16 August 2009

On the brink of oblivion

I have the habit of archiving my CDs in the form of wav files (CD backup) and mp3 files (for listening in portable devices). Although it is a never-ending project as I have scarcely any free time to do that, I still have a sizeable amount of these files in my PC hard disks. Just a couple of days ago when I took out my van Beinum collection, I thought I had never had his Apr 1955 B8 on Tahra TAH 614-615 as it was not there with the other van Beinum CDs. However, when I looked at my PC Bruckner folder just now, I could find an mp3 file of this CD, but alas, I have not even a trace of idea of where it is! The same happens with Gielen’s B3 and B8.

The most tragic loss is the disappearance of a number of important B5 CDs, most of them landmark recordings, including Schuricht’s VPO (issued celebrating VPO 150th anniversary), Karajan’s BPO (one of the jewel-boxes among the three in the entire box-set), Celibidache’s MPO (EMI), Asahina’s 1988 Osaka PO 90th anniversary concert, and less importantly Thieleman’s and who-knows-what-else! In fact I have been looking for them for almost 2 years, and they seem to sink into oblivion. I must have taken out all these CDs for a comparison test and then forgot where I had placed them. I will find them someday. I just wish there was a Lost Property Counter at home that I can just go there and reclaim them.

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