Bel Canto Nutcracker Suite

OK, so Mitch Miller isn't holiday enough. No worries. This should make up for it, though.

In amongst the haul of Bel Canto 2-tracks is this little number by the infamous Hamburg Philharmonia: The Nutcracker Suite. It's the standard suite, even though the names of the movements are a little "French-ized". Don't ask me why, they came from some silly Wiki link. But, and if you can believe WikiPedia, this would be one of the first stereo recordings of the Nutcracker. Antal Dorati did the complete Ballet with the Minneapolis Orchestra in the mid-1950s, and the first full recording of the ballet in stereo was in 1958. That, of course, was on LP. If anyone has a GOOD Bel Canto discography, then I'd sure like to know when this was recorded.

I have also seen this on the 4-track version, but I still think that the 2-track Bel Canto tapes are far superior. Even if Bel Canto *did* do all the Dot library (things like Pat Boone and Lawrence Welk...), but they also did the HiFi label, as well as some of the early Liberty catalogue. Honestly, I don't know why people aren't collecting Bel Canto stuff, their LPs were BRILLIANT, as are their 2-track tapes.

Oh well, enough blather, I give you the usual full-size scans:
The front of the box, and
The back of the box.

Note that this was part of a promotinal deal (as seen on the back of the box)... does this make it a "rare Bel Canto"? Only time will tell...

Meanwhile, rack this one up and enjoy The Nutcracker Suite!