The Styrous® Viewfinder: 2025

June 12, 2025

20,000 vinyl LPs 386: Eugene Ormandy ~ 1812 Overture

Eugene Ormandy ~ 1812 Overture

vinyl LP front cover

photo of album cover by Styrous®

On June 12, 1812, the French invasion of Russia led by Napoleon began; the invasion became known as The War of 1812.

Eugene Ormandy ~ 1812 Overture

vinyl LP back cover

photo of album cover by Styrous®

I also did an entry about the 1812 Overture conducted by Antal Doráti that included real life cannons and bells (links below).

Eugene Ormandy ~ 1812 Overture

vinyl LP side 1 & 2

photos by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Tchaikovsky* – Overture "1812", Op. 49, composed by Tchaikovsky*

A - Borodin* – In The Steppes Of Central Asia, composed by Borodin*

Side 2:

Borodin* - Polovtsian Dances (From "Prince Igor"), composed by Borodin*
B1a - Dance No. 1
B1b - Dance No. 2
B1c - Dance No. 3
B1d - Dance No. 4
B2 - Moussorgsky*– Night On Bald Mountain, composed by Moussorgsky*

Companies, etc.

Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Hollywood

Credits:

Conductor – Eugene Ormandy
Orchestra – The Philadelphia Orchestra

Notes:

Jacket back lower right corner has "6" printed.
Pressed by Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Hollywood identified by the etched H in the deadwax.
Deep groove pressing rings, 69 / 71mm.
Gray 6-eye Columbia Masterworks labels, ɴᴏɴʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴀʙʟᴇ to the left of the spindle hole, in use from 6/1955- 6/1962

LP title located above spindle hole on the labels on both sides.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Other (Jacket back bottom right corner): 6
Pressing Plant ID (Runout etched): H
Matrix / Runout (Label side A): x"Lp" 45887
Matrix / Runout (Label side B): x"Lp" 45888
Matrix / Runout (Variant 1, side A): XXLP45887-1F I
Matrix / Runout (Variant 1, side B): XXLP45888-1AC H /
Matrix / Runout (Variant 2, side A): XXLP45887-1AD I
Matrix / Runout (Variant 2, side B): XXLP45888-1F H /IIIII
Matrix / Runout (Variant 3, side A): XXLP45887-1G H II
Matrix / Runout (Variant 3, side B): XXLP45888-1AL H I

The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy / Tchaikovsky*, Borodin*, Mussorgsky* – 1812 Overture
Label: Columbia Masterworks – ML 5392
Format: LP, Album, Mono, Hollywood Pressing
Country US
Released: Sep 1959
Genre:Classical
Style:Romantic

Viewfinder links:

1812 Overture articles

Alexander Borodin

Antal Doráti

Antol Dorati ~ 1812 Overture

Eugene Ormandy

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Net links:

Steve Hoffman ~ 1812 Overture with Real Cannons

Ravinia Backstage ~ How Hi-Fi Popularized Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (with cannons)

YouTube links:

Antol Dorati ~ 1812 Overture

Eugene Ormandy ~ 1812 Overture

Styrous® ~ Thursday, June 12, 2025

20,000 Vinyl LPs Archive
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Antal Doráti articles/mentions

1812 Overture reel to reel tape

mentions:

Antal Doráti

photo by Gordon Anthony

Music People

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June 11, 2025

Ginny Parsons ~ Dots & Unhoused w/cookies

Ginny Parsons ~ Dots & Unhoused

Peanut butter & Borax

Plus Climate Wave Balls

Ginny Parsons has promised to serve her heavenly cookies from 3 PM to 5 PM during the presentation of her work on June 14, 2025 at the K Gallery in the Rhythmix Cultural Works center in Alameda.

An intuitive artist, Parsons works with common household materials like bacon grease and peanut butter. Her cookies and her art are NOT to be missed! So, if one or the other interests you, come to experience both!

Viewfinder links:

K Gallery
Ginny Parsons

Rhythmix Cultural Works

Net links:

K Gallery
Ginny Parsons

Rhythmix Cultural Works

3 PM to 5 PM, June 14, 2025

Styrous® ~ Wednesday, June 11, 2025

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Art/Exhibitions

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June 3, 2025

20,000 vinyl LPs 385: Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP front cover

photo of album cover by Styrous®

On June 3, 1931, The Broadway musical The Band Wagon opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City and concluded on January 16, 1932, running a total of 260 performances.

In 1953, the musical was made into a film which not only featured the dancing of Fred Astaire, but that of Cyd Charisse. Charisse had the most incredible legs that seemed to go on forever!

Cyd Charisse
date & photographer unknown

MGM Records issued the soundtrack of the film in its series that featured albums with two soundtracks in each, a two for one deal.

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

The album covers were always in a gatefold format . . .

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP gatefold cover

photo of album cover by Styrous®

. . . which gave tons of information about the film, the music, the actors, etc.

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP gatefold interior

photo of album cover by Styrous®

The Band Wagon had many opportunities to showcase the incredible dancing and power of both Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse.

Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse

The Band Wagon

film still

The Band Wagon movie poster

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

vinyl LP side 1 & 2

photos by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - A Shine On Your Shoes, Vocals – Fred Astaire
A2 - By Myself, Vocals – Fred Astaire
A3 - Dancing In The Dark
A4 - Triplets, Vocals – Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray
A5a - New Sun In The Sky, Vocals – India Adams
A5b - I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan, Vocals – Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan
A6 - Louisiana Hayride, Vocals – Nanette Fabray,

Side 2:

B1 - I Love Louisa, Vocals – Fred Astaire
B2 - That's Entertainment, Vocals – Fred Astaire, India Adams, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray
B3 - The Girl Hunt Ballet, Adapted By – Edens*, Narrator – Fred Astaire, Written By [Narration] – Minnelli*

Credits:

Chorus – M-G-M Studio Chorus*
Chorus Master, Conductor – Adolph Deutsch
Music By – Schwartz* (tracks: B3)
Orchestra – M-G-M Studio Orchestra*
Producer – Arthur Freed
Songwriter [Songs By] – Schwartz - Dietz* (tracks: A1-B2)

Notes:

1949-60 yellow / black MGM labels with "☆ LONG PLAYING MICROGROOVE ☆ UNBREAKABLE ☆ 33⅓ R. P. M. " rim text.

This release is a cover variation of Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray • Jack Buchanan - The Band Wagon that has "A HIGH FIDELITY RECORDING" to the left of catalog number at top right and (after market) "DUST PROOF.." sticker.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped): E3051 S1 1 C
Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped): E3051 S2 1 A

Howard Dietz And Arthur Schwartz* / M-G-M Studio Orchestra* And Chorus* Conducted By Adolph Deutsch Featuring Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray & Jack Buchanan – The Band Wagon
Schwartz & Dietz - The Band Wagon album cover
Label: MGM Records – E3051
Format: Vinyl, LP, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1953
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style:Soundtrack, Musical, Vocal

Viewfinder links:

Fred Astaire

Cyd Charisse

Nanette Fabray

Net links:

YouTube links:

The Band Wagon (1953) ~

The Band Wagon (film segments)

Dancing in the Dark

I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan

I Love Louisa

Recreation Center

That's Entertainment

The Girl Hunt Ballet

Final (That's Entertainment)

Styrous® ~ Sunday, July 19, 2020

20,000 Vinyl LPs Archive
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Cyd Charisse articles/mentions

mentions:

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

Cyd Charisse - 1963

promo photo

Theater/performance people
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Nanette Fabray articles/mentions

mentions:

George M. Cohan ~ George M!

Arthur Schwartz ~ The Band Wagon

Nanette Fabray - 1963

promo photo

Theater/performance people
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June 2, 2025

Orchestral Manouvers In the Dark (OMD) – Maid Of Orleans stained glass window cover

Orchestral Manouvers In the Dark (OMD) – Maid Of Orleans

45 RPM single front cover

Cover Design [Stained Glass] by Anton Wolff

photo of cover by Styrous®

I published an article about the OMD Maid Of Orleans album earlier with the music and history behind it (link below). This entry focuses only on the cover of the album, so it belongs in the “Just the cover, ma’am” articles (link below).

The cover for Maid Of Orleans is a brilliant graphics design by German graphic designer & painter Anton Wolff. It was printed on shiny mylar (polyester) which gave it the appearance of a stained glass window seen in cathedrals and churches.

rose window of the Chartres Cathedral (Chartres, France)

Both the front and the back of the album is covered in mylar so the back is like a mirror which captured my reflection when I photographed it; there was no way to avoid that.

Orchestral Manouvers In the Dark (OMD) – Maid Of Orleans

45 RPM single back cover

Cover Design by Anton Wolff

photo of back cover by Styrous®

There are three albums in my collection that also used mylar, The Andromeda Strain soundtrack album cover, the Grand Funk Railroad ~ E Pluribus Funk album in the shape of a coin and The Monkees ~ Head soundtrack cover which was even shinier (links below).

Viewfinder links:

“Just the cover, ma’am”

Grand Funk Railroad ~ E Pluribus Funk

The Monkees ~ Head

Orchestral Manouvers In the Dark (OMD) – Maid Of Orleans

Net links:

Manual Cohen ~ Joan of Arc stained glass window, Orleans Cathedral

Inspired Pencil ~ Stained Glass Joan

Maidofheaven ~ Joan of Arc Stained Glass Window, Church in Rouen France

YouTube link:

OMD ~ Maid Of Orleans (live)

Styrous® ~ Monday, June 2, 2025

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June 1, 2025

Mikhail Glinka & The Five

Mikhail Glinka ~ painting by Ilya Repin

Today is the birthday of Russian composer, Mikhail Glinka who was born on June 1, 1804, in the village of Novospasskoye, near the Desna River in the Smolensk Governorate of the Russian Empire now in the Yelninsky District of the Smolensk Oblast. He was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country and is often regarded as the father of Russian classical music.

Two of my favorite works by Glinka are the Oriental dance from Ruslan & Liudmila and his Nocturne in Eb major for solo harp (links below).

His compositions were an important influence on other Russian composers, notably the members of The Five, who produced a distinctive Russian style of music; Mily Balakirev (the leader), César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin. They never called themselves, nor were they ever called in Russia, 'The Five'".

The formation of the group began in 1856 with the first meeting of Balakirev and César Cui. Modest Mussorgsky joined them in 1857, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1861, and Alexander Borodin in 1862. All the composers in The Five were young men in 1862. Balakirev was 25, Cui 27, Mussorgsky 23, Borodin the eldest at 28, and Rimsky-Korsakov just 18. They were all self-trained amateurs.

In contrast to the élite status and court connections of Conservatory composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Five were mainly from the minor gentry of the provinces. To some degree their esprit de corps depended on the myth, which they themselves created, of a movement that was more "authentically Russian," in the sense that it was closer to the native soil, than the classic academy. Spurred on by Russian nationalist ideas, the Five “sought to capture elements of rural Russian life, to build national pride, and to prevent western ideals from seeping into their culture.

The circle began to fall apart during the 1870s, partially due to the fact that Balakirev withdrew from musical life early in the decade for a period of time. All of "The Five" are buried in Tikhvin Cemetery in Saint Petersburg.