23/12/09 – Exciting new Haydn Quartet recordings by the Schneider Quartet
As Haydn’s bicentenary year comes to a close, we have exciting news about some new transfers of Haydn’s string quartets to feature in 2010. Throughout the year we will be releasing a number of recordings by the Schneider Quartet in performances that are otherwise commercially unavailable. The quartet did not manage to record the complete catalogue of quartets, but they did record a good number including some of the best known works. There will be further details in the new year about which quartets we will be releasing and when, but to start the year our first Featured Recordings of 2010 will be the pair of Haydn String Quartets Op.77, available on January 1st (Op.77 No.1) and January 8th (Op.77 No.2).
For some brief information about the Schneider Quartet, see below:
The Schneider Quartet was founded in 1952 by Alexander Schneider (1908-1993), Russian-born second violinist with the Budapest Quartet. In 1944 Schneider left the Budapest, by then resident in the USA, and in 1952 founded his own quartet, with second violin Isidor Cohen, violist Karen Tuttle and cellist Madeline Foley . Its aim was specifically to record all of Haydn’s 83 string quartets for the Haydn Society. Unfortunately, the project ran out of money before it was completed, and Schneider rejoined the Budapest Quartet in 1955.
09/10/09 – Forthcoming Featured Recordings – Tchaikovsky Orchestral Works
Commencing Friday 23rd October, we will begin four weeks of podcasts that will feature four of Tchaikovsky’s greatest orchestral pieces. The series begins on October 23rd with a recording of the Violin Concerto in D played by Erica Morini and the National Radio Orchestra conducted by Jascha Horenstein. On October 30th we continue with his programmatic symphony Manfred, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini himself considered the work to be Tchaikovsky’s greatest composition. On 6th November we turn to his Piano Concerto No.2, in a formidable recording by Tatiana Nikolayeva and the USSR State Symphony Orchestra. The final piece in the series is Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 in B minor, ‘Pathetique’, in a recording by the Orchestre de la Societe du Conservatoire conducted by Charles Munch
25/09/09 – New Free Podcast Format
From Friday 25th September, we have decided to reformat the free podcast to include a slightly reduced excerpt from our weekly featured recording. The free podcast will now be around 45 minutes duration each week, and as before will contain many complete recordings for your enjoyment.
For our subscribers, the full podcast remains at 90 minutes duration, and continues to include the complete featured recording, plus a good deal of additional music and commentary. The full subscription podcast is also available in premium audio quality (192 k/bits), and of course the featured recording is available as a separate download to the podcast. This file is offered at 320 k/bits.
05/06/09 – New Archive Classics Forum
We are pleased to announce that we have set up a forum for Archive Classics, which can be found here. To begin with we have set up three messageboards -Weekly Podcasts, General Music and Technical and Site Feedback and Support. We hope that these forums will prove to be an interesting place to engage with other listeners, and as a production team, we will be actively involved ourselves over the coming weeks and months.
05/06/09 – Forthcoming Featured Recordings – Schumann Piano Works
Commencing Friday 12th June, we will begin four weeks of podcasts that will feature some of Schumann’s best-loved piano pieces. On June 12th, we begin with Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes Op.13, in a stunning live recording by Claudio Arrau, made at the Pragues Festival in 1976. Next is the turn of the great British pianist Myra Hess, playing Carnaval Op.9. Schumann’s Piano Sonata No.2 Op.22, might not be quite so well known, and neither may the pianist, Grant Johannesen, but it is an exciting performance that deserves to be heard. The fourth piece, to be heard from 3rd July, is the touching Kinderszenen Op.15, in a recording from 1947 by Artur Schnabel.
12/05/09 – Stephen Johnson wins Gold at the Sony Radio Academy Awards 2009
Stephen Johnson has won a prestigious Sony Radio Academy Award at this years event, held last night at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Stephen won gold for a feature entitled ‘Vaughan Williams – Valiant for Truth’. For further information about the documentary and to hear some extended interviews, please click here.
All the team at Archive Classics are delighted with Stephen’s success and wish him many congratulations.
01/05/09 –Forthcoming Featured Recordings - Haydn London Symphonies
Commencing Friday 15th May, we will begin four weeks of podcasts that will feature four of Haydn’s London Symphonies in recordings conducted by giants of the rostrum - Guido Cantelli, Sir Thomas Beecham, Jascha Horenstein and Sir Georg Solti.
On 15th May Archive Classics will begin the series with Symphony No.93 with Guido Cantelli conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra in January 1949, in his debut concert in the US, aged just 28. On 22nd May we will play Symphony No.97 in a recording by Sir Thomas Beecham with the London Philharmonic Orchestra made in December 1944. Our third podcast in the series will feature Symphony No.100 (‘Military’) in a live broadcast recording by Jascha Horenstein with the French National Radio Orchestra, and on June 5th our fourth and final Symphony in the series will be No.102 in a fabulous recording from 1954 with Sir Georg Solti conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Further details about our Featured Recordings for June and July will follow shortly.
01/05/09 – Annual Subscriptions now available
We are now able to offer an annual subscription at a cost of £49.99 (UK Sterling). This works out at a monthly cost of just £4.17, making each weeks Feature Recording download less than £1.00!
With this new method of subscription we are able to process all the main card providers including VISA, Mastercard, Solo, UK Maestro, Maestro and Electron. We are also offering a 14-day period following your account activation during which you will be entitled to a full refund should you decide to cancel your subscription. |
