Lyrichord Discs

Lyrichord Discs is one of America's oldest independent labels of humanity's musical traditions. The New York based, family owned Lyrichord label was founded by Austrian immigrant and former Musicraft executive, Peter Fritsch. (1919 - 2004)[1] in 1950. Fritsch and his wife Theresa Fritsch (1923 - 2008), initially funded the company with a $10,000 first prize award won by Mrs. Fritsch in a contest in which she completed an advertising jingle for a new line of ice cream launched by the Lipton Tea Company. Lyrichord has been run by the son of the founder, Nick Fritsch, since 1988. In 2007, Nick Fritsch's wife, educator and illustrator Lesley Anne Doyel joined the company.

The firm's catalog includes recordings of traditional world music, early music, and classical music. Musical traditions from around the world and throughout history are available on compact disc, DVD, MP3 downloads, as well as original podcast and video DVD programming. According to the obituary of Fritsch in Billboard, the label "became one of the first to publish the field-work recordings of anthropologists and ethnomusicologists. Lyrichord's world music catalog features features Ituri rainforest recordings by Colin Tumbull.[2] It also includes: Imrat Khan, G.S. Sachdev, and recordings produced by John Levy, and recordings by Colin Turnbull, and Terry Miller." The Lebanese born musician, composer and educator AJ Racy has four recordings on Lyrichord. American Celtic fiddler Liz Knowles' debut solo album was released on Lyrichord. Early classical music has been another of its specialties... "with this recording, Lyrichord Discs continues its outstanding service to early music fanciers."[3][4][5] Classical and early music artists include noted sopranos Elizabeth Futral and Julianne Baird, Artek, Vox AmaDeus, countertenors Russell Oberlin, (through several recordings acquired from Beverly Merrill's Experience Anonymes label) Jeffrey Dooley and Drew Minter, harpsichordists Elaine Comparone, Kathryn Cok, Fernando Valenti, John Paul and Richard Troeger, baroque violinist Leah Gale Nelson, oboist Humbert Lucarelli and The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet have all appeared on Lyrichord.

Always a label that explored an eclectic range of musical styles, Lyrichord happened to be the label to record and release the first album of late folk/blues legend Dave Van Ronk, entitled “Skiffle in Stereo” (1957) with a band called the “Orange Blossom Jug Five” including Dave Van Ronk, guitar and vocals, Sam Charters cornet, guitar, Ann Danberg, washboard, Len Kunstadt, (co-owner of the Spivey Records label) on kazoo, and Russell Glynn, playing jug. In 2005, one track from this album was included in the compilation album "DAVE VAN RONK: The Mayor of MacDougal Street - Rarities 1957 - 1969", a co-production by Lyrichord and Multicultural Media, produced by Van Ronk's fellow musician, author, and editor of Van Ronk's posthumous memoir "Dave Van Ronk:The Mayor of MacDougal Street" (Da Capo, 2005 ISBN 0-306-81407-2.), Elijah Wald. The memoir became the basis for the Coen brothers fictionalized 2013 film, "Inside Llewyn Davis."

References

  1. ↑ Zeichner, Craig."Lyrichord To Turn 50" Early Music America 5. 4 (Winter 2000): 10-11.
  2. ↑ Billboard - The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment 116. 23 (Jun 5, 2004): 59.
  3. ↑ Proquest
  4. ↑ Bradley, David C. Review of "Love Letters from Italy." Drew Minter, countertenor; Gwendolyn Toth, director ARTEK/458 Strings. (Lyrichord Discs, Inc. LEMS 8026 [DDD]. Journal of Singing - The Official Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing 54. 1 (Sep 1997): 75.
  5. ↑ Birnbaum, George "Russell Oberlin". Journal of Singing - The Official Journal of the National Association of Teachers of Singing 53. 4 (Mar 1997): 21-26. http://search.proquest.com/iimp/docview/1401332/13EAA074CAA6F00A605/9?accountid=35635[ Proquest]

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