Charles Amirkhanian interviews Norman Fox, president of the legendary SPA Recordings label and Hannah Adler, wife of the late F. Charles Adler, former A & R (Artists and Repertory) Director and musical mastermind at SPA. Initiated at the outset of the LP era, which began in earnest in 1949, SPA was one of many small and adventures independent companies that proliferated and undertook the recording of contemporary music on a scale not previously known in the 78 rpm era. Its name formed a clever play on words, since the ‘Society for Participating Artists’ was located in a town well known for its hot spring spas. The label was founded by Norman Fox, then a successful appliance store proprietor, and his friend F. Charles Adler, the last conducting student of Gustav Mahler himself. Under their leadership in the very early 1950s, SPA quickly made a stirring impact with the release of the first LP discs in the U. S. of selected symphonies of Mahler, and Anton Bruckner. This was followed by number of albums representing an unprecedented kaleidoscope of rarities at that time, including several albums featuring the music of George Antheil. This interview was recorded in Saratoga, New York, April 25, 1981. |
