Mendelssohn / Violin Concerto in E Minor

Beethoven / Romance Nos. 1 & 2

Johanna Martzy / Paul Kletzki / Philharmonia Orchestra

For you consideration, the Kletski/Mendelssohn Violin concerto & Beethoven Romances with soloists Johanna Martzy. Much under appreciated whilst alive, her death at the comparatively young age of 54 would go unnoticed by Gramophone in 1979 though Glenn Gould would remember her as "the most underrated of the great violinists of our age".
Her recordings are now much sought after, and don't come up too often. This is one of the rare examples of where there is no comparable stereo, SAX release with the recording arriving to market around 12 months before the mass outbreak of stereo recordings in 1958. That said, there is some conjecture as to the release time of this recording with Discogs stating 1955 but the first review in Gramophone being January 1957.

Cat#: 33CX 1497 Record Label: Columbia Country Released: UK Label Info: Blue/Gold ED1 Stereo/Mono: Mono Release Year: Discogs states 1955, however the record is first reviewed in Gramophone Magazine January 1958. Title(s) / Tracks: Side A Title Side B Title A Violin Concerto (No. 2) in E minor (1844) (MWV O 14) B1 Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in G major

B2 Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F major
Notes: Gramophone Review
Gramophone Magazine. (1958). January issue, page 310.

Johanna Martzy's earlier records have always presented a cool, lyrical style of playing, guided in every detail by the highest standards of musicianship. So indeed does this new one, but an additional quality now comes into play: the first movement of the Mendelssohn displays additionally a strength that suits the music very well. There is no over-romanticisation; there is instead a vigour which sets the many lyrical passages into very agreeable perspective. (There is too, perhaps, the slightest wavering of confidence in the first few pages of the work).

The second movement, unreservedly lyrical, comes with heightened contrast. The violin entry, with music so very different from that of the first movement, seems in this performance to come very soon; Mendelssohn, it crossed my mind for the first time could have written a longer transition here. The transition to the finale poses no problems of this sort; Miss Martzy gets a move on, both with transition and finale proper, and the result is in total a very happy reading of the concerto indeed.

Throughout the orchestra play beautifully, and the recording, particularly as to balance, among the best. The LP career of the Mendelssohn concerto started unhappily with several issues variously indifferent in one way or another, but in the last year or so has suddenly come up with no less than five first-class versions, between which I would suggest that choice could reasonably be made by consideration of the backings.

This particular consideration-and this only-might be held to weigh against Martzy. For though she gives very musicianly readings of the two Beethoven Romances, and is both well partnered by the orchestra and well recorded, yet he will be a rugged enthusiast indeed for these pieces who thinks them a competitive replacement for the whole concertos otherwise on offer. Each Romance, considered individually, most certainly has its point; but played consecutively (the key-relationship alone makes it clear that nothing could have been further from Beethoven's intent ion), the innocent music is in total liable to outstay its welcome.  Grading Overview

***PLAY TESTED & PROFFESIONALLY CLEANED BEFORE GRADING***  Vinyl Grading: VG (Strong) SIDE A

Side A has some sporadic crackle (as opposed to underlying hiss (please see below) of which there is next to none (in fact the quieter, thinner orchestrated passages are reassuringly free of unwanted noise). The crackle is more consistent on the outer and settles down a little half way through the 1st movement.

Going into the 2nd movement we have much of the same: very light, sporadic overarching patches of crackle. Again, no underlying hiss in the quieter passages, maybe the odd, again light pop.

The last quarter of side A finishes very strong (towards Ex) with only light ,sporadic crackle. Again, no hiss on lighter orchestrated passages.

On playback of side A, I heard no clicks which as a result of any severe scratches. Maybe the odd tick but nothing where the scratches fell parallel to the grooves and created repeated noise on consecutive rotations.    

SIDE B
Again, as with side A, we start with with the overarching, intermittent crackle. The crackle softens as Romance No1 progresses. Relatively hiss free in quieter passages.

