Coastal Concerts volunteer recognized for new audio restorations

Professional oboist and renowned audio recording engineer Lani Spahr has received numerous awards and worldwide acclaim for his expert remastering of a number of the works of Sir Edward Elgar, most notably Elgar’s “Symphony #1” and his “Cello Concerto in E minor,”  issued on SOMM Recordings 2614, a four-CD boxed set, in 2016.

Spahr is now receiving fresh accolades for his remastering of what became known as “The Forgotten Recordings of George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra,” issued in a two-disc boxed set earlier this year on SOMM Recordings 5011. Recorded originally in 1954-55, all but one of the works – which include J.S. Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No.3,” Smetana’s “The Moldau,” Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture,” “Variations on a Theme” by Haydn, Stravinsky’s 1919 version of “The Firebird Suite” and works by R. Strauss, Mozart and Schumann – are presented on CD for the first time. Spahr’s recent achievement was acknowledged by Gramophone magazine as an Editor’s Choice and by BBC Magazine as a Historical Choice.

“These compelling aural documents have been expertly restored by Lani Spahr, who has also contributed the booklet notes, running to 19 pages. All in all, the entire project is an unmitigated success,” said Stephen Greenbank of MusicWeb International.

Spahr is a longtime Coastal Concerts volunteer and producer/presenter of the organization’s Performance Insights series, a half-hour discussion of the nuances and little-known facts immersed in the music of a the concert to be performed that day. Five of the seven concerts of the upcoming 2021-22 season are scheduled for discussions, which will begin one hour before the concert.

For the concert schedule and more, go to coastalconcerts.org.