Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95
("From the New World")

1. Adagio; Allegro molto (0:08)
2. Largo (8:43)
3. Scherzo; Molto vivace (20:24)
4. Allegro con fuoco (26:35)

Hamilton Harty, conductor
The Hallé Orchestra

Recorded April 10/October 23/24, 1923
in Petty France Studios, London

One really has to be a devotee of classical recordings to know the name of Sir Hamilton Harty (1879-1941). Of Irish Descent, he was a well known composer, accompanist, and conductor in his time. He has been, sadly, mostly forgotten.

The present recording will, hopefully, introduce him to a some new listeners.

It is a historic recording in many respects, too. This is the first complete recording of the "New World Symphony" ever made. It is also the very first recording issued on Columbia's Masterworks label, which is still being used today by Sony for the CBS Collection.

It is a pretty notable performance, too. By 1923 acoustic recording had reached its zenith, and orchestrations sounded more and more like the real thing, even in the scaled-down recording environment of the era. Listeners will easily recognize the arrangement as much closer to the fully orchestrated score.

By this point, the diaphragms used for acoustic recording were virtually identical to the ones used in early microphones, even without amplification they could capture full range sound. Thus the reason why this recording has a very pleasant sense of realism.

Harty would not make any other recordings with acoustic technology after this one, but he did make recordings in the electrical format during his later years.

Transfer Mastering and sourcing courtesy of Shellackophile's Vintage Recording Collection
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Field Acoustic Restoration (2022): Paul Howard

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