Historical classical music recordings are generally

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

recordings made prior to the stereo era of vinyl disc recording, which began around 1957. As time passes, even later recordings, made in the early stereo era are also being released as "historical" recordings, especially if they were never released or were dropped from the record catalogs due to loss of popularity or "antiquated" sound. Typically such recordings are of artists and performances that were particularly notable at the time they were first released, or were unavailable because they were private recordings made at concerts or radio broadcasts. The latter can be of rather high quality if the recording derives from tapes made and archived by the broadcaster or the organization mounting the performance.

Recordings issued by arts organizations

Important sources of historical recordings are the broadcast archives of orchestras and opera companies. For instance, the

Met Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

of New York has issued a number of historical broadcast recordings which are only available upon making a donation. In the late 1980s, th
Metropolitan Opera Guild
issued a large number of two-disc compilations of historical recordings called ''Great Operas at the Met''. Each album featured recorded performances of

arias In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanimen ...

from a particular opera, generally beginning in the early 20th century and continuing up into the early stereo era. The

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...

issued a 12- CD box entitled ''Boston Symphony Orchestra Symphony Hall Centennial Celebration: From the Broadcast Archives 1943-2000'' in the 1980s. These recordings are now available for download from the orchestra's web site.

Major label reissues

Many of the major record labels have also reissued important historical recordings. For example,

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by the Dutch electronics company Philips. It was founded as Philips Phonographische Industrie in 1950. In 1946, Philips acquired the company which pressed records for British Decca's Dutch outlet in A ...

issued a 200-CD series of recordings entitled ''

Great Pianists of the 20th Century ''Great Pianists of the 20th Century '' was a 200-CD box set released by Philips Records in 1999 and sponsored by Steinway & Sons. The box set comprises 100 volumes featuring 72Guttman 1999, 2005. pianists of the 20th century, each volume with t ...

'' in 1999.

Record labels specializing in historic recordings

There are a number of record labels that have primarily issued historic classical recordings or have treated them as an important category. Examples include:A number of the record labels included in this list have been taken from this article: Will Crutchfield
"RECORDINGS; In Opera, 'Live' Is Livelier, but Also Riskier"
''New York Times'', July 15, 1990. Accessed 21 August 2009. Subscription may be required.

*

Centaur Records Centaur Records is one of the oldest and largest independent classical labels in America. The company is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was founded by Victor Sachse in 1976. Centaur's catalog includes classical, historical, pops, contemp ...

Fonit Cetra Fonit Cetra was an Italian record label, active between 1957 and 2000. History Fonit Cetra was founded in 1957 from merging two already existing labels: Cetra (acronym from Compagnia per edizioni, teatro, registrazioni ed affini), owned by RAI an ...

* Golden Melodram *

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''ha ...

* Hunt * Laudis * Legato Classics *

Marston Records Marston Records is an independent American record label. The label specializes in the remastering and reissuing of very early and rare recordings. It was founded in 1997 by Ward Marston and Scott Kessler. Releases on Marston Records Collecti ...

Music & Arts Music & Arts is a classical and jazz record label founded in Berkeley, California by Frederick Maroth. It began in 1984 as a classical music label before adding jazz and world music. The catalog includes classical composers and musicians Milto ...

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

Sakuraphon
* Standing Room Only * Symposium Cds. * Testament Records *

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

Recordings made and shared privately by clubs, internet groups, blogs, and other aficionado-run free forums

Recordings made from radio and internet broadcasts, in-house personal microphones and recording devices, and from performer's earpiece monitor transmissions are archived and disseminated in various ways. This kind of documentation of live performance is also known as a Recording Of Indeterminate Origin, or ROIO. Many blogs, clubs, internet groups and other forums exist whose members contribute and receive ROIOs, many of which have never been available commercially. Most of these forums traffic in non-commercially available broadcast/other classical music recordings for free. Historic recordings that begin as freely traded ROIOs often surface later as commercial products.

Grammy Awards

The

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

have a prize category for

Best Historical Album The Grammy Award for Best Historical Album has been presented since 1979 and recognizes achievements in audio restoration. Since this category's creation, the award had several minor name changes: *In 1979 the award was known as Best Historical Re ...

since 1979 which does not distinguish between classical and non-classical albums. Past classical album Grammy winners and nominees have been: * 2022 Nomination: ''Glenn Gould—The Goldberg Variations—The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions''. Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner, mastering engineer (

Glenn Gould Glenn Herbert Gould (; né Gold; September 25, 1932October 4, 1982) was a Canadian classical pianist. He was one of the most famous and celebrated pianists of the 20th century, and was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann ...

) (

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...

) * 2021 Nomination: ''Marian Anderson—Beyond the Music—Her Complete RCA Victor Recordings''. Robert Russ, compilation producer; Andreas K. Meyer & Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineers (

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to Spiritual (music), spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throu ...

) (

) * 2020 Nomination: ''The Great Comeback—Horowitz at Carnegie Hall''. Robert Russ, compilation producer; Andreas K. Meyer & Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineers (

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz; yi, וולאַדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ, group=n (November 5, 1989)Schonberg, 1992 was a Russian-born American classical pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all ...

