Offenbach: Tales of Hoffmann (Recorded 1947)

This soundtrack has a strange release history — it was originally issued as both a triple-LP set in a 12" box, complete with libretto and a booklet containing photographs from the film; and as a set of 20 45 rpm recordings in a thick 7" box, which is a conversation piece, if nothing else — sort of the "jukebox" edition of The Tales of Hoffmann. Additionally, the recording itself was the object of a lawsuit after it was issued by Decca/London, because at the time conductor Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were under exclusive contract to EMI Records; the court decided that regardless of whatever contract he had with EMI, Beecham's contract with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the producers of the movie, gave them the right to license the recording for soundtrack album release to anyone whom they chose, including Decca/London. It was last in print on vinyl in the early 1980s from Vox/Turnabout, under license from Decca. In 2004, it reappeared from Pearl Records, a classical label that generally releases material dating from the 1920s and 1930s. In this instance, however, they've extended themselves up through the end of the 1940s with this edition of The Tales of Hoffmann, which is not only the soundtrack to the 1951 movie, but also its raison d'etre — the movie was shot to the recording, which was done first. The recording is now owned by Universal, which has not seen fit to reissue the recording itself. Pearl Records has done an excellent job of transferring the late-'40s recording, which was done on 35mm film stock (as opposed to wax lacquers or magnetic recording tape — then a new innovation and one that the British were slow to adopt) — there is no excess noise of any kind and the highs and lows seem at full range and intact, with all of the details in the singing and playing in sharp relief. The playing is impeccable and the clarity of the singing, diction, and playback is such that the English translation of the libretto is easily understood — some may not like the cuts made in the score, or every aspect of Dennis Arundel's English-language libretto, but there's no ignoring the power of the music or the appeal of Beecham's taut, engaging conducting, or the playing of the RPO. There is no printed libretto but there is a full account of the content and a very good account of the entire production and the musical personalities and artists behind the recording and the movie — only a misprint in one name on the front cover mars an otherwise perfect product. It's worth the premium price for all of those elements, and, in addition, this may be the easiest way to get this musical material for the foreseeable future — as of late 2004, a DVD release of the movie is being delayed to allow a fuller restoration of the film elements.