Re: GG: CBS error

[frank@clark.net]

On Mon, 25 Nov 1996, Joseph Podlesnik wrote:

> To: frank@clark.net
> 
> Sure enough, on the back of my box set, sides 5 through 8 -- the English
> Suite (rec 1971), French Suite (1971), D Major Toccata (1976), 2 & 3 Part
> Inventions (1963-64) are all listed as *mono*. This is clearly an error. GG
> was using stereo technology during these years. (Note: the Bach Concerto
> No. 1 for Piano (on side 3 -- 1957; Recorded live with Academic Symphony
> Orchestra of Leningrad. Vladislav Slovak, Dir.  -- was recorded in mono.)
> The set I have was issued as CBS 79358/US & CAN  M4X 38614.

My experience is that any mistake that can be made will get made in this
record business. You'd THINK that the source of catalog numbers would be
the catalogs, but I've caught more than one error in them.

Here's a real howler: The 1924/25 English language Polydor export catalog
has this for Beethoven's VS 5 ("Spring"):

65764  Movement 1, part 1
       Movement 1, part 2
65764  Movement 2
       Movement 3
65766  Movement 2
       Movement 2

[Polydor is the name of the company that later put our records under the
label Deutsche Gramophon Gesellschaft. In this recording, which was
released by 1924 Spetember, the violinist is Robert Zeiler and the pianist
Bruno Seidler-Winkler (who was Polydor's house pianist and conductor. He
made many, many records).]

The 1926/27 catalog gets it right:

65764 Movement 1, part 1
      Movement 1, part 2
65765 Movement 2
      Movement 3
65766 Movement 4
      Trio in c minor, Op. 12: Minuet.

Since Opus 12 comprises three violin sonatas, none of them in c minor, I
don't know what it is. It is not Opus 1, No. 2, which is a trio, but has
no minuet. There may not be any copies of these discs anywhere, since
Zeiler never got much of a name for himself and Polydor acoustics were
issued in very small quantities anyhow.

This comes from a discography of acoustic chamber music sets I've almost
finished. And, as you found out, you can't believe what you read on the
record jacket either.

Another problem is that the same catalog number will be used for two or
more different recordings, sometimes even with different artists (changes
in string quartet personnel, different violinists, etc. Also different
takes of a 78 rpm side. Most often, I think, it involves a remake with a
different accompanist. These are not too hard to spot: just look for the
numbers in the runout grooves. I've never heard of a matrix *and* take
number representing different performances, but it's possible.

Frank