The music of the 1812 Overture was recorded on December 4, 1954, at the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. The orchestra was placed in normal concert formation on the bare stage, with the University of Minnesota Band brass choir being placed immediately alongside the regular Minneapolis Symphony brass players. A single microphone was hung approximately 15 feet above and slightly behind the conductor’s podium and maintained in this position during the course of the recording. The bronze 6-pounder field cannon shot was recorded by the Mercury engineering staff and mobile recording unit on January 20, 1955, at the Museum of the Military Academy at West Point. To record the bells, the microphone was placed in such a way that the bells would be heard from the vantage point of a spectator rather than being placed in the tower itself. The patter run represents as close an approximation as possible to the Russian bell-ringing style. This has been further enhanced by copying the original tape recorded at twice the speed — thereby giving the necessary effect of rapidly ringing small bells. The bells as heard in this recording represent a combination of the original and the speeded-up tape. The bell and cannon materials were edited into an “effects” tape which was then played in synchronization with the music tape previously recorded in Minneapolis. The final “composite” recording is offered here. The Capriccio Italien was recorded on December 22, 1955, also at the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. Deems Taylor’s narration was recorded in 1954 at Fine Sound Studios, New York. Master mix of music, sound effects and narration by C. Robert Fine at Fine Sound Studios. All works were first released on MG50054. Includes spoken commentary to the 1812 by Deems Taylor.
Mono recording.
