Soviet All-Union Radio Committee Collection, c.1947-1953

Summary

Creators:

Vsesoi︠u︡znoe radio

Abstract:

The Soviet All-Union Radio Committee Collection consists of excerpts of classical music, opera, and folk music on tape, all by Russian composers and performed by Russian musicians, from the late 1940s and early 50s. The tapes were used in radio programming by the All-Union Radio Committee (Vsesoiuznoe radio).

Extent:

5 boxes : 108 tapes on hubs (pancake): 22 in 5" boxes ; 65 in 7" boxes ; 21 in 10.5" boxes

Language:

Russian

Preferred citation:

Soviet All-Union Radio Committee Collection, ARS-0085. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The Soviet All-Union Radio Committee Collection consists of excerpts of classical music, ballet, opera, and folk music on tape, all written by Russian composers and performed by Russian musicians, from the late 1940s and early 1950s. The tapes appear to have been used in radio programming by the All-Union Radio Committee in the Soviet Union. In fact, there is no identifiable agency responsible indicated on the majority of tape boxes, but some do indicate VRK (Vsesoiuznoe Radio, or All-Union Commission on Radiofication and Radio Broadcasting). Additionally, the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio Committee performs on a number of recordings, suggesting All-Union Radio involvement.

Despite the fact that typed English translations are affixed to some tape boxes, these were probably used originally in the production of programs to be broadcast within the U.S.S.R. Programs such as Radio Moscow were sent to air in the United States as fully-produced shows, and, as noted, these are excerpts from two to thirty minutes long (most are around five minutes). In some boxes there are handwritten translations on c.1950s stationery with a printed San Francisco letterhead. Some tapes are untranslated and are marked [Russian]. No attempt has been made at translating, but transliteration has been standardized to some degree.

Composers most prominently featured in the collection are Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin, and Prokofiev. Khachaturian and Kabalevsky conduct their own work (the latter with David Oistrakh), and Shostakovich plays his Prelude and Fugue, op.87 (noted incorrectly on boxes as 89) in a variety of keys. Works by Borodin, Gliere, Miaskovsky, Glazunov, and Glinka are also performed. The names for certain orchestras vary from tape box to tape box, but the majority are credited to the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio Committee. Also performing are the State Symphony Orchestra of U.S.S.R., the Leningrad State Philharmonic Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments, the Russian State Peoples Chorus, the Moscow Youth Orchestra, the Georgian State String Quartet (Sak’art’velos Saxelmcip’o Simebiani Kvarteti), and the Beethoven Quartet (Kvartet Imeni Betkhovena).

Among the conductors are Golovanov, Gauk, Knushevitsky, Aleksandrov, Samosud, and Kondrashin. Soloists, many of whom who found fame in the West not long after these recordings, include David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels, and Sviatoslav Knushevitsky. Regions covered in folk songs include Ukraine, Armenia, Estonia, and Moldavia. There is also more political material, such as the Russian national anthem Hymn to the Soviet Union, "composed" folk songs, and odes to Stalin.

Information from tape boxes has been entered in the following format: "Composer. Title. Conductor, Performing group, Soloist." All tapes were originally numbered in the same series, but with significant gaps. Some parts are missing as well. Printed dates of any kind are lacking. Some works were written in the early 50s while others are likely pre-1953. Despite its age and condition, original packaging has been retained, including cardboard boxes in 5, 7 and 10" sizes. The acetate tape was stored oxide-out in pancakes on unusual metal hubs. Printed labels in Russian identify works and performers. Curiously, there are also English translations printed on boxes (in addition to the handwritten translations enclosed). Some tape leaders have typed Russian notes too.

Processing information:

This finding aid was produced with generous financial support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Rules or conventions:

Prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Radio programs
Folk songs.
Operas--Excerpts

Names:

Aleksandrov, A. V. (Aleksandr Valerʹevich), 1883-1946
Aleksandrov, Boris Aleksandrovich
Altʻunyan, Tʻatʻul, 1901-1974
Aranov, Shiko Beniaminovich, 1906-1969
Balanchivadze, A. (Andreĭ), 1906-1992
Blanter, Matveĭ
Borodin, Aleksandr Porfirʹevich, 1833-1887
Budashkin, Nikolaĭ Pavlovich, 1910-1988
Ernesaks, Gustav, 1908-1993
Gauk, Aleksandr, 1893-1963
Gilels, Emil
Glazunov, Aleksandr Konstantinovich, 1865-1936
Glière, Reinhold Moritsevich, 1875-1956
Glinka, Mikhail Ivanovich, 1804-1857
Golovanov, Nikolaĭ Semenovich, 1891-1953
Harutʻyunyan, Alekʻsandr Grigori, 1920-
Homoli︠a︡ka, Vadym Borysovych, 1914-1980
Kabalevsky, Dmitry Borisovich, 1904-1987
Kapp, Villem, 1913-1964
Karaev, Kara
Khachaturi︠a︡n, Aram Ilʹich, 1903-1978
Kiladze, Grigoriĭ Varfolomeevich, 1902-1962
Knushevit︠s︡kiĭ, Svi︠a︡toslav, 1908-1963
Kondrashin, Kirill, 1914-1981
Kovalʹ, Marian, 1907-1971
Liatoshynskyĭ, Borys Mykolaĭovych, 1895-1968
Mi︠a︡skovskiĭ, N. (Nikolaĭ), 1881-1950
Mussorgsky, Modest Petrovich, 1839-1881
Nikolaeva, Tatʹi︠a︡na, 1924-1993
Oĭstrakh, David Fedorovich, 1908-1974
Prokofiev, Sergey, 1891-1953
Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 1873-1943
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay, 1844-1908
Rostropovich, Mstislav, 1927-2007
Scriabin, Aleksandr Nikolayevich, 1872-1915
Shostakovich, Dmitriĭ Dmitrievich, 1906-1975
Shtoharenko, Andriĭ I︠A︡kovych, 1902-1992
T︠S︡int︠s︡adze, Sulkhan, 1925-1991
Taneev, Sergeĭ Ivanovich, 1856-1915
Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilich, 1840-1893

Places:

Soviet Union

Restrictions:

Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the creators or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.

Preferred citation:

Soviet All-Union Radio Committee Collection, ARS-0085. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:

Stanford University, Archive of Recorded Sound

Braun Music Center, 541 Lasuen Mall

Stanford, CA 94305-3076, US

Contact:

(650) 723-9312

soundarchive@stanford.edu

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