1, "Prelude" (Well-Tempered Clavier 3 in C#, Schmieder      848:
     Prelude
No. 2, "Lament" (Departing Brother Caprice in Bb, Schmieder 992: 3,
     Adagissimo)
No. 3, "Scherzo (Partita 3 in a, Schmieder 827: 6, Scherzo
No. 4, "Gavotte and Musette" (English Suite 3 in g, Schmieder 808: 5,
     Gavotte I; 6, Gavotte II (ou la musette))
No. 5, "Andante Mistico" (Well-Tempered Clavier 22 in bb, Schmieder
     867: Prelude)
No. 6, "Finale" (Cantata 29, "Wir danken dir, Gott": 1, Prelude)
GOULD RECORDED Nos. 1,3,4, and 6.
Wolfgang Schmieder, in his monumental Thematisch-systematisches
     Verzeichnis der musikalisches Werke Johann Sebastian Bachs
     (B.W.V.) (Leipzig: Breitkopf und H?rtel, 1950) has a Suite No. 5, but
     says its authenticity is doubtful. It is also not regarded as authentic in
     Grove, and, having heard its first recording, a stereophonic LP
     conducted by Jean-Francois Palliard, I don't see how Schmieder ever
     thought could possibly have been written by Bach. (Yet there are
     those who question Bach's authorship of his perhaps best known
     piece, the Tocatta and Fugue in d, Schmieder 565!) The "fifth suite"
     was, however, published in Bach-Gesellschaft, ed., J.S. Bach Werke,
     47 vol., Leipzig: 1851-99, in volume 45. Coming this late in the
     series, I suspect the work was in an appendix because the editors
     themselves were dubious about its authenticity. Other possibilities:
     WERM lists a "Suite in G" arranged by Eugene Goossens from various
     Bach works and "The Wise Virgins Ballet" Ballet Suite, compiled by
     Constant Lambert and arranged by William Walton from yet other
     Bach works. Perhaps one of these compilations was regarded as the
     fifth suite in the acoustic days, but as they were both first recorded
     electrically, they may not have been compiled in time for an acoustic
     recording. But it is a possibility.

BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827) Germany
Sonata  8 in C, Op. 13 (Pathetique) (?1797-8). [4 sides]. Wilhelm
     Kempff. probably late 1924. mx1712/5-as; side numbers B27090/3.
     Polydor.66176/7. Issued after 24.9 but by 26.7. By my count, Kempff
     made seven further recordings of the work. (I'm missing the first 12"
     electric remake on Polydor.67113/4 and Decca.X 202/3 [also 4 ss.],
     as well as the acoustic.)

Sonata 14 in c#, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonshine) (1801). Wilhelm Kempff. [4
     sides]. probably late 1924. mx1700/3-as; side nos. B27082/5.
     Polydor.66172/3. Issued after 24.9 but by 26.7. Six further
     recordings. (I'm missing the 12" electric remake on Polydor.67856/7
     and Vox.set 642 [also 4 ss.], as well as the acoustic.)
*ditto. Frederic Lamond [3 sides]. mxCc 1179-3/80-3 on 22.6.16 and
     mxCc 1181-1 on 22.4.3. Gramophone.05730/1/2 (single-faced), D
     718/9A (double-faced, 1922, black). Filler: Liszt: Concert Study 3
     (Rondo) in Db (mxCc 644-1 on 21.11.7) and also issued on single-faced 05685. I do not have the filler. 1926 electric remake on
     Gramophone.D 1140/1A [also 3 ss.] (1926, black), with the same
     filler

Sonata 18 in Eb, Op. 31, No. 3 (1802). [5 sides]. Josef Weiss.
     mx7579/80 (mvt. 1, recorded on 24.10.1, remake of the 24.5.7
     session) plus mx6866/8 (mvts. 2-4, 24.5.7). Parlophon.P 2038/40A.
     Filler is Chopin: Berceuse (1924.3.24 on mx6767).


Sonata 23 in f, Op. 57 (Appassionata) (1804-5). Wilhelm Kempff. [6
     sides]. probably late 1924. mx1688/93-as; side nos. B27046/51.
     Polydor.66033/5. Issued after 24.9 but by 26.7. Seven further
     recordings. (I'm missing all three electrics [Polydor.66681/3 (1st);
     Polydor.95471/3, Polydor.57012/4, and Brunswick.90421/3 (2nd);
     Polydor.68270/2 and Vox.set 960 (3rd), as well as the acoustic.)
ditto. Abridged or quite hurried recording. Frederic Lamond. [4 sides].
     mxCc 1910-2 (so claims James Methuen-Campbell (see bibliography);
     Voices of the Past says take 3) on 22.9.7, mxCc 1911-4/3458-1/3459-1 on 23.9.18. Gramophone.05741/4 (single-faced), D 773/4
     (double-faced, 1922, black). 1927 electric remake on Gramophone.D
     1278/9 (black) (Shaw gives 1926) [also 4 ss.]
ditto. Josef Weiss. [6 sides]. mx 6869/70 (mvt. 1 on 24.5.7) plus
     mx7581/4 (mvts. 2 and 3 on 24.10.1, remake of 24.5.7 session,
     which tried to squeeze the second and third movements onto three
     sides). Parlophon.P 2041/3

Sonata 28 in A, Op. 101 (1816). [4 sides]. Wilhelm Kempff. probably
     late 1924. Polydor.66178/9. The 1926/27 English language Polydor
     export catalog gives the second disc as 65179, but these catalogs
     have more than a few errors. Issued after 24.9 but by 26.7. [*]Only
     two further recordings (for the complete mono and stereo LP cycles).

