Entries by Peter Cates

REVIEW POTPOURRI: George Szell

by Peter Cates George Szell YouTube has made available an hour long September 1968, interview with the great former conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell (1897-1970), who raised that Midwestern group of 100 or more players from an already good level to world class during the 24 years of his leadership from 1946 to […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: English writer H. E. Bates

by Peter Cates English writer H. E. Bates The prolific English writer, H.E. Bates (1905-1974), published his novel The Purple Plain in 1947 and it was made into a 1954 film starring Gregory Peck, of which I have only the vaguest memories when it was shown on one of the Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Movies programs of Maine’s channel […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Puccini’s La Boheme

by Peter Cates Puccini La Boheme Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony, chorus and soloists; RCA Victor, LM-6006, 2 LPs, from the radio broadcasts of February 3 and 10, 1946. The inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison (1847-1931), was often accused of either being tone deaf or having no taste for music, two beliefs I […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Victor Red Seal recordings, Wagner, & Ernestine Schumann-Heink

by Peter Cates Victor Red Seal recordings A few Victor Red Seal recordings from the years of easily breakable 78 shellac discs. Bruckner Symphony No. 7; Eugene Ormandy conducting the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra; Victor, M-276, eight discs, recorded January 5th and 7th, 1935. Before his 44 years as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Memories of Grandma

by Peter Cates Memories of Grandma I am going to try something different this week but tie it into earlier reading, listening and viewing experiences, sharing a few memories of my grandmother, Annabelle Ingraham Cates (1888-1974). Grammie Cates was born and brought up in the coastal village of Rockport, Maine, to Enos and Marian Ingraham. […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Twilight Zone

by Peter Cates Twilight Zone Episode 150, “Stopover in a Quiet Town,” first aired on CBS April 24, 1964. I saw this episode when it first aired 56 years ago and again last night (Sunday, June 14) on Netflix. Before setting down any thoughts, I offer a plot summary. A young urban couple, Bob and […]

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Verdi: Rigoletto

by Peter Cates Verdi Rigoletto Walter Goehr conducting the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Chorus and soloists; The Opera Society, Inc.; M111-OP9; 2 ten-inch lps, recorded early-to-mid ‘50s. Verdi’s Rigoletto, along with Aida, and La Traviata, are arguably his three most popular operas. It is also the only opera I have seen in any Met productions, once […]