EMS Recordings
Encyclopedia
EMS Recordings was founded in 1949 by Jack Skurnick
in New York City. The company won first prize at the Audio Fair of 1950 for the high quality and interest of its recordings.
Skurnick's parents, Max and Anna Skurnick, owned a record store on 42nd street, named the Elaine Music Shop after the wife of a previous owner. Skurnick, a musicologist and amateur violinist, helped out in the store. When he finally realized his dream of starting a record company, he named the company after the store where he made the acquaintance of many music lovers and artists.
Skurnick died suddenly in 1952, leaving behind a wife, the painter Fay Kleinman
and a daughter, Davida, who would become the theater historian Davi Napoleon
and the mother of two boys, including jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon
.
During his short lifetime, Skurnick produced three acclaimed series for EMS, Pro Musica Antiqua, Forecasts in Music, and Survey of the Art Song. These were all released as long-playing records only.
EMS presents music composed before the eighteenth century, performed authentically.
Forecasts in Music
Survey of the Art Song
Sonata in A Minor, Opus 42 (EMS 107)
Sonata in D Major, Opus 53 (EMS 108)
Sonata in G Major, Opus 78 (EMS 109)
Sonata in G Minor, Opus Posth (EMS 110)
Jack Skurnick
Jack Skurnick was the founder and director of EMS Recordings and publisher and editor of the highly regarded music review, Just Records.-Career:...
in New York City. The company won first prize at the Audio Fair of 1950 for the high quality and interest of its recordings.
Skurnick's parents, Max and Anna Skurnick, owned a record store on 42nd street, named the Elaine Music Shop after the wife of a previous owner. Skurnick, a musicologist and amateur violinist, helped out in the store. When he finally realized his dream of starting a record company, he named the company after the store where he made the acquaintance of many music lovers and artists.
Skurnick died suddenly in 1952, leaving behind a wife, the painter Fay Kleinman
Fay Kleinman
Fay Kleinman is an American painter. She has also been known by her married names, Fay Skurnick, then Fay Levenson.Most of her work is oil on canvas, but she has done some mixed-media work and watercolor. She has exhibited in museums in New York and Massachusetts and in galleries throughout the...
and a daughter, Davida, who would become the theater historian Davi Napoleon
Davi Napoleon
Davi Napoleon, aka Davida Skurnick is an American theater historian and critic. She is a theater columnist for The Faster Times, an online newspaper, and a regular contributor to Live Design, a monthly magazine about entertainment design and designers...
and the mother of two boys, including jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon
Randy Napoleon
Randy Napoleon is a jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger who is a member of The Freddy Cole Quartet and the leader of the Randy Napoleon Trio. He has toured with Benny Green, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra , led by John Clayton, Jeff Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, and with Michael Bublé.-Early...
.
During his short lifetime, Skurnick produced three acclaimed series for EMS, Pro Musica Antiqua, Forecasts in Music, and Survey of the Art Song. These were all released as long-playing records only.
Discography
Pro Musica AntiquaEMS presents music composed before the eighteenth century, performed authentically.
- Sacred and Secular Music of the 12th and 13th Centuries. Pro Musica Antiqua of Brussels, conducted by Safford CapeSafford CapeSafford Cape was an American conductor, composer and musicologist.Born and educated in Denver, Colorado, Cape moved to Belgium in 1925 to further his studies in composition and musicology. From 1933, after a few years of chamber music composition, Cape began focusing on the performance of medieval...
