Discos Qualiton

Discos Qualiton Argentina
Parent company Fonema S.A.
Founded 1961
Founder Nelson Montes-Bradley, Ivan Cosentino, Nora Raffo, Carlos Melero
Distributor(s) Discos Qualiton
Genre Classical, Ethnographical, Folk, Others
Country of origin Argentina
Location Rosario, Buenos Aires

Discos Qualiton was a record label, published by the extinct recording studio Fonema S.A. A garage experiment born in Rosario, Argentina in 1961, Qualiton would later became a major independent project influencing a generation of artists, writers, musicians, poets and filmmakers.

Early days

The first attempts by Nelson Montes-Bradley and Ivan Cosentino to produce and publish vinyl records in Argentina was made under the umbrella of Fondo Cultural, a firm based in Rosario, and incorporated in Buenos Aires.[1] Fondo Cultural resorted to the use of the name Qualiton, which eventually led to the establishment of a close relationship with the homonymous Qualiton of Hungary, the state owned record company during the Communist years.

Joaquín Rodrigo's “Cantares de los pajes de la nao” by the Coro Estable de Rosario, conducted by Cristián Hernández Larguía, was Qualiton's first recording in 1961. Soon, the idea of producing other choruses became a perfect venue to establish the company in the local arena. Editions of no more than 300 LPs, were being quickly absorbed amongst the members of the chorus ensemble and their close relatives.[2] By 1965, the early catalog of Discos Qualiton produced by Fondo Cultural, was beginning to develop into a greater ordeal. Fondo Cultural became extinct and Fonema incorporated thus allowing Nora Raffo and Carlos Melero, newest members of the Qualiton team, to joined in the corporation.[3]

The following Fonema years, were mostly but not exclusively dedicated to produce classical music with a particular emphasis in baroque and colonial periods in Latin America under its Qualiton label. Also worth mentioning are the recordings of ethnographic music harvested in the field and gathered under the label Serie del Conocimiento and the unique recordings of literary works known as Juglaría.

The 1970s

Catalogue 1974-1974

By the late 1960s the record label had already relocated from Rosario to Buenos Aires, and expanded its catalog. New investors were seduced by the idea of creating a major independent label. Curt von Simpson and Gertrudis Moser joined Fonema executive leadership providing the needed contacts with local banks (namely Banco Oddone).[4] During this period of expansion Take One, a state-of-the-arts 24-channel recording studio was built to specs.[5] The console was manufactured by Solidyne and the studio acoustics was designed by Oscar Bonello. Take one, which would eventually become a landmark of the record industry was located at Fonema's HQ on Perú 375 in Buenos Aires historical district known as Monserrat[6] The original concept of a small and family orientated garage experiment born in Rosario, had grown out of proportion. However, by 1976, a military putsch, led by Jorge Rafael Videla, ousted Argentine president Isabel Perón making life quite difficult for the arts at large, and in particular for domestic labels linked to the previous years of social unrest. The final days of Discos Qualiton came about in 1978.[7]

Only a few complete collections of Discos Qualiton, and other labels associated to Fonema and Fondo Cultural, have survived and are available in a handful of libraries, private collections, and research institutes throughout Europe and the US. It is worth noticing that up to 1977, the artistic direction of Discos Qualiton was mostly the result of the expertise of Ivan Cosentino as a musician and recording engineer, while the publishing, editorial presentation, production and marketing was carried out by Nelson Montes-Bradley.[6][8]

Catalogue

According to what has been reconstructed from catalogues,[9][10] newspaper articles[11] and vinyl records available from private collectors and currently being sold at auctions or through internet services. Qualiton was one of five labels published by Fonema in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Other labels released by Fonema were: Colección privada (Private Stock), Serie del conocimiento (Knowledge Series), Archivo Colonial de América Latina (The Latin American Colonial Archive) and Juglaría. Each new album released by Fonema was identified with an alphanumeric code in one of the five labels. Some of the sequences in the catalog are interrupted and this is perhaps due perhaps to the fact the albums were either pending release or that we have not yet been able to identify its contents. In order to facilitate research we present each album (LP) in the following categories.

Qualiton

Inside Label on Qualiton LP: QH-2005

QH-2006: Roberto Lara, guitarra. Guitarist Roberto Lara plays from a repertoire of Argentine composers: Carlos Guastavino, Pelaia, A. Alemann, Julián Aguirre, Gómez Carrillo and Abel Fleury. Roberto Lara, guitar; Eduardo A. Alemann, recorder.[12]

Choral recordings

Colección privada

Private Stock: A total of five titles were released by Fonema S.A. under Colección Privada (trans. Private Stock). The concept behind the idea of a private stock was to subscribe a limited number of members, initially set at 500 in clear reference to the Fortune 500. The idea of exclusivity was becoming popular in Argentina at the time also through the different programs promoted by credit cards such as Diners Club and American Express. The logo revealed a key and the number 500 in reference to the privacy held by the exclusive members. Colección Privada initially announced it was going to release on LP every month.[26]

Logo on subscription form

Balkanton

A total of three titles were produced and released by Fonema S.A. parent company of Discos Qualiton, under the label Balkanton. The titles were edited by Planeta S.A. a firm owned by Eduardo Eurnekian and Miguel Levy, under license by Balkanton Records, Bulgaria.

Juglaría

Spoken Word: Parallel to the recording of timeless musical works by the great masters and contemporary Argentine authors Discos Qualiton published a unique catalogue of literature on vinyl. Authors such as Federico García Lorca, Dylan Thomas, Jacques Prévert or local icon Tejada Gómez were either publish in their own voice or read and interpreted by others. At least eleven titles (a total of twelve LP's), were released under this category. Half way through the series, the ID numbers that identify each title in a catalog were changed. The denomination “QH” corresponds to the original Qualiton, the following known as the series that begin with “JC” and “JQ” were inscribed in the attempt by Fonema to create label exclusively for literary works. The later was known as Juglaría label produced by Nelson Montes-Bradley .

