Stravinsky ?– L'Histoire Du Soldat (A Soldier's Tale) Instrumental version. - Reference Quality LPs...

[Philip O Hanlon]

Last year during one of our music sessions, I was introduced to the Westminster version - Robert Mandell conducting Ars Nova on Westminster WST 14041, this is probably the closest thing to sitting on God’s shoulder, listening to this remarkable music together.


Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be transported back to 1961 to hear Stravinsky conduct a small seven piece ensemble perform this remarkable piece of music. This is not main stream classical music, it's dissonant at times, even quirky but rewarding of extended listening.
You can read my listening notes here. Suffice to say, the original six-eye is of reference sound quality.


I ordered this today, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can share listening notes. Recorded in 1986 by Keith Johnson for Reference Recordings, it was released on both 33 and 45 RPM formats. I bought a NM copy of the 45.

In the meantime, if anyone has another reference quality recording / performance that they care to share, I would be much obliged for the heads-up.
Thanks,
Philip

 

[dcc]

French being my mother tongue, I cannot imagine listening to this piece of music without the tale which was a close collaboration between Stravinsky and Ramuz who wrote the text. IMHO, The best performance is the one directed by Igor Markevitch with Jean Cocteau as the Narrator, Peter Ustinov as an impressive Devil and Jean-Marie Fertey as Joseph, the soldier.

 

[Gregm]

I second the Cocteau / Ustinov - Markevitch recommendation.
The Chicago Pro Musica ia also nice (not messy, taut).
There is also a recent performance with Horwitz, Isabelle Faust & Friends

I don't think it beats Cocteau & Ustinov -- but Faust + Melnikov are very convincingly involved, especially in the Duo Concertant

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

This thread is a gold mine for some amazing music! Suddenly I have the urge to learn French...

 

[tima]

In the same vein as the Colombia compilation, here's another quirky yet delightful set of smaller works by Stravinsky on L'Oiseau-Lyre:

AudioAficionado.org - View Single Post - JBL-m9500

The Forum for High End Audio

www.audioaficionado.org

 

[andi]

If you can imagine to try one special:

Igor Stravinsky, Vanessa Redgrave, Sting, Ian McKellen - The Soldier's Tale - Histoire Du Soldat - Geschichte Vom Soldaten (Vinyl, US, 1988) Zu verkaufen | Discogs

Kaufen Sie die Veröffentlichung 1988 US Vinyl von The Soldier's Tale - Histoire Du Soldat - Geschichte Vom Soldaten bei Igor Stravinsky, Vanessa Redgrave, Sting, Ian McKellen auf Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Sting as soldier.....BUT Vanessa Redgrave as the devil.
She is so great!
The EU pressing sounds great, no idea how the US copies will be.
But hej, for 3 to 5 bucks for a nm copy......

 

[Philip O Hanlon]

If you can imagine to try one special:

Igor Stravinsky, Vanessa Redgrave, Sting, Ian McKellen - The Soldier's Tale - Histoire Du Soldat - Geschichte Vom Soldaten (Vinyl, US, 1988) Zu verkaufen | Discogs

Kaufen Sie die Veröffentlichung 1988 US Vinyl von The Soldier's Tale - Histoire Du Soldat - Geschichte Vom Soldaten bei Igor Stravinsky, Vanessa Redgrave, Sting, Ian McKellen auf Discogs.

www.discogs.com

Sting as soldier.....BUT Vanessa Redgrave as the devil.
She is so great!
The EU pressing sounds great, no idea how the US copies will be.
But hej, for 3 to 5 bucks for a nm copy......

I bought a NM copy on Discogs for $10, should be fun to listen to, alongside the RR / Pro Musica Chicago version, which I ordered yesterday. Thanks for the heads-up. Philip

 

[microstrip]

I bought a NM copy on Discogs for $10, should be fun to listen to, alongside the RR / Pro Musica Chicago version, which I ordered yesterday. Thanks for the heads-up. Philip

The Reference Recordings /Pro Musica Chicago Histoire du Soldat is one of the more holographic and 3D recordings I own. Great performance and an audiophile gem!