GRIEG, Edvard Hagerup (1843-1907) Norway
Sonata (Piano) in E, Op. 7 (1865, revised 1887). Abridged recording, [4
     sides]. Una Bourne, piano. 1921. mxCc 17-3/18-4/19-4/20-3.
     Gramophone.05667/8 (issued 21.7) and 05670/71 (issued 21.8)
     (single-faced), C 1023 & C 1027 (plum, 1921). The next recording,
     issued on a stereo LP in 1970, was made LP by Alicia De Larrocha
     and takes 18 minutes. It is unlikely that the movements were timed
     exactly suitably to fit on 78 rpm sides, so the acoustic recording is
     almost certainly abridged. Glenn Gould's recording followed a year
     later and takes about 26 minutes but does not seem lugubriously
     dragged out, perhaps because it is the only recording I know. One can
     never be sure about Gould!

MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Jakob Ludwig Felix (1809-47) Germany
Songs without Words (1830-50). Incomplete recording, [6 sides = 2-12" sides + 4 10" sides]. Walter Rehbrerg, piano. Issued after 24.9
     but by 26.7. Issued as followed by Polydor, the 12" disc first followed
     by two 10" discs:
66185A: No. 1 = Book I, Op. 19 (1830): 1, Andante con moto in E,
     "Sweet Remembrance".
66185B: No. 30 = Book V, Op. 62 (1844): 6, Allegretto grazioso in A,
     "Spring Song" or "Camberwell Green" and Book VI, Op. 67 (1845): 4,
     Presto in C, "Spinning Song" or "The Bee's Wedding
62528A: No. 3 = Book I, Op. 19 (1830): 3, Molto allegro e vivace in
     A, "Hunting Song"
62528B: No. 6 = Book I, Op. 19 (1830): 6, Andante sostenuto in g,
     "Venetian Gondola Song"
62529A: No. 27 = Book V, Op. 62 (1844): 3, Andante maestoso in e,
     "Trauermarsch" or "Marche fun?bre"
62529B: No. 15 = Book III, Op. 38 (1837): 3, Presto e molto vivace in
     E, "The Harp of the Poet"
The first four of these were recorded again electrically by various
     artists. The last one (No. 15) was first recorded again by Albert Feber
     on a 10" monaural LP, issued in 1952, while the next to the last one
     (No. 27) had to wait until the first of three discs of all the Songs
     without Words, recorded by Ginette Doyen for Westminster, appeared
     on a 12" monaural LP in 1953.
GOULD ONLY RECORDED THE FIRST OF THESE.

SCOPE
A set is anything more than one record. I use the most expansive
definition possible and include:

1. Three-sided works in two-disc sets with fillers
2. Abridged recordings
3. Incomplete recordings
4. Solo instrumental [only violin, viola, and piano found]
5. Non-chamber music played in chamber music transcriptions, and
6. Chamber music played by larger ensembles [one found]

SYMBOLS AND NOTES
* means in my collection. I would like to accumulate as many of these
     recordings on C-90 cassette tapes as possible, so that I can spread
     this legacy around. See the note "Importance" below.
LP = long-playing 33 1/3 r.p.m. disc
CD = compact disc

Dates are given by year.month.day, the system used by physicists,
     French Canadians, and Japanese.
All discs are 12" 78 r.p.m. (of course, speeds were far from
     standarized in those days and may vary anywhere from 60 to 90 rpm)
     unless specified otherwise.
This discography uses the opportunity to correct the entries in many of
     the discographic sources that were used in its compilation. This does
     not entail anything have less than the highest respect for the work of
     these discographers, none of whom would have spent as much effort
     on for the reasons given in the following quotation.

ORDER OF ENTRIES
1. COMPOSER in ALL-CAPS BOLD 
2. Composition and catalog number (in small caps), date of
     composition, and (if there is only one records) thre parts thereof on
     the recording. These are usually designated by "n, tempo (or other
     name)," where n is the number of the movement.
3. The number of sides of the principal work in the sets (that is,
     excluding the fillers) is placed in [brackets in small caps] and is
     located as high up as possible. That is, if all recordings of the work in
     question have the same number of sides, the number is placed
     immediately after the composition.
4. Performers, in alphabetical order
5. Recording date or dates, often approximated. For notes on methods
     for dating, see appendix.
6. Matrix numbers (preceded by mx and in italics). When recorded on
     several dates, the dates and matrix numbers are intermingled. Polydor
     side numbers are also given, when available, and are also in italics.
7. Record label and catalog numbers, with date of release in
     parentheses ( ), often with remarks about methods used to estimate
     these dates. LP and CD reissues are included.
8. Details about fillers to various 78 rpm issues and other information
     as warranted.
9. Information about later recordings, especially by all or some of the
     artists participating in the acoustic recordings. Most of these works
     were recorded again, by some group or another, during the electrical
     78 r.p.m. era. This will be the case unless specified otherwise. I did
     not search the universe and its suburbs in all cases for possible later
     recordings and consequently may have missed some, but I doubt
     more than one or two.

LABELS (13)
Brunswick: U.S.A.
Columbia: England
Colubmia: U.S.A.
Edison Diamond Disc: U.S.A.
Gramophone (a/k/a His Master's Voice): England, unless otherwise
     specified. Forerunners of the Gramophone Company, Ltd., such as
     Gramophone and Typewriter, are not distinquished.
National Gramophonic Society of London: England
Path?: France
Polydor: Germany
Parlophon: Germany
Victor: U.S.A.
Vocalion: all England in this discography
Vox: all Germany in this discography
Zonophone: all France in this discography