Re: [ARSCLIST] Concertapes - some more history

[Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm in the muddle of reorganizing my CDs and can't lay hands on specific 
items at the moment, but I bought two or three Concert-Disc sourced New York 
Woodwind Quintet reissues on a label which name I don't recall.

The Solomon Omega line is not to be confused with the LP label of the same 
name.  The LP one had records by Claude Helfer, a terrific pianist, and the 
conductor Argenta, among others.

Steve Smolian


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 6:05 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Concertapes - some more history


> Hi Steve:
>
> Yes, Bernard Solomon, my mistake. Seymour owned Omega Records, which 
> reissued some if not most Everest classical titles on CD and then a few 
> early SACD, but it seems like Omega died with Seymour Solomon in 2002. 
> Some of the Omega CD's are now available as ArkivCD CDR's.
>
> As I understand it, Madacy Entertainment:
> http://www.madacy.com/Investor/index.php
> bought rights or bought outright the Everest classical catalog, what 
> remains of it. Classic Records then licensed from a Madacy subsidiary in 
> Germany to make their LPs and DVD-A's. BTW, the 3-channel DVD-A's are as 
> close as you're going to get to the master tapes and the whole way this 
> remastering was done was technically the best you can do for those old 
> films. As far as I know, Everest used the Westrex equipment in its stock 
> configuration, so the EQ curve was well known, etc.
>
> There was a 2-part article series on Everest in Classic Record Collector 
> this year.
>
> But, back to my main topic, while we've seen the Everest classical catalog 
> resurface first on CD's and very early SACD's for a few titles, and now on 
> Classic LP's and DVD-A's, I've never seen nor heard of any Concertape 
> reissues in the modern era.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Steven Smolian" <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 10:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Concertapes - some more history
>
>
> > Tom, you'll have to define "Everest Masters."  The 35mm company was one 
> > entity. Acquiring it and adding to it, Mr. Solomon (Bernard, not Seymour, 
> > I believe), built a conglomerate.  Various segments were licensed out but 
> > I think he still owns the entire (Everest I and II) catalogs. Others may 
> > have rights, but not exclusively, as far as I can tell.
> >
> > As to the location of master tapes, that's a separate jungle.
> >
> > Steve Smolian
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 7:25 PM
> > Subject: [ARSCLIST] Concertapes - some more history
> >
> >
> > > I ponied up some money and got copies of the Concertapes folder contents 
> > > in the Leonard Sorkin archives at U Wisconsin.
> > >
> > > A few highlights:
> > >
> > > 1. Steve Smolian, right again -- Concertapes was acquired by Seymor 
> > > Solomon/Everest, looks like in 1963. Concertapes put out what looks like 
> > > it's last brochure in what seems to be early 1963 (brochure #163) and 
> > > the same titles were listed in a later Everest brochure, seems to be 
> > > from late 1963 or early 1964.
> > >
> > > 2. Company financial statements in 1961-62 show a profitable concern. 
> > > There was a payout of stockholder equity to shareholders in late 1962, 
> > > taking profits before sale of the company.
> > >
> > > 3. Concertapes also carried recordings of the "NBC Symphony of the Air," 
> > > which I believe were Toscanini's players after the Maestro left. I 
> > > wonder if these were made by David Sarser?
> > >
> > > 4. Despite listing the "Fine Arts Symphony Orchestra" for some orchestra 
> > > recordings -- I think we've discussed this was probably most of the 
> > > Chicago Symphony in all but name -- this performer is not listed in any 
> > > Concertape catalogs in the file, including one from the mid or late 
> > > 50's. The Fine Arts Quartet (Sorkin and 3 other Chicago Symphony string 
> > > players) was listed as the artist on a series of tapes.
> > >
> > > So, this leads to another question. Were the Concertape masters acquired 
> > > by the Canadian company that acquired the Everest classical masters?
> > >
> > > -- Tom Fine
> > >
> > > --
> > > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 
> > > 269.15.12/1096 - Release Date: 10/27/2007 11:02 AM
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 
> 269.15.12/1098 - Release Date: 10/29/2007 9:28 AM