Monday, September 21, 2020

The Train Keeps A-Rollin'

 




Hopefully, this is a more accurate 231 depiction than last time--I plugged "Pacific 4-6-2" into Google Images, and this is one of the many that popped up.  A lovely 1910s postcard scan came up, too, but the snow on the tracks made the wheels invisible.  My thanks to Jarbie for helping increase my limited knowledge of locomotives.

This is a repost, more or less--I had it up briefly, and then I decided to redo my London label Ansermet file, which I'd forgotten to apply the ffrr curve to.  Then I guess I lost my train of thought, becoming busy with other posts (three in the making as we speak).  Get it?  Train of thought!!

Anyway, turns out my VinylStudio program has no London ffrr curve, but it does have a Decca ffrr curve, and it worked just fine--brighter highs, more detail overall.  I guess ffrr is ffrr, whether it's Decca or London.

Eric was kind enough to share three Pacific 231 versions in last post's comment section, including a stereo recording by Ansermet, to whom this piece was dedicated in 1924. I'm pretty sure my Ansermet is different than Eric's, even though it's approximately the same length.  It sounds different, it's mono (which proves nothing, but just saying), and it was released in 1955, so I'm (possibly) totally convinced it's a different performance.  I ripped it from the 12" LP London LL1156, the U.S. edition of this British Decca album.

As much as I love the two Ansermet recordings. my favorite version remains Serge Baudo conducting the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1963. And the Baudo is also the first recording of 231 I ever heard, so... coincidence?  I don't know.  But every musical detail is there, clear as crystal, including those incredible piano-crashing-down-the-stairs triplets at the end, which I would have sworn were quarter-note triplets but which are plain, ordinary eighth-note triplets.  Not that Ansermet doesn't do an equally beautiful and faithful job--it's just that I like the Baudo more.  I would have said "...Baudo better," but "Baudo better" sounds like some strange TV offer. 

I used to blast a cassette dub of Baudo's version on my car stereo on my way to work--back when car stereos meant cassette players (plus a radio).  Nice memories.  The piece didn't inspire me to speed, however.  I like to follow traffic laws.  It's the right thing to do, and traffic tickets are expensive.

"I couldn't help it, officer--I was listening to Pacific 231."  "Oh, okay.  In that case..."




DOWNLOAD:  Ernest Ansermet, Serge Baudo--Pacific 231 (Honegger, 1924)


Pacific 231 (Mouvement symphonique No. 1)--Ernest Ansermet, c. L'Orchestre De La Société Des Concerts Du Conservatoire, 1955

Same--Serge Baduo, c. Czech Philharmonic Orch., 1963



Lee

9 comments:

Larry said...

Can't have too many different versions of this piece. Same goes for Mosolov's Iron Foundry. (hint, hint. It seems the only mono recording I have of the latter is by Julius Erlich, Paris SO 1931. (I don't recall where I found it.))

Good work as always!

Buster said...

Ansermet recorded the work twice, once with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, once with the Suisse Romande. Details below are from A Classical Discography:

Composer Honegger, Arthur 1892-1955
Work Pacific 231
Principal Number LL1156
Date 1954 September 22
Place Paris, Maison de la Mutualité
Label Decca
Ensemble Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Conductor Ansermet, Ernest
Producer/Engineer Olof/Wilkinson

Composer Honegger, Arthur 1892-1955
Work Pacific 231
Principal Number CS6367
Date 1963 April 2-8
Place Genève, Victoria Hall
Label Decca
Ensemble Orchestre de la Suisse romande
Conductor Ansermet, Ernest
Producer/Engineer Bremner/Wallace

Clarence Pune said...

Train of thought?
He's just expressing himself. Not really going off the rails.

Sky Raven said...

Thanks for sharing these Lee... it's nice to hear all these different versions. Burt

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Buster--

Thanks! So my version is from 1954, as I thought. I recalled having read that someplace, so I guess my memory is correct. The stereo version must be 1963, then.

bvtan20,

And the work follows a very logical, linear scheme. Nothing loco about it.

Sky Raven,

Sure! Glad you enjoyed.

Ernie said...

Choo choo!!

Eric said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKRCJhLU7rs

This is the original film from 1949. The music starts a couple of minutes in. I was looking for the old Westminster recording with Scherchen.

Lee Hartsfeld said...

Why would the poster put the music in the left channel only? It doesn't seem to identify the orch. or conductor.

Eric said...

Honegger is the conductor. There are more credits at the beginning.