Edward Johnson writes…
Two Stokowski videos for you. First is from the Bell Labs experimental “Wide Range Early Hi-Fi” recordings – both mono and stereo – that were recorded during Philadelphia Orchestra concerts in 1931-32. Thousands of “takes” were recorded in both formats but there was no thought of any commercial release. The engineers were simply testing their equipment. However, in 1979, Ward Marston was able to transfer 2 LPs-worth of some of these experiments, one of miscellaneous pieces, the other an all-Wagner LP. Because Stokowski and his Philadelphians always performed their programmes at least twice, he was able to assemble a few complete performances. Here is ‘Wotan’s Farewell and Magic Fire Music’, recorded over two days in 1932. The joins between the “takes” will be evident, as will be the switches between mono and stereo, though the overall sound is pretty amazing for its date …
Here from the same LP is the “Ride of the Valkyries”. Incidentally, I take it that these days everyone knows that those so-called “bleeding chunks” weren’t by Wagner at all but were arrangements by others. They reduced or changed the original instrumentation and added concert endings of their own. Old recordings never gave them the credit but newer CDs are coming clean and revealing that these “bleeding chunks” were in fact the work of Ludwig Stasny, Herman Zumpe, Wouter Hutschenruiter, Engelbert Humperdinck, Arthur Seidel, and several others who remained anonymous. In the case of the “Ride of the Valkyries”, Wagner thoroughly objected to it and tried to have it banned but without success. I assume copyright in those days wasn’t as strict as it is today. Anyway, the details are in a Wiki article – link down below – but first here is the 1932 Bell Labs experiment …
Here’s the Wiki article on the “Ride”… see its Performance History. The arrangement referred to was probably by Herman Zumpe, as per the attachment …