Hamilton Harty has not been entirely forgotten on CD, but has sadly not received a comprehensive set of reissues. His recording with W H Squire of Elgar’s Cello Concerto is a gramophone classic, and has been reissued occasionally (most recently by Pearl in 1999). It’s a performance which is well worth hearing. He recorded extensively both as orchestral conductor and piano accompanist.

Saint-Saens – Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Op.28
Orchestra, Hamilton Harty
Daisy Kennedy, violin

Columbia L1335
Matrices 76558-1, 76559-1
Recorded 1919
Available from January 1920 to July 1924

Daisy Kennedy was an Australian violinist, and a regular in UK concert halls. She married the pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch.

Beethoven – Romance No.1 in G major Op.40
Daisy Kennedy, violin
Orchestra, Hamilton Harty

Columbia L1340
Matrices 76560-2, 76561-2
Recorded 1919
Available from August 1920 to July 1924

Verdi - Aida - Nile Duet. From Finale, Act III
Aida - Nile Duet. From Finale, Act III. Part I (VS pp239-244)
Aida - Nile Duet. From Finale, Act III. Part II (VS pp244-249)
Orchestra, Hamilton Harty
Frank Mullings, tenor - Radames
Elsa Stralia, soprano - Aida

Mediafire link for Aida - Nile Duet - Frank Mullings, Elsa Stralia - Hamilton Harty

(This is an mp3 file – left click the link, download the file)

Columbia 7248/9
Matrices 74063-2, 74064-2
Recorded about 3rd May 1920, 80rpm
Available from January 1921 to April 1924

This duet was reissued on double sided Columbia 7334 in April 1924, and was available in this form until August 1930

Bizet - Carmen - My Mother I Behold (Act I)
Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty
Elsa Stralia, soprano
Frank Mullings, tenor

Bizet - Carmen - My Mother I Behold - Stralia, Mullings, Harty

(mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

Columbia 7258
Matrix 74106-2
Recorded c 14th May 1920
Available from March 1922 to April 1924

Plays at 83.7rpm
This was reissued on double sided 7332 in April 1924, coupled with Stralia's 1920 account of Micaela's aria.
This was available until January 1925 when the Micaela aria was replaced with a 1924 remake - this new issue was available 22nd January 1925 to August 1930.

Offenbach – Barcarolle from “Tales of Hoffmann”
Gabriel Jean-Marie – La Cinquantaine
W.H. Squire, cello
Hamilton Harty, piano

Columbia D1325
Matrices 29439, 29520
Recorded early 1920s?

Saint-Saens - Cello Concerto No.1 in A minor Op.33
W.H. Squire, cello
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia L 1800-2
Matrices WAX 1414-2, 1415-1, 1416-1, 1417-1, 1418-4, 1419-1 (6064, 6066, 6057, 6058, 6067, 6065)
Recorded 25th March 1926
Available from December 1926 to January 1940

All sides run at 80.6rpm, and maintain a consistent speed - this seems a rare occurrence for Columbias of this vintage. The work is in one continous movement, though it is divided into sections.

Mozart – Bassoon Concerto in B flat major K191
I. Allegro (2 sides)
II. Andante ma adagio (2 sides)
III. Rondo (Tempo di Menuetto) (1 side)
Senaille arr. Camden – Allegro Spiritoso
Archie Camden, bassoon
Orchestra, Hamilton Harty

Columbia L 1824-6
Matrices WAX 1387-1, 1388-2, 1389-1, 1390-2, 1391-1, 1392-1 (6036, ?6035?, 6037, 6038, 6039, 6034)
Recorded 30th March 1926
Available from February 1927 to January 1957

This much loved recording stayed a long time in the catalogue despite the variable recording speed typical of Columbia in the mid to late 1920s. Despite all sides being recorded on the same date, the first movement ranges from 80 to almost 81rpm on each side, the second from 79 to about 80.5 and the finale from 80 to 81. The Senaille is almost stable in pitch.

Camden’s inventive cadenzas are a delight, and Harty’s conducting is as pleasurable as ever, though the orchestra is rather thin sounding, with a fairly small complement of strings.