 

[Philip O Hanlon]

The Reference Recordings /Pro Musica Chicago Histoire du Soldat is one of the more holographic and 3D recordings I own. Great performance and an audiophile gem!

I should reach out to The Tape Project & see if there is any chance of getting a copy of this recording on 2 track tape @ 15 IPS; - I heard many of Keith's master tapes played back at Paul Stubblebine's mastering room; amazing sounding. TTP put out some of the RR albums on tape - they sound terrific.

I am certainly interested in comparing the sound quality & performances of the Westminster v Columbia v RR. It's a fun piece of music, that I have enjoyed listening to, over & over again.

 

[Philip O Hanlon]

View attachment 108481
Last year during one of our music sessions, I was introduced to the Westminster version - Robert Mandell conducting Ars Nova on Westminster WST 14041, this is probably the closest thing to sitting on God’s shoulder, listening to this remarkable music together.

View attachment 108482
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be transported back to 1961 to hear Stravinsky conduct a small seven piece ensemble perform this remarkable piece of music. This is not main stream classical music, it's dissonant at times, even quirky but rewarding of extended listening.
You can read my listening notes here. Suffice to say, the original six-eye is of reference sound quality.

View attachment 108483
I ordered this today, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can share listening notes. Recorded in 1986 by Keith Johnson for Reference Recordings, it was released on both 33 and 45 RPM formats. I bought a NM copy of the 45.

In the meantime, if anyone has another reference quality recording / performance that they care to share, I would be much obliged for the heads-up.
Thanks,
Philip

I looked at my Stravinsky collection this morning and found this later version of the Soldier's Tale, from 1968, a two-eye Columbia stereo. This version has the Pulcinella ballet on the other side of the album. I will compare this to the 1961 next week - I ordered two NM copies, so I should have one terrific-sounding version. More anon.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

The "Westminster version - Robert Mandell conducting" is spectacular but, imho, perhaps too spectacular. I am judging this from the HDTT version.

The Reference Recordings /Pro Musica Chicago is a quite wonderful recording but I find the performance on the staid side.

The Stokowski on Vanguard is a marvelous performance, well recorded (in MCH!), but I prefer to do without the speaking roles.

The Jarvi - Bremen on Pentatone (in excellent MCH!) is the acoustical antithesis of the Mandel with great space and ambiance as well as impact.

I have several others but these are the ones that get most play.

 

[microstrip]

If you accept a french spoken version, I would consider my long time preferred Ivan Markevich conducting with Jean Cocteau, Fertey , Ustinov and Tonieti - surely a more vivid version than the Pro-Musica Chicago, with an exceptional group of narrators.

 

[Philip O Hanlon]

The "Westminster version - Robert Mandell conducting" is spectacular but, imho, perhaps too spectacular. I am judging this from the HDTT version.

The Reference Recordings /Pro Musica Chicago is a quite wonderful recording but I find the performance on the staid side.

The Stokowski on Vanguard is a marvelous performance, well recorded (in MCH!), but I prefer to do without the speaking roles.

The Jarvi - Bremen on Pentatone (in excellent MCH!) is the acoustical antithesis of the Mandel with great space and ambiance as well as impact.

I have several others but these are the ones that get most play.

Kal,
Great to hear from you; I hope this finds you well.
I have the HDTT digital file of the Westminster and while I own the mono Reference Lab version, my friend has the stereo LP which is super difficult to find.
My listening panel will enjoy & compare all the different versions with me.

The "Westminster version - Robert Mandell conducting" is spectacular but, imho, perhaps too spectacular. I am judging this from the HDTT version.

The Reference Recordings /Pro Musica Chicago is a quite wonderful recording but I find the performance on the staid side.

The Stokowski on Vanguard is a marvelous performance, well recorded (in MCH!), but I prefer to do without the speaking roles.

The Jarvi - Bremen on Pentatone (in excellent MCH!) is the acoustical antithesis of the Mandel with great space and ambiance as well as impact.

