Allegro Music, Inc.

US manufacturer. Allegro Music Inc. began in early 1948 as a maker of unbreakable children's records. With the advent of the long playing record, Allegro (2) started Allegro Classics, a high quality label notable for its better than average sound and repertoire depth. Like many post-war startups, Allegro Music Inc. foundered in the early 1950s and was bought, in 1952, by Eli Oberstein, who folded the imprint into the bouquet of cheap labels controlled by his Record Corporation of America. Sometimes the Allegro imprint was combined with Oberstein's Elite and Royale concerns; he reissued most, if not all, of the Allegro Music titles in poorer pressings and packages. Oberstein's Allegro was discontinued when he sold most of his operation to Pickwick in 1958. See also the company Allegro Records (5) and the label Allegro (2).