Re: [ARSCLIST] Soviet Recordings

[Larry Friedman <disquod@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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> On Behalf Of Karl Miller
> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 3:22 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Soviet Recordings
> 
> [clip]
 
>   The wiki article on Melodiya is not very helpful...as it places the
origin of the
> company in 1964. There is a Melodiya company online which says it began in
1964.
> The label started much earlier than that. There were, as I recall, plenty
of Russian
> discs issued in the 78 rpm era. By the way, one item on my want list is a
set of 78s
> of the Khachaturian Second Symphony, conducted by Gauk....just in case
anyone
> has it. I recall only one reference to it, a review.


I think what was meant about Melodiya being founded in 1964 is that is when
the name was first used.  Before that, the disks were known by various
names, sometimes just "USSR", sometimes "Dolgoigrayushchi" (Long-Playing). I
guess the thought had been, why give a name to something that only exists in
one form? Then, when Soviet disks started being exported more, they must
have seen the virtue of giving them a brand name.

One man's opinion only.

Best regards,
-Larry Friedman