I have several others but these are the ones that get most play.

Thanks, Kal for the Järvi reminder, truthfully, I Haven't listened to this in years. But the listening panel (weekly music session) will add this to our selection of different A Soldier's Tale and report back.
Meanwhile, I hope this finds you well.
Warm regards,
Philip

 

[Phillip Chance]

View attachment 108481
Last year during one of our music sessions, I was introduced to the Westminster version - Robert Mandell conducting Ars Nova on Westminster WST 14041, this is probably the closest thing to sitting on God’s shoulder, listening to this remarkable music together.

View attachment 108482
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be transported back to 1961 to hear Stravinsky conduct a small seven piece ensemble perform this remarkable piece of music. This is not main stream classical music, it's dissonant at times, even quirky but rewarding of extended listening.
You can read my listening notes here. Suffice to say, the original six-eye is of reference sound quality.

View attachment 108483
I ordered this today, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can share listening notes. Recorded in 1986 by Keith Johnson for Reference Recordings, it was released on both 33 and 45 RPM formats. I bought a NM copy of the 45.

In the meantime, if anyone has another reference quality recording / performance that they care to share, I would be much obliged for the heads-up.
Thanks,
Philip

Rich Brown sent this thread to me, and I can add some hopefully interesting comment. Yes, this must one of the all time great recordings of this piece, and the tape version (Westminster SWB 8003) is easily one of the best 2 track, prerecorded tapes from the 1950s. The "Famous Westminster/Sonotape 1956 Audio Show Demonstration Tape" (SWB-DEM1), claims that it was taped in Carnegie Hall. That's not true according to the late Stanley Drucker (clarinet) who told me it was a studio recording. It would actually be a tad dry for a Carnegie venue, and the dryness seems to lend a palpable sense of immediacy to it. Of course the tape was released before the stereo LP. I have never heard the stereo LP, but would suspect the 2 track tape is audibly better. I bought an AMPEX 351-2 from Wally Heider in 1981, and looked around for some 2 track tapes to play. Serendipitiously, the Seattle, Goodwill had a large collection of Westminster/Sonotapes, many of the them unplayed, for $1.69/each. The Stravinsky was amongst them. The first time I played this tape, I connected the cathode follower output of the tape machine directly to a pair of Marantz 9 amps and a double pair of KLH Nines. It was pretty mind blowing! The guy at HDTT offers a hirez download made from a 15ips safety master that belongs to Rich Brown. The download is excellent. I've A-B'd Rich's 15ips master with the 7.5ips commercial tape and they're closer than I would have expected. I know this is a fairly well-heeled group and anything less than a 15ips/IEC or even a 30ips, 1/2" tape will likely not impress. The 7.5ips/NAB tape does occasionally show up on Ebay, does not bring insane money and is well worth a listen. Enjoy!

 

[Philip O Hanlon]

Rich Brown sent this thread to me, and I can add some hopefully interesting comment. Yes, this must one of the all time great recordings of this piece, and the tape version (Westminster SWB 8003) is easily one of the best 2 track, prerecorded tapes from the 1950s. The "Famous Westminster/Sonotape 1956 Audio Show Demonstration Tape" (SWB-DEM1), claims that it was taped in Carnegie Hall. That's not true according to the late Stanley Drucker (clarinet) who told me it was a studio recording. It would actually be a tad dry for a Carnegie venue, and the dryness seems to lend a palpable sense of immediacy to it. Of course the tape was released before the stereo LP. I have never heard the stereo LP, but would suspect the 2 track tape is audibly better. I bought an AMPEX 351-2 from Wally Heider in 1981, and looked around for some 2 track tapes to play. Serendipitiously, the Seattle, Goodwill had a large collection of Westminster/Sonotapes, many of the them unplayed, for $1.69/each. The Stravinsky was amongst them. The first time I played this tape, I connected the cathode follower output of the tape machine directly to a pair of Marantz 9 amps and a double pair of KLH Nines. It was pretty mind blowing! The guy at HDTT offers a hirez download made from a 15ips safety master that belongs to Rich Brown. The download is excellent. I've A-B'd Rich's 15ips master with the 7.5ips commercial tape and they're closer than I would have expected. I know this is a fairly well-heeled group and anything less than a 15ips/IEC or even a 30ips, 1/2" tape will likely not impress. The 7.5ips/NAB tape does occasionally show up on Ebay, does not bring insane money and is well worth a listen. Enjoy!