Serie del conocimiento

(Knowledge Series) World Music:

QI-4007: Argentina indígena.
Folklore Musical y Música Folklórica Argentina. Catalogue picture

Produced for Third Parties

The following titles were produced, edited and often distributed by Fonema S.A. through what was called "Departamento de Productos Especiales de Fonema S.A." The list includes a variety of musical products relative to the nature of the contracting entity commissioning the recordings.

Awards

Premio America, 1970

The artwork

Fonema's distinct catalog was acknowledged not only from its content of original and unusual recordings, but also for its commitment to the visual arts. Each LP jacket was carefully designed with the works of local artists such as Mele Bruniard, Battle Planas, Luis Seoane, Antonio Berni and Mario Loza. The graphic corporate image of Qualiton was created by Oscar Díaz. Díaz was a prestigious local graphic artist who also conceived the unique logo of Discos Qualiton, Juglaría and Colección Privada. Qualiton's logo, a spiral to its center representing the groove in a vinyl record, incorporated the illusion of a human eye. The concept merged the idea of music and the visual arts in one label. Pablo Barragan, also a graphic designer, joined Qualiton as the in-house artist during the last years of Fonema.

Notes

  1. ↑ Ivan Cosentino. Interview with the author of this note.
  2. ↑ La Prensa, October 30, 1967. Article by Eduardo Lagos. Title: @Tango y Folklore
  3. ↑ La Nación, Nov. 24, 1967
  4. ↑ Luis Oddone (CEO Oddone Group), interviewed by the author of this article.
  5. ↑ Oscar Bonello. "La Aventura del sonido" Librería Editorial Alsina. Buenos Aires, 2012. P. 202
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Luis Maria Cosenza (producer) interviewed by the author of this article.
  7. ↑ Luis María Cosenza (producer), interviewed by the author of this article.
  8. ↑ La Nación, Monday, July 5, 1999. http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=144699
  9. ↑ Discos Qualiton. Catálogo Numérico. Fonema S.A. Peru 375 1er. piso, Buenos Aires. (1976). 2 pages. 8.5 in X 11 in. Printed in Argentina
  10. ↑ Ediciones Fonema (1973-74). 20 pages printed on both sides. Black and White. Cover in color showing album covers. 7 in X 8.5 in. Printed in Buenos Aires.
  11. ↑ La Nación, November 24, 1967. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  12. ↑ Recorder Home Page. Argentinian Music Recorder. Compiled by Gonzalo Ariel Juan. http://www.recorderhomepage.net/argcomps.html
  13. ↑ Remo Pignoni: El hombre piano. http://www.socavon.net/Archivo/pignoni.htm
  14. ↑ Yerba Buena Virtual. http://www.yerbabuenavirtual.com.ar/musicos/gentilini.htm#discos
  15. ↑ Tucultura. Pato Gentilini. http://www.tucultura.com.ar/nota.php?id=1406
  16. ↑ Armando Tejada Gómez
  17. ↑ Luis María Cosenza (producer) interviewed by the author of this article.
  18. ↑ ro:Iosif Conta
  19. ↑ http://cgi.ebay.com/YOSIF-CONTA-ALBERTO-SORIANO-CUATRO-RITUALES-ARGENTIN-LP-/260723668775
  20. ↑ http://cgi.ebay.com/PIA-SEBASTIANI-Argentina-Qualiton-4012-Brahms-Piano-LP-/380275430453?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588a2e9435#ht_2015wt_907
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Revista Panorama (Weekly). Año XI – Issue 348. Buenos Aires, Argentina. January 1974.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Samuel Claro Valdés. "Revista Musical Chilena". Vol. 31, No. 137 (1977): Enero - Marzo , p.57-61
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 La escena del cello en Argentina. Leo Viola: Cellista y Maestro. http://www.argencello.com.ar/leoviola.html
  24. ↑ Academia Musical de Indias. Latin American colonial music: by Mario Ortíz. http://amusindias.free.fr/en/discos/muscolmo.php3
  25. ↑ La Opinion (Newspaper) December 22, 1976. p.29
  26. ↑ According to the text printed in the front a subscription form attached to the membership package. In file with at the AGN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  27. ↑ Fundación Luis Seoane. La Coruña, Spain. Fundación Luis Seoane · San Francisco s/n · 15001 A Coruña (España). http://www.luisseoanefund.org/fundacionls/es/publicaciones/poesias
  28. ↑ Dias das Letras Galegas 2005. Exiliados. http://www.culturagalega.org/exilio/avoz.php
  29. ↑ Invitation to the gala at Teatro Payro. AGN.
  30. ↑ May, Elizabeth. Musics of Many Cultures: An Introduction. University of California Press. ©1983
  31. ↑ Brochure, 3 pages. Published by Diners Club International. Description of the work with extensive comments and review.
  32. ↑ Archive of Traditional Music. Folklore Institute. Indiana University.
  33. ↑ Museo de Arte Popular José Hernández. Av. del Libertador 2373, Buenos Aires, Argentina. http://www.acceder.gov.ar/es/1700680
  34. ↑ Smithsonian Folkways. Online Reference. http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=859
  35. ↑ Society for Ethnomusicology. Ethnomusicology, May 1981. Page 346
  36. ↑ Revista Buenos Aires Musical, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 "Buenos Aires Musical", Trade Magazine directed by Pablo Luis Bardín. June–July 1977, Page. 41.

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