Towards the middle of the 2nd Romance, there is a patch of crackle (please see visual note) which sounds on consistent rotations. I would say this was the weakest part of the disc and side B weaker side of the two. 


VISUALLY

Both sides have some light scuff marks, typically running at right angles to the grooves. This is not a NM disc but reassuringly, none of the marks are feelable. There is a couple of hairline scratch across the final third of side two (second romance) which swoop across in a concave 'X' shape which results in the patch of crackle, mentioned. 


CONCULSION

It does seem a real shame to put a VG grading on this but I would much sooner under grade and surpass expectations, rather than the other way around. Side A is the stronger and touches on EX in places. 

The massive positive is the lack of any feelable scratches so it's just the odd bit of crackle here and there.

Even after the professional clean, I was finding there was still dust emanating from the records 70 year old grooves, so it may be that it improves a little with play as the dust dislodges.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed, but any issues, please give me a shout.   


Please note, all testing done with a Stereo Setup so it mat be that you get better results with specialist Mono equipment.    Label Comments Label retains a really nice shine and shows no obvious spindle wear (even when held at an angle to the light). 

Being very picky, Side 2 shows some minor signed of wear (please see pics) Sleeve Grading: VG Flip back seams, Laminated both front and back, laminate mostly solid except where noted below.

The spine shows some sign of cracking, with some lifting of laminate, but, despite mild Ringwear, remains solid, still retaining its shape (emphasised by obvious pinched edges)

The opening edge is slightly upturned in places and this is where the largest amount of missing laminate shows itself.

I have undertaken, what I hope you will agree is, a sympathetic repair to the rear upper. Where there was a heavy crease, a 3" split to the sleeve, and a 1/2" split to the top seam, I sourced an old unlaminated Decca sleeve, of comparable age, and used stick glue to patch it in place. I'm happy with the result and the sleeve is now much more sturdy. 

Thankfully no signs of foxing (though the double laminate would reduce this), so assumed that it's spent most it's life stored comparatively well and away from damp.  

The inner is of the period but not original to this record. As a result, it's condition should NOT be used to make assumptions of the records storage/condition. I attach a picture of the poly lined HMV sleeve (in strong VG condition) which I received the record in (purely for illustrative purposes.     

The record will be mailed with the period Columbia inner, the original HMV inner and the vinyl separate from the outer sleeve in a Nagaoka anti static record sleeve.  

In conclusion, allowing for the repair, the sleeve sits at the upper end of the grading.   Grading System From 20th Jan 2024 I Will be using the Goldmine Grading System as follows:

MINT

• A record that is in perfect condition and has never been played.
• I will only use this grading if the record is sealed.

Near Mint (NM or M-)

• The record appears to have never been played (or has been played very few times).
• The record has no visible signs of wear or damage.
• The cover has no creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes, or any other noticeable defects.

Excellent (EX)

(PLEASE NOTE: I have elected to use EX as opposed to Goldmines VG+. In the interest of clarity, I will not use the VG+ grading to represent a top end VG)

• A record that has been played but is still in excellent condition.
• Defects are of a cosmetic nature, not affecting the actual playback as a whole.
• Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experiences.
• Slight warps that do not affect the sound are "OK".
• The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.
• Spindle marks may be present.
• The cover/box may have slight signs of wear and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation, or cut corner.
• In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint.

Very Good (VG)

• The record has obviously been played.
• Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise.
• Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as with light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
• Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of covers and will show obvious signs of wear and tear.

Good (G)

• The record has obviously been played.
• A record that has been heavily played and may skip or repeat. There may be noticeable noise or distortion on the recording.
• The Sleeve has obvious marks, tears and rips.

Grading Definitions / Terms Not all of the below will be present in my listings (as some would result in damage so severe it would render the record useless) but I thought they were worth exploring. 

