Karl Miller wrote:

>I find a listing of the recording on a Columbia LP ML 4640.  According
>to the bibliographic citation, it was recorded in 1951.  OCLC does not
>list a CD transfer of it, however, I would guess it could be obtained
>from dealers of second hand recordings.
>
>As for the "not of 78rpm origin," it could have been recorded on tape.
>In the late years of the 78, Columbia, in some instances, would record
>on 16 inch lacquer discs, unlike Victor who would record a 78rpm side
>at a time.  The obvious advantage of the 16 inch disc is that a conductor
>could record an entire movement in one take.  The disadvantage would be
>a slight loss in fidelity resulting from having to cut a master from the
>16 inch disc.  By 1951, tape was being used by the major companies, but
>since those recordings were made outside of the studio, I don't know
>what technology they might have used.

I don't think I have ever responded to one of my own notes before, but
I got a response to this posting from a friend of mine, who truly is an
authority on the history of recording.  He pointed out some facts that
I did not know...

Namely, that in by 1944 Victor was using 16 inch lacquers to record the
Boston Symphony.  That accounts for the somewhat muffled sound of their
recordings from that period.  Also, the LPs issued of those performances
were transferred from the lacquers, which accounts for the better sound
on those transfers...and a good reason to collect them.

Subsequent issues have been made from the 78s as few of the original
lacquers survive.

Karl