No ordinary march album

Marches from the Classics

MfP2141

Released UK, 1965

(Pseudononymously) credited artists: Hollywood Symphony Ochestra (no conductor name given)

I can find no evidence of this album having been produced commercially in digital (CD or download) format and will willingly remove it from this blog should anyone concerned in its production or copyrighting complain about its presence here on legal grounds. 

The reason why this 50+ year old Lp does not identify the true performers involved is not known, at least to me. Not to be confused with latter day incarnations of the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra or the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, there was no existent orchestra as billed on the Lp at the time it was released as far as I’m aware.

The actual recordings on the Lp are mainly of Philadelphia/Ormandy, New York Philharmonic/Bernstein or Kostelanetz provenance, although other Columbia artists also appear. I have detailed these within the download text pages, also outlining some ‘evidence’ as to how I have identifed who is actually playing, giving track by track examples.

The MfP (Music for Pleasure) label was widely available to the British public and in certain other countries during the 1960’s. This was sponsored by the Hamlyn Group and audio material was sourced by EMI, sometimes - as here - from Columbia or other companies.

This really is a superb march album. This MfP Lp was cut for a fairly high playback level and the bass drum on some tracks has perhaps been allowed to become a shade over-reverberant as compared to the CD releases of the exact same recordings. Nevertheless, download, turn up the volume and ENJOY!

Track Listing

Side 1

1.1

Bizet: March of the Toreadors (from ‘Carmen’), actually played by the Philadelphia Orchestra, cond. Ormandy

1.2

Tchaikovsky: Marche Solonnelle (often known as the Coronation March for Alexander III or by similar titles), actually played by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Kostelanetz

1.3

Beethoven: Turkish March (from ‘Ruins of Athens’), actually played by the Philadelphia Orchestra, cond. Ormandy

1.4

Ippolitov-Ivanov: Procession of the Sardar (from ‘Caucasian Sketches’), actual performers not identified for sure, but very possibly the New York Philharmonic, cond. Bernstein

1.5

Knipper: Meadowlands, actually played by the Philadelphia Orchestra, cond. Ormandy

1.6

Rimsky-Korakov: Introduction and Wedding Procession (from ‘Le Coq d’Or’), actually played by the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, cond. Lane

1.7

Sousa: The Thunderer, actually played by Andre Kostelanetz and His ‘Orchestra’ (a Band in this case)

Side 2

2.1

(Trk 8) Prokofiev: March (from ‘The Love for Three Oranges’), actually played by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, cond. Schippers

2.2

(Trk 9) Berlioz: Rakoczy March (from ‘The Damnation of Faust’), actually played by the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, cond. Lane

2.3

(Trk 10) Tchaikovsky: Marche Miniature (from ‘The Nutcracker Ballet’), actually played by the Philadelphia Orchestra, cond. Ormandy

2.4

(Trk 11) Tchaikovsky: Marche Slave (Excerpt), actually played by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Bernstein

2.5

(Trk 12) Strauss: Radetzky March, actually played by the Philadelphia Orchestra, cond. Ormandy

2.6

(Trk 13) Sousa: El Capitan March, actually played by Andre Kostelanetz and His‘Orchestra’ (Band)

Download links (Flac is high quality, but takes up significant computer space (about the equivalent of an audio CD for the whole album). Use flac for reference listening or for further editing/mixing etc.; Mp3 is more suitable for mobile listening, still of fairly high quality, but takes up much less space. Both downloads come with the same notes and high resolution artwork. Click on above image for preview):

Marches from the Classics FLAC     

Marches from the Classics MP3