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Symphony No. 8 In B Minor (Unfinished)

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Symphony No. 8 In B Minor (Unfinished) --- 1924-10-00

Recorded April 18-19, 1924 in the Victor studios, Camden, New Jersey (takes 4-5). Unsuccessful takes were recorded on December 3, 1923 (take 1), and January 8, 1924 (takes 2-3). Issued in October 1924 as Victor 6459/61, and in Europe as HMV DB 792/94. Issued matrix & take information: (Sides 1-5 record April 18; side 6 recorded April 19) Side 1 (C-29052-5): First movement (Allegro moderato), part 1 Side 2 (C-29053-5): First movement, part 2 Side 3 (C-29054-5): First movement, part 3 Side 4 (C-29055-4): Second movement (Andante con moto), part 1 Side 5 (C-29056-5): Second movement, part 2 Side 6 (C-29057-5): Second movement, part 3 (Originally recorded on single-sided matrices, but never issued in the single-sided format. Original unissued single-sided catalog numbers: 74894, 74895, 74896, 74897, 74898, 74899.) An electrically recorded version of the same work was made by [url=https://www.discogs.com/master/1026148]Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in April 1927[/url], using the same matrix numbers (takes 6 and 7), with the prefix "CVE" replacing "C" in each case. Instrumentation listed in the Victor ledgers as: 7 first violins, 4 second violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 2 oboes, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, baritone, contrabassoon, baritone saxophone, traps and harp. The score of the "Unfinished" Symphony calls for only 2 horns, however, and no harp. As for the "traps," the only percussion in the scoring are timpani - which are not audible on the recording. This set marks not only the first unabridged recording of a symphony made in America, but is also the inaugural entry in Victor's first album set series, which was called the "[l=Music Arts Library of Victor Records]." The three records comprising the "Unfinished" Symphony were sold together with [url=https://www.discogs.com/release/15319451]Victrola 6462[/url] / [url=https://www.discogs.com/release/12322970]Victrola 6463[/url] (played by [a=Ossip Gabrilowitsch] with the [a=Flonzaley Quartet]); each record was sold separately but if one purchased the whole set of five records one got the album as well. The "Music Arts Library" continued into the earliest period of electrical recording before being supplanted in 1927 with the Victor "[l=Musical Masterpiece Series]" numerical series of "M-" sets.