* RECORDS with ERROR ; Items

4. Schubert

1) Symphony No.8 in b minor D.759, "Unfinished"(+Weber, etc)

- Wilhelm Furtwängler/Vienna Philharmonic
- Recording ; Jan. 1950, Wien
- EMI CHS 5 66770 2(3CDs)

(75kb) ; Beginning of 2nd movement in this album

    This recording of 'Unfinished' was referred at the page of HS-2088, compared to international version and HS-2088 reissue. EMI International stopped releasing this recording by single album, reissuing as 3-CD set in 1998. I think this item is very good to many fans of Furtwängler's because it includes many works unreleased previously, but 'Unfinished' contains very large problems(Mozart's Symphony No.40 has some 'erratic starting' problems like Curzon's Brahms intermezzo, but let's concentrate on Schubert).
    See the table below. The playing times of three versions are all different. Especially, the playing time of 1st movement is longest in 3-CD set, and the difference is about 20 seconds compared to old version by EMI International(apparent time written in notes is 11:37, but real playing time except blank 11:31). Which one shows the genuine tempo by Furtwängler? Perplexing listeners.
    Moreover, there is a much more serious problem in 2nd movement. To my surprise, the playing time in this set is considerably shorter than others because about 4 minutes from beginning is cut. Too big mistake to overlook, and it's impossible to explain this. Reissue producer Andrew Walter has been credible in his job, but this case has gone too far.
    I want to say to EMI ; Recall this item right now.

[ Left image ] first single CD by EMI International(deleted from catalog) [ Table ] Compare the playing times of three versions. Movement 1st 2nd Int'l version(old single) 11:13 11:50 Int'l version(new set) 11:31 8:07 Toshiba HS-2088 11:21 12:00

    < After writing this article >

    Mr. KATO Yukihiro, a Japanese music fan, mailed to me ;

    It was the same when this CD(CHS 5 66770 2) was put on the market in Japan first. But, it became collection soon because it was a rejected article. After a short time, the CD which a problem won't be in next time was sold. An error is not in the CD which I have. Incidentally, the performance time of this movement is 11 minutes 38 seconds.
    It may be able to be distinguished in central matrix number of the CD. Isn't the CD which you have "1." ?

 1. error CD : EMI UDEN 5667722 @ 1
 2. no error CD (I have) : EMI UDEN 5667722 @ 2

    My CD is the former version( @ 1). Then, his letter means EMI recalled and corrected the error of this item in other countries(but not in Korea yet!).
    However, I guess there should be problems at this set in spite of this recall. First is the problem of Mozart Symphony No.40(incorrect start), and second the proportion of playing time between the two movements of the 'Unfinished'. If only the playing times of the old and new international versions are compared, that of the first movement of the former is shorter by 18 second. But in case of the second movement, it is longer by 12 second. It is irrational; if it stems from the original tape or 78-master speed, the playing time of the second movement should be shorter than the newer release.
    Anyway, this CD is too strange to consider it normal whether corrected or not now. If you want to buy it in spite of these facts, please ascertain the playing time of the second movement of the Unfinished Symphony is 11 minutes 38 seconds before you pay. Don't you want to find the lost 4 minutes?

2) Piano Quintet in A major, D.667 "Trout"

- Paul Badura-Skoda(p)/Members of Vienna Konzerthaus SQ, Hermann(cb)
   Paul Badura-Skoda(p)/Members of Barylli SQ and Rühm(cb)
- Recording ; 1950(with Konzerthaus, monaural) & 1958(with Barylli, stereo), Wien
- Westminster-MCA MVCW-19001(Japanese)
- Contribution ; The Classical Music, No.3(Nov. 1996)

   This CD is interesting in the point that it includes 2 'Trout' recording of Badura-Skoda. Soft touch is impressive and sound quality is good considering the year of recording, but this CD has some unpleasant missediting errors.
   In the 1st movement of monaural recording(Sector 1), 4th quaver is cut in the 29th bar(next score), playing time about 50th second. Moreover in the same sector at 3:43(135th bar), it's easy to hear piano enter late about a half beat(it's not necessary to see score so as to know it). There are no errors in the repeat of exposition, so you will compare them. (hear this realaudio file ; trout-2.rm, 46kb)

   Then, how about the stereo recording in 5~10th sector with Barylli SQ? There was no big problem like monaural, but quite a big noise at playing time 1:52 of 3rd movement(111th bar). Was this missediting also?
   This CD is very much individual(?) in the point of its error even except coupling.

(60kb)

5 1st movement, bars 26~29

3) Arpeggione Sonata in a minor, D.821(+Beethoven; Cello Sonata No.3, etc.)

- Emanuel Feuermann(vc.), Gerald Moore(p)
- Recording ; June 1937, London
- EMI CDH 7 64250 2

    Emanuel Feuermann(1902~42) was called "greater cellist than Casals", but died of peritonitis too early. His heritages on 78s are including Haydn's D major concerto, in which some are released by EMI, RCA, and Biddulph, but I think his posthumous fame by record seemed to be much shadowed by Casals. His Arpeggione sonata is proud of his ability 'like a virtuoso violinist', but this CD by EMI International has two strange things when compared to LP by EMI France, Références 2C 051-43372(Right Image).
    This CD sounds larger surface noise than LP(about... more than 2 times). Well-transferred CDs recorded in late 1930s have considerably smaller surface noises than this CD(e.g. Edwin Fischer's Fantasy and Fugue in a minor BWV.904 recorded in 1937 in Abbey Road, EMI CDH 7 64928 2, 11th sector. This transfer has seldom surface noises), but it made the difference whether using noise filtering, so I think it cannot be considered as real defect. The real problem is at 3:25 in 1st movement, 101th bar. The music in CD is played as the F chord at the same position to mf(see score below) starts again after about 3 second rest(absurd!).

(75kb)
[Score] 1st movement, bars 99~101.There is an mf in 101th bar.

    Absurd rest is similar to the Brahms' piano quartet No.1 CD by Serkin and Busch quartet(also in 1st movement), but in this case there is no pitch drop(^^). The error is perhaps at the end of the 1st 78s side, so the missediting problem is sure to be made in producing CD because there is no problem in LP.

(c) 1997~ , Youngrok LEE ; Link free, but please get my approval before you reuse, copy, or quote this materials.

Created ; 26th Dec. 1999
Last Update ; 5th Jan. 2004

5TOP