Thanks, Philip,
My listening panel & I have compared the 7 1/2 IPS pre-recorded tape to the stereo LP and while the tape sounded excellent, the LP was noticeably more immediate & vivid. The LP was fuller & richer sounding.
What we have not done yet, is compare the mono to the stereo LP; this will not be a fair comparison, because we will have to use different phono stages, in order to dial in the correct EQ for the mono version, which is prior to RIAA.
I will reach out to Rich Brown & see if I can borrow his 15IPS safety copy.
This is a fun project.
Thanks again,
PhilipO

 

[Phillip Chance]

Thanks, Philip,
My listening panel & I have compared the 7 1/2 IPS pre-recorded tape to the stereo LP and while the tape sounded excellent, the LP was noticeably more immediate & vivid. The LP was fuller & richer sounding.
What we have not done yet, is compare the mono to the stereo LP; this will not be a fair comparison, because we will have to use different phono stages, in order to dial in the correct EQ for the mono version, which is prior to RIAA.
I will reach out to Rich Brown & see if I can borrow his 15IPS safety copy.
This is a fun project.
Thanks again,
PhilipO

Thanks, Philip! That is surprising to hear that the stereo LP sounds better! I suppose anythng is possible! Let us know how the mono Vs stereo trial turns out. Happy listening!

 

[pseydor]

Robert Craft says the Redgrave McClellan Sting version is the best he’d ever heard. It really is something special—Redgrave a deliciously nasty devil— and the sound is outstanding. Not the Westminster it pretty terrific. The Boston Camber Players are fantastic too with John Gielgud Tom Courtney and Ron Moody as a great devil!

 

[ravenacustic]

Robert Craft says the Redgrave McClellan Sting version is the best he’d ever heard. It really is something special—Redgrave a deliciously nasty devil— and the sound is outstanding. Not the Westminster it pretty terrific. The Boston Camber Players are fantastic too with John Gielgud Tom Courtney and Ron Moody as a great devil!

Yes I have it and it is stellar. EXCEPT for the live performance in the Baker-Baum theater at Conrad Prebys in La Jolla I heard a few weeks ago. I have been attending concerts all over the world for 60 years and this was the first time I have heard it performed live. The speaker was excellent but not quite as theatrical as the Sting-Redgrave recording. One thing better was a cartoon operation projected to a large screen. Extremely creative. A real treat.

 

[Phillip Chance]

Can't say that I have, or have even heard the others (think I have Gervase dePeyer playing it on an Everest 2 track, and it is very good).. Of course being a clarinetist my bias is for the Westminster. Stanley Drucker would have been about 25 yo at the time and he absolutely NAILS the clarinet part!! (He had joined the NY Phil at age 19yo in 1948, and was designated Principal in 1960, retiring 60 years later in 2009, playing his signature piece, the Aaron Copland "Concerto for Clarinet Strings and Harp"). Whatever version ya like, it's a fabulous piece. Enjoy!

 

[ravenacustic]

Can't say that I have, or have even heard the others (think I have Gervase dePeyer playing it on an Everest 2 track, and it is very good).. Of course being a clarinetist my bias is for the Westminster. Stanley Drucker would have been about 25 yo at the time and he absolutely NAILS the clarinet part!! (He had joined the NY Phil at age 19yo in 1948, and was designated Principal in 1960, retiring 60 years later in 2009, playing his signature piece, the Aaron Copland "Concerto for Clarinet Strings and Harp"). Whatever version ya like, it's a fabulous piece. Enjoy!

Drucker was a fabulous clarinetist. I always thought better than Tony Giglotti.