Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Columbia Masterworks 78 Sets: A Numerical Listing

This is my first foray into discography by means of this blog.  I present here a listing of all US Columbia Masterworks 78-rpm album sets known to me between 1924 (when the series began) and 1951 (when the series effectively ended with the takeover of LP), in numerical order, downloadable as a PDF document.  All 1,000+ regular series sets (prefixed "M-" from 1939 on), as well as all 33 Opera sets and all 355 "X-" sets (two-record sets) are included, and for us Steinweiss fans, data on which sets are known to me to be graced with his inimitable cover designs.   Individual record numbers for each set, manual and automatic sequence, are given, but not matrix numbers or recording dates, most of which can be found on the CHARM website anyway.  This is intended to be a checklist printable on 66 pages of letter-size paper, not a complete discography, but I hope it will prove useful for collectors nevertheless.

Link (PDF file, 580 KB)

26 comments:

  1. Thanks a lot! Greetings,
    Satyr

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  2. Here is my version: http://www.78rpmcommunity.com/documents/2/12/columbia-masterworks-78rpm-discography-v1-9-7

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  3. This is very interesting reading. So which of these recordings are the rare ones to look out for? A cursory Googling of the ones i had myself never known of (Squire playing Elgar Concerto!?) told me that they've been uploaded in these parts by independent collectors. But I'm curious as heck about the Roth Quartet doing Roussel, Tchaikovsky, and Art of the Fugue!

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  4. S. West - I'm glad to see your very excellent discography again; I thought it had been taken down. Is there a more permanent link I can put up at the right?

    Squirrel - in general, I guess the ones before M-500 and X-200 are the rarer ones. Most after that eventually made it to LP. I think Pristine Audio has the Art of Fugue. I once had it on 78s, as well as the Roths in Roussel, Tchaikovsky, Dohnanyi and Roy Harris, but alas had to sell off everything in 2004 to stave off foreclosure.

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  5. I have Roth SQ - Art of the Fugue in my collection. If you want I can put it on my "to do" list.

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  6. Hi Bryan - Can I contact you off this blog? I've found a few errors in your copy including this: "M-694 and X-281 were the last
    manual sets". This isn't true. My research has found it to be later in both cases... I also have a much more detailed steinweiss analysis listing all known covers for each set. For example, X-187 features three (known) cover variations.

    Please use this link as a more permanent one until the next version of my discography is online: http://www.78rpmcommunity.com/group/2

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  7. Hi Bryan, Is it possible to contact you off this blog. I've found quite a few errors in your list.

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  8. Satyr - Roth Art of Fugue would be much appreciated - at your convenience, of course.

    S. West - if you are ever on RMCR (rec. music. classical. recordings) newsgroup, my name there is "harpsichordian" and I think you can send me an email privately from there.

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  9. Interesting ... THANK YOU!
    Do you have a record of six symphonies by Tchaikovsky with Wood?

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  10. Paul - as far as I am aware, Wood only recorded one Tchaikovsky symphony, which is the "Pathetique" - which I do in fact have.

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  11. someone donated a box of columbia masterworks to a charity tag sale that i'm running. i think i would do better to sell these online rather than at a local tag sale. other than ebay is there a recommended place to try to price and sell these albums. note: the cases have some damage - but the albums appear to be undamaged.

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  12. This is exactly the kind of information I have been looking for! I came across a complete set (MM-OP-8 according to your list)...can't find anything regarding the value of it. And also, the numbers on the records don't match what they should be...any advice/insight?

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  13. jeblina3 - is your set made in the USA? Many of these recordings were issued in different countries under different numbers. What are the numbers on your discs?

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  14. hi i have been searching all night on the internet and lots of dead ends... i have 3 sets of beethoven symphonies columbia masterworks... i am wondering if you could give me any information i was wondering the value of them?

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  15. I have just purchased Gounod Faust sung in English DX88-103.Any thoughts on what value I should insure them for ?
    There are in excellent condition complete with program costing one shilling

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  16. I have set X-207 in excellent condition, any market for this set?

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  17. I am something of a Barbirolli completist, and I noticed in your PDF the performance he recorded of Brahms Sym 2 with the Philharmonic-Symphony of New York (prior to 1940?) on M-412. I've never seen this set, and did not even know it existed. Has it been reissued on CD? I can't find it online.

    DO YOU HAVE THIS SET, Bryan?!

    If so, I'd put in a good word for your transferring it and offering it here.

    Thanks.

    Steve W. - retired recording engineer, San Jose

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    1. Steve, I'm sorry, I've never seen this set either.

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    2. Just picked up a copy of this set and wouldn't be too opposed to parting with it if you're still looking.

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    3. That sounds very interesting, Adam - could you email me privately? My email provider is juno.com, and my userid is "bryan52063".

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  18. I have two complete sets: Brahms Concerto in D Major (set 117 on your list), I also have Bizet symphony in C major (set mm-596). I also have a Victor Musical Masterpiece incomplete (one of the 3 discs missing) its set M-181 "Symphony No. 8 in F Major. Can anyone help me find out what these are worth and where I might fiend a buyer? You can reach me at ronparks1@frontier.com

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  19. While moving recently I discovered a set of Toscanini Conducts Ludwig Van Beethoven Fifth Symphony in C minor by Victor Records - these are 78 LPs. 2 sets of numbers M640-M640-8 and 15827-A-15830-B - Can anyone tell me if this is worth anything - seems to be in excellent condition and where would be the appropriate place to try and sell and if there is no value, is there anyone interested in this collection? You can email @grahamle4@gmail.com and/or comment below. Thank you.

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  20. Found a bunch of these in my closet M 507-7 very old remember my parents playn these when i was lil my favorite was about a noy anf his donkey can snyone tell me their value condition if fair

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  21. Found a bunch of these in my closet M 502-7 very old remember my parents playn these when i was lil my favorite was about a boy anf his donkey can anyone tell me their value condition if fair

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  22. I have a Columbia Masterworks J. 71 Don Juan performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the 1940"s?? what is the value and how do I sell it

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  23. I have a set of 2 Woodford-Finden albums by Nelson Eddy of Four Indian Love Lyrics I wish to sell. Any suggestions or buyers?

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