Mozart Symphony No, 35, Schubert Symphony No, 8, Beethoven Symphony No, 2, : Schuricht / Vienna Philharmonic

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Symphony No.8(7) in B minor, D.759 "Unfinished"
�D�TAllegro moderato
�E�UAndante con moto

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Symphony No.2 in D major, Op. 36
�F�TAdagio molto-Allegro con brio
�G�ULarghetto
�H�VScherzo. Allegro
�I�WAllegro molto

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
CARL SCHURICHT, conductor

Recorded:�@-�E3-6 June 1956, �F-�I27-30 May 1952, Grossersaal, Musikverein, Vienna

Source:�@-�CLondon (U.S.A.) CS 6113 (U.K. Decca single-sided test pressing/Unpublished),
�D�EDecca(U.K.) SPA 225, �F-�ILondon(U.S.A.) LL 629

Reissue Producer: Naoya Hirabayashi


Producer's notes
The recordings of Mozart’s Haffner Symphony and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony on this disc were Schuricht’s last for the Decca company. The two performances were first issued together in 1957 as a mono LP, on Decca in the UK (LXT5257) and in a Decca pressing on the American London label (LLP1534). Stereo versions were later announced by both companies and allocated issue numbers (SXL2143 in the UK and CS6113 in the USA), but neither edition was issued. A mono edition was also released in November
1958 by King records in Japan (LC4).

The first stereo version of the record was published in America in October 1960. This was on London’s budget-price Richmond edition, but it had an inferior sleeve and it was not a Decca pressing.

The first UK stereo release of the Schubert was in 1972, on Decca’s budget price SPA series, but the stereo version of the Mozart was never issued on LP in Britain. In 2008 I obtained the Mozart in the form of a stereo test pressing of London CS6113 (the reasons why this edition was not issued remain unclear). I have used this and SPA225 as the best LP transfer sources.

I tried four separate copies of Beethoven’s Second Symphony on Decca LXT2724, but none yielded a satisfactory quality of sound. I obtained much better results from an American London pressing (LL629), and this provided my transfer source. Needless to say, this US edition uses UK Decca pressings.
Naoya Hirabayashi