) (

) * 2019 Nomination: ''A Rhapsody in Blue—The Extraordinary Life of Oscar Levant''. Robert Russ, compilation producer; Andreas K. Meyer & Rebekah Wineman, mastering engineers (

Oscar Levant Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906August 14, 1972) was an American concert pianist, composer, conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian and actor. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for reco ...

) (

) * 2018 Win: ''Leonard Bernstein—The Composer''. Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner & Andreas K. Meyer, master engineers (

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

) (

) * 2018 Nomination: ''Glenn Gould—The Goldberg Variations—The Complete Unreleased Recording Sessions, June 1955''. Robert Russ, compilation producer; Mathias Erb, Martin Kistner & Andreas K. Meyer, mastering engineers (

) (

) * 2017 Nomination: ''Vladimir Horowitz—The Unreleased Live Recordings 1966–1983''. Bernard Horowitz, Andreas K. Meyer & Robert Russ, compilation producers; Andreas K. Meyer & Jeanne Montalvo, mastering engineers (

) (

) * 2014 Nomination: Wagner: ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (Deluxe Edition). Philip Siney, compilation producer; Ben Turner, mastering engineer (

Sir Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

) * 2001 Nomination: ''The Rubinstein Collection''. Nathaniel S. Johnson, compilation producer; Hsi-Ling Chang, Marian M. Conaty, Michael O. Drexler, Thomas MacCluskey, Ward Marston, James Nichols, Francis X. Pierce, Jon M. Samuels & Michael Sobol, mastering engineers (

Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American pianist.

) (

RCA Red Seal RCA Red Seal is a classical music label whose origin dates to 1902 and is currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment. History The first "Gramophone Record Red Seal" discs were issued in 1901.New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

) (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) * 1999 Nomination: ''New York Philharmonic—The Historic Broadcasts 1923 to 1987''. Sedgwick Clark, compilation producer; Jon M. Samuels & Seth B. Winner, mastering engineers (New York Philharmonic) (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) * 1997 Nomination: ''Fritz Kreisler—The Complete RCA Recordings''.

John Pfeiffer John Pfeiffer (September 29, 1920February 8, 1996) was a classical recording producer, a design engineer, and an occasional electronic music composer. Life and career Born in Tucson, Arizona, Pfeiffer studied music and engineering at the Unive ...

, compilation producer; Harold Hogopian, Glen Kolotkin & Ward Marston, mastering engineers (

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...

) ( RCA Victor Gold Seal) * 1996 Win: ''The Heifetz Collection''. J.J. Stelmach, art director;

, compilation producer; Ray Hall, Thomas MacCluskey, James P. Nichols, Anthony Salvatore, Jon M. Samuels & David Satz (mastering engineers) (

Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American violinist. Born in Vilnius, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz ...

& Various Artists) (RCA Victor Gold Seal) * 1995 Nomination: ''Andres Segovia—A Centenary Celebration''. Israel Horowitz, compilation producer (

Andres Segovia Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...

) (MCA Classics) * 1992 Nomination: ''The Complete Caruso''.

, album producer (

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyrical tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles (74) ...

) ( RCA Victor Gold Seal) * 1992 Nomination: ''Igor Stravinsky—The Recorded Legacy''. John McClure, album producer (

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

et al.) (

) * 1991 Nomination: Beethoven: Symphonies 1–9 & Leonore Overture No. 3. John Pfeiffer, album producer (

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

and NBC Symphony Orchestra) ( RCA Gold Seal) * 1991 Nomination: Verdi: Aida, Falstaff, Requiem, Te Deum, Va, Pensiero, Hymn of the Nations.

, album producer (Arturo Toscanini and NBC Symphony Orchestra) ( RCA Gold Seal) * 1987 Nomination: ''The Mapleson Cylinders''. David Hamilton & Tom Owen, album producers (Various Metropolitan Opera Artists) (Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives) * 1986 Win: ''RCA/Met—100 Singers—100 Years''.

, album producer (Various Artists) (

RCA Red Seal RCA Red Seal is a classical music label whose origin dates to 1902 and is currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment. History The first "Gramophone Record Red Seal" discs were issued in 1901.Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

) (Franklin Mint Record Society) * 1983 Nomination: ''Bartok at the Piano, 1920–1945''. Dora Antal, album producer ( Béla Bartok) (Hungaroton) * 1981 Win: ''Segovia—The EMI Recordings 1927–39''. Keith Hardwick, producer (

Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students. Segovia's contribution to the m ...

) (Angel) * 1980 Nomination: ''A Tribute to E. Power Biggs''. Andrew Kazdin, producer ( E. Power Biggs et al.) (

Columbia Masterworks Columbia Masterworks was a record label started in 1924 by Columbia Records. In 1980, it was separated from the Columbia label and renamed CBS Masterworks. In 1990, it was revived as Sony Classical after its sale to the Sony Corporation. History ...

) * 1979 Nomination: ''La Divina''. Peter Andry &

Walter Legge Harry Walter Legge (1 June 1906 – 22 March 1979) was an English classical music record producer, most especially associated with EMI. His recordings include many sets later regarded as classics and reissued by EMI as "Great Recordings of the ...

, producers (

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

) (Angel)

Notes

{{Reflist

External links

UCSB: Special Collections: Performing Arts: Historical Sound Collections

New York Public Library:Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound

National Recording Preservation Board
Recorded music Classical albums