Haydn – Symphony No.101 in D major “Clock”
I. Adagio – Presto (2 sides)
II. Andante (2 sides)
III. Minuetto and Trio (1 side)
IV. Finale: Vivace (2 sides)
Weber – Abu Hassan – Overture
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia L 2088–91
Matrices WAX 2664-1, 2665-2, 2666-1, 2667-2, 2668-1, 2669-1, 2670-2, 2653-1 (7535, 7531, 7532, 7518, 7519, 7517, 7521, 7527)
Recorded 2nd May 1927 (Haydn), 30th April 1927 (Weber), Free Trade Hall, Manchester
Available from May 1928 to August 1943

The two works in this set are fine examples of Harty’s conducting, with the swooping portamenti in the third movement of the Haydn, the rush to the conclusion of the first movement, and the sheer delight of the Weber overture.

However they must have been disconcerting to listen when originally released, as all the sides suffer from Columbia’s major flaw for this period, of changing speed throughout each side – most of them start at 80rpm, but reach about 81.7rpm by the end of the side.

Curiously, Harty choose not to reprise the Minuet after the Trio (an option also taken by Stokowski.) There would have been time for the repeat to be included in the recording, especially as the Finale is split over two sides, each less than three minutes long.

Rosamunde - Overture
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia L 1998
Matrices WAX 2654-1, 2655-2 (7526, 7530)
Recorded 2nd May 1927
Available from December 1927 to June 1947

As is common with many UK Columbias from this period, the stated 80rpm, turns out to be unreliable, with both sides starting at that speed and ending about  81.2rpm. The recording is somewhat cut, with side 1 containing bars 1-83 and 104-185, and side 2 containing bars 206-375 and 396 to the end.

Schubert - Rosamunde Incidental Music
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia L 2122-5
Matrices WAX 3549-2, 3550-2, 3551-1, 3552-1, 3554-3, 3555-2, 3556-2, 3553-2 (9230, 9228, 9229, 9248, 9239, 9240, 9235, 9238)
Recorded 27th April 1928
Available from September 1928 to August 1946

Overture (Alphonso and Estrella) (2 sides)
Entr'acte No.1 (2 sides)
(a) Entr'acte No.2; (b) Shepherd's Melody (for Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn)
Entr'acte No.3 (in B flat major) (without repeats)
Ballet Music No.1 - Andantino (in G major) (without repeats)
Ballet Music No.2 - (a) Allegro Moderato; (b) Andante un Poco Assai (without repeats)

Elgar - Concerto in E minor for cello and orchestra Op.85

I. Adagio - Moderato (2 sides)
II. Allegro Molto (1½ sides)
III. Adagio (1 side)
IV. Allegro - Moderato - Allegro ma non troppo (3½ sides)

W. H. Squire, cello
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia DX 117-120
Matrices: WAX 4410-7
Rec c1929, Free Trade Hall, Manchester

Mendelssohn - Symphony No.4 in A major Op.90 "Italian"

I. Allegro vivace (1½ sides)
II. Andante con moto (1½ sides)
III. Con moto moderato (1 side)
IV. Finale: Saltarello-Presto (2 sides)

Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia DX 342-4
Matrices WAX 6054-2, 6055-2, 6056-1, 6-57=2, 6058-1, 6059-1 (14899, 14902, 14901, 14900, 14912, 14916)
Recorded 10th April 1931

Tchaikovksy - Mazeppa - Cossack Dance
Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia LX 240Matrix CAX 6279-1
Recorded 12th February 1932

Coupled with:
Johann Strauss II - Perpetuum Mobile
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, Willem Mengelberg

Mozart – Divertimento No.17 in D major K334

I. Allegro (1½ sides)
II. Theme and 6 Variations (1½ sides)
III. Menuetto & Trio
VI. Rondo: Allegro

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty

Columbia LX 350-52
Matrices: CAX 7302-2, 7303-1, 7304-2, 7305-1, 7306-2, 7307-1
Recorded 1934

Harty omits the fourth and fifth movements. In the second, repeats are played only in the theme and the final variation. The finale is somewhat cut, omitting bars 127-134, 170²-186¹, 207²-215¹, 269 and 336²-344¹.