Audio

• Tick - a light click that can be heard at a low level. Likely the result of a light scratch. Potentially accepted by the listener if not overly persistent.
• Click - Clearly audible and likely the result of a feelable scratch.
• Pop - Deeper in tone and more explosive than a click. Potentially temporary and related to dust and/or static. Does not reoccur over continual rotations and likely random, occurring sporadically.
• Hiss - Existing in the background and likely the result of many plays/uses coming from multiple hairline scratches. Likely to be fairly consistent and more audible in quieter sections/thinner orchestration.
• Crackle - Unlike hiss, crackle appears to exist 'on top' of the audio and is likely to be less persistent and more sporadic.
• Skip - the needle leaves the groove as a result of a mark/scratch, resulting in interrupted playback.
• Needle Stick (Skip/Loop) - on top of the skip, the record loops endlessly as damage prevents the needle from proceeding.
• Groove Wear - This is a really tricky one (and could provide the answer as to why a visually great record sounds terrible) to spot. By definition when a piece of metal comes into contact with a piece of plastic there will be some wear and tear. Each time a record is played it will diminish minutely in quality each time. This was amplified by old fashioned, heavy (or worn out) Stylus. There's a great video on YouTube which references a book called "From Tinfoil To Stereo" which, at a microscopic level, shows the groove of a record at the beginning of it's life, lightly chevroned and, after 50 plays with a heavy stylus, looking like car tyre tread. So, although a record may have spent it's life in a cherished collection and look mint, the only way we could see if there was groove wear, and a serious reduction in sound quality, is through play back.

Visual

Vinyl (ordered by least to most serious)
• Skate Marks - Light marks across the grooves (but importantly not deep enough to cause audible issue) from poor handling. Look worse than they are.
• Scuff (light) - A glancing blow that is unlikely to be serious enough to cause any major playback issues.
• Hairline Scratch (Singular) - Very light scratch that may result in 'ticks' or nothing audibly at all.
• Hairline Scratch (Multiple) - could be the result of extensive use and often seen under bright light. In minor cases, may result in some crackle, in major, visually compromises the shine of the record, potentially dullening the surface and causing major hiss on playback.
• Scuff (Heavy) - More than a glancing blow, wider than a scratch and may cause ticks or clicks.
• Scratch - Heavier than a hairline and may be heard of playback. If 'feelable' potentially serious enough to result in more than a tick/click but skips or skip/loops.
• Tramlines - I borrow this term from the excellent LondonJazzCollector blog, scratches which fall in the direction of the groove. Often hard to spot and can cause major issues as the needle follows the scratch as opposed to groove resulting in skips.
• Polythene Transfer - Again borrowed from the LondonJazzCollector blog. Mottled, cloudy impressions exist on the vinyl as a result of being in contact with poly lined sleeves (likely under pressure). The blog advises to avoid such examples because of of the potential for transfer to the stylus.
• Ringburn - My term, I name this in honour of the old issue with Xbox consoles where, if knocked and the game was in play, I assume the disc lens scratches a perfectly circular scratch all the way round... Mentioned here out of novelty (as I'll never list one), I assume this is caused by a worn stylus (or a vinyl LP being played on a Gramophone?). Essentially the information on the disc has been completely worn away and when the needle passes through it, all you hear is static (or the same sound when you auto drop the needle on a 12" but you forget you loaded a 10")
Sleeve/Box/Label
• Foxing - The Sleeve has been exposed to damp at some point in it's life and has mottling, or even rust like, marks present.
• Ringwear - The record has likely been stored with other records stored on top of it, creating pressure and transferring the outline of the record to the sleeve.
• Spindle Wear - The level of shiny Marks marks around the spindle hole. Small levels of spindle wear likely indicate a small amount of play and vice versa.
• BB Hole/Notched/Clipped - Likely more cosmetics than anything. A Clipped or notched sleeve (where a part of it is missing) indicates that first time around, the record was unsold and returned to the distributor. The same reason could be why there is an off centre hole drilled through some, or all of the layers; sleeve, inner and record.

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