. A collection of works by Adam de la Halle, Leoninus, Perotin, and others. (EMS 201)
- Dufay, Guillaume: Secular Works. Safford Cape. 13 Chansons and instrumental pieces by the greatest composer of the first half of the 15th century. (EMS 206)
- Des Prez, Josquin: Secular Works. Safford Cape. 14 Chansons and instrumental pieces by the late 15th century "Prince of Music." (EMS 213)
- Spanish Music from the Court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Safford Cape. Nineteen vocal and instrumental pieces by Juan del Enrico and contemporaries. (EMS 219)
- Byrd, William: The Four and Five Part Masses. Safford Cape. Two major works by the "Parent of British Music." (EMS 234)
- Prezel, Johann: Tower and Festive Music for Brass. EMS Brass Ensemble conducted by Gunther SchullerGunther SchullerGunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
. (EMS 7)
- Marais, Marin: Suites for Viola Da Gamba and Harpsichord. Eve Heinitz, viola da gamba; Ernst Victor Wolff, harpsichord. Suites IV and V in A minor and A major respectively, plus a prelude in D minor. (EMS 8)
- Dowland, John: Lachrimae or Seaven Teares. Geneva Chamber Ensemble conducted by Franz Walter. "Seaven passionate pavana, with divers other pavans, galiards, and almands, set forth for the lute, viols or violins, in five parts." Dowland's only purely instrumental composition, much of it based on his beautiful songs. (EMS 12)
Forecasts in Music
- Varese, Edgard: Integrales/Density 21.5/Ionization/Octandre. Rene le Roy, flute; Juilliard Percussion Orchestra and New York Wind Ensemble conducted by Frederic Waldman. EMS went out on a limb with this record, but music lovers, hi-fi addicts, composers, and EMS never regretted it. Frank Zappa has said he was influenced by this music. (EMS 401)
- Overton, Hall: Sonata for Viola and Piano (1960)/ Sonatoa for Cello and Piano (1960). Walter Trampler, viola; Charles McCracken, cello; Lucy Greene, piano. (EMS 403)
- Martinu, Bohuslav: Sonata for Flute and Piano; Two Polkas/Tree Etudes/Les Ritournelles for Piano. Rene Le Roy, flute, George Reeves, piano; Charles Rosen, piano. (EMS 2)
- Hindemith, Paul: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano / Sonata for Bassoon and Piano / Sonata for Trombone and Piano. Alex Wilson, trumpet; Bernard Garfield, bassoon; Roger Smith, Trombone; Theodore Lettvin, piano. These sonatas may be defined as Gebrauchmusik, but they are not mere utilitarian pieces but works of emotional and dramatic impact.
- Milhaud, Darius: Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Piano/La Cheminee Du Roi Tene/Pastorale for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon. Samuel Baron, flute; Ralph Gombert, oboe; Wallace Shapiro, clarinet; Bernard Garfield, bassoon; Milton Kaye, piano.
- Villa-Lobos, Heitor: The Baby's Family Suite (also known as The Children's Doll Suite / The Three Maries / Rudepoema. Jacques Abrams, piano. (EMS 10)
Survey of the Art Song
- Griffes, Charles Tomlinson: Eight Songs. Grieg, Edvard: Nine Songs. Norman Myrvik, tenor; Emanuel LevensonEmanuel LevensonEmanuel Levenson was an American classical musician most active from the early 1950s through the early 1970s. Best known at the time as an opera director, he also taught piano and voice, performed as a concert pianist, and founded several arts organizations which survive to this day.A graduate of...
, piano. (EMS 501)
- Piano Sonatas of Franz Schubert performed by Webster Aitken:
Sonata in A Minor, Opus 42 (EMS 107)
Sonata in D Major, Opus 53 (EMS 108)
Sonata in G Major, Opus 78 (EMS 109)
Sonata in G Minor, Opus Posth (EMS 110)
External links
- http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/performers/cape.html Safford Cape: A Discography
- http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/greatconversations/great-bios-rosen.html Biography of Charles Rosen, pianist
- http://www.stereophile.com/records2die4/203r2d4/index5.html Stereophile magazine names the best recordings, including "EDGARD VARÈSE: The Varèse Record Ionisation, Density 21.5, Interpolations from DésertsDésertsDéserts is a piece by Edgard Varèse for brass , percussion , piano, and tape. Percussion instruments are exploited for their resonant potential, rather than used solely as accompaniment...
, Octandre, Intégrales" and notes Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's interest in EMS.