Dvorak Symphony No. 8 (Chicago Symphony/Giulini)

[Dave Roberts]

Anyone know if this 1978 recording is on CD? Have been looking for it for quite some time. Thanks in advance for any help.

[brianf]

The New World (from 1977) has been released but have not seen #8.

[Matt Ransom]

I'm with Brian. There is a disc out with Guilini CSO playing Dvorak #9 and Schubert #8 DG Galleria 423 882-2. Maybe someone mixed up the composers and the numbers? The Dvorak recorded in '77, Schubert in '78.

[brianf]

There is a recording of #8 by Guilini from 1978. Just have not seen it on CD.

Is Richard Schneider out there?

[KenS]

Guilini did great things with the CSO. When he conducted them in the Bruckner's 8th (77-78?) - - WOW!!! Best concert I have EVER attended.

I really liked his CSO/Angel recordings of Brahms. Has anyone seen them on CD?

Thanks,

Ken

[Frank Byrne]

I bought this recording on CD in Japan some years ago, but have not seen it in the USA.

HOWEVER, lovers of Giulini's CSO recordings are in great luck. I just checked the HMV Japan website and see that today (May 8th) they announce a new release of a 4-cd box set of Giulini's CSO recordings. They only mention composers, but as I already own these recordings, I think I can fill in the blanks:

Beethoven - Sym 7
Bruckner - Sym 9
Mahler - Sym 1
Brahms - Sym 4
Stravinsky - Firebird
Berlioz - Romeo and Juliet

This 4-CD set (which the HMV site says is from Europe) is on sale, too. I checked the Amazon UK site and did not see this set, so don't know if it will be added soon.

At some point, I expect this to be available in the USA, but if you are a serious addict (like some of us) you may want to order it from Japan. These things have a bad habit of being flashes in the pan, too, and gone all too soon.

Every one of these Giulini recordings is first rate, and there is some incredibly fine Jacobs tuba playing throughout. The tuba in the Infernal Dance of the Firebird is great, and the Berlioz R&J is great -- this is the one from which I got an excerpt for the "Portrait of an Artist" CD. I believe all the CSO Giulini recordings were made in Medinah Temple.

Now if RCA would only release Levine's complete Petrouchka with the CSO on CD...

Last but not least -- there is an incredible performance of Dvorak 8 with the CSO under Rafael Kubelik on one of the CSO archive sets, which I don't recall it it's still available from the CSO. I do like the Giulini one, though.

[Steve Marcus]

there is some incredibly fine Jacobs tuba playing throughout...Now if RCA would only release Levine's complete Petrouchka with the CSO on CD...

While you're constructing a wish list, Frank, how about a CD release of Arnold Jacobs' 1978 performance of the Vaughan Williams with Henry Mazur conducting the CSO? It's generally agreed that this performance is better than the one recently re-released by DG for reasons that Brian F. and others have chronicled on this BBS. Wouldn't CSO and/or WFMT give you access to the tapes, or at least the LP, to produce such a release?

[Frank Byrne]

While you're constructing a wish list, Frank, how about a CD release of Arnold Jacobs' 1978 performance of the Vaughan Williams with Henry Mazur conducting the CSO?

This is a fine recording, to be sure. I am not sure about the LP issue, as I have it on CD, which I think was a very limited issue, and was fortunate enough to buy the very last copy at the old CSO Women's Association offices upstairs next to Orchestra Hall, years ago -- before the Symphony Store was a dream. One had to tromp up the stairs, and when I pressed them, they found one remaining copy with the jewel case smashed but the CDs intact.

I tried in vain to get permission from the CSO to include this on the "Portrait of an Artist" CD but to no avail. Henry Fogel approached the players' committee, Gene pleaded with them, they would not budge. To include it would have required a massive payment to the entire orchestra, and that was impractical. Despite the fact that I get no money from this, that all proceeds go to the scholarship fund, that everyone else (including the record labels represented there) allowed use of their product without payment, the CSO players' committee were immovable.

The problem was not with WFMT or with CSO management, it had to do with AFM audiovisual agreements that simply could not cope with such a request. Bottom line -- I tried hard, and it was simply not possible. I don't see that position changing in the future.

[Frank Byrne]

This recording is still available on CD from HMV in Japan.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/1478487

I order from them periodically and they are very reliable. It is a truly excellent recording of Dvorak 8 and I highly recommend it.

Best wishes,

Frank Byrne